Missing in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  Angela returned, her whiskers twitching. She planted her butt on the floor and glared at Lady Fairchild. Kat didn’t have to step foot in the kitchen to know there wasn’t any cat food available there.

  “But as you know, I am a big supporter of the arts,” Lady Fairchild went on. “And I don’t mind giving those with the ambition to pursue their dreams a helping hand if they need one. So when I heard Janice was looking to break into acting, I took it upon myself to sponsor her.”

  “By sponsor her, you mean pay to fly her out to L.A.?” Kat said.

  Lady Fairchild smiled. “You say that like she travels every week.”

  “How often does she travel?”

  “Well, she’s been to L.A. before, but this upcoming trip is the first one with an audition on the agenda. Before now her auditions have been limited to the video variety. Of course, naturally there have been other expenses I’ve helped her with. I paid to send Janice to an acting workshop a few months ago. And . . .” Lady Fairchild peered around before stretching sideways to pluck something out of a stack of papers on the end table next to her. She held it out to Kat. “Here.”

  Kat’s heart skipped a beat when she realized she was looking at a black-and-white picture of her neighbor. “This is Janice.”

  “That’s the headshot I arranged for her to have taken. She’s stunning, don’t you think?”

  Kat nodded. Janice looked so beautiful and full of life in the photograph that it brought tears to her eyes.

  Lady Fairchild steadied Muffin with both hands as she resettled in her chair. “From your reaction to that picture, I gather this is the first time you’ve seen it.”

  “It is.” Kat placed Janice’s photo on top of a nearby stack of DVDs. “I have to say, I’m surprised Janice never mentioned her desire to act before. I only found out this morning.”

  “Don’t take it personally, darling. I imagine her insecurities had something to do with that. Janice isn’t so unlike many creatives in that she suffers from a debilitating lack of confidence. And acting is such a competitive business. You’re surrounded by so many talented people that it’s easy to develop an inferiority complex.”

  “She still could have said something when she landed this movie audition,” Kat replied. “Even if she doesn’t make the final cut, just being one of the top three contenders is a major accomplishment.”

  “She probably feared letting you and everyone else down if she ends up not getting the part.”

  “She wouldn’t have let us down.”

  Lady Fairchild eyed Kat. “But you would have been disappointed for her, no? Perhaps you might have even felt the slightest smidgen of pity? And once she confided about this audition you would have expected her to tell you about any future tryouts, would you not? And how do you think she would feel about being saddled with the possibility of disappointing you in perpetuity?”

  Kat didn’t reply. She didn’t think a response was expected. Lady Fairchild had made her point crystal clear.

  Angela walked over to Kat and sat down by her feet. Kat patted her lap, and the feline jumped up to join her.

  “Are you hurt Janice didn’t confide in you?” Lady Fairchild asked.

  “More curious than hurt.” Kat buried her fingers in Angela’s soft fur. “We’re friendly but not really close. You sound like you’re pretty close to her though.”

  Lady Fairchild smiled. “I like to think we’re getting there. As her sponsor I do what I can to bolster her confidence. But our relationship as it stands right now is mostly centered around her acting aspirations. And I can’t imagine how that might be tied to her disappearance.”

  “How did you two meet?”

  “Why, through our dogs.” Lady Fairchild tousled Muffin’s ears. “We ran into each other at the park enough times that we got to chatting. I might have said something about being an arts supporter, and Janice might have let it slip that she had a dream to be on the big screen one day.”

  “Did she ever mention a boyfriend to you?”

  “No, I can’t say she did. I was under the impression she was single.” Lady Fairchild frowned. “Why, do you think this boyfriend has something to do with her being missing?”

  “I think it’s possible. One of her neighbors claims he overheard her arguing with him a few times. Although, to be honest, I’m not sure this neighbor is completely trustworthy.”

  “What else did he say about this boyfriend?” Lady Fairchild asked.

  “He didn’t know much. He claims he never met him in person. But he did say he heard Janice complaining about being in constant pain. I thought this boyfriend, if he does exist, might be abusing her.”

  “Constant pain, hmm.” Lady Fairchild drummed her fingers on Muffin’s back. “The term Janice used, are you sure it wasn’t ‘permanent pain’?”

  “Yes, it was.” Kat was positive her face reflected her surprise. “How did you know?”

  Lady Fairchild threw her head back and laughed, a reaction that startled not only Kat but Muffin and Angela as well. The dachshund started yapping, and Angela scrambled off of Kat’s lap before dashing up the staircase. Kat could only sit there and stare.

  When Lady Fairchild’s amusement died down, Kat asked, “What’s so funny?”

  Lady Fairchild drew in a deep breath. “It’s not, really. I suppose it’s the tension that got to me, this not knowing whether Janice is alive and well or beyond saving.”

  Her summary of Janice’s situation squeezed Kat’s insides. Kat desperately hoped her neighbor was much closer to the ‘alive and well’ side of the scale.

  “I apologize for being so inappropriate.” Lady Fairchild wiped the moisture from her eyes. “But your overheard conversation, I recognized it.”

  “You recognized it?” Kat was more confused than ever.

  “It’s from the movie Janice is trying out for. ‘Permanent pain.’ That’s what Marjorie, Janice’s character, says in the film. That line is included in the scene Janice has to memorize for her audition next week. Marjorie was talking about perms, you know, the hairstyle, not being in perpetual pain. She was an inventor, the first black woman to hold a patent. She created some sort of perming device for women. I gather there was some pain involved with using this contraption until Marjorie came up with another invention to mitigate the discomfort.”

  So Lucy had been right about Janice’s single state after all, Kat mused. Janice hadn’t been arguing with a boyfriend all those times Ryan had overheard her. She had been rehearsing for a movie audition.

  Kat didn’t know if Lady Fairchild’s insights made her feel better or worse. On the one hand, the boyfriend angle was now a dead end. On the other hand, Kat was relieved her neighbor wasn’t a victim of domestic violence and that Ryan Pollack hadn’t lied about what he’d heard. Ryan might have been wrong, but he hadn’t been intentionally trying to deceive them—not about that, at least.

  But the lack of an abusive boyfriend didn’t mean Janice wasn’t currently at the mercy of someone equally as dangerous. And no matter how overwhelming the task, Kat was determined to figure out who that someone was.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kat hadn’t been home more than twenty minutes when someone pounded on her apartment door.

  “Kat!” Lucy’s shout was loud enough to get Matty to lift her head from where she was snoozing on the couch. “Open up!”

  Kat threw the front door open, her heart rate accelerating. “What is it? Have you heard from Janice?”

  “No, but she’s on the twelve o’clock news. One of the Spokane stations is reporting on her disappearance now.” Lucy brushed past Kat and snatched the remote off of the coffee table. She aimed it at the tiny television across the room and squeezed the power button using both thumbs, as if extreme pressure would cause the TV to turn on faster.

  Tom had been in the process of crossing the room to greet their guest, but he paused mid-step when the television sprang to life.

  “I’m standing here with Cameron Daily, Janice Mosele
y’s agent, to get the inside scoop now,” a bright-eyed, blond reporter said. She swiveled sideways and stuck her microphone in Cameron’s face. “Mr. Daily, how well do you know Janice Moseley?”

  Cameron grabbed the microphone from the reporter’s hand. “Very. And I can tell you she’s the real deal. I’ve never met anyone with such raw, natural talent. Mark my words, she’s on the brink of stardom. The cameras love her, and once she hits the big screen America will love her too. She’s going to have a long career ahead of her.” Cameron grimaced. “That’s assuming she gets through this ordeal alive.”

  Tom stared, wide-eyed, at the screen as a picture of Janice flashed behind the reporter. It was the same headshot that Lady Fairchild had shown Kat at her house.

  The reporter took hold of her microphone again. “Mr. Daily, what do you think happened to Ms. Moseley?”

  “I think she was abducted by a nefarious individual, that’s what I think happened. There’s no other reason she would have stood me up for our meeting this morning. Janice is responsible and hard-working. She’s a woman willing to put in the hours to become the best at her craft. This one doesn’t cut corners. Like I said, she’s the real deal.”

  The reporter tilted her head. “You say you had a meeting scheduled with Ms. Moseley this morning?”

  “That’s right. But I ran into her neighbor rather than Janice herself. That’s when I first became aware she was missing. This neighbor informed me that Janice was a no-show at a party, left her handbag on her coffee table, and abandoned her pooch. Well, if that last bit isn’t cause for alarm I don’t know what is. Janice loves that dog like nobody’s business.”

  Kat was vaguely aware of Bubbles barking from behind her closed bedroom door. Her heart ached for the poor dog. Where would he go if Janice never returned? He couldn’t stay here forever.

  Cameron turned pleading eyes toward the camera. “If Janice’s kidnapper is watching this, please, I implore you, don’t do her harm. Janice has many people who love her and are waiting for her safe return. Do the right thing and release her.”

  Kat sat on the floor next to Tom and pulled him into her lap. If something ever happened to her she hoped someone gave him and Matty a good home.

  “Thank you for that heartfelt plea, Mr. Daily,” the reporter said, her tone solemn.

  The reporter started to rotate toward the camera, but Cameron yanked the microphone from her hand. He inserted himself between her and the camera, practically shoving the startled reporter out of the way.

  “I would like to encourage any of you watching at home to make Janice’s safe return a top priority,” Cameron said. “As caring, concerned community members, we’re the best hope she has. If we can find this talented young woman and save her from the dangerous criminal who has her in his possession, nothing will stop her rise to stardom. Janice will become Washington State’s most coveted asset, and that type of exposure will benefit us all.”

  The reporter tried to edge her way back in front of the camera, but Cameron elbowed her aside.

  “Let me tell you the kind of person Janice is,” Cameron said. “She’s your typical girl next door. Sweet, smart, pretty. Honest, helpful, and kind. She’s always willing to go the extra mile for someone in need, which is what we need to do now to bring her home.”

  Kat blinked back tears. She couldn’t think of a more accurate description of Janice.

  “I know we all feel powerless and heartbroken right now,” Cameron continued. “But that shouldn’t stop us from getting involved. Gather up your friends and start searching your neighborhoods. Janice lives in Cherry Hills, so it’s imperative that those of you watching from Central Washington participate in this rescue effort. As you go on with your day-to-day lives, keep Janice in your thoughts and be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Share your feelings about her plight on social media. Use hashtag #FindJanice to help spread the word. We don’t want this gifted young woman to become another tragic statistic. We want to take this thing national and get her the attention she deserves until she’s safe at home once more. Don’t let her become a fourth-page story. This young woman needs us.”

  The reporter snatched the microphone from his hands. “Thank you, Mr. Daily.” She whirled toward the camera. Although she was smiling, her annoyance was clear from the way the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Back to you, Michelle.”

  Lucy flicked the television off and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. “Looks like that guy missed his calling becoming an agent instead of an actor.”

  “Maybe.” But for all of Cameron’s melodrama, Kat found herself praying his words would make a difference.

  Lucy lowered herself onto the couch. “I was hoping they’d have an update on her whereabouts.”

  “Andrew probably would have told us if there was anything newsworthy to report.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Tom cooed at Kat. Kat petted him, hoping the gesture would relax her. A feeling of dread had been steadily building in her gut since last night, and now it threatened to overwhelm her.

  “It didn’t take long for the news to jump on this story,” Kat said.

  “Nope,” Lucy agreed.

  That seemed to have exhausted their conversational avenues. They both sat there in silence. Kat wished she felt more inspired by Cameron’s speech, but it had only served to depress her. She couldn’t help thinking they might never find Janice.

  A pounding cut through the quiet. Matty’s head shot up, her eyelids springing open and her ears rotating around.

  “Lucy?” came Ryan Pollack’s muffled voice from the hallway.

  “He must be outside my apartment,” Lucy whispered. She slid lower on the sofa, as if Ryan might be able to see through the walls.

  Tom crawled off of Kat’s lap and tiptoed toward the front door. He stuck his nose near the crack, no doubt trying to catch a glimpse of the loud man in the hallway.

  “Lucy?” Ryan called out again. “Are you home? I’m off to get Janice.”

  Lucy blanched. Her eyes locked with Kat’s, and she hissed, “He took Janice, and now he’s here for me.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Kat held her breath, waiting to hear what Ryan did next in the hallway. She didn’t dare move—not even to dry the perspiration on her palms—for fear she would make a sound that would attract his attention.

  But as the seconds ticked by and her initial rush of adrenaline subsided, she began to reevaluate the situation. Why would Ryan be making such a ruckus if he were here to snatch Lucy? It didn’t make any sense after Ryan himself had acknowledged how easy it was to eavesdrop in this building. Kat was letting Lucy’s irrational fears get to her.

  Kat stood up. On her way to the door she detoured past the couch in order to give the abruptly awakened Matty a reassuring pat. But Matty clearly didn’t appreciate the gesture. The tortoiseshell scrambled upright and started licking the spot Kat had touched with her sweat-slicked hands.

  “Where are you going?” Lucy whispered.

  “To see what Ryan wants,” Kat told her.

  Lucy’s mouth gaped open. “Are you crazy? What if he kidnaps you too?”

  “It’s two against one. If he tries anything, we’ll fight him off.”

  Lucy balked. “I’m not going out there.”

  Lucy’s resistance made Kat hesitate. Although she didn’t think Ryan had any interest in her, the consequences if she were wrong were severe enough to give her pause.

  Kat looked at Matty, as if the tortoiseshell might be able to provide her with some guidance. But Matty was still busy grooming herself. She had expanded her focus past the section Kat had sullied and was now chewing on a particularly troublesome patch of fur, her pink nose wrinkling from the effort.

  The sight of Matty going about her normal business gave Kat the shot of courage she needed. If Matty didn’t think Ryan’s appearance in the hallway was a big deal, why should she?

  It was faulty logic, she knew, given that Matty
rarely concerned herself with matters that didn’t revolve around the tortoiseshell herself, but it wasn’t as if Kat could avoid Ryan forever. The guy only lived one floor down. And unless Andrew ended up arresting him after all, at some point their paths would intersect again.

  Before she could second-guess herself, Kat strode over to the door, picked up Tom, and turned the lock.

  By the time she swung the door open, Ryan was already heading for the elevator at the other end of the hallway. He turned around, looking surprised to see her.

  “Katherine,” he said.

  “It’s Kat,” she replied. She firmed her grip on Tom, unsure whether the gesture was to protect him or her. “I heard you calling for Lucy out here.”

  Ryan nodded. “I thought she might want to help look for Janice.”

  “Look for Janice?”

  “Yeah. Larry asked me to help him organize a search party. He’s waiting downstairs for us now. I know Lucy and Janice are friends. I thought she might want to help.”

  Kat digested that. Larry must have seen Cameron Daily on the news and taken his plea to heart. “So you don’t know where Janice is?” she asked, just to be sure.

  Ryan scratched his head, a look of befuddlement distorting his features. “How would I know where she is?”

  Emboldened by Larry’s presence in the lobby and Ryan’s subsequent inability to drag her out of the building without attracting their landlord’s attention, Kat stepped closer to him. “Ryan, I have to ask you something.”

  “Okay.”

  “What were you really doing last night?”

  He blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “You claimed to have been at the park watching the sun set, but you were gone for three hours. And I saw the shoes you had on. Those weren’t walking shoes.”

  He heaved a sigh. “All right. So I might have made that up.”

  “Where were you really?”