Dangerous in Charge

by Sidney Bristol

  “Those were the training wheels then?” Kyle grimaced. This was the stuff he had no stomach for. It was too senseless.

  “Probably.” Roger nodded. “The media connected the murders of ’91, ’93, ’96 and ’97. It was the ones in ’99 that got drowned out by all that Y2K crap and the City Council voted to suppress the reports from then on.”

  Kyle stared at the men.

  An active serial killer had been preying on the women of Seattle since 1986 and they’d done nothing but hush the news?

  “You mean there have been more since then?” Kyle asked slowly.

  Roger shifted and glanced away.

  Kyle turned his head and stared at Elijah, who had a much better poker face and still didn’t meet his eyes.

  “I can’t fucking believe it.” Kyle shook his head and sat back.

  “We had to keep people from panicking,” Elijah said, as if that excused him.

  “Have you contacted the FBI? The BAU?” Kyle had more contact with the FBI’s violent crime unit than he’d have liked.

  “No,” Roger replied.

  “Christ. It’s more important to keep this quiet than it is to actually find this guy, is that what you’re telling me?” Kyle shook his head. “We haven’t even considered that Megan could be missing for a dozen other reasons.”

  “I want Megan found.” Elijah leaned forward. “You say you can find my daughter? I want to hire you.”

  “Who is this guy? You really think he’s going to find your daughter better than we can?” Roger asked.

  Elijah whirled on Roger. “You’re a homicide detective. Until there’s a body, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’ll have my boss contact you.” Kyle stood.

  He needed some distance from the Hunt’s and to get Bethany out of there. They’d already learned more than they needed to know about the worst-case scenario for Megan’s whereabouts. What Kyle needed to do was focus on the next step, assuring a contract was signed, briefing his team and ensuring Bethany stayed out of this.

  “Ready?” he asked her.

  “I guess.”

  He grasped the back of Bethany’s chair and scooted it out for her. She stood, glancing around the room with a grim expression.

  Kyle guided her out of the dining room and the front door into the fresh air.

  “Do you really think...?” Bethany glanced up at him.

  He bit the inside of his cheek. This wasn’t how a job typically went. There were no rules for how to handle this.

  “There’s as much chance that Megan took a weekend trip as there is she’s been kidnapped. The truth is everything those people said is circumstantial. Saying she’s been taken by this guy because she’s tall and likes movies is a shot in the dark. How many women like movies?” He began walking toward the car sitting down the driveway mostly by itself now that the journalists were gone.

  “What happens next?” Bethany asked.

  “My boss will square the paperwork away with Mr. Hunt. They’ll do some computer wizardry and we should know something in the morning that’ll give us a lead. Right now I’m concerned with you and your roommate. I’d like to go over your place, see if there’s anything there that might give us an idea if Megan went somewhere with someone she maybe didn’t want to tell you about.”

  Kyle couldn’t focus all his attention on one solution. If he did, they’d miss something, and he wasn’t about to give Bethany another reason to cry.

  FRIDAY. GRAMERCY HOUSE, Seattle, Washington.

  Bethany slid her folded hands between her thighs.

  She didn’t know what she’d have done without Kyle today. When she’d shown up at his house she’d been on her last hope. She wasn’t sure if what they’d learned at Megan’s parent’s house was any more enlightening. It sure as hell didn’t put her at ease about where Megan could be. At least she wasn’t doing the search alone anymore.

  “You okay?” Kyle turned the radio down a bit.

  “Yes, sorry.” She shook her head and glanced at the navigation screen.

  “You’re fine. This has to have been a rough day.”

  “I want her to be somewhere safe and for all of this to be a misunderstanding.”

  “It still might be.”

  “Do you really think that?” Bethany stared at Kyle’s profile. His face wasn’t as stony or cold as it’d been earlier. Maybe that was why she noticed the way his mouth turned down a bit.

  “There isn’t any physical evidence either way.”

  “But?”

  “I don’t believe in coincidences, sorry.” He glanced at her. “It’s not random that the City Council President’s daughter has gone missing right before the election.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know that about her.” Bethany leaned back. “I can understand not wanting to be around them.”

  “Tell me about it. They probably used her birthday parties as advertising events.”

  “Her birthday is Saturday...” Bethany tried to swallow but the muscles around her esophagus were too tight.

  “This Saturday? As in tomorrow?” Kyle glanced at her.

  “Yes. She doesn’t celebrate it. We forget every year until after it happens.” Bethany turned toward Kyle. “You think this is all connected don’t you? Too coincidental?”

  “Shit,” Kyle muttered. “When’s the last time you talked to your other roommate?”

  “Faith? This afternoon. She was lying down to sleep.” Bethany clutched her phone.

  Kyle turned the car onto her street.

  “Which house?” he asked instead of looking at the GPS.

  “Fourth on the right. Park in the driveway.” She swallowed.

  The street was tightly packed with cars. Most of the people here either rented or were established families.

  A lamp shone through the curtains at the front of the house. It was the one they left on to indicate someone was home. That way they didn’t walk in bitching about their day because someone was likely asleep.

  Kyle whipped into the driveway behind Megan’s car.

  Bethany got out, her vision narrowing until all she could see was the front door.

  “Wait,” Kyle snapped. He stepped into her line of sight. “Let me go first.”

  “But, Faith...”

  “Wait right there.”

  Kyle turned and strode through the grass. He stepped into the front flower bed and peered through the window, cupping his face. In the fading light it was hard to see anything.

  Bethany unlocked her phone and fired off a text to Faith.

  You awake?

  That done, she rocked back onto her heels and watched Kyle creep across to the porch. A moment later Bethany’s phone vibrated.

  Yes. There’s someone outside.

  It’s me.

  “Faith’s inside,” Bethany blurted.

  “You heard from her?” Kyle asked.

  “Yes.” She jogged to the porch.

  The front door opened and Faith leaned out. Her short blonde hair stuck up every which way and her blue eyes were open wide.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” Faith said.

  “Sorry.” Bethany cringed.

  “Let’s get inside.” Kyle glanced over his shoulder.

  “Hi. Who’s this?” Faith gave Kyle a head to toe once over.

  “This is Kyle.” Bethany slid past her roommate into the house they rented.

  “Did you hear from Megan?” Faith stepped out of the way.

  She was still in her pajama shorts and tank top which didn’t leave a lot for the imagination to fill in. The sudden bite of jealousy was new for Bethany. Faith had always been the pretty one, the one who went on dates and got phone numbers. But that was from random people. Kyle was someone Bethany had known, and lusted after, for months.

  “No.” Bethany frowned. Every light was turned on, from the hall light to the back porch nook that perpetually held their overflow trash. “Something wrong?”

  Faith glanced from Bethany to Kyl
e and back.

  “No, I just...” Faith lifted her shoulders until they were almost up around her ears. “I woke up with a case of the creeps.”

  “The creeps? How so?” Kyle asked.

  “You know, I probably shouldn’t have watched Supernatural before going to sleep. It’s probably nothing.” Faith shook her head.

  “You watched it without us?” Bethany blinked at her roommate.

  “Not a new episode.” Faith held up her hands. “I fell asleep during the last one, remember?”

  “Oh...”

  “Faith, right?” Kyle turned to fully face her.

  “Yeah.” Faith grabbed a sweater off the back of the sofa and put it on. “Who are you again?”

  “My name’s Kyle. I’m helping Beth look for Megan.”

  Bethany swallowed. Faith had arrived home and crashed right around the time Bethany was headed up to the hospital to see if Megan went in early. Faith didn’t know how fruitless the search had been, or what their latest discoveries meant.

  “What’s going on, Bethany?” Faith glanced at her.

  “I-I couldn’t find Megan.”

  “I want to look around the house, if that’s okay?” Kyle peered down the hall then into the kitchen.

  “Why?” Faith edged away from Kyle.

  “There’s a chance Megan might have been kidnapped.” It no longer sounded crazy when Bethany said it, but it didn’t stop the tremor of fear from making her knees shake.

  “What?” Faith gaped at Bethany.

  “Which room is Megan’s?” Kyle asked.

  “The master, through there.” Bethany pointed at the door on the other side of the living room.

  “I’m going to start there.” Kyle strode across the house.

  “What the hell, Bethany?” Faith crossed to stand in front of her. “Did you check work? The theater? Is her bike outside?”

  “I’ve looked everywhere,” Bethany snapped. When she’d been worried, Faith had shrugged it off. She hadn’t cared about anything except going to bed

  “Did you check—”

  “I went to Megan’s parents. I’ve checked everywhere, and I could not find her.” Bethany’s throat tightened until it hurt to breathe.

  “You’re serious.” Faith’s eyes widened. “I thought... I assumed Megan was... Oh, shit. Did anyone see anything?”

  “No, but her parents had some ideas about who could be involved.” Bethany turned and walked around the sofa. She needed to sit.

  “Her parents? The ones she never talks about? Those parents?” Faith followed in her wake.

  “Yeah.”

  “Beth?” Kyle called.

  “He calls you Beth?” Faith whispered.

  “Yeah?” Bethany turned toward the master bedroom.

  Kyle strolled out, staring at his phone.

  “The windows.” He glanced up. “They’re all new, but you don’t have screens on them. Any reason?”

  “Uh, the owner is super bug-phobic. She had all the windows sealed shut. The last inspection they dinged her for it and she had to get all new windows. Since she doesn’t want us opening them, she didn’t get screens.”

  “Because that’ll keep you from opening a window.” Faith rolled her eyes.

  “Does Megan open her window a lot?” he asked.

  “Never.” Bethany frowned.

  “I see.” Kyle glanced back at his phone.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” The look on his face was making her stomach do funny, very bad things.

  “I think it would be best if you both packed a bag and stayed somewhere else.” Kyle slid his phone into his pocket.

  “Kyle, why?” Bethany’s hands trembled.

  He met her gaze. She watched the lines around his mouth deepen.

  Whatever it was, he didn’t want to tell her.

  “I need to know,” she said.

  “One of the windows in Megan’s room has been opened and closed. A lot. The lock mechanism is missing.” Kyle stared at her, his mouth in a grim line.

  “Oh, God.” Faith pushed to her feet and strode the length of the living room. “You’re serious?”

  “How old are those windows?” he asked.

  “A year old?” Bethany glanced at Faith.

  “Yeah.” Faith nodded.

  “I tried the other windows. They wouldn’t budge, but the one near the bathroom opens and shuts easily. I want to go outside after I check the other windows and look at the ground, see if there are any footprints in the flowerbed.” Kyle turned toward Faith. “Do you work tonight?”

  “Yes.” Faith’s voice was higher, practically vibrating.

  “What about you?” Kyle asked Bethany.

  “No. I did a short shift this morning. I’m off the next two days.”

  “Where the hell is Megan? What’s going on?” Faith demanded.

  “We don’t know where Megan is, but it is starting to seem like someone took her,” Kyle said.

  “You mean kidnap.” Bethany swallowed.

  Kyle’s gaze locked with hers and the muscle at the corner of his jaw twitched. There was no point denying the truth here. It was like a patient with a grim prognosis. Denying the evidence of their condition while chasing symptoms that might be something else didn’t move them down the path of recovery any faster. The sooner they accepted what was going on and figured out a way to proceed, the faster they could find Megan.

  “Oh, my God,” Faith chanted.

  “Here’s what I want us to do.” Kyle turned toward Faith, his tone gentling. “You get ready, go to work. Beth said you work at the hospital, right?”

  “Yeah.” Faith wrapped the sweater tighter around herself.

  “There’s a lot of security at a hospital. Guards. Cameras. Law enforcement. You’re going to be safer there than anywhere. Okay?” Kyle even managed a smile.

  “That’s right.” Faith nodded. “I should go get ready for work.”

  “And maybe pack a bag. Just in case?” Kyle suggested.

  “Wait.” Faith stopped halfway across the living room. “What about my window?”

  “I’ll check both your rooms. I’d like Beth to not stay here either. Which one is yours?” Kyle turned down the hall.

  “The one on the left,” Faith replied.

  They both watched Kyle duck into Faith’s bedroom.

  “Why does he get to call you Beth?”

  “We’ve got bigger things to worry about right now,” Bethany said.

  Faith was right.

  Kyle had switched from Bethany to Beth all say without her taking much notice. She chalked it up to the day’s stress. Plus, she had no room to be snippy with Kyle when he’d dropped everything to help her and hold her hand through the difficult revelations. If he wanted to call her Beth, she wasn’t going to mind one bit. Especially if they got Megan back. She was crabby, often bitchy about little things, but she was the family Bethany had chosen. They were in this together.

  Kyle stepped out into the hall and glanced toward them.

  “Your window’s fine,” he said.

  “Probably because you can’t walk across my room.” Faith chuckled and walked down the hall. To say her room was a disaster was putting it lightly.

  Kyle opened the door to Bethany’s room.

  Crap. She couldn’t remember the state in which she’d left it this morning.

  She scrambled across the house, following Kyle into the smallest of the three bedrooms. Her bed was made. Her clothes from the night before were in the hamper. Everything was where it should be.

  Kyle pulled on her window, but it didn’t budge.

  “You think someone’s been in our house?” she asked, keeping her voice lower.

  “If we’re going to accept Roger’s theory, then yeah. We have to consider that Megan has been a target for some time.” Kyle turned toward her, but his gaze roved over the room. “Did you leave your room this neat?”

  “Yes.” Bethany tugged at the hem of her shirt.

  “Okay. Just checking.”
He glanced at her. “Are you okay not staying here tonight?”

  “I don’t want to be by myself.” She never liked being alone. With three of them on constant rotation, it didn’t happen often.

  “I’ve got a spare room. Or I can take you to a friend’s house.”

  “My friends are here.” She gestured down the hall.

  “Okay. My place then. Pack a bag. I’m going to call Roger. He may not like me, but he’s focused on one solution.” Kyle turned toward the door, then wheeled to face her. “Would any of you have a laptop we can use?”

  “Uh, sure?”

  “Great. I’ve got an idea. I still want to walk the path Megan would walk to the theater, but let’s get Faith to work first?”

  Bethany nodded, as if her input really mattered. She was along for this ride. The moment she’d asked for Kyle’s help he’d taken over, for which she was grateful. He knew what to do while she felt like every couple of minutes she was getting slammed with another surprise that left her reeling.

  “Beth?” Kyle put his hand on her shoulder.

  “Sorry.” She shook her head, clearing the cobwebs and looked up at him.

  “It’s okay. Today’s been a lot.”

  “In case I haven’t said it yet, thank you.”

  “I’m glad I was there to help. After what you’ve done for me, it’s the least I could do.”

  5.

  FRIDAY. MOVIE THEATER, Seattle, Washington.

  Kyle pulled the tiny car into a parking space his Jeep would never squeeze into. The one nice thing about Bethany’s car was that it literally fit anywhere. If Kyle did more staying put and less traveling, a vehicle this small might hold some appeal.

  “Your house is that way, right?” He twisted in his seat and stared back down the street.