Missing

by Lynette Eason

  His eyes scanned the parking lot and he noticed the other car’s occupant on the phone. He wanted to yell at the man to get his head down. Instead, he searched for the shooter.

  “Mason!”

  Lacey’s shout warned him.

  He whirled to see a figure dart through the trees toward the back of the parking lot. Mason bolted after him. “Freeze! U.S. Marshal!”

  Of course the figure kept going.

  And so did Mason.

  Through the parking lot, dodging the employees craning to see what’s going on. “Get back inside!”

  They scrambled to do so, understanding the seriousness of what was happening. Mason pushed himself faster, desperate to catch the person who could possibly lead him to his daughter.

  The man, dressed in dark jeans, a black T-shirt and a baseball cap, skirted a Dumpster and headed past another alley. Mason stayed on him, thinking he ran pretty well for someone with a limp. But Mason was gaining on him.

  He followed him across a four-lane road and into another stand of trees.

  Almost there. Mason felt his satisfaction surge as he closed in, reached out to snag the man’s shirt—and felt his foot hook under an exposed root.

  He landed on the rough ground with a grunt and felt fire shoot through his left shoulder.

  The pain stunned him for only a second, but by the time he bolted to his feet, the man was gone. Tromping in the direction the suspect had fled, he looked to the right, then the left.

  Nothing.

  Mason pulled up and bent double, hands on his knees. Again, his eyes swept up one side of the street then down the other.

  Where had he gone?

  Buildings lined the street. Cars passed him. Normality surrounded him.

  And his daughter was still lost.

  Mason pounded his fist against his thigh and let out a growl of frustration. Then the normality changed. Lights flashed, sirens sounded. He gave the area one more scan and realized it was hopeless.

  The man had disappeared.

  Either into a waiting car or one of the buildings lining the street. There was no way to know. No way to effectively search each and every place on his own.

  With one last look over his now-aching shoulder, he swiped at the sweat dripping from his temples and made his way back to the restaurant parking lot. Catelyn, Joseph and Daniel already worked the scene.

  Lacey stood off to the side looking pale and shaky. Scared, but determined. He went straight to her and grasped her upper arms. She folded into him and he held her against his chest expecting her to break into sobs. She didn’t.

  But she did let him hold her. And holding her brought memories. Memories of fun times, memories of thinking he’d be with her forever.

  And then the memory of finding her in Daniel’s arms.

  A memory she claimed was false.

  A memory he’d not let her explain, because if he let her and then couldn’t believe her…

  He swallowed hard and set her back away from him. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t catch him.”

  She nodded and looked toward Catelyn and Joseph. “Have they found anything?”

  “Let me check.”

  Mason made his way over to Catelyn, avoiding Daniel’s penetrating gaze.

  The man hadn’t missed the embrace.

  With gloved hands, Catelyn held up a concrete block the size of a two by four. Mason raised a brow. “So, it wasn’t a bullet.”

  “Nope, but if that had hit one of you, it might have felt like one.”

  Lacey rubbed her arms as if chilled in the eighty-five-degree heat. “What was the purpose of that?” she asked, bewilderment stamped on her drawn features. “That’s not going to kill anyone, so why bother with the petty vandalism?”

  “And take a chance on getting caught,” Mason agreed. He shook his head. “I don’t know. You’re right, it doesn’t make any sense.”

  Catelyn nodded toward the concrete block. “I don’t think we’ll find any prints on this, but I’ll have the lab look at it anyway. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  Mason had a feeling she was right. There’d be no fingerprints on it. The person doing this wasn’t stupid. There had to be a motive. But what?

  “Did you get a look at the guy?” Daniel asked.

  “No.” Mason blew out a disgusted sigh. “He had on a baseball cap, a black T-shirt and black pants that could have been jeans. He took off through the woods, which were pretty dark. But he was limping like he had a bum leg.”

  “Which would fit with what we know about the man who tried to kidnap Bethany the night of the wreck,” Lacey offered.

  Daniel nodded, and Lacey edged closer to Mason, her eyes darting toward the woods then back to the street. Her anxiety and fear cut through his heart.

  “What now?” she whispered.

  Mason led her to the damaged car. The air conditioner wouldn’t do much against the night heat pulsing around them and through the broken window, but at least it was a ride. “We get you home where you can get some rest then start all over tomorrow.”

  What he didn’t tell her is that he planned to keep working tonight. He had a few ideas he wanted to check out and would do that while she slept.

  Although, if the way she was looking at him—as if he were crazy—meant anything, his plan might be in for a big revision.

  “Rest?” she sputtered. “In the house that Bethany is still missing from? With someone out there who seems to be watching us?” She gave an unladylike snort. “I don’t think so.” Narrowing her gaze at him and crossing her arms across her chest, she demanded, “What’s our next move?”

  Admiration for her welled up inside him, surprising him with the intensity of his emotions. Her baby was missing, and she wasn’t stopping until the girl was found.

  And neither was he.

  “I think we should check the hospitals for anyone who came in with a gunshot wound the night of the wreck.”

  “You think he actually would have shown up in a hospital?” Doubt clouded her eyes.

  He shrugged. “It’s possible and definitely worth checking out.”

  Lacey nodded and slid into the passenger seat of the car.

  “Wait a minute,” she called as she jumped from the vehicle.

  Mason and Catelyn turned.

  “He limped,” Lacey blurted.

  “Who? The guy I just chased? I know.”

  Lacey waved her hand. “No, no. The guy that attacked me outside the print shop.”

  Catelyn lifted a brow. “Really?”

  “You didn’t tell us that,” Mason observed.

  “I didn’t remember until now. But his shadow at the door—he walked back and forth and I remember thinking he moved funny. Then after he shoved me, I turned enough to catch a glimpse of him running away. He limped.”

  Catelyn turned to Mason. “You think this was the same person?”

  He lifted his almost-healed shoulder and winced. He hoped he hadn’t reinjured it too much. “It’s hard to say, but I almost wouldn’t doubt it. How many men with limps are coming after us?”

  “All right,” Catelyn said. “I’m going to go get this report written. I’ll be in touch.”

  Mason and Catelyn said their goodbyes.

  Ten minutes later, Mason pulled up in front of her parents’ home. The motion detector porch light flicked on, immediately transporting Mason back to his senior year of high school, when he’d been madly in love with the girl Lacey used to be.

  She turned to look at him and he gave her a slow smile. From the light of the moon, he could see a slight flush grace her cheeks. So, he wasn’t the only one tripping down memory lane. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

  “We did.” She stared at him, not moving.

  He wondered what she was thinking.

  *

  She should have forced him to listen to her that day. The day she’d gone to him to tell him of the pregnancy. The day he’d implied she had no morals whatsoever. The day he’d crushed her spirit and
sent her running home to throw various items into a suitcase, finally giving in to her parents’ demands that she move to a home for unwed mothers.

  Her father, now a retired pastor, had been mortified that his only daughter had come home pregnant. There’d been no way the congregation could find out about that. So they’d shipped her off.

  It had been the best thing that could have happened to her, although she sure hadn’t thought so at the time.

  “I’m not like your mother, Mason.”

  He flinched and looked away from her.

  “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have blurted that out.” She wrapped her fingers around the door handle ready to bolt from the vehicle when Mason’s warm hand stopped her.

  “I was wrong that day,” he admitted with a frown, as though pushing the words past his lips was done with great effort. “I shouldn’t have said what I did, called you those names….”

  “Don’t…”

  “No,” he said, shushing her. “I owe you an apology.” Swallowing hard, he looked away. “When you came to me that day, all I could see was you kissing Daniel.”

  “I wasn’t kissing him! He was kissing me. He set us up! Can’t you see that?”

  Mason finally met her eyes. “He said you came on to him, that you grabbed him and kissed him. He was my best friend, Lacey. Why would he say that?”

  He still doubted her. The pain she’d felt sixteen years earlier returned full force. “It doesn’t matter now. Just—let’s forget about the past and focus on the present. Finding Bethany is all that matters right now.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  He took her hand. “Can we sit in the sunroom for a few minutes? The blinds are drawn and it’s probably safe.”

  “Why?” she whispered, still feeling the course of pain running through her, brought on by old memories.

  “I want to know more about Bethany.”

  How could she refuse? He looked eager—and scared, and hopeful all at the same time. With a sigh, she pulled out her keys and nodded. “Sure.” She unlocked the door and motioned to the two-seater swing. Settling herself on it, she waited. He hesitated for a brief moment and sat beside her.

  Swatting a mosquito away from his nose, he asked, “It’s not too muggy for you?”

  She got up, walked to the air-conditioning window unit and flipped it on. Cool air rushed out. “That’ll help.”

  He drew in a deep breath. “Are your parents home?”

  “Yes. They’re sitting by the phone desperately praying for it to ring.”

  “Have you told them everything?”

  She sighed. “Not everything. Although I have warned them to be extra careful. Bethany wouldn’t leave on her own. And I think the incidents that have happened have proved that.” She paused when he leaned closer, his breath tickling the hair above her right brow.

  Her heart stuttered at the look in his eyes. And yet she wanted throw up a protective barrier around her emotions. When she was around him, she felt like she was on a roller coaster without a safety harness.

  And she couldn’t work up the energy to be angry at him. She could tell he was on the same ride.

  “I agree.” His hand came up to cup her chin. “You haven’t changed a bit, Lacey.”

  Lacey jerked, but his fingers tightened and she stilled. Then she gave a short laugh. “Oh, yes I have, Mason.”

  He winced. “I didn’t mean that in a derogatory way. I meant—” he drew in a deep breath “—seeing you again has brought back all kinds of feelings I’m not sure what to do with.”

  His honesty surprised her. And endeared him to her. “I can appreciate that, Mason.”

  Mason leaned back and blew out a sigh. He changed the subject. “And your parents don’t have any suggestions as to what might have happened to Bethany?”

  “No, I’ve already told you that. I know for a fact that she wouldn’t have left on her own. Other than that, I’m clueless.”

  “I agree with you, but what makes you so 100 percent sure?”

  She had to tell him. “Bethany will be furious with me for telling you this, but…” She bit her lip.

  He frowned. “What?”

  “She’s a big chicken.”

  “Chicken?” He blinked. “As in scared?”

  Lacey felt an amused smile cross her lips as she thought about her daughter. “Yes. Growing up, Bethany never even spent the night at a friend’s house. For some reason, she’s always been fearful of being away from me at night. Even at the ‘mature’ age of fifteen, she hates spending the night away. All of her sleepovers are usually under my roof.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I can see why you’re so convinced she didn’t run away. And after what Georgia told us about someone trying to kidnap Bethany the night of the wreck…” He blew out a sigh. “I’m afraid that whoever was after her that night may have finally caught up with her.”

  Lacey felt her heart plummet, although he hadn’t voice anything she hadn’t already thought. “I know.”

  His arms came around her and this time she let him hold her.

  “This feels right, Lacey,” he whispered into her ear.

  She shivered. It did feel right. But the timing…

  The door opened and Lacey pulled away from Mason to settle back against her side of the swing.

  Her mother stepped out into the sunroom. “I thought I heard voices.” Her eyes landed on Mason and grew wide. “Mason Stone?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He sounded hesitant as though not sure of his welcome.

  Lacey watched a warm light come into her mother’s eyes. “Well don’t just sit there, come on in.”

  Relief filled Lacey. Her mother’s reaction to Mason’s presence told her that the past was well and truly forgotten. Or, if not forgotten, at least forgiven.

  By her mother anyway.

  Mason’s forgiveness was still another story.

  Lacey always suspected that her mother hadn’t agreed with her father’s decision to send Lacey to the home for pregnant girls, but the woman hadn’t had the guts to stand up to him.

  It hadn’t taken long to see how her father had mellowed with age.

  And retirement.

  She supposed it didn’t matter what his former congregation thought about him now. From the casseroles and baked goods she’d seen lining the kitchen countertops this morning, the people of the church were bound and determined to take good care of their former pastor and his prodigal daughter.

  Once inside, Mason filled the room and Lacey shivered at the reality of him back in her childhood home. He’d been a frequent visitor before she’d found out she was pregnant…and before Daniel had driven them apart.

  Mason’s phone rang as her mother led them into the kitchen. He stepped back outside to talk, and Lacey’s mother zeroed in on her. “We’ll talk about Mason later. For now—nothing about Bethany?”

  Lacey shook her head as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “We’re waiting to hear from the lab about some DNA and some other stuff, but so far nothing.”

  “She didn’t just take off, did she?” Real fear colored her mother’s eyes for the first time since learning of Bethany’s disappearance.

  “No, Mom, I’m afraid not.”

  Lacey debated about whether or not to tell her mother the details of the day. Before she had time to make a decision, Mason returned, a grim look on his face.

  “We have a fingerprint from the car.”

  Lacey raised a brow. “Already?”

  Mason gave her a humorless smile. “I have friends in high places.”

  “So who does it belong to?”

  “We don’t know. He’s not in the system.”

  Lacey felt her shoulders sag. “Then what good is the print?”

  “Because we have something to match up to any suspects we might come up with. The print doesn’t match any of the girls’ or the girls’ list of friends Daniel got from Kayla’s mother. My hope is that it’s going to be a match to our guy with the limp.”

  �
��If you can catch him.”

  Mason nodded. “I’ll catch him.”

  Lacey’s mother waved him to the seat opposite Lacey and he sat. She placed a fresh cup of coffee in front of him and handed him the sugar.

  With a start, Lacey realized her mother remembered how he took his coffee. The pleased look on Mason’s face said he was thinking the same thing.

  While Mason stirred in his sugar, Lacey bit her lip, then asked softly, “Do you want to see her baby album?”

  Mason looked at her. “More than anything.”

  Lacey’s mother bustled from the kitchen saying, “I’ll get it.”

  Within a minute, she returned with the thick book. She handed it to Lacey and said, “I’ll just be in the den with your dad. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Shooting a warm smile at her mother, Lacey opened the cover and Bethany’s very first picture stared back at them. “That was when I was twenty-four weeks along. It’s an ultrasound. That’s the day they told me she was a girl.”

  Mason reached out a finger and traced the image, his expression one of awe.

  She turned the page. “This is her when she was a couple of days old. She was so tiny.” Lacey thought back to the day she’d brought Bethany home from the hospital. “Home” as in her rented room at the boarding house.

  “It was hard, wasn’t it?” Mason asked, his shrewd gaze taking in the details not only in the pictures, but in her face, too.

  She swallowed. “Yes. It was very hard. But the home I stayed in while I was pregnant was very good. They spent a lot of time counseling us, educating us on parenting and what to do when we felt like we were at our wit’s end. They also provided a way to get my degree in graphic design. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I’ve come to realize it’s where I needed to be. So…” She shrugged. “I put a lot of that to good use.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  She gave a little laugh. “Well, like I said, it was one of the hardest times in my life.” Drawing in a breath, she shook her head. “But I got through it. I look back now and realize it had to be God looking out for me, putting people in my path that I didn’t even know I needed, but—” she swiped at a tear that escaped “—we survived and even had a good life there in North Carolina.”