Ghosts of Havana (Judd Ryker #3)(25)
“Aunt Lulu? Is that you?” Jessica replied to a face she had never seen before.
“Yes, dear. How lovely to see you and the boys. Noah and Toby have gotten so big.”
Jessica had coughed as her two sons had stared with quizzical looks at the strange old woman who had suddenly invaded their space. “Toby, Noah,” she said slowly, “this is your Auntie Lulu. You haven’t seen her for a very long time.”
Both boys had stared up emotionlessly at the old woman.
“She’s going to help you make a sand castle while mommy runs an errand. Auntie Lulu will then take you to lunch and I’ll meet you all back at the house later today. Okay?”
Toby shrugged and returned to digging holes in the sand. Noah’s eyes watered.
“Oh, baby, be brave. Auntie Lulu will take good care of you. And I’ll be back before you know it. She’ll take you for pizza.”
“That’s right, dear,” Lulu had said with a broad smile.
“Pizza,” Noah had said, choking back tears.
—
Bastard,” Jessica hissed to herself as she punched the accelerator to pass a gigantic Winnebago covered with destination stickers: SOUTH OF THE BORDER, THIS CAR CLIMBED MT. WASHINGTON, VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS.
She should have known that the Deputy Director wouldn’t have given her his vacation house without some hidden agenda. She cursed herself for not knowing better. A rookie mistake. Of course he had sent her to Florida on purpose. For a purpose. For some kind of mission.
Lulu hadn’t provided many details, but Jessica hadn’t wanted to argue in front of her children. She was leaving them with a total stranger and the last thing she wanted was to appear anxious. But Cuba?
Cuba seemed like a relic of the Cold War. What could possibly be so important about a lost fishing boat that the Deputy Director would have sent her down to Florida and then ordered her to drive all the way to the Keys? To find some deckhand and see what he knows? She decided she’d go, do her job quickly, and get back to her children as soon as possible.
The bridge was a single lane in either direction over the water. A green sign announced that Marathon was four miles away. Almost there, she thought just as her phone buzzed with a call from Judd.
“Hi, sweets!” she answered.
“How’s the beach?”
“Great. We all miss you.”
“Wow, it sounds windy,” Judd said.
Jessica took her foot off the accelerator and regretted not pulling over to take the call. “Yeah, it’s breezy. It’s . . . Florida.”
“How are my boys?”
“They’re playing in the sand. They love it.”
“Do they want to say hello to their dad?”
“Um . . .” Jessica stalled as she decided how to play this. “They’re busy with their buckets. And they’re all wet and sandy.” Lie Number Two, she thought with a pang of guilt.
“Okay, I guess,” Judd tried to hide his disappointment.
“We’re going to visit with my Aunt Lulu later today. I want the boys to meet her,” she said.
“You have an Aunt Lulu?”
“Yes, I’m sure I told you about her. She’s not really an aunt, more of a distant cousin.” Lie Number Three. Jessica changed the subject. “So how’s work?”
“Fine, I guess. It’s going fine.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“I pitched my idea about cash incentives to Landon Parker.”
“Incentives? You didn’t talk about aligned incentives and Adam Smith, did you, sweets?”
“Yeah. That was a mistake, Jess.”
“So, what did Parker say?”
“I mean, he liked my ideas, but they’re going in another direction.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” she said. “You’ll get another shot.”
“Sure.”
“The good news is that you’re free, right?” Jessica brightened up. “Maybe you want to come down to join us? Maybe tomorrow?”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. But Parker has pulled me onto a special assignment. Something different. Actually, that’s . . . what I’m calling about.”
“What kind of special assignment?”
“Have you seen the news? Have you seen the story about these soccer dads down in Florida on a fishing trip who were captured by the Cubans?”
“Cuba? Really?” Jessica gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Judd, you’re working on Cuba?”
“Sort of. I’m helping Parker out. I’m not supposed to talk about it. But I’m helping the State Department get the hostages released. I probably shouldn’t say any more on the phone.”
“Judd, why didn’t you tell me you’re working on Cuba?”
“I am. That’s why I called you. Why”—Judd paused—“Why does it matter?”
“It matters”—she calmed herself—“because . . . maybe I can help you? Assist. That was one of our rules, remember?”
“Right, I remember. Assist, avoid, admit.”
Jessica knew it was already too late to avoid. They were now both working on Cuba. On the very same case. This was Jessica’s chance to admit. To avoid Lie Number Four.