“They’re in Kansas City.”
“Kansas City? Clever. Susan was from Kansas City. Theyarelooking for her.”
“Will they find her?”
“In Kansas City? No. She wouldn’t go back there. It’s too obvious.” There was a pause. “It is possible, though, that she’s contacted one of her old friends there.” A smug smile. “And if that’s the case, Kruger and the girl will find out. They’re doing our legwork for us.”
“Seems to me I’m doing it anyway, following them around like this.”
“You’re not stupid enough to let them see you, are you? After that little kidnapping stunt, the girl would recognize you instantly.”
“Don’t worry. We’ve got Jimbo tailing them close, and she never saw him, so we’re safe.”
“But you’re not far.”
“No, sir.”
“Good. I don’t trust Jimbo to do the heavy work.”
“Neither do I, and I have a personal investment here, too. Susan’s kept us running in circles. That kind of thing inspires revenge.”
“Mmm. I like that. Very good.”
Alexander Fraun was harder to reach. When Lauren and Matt arrived at the address Phillip had given them, they were told that Fraun was at the other store. When they arrived at that one, they were told that he’d gone to a luncheon meeting and would be back at the first store that afternoon.
They went to lunch themselves, then returned to the first store to await the elusive Mr. Fraun. Shortly before two o’clock, he entered the small outer office in which they sat. He had started to pass through into his own office, after glancing briefly their way, when he did a double take on Lauren and came to an abrupt halt.
“Susan?” he asked uncertainly.
“Almost,” she said gently, “but not quite.” She felt she was living a broken record and quickly moved to free the needle from its cracked groove. “My name is Lauren Stevenson. And this is Matt Kruger. We’re looking for Susan and thought you might have some idea as to her whereabouts.”
“Come into my office,” the man said with a broad wave of his hand. He was as different from Timothy Trennis as night from day. Not only was his office a disaster area, but the man himself looked as though he’d seen better days. Lauren estimated that he was in his late fifties. His bald pate was scantily covered with strands of gray that had been called to the rescue from somewhere just above his ear. He had chipmunk cheeks and a multitiered chin, both of which coordinated perfectly with his girth. There was something about him, something strangely genuine, that made Lauren like him on the spot.
“Now,” he said, scooping a pile of ancient magazines from the torn vinyl sofa so that Lauren and Matt could sit down, “what’s this about Susan?” He propped himself on the edge of the desk. The wood groaned.
“We’re trying to find her,” Matt explained. “We were told she worked for you once.”
“What do you want with her?” Fraun shot back with such suspicion that Lauren, for one, wondered if Prinz’s men had reached him first.
Matt did the talking, apparently taking the man’s suspicion for protectiveness. He explained just why he and Lauren were anxious to find Susan.
Fraun shifted his gaze back to Lauren. “You look just like her. For a minute when I walked in, I thought she’d come back.”
“We know that she went to Los Angeles when she left here,” Lauren offered, “but we were hoping that you might have heard from her.”
“She’s not still there?”
Lauren shook her head.
The wrinkles on Fraun’s brow echoed higher on his bald head. “I thought she was. Last thing I heard from her, she had her own boutique.” He smiled. “Susan was good. She had a way with color and style.” He gave his head a little toss. “She was wasted here. I told her so. I mean, my goods are nice enough, but she needed high fashion to make the most of her talents.”
“When was the last time you heard from her?” Matt asked.
Fraun suddenly scowled at him. “How do I know you’re on the up-and-up? How do I know you two haven’t come to do her harm?”
Lauren, too, saw protectiveness this time. As briefly but meaningfully as she could, she told him where she’d come from and where she worked, then did the same for Matt. “We don’t wish Susan any harm. We have no reason to do her harm. If Matt and I can locate her, Susan and I stand to benefit—Susan, because she’ll be aware of the danger and be able to do something about it; me, because if Susan does something about it, I’ll be out of danger, too.”
Fraun tugged a slightly warped pad of paper from beneath a haphazard pile of letters. “I’m going to write down your names and addresses. That way, if anything happens to Susan, I’ll know who to call.”
