“Then we rent a helicopter, fly over the property. You’re a genius, Ethan Barnes.” Jeri leaned over to kiss his cheek.
“Thanks, but don’t get too excited. Getting our hands on the right sensor could be tricky. I’ll get Nate on it,” Ethan was already dialing the phone.
As he told Nate what they needed, Jeri took the time to revisit the list of properties they’d already searched. Each property fit the criteria of having more than two acres, most had much more than that. Each property was worth well over a million, not just the five-hundred thousand mark Jeri had originally set. Each of the property owners fit the size and race profile of the man in the videos. So, in theory, any of the places they’d already inspected could host the kill room.
Each of the property owners had been surprisingly willing to let them search the premises. So far, they had met no resistance, whatsoever. She knew that Monique and Chloe had the same experience. It stood to reason that the killer would be reluctant to let them in, would never give them carte blanche to search the basements and shelters.
Unless he knew that they were searching in the wrong place.
With properties this large, an underground room could be anywhere. With the kind of money these people had, they could afford to build an underground structure without pesky things like permits.
But what if they didn’t build it. What if it was already there? The rooms had power, obviously. But he could supply power using an extension cord, couldn’t he? But those lights were wired in, or at least they appeared to be. Would that mean that the power company would be aware of the structure?
Jeri’s mind whirled with possibilities, none of which gave her any clues.
Chapter Twelve
Diana Post flipped her long, blond hair over her shoulder as she began walking the two blocks from the bus stop, to her house.
Boys are so stupid, she thought, glancing out of the corner of her eyes to where Allen and Becky walked hand in hand. He doesn’t even know that she likes Justin. He doesn’t even know that I like him.
“It’s his loss,” her mother would say. But that still didn’t make her feel any better.
Turning at the corner, Diana walked the last block alone. Her house was set away from the others on the street, a fact that her parents were proud of, but she didn’t understand why. Diana wanted to be closer to her friends. She felt separate, isolated, living so far away from everyone else.
Stopping at the mailbox, she reached in and pulled put a few envelopes, and a few magazines. Nothing interesting, just house stuff that her mom liked.
Sighing at the injustice, Diana trudged the rest of the way down her drive, stopping at base of the front porch. Part of her wanted to go to the swing, her favorite thing when she was ten. But she was much too old for the swing now, no matter how much she enjoyed it. What would her friends think, if they saw her swinging like a third grader?
Even though the possibility was remote, Diana was not willing to take the chance. Unzipping her backpack, she retrieved the house keys as she slowly climbed the steps. Normally, she loved having the house to herself for a couple of hours, before her mom came home from work. Today, she really wanted company.
Unlocking the door, she went inside, stopping to place the mail on the table in the foyer, and her backpack on the floor. Going straight to the kitchen for a snack, she didn’t notice the door to the powder room open, slightly.
Bypassing the bowl of apples on the counter, Diana headed straight for the snack cabinet for chips and chocolate.
~~~
Standing in the shadows of the powder room, Graham listened as his prey went about preparing a snack. She often retreated to her room after school, to listen to music and chat with her friends. Or, as she told her mother, to do homework.
Graham knew that he had an ample window of time to take the girl, but he didn’t want to waste a moment. His truck, parked in the garage, ensured an easy getaway, and the syringe filled with ketamine rested against one palm.
He was ready.
Slipping through the open door, he eased his way down the hall toward the kitchen, where Diana stood at the fridge, waiting for a glass to fill with ice. Her back was to the hallway.
Perfect timing, he thought, racing up behind her.
The noise from the icemaker blocked any warning she may have had. By the time she saw his reflection in the stainless, he had his hand over her mouth, and the needle in her neck.
She didn’t even have a chance to scream.
Ignoring the broken glass and bits of ice all around him, Graham scooped Diana easily in his arms, and carried her to the garage.
Everything went so smoothly, Graham wondered at the veracity of Anson’s warnings. Preparation was important, of course, but this was almost too easy.
Laying her in the truck bed, on blankets he’d arranged in advance, he wrapped her wrists and ankles with duct tape, putting a strip over her mouth, for good measure. The drug should keep her out for at least two hours, but he had to plan for contingencies, like traffic, or an accident, or anything else that could cause a delay. It wouldn’t do for her to awaken at an inopportune time.
Closing the metal cover, he wondered briefly if she would have enough air for the trip, then shrugged off the concern. It was a truck cover, not an airtight enclosure. She would be fine.
Pressing the button to open the garage door, he quickly jumped in the cab and started the engine. As soon as the door opened, he was ready to move.
He didn’t pass one soul leaving the neighborhood, but he didn’t allow himself to relax until they were several blocks away. Only then did he take the time to remember her face, so lovely, so like Aubrey’s at that age. It made him wistful for happier days, for a season long since passed, filled with carefree moments, and images of Aubrey.
Always, Aubrey.
The first time he laid eyes on her, she was strolling along the river walk, with one of her friends. Graham thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. As luck would have it, he and his friend, Beau, were confident in their approach, being that they were so much better than most of the folks hanging out by the river.
Prep school taught them to appreciate their position in life, to embrace the role of leader, in any situation. Graham never once doubted that the beautiful creature would accept his advances, would even be flattered that he chose her, among so many others. He was not wrong.
Aubrey and her simpering friend, whose name he could not recall, accepted their invitation to get an ice cream. It was the beginning of the most wonderful summer of his life.
As the miles between Fremont and his home, just outside of Toledo, disappeared, Graham relived the times he’d shared with Aubrey.
Going for long drives in the countryside; Aubrey loved his new convertible, insisted that they ride with the top down, whenever the weather permitted.
Swimming in the river, and laying on the bank afterward, feeling the sun dry their bodies.
Talking for hours, about everything and nothing, as the sun dipped lower on the horizon.
If pressed, he would admit that the nights were his favorite part. Parking beneath a million stars, with her head on his shoulder.
Aubrey was a good girl, she did not believe in sex before marriage. As difficult as it became, Graham respected her wishes, and held himself in check.
Not everything was off the table. Passionate kisses led to fumbled explorations, and unfulfilled desires.
“It will be so much more special, after we’re married,” she told him.
And he believed her.
About everything.
She loved him, as much as he loved her.
Of course, his parents did not approve. Aubrey did not come from the right circle of people, but Graham didn’t care. She was his one true love, and he would marry her.
September came too soon, sending Aubrey and Graham their separate ways. She went back to the local high school, while he went east, to a boarding school that promised the future
of an Ivy League education.
Devastated, but unable to convince his parents otherwise, Graham promised to call Aubrey, every day, and to visit as often as his schedule allowed.
Aubrey promised to wait for him, assured him that he was the only man for her, that she was his, and only his, for all time.
Her lies became apparent soon after he invited her to visit him for the October formal. He’d made all of the arrangements, even bought her a dress, and sent it to her as a surprise.
Graham put high hopes in the formal, believed that the distance he’d recently felt from Aubrey would dissipate, once they were together. He understood that she had been busy, sometimes too busy to take his calls, but that was okay. She’d promised to be his, forever.
He still remembered how it had felt, standing at the airport, watching strangers disembark. He stayed at the terminal, long after the stewards and the pilots had come through. Long after the officials had closed the gate.
The cell phone he bought her went to voice mail, soon after, the number was disconnected. She didn’t return his emails, didn’t respond to his letters, never offered an explanation as to why she’d stood him up.
Over the Thanksgiving holidays, Graham went to her house, determined to hear the truth from her. But she hid behind her father, and a restraining order that he would never understand.
What had he done to make her hate him? Why had she ended their love, so abruptly?
Graham never tried to contact her again, but he kept watch on her, from afar. He attended her high school graduation, spied on her between classes, at the local community college. And when she got her first job, he was there, cheering her on from the privacy of his car. She never knew that he watched her, that he followed her every move.
No other woman held the same appeal for Graham as Aubrey, but he dutifully went on dates and assignations, many of which were set up by his mother. Belinda Graham wanted grandchildren. She wanted to see her boy settled down and happy. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that it would never happen, not unless Aubrey came back to him.
The day she married was the saddest day in Graham’s life. Until she had her first child. A daughter, with beautiful blue eyes, like her mother.
Something snapped in Graham as he gazed down at the squirming baby girl, through the glass in the hospital’s nursery. All hope that Aubrey would someday be his disappeared that day. He knew that he would remain alone. He also knew that he would somehow make Aubrey pay for the lies, and the heartache.
Finding Anson on the dark web gave him renewed hope, and the means to extract his revenge. The more he followed Anson’s teachings, watched him experiment with different forms of torture, the more Graham’s desire for revenge turned into a bloodlust. For a time, watching Anson was enough, but when the teachings stopped, thanks to Anson’s untimely demise, Graham knew that he had to step up, to take over where Anson left off.
It was his calling, now. His legacy.
Keeping tabs on Aubrey, and now her family, gave him the tools he needed to spy on anyone he so desired. Finding girls who reminded him of Aubrey was easy, tapping into their computers, watching them when they believed they were alone, became the way he found his own followers. It never ceased to amaze him, the number of men, and women, who preferred a voyeuristic lifestyle.
He made it easy for them. For a small, monthly fee, they could watch the girls he chose for them, be a part of their lives from the shadows. And for some, be a part of their death.
The thought brought him full circle, to the girl that rode in the back of his truck. She was his prize, in more ways than one. Not only did she remind him the most of Aubrey, she was the first one he’d dared take from the safety of her home. But she wouldn’t be the last.
Chapter Thirteen
“Nate says that we can’t get the sensor for at least two more weeks,” Ethan reported, after tossing his phone through the car window.
“That’s ridiculous, Allison doesn’t have two weeks,” Jeri responded.
“It doesn’t matter, that’s the best we can do. I told him to reserve it, just in case.”
“We have to find a way to determine what other underground structures may be on the properties we searched this morning. It’s the only thing that makes sense. The website is still down, which tells me that it’s not a fluke. He knows that we’re onto him.”
“The only sure way is to get warrants for the entire properties, unless Anna or Dylan come up with another way.”
“We need grounds for the warrants, and we don’t have them. Property records are the only source Anna or Dylan has to trace the structures. And we have those.” Jeri stomped her foot in frustration. “It feels like such a waste, checking properties when we believe that we’ve already searched the house we need. But how to narrow it down?”
“We could rent a chopper, fly over the grounds slowly, see if we can spot something from the air, something we didn’t search this morning.”
“It’s better than nothing. As long as the homeowners don’t start shooting at us from the ground, we should be okay.”
“Air space is fair game. If we spot something, then we worry about a warrant. Or not,” Ethan grinned at her over the car.
“It’s too late to start the search tonight, it will be dark soon. Rent the chopper, we can leave at first light.”
“That’s the way to make friends, fly over their property at the break of dawn.”
“I really don’t care what they think. We need to find Allison.” Jeri opened the car door to get inside. “Too bad we can’t access satellite views.”
“Who says we can’t? The problem is not with access, but with clarity. We’re looking for a hatch, or a door built into the ground. It’s highly unlikely that a random satellite view will pinpoint something so small. We’ll have a better chance eyeballing it.”
“Sounds like you’ve already considered it,” Jeri smiled as Ethan joined her in the car.
“Nate and I discussed it,” Ethan shrugged.
“I’d still like to try,” Jeri prompted.
“The files will be in our email by the time we get back to the hotel.” Ethan rolled his eyes when she grinned. “You act as if I don’t know you by now.”
“You know me very well, Mr. Barnes,” Jeri leaned over to give him a kiss. “We can pick up sandwiches on the way in. Make a night of scouring the images.”
“Sounds like fun,” Ethan grinned, too. He loved surprising her.
Moments after resuming their journey, Jeri’s phone rang.
“It’s Anna,” she told Ethan, pressing the speaker button.
“Hi, Anna, you’ve got both of us,” Jeri answered.
“An Amber Alert was just issued in Missouri. A fifteen-year-old girl, Diana Post, was apparently abducted from her home in Fremont. I’m sending directions to your tablet. It’s about an hour from Topeka.”
“You said that she was abducted from her home? He’s never done that before. Are you sure it’s part of our case?” Ethan asked.
“Wait until you see the picture of Diana. She fits his preferences.”
“He’s getting bolder,” Jeri commented. “What else do you know?”
“She takes the bus home from school, then lets herself into her house. Her mom became concerned when Diana didn’t call her, as per usual, so she went home early to check on her. Her backpack was in the house, a snack was on the counter, and a broken glass was in front of the fridge. Also, the garage door was open. Mrs. Post was certain that she closed it this morning.”
“So, he’s waiting for her when she gets home. He knows that she’s alone, for several hours, after school,” Jeri opened the tablet to find information on Diana. “Do you have links to her social media pages?”
“Sending them now,” Anna answered. “I can already tell you that there are certain similarities to the first two girls, aside from the way she looks. Diana is also a girly girl, loves horses, the color pink, and boy bands.”
“Have the locals made t
he connection to Shelby and Allison?”
“I’m not sure, but it shouldn’t take long. What do you want me to do?”
“Focus on finding a woman, currently living in Clevestone, who would have resembled these girls, fifteen to twenty years ago,” Jeri told her.
“I tweaked the facial recognition software to search for matches in the DMV database, but nothing’s come up yet. Finding her that way is really a long shot. People change a lot in that amount of time,” Anna answered.
“How many Caucasian women in Clevestone are between the ages of thirty and thirty-five?” Jeri asked.
“Somewhere around a thousand, give or take,” Anna told her.
“Can you devise a program to work backwards? Take each woman and do an age regression, then give the final image blond hair?”
“Yeeeesss,” Anna drug out the response, allowing time to think. “It won’t be difficult, but it will be time consuming. I can’t say when I’ll have something for you.”
“Send me the results in batches of ten. Make it a priority, Anna. Thanks.” Jeri disconnected the call.
“You’re worried that he’s already taken another girl,” Ethan commented.
“Of course, aren’t you? He’s moving much too quickly, for someone new to this game. His confidence is also growing, especially now, since he took Diana from her home. We have to cover every angle, look under every rock. This guy is all over the place, totally skewing our previous triangulation. I don’t have a clue where to start looking for him, now.”
“What do you want to bet that Anson taught him that? For years, he escaped capture, partially because he and his brother moved around so much. This killer is doing the same thing. It’s classic Anson.”
“If so, that makes Clevestone even more important. Anson would have taught him to use different drop zones, but this guy keeps going back to Clevestone. If we can pinpoint the reason why, we’ll be that much closer to catching him.”
“Can’t argue with that, but what makes you so sure that it’s a woman?”
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