Careless Whisper

by Stacy Claflin

  “What’s going to happen?” Damon asked.

  Alex handed him back his phone. “I don’t know, and for the time, I’m not on the case.”

  “Why not?”

  He frowned. “For reasons I can’t go into—reasons that don’t have anything to do with me, other than the fact that I could actually be of use on this case.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “Never mind.” Alex stepped back. “Could you push both of them for a bit?”

  “Sure.”

  Alex hurried over to Zoey, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to go inside for a minute.”

  She snapped one more picture of Ari before turning to him and planting her lips on his. “Still worried about the case?”

  He nodded. “I need to find out how it’s going. I won’t be long.”

  “I’ve heard that before.”

  It was impossible to tell if she was teasing or annoyed. He cupped her chin. “I promise. I’m not even on the case anymore.”

  “That chief is just threatened by your skills.”

  “We’ll see.” He hurried into the kitchen, already calling Anderson.

  Voicemail.

  Alex didn’t bother leaving a message. He debated who to call next. Could be just about anyone. It seemed as though everyone else in the department was on this other than him.

  He decided to call Nick. As captain, he was rarely on a case but always knew what was going on. Though with Crawford running the show, it was possible Nick didn’t know much more than him.

  Alex was about ready to hang up when his friend finally picked up.

  “Hey, Alex.” A crying baby sounded in the background.

  “Sorry to bother you. I’ll let you go.”

  “It’s okay. G is just changing a diaper, and our little miss screams bloody murder every time. She’s actually fine.”

  “I remember those days.”

  “I’d nearly forgotten, it’s been so long. Do you need something? Or just calling to talk?”

  Alex leaned against the counter and considered not bringing the case up to Nick. He was busy enough, from the sounds of it.

  “Don’t hold back.”

  “The media found out about the returned girl.”

  “Already?” Nick exclaimed.

  “Yeah. And given the kidnappers wanted to keep everything on the down low, I’m worried about the other two victims.”

  A beat passed before Nick spoke. “The sting should be going on right now. Hopefully, the abductors aren’t aware of the news.”

  “I hope not, but what about the third one? The parents wouldn’t even have time to get the money yet, would they? The kidnappers might decide the stakes have suddenly gotten too high.”

  “Do you know what I think?”

  “What?” Alex clenched his jaw.

  “Text Anderson about the news, then focus on being home. You’re not on the case, so enjoy the evening. It’s all you can do, anyway.”

  “I can post something on my blog.”

  “You know better than that.”

  Alex sighed. “Yes.”

  A loud scream sounded over the phone.

  “I’ve got to go,” Nick said. “Spend time with your family. Oh, and have Zoey call G at some point.”

  “Okay.” Alex couldn’t help feeling defeated, but his friend was right. He had his family safe and sound, and that was plenty to be grateful for.

  They said goodbye, then Alex paced the kitchen for a minute. He glanced outside to see Damon now in front of the twins, making silly faces at them. The toddlers were laughing hysterically. Ariana was now snapping photos of Zoey.

  Nick was right. Alex spent enough time worrying about cases. He needed to take the break given him and enjoy the time with his family.

  If the chief really was the mole, he would likely have bigger problems coming his way soon enough.

  Chapter 15

  Owen clutched the seat of the van, squeezing tightly, his nails digging into fabric. He gritted his teeth and looked out the side window as they drove over another pothole.

  “Could you be more careful?” he snapped.

  Sam looked over and rolled his eyes. “Wuss.”

  “I’m not. You’re a crazy driver.” He looked out the front window this time and focused on the stars above, trying to calm his nerves. It didn’t help much.

  “What are you so scared about? This pick-up is going to go off just as good as the last one.”

  He licked his lips, swallowed, and took a deep breath. “How do you know? This could go wrong. Everything could get flipped upside down tonight.”

  “Would you stop worrying?”

  “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Sam sighed dramatically. “What’s with you? I mean, seriously. We have a plan, we know what we're doing. We've already proven ourselves. The last time went off without a hitch, and now we have twenty thousand dollars. In an hour, we’ll have double that. Stop trying to make this more than it is. This is the easiest money we’ve ever made.”

  “You call this easy? Now I know you’re crazy!”

  “Crazy rich, you mean.”

  Owen didn't reply, just kept looking out the window and focusing on his breaths. Something was going to go wrong—he could feel it. He had that niggling feeling in the bottom of his gut.

  Nothing good ever came when he felt that.

  Sam turned up the music even louder, so they couldn't speak. That was probably for the best.

  He drew in a deep breath and counted the stars as they went over several more potholes. With each one, he felt more and more like he was going to throw up.

  They passed the parking lot at the park. Sam turned the steering wheel sharply in the opposite direction. His head twisted painfully as the van turned.

  “What gives? I thought we were going to the park.”

  Sam glared at him. “You really think we're going to park in the public lot?”

  Heat crept into his cheeks. “No. I just don't know what you're doing.”

  Sam grunted as he turned down a gravel road. The van bounced along even worse than before.

  Owen closed his eyes and waited for the motion to stop. Once it finally did, he peeked open one eye. They were facing a row of trees. With it being so dark, he couldn't see anything else other than branches.

  “You got your new mask?” asked Sam.

  “Right here.” He patted his jacket.

  “Good. Let's go. We don't got much time.” Sam opened the driver’s side door, jumped out, and slammed it shut.

  He jumped at the sound and silently scolded himself for being an idiot. Not only that, but a horrible criminal.

  Owen got out of the car, wishing he would go back in time and never agree to doing any of this. But they were in too deep, had already broken too many laws.

  He closed the door and walked around to the other side, where Sam was busy with a flashlight.

  Owen went over everything they needed to do, which was really not that much at this point. Basically, he just needed to look out to make sure there were no cops involved, and also that it was the parents who were dropping off the bag. It was rather simple, really.

  Except that it wasn't. They’d gotten lucky the first time, but luck could run out.

  Quickly.

  Without a word, Sam walked straight into the trees.

  He followed, keeping up but also staying quiet. Only watching the bouncing beam of Sam’s flashlight.

  After zigging and zagging through the woods, they finally reached the park. It felt like it took forever. The playground was off to the side across the way, and they were at the end of the trail near a set of benches overlooking a little pond.

  His heart pumped and his mind raced. With his hands in his pockets, he focused on the last money pick-up. Maybe everything would go as planned this time, too.

  Sam turned to him and pulled up the ski mask from his face. “You ready?”

  Owen cleared his t
hroat. “Yeah, of course.”

  “Good. You go stand over there by that stump. Make sure nobody else comes—just the parents.”

  “What?” he exclaimed. “You want me to stand over there in the open?”

  “That's what I said.”

  “Are you crazy? No way am I doing that!”

  “Look. Just stand there like everything is fine. Like you're just some random dude.”

  “In a mask?”

  “Just go with it.”

  His breath hitched, and his heart raced even faster. “Okay. Then what?”

  “Text me if anything is weird. I'm going to hide behind this bush. Between the two of us we’ll have everything covered.”

  He looked at his watch. “Fine. Let's just get this over with.”

  “Good. Text me if you see anything suspicious.”

  Without a word, they both went to their respective locations.

  Owen watched as Sam climbed behind the bush. Then he sat on the stump and looked at his phone. When he got bored of that, he put it up to his ear and pretended to speak, not that anybody was anywhere near to see his act. In fact, it was rapidly approaching the time of the drop off, but nobody was in sight.

  And that made him even more nervous than if anybody was there.

  He glanced around to see if Sam had come out from the bush, but he hadn't.

  Time seemed to pass even slower, as evidenced by the way he kept checking his phone only to find the hands hadn’t moved.

  Owen was just about to give up.

  Then footsteps sounded down the path.

  He whipped his head around.

  Two people heading his way. Both men.

  Those weren't the parents. The drop off was supposed to be either just the dad or the two parents. Not two guys. Something was wrong.

  As the two men approached, it became clear they were wearing matching clothes.

  Matching uniforms?

  His pulse drummed in his ear.

  Uniforms. That meant cops.

  A light flickered above them when they were about a hundred feet away. The light illuminated their matching blue uniforms. One even carried what appeared to be a nightstick.

  His voice caught in his throat. What was he supposed to do?

  Text Sam.

  Breathing heavily, he fumbled with the phone.

  There was only time for one word.

  Abort!

  Owen burst into a run for the van just as Sam leaped from his hiding place.

  Chapter 16

  Josie banged the top of the box and cried out, though her bruised fist barely made more noise than the squeak that escaped her throat. Two lone tears ran down her face, one on each side.

  It had been so long. She had no idea how much time had passed since she lost the light, not to mention how long she’d been trapped.

  It felt like a week, which was all the time she had.

  And nobody had come for her. Either her parents hadn’t been able to come up with the money or the kidnappers lied. Imagine that, criminals lying.

  She tried to stop the tears from falling, but her despair was too powerful. Her will was too weak.

  The darkness was her enemy. The stench was growing more unbearable by the minute. She tried to hold her bladder as long as possible to not make it worse, tried not to drink water. But her body had basic functions, and she didn’t have a bathroom. She couldn’t even sit or stand.

  What she wouldn’t give to walk around. She moved and stretched as much as possible. If those two men showed again to unbury her, she wanted to be able to run. But given how weak she felt, they’d overpower her in seconds.

  Tears rolled down her face and pooled in her ears. She didn’t bother wiping them away. What was the point?

  She imagined her family. What were they doing right now? Were they trying to get to her? Trying desperately to gather the money? Was Jared going to school?

  And what about her friends? Kids in her classes? Did anyone know she was missing? Or had her parents had to keep quiet because of the ransom?

  Those thoughts made her heart race—as they did every time she wondered. It seemed often but was hard to know. Did she think about the ransom every day? Every hour? It was impossible to tell.

  If she got out of this, she never wanted to be alone again. Or in the dark. She’d get a little kids’ nightlight for her room. Let Jared make fun of her. She didn’t care. Darkness was the enemy. That, and her attackers.

  If she got out—No. Not if. When. Yes, it was looking bleaker by the moment, but as long as her heart was beating, she had hope.

  Josie pictured her best friends and reached for a water bottle. Empty. She felt around for one with liquid. Stretched her fingers. Bumped something.

  Slosh.

  Her pulse quickened. She scooted to get a hold of the bottle. Opened it, careful not to spill. Brought it to her mouth and sipped. Barely enough to satisfy her throat.

  She had to conserve it. The longer she could make it last, the longer she would last. Assuming the air didn’t kill her. Between the stench and not knowing how the criminals rigged the box for her to breathe, it was impossible to know if she actually did have a week.

  Did they care enough about her survival? She was a dollar sign to them. But they would probably get the money whether she was dead or alive—her parents would pay the fee and then find out if she was alive.

  The lump in her throat grew more prominent. Her mouth wobbled. Hot tears filled her eyes.

  She replaced the lid on the bottle and kicked the box as hard as she could.

  “Help! Help me! I’m down here!”

  But there was no response.

  Just like every other time.

  Her stomach rumbled, but she barely felt it anymore.

  By the time she got out of here, she would be weak and pathetic. It would take more time to recover than she’d spent in here. But as long as she had light, food, and loved ones, she didn’t care.

  She just wanted out.

  “Help! Help me!”

  No response.

  Just like every other time.

  Chapter 17

  Alex finished his mocha and entered the station.

  Conversations were buzzing more than usual for this early.

  That thought perked him up, even though the coffee hadn’t done much. Laney had been crying a lot throughout the night. From what he and Zoey could figure, a tooth was coming in. It’s hard to get a preschooler to explain what the pain feels like.

  Alex put his things at his desk, tossed the empty cup, and walked around to see what he could find out. Everyone was deep in discussion.

  Everyone except Nick, who sat in his office with the door closed.

  Alex knocked.

  The captain looked up and waved him in.

  “What’s going on?” Alex sat across from him.

  Nick rubbed his temples. “Nobody showed to pick up the cash last night.”

  “Not at all?”

  Nick shook his head. “The feds did everything as the abductors demanded—just like the family of the second girl did. But this time, they didn’t show up.”

  “Maybe they sensed something was off?”

  “I don’t see how. The agent dressed in plainclothes and was the same height and build as the dad. There was no reason for them to think it wasn’t him. He even left from the family’s residence in case they were following him.”

  “Nobody else was there?”

  “Not while the feds were. Our guys got there a few minutes late because of a collision blocking the road not far from the park, but it was empty.”

  “And nobody was there in uniform?”

  Nick shook his head. “Just the guy standing in for the dad and some other feds watching. They were in all black and not standing anywhere they’d be seen.”

  Alex drew in a deep breath. “Now what?”

  “It’s a waiting game. The dad called the number last night, but nobody answered.”

  “Something’s w
rong.” Alex clenched his fists.

  Nick nodded and took a sip from his mug.

  “How are we going to find her? There has to be a way! We could look near where the other girl was found. Or—”

  “Alex, the feds are on it. You have a stack of paperwork on your desk. Should probably get started with that.”

  Alex scowled at him. “Seriously?”

  Nick nudged his head slightly toward the window.

  Crawford, though in the middle of a group of feds, was staring at them.

  “Fine.” Alex rose. “But don’t think I’m going to stay silent long. Kicking me off the case is ridiculous. I’m going to tell that pompous fool as much if he keeps me off.”

  “Just wait it out. Once this blows over, he’ll be back at City Hall, trying to impress the mayor.”

  “Blows over?” Alex exclaimed. “This is far from over.”

  “I’ll talk with Crawford.”

  “For all the good that’ll do,” Alex muttered.

  Nick lifted a brow.

  Alex left for his desk, but he kept his attention on the chief the entire time.

  Crawford watched him, too.

  Good. The man needed to know Alex wasn’t going to walk away from the case with his tail hanging between his legs.

  They needed him more than the new officers who had barely stepped foot outside of the academy.

  Alex turned his chair so that he could watch Crawford from the corner of his eye as he looked through the stack of paperwork—which had more than doubled since the night before.

  He didn’t know what was worse, following up on wildlife reports or getting stuck with paperwork.

  Crawford was sending a message loud and clear.

  And Alex was done with the game. He’d pretend to play for a little longer, but then he was going to make it obvious that they needed him. Nobody had found more missing kids than him.

  Nobody.

  And that didn’t take into account the cases he solved prior to becoming a cop. No one came close to touching his record if his civilian work was included.

  He went through the files and stacked them in order of easiest to hardest. About an hour passed while he mindlessly went through the top papers and listened to the conversation, trying to extrapolate what he could. It wasn’t easy with so many people talking at once.