by Geonn Cannon
"Even if I break up with Dale and she married Milo, how long will that peace last? They want to kill us all, they'll do it eventually. You say it's not a game, but that's exactly what it is. A game to buy time. To pass off the problem to the next generation. If the hunters want a war, let's give them one. We don't have time for this right now. Dale, come on." She walked past Gwyneth and Dale followed her into the hall.
Gwyneth pursued. "Ari, we don't have the luxury of playing to your hurt feelings. People are going to die unless we perform this ceremony."
Ari stopped at the door and spun around. She brushed past Dale and aimed a finger at her mother's face. "You destroyed my life once. The life I was supposed to have as a normal human, as a regular person. You took that away from me. But I made the best of it. I found a way to become the person I was meant to be despite you. And now you want to destroy it by taking away the only person I've ever loved? Get out of my life, Gwyneth. Leave me alone, and leave Dale alone, or else when the hunters show up I might show them straight to your house."
Gwyneth grabbed Ari's arm and squeezed. "Ariadne, listen to me. Canidae are going to die in genocidal numbers. If you turn against our people, you'll regret it."
"I'm not turning against canidae. And I'm not turning against you. I did that a long time ago. Now let me go."
Dale stepped forward. She put her hand on Gwyneth's hand, leaving it there until she relaxed her fingers. Dale stepped between Ari and her mother and looked up into Gwyneth's eyes. Now she knew why they had seemed familiar; they were Ari's eyes.
"Do you see what your daughter is wearing around her neck?"
"The collar?"
"My collar, Ms. Willow."
Gwyneth looked at Ari. "You let the human mark her territory. Quaint."
"It doesn't make her my property. It shows that I'm hers. I belong to her. Heart and soul. I couldn't marry Milo even if I wanted to. So do as Ariadne asked and leave us alone."
"You may change your mind when the bloodshed begins, but by that point it will be too late. Their blood will be on your hands, Ari, and on yours, Ms. Frye." Gwyneth stepped around them and opened the door. Air so cold it felt like a physical being shoved past her, lifting the belt of her coat to whip like tendrils. Her hair whipped across her face as she turned toward them again. "Ms. Frye... the hunters hate canidae, but do you have any idea how they feel about the humans who choose to consort with our kind? Ariadne, if you haven't changed your mind by the beginning of wolf manoth then you should take my advice. Take your pet and run. And never stop running."
She stepped out into the freezing gale, leaving Ari and Dale alone in the corridor. Dale pressed against Ari's side and slipped a hand into her coat to touch her stomach.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Come on. Time's wasting."
#
To his credit, Detective Lorne listened to their entire theory before he cracked a smile. "You can't be serious. Half our missing kids' resources are still tied up with Missing Melody, and now you're telling me another girl somewhere in Seattle is at risk of being kidnapped. And this is unrelated to the girl your agency rescued a few weeks ago. And all of these kidnappings are the work of one person?"
"I realize how it sounds," Ari said. "If his plan had worked, no one would have connected the dots until it was too late. The police would have mostly ignored Jenna's disappearance--"
"I contend that hypothesis, by the way," Lorne interrupted.
Ari ignored him. "...but Madeline Morris hired us instead. And the fact that Jenna didn't suit his purposes meant he had to get rid of her and quick. He couldn't just drop her back at school and pretend nothing had happened. Once Brandon took her, they had to play the part of kidnappers for real. That's why they made it so easy for us. They let Madeline choose the amount of the ransom. They agreed to everything I asked, down to the ice cream I told them to buy for Jenna. And when Jenna was safe, the ringmaster killed the only person who could connect him to the whole boondoggle."
Dale said, "He had to lie low. Two kidnappings is a coincidence but three is a pattern. Especially if he grabbed a girl who looked exactly like Melody Scott. People would find it suspicious. People would wait for a DNA test on the body before they jumped to conclusions. But now..." She gestured at the window. "It doesn't have to be a kidnapping. It can just be a little girl who went missing in the biggest blizzard to hit Seattle since 1950. How many people have been reported missing since the city started thawing out?"
Lorne glanced toward his computer, which was currently showing a screensaver. Ari knew he was mentally reading that morning's statistics.
"Did any of them match the profile?" Ari asked. "She would have to be five to nine years old, blonde, slender..."
Lorne leaned forward and began to type. "Why go to all this trouble?"
"As long as Melody is missing, no one will stop looking for her. He'll never get out of the city. She'll be spotted on a security camera or some hotel desk clerk will see her and call it in. The only possible chance he has of getting away is if the public thinks the story is over and lets their guards down. The only way they move on is if there's an ending."
He scanned the screen and rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb. "Eight children have been reported missing. Five boys, a red-headed girl, a twelve-year-old girl... and one blonde girl from Beacon Hill who matches Melody Scott's age and description."
Ari's mouth was dry. "When did she go missing?"
"The report was filed this morning at noon. Her mother said that she left the girl at home alone when she went out for groceries. It was too cold, too dangerous, the market would be too crowded, et cetera. When she got back four hours later... given the circumstances, that isn't exactly surprising... the girl was gone. She thinks the girl was most likely exploring or playing in the snow and got lost or trapped. We have K-9 officers searching the neighborhood, but they haven't turned up anything so far."
"They won't," Ari said. "Everyone is going to waste time looking for her in snow drifts while she's somewhere else. This is the person who took Jenna Morris. It's the person who is still holding Melody Scott somewhere. I need to know who that might be."
"How would I know?"
"The person who is taking these girls, who took Melody, has to know her. He has to know he'll be suspected in the abductions. That's why he needs to misdirect the police. Whoever it is, he's close to the family. You have to have looked at someone as a person of interest."
"Not me," he said. "I'm not on the Melody Scott case."
"Then find someone who is. If he already has the girl, then the case is going to end very badly, and very soon."
#
Detective Lorne finally agreed to take Ari and Dale's theory upstairs to the Missing Melody task force. Before he left he gave Ari the information on the girl who matched Melody's description and gave them permission to talk with the mother. He forbade them from saying anything about the connection to Melody Scott, and Ari was willing to agree in exchange for the opportunity to leave immediately. She feared being forced to wait for a police escort and giving the bastard even more time to get away.
The girl who had gone missing was Lucy Chabot, a second-grader at Beacon Hill Grammar School. The roads of her neighborhood were slick with snowmelt that was still liquid, the surfaces swept clear. The black-and-brown piles of snow stood tall along the gutter like slowly-diminishing ramparts. Ari drove past the Chabot house once, cursing at herself when she realized her mistake and flipped around to go back.
Dale followed her up the driveway. "How much are we going to tell her?"
"As little as we can get away with," Ari said. "We don't want to crush her hopes, but we also can't tell her that the guy has no reason to keep Lucy alive very long. Her sole purpose is as a dead body. He's already wasted weeks, so I can't imagine he'll waste much more time. Here's hoping he puts it off as long as possible. Killing a defenseless girl is a lot different from just kidnapping one."
The door was answered on the first
knock. Ari felt guilty, well aware the mother was probably on pins and needles waiting for word on her daughter's disappearance. Her eyes were pink, her nose bright red, and she was holding a wad of Kleenex in one hand. She looked between them and her eyebrows lifted hopefully.
"Yes? Can I h-help you?"
"Ms. Chabot? I'm Ariadne Willow, this is Dale Frye. I'm a private investigator and I was hired to look into the abduction of a little girl named Jenna Morris. We think the same person who took her is responsible for taking Lucy. We'd like to try helping you get her back."
The relief that flooded her face was almost immediately replaced with grief. "I can't afford to hire you. I'm sorry--"
"The police are footing the bill, ma'am. Right now all we're interested in is getting your little girl home safe and sound as quickly as possible."
She stepped back and held the door open wider. "Then please. Come in out of the cold, detectives."
Chapter Twenty-two
Lisa Chabot seemed eager to distract herself from thoughts of her daughter's disappearance by acting as hostess. When she insisted on making them cocoa, Dale offered to help her and they disappeared into the kitchen leaving Ari alone in the living room. Toys and various winter clothes were piled on a chair next to the hallway. She picked up one of the hats and turned it inside out, bringing it to her face and breathing deeply. The girl's scent was strong enough that she didn't need to be in wolf form in order to memorize it.
When Dale and Lisa returned with the refreshments, Ari was in front of the fireplace looking at the framed school photos of Lucy. Lisa used both hands to push her hair out of her face after placing a plate of cookies on the coffee table. She offered a tight smile as Ari and Dale sat on the sofa.
"You said you were hired to find a different little girl. Was... w-was she...?"
"She's home, safe and sound," Ari said.
Lisa closed her eyes for a moment and then dipped her chin. She was petite with mousy brown hair, a small woman swimming inside warm clothing. Judging from the photos over the mantle, Lucy had gotten her looks from her father. When Lisa had composed herself, she looked at Ari with tears in her eyes.
"I'll be happy to help you any way I can."
Ari said, "Where is Lucy's father?"
"Out, looking." She sniffled and glanced toward the front door. "He came home from work to organize the neighborhood... he's sure she's in a snow drift somewhere, just waiting for someone to find her." She furrowed her brow to fight another wave of tears. "You really think Lucy was abducted? Who would do something like that?"
"We're not sure. But two little girls have disappeared since Melody Scott. The fact your daughter bears a resemblance to her supports a theory I'm working on."
"What theory?"
Ari glanced at Dale. "I'd rather not say right now. It's still a work in progress. It would be very helpful if you could tell us anything about the day leading up to Lucy's disappearance. You said that your husband thinks Lucy is just stuck somewhere. Do you have reason to believe differently?"
"Lucy wouldn't have left the house while I was out. She knows better than to wander off. And I know any mother would say that, that there's a chance she snuck out all the time and I only found out this time because she didn't come home before I did, but she's so responsible. She prefers healthy breakfasts to the point where she scolds me if I buy a box of Pop Tarts. The only little kid I know who is offended by candy." She smiled and looked down at her hands. "So the idea of her playing outside without permission is so far beyond the realm of possibility that even though it's terrifying to think someone took her, it's the only thing I can think of that makes sense."
Ari nodded. "Had your daughter left the house since the storm passed?"
"Of course. She went to her friend Michelle's house to build snowmen yesterday. I went with her. I'm friends with Michelle's mother, so we had coffee in the house while the girls played."
"Where does Michelle live?"
Lisa pointed vaguely north. "Just a few streets away from here. We walked."
"Did you notice anyone who seemed out of place in the neighborhood? A car parked on the corner watching kids, or maybe someone who you just got a bad feeling about?"
Lisa closed her eyes, her fist resting against her mouth as she tried to remember. "There really wasn't anyone else out. The streets were still treacherous; that's why we walked. Everyone we saw was in their own front yard or on one of the side streets playing on the ice."
Ari thought. Mystery Man had left it up to chance before and ended up with Jenna. He wouldn't risk the same mistake again, so he either had to search on his own or just know where he could find a girl who looked right.
"Does your family have any connection to the Scott family? Kids in the same class, or maybe mutual acquaintances?"
"Brenda and Timothy Scott? No. I'd never even heard of them before their daughter went missing." Her eyes seemed to shrink as she tried to hold back her tears, and she pressed her thumb against her lips as she turned to look toward the door. "I remember thinking how terrible it must be for them. And now I know exactly how it feels."
Ari took a card from her pocket. "If you think of anything else, could you call us?"
Lisa took the card with trembling fingers. "You said two others girls had gone missing. The one you were looking for is home, but Melody is still gone." She sniffled. "So it's fifty-fifty whether or not I'll get the same happy ending."
Dale spoke for the first time since returning from the kitchen. "The girl who made it home safely had one thing Melody didn't. Jenna had Ari looking for her."
Lisa smiled at that. "Then I'll let you get to work."
They thanked her for the cookies and stood to leave as the front door swung open. The man from the family pictures came in. "Leese? I need to thaw out for a minute, but I'm going to go back out as soon as..." He stopped in the doorway and examined the unexpected guests in front of him. With his coat, mittens, scarf, and hat, the only skin visible was his cold-burned face. He had the face of a scholar athlete with the added weight of someone whose sports days were behind him. Ari had a brief moment of recognition that faded before she could grab onto it.
He looked hopefully at his wife. "Is there news?"
"Paul. This is Ariadne Willow and Dale Frye. They're private investigators. They think that Lucy's disappearance might be connected to the Missing Melody thing."
He tugged off his cap and his hair nearly went with it, standing up in messing blonde spikes. "You think the same person who kidnapped Melody took Lucy?"
"It's a theory I'm working on, yes sir."
Paul seemed skeptical, and Ari was prepared to defend the theory without explaining it when he spoke again. "Because of the school pictures?"
Ari felt a tingle in her palms. "Pictures?"
Lisa suddenly gasped. "Oh, my God. I completely forgot about that."
Ari looked between the two of them. "So you do know the Scott family?"
"No," Lisa said. "Not really. Last year, Lucy got school pictures done. All the schools in the area used the same studio. Apparently some photos got misfiled and we received the pictures of another girl." She looked at Paul. "That was Melody Scott? Why didn't you say anything?"
"You were already panicked about how much the girl on the news looked like our daughter. I thought if I reminded you that someone else made the mistake it would only worry you more." To Ari, he said, "Do you think it happened again? Someone meant to take Lucy instead of Melody in the first place?"
Ari said, "It's complicated. What studio made the mistake?"
Lisa didn't even try to remember, turning to immediately dart across the room to the bookshelf. She took down a photo album, laid it open on the table, and flipped through until she found the picture. She took it out and looked at the mark on the back.
"Gaspode and Son. They have a phone number here."
Dale took the picture, copied the number down, then handed it back. She also got their cell phone numbers so they could cal
l if they had any further questions or news to report.
Ari smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "We'll look into that angle. Thank you for your help." She looked at Paul, knowing his search had been futile. "Did you find anything?"
"No. Not a damn thing." He tugged off his gloves. "Lucy isn't the kind to run off without telling us where she's going. But I just have to keep looking. If I'm not out there--"
"I understand," Ari said. "But I think you'll do a lot more good here with your wife. Dale and I can take over the search for a few hours." She didn't add that if Lucy wasn't recovered by nightfall she probably wouldn't be found alive. She thanked the Chabots and let Lisa escort them out. They followed the sharp imprints of Paul's boots down the yard to where the car was waiting for them at the curb.
"What do you think?" Dale asked when they were back on the road.
"I think Mystery Man got desperate. The snow storm was a perfect opportunity to make a kid disappear, but he had to act fast. He didn't have the luxury to scour the city, so he went after someone vaguely connected to the family. He remembered a little girl who looked so similar to Melody that a photography studio mixed up the prints."
Dale said, "That was a year ago. Do you honestly think whoever this is remembered the family's name, let alone where they lived?"
"I'm positive he didn't. He took one risk by taking a girl from a family with with even a minor connection to the Scotts. I'm hoping he took another risk to find out how to find them."
#
Gaspode and Sons' studio was within walking distance of their own offices. The small reception area was dark, but the door behind the counter revealed the lights were on elsewhere in the store. Ari knocked on the glass until someone appeared in the doorway. He was young enough that he almost had to be the "Son" in the business name, with piles of shaggy black hair and a weak attempt at a beard. He made slashing motions in front of his throat, shrugged an apology, and then used both hands to try shooing her away.