She went straight to Brody’s office. She found him on the phone and paused at the entrance until he was finished with his call. She wouldn’t be surprised if he told her he didn’t go home and rest but came here to figure out what he could do to bring the girls back home and never have another kid taken. One of the things she admired about Brody was his integrity and bulldog tactics when dealing with a problem.
As he waved her into the room, he said to the caller, “Thanks. I need it delivered here by three today with the words, Pals Center, decaled on both sides of the vehicle.” He paused, listening to what the person on the other end replied, then hung up. A smile that reached into the dark depths of his eyes spread across his face. “I’ve purchased my first van and will get the second one next week.”
“That’s great. How will you let the kids know about the van pick up and drop off today?”
“When we go around the apartments talking to whoever we can about Piper and Maria, we can leave the flyers I made this morning about the pick up and drop off times. It’s a good way to start a conversation with the people there. Remember, they might tell us more than they would the police about the activity around the complex. Nick didn’t get a lot of information from the ones who answered their door earlier today. I’m hoping we can get some clues for Nick to follow.”
“I agree. Time is so important. The longer it takes the harder it will be to figure out what’s happening and stop it before another child is taken.”
Brody rose from his desk and came around it. “Let’s go. Nick talked with Maria’s brother this morning. Nick was waiting for Carlos Ramos at his apartment. One of the neighbors told Nick that Carlos came home at eight each morning after he worked.”
“Was Maria with him?”
“No.” Brody grabbed his coat and left his office. “She hadn’t returned to the apartment. He hasn’t seen her since Saturday night before he went to work. He’s a night watchman at International Food, Inc. He usually didn’t work on the weekend, but he was filling in for a sick employee. One of the things he and Maria fought over was him going to his job. But he needed the extra money.”
“If he hadn’t worked Saturday, Maria would still be here. They wouldn’t have kidnapped her probably because she would have been with her brother. What was his reason he didn’t let the police know she hadn’t returned yet? It’s been five days.”
“On Tuesday morning, Carlos Ramos left a message on the phone of the police officer who went on vacation. He’d interviewed Ramos on Sunday when Maria hadn’t returned. The past couple of days, her brother said he’d been looking around for her. She’d once left for three days last summer. He still thought she would come home soon. She always went to a friend’s house when she ran away before. And possibly another reason nothing was done for the past five days concerning Maria was because Carlos is a drinker. There was a near empty bottle of whiskey sitting on his kitchen table with a glass right next to it.” Brody held the main entrance door open for Emma.
She walked out into the crisp winter air. “Like Piper’s mother. My father, who was an alcoholic, would rather drink than deal with his problems. My mom left him and brought me here to my aunt’s house. Not long after that, he killed himself. With Maria’s mother dying, I can see her brother turning to the bottle to drown his pain. It never works in the long run. He’s probably still dealing with the sorrow and with the fact he’s suddenly his sister’s guardian with all those responsibilities on his shoulders. It looks like he’s turned inward and put barriers up to keep others out—in this case, Maria.” She wished she could have stepped in and helped this brother and sister.
“I’m sorry to hear that about your dad.”
“Me, too, but I learned from it, and I’ve used it to help others.”
Brody unlocked his car, and Emma slipped into the front passenger seat. After he was settled behind the wheel, he started the engine and backed out of the parking space. “I don’t have a good feeling about this. I’ve heard of places where children disappear and are never found or are found too late like your friend. Two young girls went missing in five days from the same apartments. I think this could be tied to a child trafficking ring. They become what I would call a slave. We’ve got to stop this before any others are taken.”
“And it isn’t just girls but boys, too. We need to let people know that. Have you made any more plans about tomorrow at the center?”
“Other than Colby and Nick, no. I don’t think we need any others beside you and me. I hope parents from the complex will come with their kids.” While waiting at a red light, Brody slanted a glance toward her. “Thanks for agreeing to help. We need different perspectives.”
“Yes. I know you relate with both the boys and the girls at Pals, but a lot of females would have a problem talking to a male about what could be happening with the ones who’ve gone missing. Sexual exploitation is a tough subject, but denying it exists here in the United States won’t solve a problem that’s getting worse.”
Brody parked in front of the second apartment building. “We’ll start with the third one. I want to check and make sure they’re replacing the bulbs with ones that give off a lot of light. I want you in front of the doors while I stand off to the side. I think people will be more willing to open the door to a beautiful woman rather than me.”
The heat of a blush suffused her cheeks. Words escaped her. It was hard for her to accept compliments. Instead, she remained silent, approached the nearest apartment, and knocked. After a minute, she repeated it.
Finally, a woman at the apartment next door to Piper’s swung the door wide. “I was about to take a nap now that the kids have gone to school, and I’ve cleaned up their mess. If you’re selling something, I don’t have any money. It all goes to getting clothes, putting food on the table, and paying the rent.”
“I appreciate you answering. I don’t know if you realize that Piper Nelson has gone missing since yesterday afternoon around four. Also, Maria Ramos disappeared last Saturday night. The police can’t narrow down the time except it was between nine at night and seven Sunday morning.”
The woman’s face went white, and her eyes grew big and round. “Yesterday evening, I wondered about what was going on here. I have a teenage daughter. She hangs out with Piper.”
“I’m Dr. Emma Reichs. I hold a group session twice a week at the Pals Center from four-thirty to possibly six depending on what the girls want to talk about.”
“Yes, my daughter, Carly, has mentioned you. She really enjoys going with the other girls around here.”
“She’s sweet. Quiet but she listens to what everyone is saying.” Emma thrust out her arm to shake hands with the woman.
“I’m Hannah Rollins. It’s great to meet you. Carly’s talked about you ever since she started going to the center. You’ve helped her.”
“How did I help her? Was it something I said at one of the meetings?” Emma hoped so. That was why she agreed to work with the Pals Center. To make a difference. Often times, she never knew she had.
“Your advice about the importance of listening to what others have to say rather than trying to talk over them. That spoke to Carly.”
Emma smiled. “I remember that discussion.” It started with two girls shouting at each other over a disagreement that had started at school. “I’m glad she took that away from the meeting.” She turned toward Brody. “This is Brody Taylor, who started the Pals Center.”
Brody stepped forward and shook Hannah’s hand. “What we’re doing today is going around the apartment complex to talk to whoever is here to see if they saw anything suspicious yesterday between three-thirty and six. Any piece of information might help the police find both girls. Also, I wanted to reassure the parents that I’m working to keep the kids safe not only at the center but also as they leave and come back from the place. I’ve acquired a van to transport the ones whose parents can’t bring them or pick them up. I’ll be driving one van and next week, Stan, my assistant, will also be driving
a second van I’ve purchased.” He withdrew one of his sheets about the center and the changes they were making as well as information concerning the forum. “We want to teach the kids how to protect themselves and to be cautious about various situations. As you see on the sheet, we’re having a forum starting at one’ clock tomorrow. I hope Carly can come.”
“That’s great. I’ll tell Carly about the forum and encourage her to go.” Hannah took the sheet of paper. “I work on the weekends, but I’ll try to come. In case I can’t, will you pick up the kids tomorrow?”
“Yes. It’s stated at the end of the section on the forum. If this works out for everyone, we’ll do one a month to discuss issues that teenagers should know about.”
“Thank you concerning the transportation. If I can’t go, Carly can only go tomorrow if my two other children can accompany her in the van. Carly’s my babysitter on the weekend.”
Brody smiled. “All your children are welcomed at the center during the week as well as at the forum.”
“The van would be great during the week when my daughter meets with you, Dr. Reichs. My youngest child comes home from kindergarten and wants to take a nap. When I have to wake her up, she gets cranky. I’ll need more information on the programs for the younger children before I decide about my six and nine-year-old.”
“If you can’t get to the forum, I’ll send information home with Carly.”
“Thanks.” Hannah smiled and started to shut the door but halted halfway. “You know now that I think about yesterday, I remember walking from my car in the parking lot around five-fifteen,” she pointed in the direction she was talking about, “and a black SUV, parked at the back part of the lot, sped away so fast the driver nearly ran down my nine-year-old who hadn’t paused to look both ways. Thankfully, I snatched him back before the car hit him.”
Brody stepped closer. “Do you remember anything else about the vehicle other than it’s a black SUV.”
“I’m not good with models, but I did glimpse the last two numbers on an Oklahoma license plate. They were three and eight.”
“Did you see the driver?”
Hannah shook her head. “The windows were too dark, and the SUV was going about thirty miles per hour in a parking lot. Do you think that car is tied to Piper’s disappearance?”
“It’s possible. Have you seen it before?”
She shook her head again.
Brody slipped a business card from his pocket. “If you remember anything or see something suspicious, please call me at that number anytime.”
“I will.”
Emma smiled. “Thank you, Hannah. I hope to see Carly and your other children tomorrow.”
“I hope I helped you.” Hannah folded the sheet of paper and business card Brody had given her and slid them into her large sweater pocket.
After talking to Hannah, Emma walked with Brody to the next first-floor apartment near Piper’s. After knocking several times with no answer, Brody stuck his flyer on the door with a large piece of tape.
“If children live here, hopefully, the parent won’t throw it away but look at it. I’m letting Nick know what we learned from Hannah.” Brody pulled out his phone, called Nick, and gave him the information about the black SUV. When he finished with the police detective, he and Emma started toward the next apartment. A frown was carved into his facial features.
“What’s wrong?”
“A police officer talked with the people running a Christian shelter off Main Street. Mathew, who runs it, thinks a teenage boy either left town or something has happened to him. They’d been trying to help him when he first showed up there. Every night he ate supper at their place until this Wednesday. He went by the name of Nate, and when he left the shelter, he snuck extra food to take with him, enough to feed several others. The kid said he was eighteen, but Mathew thinks he’s fifteen or sixteen at the most. Nick has passed on the information to another detective. Nick and his partner, Brad Thomas, are swamped with the investigation of Maria’s and Piper’s disappearances.”
“So, there could be others. It’s possible an eighteen-year-old runaway thinks he can protect the younger ones, but with this threat, they’re all vulnerable. Maybe, after we canvas this complex, we can talk with the man who runs the shelter.”
“I agree. I know Mathew. I’ll have Stan pick up the children at the Harrison complex with the van.”
“I’ve never been to the center on Friday.” Any classes she held were always Monday through Thursday.
“This evening from four to ten is game night for all ages. I have six volunteers who oversee the activities.”
“Has Nick found any surveillance camera footage?”
“Yes, and that’s what he and Brad are going through right now. Nick’s going back to look especially for a black SUV on the streets around the apartments.”
Emma’s gut told her the black SUV was key to the case. She prayed they found others that could confirm what Hannah saw. Emma grabbed onto hope that it would turn the case around because the opposite might mean they would never find Maria and Piper. She wouldn’t accept that.
* * *
For the next two and a half hours, Emma and Brody went from one apartment to the next in all three building. When they returned to Brody’s SUV, Emma collapsed onto the front passenger seat as he settled behind the steering wheel. “I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat. I didn’t have time to eat breakfast. I think I’ll order two hamburgers and a large bag of french fries.”
“Actually, that sounds delicious to me. I didn’t eat breakfast either.”
She chuckled. “A hamburger and fries aren’t my usual fare. I usually have a salad at lunch, but we don’t have a lot of time to do that. This is when fast food comes in handy. Fast is the key word here.”
After Brody went through a restaurant drive-thru, they downed their late lunch as quickly as possible. Then he drove out of the parking lot and headed toward his home.
“I’d hope another resident saw the black SUV.” Emma leaned back and closed her eyes.
“Me, too. But at best, we only got to talk to one-fourth of the people.”
As Brody neared his house to pick up Charlie, his cell phone rang. Nick. Brody answered the call on his vehicle’s Bluetooth.
“The autopsy for Ada Nelson is complete.”
Chapter Nine
A high-pitched scream echoed through the building. The sound shuddered through Piper as she sat shackled against the wall unable to move but a few inches in any direction. Darkness surrounded her. Hunger and thirst dominated her thoughts. Her mouth was dry, and she could hardly move. Maybe that was a good thing. What else was in here with her? Where was this place?
A memory popped into her mind. Hands gripped her, dragging her down the hall toward the living room. As though she was at home seeing it again, she saw her mom lying on the couch, passed out, not moving at all. The bottle of alcohol lay on the floor by her. She only had a glimpse of her mother when she felt the prick on her neck like the sting of a wasp last summer. Then her legs went out from under her completely, and a black veil fell around her.
She couldn’t remember anything except…
What was she forgetting?
Why was she here?
Chapter Ten
Brody’s grip on his cell phone tightened. “Was it murder?”
“The ME says it’s a suspicious death,” Nick said in a tired voice. “There was bruising on her neck and body that indicated she was held down. He thinks the bottle was forced into her mouth, so she would drink its content. His findings are backed up with a lab report on the contents of what Piper’s mother was drinking. The trace alcohol left in the bottle was laced with the sleeping pills matching what we found in the container under the couch.”
“She was murdered,” Brody said as he slid his glance toward Emma who sat forward, intent on what he was saying.
“Did Piper come in on it, and that’s why she’s missing?” Emma asked Nick on the phone at police headqu
arters.
“Maybe or the killer did it in order to take Piper who was already in the apartment,” Nick answered. “We may never know the complete way it went down.”
Unless they find Piper. As Emma sank back against her seat, her eyes closing, Brody wished he could erase the pain she felt as though she were responsible for what happened to Piper. “Any other news? How about the partial number on the license plate?”
“It’s a long list, but we’re working our way through it. I still have a couple of more hours to view the rest of the video footage. Thankfully, there were quite a few surveillance cameras in the area, mostly businesses. None were at the apartment.”
“I hope to change that. Thanks for letting me know what’s going on.” Brody’s phone call to the mayor got things rolling at the apartments. There would be adequate lighting soon as well as cameras on the poles.
“Did you find out anything else besides the information about the black SUV?” Nick asked.
“Nope. We didn’t talk to a lot of the tenants, but I left the flyer about the van service for the kids and the forum tomorrow at the center. A few people answered the door. They seemed scared and didn’t say much at all.”
“Which apartments?”
Brody gave Nick the numbers of each place they’d visited. “Did you talk to any of them earlier?”
“Nope, besides Hannah, but I plan to return. I’ll make it a point to visit the four you mentioned.”
Emma touched his arm to get his attention. “How’s Bobby Joe doing?” she asked Nick.
“Okay under the circumstances. His uncle has a calming effect on him according to the police officer who’s guarding him. Emma, I want you to talk to Bobby Joe again. You got more information out of him than anyone.”
Missing (Everyday Heroes Book 6) Page 7