“We’re headed to the house. Uniform officers are already there,” Lieutenant John Patton talked almost as fast as he was driving, his eyebrows and moustache flailing uncontrolled. “We’ll put an all points bulletin out on the suspect’s vehicle and I’ll get officers canvassing the neighborhood.”
Lieutenant Patton looked over at Jason and realized he wasn’t listening. Jason was on his phone. “What are you doing?”
Jason covered the handset. “Calling the hospital. That girl may be our best chance of finding Vanessa,” he uncovered the phone. “Yes, this is Detective Strong. I need to speak to Doctor Nance.”
Jason waited and watched cars whizz by as the lieutenant drove toward Vanessa’s house. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the lieutenant so upset. His phone came to life.
“This is Doctor Nance.”
“Yes Doctor, this is Detective Strong. I need to know when our girl will be allowed to regain consciousness?”
“Well, she’s doing better, but I would prefer to let her go until tomorrow morning, at least.”
“Doctor, please understand, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the girl’s recovery, but we have a situation. One of our detectives has been abducted, and we believe it’s the same man who attacked Stephanie Morris. I need to know what she remembers. It could be the difference between life and death for my partner.”
They arrived at the house and the lieutenant got out, but Jason waited for an answer.
“Very well. I’ll suspend the sedatives.”
“Excellent. How long until she comes around?”
“It could be a few hours to a day.”
“We may not have a day, Doc. Let’s hope for hours. And Doc, thanks.”
He hung up and got out of the car. Walking over to Lieutenant Patton, he gave him the news.
The lieutenant nodded. “The canvassing has begun. Let’s go talk to Rob Layne.”
Jason followed the lieutenant into the house, where they found Rob Layne sitting at the kitchen table. Fear painted his face.
The lieutenant stopped to talk to some uniforms while Jason walked over and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, Rob. You makin’ it?”
Rob gave him a panicked look. “You gotta’ find her, Jason.”
“We’re doing everything we can. The whole city is looking for her. You didn’t see a license plate?”
“No. I barely saw it was her before the truck pulled off.”
“Can you describe the man who took her?”
Rob shook his head. “All I saw was the back of him.”
“Where was the truck parked?”
“Directly across the street from our driveway.”
“Okay, buddy. Hang in there. I’ll keep you informed.”
Jason walked outside and across the street. Nothing had been left behind, not even a tire track. He returned to the lieutenant. “Can you take me back to the station? I’m gonna’ pick up the case files and go through them while I wait at the hospital for our girl to come around.”
“Sure. Let me finish what I’m doing here and I’ll meet you in the car.”
Jason nodded and went back to Rob. “I’ll find her, buddy. I won’t stop until I do.”
They shook hands and Jason went to the car to wait.
A few minutes later, the lieutenant emerged from the house and got in the car. Jason had called the hospital again and confirmed the sedatives were stopped. They pulled out at a somewhat more controlled pace and headed toward the station.
Jason cleared his throat and John Patton gave him a funny look. “Something you need to tell me?”
Jason was unnerved sometimes by the lieutenant’s knack of reading his crew.
“Uh…well…actually, yes”
“Well, out with it.”
“I wasn’t supposed to be the one to tell you, but clearly the circumstances have changed that.”
“Changed what? Make sense, man.”
“Detective Layne is pregnant.”
“What!”
“Detective…”
“I heard you! How long?”
“A few months, I think.”
“No. How long has she known?”
“A few weeks, I guess.”
John Patton was quiet until they pulled into the station. When he looked at Jason, his intensity startled the detective. “Find her.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter 13
Her abductor didn’t say another word while they drove. In just a few minutes, they turned down a quiet street into a residential subdivision. It took Vanessa a minute or two to figure out why the area looked familiar.
We can’t be more than two or three blocks from the Walker’s house.
They pulled into the driveway of an average looking, split-level home. The house was painted drab beige, the windows were clean, with mini blinds drawn tight. The front door was brown, as were the shutters, all of which were in perfect condition. The lawn was green and manicured to perfection. A winding, stone walkway led from the brick mailbox to the front door.
As they pulled into the garage, the automatic door lowered behind them, and Vanessa got the distinct feeling her life was disappearing into this garage.
Her captor got out and came around to the passenger side. Vanessa’s wrists were raw from the zip ties, but he cinched them a little tighter, anyway. She moaned but he didn’t seem to notice.
He walked her to the door, and when he opened it, Vanessa nearly retched.
Stepping inside, she realized the exterior was just a facade to hide the depravity within the house. His neighbors probably thought he’s great to have in the neighborhood.
Vanessa could see into the kitchen. Half-eaten food, covered with flies and maggots, dishes piled high in and around the sink, and a garbage can overflowing with beer bottles produced a sickening stench.
The living room had furniture cast around it in no particular order, and a TV sat near the front window.
He pointed at a bar stool in the living room. “Sit there.”
Vanessa moved over to it and sat. He grabbed a remote control and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until he found a news report. He turned up the volume.
Police are involved in an all out manhunt for one of their own. Detective Vanessa Layne was taken in an apparent abduction outside her home this morning.
Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a black pickup truck with a white camper top. The vehicle has been identified as the one used in the abduction.
Vanessa saw a picture of herself pop up on the television screen. It’s her police ID photo from when she made detective. The screen then went to a shot of her house. Rob was just going into the house when the photo was taken, and her heart jumped into her throat when she saw him.
With a click, the picture vanished, and he threw the remote onto the table.
Nobody on this street will suspect their neighbor’s truck as being the vehicle police are seeking. Not with the groomed yard and nice house.
She fought to control the panic building inside her. None of her training at the academy dealt with being a hostage.
Her abductor walked over, jerked her upright, and dragged her toward a door at the end of a hallway. When they reached it, he pushed it open, and shoved her in.
Vanessa fell over something in the middle of the floor, landing head first against the far wall. Everything went black.
*******
Jason arrived at the hospital and made his way to Stephanie Morris’ room. She was still not awake. He took a chair next to the bed and opened his files. Something in these files might help him find Vanessa.
Lieutenant Patton is leading the task force on the streets, and Jason still felt what Stephanie knew could be his best chance to save his partner.
He poured himself into the crime scene photos, forensic evidence, and witness accounts. It was exhausting and after several hours, he dozed off.
*******
“Who…who are you?”
Jason wasn’t sure, as he came awake, who was questioning him.
“Who are… you?”
Jason sat up with a start. He looked at where the voice came from. Stephanie. “You’re awake.”
“Barely. Do I know you?”
“My name is Detective Jason Strong.”
Just the effort of asking a couple of questions seemed to take her back into a coma.
“Miss Morris? Stephanie? Can you hear me?”
She mumbled something, without opening her eyes, and Jason jumped up to call a nurse. He leaned out the door. “Nurse! She’s coming around.”
He ducked back in the room, the nurse right behind him, who checked the monitors before going over to Stephanie. While hanging directly over her, she softly spoke. “Miss? Miss?”
The girl’s eyes fluttered open and Jason got an instant shot of adrenaline.
“Yes?”
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Where am I?”
“You’re at San Antonio General Hospital. Do you remember anything of what happened to you?”
“Not really. How did I get here?”
Jason stepped forward. “You were shot. Do you remember that?”
The girl turned her glassy stare towards the detective.
“Who are you?”
Jason tried to remain patient. “My name is Detective Jason Strong from San Antonio police. I’m trying to catch the man who did this to you.”
The mention of the man brought her more awake, and her eyes tripled in size. She started looking around the room as if she thought he might be there. Her movement caused pain to shoot through her shoulder.
“Owww. I remember now. He took me to the woods.”
“Yes. Do you remember anything else?”
At that moment, Jason heard Doctor Nance come in behind him. The nurse had notified her Stephanie was waking up.
“That’ll be all for now, Detective. Nothing she tells you in her current state would probably be reliable anyway. She’ll need several hours rest before you can question her more.”
Jason looked at the doctor and back at Stephanie, who had already closed her eyes again, and appeared to be back to sleep. Jason figured there was no point in arguing further. He gathered his files and went to call the lieutenant.
*******
Vanessa slowly let her eyes creep open. Her head hurt and she was still piled up against the wall where she’d fallen. She looked down at her feet and saw what had caused her to trip. A mattress.
She sat up slowly, being careful not to make her head hurt any worse. She dabbed at her forehead and came away with some dried blood. She could see some matching blood on the hole in the drywall, made by her head.
Bit by bit, the cobwebs cleared, and she started to put the pieces together. She’s in the house of the man they call ‘wine glass’, and she’s alone. She remembered the TV saying they were looking for her, then being dragged down the hall.
Vanessa looked around, trying to get a sense of the room she was in. The lone window was blacked out and covered by a set of bars. Enough light came in near the top to tell her it was daytime. Whether it was the same day, she couldn’t tell.
She crawled across the mattress and up to the door. Putting her ear against it, she could hear the TV playing, but couldn’t make out what was being said. She tried the doorknob and found it locked. She felt around for a light switch and flipped it on.
Vanessa caught her breath as her mind reeled. She struggled to process what she was looking at. The walls around her were covered with writing.
All four walls had the same thing, but in different colors, and what appeared to be different handwriting. She tried to make sense of the words.
Time and time again, the same thing. Some of it legible, and some of it scrawled in random bits.
I will never call you bloodstain again
I will never call you bloodstain again
I will never call you bloodstain again
Vanessa had seen her abductors face. Some sort of birthmark took up almost the entire left side.
Could all this be about name-calling? Was it revenge for some kind of abuse?
Vanessa was no expert, but all of the writing appeared to have been done by women. Her mind swam with fear.
This is probably the last thing some of these women ever did.
She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Forcing herself to regain focus, she continued to scan the room. Her eyes settled on a door at the far end. Still feeling weak and dizzy, she crawled down to the door. Instead of opening outward, it slid sideways to reveal a closet.
Vanessa fell back and studied the clothes hanging there. A 7-11 uniform, a couple of dresses, jeans and a shirt.
These are the clothes from the victim descriptions. He’s kept them as trophies.
She heard the lock click behind her and the door swung open.
Chapter 14
Jason hung up the phone. He’d called Sandy to let her know he wouldn't be home for dinner, but he figured there was a good chance he might not be home at all that night.
Jason’s next call was to the lieutenant. He punched in Patton’s number and waited. “Patton.”
“Lieutenant, this is Jason.”
“Any word on our girl?”
“Yes. She came to about an hour ago.”
“Did you get anything from her?”
“Afraid not. Dr. Nance shut me down immediately.”
“What? Why?”
Jason could hear the disappointment in the lieutenant’s voice. “Doc said she needs to rest for a few hours before she’ll be able to make any sense.”
“Son of a gun!”
“My sentiments exactly. Okay if I stay here and wait?”
“Yeah, let me know as soon as you have something.”
Jason didn’t bother telling his boss he had no intention of going anywhere. Stephanie was his best hope of finding Vanessa.
The description of the vehicle on the news brought in hundreds of responses, and they were still following up on them, but nothing appeared promising. Jason looked at his watch.
5:30.
It’d been about three hours since Miss. Morris had come around, and Jason was running out of patience and time. He made his way up to the third floor and found a nurse.
“Has Stephanie Morris come awake again?”
“No. However, they’ve ordered a tray for her, and I think they’re going to wake her to eat soon.”
Jason tried to contain his frustration. “I guess I’ll go downstairs and find something at the cafeteria. Any recommendations?”
“Yeah. Eat out.”
Jason laughed aloud. It felt good but immediately made him feel guilty. With Vanessa missing, there was little to smile about. He headed downstairs to get something to eat.
*******
Vanessa stared at her abductor. He wasn’t fat, in fact he was well built. He’d probably be attractive if not for one thing. The birthmark. He stopped just inside the door. “Take your clothes off.”
Vanessa shuddered. She knew the other victims had not been raped, but it wasn’t much comfort. “No.”
He didn’t come toward her, didn’t even act as if he heard her. “Hang them in the closet with the others.”
“No.”
This time he looked directly at her. “When I come back you will have your clothes hung up or I will kill you.”
“Please don’t do this. I’m pregnant.”
She didn’t mean to let him know but it slipped out. He stared at her for several minutes. “Hang them up!”
The door slammed.
She didn’t get undressed.
*******
Jason ignored the nurse’s advice and went to the cafeteria anyway. Nothing looked good to him, so he ended up with coffee and a banana.
Sitting alone in a booth, he thought of Vanessa. He didn’t know what she was going through but he had seen the result. He was torn between fear for her and anger at her abducto
r.
Jason thought of Rob.
If something like this happened to Sandy, I’d be paralyzed with fear.
He finished a second cup of coffee, and threw away his banana peel. He looked at his watch.
7:15.
Vanessa had been missing for nearly twelve hours. Stephanie Morris had only been missing about twenty-four hours when the loggers found her. Two of the other cases supported the twenty-four hour window. If this guy kept the same timeline, and there was no reason to think he wouldn’t, Jason had twelve hours left to find his partner.
He headed back up to the third floor.
*******
When he got to the room, Stephanie Morris was sitting up in bed. A tray of half-eaten food was on the rolling table next to the bed. Jason lightly knocked on the door. She looked up. “Yes?”
“May I come in, Miss Morris?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
Jason took a chair next to the bed and opened his pad. “My name is Detective Jason Strong. Your friend, Brooke Donald reported you missing to me, and now I’m trying to find your attacker.”
The mere mention of her ‘attacker’ brought tears to her eyes, and she began shaking. “When you walk the streets, you know something like this can happen but….” She didn’t have the strength to finish the thought.
“I know this will be difficult but I need to ask you some questions.”
“Okay.”
“Did you know your attacker?”
“No.”
“Could you describe him?”
She shuddered visibly. “I guess. I saw his face.”
“Could you describe him to an artist?”
“I can try. The most obvious thing about him was the birthmark on his face.”
Jason’s hopes began to lift. “Okay. Will you excuse me a minute?”
She nodded and Jason stepped into the hall. He dialed Lieutenant Patton.
“Patton.”
“Lieutenant, this is Jason. Stephanie Morris is awake.”
BLOODSTAIN (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE Book 2) Page 7