by Sharon Sala
He glanced at his watch and then picked up the phone. It said something for his personal life that the first number on his automatic dial was his bookie.
“Harrison, this is Bobby Joe. Give me five hundred on Merlin’s Pride in the fifth.”
“Damn it, Bobby Joe. You still owe me for the last race you bet on. What makes you think I’m stupid enough to do this again?”
Bobby Joe grinned as he pivoted his chair toward the windows. The view from his third-floor office was not exactly on the tourist route, but it suited his purposes. Being low-profile was invaluable. The less his face was known, the better he was able to do his job. He thrust his fingers through his dark, too-long hair, absently combing it away from his face, then reached for a couple of peanuts from a dish on his desk and began shelling them onto the floor as he continued to talk.
“Now Harrison, you know damn good and well you still owe me for that last bail-jumper I found for you. The way I see it, I’ve still got a good fifteen hundred dollars in credit and I’m spending a nickel of it today.”
A string of muffled curses rolled through the line and into Bobby Joe’s ears. He grinned to himself and popped the peanuts into his mouth as the bookie continued to vent.
“Hey, Harrison…you about finished?”
“Does it really matter?” the bookie muttered.
“Sure it does,” Bobby Joe said. “You know I care what you think.”
“Bull.”
“So…are we still on the same page?”
“Oh, hell yes, I’ve got the whole book in my lap. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“It’ll do,” Bobby Joe said, and then cut the man short when his phone started beeping in his ear. “Got another call. Make my bet.”
He hit the flash button and then answered again.
“Killian Investigations.”
“Bobby Joe, I need your help.”
Bobby Joe’s feet hit the floor, inadvertently crushing peanut hulls beneath his boots.
“Daniel?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Mary’s been abducted.”
“Abducted? My God!”
“Help me,” Daniel said.
“Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way.”
Howard Lee snored in his sleep. The sound roused him just enough that he rolled from his back to his side. A few seconds later, his arm slid off the bed, his fingers dangling toward the floor only inches from the cellar door. He shifted slightly then settled, confident that his family was close by. His alarm was set for 4:00 p.m. It would give him plenty of time to get some rest before preparing his family’s supper. His girls would be fine now that he’d brought the woman. Little Justine had been right. Sick children need a mother. He sighed, then licked his lips before falling back into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Mary was afraid to close her eyes. Just the thought of that man coming back and finding her sleeping and vulnerable made her sick to her stomach. Both little girls still lay in her arms, although the fever she’d felt on their bodies earlier seemed to be subsiding.
Even in her sleep, Justine clung to Mary in quiet desperation, her fingers wrapped in the fabric of her clothes. The other child, the one Justine called Amy Anne, was too still. Mary could only imagine the horror that she had gone through, being the first child taken—being put into this place all alone—having to suffer through whatever hell the man had put her through. She wondered how long she had endured before she’d slipped this far away. A child who couldn’t cry was a child too close to death.
Mary pulled her closer, holding her gently against her breast. She needed to do something to try and bring Amy Anne back from the mental precipice on which she was hovering, but wasn’t certain what would be safe. The last thing she wanted to do was drive her even farther away from reality, so she started to talk, unwilling to give Amy Anne permission to slip any farther away.
“Amy Anne, my name is Mary. I know you’re afraid. We’re all afraid, but we’re going to be all right. People are looking for us. Did you know that? Oh, yes, it’s true. And you know what else? I have a little girl who’s just about your age. Her name is Hope. When we get out of here and go home, maybe you and Justine can come to my house and play with her. She would like that, and so would I.”
Mary swallowed, fighting back tears. Daniel…I need you. Please find me.
Justine shifted on the bed beside her and then opened her eyes. Mary looked down at her and smiled.
“You’re still here,” the little girl said.
Mary nodded.
Justine sighed. “I thought I’d dreamed you.”
“No, baby. It’s not a dream.” It’s a nightmare. “I’m right beside you.”
Justine sniffed and looked at Amy Anne. “Is she going to talk to us?”
Mary’s gaze shifted back to the child in her arms. Her face was pale and immobile, as was her body. If she hadn’t felt her warmth, she would have thought she was dead.
“I don’t know. I hope so. Did she ever talk to you?”
“No.”
“Not even when you were first here?”
“Nope. Not even when I used to cry.”
“You don’t cry anymore?”
Justine shrugged. “Sometimes…but not so he can see me. It makes him mad when I cry.”
Mary shivered. This was hell and he was the devil.
“Does he hurt you?”
“No.”
Mary hesitated, almost afraid to ask anything more, but she needed to know what was in store. She had to be prepared for the worst, should it come.
“Does he do other things to you, honey? Does he touch you in places he shouldn’t?”
Justine frowned. “He brings us food and brushes our hair. We always fall asleep after supper.”
“You mean, after you’ve bathed and put on your nightgowns?”
Justine shook her head. “Oh no. I don’t remember taking baths except I know I’m always clean because I smell good. And I don’t put on my own nightgown. The man does it, I guess. I don’t remember.”
Mary’s flesh crawled. Dear God, he must be doping their food. God only knows what happens after that.
Chapter 11
Bobby Joe Killian came to a sliding halt in Daniel’s driveway. Seconds later, the police cruiser that had been in pursuit pulled in behind him. He got out holding his ID and walked toward the patrolman who was emerging from the car with his gun in his hand.
“Hey, Doolan, is that you?” Bobby Joe asked.
Officer Henry Doolan recognized the drawl behind the too-long hair, then rolled his eyes and holstered his gun.
“Thunderation, Killian, a man driving like a bat out of hell…I should have known it was you.” Then he gestured toward the low-slung sports car Bobby Joe was driving. “When did you get that?”
“Last month. Won it in a poker game.”
“You ran a stop sign,” Doolan growled.
Bobby Joe gestured toward the house. “Sorry. I was in a hurry. Official business.”
Doolan snorted. “Oh yeah, right. You expect me to believe that?”
“It’s true,” Bobby Joe said. “Daniel O’Rourke lives here. His wife has been abducted.”
Doolan’s smirk disappeared. “The woman from Vinter’s supermarket?”
“I don’t know where it happened. All I know is a friend called for help and I came. You gonna give me a ticket or what? I’ve got a good woman to go find.”
Doolan cursed beneath his breath and then pointed a finger in Bobby Joe’s face.
“You lucked out this time, Killian. Under the circumstances, I’ll let this slide. But next time, pay the hell attention, will you?”
“You got it, Doolan, and thanks,” Bobby Joe said, and headed for the front door.
Before he could knock, Daniel jerked it open, then saw the police car pulling away.
“I’m not going to ask what that was about,” Daniel sa
id.
“It was nothing,” Bobby Joe said. “Tell me about Mary.”
Daniel’s expression never changed, although Bobby Joe could tell he was in shock.
“She’s gone.”
Bobby Joe pushed his way past Daniel and walked into the house.
“We’ll get her back, buddy. Now tell me everything you know.”
Howard Lee woke up slowly, trying to remember what was different in his home and then he smiled as he stretched and kicked back the covers. He’d brought a mother home for the girls. He hadn’t planned on doing it so suddenly, but considering what had transpired, he’d had no choice.
Reluctantly, he made himself get up. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he felt the cool metal of the cellar door beneath his feet, thought of her—his very own Sophie, and smiled.
Mary was sitting cross-legged on the bed with Amy Anne in her lap and Justine scrunched up beside her. A couple of hours ago Justine had awakened and headed straight for the television. Mary knew this must be part of her normal routine and marveled at the resiliency of youth. Personally, she would like to give in to her fear and frustration and scream bloody murder. Before she could follow the thought, she heard something squeak, then a solid thump followed. She bolted from the bed and started toward the stairs when suddenly Howard Lee was there, coming down the steps carrying a tray full of food. She stopped in midstep and then began backing up.
“Sophie…darling!” Howard Lee said. “What a warm welcome! I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Ignoring the fact that he was calling her by another name, Mary pleaded with him.
“Mr.…please, let us go.”
“Howard Lee. You must call me Howard Lee.”
The smile on his face was too broad. The look in his eyes too full of an expectation she could never fulfill.
“The girls are sick. Please let me take them to a doctor.”
He put the tray down on the table and then began to set the places, just as he did at every meal. Ignoring her request, he looked at the girls and gestured toward the food.
“Sit down,” he said shortly.
Justine quickly did as he asked, but Mary stayed where she was.
Howard Lee looked at the girls and then frowned at Mary.
“Sophie! They’re still in their nightgowns. As their mother, I expected you to at least brush their hair and help them dress. I can’t do everything by myself forever. I have a job, you know.”
Great…he’s not just a pervert…he’s crazy, too.
Even though she was afraid, she held her ground.
“They’ve been in bed all day and are more comfortable in their gowns.”
Howard Lee’s frown deepened. “I don’t want them to appear slovenly.”
“Then get them out of this cellar and into the sunshine,” Mary snapped.
Howard Lee spun angrily. Suddenly the spoon in his hand took on an ominous appearance.
“You don’t talk to me like that,” he snapped. “A wife is supposed to honor her husband.”
“I do honor my husband,” Mary said. “His name is Daniel.”
Howard Lee hit her with the flat of his hand. The sound echoed in the sudden silence of the room.
Mary groaned. It was the same place he’d hit her before and the ache went all the way to the back of her teeth. He hovered over her as he glared, but she wouldn’t let him see her fear.
“So you’re into hitting women as well as stealing other people’s children. I wonder what other ugly little secrets you’re hiding.”
Rage rolled through Howard Lee like tide on the shore, ebbing and flowing in sudden surges. She was talking back to him. How dare she talk back? Didn’t she know what a terrible example she was setting for the girls?
“You don’t talk to me like that in front of our girls.”
Mary doubled up her fists and laughed. It was an ugly, choking sound that was too close to a sob, but she couldn’t take it back. It was too late and her rage was too swift.
“Those aren’t our girls. They belong to four other people who are desperate to get them back. I don’t know why you’re doing this but I can tell you it’s never going to work.”
Howard Lee grabbed her arm and yanked her hard against his chest.
“It’s already working,” he said. “They’re my girls. Do you hear me? I adopted them. The papers will be coming through any day now and then you’ll see.”
There was coffee on his breath and a fleck of spittle at the corner of his mouth and Mary felt like throwing up.
“What about me?” she asked. “There aren’t any papers, real or imagined, that are going to make kidnapping me okay. The police might stop looking for us, but my husband never will.”
“Don’t threaten me,” Howard Lee growled. “I can make you disappear.”
Mary’s heart sank. It was nothing more than what she’d feared all along, but she’d be damned if she’d let him know it mattered.
“It won’t matter how many times you kill me, Howard Lee. He knows what you look like. The police know what you look like, too. You can’t hide forever.”
Howard Lee paled.
“You’re lying.”
Mary shrugged. “Believe what you want.”
Howard Lee shoved the rest of the food from the tray and stomped up the stairs, dropping the door shut with a resounding thud. Mary flinched at the sound, but by God, she’d stood her ground.
“You made him mad,” Justine said.
Mary turned and looked down at the little girl, then grinned.
“I did, didn’t I?”
Justine hesitated just a moment and then slipped her hand in Mary’s hand and smiled.
Mary winked at her. “I told you it was going to be okay, didn’t I?”
Justine pointed at Amy Anne.
“You have to hold her on your lap to help her eat.”
Mary nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Justine.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mary went to the bed and picked up the little girl, then sat down at the table with Amy Anne in her lap.
“Hey, kiddo. How about some supper? Looks like we’ve got chicken noodle soup and cheese sandwiches. Do you like chicken noodle soup? I do. Ooh, and I see chocolate chip cookies for dessert. How about a cookie, Amy Anne?”
She put the cookie in Amy Anne’s fingers, then scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it to the little girl’s mouth. Amy Anne’s lips opened like a baby bird and Mary slipped the soup inside.
Justine looked at the cookie Amy Anne was holding.
“We’re not supposed to eat dessert first,” she said.
“I know,” Mary said. “But this place is different, isn’t it? The man broke the rules first, so we can too.”
Justine thought about it a moment and then giggled.
Mary wanted to cry. It was the first time she’d seen her really smile.
“Is your soup too hot?”
“Nope. It’s just right,” Justine said.
“Then eat it up before it gets cold, okay?”
“Okay.”
Mary took a bite of her own cheese sandwich and then spooned another bite of soup into Amy Anne’s mouth. She was reaching for her juice when she remembered that Howard Lee was doping them with sedatives. She set Amy Anne aside and then picked up the glasses and took them to the bathroom, poured out the juice, and filled the glasses with water. As she walked back to the table, she saw Amy Anne lift the cookie to her mouth and take a bite.
Justine gasped. “Look, Mary! Look at Amy Anne! She’s feeding herself.”
“Is that good?”
“I think so,” Justine said. “I’ve never seen her do it before.”
Mary set the water glasses down and gave Amy Anne a quick hug.
“I’ll bet she can do lots of things, can’t you honey?”
Mary felt the momentary weight of the little girl’s body against her, as if she’d leaned into the hug, and then the moment was gone.
“You’re goi
ng to be just fine, little girl,” Mary said softly, and pressed a kiss against her cheek. “Now let’s eat our supper. Afterward we can play some games or maybe work some puzzles. Do you like to play puzzles?”
Amy Anne didn’t answer, but it didn’t matter. She was eating on her own.
Daniel stood on the sidewalk in front of Vinter’s supermarket, staring down at the pavement where several small specks of blood had been circled with chalk. The area had been roped off with yellow crime scene tape and all of the videotapes from the supermarket’s security cameras had been confiscated by the police. While Bobby Joe didn’t have access to the tapes, he was working his magic on the clerk who’d witnessed the abduction. Between the flashing smile and his dark, bad-boy looks, Bobby Joe Killian could get just about anything he wanted.
And according to the clerk, this was where Mary had been taken. The man had hit her with his fist and shoved her into a late model white van. They had the first three letters of the license tag and a description of the man that fit the one Hope had given them, but no idea of where to look first.
Daniel spun away from the blood-spattered sidewalk and looked back into the store where Bobby Joe had gone. He could see him through the window, still talking to the clerk. Daniel doubled up his fists and strode toward the car. He’d never felt this helpless or this afraid. He couldn’t let himself think of what Mary must be enduring, or if she was even alive. He sat down inside Bobby Joe’s sports car and waited for him to return.
Less than five minutes later, Bobby Joe came out of the store on the run. When he slid behind the wheel, he was grinning.
“Tell me something to make me smile, too,” Daniel said.
Bobby Joe started the car and put it in gear, peeling out of the parking lot.
“Do we know where we’re going?”
Bobby Joe looked at Daniel and then grinned.
“Hell yes. We’re going to find Mary Faith.”
