Abducted

by T. R. Ragan

  Brittany grinned. “Thanks.”

  “Wow!” Lizzy said. “When did you get braces?”

  “Less than a week ago. Dr. McMullen said I only have to wear them for one year.”

  Lizzy tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind Brittany’s ear. Although she’d seen Brittany at least once a week for most of her life, it was hard to believe how fast she’d grown.

  Brittany looked around. “Are you here alone?”

  “I’m here with a friend.” She pointed to stands and smiled when Jared waved back at them.

  “He’s cute. Who is he?”

  “We’re working on a project together at the moment, but we did date back in high school.”

  “Cool. Can I meet him?”

  Cathy called Brittany’s name before Lizzy could answer.

  Lizzy waved at her sister but Cathy avoided making eye contact and instead gestured for Brittany to come speak to her in private.

  “I’ll be right there, Mom.” Brittany turned back to Lizzy. “I guess you two aren’t getting along again?”

  “She’s mad at me,” Lizzy said, “but she’ll get over it. We’ll be fine. We always are. How’s school?”

  Brittany shrugged. “It’s okay, although I feel pretty tired today after spending an hour and a half with my math tutor last night.”

  “My poor baby,” Lizzy teased. “Math was never my favorite subject either. Is your tutor helping?”

  “Too early to tell. I was only supposed to be tutored for an hour, but Mr. Gilman got so wrapped up in equations he forgot all about the time. He’s a nerd.”

  “Bummer,” Lizzy said, and she meant it. “Is that your new swim coach?”

  Brittany followed Lizzy’s gaze to the group of girls wearing the same red suit. They were all huddled around a man who Lizzy guessed was in his early forties. He sported a pair of beige slacks, a white polo shirt, and a baseball cap with a dolphin emblem.

  “Didn’t I tell you about him?” Brittany asked.

  Lizzy’s skin prickled. “No, why, what’s going on?”

  “Don’t tell Mom because she’ll freak out, but he’s a little creepy, that’s all.”

  “How so?”

  “He stares at me and some of the other girls sometimes.” She feigned a shiver. “Gives me goose bumps.”

  Lizzy frowned. “Has he ever touched you inappropriately?”

  “No. I promised Mom I would tell her if any coach or teacher ever made a move.”

  Lizzy watched the coach closely. She tried to picture him with a beard. “What’s his name?”

  “Henry Sullivan.”

  “Is he from around here?”

  “Not sure.”

  One of the girls called Brittany’s name this time. Apparently they wanted to take a team picture.

  “You better go,” Lizzy said. She gave her niece a hug. “I love you. Keep me updated on your math progress...and on that coach of yours.”

  “I will. Thanks for coming,” Brittany said as she started off toward her team. “And next time I want to meet your boyfriend.”

  He’s not my boyfriend, Lizzy was about to say when Brittany turned toward her again and said, “Oh, Lizzy, one more thing.”

  Lizzy waited.

  “How did you like your new ringtone?”

  “Cute. Very cute.” She watched Brittany walk off singing “Louie, Louie.” She thought about trying to talk to Cathy, but her sister’s stiff body language told her now was not the time.

  Lizzy inhaled long and deep as she turned her attention back to the coach. Henry Sullivan. Nothing about the man looked familiar, but that wasn’t going to stop her from putting him at the top of her list of suspects.

  Saturday, February 20, 2010 3:10 PM

  “I don’t trust Coach Sullivan,” Lizzy told Jared for the second time since they left the Aquatic Center. Jared was driving and Lizzy was fretting. “We need to get a warrant and search his house,” she said. “Your father is a judge. You could get a warrant quick, couldn’t you?”

  “Lizzy, slow down. Let’s do this the right way. We don’t want to scare him off before we’ve had a chance to check him out thoroughly. You said yourself he didn’t look familiar.”

  “It’s been fourteen years. Spiderman could look completely different by now. What if he had plastic surgery?” The idea of such a thing unsettled her greatly. He could have made a lot of changes in the past fourteen years. “How many of Spiderman’s victims did Jessica say were swimmers? Three? Four?”

  “I’ll call Jimmy and get someone to follow Sullivan. In the meantime let’s visit the county jail and have a chat with Betsy about the watch she promised to hold for you.”

  “If she was drunk at the time, it won’t matter what she saw.”

  Jared sighed.

  “What if something happens to Brittany?” Lizzy asked, unable to let go of the fact that Spiderman could be absolutely anyone. “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to her because I did nothing to protect her from Sullivan.”

  “Would you feel better if we checked him out ourselves? Follow him around, see where he lives?”

  “I would.”

  He pulled to the side of the road and made a U-turn. “We’ll follow him home. See what he’s up to.”

  “Thanks. I’d feel much better if we could keep an eye on Sullivan, although I don’t think Cathy was too happy about us staying after the swim meet to talk to him.”

  “Your sister should be glad you’re concerned about Brittany and that you’re watching over her.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe in a perfect world.”

  “Your sister has never been a happy person.”

  “Seriously? That’s news to me.”

  Jared kept his eyes on the road. “Cathy has been jealous of you since high school.”

  “Cathy? Jealous?” She huffed. “What are you talking about? My sister doesn’t have a jealous bone in her body.”

  “Are we talking about the same Cathy Gardner that was in my graduating class?”

  “Give me one example of a time when she was jealous of me.”

  “Let’s start with your first car.”

  Lizzy snorted. “Cathy was jealous of Old Yeller?”

  “No, your first car. Cathy was driving a Honda, a gift from your parents, but she borrowed your little red sports car—”

  “Little Red was older than dirt,” she reminded him. “That car had over a hundred thousand miles on it.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Jared said. “I still remember the look on Cathy’s face when everybody made a big deal about how cute Lizzy looked in her shiny red convertible.”

  Lizzy’s brain felt like mush. She had no idea where Jared was going with this crazy car story. “What happened?”

  “When Cathy brought Little Red back, the car was ruined—no longer drivable.”

  “That wasn’t her fault,” Lizzy said defensively. “Her friend backed into it with his truck.”

  “Annie Smith said she saw the whole thing. Cathy watched her friend back into Little Red and did nothing to stop him.”

  “Annie Smith told a lot of stories that weren’t true.”

  “You’ve always been blind when it comes to your sister,” Jared said.

  “That’s not true.”

  “What about that white lacey dress you saved up for, only to find it in your closet with ink stains?”

  Lizzy racked her brain trying to remember. “Lacey dress? Ink stains?”

  “I thought women remembered these kinds of things.”

  “You’re wrong about Cathy. She was never jealous of me. It’s not her style. And, although most women might remember a favorite dress, I’m not like most women, remember?”

  It was Jared’s turn to be perplexed.

  “You used to tell me that’s what you liked most about me—that I was different from all those other girls.”

  “Ah, so you do remember some things,” he teased.

  “I remember many things. For instance, t
he way my stomach knotted and my heart broke in two when you kissed Amanda Rocha at Winter Ball.”

  “You had broken up with me,” he said in his defense.

  She held up seven fingers. “One week. We had broken up for a total of seven days and in that amount of time not only did you ask Amanda to the ball, you kissed her right there on the dance floor in front of everyone.”

  His smile worked its way to his eyes. “I only kissed her to make you jealous.”

  “Well, it didn’t work.”

  He laughed.

  She liked the sound of his laughter. “We made a lot of plans back then, didn’t we?”

  “We did,” he said quietly.

  The ring of Lizzy’s phone interrupted her thoughts of better days. She clicked Talk and regretted doing so when she realized the caller was Nancy Moreno, the news anchor from Channel 10.

  “I’m not interested,” Lizzy said before the woman could say more than two words. It made her stomach turn to know that the media, as always, put the BIG story above all else.

  “Please don’t hang up.”

  Lizzy was about to do just that when Nancy followed with, “I’m calling about Spiderman.”

  “No doubt.”

  “He’s been following me.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I have something he wants.”

  Lizzy could hardly believe the lengths Moreno would go to get a story. “What could you possibly have that he would want?”

  “I have your file.”

  “My file?”

  “Your file from Linda Gates’ office,” Nancy said.

  “How could you possibly—” Lizzy started; then it dawned on her. “You stole my file from my therapist?” She had heard way back when that Nancy Moreno was one of Linda Gates’ clients. She also knew Linda would never willingly give the file to anyone without talking to her first.

  “When I took your file from Linda’s office, I thought I could help the FBI by talking to the killer and finding out as much as I could about him.”

  The woman wasn’t making any sense at all. “What have you found out?”

  “Only that he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

  Nancy Moreno sounded scared. “Where are you now?” Lizzy asked.

  “I’m at home. He’s out there now. I know he is.”

  “Did you call the authorities?”

  “I needed to talk to you first.”

  So that’s why Nancy had been calling, Lizzy realized.

  “I was supposed to meet with him this morning...to give him your file,” Nancy said, “but I changed my mind. I was getting ready to leave for work when I heard a noise outside my front door. I keep hearing noises, but I can’t see anything. There it is again. Please come. I live at 3516 Skyview in Rolling Hills.”

  Lizzy glanced at her watch. It would take ten to fifteen minutes to get there. “Nancy, I want you to hang up and call 911. Do you hear me?”

  “I can’t. I’ll be the laughingstock of America. They’ll play my 911 message over and over after they find out that I stole your file.”

  Lizzy covered the receiver and told Jared what Nancy Moreno had told her. They needed to get to 3516 Skyview in Rolling Hills, a primarily upscale suburb outside of Sacramento.

  “You have to hurry,” Nancy said over and over.

  “We’re on our way.”

  Jared retrieved a tear-drop shaped beacon from beneath his seat, opened his window, and placed the flashing light on the top of his car.

  “What should I do?” Nancy asked.

  “Call the police right now and then find a safe place to hide until we can get there.”

  It sounded as if Nancy was rushing around the house. Lizzy could hear the soft patter of footsteps and then what sounded like a rattling of dishes. Next came a clicking sound followed by nothing...silence.

  “Nancy, are you there? Can you hear me? Shit.”

  Chapter 28

  Saturday, February 20, 2010 3:22 PM

  Only two of the doctors on Lizzy and Jessica’s suspect list worked on Saturdays. Jessica crossed the first doctor off the list the moment she saw him. He had a long neck, a thin face, and he was Indian. The second doctor, Dr. Harold Long, an eye doctor, was a possibility. He was about the right height and age. His ears might be considered big by some, but he didn’t have a strong jaw or a high forehead—two other characteristics Lizzy had said to watch for.

  Jessica walked to her car. “Don’t worry, Mary,” she said under her breath. “If I have to visit every doctor in northern California, I’ll do it. I’m going to find him. And then I’m going to find you. We’ll be a family again.”

  After Jessica’s beat-up Volkswagen bus was towed away, she had borrowed her mother’s Honda Civic. Sitting in the car, she listened to voice messages on her cell and went over the list of suspects one more time. There was a message from Lizzy telling Jessica to add two more names to their list. A math tutor named Mr. Gilman and Henry Sullivan, a swim coach.

  A frosty chill slid down Jessica’s spine the moment she repeated his name aloud. Why hadn’t she thought of him before? She quickly dialed Lizzy’s number.

  Ring-ring. Ring-ring.

  Answer the phone Lizzy.

  Jessica started the engine. She needed to get back to the office. She waited for Lizzy’s answering machine to click on. “Lizzy, it’s Jessica. I think we might finally have the connection we’ve been looking for. Call me back ASAP.”

  Saturday, February 20, 2010 3:23 PM

  Lizzy knocked on the front door to Nancy Moreno’s house for the third time. “Nancy,” she called out, “it’s Lizzy Gardner and Jared Shayne from the FBI. Open the door. Everything’s going to be all right.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  When no one came to the door, Lizzy went to the front window and peeked inside. The main room had an elegant yet eclectic look to it. Cozy and warm with no sign of struggle...and yet...she strained her eyes, trying to see past the furniture and into the dining area. The table was set, complete with tablecloth and silverware. Part of the tablecloth was pulled too far to one side. A wineglass had been knocked over. “Jared,” she said. “We need to go around back.”

  The side gate was open. She followed Jared through the gate. There was a peanut-shaped pool surrounded by a water fountain and well-manicured grass. The tranquil sound of water cascading from a mermaid’s tail contrasted greatly with the wild thud of her heart. The French doors leading into the house were wide open.

  Gun drawn, Jared gestured for her to stay put.

  Lizzy had no intention of standing outside alone...waiting. Careful not to disturb anything, she tracked Jared’s every step as she followed him inside. Not only had a wineglass toppled over, a porcelain bowl had fallen to the floor and shattered into pieces.

  The kitchen was to the left. The sink was empty, the stainless steel sparkling. The granite counters were wiped clean, everything in its place.

  Jared headed down the hallway while Lizzy went for the stairs. Holding her Glock between sweaty palms, she took the stairs two at a time. She jerked open the first door she came to. The shades were drawn. She flipped on the lights. Nothing appeared out of order. Slow and steady, she moved through the room, stepped toward the closet, and then slid the mirrored closet door open. Plastic bins neatly stacked. A couple of winter coats neatly hung. No bad guys. No dead bodies.

  Her pulse raced. She realized she was holding her breath. She exhaled as she exited the room. Slowly, she worked her way down the hallway. “Nancy? Are you here? It’s me, Lizzy Gardner. You can come out now.”

  There was no answer. She hated the quiet nearly as much as she hated the dark. It had only taken eleven minutes to get here. Was Nancy able to hide in time? Was she huddled in a dark closet waiting to be rescued? He couldn’t have gotten to her so quickly. And yet the open patio doors, the broken bowl...it all told a different story.

  The carpet was thick and so pearly white that anything would show, including the trail of blood
drops leading to the master bedroom. Shit.

  “Lizzy! Down here!” Jared shouted.

  Holding her gun straight ahead, she wanted to call out to Jared and ask him what he’d found. If he’d found Nancy, then what the hell had she found?

  He called Lizzy’s name again, louder this time.

  She couldn’t respond. Each step she took was muffled in plush carpet. She was in the master bedroom now. The trail of blood led across the wide expanse of floor and into the master bath. The killer could be standing a few feet away. Maybe he was injured, still hoping to get away. She’d never fired her gun other than on a firing range. But she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger if she had to.

  Stay calm. Be ready.

  Had he seen her? Did he know she was coming? Did he know she was standing right outside the bathroom door?

  Now, Lizzy, now! Just do it!

  She took one last step, gun drawn, two fingers on the trigger, and found herself staring into Nancy Moreno’s eyes. “Shit!”

  Saturday, February 20, 2010 4:21 PM

  Jessica walked into her mother’s house and found her brother in the kitchen. She took a seat at the picnic table that served as a kitchen table while her brother, Scott, scrounged around inside the refrigerator. After a few moments, he gave up. “I’m going to go get something to eat. Want to come along?”

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “Where she always is—passed out on the couch in the other room.”

  Jessica hadn’t expected to find her brother at home. He and Mom were fighting a lot lately, and so he’d spent the last few nights at a friend’s house. Next week he was packing up and leaving for Jersey. Jessica had come to get the gun their mother kept in an empty box of Tide in the cupboard above the washing machine. She hadn’t planned on telling anyone, but as she peered into her brother’s eyes, it just sort of popped out of her mouth. “I think I know who took Mary.”