Except maybe Nick. It was already an all-hands-on-deck case, which meant there were no excuses. Be there or risk your job.
It was nice to be on the case after not being allowed on the last two big ones, since he was close to the victims. Once the Fosters were cleared as persons of interest, Nick had nothing to do with this case or anyone involved, other than that Genevieve and Tinsley had dug up the first two bodies.
He stopped pacing, and glanced out the window. Everyone was busy, either typing furiously on a laptop, talking on the phone, or running from one place to another.
Which reminded him to get back to work. Between the stack of papers on his desk and the unusually high number of unanswered emails, he had enough to keep him busy for weeks—even if he stayed at the office and didn’t sleep the entire time.
Nick glanced over at Genevieve’s empty desk and sighed. Would she return to the force? Or was she thinking about working on a different force so they could pursue a relationship?
His chest tightened. Genevieve was the only one he’d given his heart to other than his ex-wife—the woman who would now be spending the rest of her life behind bars due to her part in hiding a kidnapper. He didn’t like to admit he was glad to not have to deal with her any longer, especially given how hard she’d made it for him to see his kids. But he did hate how her incarceration hurt them.
They were all in therapy to deal with it. There was only so much Nick could do to help them through something so traumatic. His parents were still married and living a quiet life, so he had no way to relate to what his kids were going through.
“Focus on the case, Fleshman,” he muttered to himself. Once he clocked out, he could worry about his kids and love life.
Nick opened his door and headed straight for the coffee pot.
A woman about his mom’s age was just closing the lid. She smiled at him. “Fresh coffee…” She glanced at his badge. “…Captain.”
“Wonderful. Thank you.” At least it would be hot. He poured some into a cup, then introduced himself.
She smiled warmly. “I’m Mary. Just started today.”
Nick raised the hot drink to his lips then froze mid-sip.
Mary’s eyes widened. “Is everything okay, Captain?”
He lifted the cup into the air. “This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had here! Someone give Mary a fat raise!”
A few people chuckled, but even more raced over to try the drink. Officer Grant declared her Queen of the Snack Table.
It was the perfect distraction from the stress of the case, but unfortunately it only lasted a few minutes before everyone dispersed.
Nick opened his door when someone called out his name.
“Captain! You have to see this.”
“What is it?” Nick turned to see Detective Anderson. His expression was solemn.
Anderson gestured to Nick’s office. They went inside and sat on either side of the large mahogany desk.
Nick waited. It was obvious by the look on the detective’s face the news wasn’t good.
“We have an ID on one of the bodies.”
“That’s good news.” Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d misread Anderson.
His expression was still dark. “A teenage girl. Thirty-two years ago. Dental records confirmed her identity. Amy Michaels.”
“Go on.” Nick’s stomach tightened, waiting for the bad news.
“She was reported missing from the house where we found all the bodies.”
Nick nodded, taking in the news. That wasn’t altogether surprising since a girl living there had gone missing around that time. “Okay, so what’s the problem?”
Anderson took a deep breath and paused. “Her father worked with Walter Foster at the time.”
Everything spun around Nick as he tried to make sense of the news. “Come again?”
“Nick, the dead girl is connected to Genevieve’s father.”
Missing
The sounds of screaming woke Genevieve from a deep sleep. She jumped from the futon and ran into the bedroom where Tinsley was sleeping. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer.
The girl was hollering, but still asleep.
Genevieve sat on the bed and put her hands on Tinsley’s shoulders. “Wake up! It’s only a dream.”
She kept thrashing around and crying out.
Genevieve’s mom appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
“Tinsley’s having another nightmare.” Genevieve helped Tinsley to sit up. “Wake up!”
The girl’s eyes flew open. She gasped for air. Her eyes darted around before she relaxed in Genevieve’s hold.
“Everything’s okay.” Genevieve’s mom sat down and rubbed Tinsley’s back. “We’re both here, and we’re safe in the police captain’s condo.”
Tinsley took a deep breath but didn’t say anything.
“What was your dream about?” Genevieve asked, not that she expected a reply.
“Bones.”
She stared at Tinsley. On one hand, it was progress that she answered, but it also made her sick that the girl was now further traumatized by the events of the previous day.
They would never be able to return to that house without the memory of what they’d seen. And her parents would never be able to sell it after this. It was all over the news.
Genevieve pulled Tinsley close. “It’s all going to be okay. You’re safe, and we’re here to protect you.”
“Hungry.” Tinsley pulled back.
Two words in a row?
Her mom jumped up. “I’ll make something. Zoey brought over some eggs. How does that sound?”
Tinsley nodded.
They all went to the kitchen. Her mom twisted open the blinds and bright sunlight assaulted their eyes.
Genevieve covered her face. “Why is it so bright?”
“It’s nearly noon, dear.” Her mom opened the fridge.
“I don’t know why that surprises me. We got to sleep so late.” She poured a glass of milk for Tinsley. “Hey, where’s Dad?”
Her mom shrugged.
“You don’t know?”
“No. He was gone when I woke in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. You know how he is when he gets stressed. Takes off to think.”
Genevieve did the mental math. “How long has he been missing?”
“I’d hardly call it missing.” She dropped a chunk of butter onto a pan, making it sizzle. “I knew he needed some space to think when he insisted on going out to buy snacks last night. I’d hoped he’d feel better, but he seemed kind of spooked when he got back, don’t you think?”
Genevieve shrugged. “We’re all on edge.”
Her mom pushed the butter around with a spatula. “He was. That’s why I wasn’t surprised to find him gone last night. He’ll be back soon enough. Just needs some time to process everything.”
Genevieve didn’t respond. Now was the worst time for him to take off. It could make him look guilty. They had nothing to hide, but he was giving the police reason to suspect him by taking off like that in the middle of an investigation. Hopefully, he’d be smart enough to return soon. If they were asked to go into the station for more questioning, the officers would have reason to think he was hiding something.
“Would you make some coffee, hon?” her mom asked.
“Yeah, sure.” Genevieve poured Tinsley some more milk, then poured ground coffee into the machine and added water. “I’m going to call Dad.”
“I already tried. He’s not answering.”
She gritted her teeth. “Maybe he will this time.”
“Probably went fishing at his favorite spot. It’s out of cell range.” Her mom cracked an egg and scrambled it.
“Why would he do that? The police haven’t cleared us!”
“We’re innocent. Everyone knows that. We’ve only lived there for a short time, and clearly” —she glanced at Tinsley— “the activities have been going on much longer than that.”
“But still, under yo
ur noses! Some of those were definitely buried there within that time period.”
Her mom glanced at Tinsley and back to Genevieve. “Let’s not discuss this now.”
She clenched her fists. “We have to be careful, that’s all I’m saying. If they call us back to the station, it’s going to look bad if we don’t know where he is. It doesn’t matter what the reality is.”
“Innocent until proven guilty. We’ve done nothing wrong.”
“It isn’t that simple.” Genevieve stormed out of the kitchen before the conversation ended up heated. She grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone to call her dad.
She had two missed calls from Nick. From his work number.
They had to want them to come in for more questioning. There was no other explanation. And her dad was missing.
Unless Nick was only calling to check on them. Maybe that was it.
Either way, she needed to talk with her dad before returning Nick’s calls. No way could she call him not knowing where her dad went.
Genevieve grumbled under her breath as she called her dad. It rang five times before going to voicemail. She called three more times before leaving a message for him to come back right away before he ended up looking guilty for something he hadn’t done.
Then she called him one more time for good measure. Not surprisingly, it went to voicemail.
She sent him a text telling him the same thing she’d said in the message.
Hopefully, he would heed her advice. The last thing anyone needed was for the police to look at him as a suspect. It would waste the time of the force, focusing on an innocent man, and add a lot of unnecessary stress to the entire family.
Genevieve checked for missed voicemails. There were none.
Maybe Nick was only calling to check in since he hadn’t bothered to leave a message or a text.
Her phone rang.
It was Nick.
Wavering
Zoey turned into the parking lot and saw Macy’s car right away. She pulled in next to it then hurried inside the restaurant.
Macy sat on a bench near the door, rocking the baby’s car seat and speaking to an elderly woman next to her.
A calmness washed over Zoey, seeing her lifelong best friend and future sister-in-law. They were more like sisters anyway, so marrying Alex would only make their sisterhood official.
She stood by the door for a couple minutes until the person sitting on the other side of Macy was called. Zoey sat, and only then realized how much her legs ached. Almost everything did, and what didn’t was bathed in fatigue.
This pregnancy was far harder on her than when she was carrying Ariana. Because she was older? Or because of everything she’d gone through, including the weight of keeping all this to herself?
“Zoey!” Macy smiled widely. “How long have you been here?”
“Just sat down, actually.” She covered her mouth and yawned.
Macy patted Zoey’s knee. “You okay, Zo?”
That was a loaded question, especially coming from her best friend, who she couldn’t give a pat answer to. “I’m getting by.”
Macy’s smile faded. “Have you gone back to the counselor to talk about your abduction?”
Zoey frowned. “I don’t need a shrink. I talked to the one they recommended at the hospital. She was nice and everything, but it just wasn’t for me.”
“It’s not like that. Some things are just too big to deal with on our own. You’re always welcome to talk about what happened with me, you know. We’ve both been through more than most people triple our age.”
Tears stung Zoey’s eyes. “I just don’t want to think about it. Any of it.”
“Macy!” A server with short magenta hair and matching lipstick looked around the crowded waiting area.
Macy squeezed Zoey’s knee and rose. “That’s us.”
The server glanced at the car seat. “Do you want a baby seat cradle?”
“That’d be great, thanks.”
They got situated at the table, and somehow little Caden Alexander slept through everything. With his car seat nestled into the cradle, they could watch him almost at eye level. He made a cooing noise and smiled, still asleep. Oh, to be that carefree.
Zoey and Macy made small talk as they flipped through the menus. Hardly anything looked good to Zoey, and every image with chicken caused her stomach to lurch. She decided on soup and salad—the only thing that sounded remotely good.
After they ordered, Macy turned to her. “I’m serious about talking, Zo. Call me day or night. I’ll probably be up, anyway.” She glanced over at baby Caden and smiled.
“Thanks.” Zoey tried to imagine what it would be like for her when she had a baby again. Would she be alone? Would Alex or her parents be there for her? What would everyone think of her when they found out what Dave had done to her? Would they pity her? Think less of her? Tears threatened again.
Macy frowned. “You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Zoey hated being weak. She hated everything Dave had done to her from the moment he took her at gunpoint to his final and lasting assault on her. The only thing that gave her any peace was knowing she had fought back and gotten away. He hadn’t killed her. He hadn’t won.
“If you have time, we can walk around the park down the block after we eat. It’s usually pretty quiet there.” Macy gave her a sad smile.
Zoey nodded. She didn’t feel like going back to work, so she may as well get some fresh air and sunlight with her friend. Perhaps they could walk in silence, or Zoey might talk. Not about the pregnancy, but maybe the abduction. Maybe. “I’d like that.”
Macy yawned, then rubbed her eyes. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we? We both need naps.”
Zoey cracked a small smile. “Isn’t that the truth?”
The waiter dropped off the food, and Zoey was spared from needing to talk just yet. And luckily, Macy didn’t notice Zoey picking at her food. The soup and salad were both delicious, but her stomach didn’t want anything to do with either.
A half hour later, they were walking around the park with the now-awake Caden wrapped to Macy’s chest.
They followed the trail to a flower garden, where the only sounds were from the birds and children playing at the other end of the park.
Macy fussed with Caden, giving Zoey the chance to stay quiet. Not that she felt better about not having to talk. A big part of her wanted to tell everything to Macy—there was little the two kept from each other.
At last, Caden settled down. Macy stopped at some pretty purple lilies and took a deep breath. They strolled around, smelling the wide variety of flowers in silence. The sun was warm and comforting.
They reached a bench and Macy sat.
Zoey hesitated. This was it. No more putting off the inevitable. Even just talking about the abduction part of her ordeal would likely bring her tears.
“I won’t bite.” Macy smiled and patted the seat next to her.
Zoey swallowed, then sat. Speaking with a counselor didn’t seem so bad. It might be easier to open up to a stranger.
Macy slid her sunglasses to the top of her head and glanced over at some tulips. “You know what I think the worst part of being abducted is?”
“What?”
“Being helpless. Aside from the abuse, obviously. Being unable to stand up for myself. Saying no, but being ignored. There’s nothing worse than having our personal boundaries violated.” Macy drew in a deep breath and held it a moment. “It’s dehumanizing.”
Zoey choked on air. Tears blurred her vision. Everything closed in on her. She struggled to breathe and blinked the tears away.
“But you know what?” Macy turned to her, meeting her gaze.
Zoey closed her eyes and shook her head no. It didn’t help her to feel less suffocated.
“We’re overcomers, you and me. We made it through everything alive. They can’t get to us anymore. We’re going to live productive lives while they rot in jail, never to wa
lk freely in a park like we are.”
Zoey didn’t respond. She just wanted the whole world to disappear and leave her alone. She squeezed her eyes tighter, refusing to open them.
Macy’s hand slid around hers. “If you’d like me to be your counselor, I can. I’ll give you patient confidentiality. Nothing you say will go beyond us. Not that it would, anyway.”
Zoey opened her eyes. Even though she knew Macy was a counselor, she often forgot. To her, Macy was just her friend. The girl she’d grown up with next door and vacationed with more than her own parents.
“Whatever you want to do, I’m here for you.” Macy squeezed her hand.
It seemed to take forever, but Zoey finally looked her friend in the eye.
Could she voice the truth?
Watching
The man lowered his sunglasses just enough to peek over the top of them. It was hard to see around the bushes, but at least his car was hidden.
Across the street, the school looked more like a ghost town than a place full of kids. There was no activity, save the occasional adult coming and going.
He glanced at his watch. Only ten more minutes before the recess bell would ring. A chill of excitement ran through him from head to toe.
It would be easy enough to get to the playground. The fence would hardly be a deterrent. The real challenge would be getting Maisie alone. Away from all the kids and teachers. Luckily, the buildings offered plenty of places to hide.
He glanced back at the pink balloons bobbing around in the backseat. The question was whether to bring one with him. It would only draw attention to himself. And what he needed was to blend in. Give no reason for anyone to raise an eyebrow.
The promise of the balloons and a pretty wrapped present should be enough to make the girl come with him. Kids were far more interested in shiny presents and treats than following their parents’ advice. Kids were stupid like that.
That was exactly why he had both—if the gift and balloons didn’t work, he also had candy. Lots of it.
He checked the time again. Six minutes.
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