Mercy Read online

  After the last interview, Pine and Blum drove to the spot where the truck had been found. It was an old Esso gas station long since abandoned, with the four letters and the neon tubes backing them having been used for target practice over the intervening years; only the sign’s metal spines survived. It was a bare, eroded filament of civilization in a forest that looked determined to reclaim its own. They sat in the car next to where the gas pumps used to be. Pine took a look around, and the view was as desolate as her hopes. But then something occurred to her.

  “Okay, the truck and Desiree ended up here,” said Pine. “But why here?”

  Blum gazed around. “I think this is a place to meet someone. ‘Hey, so and so, come get me at the Esso station.’ It was probably the only such landmark around. Desiree didn’t know when the body would be found. She wanted to get away, but not in a vehicle that could be traced.”

  “And the ‘so-and-sos’ are pretty limited. In fact, there are only two possible choices, to my mind.”

  “Len and Wanda Atkins, her in-laws,” replied Blum. “But Sheriff Roberts said that he talked to them after Joe was killed and Desiree disappeared. They both said they hadn’t heard from Desiree.”

  “And they were both probably lying to save their own asses. You saw the picture of Mercy with them. They knew she was being held against her will. They knew if this all came out, they were going to prison. That’s why they got the hell out of here pretty soon after Mercy escaped and Joe was killed. I’m now certain that Desiree called them that night and told them what had happened. They arranged to meet her here where she abandoned the truck. They drove her somewhere, maybe a bus or train station. And off she went to start a new life with a new identity. Then they went back to their trailer and were there when they got the word the next day about their son.” She eyed Blum. “Any of that seem unlikely to you?”

  “No, it all sounds spot-on, Agent Pine.”

  Then Pine’s eyes narrowed and her look became less certain. “But it does seem unlikely that they would just take Desiree’s word for it that he was dead. They might have thought they could still save him, or that she was even lying about it. But if he was dead, they would have been terrified that animals could have torn Joe’s remains apart overnight. And we know that didn’t happen.”

  “So maybe they were the ones to make sure their son’s body wasn’t desecrated?”

  “Which means we need to find Len and Wanda Atkins and ask them that directly.”

  “If they’re still alive.”

  “If they are, they would be getting Social Security and Medicare. We could find them that way.”

  “And he was a Vietnam vet. He was wounded. So…”

  Pine picked up this thought thread. “That means he might be in contact with the VA for meds and treatments and the like. That would actually be faster for us than going through the HHS bureaucracy, because I don’t really have good contacts there.”

  She pulled out her phone.

  “Who are you calling?” asked Blum.

  “Who else? John Puller. He already helped me get Len Atkins’s military records.”

  She spoke with Puller, who told her he was recovering quickly from his injuries. He also said he knew several people at the VA because of his father being in one of their facilities, and he would do all he could to help her locate Len Atkins.

  She thanked him and clicked off. “Okay, we’ll let him work his magic.”

  “While he’s doing that, do you think you should go and visit Jack Lineberry?”

  Pine’s expression hardened and she glanced out the car window. Lineberry’s image swelled up in her head like a nightmare. “You asked me that before.”

  “And you never answered me, which is why I’m asking again.”

  “Why should I go see him?” asked Pine, her tone heated.

  “Like it or not, he is your biological father. And the way you left it with him?”

  “Look, I’m not proud of what I did.”

  “And now it’s time to move on to another level with him.”

  Pine glanced sharply at her friend. “And why do I have to do that?”

  “Because you’re going to need his help, whether you find your sister or not.”

  Pine looked even more confused. “Come again?”

  “I presume you still want to find your mother. And Tim Pine, now that you almost certainly know he wasn’t in that grave. And Jack can be a valuable asset in helping you do that. However, I’m not asking you to cut him any slack.”

  “Good, because I don’t intend to,” interjected Pine.

  “But,” continued Blum imperturbably, “I think he is trying his best to do the right thing. And he is your father. And if you don’t at least make an effort to have a relationship with him, I think you’re going to regret it later.”

  “I regret a lot of things, Carol,” said Pine. But she put the car in gear and headed on to see the man who had lied to her more than any other person in her life.

  Except for my damn mother.

  Chapter 4

  JACK LINEBERRY’S ESTATE WAS AN hour south of Atlanta. He had made an enormous fortune in the financial world and owned, in addition to this main residence, a penthouse in Atlanta and a pied-à-terre in New York, as well as a private jet. It was a lifestyle that most people would be thrilled to enjoy. Pine was not among them.

  If you need that many toys to enjoy life, then you’re still a child.

  They had already called ahead and arranged to meet with him. They checked in at the front gate, were admitted into the house, and escorted to Lineberry by one of the maids. He was still in bed, the woman told them—which alarmed Pine, because it was well into the afternoon.

  They entered the room and the maid left. The space was dark and overly warm, with all the window shades lowered. It was like a tomb with wallpaper and carpet, and living people. The effect unnerved Pine.

  “Jack?” said Pine.

  Something stirred on the bed. A pajama-clad Lineberry struggled to sit up, and finally managed to do so. Pine and Blum drew nearer and looked down at him. Their features betrayed their alarm at the state of the man. He looked like he had aged two decades since the last time they had seen him. A tall, handsome man in his sixties, he looked shrunken, withered, fragile, and, most tellingly, done with life.

  Blum said, “Jack…what happened?”

  He focused on her with a pair of weary, bloodshot eyes, his brow crinkling in annoyance approaching anger. “Nothing…happened. I’m…doing okay.”

  “You don’t look okay,” Pine said bluntly. “You don’t look okay at all.”

  “That’s your opinion,” he replied testily.

  “That would be any reasonable person’s opinion,” countered Pine.

  “I was shot, Atlee. It’s not like I have a case of the flu. Nobody just pops back from that. Particularly not someone my age.”

  “I realize that,” she began before glancing at Blum. “And I know I was mad beyond all reason after my last visit here.”

  “You had every right to be as angry as you were. I feel like I got off easy, actually.”

  “Don’t go all chivalrous and make this harder than it has to be,” she said in a lighter tone.

  He held up his hand before she could go on. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, Atlee. At this time in my life it’s imperative to do so.”

  “Thinking about what?” she said sharply, not liking his fatalistic tone.

  “About you, about Mercy, about your mother and Tim. And, finally, about me.”

  Pine drew up a chair next to the bed and sat down. “And what have you concluded?”

  Part of her didn’t want to know his answer, but in life you needed to listen to things you didn’t want to hear, maybe those most of all.

  “Well, first of all, I’m leaving everything I have to you and Mercy.”

  Pine immediately shook her head, recoiling at this news. “Jack, I don’t—”

  “Please hear me out. Please. It’s
important!”

  Pine shot Blum another glance, and the woman nodded with a pleading look on her face.

  She sat back, folded her arms over her chest, assumed a stubborn expression, and said, “Okay. I’m listening, but that’s not the same as agreeing.”

  “I am your and Mercy’s father. That gives me certain responsibilities, none of which I have lived up to.”

  “You didn’t know where—”

  He interrupted. “I knew more than I let on. And what I didn’t know I could have found out. The bottom line is, I have behaved abominably throughout this entire thing. I doubt any man could have been a worse father.”

  He was so distressed that Pine felt her anger at him start to fade. She sat forward and laid a hand on his arm. “Jack, you were between a rock and a hard place. There was nothing simple about the situation.”

  “Well, it’s simple for me now. I have two daughters. You are my only family. Parents often leave what they have to their children and that’s what I’m going to do, too. If you don’t want it, that’s fine, give it away to whoever and whatever you like. But you can’t stop me from doing it,” he added sharply. “I’ve already had my lawyers draw it all up and it’s signed. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

  “Okay, Jack, if that’s what you want.”

  “It is.”

  “But you’ve got a lot of years ahead of you. So this is sort of premature.”

  “No one knows what tomorrow will bring, Atlee, we both know that better than most.” Before she could say anything he asked, “Have you found out more about Mercy, or your mother and Tim?”

  Pine told him about the grave being exhumed and awaiting confirmation that the body there was indeed Ito Vincenzo’s. She informed him of their steps to track Desiree Atkins that night, and their deduction that she had met Len and Wanda and they had helped her to flee.

  “You mean the people who were in that photograph with Mercy?” said Lineberry.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you really think you can find them after all this time?”

  “With the technology and databases available today, it’s hard to stay hidden.”

  “And you’re hoping they can tell you what happened to Desiree?”

  “That’s right. And if we can find Desiree she might be able to shed some light on that night and even on where Mercy might have gone.”

  “She might not have any incentive to tell you,” Lineberry pointed out.

  “There are ways she can be persuaded. She’s looking at prison time for what she did. And if she murdered her husband or…” Pine drew a quick breath. “She’ll talk.”

  Lineberry, with an effort, sat up a little straighter. The conversation seemed to have animated him. “There’s one more thing,” he said.

  Pine looked at him warily. Her real father had already thrown one curveball at her with the inheritance thing; she had no interest in another one. “Yes?”

  “I know that you’ve been doing all of this searching on your dime.”

  Pine’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t been expecting this. “So?”

  “It’s not fair that you continue to do so. I have the resources that—”

  She got his meaning. “No, Jack, this is my search for—”

  “It’s mine too!” he snapped, so unexpectedly they all simply froze. Lineberry actually looked stunned that he had the energy to do it. He continued more calmly, “If you use some of my resources, you might get to the truth faster. For instance, the use of my jet to get around.”

  Pine began to shake her head but Blum said, “Go on, Jack. We’re listening.” She gave Blum a glare but remained silent.

  “And I know you’ve been using rental cars and the like. That is not necessary. Take the Porsche SUV. It’s just sitting in the garage doing nothing. And…and I’ve opened an account with funds in it that you have the authority to access from anywhere.” He slid open the drawer on his nightstand and took out two pieces of plastic. “One debit, one credit. There is no limit on the amount you can charge. The four-digit PIN for the debit card is your birthday, month and day.”

  “Jack, I can’t take your money.”

  “It’s not my money, Atlee. It’s our money. And it’s not like you’re going to be using it to go on vacation. You’re using it to find your sister and my daughter. And your mother and Tim. I presume that when you’re working as an FBI agent, the more resources you have to accomplish the job, the better. Am I wrong?”

  “Well, no,” she said slowly.

  “Then I don’t see what the damn problem is, do you?” he added bluntly, as though daring her to conjure a reason that would thwart his will.

  Well, thought Pine, he had niftily turned the tables on her this time. She even felt a grudging pride for how he was handling this.

  Meanwhile, Blum reached out and took the cards. “There is no problem, Jack. Your very generous offer of help is much appreciated. Isn’t that right, Agent Pine?”

  Pine looked at her and then at Lineberry’s weary yet hopeful features, and her expression softened. “Thank you, Jack. That is very kind and very helpful.”

  He sat back, obviously relieved.

  Blum handed the cards to Pine, who put them in her pocket.

  Lineberry said, “And if you won’t stay here, I would like you to use my place in Atlanta as a base. And you can fly in and out of there if need be on my jet. I’ll ensure that it’s ready to go at all times. I certainly won’t be using it for a while.”

  “Okay, Jack,” said Pine. She glanced at Blum. “That will be fine. But we may not be staying there much. We need to go where the leads take us.”

  “Understood,” he said quickly.

  “But I don’t want people waiting hand and foot on us. We can take care of ourselves.”

  “I thought you might say that, so I have already given the staff there three months’ fully paid leave. You’ll have the run of the place all on your own.”

  “That is very generous,” said Blum.

  “It’s only fair,” said Lineberry emphatically. “For everybody.”

  Pine asked, “Is there anything you can remember that might provide a lead as to where my mother and Tim could have gone?”

  Lineberry gazed solemnly at Pine. “In answer to that, I’m going to give you something that your mother asked me never to let you see.”

  Pine sat up straight now, every muscle tensed, her adrenaline spiking to such a degree she found it difficult to form her one-word response. “W-what?”

  He once more reached into the drawer and this time pulled out a gray envelope. “When you read this, I want you to keep in mind that you must do the exact opposite of what your mother writes in here.”

  “When did she send it to you?” said Pine, ignoring this curious piece of advice.

  “It was around the time she left you. It just turned up in my office mail one day. I had given Tim my contact information when I saw him in Virginia. The letter has no return address. But you can see that the postmark is Charleston, South Carolina. I think she might have been on her way to meet up with Tim when she sent it to me from there.”

  He held out the envelope to Pine. She stared at it like it was a gun being pointed at her. Then she took it, albeit grudgingly. She looked at the handwriting on the envelope. It was clearly her mother’s.

  “I…I think I’ll read this later,” Pine said in a hushed tone.

  In a shaky voice Lineberry said, “I should have given it to you before now. There really is no excuse except that for a large part of my adult life I was steeped in the art of keeping secrets. It’s not an excuse, you understand. It’s just…reality. At least it was for me.”

  “Does this give any indication of where they might have gone?” asked Pine.

  “Not that I could find.”

  “What did you mean when you said I should do the exact opposite of what she writes?”

  “Now that will be clear when you read it,” said Lineberry.

  Chapter 5


  PINE DROVE THE PORSCHE WHILE Blum piloted the rental to the drop-off location at the airport. After that they headed to Lineberry’s penthouse apartment in downtown Atlanta. Pine had been there before to have a drink with Lineberry, but it was the first visit for Blum.

  “Oh my God,” said Blum when the private elevator opened directly into the penthouse suite’s vestibule. “This is something right out of a dream.”

  “Yeah, I know,” said Pine glumly.

  Blum eyed her. “Oh come on, Agent Pine. This is a lot better than the motel we stayed at last time. The heat didn’t work and the shower ran at a trickle.”

  “He let us use his place in New York. Now we’re driving his Porsche and staying here, and we have the use of his private jet, and he wants to leave me all this money and—”

  “Yes, I really do feel sorry for you having to face all that,” Blum said with a look that made Pine feel about an inch tall.

  Pine sighed. “I know, I know, Carol. Most people would feel like they’d won the lottery.”

  “But you’re not most people,” said Blum, growing serious.

  “I don’t care about stuff like that. I never have. My apartment back in Shattered Rock is perfect. I’ve got my really cool vintage Mustang convertible. It’s all I need. I’m not a private jet sort of gal.”

  “That’s fine. But let’s just use what Jack has offered in order to get where we need to go as fast as possible, like he said.”

  “Right, okay.”

  Blum looked at her watch. “It’s dinnertime. With the ‘staff’ on leave, should I head to what I am sure is a fabulous kitchen and whip something up? I bet the fridge and freezer are fully stocked.”