Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2)

by Ivan Kendrick

  “The kiss wasn’t the only thing that condemned me. Erika sent Amanda photos taken while I was asleep.”

  “Sleazy bitch. Where is she now?”

  “That doesn’t matter. I’ve uprooted her from my life.”

  “Serves her right.”

  “Yeah. Listen, there was another thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “What is it?”

  “Give a call to your friend, Cameron. Tell him that he will perform the song soon.”

  Marissa beamed. She gave Nathan the thumbs-up.

  “He’ll be glad to learn that his song didn’t go to waste. I’ll let him know, Nathan.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give you the details.”

  Nathan told Marissa about his plans. When he finished, Marissa nodded in approval.

  “That will be perfect, Nathan! I think Amanda will be happier than if you had proposed on Valentine’s Day.”

  “That’s what I was counting on. I’m going to talk to her parents to arrange the surprise.”

  “You’re a genius, Nathan. If only I had a guy who spoiled me that way.”

  Nathan laughed.

  “I just love Amanda so much. I want to make her a very happy girl.”

  Amanda was full of anticipation the next morning. Neither she nor Nathan had classes. He would take advantage of it by taking Amanda on a date. After having breakfast with Emmy, she took a good part of the morning dressing up.

  “You do have a magnificent body,” Emmy reckoned. She watched Amanda, who was standing in front of the mirror in her underwear. “It’s just the kind of figure that fashion designers worship.”

  “Thanks.”

  Amanda turned toward the bed. She had laid out clothes against it, trying to decide what to put on.

  “What do you suggest, Emmy?”

  “Go with this yellow top,” she said, holding it up. “Pair it with those brown pants. It’s got a touch of spring, but is still good to wear when it’s not too cold.”

  “Nice choice.”

  Amanda put those clothes on. She then posed in front of the mirror again. Emmy held two thumbs up.

  “Now let me do your hair.”

  Over half an hour later, Amanda and Emmy walked to the living room. Nathan would be arriving soon, judging by the time he’d told the girls he would be there.

  “Where do you think he’s taking you?” Emmy asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m up for whatever he likes. All I want is to spend time with my love.”

  The two stood next to the sofa. Amanda adjusted the belt at her waist.

  “You know, Amanda, I think you should play—”

  The sound of Amanda’s phone ringing cut off Emmy’s words. Amanda looked at the caller ID and answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Amanda. I’m Patty, Judith’s roommate.”

  “Oh. Good morning, Patty. Judging by the time, I assume you’re not in class today.”

  “No, I did go to class. It just ended right now. I was just calling to ask if Judith’s with you.”

  Amanda looked at Emmy, her eyebrows furrowing.

  “No, she’s not here. What’s going on?”

  “Judith didn’t come back to sleep last night. I assumed she was with you, so I decided to wait until our first class, which we happen to share. She never showed up.”

  Slowly, Judith opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first. She tried to move a hand and rub her eyes, but couldn’t. With a start, Judith noticed that someone had tied her wrists. She looked around, seeing that the room was dark.

  Where on Earth am I?

  Judith lay on her side on a bed. She felt that her ankles were bound, too. At least her mouth wasn’t gagged. She slowly worked herself into a sitting position. The room wasn’t familiar. It was rather dilapidated. Judith guessed that she was in some three-star apartment. She wondered who’d brought her there.

  The last thing Judith remembered was going to a park. It was the same one where she had her birthday party. Judith didn’t remember much of what happened. She only knew that she had been with Christopher.

  Christopher!

  The name triggered more memories. Judith clearly recalled that after they met, Christopher took her back to her dorm. That was the limit of what she could remember. Judith assumed that was when someone took her.

  After looking around again, Judith confirmed that none of her belongings were with her. Not even her purse, which was bad. Without it, Judith had no phone she could use to contact anyone.

  Judith needed to come up with a plan to get away. She didn’t know what time it was. The only window in the room was covered with the curtains. Some light came through, so Judith guessed it was day outside.

  “It’s probably nothing,” Amanda said to Patty, not wanting to jump to conclusions. “She went on a date last night, did you know that? Maybe Judith spent the night with her boyfriend.”

  “That doesn’t explain why she didn’t go to class.”

  Amanda took a deep breath. There was the loophole. The unexplained question.

  “Have you tried calling her?”

  “Yes, that’s what I did before calling you. Judith isn’t answering her phone.”

  “That’s weird. I’ll try to get in touch with Christopher. He may know where she is.”

  “Give me a call if you find her. I’m worried.”

  “Sure will. Thanks for letting me know, Patty.”

  “You’re welcome. I hope you find her.”

  “Me, too. Bye.”

  “Have a good day. And good luck.”

  Amanda hung up. She looked at Emmy.

  “It was Patty, Judith’s roommate. Apparently, no one can find her. She wasn’t in class today.”

  “What? I thought…she must be with Christopher.”

  “I hope so,” said Amanda, dialing him. The line kept ringing. No one on the other end answered. Then a machine played a recording.

  “His phone is off.”

  Emmy looked confused.

  “Where could Judith have gone to?”

  “That’s what we need to find out. Let’s go. I’ll let Nathan know we’re leaving.”

  Amanda texted Nathan while she and Emmy left the apartment. They walked over to Christopher’s door. Amanda knocked on it.

  “He must be in class,” Emmy said.

  “If he is, maybe he doesn’t know about Judith.”

  Amanda knocked again. While they waited, Caldwell and Medina walked out of their apartment. Amanda had texted them as well.

  When there was no answer from Christopher, Amanda and Emmy decided to leave. At the top of the stairs, they saw Nathan walking up to them.

  “Oh, Nathan. You’re here!” Amanda said.

  “I said I would be,” Nathan replied in confusion. “I got your text. Where are you two going?”

  “To see if we can find Judith. She went on a date with Christopher last night and hasn’t got back. Her roommate says that Judith wasn’t in class.”

  “I haven’t seen her either,” said Nathan, following the girls down the stairs.

  “I think we should stop by Judith’s dorm first,” Emmy suggested. Amanda agreed.

  “I’ll follow you in my car,” Nathan told them.

  “Wait!” Amanda said. “How about we split? Caldwell and I go with Nathan to find Christopher. Emmy goes with Medina to Judith’s place.”

  They all considered the plan. The bodyguards didn’t seem to think it was a bad idea.

  “Okay. Let’s move,” Nathan said. He led Amanda and Caldwell to his car.

  “Where could we find him?”

  Amanda shook her head. She looked out the window as Nathan drove. She pulled out her phone and tried to call Judith again. There was still no answer.

  “Christopher has classes today. Let’s go to Cornell. I know which classroom he’s at right now.”

  Once they were at Cornell, Amanda walked to one of the buildings. Nathan and Caldwell followed her. When they got to the classroom, Aman
da peered through the small window in the door.

  “Chris is there, all right. By the look on his face, he’s oblivious to what’s going on.”

  Nathan checked his watch.

  “The class period ends in ten minutes. I think we should wait.”

  Around five minutes later, Emmy called Amanda.

  “Did you find Judith?”

  “She’s not here, Amanda. The interior is just the way it was last night after we left.”

  “What do you mean? Judith hasn’t been there at all?”

  “It doesn’t look like it. Her backpack is here. Do you think Christopher did something to Judith that could have made her go AWOL?”

  “I strongly doubt it. We’re looking at Christopher in class right now. He doesn’t look perturbed at all.”

  “Weird. Should I go there?”

  “That’s not necessary. We can handle it. This is most likely nothing. Have Medina take you back to our place. Tell him to meet us at Cornell.”

  “All right. See you later.”

  “I’ll keep you updated, friend,” Amanda said. She then hung up.

  “Look, they’re leaving,” Nathan said. Amanda looked to the classroom. The students were all walking toward the door. When Christopher stepped outside, Amanda and Nathan walked to him.

  “Hi, Chris.”

  Christopher looked surprised to see them both waiting for him.

  “Hi, Amanda. What’s up?”

  “Do you know where Judith is?”

  “I assume she’s in class. I haven’t seen her today.”

  Nathan and Amanda exchanged glances.

  “Where did she go after your date last night?”

  “I followed Judith in my car all the way to her dorm, to make sure she got there safely. When she waved at me, I drove back to my apartment.”

  “So you haven’t seen her since?”

  Christopher shook his head.

  “Did you notice whether Judith had a late-night visitor when you escorted her back to the dorm?” Nathan asked.

  “No. I left right after Judith got out of her car. Why all these questions anyway? Is she missing?”

  Amanda’s expression was enough of an answer for Christopher. He took a deep breath.

  “I got a call from her dorm mate, Patty, this morning. She said Judith never showed up to sleep.”

  Christopher looked baffled.

  “How’s that possible? I followed Judith all the way to the building. This is inconceivable.”

  Amanda put a hand on Christopher’s shoulder.

  “We need to find her.”

  The three of them walked back outside. When they got to the parking lot, they waited for Medina. In the meantime, Amanda continued dialing Judith’s phone. Christopher did the same once, with no result.

  Medina got back around five minutes later.

  “I questioned the few tenants that I could find. None of them have seen Judith since she left last night for her date,” he informed them.

  “So it’s foul play?” Amanda asked Caldwell. He pondered over his answer.

  “I gather the Vawer family isn’t particularly affluent, right?” Caldwell said.

  “Are you suggesting Judith was kidnapped? There’s no way her family could come up with the kind of money they’re likely to ask for.”

  Christopher looked alarmed.

  “My family’s financially sound. If necessary, we could gather any ransom money if we joined forces with your family.”

  Amanda nodded.

  “I guess the possible ransom money is the least of our worries,” Nathan said. “On that subject, shouldn’t we call the police?”

  “Even if the kidnappers didn’t mind us doing that, the police won’t be much help. We’d have to wait at least forty-eight hours before Judith is declared missing,” said Caldwell. Amanda didn’t look happy.

  “Then let’s call Mr. Hayden. He’s not the police.”

  Caldwell nodded in agreement. Amanda proceeded to call Mr. Hayden. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Tilley. How may I help you?”

  “Are you busy right now, Mr. Hayden?”

  “No. I’m having lunch at a burger joint right now. Did you need something?”

  “Yes, we need your help. Judith’s missing.”

  Amanda filled Hayden in on the details.

  “Are you plain sure no one has seen her?”

  “We’ve looked in her dorm and at Cornell, and Medina has questioned some of the tenants. The last person to have seen her is Christopher.”

  “What does he have to say about it?”

  “He’s just as befuddled as we are. Christopher assures us he dropped Judith off at her building.”

  “Did he see her go in?”

  Amanda relayed Hayden’s question to Christopher. He shook his head.

  “No.”

  Hayden paused for a few seconds.

  “Where are you right now?”

  “At a parking lot in campus. We’re waiting to see where to go next.”

  “We need to discuss a plan of action. Come meet me over here and we’ll talk.”

  Hayden told Amanda where he was.

  “All right, Mr. Hayden. We’ll be there.”

  Amanda hung up.

  “We need to see Mr. Hayden. Who’s coming?”

  “I must be there,” Christopher said. Amanda counted heads.

  “I’ll follow you in my car,” Nathan told her. She nodded, and he walked away.

  “Let’s go.”

  Amanda and Christopher sat in the back of her car. Caldwell and Medina got in the front. They headed toward the restaurant where Hayden was waiting.

  Emmy walked back up the stairs to her apartment after Medina dropped her off. She felt restless, wanting to find out where Judith was. Emmy hoped nothing had happened to her friend. She’d never done a disappearing act before.

  As she entered the apartment, Emmy sent a quick text to Amanda. She’d already called Judith’s family to find out if an emergency might have come up. Emmy found that it wasn’t the case.

  In the kitchen, Emmy thought about fixing herself lunch. Unfortunately, she felt too nervous to eat. Emmy settled for a bottle of water. She went to her bedroom afterward. Maybe she could get started on homework.

  Emmy walked to her desk. She looked through her textbooks and selected one of them, as well as one of her binders. Carrying those, Emmy walked back to the living room, wanting to work on the sofa.

  When Emmy got there, she immediately noticed that the lights were off. She frowned. Emmy wasn’t distraught enough to not remember if she had turned off the lights or not. She walked forward warily. After she took a few steps, there was movement behind her. Emmy wasn’t able to turn around before something hit her on the head. She dropped her textbooks, falling to the floor.

  “Aargh!” Emmy yelled. She touched her head, closing her eyes in pain.

  Emmy then felt someone grab her around the neck. Her captor lifted Emmy up, and then placed an arm around her waist.

  “Behave and I won’t hurt you,” a feminine voice said. Emmy didn’t recognize it.

  The woman placed a rag against Emmy’s mouth. A potent smell assaulted her nostrils. She struggled. Although the woman wasn’t much stronger, Emmy couldn’t get herself free. She started to feel drowsy, her eyelids drooping. After a few seconds, Emmy’s body went limp. The woman held on to her.

  “So, no one has any idea of Judith’s whereabouts?” Hayden asked. He was sitting at a corner table in the burger joint. Amanda, Nathan, Christopher, and Caldwell were with him. Medina was nearby, standing guard.

  “And she’s not answering her phone, either,” Amanda said. “I’m getting more nervous by the minute.”

  Hayden looked at Christopher.

  “Yesterday, did Judith tell you or suggest to you where she would be going?”

  Christopher thought about it.

  “No. Judith only told me that she’d see me today in school. That tel
ls me she had no intention of going away or something.”

  Hayden rubbed his chin.

  “What’s the possibility that they kidnapped Judith for money?”

  “We’ve considered that, too,” Caldwell told him. “Ms. Tilley says that Judith’s family wouldn’t find it easy to pay a large amount of money.”

  “Has anyone received any ransom calls?”

  Amanda, Christopher, and Nathan shook their heads.

  “And Judith hasn’t made any enemies recently, I assume?” Hayden asked. He got the same answer. “Has anyone contacted her family?”

  “Emmy let me know that she called Judith’s parents,” Amanda replied. “There was nothing out of the ordinary. They think everything is still normal.”

  Hayden nodded, absorbing the information.

  “I believe it would be a wise idea to wiretap Ms. Tilley’s phone. And also those of Judith’s parents, in case anyone calls for ransom,” he said.

  “If this is truly a kidnapping, would they be likely to call Amanda?” Nathan asked.

  “It’s a long shot, I admit, but Judith’s parents are not in the city. And Ms. Tilley is relatively wealthy. I wouldn’t discard the possibility that whoever kidnapped Judith did it because of her connection to Ms. Tilley.”

  Nathan looked at Amanda, concern etched on his face. He grabbed her hand.

  “What are the chances that this is connected to the mugging and the hit-and-run?”

  “That’s a big leap to make,” Hayden said to Nathan. “It’s better to wait until we have more information about this situation.”

  “Would it be wise to involve the police?” Christopher asked. “Caldwell says that they have a time frame that must end before they declare someone missing.”

  “That’s true. It’s inconvenient, but understandable. There have been plenty of subjects believed to have disappeared or gotten kidnapped. They turned out to have just run away from unpleasant lives, eloped, or other trivial stuff.”

  The group paused, collecting their thoughts.

  “I need to go to Judith’s apartment building to see if I can learn more,” Hayden said.

  “Do you need us to come with you?” Amanda asked.

  “That’s up to you. I think it would be helpful if you were there. The other tenants are more likely to speak to you than to me.”