“Why did you let him in the house?” Jessica asked.
“I didn’t. He broke in and found me in my bedroom. I was terrified until I realized who he was. He still scared me, but I also felt pity for him.”
“How did he respond to your threat to call the police?” Jessica asked.
Nicole raised a hand to her throat. “He grabbed me by the neck and started shouting at me. Saying that I owed him somehow because we were once close. I… I couldn’t break his grip on my throat and began blacking out, but then Marcus entered the room and pulled him off me.”
Marcus looked at White. “It was raining that night and I saw wet shoe prints on the tiled floor of the kitchen. Once I realized the trail led up the back staircase, I ran to check on Nicole.”
“What happened after you grabbed Ballou?” White asked.
“I knocked him out with a punch, then saw to Nicole.”
“And you never called the police?”
“I wanted to, but Nicole stopped me.”
“I know it was wrong not to turn him in, but I couldn’t stand the thought of Kent spending the rest of his life locked up because of me. I asked Marcus to give him some money and warn him to never come back.”
“And has he ever contacted you again?” Jessica asked.
“No,” Nicole said, “But I often wonder what’s happened to him. I know what he became, but when we were sixteen, he was the sweetest boy I ever knew. I try to remember him like that, and not like he was when he attacked me.”
Jessica spoke to Marcus. “When you warned Ballou to stay away, did he give you any idea where he might go next?”
“I drove him to the train station in Anniston and bought him a ticket on a train bound for Dallas. I also gave him two hundred dollars. The shape he was in, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was dead by now.”
“He was ill?”
“There was something wrong with him. He never stopped coughing and when we were in the car together, I could feel a wave of heat coming off him from a high fever.”
Jessica nodded and spoke to Nicole again. “Is there anything else you can tell us? Perhaps you have an idea where Kent Ballou might be now.”
Nicole shook her head. “I don’t know. As I said, we only really knew each other as kids, and that just lasted for a few weeks before my father was transferred, and we moved away from Florida.”
Jessica looked thoughtful but failed to come up with a query that might help them.
Marcus looked at the couple. “Any more questions?”
“I have one,” White said.
“And what would that be?”
White smiled at Nicole. “Can we have that tour now?”
Nicole showed them around the house with Marcus following along behind. The home had eight bedrooms and the basement was its own separate floor and contained a home theater, a well-stocked bar, and a game room that had classic pinball machines. Nicole had waved away White’s question about the closed door of the basement room containing the metal chair with the manacles attached. She told the Whites it was just a storage room where they deposited seldom used items. White acted as if that answer had appeased his curiosity, but it had in fact only increased his interest in the unseen space.
“And you live here alone?” Jessica asked Nicole as they finished the tour and headed for the front door.
“I love having all this room to myself. While growing up we were always given tight quarters supplied by the air force or we rented small homes off base. I’ve had enough of that. And of course, I’m not truly alone here. Marcus has his own room and keeps me company. And then, there are the maid, the cook, and a caretaker who live on the property but have quarters over the garage.”
“You have a lovely home and thank you for the tour. If you think of anything else that might help us locate Kent Ballou, please contact me.”
“I will, Doctor, and if you find Kent, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know. Although, I would guess his capture would make the news.”
“It certainly would, but yes, we’ll keep you informed when we find him.”
“When,” Marcus said, “and not if?”
“We’ll find Ballou,” White said. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Nicole and Marcus walked the Whites out to their rental car and watched them drive away. When the car passed through the gates and onto the long and winding private road, a voice spoke up from behind them.
“That lasted longer than I thought it would. Is there a problem?”
Nicole turned and smiled at Ballou. “No problem. Most of that time was spent giving them a tour of the house.”
“And now White knows the layout of the home,” Marcus said.
“You mean the husband?” Ballou asked. “I was watching him on the cameras in the security room. He looks like he could be trouble if he wanted to be.”
“There’s no trouble,” Nicole said. “They bought the story we gave them.”
Ballou nodded, but when he looked over at Marcus, he could tell the big man had his doubts.
“So, what do you think?” Jessica asked as they were driving away from the Price estate. “Were they lying?”
“I don’t know. The story they told seemed plausible, but Mrs. Price did not like me categorizing Ballou as cowardly. I wouldn’t think she would care if the only time she had seen him in the last twenty-three years was when he broke into her home and attempted to strangle her.”
“I noticed that reaction as well, and I’m almost certain that she was lying. Even so, that doesn’t mean that Ballou is still in the area. He could be somewhere else, and they might stay in contact by phone or email.”
“What do you want to do next?”
“I don’t want to leave Alabama until we’re certain that Ballou isn’t here.”
“I agree, and I have a suggestion,” White said, as he checked his rearview mirror.
Sometime later, Marcus’s phone made a tone, telling him that he had a text. When he looked to see what it was, he saw that it was a message from the man he had assigned to follow Jessica and White. After reading it, he smiled. He went downstairs to the theater room where Nicole and Ballou were watching a movie. After gaining their attention, he saw Ballou pause the film to speak to him.
“What’s up?”
Marcus held his phone aloft as he smiled at Nicole and Ballou. “The doctor bought the story. The man I had following her says that she and her husband flew out of here.”
“Yes!” Nicole said. “And since Dr. White is trusted by law enforcement, they’ll believe the story as well.” She leaned over and kissed Ballou. “You’re safe here, and you’re going to stay safe.”
Ballou felt himself relax and hadn’t been aware until then that he’d been tense. He looked over at Marcus. “Thanks for your help, big man. I owe you one.”
“Keep treating Nicole right and we’re even.”
“You know I will.”
“And you two will be on your own tonight. I’ve got a dinner date to get ready for.”
“With who?” Ballou asked. “That flight attendant you’ve been seeing?”
“No, she’s still in London. This one is a nurse I met at a bar the other night.”
“We won’t wait up,” Ballou said.
“And I’ll be back by noon,” Marcus said with a grin.
The plane the Whites had boarded landed a short time later at an airport where they were to transfer onto another flight. Instead, they rented a car to drive back to Meadow Creek. White had noticed Marcus’s man following them and decided to let them believe that they had bought their story completely and decided to look elsewhere for Ballou.
Oddly enough, if they hadn’t been followed, they might have been more willing to believe the story they had been told. If Nicole and Marcus had been telling the truth, why would they care where they went afterwards? No, they had sent a man to follow them to see if their lies had worked. By allowing them to believe that they had, they would drop their guard and Ballou might c
ome out into the open.
White wanted to set up a surveillance on Nicole’s house to see if they could spot Ballou. Once that happened, Ballou would be theirs.
Chapter 16
As the sun slipped low in the sky on a late autumn afternoon, Samantha sat in the back seat of an SUV that was following a moving van. She was entering the cul-de-sac where Eric Reed lived. The cops had kept Reed under watch as they suspected him of being the man who had raped three girls below the age of fifteen.
Dr. Elena Colt, the leader of the vigilante organization PREY, had another suspect picked out. His name was Ben Wagner. Samantha spotted Wagner as the vehicle she was riding in slowed to pull into a driveway. He was across the street, standing on a ladder, and hanging Christmas lights. When his eyes fell upon her, Samantha saw Wagner lick his lips, like someone famished watching a waiter approach with their meal.
“It’s showtime,” said Cassandra. She was a member of PREY and was along to play the part of Samantha’s older sister. Seated beside her in the passenger seat was Kelly, another member of PREY. The diminutive Kelly was in her mid-twenties but could be mistaken for nineteen. At nineteen, she had often passed herself off as a girl Samantha’s age or younger and had been bait for pedophiles. The men who took the bait were dealt with in a manner they deserved. If Ben Wagner was guilty of committing the rapes, he would receive the same treatment.
“He’s staring at me,” Samantha told Cassandra.
“He’s not the only one,” Kelly said.
Samantha followed her gaze and saw another man looking their way. It was Eric Reed, and they were pretending to be his new neighbors. The house they would be in was to the left of Reed’s and across the street and one house down from Wagner’s home. Cassandra and Kelly had already been camped out in the home for many days but had remained unseen. During that time, they had noticed nothing unusual concerning Wagner or Reed. That is, if you ignored the fact that the forty-one-year-old Wagner was married to a girl of fifteen.
Eric Reed had been about to get into his car and drive away when he spotted the moving van and the vehicle following it. When Cassandra stepped out from behind the wheel, Reed sent her a wave and smiled.
“Hi guys. I guess you’re my new neighbors?”
“We’re some of them,” Cassandra said. “Our parents will be along in a few days. They stayed behind to finalize the sale of our old home.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood. I’m Eric.”
Reed offered his hand and Cassandra shook it. Reed had glanced at Samantha while smiling but hadn’t stared at her or shown undue interest. Cassandra was surprised that he was as friendly as he was, given how the system had nearly ruined his life with false accusations.
Cassandra introduced herself, Kelly, and Samantha by their real first names but used phony surnames. Since Kelly didn’t favor Samantha at all, she was introduced as Cassandra’s friend who had generously agreed to help her with the move.
“Well, I’m sure we’ll see each other from time to time,” Reed said. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have to run right now, or I’ll be late for an appointment.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Cassandra and Kelly said. Reed said the same and got in his car to leave. Samantha had lost interest in Reed when he failed to show any undue attention toward her. Instead, she was looking across the street at Ben Wagner. The man had come down off his ladder and was staring at her. Samantha sent him a wave as she smiled at him. Wagner smiled back as he tossed the Christmas lights he’d been holding onto the ground.
“He’s taken the bait already,” Kelly whispered.
While they had been talking to Eric Reed, the crew of the moving van had opened the rear door on the truck and were ready to unload their burden. Samantha and Kelly gave a quick greeting to Wagner then started walking away while explaining that they had to tell the moving men where to place their belongings.
Cassandra spoke to Samantha. “Don’t wander too far. We may need your help.”
“Okay,” Samantha said.
Wagner pointed at Cassandra’s back as she walked off with Kelly. “She looks too young to be your mom.”
Samantha giggled. Samantha never giggled, but she knew that it was something that an average thirteen-year-old girl might do. It was the same reason she was chewing bubblegum and wearing clothes that she normally wouldn’t. She had on a pair of ripped jeans and a white sweatshirt with the name and photo of the latest boy band on it. There was a pink purse with rhinestones hanging from a strap over her shoulder. It contained a cell phone, pepper spray, and a small gun.
“Cassandra’s not my mom; she’s my sister.”
“Oh, and what’s your name?”
“I’m Samantha.”
“You’re very beautiful, Samantha. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Samantha smiled shyly and shrugged, then blew a bubble. The front door of Wagner’s house opened, and his wife walked out. Samantha knew the girl was only fifteen but thought that she looked even younger than she did. Wagner’s wife, Cara, was holding their baby girl.
“Your daughter has a baby?” Samantha asked.
“That’s her baby, but that girl is my wife.”
Samantha let her mouth hang open as she widened her eyes. “Your wife? But she’s about my age.”
“That’s right. But she’s old enough to make up her mind. And so are you, right?”
“I guess so.”
“Of course you are. But I’m sure your parents and teachers are always trying to tell you what to do. Am I right?”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “You can say that again. My mom wanted me to stay with her and dad this weekend instead of coming here to help with the move, but I told her, I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Wagner’s eyes roamed over Samantha, pausing at her budding breasts. “You’re more of a woman than some I’ve seen.”
Samantha covered up her chest and hid the shiver of revulsion she felt by hugging herself. “It’s chilly out here. I’m going inside and make sure that they put my stuff in my new room.”
Wagner stepped a little closer. “I’m right across the street there, come by anytime.”
Cara called to Wagner as the baby began crying. “Take me to the store, Ben. We need more diapers.”
Samantha waved to Cara. The girl scowled then turned her back on her as she walked over to Wagner’s pickup truck.
Wagner whispered to Samantha. “My wife is jealous because you’re prettier than she is.”
“That’s mean,” Samantha said.
Wagner sent her a wink as he walked backwards. “I can be a bad boy sometimes.”
Samantha knew how old Wagner was. He hadn’t been a boy in many years, but he probably had the bad part right.
She walked into the house as Wagner drove away. Cassandra was there and had been watching over Samantha. She had heard every word spoken due to the tiny microphone on Samantha’s purse. It was disguised as a rhinestone and was part of a spy camera.
“That man is a creep, but you handled him well, Samantha.”
“Thanks. And yes, he is creepy.”
“How creepy is what we’re here to find out. And if he is the rapist as Elena suspects, he likely has you picked out as a target.”
Samantha smiled. “That’s okay. He’s in my sights too.”
The next morning, in Alabama, Jessica snuggled against her husband beneath a blanket that was draped across their shoulders. They were more than half a mile away from Nicole’s house and settled atop a hill. While touring the home, Nicole had mentioned that she liked to take her meals in the sunroom at the rear of the house. White had a camera ready to take photos. If Nicole and Ballou were lovers, and he was somewhere in the house, it was likely that they would eat together.
Once they had a visual verification of Ballou’s presence, they could make plans to abduct him and hand him over to Sienna Ross and her Sword Bearer friends.
Jessica rested her head on her husband’s shoulder. “This reminds me of the t
imes we used to go camping when we were in college.”
“That was during the summer; it will be cold tonight. I’m hoping we’ll get a photo of Ballou and not have to keep at this for too long.”
Jessica patted the sleeping bags that were rolled up at her side. “We’re prepared if that’s what it takes, although I do miss the kids, and worry about Samantha.”
“I miss the kids too. But Samantha can take care of herself, and she has Cassandra and Kelly watching her back.”
“I know, but I still worry.”
White raised the camera again and zoomed in on Nicole’s house. The maid had pushed in a cart with warming trays on it, then went to work setting the table.
“The maid put down two place settings. Maybe Ballou is in there.”
“Or Nicole is having breakfast with Marcus,” Jessica said.
“You’re right. That’s a possibility.”
It wasn’t Marcus who entered the sunroom to dine with Nicole. It was a blond man with blue eyes.
White sighed and passed the camera over to Jessica. “It looks like there’s a new man in her life, and it’s not Kent Ballou.”
Jessica took the camera and looked at the photos White had taken of Colin Russell, Ballou’s new identity. Jessica had been about to agree that it wasn’t Ballou when something about one of the photos made her take another look. She had been studying the few photos there were of Kent Ballou and had memorized his face. The blond man in the photo looked different than their target, yes, but there were similarities as well. The lips were alike, as Ballou had a full mouth, there was also something about the shape of the eyes, although the eyes themselves weren’t the same color.
Past Imperfect Page 16
