The door opened and a man exited. Elise couldn’t see his face as he stopped to speak with Roy. She strained her neck to see him...to see his face.
She didn’t have to wait long.
Roy stepped out of the way and Elise got a good look at the man who was heading up this trafficking ring.
He smiled at her, a smile so familiar that it was sickening to remember. A smile that she now knew hid only lies and betrayal.
Bobby Danbar.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this, Agent Richardson,” he said as he approached the table. “I had hoped you would take what we gave you and be satisfied and leave town.”
She glared at him. “What you gave me?”
“Mr. Larkin. We practically spoon-fed him to you. You had everything you needed to close down your investigation, but still you kept pushing and probing. You’ve made quite a bit of trouble for us, Agent Richardson.”
Had he been behind it all? Had he staged the break-in at his own hotel? “Glad to help.”
“It’s time for you to disappear.”
He pushed the pen and paper toward her.
She knew where he was headed. The same way he’d forced the girls to write runaway letters, he wanted her to write a letter stating she was leaving, so no one would suspect she’d been abducted.
But she was not a child to be terrorized. She was a trained federal agent, and she wasn’t writing anything for this man.
She stared at him, determined not to relent. “I won’t do it.”
“I thought you would say as much. That’s why she’s here, too.”
He nodded at Roy, who grabbed Candace and raised the gun to her head. Candace cried out in fear.
Elise understood the threat. Write the letter or he would kill Candace. But being sold into prostitution might be a fate worse than death. Still, this wasn’t the time to make such decisions. She had to keep them both alive long enough for someone to find them.
Reluctantly, she pulled the paper toward her and picked up the pen.
He smiled. “That’s much better, Agent Richardson.” He sat on the table overseeing her. “Now, you’ll write only what I tell you to write. Any tricks and the girl will die. Understood?”
Elise nodded and began to write as this man dictated her goodbye letter to Josh. When she was done, he produced a typewritten letter stating her intention to resign from the FBI and instructed her to sign it. Elise did as he asked, knowing Candace’s life depended on her being compliant.
When she was done, he picked up the letters and placed them into an envelope. “I’ll be sure and mail these for you,” he said smugly.
“What’s going to happen to the girls?” she asked him. She had no reason to believe that she would make it out of this alive, so she hoped he might feel at ease to speak freely.
“You should know, Agent. You’ve been on our trail for a while now. Brooke and Candace will be moved to another location once we’re convinced the authorities are off our trail. You’ve made quite a mess for us.” He motioned toward Candace, who was still at the mercy of the man with the gun to her head. “I only hope the police are satisfied with the evidence we planted indicating she was dead. I’d hate to have to provide them a body to find. It would cost us a good deal and I don’t like to waste merchandise.”
“She’s not merchandise. She’s an innocent young girl.”
He snorted. “Not for long.” He walked over to Candace and touched her hair, twirling it around his finger. “A pretty young thing like this can bring us big money on the market.”
He was talking about trafficking Candace. She’d been right all along about the human trafficking ring, though it didn’t make her happy to know that. But at least Candace was alive...for now.
“And what about me? What will you do with me?”
He sneered at her. “For all the trouble you’ve caused me, I’d like nothing more than to put a bullet in your head. But I have my orders, too. The boss wants to see you. He wants to take care of you himself.”
So he wasn’t the man in charge. “Who is your boss? Who do you work for?”
“I’m only a supplier. I don’t get the names of the big guys. Only now, I have to move my operation because of you. If word gets out, no one will do business with me. That’s why I have no choice but to clean up the mess you’ve made.”
“You had Taylor Johnson break into my hotel room and steal my files.”
“Of course. I had to know if you were onto us, if that was why you’d come to town. Unfortunately once I knew you were here to investigate my operation, I was forced to put Roy Martin on the job.”
“Trying to run me down?” She flashed Roy a smug smile. “He failed.”
“Yes, he did. Because of that Josh Adams. He’s always sticking his nose into everyone else’s business.”
“I thought he was your friend.”
“No, those Adams boys were never concerned with me. They had everything. They had the family, the popularity, the good looks. But neither one of them ever knew how to keep their noses out of other people’s business.”
She was stunned by this revelation. Had Max been onto Bobby’s operation? “Max was investigating you?”
“I was just beginning to branch out then. My cousin had turned me on to a drug ring operating in the area. Max got a little too curious, so we had no choice but to take him out.”
Elise’s mind was reeling. Bobby Danbar had hired someone to kill Max. Had she simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or had they counted on Max’s police instincts to lure him into the dangerous situation?
Lin was right. She did have a way of tripping over danger.
Candace cried out. “You killed my father?” Tears streamed down her face, and she was sobbing so badly that her body shook. It was a shock for anyone. All she’d ever known was that her father died a hero. Now to learn that he’d been coldly murdered was heartbreaking.
Bobby stood and addressed Roy and Jay. “Take them back to the well.”
Roy grabbed Elise’s arms and pulled her to her feet, pushing her out the door and back down the steps. Elise could hear Candace crying behind them. When they reached the well, Roy pulled his gun and pointed it at Elise. “Go.” She grabbed the ladder and climbed down, her gaze striking Candace and the gun at her head. They knew she wouldn’t try to escape with Candace’s life at stake. Candace followed down after her, and Roy hauled the ladder back up when Candace reached the bottom.
Elise reached for her as the girl slid to the floor, her hair hanging in shambles around her face. Elise sat beside her, wrapping her arms around the girl’s shoulders.
“He killed my dad,” Candace said. “I’ve always blamed my dad. I’ve spent so many years being mad because he left us. Now I realize he never stood a chance. He was never coming home.” She turned those bright blue eyes on Elise. “And now neither are we.”
* * *
Josh headed back through town toward the police station. He’d swung by the homes of several of Candace’s teachers he knew Elise had interviewed, hoping at least one of them had spoken to her. He hated bothering them the first day of their Christmas break, especially when all their answers had been the same—no one had seen her—but he was desperate for information on her whereabouts.
He passed the hotel and still didn’t see her SUV, but he did see Bobby’s sedan pulling into the parking lot. He turned sharply, hoping his friend had some information about her.
“I’ve been trying to phone you, but you didn’t answer.”
Bobby pulled out his phone and examined it. “Sorry. I put it on silent earlier. I’ve been doing some Christmas shopping this morning for the family and didn’t want them to find out. What was so important?”
“I’m looking for Elise. I’ve knocked on her door several times, but she hasn’t a
nswered and no one has seen her for a while.”
“I’m not surprised. Agent Richardson checked out yesterday.”
His words were like a punch in Josh’s stomach. “She checked out?”
“Yes. She packed her stuff into her SUV yesterday evening and left.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. “She asked me to give this to you.”
He tore open the envelope and pulled out a handwritten letter letting him know she was leaving town now that the investigation was over.
So while everyone in town was searching for her, she’d packed up and left with only a letter as explanation? “She left this? You saw her?”
“Yes, she handed it to me when she checked out. I promised to give it to you if you came by.”
Josh stormed back to the Jeep, anger biting at him. How could she leave without a word to anyone? And why leave so abruptly? He’d poured out his heart to her, promising a future together if she stayed.
He opened the letter and read it again, his mind turning over and over at the words.
It was true. Elise had left town.
She’d made her choice and was gone.
He’d lost her.
* * *
“So you’re the one who broke it off?” Colton asked as he knelt down to examine the ground for evidence of fresh tracks.
“I guess I did,” Josh said. He hadn’t come right out and given her an ultimatum—the FBI or him—but he might as well have.
Finding nothing, Colton stood and moved on through the woods. “Yet you’re upset that she left town without telling you?”
His mocking tone didn’t escape Josh’s notice. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I didn’t think she’d leave. She didn’t even say goodbye to Patti.”
“She left you a note.”
The note. Elise’s letter mocked him. He’d reread it once or twice, noticing the fine lines of her handwriting, searching for something, some clue or reason as to why she’d left so suddenly without a word, without even giving him an opportunity to apologize.
“But Patti said Elise believed someone was still hurting Brooke Martin. She said she was heading to the Martins’ house. The woman I know wouldn’t just leave without knowing Brooke was safe. But the Martins insist she was never there.”
“If you keep focusing on it, it’ll drive you crazy,” Colton warned him. “Maybe Patti misunderstood, or maybe the Martins lied. Either track her down and make sure everything is fine or else forget about it.” He checked the time on his watch. “Let’s head back to base camp and see if any of the other teams have found anything.”
They trekked back to where a makeshift base camp in the search for Candace’s body had been established. There was no good news from the other teams, but some volunteers were still out searching.
Josh decided to take a break and drive over to Patti’s. Maybe Elise had said something more that she’d forgotten or maybe Colton was right about her misunderstanding. All he knew for certain was that his mind just wasn’t going to rest until he put these pieces together.
He parked at the curb, recognizing Daniel’s squad car in the driveway. His heart jumped. Was there news? Had they found Candace? He’d just left the search area. Why hadn’t they called him?
Patti opened the door for him. Her face was drawn and tight from crying. Her days of being strong were over. Her hope had ended the day they’d found Candace’s backpack in Larkin’s shed.
Daniel stood by the fireplace, almost in front of the photo of Max and Candace. His face was drawn, as well.
“What’s going on?” Josh asked. “Do you have news?”
He dug his hands into his pockets. “It’s not what you think, Josh. We haven’t had any headway in our search for Candace.”
“Then what is it?”
He glanced at Patti then back at Josh. “There is something I need to tell you. Patti and I talked, and we both agree we want to be the ones to tell you before you hear it from someone else.”
Josh glanced at Patti, who moved to stand beside Daniel. “We weren’t trying to keep it a secret,” she said. “We just hadn’t had the opportunity to tell anyone.”
He noticed the way Daniel reached out for Patti’s hand and held it firmly as he talked. “You’re a couple?”
Daniel nodded and looked at Patti. “We didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. We haven’t told anyone...except Candace.”
“Candace knew?”
Patti’s chin quivered. “I told her the night before she disappeared. She was so angry at me.”
Daniel rubbed his face. “I suppose that’s why I was so convinced she ran away. She was so angry. And then when we received that letter... I’ve already expressed my regret to Patti, but I’m sorry, Josh. You tried to convince me and I didn’t hear you.”
He shook Daniel’s hand and let the man know there were no hard feelings. He hugged Patti and wished them both well. He wanted nothing but the best for Patti, and he knew Max would be pleased that she was finding love again.
He walked out to the Jeep and got inside but didn’t start the engine right away. The letter—Candace’s runaway letter. He’d forgotten about that. Had Larkin forced her to write it? And how had Brooke got ahold of it to turn over to the police?
But if Candace had written a letter, had Larkin forced her to do so before he killed her? He tried Elise’s number again. He needed to speak with her. Was it possible Larkin was the suspect she’d been tracking all along? Why wouldn’t she have told him about the connections with the letters?
He remembered the file she’d kept on her leads. After her hotel room had been broken into, she’d hidden the file. Had she taken it in her haste to leave?
He pulled out the letter from his pocket and stared at it, suddenly realizing the letters were the key. If someone had forced Candace to write a runaway letter, could they have also forced Elise to write one? He pulled it out and reread it, this time looking for details instead of feeling the emotions of the words.
Was this letter evidence that she’d been abducted, too? That suspicion was growing inside of him. He felt the urge to rush back inside and spill out his suspicions to Patti and Daniel, but they would probably just think him crazy and brokenhearted. He needed proof that she hadn’t left on her own...and he knew just where to find it.
* * *
Bobby shook his head. “I don’t know why we’re doing this,” he said as he slid the key into the lock and the door opened. “I told you she left. I saw her drive away with my own two eyes.”
Josh pushed past him into the hotel room. All her belongings were indeed gone. Her photos had been removed from the wall and her bags were missing.
“I told you,” Bobby said. “She packed everything and left.”
Josh gazed at the corner. Elise had hidden her files under the carpet. If they were still there, he would know she hadn’t left on her own. She would never have left them, and if someone else had packed up her room, they wouldn’t have known to look for them there.
He pulled out his knife.
Bobby jumped, startled. “What are you doing with that?”
Josh knelt by the corner and used the sharp end to pull back the carpet. He spotted the brown color of the folder she’d used. He reached for it, pulling out the file.
She hadn’t left on her own and now he had his proof.
“What is that?” Bobby asked him.
“Evidence Elise hid. She wouldn’t have left town without these files.”
That meant someone else had packed up her hotel room. Had they also forced her to write that letter? But who had access to the hotel room? And how had Bobby watched her drive away with his own two eyes?
Suspicion dawned as he realized there was no way Bobby could have seen her, yet he’d been the one to give Josh the lette
r and he’d had access to her hotel room to clean it out.
He turned to look at his friend and found the man standing over him, a gun now in his hand. “You just can’t leave well enough alone, can you?” he said as he slammed the butt of the gun into Josh’s head and knocked him to the floor.
He thought of Elise as darkness cloaked over him, smothering every thought he had.
TEN
Blood trickled down Josh’s face as the light of consciousness seeped through. He opened his eyes, his head pounding at such a simple idea as moving. He ignored the pain, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He was still in the hotel room, but Bobby was gone.
He pulled himself to his feet and struggled to regain his balance.
Bobby had sucker punched him. Bobby, whom he had considered a friend, had betrayed him. Had he hurt Elise? Had he hurt Candace? Josh bit back anger as he carefully took the steps to the ground floor. He rushed to the office only to find it locked up. He stumbled back to the Jeep instead.
Bobby Danbar was his key to finding Elise.
Bitter anger rushed through him at the realization that he’d been betrayed again by someone he’d considered a friend.
He dialed Daniel’s number and spilled out what had happened when he answered.
“He didn’t kill you,” Daniel stated, “which means he’ll have to leave town quickly.”
“He’s already got an hour’s head start,” Josh said, estimating how long he’d been out cold.
“I’ll send a patrol out to his house.”
But Josh doubted he would be there. “He has to have a place where he’s hiding these girls. I think he used to have a hunting cabin near the river.”
“That’s on the opposite side of town from where we found Brooke and where we’ve been searching for Candace.”
Josh knew that was by design. Bobby had planned all of this down to the last detail. He must have framed Larkin for Brooke’s abduction and planted the girl in a shed on the other side of town, keeping search crews far away from where he was really keeping his victims. But that didn’t explain why Brooke had identified Larkin as her attacker. Had the two men been working together? Did this have something to do with the human trafficking ring Elise had been investigating? And had she finally stumbled across it?
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