Grave Danger (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 12)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “It’s because of that glimpse I can’t turn away,” Maddie countered. “I’ve seen what’s happening. I can’t look elsewhere. I can’t forget. It’s not in me. Besides … I owe Dwight. He looked out for me when I lived down there. He did his very best to make sure I wasn’t forgotten. He was the only one who did that.”

  The words were like a dagger in Nick’s heart. He should’ve gone after her when she left. He always believed it and he couldn’t help but wonder if his inaction was a catalyst for their current predicament. Nick took a steadying breath.

  “I don’t want to boss you around, Mad, but I’m at the point where I guess I’m going to have to be firm.” Nick chose his words carefully. “You’re not going. I won’t let you put yourself at risk. I’m putting my foot down.”

  Maddie was inexplicably sad. “I’m going and you can’t stop me. I’m an adult and my friend needs me. I’m going to help him. That’s what you do when you care about someone. You help.”

  “Maddie … .”

  Maddie held up a hand to quiet him. “I’m going. There’s nothing you can do to change my mind. I’m sorry if that upsets you, but I can’t sit back and do nothing. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t try. So … I’m sorry. I’ll be leaving in the morning. If you can’t accept that … well, it’s on you.”

  With those words, Maddie turned on her heel and left the room. Nick watched her go, anger coursing through him. He’d lost control of the situation and there was no going back. Only one question remained: Now what?

  3

  Three

  Maddie spent the evening sitting at her computer and reading news stories on the body find, hopping between news outlets in an attempt to get more information. She couldn’t find the information she was looking for – everything was too fluid on the ground – but she did discover a few interesting tidbits and she couldn’t tear her eyes from the reports.

  One girl disappeared on her way home from the bar.

  One woman was last seen near a bus stop on Woodward.

  One woman was believed to have been taken from her home.

  Another woman was believed to have gotten in a car with a john and was never seen again.

  The information was sketchy and police were currently chasing leads and trying to put together a timeline. Maddie took advantage of Nick’s ominous silence and called Dwight. He apologized profusely for causing problems, but Maddie waved off his concern and promised to text him as soon as she hit town the next day. It would be a long drive but there was no way she could ignore the issue now that she knew about it.

  She packed while Nick was downstairs talking on the phone. He refused to look at her when she passed through the room and the guilt she felt was all-encompassing. That didn’t mean she could turn back. Ultimately she ceded the bedroom they shared and headed downstairs to conduct research, and by the time she returned to the room Nick was already in bed staring at the ceiling.

  Maddie paused by the door, her heart constricting. They hadn’t been this far apart since they got together and her stomach was full of acid and fear when she edged into the room. “Do you want me to sleep somewhere else?”

  Nick flicked his eyes to her, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t spoken to her since the afternoon blowup. “Is that what you want?”

  “No, but … I don’t want to upset you.”

  “I think it’s too late for that, Maddie.” Nick clasped his hands behind his head as he regarded her. “What have you been doing?”

  It should’ve been an easy question to answer, but Maddie knew it would be the exact opposite.

  “Researching news stories on the case,” she replied after a beat. “They were all young women in their twenties. They disappeared in a variety of different ways. The stories don’t say how the women were killed and Dwight didn’t want to get into it over the phone.”

  “So … you talked to him?”

  Maddie pressed her lips together and nodded.

  “And I see you’ve packed.” Nick’s eyes migrated to the suitcase by the door. “It’s all set for you, huh? You’re going to run off to face off with a serial killer and I have no say in it whatsoever.”

  Maddie’s heart pinched. “Nicky.”

  “Don’t.” Nick shook his head, flashes of anger and helplessness whipping over his handsome features. “I don’t want to start screaming at you so just … don’t.”

  Maddie reluctantly nodded. “I’m sorry. I can’t just let it go though, Nicky. I won’t be able to live with myself if I do.”

  “And what about me?” Nick challenged, his eyes on fire. “Do you think I’ll be able to live with it if something happens to you?”

  “No. Nothing will happen to me, though. Dwight won’t let it.”

  Nick made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “That doesn’t exactly make me feel better.”

  “I would say or do almost anything to make you feel better.”

  “Except call Dwight and tell him you’re not going.”

  Maddie shook her head, firm. “No. I won’t do that.”

  “Then I guess we’re at an impasse.”

  “I guess we are.”

  The duo lapsed into uncomfortable silence, eyeing one another with wary worry. Finally, Maddie couldn’t take another moment of it.

  “Do you want me to sleep somewhere else?”

  “No.”

  Nick’s answer caught Maddie off guard. “You don’t?”

  “We’re getting married, Maddie,” Nick reminded her. “We’re going to fight. That’s what married couples do. That doesn’t mean I want to be away from you … especially since you’re leaving tomorrow.”

  The relief that flooded through Maddie was almost enough to bring her to her knees. She undressed quickly, sliding into an old T-shirt before hitting the light and climbing into bed next to him. For a moment, she wondered if they would sleep in the same bed without touching. It was almost unbearable for her to fathom.

  Then, as if he understood her conflicted thoughts, Nick slid his arm around her waist and tugged her so her head rested on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rubbed his hand over her back.

  “I love you,” Maddie croaked out, her voice breaking. “I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I don’t mean to hurt you. I just can’t ignore what I saw.”

  “I know.” Nick’s voice was barely a whisper. “I love you, too. Nothing will ever change that. Not even you being a stubborn mule.”

  Maddie chuckled as she sniffled. “I think you’re a stubborn mule, too.”

  “Yeah, we’re quite the pair.” Nick let loose with a loud sigh as he snuggled Maddie closer. “Get some sleep, love. You’re going to have a full day ahead of you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Maddie rested her hand on the spot above Nick’s heart. “I think I’m going to see a few things in my dreams tonight. I apologize ahead of time if I wake you.”

  “Don’t ever apologize for that, Mad. We’re together – for better or worse – and I want to be here when you need me. That’s my job.”

  “You’re good at your job.”

  “We both are.” Nick pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Sleep, Mad. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

  “You always are.”

  MADDIE DIDN’T SLEEP well. She didn’t expect to, of course, but the visions chased her throughout the night, never giving her an hour at a time of uninterrupted sleep, and she woke more tired than when she went to bed.

  Nick was in the kitchen when she dragged her suitcase downstairs. He was up before her, although she had no idea what he did in the early morning hours before dawn, and he stood at the stove cooking breakfast when she popped into the kitchen.

  “You look rough,” Maude noted as she drank her coffee at the table.

  “Thank you, Granny.” Maddie didn’t bother hiding her eye roll. “I feel a bit rough.”

  Nick studied her for a long beat. “You didn’t sleep much. I felt you shifting.”
r />   “I’m sorry.”

  “We’ve been over this, Mad. Don’t apologize for things you can’t control. I don’t blame you for waking me. I’m upset because I couldn’t soothe you.”

  Maddie balked. “You soothe me just by breathing.”

  Nick’s expression softened, although only marginally. “Right back at you, love.”

  “Oh, geez.” Maude rubbed her forehead, clearly disturbed. “Even when you fight you’re sickly sweet.”

  Nick managed a weak grin. “I’m glad we can remain predictable even when times get rough.” He turned his full attention to the stove. “I’m cooking hash browns and eggs, Mad. Do you want toast, too?”

  In truth, Maddie’s stomach wasn’t keen on the idea of food. Since Nick was going out of his way to offer her an olive branch before she left, though, there was no way she could turn her back on it or him. “I’ll make the toast.”

  “Okay.”

  Maddie shuffled around the edge of the counter, stopping next to Nick long enough to roll to the balls of her feet and press a kiss to his cheek. He turned to her, his lips curving as he noted the myriad of emotions flitting through her eyes.

  “I love you,” Nick whispered, brushing his lips against her mouth. “It’s okay.”

  Maddie wasn’t sure that was true, but she appreciated the effort. “I love you more.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

  “I guess so.”

  Maddie gave him another quick kiss before retrieving the bread from the counter. She took a moment to collect herself and then focused on Maude. “You need to be good while I’m gone. If you get in trouble, I won’t be here to bail you out of jail.”

  “I’m pretty sure that was an insult,” Maude said dryly. “Do you really think I’m dumb enough to get caught by the cops? The cops in this town are idiots … no offense, Nick.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Why would I possibly take offense at that?”

  “Who knows.” Maude airily waved off the question. “You guys are so sensitive I can’t keep up with your fragile feelings from moment to moment. You have nothing to worry about, though. I promise I’ll be fine while you guys are out of town.”

  “I hope that’s a promise you’ll be able to keep,” Maddie said pointedly. “In fact … wait.” She wrinkled her nose as she ran Maude’s words through her busy brain. “Nick will be here to keep you in line. You need to do what he says while I’m gone.”

  Maude snorted derisively. “Nick isn’t going to be around. He’s going with you. In fact, I’m thinking about having a party while the two of you are out of town.”

  “Nick isn’t going with me. He has work.” Maddie shifted her eyes to Nick and found him watching her with unreadable eyes. “Right?”

  “I considered waiting for you to ask me to go with you, but then I realized you weren’t going to do it,” he said quietly. “I was hurt by that, thinking you didn’t want me with you.”

  “That’s not true,” Maddie protested, horrified. “I didn’t want to ask because I knew you would go and that didn’t seem like a fair position to put you in.”

  “So you think it’s better to leave me here to worry?” Nick challenged.

  “I … .” Maddie broke off and chewed her bottom lip.

  “Yeah, I can see you didn’t even consider it because you thought you were doing the right thing for me,” Nick said. “That makes me feel a little better, although I’m not going to lie, I’m still agitated.”

  Maddie worked overtime to keep the tears burning the back of her eyes from falling. “But … you’re going with me?”

  Nick took pity on her and grabbed her hand. “I wouldn’t let you do something like this without me. You should know that.”

  Maddie wanted to remain strong. She was desperate for it. She opened her mouth to offer him a firm and stern “thank you” without engaging in any sort of drama. Instead she burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, thank you so much.”

  Nick’s stomach twisted when he realized exactly how worked up she’d been. “Don’t thank me, love.” He tightened his arms around her. “We’re a unit. For better or for worse, it’s you and me together for the rest of our lives. If one of us is going on an adventure, you’d better understand that both of us are going on an adventure.”

  “You have no idea how relieved I am.” Maddie pulled back so she could swipe at her falling tears. “I wasn’t sure I could do this without you, but I was afraid to ask. What are you going to do about work?”

  “I called Dale,” Nick replied, referring to his partner. “He said I could take some vacation time since things have been slow. He didn’t have a problem with it.”

  “But … do you have a problem with it?”

  “I have a much bigger problem being separated from you.”

  “Me, too.” Maddie’s arms were back around Nick’s neck. “I love you so much. I … thank you. Just … thank you.”

  “Maddie, I love you. Nothing will ever keep us apart. I promise. No matter how angry I am – and make no mistake, I’m not thrilled how this shook out – I will always be with you if given the option. Never doubt that.”

  “I promise to remember that.” Maddie was solemn. “I’ll do better.”

  “You’re already perfect.” Nick graced her with a soft kiss as he worked overtime to ignore the gagging noises Maude made as she mimed throwing up. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

  MADDIE SAID HER GOODBYES to Maude, making sure to call her best friend Christy Ford and request the occasional drop-in to make sure Maude didn’t lose control of her faculties … or turn the house into party central. It was almost eight before Maddie and Nick hit the road and Nick was relieved to find that Maddie seemed much more relaxed than when she had first joined him in the kitchen.

  “Let’s talk about what you saw in your vision,” Nick prodded as he pointed his truck toward the freeway. “I want to be as current as possible on the case before we hit Detroit.”

  “I don’t know what more to tell you,” Maddie hedged. “I basically saw glimpses of various girls running away … or cowering. I saw a few being … um … attacked.”

  Nick kept his eyes on the road but linked his fingers with Maddie’s to offer her comfort. “How were they attacked?”

  “He had a knife. I saw a lot of … blood. I think he toys with them before he kills them, though.”

  “Toys how?”

  “He makes it into a game when he stalks them.” Maddie rolled her neck as she stared out the passenger window. “He tries to isolate them so it doesn’t matter how loud they scream.”

  “That’s a gutsy move,” Nick noted. “How does he know he can stalk them in a city and not get caught? I mean … I can see something like that happening in the country. We have so much open space in Blackstone Bay that it could easily happen in our neck of the woods. A city is different, though.”

  “It’s Detroit,” Maddie pointed out.

  “Still.”

  “How much time have you spent there?”

  The question caught Nick off guard. “I honestly haven’t spent more than a few days here and there. When I was in the academy, we drove to the city and spent a week attending classes at one of the facilities at Wayne State University. I didn’t think that area was so bad.”

  “That’s because it’s not bad. That’s a revered school and the security is tight. The city itself is … different.”

  Nick didn’t miss the shift in her tone. “Different how?”

  “Well, for starters, it’s not all rundown buildings and gangbangers,” Maddie replied. “There’s definitely violence, drugs, prostitution, and muggers, so be careful. I’ll be leaving my purse in the hotel and traveling with money in my pockets once we arrive.”

  “I’ll take care of the money. You just make sure to stay close to me.”

  “We’ll fight about money when we land,” Maddie said. “There�
��s no way you’re paying for all of this. It’s my deal so I should be the one to foot the bill.”

  “We’re getting married. Your money is my money and vice versa.”

  “You have a point.”

  “I’m the smartest man in the world and you should always listen to what I say,” Nick teased, squeezing her hand. “Go back to what you were saying about the city, though.”

  “Oh, right.” Maddie shook her head to dislodge money thoughts. They would discuss that later, and hopefully they wouldn’t get into another fight. “The city is really hard to explain. Some pockets are wonderful and full of culture. Those areas are clean and very little violence occurs.

  “A lot of the neighborhoods are abandoned, though,” she continued. “Detroit’s population continues to plummet despite efforts to entice people into the city. What happens in those neighborhoods is that homes are abandoned or seized by the bank and then used as drug houses … or sometimes worse. No one can keep up on patrolling the abandoned houses in every neighborhood.”

  Nick arched an eyebrow, legitimately curious. “What’s worse?”

  “There’s a big drug trafficking problem in Detroit because of the city’s proximity to the border.”

  “Oh.” Nick rolled his neck. “I guess that makes sense. I never really thought about it.”

  “A lot of people go missing in Detroit, too,” Maddie explained. “Because of the nature of the city, though, it’s difficult to tell if people voluntarily go missing or something else happened. It makes Dwight’s job extremely difficult.

  “In this case, though, they know that they have a predator on the loose,” she continued. “This is something tangible that Dwight can solve.”

  “And you want to help.”

  “I need to help,” Maddie corrected. “Now that I’ve seen them, witnessed what they’ve gone through, I can’t simply turn my back and walk away. I need to do what I can to help.”

  “I understand that, Mad.” Nick’s tone was gentle. “You can’t bring back the ones already lost, though.”