21 Dares: A Florida Suspense Mystery

by JC Gatlin

  “I’m Captain Frank Parks.” With his hand on her shoulder, he guided her away from the surgery ward. When they entered the hallway, he moved both hands behind his back as they walked.

  “Captain Parks? You’re the Chief of Police.”

  The captain nodded. “My son said he knew you and your friends.”

  “We saw Josh in the Ybor District, but he wasn’t at the factory.” Abbie licked her lips. They were dry, dehydrated. She looked back at the surgery ward. “Any word on McKenzie? Did you find her?”

  “We’re doing all we can,” the captain said. “Can you tell me again what happened?”

  Abbie shook her head. “I don’t know anything new.”

  “That’s okay.” He took out his ballpoint pen and notepad. “Just go over it again, in your own words.”

  “Susan and McKenzie had planned a surprise party for my birthday.” Abbie talked as they walked side by side down the hall, passing another doctor and two nurses. “They had my therapist send text messages with dares for me to do.”

  “The same text message was sent out to all the girls there?”

  “Yes.” Abbie nodded. “Except Dharma Larson. She joined us later. She’s in one of my classes.”

  “And your therapist, Dr. Everett Wachowski, was sending these text messages?”

  “Yes, but I just can’t believe he’d do anything to hurt someone. The dares started off as silly drinking games but the last one was daring me to go into that abandoned cigar factory and take a selfie standing on the ledge of the roof.”

  “Why did you play along?”

  “Because we—Susan—thought it was McKenzie and Rocky trying to scare us.”

  “And it wasn’t McKenzie or Rocky? You didn’t see either of them in the building?”

  “Not in the building. No.” Abbie looked up at the Captain. “You saw the video from my phone. The one with McKenzie…” Her voice trailed off. Captain Parks stopped walking.

  “Abbie, do you know who Charlie Hicks is?”

  “He was the police officer who saved me from that… that attacker… when I was a little girl. He carried me out of the house.”

  “Why was he there? In the old cigar factory? On the roof?”

  “He’s been following me.”

  The Captain cleared his throat. “Did you know he was discharged from the police force?”

  “No.” Abbie gripped her purse with one hand as the other reached for the little unicorn pendant hanging around her neck. She twisted the necklace around her finger as they continued down the hallway. The Captain continued.

  “Six years ago he was charged for stalking a teenage girl and killing her.”

  “He killed a girl?” Abbie gripped the unicorn tighter in her hand. “Where is he? Did you find him?”

  “He was gone when we got there. We searched the building.” Captain Franks watched her a moment. “We don’t know how he was involved. The text messages where coming from Dr. Everett Wachowski’s cell phone though. We’re tracking its location.”

  “And McKenzie’s phone. He has McKenzie.” Her voice choked. “He’s going to kill her.”

  “We’re doing everything we can,” he said. “Is there anything that you’re not telling me? Anything on the roof that may be of importance?”

  “I’ve already told you everything I know. I didn’t give him a chance to say much?”

  The Captain looked up from his notepad. “But he wanted to talk to you?”

  Abbie bit her lip, thinking. “It seemed like it. He said he was looking out for me. Said that I was in danger.”

  “When was the last time you spoke to him?”

  “About an hour ago.”

  “I mean, have you spoken to him since the night your sister died?”

  “No, that was sixteen years ago. I haven’t seen or heard from him since that night.” A flicker of apprehension coursed through her as the unicorn’s horn pressed deep into her palm. She remembered that night when he pulled her from the attic and carried downstairs. She could still see the blood. The blood drowning her teddy bear. The blood pooling beneath the man who attacked her. The puddle of blood around her sister’s body. Maybe it had something to do with that night or maybe something to do with Heather. She didn’t want to think about it. “That was a long time ago.”

  The Captain clicked his ballpoint pen and put it away. They walked to the front reception in silence. She was so tired, yet she knew she couldn’t sleep. Abbie glanced at her watch. It was twenty past two. “I just want to go home.”

  “Your father should be here soon to pick you up. For now, we have extra patrols here at the hospital,” he said. “If you leave, please let us know.”

  As the Captain left, Abbie looked at the waiting room. There were a dozen empty chairs. A white vinyl couch ran along the wall below the exterior windows. It looked uncomfortable. She sat down on one end and noticed Josh Parks standing in the corner by the Coke machine.

  She was happy—though kinda surprised—to see him, and watched him feed quarters into the machine. He still wore the canary yellow Tommy Bahama, and he bent over when a can clunked down the chute. Josh pulled out a can of Minute Maid Old Fashioned Lemonade and pulled the tab. He approached her and plopped down on the other end of the couch. He handed Abbie the can.

  “I remember you like Minute Maid,” he said. She smiled and took the cold can from his hands. She sipped it. It was the best thing she’d tasted all night. When she put it down, she looked into his eyes.

  “I got you something else too,” he said. Shifting, he held up a phone and handed it to her.

  Abbie took it and stared at the cracked screen and scuffed corners. She turned it on. “You found my phone?”

  “It still works,” he said. “They found it on the ground outside that old factory. Looks like a bush or two broke its fall.”

  Abbie watched the phone boot-up and ran a finger along the cracked screen. The cracks looked almost like a spider web, running from the top right corner down to the bottom edges. It looked like it still worked though. She sighed and dropped the phone in her purse.

  “Thank you,” she said. “By the way, I just met your father.”

  Josh laughed and leaned his head back against the wall, exposing his Adam’s apple. He shot her a sideways glance. “He can be kind of intimidating.”

  “I’m surprised he’s here,” she said. “I would think he’d have people to handle this kind of stuff.”

  “Trust me. Every detective in district three is on this right now.” He stretched an arm across the back of the couch. “When I told him what happened to you and Susan, and that your friend McKenzie is, well...”

  “I know,” she said in a small, frightened voice. Her stomach clenched tight. She sipped the lemonade and tried to relax.

  He moved closer to her on the couch. His big hand tightened comfortably on her shoulder. “What do you think is going on?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t even know where to begin.”

  “But you were attacked,” he said. “The police officer that rescued you when you were a little girl, he attacked you.”

  “No, not exactly.” She searched for the right words. Abbie knew Charlie Hicks could’ve let her fall, but didn’t. He could’ve hurt her, but didn’t. He could’ve killed her, but… “I’m still just trying to wrap my head around everything that happened.”

  “But was it him?” Josh pressed. “Was it the same guy?”

  “I was five. I barely even remember that night, much less what the police officer on the scene looked like.” She was lying though. She remembered every detail about that night. And now, tonight, every detail about Charlie Hicks came rushing back.

  Josh shifted in the seat. “What do you think he wants?”

  “I can’t do this right now.” Abbie cut him off and took another sip of lemonade from the can. Josh was just trying to help, she knew that. But, she was feeling interrogated. He squeezed her shoulder and brought her head toward his chest. He held
her tightly, and she could hear his heart beat. She shut her eyes, squeezed tight, and just breathed, listening to his heart. After several thumps, his body stiffened.

  “So what did the mayonnaise say when the refrigerator door was left open?”

  “Josh,” she whispered. She kept her eyes shut. “No more jokes.”

  “Okay.” He breathed in her ear. “I’ll just wait here with you until your father arrives.”

  She kept her head pressed into his yellow shirt. His heartbeat slowed a little. The tense lines on her face relaxed too. It was the first time she felt safe, felt calm, all evening. She tried to stifle a yawn. She barely moved her lips, but she knew he heard it.

  She kept her eyes closed and felt him breathe. Both her hands wrapped around the cold can of lemonade. Water droplets ran down her fingers. She thought she might fall asleep, but a deep voice calling Josh’s name interrupted the calm and yanked her back to reality. She opened her eyes, lifted her head.

  Captain Parks stood in the hallway. He called Josh’s name again. Josh straightened, removing his arm from around Abbie’s shoulders. She sat up and watched him stand.

  “I’m going to see what my Dad wants,” he said. “Why don’t you just sit here and relax, okay?”

  The whole right side of her face felt suddenly chilled. Goosebumps ran down her arms. She looked up at him.

  “Okay.” Her voice still sounded weak, maybe a little hoarse.

  “You’re safe. You know that, right?” He didn’t move, staring at her, obviously waiting for an answer. She nodded. He grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched him disappear behind the corner. Abbie plopped deeper into the uncomfortable couch. People entered the hospital through the swooshing double doors; others left. An old janitor in a dark green work uniform appeared at the end of the hallway, mopping his way from one end to the other.

  Abbie wished Clinton Reed would call. She wondered when he’d get there. Reaching into her purse, she grasped her broken phone and dialed his number. The phone rang, then Clinton Reed’s recorded voice mail picked-up.

  “Hey,” Abbie said after the beep. “I know you’re on your way, but can you call me?” She paused, wondering what to tell him. “Do you remember Officer Hicks from that night? Well, he was here. He’s been following me. The police are looking for him. Call me. Please.”

  Abbie disconnected the call and stared at the cracked screen. She willed Clinton Reed to call her back. Mentally, she commanded her phone to ring. It didn’t.

  Abbie sighed and thumbed through the photos. The screen cracks felt sharp against her thumb, and she slowed the swipe as she found the pic. She stood in line with a group of boys. Charlie Hicks looked almost camouflaged in the background. Abbie studied every detail.

  A thousand questions flooded her mind. How could it be the policeman who rescued her when she was a little girl? After all these years, what did he want? Why was he waiting on the rooftop? Was he warning her about Dr. Wachowski? McKenzie had been talking to the doctor. Rocky had been seeing him too.

  Almost as if in response, her cell phone chirped. Abbie opened the text message and the color drained from her face.

  Abbie looked at the caller ID. It was a new phone number. This message wasn’t from Dr. Wachowski’s number. Abbie stared at the area code. She pressed the redial. Waited for an answer. The phone rang. It rang again.

  An automated voicemail came on the line. “You’ve reached Hicks Investigations. This is Charlie Hicks and I am unable to take your call at the moment. Please leave—”

  Abbie ended the call. That proved it. Hicks was sending the text messages. But what was Dr. Wachowski’s involvement? Her thumb barely left the screen when the phone chirped with another text message.

  Abbie responded with a text.

  She waited for a response. After a moment, she typed a new message.

  Still no response. Frustrated, Abbie tried again.

  She sent the message and another was returned.

  Abbie put down her phone and rose from the couch. She looked out the dark hospital windows. There were cars parked along the circular drive. An ambulance headed toward the emergency entrance. But she saw nothing unusual. No sign of Charlie Hicks.

  Frustrated, she returned to the couch and grabbed her phone.

  She sent the message, waited for a reply. When none came, she typed again.

  Still no response. She sighed, looked up, then back at her phone. She typed a new message.

  She sent the message and waited. Her phone chirped. She read the new text message.

  Abbie licked her lips and dropped her phone into her purse. She rose from the stiff couch and made her way out the double doors. They swooshed behind her. She hesitated in front of the hospital entrance.

  She couldn’t see the ambulance, but its lights lit the trees in rotating flashes of orange and yellow. There was no one else around.

  The parking garage was to her left, and she headed in that direction.

  Charlie Hicks was waiting.

  Chapter 27

  Abbie left the hospital entrance and headed north along the sidewalk into the parking garage. Cement columns held up a low ceiling, and dull yellow lighting cast shadows between the cars. People passed by, headed toward the hospital. A car alarm beeped with someone, somewhere, unlocking a door. At least she wasn’t alone, she thought.

  She turned her head toward the incoming ramp, then forward again. She caught a blur of movement from the corner of her eye. Someone stepped behind a cement column.

  Charlie Hicks. She was sure of it.

  She almost dropped her purse. What did she expect, she asked herself, squinting to see if she could make him out. This is obviously what he wanted. But now they weren’t alone. They weren’t on the rooftop of some abandoned building. They weren’t alone in the woods. They were in a busy hospital parking garage, with people, with security cameras.

  She stepped forward, deeper into the garage. She came to the column where she’d just seen the flash of movement. He wasn’t there. Why was he being so clandestine? She took her phone from her purse and dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail.

  On the other side of the garage, elevator doors opened. An elderly couple stepped out. Abbie ignored them. They walked past her. She felt comfort knowing they were close. There were more people around her, on various levels of the parking garage. She wasn’t alone. That meant she could listen to him now. And if he asks her to get into a car, to leave with him somewhere, she’d run back to the hospital entrance. Josh was there. His father too. And dozens of detectives. He wouldn’t get away. Not this time.

  She walked past a row of cars, headed up the ramp toward the second level. Charlie Hicks was in here. She knew it.

  Rounding the corner, she looked out at the rows of parked cars on the second level. There was no one there. Frustrated, she read the text message again and sent a reply.

  She waited. Nothing.

  Still, nothing. She typed another message.

  Waiting for a reply, she poked her head around the large cement column. She didn’t see anyone coming. The elderly couple was gone. She looked at her phone again. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. It lit the parking garage. Abbie raised an arm to shield her eyes.

  Josh Parks stepped out of the carriage. “Abbie? What are you doing?”

  “I got another text message.” She walked over to him. His mouth fell open.

  “From Charlie Hicks?” he asked.

  “He’s here, somewhere.” Abbie turned her head, searching the dimly lit garage. “I have to find him.”

  “Stop this!” Josh grabbed her right arm, gripped it tight and brought her into the elevator. “Just stop it. It’s over. He’s taunting you.”

  “He sent me a dare... from his phone. It wasn’t from Dr. Wachowski. It was from Charlie Hicks.” The elevator doors shut and the carriage hummed as it dropped.

  “My dad’s got the best people on the case already,” he said. “They’ll find
Charlie Hicks and they’ll find your friend.”

  “He wanted to tell me something—back there on the roof of that old factory.” The nagging in the back of her mind refused to be stilled. Something was off, like she had puzzle pieces without a photo on the box to bring them all together. “I didn’t give him a chance to talk. What if he had info about Dr. Wachowski? McKenzie had been talking to him. Rocky had been seeing him.”

  “Or maybe he was about to abduct you too. You did the right thing. You got out of there. Now, you need to go home and get some rest.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. Let the police handle it from here, okay?”

  Abbie sighed. “Okay.”

  Josh hugged her as the elevator doors opened. Stepping into the hospital hallway, he grabbed his cell phone and called his dad.

  “Abbie says she saw Charlie Hicks in the parking garage. She got a text message from his phone number.” After a few moments, he hung up his cell and turned to her. “They’re searching the garage now.”

  They returned to the front lobby and headed outside. The double glass doors swooshed shut behind them.

  “My truck is around the corner.” Josh placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to drive you home.”

  “I better try Clinton Reed again.” Abbie raised her phone and stared at the cracked screen.

  “You call him and I’ll be right back.”

  Abbie watched Josh head back into the garage. When he was out of sight, she dialed Clinton Reed. It rang, then the voicemail picked up. She listened to his voice. After the beep, she said, “I’m headed back to my apartment. Just meet me there.” She hesitated. “Call me when you get this, okay? Where are you Clinton Reed? Call me?”