by Rebecca Deel
“The usual. What she’s been doing and when she’s coming home for good.”
Never. Lacey loved her life. She backtracked. Love was too strong a term for a job she enjoyed. Working at the coffee shop, although fun, was not her calling. She didn’t want to spend her life serving people coffee. She wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, help them in times of crisis. Amusement swept through her. Sounded exactly like what Jake did in his work. Maybe they were a matched pair, after all. She needed to kick college classes to the top of her priority list. She’d never change her career path if she didn’t start school. Lacey could almost feel the window of opportunity closing.
However, the stark reality was she didn’t make enough money to keep up with the financial expenses, cut back on working to allow adequate time for studying, and handle the added financial strain of school payments. Lacey sighed. She foresaw sleepless nights either studying or working in her future. When would she have time to spend with Jake? She didn’t want to give him up. Was it possible to have everything?
“What did you tell him?” Todd asked.
“Same as always. She’s working at the coffee shop and I didn’t know when or if she would come home to me.”
“Is he close to your family?”
“That old buzzard? No way. He’s a dirty old man, always on the make.”
“He ever target Lacey?”
Lacey clamped her hand over Jake’s and squeezed. Her mother didn’t know about Chesterfield hassling her. Mom would have gone after with him a baseball bat if she’d known, the only weapon she had for protection over the years. Yvonne was afraid of guns and likely wouldn’t have been approved for a permit even if she’d applied. Lacey and her mother had their differences, but she hadn’t wanted to see her mother behind bars. So, she’d kept silent.
Her mother turned toward her. “Not that she ever said. Come to think of it, that’s strange. Paul went after every female within sight. Did you hold back information, Lace?”
Too much that didn’t matter now. “Nothing you needed to worry about. I handled it.”
Yvonne struggled to sit up, wincing. “Wait until I leave this hospital. I’ll have a talk with that old man.”
“Not a good idea, Mom. Besides, I think Jake has first dibs on Mr. Chesterfield.”
Her mother shifted her gaze to Jake and, after a long, hard look, relaxed. “Make sure he leaves my daughter alone.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You said the Becketts asked you about Lacey,” Torres prompted. “Anything odd about their questions?”
“I don’t know what you want from me.” Yvonne’s voice started to rise. “I can’t tell you anything.”
Lacey analyzed the almost shrill tone to her mother’s voice. Yvonne knew something she was afraid to tell. Who was she protecting? Herself or Lacey?
Tears stung her eyes. Her mother hadn’t been a model citizen of Winston, but she loved Lacey. Now that she was sober, Yvonne showed that affection more often.
Jake walked to Yvonne’s side, his body blocking her sight of the two policemen. “Yvonne, focus on me.” When her terror-filled gaze locked with his, he lowered his voice to a husky murmur. “Breathe in. Exhale. Again. Slow. That’s it. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“You don’t know me, what I’ve done, how I lived in the past,” she whispered. “Why would you put yourself in danger because of me?”
“Lacey is important to me, and she loves you. Protecting people is what my team does.”
“I don’t know why I’m afraid or even who to be afraid of. How can you protect me from a ghost? What if I’m imagining things?”
Jake freed her hand from Jones’ hold, and sandwiched it between his palms. “The fear is not your imagination, and your subconscious knows the truth. We don’t have to know the identity of the person who took you to keep you safe.”
“You don’t?”
He shook his head. “We’ll stop anyone who threatens you or your daughter.”
“I can protect myself. Take care of Lacey.”
“I’m protecting you both. To get to you, they’ll have to go through me, and I won’t go down easily.”
Lacey’s heart clenched. Her mother might not believe the words, but Lacey knew the truth. Jake would take a bullet to protect them should that be necessary. Please, God, that wouldn’t happen. Losing him would break her heart.
“Did the Becketts’ questions about Lacey strike you as odd?” Jake asked.
After a beat, she said, “Not odd. Detailed questions.”
“Like what?”
“Same as everyone else.” Her gaze shifted again, this time to Lacey. “Where you live, where you work, when you’re coming home.”
“What else, Mom? The information might help.”
“They wanted to know if you were seeing anyone.” Hurt seeped into her gaze. “I didn’t know about Jake. You should have told me.”
To lighten the moment, she grinned. “Sounds familiar. You were keeping a big secret, too.” An answering smile from her mother made Lacey positive Yvonne and Harley would be good together. They were crazy about each other.
“Have they always wanted to know if Lacey is dating?” Torres asked.
“Will has been asking since Lacey moved to Nashville. The police chief started last year after Christmas.”
Lacey’s heart skipped a beat. Why? What reason would either have for asking? Not that she’d dated much. She refused to dwell on her disastrous months with Frank. Her other relationships had been few and far between. Lacey had been too focused on survival to spend much time dating.
“You said Noah Holt talked to you about Lacey.” Todd frowned. “What did he want to know?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Another glance at Lacey and Jake, then Yvonne sighed. “He wanted to know if she was like me.”
“Like you, how?”
Tears streaked her cheeks. “He wanted to know how much she charged for sex.”
Lacey hated to see her mother hurting and embarrassed. She’d changed her life, made something of herself. That mattered. “Mom, you don’t do that anymore. You haven’t for years.”
“People have long memories in this town.”
A major reason why Lacey left Winston six years earlier. “With Noah, it isn’t about a long memory. He deliberately asked to hurt you.” He’d enjoyed hurting people in high school as well, something she’d hoped he’d grown out of the last six years. Guess he hadn’t. She made it a point to avoid him when she was in town.
“You should have said something, honey.” Harley scowled. “I would have set that young buck straight.”
And that’s why Mom hadn’t said a word. Harley had some muscle on him, but Noah was twenty years younger and a gym rat like Frank. His muscles bulged, making him appear strong enough to bench press a car.
“What did you do after you left work the day you were taken, Yvonne?” Torres dropped his empty coffee cup in the trash and returned to the foot of her bed.
Her mother freed her hand from Jake’s and brushed away the moisture from her face. “Late lunch with Harley, then home to do laundry.”
“After you finished the clothes?”
“Went to Harley’s place and let myself in to prepare dinner. He gave me a key to his house.”
“Did you go out anywhere, talk to anyone else after Harley arrived?”
She shook her head. “Well, just to head back to my place for the night. Harley followed me over with his truck and stayed.
“You left Harley at what time?”
“A few minutes before 11:00.”
“Did you set up the meeting?”
“No.”
“Someone called you that night?”
Yvonne frowned. “No.”
“Who asked you to meet?” Torres’ voice was gentle.
“I can’t remember.”
“Answer this question without thinking. Just re
act. Male or female?”
“Male.”
“Did you recognize his voice?”
“I must have. I would never meet someone I don’t know that late at night.”
“Close your eyes.” When she complied, Torres continued. “In your mind, look at your kidnapper’s feet. What’s he wearing?” He took her higher up the kidnapper’s body until finally he asked, “Do you see his face?”
Yvonne was silent, eyes still shut. After a moment, her eyelids flew up. “He wore a stocking mask, one with the eyes and mouth cut out. I didn’t see his face.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Disappointment spiraled through Jake at Yvonne’s declaration. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. That’s why I can’t remember who hurt me. I didn’t see his face. I know finding him will be that much harder, but at least I know I’m not crazy. What happens now?”
“We use other methods to nail this creep.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him.” Jones and Torres would do what they could within the confines of the law. Fortress would do the rest. Wouldn’t be the first time the company resources had been tapped to track down a perp. Zane and the rest of the tech geeks were excellent at unearthing the deepest kept secrets and nudging law enforcement in the right direction. “Lacey and I found what looks like blood on your garage floor. What happened?”
She blinked. “Blood?”
Her surprise supported his theory that Yvonne had been taken from her home. “Where is your SUV?”
Her jaw dropped. “It’s missing? You have to find my Tahoe, Todd.”
“We’ve been looking for it. No luck so far.”
“Do you remember what happened during your captivity?” Jake asked.
“I remember pain and the cold.” She turned to Jake. “Where did you find me?”
“At the bottom of a ravine near the Martin cabin. Do you remember how you got there?”
“He kept me tied up in this horrible room, choking me again and again until I lost consciousness. I thought I was going to die.” She dragged in a shuddering breath. “Anyway, that last time when I woke up, I was outside on the ground in the woods, alone. I was weak, but got up and tried to run. I didn’t know where I was. I chose a direction and took off. As I ran, I realized he’d never taken my phone. No point, I guess, since I couldn’t free myself to call for help.” A wry smile tugged at her lips. “I guess I chose the wrong direction, though. I ran through some bushes and then I fell. When I woke up that time, I couldn’t find my phone. It was in my hand when the ground dropped away. I could hear someone stomping around on higher ground and knew I had to hide. That’s when I realized I was hurt and couldn’t run anymore. I crawled as far as I could and prayed it was far enough.”
“You were amazing, Yvonne.” Torres reached down and laid his hand on her uninjured foot. “If you weren’t a strong, resourceful woman, the kidnapper would have killed you. Good job.”
She beamed at him as the night nurse walked into the room.
“Hey, Todd. What are you doing here?”
“Needed to ask Yvonne some questions.”
“Hate to cut the party short, but it’s time for Ms. Coleman’s pain meds.”
“We’ll clear out, then.” Torres stepped back. “Thanks for answering our questions, Yvonne.”
“Wait. You didn’t tell me the reason you asked them now.”
He slid a sideways glance at the nurse checking Yvonne’s vitals, then shifted his attention to Jake, eyebrow raised in silent inquiry.
“I’m sure you have other things to do. I’ll talk to her.”
“Good enough. We’ll see you later, Yvonne.” With that, the policemen left.
Once the nurse checked Yvonne’s vitals and administered pain meds, she left.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Yvonne demanded.
With her hand still clasped between his, Jake said, “You know about the missing women.”
“Of course. Every woman has been talking about the disappearances for years. No one knows what happened to them.”
He squeezed her hand. “They do now. The killer left their bodies close to the ravine. We think he’s the one who hurt you.”
“But why am I still alive?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? “I don’t know. I’m glad I have a chance to know my girlfriend’s mom.”
“Why did Todd and the FBI agent ask so many questions about Lacey?”
“Did you notice the women’s appearance?”
Yvonne frowned, thought a moment. “They were all blond and slender with beautiful smiles.”
He waited in silence, and saw the moment Lacey’s mother made the leap and connected their appearance with Lacey.
“Wait. Are you saying he’ll go after my daughter?”
“I think she is the ultimate prize.”
“Take her home. Now.”
“Mom.” Lacey hurried to Yvonne’s side. “Don’t worry. Jake and Cade won’t let anything happen to me.”
“But they don’t know who this guy is. They can’t protect you from a killer with no face or name.”
She laid her hand on her mother’s uninjured leg. “Yes, they can. You don’t know them and their coworkers like I do. They are the best.”
Jake smiled at her effusive praise. Good to know she felt that way.
“I still want you to go home.”
“Not yet. You need help after the doctor releases you.”
“Harley and Loretta will pitch in. Go home, honey. I want you safe.”
“I trust Jake with my life, Mom. You should, too. I can tell you’re getting sleepy again. Jake and I noticed the new furniture at the house. Where did you buy it?”
“Riverton. I love that place.”
“Where did you get the money for furniture and the SUV? Your pay at the diner isn’t that great unless the tip money has been excellent.”
Yvonne cast her a puzzled glance. “I got the money from you.”
“Me? I can’t afford to buy new furniture and a vehicle for myself much less buy yours. Why did you think the money came from me?”
“The furniture store and the Chevy dealership each called to tell me the furniture and SUV had been paid for by you and was ready for pick up.” She yawned widely. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Rest now. We’ll talk more later.”
“You’re staying?” she murmured to Jake.
“Until my teammates arrive to take over. I’ll make sure Harley is introduced to them before I leave. Until this killer is caught, you won’t be alone and vulnerable.”
She smiled faintly. “You’re a good man. He’s a keeper, Lace.” And she was out.
Harley stirred, then. “You really didn’t send the furniture and vehicle to your mom?” He stared hard at Lacey.
“I was being honest, Harley. I don’t have the money for that.”
Not since she was saving money for college. Jake wrapped his hand around Lacey’s.
“What’s going on in this town?” The mechanic scowled. “This killer is taking women who look similar to Lacey. Why take Yvonne? I think she’s the most beautiful woman on the planet, but she’s not in her twenties like those other women. What did he want with her?”
“That’s what we’d like to know. You didn’t think the whole setup was strange?” He would have. Then again, he had a cynical view of things. Nothing in life was free. There were always strings if you looked hard enough.
“Yvonne isn’t one to question good fortune. She’d longed for those things for a while and asked Lacey for money for months.”
Years, more like. Jake imagined Yvonne hadn’t wanted to sound too mercenary to the mechanic when they started dating. He hoped things worked out well for Lacey’s mother and Harley. Maybe then Yvonne would enjoy the time she had with Lacey instead of trying to guilt her into sending more money.
“Why would someone give Mom the furniture and SUV? It doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t they want something in return?”
“Not necessarily.” Jake urged Lacey to sit in one of the chairs again. “Some people want to give gifts without attaching their name to the gesture. They don’t want the recognition.”
A snort from Harley. “Or they don’t want to be asked for more gifts.”
True enough. Jake’s family was very careful about how they gave gifts and money. More often than not, they gave anonymously to prevent an outstretched hand. “I didn’t want to alarm Yvonne, especially after the trauma she suffered.”
The older man’s eyes narrowed. “Spill it, Davenport.”
“We’ve been digging into the women’s disappearances. The first one went missing within a few days of Lacey moving away from Winston. If you track the dates, the rest of the women vanished a few days after Lacey returned to Nashville following a visit to her mother.”
His brow furrowed. “You’re saying he wants Yvonne’s daughter and, because he can’t have her, he takes substitutes?”
Jake inclined his head. “I don’t have proof, but I believe that is what has been happening.”
“We’re back to my original question. Why take Yvonne?”
He drew Lacey as close to his side as the chair would allow. “To bring Lacey back home.”
Lacey twisted to stare at him. “Are you serious?”
“That explanation makes the most sense.”
She was silent a moment, her expression pensive. “Is it possible the furniture and vehicle are from the same person?”
Yeah, his girlfriend was a smart woman. “Yes.”
“But what purpose would that serve?”
“If your mother had mentioned enjoying your gifts, you would have denied providing the furniture and vehicle. When you didn’t get satisfactory answers as to where they came from, you would have come home to look into it.”
“And since Mom never mentioned them and I didn’t return home, the killer resorted to taking her. He knew I would come home to look for her.”
“He planned this out, step by step, didn’t he?” Harley scrubbed his stubble-covered jaw with his hand. “Clever.” He shot a pointed look at Jake. “When you find the killer, I want five minutes with him.”
Jake’s lips curved. “I’ll see what I can do.” Provided he didn’t kill the guy first. Right now, the killer’s fate was a tossup. The one thing Jake knew for sure? No one would take Lacey Coleman from him.