Gray’s eyes lit up like this was the reaction she was hoping for.
King glanced back to the photograph. How could this be? If he was in fact looking at Jane Doe, she would have been no more than five years old when she was abducted. It wasn’t adding up. This picture was taken ten years ago, and Sage was much older than that at the time, but had a nearly identical face.
King asked, “Are they related?”
“That’s what we need to figure out.”
King closed the file and tucked it under his arm, hating how this mysterious perp had the entire department looking in one direction while he was apparently out hunting for a new victim. If this girl was in fact somehow related to Jane Doe, he needed to find Jane Doe’s body.
“We’ve got to go,” he said.
“Where?”
“The ME’s office.” King started moving to the exit. “If we can learn who Jane Doe is, maybe we can close the case on Sage.”
Chapter Seventy-Three
“You have to call him.”
Allison said, “And say what?”
My usually calm and collected friend was losing her patience. There was no way she’d seen Naomi on the news in Bennett’s house, otherwise she’d be losing her mind. Keeping one eye and ear on the news, my other ear was with my friend. “Tell him anything.”
“Anything?” Allison repeated.
My thoughts churned as I considered how it was best Bennett kept his face off camera and his mouth shut before he mistakenly convicted himself—assuming he was innocent. But how could I convey that to my friend without revealing that the world had just witnessed a teenage girl come from inside her teacher’s home?
“If you can get him somewhere safe,” I said, “maybe he can explain what’s going on at that school of his.”
“Sam, I’m worried.”
You should be, I wanted to say as I focused my attention on the news and was happy to see it cut to commercial. “Save him, Allison. Get him talking.”
When I ended our call, I knew what I had seen wasn’t good. A part of me worried for Allison’s safety, but my advice was given with reason. Allison knew him best, and I trusted her instinct despite what Heidi attempted to portray to the world.
Bennett was an easy target, made vulnerable because of his solitary lifestyle and his work with kids. But could he really be a monster who preyed on children? He didn’t seem like our likely suspect. Or was I too blind to and only saw what I wanted to believe?
“I’m going to kill him myself.” Rob exploded and rushed past me in the hallway as Karen chased after her husband, telling him to calm down.
My entire body tensed like a rock as I was unable to move. I didn’t know what happened, what was said while I was on the phone, but I was growing more afraid of Rob the longer I stayed.
What was Naomi doing inside a male teacher’s house, alone? I tried to remain calm, file through the evidence inside my head to convince myself Bennett couldn’t be the teacher doing this to these girls. It had to be somebody else. But who?
I exhaled a deep sigh. Heidi got her shot for Daniels and the news cycle would repeat itself until she got to Eva.
Eva.
It was time for me to leave.
Karen came back into the room without Rob and quickly apologized for her husband’s behavior. I waved it off as no big deal, attributing it to their daughter’s murder. Then Karen asked, “What will happen now?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, promising to stay in touch.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“What I always do,” I said. “Chase the story and make sure the truth gets out.”
Karen gave a small, reassuring smile when she reached for my hand and squeezed. “Thank you for all you did to help bring attention to Megan. Everyone gave up on her but you.”
“She was an incredible girl,” I said, attempting to free my hand from Karen’s grasp. Her fingers tightened around my knuckles and she tugged me closer so she could whisper something into my ear.
Karen said, “But I need it to stop here.”
It felt like I’d crossed an unspoken boundary. Our eyes swayed inside each other’s gazes, and I could see the deep pain she was feeling inside her heart.
Had I unnecessarily—and selfishly—dragged out their anguish by thinking I was doing good by continuing to report on their daughter’s disappearance?
I nodded my head and whispered my goodbyes. I exited the house with my head spinning as I squinted into the blinding sunlight. I’d come here as a friend and left feeling like our friendship just ended. It was a horrible and sickening feeling, but I couldn’t lose my motivation to find who was responsible. Jenny was still somewhere out there, hopefully still hanging onto hope that someone would find her.
I jumped into my Subaru, settled behind the wheel, and raced across town to Erin’s place. She was waiting for me when I arrived. As soon as she opened the passenger door I asked, “Where’s Eva?”
Erin tossed me an uncertain look, asked if I’d seen the news.
I said I had and felt the fear of Archie bubble up inside me. Had he finally posted Eva’s photo? Revealed her location to the world?
Instead, Erin said, “Eva decided she’s going home.”
“Going home? Or to see Stark? Doesn’t she know how vulnerable she is?”
Erin dipped her head further into my car and said, “Eva doesn’t think she’s safe anywhere.”
“Because of the nightmare? It was a nightmare, right?”
Erin confirmed her suspicions with a single nod, but then turned her head and glanced back to her house. A look of doubt crossed her face.
I suggested, “If she doesn’t feel safe here, we could ask Susan to house her until this is all over.”
“Eva won’t go.” Erin locked eyes with me. “She’s done with us, Sam.”
It seemed so out of the blue. I wondered who Eva was secretly talking to, if someone suggested that she leave, or if the news sparked some unspoken memory hidden deep inside. As I searched Erin’s eyes for answers, I heard the front door to Erin’s house open and slam shut.
Eva had a single bag slung over her shoulder, and she stopped as soon as she saw me. Not wanting to lose her, I exited the car and hurried over to her.
“There is nothing you can say to make me want to stay,” she said. “I’ve already made my decision.”
“Eva, what is it? What’s going on?” Didn’t she remember it was she who came to us?
Eva’s jaw popped in and out as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, appearing weighed down by her thoughts.
“We need your help,” I said. “You can help us catch the monster who took you.”
Eva snapped her neck and narrowed her eyes. “How can I help you when you don’t even believe I was abducted?”
Everything inside me stopped. That’s what this was about. But how did she know?
“That’s right. I found Erin’s notes.” Eva craned her neck when leaning forward. “And here I thought I could trust you.”
Chapter Seventy-Four
I watched Eva scurry up the sidewalk. I wanted to follow to make sure she got home safely, but I knew I couldn’t. Erin was right. We’d lost her.
My hope was that it was only temporary and we’d be able to recover at some point in the near future. I also had to be real with myself, knowing she might be gone forever.
As difficult as it was to turn my back and walk away, there was nothing we could do now. Eva was an adult who could make her own decisions, even if we didn’t agree with what those decisions were.
Spinning around, I headed back to my car where Erin was still standing.
“Should we follow her?” Erin asked. “If we don’t, Archie will most certainly find her.”
I dipped into the driver’s seat, placed one hand on the steering wheel, and felt the pang of regret settle in my stomach. I should have scared Eva into changing her mind. I certainly didn’t like the idea of Eva facing someone like Ar
chie alone.
My cell dinged with a message from Dawson.
He wanted to know how my visit went with the Hineses and where we were at with Eva. I knew he’d be angry that I lost his exclusive, but Eva was more than a story to me. I wrote back, Still working on it.
How could I protect Eva from the dangers I knew were heading her way? I couldn’t. Everyone wanted a piece of her. As I thought about it, I understood why Eva had no choice but to go.
We were part of the problem. I wished I’d never doubted her story. Things were complicated enough, then I had to go and make it harder. But I couldn’t erase what I saw in her apartment.
Erin asked, “Who are you messaging now?”
“King,” I said.
Eva was his only witness, as far as I knew. I still hoped that she could be the one to help explain what happened to Jenny.
King messaged back. Was it Archie who scared her away?
Not entirely, I wrote back.
“It’s not all bad news, Sam.”
I turned and looked to my friend, who still hadn’t apologized for leaving her notes out for Eva to find.
“I learned something about Archie this morning. It’s how I think Eva found my notes. Which I’m sorry for, by the way.” I waved it away as no big deal and Erin continued, “Anyway, Archie came to Colorado shortly before Megan Hines went missing.”
My blood pressure spiked. Was it coincidence? It couldn’t be. There were too many of those when it came to Archie. First the similarities in his book, and now this?
I asked, “Any idea where he is?”
Neither one of us knew. I hadn’t heard from him since last night’s call when he smugly said, Catch me if you can. Should I message him again? With Eva on her own, I wasn’t sure that was the best idea. Archie would sniff it out, and then what? I’d have something else to regret.
Erin buckled in and said, “Then a good thing I kept Eva’s details to her sugaring profile. If Archie messages her there, at least we’ll know about it.”
I smiled. We hadn’t completely lost Eva.
I set the wheels in motion and began to drive. Erin asked where we were heading. I said, “We could either follow the story and head to the high school, report on Bennett with the rest of the crowd. Or we could stick with Eva.”
Erin flashed a quizzical look. “I thought you wanted to let her go?”
I grinned.
Erin and I never followed the crowd. Since I had Allison working to get Bennett alone, there was only one thing we should be doing. I asked, “You said Lewis Stark drives a red Ford truck?”
“That’s what Eva said.”
“Then I think it’s time we paid him a visit.”
Chapter Seventy-Five
Thirsty exited the liquor store with a fifth of vodka in his hand. He didn’t care that it was still morning. His wife was getting on his nerves with her pompous stuck up attitude that drove him up the wall.
He climbed in his truck and cranked the engine—a distant gaze glossing his eyes over.
She acted like she was always right, like she never did anything wrong. There was a time he thought he loved her, but not anymore. She made it impossible to be himself. Instead, she wanted him to hide the truth of who he was, and certainly didn’t want their friends to discover his illness. With her, it was more important to keep up with appearances than to acknowledge when things were broken. Like their marriage.
“Running around spending Daddy’s money,” Thirsty grumbled into the bottle.
Didn’t she realize how inadequate it made him feel? A husband was supposed to provide, not be mocked in front of the world by the woman who was supposed to love him.
After another healthy gulp, Thirsty made a face and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Backing out, he turned up the street, resting the open bottle between his thighs. He smiled when he felt the numbing warmth begin to mix with his prescription pain pills.
A minute passed before he realized he was driving without a clear destination. He turned on the radio and cranked the volume up after landing on the local news report. The cycle was still stuck on Jessica. Worthless. He only cared about having them track down Eva.
Switching his grip on the steering wheel, Thirsty brought the bottle to his lips. The liquid sloshed its way down his throat and settled in his empty stomach.
“I’m not alone,” he said to an empty cab. “There’s another monster like me out there.”
If only they could meet.
Thirsty turned north and pointed his tires toward downtown. He sensed he was losing and, because of it, everyone was mocking him for being so clumsy in his poor attempt to kidnap the girl he truly loved.
The one that got away.
It wasn’t long before he was parked outside the restaurant where the barmaid Isabel worked. The doors would open soon and she could be his redemption. Isabel always did make him feel good about himself. Like she valued his opinion, truly listened to what he had to say. He could see a future with her, the kind he’d always imagined. Except, after one quick glance down his front, he knew he couldn’t go in looking like a slob.
Pulling the rearview mirror on his face, he said, “Forget it. There’s no saving you.”
He put the truck in reverse and his cellphone dinged with a message. A hit of excitement got him curious to know who demanded his attention.
You have an unfinished job waiting for you…
Thirsty didn’t bother to read the rest of the message. He knew what it would say. Instead, he found himself swiping through the pictures in his gallery from this morning. His stepdaughter and her friend were so beautiful, he thought. It was times like this that reminded him what peace truly felt like.
Angelic.
Temptation seemed to be everywhere.
The news radio was once again reminding the public how Jessica had been violently taken. Thirsty lifted his gaze and ground his teeth. Everyone was better than him!
Next thing Thirsty knew, he was driving. The alcohol and pills were kicking in. It took him a moment to gain his bearings as he circled the Highlands neighborhood, not exactly sure how or why he’d come, but that’s when he spotted her.
Eva.
The woman of his dreams.
She was walking alone. Though he thought he could be hallucinating, one long look convinced him he wasn’t. It was his lucky day.
Chapter Seventy-Six
Eva’s long hair bounced off her shoulders as she briskly walked up the sidewalk. The sun was out, and she didn’t like how exposed to the world she felt. She knew she needed to go home even if she thought it wasn’t safe.
At the street corner, a funny feeling fell over her. She tucked her elbows and glanced behind her. Cars drove past, drivers not even bothering to look in her direction. She still felt like she was being watched.
“You two better not follow me,” she said, fuming about Sam and Erin.
Digging out her phone, she requested an Uber. It was the longest fifteen minutes of her life as she waited for her ride to show. As her toes tapped on the concrete, she kept wondering when she would be spotted. It felt like the entire world knew what happened to her—her kidnapping and near-sexual assault, how her character had been completely humiliated by a man she still couldn’t identify.
As the next wave of cars approached, a silver sedan put on its blinker and pulled to the side of the road. Eva’s heart beat faster. She couldn’t see the driver’s face because of the sun’s glare. Worse, she couldn’t locate the Uber logo. Was this her driver?
Exhaling her next breath, she stepped forward and opened the back door. Rolling her gaze to the front, the driver turned and met her eye. They stared for a moment. Though she didn’t recognize him, she hesitated to get inside.
The driver said, “You want a lift or what?”
Knowing she needed to do this, she steeled herself for the quick ride ahead and forced herself to slide into the back-passenger seat. As soon as she shut the door, the driver turned his attention for
ward and drove.
Eva was increasingly aware of her breath as she clutched the straps of her tote in a white knuckled grip. The driver kept stealing glances at her as if sizing her up, and it made Eva only doubt her decision to leave. She thought she would be stronger than this, could keep her poise when having to face the public. But her wounds were fresh and her mind had a long way to go before healing. A part of her thought maybe it never would—that the terror she experienced would live with her forever. But she was so mad at Samantha and Erin’s betrayal, she had no choice but to go out on her own and begin carving out a life that only she seemed to understand.
The car stopped at the next light and Eva caught the driver staring in the rearview mirror. She turned away, ignored his stares as she took her mind to some place else.
She asked herself why she thought she could trust Samantha in the first place. It wasn’t like she knew her personally. Their podcast was always looking out for women who’d been wronged. But she couldn’t blame Sam and Erin. This never would have happened if she hadn’t gone for a run that night. When all was said and done, this was no one’s fault but her own.
When Eva closed her eyes, all she could see was Erin’s doubt last night when Eva knew someone was outside her window. Eva knew what she heard—believed what she saw. The dark silhouette of a man dipping in and out of the shadows as he ran away after getting caught by her.
The car lurched forward and Eva opened her eyes. Her kidnapper would forever hide in the back corner of her mind, taunting her with his masks and whispers of what he wished to do to her. Jessica’s name came over the radio and Eva asked, “Can you please turn the radio up?”
The driver turned the dial, and Eva listened to more of the report on Jessica’s abduction.
Her kidnapper was still out there, apparently still targeting women, and that made her extremely uneasy. Why would he not come after her again? Did he know she talked to the cops? She needed to go home, pack, and leave before anyone knew where she was.
MAD AS BELL Page 20