by Anne Patrick
Jo glanced up at Isaac's statement. "The reason we're here is to determine if your daughter was taken by the same man."
"How can we help?" Mr. Miller asked.
Jo leveled her eyes on him. He was dressed in a gray tailored suit, his dark hair and matching sideburns perfectly groomed, and he wore a Rolex on his left wrist. "May I ask what you do for a living Mr. Miller?"
"I'm a stock broker with Bradford & Collins in Minneapolis."
Jo turned to his wife. She sported a pair of diamond earrings twice the size of the one in Jo's wedding ring. "And you, Mrs. Miller, do you work outside the home?"
"I'm a real estate agent here in Scranton."
"When was the last time you saw your daughter?" Isaac asked.
"Yesterday morning when she left for school," Mrs. Miller answered.
Jo folded her arms over her bulging stomach and listened carefully to their answers, studying their expressions and body language, attempting to get a feel of what their daughter might be like.
"Was she supposed to come home after school or go directly to her friend's house?"
"Go to her friend's. Cindy's fifteenth birthday was Wednesday, but since it was a school night the party was planned for last night."
"Are Suzy and Cindy good friends?" Isaac inquired.
"I suppose. She has many friends, and is involved in a lot of activities at school."
"These other girls, do you know them all?"
"Only a couple. We both work, so late evenings and weekends are about the only time we're able to spend time with our children. Don't get me wrong, we're good parents; we know where our children are every minute of the day. They know they are supposed to call and check in when there aren't any permanent plans."
"How many other children do you have?" Isaac asked.
"Two, Tommy is eight and Jamie is twelve."
"Have you talked with anyone from the school?" Jo asked, rejoining the interview. "Do you know for sure your daughter attended all her classes yesterday?"
"I talked to Mr. Hilliard, the principal, right after we talked to Cindy," Mr. Miller answered. "He checked with her teachers and then phoned me back, informing me she had gone to all her classes."
"What time did school let out?" Jo asked.
Mr. Miller looked at his wife. "Three thirty, I think, but there's usually a soccer game on Fridays after school so she doesn't get home till six thirty or seven."
"Did she have a game yesterday?" Isaac asked.
"I think so. We both had to work late so we were unable to attend, and I haven't been able to get in touch with her coach."
"I think that about covers it for now." Jo stood. "If you don't mind, I would like to drop by later today and have a look at your daughter's room."
"Of course," Mr. Miller replied.
"You, you're..."
They all turned to the woman as her eyes steadied on Jo. She'd grown much paler and grasped the edge of the table with her hands. "You're that profiler they talked about on TV this morning…the case you're working on…those bodies found in Louke. He's got my baby…"
Isaac scurried around the table and was at her side almost before her husband was, and together they managed to catch her before she hit the floor.
It took several minutes for the woman to regain her composure, and the glass of water Jo offered seemed to be of little help. Sitting next to her, Jo continued to hold the woman's hand in a lame attempt to comfort her. She could only imagine the woman's anguish, and wished she were anywhere but there.
"Please tell me he doesn't have my baby."
Jo gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I wish I could, but to be honest, there is a good possibility he does."
"Will you please find my baby and bring her back to me?"
The woman's plea brought tears to Jo's eyes.
"Jo, we need to get going."
Offering a supportive smile, Jo squeezed her hand again and then stood, but the woman refused to turn loose of her hand. "Please, Agent McDaniels, please find her."
"Jo, let's go," Isaac said, his voice much sharper.
"I'll do my best," Jo finally promised.
*****
"Let it go, Jo," Isaac warned when they got into the car.
She turned in the seat and met his gaze. "I know, she's only one of many, and we can't save them all," she said, repeating the morbid advice he'd given her time and time again through the years. Easier said than done, she had learned. The images, the pleas from heartbroken parents, the victims calling out to her in her sleep, she knew would forever be with her. The nightmare would only end when she stopped Briggs from ever killing again.
"So where do you want to start?"
Taking a deep breath she continued to bury the emotions deeper within her, convincing herself she would deal with them later, and began to concentrate on the task at hand. She went over their options. The sheriff said it'd be an hour or more before any of the girls could come in for an interview, many having slept in from their sleepover.
"Let's start with the friend who had the slumber party."
"Cindy Lennox."
"Do we know anything about her?" she asked, knowing he had visited with the sheriff while she went to the restroom.
"Like Miller, she comes from a wealthy family. They own a chain of fast food restaurants in the state. Sheriff Davies said she and Miller were basically good kids but they did have a couple of minor infractions with the local law."
"Pot or alcohol?"
He grinned. "Seems they like their weed."
"Let me guess, Daddy bought their way out of it?"
"That would be my guess as well."
"You know what bothers me the most, some of these girls could have easily been my best friends in high school."
"According to your juvenile record, you were more of a gang leader, not a jock."
Jo laughed. "I thought juvenile records were supposed to be sealed?"
"Grand theft auto isn't a misdemeanor. Didn't you learn that at the academy?"
"It was my old man's patrol car, and I did it on a dare. It shouldn't count."
"You're just lucky you straightened your act up your senior year."
"Scared straight. My father invented the method. Being thrown into a cell with drunks and pedophiles on either side of you will straighten you up pretty quick."
"Yeah, I would imagine. Look at it this way; he probably saved you from doing real time."
"Yeah, I suppose," she said, willing to give her father partial credit for her metamorphosis.
*****
"Wow," Jo said as they drove through the gates of the Lennox Estate. "That's not a house, that's a mansion." She glanced up at the three-story residence, guessing it to have at least eight bedrooms. After parking the car, she followed Isaac up the brick steps. "I've stayed in hotels that didn't have this many windows. Forget about being their daughter's friend, I want them to adopt me."
"You might want to wipe the drool from your chin. I think I hear the butler coming."
Jo turned just as the double oak doors opened and an elderly woman stood in the entranceway. "May I help you?"
They drew their badges at the same time, but Isaac spoke first. "Federal Agents, Washington and McDaniels. We need to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Lennox please."
"Mrs. Lennox has been expecting you. Come this way please. I believe she's in the parlor."
Jo fell in behind him as the woman led them down the hallway. "Get a load of those stairs," she said as they passed the grand staircase, constructed of mahogany.
"You must be with the FBI," a beautiful blonde in her early forties spoke from the bench of a white baby grand piano.
Jo flashed her badge. "I'm Agent McDaniels and this is Special Agent in Charge Washington. You were expecting us?"
"Yes, Sheriff Davies called and said you'd be stopping by to talk with Cindy. Agnes, if you'd be so kind."
"Yes ma'am."
"She should be down shortly. Please have a seat while you wait." She
stepped from behind the piano. "Oh my, you're pregnant."
Jo smiled at her shocked expression.
"Twins?" the woman asked, glancing at Jo's belly.
"I hope not. Giving birth to one is terrifying enough."
The woman laughed. "This must be your first," then reaching out, "Do you mind?" Jo shook her head and the woman placed her hand on her stomach. "You're going to love being a mother. There's not another feeling like it in the world. Babies are so adorable and when they begin to walk, it can be quite comical."
"And from then on its nothing but headaches," Isaac was quick to add.
Mrs. Lennox swatted at him. "You hush. What do you know? You're a man."
"I'm a father of two. I know plenty."
"You pay him no mind, honey. Take it from a mother of four; you're going to love every minute of it."
Jo grinned. "I'm sure I will."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions about last night," Isaac said, putting an end to their chitchat.
"Of course, but please, do sit down. I'm sure Agent McDaniels feet are killing her."
"Thank you." Jo chose a plush lavender divan. "According to Mr. Miller, your daughter had a slumber party last night. Could you tell us what time the girls started to arrive?"
"Right after school, I believe. I had a late appointment so I didn't come home till after eight, but I'm sure most of them had already arrived."
"Everyone but Suzy Miller," Isaac commented.
"So it seems."
"You don't know whether she was here or not?" Jo asked.
"To be honest, I couldn't tell you who all was here. Cindy is always having friends over, and it's hard to keep track of them. I know they went for a swim and then ordered pizza and ate it in her room. That's about all I can tell you, I'm afraid."
"Would it be all right if I went up to your daughter's room?" Jo asked.
"I suppose, but I'm sure she'll be down any minute."
"If you'll just point me in the right direction."
"Up the stairs, to the right, and the fourth door down on your left."
"Thank you."
*****
After knocking and receiving no answer, Jo entered the bedroom. Expecting to find empty pizza boxes, tons of teen magazines and discarded sleeping bags, she was surprised to find the room in immaculate shape. Glancing around the teenager's domain, she noticed it wasn't like the others she'd visited the past three weeks. Instead of posters of movie and rock stars, there were beautifully painted landscapes. One in particular of a lighthouse overlooking the ocean caught her attention, and she stepped forward for a better look.
"Can I help you?"
Jo turned to find a pretty blonde similar in looks to the woman downstairs. "You painted these? They're very good."
"Thank you. Now do you mind telling me who you are, and what you're doing in my bedroom?"
Jo pulled out her badge and held it up for her viewing. "I'm with the FBI, my name's Jo McDaniels. We're looking into the disappearance of your friend, Suzy Miller."
"Oh yeah," the girl spoke as she walked past her to the dresser. "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you much. She never showed up for my party."
Jo watched as she took out a pair of designer jeans and tossed them on the bed. "You don't seem too concerned about it. Did she call you and tell you she couldn't make it?"
"I haven't talked to her since third period yesterday," the girl answered, still refusing to face her.
"Don't you find that odd, I mean her not phoning and telling you she couldn't make your party?"
"Not really. She was like that sometimes."
Without bothering to ask permission, Jo stepped over to the bed and sat on the girl's queen size mattress. "That's funny; she doesn't strike me as that irresponsible."
The girl disappeared into a walk-in closet, returning shortly with a short-sleeved white blouse and laid it next to the jeans. "We weren't really that close of friends."
"You keep referring to Suzy in the past tense. What makes you think something's happened to her?"
The teenager finally looked at her. "I don't…I mean, I guess I just assumed, or you wouldn't be here. Right?"
"Cindy, are you sure she didn't come to your party last night?"
"Why would I lie about something like that?"
"I don't know, but I get the feeling you're not being completely honest with me."
"Look, like I said. I saw her third period. She never mentioned she couldn't make it, and she never showed up. That's all I know. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed. I'm supposed to meet a friend."
"Okay." Jo stood, then reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a photograph of Harland Briggs. "Before I go, I need to know if you've ever seen this man."
Her eyes widened, but she quickly recovered and immediately looked away. "Sorry, never seen him before."
"You do realize your friend's life is in jeopardy here, don't you?"
"I wish I could help you."
"Yeah, me too," Jo replied, knowing the horror Suzy Miller was going through.
Jo walked to the door, but then paused and turned back to the teenager. "Oh and one more thing, you might want to find a better hiding place for your weed. Wall hangings are one of the first places the cops look when they raid a house."
Jo rejoined her partner downstairs and thanked Mrs. Lennox for her time.
"What'd you find out?" Isaac asked when they reached the car.
"As you said, they really like their weed. I also suspect our young Miss Lennox is doing a little dealing on the side," she said and went on to inform him of the stash she'd found hidden behind one of her paintings. "She's probably enrolled in an art class at school which enables easy transportation without her parents even suspecting it. Though fairly small time, mostly among her closest friends, it's quite clever."
"It scares me to think some of these teenagers could one day be our country's future leaders."
"Eh, I don't know. I was pretty messed up at that age and I turned out okay." She laughed. "At least for the most part."
*****
Jo stood behind the mirrored glass and listened to Kelly Rogers give her statement. Her father, a local carpenter, sat next to her with his arm draped over the chair. As with the first three teenagers, her story sounded almost identical. They saw Suzy at school, some attending an afternoon class with her, but that was the last they saw the girl. She watched as Isaac left the room and turned as he joined her. "What do you think?"
"Their stories are a little too consistent, don't you think?"
She nodded. "As if they had rehearsed."
"We could bring in Lennox using the drugs as leverage to make her talk."
Jo shook her head at his suggestion. "I doubt it'd work at this point. She's too cocky. She needs time to sweat it out."
They both turned and stared at the teenager, listening as the sheriff continued the interview.
"Does she have a boyfriend?"
"She's only fourteen. She was more into sports than boys."
"Has she had any trouble with anyone at school?"
"Not that I can remember."
Jo wondered if Briggs had watched Suzy play soccer. It would be a good place to blend into the crowd, unnoticed. "Let me have the car keys," she said as an idea formed.
He dug them out of his pocket. "Where are you going?"
"In search of the soccer field, it may have been the last place she was seen alive."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jo tried the stands first, walking along each bench, trying to spark a vision like she had the day in the park when Lauren Shipley was taken. Nothing happened. She moved to the grassy field and walked along the sidelines where parents sometimes stood cheering for their kid. Still nothing. She then moved behind one of the nets. Almost instantly, she heard voices yelling, calling out to players. Jo looked down the field. It took several minutes before an image of Suzy Miller appeared. Jo steadied her eyes on her. Her body langu
age and facial expressions demonstrated the poise and arrogance of someone who was very confident in her skills. Her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, she began to work the ball up the middle of the field toward her. Another girl was on her heals, but Suzy continued to maneuver the ball with her feet, keeping it just out of her opponent's reach. Jo almost ducked when the ball flew toward her barely catching the top of the net to score the winning point.
Both alarmed and moved by the vision, Jo smiled, relieved to finally be coming to terms with her heightened abilities. Before her pregnancy, her visions had only allowed her access to the victims in the last moments of their lives. Being able to get a glimpse of them before their lives became endangered presented her with the opportunity to better acquaint herself with them, and with any luck would give her the edge she needed to better predict the circumstances which led up to their demises.
Struggling to keep up with the vision, she found herself in the parking lot and watched with only mild surprise as Suzy Miller met up with Cindy Lennox and Kelly Rogers. She followed the girls as they disappeared behind the concrete bleachers and grinned as Cindy Lennox pulled a small baggie from her purse. It wasn't long until the teenagers were giggling and shoving one another playfully, their excitement about their upcoming slumber party expressed in their laughter.
Slowly the vision began to fade and Jo was left with goose bumps, knowing that just within a matter of hours of that moment, their lives had changed forever. Determined to find out the truth and to make good on her promise to Cindy's mother, Jo turned and headed back toward the parking lot.
*****
Jo arrived back at the sheriff's office just as Sheriff Davies and Isaac wrapped up their interview with Kelly Rogers. "Thanks for coming in, Kelly, and if you think of anything that could be helpful, please call," Sheriff Davies said.
Jo left the viewing room and joined them. "If you don't mind, Sheriff, I have some questions of my own I'd like answered." Jo met the girl's smug expression.
"Who are you?" Mr. Rogers asked.
"This is Special Agent McDaniels. She's with the FBI also," the sheriff advised.