Cold Truth

by Mary Stone

  “And I’m telling you from experience, I’ve survived far worse than this. I’m fine.”

  “Jumping off a bridge isn’t the same,” he scoffed, spearing her with his hazel eyes.

  “That’s nothing compared to escaping a kidnapping only to get hit by a police car. Jumping off that bridge was like a day at the water park.”

  Fortis blinked, his mouth going slack before he licked his lips and tilted his head. “Did you say you were hit by a police car?”

  She was surprised by the question. “Yeah.” When he looked at her expectantly, she went on. “I was in the hospital for a long time. I finished that semester of school at home while I recovered, but I’m fine now. It was an accident. I ran out into the street, confused by whatever drugs I was given. I ran right in front of him. He didn’t have time to stop.”

  “Kline, why is this the first time I’ve heard about this?”

  She shrugged, thinking it was odd that he didn’t know. “I don’t talk about it much. I was fifteen, and it just felt like a dream. The accident made it hard to remember anything, and I had heavy levels of drugs in my system. The doctor said I shouldn’t have been able to walk on my own two feet, let alone run.”

  Fortis stood up so fast the hem of his uniform jacket caught the pencil holder, scattering pens and pencils onto the floor. But he was already behind the desk, finger-pecking at the speed of light. After a moment, he sat back, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it.” He turned the monitor so she could see. “It wasn’t my case, but I heard about it. I didn’t make the connection because whoever filed the evidence away in cold cases spelled Kline wrong.” He pointed to the file name: E. Cline. “See? That’s probably why no one has ever approached you about it.”

  “Cold cases?” Ellie’s eyes narrowed on the name as her heart began racing in her chest. “I don’t understand,” she said slowly, even though the puzzle was starting to slowly come together.

  There was compassion in those hazel eyes. “You’re still in the Jane and John Doe section. I’m glad you didn’t come across it by accident.”

  It took her a second to get a breath so she could respond. “You’re telling me that I’m in the cold case files?”

  “Yes. Your case was never solved.”

  His words slammed into Ellie. If she hadn’t already been sitting, she would’ve been knocked off her feet. She closed her eyes against the room as it began spinning out of control, leaned forward, and pressed her head against her knees.

  There was a swish of fabric when Fortis knelt beside her and pressed a cold bottle of water against the back of her neck.

  “I’m all right,” she said, still folded in half, her voice muffled. “But I don’t understand. What case?”

  “Don’t pass out in my office.” He held the bottle against her neck. A single drop of condensation slid over her skin and dropped onto her slacks.

  “I won’t.”

  She took long, deep breaths and focused on the cold that spread from her neck down to her shoulders. The clock on the wall behind her ticked, and she silently counted each second. Slowly, the dizziness faded. When she was finally able to sit up, she took the bottle and drank half of it, then held it against her cheek.

  “I’d love to believe you just got a little overcome by the Carolina heat, but I know better.” His Southern accent took the gravity out of the words as he stood up and leaned against the desk again.

  “I didn’t know.”

  “You didn’t know the case went cold?”

  She shook her head, and the room spun again. “I didn’t know I still had a case.” Leaning back, she took another swig out of the bottle. “You don’t have anything stronger, do you?”

  He looked at her regretfully. “Not on the clock.”

  “Fine.” Another sip. The clock continued ticking, unbothered by Ellie’s world crumbling around her. “My parents told me that the kidnapper was dead.”

  Fortis just stared at her for a long moment. “To my knowledge, Ellie, that isn’t true.”

  She shook her head, trying to understand.

  “There wasn’t a lot of evidence, and when you were hit, the paramedics compromised what little there was.”

  “IV fluids in the ambulance.” She wrapped her fingers around the chair arm, focusing on pressing her skin against the edge of the corner of the arm until it was nearly painful. A sudden memory flashed in front of her eyes, of her jerking her arm away in the ambulance, terrified of what they might pump into her next.

  “That didn’t help.” He spoke slowly, as if he were giving information to the next of kin of a victim. “Plus, in the ER, they had to cut your clothes off due to the road rash, and they were so tattered they just threw them away. By the time your parents were located, and it believed that you’d been kidnapped, the clothes were gone.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered. There wouldn’t be enough evidence after the way it had been raining.”

  “That’s right.” He rubbed his chin with his thumb, silent for a moment. “If I remember right, you didn’t know where you’d been taken, and there was no ransom demand.” He met her gaze. “We never found where you’d been kept. Never had any ideas of who had held you. Your parents probably told you differently so that you’d feel safe.”

  It clicked then, the flack she’d gotten about taking this job. “This explains so much.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “My parents should’ve been happy when I was assigned to cold cases. It’s as far away from being in danger as I can be. But when I told them, the look they gave each other.” She scoffed, rising from the chair as her strength returned on a wave of disbelief. “Man, why didn’t I see it? They knew. Ever since that night, they told me that I had nothing to worry about. I never thought the case was unsolved, because why else would they be so calm?”

  “Because they probably, truthfully, didn’t think you had anything to worry about. After all, you’ve never been contacted by the person who took you again, right?”

  Ellie nodded.

  Fortis went on. “This wasn’t my case, Ellie. Things were kept very hush-hush at the time, but if I had to guess, it was probably about ransom. A lot of kidnappings end in failure, believe it or not. They weren’t able to contact your parents before you got away, so the kidnapper probably fled Charleston. People who kidnap children are usually cowards to begin with.”

  “It wasn’t about money.” She scowled, pacing to the door and back. “I don’t know where that theory came from. I’ve googled myself so many times, trying to find news stories about that night, but there’s practically nothing except the fact that I’d been hit by a police car. The stories don’t even name the cop who hit me.”

  “Do you remember anything from that night? Even the smallest bit of information could be what breaks the case wide open. Anything at all, no matter how insignificant it seems.”

  She shook her head. “And now that I’m trying to figure out why I’m so sure it wasn’t about money, whatever I was feeling is gone. As soon as you said it was about ransom, I heard my own voice saying you were wrong. But I can’t push past the blackness.”

  “I’m not surprised. From what I can remember, you were heavily drugged before you were hit, then at the hospital, they put you in a drug-induced coma to manage your pain.”

  “Too bad they couldn’t take the memory of the actual pain away. When I woke up, the pain was awful.” She grimaced, barely able to keep from cringing at the sudden recall.

  “What do you remember about waking up?”

  “Just that my parents were there, and my mom said no one would ever hurt me again.” Ellie frowned, focusing on the plaque on the wall that declared Fortis’s rank. “She didn’t tell me then, but my dad was in the same hospital recovering from a stroke and a heart attack. But I was so out of it, I thought the man sitting in the chair was him.”

  “Who was it?”

  “The officer who hit me.” A headache began, her heartbeat throbbing through her temples
. “I don’t think I ever knew his name. I was in and out, but I know he stayed with me until they found my mother, but she was so distraught, and Wesley was so young, he took up a position outside the door and refused to leave.”

  “He probably felt awful.” Fortis’s eyes hadn’t left Ellie one time. He’d barely blinked.

  “I know he did. Mom told me he apologized so many times. Even though the dash camera proved that I ran in front of him from between two SUVs, he still couldn’t forgive himself.”

  “That’s tough.”

  “He was so dedicated. If I’m being honest, he’s one of the biggest reasons I joined the force in the first place.”

  Fortis tilted his head to the side. “What’s the other reason?”

  “The kidnapping itself. I know that doesn’t make sense since I don’t remember it, but being kidnapped changed everything for me.” Feeling steadier, she stopped pacing and propped her fists on her hips. “I want to get as many criminals off the street as I can. Doing so might not prevent every crime, but if one girl doesn’t have to go through what I did because I took someone off the streets, then this will be all worth it.”

  “I can see why you’re fixated on this Jane Doe. Your first case always seems special. And with her violent death, it’s no wonder you’re driven. But every box in that room carries a story much like hers. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and recognize when you’ve done everything you can. Then you move on.”

  “I promise, I won’t be like this with every case. I just need to tell her family where she is and that she’s not suffering anymore. It’s the least I can do.”

  Fortis was thoughtful for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. “I probably shouldn’t do this, but I think you deserve to know everything you can about your case.”

  Ellie froze, amazed that she was even having this conversation. “Thank you. I can’t believe my parents lied to me and that he’s been free this entire time.”

  “Don’t be too hard on them, Ellie. Like I said, they probably just wanted to protect you.” When she only nodded, he went on, “Are you certain it was a man? It’s rare, but it could’ve been a woman.”

  “I don’t know how I know, but yes. I’m sure the person who kidnapped me was a man.” She took a deep breath, then nodded again. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”

  “You know you can’t work your own case, right?”

  “I understand.” She dropped her gaze, hoping her immediate intention to go against his question wasn’t clear.

  “I should go to evidence and remove that box, but like I said, you deserve to know.”

  “What if he’s been out there, watching me all this time?” She shuddered, her hand coming up to her mouth. She immediately shook her head. “Sorry, I’m being paranoid now. If he’d been watching me, he probably would have tried again.”

  “That’s not a question I can answer. In all honesty, it’s possible he died shortly after, or he ran as soon as you got hit by the squad car. If he was smart, getting out of South Carolina right away was the best thing he could’ve done. Short of never kidnapping you in the first place.” Fortis shrugged. “If I could figure out the way the criminal mind works, we wouldn’t be solving cases after the victim is murdered. I think it’s been twelve years without incident, so he’s either dead or long gone.”

  “Or very patient.” A shiver passed through her again. “I need to see the files.”

  “You have to promise you won’t take any evidence from the box.” Fortis gave her a hard look, meeting her gaze. “I can’t stress enough that this stays between you and me.”

  “I promise. I won’t tell a soul, and I won’t investigate it.” She was tempted to cross her fingers behind her back, but she caught herself and crossed her toes the best she could in her shoes.

  “Good. That’s all I ask.” Moving around the desk, he took a bottle from his drawer and set two green glass tumblers on the desk. He poured her a finger of bourbon then handed her the glass.

  “I thought you said not on the clock.”

  “You’re taking your lunch break.” He raised his glass as if to give a toast and stopped himself halfway. “It’s against the rules for you to work on your own case in any way, shape, or form, so I’m giving you an early lunch.”

  “Works for me.” Throwing the smooth liquid back in one gulp, Ellie relished the way the heat settled in her chest, burning out and numbing the anxiety that had taken up residence. “Let’s get this over with.”

  18

  Ellie could feel Jillian’s eyes on her as she followed Fortis into the evidence room, and on to the cold case locker. He quietly walked through the aisles until he found the square white plaque with the letter “C” to announce the contents of that row and the misfiled case box.

  Ellie straightened her shoulders, tapping her fingers against her hip as she followed, trying to prepare herself for what she was about to see. But how could you prepare yourself to see the evidence of your unsolved kidnapping?

  “There it is,” Fortis said. Even at a low volume, his voice practically boomed through the utilitarian room. “Are you sure you want to see this?”

  She nodded, then the click of footsteps behind her grabbed her attention, and she turned. She half-expected the kidnapper to be there, but it was only Jillian. She was standing ten feet behind them, hands clasped in front of her. Her face was pinched with worry, and the comforting smile she offered Ellie didn’t extend to her eyes.

  “You know,” Ellie said.

  Jillian nodded. “I thought you did and was just waiting for you to mention it. A quick search of the files with your name came up empty, so I went with an alternate spelling, didn’t take a genius. I can leave and mind my own business if that’s what you want.”

  “Can you stay?” Ellie asked through the lump in her throat.

  Jillian closed the distance between them and took Ellie’s hand. “I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

  Ellie didn’t trust herself to speak, so she nodded instead.

  Jillian turned her gaze on Fortis, squeezing Ellie’s hand.

  Fortis used a short stepladder to reach the box that was on the third shelf. In plain sight amongst the other cold cases, Ellie had walked past it every day since she’d started. The Jane and John Does that were violent cases but didn’t fall under homicide were tucked into the back corner. She’d been close enough to turn and see her name on the box.

  “Even if I’d seen ‘E. Kline,’ I wouldn’t have made the connection,” she said, more to herself than Jillian and Fortis. “It was here this entire time.” Ellie stepped forward to take the box from him so he could grab the others.

  But he shook his head and worked his way down the three steps. “This is the only box.”

  Ellie’s lips parted in surprise. “How is that possible? Even my Jane Doe has two boxes.”

  “That’s what I meant when I said there was almost no evidence.” He turned away from them and blew the dust from the top of the box. It filled the space in front of him, so much like the haze that had settled on Ellie in Fortis’s office when he’d told her about the case being cold.

  Her heart clenched at the sight of what was obviously twelve years of dust. “No one has looked at it since I was a kid, have they?”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Usually with wealthy parents, there would at least be a cursory glance over the evidence every few years, but your parents never pressed the issue. They were content to have you home safe. They did hire a fulltime bodyguard for you, but they made it clear that our services weren’t needed.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Ellie never took her gaze from the box as he set it on the evidence room table, his hands still gripping the sides. “They never talked about the kidnapper, and whenever the subject came up, they alluded to the case being over and done. I never would have guessed he’d never been caught. I guess they were both so convinced this was about money, they never considered anything else as a possibility.”

 
; “The detective on the case exhausted every avenue, but even in the report it says that the likely motivation in the kidnapping was monetary gain.” The phone on his hip beeped. He read the text message and scowled. “I have to take this. I trust I can rely on you to not do anything stupid with this?”

  “Of course,” Ellie said, then nodded to Jillian. “Jillian will make sure I don’t step out of line, won’t you?”

  “Yep.”

  Fortis looked from Ellie to Jillian and sighed. “Why do I feel like I’m about to regret this?”

  “I promised,” Ellie offered.

  “I’m counting on that promise.” His phone chirped again, and he reluctantly let loose of the box and hurried out of the room.

  Jillian’s spine went stick straight before leaning toward the doorway so she could hear him leaving. When the outer door closed behind him, she turned to Ellie with a feral smile. “Tell me that promise wasn’t a real promise.”

  Ellie held up her crossed fingers with a grin. “He’s a fool if he thinks I’m going to sit around and wait for someone else to solve this case. They had twelve years.”

  “What about the Janes?”

  Ellie frowned. “I’m not abandoning them. But I have to know what’s in here. I have almost no memories of that night, and the memories I do have come in disjointed fragments that make no sense. Maybe something in here will tie the pieces together.”

  “Do you want me to look first?” Jillian’s patient gray eyes studied Ellie.

  “No. I’m okay.” She took a deep, shuddering breath, then laughed. “I really am okay. I just had no idea this was here until a few minutes ago, and I’ve got to be honest, I’m completely overwhelmed.”

  Ellie sat down at the table and stared at the box for a long time without moving. Then she reached out but pulled her hand back just before she touched the lid.

  Jillian raised her eyebrows, and when Ellie nodded, Jillian stood and placed her hands on the lid. “You can say no. Not a soul will think any less of you for not wanting to see this.”

  “Do it,” Ellie said.