Catch the Girl

by Melinda Woodhall

“I wondered when ya’ll would show up.” Ma Verity began to rock slowly back and forth. “It’s about time.”

  Nessa followed Tobias up the steps to the porch. Leo trailed after them, his eyes scanning the barn and the fields beyond.

  “Is there something we should know then, Ms. Albright?”

  Leo thought he heard a touch of sympathy behind Nessa’s words. The old woman closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the sky, her mouth curling into a wide smile as she rocked.

  “You should know there’s evil here.”

  Ma Verity opened her eyes and stared at Leo.

  “But my Jed protects me. He watches over me and Jacob.”

  Tobias cleared his throat and looked over at Leo with an embarrassed smile.

  “Jed…Father Jed…he was her husband, but he passed away over a year ago. It’s been hard on her.” Tobias gave Ma Verity a fond look. “She gets a little confused sometimes.”

  Nessa nodded her understanding, but continued to stand in front of the rocker, eyes on Ma Verity’s face.

  “Why do you think there’s evil around here, Ms. Albright? Has something scared you?” Nessa stepped closer, keeping her voice quiet. “Have you seen someone doing something? Something evil?”

  “Why, the angel told me, of course.” Ma Verity’s eyes took on a defiant gleam. “Nobody believes me, but I’ve heard her. She speaks to me. She told me that my Jed is coming back to me. That he’ll protect me from the evil that’s invaded the congregation.”

  Leo put a hand on Nessa’s shoulder, then pointed to the window behind the porch. A group of women stared out, their faces pale and scared behind the frosty panes.

  “We’d better get on with the search, Nessa. If Jacob isn’t here, we’ll have to carry on without him.”

  “Oh, my boy’s here all right,” Ma Verity said, still rocking. “You all can go on in. He’ll be up in his room with his wife.”

  Nessa glanced back at Tobias; he only shrugged. The big man obviously wasn’t going to offer any objections to them going inside.

  But Leo still felt vulnerable as Nessa stepped to the door and turned the knob. Jacob Albright was a convicted felon, and something told Leo he wouldn’t take their arrival as placidly as Tobias Putnam had.

  A petite woman with faded blonde hair and nervous green eyes stood just inside the hall. When Nessa moved into the room, she called out in a sharp voice.

  “Tobias, what’s going on? Who are these people?”

  “They’re from the police, honey,” Tobias called back from the porch. “They say they’ve got a warrant to search the whole place.”

  The woman’s stunned expression hardened into outrage. She rounded on Leo.

  “What could you possibly be looking for in this commune? We’re law-abiding citizens who just want to be left alone. Has that become a crime?”

  “Priscilla!” Tobias raised his voice as he stepped into the hall behind Leo. “These folks are just here to do their job. Let’s let them do it and go.”

  Huffing indignantly, Priscilla crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Nessa suspiciously.

  “What exactly are you expecting to find?”

  “We’re investigating the homicides of two women who we have reason to believe lived here: Candace Newbury and Ruth Culvert. We’re also looking for a missing woman named Taylor Barker.”

  Priscilla gaped at Nessa, then shook her head in disbelief. Leo heard a deep voice beside him cry out.

  “God Lord, no!”

  Tobias grabbed Leo’s arm, his big hand twisting Leo to face him.

  “Sister Ruth and Sister Candace? They’re dead?”

  His face was stricken, his mouth trembling with emotion.

  “It was bad enough when we thought they’d run away.” He swiped at his eyes with the back of a big, weathered hand. “But dead? Why would anyone want to hurt those young girls?”

  “That’s what we need to find out, Mr. Putnam.”

  At the use of his name, Leo saw Nessa’s eyes drop to the older man’s shoes again. Then she cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder at the crowd of people that had started gathering in the hall.

  “I need everyone to stay together, and I’d like you to all wait in one room and wait to be questioned.” She turned to Tobias. “Is there a room where you all can go?”

  Tobias nodded numbly, waving the congregation down the hall.

  “Yes, ma’am. There’s a meeting room where we hold services. We can all fit in there for now.”

  Priscilla Putnam didn’t budge. She still appeared to be in shock over the news about Ruth and Candace.

  “My daughter,” she said suddenly. “Naomi’s upstairs. She hasn’t been feeling well. I brought her some tea…”

  The little woman suddenly bolted for the stairs, her feet pounding toward the second floor. Nessa hesitated, then hurried up after her, calling over her shoulder to Leo.

  “I’ve got this. You just make sure everyone’s secured in the meeting room.”

  He watched Nessa disappear into the shadows above, then followed the crowd as they moved down the hall. As he reached the meeting room, a high-pitched scream echoed down the stairs.

  “Don’t let anyone leave this room,” he yelled to Tobias, before racing away and mounting the stairs two at a time.

  A light shown from a door at the end of the hall. Muffled cries were coming from the room. Leo suddenly wished he’d brought his own gun along. But it was still securely locked in the glovebox of his BMW back in the parking garage. Slipping down the hall, he peered into the room, heart hammering against his chest.

  Priscilla Putnam knelt next to a clawfoot bathtub; her upper body was halfway submerged in the water as she clung to the limp body of the girl floating in the water.

  “My baby,” she cried, her voice raw. “My little Naomi.”

  Nessa bent to pull Priscilla away, but the distraught woman resisted, too upset to listen to Nessa’s pleas.

  “Help me, Leo,” Nessa urged, her feet slipping on the water that covered the slippery floor. “We’ve got…to try…to resuscitate her.”

  Rushing to Nessa’s side, Leo wrapped his arms around Priscilla and dragged her back from the edge of the tub. He held her writhing body firmly against him as Nessa grabbed the lifeless woman in the tub under both arms and heaved her up and over the side.

  Ignoring the protests from Priscilla, Nessa maneuvered Naomi onto her back and listened for breathing while checking for a pulse.

  “She’s still got a weak pulse, but I can’t feel her breathing,” Nessa cried out, turning panicked eyes to Leo. “I’m gonna try mouth-to-mouth.”

  Priscilla grew still in Leo’s arms as the words sunk in.

  “She’s still…alive?”

  Nessa nodded, tilting Naomi’s head back, pushing her long, wet tangle of hair out of the way. She swirled a finger around the girl’s slack mouth, then bent her head and puffed in a deep breath.

  Raising her head, Nessa counted slowly, then puffed again.

  By this time Leo had released his grip on Priscilla and they were both watching Nessa with hopeful eyes.

  Pausing to listen again, Nessa closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

  “I think...she’s breathing.”

  Face flushed and sweaty, Nessa placed a gentle hand on the slippery skin above Naomi’s heart and listened again beside her mouth. After a long, tense beat, she gave a weary thumbs up.

  “Yep, she’s breathing.”

  Priscilla released a low groan and slid across the floor to her daughter. She cradled the girl’s head on her lap and looked up at Leo.

  “We don’t have a phone here.” Her voice wavered. “Can you…can you call an ambulance?”

  Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Leo dialed 911. Priscilla’s eyes stayed on him as he explained the situation to the operator and gave them directions to the compound.

  When he hung up, he saw Nessa inspecting the room, her eyes searching for something. Leo raised an eyebrow at her
and cocked his head, not sure what she was hoping to find.

  Maybe she suspects it was an overdose? Or maybe it wasn’t an accident?

  The possibility of suicide crossed his mind as he watched Nessa pick up a cup of tea on a table near the tub. She raised the cup to her nose and sniffed, recoiling quickly.

  “I thought I tasted something bitter on her lips,” Nessa said, looking down at Priscilla. “What is this?"

  “It's the angel's tea we use to calm our nerves.” Priscilla stared up with a dazed expression. “It’s a special blend. We grow the herbs in the-”

  Naomi whimpered, then called out.

  “Ma? Is that you, Ma?”

  “I’m here, baby. Mama is here.”

  But Naomi just shook her head, her voice a scared croak.

  “Ma…no, please…Ma…”

  Leo turned around to see Tobias Putnam standing in the doorway, his face pale and sagging with worry.

  “Is she…is she gonna be okay?”

  Nessa, her clothes wet and clinging to her, crossed the room and put a damp hand on Tobias’ arm.

  “She’s breathing on her own for now, and we’ve called an ambulance. You wait with them here while we try to find Jacob.”

  A look of guilt flashed into the older man’s eyes.

  “He was in his office. I didn’t know, I swear.” He swallowed hard, then pointed to the window. “He ran out when I was coming up the stairs. I think he’s…leaving.”

  Leo slid to the window and stared out into the dark. A figure was wrenching on the door of the delivery truck parked in the courtyard. Leo turned questioning eyes to Tobias, who held up a ring of keys.

  “But Brother Jacob won’t be going anywhere in the CSL truck. I made sure to lock that up tight and secure the keys as part of my guard duty.”

  Spinning back to the window, Leo pushed it open and leaned out into the cold night.

  “Jacob Albright! Stop right where you are and put your hands up.”

  Nessa appeared beside him, her gun in her hand, pointing toward the open window. But the shadowy figure had already hefted a large carryall over his shoulder and was running toward the open gate.

  Knowing it would be useless to call out again, Leo and Nessa ran toward the stairs, pounding down at top speed. As they flew out of the front door, Leo noticed that the congregation had gathered on the porch, their faces shocked and scared.

  He hesitated, eyes scanning over each face, hoping to see Taylor, fearing that he’d see the face of the woman in the wanted poster; none of the faces looked familiar.

  “Come on, Leo, he’s getting away,” Nessa called, halfway across the courtyard.

  Pushing Ma Verity’s empty rocker to the side, Leo jumped off the porch and followed Nessa out into the dark night beyond the gate.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Eden gripped the steering wheel in frustration, not ready to give up and admit she was lost. Her cell reception had grown progressively weaker as she’d driven further and further away from Willow Bay, and eventually her map app had frozen completely, leaving her to find her way to the Little Gator Diner on her own.

  After another ten minutes of tense driving, she saw the glow of a neon sign and pulled off the highway and into a small parking lot. The sign flickered off, plunging the building into momentary darkness, before flaring on again, revealing the alligator’s wide grin.

  “Well, here we are,” she said, turning to prod Nathan, who had fallen asleep during the long drive. “Should I park in the front?”

  She drove closer to the front of the building, looking up just as the Expedition’s headlights flashed through the darkened windows of the diner, illuminating the interior like a well-lit stage.

  The slumped figure of a man was visible behind a long counter. As Eden watched, he jerked his head up and stared out at her. She could see at once that he held a long rifle in his hands.

  “Nathan, do you see that? That man has a gun, and…”

  But Eden’s words trailed off as she watched the man spin around. She caught a glimpse of a small, pale face behind the man, before he disappeared through the doorway into what Eden assumed was the kitchen. She kept her eyes on the now empty diner.

  “There’s a girl in there…she looked scared.”

  Duke lifted his head and blinked up at Eden as she impulsively stepped on the gas and steered the big SUV around the diner toward the back lot.

  “What are you doing, Eden?” Nathan yelled, holding on to the grab bar for dear life.

  “I’m trying to see where that man is going.”

  Reaching the edge of the asphalt, Eden hesitated for a split second, then accelerated forward, bouncing onto the expanse of dirt and gravel that led to the rear of the diner. Two vehicles were parked beside the back door. The door was wide open, swaying back and forth in the icy breeze.

  “Over there!”

  Nathan pointed toward a dense cluster of trees lit up by the Expedition’s headlights. A woman in dark pants and a red sweater ran toward the woods, her long, dark hair fluttering behind her. The man from the diner ran after her, rifle in hand, his white-blonde hair shining in the dark like a halo around his head.

  “Come back. I don’t want to hurt you!”

  Eden heard the man’s desperate yell just as the woman vanish behind a massive cypress tree. She watched him stumble forward, almost fall, then regain his balance and charge into the dark woods after the fleeing woman.

  Wrenching open the car door, Eden stepped down onto the gravel. The cold air surrounded her, quickly seeping through the blouse and pants she wore.

  I knew I should have brought my coat, but at least it’s stopped raining.

  She looked back at Nathan, who had unfastened his seatbelt and was already reaching for the door handle.

  “I’ve got to try to help her.” Eden ignored the crush of fear in her chest. “I’m going to go inside and see if there’s anything I can use as a weapon. You stay here and protect Duke.”

  “Wait, Eden, don’t-”

  But Eden had already hurried through the open door. The kitchen lights were on, and she saw right away that the room was empty. She looked around for something to use to defend herself. Something that could help her protect the young woman in the woods.

  A rack of knives sat on the kitchen counter, but she hesitated, not wanting to use a weapon that might end up inflicting a fatal wound. If she could find a heavy stick, or something she could use as a club, perhaps she could sneak up on the man and knock his gun away. He had seemed to be on the small side, and she thought he looked confused and disoriented.

  Maybe a well-timed blow will be enough to disarm him.

  As she stood looking around the room, she became aware of a sickly-sweet, coppery smell. It seemed to be coming from the dining room. She crept toward the doorway, peering into the dim room beyond. The smell was growing stronger and Eden held her hand to her mouth, resisting the urge to gag, as she realized what it was.

  It’s the smell of blood. The stench of death.

  She looked out into the diner, her eyes falling on the two bodies just as Nathan spoke behind her.

  “What’s that smell?”

  Jumping at his sudden words, Eden pointed wordlessly toward the dining room, struggling to catch her breath. Her throat had constricted, making it impossible to breath, and her chest felt heavy.

  “Holy shit!”

  Nathan turned away from the gory sight, his face pale. He looked over at Eden, suspecting at once that she was in the early stages of a panic attack. Eden stared back at him, desperate to stop the spinning in her head. She sank to the tile floor and lowered her head between her knees, forcing herself to inhale a long, slow breath, then exhale even more slowly. After a minute of deep breathing, Eden raised her head and looked at Nathan.

  “I’m all right. I just got a little dizzy. But I need to go after the…the girl. We need to at least try to help her.”

  Shaking his head in disbelief, Nathan knelt beside Eden and
grabbed her cold hands in his.

  “You can’t do this to yourself anymore, Eden.”

  His voice sounded infinitely weary.

  “It’s too dangerous. It’s too much. Think of the kids. Think of Duke. Hell, maybe even think of me once in a while.”

  Nathan ran a shaky hand through his hair.

  “What would any of us do if you get yourself killed?”

  Pushing his hands away, Eden got to her feet. She looked down at Nathan, who was still kneeling on the greasy tiled floor.

  “I let my sister die, Nathan. And I promised myself I’d do whatever it takes to stop another woman from suffering her fate.”

  Eden wiped at her nose, resisting the urge to sniffle.

  “If you can’t understand that…if you won’t accept that, then you can’t accept me.”

  Walking to the back door, Eden spoke without turning around.

  “Please, Nathan, if you want to help, watch out for Duke. Don’t let anything happen to him while I’m gone.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The moon provided enough light for Eden to make her way toward the edge of the woods where she’d seen the girl and the man enter, but after she’d stepped under the blanket of sprawling trees, their branches heavy with Spanish moss, she found herself in total darkness.

  Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone. The small words No Reception at the top of the screen sent a shiver along her already freezing spine. Forcing herself to remain calm, she put a finger on the phone’s display and swiped up, then tapped on the flashlight icon.

  A bright beam shone onto the ground in front of her, revealing a muddy path. Several sets of footprints were clearly visible.

  All I have to do is follow the footprints. Once I find the girl, I can figure out how to save her.

  Moving swiftly though the trees, she kept her eyes open for a fallen branch that she could use as a club when needed. She’d been waking no more than five minutes when she heard the sound of someone approaching. Stepping off the path, she huddled under a sable palm, fumbling with her phone to turn off the flashlight.

  As she waited in the dark, she listened to the footsteps coming closer. Her ears strained to hear, and she realized that there was another sound coming from behind her: the soft, dangerous rattle of a snake.