by Makenzi Fisk
A young trooper and a ruddy-faced tow truck driver with hands as big as baseball mitts hurried to greet them.
“Afternoon.” The trooper snapped his shoulders back as if under inspection. It wasn’t every day the FBI came to inquire about the recovery of a stolen vehicle. Now covered by a thick layer of river mud, his boots had probably been spit polished this morning. “Dispatch called to say we weren’t to touch a thing until you folks arrived, but—”
“My apologies sir, ma’am,” the tow driver gallantly interrupted. “I already hooked ‘er up and hauled ‘er out by the time Robbie passed that on to me.” He nudged the trooper with his elbow. In this part of the state, the two were probably blood-related somewhere down the line. “I promise I didn’t touch nothin’ inside ‘cept the steerin’ wheel, if that’s any help. I noticed there sure are a lotta empties and garbage. Pills too, handfuls of ‘em under the seat—”
“Charlie, please.” Robbie the trooper interrupted what sounded like a fairly complete search of the truck’s interior.
Gonzales grinned, and pointed at the trail of mud from the river to their present location. “You spot anything down there when you were hooking on?”
Encouraged, Charlie gave them a full report of the tracks leading down to the river before he’d ground the evidence into oblivion with the dual rear wheels of his Ford Super Duty. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a handful of prescription bottles. The name of the pharmacy in Lincoln Nebraska clinched the link.
“I wonder why in hell they wanted these.” He put his big finger on the vial labeled Oxybutynin. My wife’s sister takes these pills for her, uh, so she doesn’t have to go to the ladies room so often.”
“They’re for urinary incontinence?” Gonzales held out his hand for the bottle.
“When she first started taking them, she got the upchucks and the runs. That was not pleasant to hear about over Sunday dinner.” The big, ruddy-faced man grimaced.
Erin examined the label on the other bottle. “This empty one is Oxytocin. Might be a hormone or something. I don’t think it will get them high.”
The trooper cocked his head. “Why did they steal hormones and drugs that stop you from peeing yourself?” He flinched at the unanticipated hand on his shoulder.
With a plastic bag opened wide, Lockwood stepped between them. “Because they’re idiots. Kind of like law enforcement agents examining fresh evidence with their bare hands.” Erin and Gonzales sheepishly dropped their bottles inside. “Oxycontin is a common drug of abuse. I bet these particular idiots couldn’t tell the difference.”
“For what they did to that good old truck, I hope they’re suffering worse than my wife’s sister.”
Erin grinned. “We can only hope.” She painstakingly recorded the details of each medication’s name, dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy before she caught Gonzales watching her.
He snapped a few pictures of the bottles with his camera. “It’s not necessary to handwrite every single thing. We have the photos.”
Erin’s cheeks warmed. She was doing it again. Fretting about unnecessary details when she needed to stay in the moment, to see the big picture. Why was it such a challenge? Was she trying too hard to impress Lockwood, who was paying absolutely no attention anyways? Get a hold of yourself, girl. She wrote down the essentials and tucked her notebook away.
They made a cursory check of the recovered vehicle before the Forensics crew arrived in the Ident van.
Relaxed, Gonzales clicked a few more photos. He turned and tossed her the car keys. “We are on your home turf. Take us to meet this Z-man with whom I’ve been liaising.” He winked. “He said his wife made cookies.”
Lockwood settled herself in the back seat and opened her laptop. “Did you say cookies?”
Erin had reached highway speed when her phone rang. She fumbled in her pocket and handed it to Gonzales.
He hesitated, finger poised above the screen. “There’s a list of missed calls from someone named My Hot Girlfriend. ”
“Ugh, it’s a joke. A guy in training did that,” she huffed in frustration. “Answer it.”
He poked at the icon and held the phone to his ear. “Special Agent Erin Ericsson can’t take your call right now.” He shot a helpless look at Erin and cupped his hand over his other ear, as if that would help him hear over the wind howling through the open window. “Pardon me? I can’t…”
Erin thumbed the automatic window button, and the howling retreated outside the glass. She mouthed speaker and he touched the display. Allie’s words were still unintelligible, but it was clear she was panicked. Not just panicked, her nieces would say ‘totally freaking out’.
“What’s all the hubbub?” Lockwood grumbled.
“Baby, slow down. I can’t understand—”
“Victoria! She’s been taken!” Allie shouted, finally coming through loud and clear.
“What? Who took her? How?” In Erin’s gut, she already knew it had to be Lily.
“It was her ,” she sobbed. “We’re looking everywhere. We found Victoria’s bike in the woods.”
“Did you call it in? Does my sister know?” There was a digital squeal on the line. “They’ll find her.”
Erin glanced over at Gonzales, who shrugged. “My niece”, she whispered. His mouth opened in a silent O.
“Gaul darn son of a biscuit!” In the rear, Lockwood stomped the floor.
“I should have kept a better eye on her. I should have known.” Allie’s voice cracked. Could she hold it together? If there was ever a time they needed her gift, it was now.
“I’m coming as fast as I can.” Erin stepped on the gas, and flicked the concealed emergency flashers. “Is Z-man there with you? Can I talk to him?”
“This is a nightmare.” Zimmerman’s deep voice rumbled over the speaker without a trace of his usual humor. “You know we have every car out looking. Damn, the whole town’s looking. Even guys on their days off are coming in. We’re doing everything.”
“Do you have any leads at all?” She white-knuckled the steering wheel and willed the car faster.
“Gina said a tall young man came in for beer earlier. He’s not from around here, and she half-wondered how legit his ID was. I guess now she wished she’d checked it more closely.”
Lockwood snapped down the lid of her computer. “Aw, H.E. double hockey sticks.”
“Our male suspect, Trenton Leslie Madison, is six foot three inches. Dark shoulder length hair—”
“Yeah, I read that on the alert. This sure sounds like it might be your boy. No sightings of Lily, but Gina got the impression there might have been someone waiting.”
She didn’t need to point out what was on Trenton Madison’s record of conviction. They’d both tear that boy to pieces if he laid a finger on her niece.
“Help Allie calm down. She knows what to do.”
He grunted in response. He knew exactly what she meant.
“We’ll see you soon.” Erin clenched her jaw and forced the car to its limits.
“Pedal to the metal, Ericsson.” Lockwood tightened her seat belt. “Can’t you move this tin-can-on-wheels any faster?”
Two hours later, they skidded to a stop in front of Morley Falls Police Headquarters, a squat brick building built in the seventies. The cracked steps were badly in need of repair, and Erin took them two at a time.
They were greeted by Deputy Chief Williams when she flung open the doors. He’d been the Chief’s stodgy right-hand man for over a decade, and some said he was actually the one in charge.
“Good to have you back, Erin, but not under these circumstances.” Williams was pale, concern furrowing his brow as only a father’s can. He briefly shook with Gonzales, and then cupped both of his hands around Lockwood’s. “Special Agent Lockwood, I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“You’ve got a kid missing. Let’s get moving.” She squeezed back, locking eyes like a boxer feeling out the competition before a match. Williams released first
, and directed them to the department’s dated boardroom.
Zimmerman had told Erin that he was preparing the conference room, but she was still surprised when she entered. The walls, usually decorated with suspect photos and flowcharts of current investigations, were bare. Today, the wooden table shone with new wax and the overflowing boxes of files were stacked neatly in a corner. Bright blue Ethernet cables snaked from the outlet on the wall, ready to connect them to the internet. The white board was scrubbed clean for the first time ever.
Williams poured three glasses of ice water, and motioned for them to sit. Erin’s adrenaline screamed in her veins. She ignored his direction and paced to the back of the room.
He tipped his head in acknowledgement. This was not the first time he’d seen Erin too keyed up to keep still. “It appears the situation has escalated with the kidnapping of an eleven year old female.”
“My niece, Victoria,” Erin interjected.
“Of course.” He referred to the clipboard he’d brought, “Victoria Cook disappeared on Willow Street three hours ago. She left 29 Poplar Court—”
“My house.” Erin knew this. What did it matter? Lily and the boy had taken her niece. They needed to be out looking, not sitting here rehashing the agonizing details of the abduction.
“—at approximately eleven-forty this morning and went missing shortly thereafter, wearing a blue T-shirt and tan shorts. There were scuff marks in the gravel, possible signs of a struggle near the location where her bicycle was found.”
“What have you got to tie this missing child to Schmidt and Madison?” Lockwood scribbled notes on her legal pad.
The taste of metal filled Erin’s mouth. She’d almost forgotten that Lily shared her last name with Gina’s godfather. The gruff but kindly man had survived her poison, but would forever require a home care assistant. The kid didn’t deserve his good name.
“Shortly before the incident, we have a witness who spotted a male matching the suspect’s description at the convenience store two blocks from the scene.” Williams read off his paper.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Erin shouted. “Lily is here. Z-man’s wife, Gina, saw Trenton in the store and Lily was probably right outside. They’re on some goddamn crime spree across half a dozen states and now they’ve abducted Victoria. It’s her twisted payback. I need to see Allie and we need to get out there!”
“Still a hot head,” Williams muttered.
If he spoke those two words, if he said Raging Ranger , Erin didn’t care how many stars were on his lapel, she’d leap over the table and shake some sense into him. This was her sister’s little girl! She’d felt protective of her from the first moment she’d seen the squirming newborn twins in her sister’s arms.
Lockwood slammed her hand on the table. “There is a missing child we’re dealing with here! It’s no time for petty grievances.”
Williams flinched as if slapped. The hard glint in her eye set him back in his seat with flushed cheeks.
Gonzales nodded almost imperceptibly. Lockwood’s kryptonite. This was it. Somewhere in her background was a case that had gotten under her skin. A case with a child and an awful conclusion that still haunted her. She would not allow it to happen again. Erin saw her resolve and was reassured.
Lockwood took a deep breath, but when she spoke her words had a steel edge, as if one misspoken comment would get him cuffed alongside the ear. “Our objectives seem to have converged, Deputy Chief. I believe that if we work together to catch these two, Erin’s niece can return home unharmed.” She stretched out the final word.
“Certainly.” Williams kept his face neutral, although his body language said he’d rather bolt out the door and lick his wounds. “I apologize for that remark, Erin,” he muttered, and pushed his clipboard aside. “But I can assure you—”
Lockwood put down her pen and turned to Erin. “You know this Schmidt kid. You knew she was coming here. You have good instincts and I’m encouraging you to trust your gut. Where would she take your niece?”
“Gunther’s old place. The river,” she blurted.
Lockwood nodded. “Family? Friend? Is that where she was living?”
“Yes, with her grandfather, but I doubt she’d try to contact him after what happened.”
The senior agent waggled her hand, as if to say that was a story for another time.
“Her father is Derek Peterson,” Erin offered.
“Is that the guy ?” Lockwood made a notation. There had been no secrets about her involvement in the case that had brought months of negative media attention to the doorstep of Morley Falls PD. To her credit, Lockwood had not batted an eye.
Williams cleared his throat. “Mr. Peterson may be connected to a local murder. We haven’t yet been able to locate him for an interview.”
“I see the kid has predictable genes.” Gonzales offered his first verbal input of the meeting. Lockwood’s frown made it clear that smart ass comments were inappropriate. He flushed and examined his hands.
“Uh, uh.” Erin shook her head. “Derek’s always been protective of kids. I’m certain he wouldn’t be part of kidnapping one.”
“So, the two suspects are virtually untethered by local connections. That might make it easier, or harder, to find them, depending on how you look at it.”
Thunder sounded down the hall, and huge galloping feet signaled that Zimmerman’s arrival was imminent. Red-faced, he burst through the door, flung his arms around Erin and lifted her to her toes. “I heard you arrived! I can’t believe what’s happened.”
“I’m so glad to see you, Z.” Relief unleashed the emotion she’d been struggling so hard to keep at bay, and she choked back a sob. He held her until she got control.
“We’ll find her.” He turned to the others at the table and cocked a thumb at Gonzales. “I brought you cookies from my wife, as promised. They’re in the car.”
Gonzales rubbed his hands together. “It’s great to finally meet you, too.”
Zimmerman gave them the shortened version of their efforts so far. “Our guys are doing a grid search of the entire town, Fire is headed to the river with their boat, and paramedics are combing the streets too. Your parents are organizing dozens of volunteers at the church. Your sister Liz is having chemo over in Duluth today and she’s beside herself. Her husband is on his way to get her.” He clenched his fists. “I told them I’d bring their daughter back if it’s the last thing I do.”
Tremors threatened Erin’s jaw and she clamped down hard. “How’s Allie?”
“She’s got a loaf of banana bread for you from your mom, because you’re always hungry, and is waiting for you in the coffee room - with the dog.”
“Go,” Lockwood told her. “We’ll grind through the formalities with the Deputy Chief.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Allie wasn’t sure if she felt better or worse after seeing Erin. Their brief time together hadn’t been enough to quell the horrible guilt in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to go home and hope for some sort of inspiration, some intuitive clue she could call Erin with. And she wouldn’t sit on her comfy couch and wait for news. Erin’s mom was organizing a hundred volunteers. She could probably use the help, and they’d all be calmer if they were kept busy.
She buzzed through the house and gathered sleeping bags, flashlights, and insect repellant. “Come on kids. We are going to grandma’s.”
“I’m bringing this.” Jimmy scooped up his aerial drone and tucked it under his arm.
Red-faced from crying, Sophie stared round-eyed back at her until Allie took her by the hand. “We’re not doing any good sitting here. Let’s go see how we can help.”
“Okay,” Sophie sniffed. “We’ll bake cookies, or make posters, or whatever.” They filed silently to the door, Doppler circling them in confused agitation.
When they reached the driveway, Zimmerman’s four-wheel-drive truck pulled in at the curb and Gina ran to hug Allie. “I’m coming. It doesn’t matter how much overtime my baby
sitter racks up. She can buy herself a forty-six inch TV for all I care.”
“Hi boss.” Jimmy’s fingers fluttered tentatively from the back seat. “Are you coming to grandma’s?”
“Darn right, little man.” Gina got in the front and dug through her purse. She showed Allie a paper map and orienteering compass. “With your built-in GPS, it’s not like you need this, but look what Gunther gave me. See the blue lines? He’s even drawn in all the animal trails he knows.”
“Dad said Mr. Schmidt knew Davy Crockett,” Sophie offered.
“Maybe. He’s pretty old.”
“Who’s Davy Crockett?” Jimmy asked.
Gina smiled, sad lines creasing the corners of her eyes.
“Are you angry that Victoria ran away?” Sophie held one hand over her mouth but was unable to stop the words.
Allie looked at her in the rear view mirror. “I’m not angry. I’m worried. Why would you think your sister ran away?”
“She made me promise not to tell.” Sophie hesitated as if unsure which information to divulge. “I told her not to sneak out to meet Rory any more. She goes almost every day and they kiss and stuff. The last time we had a fight, she said she wanted to run away and have an adventure.”
“Rory? No, sweetie. This is not about him.” Allie’s heart caught in her throat. “This is not your fault.”
Gina turned in her seat. “Victoria didn’t run away with anyone. She was… she was… Chris said he talked to Victoria’s boyfriend, and he’s not involved.”
“If she didn’t run away with Rory—” Sophie began.
“Someone kidnapped my sister?” Jimmy shouted and the dog sprang off his lap.
“It looks that way.” Allie hated that she had to be the one to give the kids such horrible news, hated that anyone else would have to do this, and hated that this world was not the place their circle of adults had led them to believe in.
“She’s gonna kick their butts!” Sophie growled. This wasn’t quite the response Allie had expected from the fashion conscious, nail polish aficionado. “She’s the fastest runner in our whole school and she knows karate.”