Careless Whisper

by Stacy Claflin

  “Can’t say I blame her, but yeah, we’d better get over there and talk her down. Should we bring one of the agents with us? Or maybe one of the women officers?”

  “Might not be a bad idea. I’ll be right back.” Anderson headed down the hall, where the feds were congregated.

  Alex glanced longingly at the coffee table. This will pass. He’ll get used to the caffeine-free afternoons. If Zoey could do it, so could he. But he would never agree to drop his morning cuppa. He’d stop off at a stand for a mocha every day if necessary.

  Reluctantly, Alex filled his water bottle and took a swig. It wasn’t coffee, but he could at least still taste the lemon slice.

  Just as Alex was gathering his things, Anderson returned with a tall brunette who looked more tired than Alex felt.

  She gave him a firm handshake and a commanding smile. “I’m Agent Hanks.”

  “Detective Mercer.”

  Hanks nodded. As they made their way to Anderson’s car, she went over her notes about the first family, which were spot on. They discussed the details on the drive over, and the agent gave her thoughts on the abductors, sure there had to be more than one—the same details shared at the meeting.

  “The first victim was taken from this driveway?” she asked as they made their way through the narrow path.

  “Yes,” Alex confirmed. “One of her shoes was found just off to the side. The other was found deeper in the woods.”

  “I need to look at the photos again.” She pulled out a tablet then slid her finger around the screen. “She walked down this driveway in those shoes?”

  “Her parents think she was arriving after curfew and didn’t want them to hear the car. They were already sleeping. That’s why they didn’t find the note until the next morning—they didn’t know she was missing.”

  Anderson parked in the same place he had the last time. The girl’s father had the door opened before they reached it. “We want to contact the abductors.”

  “You came up with the money on your own?” Alex asked.

  “Not all of it.” Louis shook his head. “But we need to know Josie is okay.”

  The FBI agent held out her hand. “I’m Special Agent Hanks.”

  “Federal agent?”

  “Yes. Can we come in?”

  Louis stepped aside, allowing them in the entryway. They made their way to the living room, where Trina was pacing and wringing her hands together.

  “Can we contact them?”

  “Let us handle it.” Hanks introduced herself. “We deal with these types routinely.”

  “What’s your plan?” Trina stared the other woman down, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t go another day without seeing Josie.” Her voice cracked. “Having to keep thinking about her in that box is killing me!”

  Hanks took a step closer and put her hand on Trina’s shoulder. “I understand why you’re anxious, but you need to trust us. We have a plan, and we know what we’re doing.”

  “My daughter was buried underground two days ago! I don’t trust those kidnappers. They’re going to get money either way. There’s no proof Josie’s actually alive!” She collapsed onto the couch.

  Her husband sat beside her then wrapped his arms around her. “We have to trust that they know what they’re doing.”

  Alex knelt in front of them. “My own daughter was abducted a number of years ago. I know the desperation. I want to find these criminals with everything in me.”

  Trina wiped her eyes and sized him up. “She was?”

  He nodded. “That’s what led me to becoming an officer. Please trust us.”

  She sniffled. “Okay. But what’s your plan?”

  Hanks sat next to her. “We’re planning a sting operation. We’re going to arrest them after they pick up the ransom.”

  “We’ll never get Josie! They won’t give us her location if the police are involved.” She glared at Louis. “I told you we should’ve handled this ourselves!”

  “Ma’am,” Hanks said. “You did the right thing. We understand their demands and the stakes involved. Leave the details to us.”

  Trina shook. “You’ll wait until we have Josie before arresting them?”

  “We’ll make sure we have her location first. My team has done this plenty of times before.”

  “There have been other kids buried alive?”

  “We’ve dealt with ransom demands,” Hanks clarified. “Both children and adults who have been abducted and held against their will. This particular scenario is new to me.”

  Trina leaned against her husband and sobbed.

  Alex exchanged glances with Anderson and Hanks. The agent nodded then motioned for Anderson to follow her. They spoke briefly before calling Louis over and discussing their plan in hushed tones.

  Trina wiped her eyes. “Is Josie going to be okay?”

  “This is her best chance,” Alex said. “An entire team of agents have joined the police force for this case.”

  “Is it true there’s another missing kid?”

  Alex nodded. “I’m not at liberty to give details.”

  “Is it the same thing?”

  “That would be details.”

  She scowled. “Shouldn’t we know the truth? Our daughter’s life is in danger!”

  “I know. We’re doing everything we can, including keeping this quiet. There has been no press whatsoever.”

  “Jared said kids are talking about it at school. People know.”

  “They know Josie’s missing. Nothing else. That’s the way we need to keep it—for each of the cases.”

  Louis returned to his wife’s side. “As hard as this is, we need to let them handle everything.”

  “But we need to be there to drop off the money! To contact them and to—”

  “They’re going undercover.” He put his hand on top of hers. “They’ve done this before, and they know what they’re doing. This is our only chance.”

  “What about the money?”

  Louis glanced over at Hanks and Anderson before turning back to his wife. “The agents are going to half-fill a bag with fake bills and put what we have on top. They’re also going to do all the steps leading up to that. We just need to wait to see Josie.”

  “We’ll call and update you,” Hanks promised.

  They said goodbye and left.

  Alex sank into the passenger seat, somehow even more exhausted than before.

  Halfway back to the station, Hanks swore in the backseat.

  Alex turned around. “What’s wrong?”

  She looked up from her phone. “The second kid’s parents got the money and contacted the abductors on their own. They’ve cut us out completely.”

  Alex’s heart sank. If this second case went down badly, the abductors could freak out and not release either of the missing kids’ locations.

  Chapter 10

  Stella Moore stepped off the school bus and waved to her friends as the fat raindrops splashed onto her face and hair. Her heart pounded.

  Today was the day.

  She continued waving until the yellow vehicle disappeared from sight. Her pulse pounded in her ears. She glanced around. No neighbors in sight. Not surprising, given the weather.

  Once more, Stella looked up and down the street, then she hurried the opposite way of her house. Her parents wouldn’t be home for at least another hour.

  She checked the text for the address she needed, then put it into her map app.

  It was really happening. She was running away. No more homework, no more putting up with her parents and their stupid rules. They treated her like she was a kid, even though she was now a teenager.

  They said she couldn’t have a boyfriend.

  She showed them. And there was no way they could figure out who he was. She’d created a new social media account and met Clark—all while using the incognito web browser. Then when they started texting, she put him under a contact name Rosa. Her parents had never suspected a thing, seeing her text back and forth with a ‘
girl’.

  And now she was finally going to meet Clark. See him in real life.

  She wouldn’t be forced to live with stupid rules ever again.

  They were in love and were about to start a new life together. Neither of them would have to work a day in their lives because Clark was rolling in dough—his parents were loaded.

  It was almost too good to be true.

  Her mouth grew dry as she continued walking. She should’ve brought some water. But it didn’t matter. Once she met up with Clark, he could buy her anything she wanted.

  Stella checked the GPS. Two more miles to go. Why had she thought walking to the meeting place would be a good idea?

  She leaned against a tree and gasped for air. Though it was raining, the air was warm and muggy. Why couldn’t it be the typical cold rain the region was known for?

  A text came in.

  Rosa: Almost here?

  Stella grinned, thrilled that Clark was just as eager to see her as she was to see him. She quickly changed his contact name and replied.

  Stella: 2 miles.

  Clark: About 30 min?

  More like two hours with as tired as she was. But she couldn’t let him know that.

  Stella: Give or take. Cant wait!

  Clark: Me too! Hurry.

  She held the phone close. Her parents couldn’t stand the sight of her, but Clark could hardly contain himself wanting to see her.

  Stella: Can u pick me up closer?

  Clark: I wish.

  She frowned, not understanding why he wouldn’t do such a simple thing for her.

  Dots danced on the screen before another message showed.

  Clark: Cant risk anyone seeing us together.

  Stella: OK. Cu soon.

  He sent some heart emojis, making her feel better.

  She was just annoyed because she was tired. That was it. Nothing else. He wasn’t being unreasonable. It would be dumb to be seen together before disappearing.

  The directions led her through other neighborhoods. Once she was a block away, she turned off her location services so her parents couldn’t track her.

  She came to an empty field surrounded by thick fir trees.

  No, that wasn’t the only thing in the field.

  A dirt-caked white van with no windows in the back was tucked away in a corner.

  The address was supposed to be a Mexican restaurant hidden from the road, where they could have a big meal before leaving town.

  Stella looked around and then checked the text to make sure she’d copied the address into the GPS right.

  She had. And this wasn’t a restaurant. The address was right where the van was parked. And that was no meal truck. It was unmarked and dingy.

  Maybe this was a bad idea. The pictures of Clark could’ve been fake.

  She decided to send him one more text before returning home and deleting her secret social media profile.

  Stella: Whats the name of the restaurant?

  Clark: El vano. Hurry. Excited!

  Her thumbs shook as she tapped the message.

  Stella: Its in a van?

  Clark: Yah. That u out there? Ur even more beautiful than ur pics.

  She dropped her phone. It bounced on the dirt, mud sticking to the screen.

  Breathing hard, she bent over and picked it up.

  Squeak!

  She whipped her head around.

  The driver’s side door was open. A guy in a ski mask stepped out.

  Stella screamed.

  Another masked man appeared from the other side of the vehicle.

  She burst into a run toward the street, her feet sliding in the mud.

  “Stop!”

  Stella’s heart felt like it was going to explode. Fear hammered through her. Her muscles burned as she forced herself to move as fast as she could.

  “Stop!”

  She yelled so loud her throat felt on fire.

  Bang!

  The gunshot made her ears ring. For a moment, she worried she was hit, but nothing hurt.

  She kept running.

  Her foot landed on a small rock. It was big enough to make her lose her balance, to skid. Her arms flew out, but there was nothing to cling onto. Her legs felt like rubber and seemed to move on their own as she tried to keep from falling.

  Arms wrapped around her. Squeezed her. Something round and cold pressed against her temple.

  Someone screamed. It was her.

  “Shut up!”

  She did.

  They dragged her toward the van.

  Chapter 11

  As Alex sent a text to Zoey, he sensed someone behind him. He slowly turned around.

  Crawford.

  His blood pressure rose, but he managed to keep his expression steady. “Chief.”

  “Mercer, I have a different case for you.”

  “Excuse me? Anderson and I have been—”

  “You think I don’t know? He can work with that agent who has the stick up her butt.”

  “Agent Hanks is—”

  “There’s a neighborhood dealing with coyote sightings. You need to investigate that case. I’ll email you the details in a minute.”

  “A coyote?”

  The chief folded his arms. “We’ve been getting numerous complaints.”

  “There are missing children.”

  “And we have plenty of people on that case.”

  Alex rose and stared Crawford in the eyes. “Anderson and I are partners.”

  “And you’ve made rank. You’re both detectives now, and you should be paired with someone of a different rank.”

  “The parents of the first victim trust me. I’ve built a strong rapport.”

  “I have no doubt the agent will be able to do the same.”

  Alex squeezed his fists. “Who’s going to help me with the coyote sightings?”

  “I’ll see if one of the rookies is available.”

  “You didn’t ask if I was available.”

  His boss stared him down for a moment. “You’re off the case. Check your email.” Crawford spun around and marched away.

  Alex stared in disbelief. He’d been taken off the biggest case they’d had in nearly a year. One in which he could apply his expertise.

  Coyotes.

  He clenched his jaw. And his fists. They could send out Animal Control. Instead, Crawford picked Alex.

  This was personal. The question was, why? Because the chief really was the mole? Or because he had something to prove to the feds?

  It could be anything. Alex was going to get to the bottom of it, either way. He didn’t know what he could do about it, but it was his mission.

  His computer dinged with a notification. The email from Crawford.

  He skimmed it over, finding it to be busy work. Nothing had been disturbed, no animals had gone missing. Just a few sightings.

  Anderson came over. “What’s wrong?”

  “You didn’t hear?”

  “No. What happened?”

  Alex pushed back from his desk. “Crawford took me off the case.”

  Anderson’s mouth fell open. “Why?”

  “Because of coyote sightings.”

  “Come again?”

  “Exactly.” Alex leaped to his feet. “I’d better get over there and start the all-important interviews.”

  “Wouldn’t that be the job of the Fish and Wildlife?”

  “I was thinking Animal Control, not that it matters—this was the only way to get me off the kidnapping case.”

  “Fish and Wildlife takes care of anything outside of domestic pets. Why would he take you off the case? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  Alex lifted a brow. “Doesn’t it?”

  His partner frowned. “I’ll speak with Hanks and see if I can get anything from her about their mole theory.”

  “Don’t ask outright. We hardly know her. If only Kutcher was still here.”

  They exchanged a sorrowful glance. Kutcher had been one of the best agents to work with the
m, but she’d been killed in the line of duty nearly a year earlier.

  “It isn’t the end of this,” Anderson said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

  “I appreciate that.” Alex gathered what he needed and headed for the coyote neighborhood alone since the email didn’t mention another officer. The department had had more complaints like that recently as new development crouched on the wild animals’ natural habitat—coyotes, foxes, and even some bear sightings near homes.

  He couldn’t blame the residents for being concerned. As a dad of two small kids, he wouldn’t want any of those wandering around when the twins were playing outside. But still, it really was a matter for a department that dealt with animals. Maybe they were overloaded with cases. Even if that was the case, it would make sense to send one of the rookies instead of Alex.

  The crazy part was, Alex wouldn’t even have made detective so soon if it hadn’t been for Crawford. He’d paired him with Anderson for the very reason of training him for the promotion.

  And now he was investigating wild dogs—when they had multiple abductions to solve and a ticking clock for the lives of the kids. He couldn’t even use his blog since they were keeping things quiet so the kidnappers wouldn’t know law enforcement had been brought in.

  By the time Alex arrived, he had to take a moment to collect his thoughts. He couldn’t stop thinking about the abductors and those two girls buried alive.

  The thought of it both infuriated him and made him sick to his stomach. Nobody deserved that kind of terror.

  He took a few deep breaths and re-read the email from Crawford.

  Coyote sightings. The small dogs hadn’t even been hurt. But the residents were concerned, so he needed to reassure them. As much as he’d rather be back at the station, he was on this case and would take their worries seriously.

  Alex walked up and down the street, checking for the animals or any signs of their presence. Then he went to the first address listed and knocked.

  Shrieking and giggling sounded before a frazzled-looking young woman answered the door. “Is everything okay?”

  He nodded. “I’m Detective Mercer. You called about a coyote?”

  “Detective? I’m Lana Mitchell. I didn't think anyone would come out.” She stepped outside. “I’d invite you in, but it’s a zoo in there. I watch my nephews.”