He searched the outer walls, which were mostly red brick. He didn’t see any aberration on the normal pattern, but most of the walls were lined with shelving units. The far unit caught his eye. All he could see was a couple of inches around the perimeter of the unit—and those inches were bricks in one line.
He searched the room, shoving boxes and shelves out of the way, looking for a cage. There was nothing. He turned back to the unit with the lined bricks and pulled it forward. It was heavier than he would have been able to handle if lives weren’t on the line. As soon as the shelf started tipping, he jumped out of the way. Boxes and equipment crashed to the concrete floor. Before the noise stopped echoing in his head, he climbed over the debris and laid his hands on the wall.
“What are you doing in here?” A woman stood in the doorway of the storage room, looking both annoyed and worried.
“What’s on the other side of this wall?”
“Tell me who you are.”
“My name’s Detective Callahan.” He swallowed. “Lt. Huntington’s division. I need to know what’s on the other side of this wall.” He knew he sounded on the edge. Hell, he was on the edge.
“Let me go ask someone.” She closed the door and went to get help.
He turned back to the wall and started shoving at the bricks. They were solid, despite their amateur layout. He tried his breaking-down-the-door technique, but only smashed his shoulder again. He kicked, punched. Damn it, he needed something heavier, like a car.
“What the hell is going on down here?”
“Max, is that you?”
Nick Mathers, Sam, and John Holland all advanced into the storage room; the clerk hovered nervously behind them.
Max was covered in dust and sweat and probably looked a little mad. “What’s on the other side of this wall?”
“Oh, jeez, not this again,” Nick said.
“What the hell is on the other side of this wall?”
Sam approached cautiously, while the other two detectives were ready to draw weapons. They really thought he was crazy.
“Max, tell us what’s going on. We’ll listen to you.”
“Olivia painted what the girl saw when she escaped the cage and hid in a doorway.” He put his hand on the bricks. “This is what she saw, this pattern. And it’s big enough to be an old doorway. They might be on the other side of this wall.”
“They?”
“Phaedra and Olivia. Like I told you, he has both of them.”
“Huntington does,” Sam clarified doubtfully.
Max pointed to the suit on the shelf. “He used that suit. I came down here before the abduction, thinking about whether I wanted to be Santa for the kids. The suit wasn’t there, and it gave me the excuse I needed to not do the gig. We know Phaedra was abducted by a man wearing a Santa suit. Now it’s back. It’s perfect. Who would think about looking in the police station’s storage room for the suit?”
“I can’t imagine,” John muttered.
“That’s not all of it. The man who took Phaedra knew about Olivia’s connection with the girl, which meant he was a cop, someone here who knew about the case. Huntington went to get Olivia, but lied about her not being at the apartment. Did you talk to Judy?”
John smirked. “The retarded woman? Yeah, she sang ‘Jingle Bells’ for us. How does Terry Carlton fit into all this?”
“You found the body then.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re working the scene now.”
“I think Terry caught Bob—Huntington at Olivia’s apartment. Since Terry could ID him, he had to be killed. We can’t help Terry, but we can help Olivia and Phaedra.” He touched the wall. “I’ve got three and a half hours to find them. He’ll drown them at midnight, that’s what he always does. Sam, you know that. You know everything. I need your help. If there’s nothing behind this wall, you can lock me up with the felons. You’ve got to help me find out for sure.”
If this wasn’t the key, it would be too late. And what he’d endure being a detective locked up with felons would be nothing compared to what he’d be suffering inside if he failed.
The three men were considering him, taking in the mess he’d created. He knew their position. You couldn’t trust a crazy person. There would be repercussions if Max were wrong. Nick touched his cell phone and started to back out of the room. He was going to call in reinforcements.
Max made it easy on them. He grabbed Sam’s gun and pointed it at his head. “Don’t make me do something we’ll all regret. I’m not going to let him kill them. Sam, I’m sorry about this. You were just the closest one, that’s all. It was nothing personal.”
“You’re crazy, Max. Let us help you,” Sam said through gritted teeth.
“I gave you the chance to help me. All you wanted to do was turn me in as some crazed whacko. I’m not crazy, Sam.” When the other two men started to move forward, he jammed the gun into Sam’s cheek. “But I am desperate. Throw your guns and phones on the floor. Now!”
His mind was spinning, but he couldn’t think beyond that minute. What would he do next? How far would he go? He made Sam bend down with him as he picked up the phones and guns and stuffed them into his pockets. He turned around and backed toward the door. If he could lock them in here, he’d have more time to talk Sam into helping.
“I have to do this, Sam. I can’t let them die. Maybe this mysterious place we’ve been looking for has been right here all along. I’ve got to check it—”
A flash of pain roared through his head. Everything went dark as he dropped to the floor.
CHAPTER 27
Even with a plan, Olivia’s heart lurched at the sound of the door opening. She had become hopeful that Max had found Bobby. It was nearly midnight. Phaedra’s breath quickened as well, and she wrapped her hands around Olivia’s arm. Olivia had a flash of vision, Bobby closing the door and walking toward the cage.
“My two Roses,” he said, crouching next to them. “It’s time for your bath, Rose. Such a dirty child. Why must you push your mother to tears every time she tries to get you to bathe? I’m going to do it this time.” He started to unlock the cage.
Phaedra’s fingers dug into her arm now. Olivia grimaced in pain as she scooted forward. She was afraid that the girl wouldn’t let go. Eventually she did, and he opened the door and pulled Olivia to her feet. Her legs were stiff, and she shook them out. He locked the cage again.
“Rose, come with me.” He led her toward the bathroom at the far end. Toward the tub full of water. “Don’t try to fight me. You’ll only hurt yourself.” Another drop of water fell into the tub. Kerplunk.
She stopped, taking him by surprise. “Why do you keep calling me Rose, Bobby?”
Now it was his fingers that tightened on her arm. “Don’t call me that.”
With her free hand, she reached up in the vicinity of his face and eventually found his cheek. He flinched. “Bobby, darling, I’ve always called you that. Since the day we married.”
“You’re Rose.”
She pointed toward that cage. “That’s our Rose. She has given us a bit of trouble, hasn’t she? But she’s only a child, Bobby, a normal child. You know how much I wanted a girl. How much she means to me.”
If he could make those girls into Rose, why couldn’t she be his wife?
“You’re Rose.” The conviction seeped out of his voice.
She gestured toward her body. “How can I be Rose? I’m a grown woman.” In a coy voice, she added, “Something you know well.” She dared to touch his face again; he didn’t move away this time. He did take hold of her wrist but held it there.
“Marie’s gone.”
“Look at me, Bobby. I’m here, aren’t I?” She glanced toward Phaedra. “We’re together, one happy family.” She smiled, hoping it looked soft and genuine.
“You can’t be Marie.”
“But I am.” She leaned against him and sighed. “I love you, Bobby.”
He was probably stunned. He only stood there, still holding her wrist.
/> “We’re almost a family again.” She inserted just the right amount of wistfulness into her voice. She could smell the sweat on his body and could feel the heat coming off him. She recognized the smell—the man who had been in her apartment.
She wasn’t expecting him to shove her against the wall, banging her head against the concrete, nor the anger in his voice, melted with anguish. “You left us!”
She nearly cried in relief. “I’m sorry, Bobby. I had to go. I was in such pain, Rose was gone…I couldn’t live anymore.”
“It was Rose’s fault.”
“No, it wasn’t. She’s only a child.”
“Why did you hurt me like that? I would have made things right. I’m a good father, not like him.”
Him? She kept playing along, trying to stay in safe territory. “But Rose was gone, and we couldn’t make that right again. We have a second chance now.”
He kissed her hard, shoving his tongue in her mouth. Still stunned from the smack against the wall, she tried to reciprocate. Play the part, don’t think about it, just play the part.
He pulled her hard against him now, holding her close, as though he were afraid she’d leave again. “I didn’t mean to kill her.”
She stroked his hair. “I know, Bobby. I know.”
“It was an accident. She fought you every time you tried to make her bathe, and you’d end up in tears. I wanted to fix it so she’d listen to you. I pushed her under the water, and she didn’t fight me anymore. It was nice, her not fighting.”
She squeezed him tight even though his words repulsed her. “It’s all right now.”
“She made me so mad. Made you mad.”
“She doesn’t make me mad anymore. She’s a good girl now. Come here, Rose. Show daddy how good you are.”
“I can’t,” Phaedra said on a near whisper. “I’m locked in.”
“Bobby, please don’t punish her anymore.” Her tears weren’t phony. She was crying for them, for Rose, and for every girl who had died in Rose’s place. “She’s a good girl now. She’s sorry for what she did.”
“I’m sorry, Father,” Phaedra said, sending relief through Olivia that she could pull this off. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
She felt Bobby sag. “I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help hurting her. The rage was inside me, it was so powerful. It wouldn’t go away.”
“I know,” Olivia whispered, stroking his arm. “You wanted to be a good father, that’s all. But it’s okay now. We’re a family again. Let Rose out of the cage so we can be together. Please, Bobby. You love me, don’t you?”
“Yes.” The truth of that was evident in his voice.
“Then let her out.”
“Marie…” He held her tight, breathing deeply. “All right.”
“Thank you.” She hoped he didn’t hear the relief in her voice.
She heard him fiddle with the lock. She waited for Phaedra to stretch her legs and give the sign that she was ready to bolt. “Hi, Father.”
Olivia went for distraction. “Bobby, I’ve missed you so much, I—”
“Hey! Rose!”
Damn. Phaedra was supposed to wait until he was distracted. She lunged toward him just as Phaedra struggled to open the door. “Bobby, please don’t hurt her! You’ve hurt her enough.” Her arms tightened around his shoulders as he tried to fling her off. He finally managed to throw her. She hit the floor and tried to roll away. Had Phaedra gotten out?
“You betrayed me again,” he growled, and before she could move out of his grasp, his hands clamped around her neck. “You were going to go to the police and tell them I killed Rose. You were going to turn me in! I had to stop you then, and I’ll stop you now. You must be punished, Marie.”
He’d drowned Marie. The horrid realization flashed through her mind as he dragged her toward the bathroom. She kicked and fought, but as she’d predicted earlier, she was no physical match for him. Her emotional weapon had backfired. She hadn’t thought about him having killed Marie, too.
She heard a sound beyond the bathroom. Oh, God, please don’t let that be Phaedra crying out there. Please let her be long gone, getting help.
The water was cool as he twisted her painfully and shoved her into the tub. Water gushed up her nose, but she kept her mouth closed. She scratched at his hands pressing on her chest, pushing her down against the hard surface of the tub floor. Panic made the urge to breathe stronger. She pushed to the surface, fighting and scratching. Her nails made contact, clawing across his skin. He grunted in pain.
She didn’t have time to prepare for his backlash. He took hold of her head and slammed it against the side of the tub. The breath she’d managed to take rushed out. Pinpricks of painful light flashed through her mind. She fell from consciousness.
Max had been pounding on the bars for close to an hour. The only other guy in the temporary lock up was some drunk who’d pissed on a building. At first he’d gleefully joined Max’s tirade, but he’d long ago tired of it and fell back asleep. The guard had made himself scarce.
Max rested his raw throat for a few minutes, his head pressed against the cold bars. The panic and fury had given way to an ache that wracked every cell in his body. He didn’t even know what time it was. They’d taken his watch, and there was no clock in view. When he was about to start his verbal tirade again, he heard the door open.
Sam walked in, his cell phone pressed to his ear. “Thank you, sir. I’ll explain later.” He disconnected as he reached Max. “I asked the mayor about our storage room. He’s been in local government for a long time, I figured he might know. As soon as he started talking about the bomb shelter that was built years ago between the courthouse and our building, I grabbed a gun and came down here to get you. The shelter’s been sealed for ages. He said it went from our storage room to a closet on the first floor of the courthouse.” He slid a key into the lock.
“A bomb shelter,” Max croaked. “It would have a kitchen, telecommunications type room…just like Olivia said.” Sam was nodding. Max stepped out of the cell. “But you don’t believe in Olivia’s connection.”
“No, but you do, enough to put your ass on the line. We’ve been friends a long time. If you believe so strongly, then I’m with you.”
“What time is it?”
“Eleven-forty-nine. Let’s go. “
Max and Sam tore out of there. Max was still a little lightheaded from the knock on his head, but he couldn’t let a wave of dizziness stand in his way. They exited the building and ran across the parking lot to the courthouse. Sam slipped inside the dark building first and started searching the empty offices. Max motioned him toward a door halfway down the hallway that he knew was a closet.
Now he was even more aware of every passing second as he saw the digital clock in the one occupied office on the left: 12:02. The numbers burned his eyes as the words Too late! Too late! screamed through his brain. He couldn’t give up. Like those agonizingly long minutes as he ran across the macadam with Olivia’s small hand clutched in his, and his muscles burning and his head pounding, he had to keep going.
He and Sam moved like shadows, in sync just as they used to be. The closet door was closed, but not locked. Max flipped on the light. One of the shelving units was askew. He pushed it aside and looked at the wall behind it. It looked ordinary, wood-paneled like the other walls. Why had the unit been moved? He pushed on the wall, and the paneling swung away from him and into a dark area—that revealed a steel door.
He didn’t have time to think about his approach. He shoved the heavy door forward and found the bomb shelter. The walls were green, the floor concrete. The kitchen was clean and the cage sitting in the middle of the floor was empty. As he registered a whimpering sound coming from the left of the steps, he heard thrashing sounds toward the right. He took only a second to see Phaedra crouched besides the steps, her hands in her mouth. He followed the sounds of splashing water to a bathroom at the end of the hall as Sam moved toward the girl to see if she was all right.
Bobby jerked around to face Max. He brought Olivia out of the water with the movement. She wasn’t fighting anymore, just sucking in air.
Max tightened his grip on the gun and willed his hands to stop shaking. “Let her go and step away.”
Bobby only smiled. The eyes might be a different color, but they were his father’s eyes, filled with gloating evil. And Max was that boy again, waiting to see what his father would do.
“Max, you’re good, I’ll give you that.” He glanced behind him. “What, no cavalry?”
“I’m right here,” Sam said from behind Max. “Huntington—or whoever you really are—think about what you’re doing here. Move away from Olivia.”
Huntington surprised them by pulling a gun and pointing it at Olivia. He looked at Sam. “This is between me and my son. Get out of here or I kill her like this.” When Max tightened his grip on the trigger, he said, “You could shoot me, but I’ll shoot her, too.”
After a tense moment, Max turned to Sam. “Let me handle this. Go take care of Phaedra.”
Sam would take the girl and go for help. Bobby had to know that. And that meant he knew there was no way out of this. Max swallowed hard. Bobby had nothing to lose. Olivia was reaching out with one droopy hand, trying to gain her bearings. Max had everything to lose.
“He’s gone. Put down the gun,” Max said.
Again, to Max’s surprise, Bobby set the gun down without hesitation. “This is between us now.”
“Fine, it’s between us. Let Olivia go. She has nothing to do with this.”
“She has everything to do with this.”
Blindsight [Now You See Me] (Romantic Suspense) Page 33