The words alone made him sit up and take notice. That had been the same wording on the necklace they'd found with Cia's remains. Only in that case, the necklace had Meg's name on it. Same style, same look. It would take the techs to match it any closer than that.
But it somehow followed...the same boyfriend?
And that might mean Josh. Again. Stephanie had gone out with him before hooking up with Bruce.
He closed his eyes. His best friend back then had been everyone's friend. And the girls had loved him; all the girls. All the time there'd been a lot of envious looks directed his way as he switched his partners on a regular basis back in school, but at the same time, he was solid. And even though he'd had a lot of girls, he was with only one at a time. He never cheated. And he didn't need to – they all just lined up for their turn.
That also meant he had no reason to kill any of them.
He'd been smitten with Cia in the beginning, but that had worn off quickly. He'd known they were done and Cia was eyeing up her next boyfriend. Josh hadn't cared. He'd also had other interests and planned to break up her with after the weekend and before starting college.
Did Josh have it in him to kill? Accidentally, maybe. Premeditatedly, no. Chad would bet his life on it.
Instinctively, he wanted to say Josh'd had nothing to do with Cia's disappearance. But was that fair? He needed to take a new look at everyone. That's what Mack had said, too.
They were going to start fresh. Go over everything with a magnifying glass and toothpick if necessary.
This time they were going to find out the truth. And if it was Josh who'd killed Cia, then it was Josh's ass that was going to get nailed.
Chad closed his eyes.
He hoped it wasn't his best friend.
***
Meg worked through the night. She collapsed at 2am and woke up at 5am and then she carried on. She had the bulk of her belongings sorted and bagged – a stack she was taking and a stack that she wasn't. Then finally just before it was time to wake Janelle up for school, she remade the bed, took one last slow look at the bedroom that held so many loving memories. They'd warmed her for so many long cold nights. And now, there was nothing but icy sadness.
Fatigue had taken over. She swayed, overcome with pain and grief.
Then she heard Janelle get up and go to the bathroom.
Meg poured steel into her back and pushed the hot ball in her throat back down to be dealt with at another time, yet again.
One of these days that space inside was going to explode from the pressure – but not today.
Today was big. And the knot in her stomach was a fear that ate away at her insides. She was afraid, now that she'd started, that she wouldn't be able to get out in time, before Pete came back.
With one last glance around, she closed the door on her past and turned to face a sleepy Janelle – her future. And for the next hour she could do what needed to be done.
She could get through this.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"
With Janelle promising to get dressed quickly, Meg headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Janelle left on time, and the moment the door closed behind her Meg kicked into high gear. She lugged her bags down to her car and stowed them in the trunk. When that couldn't hold any more, she filled the back seat. It took several trips to get these loaded. In the front passenger seat, she loaded the bags she was giving away to charity. Puffing with exertion, she raced back upstairs feeling as if she were running out of time, her nerves jangling every time she heard a truck or saw a tall man. In Janelle's room she stopped to take stock. The place was relatively neat but there was dirty laundry, school stuff and some items that she'd chosen to take to Meg's. And they all needed to be packed up and returned to her old house.
For just a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Maybe they should move to a neutral setting.
But no, she didn't have time. If Janelle didn't like being back at her old home, then it would only be temporary. But she had to go now.
It took another hour and six more trips before Meg took a final look at Janelle's room, then at the rest of the apartment.
She took the stairs on the last trip and walked to her stuffed car. She'd go to the closest Goodwill store and get rid of those items first.
Unlocking her car, she opened the door. A voice was calling from behind her.
"There she is. Margaret Pearce"
She spun around only to see a TV crew racing toward her. The cameras were a dead giveaway. "Shit."
She hopped in, locked the door and turned on her engine.
"Wait! We just want to talk to you."
Just as the reporter reached her car, Meg pealed out of the lot. So much for privacy. Damn good thing she was moving out. In her rear view mirror she watched the crew climb into their van in an attempt to follow which was so not going to happen.
She took several corners in an effort to lose them and took the long way to run her errands.
The last thing she needed was to talk to the media. They'd made her life hell once. She wasn't signing up for a second round if she could help it.
But how long would it be before they tracked her down at her new location?
***
Stephanie trembled. She lifted a hand and watched as her whole arm shook. Her chest rose and fell in short gasps. It seemed like she'd been running for hours. She'd been on the run before but she'd forgotten the adrenaline rush or the pain as the shock wore off.
If it wore off…
Damn, she was scared. She kept her eyes closed, knowing that the whites of her eyes would shine in the dark of the night.
The problem was that she didn't know what she was running from. She should have met Bruce for coffee. Now she figured she'd taken a wrong turn in life again. And that she was being followed.
But by whom?
She slipped around the dingy corner into a back alley she knew all too well. No one could find her here. She was in the world she'd struggled so hard to get out of again.
But right now it was a perfect place to blend in and hide away.
She had to stay safe. She didn't know who had killed Cia but she knew it had to one of those guys she'd camped with. She couldn't trust any of them.
Not now.
And she wanted to live. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to live.
CHAPTER 12
Meg scrubbed her face then put on heavier makeup than normal – but she was deluding herself that she'd camouflaged her exhaustion – then walked out of her brother's house. Her muscles ached and her back was telling her she'd done too much. Yet what were the options? The bags had to be unloaded and unpacked and the cleaning had to be done. The house had been empty for months. And there wasn't any coffee. She needed to shop for food and a few basics.
The lab came first.
She drove her brother's car to the Forensic Support Services lab and parked in the staff parking lot. She'd been a consultant out of this office off and on for many years. She could only hope her earlier phone call had brought the results she'd hoped for.
Inside, she identified herself and strode down to Stacy's office. Of the same age, the two had been friends for years. Professional colleagues at first, but that had quickly morphed to mutual respect and a developing friendship. A friendship she'd called on this morning.
Stacy looked up, a warm smile breaking across her face. "There she is. Meg, who can't take a weekend away without tripping over a body."
Meg smiled wanly. "Too true and you're not the first to bring that point up."
"Pete, huh?"
Meg winced. "Yeah, it was the last straw for him."
Stacy's chocolate brown eyes widened in shock and the smile fell away. "Oh, no, I am so sorry." She stood up and walked around her desk to look Meg in the eye. "You two have been together a long time. Maybe you can work this out."
"Maybe." Meg shrugged. "But I'm not sure I want to anymore." She stared a
round the office, not sure she was ready to talk about it, but she didn't have too many people she could share this with. Stacy was one of them, so she took a deep breath and explained about everything that had happened since Darren's death and Janelle's arrival in her world.
When she was done, Stacy reached out and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry. You've had a rough couple of months. But you are doing the right thing. Janelle needs you. Obviously, Pete doesn't."
Meg gave a half laugh. "That's one way of putting it. Thanks."
"And these remains you found, you believe them to be of your old friend?"
Meg, relieved to be onto other issues, nodded. "All of the evidence points in that direction. Obviously, DNA tests will need to be done to confirm it. But the victim is the right age, height, and in the right location."
"And the necklace?" Stacy was always a direct person. Meg appreciated it. It was so much easier to deal with.
"I think it's mine."
"Hence my role?" At Meg's nod, Stacy added, "Okay. I'm going to do the examination. You're going to observe. The process will be videotaped with audio to make sure you aren't touching the bones or compromising the evidence. Yes, that's overkill."
Meg laughed. "In our business, nothing is overkill."
Stacy smiled. "How true. But if this goes to court, we both have to be able to testify."
It was such a pleasure to work with a professional. "Exactly."
Stacey led the way to the lab. "Now, let's go see if we can help your friend."
***
Chad walked into one of the many empty rooms at the station. He felt like shit. There'd been no sign of Stephanie. He didn't even know which places she haunted and neither did her neighbor. She hadn't contacted Chad and neither had she shown up for work.
He'd called her friends, but no one had heard from her. On the off chance, he'd texted Bruce, but hadn't heard back from him. For all intents and purposes, she'd disappeared.
If it hadn't been for her last cry for help, he hated to say, he would likely be considering she'd disappeared with her druggie friends for a few days.
But maybe that was her cry for help. Maybe she'd been hoping that he'd stop her before she spiralled out of control again and went back to her old ways.
But what if this disappearance wasn't her return to bad habits? What if it was connected to Cia's disappearance? The timing was suspicious, coincidental and convenient.
With that thought uppermost in his mind, he headed for the room Daniel had booked for this process. He stood in the doorway. Daniel should be here already but apparently wasn't yet. The room wasn't empty though. Boxes had been stacked two high at the one end of the table.
He couldn't contain his excitement as he strode closer. It had been hard moving from being a suspect in a disappearance to a cop, and now, a detective in his own right. Especially with Cia's disappearance always hanging over his head. From Chad's point of view, this point had been a long time coming.
Finally, they could catch the asshole who had killed Cia.
"Figured you would show up early." Mack walked in, hitching his pants up. He carried a chipped coffee mug filled with coffee in one hand and a stack of files in the other. "Just not this early. Daniel isn't even here yet."
"I'm not that early," Chad protested; then grinned sheepishly. "And so what if I am?" He shoved a hand through his hair. "Any news on Stephanie?"
Mack shook his head and dumped his files on the table at the opposite end of the table to the boxes. "No. But her disappearance might have nothing to do with the case. She's disappeared into the streets many times before. If she's relapsed then that's on her, not on you." He looked up and studied Chad. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Are you? I've been ready for seventeen years and there's no way to know about Stephanie," Chad snapped, then reined back his impatience. "But if her disappearance is related...I want to find the bastard and her...fast."
"Yup, me too. But for me, this is just one of many cases I'd like answers to."
"Yeah, but it's the only one that happened in your back yard."
Silence. Chad looked up, caught the narrowed-eyed gaze and grinned. "Do you really think I don't know who owns each and every one of those cabins?" He added smoothly, "Besides, you're Bruce's uncle, not to mention Anto's and Pero's uncle as well."
Mack dropped his gaze to his folders, a thick frown forming on his pug face.
Chad studied him. "I know that you shouldn't have been on the case back then. I know about your almost getting kicked off the force over it all. Does that bug you?"
"No. You just surprised me, that's all." He shuffled through the folders. "Now if you're done, maybe we can get to work. Daniel should be here any minute."
Chad filed that reaction in the back of his mind, and turned to the top box. He moved it down beside the first and opened the lid. Instantly, all thoughts of Mack's cabin flew out of his head. This was the goldmine of evidence laid out before him.
Finally. Now he could get the answers he'd always been looking for.
Maybe he'd be in time to save Stephanie. But inside, he doubted it. He hated to think of it, but he was afraid it was already too late.
***
Mack watched Chad burrow into boxes like a child who'd found lost treasure. Chad had lost a lot back then, his innocence being at the top of that long list.
He'd been so sure it had been Chad who had killed Cia Barnes. And he'd had no doubt that Cia was dead. Years of experience said the odds were not in that young girl's favor. Those same odds also said it was one of those six young men from the camping trip who'd killed her.
And three of them were from his own damn family. That had been tough. His other family members called in day in and day out, crying and screaming for him to do something. And he had a big family. They'd nagged him endlessly. Over the years, the case had ended up being the one taboo subject at any family gatherings. It was as if by ignoring it, the three men would be innocent.
Sure, Mack had seventeen fewer years on the force back then, but he'd been sharp, and he'd understood the vagaries of human nature even then. Chad had headed the suspect list. Mack admitted to having leaned on him pretty hard hoping for a confession in order to clear his nephews. Instead, Chad had held up and Cia's case had remained unsolved – and a permanent worry to eat away at him.
But Chad had gone from a shocked, scared innocent to a bitter realist and an even more scared man.
Mack had seen the change before his eyes. The memory saddened him. At the time, he'd been glad of it. He'd wanted the smart ass to grow up and see the pain he'd caused Cia's family and friends and to feel the full force of the law; to be scared, and to need to feel the heavy hand of punishment. He'd done a lot wrong back then. Almost ruined his career over the choices he'd made. But he'd done it to try and prove his nephews innocent.
Then one day Chad had walked into the station with his own badge.
Now, he grudgingly admitted he might have misjudged the guy. The young kid had grown into a solid young man. But...leopards didn't change their spots and killers never forgot what they had done, no matter how long it was between kills. That meant this kid was not off the hook.
And this was very suspicious timing for Stephanie to go missing. If someone had panicked about the remains that had been found, they'd had an interesting way of reacting. Stephanie was a drug addict who, if she'd ever known anything incriminating, had either forgotten about it or had lost the credibility to prove it a long time ago.
Also interesting was that the only person who thought she was missing was Chad and Mack only had his word on her disappearance. Something he was going to have to point out to Daniel.
But he'd seen people do and act in a lot of ways. So far as he was concerned, while Chad was looking through the evidence for suspects, Mack was going to take another look at him.
***
Meg waited outside the school grounds for Janelle to walk out. She'd texted her already saying that she'd pick her up.
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Now, seated in the car, with the heat pounding down on her and after the fullness of her full day, Meg just wanted to close her eyes. Exhaustion had nothing on her. She wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep.
And that so wasn't an option.
She had to face Janelle first.
"Meg? Are you sleeping?"
She laughed up at Janelle. "Get in the car, silly. I admit I'm tired, but I'm not sleeping."
"Sure looks like it to me," Janelle muttered. "Can we go home, please?"
Uh, oh. Meg cast her niece a quick look then turned the engine on. She drove to the house wondering how long it would take.
Two blocks apparently.
"Meg? I thought we were going home."
Meg changed lanes and took the next left. A couple of moments later, she pulled into her brother's house and drove up into the garage. She turned off the engine, twisted in her seat and turned to look at Janelle.
In a calm, quiet voice, she said, "We are home."
Janelle's eyes widened uncomprehendingly. She frowned. "What do you mean?"
With a buoyant smile, Meg unlocked the door and got out. She waited for Janelle to grab her backpack and join her. She closed the garage door with the button at the side of the inside door. Then, she unlocked the door to the house. She returned to the car and opened the trunk, and started unloading the grocery bags she'd stashed in the back. When she walked into the kitchen, Janelle was standing in the center of the kitchen, staring at her.
"A little help, please." Meg gasped as one of the bags started to slip. Janelle jumped forward and grabbed it before it fell. "Start putting stuff away and I'll go get the rest."
It took ten minutes before the groceries were unloaded and put away. Janelle grabbed an apple and a spoonful of peanut butter – and stood in the middle of the room, right in front of Meg. "Now, what's going on?"
Blowing a strand of hair back off her face, Meg smiled. "I would have thought that was obvious by now. We're going to live here from now on." She studied Janelle's face, looking for some inkling of a reaction. "If that's okay with you…"
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