“Maybe all you need is a little more convincing,” Darby said.
* * * *
Ellie did her best to keep her head down and blend in with the tasteful furniture. She was well aware Bethany was unhappy about her presence, and Derek would only tolerate it until the sergeant told him otherwise.
Jordan had bought a house on a whim, then disappeared. Ironically, Ellie could see her in these surroundings. The laid back, warm style seemed to fit her more than the modern apartment she shared with Bethany. Not that it was any of her concern at the moment, or that of the cops the realtor led through the house.
“I’m so sorry I can’t help more,” he said. “We came here only once. There would be no reason for her to come back without a key.”
“Do you always seal a deal this quickly?” Henderson asked, skeptical.
“No, of course not, but when it’s urgent, I try to get it done with as little hassle as possible. The owner was on a tight schedule, Jordan had the money, and she seemed desperate to move.” He shrugged, hands in the pockets of his slacks. “Not that I know a lot about the circumstances. She just really wanted it to happen quickly.”
Ellie caught Henderson’s thoughtful look. You don’t know her well, yet you call her by her first name.
Darby’s agency and its team had a spotless record, yet half of the cases kept leading back to him. Bad luck?
“I hope nothing bad happened to her,” he said. “I liked her, and I was happy to find a place that suited her needs so soon. Would that be all? I’m afraid I have other clients waiting as well.”
Bethany turned on her heels and stalked away. For once, Ellie could sympathize with her.
The uncertainty was killing her too.
* * * *
“No, no, no, that won’t do it. You have to look at me.”
No.
The slap made her teeth rattle, but it was almost better than the warm cocoon she was trapped in, slowly suffocating. She tried to hide, become invisible, but that never worked. They always saw her. The friends who came to her parents’ parties were always friendly and in a good mood at first, but somehow, that never lasted.
“Listen to me. Concentrate.”
Couldn’t he see how hard she was trying? It wasn’t enough. She could feel herself slip away. With difficulty, she raised her head.
“Now, that’s better,” he said, his voice gentle. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
* * * *
“I need every available officer at the game tonight. That includes you, Harding.” Sergeant Bristol’s tone left no room for arguing. “We’ll have to switch you back to nights too, for a couple of weeks. Don’t,” he held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “The detectives got it covered.”
“Then why haven’t they found her yet?”
“That’s enough, Harding. Everyone is alert and on the lookout for her. Meanwhile those people deserve to enjoy the game safely.”
There were many things Ellie wanted to say to that, like, why is there still an officer in front of my house when you think it’s safe for me to be in that crowd? If it wasn’t for that, the memory of the night she got attacked was still vivid on her mind, and she couldn’t bear the thought that Jordan might suffer even worse at his hands.
For sure, life in the city didn’t stop, though Ellie wished it would. Frankly, she couldn’t care less about people wanting to enjoy a game, and she knew that attitude didn’t make her useful for any kind of police work. She had to keep it together, find the missing piece. The sergeant’s expression softened as he seemed to read her conflicting emotions in her expression.
“Take a couple of days off before you switch to nights,” he advised. “I know this has been especially hard on you, but we’ll find her. When we put away this perp, that’ll give you some closure as well.”
Ellie nodded, not convinced of anything he’d said. However, she had to take a step back, do her job. She might not empathize a lot with football fans today, but at least she shouldn’t risk endangering anyone because her thoughts were elsewhere.
“Thanks, Sergeant. I hope so.”
* * * *
Working at the game was much of the usual, crowd control, breaking up drunken brawls, assisting the local security staff. Ellie was alternately bored out of her mind and ready to jump out of her skin, because she felt this meant wasting precious time. Of course, Derek wouldn’t update her every hour, especially if there was no news, and Bethany didn’t give a damn whether or not Ellie was in the loop.
Libby brought her a coffee, regarding her with so much sympathy Ellie felt uncomfortable.
“Look, I’m not sure I should say this, but it’s pretty obvious you like her. I hope we’ll find her soon.”
“Yeah, me too,” Ellie had to remind herself that snapping at her friend and colleague would not help anyone, least of all Jordan.
Back at the station, she noticed that neither Derek nor Bethany were in. The sergeant wasn’t in his office either. Technically, she was off the clock, but she guessed no one would mind of she went over some of the papers once more…or copied them and brought them home.
For the first time since Rhonda had moved out, Ellie appreciated having all this space to herself. Within minutes, the coffee table and parts of the floor were littered in paper, grouped by subject. Lori Gleason’s online acquaintances. The trophies they were aware of—coins and jewelry. The places that marked where the women had been held—and where bodies had been found. Had the killer taken something from Jordan’s house, another trophy? Had he planned to take something from Ellie?
She sank to the floor, overwhelmed by the testimony of tragedy, all because one man thought he had the right to punish them, involving the naïve Gleason in his schemes. How petty was it to hire someone to harm a cheating spouse instead of divorcing them?
I’m so sorry, I’m trying. I want you to be safe.
With new resolve, she wiped her face and picked up the first pile. She’d go through each of the papers, each line, each letter, one by one. Something had to come up.
* * * *
“It’s okay now. All done. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you for a bit now…” That got her attention as he knew it would. “I promise I’ll be back soon. You did good.”
Her lips moved, but she was too out of it to formulate the question. He knew what she meant to say though. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt her. I don’t care about her anymore.”
Now, how to get rid of the last person standing between him and his mission?
Chapter Fifteen
When Ellie woke up, the sun was shining through the blinds. She felt slightly nauseated, and a headache was pounding behind her temples. What the hell? She’d stayed up way past midnight, but she hadn’t had any alcohol. At least, for the first time in forever, she’d slept so deeply she couldn’t remember any nightmares, but that didn’t mean she felt rested.
It didn’t matter.
She had to get up, get back to work, even though she’d do it from home for the next couple of days. Ellie pushed back the covers that seemed much heavier than before, and swung her feet over the edge of the bed, when the sensation registered with her. She flashed back to taking a shower before going to bed, putting on a shirt and—panties. She wasn’t wearing panties. Ellie frowned, trying to grasp a clear thought through the headache, rising discomfort and fear. Think, damn it. There had to be a rational explanation. Maybe she’d been too tired, had just imagined she put them on, or was mixing it up with…no. She did remember. She had put them on after the shower, the same pair of black and pink lace Jordan had admired on her what seemed forever ago.
If she hadn’t taken them off—there was only one reason she could think of, and the idea made her stomach churn. Ellie took another pair out of her dresser and put them on, feeling better instantly. When she opened the blinds, she saw the familiar car still sitting in its spot. She had to be imagining things. Nothing happened. Maybe she’d had an intense dream she didn’t remember. N
o one had gotten past the cop in the car.
Except…
Her heart was racing so hard Ellie had trouble breathing when she saw the small object on the sheet. She picked up her phone and put it on speaker, dressing as she spoke to the 911 dispatcher.
* * * *
“I’m coming with you. I’m fine!” she insisted, disregarding Henderson’s quizzical look. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but I need to see what’s on this. I need to,” Ellie stressed, hoping she could convince them without having a complete meltdown first. The cavalry had arrived, and judging from the cast of characters populating her living room, everything was taking this very seriously.
“McCarthy, you go to the hospital with Harding,” Henderson said, disregarding her protest altogether. “Ellie, if you don’t remember anything, you have most likely been drugged. I want to make sure we check as long as the drug might still be in your system.”
She blushed hotly, aware that a drug test wasn’t the only thing he wanted her to go to the hospital for. At least she had cleaned up the papers sometime last night. It was a small comfort. Maybe there were some things she didn’t want to know. Ellie had to know though what was on that USB key.
Kate touched her arm gently, and it took Ellie all the willpower she had left not to jump as high as the ceiling. “Come,” she said. “I’ll drive you to the department afterwards.”
They drove in silence.
Ellie kept interactions, with her colleague, with the hospital staff, to a minimum, needing all her concentration to focus on the riddle.
“See, I think he’s messing with us. I believe he lost interest in me the moment the little old lady called 911 on him. It’s not me he wants, this is all for the message he wants to send. I’m sure he didn’t hurt me.” That’s because he already has the person he wants to hurt.
The thought finally broke her composure. Kate pulled up on the parking lot of a grocery store, stopped the car and unfastened her seat belt. Then she wrapped her arms around Ellie.
The perpetrator they were looking for might target women in a specific situation, but at this moment, they shared the same anger and fear.
“We have to stop him,” Ellie said.
Kate nodded grimly.
* * * *
He was giving her choices, or pretending to do so, because you could never trust people like him. Jordan, in her more conscious moments, pretended to go along with his charade, gaining time, trying to think beyond fear or shame or the confusion caused by the drugs. If she survived this, if she was able to tell her story in a court, his days in freedom would be over. They’d be able to tie him to the murders and kidnappings without a doubt, even if Lori never remembered.
If only she hadn’t been in so much pain, she might have found a way to get out of those shackles herself. Jordan knew there were many people motivated to find her, and they would. Eventually.
Before she could lose her mind trying to figure out how everything in her life had gone so horribly wrong, and if there was still the sliver of a chance for her to get it right, maybe even with someone who could love and respect her.
Jordan didn’t doubt for a moment that Ellie was brave enough to try. The memory of her embrace was the only thing safe. That had to mean something.
Of course, he would try to spoil that for her too.
“You’ve been taking some important steps, Jordan,” he told her when he returned. “I brought you a present.”
She only caught a quick glimpse at the fabric he threw at her, but Jordan recognized the garment, her worst fears confirmed in an instant. It didn’t matter how far she was willing to go to divert his attention, he wasn’t going to humor her.
Which meant she couldn’t wait, hoping someone would find her, because this wasn’t just about her. He had targeted both Lori and Isabel, and apparently, he was planning the same once more.
“Tell me what you did to her,” she said. …and make no mistake, you’ll pay for it.
He gave her a long, considering look. “Oh, I didn’t do anything to her. The problem with Isabel was that she couldn’t make up her mind, so I had to try and educate both her and Lori. You or Ellie—you’ve been very specific. I stand by my promise. I choose you.” He smiled, sudden and unexpectedly, and Jordan knew she’d have to retreat deeply into her mind. It was the only way.
* * * *
“I’m not going home. I did everything you asked me to do, now I want to see it.”
“It’s none of your Goddamn business!” Bethany yelled at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red. “For Christ’s sake, when are you going to take a hint?”
“Dr. Roberts.” Bristol’s voice had a warning tone to it, which she ignored.
“Why is she even still here?”
“She is currently having her locks changed,” Ellie muttered. “I’ll stay with Kate for a couple of days until everything is settled.”
“My concern is for Jordan’s safety and her privacy,” Bethany insisted. “I don’t want any more people see this video than is absolutely necessary. How could Officer Harding possibly help us? She was asleep when he delivered the key!”
“That’s enough. There was a sedative in her bloodstream, as you know. Officer Harding remains an important witness. This isn’t easy to watch,” he addressed Ellie, “but if there’s anything that might jog your memory, anything that could help, I’ll take the risk. I believe privacy is the last of our worries, or Detective Carpenter’s, at this point. I want this guy.”
“I’ll be down in the lab,” Derek said, “see if they found anything.”
“All right then. I come with you. Let’s see if we can ‘jog’ anything.”
It took Ellie a moment to realize Bethany had spoken to her.
* * * *
The screen brought a nightmare to life, Jordan, scarcely dressed, her gaze unfocused, the discoloration on the side of her face standing out against the paleness of her skin.
“Oh my God.” Ellie didn’t realize she’d said it out loud, until Bethany chastised her.
“Keep it together. You wanted to see it.”
She stayed silent after that, though the high-pitched voice that followed made her jump.
“Listen to me. Concentrate.”
Ellie had never felt so useless in all her life.
“Now, that’s better. Let’s continue, shall we?” The fact that he went to the length distorting his voice to this cadence of deranged cartoon character showed he was worried about being recognized. Would she be able to identify his voice? Ellie doubted it. Useless. They had to wait for the lab tech’s analysis, and that would take some time. She knew exactly how Jordan had felt about the urgency of Judy Lawrence’s case, but this was worse, much worse.
“Okay.” Jordan’s voice was strained, slightly slurred as if the drugs and pain were warring in her system. However, she managed to look at the camera this time. “First of all…Beth, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but it’s all true. I cheated on you…not the first time, and I know I deserve this.”
Ellie could only stare in disbelief.
“I’m a whore. I deserve to die. I’ll do better, I promise.”
The video faded to black, leaving her and Bethany in a heavy, pregnant silence.
Finally, Bethany got up to click ‘play again’. “Just in case you remember something,” she said.
Ellie ignored the sarcasm, thinking when she picked up some clothes to go to Kate’s, she’d have to bring the printouts. Go over them again.
Beth, I’m so sorry.
I cheated on you. I deserve to die.
Beth.
“How many times do you think you can stand to see this? Are you going to find something that no one else did? Let’s give it a try.”
“Dr. Roberts, please.”
“Come on, I thought you were this division’s rising star, and since you’re such an expert on Jordan too, go ahead, solve the case.”
Bethany was just as terrified, Ellie realized. What was she mi
ssing?
* * * *
Kate was meeting Jensen tonight, so Ellie had plenty of time to resume her search for the needle in the haystack. She was exhausted, over caffeinated and trying to ignore that the same man who had filmed Jordan, had also broken into Ellie’s apartment, drugged her and stolen a rather intimate piece of clothing. It was all too much to think about, yet she pored over the same documents, some of which Jordan had asked her to read on her first day with the task force.
Lori had had interesting exchanges with men and women, besides Gordon Chambers, a date to which she’d never shown up. She’d teamed up with Bella a.k.a. Isabel to go looking for a third party at the All Colors. Somebody had found them, somebody with a vengeance of their own.
Bethany had been to Seattle, looking into the case of Chantal Perron, but she hadn’t told Jordan until she was officially assigned to the task force. Why?
Why had Bethany alleged Jordan could have just disappeared on her own, when she knew the stakes of this case? For the umpteenth time, Ellie went over the printouts of Lori Gleason’s emails and chats.
There were the contents of her husband’s computer. He had been slightly more careful, but there were a handful of emails that appeared to be relevant, sender unknown. The account had already been deleted by the time the police got their hands on this data, and digging deeper took time.
“I tried to message you, why don’t you answer? They found out about Seattle.”
“Don’t worry about Seattle,” the punisher had answered. “I have a friend who will look into this for a favor.”
It always came back to the same people. Maybe that’s where she had to take a closer look.
* * * *
It was over. She’d lost. Judy had probably died the day she’d arrived here, and in spite of all his phony promises, he was still watching Ellie. There was nothing she could do. Jordan vaguely remembered the camera, her own stumbling words, the memory making her cringe. She had managed to uphold a certain appearance to everyone in her life except Bethany—and maybe Ellie.
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