C.J. Urban - Julie Townsend 01 - Hidden Intent

by C. J. Urban

  When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she pushed the closet door open, and peered into the dark room. It was empty. Shaking now, she crept across the room to the window, forcing it open again and nearly diving out of it onto the soft grass outside.

  Julie knew she couldn’t leave the way she came, terrified as she imagined herself being caught at gunpoint by Langley. She shook the image from her mind and decided to climb over the wall beside Desmond’s window. She cut her leg on the way over, and held back a cry as warm blood ran down her calf.

  Once on the other side of the wall, she crossed to the neighbor’s yard, not daring to walk in front of Langley’s brightly lit house. She made it across the yard and sprinted blindly away. All she cared about was getting as far away from Langley’s house as possible.

  After she ran several blocks, she stopped to catch her breath and assess the damage to her leg. The cut was ragged, but not very deep. The flow of blood had stopped, leaving a dried mess across her calf and along the top of her sock.

  Julie looked around, lost now from having run so far. She noticed that there were several streets leading off of Langley’s that ran parallel to the one she had parked on. She chose the closest one to her, and hoped it would lead her in the right direction.

  After running several more blocks, she finally found the street where she had parked, and literally jumped into her truck.

  Julie leaned against the seat, trying to catch her breath and calm down. She didn’t think she could drive, her hands were shaking so badly, but she desperately wanted to get out of Langley’s neighborhood.

  As soon as she felt she was calm enough to keep her hands steady she sped home and called Skye, telling him to pick up Sam and come as soon as he could. She rushed to the door when she heard their voices and pulled them both inside, as if she was afraid they would disappear if they lingered on the porch.

  Skye could see that Julie was quite shaken, so he took Sam upstairs and got him settled with some toys.

  When he came back down, he gave her a hug. She was on the verge of tears. “What’s going on?” He asked.

  “You’re not going to believe what I found,” Julie said, still working to wrap her mind around it.

  “What?”

  “It was her son.”

  “Chief Langley has a son?”

  “He was at the park today,” Julie said, ignoring his question. “He was the one who attacked the older man.”

  “She has a son?” Skye reiterated, stunned.

  “Yes, and his name is Desmond. Think about it, Skye. Tara’s diary used the letter D as the boy’s name. And Desmond looked to be about the right age to have been a teenager twenty years ago. And why would Langley have killed Tara? It makes no sense. I’m willing to bet Desmond was infatuated with Tara and that he was the one who killed her.”

  “So that’s why she lives so far away,” Skye said.

  “Probably. She doesn’t want anyone to know about him. That man he was with must be his caretaker.”

  “Okay. I can definitely see how that all fits together. But still, we don’t have real evidence.”

  Julie groaned in frustration, and Skye led her to the couch. She hadn’t really given much thought to what they would do with the information if and when they got it. She was mainly focused on finding the truth for the sake of finding it.

  Julie couldn’t sit still. She still had too much nervous energy. “I’ve got to get out of these clothes, and clean that scratch on my leg,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Julie dashed up to her room and stripped off her pants. She checked her back pocket for her driver license and to her alarm, she realized it was missing.

  She slipped on a pair of sweatpants and ran down the stairs to Skye.

  Skye thought she would calm down a little after changing but he saw that Julie was now more upset than ever. “What’s wrong?”

  “My license. I put it in my back pocket,” she cried. “It must have fallen out at her house. It’s gone, Skye.”

  Chapter 27

  Crap, Skye thought to himself. But he kept his cool for Julie. “Calm down,” he soothed. “We don’t know that for sure. Let’s check around the house and in your truck first, okay?”

  As they searched Julie became more and more hysterical, berating herself for being so stupid. After nearly fifteen minutes of searching Julie caught Skye’s arm and stopped him just as he was about to check under the coffee table again.

  “It’s not here,” she said angrily. “She’s going to find out I was there, I just know it.”

  “We still don’t know where it is for sure.”

  Julie took several deep breaths to calm down, and when she felt her heart start to slow, she sank into her chair and stared up at Skye.

  “I need to sleep,” said Julie. “I’m going to check on Sam, and then go to bed. Wait a few minutes, then come up. Maybe you should just move in,” she added in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  She gave him a quick kiss and walked upstairs to check on Sam. He was already asleep, fully dressed and laying across the plushy rug next to his bed and a huge pile of Legos.

  Julie scooped him up and laid him in his bed, taking off his shoes before pulling his blankets up over him.

  Then, she had another delicious night with Skye.

  The next morning, Julie watched Skye while he slept for a little while. How was it that she got so close to him so soon? She felt completely comfortable with him. She’d never slept around much, like some of her old friends had, but she didn’t feel the least guilty about being with him. It felt…right.

  “Skye, wake up,” she said, nudging him gently.

  Skye opened his eyes, still groggy. “What?”

  “Get up. I need to talk to you.”

  Skye sat up, rubbing his eyes and tousling his hair, and looked at Julie. “About what?”

  “I’m going to visit my uncle today so I can tell him who murdered his daughter. Even if Langley’s son is never caught, Uncle Oliver deserves to know.”

  “Want me to come with you?”

  “Actually I was hoping you’d be willing to watch Sam for me. He’ll be bored over there,” she said. “And I don’t want to keep making your mom babysit.”

  “Sure thing. I have to work this afternoon though, so you have to be back by one o’clock.”

  “Thanks so much, Skye,” she said kissing him softly. “I’ll be sure to be back before then.”

  “I really don’t want to let you go,” he said, grinning.

  “I’ll be back soon,” she said, returning the smile.

  Julie left the house and got into her truck, heading toward her uncle’s house, furiously trying to figure out how to explain everything. Even though Julie only had her word as proof, she worried that the news might upset him, and wanted to tell him in the calmest way possible.

  She arrived in front of her uncle’s house, still not completely sure how to begin the conversation. She knocked several times on the door, and waited.

  After about a minute, she finally heard stirring behind the door and stood back slightly as it opened. To Julie’s surprise, Gloria stood at the door.

  “Well, hello dear,” Gloria said, motioning for Julie to come in.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else here,” Julie said, thinking this might complicate the delicate subject.

  “I’ve just been here visiting with Oliver, but I’m on my way out.”

  “Oh, okay,” Julie said as Gloria walked to the door. “Well, have a nice day, Gloria.”

  “You too, dear.”

  Once Gloria left, Oliver turned to Julie with a curious expression on his face. “To what do I owe this visit, my dear?”

  “I have some news for you,” Julie said barely able to contain herself. “I know who killed your daughter.”

  “What?”

  “Tara,” Julie said. “I know who killed her.”

  It took a while for the realization to sink in, but once it did, Oliver took her hand i
n his and held it tightly.

  “Tell me,” he said in a soft voice.

  “Desmond Langley.”

  “Who?” Oliver asked, completely perplexed.

  “He’s the chief’s son. I guess no one knew she had one. I know it’s hard to believe, and none of my evidence will stand up in court as of yet, but I figured it would be good at least to ease your mind.”

  “What evidence do you have?” Oliver asked.

  Julie recounted what was in the file she and Skye had taken from City Hall and how they had thought it was Langley until Julie discovered she had a son.

  “It just fits,” Julie said. “I hope it’s enough for you to believe me.”

  “I believe you,” Oliver said, “but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still free, while my Tara lies dead and buried.”

  “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he’s convicted. I promise.”

  Suddenly Julie’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse to see that Skye was calling.

  “Excuse me a moment,” Julie said. “Hey Skye, what’s up?”

  “Julie,” Skye said, and she felt his voice shaking.

  “Skye. You sound freaked. What’s wrong?” Julie could hear him trying to gain composure, without success. Skye was really upset. “What is it? Tell me.”

  “He’s gone.”

  “What? Who’s gone?”

  “They took him,” Skye told her. “They took Sam.”

  Chapter 28

  Julie felt the world fading around her, growing dim as the realization of Skye’s words hit home. Her uncle grabbed her to steady her.

  “I’ll be right there,” she told Skye, and hung up.

  “What is it, Julie?”

  “I have to go.”

  “But…”

  “I don’t have time to explain,” she said, fighting back tears. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll call you.”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, but grabbed her purse and headed home in her truck as fast as she could.

  Once home, she fired questions at Skye left and right, trying to understand how Sam could have been taken. She kept taking deep breaths but her mind reeled, trying to figure out what to do.

  “What did the van look like?”

  “It was a black Chevy, but that’s all I saw. Julie, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, Skye.” Julie said, but her mouth clenched, and she was angry as well as frightened. She knew Skye felt horrible, though, and didn’t want him to feel any worse than he already did.

  “I should’ve been quicker to get to him. I heard his scream and…”

  “Stop, Skye.” Julie snapped.

  Skye buried his face in his hands. “It was just so fast.”

  “I was the one who left my license at her house,” Julie said. “If I had been more careful, Sam would still be here.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Skye stood up and began pacing the room, running his hands through his hair.

  “Let me see that note again,” Julie said, fighting to keep some semblance of calm. She read the note out loud:

  I have Sam, and if you ever want to see him again, meet me tonight at eight in the abandoned house on Wicker Street. Come alone or he dies.

  “You’re not going alone,” Skye said.

  “If I don’t, he could kill Sam.”

  “I don’t think he’s going to kill him. He won’t gain anything from it. Plus, he’d have more blood on his hands. This seems more like a trap than a real threat.”

  “We can’t know that for sure.”

  “True, but it just doesn’t make any sense for him to literally hand you more evidence to use against him.”

  “I can’t just sit here though,” Julie said as tears spilled down her cheeks. “He could be torturing Sam right now.”

  “We don’t even know where he is at the moment. He could be anywhere.”

  “And we obviously can’t go to Langley,” Julie said. “We’re on our own.”

  “We can do this Julie. We don’t need any help. The guy still lives with his mother. How smart could he be?”

  “He was smart enough to kidnap Sam. Don’t you think he’ll be smart enough to figure out how to hurt us?”

  “No,” Skye said, firmly.

  Julie was furious. Why couldn’t Skye understand the gravity of the situation? “Just leave me alone for a while.”

  Skye watched, helpless, as she climbed the stairs without looking back.

  Julie sat on her bed, realizing vaguely that she was in shock. Time seemed to pass even more slowly than usual, and Julie felt as though eight o’clock might never come. She paced around her room, crying and occasionally screaming in frustration, trying to think of who to call without getting the police involved.

  Finally, she decided it would be a good idea to look into the abandoned house where she was meeting Desmond. After all, she had no idea what to expect. She didn’t want Skye to come with her. The note said to come alone. And right now she could not fight the anger she felt towards him.

  She snuck halfway down the stairs and spied Skye on the couch with his head in his hands. She skipped the stairs that creaked, and made her way silently down and out the back door.

  Trying her best to ignore the nausea she felt, Julie got in her truck and drove. She wanted to go directly to the house on Wicker Street, but forced herself to stay smart. Instead, she pulled up to the library, intent on gathering every bit of information she could about the house.

  She began a Google search, figuring it was a good start for getting information, and came across an article about a house on Wicker Street that had been condemned a couple of years earlier after three young teenagers had died exploring the house late at night.

  Julie’s heart sank. She realized that this was the house Sam had been taken to, because the article mentioned the teens chose the house because it was far away from others in the area. The thought of Sam being taken to such a dark and dangerous place made Julie feel even more helpless, more angry, and more determined.

  Just before eight, she parked her truck down the street from the dark house, grabbed her flashlight and got out, closing the truck door softly.

  No one was outside, and she couldn’t see any houses lit up in the distance. She moved slowly toward the front of the house, listening intently for any sounds of distress, but it was eerily silent.

  The house was just as large as the article had described, and equally as disastrous looking. There were entire sections of brick crumbling away, and almost every window had been smashed. Wild ivy grew into the broken windows. Julie could only imagine what the inside must look like.

  Suddenly, Julie heard Sam scream from inside of the house. She sprinted toward the front door, grabbing the handle as she pushed forward, the rusty hinges creaking.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she spotted Sam, in a dimly lit corner, struggling and tied to a chair. Julie ran over to him, kicking up dust from the floor, and bent low to untie his ropes.

  “Get me out of here, Julie.”

  “I’m trying, Sam. I’m so sorry.”

  She heard footsteps down the hall, and knew it was Desmond. She worked even faster to try to get Sam loose. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large figure hurtling down a hall toward them.

  Julie felt cold calloused hands wrap around her face, throwing her to the ground. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Desmond walking toward the corner of the room, reaching for a rusty axe.

  Chapter 29

  Skye checked his cell for the time again, his anxiety rising with each passing moment. It was now almost eight o’clock. He knew Julie needed some space, but she was cutting it close. He climbed the stairs to her room. He pushed the door open. She was gone.

  “Julie!” He called, looking in the other bedrooms. But Julie had obviously left. Snuck out without telling him.

  Skye felt a mixture of anger and genuine concern. When had she left? And how did she get out without him noticin
g? He’d been too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He threw a punch into the wall in frustration.

  No time to be angry. He knew she’d gone without him, and he had to get there, no matter how mad or hurt he was. He raced to his truck, tires screeching as he took off.

  He watched his speedometer climb as he drove, determined to get there as fast as he could. The thought of something happening to Julie, or Sam, was more than he could stand, and he fought the horrible images his mind conjured up of them being tortured or worse.

  Suddenly, he saw flashing lights in his rear view mirror, followed by a siren. He swore loudly as he pulled his truck off the road, hoping the officer would understand that he was facing an emergency.

  He rolled down his window for the officer, gathering his license and registration. The heavy thud of each slow step the officer took made him even angrier.

  Skye was utterly shocked when the officer finally got to his truck. It was Langley who had pulled him over.

  “License and registration,” Langley said smugly.

  “Here,” Skye said, shoving them into her hands.

  “You were going pretty fast there, Skye.”

  “I need to be somewhere,” Skye said sharply.

  “Don’t you worry,” Langley said, “you’ll be back on the road in no time.”

  The look of satisfaction on Langley’s face made Skye furious. He knew she was purposely taking longer than necessary. For nearly ten minutes, Langley made him wait while she entered information on her handheld device.

  Finally, Skye had enough. “This is ridiculous, you can’t hold me here,” He declared. “There’s no reason this should take so long.”

  “I can hold you until we’re through here, which we’re not. Where are you going in such a hurry, anyway?” she asked with a look of sick pleasure.

  “Are you frickin’ joking? Don’t play dumb with me you psycho—” Skye began, but Langley cut him off.

  “Tsk tsk. You should never speak to an officer that way, Skye. Especially one who knows you’re in a hurry. Step out of your vehicle, please.”