“Did you hear that?” Allison asked Diana. Both girls had been silent for a long time, each one missing her family, thinking of the life they’d left behind.
“What?” Diana asked, sleepily. She’d been dozing on and off, since waking to the nightmare.
“I think he’s back. I heard him speak.” Allison braced herself for the possibility that they could put their plan into action. “Get ready. If he unties one of us, we attack. Right?”
“Right.” Diana sounded less sure now, than she had earlier. Depression had set in, making the possibility of escape seem like a distant dream.
“No, really, you have to be ready. Remember, hit him as hard as you can in the nuts, then give him a karate chop to the neck. I’ve seen it on television, it always works.”
“I thought you said to knock him out with the camera,” Diana sounded confused.
“We can do that, too. After we chop his windpipe. He won’t be able to stand, or to breathe. It will work, I swear!”
“Okay, okay. I’m ready.” Diana sounded anything but, too bad Allison didn’t have time for a pep talk. The door to their chamber was opening.
Chapter Sixteen
“Good luck with the interviews.” Ethan kissed Jeri before grabbing his keys.
“You too, with the flyovers,” Jeri replied, glancing at her phone before sliding it into her pocket. “I keep expecting a call, telling us that Allison’s body has been found.”
“I know it’s hard, but we can’t think like that. We’re going to find both girls. Today,” Ethan infused confidence into his response.
“I have to wonder what he’s waiting on. He killed Shelby within two days, but he’s had Allison for three, as of today.”
“Not quite three, as he abducted her close to midnight, but I get what you’re saying. Why is he keeping both girls, at the same time? Shelby’s body turned up the day after he abducted Allison.”
Jeri’s tablet dinged, alerting her to new email.
“Anna sent thirty more images of women from Clevestone,” Jeri sat at the table to pour over the pictures.
“I’ll send Monique over, she can help you look. Sorry, but I have to leave. Let me know if you find anything,” Ethan paused in the doorway. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Jeri looked up, remembering to smile.
~~~
“It’s too bad the interviews are so far apart, I’d really like to talk to those three women in Clevestone as soon as possible,” Jeri pressed the gas pedal a little harder.
“Look at it this way, by the time we’re able to get to Clevestone, this afternoon, Anna may have found us a few more women who bear a resemblance to Shelby and the missing girls.” Ever practical, Monique gripped the door handle, wishing she was the one driving. Jeri took the curves much too fast, in her opinion.
Jeri felt Monique’s tension, saw her death grip, and instantly slowed down.
“I’m sorry, but I know those girls are running out of time. It feels like we’re not doing enough.”
“We’re doing everything we can, and then some,” Monique also relaxed. “Let’s talk about the interviews. I assume that you want to take the lead.”
“Not really, we’ll play it by ear. Remember to be cool, calm, and casual. Make them feel that we know that they are not involved, that we’re merely excluding them out of necessity.”
“I’m with you. A little bit of honey goes a long way,” Monique nodded.
“Exactly. Our guy will grow more confident, once he feels excluded from the suspect pool. And we’ll have better insight into each man’s character.”
“They make mistakes when they get cocky.”
“Yes, they do. But it’s more than that. Not only is our killer charismatic, but he’ll enjoy being a part of the investigation. Anson so loved to prove his superiority. I suspect that this guy is much the same.”
“So he’s charming, and possibly condescending. Anything else?”
“He’s narcissistic. It’s his sandbox, we’re all just playing in it.”
“Make a left,” Monique pulled out the list. “This is the Taylor home. Father, Don, mother, Sue, three kids,” she read.
“I remember this house. The basement was filled with plastic containers. There was barely room to move, much less hide a kill room.”
“Can’t eliminate him based on that. His home is one of the nine we visited, before the website came down.”
“I know,” Jeri parked the car. “Put on your most ingratiating smile, Monique. Let’s get this over with.”
~~~
“Can we fly any lower?” Ethan asked the helicopter pilot.
“Sure, as long as there are no buildings, or people, we can go below five hundred feet,” he answered, reducing the chopper’s altitude.
“Great, thanks,” Ethan motioned to Chloe, buckled into the seat beside him. “Are you okay?”
“Never better, I love flying.” Chloe flashed him a grin, then turned her attention back to the window.
“Let’s see if you say that, after today. Flying grid patterns this low over acres and acres is not exactly fun.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chloe tossed back. “Although it’s difficult to imagine owning this much land, and not doing anything with it. These people don’t even have a garden.”
“For some, it’s the ownership that holds value, not the actual uses for the land.”
“Not me, man. If I had this much property, I’d grow corn, and cucumbers, and…hey, what’s that over there?” Chloe pointed to what looked like a pile of rocks.
“Let’s find out,” Ethan motioned to the pilot.
The helicopter swerved left, taking them closer to the river, and the rock pile.
“I don’t see an entrance of any kind,” Ethan said as the chopper hovered.
“Neither do I, but it’s weird. Who would pile up a bunch of rocks like that, for no reason?”
“Kids, who knows,” Ethan shrugged. “Take her up.”
It was going to be a long day.
~~~
“But, Graham, how could he just leave like that?” Belinda was dumfounded that Thomas left, without a word. “Who will take care of the house? I have meetings this afternoon, and you’re always much too busy.”
“Mother, did you check to see if there’s anything missing? I seem to remember a set of silver goblets on the dining room buffet, but I don’t see them now.” Graham was ready to move on, but he knew it would be some time before his mother settled down, after learning that she’d been robbed.
“What? Yes, the set that dear Aunt Margaret gave your father and me as a wedding present. Are they gone?” Shocked, Belinda rose to see for herself.
“I’m afraid so, we should really check the house, see what else he may have taken.”
“Thomas stole from us? Why, I never would have guessed he could do such a thing. We should call the police, immediately!”
“We will, Mother. But first, we should check for anything else that might be missing. You should look in your room, particularly your jewelry box.”
“But, I didn’t notice anything missing when I replaced my sapphire set last night. He would have had to come into my room, while I slept, to take my jewelry.” Flabbergasted with the notion, Belinda sat down hard on the dining room chair.
“Still, you’d better take a look, Dear.” Ever the devoted son, Graham walked over and patted his mother’s shoulder. “Would you like me to accompany you?”
“Please, I just don’t think I could take it, if Thomas took such liberties.” Belinda looked up at her son with gratitude. Graham was such a blessing.
“Of course,” Graham smiled. “First, take a look around here, do you notice anything else missing? I’ll check the buffet cabinet.”
“Look for the tea service. Your father had that sent over from England on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. And the crystal, check to make sure that it’s all still here.”
“I seriously doubt that he would cart away the Waterford in the middle o
f the night. It’s much too cumbersome, and worthless if it’s broken.” His back to his mother, Graham grinned. He’d considered taking the stemware, just for the pleasure of breaking it.
“Oh, please do look, Son.”
“Yes, Mother.” Graham dutifully opened the cabinet doors. “Well, I have good news, and bad. The Waterford appears to be all here, but the silver tea service is gone, so is the silver cutlery.”
“Heavens, noooooo!”
His mother’s reaction was exactly as he’d hoped. He couldn’t wait until she realized that her precious diamond broach was gone, along with so many of her other favorite trinkets.
“Why would he do such a thing? We paid him handsomely, did we not?” Belinda was on a rant, feeling violated and confused by a trusted employee’s betrayal.
Graham let her go on, but he tuned her out. Belinda would dine out on this story for weeks, possibly months. Graham felt not one ounce of pity, or remorse, over taking her treasures. His mother deserved a little pain, after inflicting so much of it on him through the years. Her constant meddling, the incessant monologues he endured over countless meals, all while appearing to be hanging on her every word. All of it was justification for today’s small bit of misery.
He didn’t even include the fact that this ruse was keeping him from enjoying time with his special guests. The girls had both been awake last night, when he paid them a visit. That wasn’t always the case. Having them both look at him with terror swimming in their eyes, while pleading that he release them, just for a moment, pleased him enormously.
He itched to go to them, now. To take Diana to his operating table, and enjoy her fully. Allison was also a temptation, but it was Diana’s face that filled his thoughts, taking him back to a time when he was happy, and in love.
“Graham, are you listening?” Belinda’s monologue changed enough to jar Graham from his daydream.
“Yes, Mother, of course.”
“Then answer me! How could Thomas have stolen from us? How will we ever trust anyone again?”
God, she was still on that, Graham thought, turning to comfort her.
“Not everyone is like that, Mother. We’ll find another butler, I’ll call the agency this morning. We’ll make sure that they vet this one more thoroughly than Thomas. I’ll insist on it.”
“They’d better. You tell them that I’ll let all of my friends know about this travesty. And tell them I expect an apology, at the very least.”
“Yes, Mother. Why don’t we go upstairs? I don’t see anything else amiss down here.”
“Yes, Son, let’s. I may need to lie down for a bit.”
Chapter Seventeen
“He was just plain creepy, for lack of a better word. Did you see how he kept staring at you? How did you stand it? I feel like I need a shower, just because I was sitting next to you.” Monique shuddered as she and Jeri walked to the car.
“Too bad it’s not a crime to be a letch,” Jeri tossed Monique the keys. “You drive, please. I’d like to check in with Ethan, and Anna.”
“Sure.” Relieved, Monique made the catch. “But first, explain to me why you’re sure he’s not the one we’re looking for.”
“He’s socially awkward, for one. And he’s much too frail to carry around over a hundred pounds of dead weight, all by himself. Being tall enough is one thing, but being strong is entirely another. And most importantly, he has limited computer skills. Did you see the confusion on his face, when we started asking about his online profile? He’s not our guy.”
“No, I suppose not. Where to next?”
“Graham Grant. He’s one of yours. Take a right, out of the drive, then a left on the highway,” Jeri showed Monique the map.
~~~
“What’s that?” Chloe pointed to a depression in the landscape, surrounded by a grove of trees.
“It could be a door,” Ethan leaned over to look. “Take us closer, Jeff,” he told the pilot, pointing to the trees.
As the chopper dipped, then circled, Ethan and Chloe peered at what was obviously a doorway, built into the ground.
“Whose property is this?” Chloe asked, knowing she’d never seen it before.
“The Masons,” Ethan told her. “It’s one of ours, but they never mentioned a second cellar. We searched one closer to the house.”
“Should we take a look?”
“I don’t see any ‘No Trespassing’ signs,” Ethan answered. “And we’re far enough from the house that we’re not disturbing anyone.” Translated, that meant that no one would be the wiser, if they landed and checked it out.
“Jeff, will you set it down?”
“If you say so.” Known to be a maverick, Jeff didn’t see the harm.
“It doesn’t appear that anyone’s been here for a while,” Chloe yelled as they neared the door. Jeff kept the chopper running. “The ground isn’t disturbed.”
“No, and the spider webs covering the door aren’t disturbed, either. Still, I’ll take a look.” Ethan opened the unlocked hatch, and peered inside. It went nowhere.
“Who builds a doorway to dirt?” Chloe asked, surprised at what the opening uncovered.
“This could be the reason they didn’t mention it when we were here. They’ve obviously filled it in. Let’s go.”
~~~
“Who could that be?” Belinda asked Graham, in response to the ringing doorbell. “Whoever will answer the door, now that Thomas has left us?” Belinda had gone from shock, to anger, to sadness, and back to anger over the departure of their trusted employee. Now it appeared that she had moved on to self-pity at the inconvenience.
“I believe that I’m perfectly capable of answering the door, Mother. The agency said they would send someone this afternoon. Not to worry,” Graham spoke as he traversed the old Persian, on the way to the door.
“But it’s unseemly, a Grant, answering the door. Who could that be?”
“One way to find out,” Graham said beneath his breath. Reaching the door, he plastered on a smile, and swung it wide.
The casually dressed man did not appear to be expecting them, Jeri sensed his surprise as he took in their stance.
“May I help you?” he inquired, politely.
“Yes, we’re here for a meeting with Graham Grant. He’s expecting us. Jeri Forbes, and Monique Pellier,” Jeri explained, waiting for the man to move aside and invite them in.
“I’m Graham Grant, but I’m unaware of any meeting. What is this regarding?” Graham knew instantly that the two women must be the ones who came before, the ones with the FBI. His stomach clenched into a knot, but he maintained his composure.
“Hello, Mr. Grant. Our office made an appointment yesterday, with someone named Thomas,” Jeri read from the note pad she carried. “We’re assisting the FBI with the search for two missing girls. Could we come in?”
“Thomas no longer works for us, and he never mentioned any meeting. What makes you think I can help you?” Graham smiled to soften the words, but he did not move to let them inside.
“We don’t know that you can, Sir,” Jeri returned his smile. “But we have to eliminate certain people, and properties, that we searched yesterday.”
“Your mother was kind enough to let us search the basement, but we have a few questions to ask you, if you don’t mind,” Monique spoke up for the first time.
“If this is a bad time, we can come back later,” Jeri offered, but she didn’t move. Every instinct she possessed was on alert. Graham Grant shot to the top of her list of suspects, based solely on something she could not define.
“Don’t be ridiculous, please come in.” Graham stepped aside, finally, and swept his arm graciously, allowing them to enter. “I have no idea how I can help you, but I’m certainly willing to try.”
“Thank you,” Jeri nodded, keeping her smile in place. “We’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”
“I’m afraid I am a bit pressed,” Graham frowned, slightly. “We’ve had some excitement this morning. You are not t
he first officers to visit us today.”
“Oh?” Jeri left it at that, waiting for Graham to explain.
“Yes, it seems that our trusted butler, Thomas, the man with whom you made the appointment, left us in the middle of the night. He took many of mother’s jewels, along with various silver trinkets from around the house. The police were here taking a report.”
“I’m so sorry,” Monique said, sincerely. “Was that the man who answered the door yesterday?”
“To be sure,” Graham answered. “But please, let’s join Mother in the parlor. I’m certain she’s wondering who is paying us a visit.” Indicating the direction of the parlor, Graham waited until the ladies moved through, before following.
“Good Morning, Mrs. Grant. It’s nice to see you again,” Monique went straight to the elderly woman. Taking her hand, she nodded to Jeri. “This is my boss, Jeri Forbes. We’re so sorry to hear about your troubles.”
“Thank you, my dear,” Belinda affected the persona of a distressed woman, perfectly willing to milk the experience. “It’s been a trying day, to say the least. How kind of the FBI to take such an interest in our little drama. Won’t you have a seat?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Grant, but we’re not here about the theft,” Jeri smiled at the woman as she moved to the sofa. “We actually have a meeting to speak with your son, about the missing girls. But if we can help you in any way, we’ll be happy to do so.” Jeri’s smile stretched to include Graham, who had come to stand beside his mother’s chair.
“Oh, my, the missing girls?” Belinda reached for Graham’s hand. “But what could my Graham possibly know about that?”
“It’s a formality, really,” Jeri assured her. “We need to exclude Mr. Grant, the same as we are excluding other homeowners in the area. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, especially on such a difficult day.” Jeri leaned forward, her face the picture of sympathy. “Our questions for Mr. Grant can wait, if you’d like to tell us about Thomas, was it? And the theft.”
A Killer's Watch Page 11