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

by Nora LeDuc

  “I’m sorry, Teagan, but there’s no guarantee Lisa is still at the park. The dogs didn’t track her returning.”

  “I understand, but we have to investigate every possibility.”

  “You sound like a detective.” He pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that seared her lips. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  She stood savoring the moment, watching him leave. Should she pinch herself? After years of dreaming about Noah Cassidy, he was with her, kissing and touching her. But were his feelings for her genuine? People reacted strangely during periods of high emotion, and his job had to be stressful, and what about Stacey’s story about his temper? How well did she know him?

  She pictured Aunt Sophia’s disapproving face. Focus on Lisa, not a temporary crush.

  Teagan sat on the sofa and removed her .38 Special from her purse. She laid it on the coffee table within reach. Now all she needed was her car.

  She jumped up and crossed to the hall and swung the door open. The odor of thick smoke greeted her. How bad was the blaze?

  A picture of Lisa surrounded by a wall of flames sprang to life in Teagan’s mind. She spun around and ran to the TV. Grabbing the remote, she clicked the on button.

  The local newscaster was reading from the prompter. “A five-alarm fire is currently destroying the woods in the south end of Pretty Park. At this time, no injuries are reported, but the firefighters are still attempting to contain the inferno. This section of the recreational area is popular with joggers, walkers, and nature lovers.”

  Once the bulletin was over, she muted the sound and put on the shopping channel. The familiar blonde hostess was pitching a tea pot that fit over a mug and allowed the steaming water to drain into the cup through a bottom sieve.

  Teagan glanced out the window to the street. Where was her car? “You can’t even trust the police to deliver on time.”

  Restless, she found Aunt Sophia’s phone in her bedroom and plugged it in downstairs before she pushed the power button. An alert popped up on the screen that she had ten messages. This was how your life ended, a bunch of unanswered emails on your cell.

  Don’t let this be Lisa’s ending, too. She hit Matt’s number, and he answered immediately.

  “Teagan, are you using your aunt’s phone? Her ID came up on mine.”

  “I needed a temporary replacement.”

  “Where are you? Stacey told me you left the vigil with the detective.”

  “I’m safe at home. Matt, Pretty Park’s on fire and Lisa was there before she disappeared.”

  “What do you mean? She went to the park the morning she vanished?”

  “I don’t know the time she disappeared.” Teagan looked out the front window. No signs of her vehicle. “The search dogs followed Lisa’s scent to and out of the park. Then they lost it.”

  Headlights emerged from the dark. The driver slowed as he approached. Her car!

  “Matt, I’ve got to go. Thank you for your help tonight.”

  “Take care, Teagan. I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks.” She dropped the phone on the cushion, headed to her entryway, and stepped onto the step.

  As the vehicle drew near, her spirits sank. It wasn’t hers. An unfamiliar blue compact slowed and turned into her drive.

  Teagan fought the urge to duck back inside. What if it was an officer with news of Lisa? Her hand tightened on the knob.

  A man climbed out of the auto as the light above the garage flashed on and spotlighted her visitor. It was Vic Taylor.

  He halted by her walkway. “Miss Raynes? It’s me, Kara Linn’s uncle.”

  “I remember you.” He probably hoped for an interview. “I don’t have any updates for the press.”

  “I understand. If you’d give me a few minutes to talk on a personal level, I’d be grateful.” He started toward her and paused. “Is the detective inside?”

  “Detective Cassidy? No. If you want to join me for another vigil, contact Father Matt at the church.”

  “I want to fill you in on what I know about my niece, Kara. It might help with your search for Lisa Grant and forgive me for coming to your house. I looked up your address since I wondered if Lisa lived in the same neighborhood as Kara.” He moved closer when she didn’t object.

  A small wave of excitement rushed through her until her suspicious side kicked in. “Have you shared what you learned with the police?”

  He walked to the steps. “I have, but a fresh pair of eyes and ears often sees and hears what others don’t.”

  Stay locked inside, Noah’s voice reminded her.

  “Miss Raynes, you’ll find it interesting. I promise.”

  The memory of his sad face at the vigil rolled into her thoughts and ended her indecision. She stepped forward. But what if she was wrong and the guy was her invisible stalker? “You can tell me here. I’m expecting an officer to arrive any second with my car.”

  “I won’t take long.” He glanced at the debris floating in the air and wiped his perspiring face with a handkerchief.

  He looked like he could use a cool drink. Don’t trust anyone, even harmless looking people. She tossed the idea aside.

  “If you’re uneasy, we can talk under the light.” He eased down onto the top step and blotted the sweat on his forehead. “Excuse me, I need to sit. Tonight took a lot out of me. I imagine you, too.” He fisted his hand around his handkerchief.” You can watch for the police while I talk.”

  She nodded, but kept two feet between them. He gave her a smile that she didn’t feel comfortable returning.

  “I’d hoped to speak to you earlier, but Detective Cassidy was playing offensive lineman. Then I drove to the park, but the police have blocked access within half a mile.”

  “What did you find out?” The sooner he told her, the sooner he’d leave.

  “First, thanks for seeing me. I know how tough it is. Each morning you pray for the strength to make it through the day. At the end of the day, you pray to make it through the night.”

  He said the right words. “Do you have an idea where Kara is, Mr. Taylor?”

  “I’ve been conducting my own investigation. My niece has been gone for three months. During that time, I’ve pulled up the background of every missing girl and sex pedophile in the six-oh-three area code. I can recite them for you.”

  “No need.” His rambling and odd expressions made her nervous. Never mind Noah’s last warning that a predator was hunting girls in the park added to her jitters. “And you discovered what?”

  “I didn’t learn much on the Internet. Instead, I started spending hours at the park since she was last seen there walking her dog. I watched traffic, wrote down the plates of vehicles that visited frequently. Most of the cars I’ve ruled out. I’ve ascertained, however, there’s a bunch of high school kids who hang out in the woods and fancy themselves as a group of Robin Hoods.”

  Now he was onto something. “I’ve heard of them. Lisa could be hiding with them.”

  “My belief is the same. Kara might have joined them. She had an unrealistic romantic idea about life. I’m afraid she was meeting a boy at Pretty Park when she disappeared. Maybe he was part of the group. The cops claimed they questioned her friends and searched her electronics. No signs of a boyfriend surfaced.” Behind his thick lenses, Taylor’s eyes widened. “What about Lisa? Did she have a boyfriend who might be in the band?”

  “Travis didn’t belong to any group, but search dogs tracked Lisa into Pretty Park. I’m hoping she’s holed up in the vicinity, possibly with her boyfriend. I’d grounded her for a week before her disappearance. Lisa might be trying to punish me by not coming home.” Would she ever return? Had the worst already happened to her? An unexpected wave of grief hit Teagan. She turned her face away and blinked back the tears.

  Vic rose and put his arms around her, holding in her a tight embrace that cut off her breath. “I’m sorry.” Strong cologne similar to the kind worn by grandfathers floated around him.

  Her senses jumped to alert
as his sweaty body heat seeped into her and his hand moved lower. Was he expressing sympathy or something else? She broke free of him and stepped nearer the door, ready to escape inside.

  The awareness of her deliberate act flickered in his eyes.

  “I don’t need pity, Mr. Taylor. I want leads to bring Lisa home.”

  “That’s why I came. Let me finish.” He wet his lips and continued. “I’ve heard the teenagers in the park referred to as the Merry Men. They’d probably like a girl or two in their group.”

  “Lisa might be with them.” Was she alive and nearby? But then why didn’t the search dogs locate her?

  “I’m trying to determine if the Merry Men existed when my niece went missing,” Vic said. “Kara is a young, impressionable girl. Though it’s tough to believe she’d stay in the woods through rainstorms and our recent heat wave when she has a bed and shelter close by. But I suppose it’s not unthinkable that Kara and Lisa might be camping in the woods.”

  Lisa living outside didn’t fit her profile either. None of her clothing was missing from her room. And the girl complained when the temperature sank to sixty degrees or a fly buzzed near her head.

  “I’m at the point where I must grasp every possibility. I wanted to know if the police are looking into this teenage group any further.”

  “Why don’t you go ask them?” It was a good way to finish the conversation and get Mr. Taylor on his way. The odd little man was a rabble-rouser, but was he also skilled at luring girls to take a ride with him?

  He removed his glasses and began to polish the lenses with a handkerchief from his pocket. Vic was in no hurry.

  “I’ve approached the police with different scenarios, from the UFO group that meets once a month to the chance my niece became a hooker on Times Square. They assure me they checked them out, but I’ve no proof they did. The longer Kara has been gone, the more I’ve increased the scope of what transpired with her.”

  “And you wanted me to do what?”

  “You can ask the detective to interview this Robin Hood band. The police don’t listen to me anymore. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t talked to these kids already. The paper has run several of my editorials on the loss of revenues caused by the teens feeding expired meters along with my blogs about Kara’s disappearance.”

  Teagan kneaded the back of her neck, which was cramping with stress. “When Kara vanished, did the police search the park?”

  “Three times. We had so many people, they linked hands and formed a human chain.

  They walked the grounds and scoured the overgrown ball field, the boarded lookout tower on the hill, and the far end with the picnic tables.”

  “You know the park well.” Well enough to kidnap a girl from it? What was wrong with her? The guy was in distress and seeking help, or was he? She could still feel the dampness from his body pressed against her. She concealed a shudder.

  Time to remind Mr. Taylor that she wouldn’t be alone. “Thank you for filling me in. I’ll have to go inside and call the officer who has my car. He should have been here by now.”

  “I should leave, too.” Taylor pointed over his shoulder toward the smoke. “I may be able to learn something from the cops controlling the traffic by the fire.”

  “Good idea.” Headlights shone on the street and the vehicle slowed for her driveway.

  “My officer has arrived.”

  A cruiser followed behind and waited at the curb while the driver of her car climbed out. The officer was set with a ride back to the station.

  Vic Taylor’s phone began to buzz. “Excuse me.” He pulled his cell from his pocket. “Might be a text about the blaze.”

  The patrolman spotted her in the light. Teagan waved to him and turned her attention to Vic who was reading his cell’s screen.

  “There’s a possibility of a death at the park,” he said, pocketing his phone.

  “Dea—” The word stuck in her tight throat.

  “Could I bother you for a drink before I go? My throat is dry.”

  “Okay.” She whirled around and trotted into the kitchen. She needed a moment to collect herself. The news of a possible fatality spun in her head. Was it Lisa? She filled a glass from the tap when she sensed him behind her. “Mr. Taylor?” She swung around to find him a foot away and taking in the sight of the appliances like he’d never seen a stove or refrigerator.

  “I was going to bring you the water.” She shoved it at him.

  “No need. This room reminds me of my grandmother’s house.” He accepted the drink and gulped it down as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Thanks. I hope you’ll speak to the detective and encourage him to check out what I’ve told you.”

  She nodded and led him to the front hall while keeping him within her vision. “Before you go, Mr. Taylor, do you know who died at the park?”

  “I have no idea.”

  She opened the door, and he sped by her. Relief surged through her.

  After locking up, she retreated to the living room. Jogger’s snores from the footstool filled the house’s quiet. The past few minutes with Vic Taylor had been odd and disturbing.

  Now what? Picking up her cell from the coffee table, she hit Noah’s number and hung up before it rang. When she heard the knock on the door, she ran to it.

  A patrolman greeted her. “I waited for your company to leave.” He handed over her keys.

  “Officer, could you stay outside the house for a little while just until I’m sure Mr. Taylor won’t come back?”

  “That was Vic Taylor?” The young officer’s brown eyes widened. “He’s the one who wrote in the newspaper about the police not doing their job.”

  “You got it.”

  “No problem, Miss Raynes.”

  She returned to the TV and unmuted the channel. Today, the familiar sales host didn’t bring her comfort. If only this feeling that someone was out there watching her would go away.

  The swing of the clock’s pendulum ticked one word: A-lone. A-lone. A-lone.

  Chapter 21

  “Looks like we located Jake Clark’s car,” Hines told Noah as they met below the tennis courts at Pretty Park. “Two firefighters found it while scouting the area for containment. The license plates are gone, but the body is in decent shape. I gave it a perusal, but nothing else.”

  Noah swatted at an ember floating through the air near his shirt. He blinked his smarting eyes. The wind blew the worst of the smoke away from the jogging path. “Is it too early to ask the fire chief if the inferno is arson?”

  “He can give us his professional opinion. Got your flashlight, Cassidy?”

  Noah held up his Police Force 7,000,000, which was used both as a stun gun or a torch. “With a possible arsonist and abductions, it’s time for the big boy. We won’t require flares.”

  “And if I get zapped with that, I’d feel like lightning struck me. My flashlight will be enough.”

  They crossed the main running route and trudged up the trail with Hines in the lead. Noah tramped past two officers stationed at the bottom of the slope where the streetlights ended.

  “I posted a couple more men further up the hill,” Hines said over his shoulder and turned on his beam. Fifteen feet into the woods, he stopped before the white auto that blocked the rest of their trek. Hines beamed his light over the car.

  Noah approached for a closer look. Mud caked the sides. A fresh dent marred the front of the hood. Was it caused by hitting Lucy Watson? Paint scratches marked the body. “I’m surprised they could get it this far up on the narrow track. And it’s backed in.”

  “Might have been easier to back with rear-wheel drive,” Hines said.

  “Scratched the coat to hockey hell.” Noah leaned down to examine the tire tracks. “It’s jammed in here with a log underneath the front axle. You’re right, the model seems like a match for Jake Clark’s missing vehicle.” Noah straightened. “My guess, whoever abandoned the auto stuck it on the hill for us to discover. Maybe the same person set the fire to
draw us here.”

  “I’m sending the VIN number.” Hines punched in the digits on his cell as he spoke. “I vote Clark abandoned his compact to confirm his alibi. Ready to look in the trunk?”

  “Hines, you’re making my day.” Opening trunks was like unwrapping a surprise package. You never knew what was inside. “We should check with the chief. We might need a search warrant though we could argue an abandoned car near a fire in a public park is suspicious and dangerous.”

  “The chief would cut off our heads if a judge threw out evidence inside because we didn’t follow procedure.”

  Noah’s wall of protection slid upward, leaving a smaller slice of optimism. “Maybe the arsonist stole the car and left the blow torch that started our inferno in the trunk.” He walked on the edge of the path, dodging the overhanging tree branches. “Not that I’m greedy. A can of gas and matches would be a good find, too.”

  He stopped at the car’s rear. A stained cloth hung out of the trunk and over the license plate. “Hines, is that blood on the rag?” Noah dug in his pocket for latex gloves and tugged them on.

  “Looks like a matter of life or death,” Hines confirmed. “We better pry open the boot.”

  Noah crouched for a closer view. “Forget the crowbar. It’s open. An uneasy sensation rippled through him. This was too easy.

  He couldn’t get over the convenience of the unlocked trunk that seemed flagged for them.

  Had someone set them up? Was someone watching them, smiling at his or her cleverness at what they were about to find? Thick trees grew close to the dirt trail, hiding them from anyone who wasn’t near. No one could see them.

  Teagan’s last text jumped to the front of his mind.

  “I got the body,” whispered in his ear as he flung the lid wide.

  Chapter 22

  Teagan woke determined not to let Lisa’s disappearance and a stalker steal her life. She spent the afternoon at the school’s summer workshop on Best Reading Strategies to keep her mind occupied, and pretended she felt normal. She arrived late to avoid questions and braced herself during the break to accept the sympathies and questions of the other teachers. At home, she flipped through the pages of notes and hoped by opening day, she’d be able to absorb the methods and teach them.