Chapter Thirty-One
Riding in a Porsche was almost like flying, or it would have been if there hadn’t been any traffic. Harriet wore a blue paisley dress that flowed around her like a robe. It must be hippie day in Harriet’s wardrobe rotation. She’d told me when we first met that she was trying to figure out her new life after retirement. Her husband had died several years ago, and her children didn’t live close by.
Forty-five minutes later we were parked in the visitor parking outside a classroom building. According to Victoria’s social media accounts, she had a class ending in twenty minutes. We hoped to catch her on the way out.
“Any news on Emil?” I asked Harriet.
“I’ve been checking into Emil’s background,” Harriet admitted. We waited, sitting on a short brick wall for what would become a flower garden when it warmed up.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t let that drop.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what she had to say. But since we were here waiting to find out Victoria’s story, it must not be terrible.
“I haven’t heard back from the people I reach out to yet.” Harriet glanced down at her feet.
“I hope no news is good news.”
“He may just be very good at covering whatever he’s up to.”
“I just wish I could figure out who the kidnapper is. I want this to end.”
“We’ll get there. If not us, the police.”
I hoped Harriet was right.
Twenty-five minutes later a group of students came out of the building. They separated and went in different directions.
“That looks like her.” I pointed to a girl that fit Victoria’s description as Harriet and I stood.
“Victoria,” I yelled. Two girls turned, stopped, and waited for Harriet and me to walk over to them.
On the drive here, Harriet and I had once again talked strategies. Harriet was going to take the lead.
“Victoria Danucci?” Harriet asked.
One of the girls looked just like Victoria’s photos on social media minus the fish lips. She looked a little like the sketch and, in her big hooded sweatshirt and baggy sweats, a little mannish. The other girl had dark braided hair and smaller features.
“Yes?”
I wanted to give her a speech about stranger danger, but that would have to wait until we finished talking to her. I’m a terrible person.
“We need to speak to you about something.” Harriet looked pointedly at the other girl. Victoria exchanged a look with her.
“I’ll catch up with you in a couple of minutes,” Victoria said.
“You sure?” The girl eyed us suspiciously. As she should.
“Yes. It’s fine,” Victoria said.
Harriet and I did look respectable and trustworthy. I’d changed into a pencil skirt and sweater before we’d left. Harriet also had a way of carrying herself that exuded confidence and sent out “trust me” vibes. She’d make an excellent serial killer.
“I need some information about an Alice in Wonderland costume that you picked up,” Harriet said.
Victoria’s eyebrows met in the middle as she scrunched her face in concern. “What about it?”
“Do you still have it?” Harriet asked.
“It wasn’t returned?” She frowned. “It was a beautiful costume.”
“No, it hasn’t been,” I said. “Do you know where it is?” Oops. I forgot that Harriet was supposed to be doing the talking. I glanced at her, but she didn’t look upset.
“I don’t. I picked it up for a friend.”
Aargh. A friend. “It seems like Chelmsford is a bit out of the way from here,” I said. Boston University was about seventeen miles from Ellington, and add on another ten miles to Chelmsford. It didn’t make sense to me. Harriet put a hand on my arm. I’m sure I sounded too aggressive, but I was feeling desperate. I wanted to grab Victoria by the neck and wring the information out of her.
“You must be a good friend to drive all that way for someone,” Harriet said. Her voice calm, soothing.
“I was home working for my dad so I was in the area anyway,” Victoria said. She looked back and forth between us. “But now I’m regretting it. Am I going to have to pay for that costume? It was expensive. I’m already up to my ears in student loan debt, and I’m only a sophomore.”
“Who is the friend who asked you to pick up the costume?” Harriet asked. “It seems like they would have to pay.”
Watch and learn, I told myself.
“Gabe Tuttle asked me to pick it up.”
I didn’t know anyone by that name. I gave a slight shrug to indicate that to Harriet.
“Does he live in Ellington?” Harriet asked.
“Yes. He still lives with his parents. We went to high school together,” Victoria said. “Sometimes he works part time at my dad’s grocery store.” She reddened a bit.
Hmmm. Maybe they were in a relationship, or she wished they were. High school crushes could hold a lot of power over someone. However, the voice on the phone had sounded more mature than that of someone only a couple of years out of high school. And with the kidnapping, and knowledge of drug deals and auctions, it just didn’t seem like it could be someone that young to me. But who knew? I wished I did.
“How did he get hold of you?” I asked. I glanced at Harriet, and she gave a small nod. It was a good question, because maybe it hadn’t been Gabe but the kidnapper pretending to be Gabe.
“Gabe sent me a text,” Victoria said. “Here, I’ll show you.” She swiped through a bunch of messages before turning the phone toward us.
“There’s just a number. No name. He’s not in your contacts,” Harriet said.
“I guess he got a new number,” Victoria said. Her phone rang, and she glanced at it. “My dad.”
Oh, no.
“I’ll call him back when we’re done.”
Whew.
“Would you mind sending me a screenshot of the text thread with Gabe?” Harriet asked.
“I’m not sure,” Victoria said. She took a step back.
Oh, no. We were losing her.
“I get that you might hesitate,” Harriet said, “but this is important. Beyond the costume going missing.”
Victoria studied Harriet for a minute. Harriet kept her face friendly, interested. “Okay,” Victoria said.
Harriet gave Victoria her number, and moments later had the screenshot. “Did you take the costume to Gabe?” Harriet asked. She’d picked up on my line of thinking.
“He asked me to leave it on his porch. Gabe said he was at class and then worked. He couldn’t get to the shop before it closed.”
“What time was that?” Harriet asked.
“Early Thursday evening. I don’t remember an exact time.”
Harriet and I exchanged a quick, concerned glance. “Thank you for the information,” Harriet said.
“Sure.”
“What did he want the costume for?” I asked. I kept my voice even like Harriet had hers.
“I didn’t really ask.” Victoria’s face went up to a brighter shade of red. “I need to get going.”
“Victoria, I’m glad you talked to us, but be careful who you give information to,” I said. “There are a lot of creeps out there.”
She frowned at me. “Whatever.”
Harriet and I watched her walk away. “Do you think we should have told her the police will be looking for her?” I asked Harriet.
“No. She’ll know soon enough.”
“I feel sorry for her. They will tell her about the costume ending up on Crystal Olson.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
As soon as we got in the car I turned to Harriet. “I’ll look up Gabe Tuttle. It seems like we should talk to him.”
“I agree, but I’m betting he’s not going to know anything about an Alice in Wonderland costume.”
“I hope that isn’t true. If it is, it makes me worry about why the kidnapper picked Victoria to do his bidding. How would he know she’d go out of her way to do something f
or Gabe?”
Harriet lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “Can you think of any connection between you and Victoria?”
“Only that I know her dad because of what happened with the school board.”
Harriet was silent for a couple of minutes, concentrating on the traffic. “It seems like a tenuous connection at best.”
“I agree.” I started searching for Gabe Tuttle. It didn’t take too long to find a wealth of information on him. “Gabe lives in Patriots Ridge, not too far from where Alice Krandle lived.” A shot of sadness swept over me. I hated thinking about Alice in the past tense. It made me all the more determined to pursue the kidnapper.
“Maybe there’s some connection there.”
“He’s a cute guy.” I showed Harriet his picture. He was leaning against a lifeguard stand with a whistle around his neck. Curly brown hair, brown eyes, a dimpled smile, and a confident stance that seemed to say “the world is mine.”
“He’s going to Ellington Community College and works as a lifeguard at the pool on Fitch. Victoria and Gabe have swimming in common.”
“Good point.”
“According to his most recent post, he’s headed over to work at the pool right now. I can call someone to get us sponsored on base.”
“Let’s do it,” Harriet said.
* * *
My friend Eleanor sponsored us on base. We arrived at the pool at two fifteen. It was an Olympic-size indoor pool. In the summer there were chairs to lounge on outside and a splash pad open for kids six and under. The pool and swim lessons were free to active-duty military, and a minimal fee was charged for their families, military retirees, and guests. It was a nice perk.
Fortunately, I knew the girl working at the desk. She let us in without paying and pointed out Gabe to us. It was easy to spot him, sitting in the lifeguard chair, watching alertly as a Mommy and Me swim class was taking place. Kids were screaming with joy, and moms were smiling as they helped their kids float. The instructor looked a bit harried as she tried to get everyone’s attention.
Harriet and I walked up to the lifeguard stand. “Hi, Gabe,” I said. “I wondered if we could ask you a few questions about Victoria Danucci.”
Gabe frowned. “I guess I’ll have time when this class is over. Is she okay?”
Gabe didn’t sound anything like the kidnapper did. “She’s fine. I just saw her. When’s class over?” I asked.
Gabe blew his whistle and told a little boy not to run. “Another ten minutes. You can wait over by the office.”
Fifteen minutes later Gabe came over to us. He’d thrown on a gray Ellington sweatshirt and sweatpants. “Who are you?” Gabe asked.
At least, unlike Victoria, he asked, but that complicated things. “I’m Sarah Winston. I used to live on Fitch, but I live in Ellington now. And this is my friend, Harriet Ballou.” I hoped he didn’t press us further. I hoped throwing out that I used to live on base would help.
“What do you want to know about Victoria?” he asked.
Apparently my strategy had worked. “Victoria told us you asked her to pick up an Alice in Wonderland costume at the Masquerade Costume Shop in Chelmsford and for her to drop it off at your house,” Harriet said.
Gabe was shaking his head before Harriet finished the sentence. “I have no idea what she’s talking about.”
That wasn’t too surprising given the different phone number that had been used and how different his voice sounded from the kidnapper’s. But still I was disappointed. I wanted to be able to call Pellner and tell him to come pick this guy up. To wrap this up and to be able to go on with my life without looking over my shoulder, worrying about friends, and being afraid to answer my phone.
Harriet told Gabe about the costume being dropped off on his porch. “Is this your cell phone number?” Harriet rattled off the number.
Gabe shook his head again.
“You haven’t used a burner phone?” Harriet asked.
“What’s this all about?”
I’d been surprised he hadn’t asked earlier.
“We’re just trying to track down the Alice in Wonderland costume,” Harriet said. “Thanks for answering our questions.”
“Is there any chance your parents would have seen who delivered the package?” I asked.
“No. They go to Key West every year from December to May.”
“Do you have a security camera at your house?” Harriet asked. “Or what about one of those doorbells that tells you who’s at the door?”
“No. Ellington’s a safe place to live,” Gabe said.
If only he knew what was going on, he’d probably be installing cameras all around his house and putting bars on the windows. “Do you know if any of your neighbors have any security cameras?”
He nodded. “I think my neighbors across the street have one. Maybe that would help.”
“What’s your neighbor’s name?” Harriet asked.
“Dean Daynard.”
“Thanks, Gabe.”
We didn’t mention that the police might be coming by to Gabe either, and I didn’t give him my mom speech about talking to strangers.
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” I asked Harriet as we walked away.
“Yes. I don’t think he would have mentioned his neighbor to us if he wasn’t.”
“Or he’s sending us on a wild-goose chase.”
“It’s possible. But let’s check it out, and then we’ll have a better idea. Does the name Dean Daynard sound familiar to you?”
I shook my head. “I wish it did, but I’ve never heard of him. I’m going to have to do the talking at the Daynards’ house,” I said to Harriet as we headed back to her car.
“Why?” Harriet asked.
“Because we’re going to have to lie, and I don’t want to make you do that.”
“You have a very expressive face. The whole time we were talking to Gabe, your eyebrows were popping up or you were frowning. Do you think you can handle the lying part?”
“I’ve gotten better at it.” I’m not exactly sure that was something to be proud of. Although apparently I was not that good if I hadn’t even noticed I was reacting while Gabe talked. “If I concentrate, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to just call Pellner and have him check Dean out?”
“This will be faster. If the police are involved, it will mean they go to the house, get any available video, take it to the station, and watch it themselves several times. Then if they don’t know who the guy picking up the costume is, they may call me in to watch the video. In that amount of time we could have already identified the guy, called Pellner, and been done with this.” In the past I’d been good about sharing information with the police. Not doing so created a lot of anxiety for me, but, since the first call from the kidnapper, I had believed what I was doing was the right thing to do. I stood by those decisions. “And that’s only if the guy is willing to let them without getting a warrant.”
“That makes a crazy sort of sense.”
“Harriet, I don’t want you to do anything you think is unethical. I can go there alone.”
“I’m not deserting you now.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
I looked up the Daynards’ address. We went out the back gate of Fitch, which meant we were in Concord. Harriet drove on narrow, windy backroads as we headed to the Daynards’ house.Trees and low stone walls lined the roads. If your car broke down here, there was nowhere to pull off. We passed the Thoreau Farm where Henry David Thoreau had been born. Of all the famous authors who had lived in Concord, he was the only one born there. After a few turns we would end up back in Ellington.
“Why do you think the kidnapper would involve Victoria and Gabe in this? It seems risky,” I asked Harriet.
“He must have been trying to create layers between himself and the crimes. It worries me.”
“Why?”
“It shows a high level of planning. Exceptional organizational skills to pull all this off.�
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I nodded. “We keep talking about a ‘him,’ but almost everyone on the list I gave the troopers is female.” I was so confused. “Stella said that it was a man who had burst into her apartment. But she also said he was masked so would she know for sure?”
Harriet shrugged. “Who is number one on your list?”
I thought for a couple of moments. “Damaris or Zoey, but I’m not sure how Damaris would know Gabe and Victoria.”
“But Zoey could know Gabe from base and could then have learned about Victoria through him.”
“Yes.”
“We can’t rule them out. I’m guessing the kidnapper also planned an exit strategy if he feels like he’s going to be caught.”
“That means we’ll have to be extra careful when we find him or her.” I said it with more confidence than I felt because part of me thought we’d never find him. “I hope the Daynards’ security camera captures the street.”
“Don’t get your hopes up, Sarah. The man behind all this has been savvy enough to avoid being caught up to this point. It’s likely he sent someone else to pick up the package or avoided looking at any cameras.”
That was a disheartening thought. “You’re right. But eventually you’d think we’d catch a break.” My phone rang at three ten. Seth. I thought for a moment about not answering it, but if I didn’t he’d probably worry.
“Mike wants the three of us to have a meeting.”
What? That was unusual. I was always the one calling Mike, asking him to meet me because I needed his help with something. “Why?”
“I don’t know. Mike just contacted me through a system we have set up and requested the meeting. Can you make it?”
That sounded mysterious. I started picturing spies leaving an X on a mailbox. “Sure. When and where?”
“In an hour and a half. Just the three of us, no one else. It’s at a safe house I have access to.”
“What about your guards?” I asked.
Seth didn’t say anything for a minute. “I don’t have them anymore. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
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