A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Mystery 12)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  “According to Rita, they have drug and alcohol problems. They probably went to a friend’s house last night, got drunk and spent the night. It’s almost noon so they might be home by now.”

  Allison lived in a trailer park called Morningside Resort. It certainly didn’t look like any kind of resort to me. Maybe a last resort, if this was the only place left on earth to live. Not that I have anything against trailer parks. My best friend in high school lived in a very nice trailer park, a place I’d spent much of my time. We’d hang out at the community park, flirting with other boy’s our age who also lived there. Morningside Resort had a playground, too, but the swing set looked rusty and dilapidated, the ground overgrown with weeds.

  Allison’s trailer was located directly across the street from this unsightly playground. There were no cars parked in the driveway and nobody came to the door after we knocked several times.

  “Either no one is home,” I said. “Or her parents are passed out cold.”

  Carter tried the doorknob. “It’s locked, but it’s a cheap door. I bet I could kick it in.”

  “That’s probably not the best idea,” I said, giving him a look of admonishment. “Can you see through that window?”

  He craned his neck to the left and peered inside. “I can’t see a thing, the glass is so filthy.”

  Carter tried the door and it opened freely. “Look at this. Lucky break.”

  As he entered the trailer, I noticed a man walking his dog, headed in our direction.

  “Ma’am,” he called out to me. “Are you looking for Tom and Nancy?”

  “Yes,” I replied, turning to face him. “Do you know them?”

  As the man and his little poodle came closer, I got the sense that he wasn’t surprised that I was asking questions. “Yeah, I know ‘em. I live next door.” He gestured to the trailer to the right of Allison’s. “Let me guess, you guys are from child services.”

  I didn’t answer that question. I figured I’d let him think that was true. “Any idea where they might be?” I asked.

  “They have a pretty busy social calendar.” His tone was laced with sarcasm as he chuckled. “What have they done this time?”

  “We need to talk to them about their daughter.”

  The guy nodded in understanding. “Allison. Nice girl.”

  “That’s right. You know her pretty well?”

  He shrugged. “I talk to her every now and then but she never says much. I feel badly for her.”

  “Do her parents often go off and leave her alone?” I asked.

  “Sometimes, but usually not longer than a day or two. Quite honestly, I don’t know why you people won’t just remove her from their custody. She doesn’t need that kind of influence in her life.”

  “Are they abusive?” I asked.

  “Well, I’ve never seen them hit the girl, but I hear them shouting at her all the time. If you want my opinion, the girl would rather have them gone as much as possible.”

  “Do you know if Allison has other family members who live close by?”

  “Not that I’ve seen, although, I think she might have a boyfriend. He obviously doesn’t live in this part of town because he drives a BMW.”

  “A BMW?” I took a moment to consider that. Reece never mentioned anything to me about her having a boyfriend. “He must be at least a few years older than her if he has his license. What’s he look like?”

  “Didn’t get a good look at his face because he never gets out of his car. He picks her up and they go somewhere else for an hour or so and then he drops her back home.”

  “How often does this happen?”

  “A few times that I’ve noticed. Usually when her parents are gone he’ll come.”

  “You didn’t by chance write down his license plate number?”

  “No. I guess I didn’t because she always gets home safe and sound. But the next time he comes, I’ll write it down if I’m here.”

  I reached into my purse and handed my business card. Since he was being such a good sport I decided to come clean. “My name is Sarah Woods and I’m a private investigator. I don’t actually work with social services, but I have a vested interest in Allison’s well-being. Could you call me when her parents get home? I’d really appreciate it.”

  He examined the card with interest. “Sure, I could do that.” He offered his hand. “I’m Jake Dodds, by the way.”

  I shook his hand with a firm grip. “Thanks for your help, Jake.”

  When Carter emerged and returned to the Buick, he shook his head in disgust. “The place is a dump.”

  “Any clue as to where they are?” I asked.

  “No. But I’m telling you, no kid should have to live like that. There were some used hypodermic needles on their bedroom floor. I took a peek in Allison’s room but I didn’t want to invade her privacy so I didn’t go in.” Carter nodded toward the trailer on the left. “I noticed you were talking to the neighbor. Did he have anything interesting to say?”

  “Well, he doesn’t know where Allison’s parents are, but he did mention something else. Apparently, she has a male visitor who picks her up when her parents aren’t home. He drives a BMW.”

  “Could it be a boyfriend?” Carter asked.

  “Allison told me this morning that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. So whoever this kid is, she wants to keep him a secret.”

  “Maybe he’s not a kid at all but a grown man with a fetish for young girls.”

  I was thinking the same exact thing.

  Chapter 17

  As Carter sped through town to Dr. Wheeler’s office, I called Rita.

  “Did you find Allison’s parents?” she asked, not bothering with a hello.

  “I’m sorry,” I told her. “They weren’t at home and we have no idea where they could be. Carter found some hypodermic needles laying around the trailer.”

  “Dear God,” she said. “They obviously haven’t made any efforts to change. I’m going to call Emma, she’s the caseworker from child services. She’ll be very interested to know.”

  “If you want my advice, I’d take Allison to the police directly after school today to file the report against Dr. Wheeler. No point in waiting for her parents to come home.”

  “I agree. I’ve already got it set up. Allison will meet me here as soon as she leaves class which is in fifteen minutes or so. Then I’ll drive her to the police station myself.”

  “Which brings me to the next topic. You’re not going to like it.”

  Rita paused and when she spoke, her voice was tentative. “What is it?”

  “When I spoke with Allison’s neighbor, he told me about this BMW that shows up whenever her parents are away. Allison leaves with the person and then he drops her off back home an hour or two later. We looked up Dr. Wheeler’s registration and he owns a dark blue BMW. It has to be him. Who else would she know who drives a BMW?”

  Since Rita didn’t respond, I could only assume she was in shock.

  “Look,” I said. “Carter and I are heading to Dr. Wheeler’s office right now. Obviously this guy has been doing a lot more than just taking pictures of Allison. And I think she’s too scared to tell anyone the extent of it.”

  “What are you planning to do?” she asked.

  “Shake things up a little. By the time we get there, you and Allison will be at the police station. I want to see this guy face to face and see him squirm.”

  Dr. Wheeler’s office was located on the second floor of a duplex building that he shared with an accountant and a chiropractor. Glancing around the parking lot, I spied the BMW. “At least we know he’s here. What exactly do we plan on doing, now?”

  “Let me do the talking and just go with it.” Carter offered me a sly smile. “I have an idea. And it’s going to be fun.”

  As we ascended the first set of stairs and came upon Dr. Wheeler’s office, we spotted a woman seated at the reception desk. She looked familiar to me and I realized where I’d seen her.

  “That’s Dr. Whee
ler’s wife,” I whispered to Carter. “His wife is also his secretary.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’m positive.”

  “Shit, that puts a damper on my strategy.” Carter continued to walk up to the desk and offered the woman a warm smile. “Hello, Ma’am. We’re investigators working with the Fitch Police Department. We’d like to ask Dr. Wheeler a few questions.”

  She looked up, returned his smile, and gestured toward the door to her right. “What this about?”

  “It has to do with one of his patients and social services,” Carter replied. “It will only take a few minutes. Is he available?”

  The woman regarded us with confusion. “Well, um, he’s in his office, but he’s got another patient coming in in twenty minutes.”

  “We should be out of your hair by then.” Carter gestured toward the door that she kept glancing at. “That’s his office, I presume?”

  She nodded but said nothing more.

  Carter knocked and a male voice said, come in. We entered his office to find him hovered over a plant, spritzing the green leaves with a spray bottle. He wore dark trousers and a white button down shirt under a wool cardigan sweater. He was tall and lean and, in his preppy attire, he reminded me of Mr. Rogers from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, my favorite children’s TV show when I was growing up. At the sound of our footsteps, he stood to his full height and regarded us with an inquisitive expression. “Good afternoon,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. He was probably trying to figure out if he’d seen us somewhere before and why we were there in the first place. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Yes, sir. My name is Carter and this is my partner Sarah. We do some private investigative work for social services and we need to ask you a few questions about one of your patients. Allison Kenney. ”

  His eyebrow twitched but he wore a convincing innocent expression of concern. “Has something happened to her?”

  “Dr. Wheeler,” Carter continued. “We understand you’re not allowed to share certain information with us due to doctor-client confidentiality but, maybe you can help us in another way.”

  “Certainly.” Dr. Wheeler offered us a seat at the couch that sat directly across from his desk. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds when I realized this looked like the same couch in Allison’s nude pictures. I sat down, kept my mouth shut, and tried to remain calm although my fists were clenched and beginning to sweat.

  “Thank you.” Carter cleared his throat and retrieved his palm-sized notebook from inside his leather jacket. He took his time flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

  All the while, Dr. Wheeler tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. “So, how can I help you folks?”

  Carter looked up and smiled. “There’s a situation we’ve been alerted to concerning Allison. She’s confided in her guidance counselor recently about being sexually assaulted. Has Allison mentioned anything like that to you?”

  Dr. Wheeler blinked hard as if in complete shock. “No. Allison never mentioned anything like that to me. Did she give a name?”

  “Not yet. We believe it’s someone close to her but not her immediate family. Are you sure she hasn’t mentioned anyone to you?”

  He swallowed hard and grabbed the bottle of water on his desk. He took two short sips and placed the bottle back in the same spot. “This is very disturbing news. It’s possible that Allison is simply looking for attention. Is there any proof of this sexual assault?”

  Carter raised an eyebrow. “As a matter of fact yes, there is. Whoever this pervert is, he took nude photos of her and posted them on the Internet to share with his friends. Have you ever heard of a blog called Teenager Revealed?”

  The doctor pretended to think it over then shook his head. “Doesn’t sound familiar.”

  “Well, it’s a site where men post stories about having sex with under-aged girls. It’ll make you sick. As far as we can tell, there are about six or seven guys who regularly post on the site. We’ve notified the FBI and they’re currently working on exposing the men involved. These websites are tough to crack so it might take some time. We just thought we’d stop by and ask if you knew anything about that.”

  “I’m sorry, I really wish I could help.” He loosened the top two buttons of his shirt and glanced at his watch. “Look, I have a patient coming in shortly. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  “Just one more question.” Carter stood up to leave and I followed suit. “Allison’s neighbor mentioned to us that someone in a dark BMW has been to her house. We think this might be the same guy who posted her pictures on the website. Still not ringing any bells?”

  Again, the innocent stare. “No.”

  “That’s interesting,” Carter pointed to the window behind him. “Because I noticed a real nice BMW in the parking lot. What a weird coincidence.”

  “Lots of people have BMW’s,” he said.

  Carter held out his hand in a friendly manner but the good doctor didn’t move a muscle. “Great, well, I thank you for your time and your cooperation, Doctor. Sarah and I will see ourselves out.”

  Chapter 18

  When Carter and I got back to the Buick, we sat there for a few minutes to discuss our meeting with Dr. Wheeler.

  “I bet he’s up in his office right now calling his lawyer,” Carter said.

  “Or, he’s breaking the news to his wife to prepare her. Awkward.”

  Carter didn’t start the engine, instead he leaned back in the seat. “There’s always the possibility he might skip town. I want to keep eyes on him for a bit. I’m not letting this guy get away.”

  Glancing at my phone I noticed that Rita had left a voice message a few minutes earlier.

  “Hey Sarah. I just wanted you to know that we just got done filing the report. I’m so proud of Allison, she told them everything, including her affair with Dr. Wheeler. Looks like they’ve got enough to arrest him. I think they’re planning to go do it sometime today. Allison is at the clinic getting checked out. The police are still trying to get in touch with her parents, but they’re still MIA. Anyway, I’m heading home myself to pick Amy up at Bunny’s next door. If you want to talk, I’ll be home in about ten minutes.”

  After the message ended, I noticed a slow smile spread across Carter’s face. I could tell he was reveling in this moment. “This guy has no idea what kind of trouble he’s in. I wish I could be right there when they throw the cuffs on him.”

  “That would be satisfying,” I said, “but right now I’m starving. Want to grab a bite to eat?”

  Carter started the engine. “What do you have a taste for?”

  “I feel like celebrating. A nice, big, juicy cheeseburger would hit the spot. Sound good to you?”

  “Sounds better than good.”

  As we pulled out of the parking lot toward the center of town, my cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Rita,” I said. “I wonder if she forgot to mention something in her message.”

  But when I answered the call, Rita’s panicked voice immediately filled my ear. “Slow down, Rita,” I said to her. “I can’t understand you. Did you say someone is missing?”

  “It’s my daughter,” Rita cried out. “I just got a call from Bunny. Somebody has taken Amy.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “According to Bunny, Amy was sitting on the couch watching cartoons. Bunny went into the basement for a few minutes to grab the laundry from the dryer. When she came back upstairs, she said Amy was gone. At first she thought maybe she was playing hide and seek, but she checked everywhere. Even the backyard and my house. Bunny went across the street to the neighbor’s house. They said they saw a guy with balloons knocking on Bunny’s front door. They thought he was just delivering a present or something. He was driving an SUV but whoever it was took Amy. Damn it, I’ve warned her about going with strangers.”

  “Has someone already called 911?”

  “Yes. The police are on their way ove
r to the house now so I have to go.”

  “Who would’ve done this?” I asked. “Maybe it wasn’t a stranger. Could it be your ex-husband?”

  “I don’t know. I just tried calling him but the number I have is no longer working and I can’t think of any reason why he’d do this? Look, I have to get home.”

  “We’ll meet you at your house, Rita. We’re going to help you get your daughter back. See in you in a few minutes.”

  When I ended the call, I stared at Carter dumbfounded. “Did you get all that?”

  He nodded solemnly as he turned the car around to head back to Fitch. “She doesn’t think her ex-husband did this?”

  “She has no idea. She told me he left them years ago and he hasn’t been in touch.”

  As Carter sped through town toward Rita’s house I couldn’t ignore the weird coincidence. As soon as Reece takes Allison to the police station to file a report against Dr. Wheeler, Rita’s daughter is abducted in broad daylight. Obviously, Dr. Wheeler didn’t do it, because he was still inside his office. Plus, we hadn’t given him Reece’s full name. The only other person we knew who was involved with this mess was Wayne Miller. And he did know Reece’s full name. Because we told him.

  And that’s when it hit me.

  “Carter, I don’t ever remember telling Wayne that Reece has a daughter. Did we?”

  Carter glanced at me with a worried look. “No, of course we didn’t.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this. Can you pull over for a second? I think we need to call Wayne right away and find out if he’s really at work.”

  He veered off into a gas station, parked and dialed Wayne’s personal cell phone number. We waited breathlessly for him to answer the call. Just when I thought the call would go to voicemail, there was a click and a male voice said, “Good afternoon Carter.”

  “Hey, Wayne,” Carter replied casually. “I’m sorry to bother you at work, but I needed to ask you a question.”