Thrilling Thirteen

by Ponzo, Gary

  By the time she drove the Lexus off the lot, she had scooped it at a significantly reduced price and Rick walked away with her phone number. They had their first date later that weekend.

  After a six month whirlwind courtship, they were married in Jamaica. Exactly nine months later, Mallory was born. A honeymoon baby.

  In that first year, when not busy nurturing their beautiful new baby, Rachel had started her own boutique real estate company that specialized in helping wealthy clients with investment properties. Eventually, she had amassed her own wealth of millions of dollars, partly with real estate commissions and partly because of her own successful property investments during the early 2000’s real estate boom.

  Rick had also done well opening several luxury car dealerships throughout South Florida and was expanding north, into the Orlando area.

  Overnight, as a couple, they grew into the more noticeable Miami socialite community; local celebrities amongst the upper class. Much of their time was spent juggling invitations to various events, luncheons with other prominent Miamians and, of course, dipping their feet into the South Beach nightlife. Rachel dressed in the finest clothes, had weekly facials, and spent hundreds of dollars every two months on her hair alone. Mallory was just as spoiled. Rachel couldn’t say no to her baby girl; she lived like a princess. Soon Rachel became overburdened with responsibility, but with the hiring of a nanny and a housekeeper, Rachel had a lot of help. Nearly every day she was torn between staying at home with Mallory and having to go to work. However, somehow, someway, Rachel managed to balance her work, social and home life - even if it meant losing a lead or missing a gala event.

  None of that mattered now. Everything she had, everything she was – it all meant nothing. She was a husk of her former self. All she cared about was finding Mallory. And she was willing to spend every last dime to do so.

  Chapter 6

  “We found a landscaping truck that the Scott’s security guard identified as being in the neighborhood when Mallory disappeared. When we contacted the landscaping company, the owner said the truck was reported stolen the same morning she disappeared. They had no scheduled jobs in Bal Harbour that day,” Detective Cooper said. He settled into chair across from his boss. It had been a long twenty-four hours with Red only catching a few winks here and there. Finding the Scott’s little girl was top priority on his list.

  “Security guard just let him in?” Captain Garcia asked.

  Detective Cooper nodded. “The truck was parked at the Miami International Airport in short-term parking. No trace of Mallory.”

  “When was it parked?” Captain Garcia asked.

  “Last night.”

  “Video surveillance?”

  “Our team is going through it now. It’s going to take some time.” Detective Cooper shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

  “We don’t have time, Red. Pull everyone together and get it done. Bring in the mother and father so they can look through the tapes, too. It helps to have the family involved. They may see something we missed. Especially if the little girl’s appearance has changed.” Captain Garcia got up from his desk. “Are we clear?”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Anything on the doll?”

  “No usable fingerprints. And they’re still processing the truck.”

  “Okay. After you get ahold of the family, get back here and let’s start on those video tapes. Check flights that left around the time frame the truck was parked, especially the international ones.”

  “Right.”

  Captain Garcia paused before opening his office door. “With the Scott’s social status around Miami, this thing is going to blow up quickly. The media maggots love it when bad things happen to Miami’s elite. All the attention is going to be focused on us. Understand?”

  Detective Red Cooper nodded and took his cue to leave. He left the Captain’s office and headed into his own. As he sat at his desk, prepared to call the Scott’s, he stared at the picture in the silver frame - the only picture in his office. His ex-wife, Trish – the third Mrs. Cooper – and he were sitting on his Harley Davidson on Route 66, just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Her dark hair hung in two braids under her bike helmet that made her look younger than her forty-six years. Red had his hands around her tiny waist and a goofy smile on his face. He loved her. How did it all go wrong? He could blame the job. God knows Trish did - the eighty-hour work weeks, the two-in-the-morning phone calls asking him to come into work. It was all bullshit; deep down, he knew it was more than that.

  Chapter 7

  Rick couldn’t sleep. His three-year old daughter was still missing and he was a basket-case. But he couldn’t let his wife see that. He needed to be strong for her sake, or at least appear so. He quietly slid out of bed and into a hot shower. Changing into a pair of khakis and a pullover shirt, he went to make a pot of coffee.

  “Where are you going?” Rachel groaned from beneath the comforter.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Rick whispered, turning around. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “I wasn’t sleeping.” Rachel sat up; she was dressed in the same clothes she was wearing the day before. Her hair was a tangled mess and dark circles had formed under her eyes. To Rick, she was barely recognizable.

  “Want some coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  She followed him downstairs and sat at the table. He was sure she felt as awful as he did. Probably more so. He knew she blamed herself for what happened, even if he didn’t.

  His bones ached and his joints creaked as he retrieved the sugar bowl and a carton of hazelnut creamer from the refrigerator. He placed them in front of her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  The coffee brewed in silence and after it was done, Rick poured two cups. He pondered over his agenda for the morning and knew Rachel wouldn’t be so fond of his plans. “I’m going to stop by the office for a bit,” he said, gauging her reaction.

  “Why?”

  “Big shipment today,” he replied quickly.

  “And that’s something Gary can’t handle?” Rachel asked, referring to the general manager of the dealership. She looked at him, her green eyes narrowing – a look of displease he knew all too well.

  “It’s just for an hour - two tops. If anything happens, I can be home within minutes.”

  Rachel put down her mug and gripped the table. “Our daughter is missing, Rick! God knows where she is. God knows who she’s with. Who knows what they’re doing with her! And you need to go check on a fucking shipment?”

  “Rach…” he watched as she threw back her chair, the frail limbs cracking apart on the black and white checkered tile. “What else can I do?” he called out. But it was useless. She had already left the room. He heard a flurry of insults leading to the door of their bedroom, which she slammed shut. If their yelling didn’t wake up his in-laws, the door slamming probably did.

  Rick dumped the rest of his coffee into a silver travel mug, spilling half of it on the floor. “Dammit,” he mumbled to the empty kitchen.

  “Is there something that I can help with?”

  Rick turned around, startled to realize that he wasn’t alone. Rachel’s dad stood before him dressed in pleated khakis and a button down shirt. “Sorry, Frank. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Frank dismissed Rick’s comment with a wave of his hand, and then grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet. “It’s alright. I’ve been awake.”

  Rick wondered how much Frank heard of his argument with his wife. “I’ve got to head into the office for a while. Rachel isn’t too happy about it but I can’t let my business go under.” Rick didn’t understand why he felt the need to explain.

  “You do what you have to do. Glenda and I will take care of things around here.”

  Rick knew that if anyone would understand, Frank would. He was a self-employed business man just like Rick. Grabbing his car keys and his to-go coffee mug, he rushed out of the house knowing what he needed to do.

  Chapter 8

&
nbsp; “Oh, Mrs. Scott, I’m so sorry! I should have come to work. I’ll never forgive myself.” Lupe Gonzalez, the Scott’s nanny, embraced Rachel in a hug. She had only been working for Rachel for a few months and had already developed a strong bond with Mallory. Hell, sometimes Rachel was jealous of the time that Mallory and Lupe spent together. It was difficult to see the connection that grew between Lupe and Mallory, yet it strangely comforted her.

  “It’s not your fault, Lupe.” Rachel embraced Lupe and patted her on the back before letting go. “They’ll find her,” Rachel said with conviction.

  Lupe sat at the kitchen table with Rachel’s mother. She opened a Pyrex dish and the smell of tomatoes and garlic wafted through the air. “I brought your favorite meal.” Lupe scooped up a large serving of chicken enchiladas and placed it on a plate. “Mrs. Rachel, please eat something.”

  Why did people think they could always fix something with food? Rachel thought. Funerals, sick people, sleepless mothers with newborn babies… mothers with missing kids. Her refrigerator was stuffed with colorful plastic-ware full of various salads and casserole dishes. Plates of cookies and muffins wrapped carefully were stacked three feet high on the stark white granite counter top. Rachel reluctantly picked up a fork and took a small bite of the creamy dish.

  “It’s good to see you eat something, Rachel,” her mother said. “You need to keep up your strength.” Glenda was tall and lean and wore her blond hair in a short stylish bob. Rachel looked up to her mother, who in Rachel’s eyes was strong and resilient. Glenda Brown never took no for an answer.

  “I’m going out today.” Rachel pecked at another small bite. Suddenly, she couldn’t settle for moral victories. Who cared if she finally ate something? She needed to find her little girl. “I can’t sit inside another minute. If the cops can’t find her, then I will. There must be places to look that the cops haven’t thought of.”

  Her mother smiled. “That’s my girl. You can’t wait. Find Mallory. Whatever it takes. I can stay here in case anyone comes by.”

  “Do you want me to go with you, Mrs. Scott?” Lupe asked enthusiastically.

  Rachel was about to decline the offer, but she realized that Lupe was out of job if she didn’t find Mallory. A crazy thought, yet Rachel only felt guilt and pushed it out of her mind. “Of course you can,” she said, trying to match Lupe’s enthusiasm.

  “What are you planning on doing, sweetie?” her mom asked.

  “First I’m going to my office to download the flyer that the lady from the National Center for Missing Children sent me. Then Lupe and I will cover as many businesses in the Bal Harbour and north Miami area as possible.”

  “I thought they did that already, honey?” Glenda asked cautiously to her daughter.

  “Yeah?” Rachel stared blankly at the floor before a mask of excitement covered her face. “Well, maybe they missed some. They had to… I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” she replied, sounding as hopeful as ever.

  “Do you want me to get your father to go with you?”

  “No, let him rest.” Rachel was worried about the stress her father was under with his granddaughter missing. He had heart problems and her mother was already begging him to retire.

  The phone rang and Rachel grabbed it on the second ring.

  “Mrs. Scott? This is Detective Cooper. You got a minute?”

  “What’s going on?” Rachel responded quickly.

  “We went through our list of work vehicles that went through the gates the morning of Mallory’s disappearance. Evergreen Landscaping was on that list. When we contacted them, the owner told us that one of their trucks was stolen the night before. They verified that no jobs were scheduled in your neighborhood this week. One of our officers found the truck this morning at the airport.”

  Rachel gasped for air, her lungs felt ice cold. “Mallory? Was she in the truck?”

  “We don’t know that yet, Mrs. Scott. We’d like for you to come to the station.”

  “When?”

  “As soon as you can. We’ve got all the security tapes from the time frame the truck was parked and it would be helpful if you took a look as well.” He paused for a moment. “You know, in case Mallory’s appearance has changed.”

  Rick was, of course, at the car dealership handling some issues that he said couldn’t wait. Rachel knew that he wanted to get out of the house just as much as she did. However, throwing himself into his work so soon after his daughter disappeared was ridiculous, in Rachel’s eyes, no matter how important the task was.

  “I can be there within the hour.” Rachel wrote down the directions to his station and hung up. She turned to Lupe and her mother. “Change of plans, I’m going to watch some tapes.”

  Chapter 9

  Rachel shivered and wrapped her hands around the lukewarm can of Coke in front of her. Her skin chilled in a conference room that glazed her with meat locker temperatures. Rick sat rigidly next to her. Detective Red Cooper found a couple Miami PD windbreakers and lent them to the Scotts.

  “Ready to start, Mr. and Mrs. Scott?”

  “Yes,” Rachel said, between the chattering of her teeth.

  Captain Garcia had met with the Scott’s while Detective Cooper set up the viewing room. The captain explained to them upfront that Mallory wasn’t seen on the tapes and that they were still working on identifying the man who stole the truck.

  Detective Cooper sat opposite of the Scotts and pressed a button on his computer. Rachel and Rick leaned closer to the screen to get a better look. “We got the guy driving the work truck on video - this will be the one you watch first. I want to see if you recognize him although it’s not a great view. As Captain Garcia informed you, no one else was seen with this man and he hasn’t been identified yet. Here’s where he walks out of the parking lot and out of range of the camera. We think he got picked up by another vehicle - possibly an accomplice.”

  “Why look through all the tapes? If Mallory wasn’t with him and he didn’t go inside the airport?” Rachel asked. She tried to focus but it was becoming a challenge battling the pounding headache of sorrow she had succumbed to. She knew what the detective’s answer would be and was sure Rick did too. Yet, however much she was prepared for it, she didn’t like it.

  “Rachel,” Detective Cooper stared into her eyes with caution. “Even though Mallory wasn’t found with this man, we have reason to believe this is the guy who took her. The man at ground zero. For the first time we have something concrete, something we find substantial to resolving the case.”

  Tears began to carve paths down Rachel’s face. “This man has my baby?”

  “He was the one who we believe took Mallory. I know this hard for you but we need you to watch in case you notice anything… familiar.”

  Rachel stared at nothingness - just like she had a million times after the day she lost Mallory. Yet, this time was different. Red confirmed what Rick and she had feared most yet knew to be true. Mallory hadn’t wandered away - she was taken. Gone. Forever.

  “Who does the truck belong to?” Rick spouted off, frustrated.

  “Evergreen Landscaping. It explains how he got in and out. The owner of Evergreen has confirmed that the truck was stolen. I spoke to the officer who took the report.”

  The Scotts said nothing more, and after two hours of looking at tapes, Rachel stood up and stretched her back. She was ready to take a break. All they had seen was a blurry truck pulling into Miami International and a view of a pixelated white man walking off screen.

  “This is the last tape.” Detective Cooper paused the program on the computer. “Do you need a break?”

  “Dammit!” Rachel had finally snapped. She stood up and pounded her fists against the wall. Her daughter was gone. Taken by some strange man who did God knows what with her. Rachel kept pounding until the pain in her fists felt incredible to her. For the first time since Mallory went missing, she felt alive.

  “Rachel!” Rick yelled, red-faced. He went over to her and wrapped his arms ar
ound her. “Calm down.”

  “She’s never coming home! I’ve lost my baby for good.”

  PART TWO – “CHANGES”

  Chapter 10

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay? We’d stay another week but your father has that doctor’s appointment. I can come back afterwards,” Rachel’s mother rambled, packing her luggage.

  “It’s okay, Mom. You guys have stayed long enough.” Rachel picked a grey sweater off the bed and folded it before putting it in her mother’s suitcase. “It’s been three months. I think it’s time for you to get back to your own life.”

  “I’m just sorry that we couldn’t help more. With your father’s health…” Glenda’s voice trailed off.

  Rachel hated seeing her parent’s get older. Mallory’s disappearance had put a toll on everyone. Yet, physically, it had shown most in Rachel’s father. He had a mild heart attack the year before and was on several different medications. Every two months he had to visit his cardiologist for a check-up.

  “Mom, its fine. You’ll be back for the holidays and that’s just around the corner. Go home, take care of Dad. We’ll be okay.”

  Her mom gave her a hug. “What are your plans, honey?”

  Rachel sat on the chaise lounge in the guest room, her eyes resting on a mystery novel sitting on the nightstand. She had danced around the idea of selling her real estate business - but then what would she do? Rick had pretty much gone back to work full-time running his dealerships. He was even planning his first trip to Orlando since Mallory’s disappearance. Keeping busy distracted his mind off his missing daughter, Rachel supposed. She wanted to do something more useful with her time. Selling real estate didn’t appeal to her anymore, hell nothing did. With millions of dollars in the bank, she could pretty much do anything she wanted.

  “I don’t know yet, Mom. Maybe I’ll come visit you and Dad soon.” She knew as soon as the words were out of her mouth she wouldn’t do it, but just the notion pleased her parents. Rachel wasn’t ready to leave the house just yet. She had to stay put, just in case Mallory was found.