by T. R. Ragan
She nodded. “I get the feeling he’s hiring me to cover all bases—you know, show his board members that he’s doing everything he can to find this guy.”
“Well, this MAH guy means business. And if Owen Shepard doesn’t take him seriously, more people will lose their lives.”
“Once I know exactly what Shepard wants from me, I might need to pick your brain.”
“I’m always happy to help. When I read this guy’s letter, I thought he came across as genuine.” Ben gave a halfhearted shrug. “I understood his frustration. I could relate with the fact that I would do anything to protect my kids.”
“But his daughter is gone,” Jessie said. “Killing people isn’t going to bring her back.”
After a short pause, Ben said resignedly, “The love we have for our kids can make us do crazy things.”
Jessie found herself wondering if she should be worried about Ben. He’d lost some weight, and he seemed listless. “Are you all right?”
“Just a little tired. What else do you have going on?”
Jessie forced herself to let it go. “Seven years ago, at Mercy General, Ashley and Nick Bale gave birth to Dakota Elizabeth Bale, a healthy baby girl.”
“Born August 22, 2010,” Ben cut in. “Six pounds, twelve ounces. Taken within twenty-four hours of being born. Never to be seen again.”
“Great memory.”
“The irony,” he said with a smirk. “Who hired you? I’m assuming it wasn’t Nick Bale.”
“It was his wife.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why not Nick?”
Ben leaned back in his chair and tapped a pencil against the edge of his desk. “The abduction was a high-profile case. The media was all over Nick and Ashley Bale. I interviewed both of them, and there was something about Nick Bale that bothered me. You know, like a seed stuck between your teeth.” He scratched the side of his neck.
“Are you saying you believe Nick might have had something to do with the abduction?”
He shrugged. “Just a gut feeling that still lingers in the pit of my stomach after all this time. I stayed on top of that case for over a year. I kept an eye on friends and family, but mostly I watched Nick. The guy made sure to always play the part.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“In my opinion, he was an emotionless, empty man. He rarely spoke. But stick a camera in his face, and he would become the grieving father the public expected to see. He seemed to crave attention and sympathy, and he got both in spades. Now, Ashley,” he said, “was the real deal—a grief-stricken mother who wanted her child back.”
Jessie made a mental note, then asked, “How does someone just walk out of a hospital with a baby?”
“Authorities discovered a grainy visual of a dark-haired woman leaving the hospital with a bundle held close to her chest. I know we had a copy of the video footage at one point since I watched it many times.”
“I would love to get my hands on that.”
“We might have a copy in our file room.”
She frowned. “Ashley Bale gave me a binder filled with pictures and articles about the abduction, but there was only one article from the Tribune—written by Dustin Harrigan.”
“Yeah, I took over the story after Dustin had some health problems. Between the two of us, there should have been close to a dozen articles.”
“Strange.”
Ben lifted a finger. “Hold on. Let me double-check.” He grabbed his cell, chatted with someone on the other line, and then hung up. “Shirley is going to check the archives for me.”
“I owe you,” she said. “Again.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“That’s not true.”
His expression grew serious. “No more of this nonsense about me saving your life. You would have done the same for me had circumstances been reversed. We’re good.”
“So, how have you been?” Judging by the dark shadows under his eyes, he’d been working too hard. “Are you still having flashbacks?”
He nodded. “Everyone is convinced I’m seeing images from old crime scenes.”
“You sound doubtful.”
“Do I?”
She nodded.
Ben exhaled. “I have been wanting to talk to you about that day.”
Jessie waited for him to continue.
“I guess you could say I’ve been struggling with everything that happened. I could have let the Heartless Killer go. I didn’t have to kill him. I could have detained him and waited for the police. In fact, maybe that’s what I should have done.” He scratched the side of his neck again. “I saw you watching. I knew what I was doing, and yet I didn’t stop.”
Jessie looked him square in the eye and said, “I wanted to kill him, too.”
“Thanks for that.”
She shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
His cell phone buzzed again, and he picked up the call. When he was done, he stood and said, “Wait here. Shirley says she struck gold. I’ll be right back.”
After he walked away, Jessie got up and took a look around. She was surprised to see Colin through a glass wall. He wasn’t facing her, but she had full view of his profile. He was inside a conference room with three officers and two men in suits. She figured the meeting had to do with the letters Ben had received.
Seeing him gave her an unexpected jolt as she remembered the way he’d held her in his arms on the dance floor. For a moment in time, she’d felt young and carefree. She knew he’d only been teasing about taking her through the car wash, but the idea had caused a fluttery feeling within. Both of their jobs required long hours. Colin had his daughter, Piper, to raise, just as Jessie had Olivia. It wasn’t easy finding time for each other.
She looked away when she saw Ben returning with a large envelope.
“Inside are copies of the pieces the Tribune published at the time. There’s also a flash drive containing the video footage you wanted to see. If there’s anything else you need, just give me a call.”
“Thank you, Ben. I appreciate all your help.”
She picked up her purse and pulled the strap over her shoulder. “I don’t mean to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I get the sense that the images you see are causing you concern.”
“No need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
“I know you’re okay, but if you ever decide to look into your past . . . you know, dig a little deeper, I would love to help. We make a good team. Together, we could visit the town where you grew up and talk to people, maybe even figure out what some of these images you’re seeing are all about.”
“You’ve got enough going on.”
“I’m serious, Ben. Think about it.”
THIRTEEN
With Higgins at her side, Olivia walked to Jessie’s office to do some filing. Ever since her mother’s funeral, she’d been feeling moody and depressed. She’d spent most of her life being angry at her mom for abandoning her only to find out she had been killed in a car accident on the night she’d disappeared.
The thought filled Olivia with guilt.
Sophie might not have been the best mother in the world, but she hadn’t abandoned her after all. If she hadn’t died that night, she would have come home, and they would have been a real family.
As soon as she unlocked the door and went inside, Higgins went straight to his bed in the corner and plopped down. The wire basket on top of the file cabinet was filled to the brim with papers. She left her bag on the chair in front of Jessie’s desk. Before she could even get started, her phone vibrated.
There were text messages from her friend Bella. The usual stuff: What are you wearing tomorrow? Did you hear about Noah and Mara? They broke up. Can you believe it?
Without bothering to reply, she shoved her phone in her back pocket and grabbed the paper on top of the pile. It was a letter from an insurance company regarding an old workers’ compensation claim. Filing was a boring job, but it was the price she had to pay if she wanted to earn an allowance.
&
nbsp; She thought about Bella. What her friend didn’t know was that Olivia had been hoping Ryder would ask her to the upcoming dance. She felt bad about not telling Bella that she liked Ryder, especially since they used to tell each other everything. But Bella had been acting weird lately. The last time Olivia told her she liked a boy, Bella had blabbed her private business to half the school. When Olivia asked her why she’d done that, Bella had lied and sworn she never told a soul. But Olivia had seen the text Bella sent to another friend. She and Bella were still friends, but it just wasn’t the same. She didn’t trust her anymore.
“What are you doing?”
Olivia jumped at the sound of a voice and bumped her elbow on the filing cabinet. “Ouch!”
Higgins was on his feet, standing at attention, ready to attack. Olivia recognized the girl at once. It was Zee Gatley. Olivia had helped Jessie find Zee after she went missing. She felt as if she knew Zee even though they’d never met. According to Jessie, Zee suffered from a mental disorder. She experienced hallucinations and could be unpredictable at times.
“Hi. I’m Olivia, Jessie’s niece.”
“Oh. Cool,” Zee said, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “I’ve heard about you.”
“I’ve heard about you, too.”
Higgins went to Zee, his stump of a tail moving side to side. She patted him on the head. “Did Jessie tell you I was crazy?”
Having no idea what to say to that, Olivia froze.
Zee laughed. “It’s okay. I have schizophrenia, along with millions of other people in America. It’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.”
“That’s good,” Olivia said, at a complete loss.
Zee looked around the room. “Where’s Jessie?”
“She’s working another missing person’s case—a baby snatched from the hospital seven years ago.”
“That sounds exciting,” Zee said, her eyes rounding.
Olivia nodded. “I heard you’re working for Jessie now.”
“Yep.”
“Do you like it?”
“I’m watching a woman who claims she was injured at work. It’s not as exciting as looking for a missing kid. Mostly I sit in my car all day. But, yeah, I like it.”
“It’s got to be a hundred times better than filing papers.”
Zee glanced at the clock. “I have to go watch the woman’s house for another hour and a half. Why don’t you come with me?”
Olivia chewed on her bottom lip. She thought about calling Jessie, but then she remembered how busy she’d sounded when they had talked earlier. They would just be sitting in the car. What was the big deal? “What about Higgins?”
“Bring him along.”
“You don’t mind bringing me back here afterward?”
“No. Come on.”
Olivia grabbed her bag and the dog, locked the office door, then followed Zee outside and across the street. She pointed to a blue Honda with a bent fender. “Is that your car?”
Zee looked that way. “No. Mine is the other blue car.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “Is that a Tesla?”
Zee nodded. “My dad likes to spoil me.”
The Tesla was a ridiculously sweet car. As soon as the door was opened, Higgins jumped into the back seat. Olivia slid into the passenger seat and hardly had time to fasten her seat belt before Zee sped off.
Higgins jumped between the seats and onto Olivia’s lap. She rolled down the window so he could enjoy the air against his face. Less than ten minutes later Zee drove slowly down a residential street and pulled to the curb.
“Is that where the woman lives?” Olivia asked.
“No.” Zee pointed straight ahead. “It’s up the street a ways.” She then climbed out of the car while it was still running, walked around the front, and opened the passenger door.
“What are you doing?” Olivia asked.
“I thought you might want to drive the car the rest of the way.”
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t even have my license yet. Besides, if something happened, Jessie would not be happy.”
Zee snorted. “It’s only a few blocks. Nothing’s going to happen. You’ll be fine.”
Olivia wasn’t sure what exactly possessed her to listen to Zee, but the next thing she knew she was sliding into the driver’s seat and caressing the steering wheel.
Zee transferred Higgins to the back seat while she explained how everything worked.
Olivia’s heart pounded as she released the brake and rolled slowly onto the street. By the end of the second block, she could come to a complete stop without jerking forward. Despite Zee’s constant muttering, driving was surprisingly easy. She wasn’t exactly sure what Zee was saying, but every sentence sounded as if it started or ended with “motherfucker” or “holy fucking shit.”
If Olivia wasn’t concentrating so hard on what she was doing, all the jibber jabber might have freaked her out. But she figured Jessie never would have hired Zee unless she trusted her.
“Oh my God,” Zee said. “There he is!”
“Who?”
“Norton’s weirdo neighbor. He’s the one driving the four-door black Ford F-150 up ahead.” Zee leaned forward. “Does he have someone in the truck with him?”
“I don’t know,” Olivia said, wondering why Zee thought he was weird but quickly deciding she really didn’t want to know.
Zee pushed the button on her seat, making it move slowly backward until the headrest nearly hit the back seat.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want the man driving that truck to see me. You need to follow him.”
Olivia spotted the truck up ahead. “No way.”
“Just a little farther so I can see who is in the car with him.”
Olivia did as Zee asked, inwardly scolding herself all the way to the end of the road. “There is definitely a young girl in the car with him.”
“How young?”
“I don’t know. Fourteen or fifteen,” Olivia guessed. “Oh, shit.”
“What is it?” Zee asked.
“I’m coming up to a stoplight. No way am I going onto the main road.” When she slowed down, a car that suddenly appeared behind her honked, long and loud, making her nervous. She stepped on the gas and followed the truck through the green light. “This is insane.” She swallowed. “I’m going to crash. We’re all going to die.”
“You’re doing great,” Zee told her. “Pull over whenever you can, and we’ll switch seats.”
The car directly behind Olivia honked again before finally moving to the other lane and speeding around her. By the time they got to the next light, Olivia came to a stop right next to the truck. The young girl in the back seat looked out the window. Her eyes looked sad. As soon as the light turned green, the truck sped off.
Olivia kept going straight, looking ahead, hoping for a turn lane. “The truck is long gone. You can straighten your seat.” It seemed every few seconds somebody found a reason to honk at her.
“If you don’t speed up, you’re going to get a ticket for going too slow.”
Olivia sped up. Her heart was racing. By the time she pulled into the turn lane at the next light, she was feeling a tiny bit better. But then she made the mistake of looking to her left, where she saw a familiar face exiting the corner market, looking right at her. It was Grandpa! If he told Jessie he saw her driving, she would be grounded for life.
The second the light changed colors, Olivia stepped on the gas. The tires squealed as she made the turn. Less than a minute later, she pulled to the side of the road, shut off the engine, and said, “I’m done. Never again.”
FOURTEEN
Jessie’s meeting with Owen Shepard lasted thirty minutes. After he was called away, she spent an hour with his assistant, who was able to print copies of the letters that had been sent to Ben. The sheer number of complaints filed against DHI in the past three years alone would take months to sort through, but Owen had agreed to give
her temporary access to their files stored online while she worked the case.
As she drove home, Jessie worried that she might have taken on more than she could handle. Not only did she have the usual requests to locate ex-spouses, do background checks on nannies, and find adoption records, but she was also working on the Ashley Bale case.
And what about Ben? She’d offered to help him, too. Ben had been having dark recollections since she’d first met him. Clearly he was conflicted. What struck her as odd was that he would remember dead people but not his own family. He had no idea if he and his sister had been close when they were growing up. He couldn’t recall a thing about his parents or teachers or school or hobbies.
He’d once told her that after his accident he wasn’t interested in looking back. But everything had changed after he’d strangled the Heartless Killer. It seemed he thought he might possess killer instincts. She’d been there when Ben killed the man. She could still envision the determined look in Ben’s eyes, as if nothing could stop him, as if maybe he’d killed before.
But Jessie knew better. She’d worked side by side with Ben, and somewhere along the way they had formed a bond. She trusted him, and she was eager to help him so he could move on with his life.
She parked her car in the alley and then walked around to the front of the old house surrounded by a wrought iron fence with a rusted gate that no longer worked. Everything about the house shouted, “Help me!” But there was nothing she could do since she didn’t have the time or the money to fix it. She had made a deal with the landlord. She wouldn’t ask him to fix anything, and in return, he wouldn’t raise the rent. Despite its condition, she was grateful to have a roof over her and Olivia’s heads.
The front door creaked when she opened it. Nothing a little WD-40 couldn’t take care of. Halfway up the stairs she smelled something wonderful. At the top of the landing, Higgins wagged his stump and ran over to greet her.
She put a hand to her chest when she saw that the table had been set and Olivia was cooking at the stove. “Am I in the right house?”