Lady in Red

by Stacy Claflin

  Eight hours.

  They could’ve taken him really far in that much time. Out of state, even. He could be in Oregon or even Idaho or Montana. It wasn’t that much of a stretch, and they clearly wanted him out of the way. And being stuck in the wilderness was about as good as it got without killing him.

  Which brought him back to the obvious question—why hadn't they just done that? If he was such a threat, wouldn’t that have been the most convenient option? For a group of killers and pedophiles, they sure were going easy on Alex, one of the primary people trying to take them down.

  He kept going, his muscles growing sorer by the minute. His legs ached worse than when he worked his legs or ran races against Ariana. Sure, he kept in shape for his job, but this was brutal—the hills were especially steep and rocky, and there weren’t any trails to speak of. This was definitely the wilderness.

  Where was he?

  His mouth was getting drier. If the waterfall was fine to drink, then he was just torturing himself. When he escaped this, he was going to sign up for a wilderness survival course. Maybe insist Zoey and Ariana join him. Then they’d teach Laney and Zander everything they knew as soon as they were old enough to understand.

  Alex stumbled over an exposed root and caught himself by pressing his hands on a tree. He leaned against it and gasped for air. As much as he hated the idea, he needed to take a break. For all he knew, he was heading away from any town or road and into the middle of a massive forest.

  Then he heard something. It was so faint, he couldn’t make out what it was.

  It was just enough to keep him going. He stretched his legs and made his way toward the sound, noting that it was getting louder.

  More water. Maybe an actual river this time to give him half a clue as to where he was. He went up an incline and squeezed through some thick trees, coming to a smaller waterfall.

  He had to take a closer look at it. It was a mountain spring. Weren’t those supposed to be healthy? His bottled water came from one—he was sure that was what the packaging stated.

  With a renewed burst of energy, he sprinted toward the fall, praying it wasn’t a mirage.

  He skidded to a stop at the water’s edge. Something was floating in the middle. A log maybe? He squinted. No, not a log. It had a coat.

  It was a body.

  Alex fell to his knees, the exhaustion and thirst hitting him along with the sight. He reached for his phone, only to remember he didn’t have it.

  He remembered the blood on his pants.

  Now Alex knew why he hadn’t been killed.

  He was being framed for murder.

  Chapter 28

  Ariana glanced outside the classroom, noting another police officer in the hallway. Annoyance ran through her. Dad was being way too overprotective. Had their conversation the night before meant nothing?

  Not that it mattered. She had a major history test in a few days, and she needed to focus on the lecture. Anything Mrs. Miller said at this point was likely to be on the exam. She looked up at her teacher and tried to make sense of what she was saying. It may as well have been a foreign language.

  Sighing, she mentally chewed out her dad. The school was safe. Surely the security officers knew to keep an eye out for a psycho lady in a red dress. The actual officers were total overkill.

  Giggling pulled her from her thoughts.

  She turned her attention to Mrs. Miller, who said her name.

  “Yes?” Ariana’s cheeks warmed.

  “You were just called to the principal’s office.”

  “Oh, right.”

  More giggles.

  Her face flamed as she gathered her things. Two days in a row. Everyone would be talking about this for sure.

  A couple of the basketball players teased her about turning into a rebel.

  “That’s enough,” Mrs. Miller said.

  Ariana kept her gaze low as she rushed toward the door. She could barely breathe a sigh of relief in the hall thanks to the officers sent to watch her.

  Detective Garcia waved Ariana over.

  Ari’s stomach knotted and her face burned with the intensity of a furnace. Why had her dad decided to become a cop, of all things? She forced a smile and trudged over to the detective.

  “Come with me,” Detective Garcia waved her toward an empty classroom.

  “I think I’m supposed to go to the principal’s office.”

  She shook her head. “You’re fine. We just wanted to get you out of class without raising any suspicions.”

  Ariana just sighed and followed her.

  The detective held the door open for her and waited to speak until it was closed. “Have a seat.”

  Ari frowned and sat in the first row. “Am I in trouble?”

  “Of course not.” She sat in the seat next to Ariana. “But I do have some upsetting news.”

  “What?” Ari jolted. Fear shot through her. Was this the conversation every policeman’s family dreaded? She struggled to breathe. Surely that wasn’t the case. The detective wouldn’t tell her alone. Her mom would be with them if it was that bad.

  Garcia put a hand on Ariana’s shoulder. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, honey, but—”

  The world stopped spinning and froze in place. Ari’s heart stopped beating. Everything took on a white hue. She was about to hear the worst news possible.

  The detective continued. “—your dad is missing.”

  It took Ariana a moment to process the news. He wasn’t dead? Only missing? That meant he could be alive! Probably was. Relief washed through her. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “I know this is a shock.” Detective Garcia squeezed her shoulder. “But do you have any idea where he might’ve gone? Did he say anything to you last night or this morning, by chance?”

  Her mind felt like mush, but she forced herself to think. “Last night, he was looking for the lady in red outside our house.”

  “Outside your residence?”

  Ari nodded. “I’d seen her the night before but didn’t tell him right away. He was thinking she might come back.”

  “Do you know what he was planning on doing if he saw her?”

  “Not really. Do you think he found her?”

  “That’s what we need to find out. Can you think of anything else? No matter how small it seems, it might be the detail that helps us find him.”

  She swallowed, trying to remember all the details of their conversation the night before. It was a blur. Hadn’t they mostly discussed Mimi and Papi’s move? “I don’t know. My grandparents had just announced that they’re moving to Japan. We talked about that because we’re going to stay in their house. But that doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

  “Anything could help.” Detective Garcia made some notes on her phone. “You said he talked about the lady in red with you?”

  “Yeah, because I keep seeing her.”

  The detective arched a brow. “You do?”

  “Well, I guess I don’t know for sure.” Ari shrugged. “I keep seeing someone in a red dress. Or maybe more than one person? I don’t know. But he thinks it’s related to the people Cal works with.”

  “Cal?”

  “Cal Jones. He was arrested a few weeks ago.”

  “Oh.” She nodded. “Right. So, your dad thinks these two cases are the same?”

  “Basically. I mean, it makes sense if you think about it. Cal went after our family—both me and my mom, you know. And now this woman in red keeps showing up around me. I was with Tinsley at a sleepover when she went missing.”

  Detective Garcia tilted her head and took down more notes. “This is really good, very helpful. Thank you, sweetie. Can you think of anything else?”

  Ariana tried, but then shook her head. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “We’re doing everything in our power to make sure he will be.”

  Ariana sighed. “What now?”

  “The search continues. I’ll continue to question people, and hopefully he’ll show
up soon.”

  “What about his phone? Has anyone called him?”

  She nodded. “It’s off, and so are the location services.”

  Ari frowned. “That’s not like him.”

  Detective Garcia shook her head. “I’m going to let you get back to class, unless you can think of anything else.”

  “No. But what if I do?”

  “Call me.” She pulled out a card and handed it to her.

  “Thanks.” Ariana stuffed it into her bag. “Do I have to go back to class? I don’t think I’ll be able to focus.”

  The detective gave her a sympathetic glance. “I understand, but I really think it’s for the best. I’m sure we’ll find him soon—and what you told me will help. Hopefully, we’ll have good news by the time the final bell rings.”

  Ari forced a smile. “Okay.”

  Detective Garcia held the door open for her, and Ariana headed for her class. She stopped into a bathroom first and checked her phone. Nothing from Mom. She either didn’t know—which was unlikely—or she’d let someone else tell her about Dad’s disappearance. Or maybe they’d told her to let them. Not that it mattered. Mom should’ve been the one to tell her.

  She sent her mom a quick text.

  Ari: U should’ve LMK.

  Her mind raced. There was no way she could go back to class and pay attention. Thankfully, she had friends who would give her their notes.

  She went into a stall and called Damon, doubting he would answer because he was in class. And he didn’t. Then she sent him a text, too.

  Ari: Need to talk ASAP.

  The dots danced and a text came through.

  Damon: OK.

  Damon: R U OK?

  Ari: I’m fine. Dad’s not.

  Damon: What?

  Ari: Call me.

  Damon: OK.

  She drew in a deep breath and ignored a text from Mom. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to read it at the moment.

  The bathroom door opened and footsteps sounded. “Ariana, are you in here?”

  It sounded like the detective.

  “Yep.” She flushed the empty toilet and waited a few moments before exiting and washing her hands. “Had to take care of business.”

  Garcia gave her another sympathetic look. “I get it. My stomach gets in knots when I’m worried, too.”

  Ari smiled, but mumbled, “TMI,” as she dried her hands.

  The detective held the door for her and followed her to her class. Thankfully, the bell rang before she touched the knob.

  Ariana gave a little wave and darted down the hall to her next class. How anyone expected her to focus was beyond her, but she’d have to try. Apparently having a missing parent wasn’t enough to excuse her from school.

  Guilt stung as she realized she should’ve known something was wrong before she left for school. Usually, he talked with her before she headed out the door and sometimes drove her if she missed the bus or he had something on his mind.

  She just thought he was tired from staying up late, watching for the red dress psychopath. What if she’d said something to Mom? Maybe they could’ve figured something out sooner.

  Every minute counted when someone went missing, especially in the early hours.

  Hopefully she hadn’t made things worse.

  Chapter 29

  Alex started to pull himself from the ground when something sounded in the distance. He cupped his ears. It wasn’t anything natural.

  Sirens.

  It took him a moment to realize the significance of that thought. If sirens were within hearing, he was close to the edge of the woods. He needed to get to them, both to tell them about the body and to get help for himself. His thirst was unbearable.

  He struggled to his feet and cupped his ears again. Those were definitely sirens. No doubt about that. He should be relieved, but it was dampened by his fatigue, thirst, and soreness. The only thing he wanted was his own bed and a case of water bottles. And his family, of course them.

  Alex stumbled toward the sounds, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth and his legs feeling like gravity was three times heavier than usual. Like he was fighting nature itself. Time either stood still or raced past him. There was no way of telling.

  He leaned against a tree and tried to regain his bearings, to catch his breath, and give his aching muscles a break. But there was no time for that. Not if he was going to get out and get some water. He needed water.

  Alex turned and looked at the lake, tempted to drink the water no matter what might be in it. He could go to a hospital and get treated for whatever bacteria or anything else in it.

  But there was a dead body in there.

  He had to keep going, find people. It would be a miracle if he was able to tell anyone where this place was. He studied the waterfall and looked around for anything else that would stand out, making it easier for a search and rescue team to find.

  The edges of his vision grew fuzzy. There was no more time to sit around. He had to get out of the woods before he passed out. He drew in a deep breath as best he could, given how parched his mouth was. It helped his vision slightly.

  At least it was something. Alex pushed himself away from the tree he was leaning on and pressed forward on unsteady feet. Kept his gaze low, careful not to trip on the many rocks and exposed roots.

  A new sound gave him pause. It was hard to listen, to get past his own body screaming at him. The sirens were slightly louder, but there was something else.

  Conversation.

  It was muffled, probably far away, and might’ve been a figment of his imagination, but he didn’t care. If there was even the slightest chance people were nearby, he had to get to them.

  “Help!” His voice came out so much quieter than expected. “Help!”

  Alex was going to have to find them. His voice wasn’t cooperating any more than any other part of him. He pressed his palm on a tree for balance and stumbled forward, calling out. It made his throat scratchy, but it’d be worth it if he was able to get out, get something to drink. Point people toward the body. Then he would sleep for a week.

  The conversation grew louder, closer.

  His heart raced and he had a burst of energy. He managed to get his legs to cooperate into a full sprint. “Over here!”

  Someone called out, but Alex couldn’t make out what they said. But that wasn’t the important thing. They were close. Help was within reach.

  He stumbled forward, calling out. He would find them, get water, rest.

  Then he rounded a clump of trees.

  Two people, a man and a woman, both uniformed.

  He waved like a crazy person. “Over here!”

  They raced over. The woman asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Need water.”

  “Of course.” She dug into a backpack and handed him a silver bottle.

  He unscrewed the lid and gulped down every last drop. His throat still begged for more, but at least it was something.

  “What happened?” asked the man.

  Alex handed the bottle back to the woman. “I was dumped somewhere out that way.” He pointed in the general direction from where he’d come. “By a crazy person. Do you have more water?”

  He pulled out a plastic water bottle that was mostly full and handed it to Alex. “A crazy person?”

  Alex twisted off the cap, dropping it. “Woman in a red dress.” He gulped down all of that water too, finally starting to feel a little better. His throat, at least. “Someone with her knocked me out.”

  “How did they knock you out?” asked the man, taking the empty bottle and picking up the cap.

  “Hit me with something. Next thing I knew, I was out there.” Alex gestured in the general direction again. “But there’s a more pressing matter.”

  “What?” demanded the woman.

  Alex gasped for air. “There’s a body back this way.”

  The man and woman exchanged a glance. They didn’t appear surprised by the news.

  “Le
ad the way,” said the man.

  He did, and also noticed the two kept their distance. They also whispered to one another, apparently thinking Alex couldn’t hear them.

  They came to the water almost immediately. Clearly, Alex hadn’t made it that far in his attempt to get out of the woods.

  “It’s right …” Alex’s voice trailed off as he saw the man pointing a gun at him.

  “Hands where I can see them!”

  Alex put his palms out in front of him. “I’m an officer! Officer Alex Mercer. You can call and ask—”

  “Where’s your badge?”

  “Do I look like I have it on me?” He looked down at his dirty hoodie. Saw the blood. “I’m innocent!”

  The man didn’t lower the weapon. “You have no proof of being an officer, there’s a dead body, and you’re covered in blood.” He shook his head. “Don’t move.”

  Alex grimaced but otherwise stood still. Nothing he said would help. Not until he could get the man to lower the gun.

  “I’m going to call this in.” The woman turned and walked away.

  “Why’d you do it?” The man looked back and forth between Alex and the body.

  “I didn’t! I’m telling the truth. I was knocked unconscious in front of my house while questioning a woman in a red dress. Then I woke up over there.” He nodded in the direction he came from. “They took my phone, gun, everything.”

  “Whose blood is that?” He nodded toward Alex’s pants.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Likely story. Just stay where you are.”

  Alex clenched his jaw. How did framing him for murder fit into their plan? This was the thanks he got for closing his blog, like requested? Once he got home, he would republish it and double-down to find missing kids. He’d do everything in his power to make life difficult for the ring of criminals.

  But first he had to get home. And that was looking more challenging by the moment.

  “Can I sit?” he asked. “My leg is bothering me.”

  The man stepped forward, inching the gun closer. “I said, don't move!”

  Alex grumbled, silently cursing the lady in red, Cal, and everyone else involved in their organization. “Are you planning to arrest me?”