by Willow Rose
He closed the file. “Well, I’m not. It’s just allergies.”
“Allergies, huh? Yeah, they can get pretty bad down here at this time of year.” Carter looked at him, and Matt felt uncomfortable, sensing that Carter didn’t buy it.
Luckily, his phone rang, and he picked it up, leaving Matt to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. Carter walked away for a few seconds, talking on the phone, while Matt cleared his head, convincing himself to remain professional. If Eva Rae had killed these men, then she had done so for a reason.
Eva Rae was many things, among them a strong and protective mother. But a murderer, she was not. And Matt was going to make sure the world knew it.
Somehow.
Carter returned, looking annoyingly cheerful.
“Kelly Stone has been seen at a hotel downtown,” he said and grabbed his car keys and placed his badge on his belt. He lifted his eyebrows.
“We’ve got them. Let’s go.”
Chapter 44
“These guys are good.”
Sydney got back in the passenger seat. I could tell she was shaken up. She was pale, and her voice trembled when she spoke. She had just come out of the NYX headquarters after spending about an hour inside. Meanwhile, I had been sitting in the car, listening to the radio announcer talking about the shootout at the harbor the night before and that the police wouldn’t comment on whether they believed it was gang-related. There was no mention of the girls.
I shut the radio off as soon as Sydney approached the car and got back in. She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You were right. They were all over me as soon as they realized who I was. It was crazy. But they were so nice at the same time. Very friendly and not in my face at all. I felt very comfortable. I hadn’t expected to. I spoke to one of the women there, and she told me so many good things about how this could be a journey for me, how I could develop into a much stronger individual, and she even guessed that I had a fear of flying, which I’ve never told anyone. Because in my line of work, you have to fly places all the time, but the truth is, I loathe it, and now I know why. Because I was taken from my family and put on a plane back then when my dad took me. I was forced on a plane and taken thousands of miles away to a life where I would miss my mother and sister every day until my dad convinced me they were the ones who didn’t want me, and I stopped longing to get back. But the fear of flying still lingers inside me. Can you believe it? I was in there for what? An hour? And they already made me realize this? I can’t imagine how much more they could do for me if I took one of their workshops.”
“Wow,” I said.
“Are you sure they’re not legit?” she asked. “I mean the people I met sure seemed professional. They knew what they were doing.”
“That’s probably how they get you hooked,” I said. “Did you get to meet Christopher Daniels?” I asked.
She looked at me, then nodded. “I was shown into his office, and they served me herbal tea. Then he came in. He was such a handsome man, so charismatic; you won’t believe it. He shook my hand, and we spoke for about ten minutes, mostly him asking me questions about my life and what I expected to get out of his classes, what I wanted to change in my life. I told him I would think about it, then get back to them, then shook his hand again and left. But he was so nice, Eva Rae. I didn’t expect him to be. I felt so welcome and even at home there. I have never felt anything like it.”
“Did you see anything that could help us? Any young girls in the house or pictures, or did he mention anything?” I asked. “Maybe they’re working for them?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. The woman who served me herbal tea was about my age and didn’t seem to be in any distress at all. I tried to look into her eyes, and she seemed almost blissfully happy. I have to say, Eva Rae, I’m not sure this has anything to do with your daughter and what happened to her. Why do you even think that it has? Because that Ryan guy saw their symbol during the attack? It’s a little far-fetched; don’t you think? I mean he might have seen it on a bag or something and then just kept remembering it. It doesn’t seem to have any connection to Olivia, whom we don’t even know for sure was on that clip on TV. There’s a lot of loose ends here, Eva Rae.”
I started the car up, disappointed, and took off. I don’t know what I had expected she’d find in there, but at least something. Instead, I now doubted everything. Could Sydney be right? Was I just going crazy and clinging onto something I had imagined in my mind?
That guy in the back seat of the truck had the symbol branded into his skin.
No, something was definitely off here, and it had to do with this cult. I might have been a hothead, blinded by my desire to get my daughter back, but I just knew it had to, no matter what Sydney said. No matter how nice and wonderful these people were.
Life had taught me that the line between good and bad people was thinner than you’d think.
Chapter 45
I drove up in front of the hotel, then hit the brakes, hard. Sydney was thrown forward and landed with her hands on the dashboard.
“Hey!” she yelled. “What’s going on?”
I stared at the entrance to the hotel for a few seconds, my heart pounding in my chest. I watched as Matt came out of the sliding doors with a shorter, slightly overweight bald guy. The entry was packed with police cruisers.
Sydney saw it too, then looked at me.
“What do we do?”
“We need to get out of here,” I said as I turned the wheel and slid the car back onto the road, making sure not to go fast and cause suspicion. I drove nice and casually past the hotel and continued down the street, then took a right turn and parked in front of Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill.
“Let’s go get some coffee,” I said, then felt my stomach growl. “And maybe some lunch.”
We walked inside and sat down in a booth. We ordered coffee and mahi-mahi burgers. I was starving, yet my stomach was almost too upset to be able to eat. The burger was good, though, and it made its way down. Getting food helped me to think more clearly.
“What do we do now?” Sydney asked. “That place was crawling with cops. They were there for us; weren’t they?”
I exhaled. “Yes. There’s no doubt in my mind. They found us, so we’re not going back there; that’s for sure. They’ll ask the front desk to alert them as soon as we try.”
Sydney breathed heavily. She ate a bite of her fish burger, then chewed and swallowed.
“Maybe we should just turn ourselves in,” she said. “Before things get out of hand.”
I looked up, and our eyes met. I felt a pinch of guilt. I could hardly tell her that things had already gotten way out of hand. I regretted having brought her with me in the first place. Why had I dragged her into this? She risked losing everything.
I stared at my burner phone on the table, then grabbed it and rose to my feet.
“I need to make a call,” I said, then left, dialing a number. I walked outside to the parking lot while waiting for him to pick up.
Come on; come on.
Finally, he did.
“Matt Miller.”
“Why are you here?” I asked. “Why are you following me?”
It took a few seconds before he said anything, and I assumed he needed to get somewhere where no one could listen in on our conversation. His response came in a gasp.
“Eva Rae? Where are you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I said. “What are you doing down here, Matt?”
“I’m trying to help you,” he said agitatedly. “What on Earth do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m looking for my daughter. You know this, Matt.”
“Last night was a disaster, Eva Rae,” he said with a moan. “You’ve gone too far.”
“They were traffickers. Seven girls’ lives were about to be destroyed. I saved them.”
He sighed. It didn’t sound good. I closed my eyes and missed feeling his breath on my
skin, and his lips pressed gently against mine. I thought about the last time we had been together and desperately wanted to feel that again.
But it was impossible.
“Eva Rae, please turn yourself in,” he said heavily. “This has gone as far as it can.”
“I haven’t found Olivia yet, so, no.”
“Eva Rae, dammit. You’re wanted for murder!”
“It was self-defense. They tried to kill me. I liberated those girls.”
“No, no, not that. Well that too, but you’re also wanted in connection with the murder of Lori Moore. You were there at the hotel before she went home. Next thing, she’s found murdered in her house. You were the last one to see her alive.”
My heart dropped. “Lori Moore is dead?”
“Yes. They think you killed her or at least that you had something to do with it. Please, come in and tell your side of the story. I know you didn’t kill her, but I can’t convince everyone else if you keep running. Running makes you look guilty. You, of all people, should know this, Eva Rae.”
My heart was hammering in my chest now. I kept staring out over the street and the palm trees on the side of it. A woman walked by with her small dog, not noticing me at all.
Lori Moore was dead? Right after we had been there to see her?
“They think I did it? But… but they’re wrong.”
“And that is what you need to come in and tell them. Please, Eva Rae. Stop running. We’ll find Olivia together. The right way. Through thorough police work. I know it takes a lot longer than what you care for because you’ll need the warrants and surveillance for months before we can strike those joints, but we will. Eventually, we’ll find her.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Eventually isn’t good enough. Months is too long. I want her home now. And I am going to continue chasing them until I find her. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“I love you,” he said, right as I hung up.
I stared at the phone in my hand, a tear escaping my eye. Then I whispered: “I love you, too.”
I threw the phone on the ground, then stepped on it, shattering it, and threw the remains in a trash bin with a loud cry.
I then gathered myself and walked back inside the restaurant, my heart feeling completely shattered. I looked at Sydney, who was about to pay with her credit card.
I stopped her.
“Use cash instead. They might be tracking your cards.”
She swallowed nervously, then nodded. She found a handful of cash, then left it at the table.
“We need to get out of here,” I said. “Things have gone from bad to worse. I’ll explain later.”
Chapter 46
“I love you.”
He said the words again, but the line had gone dead. Matt stared at the display, then wondered if she had heard him. He still had never heard her say the words back to him, and it tormented him.
Did she love him?
“Miller!”
Carter waved him back toward the entrance of the hotel, and he rushed to him, his heart feeling heavy in his chest.
Would he ever get to kiss her again? Would he ever smell her skin again or just look into those blue eyes of hers?
“Where were you?” Carter asked. “We need to get back. They’re not here. We searched their room and the entire hotel, but they’re not here. Dammit. I was so certain we’d get them this time. Who were you talking to?”
“Just my mom. She’s taking care of my son back home and needed to know where his cleats were for lacrosse. He has a game tonight.”
Dang, I am a good liar.
Carter gave him a look of disinterest, then felt his bald head. “All right. The front desk will alert us once they get back.”
“Did you find anything in their room?”
Matt had been up there with them going through the few belongings they had left there. Seeing Eva Rae’s clothes again had made him almost lose his cool.
Carter shook his head. “They didn’t bring much. We took the laptop on the desk in there. Hopefully, it’ll contain something we can use in our case against those two.”
“What about the fingerprints on the murder weapon? The knife in Mrs. Moore’s house?” he asked, hoping to find anything that might clear Eva Rae as a suspect in that case.
“What fingerprints?” Carter said. “The killer wore gloves, I’m afraid. They left nothing. Still waiting to hear if she left any DNA on the body, though. The ME moved our case up because of its urgency, but they’re still very busy with the many deaths from the Sarin gas attacks.”
“Naturally,” Matt said and walked with Carter back to the cruiser and got in.
Carter turned on the engine, and they took off toward downtown. Soon, they were stuck in heavy traffic. Matt stared at the tall buildings, then at the people walking the streets, and at the many cars. Where was Eva Rae now? Would she try to get out of town? Would she go to a motel somewhere? Would she be safe? While talking to her, he had wanted to reach into the phone and rip her through it to keep her safe. Being out there was dangerous for her now. The cops were terrified of her and would shoot if she gave them any reason.
“I can’t believe they were right there all this time,” Carter said. “Living in one of the most exclusive hotels in Miami, and we had no idea. Makes you feel kind of stupid, right? But we’ll get them. Don’t you worry. I have one more card up my sleeve.”
Chapter 47
THEN
“I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?”
Helen stared at the woman sitting in front of her in the tea-room at the NYX headquarters. Helen lived there now while going through her healing process. The woman who had come to visit was her sister, Aubrey, and she wore a worried look and a slightly tilted head.
“You’ve lost weight,” she said. “You look thin, Helen.”
“Well, I’ve never felt better,” she said. “I’m finally in control of my own life.”
Aubrey looked like she didn’t believe her. “Really? You don’t exactly look fine to me. You’ve gotten so skinny. It doesn’t look very healthy.”
Helen cleared her throat. Losing weight was part of her self-development, part of the process she was going through. To deny herself food was a way of regaining control.
“Christopher says that…”
“Christopher? As in Christopher Daniels?” her sister said. “You’re on a first-name basis with him?”
Helen nodded and sipped her tea.
“Mom and Dad are worried too,” she added. “They haven’t seen you in almost a year.”
“I’ve been busy. We’re busy here.”
“We? It’s we now?”
Helen nodded. “I’m part of something bigger than myself, so, yes.”
“Dad says you’ve completely given up the horses. You never go to the farm anymore and have stopped riding? That’s not like you, Helen. Those horses were your entire life, remember?”
“Christopher says it’s part of evolving into an enlightened version of myself. It means giving up what has held me back all these years. Everything from my old me no longer applies. I’ve cleansed myself of everything from my past and can’t go back anymore.”
Aubrey sighed and leaned back in the white couch. “You should hear yourself; I can’t believe you, Helen. Don’t tell me you’ve given them money too?”
Helen chuckled. “It’s always about the money with you people. I’m finally free of all that. Christopher says that money is just energy that needs to flow through us. Giving away your money is never a loss. You’ll get empowerment back.”
Aubrey gestured, annoyed, and groaned. “Can’t you hear it? Listen to your own words, Helen. They’ve completely brainwashed you. Are you also having sex with this Christopher character, huh?”
“Wow. I didn’t believe it when Christopher told me, but now I see it clearly that he was right. You’re jealous of me. You’re jealous of all that I have become, that I have managed to finally free myself from the world we
grew up in, from our parents’ claws. Don’t you see that they’re holding you down with all their money? Your ego is so big, you can’t see it. But they’re controlling you, telling you what to do, and I don’t have to be a part of that. Finally, I have found a group that likes me for who I am, where there is nothing but love and peace, and where there is room for me and just me. All my life, I’ve had this void inside of me, this empty space, and finally, it’s been filled in. Finally, I feel whole. And Mom and Dad can no longer touch me. They hold no power over me.”
Aubrey rose to her feet, annoyed. “And what happens when you run out of money, huh? When you can no longer pay for the party? What will they ask you to do then? Where will you go when they throw you out? You can’t come home. Dad’s been very clear about that.”
Helen shook her head with a gentle smile.
“You don’t understand, sister. I am home. This is my home.”
Chapter 48
My eyes were focused on the road, my hands sweaty and shaking slightly as we drove away from the restaurant, the Ritz-Carlton, and the exclusive neighborhood of Coconut Grove. I approached the end of 27th Avenue when the traffic slowed down.
Sydney gave me a look. “What’s going on? Why are we stopping?”
I shrugged. “Traffic, I hope.”
I looked ahead of us. The rows of cars were slowly crawling forward toward blue flashing lights.
“Could it be an accident?” Sydney asked.
I spotted the patrol cars, then officers in the road peeking inside of cars.
“It’s a roadblock,” I said. “They put up a darn roadblock.”
“For us?” Sydney shrieked.
“Yes, for us,” I said, then looked in the rearview mirror. There was still no one close behind us, so I put the car in reverse and backed up, swirled the car around, then drove the wrong way back down the road until I found a small street and turned, while the oncoming cars honked loudly at me.