“So he might have run.”
“Or he met up with Troy, the way I think he did.”
“What about the kids at school?” he asked. “You talk to them?”
“The police did. He was still pretty new. He hadn’t really made any friends. No one knew where he might have gone.”
Ben returned his attention to the road. “The cops will be looking for Sam. I’m going after Bridger. You better be right about Bridger having my son.”
* * *
He drove down Sunset Boulevard, stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper traffic, lots of restaurants and bars, people with weird-colored hair and nose piercings ambling along the sidewalk. The GPS showed a turn up Laurel Canyon Road. He made the turn and followed the directions up the mountain.
There was a wrought-iron gate at the bottom of a hill in front of a private driveway. He pushed the intercom button and a familiar woman’s voice came over the line.
“Yes, may I help you?”
“Hi, Amy. This is Ben Slocum. I need to talk to Johnnie. Sorry it’s so late, but it’s important.”
“Ben! Oh, my God, of course. Come on in.”
Claire flashed him a look. “One of your old girlfriends?”
“That’s Amy Riggs. She happens to be my friend’s wife.”
The electric gate swung slowly open. Ben drove the Accord up the hill, parked in front of the first building he came to and turned off the engine.
It was a modern structure, white stucco with a flat roof and a garage off to one side. Farther up the hill, a much-bigger version looked out over the Los Angeles basin. Amy and Johnnie Riggs walked out on the porch. Amy ran down the front steps and into his arms for a hug.
“Ben! It’s so good to see you.”
She was a tiny little thing, long straight blond hair and big blue eyes, the woman John Riggs had fallen madly in love with. From the sappy grin on his face as he looked at her, he still was.
Johnnie walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Iceman.”
“You, too, Hambone.” Riggs was a ranger. He could out-eat every man in the platoon and never gain weight. Or at least it was said that that was how he’d gotten his nickname. Ben turned, introduced Claire to Amy, then the muscular, dark-haired man with the perennial five o’clock shadow. Only Johnnie’s wasn’t for effect like most of the Hollywood crowd’s.
“Good to meet you both,” Claire said. They were sizing her up, Ben could tell, wondering if she meant more to him than the women he usually dated. She meant more, all right. She was the key to finding his son.
The group went into the house, and Ben spotted the bulging suitcases sitting in the entry. “You going somewhere?”
Riggs grinned. “We’re off to Hawaii, my friend. I’ve been promising Amy. We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
Not good news. “That’s too bad. I was hoping you could help me find my son.”
Johnnie’s eyes widened. “You’ve got a kid?”
“Looks that way. I just found out this morning. Unfortunately, he’s gone missing.”
“The hell you say.”
“Hey, Johnnie! We gonna finish this? I need to get going.”
Ben didn’t recognize the lanky, dark-haired kid in scuffed cowboy boots and a Dodgers baseball cap who came up the stairs two at a time from the floor below.
“That’s Tyler Brodie,” Johnnie said, tipping his head toward the man striding toward them. “He’s smarter than he looks.”
For the first time that day, Ben almost smiled. Because the kid, with his crooked, lady-killer grin, looked about twenty-five years old.
“Sorry, man,” Brodie said. “I didn’t know you had company.”
“It’s all right, I’m glad you’re here.” Johnnie made introductions. “Ty, meet Ben Slocum. You remember me telling you about him? Helped me in Belize when Amy and I went down to find her sister.”
“Ex-SEAL, right? Johnnie said he owed you big-time for helping him out of a jam. Nice to meet you.” The kid’s handshake was solid and strong. Johnnie introduced him to Claire.
“Ty’s not only smarter than he looks, he’s older. Almost an old man of thirty. He’s a former jarhead, and I just made him my partner.”
“Johnnie’s been working way too hard,” Amy explained. “And Ty’s really good at his job.”
“Which is?” Ben asked.
“Doing the same thing I do,” Johnnie said. “Digging up information. He’s been working for me a couple of years. Ty’s a licensed P.I., and like Amy says, he’s good.”
Ty grinned. “Thanks, boss...I mean partner.”
Ben looked him over. He trusted John Riggs. If Johnnie said Brodie was good, he must be very good.
“Since Johnnie’s heading out on vacation, it looks like you’re the man I’m going to need. My son’s missing and the police don’t have a clue where to find him. I’ve got the name of a guy who might have taken him. I need you to dig around, Ty. See if you can come up with a lead.”
Brodie nodded. “I can handle that.”
“You want a beer or something?” Johnnie asked. “Claire, you want a glass of wine or maybe some iced tea?”
“Wine sounds great,” Claire said, getting a smile of approval from Amy.
“I’ll have a Coke if you’ve got one,” Ben said. He was still recovering from a hangover and he’d only had a couple of hours’ sleep. He needed to stay focused, keep his mind sharp.
Riggs and Amy led them into a living room dominated by a wall of glass that looked out at a sea of colored lights in the valley below. Johnnie opened a small refrigerator in the built-in bar, took out a couple of beers and handed one to Ty, poured wine for Amy and Claire, took out a Coke for Ben.
“Flight’s not leaving till 9:00 a.m. We got plenty of time. Why don’t you fill us in?”
Ben didn’t hesitate. Johnnie could sleep on the plane. In the meantime, he could use all the help he could get. Ben started talking, and an hour later, they were still making plans.
“I need to know what the cops are doing,” Ben said. “A detective named Owens at the LAPD is in charge of the case. I’d rather work things on my own, keep a low profile. You guys got any connections in the missing-persons division?”
Johnnie tipped his head toward Brodie. “Ty’s got half the females in the LAPD swooning over him. He can find out pretty much anything you want to know.”
Ben arched a brow. “That so?”
Brodie’s mouth edged up. “A smart man never reveals his sources, but I can find out what’s happening with the case.”
“That’d be great.”
Cell numbers were exchanged. “I’ll call as soon as I’ve got something,” Brodie said.
It was late when Ben and Claire left the house and headed for Claire’s apartment. Ben tried not to think where his son might be spending the night.
Four
Claire’s