Something wasn’t right, and even if Mary had decided not to come for whatever reason, he needed to see her. Needed to make sure she was okay.
Lee hailed one of the taxi’s lined up along the curve waiting for the lecture to end and serve the hordes of attendees seeking a ride home. He quickly gave the driver the Hawarden address and asked him to make haste.
All the lights were on at the Hawarden house as he paid the taxi and rushed up the stairs. He knocked on the door urgently, and Jim opened it, then paused. “Where’s Mary?” Jim asked.
“She didn’t come to the lecture,” Lee looked at a confused Jim.
“Yes, she did,” Jim argued. “She left with Joseph in the carriage and I assured her you would bring her home.”
Sully entered the hallway. “Where’s Mary?” “Sully,” Lee looked into the eyes of his friend. “I’m afraid something has gone terribly wrong. Mary never showed up at the lecture and I assumed she was either ill or decided not to attend. The seat I reserved for her was empty, and she wasn’t in the larger group of attendees. I kept searching for her.”
By now Mr. Hawarden had joined the men, as had Claire and Mrs. Hawarden.
“Get Joseph,” Mr. Hawarden barked and Jim immediately ran out the door toward the carriage house where Joesph and his wife lived.
Claire paced, but knew better than to ask questions. The entire room remained silent until Jim returned with Joseph.
“Joseph,” Mr. Hawarden spoke harshly, more harshly than he intended. “Did you drop Mary at the steps to the lecture hall as instructed?”
Joseph’s head dropped. “I tried, Mr. Hawarden. There was a long line of carriages, and Miss Mary didn’t want to wait. She was afraid she would be late for the lecture.” He swallowed, then added. “I argued with her to wait, but before I could stop her, she got down from the carriage, waved, and made her way through the crowds toward the lecture hall.”
“Did you see her enter it?” Sully asked. “No, sir,” he admitted, tuning toward Sully. “We couldn’t see the hall from where we were. The line of carriages was too long.” Joseph hung his head.
Sully immediately moved into action. “Jim, you and Lee are with me. Mr. and Mrs. Hawarden and Claire, you stay here and send word to the Police Station if Mary makes her way here to the house. Joseph, get three horses ready, and make haste.”
“I want to come with you,” Claire argued.
“No,” Sully’s response was spoken harshly and Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“But if you find her and she’s hurt, she’ll be comforted if I’m there,” Claire pleaded.
Sully reached for Claire’s hand. “Jim will be with me, and that will have to be enough. You are not to leave this house, do you understand?”
Claire lowered her tear-filled eyes, “Yes, Sully, I understand.”
“Promise me,” he growled.
“I promise,” she whispered as a tear trickled down her cheek.
“We’ll find her,” Sully promised as the men rushed out the door.
Chapter 28
Philadelphia, PA
Sully assembled all the men he’d selected to work with him on the serial killer case, and every available officer. He quickly gave the men a rundown on the facts while having a photo of Mary circulated. He then invited Lee forward to give an overview of what he’d gleaned about the killer so far.
They weren’t certain that Mary was his next victim, but her potential abduction was similar to the prior three, and all murders had taken place in the vicinity of the University of Pennsylvania.
While Lee was talking, the men Sully had sent to scope out the area where Mary was last seen entered the room. Sully pulled them aside, asked a few questions, and then cut Lee off.
“Blood has ben found in an alleyway several buildings from the lecture hall. A dead cat was also found, just like the prior cases,” he advised then paused. “Let’s go men—he can’t have gotten far. Let’s find Mary alive, and close this case.”
The officers murmured their agreement—even those who had resented Sully’s involvement prior to this moment.
Sully divided the men, gave them each a specific geographic section near the alleyway where they believed Mary had been taken, and he sent them off with Godspeed. Tension clawed at his gut. They would find her—alive—he had to make sure of it.
* * *
Lee was strangely quiet on the ride toward the university. Sully glanced at the man beside him. “We’ll find her,” he assured Lee.
Lee’s eyes met Sully’s. “A dead cat has been found with each victim, is that correct?”
“Yes,” Sully confirmed.
“That’s probably how he’s luring the women.”
Sully nodded.
“There’s a Human Society near the university. That could be where he’s getting the cats. I believe some of the workers sneak food to leave outside for strays. We should look in that area,” Lee announced confidently.
Sully nodded. “Let’s leave the horses here,” he said quietly as the men with him dismounted. “We’ll proceed on foot. Listen carefully, very carefully, and look for drops of blood. Blood was found at what we believe to be the abduction site. Understood?”
The men murmured their agreement.
“Okay, spread out. Let’s canvas the area. If you find something, find a partner, but remain as quiet as you can. We don’t want to spook him.”
“Yes, sir,” they agreed.
“Jim and Lee, you’re with me,” Sully’s voice broke, but only for a second. “Let’s find her.”
* * *
Mary moved her head from side-to-side. It felt like Colossal had crashed into it. But wait, she wasn’t in Bareglen Creek anymore. So where was she, and what happened? She heard muttering nearby and opened her eyes. The room spun in front of her and she closed them tightly.
The muttering continued. It sounded like a crazy man, but she kept hearing the word Mike. Did this person know Mike? That was impossible.
She tried to move her hands, but they were bound. She tried to speak, but there was a gag in her mouth. Terror gripped her. Oh Lord, she remembered now. She’d been heading to the lecture hall when she heard a cat crying. The cat! Tears pushed at the rims of her closed eyes. The poor thing had been hurt and tied to a barrel, and that was when everything went black.
Mary felt her throat closing. No, not now! She couldn’t panic now! She had to keep a clear head. She heard Lee’s strong, deep voice in her mind, calmly telling her to breathe with him, to slower her breaths and let the oxygen into her lungs.
It worked. At least enough for her to keep her wits about her.
The muttering continued, becoming clearer. It sounded like Gerald, Mike’s brother, but it couldn’t be. Could it?
Tears dripped from her clenched eyes. She struggled to keep her breathing steady—steady to the count of four. Just the thought of Lee made her want to cry even more. She loved him, she loved him! But what if she never had the chance to tell him?
Dear God, she prayed, please help me. I’m scared and I don’t know what to do. You’ve brought such happiness back into my life, surely you want me to live? But if not, help me to die with grace. Let Thy will be done.
Mary felt peace flood her soul. She opened her eyes and this time the room came into focus. Her head pounded, and nausea swirled in her stomach. She willed it to lessen. If she threw up now, she would likely choke with this gag in her mouth.
As the muttering grew louder, she decided that waiting for a crazy man to kill her was crazy in and of itself. The only hope she had was to confront him and try to escape.
“Mmmm! Mmmm!” She tried to moan as loudly as she could to get his attention. After several attempts, she heard footsteps.
Gerald came into view and her eyes widened with fear.
He smiled. He smiled at her and his eyes were dark. Evil.
“Mmm, Mmm!” She struggled against the gag.
He walked toward her and kicked her in the ribs. She cried
out.
“Shut up,” He hissed.
She moaned as loudly as she could.
“I said SHUT UP!” This time he screamed at her and reached down to grab her by the hair. He yanked her up and Mary struggled against him.
He hit her across the face and she flew across the room, landing against a wall. On her way down she glimpsed a window. There was a small space between the sill and the window, which meant it was partially open.
An idea flew into her mind. She wasn’t sure how far up they were, but death from falling would be better than dying at the hands of a mad man. If that’s what it came down to, that is what she would do, but for now, her goal was to make him good and angry.
“Ehhhh—Mmmm!” Her voice was as loud as it could be through the gag. Gerald stalked toward her and she cowered.
“That’s right. You’d better cower,” he snarled. “After what you did to my brother, I’m going to make you suffer before you die and join him in death.” He laughed.
It was a horrible sound, and suddenly Mary realized that his bullying antics as a boy were nothing compared to what he was capable of as a man. How could he be Mike’s brother?
She had to incite his anger. She tried to get up. She continued moaning as loudly as she could through the gag, and finally he broke.
Chapter 29
“Do you hear that?” Lee whispered. “It sounds like a moan coming from over there,” He pointed to a building just down the end of the alleyway. They had been inspecting every nook and cranny for signs of Mary without any success.
“Yes, I hear it,” Sully agreed. “There’s a light in the window two stories up.” He paused. “Lee, I want you to stay out here. Stay near the window but out of sight.”
“No, I’m coming in,” he argued.
“Lee, I don’t have time for this. Jim is a trained deputy. He’ll be more beneficial in a fight. Please stay here.” Sully turned to Jim. “Jim, you’re with me.”
The men moved silently toward the entrance. Lee could hear the moans more clearly now, then a man’s voice, then maniacal laughter. Hurry, he silently urged Sully and Jim.
Sully and Jim made their way up the stairs as silently as possible. The stairs creaked under their weight as they took them two-by-two, but they could only hope that the mad man couldn’t hear them.
They paused outside the door and at the sound of a muffled shriek, Sully broke the door down.
Jim surged into the room, immediately tackling the man standing next to a woman curled up on the floor.
The man was strong—so strong that he knocked Jim down. Sully tackled him next, but the man got a punch in, knocking Sully’s head to the side. Jim jumped to his feet and leapt through the air, taking the man down with him. Sully wrenched the man’s hands behind him and cuffed him.
Lee rushed into the room and ran to Mary’s side. “Mary, Mary!” His normally confident voice was filled with desperation, and all Mary could think about was assuring him that she was okay.
Sully pulled the prone man up, and Jim launched at him with his fist. Before he could hit him, his fist paused mid-air. “Gerald?” He asked incredulously.
“You know this man?” Sully asked.
“It’s Mary’s former brother-in-law. Gerald Trost,” Jim stepped back, shock written all over his face.
“Get him out of here,” Lee growled.
Sully could hear more men arriving outside. He pushed Gerald roughly out the door and down the stairs.
Jim knelt next to Mary as Lee removed the gag and untied the rope around her wrists. She winced as he did so, her wrists were swollen and burned from trying to escape the binds.
Lee took her face in his hands, quickly examining her. “Are you all right, Mary?” Worry edged his voice.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine, really,” she tried to assure him, but his hands never stopped moving as he checked her out.
“You’re bleeding,” he said as he touched her head and she winced. We’re taking you to the hospital.”
“No, Lee, please.”
“No arguments, Mary.” Lee left no room for discussion as he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the room and down the stairs. Jim followed.
Sully had turned Gerald Trost over to a group of officers, meeting Lee and Jim as they exited the alleyway.
“Let’s get her to the hospital,” Lee instructed.
Mary all but growled. “I’m not going to the hospital. Please just take me home.”
“This is not open for discussion, Mary,” Lee informed her, tightening his grip as he walked her toward a waiting carriage.
“Lee, you’re a doctor. I don’t need a hospital, really, I just need—“ she paused. “I just need you,” she admitted.
He paused and looked into her eyes and for the first time, she realized she saw love in his eyes. She smiled up at him.
“You may need stitches,” he told her gently. “We’re going to the hospital, but I will stay with you,” he promised.
She narrowed her eyes and then winced. He moved quickly to the carriage and handed her up to Sully before joining her and taking her back in his arms again.
He held her tightly, just like he had in Bareglen Creek. Suddenly it all seemed like too much. The safety of his arms and his soothing voice was all it took for the tears she’d been holding back to let loose.
“You’re safe now, my sweet Mary,” he murmured into her ear. “I’ve got you, and I won’t let you go.”
Chapter 30
EPILOGUE
Claire fussed around Mary, straightening her gown and tucking the last lock into Mary’s hair clip.
She looked into Mary’s sparkling eyes with tears glistening in her own. “You look stunning,” her voice broke and she swallowed to hold back the torrent that threatened to release.
Mary smiled at her sister. “It’s okay, sis. This has been an emotional few weeks for all of us.”
“Yes, I wasn’t sure mother could handle any more excitement, and when you told her you and Lee had decided to marry within the month, I thought she might die from heart failure.”
“Yes, I thought she was going to kill me,” Mary giggled, then sobered. “But once I told her that I didn’t want to waste even one more day without being Lee Jamison’s wife, she quickly acquiesced.”
Claire gathered her sister’s hands into hers. “Every day is a gift, my sweet sister, and I couldn’t be more happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Mary squeezed back then eked with delight as the organ’s first cords reached her ears.
“That’s my cue!” Claire’s smile lit her face. “I’ll get father for you.”
“Hi, Daddy,” Mary greeted her father when he entered the room seconds later.
“You look so beautiful, Mary,” his eyes filled with pride. “Now, let’s get you down that aisle, shall we?”
“Yes, let’s,” she agreed. He led her out of the room toward the vestibule. As they rounded the corner and she watched her sister walk down the aisle before her, Mary’s eyes immediately moved to the front of the church where her love stood, waiting for her.
He took her breath away when his eyes met hers. Those beautiful, intense grey eyes that never failed to make the butterflies in her stomach dance…
She pressed her hand to her stomach, and she watched his knowing eyes follow her movement there. Then he smiled. His love reached through that smile all the way to her heart and she knew that everything was going to be okay.
“Let’s go, Daddy,” she urged, as she made her way toward the future, and the love of her life.
THE END
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Peyton
Four Corners, Montana
The bright light of the noonday Montana sun bathed the car in sunlight and felt delicious on her skin. Peyton Carter rolled down the window of her car gulping the fresh, crisp air. Oxygen poured down her thro
at, filling her lungs as her mind filled with memories of the summer she'd shared with her sister the year before. Four Corners, Montana was one of her favorite places on earth. Her busy life as a K-9 FBI agent in the Los Angeles office had pulled her away from it, and this moment reminded her of how much she’d missed it.
The mountains, clean air, and peaceful energy of the area were part of it, but the biggest factor was her twin sister, Paige. She grinned as memories flooded her mind of all the times that they’d used their identical looks and height to their advantage by switching places in class, teasing their friends, fooling boyfriends, and even playing jokes on their family. It had been a while since they’d done anything like that together. Too long, in fact.
Peyton wouldn't be pretending to be her twin on this trip, she'd just be filling her shoes—or trying to, anyway. Paige called her five days ago, distressed over not being able to attend a culinary program she’d been planning on for months because her backup plan broke her arm, Peyton hadn't thought twice about saying yes and stepping in. She'd been on medical leave from the FBI for over four weeks and she had eight more weeks to go. She’d been going stir crazy in her apartment, and this was the perfect diversion.
She remembered how to bake a cupcake—how hard could it be to bake dozens at a time? House sit, goat sit, take care of chickens and a horse? Easy compared to her life with the FBI.
The German Shepherd in the backseat nudged her with his nose then stuck it out the window — butterflies danced in her stomach—Radar was excited, too. He was more than just her K-9 companion; he was her best friend. She knew he had her back.
Thwap, thwap, thwap. His tail hit the backseat in rapid succession; he was ready for a new adventure, too.
Thankfully Radar wasn't injured in the shooting that had put her on medical leave, but he was assigned to her whether she was active or not, and lately, he'd spent most of that time in the apartment or at physical therapy with her. They took short, daily walks, but she knew he missed their former five-mile runs and the adrenaline of their investigations.
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