Missing

by Lynette Eason

  “But what about the piece of material? It could have been the scarf. In fact, the more I think about it the more I’m sure it is. Definitely a scarf,” Lacey said.

  He frowned and his finger hesitated above the button that would send the call. “The material you think Daniel hid?”

  “Yes.” She flushed but didn’t back down. “Who could it belong to? The woman who helped Bethany?” She sucked in a breath as a horrible thought hit her. “If he’s the one who has Bethany, that scarf—or whatever it was—could lead him to the woman who helped her! No wonder he hid it. He wants to be the one to find her so he can silence her for good!”

  Doubtful, but… “Possibly.”

  Catelyn spoke up. “I checked all the hospitals. No one reported seeing anyone by Bethany’s description being brought in.”

  Mason nodded. “And we didn’t get a good description of the woman who supposedly helped Bethany. All right,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Let’s track down Daniel and question him.” He punched Daniel’s number in his cell phone and waited.

  Nothing.

  He looked at Catelyn. “You have any idea why he wouldn’t be answering his cell?”

  Catelyn looked uneasy. “No. I don’t like that. You know as well as I do, an on-duty cop is always a phone call away. He should be answering.”

  “Sometimes he forgets to turn it on Ring, remember?” Lacey reminded them. “Janice fussed at him about it a couple of days ago.”

  “Right. Then I suppose we can drive around until we spot him.”

  “We’ll try him on his car radio, too,” Catelyn suggested.

  “Put out over the air that we’re looking for him and would he please call in.”

  “Good.” Mason looked at Lacey. “You sit tight and wait here.”

  “But…”

  “No buts.” He pointed a finger at her. “And I mean it.”

  She sighed. “Okay.” What was she going to do anyway? She had no clue who the woman was who was seen helping Bethany and she couldn’t track down Daniel. “Fine.”

  But she could be here when they got back with him.

  Lacey watched them leave and paced, feeling like she’d lived this scene once before.

  Thinking that Daniel hated her enough to cause her this much grief shook her. Always she’d been kind to him. Back in high school, she’d been aware that he’d had a crush on her, but she didn’t push him away. She did her best to keep everything on a friendship level and it had seemed to work.

  At least until she started dating Mason.

  At first, he seemed to take it in stride. Then over time, his attitude toward her changed. Slowly, almost imperceptibly. When she realized she didn’t want to be around him, she started finding excuses why she and Mason should do things alone.

  Because even though Daniel had been in love with her, he’d still dated. Nothing serious and nothing that ever lasted. She didn’t want to be a foursome. She got tired of Daniel’s ugly looks and snide comments when no one was around to hear.

  And Janice. Dear sweet Janice had been crazy about Daniel since the sixth grade. And he never gave her a second look. Not even in high school. Nothing she’d done had ever gotten his attention.

  Not her makeovers, her clothes, her…

  Clothes.

  Scarves.

  “That’s it!” she said aloud. “That scarf—” and she felt sure that’s what it was “—belongs to Janice!”

  Had Janice been the woman who’d rescued Bethany? But if she had, why hadn’t she brought her home? And how had she known where Bethany was going to be?

  Unless she’d found out what Daniel was up to and acted.

  And she’d never met Bethany, so she wouldn’t know who the girl was. But she’d seen her picture from the flyer. Then again, after living on the street this long, Bethany probably didn’t look anything like her flyer picture. What if she’d disguised herself somehow?

  And if Bethany had been injected with something, she could be unconscious and unable to tell Janice anything.

  A hard fist formed in her stomach. She reached across the desk and grabbed the phone. She dialed Mason’s cell phone and it rang several times before going to voice mail.

  He was probably on the phone trying to get ahold of Daniel. At the tone, she said, “I think I know who helped Bethany. That scarf is Janice’s. I think Daniel was in the closet that night because her perfume is so strong, it was on his clothes. That’s why it lingered. I’m going to see if I can find Janice. I have my cell phone.”

  Hanging up, she wondered if she should try Catelyn’s phone. But she didn’t have the number and didn’t want to take the time to look it up. Mason would get the message and pass it on.

  She hurried from the office and down to the parking lot—where once again, she didn’t have a car.

  Growling, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Janice’s home number. She felt sure if she found Janice, she would find Bethany.

  No answer.

  She dialed the woman’s cell phone.

  No answer.

  Frustrated, she thought.

  The store!

  Hurrying back inside, she asked the desk sergeant to look the number up for her. He did and she dialed it.

  Again, no answer.

  Wanting to weep with frustration, she bolted out to grab the nearest taxi. Climbing in, she gave the driver the address to Janice’s home and prayed aloud, “Please, Lord, lead me to my child. Please let her be okay.”

  The driver simply glanced in the rearview mirror.

  The ten-minute drive to the Ackerman’s house seemed to take forever. Tempted to urge the man to speed, she held on to her self-control. She couldn’t afford the time it would take for the cop to write him a ticket.

  When the taxi pulled into the driveway, she hopped out. “Wait here, please.” She didn’t want him driving off if Janice wasn’t there. She ran to the front door.

  Banging on it brought no results. No one was home. Groaning, she ran back to the taxi and told him to just wait a minute while she thought.

  He did.

  She checked her cell phone to see if Mason had called. He hadn’t.

  The next logical place to go was Janice’s store. Mind made up, she gave the driver the address.

  When Lacey arrived, her heart dropped to her toes once again. This place also looked deserted. She frowned and bit her lip. What should she do?

  Climbing from the vehicle with another request that he wait, she approached the front door, absently noticing the greenery entwined around the white-painted stair rails. Green wreaths with red bows hung on the double wooden doors. An Opening Soon sign hung from a nail at eye level.

  Lacey knocked.

  And waited. Nothing.

  Great. Now what?

  A crash from inside made her gasp.

  She banged on the door. “Janice? Janice? Are you in there? Are you all right?”

  A muffled scream?

  “Janice!” Lacey twisted the doorknob and the door flew open.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Mason finally got Daniel on the phone. Just as Daniel answered, he heard the call-waiting signal. Lacey. She would have to wait. To Daniel, he said, “We need to talk, Ackerman.” It was all he could do to keep the fury out of his voice. This man had lied to him all these years, terrorized Lacey and kidnapped Bethany.

  “Sorry, I was working an accident out on the highway, then just now finished questioning a suspect in Bethany’s kidnapping. Billy Rose admitted that someone paid him to watch for her and inject her.”

  Was this guy for real?

  “Did he happen to say who that someone was?”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “Of course not.”

  “Look—” Daniel cleared his throat “—we need to talk. Where are you?”

  “About ten minutes away from the station. Catelyn’s with me.”

  “Meet me in the parking lot at the corner of Henry and Pine.”

  “I’m on the way and
you’d better be there.”

  Mason hung up and looked at Catelyn. He said, “I’m confused. Your partner is not acting like a guilty man.”

  “He wants to meet?”

  “Yeah, he said we needed to talk.”

  “What if it’s a trap? Should I call for backup?”

  Mason nodded. “It sure wouldn’t hurt. But tell them to stay out of sight unless we need them.”

  A few minutes later, Mason pulled into the parking lot specified by Daniel and saw the man’s unmarked car parked in the corner. Rolling to a stop beside him, Mason rolled down his window. “Where’s Bethany?”

  Confusion and a small flicker of fear crossed Daniel’s face. “I don’t know, but I’m afraid I might know who does.”

  Mason tensed and Catelyn shifted beside him. “What do you mean, Daniel?”

  “I, uh, found some evidence that points to—” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath “—Janice.”

  “What?” Catelyn exclaimed. “Why would you say that?”

  “Does this have anything to do with the scarf you found?”

  A flush covered the man’s cheeks. “How did you know about that?”

  “Lacey saw you put it in a bag. She wanted to check out the evidence for some reason and it wasn’t listed on the evidence log.”

  A muscle jumped in his cheek. “I know. I was wrong. I should have logged it, but it caught me completely by surprise. I honestly convinced myself that it was a fluke.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  “Billy’s testimony.”

  “Which was?”

  “He said a woman paid him five hundred dollars to inject that fluid into a girl.” He paused and cleared his throat. “He also said the woman drove off in a white Buick.”

  “Let me guess, Janice drives a white Buick.”

  Misery on his face, Daniel nodded. “Sometimes. It’s her father’s car. For some reason she likes to drive it and will go trade her car out for it.”

  She likes to drive it so no one can connect her to anything she’s doing, Mason thought. He looked at Catelyn, “Excuse me for a minute.”

  He motioned Daniel to talk in private. With a resigned look, he followed Daniel to the other side of the car so they could talk without being overheard.

  Mason got right to it. “Just tell me. You lied to me about Lacey, didn’t you?”

  Shame flashed across Daniel’s face and then his jaw hardened. “Yeah. I did.”

  The words punched the breath from his lungs. “Why?” he finally managed.

  Daniel’s eyes narrowed and something close to hate entered them. “Because it was always so easy for you. Everything you touched turned to gold. I was sick of it.”

  “So you wrecked three people’s lives as a result?”

  The man shook his head. “I can’t explain it, Mason. I’m not proud of it, but I did it.”

  Before he could come back with a response, Mason’s cell buzzed, indicating he’d missed a call. He looked at the number. Lacey.

  Dialing his voice mail, he indicated to Catelyn he needed to listen. She nodded.

  Lacey’s voice came on the line. “I think I know who helped Bethany. That scarf is Janice’s. I think Daniel was in the closet that night because her perfume is so strong, it was on his clothes. That’s why it lingered. I’m going to see if I can find Janice. I have my cell phone.”

  Mason felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Lacey was walking into the hands of a possible killer.

  *

  Lacey gaped at the woman standing before her. Janice looked—ruffled. Her hair stood on end and sweat dripped from her chin.

  “Janice! Are you all right?”

  Janice pulled a tissue from her pocket and swiped at her forehead, smearing the makeup and leaving a white streak behind. She tossed it into the trashcan beside the door. “No, not really.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Everything.” Frustrated tears appeared in Janice’s eyes and Lacey’s heart went out to her. But first things first.

  “Is Bethany here with you?”

  Janice blinked in confusion. “Bethany? No.”

  Lacey groaned. “Then you weren’t the woman who helped her?”

  She broke off as Janice turned mid-question to head to the back of the store. “I need to clean that up,” she muttered.

  “Janice…”

  “Sorry, can you help me? It’s in the back room.”

  “What is?”

  “What I need help with.”

  The sudden calm in Janice’s voice disturbed Lacey. When Lacey turned to look at her, the woman slipped around her and disappeared into the back.

  The hair on the back of Lacey’s neck stood at attention. Something didn’t feel right.

  But she had to warn Janice about Daniel. And ask Janice about Bethany again.

  As she stepped through the door to follow Janice, the darkness hit her. “Janice, do you have some light back here?”

  “Yes, sorry,” Janice called. “I’m looking for the switch.”

  But then Lacey saw a sliver of light just ahead and made a beeline for it. She blamed her jumpiness on the darkness.

  And then her phone vibrated.

  She snatched it from her purse and looked at the caller ID.

  Mason. She owed it to him to answer and let him know she’d found Bethany.

  She pressed the button to answer the call when she felt something press into the middle of her back. “What…?”

  “Just stay right there,” a voice hissed into her ear.

  She froze. “Janice? What are you doing?”

  “What needed to be done years ago.”

  Was that a gun the woman had jammed into her spine? Chills shivered over her and she felt a wave of sickness claim her.

  Shaking it off, she stood still. “Janice?”

  “Shut up and move straight ahead.”

  Swallowing, Lacey placed the phone into her purse praying Mason was on the other end.

  *

  Terror invaded Mason as he listened to the menace in Janice’s voice. She wasn’t playing around. He motioned for Catelyn to be quiet as she drove, not wanting to miss one detail as to what was going on with Lacey and Janice. Where were they?

  Come on, honey, give me a clue.

  Twisting, he looked at Daniel in the backseat and whispered, “Where would Janice be this time of day?”

  Daniel threw his hands up and shrugged. “I don’t know. The hospital maybe.” He grimaced. “No, that’s on Friday. The clothes closet at the church? Um…no! Try the store.”

  Mason glared at the man. “Give her directions.”

  While Daniel leaned forward to whisper in Catelyn’s left ear, Mason listened.

  “Why are you doing this?” Lacey’s fear came through loud and clear in her shaky voice. Mason wanted to reach through the phone line and wrap his hands around Janice’s neck.

  But he couldn’t. All he could do was pray.

  *

  Lacey walked into the lighted area and her gaze landed on a thin figure stretched out on a flimsy cot in the corner of the room.

  “Bethany!” With a small cry, Lacey launched herself at her child.

  Bethany lay on a cot, hands bound behind her, duct tape covering her mouth. Her eyes opened and closed as though trying to wake up.

  “Bethany,” Lacey whispered.

  At her name, Bethany’s eyes flickered again.

  Lacey placed her palms on her daughter’s cheeks and felt her warmth, her life. Thank you, Jesus. She ripped the tape from Bethany’s mouth and the girl gasped, opened her eyes. “Mom,” she whispered.

  “Okay, enough of that,” Janice ordered. “Move over there and sit down.”

  “No, I’m not leaving her.” Lacey took in every detail of her precious child. She was dressed in the clothes that Lacey had discovered missing from Bethany’s closet. Reddish-blond hair that looked more brown than it ever had lay in a hunk over one shoulder. Her foggy blue eyes wouldn’t f
ocus and her light dusting of freckles stood out in 3-D against pale white cheeks. “What did you give her?”

  “A fast-acting narcotic. Nothing she won’t recover from. Although—” Janice’s eyes narrowed “—she’ll only recover long enough for you to watch her die.”

  Terror slid through Lacey once more as she stared at the woman who used to be her best friend. “Why, Janice? What did I do to you to make you hate me? Hate my child? To want us dead?”

  “Why?” Janice screamed at her. “What did you do? Everything! It’s all your fault! All of it!” Lacey watched Janice gather herself with an effort. The woman pulled in a deep breath and waved the gun at Bethany. “You don’t deserve her. You should never have been allowed to have her and watch her grow up.” Evil stared back at Lacey and she shivered at the cold emptiness that had seemed to have invaded Janice’s soul.

  Lacey held up a hand, beseeching her, “I don’t understand. We were friends. Best friends. We did everything together. And now you hate me? It doesn’t make sense.”

  In slow, measured words, Janice spat, “Because Daniel always loved you. It was always about you.”

  “What? That’s not true. He married you!”

  “But he never loved me! Not like he loved you! Even after we were married, he would get this faraway look on his face and I’d ask him what he was thinking about and he’d shrug and say ‘Old times.’” She snarled, “Well, we all know who was in those old times, don’t we?”

  “Janice, I can’t…I don’t…” What could she say? What should she say to convince Janice to let them go? “I was gone! I wasn’t here. How can you hold me responsible for that?”

  It didn’t seem possible, but Janice’s eyes grew harder and the gun jabbed at Lacey. “Because you killed my baby.”

  Bethany whimpered and shrank back against the wall, but didn’t say a word.

  Shock made her Lacey gasp. “What? How is that possible? You said you lost the baby when you fell down the steps.” Was the woman completely insane?

  Looking into those eyes, Lacey had a feeling she had her answer. And it terrified her.

  “You want to know why I lost the baby? Do you?” Janice hissed as she waved the gun in a wild gesture. “Because you exist!”

  Bethany’s eyes, looking a lot less foggy now that some of the medication was wearing off, shot back and forth between her kidnapper and her mother.