Absence of Alice

by Sherry Harris

Scott Pellner was another police officer here in Ellington. We’d met when my ex-husband was the town police chief. After a rocky start and some shared secrets, we’d come to trust each other. I’d rather talk to Pellner or anyone else. A state police car pulled into the cul-de-sac. Dreams do come true. Only three towns in Massachusetts had their own homicide divisions—Boston, Worcester, and Lowell. All the rest depended on the state police to run murder investigations alongside the local police.

  Lying to someone I didn’t know would be much easier than lying to Awesome. We watched as a man and a woman climbed out of the car, slammed their doors, and approached us.

  Awesome sighed. “Rodriquez is a jerk.”

  Awesome had been a homicide detective in New York City. He could easily run the investigation himself. He’d left the NYPD for what he thought would be a less stressful job here in Ellington just over a year ago. That led to another thought. Where was Seth? As DA he usually came to crime scenes. A gray sedan pulled into the cul-de-sac, but it was two assistant DAs not Seth. Little strands of worry plucked at my heart. The cul-de-sac was now full of cars and vans. Lights from a couple of the police cars flashed blue round and round, painting the house blue then white, blue then white. Just like Alice’s dress. I really had gone down a rabbit hole this time.

  Chapter Four

  “How did you happen to be here?” Trooper Leslie Kilgard asked.

  Awesome was wrong. He might think Rodriquez was a jerk, but my money was on Trooper Kilgard. Even though up to this point all the questions had been routine, she’d just hit the one I was most afraid of. The one I’d been grappling with since I’d called 911.

  I couldn’t say a client wanted to meet with me and that I’d gotten the address wrong because they would want either a record of my phone calls or texts to prove it. Or heaven forbid, to talk to the client. I couldn’t have someone poking around in my phone with Stella kidnapped. No cops. But Trooper Kilgard had a way of making every question sound like an accusation, starting with when she’d asked for my name and address a couple of minutes ago.

  Her black hair was pulled back in such a tight bun that it made my scalp tingle just looking at it. Her features were delicate. Her shoulders broad. Her skin light brown to my pale peach. While my eyes were deep blue and often called warm, her eyes chilled me. Brown. Boring into me, yet reflecting nothing back. She’d make a good psychopath. I shrugged. Maybe she was one. Just because you were in law enforcement didn’t mean you couldn’t be a psychopath too.

  “Ma’am? Why were you here?” Rodriquez with his clear brown eyes, his firm jaw, and his crew cut was more comforting. If he wasn’t prior military, he looked like he was, and that was a world I understood.

  “Sorry. I’ve been thinking of buying a house.” It was the best I could do. I glanced at Awesome. His eyebrows lifted slightly. A sure sign of surprise in his otherwise serious face. It wasn’t a total lie. I’d like to buy a house. I just couldn’t afford one in this area. And I didn’t want to leave the town common, DiNapoli’s, or Stella. Stella! “I was driving around checking out possibilities. I stopped to pick up a flyer and noticed the door was ajar.” That sounded good. If only my voice weren’t shaky. I continued to hope everyone would think it was in reaction to finding Alice in Wonderland.

  “I thought maybe the realtor was here, so I opened the door to call out and saw the shoe. Then the b-b-body.” Reliving the fear that it had been Stella was horrible. Made even worse with Awesome standing next to me. I was sorry someone was dead, but relieved it wasn’t Stella.

  Everyone seemed to accept that explanation. I answered more questions, exchanged information, and was told I could leave. The troopers walked off, leaving me alone with Awesome again.

  “How did they get into the house?” I asked Awesome.

  “They might have picked the lock. There are no signs of forced entry.”

  “Or had the key. Who owns this house? How many realtors know the code?” That was a long list of suspects someone would be following up on.

  “We don’t know yet. We’re trying to track down the realtor.”

  Kind of surprising the realtor wasn’t immediately available. The realtors I knew were always by their phones.

  “Do you want me to drive you home, Sarah?” Awesome asked.

  “No.” It came out way more like a yelp than I wanted it to. “Thank you. I need my car.”

  “I could have someone drive it over.”

  I patted his arm. A little harder than I intended too. Be careful, Sarah. “You’ve got plenty to do here. This is more important.” I couldn’t believe I’d managed to sound somewhat calm because inside I was a shaky mess. Nothing since the phone call about Stella had gone right.

  “No one’s at your apartment building, are they? The Callahans aren’t back from Florida. Stella’s in LA, and Mike isn’t living there, is he?”

  Mike used the apartment from time to time when he needed to disappear from Boston for a few days. He was a bit of an enigma with one foot in the world of the mob and one foot trying to fight them. It seemed like he’d been out here more often of late. Stella—Stella—thought it was because he was interested in me, but Mike knew I was in a relationship with Seth. I’d actually been worried for Mike with all his appearances. Something was going on with him, and it probably wasn’t good.

  “No. Mike’s not there. But Seth is coming over. He’ll probably be there when I get home. Thank you though.”

  I turned and almost ran to my Suburban. I started it with a shaky hand. Flipped on the seat warmer to high. Looked back at Awesome who stood hands on hips looking at me. At least that was what it looked like he was doing in the darkening evening. I waved, hoping to reassure him, and snaked my way through all of the vehicles in the cul-de-sac.

  The police had set up a barricade at the end of the cul-de-sac that they moved to let me out. I saw a dark-haired woman charging toward them who looked like the woman pictured on the For Sale sign. I slammed on my brakes and rolled down my window. “Excuse me. Are you the realtor who has the house listed back there?” I jerked my thumb toward the house.

  She glanced at me, then at the police, and then focused back on me. “Yes. Do you know what’s going on?”

  I shook my head. I knew there was a dead woman in the house, but I certainly didn’t know what was going on. “I was driving around looking at houses that are on the market when I came upon all of this. Is the house okay? Still available?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “Do the Saffaros own it?” The Saffaros were my parents’ next-door neighbors in California. I was just hoping if I said the wrong name, she’d provide the right one.

  “No. It’s the Ghannams’ house. June and Yousef, but they’ve already moved to Arizona.” She kept looking from me to the police. “Listen I’ve got to go find out what’s going on. If you’re interested in a house, here’s my card.”

  I took her card, happy to have the name of the homeowners and her name as well. “Thanks.” I watched her walk off. She didn’t give me a backward glance as she hurried toward the police. I had found out two things during our brief conversation. The realtor didn’t have any idea who I was. She gave no sign of recognizing me. Didn’t act nervous. I didn’t think she had anything to do with Stella’s kidnapping or what had happened to Alice in Wonderland. And I had the names of the owners. I’d look them up when I got home. Home. I was grateful to be heading home. To be heading to Seth.

  * * *

  My building was dark. Seth’s car was nowhere to be seen. I’d hoped he would already be here. Sitting on the porch waiting for me so I could throw myself in his strong arms. The building, an old wood house with a wide, covered porch, had been converted into four apartments—two up and two down.

  I ran up the steps, crossed the porch, entered, and flipped the foyer light on. Stella’s apartment was to the right, and the absentee Callahans’ on the left. I stood for a moment listening. For what I wasn’t sure, but all the creaks and complaints the old hous
e made sounded like footsteps and made me jumpy.

  I locked the front door behind me. Something I rarely did. But as Awesome had pointed out, I was alone here. I checked the door to the basement. It was closed. I grabbed a chair from the foyer and wedged it under the door.

  Before I headed upstairs I decided to search Stella’s apartment. I had her keys, so I let myself in. It was too quiet with her and her cat Tux gone. Tux was with Stella’s aunt. I’d volunteered to take care of him, but Stella was going to be gone for two weeks. She knew I was allergic to him and didn’t want me to have a reaction.

  I flipped on the overhead lights but left the door wide-open. Just in case her kidnapper was here waiting for me. Maybe this was a trap. I shook my head. I was losing it. Why would a kidnapper sit here just hoping I’d walk in at some point? Nevertheless, I scanned the living area, which was open to her kitchen unlike mine. I crossed the space, threw open the door to the bathroom, empty, the linen closet, no one hiding in there, and finally her bedroom.

  It looked as it always did, only a bit neater. A closed purple suitcase sat on top of the bed. I lifted it. Heavy, probably packed with the clothes Stella was supposed to take with her. Looking at it finally made all that had happened in the last few hours hit home. It also made me realize I not only had to keep Awesome thinking everything was okay, but the director in Los Angeles would wonder what happened when Stella didn’t show up. What could I say that would buy her a few days? I finally ended up texting that Stella had the flu and had rescheduled her flight for a few days from now. I hoped it bought her the leeway she needed.

  After I hit send I resumed my search. I flung open the closet, only clothes and shoes, and looked under the bed, no dust bunnies or monsters. I sat on her bed next to her suitcase for a moment before I opened it, afraid of what I’d find. I unzipped the zippers slowly. Threw back the top and stared down.

  Clothes. Neatly packed. I dug through the suitcase on the off chance some clue would be in here. Shoes, cosmetics, a blow dryer. Nothing unusual. I closed it, zipped it back up, and stuck it in the closet. Just in case Awesome stopped by for some reason. Nothing would say “something is horribly wrong” like finding Stella’s packed suitcase out on her bed.

  Then I started yanking open drawers and going through them. No journal. No threatening letters. No indication that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. It made sense. If someone had threatened her, she would have told Awesome. Unless she had some reason not to.

  I continued searching the apartment, but found nothing that made me think “aha.” It was disappointing, maddening. How was I going to figure this out? After locking back up, I dragged myself up the stairs to my apartment. There I turned on every light. I flopped into my grandmother’s rocking chair and took out the two phones I now had. No messages or calls on either of them for me.

  But Awesome had sent a text to Stella. Miss you already, babe. I scrolled through their past messages. That was a surprise. Stella wrote words out instead of using text shorthand like “u” or “r.” For a moment I pondered not following Stella’s normal style as a hint to Awesome. But if I did that it might put Stella in more jeopardy. I typed out an answer. Miss you too. Checking in to my room. Later.

  I stared down at Stella’s phone. Went through the settings. I turned off all the location tracking ones. Next, I took out my own phone and did the same. Then I called Seth. He didn’t pick up and prickles of nerves shook me. I dialed again. This time he answered. Relief. “Where are you?” I asked.

  “I’m not going to make it tonight.” His normally strong voice sounded hesitant. “I’m sorry. I’m tied up.” The call disconnected.

  Chapter Five

  I stared down at my phone. That wasn’t like Seth. Even when he was busy, he’d take a few minutes to talk. To tell me he loved me. I had no doubt he knew by now that I’d found a body. Another one. He would have been contacted right away. First, he didn’t show up at the crime scene. Now he didn’t ask me about it. Or even ask how I was. Seth was a mover of mountains when I was in trouble. Me finding a body was trouble. Tied up. Had he ever said that to me before when he was in a meeting? Never. Oh, no.

  Before I realized what I was doing, I was speeding down Great Road, east to Bedford where Seth lived. I had to make sure whoever had Stella didn’t have Seth too. I could barely breathe. I cranked a left into the neighborhood of small Cape-style houses where Seth lived. A native of this area would say they banged a left. I sped down the block. The house was dark as I parked across the street and down one house.

  I managed to ease out of the car. Close the door quietly. I crept up his driveway, took my key out, got it in the door on the first try, and unlocked it. The first floor was dark, but light spilled into the hall from the open basement door. I barreled toward it. A man—huge, bald, angry-looking—stepped into the hall from the living room. I whacked him in the stomach with my purse. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. I paused, astounded, and then remembered the wine bottle I’d shoved in there earlier.

  I skirted around him. Shouted for Seth. Almost flung myself down the stairs. Another huge, thick-haired man started up. I swung my purse again. Caught his ear, and he stumbled back. I flew down the last few steps. Turned to the right. Seth stood there. Not tied up. The Red Sox game was on. Pizza boxes were scattered on the coffee table. I hurled myself into Seth’s arms. He grasped me to him. I realized he was shaking a little.

  Footsteps thundered down the stairs. I turned in Seth’s arms. Kept him behind me. The man who I’d whacked in the stomach burst into the room. A gun out. A gun. The other man joined him with a gun of his own.

  “It’s okay,” Seth said. “This is Sarah.”

  The men hesitated, then holstered their guns.

  “Just give us a moment,” Seth said.

  They looked at each other, and some message passed between them. They left the room. One holding his stomach, the other his ear.

  I turned back to Seth. He wore a soft gray, long-sleeved Henley shirt that hugged his broad shoulders. Even in a casual shirt and jeans he looked knee-weakening handsome. The first time I’d laid eyes on him had been in a bar in Lowell, a town thirty minutes north of here, over two years ago. He was meant to be my fling after my divorce. A one-night stand. But he’d called and persisted, and here we were.

  “You aren’t tied up.” The buzzards were back in my head. Flapping ferociously, darkening my vision. I brushed by him, sat on the couch, and put my head between my knees. I wanted to throw up, but not in front of Seth. He sat next to me and rubbed my back. I wanted to think that he’d blown me off for pizza and the game with the guys. But first, he’d never do that to me, especially knowing I’d just found a murder victim, and second, by now I knew a lot of his friends. These two weren’t friends, and then of course there were their guns.

  Seth must be in some kind of danger. I lifted my head, grabbed Seth’s face, and kissed him. I pulled back, took in his mussed wavy dark hair and dark brown eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you. I’m sorry I scared you.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “You stood in front of me with two men pointing guns at you.”

  The thought of that combined with whacking them both had me dropping my head back between my legs. “What is going on?” I sat back up.

  Seth hesitated. Glanced at the stairs. “I wasn’t going to tell you. Wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”

  Seth and I had always had a hands-off policy. We didn’t boss each other around. Didn’t give each other honey-do lists. Seth was exceedingly patient with the situations I’d found myself in since we’d met. It was why I loved him. He didn’t want to change me. He respected me and the decisions I made. My ex hadn’t always done that.

  “You have to tell me.” Ironic that I was demanding he tell me what was going on when I wasn’t going to tell him a thing about Stella.

  “Someone tried to kidnap me this morning.”

  I clapped a hand to my mouth. “What? When? Where?”

&nb
sp; “Six thirty. You know how I always stop at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Bedford before I go to work.” He looked down at his hands for a moment. “Stupid of me to always keep the same routine.”

  I took his hands. His warm, mine freezing.

  “I came out. A black panel van was parked next to me. The door slid open, and this masked figure tried to get me into it. I fought and broke free. The van went tearing off.”

  Tears dripped down on our hands. Seth released mine and gently wiped my cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  Stella had scheduled a ride share to pick her up at eight this morning to take her to the airport. If only she’d have let me take her like I’d offered to. Maybe she’d be safe. But the kidnapper had had plenty of time to get to her if kidnapping Seth didn’t work out. Maybe the ride share was another lead I could track down. Someone was obviously very, very upset with me. Why?

  “How are you going to stay safe?” I asked. Just because the sicko didn’t succeed the first time didn’t mean he wouldn’t try again.

  “I have the guards. I’ll lay low.”

  “If I can get by those guards, anyone can.”

  Seth smiled. “You were a force.” Then he frowned. “What caused you to rush over here like that?”

  “Something in your voice. How abrupt you were.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t like you, and it scared me.”

  “I’m sorry. Those two”—Seth pointed to the ceiling—“will never live this down. I’m sorry I couldn’t be at the crime scene.” He paused, wrinkled his brow. “What were you doing at that house?”

  Ugh. I’d told Awesome and the troopers I was thinking of buying a house. I didn’t want to lie about that to Seth. He’d probably be upset if he thought I was planning to buy my own house, and he’d had enough upsetting for one day. “It was for sale, and I saw the door was ajar. Something seemed off.” That was all true.

  Seth nodded. “How are you doing?”

  I was grateful he didn’t press me on the matter. “I don’t know.” I did. I was a hamster on a wheel, racing in circles, going nowhere. “Do you have any idea who tried to kidnap you?” Maybe it would help me find Stella.