by C. M. Sutter
“The baby wimped out. He probably had to put a fresh coat of polish on his nails.” I looked up and grinned at my sister.
She laughed. “You’re wicked mean, and you better watch out. If he ever heard you diss him like that, he’d kick your butt.”
“Humph… I seriously doubt that. Want a shot?”
“Okay, but only one. What are we having?”
“Jägermeister.” I took a gulp of my ale and waited for her expression.
“Really?” Her nose wrinkled, and she stuck out her tongue as if to gag.
“What, now you’re wimping out too? Maybe you and Jack should be brother and sister. Fine, I’ll drink both of them.”
“I’ll drink the crap. Just so you know, I’d rather have a shot of Baileys.”
“You’re such a girl, Amber. Don’t forget, Tuesday night is practice at the range.”
She grinned. “I love my gun, and I’ll admit, I’m getting pretty good.”
“Yes you are, but don’t let it go to your head. There’s always room for improvement. Are you going to pour those shots or what?”
She set two shot glasses on the bar and pulled the green bottle from the shelf behind her. She poured. I motioned for her to fill them up—no weak shots here.
“Salute,” I said as I clinked my glass against hers, and we slugged them back.
“Ugh, that was so gross.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
I smiled. “Wimp. How about a menu?”
“Sure thing.” Amber turned and pulled a menu from the stack by the cash register. “We’re running a special tonight—steak sandwich on a sourdough bun and German potato salad for under ten bucks. I’ll even throw in a dill pickle spear.”
“Keep the spear, but I’ll take the special—medium rare.”
“You got it.”
My order was up within fifteen minutes. Amber carried the plate over and set it in front of me. She chomped on my dill pickle while she grabbed the utensils that were rolled in a paper napkin and set them on the bar.
“Anything else, Sis?”
“A glass of water would be good.”
She nodded.
I looked at the crowded bar as I ate. Wall-to-wall people were enjoying the night without a care in the world. I wondered what it felt like, not taking your work home with you.
Amber set the glass of ice water in front of me. “Here’s your water. What’s up? You seem distracted.”
I smiled. “Nah—I’m fine. Just another case weighing on my mind, that’s all.”
“The one on the six o’clock news?”
“Yeah, you saw it?” I wiped my mouth with the napkin.
“Sure. I recognized the lieutenant on TV, so I turned the volume up. I hope you guys catch those maniacs.”
“If they’re still in the area, we will—hopefully sooner rather than later. How about the check, Sis? I think I’ll head home.”
“I got you covered, Jade. Go home, relax, and give Spaz some snuggles.”
I reached over the bar and kissed my sister’s cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you right back.”
Chapter 26
Liz dodged and darted every which way, tripping over dirt clods as she ran wildly. The open field was a dangerous place to be—no cover and nowhere to hide. The van was closing in, and the headlights illuminated her. Every time he saw her, Jeremy floored the gas pedal. Their heads bounced off the headliner whenever he hit a rut or gully.
Matt turned and looked at the back of the van. The two moaning girls rolled back and forth, banging off the sidewalls as Jeremy gunned the vehicle through the field.
“Are you going to run her down or catch her?”
“I’m going to hit her. She’s nothing but a liability anyway. Damn it, where did she go?”
“I don’t see her.” Matt frantically searched the horizon for somebody running. The darkened skies didn’t help. He saw a flash of movement. “Over there!” He pointed toward the barn.
“Gotcha. I guess it’s your lucky day, Liz. I’m not going to run you down after all.” Jeremy cranked the wheel, gunned the van, and headed toward the barn. He slammed on the brakes, shifted into park, and jumped out. “Stay with these two and give them that dose,” he yelled as he chased Liz toward the barn.
She squeezed through the barely open double doors and ran into the building, tripping over things as she tried to hide. Jeremy wasn’t far behind her. He yanked the doors open wider and stopped, listening for a sound that would give away her location. He needed a moment for his eyes to adjust to the shadowy images of barn beams and equipment that faintly showed up from the flood light in the yard.
“Where are you, Liz? You know it’s only going to take me a minute or so to find you, then you’re going to be in a world of hurt.”
He spun at the sound to his left and pulled back just before the board hit him in the head. She screamed and tried to run, but Jeremy leaped forward and caught her by the ankle. Liz fell face-first on the barn floor and grunted.
“You stupid bitch, you’re lucky that board missed me.”
Her screeching echoed through the night but only for a split second—dead silence followed.
Jeremy dragged her out of the barn by her leg and headed to the house. He motioned for Matt to follow with the van. Matt backed up to the cellar doors, their usual routine when they brought in new girls. The distance was much shorter, and it was a direct route down the stairs to the cages.
“Is she dead?” Matt asked as he jumped out of the van and opened the sliding side door.
“No, but she’ll probably wish she was when she wakes up. It looks like she’s already getting a nice knot on her head. I clubbed her pretty good—she’s out cold. I’d like to know how the hell she escaped.” Jeremy turned her and took her by the wrists. He dragged her down the cement steps to the basement floor. He flicked on the lights. The other girls were awake and staring, wide eyed. “The first person that tells me how she escaped won’t get zapped.”
Carley spoke up immediately. “She wiggled the links near the bottom of her cage until some broke. She pressed them open with her feet until she could slip through. She said she’s been working on those rusty wires for a month.”
Matt smirked. “Good thing she didn’t know where the keys were kept. We might have been chasing down all of you.”
“You bitch. I can’t believe you ratted her out in the blink of an eye,” Gina said, staring at Carley. The disgust was written across her face.
Jeremy laughed. “Uh-oh, the besties are at each other’s throats. I’ll take care of that.” He grabbed the cattle prod and nailed Gina in the side three times. She fell over and twitched. Carley looked away. “All right, let’s get the new girls down here. First, grab one of those cages and take it around the corner. Liz can live in there, away from contact and communication with the rest. She’ll be alone from now on. We’ll get rid of the broken cage tomorrow.” Jeremy pulled Liz across the room and jammed her into a cage in the darkest corner of the basement. “There, she can’t even see the rest of you. She can sit there by herself and think about her actions. Let’s go.”
They went upstairs and returned a minute later. Each carried a limp, unconscious young woman in his arms. The women’s heads hung, bobbing with the movement, and their mouths gaped open. Jeremy and Matt shoved them into new cages, pulled off their boots, and threw them across the room. Matt clicked the padlocks and secured the gates. Carley and Gina cried when they saw the new girls.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to witness this for long. Gina, you’re out of here in two days, and Carley, you’re gone as of Wednesday. Jeremy, did you even tell Carley where she’s going?”
“Sure didn’t. I totally forgot. Ready for it? It’s pretty exciting.” Jeremy taunted her. He despised her anyway since she’d spat at him. “Drum roll, please.”
Matt banged his hands against the tabletop like bongo drums and laughed.
“You’re going to India, Carley. I’ve
heard there are tons of rats there, you know, kind of like you. It takes one to know one, right? I don’t know how well you’ll like it there, but you’ll figure it out.” Jeremy kicked the side of her cage and smirked. “Go to sleep. I don’t want to hear a peep coming from this room.”
“What happens when they wake up? It’s going to be them screaming, not us,” Carley said.
“You better be good at explaining the rules. If not, you all get the stun gun.” With his forehead pinched tightly in a frown, Jeremy glared at her, then he turned and walked upstairs. Matt followed.
The lights went out, and the room fell into blackness, then the door slammed at the top of the stairs.
Chapter 27
I ran for my phone with nothing more than a towel wrapped around my wet body. I seemed to forget to take my cell into the bathroom when I showered, and that’s usually when it rang. I looked at the screen—the lieutenant was calling.
“Hey, boss. What’s up?”
“Jade, tell me you’re dressed and walking out the door.”
“I could, but I’d be lying.” I pulled the towel tighter against my cold, goose bump–covered skin.
“I think we have another abduction. Get here as soon as you can. Don’t stop for coffee and doughnuts either. The coffee is brewing, and I already picked up the doughnuts. Jack, Billings, and Clayton are on their way. I’m calling Todd and Billy too.”
“Roger that, boss. I’ll be there in twenty.” I clicked the red symbol to end the call and threw on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. As soon as I got a comb through my wet hair, I pulled it back, gave it a few twists around my hand, and secured it with a clip.
“Amber, honey, I have to go. I’ll call you as soon as I can. I fed Spaz and Polly and Porky.”
My sister groaned, rolled over to her other side, and snuggled back under the blankets.
“Can I have an acknowledgment?”
“Yeah, I heard you.”
“Bye, hon.”
She waved with a limp hand peeking out of the blankets.
With a swat at the darkened garage wall, I hit the button and opened the overhead door. I climbed into my car and took a second to regroup. Got my keys, got my purse, got my phone, and got my gun. Good to go. I backed down the driveway and pressed the button on the passenger side visor to close the garage door. I turned left out of the Ashbury Woods condo neighborhood and gunned my Mustang down the street. Getting to the sheriff’s department would take me seven minutes.
I turned onto Schmidt Road, pulled into the parking lot, and saw Jack walking toward the entrance. Billings’s and Clayton’s cars were already parked. Jack turned around just before he reached the doors and waited for me.
“Morning, partner. It looks like we’re going to be busy. Guess my desk isn’t going to see the light of day after all.”
“Do you know any more than I do?” I asked as I rushed up the steps to meet him.
Jack grinned. “You know that didn’t make any sense, don’t you?”
I swatted his arm. “Come on. Let’s see what the lieutenant has to say.”
We went inside and walked around the reception desk, said hello to Peggy at dispatch, and entered the bull pen through the security door.
The lieutenant, Clayton, and Billing sat in Clark’s office, waiting for us.
“Jade, Jack. Maybe we should use the conference room. This office isn’t quite big enough for all of us. Todd and Billy should be here any minute too.”
We all got up and headed down the hall. Clayton grabbed the coffee pot and a handful of Styrofoam cups when he passed the coffee station.
We went inside the conference room and sat. Todd and Billy had just arrived and followed us down the hall.
“Billy, close the door, please. Okay, guys, here’s what we know. Two young ladies went missing last night at Westchase Mall. The car is still sitting in the lot. Silver and Ebert have the area cordoned off, and Dan and Kyle are on the scene, going over the vehicle.”
“Was the back passenger side tire punctured?” I asked.
“No, it wasn’t. Kyle spoke with the mall security department, and they’re going to pull up the camera footage from last night. Hopefully that’s going to show us what we need. Todd, I want you and Billy to get out there right now and go over that footage. Get back here with a copy as soon as you can. The head of security is there now. He said he’d have the footage from yesterday available for you guys to view and he’d have that copy ready for you too. Go ahead. Get on it.”
“You got it, sir,” Todd said. “Is there someone we should ask for by name?”
Clark checked his notes. “Yeah, the guy’s name is Bob Shilling.”
Todd and Billy got up and left the room.
“Okay, what do we know so far, boss?” I poured five coffees, kept one, and slid a cup across the table to Clark, Jack, Clayton, and Billings.
“The girls are Megan Falk, twenty-two, and Jenna Davis, also twenty-two. They were shopping at the mall, and according to Megan’s mom, they left her house at five o’clock. The café facing the parking lot has a receipt for two beers paid by Megan’s credit card at eight fifteen. The security guard noticed the empty car sitting in a spot near the end of the parking lot at ten thirty. The mall closes at ten. According to Silver, the security guard didn’t call anything in as suspicious.”
“I imagine people leave their cars overnight in mall lots all the time, right?” Jack asked.
Clark rubbed his eyebrows. “Yeah, it didn’t raise a red flag with security. Cars get ticketed after twenty-four hours of not being moved, though. The parents are the ones that called it in. Peggy patched them through to me. Apparently, neither of the girls slept in their beds last night, nor did they answer their cell phones. I sent Silver and Ebert out to the mall, and that’s where they found Jenna’s car. They talked to security and found out the car had been sitting there since last night. They thought it seemed suspicious at a closer glance. The car wasn’t locked. I told Silver I was sending forensics out there to check it over. We should be hearing from Kyle soon with an update.”
I wondered if we really had a crime on our hands. The MO wasn’t the same as the others. The girls weren’t abducted at a park of any kind. They went missing at night rather than the daytime, and all of the tires were fine.
“Boss, maybe the girls met up with friends and caught a late-night party at someone’s house. They could be just sleeping it off.”
“Maybe.” Clark’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He looked at us. “It’s forensics. Hello, Kyle, I’m putting you on speakerphone. What can you tell us?”
“Morning, everyone. We went through the car, and nothing looked disturbed inside. Popping the trunk told us an entirely different story, though.”
“We’re listening, go ahead.” Clark sat back down with a heave.
“The trunk is filled with shopping bags, two purses, keys, and two cell phones. It definitely looks like an abduction, sir.”
“Damn it. Okay, Todd and Billy are en route. They should be there any minute. Get the car back here to the evidence garage and go over it with a fine-toothed comb.”
“Got it, Lieutenant. I’ll call the flatbed right now.”
“All right. There’s nothing we can pursue until we see that video footage. Jade and Jack, get over to Megan’s house. Clayton and Billings, you take Jenna’s. Find out everything about these young ladies. Learn who were their friends, foes, and anything in between. You need the family’s statements and everything they can remember from yesterday. Here are both of their home phone numbers and addresses.” Clark tore in half the sheet of paper he had scratched the addresses on. “Get back here as soon as you’re finished interviewing the parents. By then, we should have the video footage from the mall.”
We pushed back our chairs and filed out of the conference room. Outside, Jack and I took one unmarked cruiser, and Clayton and Billings took another.
“Okay, where are we going?” Jack asked as he
turned the key over, slid the shifter into drive, and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Looks like Megan’s family lives just this side of Allentown right off Highway 33. Take Washington Street out of town for four miles. That should put us pretty close. I’ll give the parents a call to let them know we’re coming.”
The drive took us fifteen minutes. Allentown was a small unincorporated village due west of North Bend. The mall, on the far west side of North Bend, was only a ten-minute drive from Megan’s house.
“Turn here,” I said, pointing to my right. “Their house should be the fifth one on the left.” I saw the last name on the mailbox next to the driveway. “This is the place.”
Jack pulled into the driveway of a cookie-cutter ranch-style house. The subdivision didn’t look to be much more than five years old. Although the homes were small and similar, they were all nicely kept up, and the lawns were freshly mowed. The Falks’ house was covered with tan vinyl siding and accented with dark green shutters, and the two-car garage took up most of the front facade. Flower beds of daisies and dwarf mugo pines lined the sidewalk, and a fully flowered Russian sage surrounded the lamppost in the yard.
We got out and approached the house. With the drapes spread apart at the front window, Mr. Falk appeared to notice us coming and was at the door before we even knocked. He pulled open the main door and pushed the screen door outward.
I introduced myself and showed him my badge, and Jack did the same.
“Please, come in,” he said and stepped to the side so we could enter.
His wife leaned against the wall at the entry to the kitchen with her arms tightly crossed. They both looked worried. She came toward us and extended her hand.
“I’m Mary, and my husband is Roger. Please, have a seat.” She pointed at the living room couch. “This is absolutely unlike Megan, you know. She wouldn’t be gone overnight without calling. Of course, she’s an adult, but she does live under our roof. She respects the rules, Sergeant.” Mary sat next to Roger on the loveseat across from us.
“I understand. You told our lieutenant that the girls left here yesterday around five o’clock and they took Jenna’s car?”