Stolen Memories

by Liz Johnson

  Great. But none of it mattered. Julie needed to know about Lonnie and Kay, not the early spring weather. “So when did I come in?”

  “When I invited you in. I saw you out the window. You were out there for like twenty minutes.” She chewed on her gum as though she’d never tasted anything so fascinating in her life, pressing it against the tip of her tongue before blowing a bubble. “And the baby was crying ’cause it was cold. So I told you you could sit inside while you waited. You stayed on the end of that bench by the front door, staring out the window the whole time.”

  Zach took in a sharp breath and let it out more slowly. “Any idea who she was waiting for?”

  “Nope. She just sat and rocked that little munchkin. We got real busy after that, and I didn’t pay much attention to her. Then about ten, when Bob went on his second break, there was a fight at the bar. Someone was ticked off, and I looked at you and the kid to make sure you were okay. You were checking your phone.”

  “What kind of phone? Did she call anyone?” Zach’s interruption flew out so fast that Melinda sat back with a grin on her face.

  “I don’t know. It was a smartphone of some kind. But best as I could tell, she was just looking for something on it. Maybe like an address or something. I thought I saw a map on it, but I just got a peek. Nothing big.”

  “How long did I stay?”

  Melinda let her ear drop to her shoulder and stared up at the ceiling. “Not much longer after that. You got up and said thanks for letting you stay inside and then you left.”

  “Alone?” Zach’s voice was gruff. He wasn’t getting the clues he wanted, either. “Did anyone follow her?”

  “Not from in here. But I noticed this tall guy, dark hair, walking down the street behind them. I couldn’t see his face so much, but he was kind of skinny and wore a big coat.”

  Tall, dark and skinny. Julie’s stomach churned and sweat broke out on the palms of her hands. The descriptors fit Frank Adams—and a million other guys in the city. But still. Could it have been him? Had Serena and Josh been right? Was he following her that night?

  “What direction did they go in?” Zach was literally on the edge of his seat, hope carrying his voice.

  Melinda pointed toward the door and twisted her wrist. “Toward the park.”

  Fear tiptoed down Julie’s back, and she shivered at its freezing touch. Whoever that man was, he was probably the last to see her and the last to see Kay before she disappeared.

  They had to find him.

  *

  The next morning Zach looked up from reading an email from Ramirez about Frank Adams just as Reese stumbled into the kitchen. He made a beeline for the coffeepot, filling a mug to the brim and then touching it to his lips. He winced and jerked back, blowing on it before trying again.

  “Late night?” Zach asked.

  “Stupid stakeout. The guy hasn’t moved a muscle in three weeks. I don’t know what the captain thinks is going to happen, but I sure know that I’m going to retire long before it does.”

  Julie turned from her place at the stove, a colorful apron covering her regular jeans and T-shirt. “Will a pancake help?”

  Reese shook his head slowly. “A pancake will not help.” Her smile disappeared, replaced by a look of complete loss. “But three might do the trick.”

  And just like that, she was practically dancing through the kitchen, setting a plate and silverware on the table, flipping pancakes like an expert and twirling to a tune that only she could hear.

  “What’s gotten into her?” Reese asked, jabbing his fork in Julie’s direction.

  Good question, and one Zach couldn’t answer. But, boy, he’d like to have this version of Julie around for a long time. What would it be like to share a pot of coffee every morning and a bowl of ice cream every night? What would it be like to share a life of normal things—not this frantic, frazzled uncertainty?

  His chest nearly glowed at the idea, warmth radiating down his arms and leaving him nearly as satisfied as the pancakes she’d served him ten minutes before.

  When she arrived at the table with three flapjacks stacked on her turner, she plopped them down on Reese’s plate. He slathered them in syrup before cutting them in long strips one direction, turning his plate and cutting the opposite angle. Stabbing his fork through a three-stack, he brought them to his mouth, devouring them. He shoveled the rest of his breakfast into his mouth faster than Zach could blink.

  Julie laughed and put her hand on Reese’s shoulder. “Were you hungry?”

  “I guess so.” He raised his eyebrow and rubbed his belly. “But I could probably make room for at least two more. They’re just that good.”

  “Oh, you are a sweet-talker.” She giggled and playfully slapped his arm. But she did just what he wanted, walking back to the stove and pouring two more perfect circles onto the griddle.

  Something hot and angry flashed through Zach’s chest. It stung like heartburn, only lower and madder. It roared its disapproval of this interaction, of the closeness that Julie and Reese shared.

  He chugged the last of the orange juice that Julie had poured him—the entire breakfast in appreciation for his kindness, for giving her a place to stay.

  Truth was, he liked having her around way more than he should.

  He wasn’t a geek passed over for the star quarterback by the prettiest girl in school. He wasn’t even a freshman passed over for his senior brother—although that had actually happened a time or two.

  She wasn’t his to long for.

  She belonged somewhere else. And when he found that place, he was going to have to give her back. Maybe it was only a couple hundred miles away. Or maybe it was on the other side of the country. Wherever she belonged, it wasn’t here. It wasn’t with him.

  At just the thought his stomach threatened to revolt against the pancakes he’d just eaten.

  He took a sip of coffee as Julie delivered another stack. She leaned on Reese’s shoulder as he pointed out something in the newspaper. “Have you seen this?” his brother asked.

  “What?” She leaned in even closer, her chin nearly even with his.

  The rest of their conversation disappeared behind the thunder in Zach’s ears, and no amount of calmly drinking his coffee or checking emails from work was going to make it go away.

  Jerking away from the table, he stalked toward the back door, yanked it open and marched onto the back patio.

  The morning was fresh and clean and he inhaled great gulps of the crisp air, letting it wash the tension from his soul.

  What was wrong with him?

  First he couldn’t stop thinking about her, then he’d kissed her. And now he was jealous of his own brother, who was about to propose to his own girlfriend.

  Zach scrubbed a hand down his face then ruffled his hair, all the while pacing the confines of the back porch.

  Finally he sank into a patio chair, pressing his elbows against his knees, resting his chin in his hands and staring at the cloudless blue sky. Morning birds chirped, but he could find no joy in their song.

  God, what has happened to me? Have I royally messed up this entire case?

  Julie was supposed to be just that, a case. He’d wanted to help her out, give a victim a temporary home.

  So why did it feel like she’d found a more permanent one in his heart?

  He’d always been a “feetfirst, first time” kind of guy. Jump in carefully, make sure the waters were safe and clear of hazards. Perhaps he’d started that way with Julie, but somewhere between pulling her out of the river and realizing she was in danger at the mall, he’d tossed caution out the window and let himself fall hard into the churning waters.

  But what did he hope was going to happen? He had no endgame in this situation. It could only wind up hurting him and her if he moved in closer. If he let himself stay attached. If he kissed her again.

  And boy did he want to kiss her again.

  “Did my pancakes not sit well with you?”

  He jolted in J
ulie’s direction, her voice ripping him from his silent prayers. “No. Not at all. I—I just needed some fresh air.”

  He didn’t like craning his neck to look into her face, so he rose, forcing her to tilt her head to get a good look at him. “Is everything all right? You looked…upset in there.” She clearly chose her words carefully. One more thing he liked about her.

  “Just thinking about your case.” And wishing you didn’t have to leave when it’s solved.

  She nodded, hanging her head and staring at the ground like she was going to count every single blade of grass. “Any idea where Frank Adams is?”

  “Not yet. But I have a few friends looking into it. And Ramirez emailed me this morning that he thinks he’s found a local connection. But he hasn’t unearthed anything about a missing baby. It’s like she’s absolutely vanished.”

  “What else are you thinking about?” She reached for his hand, her fingers just brushing the side. It took every ounce of strength in him not to react, not to twine their fingers together and pull her to his chest.

  You.

  He wanted to say it aloud, to admit that she’d been taking up way more space in his mind than he’d given her permission to.

  At that moment Gizmo bounded up to them, bumping his head against their hands, begging to be patted. Zach took the opportunity to pull his hand away, rubbing the shaggy mutt behind the ears until he howled with joy and licked Zach’s hand.

  Pain flickered in Julie’s eyes, the brown there shifting into something that didn’t look far from heartbreak. He couldn’t look at it for longer than a second, as it tore at his core. She plastered a smile into place, but the quiver of her chin didn’t lie.

  Being apart from her family—from her memories—was breaking her down, tearing her to pieces. She’d told him when she first arrived in his home that she missed her family. She carried around a hollow place that the love for them had once filled.

  If he couldn’t keep his own heart from breaking, he surely could help hers not to.

  As if on cue, his phone rang. It was LeRoy. “I need to take this.”

  “Sure.” She pantomimed going back inside, and he nodded as he pressed the button to answer the call.

  “LeRoy. Tell me you’ve got something for me.”

  “Hey, man. I’ve got some good news.”

  Hope raced through his chest like a kid in a soapbox derby. “You found Frank?”

  “Not exactly.” Something crashed on the other end of the line and LeRoy hollered at someone to clean it up.

  “Don’t leave me hanging.” It took a concentrated effort to keep his voice from carrying a note of exasperation. “What’s going on? What do you know?”

  “Sorry about that. There’s a guy that’s been staying here the last few nights. He’s done some bad stuff, but he’s trying to get clean. Anyway, he told me last night that he worked with a guy named Frank on some petty theft stuff a couple years back. He knows where Frank’s hideout is.”

  “Where is it?”

  Zach could almost see LeRoy rubbing his bald head in the silence. “Well, that’s the thing. He won’t tell me, and he says he won’t talk to you over the phone. He’ll only meet with you in person and if you promise that he won’t be arrested for that theft.”

  He didn’t have the authority to make any such promise. Especially on a likely misdemeanor where the statute of limitations may have already run out. But the perp didn’t know that. And Zach sure wasn’t going to lose out on his only real lead in weeks because of it.

  “Set it up. I’ll be at Oasis in forty-five minutes.”

  “Will do.”

  He pocketed his phone and dashed for the house, Gizmo following close at his heels. Inside, Julie stood at the sink in the otherwise empty room.

  “Where’s Reese?”

  She looked up from the sudsy water. “He was tired, so he went back to bed for a while.” She looked at him hard, as if she were trying to read his mind. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “I had a break in the case.”

  “My case?”

  He grinned. “Yes. Yours. But I need to go meet with a guy who might be able to tell us how to find Frank Adams.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  “No.” It was out before he had really given it any thought. But she couldn’t go with him. It wasn’t safe for her there. He had no idea what to expect, and he wasn’t about to put her in the line of potential danger just because she didn’t want to stay behind.

  Her hands splashed into the water, her face falling right along with them. “Okay.”

  “Listen, it’s not safe for you there.”

  “And it is for you?”

  He laughed at her innocent question. “Julie, I’m armed and trained.”

  “Right.” She looked away, so he tilted her head back in his direction.

  “You’ll be safe here.” Mouth hanging open, his words stopped as a sickening feeling filled his gut. Her safety within the house wasn’t guaranteed anymore. Whoever had attacked her had done so in this very room. Maybe he should find somewhere else for her to stay until things were wrapped up. They were close to cracking the case. They had to be. And until then…well, he’d get creative. “Actually, maybe I’ll ask Reese to take you over to Rosie’s apartment.”

  “Rosie?”

  “His girlfriend. You’ll like her. And then you’ll be out of the house.”

  Her eyes flashed with understanding. He knew she knew that he wasn’t afraid of her going stir-crazy locked inside the house. He was afraid of unwelcome visitors again. But Rosie was almost certainly an unknown factor to the men after Julie. She should be safe with Reese and Rosie until he could track down Frank.

  “All right?”

  “Yes.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “But you be careful, too.”

  “No worries.”

  Without thinking about it, he pressed a quick kiss to her upturned lips, the sweet normalcy of it almost bowling him over. Her wet hands found his shirt, but he didn’t even mind the water dripping down his front as she nestled against him.

  First he had to find Frank, and then he had to figure out what he was going to do about this woman who took his breath away.

  He raced upstairs, pounded on Reese’s door and waited until Reese confirmed he was up before asking him to watch over Julie and take her to Rosie’s, to a safe place. After getting Reese’s agreement, Zach grabbed his keys, waved goodbye to Julie and pulled the locked door closed behind him.

  The street was silent, save for a jogger running with her dog as he slipped behind the wheel and zipped toward LeRoy’s place.

  Lord, let him find Frank Adams.

  *

  Julie glanced at Reese as he paused at yet another stop sign, the floorboard of his little pickup rattling to the rhythm of the song on the radio. She played with the frayed edge of a tear in the fabric of the bench seat, leaning into the motion of the truck, as though she might help it rattle down the pavement.

  Reese hadn’t said much since she’d put out a fresh dish of water for Gizmo and followed Reese out of the house. He’d opened her car door and closed it behind her. He’d turned the key in the ignition and swiped at the knob on the radio that instantly blasted.

  But he hadn’t said anything.

  She’d opened her mouth to ask him what was going on. More than once.

  Every time she bit her tongue and waited for him to speak first. His gaze was somewhere far away, somewhere with someone other than her. And if she were completely honest, she wished she was with someone else, too.

  Zach had said it wasn’t safe, had said she should hide out with Reese and Rosie. It was safer for her to be there. She knew that. Yet she didn’t feel safer. Her chest burned with the desire to be where Zach was.

  “You’ll like Rosie.”

  Reese’s quiet words surprised her, and Julie turned to fully watch his expression. It was tight, pained. “I’m sure I will.” The easygoing, jovial man who had spilled the beans about Zach�
��s love life was gone. Worry creased his brow. “But you don’t want to take me there.”

  He blinked, stopping again at a residential intersection. Settling his gaze on the point where his hands rested at the top of the steering wheel, he shook his head. “I want you to be safe.”

  “And…you want Rosie to be safe, too.”

  “Yes.”

  A clamp around her heart yanked tight. Of course. Danger followed her wherever she went, and Reese would do anything to keep Rosie from ending up near that.

  “I’m sorry.” She pressed her palm to his arm as he released the brake, and the truck rolled into the cross street. “We can go—”

  Her words vanished beneath a deafening explosion, the force of the impact slamming her into the passenger door and stealing her breath. Her head smacked the window, releasing a high-pitched ringing in her ears. Her teeth caught the inside of her cheek, and the acrid taste of blood filled her mouth.

  She shook her head to clear the fog, catching only a glimpse of the white van that had plowed into the side of the truck and Reese’s limp form crumpled against the steering wheel before her own door was wrenched open. A disembodied hand held a knife that sliced her seat belt; another arm circled her chest and pulled her from the confines of the cab.

  “Help him.” She tried to point toward Reese, but the arm dragged her across the asphalt. Pulling on the slippery sleeve of a windbreaker jacket, she tried to regain her breath and clear her mind. Everything was happening so fast.

  “Shut up, or I’ll kill you, too.” His breath was hot and wet against her ear, his words sliding like a cold hand around her heart.

  They’d found her. They’d followed and stalked her.

  And they’d killed Reese to get to her.

  Julie screamed and kicked, searching for some sort of leverage to fight back, but the cracked pavement did little but bump under her heels as her captor dragged her toward the van.

  Reaching over her shoulder with her only free hand, she clawed at his face. He grunted and swore when her fingernail caught his cheek, but his grip around her chest pinning her arm to her side never loosened.