Everything that occurred after Jackson grabbed her in the stairwell was a blur. She remembered realizing too late that he was a threat. When she tried to run he grabbed her from behind and slapped a cloth over her mouth. She struggled, but she was in an odd position because of the stairs and it was fruitless. Her strength was zapped almost immediately and she lost consciousness within moments.
She woke in spurts before losing consciousness again. She knew she was in a vehicle, although she had no recollection of how Jackson got her out of the dormitory without anyone noticing. The vehicle lulled her as he drove – she always fell asleep during trips, and this was no exception – and she didn’t realize they’d stopped until she felt Jackson’s hands moving across her body.
“Stop it,” Maddie slurred, lashing out at him with her foot.
“I’m not getting fresh,” Jackson said. “I’m just removing your purse. Chill out. I’m not interested in that.”
Maddie understood the words and yet they didn’t sink in until Jackson managed to grab her purse and jerk it away from her body. He tossed it into a crop of nearby trees. Maddie used the few seconds the passenger door remained open to study her location. She recognized one of the classroom buildings from the campus – which meant they hadn’t gone far – but she felt helpless because she didn’t have the strength to run before the door slammed shut again. Jackson was behind the wheel within a few seconds and he hummed along to the radio as he drove.
“It won’t be long now, Maddie. I’m going to give you exactly what you’ve been looking for.”
“HER PHONE keeps going to voicemail,” Dwight said, his expression grave as he studied Nick.
“What’s the number?” Hicks asked. “We’ll run it through our system. If the phone is on we’ll be able to pinpoint her location.”
Nick recited the number from memory, all the while trying to tamp down his growing panic. She was probably in a location where she didn’t get cell service, he told himself. Maybe she was still questioning Allison and she didn’t want to break from the conversation to answer her phone. Or maybe Jackson already had her. Nick pressed his eyes shut as the last possibility flitted through his overloaded brain.
“Her phone is on the south side of campus,” Hicks said, studying the screen. “Didn’t you say she was at the dorm?”
“Yeah,” Dwight said. “Show me on a map.”
Hicks pointed toward the area in question.
“Isn’t that where Heather Ketchum’s body was found?” Nick asked, his stomach flipping.
“Yes,” Hicks said, grabbing his keys from the counter. “Come on. We’ll head out there right now.”
“Maybe you should wait here,” Dwight suggested, his face pale as he regarded Nick. “You’re obviously not feeling well.”
“I’m not feeling well because of Maddie,” Nick replied. “I started feeling sick when she was taken.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do,” Nick said. “We’re wasting time. She needs us – she needs me – and I’m going with you. Move!”
MADDIE fought Jackson’s efforts as he moved her from the back seat of the sports utility vehicle and toward a ramshackle cottage. The property was surrounded by trees and off the beaten path, but Maddie couldn’t be certain where they were. She had a decent sense of direction, but her mind was still foggy and she was having trouble focusing on any one thing for more than a few seconds.
That didn’t stop Maddie from fighting with Jackson and he was out of breath as he tried to grapple with her.
Maddie lucked out and made contact with Jackson’s jaw, smacking him hard as he groaned and lost his grip on her thin waist. She reared back and almost lost her footing, gasping as she made several steps in quick succession but managed to remain on her feet. Her vision was blurry and she didn’t have time to plot out strategy. All she could do was run toward the trees. So that’s what she did.
Jackson screeched his disapproval as he followed. “Come back here!”
On a normal day Maddie would easily be able to outpace the pudgy boy. Since she couldn’t fully control her muscles – and had no idea if she was heading in a straight line instead of running in circles – she knew she was at a disadvantage. Still, she’d spent more time in the woods during her youth than Jackson. She was sure of that. He didn’t seem like an “outdoor” boy. That was the only advantage she had, and she planned on utilizing it.
With that in mind, Maddie kept her pace even as she sprinted into the trees. She knew Jackson was right behind her, but there was a chance she could outrun him. And, if she couldn’t, there was always the possibility she could hide and wait him out.
She would take whatever she could get at this point. She had to give Nick time to find her. That was her only shot.
“THE UNIFORMS discovered the purse on the side of the road here,” Hicks said, handing Nick the simple bag and fixing him with an unreadable look. “There’s no blood or anything.”
“That doesn’t really make me feel better,” Nick said, pinching the bridge of his nose before opening Maddie’s purse. He would never consider doing anything of the sort under normal circumstances – it was an invasion of her privacy, after all – but he needed to make sure there wasn’t a message or clue inside. “Are there any witnesses?”
“We’re canvassing the apartment buildings across the street right now,” Hicks replied. “I’ve also sent uniforms to the dormitory. We’re trying to ascertain who Maddie spoke to and if she left the building of her own free will.”
“We already know she didn’t,” Dwight argued.
“No, we don’t know that,” Hicks shot back. “She could’ve left on her own and run into trouble somewhere else. We need to know if that’s the case.”
“She could’ve wandered off on her own,” Nick said. “She does that when she thinks she has an idea. She just assumes she’ll be safe. It’s maddening.”
“Nick, we’ll find her,” Dwight said, patting his friend’s forearm. He furrowed his brow when Nick jerked away from him. “You have a right to be angry, but wallowing in it isn’t going to help us right now. We have to find Maddie.”
“I know we have to find Maddie,” Nick spat. “I know that better than anyone. This is all your fault, though.”
Dwight widened his eyes. “My fault? How do you figure that?”
“You came to get Maddie because you needed her help,” Nick snapped, instinctively realizing he was doing the wrong thing even though he couldn’t stop himself from being angry. “You didn’t care about her needs or what was best for her. You cared about yourself. At least have the grace to admit that.”
Dwight’s mouth dropped open. “I … .”
“She should be home in the window seat,” Nick said. “She should be in her fuzzy pajamas and giggling while Maude tells us about her day and we make hot chocolate and pick a book to read. She shouldn’t be out there alone in the cold. You did this!”
“Hold up a second,” Hicks interjected, raising his hands to keep the two men apart. “I thought you all were friends.”
“We are,” Dwight said. “It’s just … I knew Maddie when she was down in Detroit. She helped me on some cases. She moved back to Blackstone Bay several months ago and got together with Nick once she got settled. I just met him.”
“Uh-huh.” Hicks’ face was conflicted. “I’m sensing something is going on here and normally I wouldn’t get involved. Something tells me it’s important, though, so I’m going to stick my nose where it obviously doesn’t belong because we don’t have a lot of time to screw around. Why would a Detroit police detective enlist the help of a woman who runs a magic shop? Yeah, I looked up everyone after meeting you that first time. You shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I … .” Dwight worked his jaw but couldn’t figure out how to answer. Nick did it for him.
“She’s psychic,” Nick barked out. “She can … intuit … things. Dwight wanted her help because he knew she was his only shot.”
Hicks’ eyebrows flew up his forehead. “I’m sorry. Did you just say she’s psychic?”
“I wouldn’t push me right now,” Nick warned. “Yes, I said she’s psychic. She inherited the ability from her mother.”
“I … um … don’t really believe in that stuff,” Hicks hedged.
“I didn’t believe in it either, but she helped me solve a boatload of cases when she was down in the city,” Dwight said. “That’s how I knew about her gift. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t always get the outcome we wanted, but we found the people we were looking for almost every time.”
“Okay, let’s say I believe you,” Hicks said. “If she’s really magical, why can’t she just … I don’t know … wiggle her nose and find your daughter?”
“I didn’t say she was magical,” Nick snapped. “She’s not a witch. She just … feels things.”
“I wouldn’t push him right now,” Dwight suggested. “He’s straddling a hard line and barely hanging on by a thread. He’s telling the truth. I’ve seen Maddie do some wondrous things.”
“But if she was really psychic, wouldn’t she know trouble was coming for her?”
“She’s not omnipotent,” Nick spat. “She has feelings and they lead her to things. She’s not a fairy … or a Harry Potter character … or some evil thing from Game of Thrones. If you’re not going to help, tell me now. I’ll call Blackstone Bay for reinforcements.”
“I didn’t say that,” Hicks said, making a face. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around this. Has she had any feelings since she got to town?”
“She knew Heather Ketchum was dead before we got here that day and you told us the news,” Nick replied. “She doesn’t believe Sage is dead. Not yet, at least. That’s why she’s been so fixated on finding her. She thinks we’re running out of time.”
“Okay,” Hicks said. “I’m not saying I believe she’s psychic, but I think it’s very clear she’s in trouble. We don’t know anything about Jackson Dubois. We’re trying to track down his father now. I’ve known that man for a good ten years and I can’t ever remember him mentioning he had a kid.”
“Maddie said something about his father being a legacy,” Nick said, returning to his search of her purse. “She said the kid was unhappy about having to rush the fraternity, but he had no choice because his father was making him.”
“She also said Jackson made noise about wanting us to arrest Aidan,” Dwight pointed out. “Maybe he’s doing all of this to frame Aidan to get him out of the picture.”
“Maybe,” Nick said, his hand closing around Maddie’s cell phone. He pulled it out and stared at it, willing it to ring and put him out of his misery. He knew that was a ridiculous desire given the fact that Maddie had no phone and she would never call her own phone to find him, but he wished for it all the same. Nick slid his finger over the screen and punched in the code to unlock it. He checked emails and text messages and came up empty. Then he focused on the photo she used as her screen saver. It was of them laughing at the lake this summer. Christy took it when they weren’t looking and Maddie fell in love with the photograph and framed it. “Maddie.”
Nick didn’t mean to cry. He would never do that in front of an audience. His eyes filled with tears all the same and he leaned against a nearby tree to keep his footing.
“We’re going to find her,” Dwight said. “I promise. Have faith.”
“She’s out there with a crazy murderer and we have no way to track her,” Nick said. “What are we going to do?”
“Old-fashioned police work,” Hicks replied. “I know it’s not shiny and exciting like being psychic – and that was not a dig – but that’s what we have to do. We have to follow every lead we get. If we do, we’ll find Maddie.”
“We need to find her soon,” Nick said. “I know you don’t believe it, but I think I was sick earlier because she’s in real trouble. I’ve … felt … her before.”
“Are you saying you’re psychic?”
Nick shook his head. “No, but Maddie has somehow reached me in times of distress. She’s warned me. She’s called for me.”
“Well, then maybe we’ll luck out and she’ll do it again,” Hicks said. “Come on. We need to find this kid’s father. If anyone knows where he’s holed up, it has to be him.”
21
Twenty-One
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Chuck Dubois was red-faced and angry when Hicks, Dwight, and Nick knocked on his front door. The unmistakable aroma of whiskey flitted past Nick’s nostrils every time the man talked, and the terrified looking woman standing behind him appeared as if she wished there was a hole she could climb into rather than deal with the scene unfolding on her front porch.
“We need to know where your son is,” Hicks said, his voice calm even as Nick seethed behind him. “He’s a person of interest in a murder and two kidnappings.”
“That is … the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Chuck snapped. “There’s no way Jackson is capable of something like that.”
“And yet we have DNA evidence that proves otherwise,” Hicks said. “Where is your son?”
“I have no idea where he’s at,” Chuck replied. “He’s an adult. He lives under this roof, but only because we saw no need to spring for a dorm room when we lived in town. He spends all of his time on campus. We rarely see him.”
“That’s probably better for you, huh?” Dwight wasn’t interested in mincing words. “It doesn’t sound as if you like having him around so this is the best of both worlds. You save money and he hides from you. I can’t say I blame him.”
“What did you just say to me?” Chuck was affronted. “I happen to love my son. I’m his father. I have no choice.”
“Wow, what a great way of looking at things,” Nick muttered, annoyed.
“Chuck, you and I have known each other for years,” Hicks said. “We need to speak to Jackson, and we need to do it now.”
“I have no idea where Jackson is,” Chuck said. “He told us he was spending the weekend at the frat house. There are a lot of open beds since most of the kids are home for the Thanksgiving holiday.”
“He’s not at the frat house,” Hicks said. “We have uniforms there searching it now.”
“Searching it?”
“I know this is difficult for you to focus on, but try,” Hicks said. “I’m sure the whiskey is messing with your brain, but we don’t have the luxury of waiting for you to sober up. Jackson is a suspect in a murder. We also have a missing co-ed and the woman who came here searching for her has gone missing, too.”
“That’s just … preposterous.” Spittle formed at the corner of Chuck’s mouth as he leaned against the doorframe to keep himself upright. He was clearly drunk. “Jackson is not the kind of kid who would kill someone. And kidnapping? Have you seen the boy? He’s a little round to be doing anything physical like that.”
“I guess he takes after you, huh?” The words were out of Nick’s mouth before he had a chance to consider how smart it was to utter them.
“Who are you? Who is this guy?” Chuck’s voice boomed and Hicks stuck a finger in his ear to stop the ringing.
“This is Nick Winters,” Hicks replied, his reasonable tone never slipping. “He’s helping this man – Dwight Kincaid – search for his daughter. He’s also the boyfriend of the other missing woman. He’s not in a very good mood, so I wouldn’t push him, Chuck.”
“I don’t really care what kind of a mood he’s in,” Chuck snapped. “This is my house. I’m the one who makes the rules in my house.”
“I can see that,” Hicks said. “Still, Sage Kincaid is missing. She knew your son and he’s been trying to point investigators in the direction of Aidan Kelly. Do you know who that is?”
“I know Aidan,” Chuck said. “He’s a good kid. He’s a great pledge master. He’s made Jackson cry a few times, which is exactly what a good pledge master is supposed to do. I told Jackson to suck it up, because if he’s lucky he’ll get to make
people cry one day, too.”
“I think you’ve been watching the wrong movies, Chuck, but that’s an argument for another time,” Hicks said. “Jackson has approached Ms. Graves – that’s the woman who went missing a few hours ago – several times. He pointed the finger at Aidan, but the physical evidence does not back up that scenario.”
“And what physical evidence is that?”
“I’m not at liberty to say,” Hicks replied evasively. “The fact of the matter is that we have more than enough to haul Jackson in for questioning, and even book him if it comes to that. I’m still hoping we made a mistake, but we need to find Jackson if we want to prove it.”
“I don’t know where he is,” Chuck said. “I never know where he is. He’s an odd kid. He would prefer sitting in his room and playing video games to getting out. That’s not how the college experience is supposed to go. I told him that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I had the perfect college experience,” Chuck said, adopting a wistful expression. “I was the most popular guy in the fraternity and everyone wanted to be me. I was good at sports and I slept with more than a hundred women. I’m not exaggerating. It was a hundred women.”
“I’m not sure if that’s anything to boast about, Chuck,” Hicks said. “It doesn’t really matter, though. None of this is helping us track down Jackson. That’s the most important thing right now.”
“Well, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Chuck said. “Jackson wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s too lazy to do anything of the sort. I think you’re trying to railroad him because you don’t have any other suspects and he makes an easy mark. Plus, by taking down Jackson, you’ll be able to attack me.”
“And why would I want to do that?” Hicks asked, unruffled.
“Because I opposed the police millage and it didn’t pass,” Chuck replied, not missing a beat. “You’re holding a grudge and you’ve decided to pay me back by going after my son.”
“I think the whiskey is making you stupid, Chuck,” Hicks said. “Right now I care about finding two missing women. If you want to debate the merits of the millage, we can set up a time next week. That’s not even on my list of things to worry about today.”
Grave Seasons (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 8) Page 17