Never Look Back

by Burton, Mary

  “He keeps to himself. But a few days ago, there was a woman and a little girl on his doorstep. Sam didn’t look happy, and when I stopped the stroller and waved, he didn’t seem to notice me. I figured it must be serious because Sam is so easygoing. My Donny and I didn’t want to intrude.”

  Melina pulled Bonnie’s picture up on her phone. “Is this the woman?”

  “Yeah. That’s her.”

  “Did you hear what Sam and this woman were saying?”

  “Sam wouldn’t let the woman in the house. She tried to get past him, but he blocked the path. When the little girl came up, he slammed the door.”

  “How long did they stay?”

  “I don’t know. We were home by then, and my little guy needed to go down for his nap.”

  “Did you see the woman again?”

  “No.”

  “Was there anyone else who normally isn’t in the neighborhood?” she asked.

  “There was an AC repair guy parked across from Sam’s house. I’m not sure that really matters.”

  “An AC repair guy?” The house had been cool, and the system appeared to be working fine. “What was he driving?”

  “A white van.”

  A chill shot up her spine. “Can you tell me what the driver looked like?”

  “Kind of attractive,” she said. “Tall. Lean build. White guy. Sixtyish.”

  “Did you see the name of the company?”

  “Um, the name started with a T. Taylor’s or, no, Thompson’s.”

  Melina searched the name on her phone. There was no Thompson’s Air-Conditioning in the Nashville area. “When did you see the van?”

  “Not that long ago. Maybe an hour or two.”

  Memories of the Key Killer elbowed their way to the front of her mind. From what they had determined about Mecum, he did not hunt in the daylight nor in suburban neighborhoods. He kidnapped hookers from dark street corners and tortured them to death in his van on one of his remote properties. Bonnie’s killer had strangled her quickly and had not tortured her. Mecum’s victims took days to die, not minutes.

  Mecum, she guessed, had not expected Bonnie. She had been there for Sonny. But why would Mecum be there for Sonny?

  Melina had only just learned of her personal connection to Sonny, so how did Mecum know about them?

  The easiest answer was money. Mecum had money and resources to find anyone he wanted to find. It was not outside the realm of possibility that he had connected her to Sonny. But why go after Sonny?

  Melina handed the young mother her card. “Call me if you think of anything else.”

  She took the card. The baby reached for it, but the mother held it out of his reach. He began to fuss so she let him hold it. “Is Sam okay?”

  “We’re trying to determine that right now.” When the baby stuck the card in his mouth, Melina handed another one to the mother. “Thank you.”

  Thoughts of the white van and its promised horrors followed her across the street as she walked toward Ramsey. He was talking to a uniformed officer as they stood beside a blue four-door with Tennessee plates. She pulled him away from the car.

  “I think Mecum was here,” she said.

  “Why here? This kind of area does not fit his profile.”

  She relayed what she had learned about the van and the man driving it. “He’s been here.”

  The lines around Ramsey’s mouth deepened as he nodded to the car. “It’s registered to Ralph Hogan. He was Bonnie’s bail bondsman.”

  “Has anyone spoken to Hogan?”

  “He called in sick today. I’ve sent a uniform to find him.”

  As thoughts of Mecum stalked her, she peered inside the driver’s side window and saw a bag of discarded caramel cream candies and a stuffed animal. “Bonnie drove here expecting to find Sonny. Could she have encountered Mecum?”

  “Maybe. Or maybe Sonny killed her. We know he’s very capable,” Ramsey said.

  She rescanned the interior. There was nothing that told her where she might be able to find Elena. “Where is Matt Piper?”

  Matt appeared with a long thin rod. “I’m here. Hang on.”

  He wedged the rod between the window and the seal and worked it down until he was able to secure the button that unlocked the door. Inside the vehicle, she immediately popped the trunk.

  Melina rushed to the back, praying the girl was not in there. The interior was filled with bags, and she quickly rummaged through them until she was satisfied the contents were just clothes purchased in Lower Broadway.

  Melina’s relief was fleeting. If the child was not here, then where?

  Ramsey’s frown deepened. “If Sonny is as obsessed with recreating his family as we assume, he wouldn’t have killed Bonnie until he had the girl.”

  “But Bonnie was the closest thing he had to a mother.” Melina understood how complicated and powerful feelings for a lost mother could be.

  “Men kill their mothers,” Ramsey said. “Way too often.”

  “And if Mecum was here, he could have Elena.” Melina shook her head, trying to slow her racing thoughts even as tension squeezed the air from her lungs. “Bonnie’s purse was dumped on the living room floor by the couch. Are there any receipts, keys, or maps?”

  “Let me check with Matt,” Ramsey said. “I’ll be right back.”

  He jogged over to Matt and relayed what they were looking for. As Melina waited, she stared at the empty interior of the trunk. Frustration coiled around her, making it difficult to stand still. Every instinct in her body told her she should be doing more to find Elena.

  “We need to talk to Sarah Beckett,” Melina said to Ramsey as he joined her, and they walked to their car.

  “Why her?”

  “If Mecum found Sonny, he likely knows about the Mission. The one place Sonny and I crossed paths was the Mission. He is looking for me.”

  “Sarah would have noticed a guy like Mecum asking questions, don’t you think? Approaching her would have been a bold move.”

  “Maybe. But we know he is driven and arrogant.” She reached for the door handle. “Either way Sarah might have the missing pieces for us.”

  Matt appeared at the front door and, spotting them, jogged across the lawn. Ramsey rolled down his window.

  “There was a motel receipt jammed in the bottom of her purse. It’s dated two days ago. I’ve dispatched a uniform. We should have an answer about the child in a few minutes,” Matt said.

  “Good,” Ramsey said.

  “Elena could still be there,” Melina said.

  “Thanks, Matt.” Ramsey put his car in drive and pulled away.

  They had been rolling for five minutes when Melina’s phone rang. “Agent Shepard.”

  “This is Officer Aaron. We’ve found Sonny at the motel. You better get over here.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Friday, August 28, 2:30 p.m.

  Melina shook her head, wondering how she could have missed so many red flags. She unmasked monsters like Sonny for a living, and he had been under her nose for almost two years. “What if Elena cries like I used to? Sonny or Mecum will not have the capacity to be kind to her.”

  When Ramsey pulled into the motel parking lot, the uniformed officer was standing by a short, stocky man wearing a blue jacket sporting the motel’s logo on the back. Melina and Ramsey got out of the car and raced toward the room. Flashing their badges to the uniformed officer, they hurried inside. Her gaze scanned the room for any signs of the child.

  “Where’s Elena?” she asked. “Officer, did you see a child?”

  “This is the first we’ve opened the door,” the officer said.

  She walked around the bed, past the dark blood trail, to the body by the bed. It was Sam. Sonny. Her brother. His throat had been slashed. His head leaned against the side of the bed. His jaw was slack, open in what looked like an anguished cry.

  “Jesus H. Christ.” She stood frozen, unable to move a step in any direction.

  Attached to his chest was a
large note that read: Melina, I’m not leaving this world a loser. You’re my girlfriend now. Join me in the afterlife, or I’ll take Elena. Two dots and a half circle created a macabre smiley face that glared back at her like a wood goblin.

  “Mecum has her.” Memories of the van’s interior flashed in her head. “What is he going to do to her?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Friday, August 28, 3:15 p.m.

  Melina’s hands trembled and it took all her resolve not to scream out in primal frustration. Instead, she balled her fingers into tight fists as she stared at the body of a man who had been a friend, a brother, and a monster. All her senses went numb. A strong hand banded around Melina’s arm, and she felt herself being pulled. “We have to go, Melina. Let the team do its job.”

  Ramsey’s voice cut through the haze. She nodded, quickly falling in step behind him as the two walked back to his car.

  Melina pictured Sonny lying in that motel room, his body cut open and bleeding. Mecum and Elena were long gone.

  “Mecum called me his girlfriend,” she said.

  “You two have some very intense history together.”

  As she began to strip off her gloves, the officer securing the scene called out to her from the motel room. “Agent Shepard. The victim’s phone just received a text.”

  They hurried back into the room and found the officer holding up the phone. “The sender mentions you by name.”

  Melina looked at the text featuring a video of Elena sleeping in the back of a van. The girl was curled on her side. She searched for signs that the girl was alive, but it was impossible to tell.

  “As long as I think she’s alive, he knows I’ll do whatever he says,” Melina said. “And he’s right.”

  “Which is exactly why you can’t do anything he says,” Ramsey said. “He’ll kill her and you regardless, if we’re not very careful.”

  Another text chimed. Melina. Date night. Do you think you can find me in time?

  She looked at Ramsey. She texted back. Where are you?

  You figure it out. Tick tock.

  She gripped the phone. Ramsey showed no traces of worry or concern as he carefully took it from her. He was focused solely on the mission.

  “I’ve got to go to Elena,” Melina said.

  He nodded carefully, and she imagined he was rising above the fray and staring at everyone as if they were pieces on a chessboard.

  “Not alone.” His tone was hard, unwavering.

  “I have to do whatever Mecum demands, for Elena’s sake,” she said.

  Ramsey’s expression was unreadable, but his jaw tensed with frustration. “You are not going. He will kill you.”

  “He might let Elena go,” she countered.

  “You aren’t thinking clearly.”

  “I have to save her.” Her desperation resonated in her tone.

  He reviewed the video again. “She appears to be drugged. That explains the turned-down sheets in the motel and why no one reported a child screaming.”

  “They found liquid sedatives in Bonnie’s car,” Melina said. “If she dosed the kid, she’s been out for most of this.”

  “And the quieter Elena remains, the longer she’ll live,” Ramsey said.

  Melina rolled her shoulders. “She could be waking up soon. I have to go.”

  He studied her a beat before nodding. “Okay. You’ll go. Tell him you’re coming.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yes.”

  With trembling fingers, she typed the text and hit send.

  Mecum’s reply arrived a minute later. Can’t wait.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Friday, August 28, 4:00 p.m.

  Melina and Ramsey drove to the Mission, and as soon as he parked, she immediately got out of the car and rushed to push the intercom button. “Melina?” Sarah’s voice sounded over the speaker.

  “Can we come inside?”

  “Yes.” The door lock buzzed open, and as they stepped inside, Sarah came out of her office. “What’s going on?”

  Melina updated her quickly, explaining that Sam was dead. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment and appeared to say a prayer.

  “Sam did so many good things for the Mission,” she said softly. “He was a friend.”

  “There’s another man who could be far more dangerous,” Melina said. “His name is Edward Mecum.”

  “Mecum?” Sarah asked. “I know that name.”

  “How?” Melina asked.

  “He was just here this morning.”

  “What are you talking about?” Melina asked.

  “He rang the bell just after 7:00 a.m. I saw him on the video camera and asked what he wanted. He said he had a donation for the Mission.”

  “Did you let him in?” Melina asked.

  “He showed identification and seemed legit. So, yes, I let him in. He gave me a check for one hundred thousand dollars. The check cleared and I sent a thank-you email with a receipt to his address as he requested.”

  Melina ran a steady hand over the top of her head. She tried not to think about what could have happened to Sarah. “Did he do or say anything out of the ordinary?”

  “No, he seemed pretty normal. Who is this guy?”

  “We think he might be the Key Killer,” Melina said.

  Sarah’s face paled as she stared at Melina. “Why would a guy like that give me a check?”

  “To get control of your computer.” Ramsey reached for his phone. “I have an agent in Quantico who can remotely take control of Sarah’s computer. Do you mind if she does it?”

  “No. But how could he get my computer? He never touched it,” Sarah said.

  “The email address you contacted would have sent a virus to your computer,” Ramsey said. “You could have inadvertently granted complete access to your computer. Once he was in, he was able to comb through your files and discover Melina’s and Sonny’s identities.”

  “But nothing weird happened after I sent the email,” she said.

  “If he was clever enough, you never would have noticed him poking around. Can my agent do the same?”

  Once Ramsey gave Andy the password, she was in the Mission’s computer in seconds. Sarah stood back in horror, watching the cursor move on its own, opening files and programs at a rapid pace. Melina walked up and down, and Ramsey knew the waiting was clawing at her insides.

  Ramsey’s phone rang. “Andy.”

  “I got him.”

  Mecum had gone on dates with mothers twice before. They had been some of his best. They had a reason to live and to fight. They had a tendency to hold on longer. Melina was not the child’s mother, but he would bet his last dollar she had a tender heart and would fight to save the kid.

  He looked over at the girl lying on the couch in his cabin. She was starting to stir and would soon awaken. He crushed one of his pain pills into a fine powder and sprinkled it into a glass of water. He sat beside her and smoothed his hand over her forehead.

  She blinked slowly, and when she looked up at him, her eyes teared.

  “There, there,” he said softly. “No need for tears. Drink this, sweet girl.”

  Obedient, she drank. When she had drained the glass, he gently eased her back on the pillows and waited for her to fall asleep again. Her eyes drifted closed and her breathing slowed.

  “That’s a good girl.”

  Melina had seen his text two hours ago. She must be in agony as she wondered if the girl was alive or dead. How frantic was she now as she scrambled to figure out where he was hiding? He could drag this out for hours, if not days, if he had the time. When this was all over, she would know that she had not gotten the best of him.

  He took another video of the girl. The viewer could see that she was alive and moving. Poor Melina would be so relieved to know this precious child was unharmed.

  He ended the recording and attached it to a text. “Kid, I’ve kept you alive this long,” he said. “No marks or bruises on your little body. That’s got to count for something.�
�

  He wanted Melina to know, to understand, that he was serious. If she did not join him, Elena would be her proxy.

  This time he typed the address of his location along with a warning to come alone. Never killed a kid before. But always a first time. Come talk me out of it. Alone.

  He hit send. And waited.

  Melina leaned against the wall, watching as Ramsey and Sarah stared at the computer screen. Her mother had texted her several times asking for updates on Elena, and each time it had broken her heart to report she had nothing. When Sonny’s phone chimed with a text, she braced for the worst before she looked at it.

  Drawing in a breath, she glanced down at the display as dread crept up her spine. She opened it and nearly wept when she saw the video of Elena stirring. And then she read the attached words. Never killed a kid before. But always a first time. Come talk me out of it. Alone.

  “Ramsey, look at this,” she shouted as she rushed to him.

  He watched the video and read the text. “You aren’t going alone.”

  An anguished cry rose up in her. She had brought this on Elena, and knowing the child was suffering because of her ripped through her soul like a dull knife. “You can go with me, but I approach Mecum alone.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Friday, August 28, 7:00 p.m.

  Melina drove west, pushing beyond the speed limit as she raced toward the address Mecum had given her after she had agreed to see him. She gripped the steering wheel, trying to calm her breathing and regain focus. But each time she thought she had gotten a handle on her emotions, images of Elena popped into her mind.

  Andy had traced the address Mecum had supplied and located it on satellite imagery. The land was overgrown with a thick canopy of trees that hid the house. Property records that dated back to the 1980s listed a single-story, two-thousand-square-foot house. There was no telling what modifications Mecum had made since.

  “I’m coming, Elena. Hang tight.”

  Anyone watching would not have realized that Ramsey had ridden in the trunk until they were about a half a mile from the entrance to Mecum’s driveway. She stopped, popped the trunk, and watched in the rearview mirror as he rolled out in full tactical gear. He quickly darted into the woods. They were both mindful that Mecum could very well have surveillance cameras on the property.