by Jenn Vakey
“What are you thinking?” Matthews asked. He had been listening to her phone call curiously.
“Well, I've decided not to wait until we get a confirmed identification. Ben suggested we ask Fore to see if he can give us a name for our mystery man,” she explained. “I'm going to send his picture out to the motels and rentals in town to see if we can find out where he's been staying.”
Matthews nodded and reached for his keyboard. “I can take care of that,” he said. “After calling around when we were looking for the stalker, I had a few officers pull up a database for all rentals. Now all we need to do is put together an email and it’ll go out to everyone at once.”
Rilynne was impressed. She sat back and watched him quickly type up the email and send it out. It took him just minutes to finish what normally would have taken several hours.
“I love my boys,” Rilynne said, looking between them.
“Oh, we're your boys, are we?” Matthews asked.
She nodded. “Absolutely. And I have the two best boys in the station.”
Rilynne felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. She knew Kim was safe and who had her. She even found herself truly smiling for the first time in days. It didn't last long, though.
Matthews' face quickly went blank, and she didn't need to turn around to know why. Lori was back.
“Did you find anything?” she asked. Rilynne turned and offered her a kind smile, then looked down to Harper. He was holding Lori's hand, looking around the room nervously. Rilynne was glad the situation didn't seem to have had a negative effect on their relationship. She knew that it wasn’t hard for a parent to blame one child for the disappearance of another, especially when they were together at the time.
“We would like Harper to look at a few more pictures if that's all right?” Rilynne asked, holding her hand out to him.
He looked up at Lori hesitantly before taking it.
“It's all right,” she said. “I'll be with you the entire time, and your dad will be up in just a few minutes.”
He turned to Rilynne and nodded. Matthew grabbed the file off his desk and followed them into the conference room.
“You remember how we did this last time, right?” Matthews asked. He dropped down in the chair across the table from Harper and opened the file. “Now, we have six pictures for you to look at,” he said, spreading them out. “I want you to-”
“That one,” Harper said. He pointed to one of the pictures without hesitation. Rilynne looked over his shoulder. His finger was in the middle of the man's face. It was the man she already knew had Kim.
“Are you sure?” Lori asked. For the first time in days, there was a glint of real hope in her eyes.
Harper looked up at her and nodded.
“We've already sent his face out to every place in town he could be renting,” Rilynne said. “I'm also speaking with Dustin Fore in the morning to see if he can give us a name.”
Lori nodded.
Rilynne left them sitting in the conference room and walked back to her desk. She had to fight off the urge to start jumping up and down right there.
“So where do we stand as far as the other case goes?” Matthews asked when he walked out after her. “Are we still working under the assumption that this man could also be connected to the other abductions?”
Rilynne thought about it, but didn’t have an answer. He was young, too young to have taken the first girl. The room he was holding Kim in also didn’t look anything like the one she had seen in the dream. At the same time, she wouldn’t have had the dreams that she did if they weren’t in some way connected.
“We’ll continue to look into both cases,” she said finally. “Whether they’re connected or not, they’re both still child abduction cases and need to be given top priority. We’ll consider the possibility they’re connected, but we won’t focus solely on it.”
“All right,” he said. “I’m almost done working through the missing children cases from the county. I’ve also sent the information out to the surrounding areas, so hopefully we will have an identification on our first Jane Doe soon.”
“Good,” she said. “Let me know when you do. Her family’s been waiting for answers long enough. I want to give the notification myself.”
Notifying a family of a death was the only part of her job she truly hated. After going through this with Lori, though, she couldn’t stand the idea that another family would have to wait even a day longer to find out what happened to their child.
* * *
Rilynne laid in bed for three hours before resigning to the fact that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep. She was too anxious about her upcoming conversation with Dustin Fore. After checking the clock for the third time in a fifteen minute period, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom. Marti was barking in her sleep when she walked past the kennel. Smiling, she shook her head before making her way to the kitchen.
She pulled the refrigerator open but shut it again without taking anything out. She wasn’t hungry, just bored. Without thinking, she reached for the sponge on the sink and started scrubbing the counter tops.
She wasn’t even aware of what she was doing until she moved from the countertops to the cabinet doors. While she always liked a clean house, she had to be really preoccupied by something to clean so thoroughly without a good reason.
Rilynne spent two hours working her way through the kitchen, even going so far as to organize all of her cabinets and pantry, before starting on the living room. From there, she made her way from room to room, through the rest of the house. By the time the sun started creeping through the window, she had cleaned all but her bedroom.
“What are you doing?” Ben groaned when she walked back into the room. He sat up in bed and glanced at the alarm clock.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said. She reached into the closet and pulled out her clothes before walking back into the bedroom. “My call with Fore is in two hours. Let’s go get some breakfast before heading into the station.”
Ben groaned again before nodding. He didn’t get out of bed, though, until after she had changed and walked back into the living room.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about not being able to sleep,” he said when he walked out ten minutes later. “So this is what you do when you can’t go for a run in the middle of the night?”
“It was either this or go to the office at two in the morning,” she said as she glanced around.
Ben shook his head before grabbing his keys and following her to the door.
Rilynne found herself growing only more anxious as the minutes past. She could barely contain herself by the time they sat down in the booth across the street from the station.
“It won’t be much longer,” Ben said. She looked up from her menu to find a humored grin on his face. It wasn’t until then that she realized she had been bouncing impatiently in her seat.
“I know,” she said. “As soon as we can put a name to the face, it will be all the easier to track him down. I’m really hoping Fore will be able to give us something. It’s been five days. I didn’t think it would take us this long to get her back.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. “I know,” he said. “You’re making progress, though. That’s the important thing.”
It didn’t feel like she was getting anywhere. The excitement she had felt the day before had all but faded away. Though they had a picture of the man who took her, she’d realized they weren’t any closer to actually tracking them down. If he was able to get Kim out of Addison Valley, chances were they might never find her. Even if he couldn’t get her out, it was only a matter of time before he decided she was a liability.
“Stop that,” Ben said. She looked up with a startled glance, but he didn't meet her gaze. “Stop thinking like that.”
Rilynne smirked. “And how do you know what I’m thinking?” she asked.
Ben shrugged. “Maybe I’m a psychic.”
* * *
�
�Thank you for coming back in, Mr. Fore,” Rilynne said.
“Have you found anything?” he asked eagerly. He was fidgeting with the cell phone that was in his hands. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, she was guessing he’d also had a sleepless night. “Have you found her?”
“We have a picture of the man that abducted her, but we still haven’t been able to put a name to him,” she explained. “Because of the risk that went into taking her, we suspect that there’s some kind of bond between them.”
Recognition flashed across his face and he nodded. “Like a family member who was more concerned with being with her than anything else.” Rilynne was impressed with his quick assessment. It must have shown on her face, because Fore grinned before he went on. “You’re thinking that the man might have come from up here and could be associated with either my family or Kimberly’s.”
“Actually, yes. Do you know who this man is?” She pulled the photograph Maloy had taken out of the file sitting in front of her and held it up to the camera.
Fore’s eyes swept over it briefly before he let out a low groan and nodded. “I know exactly who that is,” he said. “He isn’t family, though. His name is Trent Erin. He went to high school with Kimberly and me. He was the guy Kimberly dated before we got together.”
Rilynne felt a rush of excitement flood through her. It took every bit of willpower she could muster to stay seated and finish the interview. “What can you tell me about him?” she asked. “Have you had any contact with him since high school?”
“No,” he said quickly. “We weren’t exactly what you would call friends. Kimberly broke up with him when she caught him making out with cheerleader behind the bleachers. We started dating right after that. Other than seeing him in the hall from time to time, we never really talked. I haven’t seen him at all since graduation.”
“Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Fore. I will make sure you’re notified as soon as we know anything,” she said. As he nodded, she pushed the computer closed and rushed back out into the office. “I’ve got a name!”
A deafening silence filled the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward her. “The man that has been following Lori and Kim is Trent Erin from Bodker. He had a personal relationship with Kimberly Adams, Kim’s biological mother. He has no direct connection to Kim, but it’s possible he’s working with a member of Ms. Adams’ family that we don’t know about. Wooldridge, will you have all information on him from Bodker sent in?”
“Already on it,” he said, holding up his phone.
“I’m updating the information I sent to the motels and rentals in the area to include his name,” Matthews said. “Since he doesn't have any connection to her, it’s possible he checked in using his real name.”
“I think it’s safe to say that Trent Erin isn’t connected to the body we found, so it’s unlikely that case is connected to Kim’s,” Rilynne stated. “Our top priority for right now is to track down this man before he has a chance to get Kim out of Addison Valley... or worse.”
Everyone nodded in agreement before getting back to work. Rilynne felt a surge of adrenalin working through her as she sat back down at her desk. They knew who had Kim now. All they needed to do was track him down and they would get her back.
She glanced down at the picture still in her hand and leaned back in her chair before closing her eyes.
With the roadblock just in sight, Erin pulled Kim by the hand as they stepped onto a hiking trail. His heart was pounding so violently that he took in a deep breath just to calm it. After making sure no one was watching them, he pulled out a compass and stepped off the path.
Then there were flashes: two trees forming an ‘X’, a thick wall of brush, and Kim running in a red jacket.
“No way,” she mumbled as she jumped from her chair and ran down the hall.
Rilynne stepped off the elevator and rushed into the lab. “I need your help,” she said, stopping abruptly at Elise's desk. Elise looked startled but nodded. Rilynne glanced around. The lab was full and several eyes were on her. Not wanting to be overheard, she grabbed Elise's hand and dragged her out of the room. After making sure no one was around, she turned toward her and released her grip.
“Are you up for a little covert work?” she asked.
Elise grinned. “It's been far too long. What do you have in mind?”
“I need you to plant an idea in the head of a psychic so she can come in and suggest where we should start looking for Kim,” Rilynne said. Even as the words left her lips, she knew how insane it sounded.
Unsurprisingly, Elise looked confused.
“This isn't one I can just pop off with,” Rilynne continued. “I don't have time to make up a story for it. If she comes in and plants the idea, though, I can spin off of it.”
“I still don't get why you can't just claim it as a hunch like you usually do,” Elise stated.
Rilynne took a deep breath, trying to decide how to explain it. “Because it's a really stupid idea,” she finally said.
Her sister laughed and nodded in resignation. “What's the plan?”
Chapter Fifteen
Rilynne stood up and walked into the conference room before answering her phone. “Did you have any problems?” she asked.
“It was even easier than you said,” Elise chuckled. “She was in the bar, no doubt trying to overhear anything she could about the case. I sat next to her and pretended to be on my phone and said what you told me to. She left right after.”
“And headed straight here,” Rilynne said, watching Selena Young rush through the door. “I owe you one.”
Rilynne walked back into the office just in time to hear Young start.
“He's taking her through the woods,” she announced. Everyone stopped and turned toward her. “I can see it. He can't get out of town with the roadblock, so he's going to take her out through the woods. I can see it all happening. He's moving her today.”
Matthews sent an irritated look at Rilynne before standing up. “Thank you, Ms. Young. We will start looking into this right away. Do you know where he’ll be taking her out?” He was indulging her, though doing a surprisingly good job at keeping it off of his face.
She pulled one hand up to her temple and reached out with the other. When she closed her eyes, she started chanting and swaying in place. After a few long moments, her body relaxed and she grew quiet.
“I've lost the spirits,” she said softly.
“All right,” Matthews said. He walked toward her and herded her to the door. “We'll get right on this. Thank you for your assistance.”
She looked stunned that she was being pushed out the door but complied without argument. As soon as she was gone, Rilynne walked to her desk and picked up the phone.
“What are you doing?” Matthews asked with a note of amusement.
Rilynne took a quick breath to calm herself. She had to convince him and this was her only chance. If they waited, even a day, they might be too late.
“I'm calling in the search dogs,” she said.
There was a look on his face that she had never seen before. He was looking at her like she was crazy. Rilynne wanted to turn away, his eyes stinging as they hit her, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.
“You can't seriously believe her?” he asked.
Rilynne let out a quick laugh, hoping it didn't sound as fake as it felt. “No,” she declared. “That woman is a quack. I'm sure she's been sitting at Travis Bar listening to the off duty cops talking about the case. We know Erin wants to get Kim out of town but can't with the road block. I’m sure it’s one of the main topics down there right now.”
“So he's going to hike out of town?” he asked skeptically.
“No one in their right mind would try to hike out of town,” she said. “But she made a public announcement about it. If it does turn out that he's holding her in the woods and we didn't do anything, it will come back on us all. Do you want to be the one to tell Lori we di
dn't look into it because it came from that fraud?”
His face went blank and he nodded. “Make the call.”
“They’ll be here in half an hour,” she said when she hung up minutes later. “That gives us enough time to pull together a search party.”
“I've already put out the call,” he said. “Everyone's to be downstairs in fifteen minutes. I've asked LaShad and Donovan to stay here in case we hear back from any of the motels or rentals. We'll have every available officer out until we can get the Texas Rangers in to take over the search.”
She nodded and leaned back in her seat. After taking a breath, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Before she could see anything, though, she was interrupted by footsteps storming toward the office. She opened her eyes and spun around just in time to see Lori step through the door.
“What did you find?” she asked, her cell phone in hand. Rilynne turned around and shot Matthews a baleful look. He closed his eyes and let out a low groan, realizing his mistake. When he sent the mass text to the department, he failed to remove Lori from the list. “Have you found her?”
“We’re just following up on a lead,” Rilynne said calmly. “We've already identified the man and know that he’ll want to get out of town. With the roadblock, he's limited. We received a tip that he might try to get out on foot, and although it's highly unlikely, we're sending out a search team.”
“Who is he?” she asked.
Rilynne took Lori and sat her down in her desk chair. “His name is Trent Erin. He was Kimberly Adams’ boyfriend before she started dating Dustin Fore.”
“Why does he want Kim?”
Rilynne shrugged. “It's possible Kimberly had family you weren't able to find. They may have enlisted him to grab her. The good thing is, from everything we've learned, he has no intention of hurting her.”
Lori nodded quickly. “I'm going with you,” she said.
Rilynne hesitated, shifting her gaze to Matthews. He shrugged. She knew exactly what he was thinking, even without him having to say it. He didn't think anything would amount from their search. Allowing her to go would give her something to do to feel useful. Rilynne knew otherwise. She also knew, though, that there wasn't anything she could do to keep Lori away.