“Watch your tone.” I warned, realising I had been dragged into the middle of a domestic. Fantastic!
“Look, I just want to find my girlfriend. We had a little fight and she ran away from me and I’m worried. She’s probably in there right now, tearing me to shreds with that friend of hers, you know what women are like.” He lifted a hand to the back of his neck and frowned.
“It’s late to be banging on doors and yelling in the street, don’t you think?” I responded. What the hell, I was involved now and I had to see it through, it was my job after all. It seemed as though these people were friends of Greg’s, well, the snow angel was at least and he would want me to help her. Still, something in me knew I wasn’t just protecting this woman because it was my job or because my cousin knew her. I wanted to protect her regardless of that and I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. In a matter of minutes, this strange woman had me feeling all kinds of shit that I hadn’t felt in well over a year. Probably longer. That she had me feeling at all was a miracle in itself. I didn’t feel. Not anymore.
“I don’t give a shit what time it is. I need to talk to CeeCee. Can you just go and get her?” Jase’s temper flared, I could hear it in his voice. He rested both hands on either side of the door frame in a threatening move and I raised an eyebrow at him. No, I am not intimidated by you buddy.
“I suggest you go home and calm down before you do something you’ll regret.” I remained completely calm. The job had taught me not to lose my cool with people like this.
“Is that a threat?” Jase fumed.
“No, it’s a warning. Police Sergeant Adam Butler. Just taken a position at the local station. I don’t think we’ve met.” I decided to introduce myself and allowed myself the self satisfied smirk when his face paled.
“Fuck!” Jase groaned, “Look, I don’t want any trouble. I just really need to see my girlfriend, right now.”
“Not going to happen.” I told him with finality. Something bothered me about him, or rather something bothered me about the look on the Snow Angel’s face when she’d heard his voice. Fuckwit was not getting anywhere near her.
He attempted to stare me down. Unlucky mate I thought to myself as I stared back at him. If he wanted a stand-off he could have one. He obviously thought better of his actions after a few minutes and turned to leave, muttering under his breath. I closed the door and wondered why the hell I had thought this town would ever be a good move.
“So can I assume you’re CeeCee?” I asked the snow angel when I got upstairs, her beauty striking me once more when she turned to look at me and I could see she was holding back tears. Whatever that idiot had done had hurt her. A lot.
“Callie actually,” She sighed, turning towards me and catching my frown. “My name is Callindra, everyone calls me Callie or Cal. Everyone except him of course. When we were like, three years old he couldn’t pronounce Callie and it came out Cowie and it would make me cry, so our parents taught him to call me CeeCee because my middle name begins with a C too. He never stopped.”
I nodded, Callie, I had heard that name mentioned today somewhere. I tried to remember where as I flicked the kettle on and got Angel some dry clothes. She half heartedly fought me on staying put and we compromised that she would go downstairs when Greg and Dana got home. I made her hot chocolate in the single cup I had in the place, having only just moved in I had very little in the way of crockery and other kitchen ware. This was the first place I had lived on my own, everything in my last place had belonged to my flat mate so he had kept it all. And I had refused my cousin’s wife Dana’s offer to stock the place for me, knowing how girly and into flowers she was.
“So Callie? Callie what?” I asked when she came out of the bathroom dressed in my clothes. I know she noticed my eyes all over her. Damn, she looked good in my clothes. My mind began to wander and I thought about what she would look like out of them too.
“Wilson.” She supplied. Well fuck! I made the connection.
“I thought I’d heard mention of a Callie. You’re Cameron’s sister.” Not only was she my new workmate’s sister, she was also the woman who had escaped a serial killer a year ago. That explained the darkness. Despite now knowing my workmate’s sister was off limits, I couldn’t help but feel connected to her somehow. Her darkness called out to mine. Here was a chance, at last, of someone who might just understand it all. We established that I was, in fact, her brother’s new boss and I awkwardly let her know that I was aware of her story and that Cameron would be worried about her running around upset in the middle of a snow storm.
“It’s alright, what happened to me, it’s no secret. You would have to know about it I guess, being a police officer and working in this town, with my brother. Even if you didn’t know you’d have heard about it sooner or later around here. I’m generally their favourite topic of conversation.” She shrugged and I marvelled at her ease in talking about it, I wondered if she was this open with everyone she met. I somehow doubted it. “But for the record, I’m not upset, I’m fucking angry!” I got up and grabbed a bottle of brandy from a cupboard in the kitchen and splashed some into the mug of hot chocolate, thinking she could use something to calm her. “Aren’t you having any?” She asked.
“Only got one cup in the place right now, I haven’t had time to shop for that kind of thing yet.” I explained. She looked down at the cup and then back up at me then picked up the cup and took a sip before holding it out to me.
“It’s a big cup, we can share.” Snow Angel shrugged and I couldn’t hide my smile. What the hell was happening to me? I wasn’t soft and mushy like this. I’d had my fair share of flings here and there over the years, nothing serious though. I didn’t do serious. Serious meant opening up to people and I wasn’t prepared to do that. My pain was my own to carry, I didn’t need anyone else. I had gained myself the reputation of being cold and unfeeling and I was happy for it to stay that way. Yet within the space of an hour this woman was wearing my clothes and we were huddled closely on my sofa sharing a cup of hot chocolate and talking as though we had known each other for years. And I was completely okay with it.
That night I talked to her in a way I have never spoken to anyone before in my life. I was instantly at ease with her and we shared parts of ourselves that normally take weeks, months even, of getting to know each other to find out. We acknowledged each other’s darkness. She assured me that after walking in on Jase and one of her friends going at it like rabbits that they were very much over and I silently hoped she meant it. And when she told me how to win her heart I made a secret vow to myself, workmate’s sister or not, to do just that. How anyone could even consider looking elsewhere when they had her was beyond me. His loss would be my gain, I hoped.
When I woke early the next morning with her in my arms, her curves fitting perfectly against my body, the smell of coconut wafting over me from her hair, I had never felt so at peace. I realised I had slept the entire night without my usual nightmares for the first time in as long as I could remember. I knew there was something different about this woman. I decided in that moment that she had been sent to me for a reason and I wasn’t about to let her go. She was my Snow Angel and I was keeping her.
*****
Callie’s disappearance from Adam’s viewpoint
Me: I’m running late. Just a few minutes. Leaving now. Wait for me Angel.
Snow Angel: Always.
I pulled the car up in the college car park and jumped out, anxious to see my Angel, I hadn’t bothered to change out of my work uniform. I’d spent a sleepless night going over the ridiculous non argument we had the day before over that idiot Jase and I was fuming that I’d let him come between us. She had finally stopped running from me and I’d let my stubbornness get in the way. Why the hell did I not just talk to her? That’s what we did best. That’s why what we had worked as well as it did. We didn’t wallow and bottle things up, we got it out in the open. We talked. I was an idiot. But I was going to make it up to her. I had plans
. Plans that had held me up for a few minutes before leaving to pick her up, but I needed everything just right before I took her back to my place and finally made her mine. There had been a shift between us the last few days and I knew she was ready. It was time.
I frowned as I looked around the car park. Where was she? She usually waited on the bench near the exit, but it was empty. I swallowed the panic that threatened at her absence and decided she had probably done the sensible thing and gone back inside, where there would be people and she wouldn’t be alone. So I walked over to the main entrance.
Inside was virtually empty and I asked the receptionist if she knew Callie Wilson. She did, she told me she had left not that long ago. Looking up she pointed to the bench.
“She was sitting over there. I assumed she was waiting for someone.” She smiled at me.
“How long ago?” I asked, taking out my phone and hitting Angel’s number on speed dial.
“Not long, maybe ten, fifteen minutes. I can check the CCTV if you like?” My uniform obviously made her give up more information than a person usually would. I nodded at her as I waited for the phone to connect and she began to hit the keys on her computer. Angel’s phone went straight to voicemail and I knew something was wrong. Even if she was still angry with me she would not turn her phone off. Cam and I had instilled it in her to always have that thing by her side and switched on. I also knew we both checked it daily to ensure it was charged because Angel had a tendency to forget she even owned the damn thing.
“Oh no!” The receptionist gasped, she was looking, wide eyed at the computer screen, a hand over her mouth.
“Rewind it.” I demanded, grabbing the monitor and turning it towards me. I saw Angel on the screen. Her back was to the camera, but it was definitely her, the purple streaks in her hair were a giveaway, but even without them I would know her anywhere. She tucked her phone inside her bag and sat back on the bench, oblivious to the dark figure moving in behind her. He put an arm around in front of her face and bile pooled in my stomach when her body slumped and he laid her gently back against the bench. He moved around the bench, his face covered and averted from the camera, and picked her up. And then he disappeared out of view with my Angel and my world went dark.
“No.” I whispered, my hands flying to the back of my neck. Shit! Pull yourself together Adam. You need to get a grip and find her, I told myself silently.
“Are you alright?” The receptionist asked “What should I do?”
I forced myself into action, now was not the time to lose it. I took out my phone and dialled Cameron first then began barking orders at the poor receptionist. “Do you have other cameras covering the car park, the street out there, anywhere that could have picked them up? I’m going to need everything you’ve got.” She nodded and went straight to work.
Cameron picked up quickly, “Alright boss, I thought you were with Cal.”
“Cam listen to me. I need everyone out here at the college now!” How the hell did I tell him this? “I’m sorry Cam. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“What the hell is going on Adam, where is my sister?” Cam demanded and I could hear the panic in his voice.
“He has her Cam. He got to her while she was waiting for me.” I was trying to stay calm, but how was I supposed to do that when the woman I loved was in the hands of a serial killer. A serial killer who had already taken her once before and had come back for his ultimate prize.
“We’re on the way.” I could hear Cameron running as he spoke into the phone and I thanked the heavens that he had jumped straight into action. I hung up as he began barking orders to the other officers around him.
Minutes later the place was crawling with officers, both in and out of uniform. Word had gotten out quickly that Angel was one of our own and they had turned out in force to support Cameron and get her back.
The CCTV had shown up nothing, the bastard had somehow managed to avoid being spotted anywhere else. But we hadn’t given up hope, footage from cameras all over the area was being dredged up and officers were going over it second by second for any hint of evidence. Yet more officers were out on foot questioning anyone who was in the area. Someone must have seen him. A hooded figure, dressed for winter does not go un-noticed in the middle of June on a warm sunny day. Particularly when he is carrying an unconscious woman. Things were moving quickly and I was thankful for that at least.
“We have to tell the others.” Cam put a hand on my shoulder.
“Fuck Cam, I am so sorry. I can’t believe I let this happen.” I faced him.
“Don’t you fucking do that Adam. She would not want that. It’s not your fault okay. And she needs you strong, I fucking need you strong right now mate. We can’t afford to fall apart, we need to find her.” Cam pointed to my car and we both walked towards it. I wanted to be strong for her, for him too, but this was my fault, there was no getting away from it. If I hadn’t been so stubborn over Jase and been trying to impress her I would have got here in time. It was my brother James all over again and that familiar dread washed over me.
“Snap out of it bud. Give me your keys.” Cameron opened the passenger door and I handed over my keys. I knew I wasn’t in any shape to drive. “I’ve spoken to Greg, he’s getting everyone together at his place. We’ll meet them there.”
I nodded, unable to speak. I knew I needed to snap out of it and get my work head on as Angel would have put it, but my emotions were getting the better of me. “I’ll be alright. I just need a few minutes.” I told Cam and I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye as he pulled my car out onto the road and headed back towards Frost Ford.
An hour later Liv had ushered a near on hysterical Dana into the bedroom and left the rest of us in the living room. I could see Greg was warring between staying with us and going to his wife, whose cries we could hear through the closed doors. Every one of them ripped a new hole in my already tattered heart.
“Go to her Greg.” I said quietly.
“You need me here.” He replied.
“She needs you more.” I told him. He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed before leaving to be with his wife.
Dana’s cries calmed and Liv re-entered the room shortly after, looking pale and vacant. Vinnie pulled her straight into his arms and her legs refused to work any longer, so he sat down with her in his lap. She was silent, staring straight ahead, no emotion showing on her face whatsoever, as though she had completely shut down. Liv’s silence was the exact opposite to Dana’s screams but no less harrowing to see. I don’t even know if she was registering our voices around her as we spoke.
“What do we do?” Luke asked, casting a worried look towards Nick who had both arms braced against the glass of the patio doors, facing out, staring into the woods beyond.
“Where’s Jase?” Mick wanted to know.
“On his way here.” Nate looked up from where he’d been sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, his head in his hands. “I rang him.”
“Good. At least if he’s here we can keep an eye on him, rule him out once and for all.” Cam nodded as he paced the room, still in professional mode, but I suspected it was all on auto pilot. We could not treat this like the others. It wasn’t like the others. She was ours and we couldn’t switch off our emotions in the way we normally would.
“Has the old house been checked? Where he took her last time?” Mick asked.
“First place we went.” Cam answered. “There’s a team searching the woods around there, but they’ll have to stop soon, they’re losing light.”
“Then we’ll go out there ourselves and find her like we did last time.” Nate said, obviously desperate to be doing something.
“Agreed.” I said, there was no way I was sitting around waiting for someone else to find her. She was mine and I was bringing her home. We had to move fast. I would stay out there all night if I had to. Cam and I both knew we would be considered too emotionally attached to the case to be fully included on the official investigation so we ha
d to do what we could ourselves and I was not about to follow the rules in this case.
Cam and the others also nodded in agreement and we quickly arranged to meet up in twenty minutes to search the woodland around Frost Ford. Knowing what we did from her Father’s own investigation, it was the obvious starting point and we would go from there. Cameron managed to snap Liv out of her stupor and she agreed to stay with Dana and although Greg wanted to come with us I felt there should be at least one man with them both, so he agreed to stay behind. Nick called his brother Ethan and told him he had to stay at home with their younger brothers so that he could search with us. They argued briefly, all three of his brothers wanted to be out there with us. She belonged to them too.
Jase arrived as we were leaving and demanded to join us. I wanted to keep an eye on him so I insisted he partner with me.
*****
“What happened?” Jase demanded as we split from the others and began making our way through the woodland.
“What?” I snapped. I may have wanted him where I could see him but that didn’t mean I had to talk to him.
“He got hold of her when she was on your watch. What the fuck happened?” He snarled back. I whirled and grabbed him by the collar with one hand and drew back the other ready to lay him out. The smug look on his face was the only thing that stopped me. Angel’s words came back to me and I realised she was right, he would use it against me and I wasn’t about to give him the pleasure. I let him go.
“I fucked up.” I confessed, “A feeling I believe you might be familiar with.”
He flinched, “Yeah, but I didn’t put her life in danger.”
“No, you just ripped her heart out and destroyed her faith in everything she believed in.” I bit back. We walked in silence for a while before I finally cracked. “Look, we both want the same thing here, let’s just get over ourselves and work together for her sake alright?”
“You think we’ll find her?” His voice was low and I could hear the emotion in his words.
Educating Callie Page 34
