Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1)

by Nora LeDuc

  “I’m not one hundred percent positive. I couldn’t make out his features, but from the way he moved I’d guess it was Travis. I’ve no idea why he’d want to enter my place or slink around in the dark.”

  “Lisa’s former boyfriend was sneaking around your property at midnight?”

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  Defense lawyers loved doubt. “Was the outside light on?”

  “The light doesn’t reach past the steps, but the moon is full.”

  “You recognized him by the moonlight?” Prosecutors would rip out their hair and go bald over her statements.

  “Yes. Travis’ walk is distinct. He swaggers or sways side to side when he moves like he doesn’t have a care in the world.”

  Great. Noah only needed a lineup where a guy swayed in the moonlight. He stuffed his notebook and pen into his pocket. “Did Travis ever threaten Lisa?”

  “No.”

  “I’ve never seen him be violent or verbally abuse a soul,” Matt confirmed.

  “No emails, texts, or phone calls where he warned he’d get even or hurt you or Lisa?”

  Teagan looked at him like he’d grown two heads. “No.”

  “I agree with Teagan,” Matt said.

  He was hitting a big zero. “My team will search tomorrow in the daylight. I’ll be here, too.”

  “You won’t look tonight?” The pupils in her brown eyes grew to twice their size, and she bit her lower lip. “I’d feel better if you made sure he was gone.”

  “All right. Where’s the light for the backyard?”

  “The switch is on the wall.” She turned on her heel and walked to the rear door.

  Father Matt rose from the table.

  Noah cut in front of the priest. “Father, you wait here. The fewer people who disturb the area, the easier it will be for my team to find evidence when they investigate.”

  “I’ll wait.” The priest spoke in his unruffled voice, but he remained standing instead of sinking into his chair while Noah followed Teagan.

  A yellow bulb lit the way in the mudroom. She flipped the switch by the green slicker hung on a peg by the door. The yard lit up for a few feet and then disappeared into the dark.

  Noah crossed the porch and went down the wooden stairs to the lawn. The short grass would produce little proof of a footstep.

  “I’ll show you where I first saw him.” Teagan stepped out onto the stairs.

  “I need you to stay put.” He pointed to the top step and pulled his penlight out of his pocket.

  She stopped and gestured toward the copse of trees in the shadows. “The trespasser appeared near the cherub statue and crouched down by it. I couldn’t see what he was doing.”

  Noah headed in the direction she indicated. He could use an angel himself. Overhead a cloud smothered the moon, and nighttime insects buzzed in the summer air. Oaks and maples grew beyond the reach of the light on the far side of the flower gardens.

  “Go more to your left,” Teagan called to him.

  He moved five paces, scouting the ground with his beam.

  “That’s the place.” She folded her arms over her chest and gripped her elbows. “He entered from the foliage and slunk past the figurine by the rosebush.” The lawn softened the sound of Noah’s footsteps. He pointed his flashlight over the plants and searched. Scattered rose petals lay on top of the undergrowth, but nothing told him if it was from a person brushing against the bush. His best chance for a print would be in the dirt. He inspected the ground. Masses of vines and leaves grew together covering the soil. So much for finding a clue. “When did you last weed?”

  “I’d guess the fall of 2012.”

  “Give me mercy,” he muttered.

  “Find something, detective?”

  “A toad. I doubt he wanted to break in.” He scanned the sculpture with his light, but nothing obvious showed. Tomorrow his men would pore over the yard and garden. “Did your trespasser have a flashlight?”

  “No, but remember the moon was bright.” She craned her head upward. “The clouds have rolled in.”

  Next she’d be describing a werewolf. “Then where did he go?”

  “He walked around the house and seemed to be studying the cellar windows. I couldn’t see him when he went to the north side.

  Noah edged toward the residence and shone his penlight around the building and the ground under the windows. No signs of disturbance. He aimed the beam into the buffer of woods. He should have brought his police force flashlight. Next time. Beyond was another street and neighborhood. Pocketing his flashlight, he returned to the porch.

  The distant howl of a dog grew in pitch as he reached Teagan.

  She rubbed her arms, and strain pulled her mouth downward. “Father Matt and I checked the windows and doors while I waited for you to arrive. Everything is locked tight.”

  They had time to search the house? Father Matt had run right over. “How about the basement?”

  “We didn’t go there, yet.”

  “Let’s go inside, and you can show me the cellar.”

  “Is Travis gone?” she asked, not budging. Her gaze darted around the yard and landed on him.

  “I doubt he’ll come back,” he said to ease her fears. If he possessed the ability to read criminals’ minds, he’d earn a fortune and boost his arrest record. “I’ve a question for you. Are you in AA?”

  Her eyes widened, and then, she tightened her lips. “I am. I joined during my party days in college. Is that a problem or have something to do with tonight?”

  “Means we have more people to interview.” He was looking into every connection for a lead. “I’ll need their names.”

  “Anonymity is a rule in our organization.” She drew up ramrod straight.

  “I get it. My old man belonged to the group.”

  “Did he find sobriety?”

  Noah shrugged. “He died in a boating accident two days after joining.”

  She pressed a hand against one of her reddening cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

  “Forget it.” His dad’s troubled history could fill a library.

  She relaxed her stance. “I joined because of my mother and for me.”

  The hoarseness in her voice alerted him to the current of pain underneath her admission. He also sensed she was trying to apologize by sharing info about herself.

  “Mostly my mother drank, but if someone offered her a freebie drug, then she’d accept the high. It’s how we ended up on the streets when I was five.”

  “I understand.” He never would have guessed from her appearance at Camp Mighty Joe. She gave him the impression of a kid from a solid middle class home who always had it all together.

  She glanced back at the house as though she wanted to go inside and avoid his questions. “My aunt tried to trace my mother for a couple of years after she disappeared, but then decided my mom would turn up if she needed money.”

  Teagan inched toward the doorway, and he guessed her confession time was over.

  “I’ll show you the stairs to the cellar.”

  He walked beside her into the mudroom. “By the way, I searched the data bank for death threats in Latin. In the last twenty years, pig Latin was as close as I came. I guess a dead language isn’t popular for threats in New Hampshire.”

  “Thanks for looking.” She entered the kitchen and he followed.

  Father Matt jumped up from his chair and fixed a hopeful gaze on them.

  “Detective Cassidy didn’t find anything.” She picked up her pet, who ran meowing across the kitchen. “I wish you talked, Jogger,” she said, bending her face over the cat. The tension in her shoulders eased as she held the animal.

  “I’ll head below now,” Noah said. “Do you have bedrooms or other living space downstairs?”

  “We use it for storage.” She snapped a light switch on the wall and opened the door beside the mudroom. “Yell if you need help.”

  “What and ruin my tough guy reputation?” He raised his brows in mock shock before going do
wn the wooden steps to a concrete floor. Within minutes, he did a round of the musty cellar, which appeared to be full of old furniture and trunks piled around the furnace. A rickety futon and wicker chair rested near the locked bulkhead. Canned goods were lined-up in alphabetical order on shelves. Nothing of great value. Four rectangular windows were shut and locked. If the trespasser wanted to get in, he could have broken a pane and slipped into the home. Why hadn’t he entered?

  The question gnawed at him while he climbed upward and joined Father Matt and Teagan in the kitchen. They sat at the table, their backs to him and heads together. The priest was whispering to her. Were they praying or involved in a personal conversation? Whatever they were doing, they looked too cozy.

  “No signs of tampering downstairs,” he announced and moved toward them.

  Teagan sprang away from the priest and forced a smile. “That’s a relief. Thank you.”

  “I recommend installing brighter outside lighting ASAP.”

  She rose while locking her fingers together at her waist. “I’ll make it look like a landing strip.”

  “Don’t signal any planes,” he said drawing closer to her. “Any possibility Lisa was your trespasser??”

  “I’m sure it wasn’t Lisa. She moves with a natural grace.”

  “We’ll agree you saw Travis for now. Did he see you?”

  “He never looked up to the third floor. Why’d you ask?”

  “I wondered if he fled when he spotted you. How tall was he?”

  “He was Travis’ height, about five eight and lanky.” She raised both brows. “What else can I tell you?”

  He could have broken or pried open a cellar window and crawled through if he tried. “Did Travis leave anything in the house that he’d want?”

  “Nothing comes to mind.”

  “Okay. Try to get some rest before morning.” The pastor sat relaxed in his chair with one arm resting on the table. Was he staying the night? “Are you leaving, Father?”

  “If Teagan feels safe.”

  “I’m fine, Matt. You should go home. Tomorrow’s your day to serve breakfast at the soup kitchen.”

  She knew his schedule. Noah added the fact to his mental list about the priest and

  Teagan.

  Father Matt stood. “If you change your mind and want company, you have my number.” He crowded closer to her as though he expected her to kiss him goodbye.

  Noah felt the now familiar twist of annoyance. He stepped forward to break up their little parting scene. “Teagan, remember, call the police if you need help. The night patrol will be near.”

  “I’m reassured she’s in capable hands,” Father Matt said. “God be with you, Teagan. Detective, good evening. I’ll lock up.”

  “I’m worried about Father Matt,” Teagan said when the sound of the front door closing told them the priest had left the house. “The bishop is discussing the possibility of closing the parish because of financial problems. St. Jude’s would combine with a church in another city and Matt might be transferred.”

  “Concentrate on yourself, Teagan. On Lisa.” Talking about the poor priest was not something Noah planned to encourage, but his curiosity and the detective side of him pressed for more. “What is your relationship to the priest? Don’t tell me, friends.”

  “We are,” she protested and fisted her hands. Then she expelled a deep breath. “Years ago, Matt was the pastor of a parish in Manchester that ran a soup kitchen. My mother and I went to eat there almost every day. When my Aunt Sophia arrived looking for my mom and me, Matt hooked us up.”

  “And that’s how you came to live in Hawick Falls?”

  “Eventually. My mother refused to move in with her sister, but she let me go. Matt often visited us. Ten years later, he became the pastor of St. Jude’s. If it weren’t for him, I’d have ended up in foster homes like Lisa.” She searched his face. “I could have been Lisa.”

  She owed the priest. He understood gratitude and the bonds formed by the emotion. “Got it.” Not that he approved. “But who’s the woman?”

  “I don’t understand.” She narrowed her eyes.

  “The one Father Matt had the affair with?”

  “Matt wouldn’t break his vows.”

  “Was he interested in younger females?”

  “You mean Lisa?”

  “Lisa or anyone you know?”

  “Matt never had an affair. He cared about Lisa’s welfare, nothing else. He wasn’t involved in her disappearance. He’s family.”

  His instinct told him she was telling the truth. “I had to ask, Teagan.” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked or why he was relieved she wasn’t the scarlet woman. As the chief had reminded him, they didn’t investigate sins.

  “I understand.” Her hostile tone softened. “But the gossip’s not true.” Her shoulders slumped forward, and she took a step toward him. “Now I need the truth. You believe Lisa will be found?”

  “We will bring her home. Let me worry about finding her.”

  “I promised Aunt Sophia I’d take care of her.”

  Another psychological chain bound her.

  Teagan dropped her gaze. “I keep thinking she’s out there in trouble, not far away, and crying for me to save her. If only we can figure out where.” She raised her gaze. Misery swam in her eyes. “Why can’t I locate her, if I hear her calling me?”

  “The mind often plays tricks on us when we’re in a crisis.”

  “Maybe. It’s horrible to feel trapped and unable to escape.” Sadness lowered her last few words to a whisper.

  “We’ll bring her home.”

  She tilted her head upward. “I appreciate your help, especially at this hour.”

  The sincerity in her voice pulled him closer and a current of raw hunger suddenly ran through him. He wanted her and didn’t care if it was a good idea or not. He reached out and touched her face. Her lips parted in surprise.

  Lips he needed to kiss. The hard hum of lust flowed through his veins. He craved her, and she was right in front of him. He smoothed back a stray strand of hair. With his thumb, he traced the curve of her cheekbone, and every cell in his body ached.

  A voice in the back of his mind warned him, move away.

  Only a few more minutes and he’d leave. He edged closer with the urge to run his palms up her bare arms and then skim the open vee of her shirt.

  From the kitchen came the ring of her phone.

  She swallowed and motioned with a wild gesture to the other room. “It must be Matt checking that I’m locked in and safe.”

  Before she could move, the ring ended. She dipped her head, breaking eye contact. “I’ll call him back.”

  Noah inhaled a harsh, ragged breath and stepped back. He was on the job and supposed to be helping her, not helping himself to her. “I should get going.” He walked to the window to give himself time and space from Teagan. “My men will arrive by seven a.m.”

  “Thanks again, Noah.”

  Her gratitude eased his conscience until the chief’s voice pushed into his thoughts. No distractions.

  “I’ll walk with you to the hall and lock up.”

  He tried to ignore his pounding pulse and the fragrance of her fruity shampoo while they walked together. She held the door for him, and then shut it behind him. The click told him she’d flipped the deadbolt and would soon call Father Matt.

  The last idea snapped him back into work mode. He didn’t have time to sit around and pray for a miracle like the priest. Noah climbed into his car and hit the number on his cell phone. “Hey, what are you doing sleeping? Get up. We’ve got a night stalker.”

  Chapter 11

  Lisa’s hands and feet were bound to the pole above her head. A wire collar was secured around her throat and attached to a leash bolted to the table. The wire dug into her skin when she moved.

  A yellow light bulb dangling from the ceiling left shadows in the corners of her musty, windowless prison and hid the monster hovering nearby. She’d given up fighting when Monster
Man first choked her into unconsciousness.

  When she regained her senses, the monster was doing gross things to her that hurt. Please, God, stop him. Tears spilled down her cheeks. A hand came toward her and she flinched.

  He squeezed her shoulder.

  His touch made her cry harder. She wanted to go to sleep, wake up at home, and hear Teagan calling her to get up for school. Please, God, wake me anywhere but here.

  Her tormenter’s face never moved or showed emotion, but those cold eyes peered at her with an icy gleam of excitement when she begged or sobbed. She hated them the most.

  Fingers came around her neck and squeezed. Not again. She gasped for breath. “Won’t fight.”

  The grip eased. The monster’s hands groped her breast.

  She shot a glance at the small door on the reverse side of the bookcase full of tools. Tools that weren’t used for work. Her coffin, the hollowed-out space in the earth, was behind the shelves.

  When finished, the monster would shut her away in her tomb, in the blackness. She’d go crazy, if she didn’t die first. “Don’t put me back in—” She blurted out the words and felt the monster’s energy rising. Fear rose from her chest and blocked the rest of her begging.

  The fingers threaded through her hair yanked. She gasped in pain.

  Tears rolled down into her mouth. “I want to go home. I’ll never tell what happened. I’ll say I was lost. Please. I won’t tell.”

  The monster stared at her.

  “I promise. Just let me go home. I’ll tell everyone I was hurt. Couldn’t walk. Lost my phone.”

  He released her and grabbed the electric prod resting against the bookcase.

  Cold fear raced up her spine as he approached. Her gaze froze on the prod. Pain. More pain was coming. “I won’t whine. I’ll—”

  A gleam widened those eyes, enjoying her begging, anticipating the torture. The Monster got off when she pleaded.

  Scum. She drew back her head and spit into the uglier eye on the right.

  A volley of cusses and swears filled her ears before the metal touched her breast.

  “N—” Pain and spasms ripped her body.