To distance herself from the confrontation, she glanced over to see what Hailey was doing, but there was no sign of her red hair. The girl she’d run over to talk to was listening to the audio exhibit about ancient sea life.
“Where’s Hailey?”
Joe turned to look too. “She was right here a minute ago.”
Torie wasn’t worried, not yet. She turned and searched through the groups of children in case Hailey had found another friend, but she didn’t see the little girl.
Joe strode to Millie and her family with Torie on his heels. “Did you see where Hailey went?”
Millie, a cute blonde in a blue-and-white sundress, shook her head. “One of the employees told her she’d won a megalodon tooth, and she went with him. The employee was dressed like a dinosaur so I couldn’t tell you if it was a man or a woman.”
Torie gasped and clutched at Joe’s arm. “Which direction?” she asked the girl.
The mother answered and pointed to the exit. “They went out of the tent.”
Dread curled through Torie’s spine, and she couldn’t breathe. It might be nothing, but her gut said little Hailey was in danger.
Chapter 22
She had to be here somewhere.
Calling Hailey’s name, Joe ran outside with Torie behind him and looked around the tents and buildings scattered across the fairgrounds. People strolled the various walkways, gazing at the dinosaur exhibits. Still shouting her name, he searched for his little girl among the patrons and the staff dressed like dinosaurs. Nothing.
His chest compressed. Stay calm. Panic won’t help you find Hailey. He needed a clear head.
Torie touched his arm. “The sign points to information. Maybe that’s where they went if she won something.”
He hurried toward the building. “Maybe it’s a teenager inside the costume who didn’t realize how problematic it would be to take a child away without the parent’s knowledge.”
“Maybe.”
Her long legs kept up with his fast stride. He wanted to believe he was overreacting, but the grim line of Torie’s lips was a reminder she felt how wrong this all was too. He yanked open the door and followed her through to the information desk.
A girl of about seventeen looked up with a smile from behind the desk. “Can I help you?”
“My daughter was told she won a megalodon tooth. Is this where she would get that prize? She’s eight and has red hair.”
The girl’s smile faltered. “We aren’t giving away megalodon teeth. They are much too valuable. And we have no fake ones either, so that’s odd. You’re sure she was told she won something?”
Dread took a firmer hold on his gut. “Positive. Someone dressed in a dinosaur costume led her away. I didn’t see it, and a friend told me what was said. Why would an employee or volunteer take a kid without talking to the parents?” He drew in a deep breath when he realized he was nearly shouting. “I’m sorry. I’m a little upset and worried.”
“I understand that, but I don’t believe any of our employees would have done this. Maybe I should call the police.” She reached for a phone.
The police.
His terror ramped up. This wasn’t sanctioned by the exhibitors. “You call them while I keep looking. And call your supervisor. We need to lock down the fairgrounds and not let anyone out.”
He started to walk through the rest of the building, but Torie tugged at his arm. “She’s not in here. Let’s look elsewhere. There are other buildings.” Her phone went off, and she glanced at it.
Her gasp stopped him dead in his tracks. “What is it?”
Her hand shook when she held out her phone for him to see the message.
Tag, you’re it.
He froze. “He has her.”
“They have to be here somewhere.”
“I’ve taught Hailey to scream for help if she’s being abducted. To fight and do whatever she has to. She would have caused a commotion.” He thought it through. “But she might not have been afraid if she couldn’t see who had her. She might have thought it was all part of a game.”
The phone dinged again, and they peered together at the message.
Livestock can make quite a stink.
But you’ll find me here before you can blink.
He turned the other direction. “One of the barns!”
They ran down the path to the two barns, neither of which were being used by the Jurassic exhibit. The first barn was locked.
Torie headed past him. “I’ll try the other one.”
He looked around for another point of entry into the barn—a window, another door.
“It’s open!” Torie disappeared inside the other barn, and he ran to catch up with her.
The place was a cave inside. No lights, no sign of life. Just the stink of manure, dust, and old hay.
“Hailey!” he shouted.
“I found the lights,” Torie said.
A moment later, the overhead lamps came on and illuminated the cavernous interior. He saw no movement in the open area and no indication anyone had been here recently. But it was unlocked. That had to mean something.
Unless the guy was leading them on a chase to torment them.
He cupped his hands to his mouth. “Hailey!”
“Daddy?”
He whirled at the tiny voice. “Hailey, where are you?”
“H-Here.” A door opened to his right, and Hailey peeked out of it.
He shot forward and pulled her into his arms. Tears struggled for dominance, and he breathed in the sweet aroma of her hair, vaguely aware Torie was right there too.
After a fierce hug, he gripped her shoulders and checked her over. “Are you all right?”
Please, God, don’t let her have been harmed.
Her clothing was all intact. She still wore her shoes. Even her hair looked in order.
Torie caressed Hailey’s hair. “It’s all right now, honey. You’re safe.”
He should have reassured his daughter like that so he hugged her again. “We’ve got you. Did he put you in the bathroom or did you get away?”
“The T-Rex told me to go inside and wait for you. He said if I came out, I’d be sorry.” Hailey sniffled. “I messed up, Daddy. I knew better than to go off with someone without telling you. B-But I thought I won a tooth!” She began to cry in earnest.
He held her close and let her sob on his shirt. “You’re okay, Peanut. He can’t hurt you.”
In the distance the sound of a siren wailed toward them. This ordeal wouldn’t be over for Hailey for hours.
If he got his hands on the guy who had terrorized her, he’d be the one going to jail.
* * *
He’d spare his little girl if he could.
Joe wanted to reply to every question the police asked Hailey, but only she knew the answers to so much of what had happened today. The problem was, even she didn’t know the identity of the man who had taken her.
The female officer gave Hailey a reassuring smile. “Since you don’t know what he looked like, how tall was he?”
Hailey glanced at her dad sitting next to Torie by a wall outside. “Not as tall as Daddy or Torie. Taller than me.”
Which meant exactly nothing since they were both six feet tall and over.
“How about his voice? Was it deep? Did he have an accent?”
Did Hailey even know what an accent was? Joe didn’t want to sit here wasting time when he should be scouring the place for the guy.
“He talked funny. Like this.” She did a falsetto imitation. “He kind of sounded like Donald Duck.”
Joe exchanged a glance with Torie. The guy had changed his voice, hidden his face, and could basically be one of these detectives and Hailey would never know. They’d been outsmarted in every way.
The female officer put away her pad. “Thanks for helping us, Hailey.” She handed a card to Torie. “Could you forward the texts you got from the kidnapper? We’ll start with your phone number, too, and see if we can trace the messages. Our tec
h guys might want your phone to try to get to the perp.”
Torie held out her phone. “You want it now? We need to find this guy. I can get a new one on the way home.”
“It might speed things up,” the detective said.
“That’s fine. I’m due an upgrade anyway. Nothing is more important than keeping Hailey safe.”
Joe set his hand on her knee. “Thank you.”
He would have offered to buy her a phone, but that was ridiculous now that he knew who she was. She could buy a cellular company all by herself. His shock over that revelation had been pushed aside by the trauma of nearly losing Hailey, but the knowledge festered in the background.
The detective took the phone and bagged it as evidence. “Thank you. I have your contact info, and we’ll be in touch.”
“That’s it?” Joe asked. “We just go home now not knowing if this guy is still watching?”
“I’d assume he is,” the detective said. “Take precautions and be alert.”
He wouldn’t want to go to work and let her out of his sight. Maybe he could take a leave of absence, but he was badly needed to work this next week, especially knowing someone had planted an explosive and tried to kill him. The thought of bringing her into the office crossed his mind, but she’d be bored silly. It would take some thought to figure out what to do. His parents both worked so they couldn’t really take her either.
When the police officers left, he rose and pulled Hailey to his side. “Let’s go home, Peanut.”
“I didn’t get to see all the dinosaurs.” Her voice took on a whine.
That guy could still be here, watching them, waiting for another chance. He glanced at Torie, and she shrugged and nodded. Hailey might sense his fear if he rushed her home and didn’t let her out of the house. The last thing he wanted was to turn her into a kid afraid of every shadow.
“Okay, one hour. We should be able to let you ride the T-Rex and get your face painted. Deal?”
“Deal!” Hailey started to run ahead.
“Hailey, stay right by us,” he ordered. “Don’t run off to talk to anyone else and don’t run ahead.”
She slowed. “Okay.”
Her crestfallen expression pierced his heart, but there were too many people and too many ways she could disappear.
Torie stepped close to his other side and whispered, “I don’t want us to be foolhardy, but we have to realize whoever did this wanted to traumatize me. He wasn’t really trying to hurt Hailey.”
The words stopped him short. Of course, she was right. It had been a ploy to terrify Torie. And him. But it had been scary for his daughter too. The person who had done this hadn’t cared who was hurt as long as Torie realized someone dangerous lurked in the shadows ready to harm her. The guy who had done this was still trying to scare her off and make her quit looking into Lisbeth’s death.
“I wanted to help before today, but this makes me all the more determined,” he said. “This guy means business. He will do anything, dare any outrageous behavior it takes to drive you off. Who does that?”
“Well, he doesn’t want to go to jail for murder,” Torie said.
“I think it’s more than that. I mean, he took a kid to get your attention. It’s like he’s taunting you. Why is it so personal? He didn’t even tell you to leave or he’d harm her. I just don’t get it.”
“I don’t either.” She inhaled and her voice went husky. “But maybe you should back off and let me do this alone. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Hailey. Or to you.”
He shook his head before she finished speaking. “He’s got me mad now. No one messes with my daughter and gets away with it. I will find him and make sure he never does anything like this to anyone else.”
She chewed her lip. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe I should just go. I could hire a private investigator. I’m not getting any closer to this guy’s identity.”
“I don’t think an investigator could do much. We wouldn’t know for sure Lisbeth was murdered if the guy hadn’t made the move to try to drive you away. You’re a catalyst somehow. I think if you leave, we’ll never know his identity.”
Chapter 23
The startled looks and wide eyes from the staff told Torie they knew exactly who she was.
She ignored the speculative stares and whispered comments as she moved down the center aisle of the historic Faith Chapel. The rich hardwood pews contrasted with the red carpet, and the Tiffany and Armstrong stained glass glowed in the Sunday morning sunlight. She hadn’t been inside the historical building in years, and she’d forgotten the wood-clad cathedral ceilings and the peaceful vibe of the small A-frame chapel.
She might as well sit by her dad in the front row since her aunt had blabbed about her identity to everyone in the hotel by now. She shouldn’t have been disappointed in Aunt Genevieve, but she struggled to hold back tears. Her aunt had never been the warmest person, but Torie had held out a thin streak of hope she might want to help get justice for Lisbeth. Her aunt didn’t care about much of anything though—certainly not a young woman without any standing or rich family.
Torie settled beside her dad, and he squeezed her hand, then released it. “You doing okay?”
“Yes.” Her throat constricted and she sniffled. “No, I guess not. I don’t really know how I should feel. Seeing the casket makes it all so real. Lisbeth really is gone from this life.”
The closed casket at the front of the church was the focal point of Torie’s attention. Her dad had paid for the coffin, and it was a handsome copper Lisbeth would have loved. Masses of flowers covered the casket, but the scent of roses and lilies was cloying and suffocating. Other flowers lined the sides as well as a few other gifts, like a set of wind chimes, potted plants, and a Bible with artificial flowers.
The church capacity was limited to 110, but Torie doubted there were even half that many here now. Lisbeth had been a new employee, and she had no siblings. Her parents had died in a small plane crash when she was eighteen, which was why Torie’s dad had become her benefactor. Torie doubted anyone on the island knew Lisbeth from her grade school days.
A movement to her left drew her attention, and her pulse kicked when she saw Joe’s tall figure slide into the pew beside her. She’d never seen him in a suit, and the navy fabric accentuated his broad shoulders.
“You look handsome.” Torie took his hand, but he pulled it away so she clasped her hands together in her lap. “Thanks for coming. Where’s Hailey?”
“With Danielle and her kids. I didn’t want to bring her in case it was too upsetting for her. She hasn’t been to a funeral since Julie’s.”
Though his voice was cold, at least he’d come. She hadn’t been sure what to expect after his reaction to the truth of her identity. He was clearly still mad though.
She inclined her head to the left. “I see Craig is here. I’ve heard the killer often comes to the funeral. Do you think the killer is here?”
“I scanned the mourners as I came in. I can’t say for sure anyone suspicious is here, but I didn’t see anyone who seemed like a suspect to me. Employees and a few people I didn’t know. Some business owners who are here out of respect for your dad.”
“Is Aunt Genevieve coming today?” Torie asked her dad.
“I don’t think so. She claims she’s got some issues to deal with at the hotel, but I think she wants to avoid me.” Her dad leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I let her know I was unhappy with her gossip.” Her dad reached over and gripped Joe’s hand. “Thank you for saving Torie yesterday.”
“She rescued me first.”
“I heard she went inside the subway car. You might not know she is claustrophobic, and it took a lot of courage for her to get past her fear.”
Torie’s cheeks heated, and she waved her hand between the two of them. “Hey, I’m right here. You don’t need to talk about me like I’m absent. Anyone would have done what I did. There wasn’t an option.”
She wasn’t yet ready to ta
lk to her dad about her epiphany when she thought she was going to die down there. It was too new, and she hadn’t yet thought through what it meant to life as she knew it. For one thing, she wouldn’t be traveling all over the world for Bergstrom Hospitality. She’d realized she was unable to be truly present in her life with the way she was expected to flit from place to place every three or four days.
So what was her purpose in life? What did she want to do? The holy sense of this place enveloped her. She liked the hospitality industry, and if she could stay in one place, it would be better. She’d have to think about that.
She was her dad’s only heir, and she knew in her gut he would not understand her decision. Eighteen years since her mother’s death, and he’d only moved on recently. She didn’t want to walk in his lonely footsteps. He’d deny he’d felt alone all those years, but she recognized it now.
Her gaze wandered to Joe. Even if he never forgave her and this budding relationship died on the vine, she knew her life was going to change forever. Now that the scales were gone from her eyes, she could never return to holding back and hiding behind the shields she’d erected. The ordeal under the sea had ripped away every pretense.
But she prayed he could forgive her. Time would tell.
* * *
Simon barked at Joe from his saltwater enclosure inside the metal structure housing Joe’s headquarters. The place stank of fish and stale water. A gull that had gotten inside swooped down to land on the concrete beside him. It stepped closer and stared at Joe with beady black eyes as if to dare him to leave the crab unattended for a minute.
Joe sat with his feet dangling over the edge of the enclosure and threw crab to Simon. “You were a big help yesterday, buddy.”
Danielle dropped to the concrete beside him and swung her legs over. “I just talked to Pete. Hailey and the twins are splashing around on the waterslide he put up for them.”
“Any sign of someone lurking around?”
“Nope. Pete called one of his Marine buddies over, and he’s sitting out front with a magazine and a beer pretending to be enjoying the day. All is quiet.”
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