In the security station, Turner asked the guard, “Have you seen Bailey?”
“No,” came from a heavy accented voice. It was Southern, I think they called it here in the States. “And no, she didn’t call a cab,” the voice continued.
Turner looked on the verge of leaving. I wasn’t sure if this question had been asked, but I said it anyway, “No cars came down this path at all today?”
I viewed the bank of monitors in front of the guy. Based on the comments I’d heard, this security was to protect the compound from the curious, not the crazy.
“Yeah, a car showed up, drove down, and turned back without stopping. But that’s not unusual,” the guy said defensively. “People accidentally turn on that road and ignore the private sign all the time.”
“How often does that happen?” I queried.
“Once or twice a month.”
Gritting my teeth, I continued, “And what time did this happen?”
“Oh, about an hour or two ago.”
On the verge of hitting someone, I ignored him and focused on Turner.
Beating me to the punch, he said, “I still think she could have gone home.”
“Is there a problem?” the guy asked. He looked as if we’d woken him from a nap. His blond hair was muddled every which way. “Should I contact Mr. Glicks?”
“No,” Turner said. “I’m heading over there now.”
We exited the building and our brisk walk turned into a jog.
After giving the story to Bailey’s mother, all three of us headed back to Violet’s. After we made it back, Bailey’s mother, convinced no one was home, left in search of Violet and her husband to see if they’d seen her.
I’d already sent a message to Griffin to look into Steven’s background. I’d learned that he was new to the community and hadn’t yet been located. Though I didn’t want to believe he had anything to do with Bailey’s disappearance. He couldn’t have known Bailey would show up here, could he?
Not wanting to scare Bailey’s mother, we’d suggested the possibility that Bailey had probably gone for a walk.
When the back door banged open and closed from a breeze, both Turner and I lunged in that direction.
We both looked at it first, hoping it just hadn’t latched, but that was a long shot. Outside, I caught sight of something not right. “Look over there.”
Turner’s eyes followed the direction of my finger. He was about to shrug it off when he really got a look at the disturbance in the stalks. “Where does this go?”
There was a set of footprints in the snow. One that led toward the field and began to come back. And there was something else.
We started walking forward, neither of us wanting to believe what may be true.
“This is our natural barrier to the public road that is about a half a mile straight ahead. And the stalks run about a mile parallel to the road. It keeps people from wandering in here in summer and feeds the animals in winter. The stalks are tall, and it’s easy to get lost when in season.”
The stalks were tall, taller than me, but limp. They blended in like a forest of tan. Still, it was easy to see a trail of broken stalks someone left in their wake. The width of the path suggested that someone was probably carrying something while trampling through.
We traded looks before we took off. It was easy to navigate with the path already made for us.
In a couple of minutes, we’d made it to a road. What I saw chilled me. Tire tracks were left in the muddy snow on the side of the road. It appeared someone had been parked here. And most likely they had Bailey with them.
I saw fear in Turner’s eyes that mirrored my own.
“Whoever it was could be anywhere now, most likely on a highway headed out of state,” he declared.
“There have to be cameras that may have spotted something.”
His response to me was, “We don’t even know what kind of car it was.”
My answer was to look at the tire tracks, knowing he was smart enough to get it. Tires were manufactured to fit only specific vehicles. We could narrow the possibilities down considerably, given the right forensic tools.
Out of my pocket, I pulled my sat phone. I caught Turner eyeing the device before he spoke. “I guess there are things you can do for her that I can’t. Are you calling a team of professionals to find her?” His voice was laced with bitterness. Fear had a way of letting one’s true emotions show through.
Matching my tone with his, I said, “You aren’t the only one who cares deeply for her.”
He rolled his eyes and swept the street instead of looking at me. I dialed a number. With dawn only recently coming to pass, I glimmered a bit of satisfaction when a groggy voice answered. It was the small things that kept one sane in times of crisis.
“What?”
“It’s Kalen.” I kept it to the point.
There was a pause before the voice said, “Bailey’s Kalen?” There could have been pleasure gained in that question if it was true.
“Yes,” I answered in the affirmative. No need for clarification at this point.
“Why are you calling at this ungodly hour?”
Not wanting to waste time, I kept it simple. “You remember that audit issue she found?”
“What now, you want me to help locate the people who did it?” I could hear amusement in the voice that said I would need his help.
“No, I want you to help locate Bailey… Matt, she’s been taken.”
<<<<>>>>
PART THREE OF THE KING MAKER SERIES IS COMING DECEMBER 2019
Thank You
I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to read my novel. Above all, I hope you loved it. If you did, I would love it if you could spare just a few more minutes to leave a review on your favorite e-tailer. If you do, could you be so kind and not leave any spoilers about the story? Thanks so much!
Acknowledgments
Writing is not a right as much as it is a privilege. I wouldn’t have that opportunity to do this if not for my readers. And I’ve been doing this now for a decade now, and I’m grateful for all the support my readers have shown me over the years. So THANK YOU.
THANK YOU TO my beta readers. They are first look that everything I think I got on the page actually made it there:
Kelly Reed-Brunet— Thanks for always being there at a moments notice. YOU ROCK and are a true friend!!!
Thank you to my writing partner Anne Hargrove. You are always there to help no matter what in my time of need. Thanks bestie.
Thanks to Michele @ Michele Catalano Creative, always sees my vision even before I know it. Thank you for squeezing me in and designing a beautiful cover.
To Sara, thanks for your fantastic photography.
Thank you to Paige Smith. You are always there last minute to work me in. You give shine to my words.
Thank you to Rosa Sharon at iScream Proofreading Services for your keen eye, extremely fast turnaround, and always being there short notice.
About the Author
Terri E. Laine, USA Today bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she’s always been a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.
Many years later, she got a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more memories to come.
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Also by Terri E. Laine
Because Of Him
Captivated by Him
Chasing Butterflie
s
Catching Fireflies
Changing Hearts
Craving Dragonflies
Songs for Cricket
Ride or Die
Thirty-Five and Single
Sex, Alcohol, and My Neighbor (in Beer Googles Anthology)
Honey (formally Vault Anthology)
Sugar
Married in Vegas: In His Arms
Absolutely Mine
Money Man
QUEEN OF MEN
other books co-authored
by Terri E. Laine
Cruel and Beautiful
A Mess of A Man
A Beautiful Sin
One Wrong Choice
Sidelined
Fastball
Hooked
Worth Every Risk
Queen of Men: King Maker Series Book 2 Page 16
