by Ranae Rose
It was as if fate was embracing her, showing her that she’d found her way at last. She’d be responsible for giving life not only to the girl’s baby, but to every baby she saved with this plan, and no one would ever be able to take that away from her.
* * * * *
“You hear? Cypress PD got footage of the suspect.”
Jeremy froze as a bolt of electricity shot down his spine. “From where?”
He looked up at Blevins, who stood in front of the coffee maker in the department’s break room.
“Pawn shop on Main caught her going by on foot about two minutes before the attack, trailing the two victims.”
“How sure are they that it’s her?”
“She’s wearing the black running shoes and pants the victim reported seeing, and her appearance on camera fits the timeline perfectly. If she wasn’t the attacker, she would’ve at least witnessed the attack. She was wearing a jogging outfit with the hood up, even though it was seventy-five degrees out, and carrying a purse they figure she may’ve used to strike the victims.”
Jeremy’s skin prickled with anger and excitement – excitement at the thought of finally having a real visual, of getting that much closer to catching the person who’d attacked Lucia and her student, and had probably also killed Brianna and Kaylee.
They were that much closer to getting Olivia back. Dead or alive, the family needed something. News. Closure. A miracle.
“I want to see.”
Blevins slapped his papers down on the nearest table, nodding at a grainy print-out. “This was the best still they could capture. She was only within range of the camera for a couple seconds.”
The woman looked a little taller than average, with a medium build. She could’ve been anyone, except for that her hood was up, hiding her hair despite the humid heat. No one would’ve been comfortable dressed as she’d been on that night, least of all a jogger.
Not that she was jogging. No, she was walking, a handbag about the size of a manila folder dangling from her shoulder on a long strap.
A strap long enough to swing it by … and long enough to strangle someone with.
With her substantial height and long limbs, the woman had probably had a relatively easy time overpowering her victims. Her larger stature combined with the element of surprise would’ve afforded her a significant advantage over the average female, let alone a sixteen year old girl.
Jeremy stared for a while, then looked away.
“Now we need an ID.”
Blevins nodded. “Detectives over at Cypress are acquiring security footage from that night from every building with cameras in the entire downtown area. Maybe they’ll catch her getting into a vehicle and we can get some tags.”
“Maybe. She tends to strike within the same area, though – walkable places within and near downtown. Jennings Memorial and Walters Park are within half a mile of each other, and Kaylee’s house was over on Palmetto Street. That’s what, five blocks from Main? Six?
“If she has reliable means of transportation, why risk being sighted in town when she could stalk down people in rural areas with less risk? There are plenty of less dense neighborhoods out in the county.”
For that matter, why keep attacking in Riley County at all? Cypress was a small town, and her chances of being identified were high. There was no big city bustle to blend into. If she was mobile and smart, she’d move on and stop frequenting the same area.
“If she lives downtown and is confined there, that means she was right under our noses that night, and nobody saw her.”
Jeremy nodded. “If she retreated to a nearby home or building with Olivia, that could explain how she and the girl both vanished.”
Blevins frowned. “Someone’s gotta know who this is. She has neighbors, especially if she lives downtown. They’re showing this shot on the news tonight and will be printing it in the paper tomorrow. There’s a tip line, and they’ve put up a cash reward for any info leading to her or Olivia.”
“Times have changed around here, haven’t they?” Jeremy scratched an itch between his shoulder blades, thinking back to a little over a year ago, when things had been serene in their little tourist town.
“That’s the damn truth – our crime stats are jacked. Nobody’s gonna put us on any of those top ten lists of America’s best beach towns anymore.”
* * * * *
Jeremy had originally intended to take just Paige to the beach, but then he’d exchanged a few texts with Richardson, who was nearly as bored out of his mind at home as he’d been in the hospital, and had invited him and Amanda.
His mother’s Saturday plans had fallen through, so he’d invited her too.
The only person missing was Lucia. He’d tried to convince her to come along, but she’d insisted she didn’t feel up to it, and wouldn’t hear any talk of him canceling his plans with Paige.
Thinking of her sitting alone at home made his heart heavy. It was an ideal summer day, with the noon sunlight making the blue-green waves glimmer and a breeze stirring salt-scented air that otherwise would’ve been stiflingly hot.
He knew damn well she was sitting at home, stewing in her guilt.
“What’ve you got in that cooler?” Richardson asked, sitting in one of a handful of canvas beach chairs. His injured arm was bandaged and immobilized in a high-tech looking sling, but he wore board shorts, sunglasses and a familiar grin.
“A little bit of everything,” his mother said, opening the cooler they’d brought.
Inside, there was water, tea and soda on ice. Richardson chose predictably, and Paige reached for one of the teas.
“I brought plenty of food,” his mother said, pointing toward a second cooler, “so don’t be shy.”
They’d only just set up the beach blanket, umbrella and chairs, but it was already obvious that Jeremy’s mother had her sights set on spoiling Richardson. Between all the attention from her and Amanda, it’d be surprising if he made it through the day without running headlong into the water, bandages and all.
Well, maybe after he ate his fill. When Meredith told him she’d brought fried chicken, he looked like he might break out into the Hallelujah Chorus.
“You make sure you pack up a plate for Lucia,” Meredith said, shooting Jeremy a meaningful look over her sunglass lenses, “and take it straight to her when you get home.”
He nodded. “I was already planning to.”
“Good.” Meredith frowned. “That poor girl… I wish she’d come along and let herself enjoy the day.”
“Me too.” He understood why she hadn’t wanted to, though – understood all too well. And not being able to solve her problem for her was eating away at him.
What could he possibly do? She wouldn’t be okay until Olivia was found safe.
If she was found safe. He wouldn’t have admitted it to Lucia for the world, but the chances got slimmer every day. His hope was hanging by a thread.
Still, he longed for a miracle, for this nightmare to come to a conclusion and disintegrate into a matter of reports, court cases and prison bars.
After the terrible things the county had endured recently, was it really too much to ask for everyone to catch a break this time?
* * * * *
“This looks great,” Lucia said, staring down at the plate of fried chicken, potato salad and green beans. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem,” Jeremy said, standing in Lucia’s kitchen with Paige. “We had plenty of leftovers, and I figured you might like some.”
She nodded, doing her best to force a smile to her lips.
“Grandma’s potato salad is famous,” Paige said. “At least around here, anyway.”
Lucia finally managed to smile. “I can’t wait to try it. How was the beach?”
“Good,” Paige said. “The water was really warm. I didn’t go out as far as I did last time with you, though.”
Lucia almost said something about them going together again sometime soon, but hesitated, not wanting to make a
ny promises she couldn’t keep. Right now, the desire to hang out at the beach was beyond her.
Jeremy and Paige lingered, and she got the sense Jeremy was doing it on purpose. Reluctantly, she popped the fried chicken and green beans into the microwave, setting the potato salad aside in a separate bowl.
“Can I get you two some iced tea?”
They accepted, and ended up all sitting at the table together.
“So, you never did tell me,” Lucia said to Paige, “did you see any ghosts on the tour at Wisteria?”
Paige shook her head. “Well, Shannon said she felt a cold spot in one of the bedrooms, but nobody else did. Sometimes she’s a little … dramatic.”
“Hey, give her some credit – maybe she was standing in front of a cooling vent.”
Paige giggled. “It was still kind of spooky though. The tour guide told us all about Elizabeth Jewell. I mean, we all knew the story already, but it was different hearing it out on the lawn where she died.”
“What’s the story?” Lucia speared a bite of potato salad with her fork. “I’ve never heard it.”
“Seriously?”
“Well, I know the Jewells were the family who originally built the plantation, right?”
Paige nodded and set down her glass. “Elizabeth was the daughter. A guy named John Hastings murdered her – he was a former pirate, and he’d been sneaking around at night stealing valuable stuff from people’s houses. When he targeted Wisteria, he ran into Elizabeth on the lawn and killed her. Nobody knew who’d done it at first, but he was caught stealing in Wilmington a little while after that, and he confessed before he was hung.”
“Wow.” Lucia had to admit, Paige’s friend had thrown one hell of an unusual birthday party. “Talk about crappy luck. What was she doing out on the lawn in the middle of the night?”
Back in those days, surely a respectable Southern belle wouldn’t have made a habit of roaming around outdoors in the dead of night.
“Nobody really knows, but people think she was going to meet a secret lover.” Paige shrugged. “Anyway… Shannon was all excited about seeing her on the lawn, but we didn’t.”
“Who, Elizabeth?”
“Yeah, you know, the Lady in White?”
“Not really.”
It sounded vaguely familiar, but for all Lucia knew, it could’ve been a moniker she’d overheard from one of those ghost-hunting TV shows. Sure, she’d grown up in the Wilmington area, but her mom had always been a little superstitious – she’d never gone on any ghost tours, and certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to include one in her birthday celebrations.
“That’s what they call Elizabeth’s ghost, because she’s always wearing a white dress when people see her. Usually she stands out on the lawn, to the right side of the house, where she was killed.”
A funny feeling hit Lucia – not quite déjà vu, but something like it. She’d seen a woman in a white dress on that section of the lawn when she’d dropped Paige off.
A prickling feeling arose on the back of her neck, and disappeared just as quickly.
She wasn’t superstitious, and she wasn’t even sure if she believed in ghosts.
“I’m glad we didn’t see her,” Paige added. “I think Shannon was the only one who really wanted to.”
“Sounds like it would’ve been a creepy experience.”
“Well, Elizabeth is a good ghost, but she only appears to people when they’re in danger. You know, as a warning. She’s trying to help, but personally, I’d be creeped out.”
Lucia nodded, realizing that her sighting – if that was even what it had been – had come a few days before some unhinged woman had cracked her head open in what had likely been a murder attempt.
And then, of course, she’d taken Olivia.
The revelation made her heart race, growing heavier with every beat. It was her fault that Olivia was missing. And apparently, even a ghost had seen it coming.
How had she been so blind?
* * * * *
Beverly’s newfound work was simple, but tedious. When she wasn’t dealing with the girl in Sarah’s bedroom, she devoted all her time to it.
The internet articles had cautioned her against working too hastily, and since she had no desire to cause a premature detonation, she heeded their warnings.
Whenever she thought of it, black hopelessness clawed at her heart. To die or be stopped without making things right, without fulfilling her purpose – it didn’t bear thinking about. Thoughts of the justice she’d soon exact had gripped her like a fever.
So she worked carefully. Whenever she tired, she retreated to the kitchen for tea or took a long bath, soaking in anticipation as she soaked in the tub.
Of course, she also made sure to deliver three meals a day to the girl she’d taken charge of. She’d finally begun eating what Beverly delivered – a good sign.
Beverly also had to empty the bucket she’d provided as an improvised toilet for the girl, which was unpleasant, but necessary – she couldn’t risk letting her out to use the bathroom and possibly losing her. She stayed locked safely in the bedroom 24/7, while Beverly worked in the kitchen.
She was making good progress, and she’d already memorized the Riley County Women’s Health Center’s operating hours. No more following the cold-hearted murderers who swept in and out of its doors as if it were a beauty salon or a favorite restaurant. No more dragging anyone home. No more being forced to skulk in the dark and physically fight to enforce the justice everyone else was too weak-willed to serve.
She’d walk into the women’s center with her head held high, and she’d make sure its doors never opened again. She wouldn’t just be giving the evil their due, she’d be stopping others from ever stumbling down the dark path that had tempted Sarah away from her.
Justice would be served, and countless lives would be saved.
CHAPTER 23
Every day, Jeremy’s nerves were strung more and more tightly as he awaited news of information pointing toward Lucia’s attacker or the missing girl. It’d been weeks since the first two women had been killed, and after the rapid succession of two murders and then the assault on Lucia and Olivia, the pause felt ominous.
Lucia was deflating before his eyes, becoming less hopeful and more withdrawn.
He tried to keep things positive, but it wasn’t easy – they needed to catch some kind of a break, soon.
The trail couldn’t go cold now. Not in such a small town, with a visual on the suspect. They’d find her, even if she’d fled the area, which seemed more and more likely by the day.
It felt good to return to work after the handful of extra days he’d requested off. Out on patrol, there was at least some sliver of a chance that he might encounter something to do with the case, might be able to help make things right.
When he reported to the sheriff’s department fifteen minutes before the start of his shift, he went straight to the break room, where he found Blevins emptying the coffee carafe.
“Those Cypress detectives find anymore footage of the suspect?”
Blevins shook his head before turning around with a mug in hand. “No, but they’ve got a lead.”
The tension in Jeremy’s veins ratcheted up. “What’ve they got?”
“Cashier at Hudson’s Grocery saw the woman’s picture on the news and says she thinks she recognizes her.”
“They’ve got an ID?”
“The cashier didn’t know her by name, but if she’s right, the woman shopped there weekly. Of course, the image quality was shitty, and she was wearing a hood, so she might be wrong.”
“A local, then.” As he’d suspected.
Blevins nodded. “They’re going through store security footage trying to find more footage of her. They don’t have surveillance on the parking lot, though.”
It wasn’t much. Jeremy’s excitement ebbed, although the tension plaguing him didn’t.
Maybe someone else would come forward. A neighbor or coworker. Meanwhile, no woman wit
h any sense of self-preservation would go out after dark unless she absolutely had to.
For a place that drew in tourists with its small-town Southern charm, it was a sad state of affairs.
It was almost as if Jeremy’s entire world had been turned upside down – everything had changed. He’d been a sheriff’s deputy in a coastal postcard town, and now he wasn’t even surprised by the emergence of a probable serial murderer, just saddened.
And that wasn’t the only change he’d experienced lately. For years, he’d counted on spending the rest of his life alone, and now he had Lucia.
To top it all off, his little girl was growing up.
Life was strange – better than he’d ever imagined at times, and downright terrifying at others.
* * * * *
Lucia thumbed through the image gallery on her phone, seeking out group snapshots of her and the girls in her teen class. Olivia was in four of them.
Seeing Olivia’s smiling face made Lucia feel like her throat was full of knives, but she couldn’t look away. Tears pricked her eyes when she thought of her hiding out in the locker room by herself, afraid to share her secret.
Lucia had been eager to help at the time, but she’d done the opposite. If only she hadn’t gone in looking for Olivia. She’d give anything to un-do the choices she’d made that day.
Instead, she sat in her living room, trying not to think about how many days it had been since Olivia had disappeared, or what had happened to the other girls their attacker had gotten her hands on.
She let herself cry, knowing Jeremy would stop by to see her later that day. He was trying so hard to be there for her – she didn’t want him to realize that his kindness made her feel guilty.
How could she let herself be happy when she’d taken away Olivia’s chances at happiness?
* * * * *
By the time Beverly finished assembling the tools she’d need to carry out her plan, everything was coming together. Next week would mark the two year anniversary of Sarah’s abandonment. For the third time, she would wake up on August tenth and realize that her daughter was gone.