"There's just one thing I need before we can move. I think I might need just one more, small kiss before I can make the SUV move."

Lane laughed. "Umm hum, I wasn't born yesterday. One small kiss leads to one bigger kiss which leads to another and the next thing I know we've spent half an hour at the rest stop."

Ben groaned.

She turned toward him. "You promise just one small kiss and then we'll be on our way?"

He nodded as he leaned toward her and brushed his lips lightly over hers. He fastened his seat belt and put the SUV in reverse. "Okay, on the road."

Lane hit play on the stereo; they were streaming Ben's Frank Sinatra station on Pandora. She was greeted with Frank Sinatra singing, "I Could Write a Book.”

Chapter 7

Seek and you shall find

Tanner had given Ben an address in an older industrial area near Twelfth and Grand, which Ben had programmed into his GPS so he had no trouble finding Tanner. He parked the Navigator and Tanner quickly opened the back door.

“So I talked to a contact on the Saint Louis force.”  He said as he took a seat behind Lane.  “They suspect that drug traffickers are using abandoned warehouses in the area to store meth and other drugs as they make their way to the streets.”

Ben and Lane were both silent as Tanner continued.  “I’ve been here all night, staking out the three block radius you gave Ben.”  He said looking toward Lane, then turning toward Ben, he continued, “It’s been a quiet night.  I found the kid’s truck.”  He said, and then directed Ben to drive a few blocks away where a Chevy Silverado with Nebraska plates sat in an alley.

“It’s locked up tight.”  Tanner said, “You want me to slim-jim it?”

Lane looked from Ben to Tanner.  “Slim-jim?  Like those sausage things?”

The men both laughed.  “No, a slim-jim is a device that car thieves, law enforcement, and tow truck drivers use to open a locked car door.” Ben explained.

“Before you do that, I have an app on my phone that allows remote access to a locked vehicle.  If Maggie has Jeff’s keys, she can download it, and we can get into the car by less – mmm – shall we say shady means?”

Lane called Maggie to see if she had Jeff's keyless entry fob. And, after getting an affirmative answer, she explained that if Maggie clicked the unlock button into her cell phone that Lane could point her cell phone at Jeff's truck and voila, magically the doors would open. It took a couple of tries, but soon Tanner and Ben were heading toward the truck while Lane stayed in the Navigator and talked on the phone to Maggie.

"There's some good news." Tanner said as he and Ben searched the vehicle. "First, there's no blood anyplace in sight, and secondly, Jeff's cell phone isn't in the vehicle. Hopefully that means it's with him."

Ben looked back to his SUV where Lane sat. "Yeah, let's hope that's what it means. Before we go back, tell me, you've been here all night, if we have to do a building by building search, where should we start?"

Tanner ran his hand over the back of his neck. "I think he’s inside this building and it’s got a for sale sign on the front. Maybe you could get the real estate broker to meet you and your investor. You and Lane could grab lunch meet the real estate broker back here in an hour or two.  In the meantime, I’ll keep tabs on the place."

Ben nodded and walked back to talk to Lane. She put her phone on speaker so Maggie could hear as Ben related the plan. Then Ben called the broker and arranged to meet him at the building in two hours. They dropped Tanner back at his vehicle which was parked across the street and down the block from the warehouse.

When Ben and Lane returned to the warehouse, Ben unlocked the console and removed a 9mm handgun. Lane just looked at him as he inserted a clip and put the gun in a holster he had clipped on his belt at the small of his back, and then reached in the back seat for his sport coat.

Who is this guy and when did he start carrying a gun? Lane wondered.

"We don't know what to expect in there, Red. Better be safe."

Unable to speak, as though she was suddenly mute, Lane just looked at him. Yeah, Ben with a loaded gun, safe.

Ben opened his door, walked around, and opened Lane’s door. They walked to the building and met a muscular man who was about five feet seven inches tall, and had dark hair combed back from his face.

Ben reached out his hand. "Joe Parillo? Ben Bellini with Luciano and Bellini." The men shook hands and Ben motioned to Lane. "This is my client Mrs. Parker." Lane shook the man's hand. He had a firm grip and something about him gave her the creeps.

Mr. Parillo unlocked the door and motioned them in. "Mrs. Parker, what are you planning to use the building for?" He asked as they entered the warehouse. Before Lane could say anything, Ben said, "Mrs. Parker's not prepared to discuss her plans at this time. What are the zoning restrictions?" Ben continued to carry on a conversation, asking about Interstate access, and square footage, as he maneuvered them into one of the offices near the entrance; he worked his way deeper into the building. It was a two-story building and he knew as soon as they were away from the entrance door, Tanner would be in the building so he could work his way to the second floor. Ben kept his left hand on Lane's back as they walked; knowing that at the first sign of trouble, he'd be able to draw his gun and push her behind him where she'd be safe.

They'd been in the building about twenty minutes when his cell phone buzzed, signaling he had a text. He checked it. "Got Jeff - smack se corner 2 flr cld cops go now"

Ben handed his phone to Lane and looked at Joe Parillo. "Thanks, Joe. I think that's all we need today. We're looking at a couple of other places. I'll give you a call sometime next week."

They walked back toward the front of the building. Still keeping his hand on Lane's back, Ben hung back letting Joe walk in front of them. Joe is either ignorant about the drugs & kidnapping or he’s a good actor. Ben thought and he’d bet that it was ignorance not good acting; he'd been too willing to let them move around the building.

As they exited the building two men in suits, who flashed badges and addressed Ben and Lane by name met them. "Mr. Bellini, Mrs. Parker, we got a call from Roy Tanner."

Ben nodded and held up his hands. "Hello, detectives. I have a glock in a holster in the small of my back." He turned so the detective could get his gun. "I have a permit to carry concealed. It's in my wallet, left breast pocket."

Lane hadn't said ten words in the last twenty minutes and she just stood by dumbfounded as the detectives patted down both Ben and Mr. Parillo. She was surprised to find that Mr. Parillo also had a gun, however apparently he didn't have a concealed carry permit. At least he hadn't said a word.

The detectives looked at Lane "Mrs. Parker, I'm going to assume there's no need to pat you down."

Lane smiled as one of the detectives continued. "Your friend is alive, but unconscious. We have a bus on the way. We need for you to stay out of the building."

She saw the other detective return Ben's gun as she heard the click of handcuffs and one of the detectives recited the Miranda warning to Mr. Parillo, who indeed had no permit to carry the gun he had in his waistband.

While it seemed longer, it was only minutes later when the EMT's had Jeff, on a gurney with I.V. fluids started, out of the building and were loading him into an ambulance. They asked if Lane wanted to ride with them.

Ben brushed her hair away from her face and lightly kissed her cheek. "Go ahead, Red. Tanner and I have to stay her and chat a bit and I'll see you at the hospital in an hour or so."