Endangered

by Robin Mahle

Nick held it closer to his face. “I can’t tell. The print’s too small.” He eyed them both again. “Scan it in. Now! We can zoom in on the certificate and it might reveal a name.”

  Dwight snatched it from Nick’s hands. “On it.”

  Moments later, Dwight returned with his laptop. “I sent this to my email.” He retrieved the image and opened it up. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” He began to pan across the photo of the young girl standing in front of a building with another woman. The certificate in her hand highlighted and he cut that part of the image to zoom it in further. The words were still blurry but discernable. “Holy Shit.” Dwight leaned back.

  “Sun Park Retirement Community.” Kate read. “Presented to Sophie Curtis.” She leaned in to read the much smaller print. “Outstanding community volunteer of the year.” A smile formed on her lips. “Sophie Curtis. We have a name.”

  “And a place. Same as the name in that post over here,” Dwight said. “Let’s get an address on this now.”

  “And pray to God he hasn’t already taken her,” Nick added.

  FIFTEEN

  Detective Mason moved swiftly through the halls and back toward the bullpen. She spotted the Federal agents huddled around the conference table. “They picked her and her parents up this morning. The girl is safe.”

  “If he’s as smart we believe he is, it won’t take long for him to realize we found the pictures in his home.” Kate turned her attention to the detective. “Has Stroud been spotted in the area?”

  “Not that we know of, but I know Agent Scarborough requested CCTV footage around the girl’s home.”

  “I don’t have it yet. We should get down there now. He hasn’t been there or Sophie would be gone. Or, one of the other kids will be his next target. I’d like to bet on the one we know and keep looking for the ones we don’t.”

  “Is there anything else you need from me?” Mason asked Nick.

  “Just keep working to find Stroud. We’re running these other images through our databases to see if any of them have been reported missing. No luck on names of the other two. Thank God we have at least this one. But I’m hoping the search will turn up something.” Nick reached for her shoulder. “Thank you. I’ll let you know what we find and you do the same.”

  “Will do,” Mason replied.

  “It’ll take us a good forty minutes to get to Gainesville.” Dwight glanced at the time on his phone. “I hope to God he hasn’t been there yet.”

  “If he has, then he already knows we’re on to him and if that happens, we’ll have lost him for good,” Nick said.

  » » »

  They arrived at the Prince William County Police station near Gainesville where the girl and her family remained waiting for answers. Nick stepped out of the car, rubbing his temple.

  “You want an aspirin?” Kate was already digging into her purse to retrieve them.

  He smiled and held out his hand. “Thanks.” Nick swallowed them down dry.

  An officer, who appeared to be waiting for them, approached. “Afternoon. I’m Officer Arroyo. Chief would like to have a quick word, if you’ll follow me.” Arroyo continued inside until they reached their destination. He opened the chief’s door. “Chief? FBI’s here to discuss the Lyle Stroud investigation.”

  “Come in, please. I’m Chief John Deely.” He made his way around his desk to greet the agents.

  “Agent Nick Scarborough.” He turned to his team. “This is Agent Jameson and Agent Reid.”

  “Thank you for coming down.” Chief Deely gestured to the chairs. “Have a seat. We’re extremely relieved to have found Sophie Curtis before she became Stroud’s next victim.”

  “The family is here, is that correct?” Dwight asked.

  “Yes, sir. But before we go speak with them, I’d like to know if you’ve received any information as to the suspect’s whereabouts? To my knowledge, no one has seen him.”

  “Yesterday, we found the bodies of two of his victims. One, a young boy, and the other, an elderly woman, his grandmother.”

  “Jesus,” Deely replied.

  “That location was west of here and with this recent discovery, we aren’t sure where he’ll be heading next; who he’ll go after,” Nick replied.

  “And you’ve checked the surveillance videos?” Kate asked.

  “We’re a small town, Agent Reid, and so there isn’t much in the way of cameras, except for the banks, ATMs, and town hall. You all think he’s coming here, is that right?”

  “The important thing is that you’ve got Sophie Curtis and her family,” Kate began. “Did you tell them why they were here?”

  “Not every detail, but enough that her parents got the gist.” The chief stood up. “I suppose you’d like to have a word. I’ll take you back.”

  They followed him into the hall and toward the back of the station. Kate didn’t know just how much the family knew and addressed her concern with Nick. “What are you going to tell them?”

  “The truth.”

  “Yes, but will you tell them about the other two victims?”

  “You mean Colton Talbot and Emily Aldrich?”

  “Yes.” Kate watched his eyes turn cold. Not out of apathy, but out of anger.

  “Not in front of their daughter, but they deserve to know the truth.”

  Chief Deely opened a door at the far end of the building. Inside was what appeared to be a media room, perhaps used for press conferences. Sophie Curtis was sitting in the back row, alone. She looked like any other thirteen-year-old girl. It was clear to Kate that she knew nothing of her predicament, and it was probably better that way.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, I’d like to introduce you to Agent Scarborough and his team. Agents Reid and Jameson.”

  The wife stood first. A dynamic presence obvious from even a great distance. Kate approached her. “Mrs. Curtis, I’m Agent Reid. May we speak with you and your husband for a moment?”

  “Of course.” She turned to her daughter. “Sophie, honey, why don’t you go and get yourself a soda and a snack? I’m sure one of the officers out there will be able to direct you to the breakroom.”

  Sophie rose from her chair, sandy blonde hair resting in a loose braid over her shoulder. She blew the wisps from her eyes and walked toward the door. “Can I get a Snickers?”

  “Yes, you may.”

  A tender smile crossed her lips as she looked to her parents. She appeared afraid to leave their side.

  “It’s okay, Sophie. We only need a minute,” Kate said.

  After the girl left the room, her father stood up to meet the others. “Which one of you is going to tell us what the hell is going on?”

  » » »

  The signal the TV was receiving was lousy and Lyle pressed the “off” button on the remote. He’d hoped to get updates on where the police and FBI were looking for him, but only talk of the bodies he’d left in his wake was what the public seemed interested in. Still, he didn’t think they knew his plan and he would use this to his advantage.

  It was less than an hour drive from where he was now to where he would find her. A pretty girl; Lyle noticed her two months ago when an online article was posted about her. He studied her picture. She was perfect. Not like the boy, though. No, Colton caught his attention because he seemed so very happy to be holding that trophy he’d won. “MVP at Springfield Little League.”

  If only people realized just how easy they made it for him to find their children. Social media posts, all the bullshit after school activities where they told everyone their exact location. So damn easy, especially here where there were small towns dotted all over the state. Colton Talbot’s team, for example. “Sponsored by your local Ace Hardware store,” the caption at the bottom read.

  Well, there were only two Ace Hardware stores in the suburbs of Springfield and, from there, it was a piece of cake.

  Now he was ready to continue to the next one on his list. He would wipe that pretty little smile right off her face.

  Lyle reached for
the car keys that sat on a folding table near the door in the apartment that had once belonged to his sister, but now belonged to meth-heads who let him waltz right in at the mention of her name. Apparently, she had a reputation. He’d monitored the area for some time from his car and decided it was safe to go back and see if whoever lived there knew where she’d gone. He was going to need her in the very near future. They recognized him from the moment one of them opened the door and thought it was cool he was on the run. The cops had already spoken to them and they told them she no longer lived there. Now, if there had been anyone else in this apartment, he’d have had to turn and walk away, but by the looks of the building, he knew the type who lived here and decided the risk was worth it. And it looked like today was his lucky day because they also told him where his sister was, last they knew anyway.

  He stepped over one of the men who had passed out. The other was slumped on the couch, his slanted eyes watching Stroud.

  “Thanks, man.” Stroud left the apartment and made his way back to the car. The time was approaching late afternoon. He wanted to arrive before dark to get a good look around and start making some headway in determining where the girl would be. There would be plenty of time for that.

  Once inside the car, he lit up another cigarette and pulled away from the curb. The shade that had obscured his vehicle no longer offered any security and he grew concerned that a passerby might have called in the location. Then again, Stroud often counted upon people’s obsession with themselves and stood a better than fair chance that not one single person gave his highly sought after Oldsmobile a second glance.

  Lyle rolled down his window and let the warm breeze brush against his skin. The thrill of the hunt felt exhilarating. But he knew caution would be paramount. Two dead bodies, well three, if you counted his grandmother, and they knew his name. Seems they’d been able to put two and two together after all.

  » » »

  “I can’t believe this.” Mr. Curtis couldn’t stand on his own feet any longer and lowered himself back down onto the chair. “What are we supposed to do now?”

  Mrs. Curtis still stood firm. Kate was reminded of her own mother, although this woman was much younger. After Marshall’s death, Deborah had hardened for the sake of Kate. She was no longer docile, acquiescing to her father’s wishes, as she had for so long. No longer pushing under the rug what had been a dark time in their family’s lives. Deborah had changed, and Kate was grateful for her strength at a time when she herself had none. And Mrs. Curtis was no different.

  “I assume you’ll be keeping us someplace safe until you catch this monster?” Mrs. Curtis stared into Nick’s eyes, identifying him as the decision-maker.

  “Of course. We’ll arrange to keep Sophie and you two safe.” Nick directed his attention to Dwight. “Let’s get them to a safe house. We’ll keep them there until this is over.”

  “The nearest one is fifty miles away,” Dwight replied.

  Mr. Curtis looked to his wife. “We can’t just hide out.” She seemed unmoved and so he began to implore the agents, “We have jobs, for Christ’s sake. We’ll lose everything.”

  “We’ll lose Sophie if we don’t do this.” Mrs. Curtis understood exactly what was at stake. “You think he won’t come after her again if they don’t find him? You want to risk that because I sure as hell don’t.”

  “We’ll have one of Chief Deely’s officers escort you home to pack a few things and then take you straight to the house. No phone calls, text messages, emails. Nothing. Am I making myself clear?” Nick didn’t wait for a reply. “This is the way it has to be—for now.” He soon turned to address his team. “Can I see you two alone for a moment?”

  The three stepped outside into the corridor, leaving Sophie’s parents to absorb the information.

  Nick widened his stance, shoulder-width apart and folded his arms against his chest. “If Stroud hasn’t been here yet, we stand a good chance of capturing him if we play our cards right.”

  “What are you thinking?” Kate asked.

  “We set up shop at the Curtis’ place. See if he shows up. We get WFO field ops and place surveillance teams in locations where Sophie would normally be seen. Her school, the elderly home where she visits, places like that.”

  “What about Deely and his people?” Kate asked.

  “We can use them. I just need to figure out how. Because what I don’t want to happen is a show of force, an increase in police presence that would raise a red flag with Stroud. He catches a whiff of what we’re doing and it’s all over. He’ll be out of here and he’ll change his plans. We can’t let that happen.”

  “We’re making some hefty assumptions here,” Dwight began. “Are we putting all our eggs in one basket? We don’t know where he’s going next or who he’s going to track down.”

  “Until we get names of the other two, I don’t know where else we go from here,” Nick said. “We still have state troopers and Mason and half the damn state looking for him. If we have a chance to get a jump on where he might be headed, I don’t see as we have another choice.”

  “What if we go a step further?” Kate’s eyes sparked at an idea. “That girl is as tall as me. What if I act as a decoy? Go to the places we know he’ll be looking. Not close enough that he’ll be able to see it’s not her, but from a distance.”

  Her partners traded glances. Kate raised the corners of her mouth because she could see they were seriously considering the idea.

  “I could die my hair blonde and wear it just like hers.” She was glad she’d let her hair continue to grow long, as it once was. “I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be a blonde. You know this could work. Look, if Stroud comes here and he can’t find any evidence of Sophie, he won’t waste his time. He’ll move on to the next kid and we don’t know who that’s going to be. Not yet.”

  “Again, we can’t be sure he’s going to go after her ahead of the others. But we do have a chance to shut him down, one we might not get again,” Nick agreed. “What do you think, Jameson? You think Kate could pass for a thirteen-year-old blonde girl?”

  Dwight examined Kate’s face with a half-cocked smile. “It could work. So long as he doesn’t get any closer than about a hundred feet from her.”

  “He gets that close and I’ll take him down.”

  “Damn right.” Nick patted her on the back. “Until we know more, we have to at least do something. Mason’s team, along with Agent Vasquez, are working hard to identify the others. This is the best we’ve got for now.”

  Sophie approached them in the hall. “Can I come back inside now?”

  The girl moved nearer to Kate and she began to draw upon the comparison as they stood shoulder to shoulder. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  They studied the two of them, who were, in fact, nearly the same height. From a distance, it could work. She’d have to play down her figure, wear loose-fitting clothes. Change her hair color for sure, but as they continued to evaluate the possibility, it seemed they might have a decent chance and it was better than waiting.

  “Yes, you can go back inside now, Sophie. Thank you for your patience.” Kate ushered the girl inside where her parents were immersed in conversation with the chief.

  “Chief Deely, can you send someone to gather their things for them?” Kate began. “I don’t think we should risk a patrol car escorting the Curtis’ home.” She turned to Mrs. Curtis. “They can grab enough to last you a few days.”

  SIXTEEN

  The bathroom mirror reflected a startling image; a blonde Kate, and as she studied this new look, she realized this color would never have suited her and was glad to be a brunette. Her skin had too much olive in it and her eyes, much too dark for such a fair shade. Nevertheless, the change succeeded in the one thing she desired—to appear younger. Not thirteen; not by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps closer to twenty, rather than her early thirties, which had crept up on her with little notice.

  Towel dried, she brushed her hair through
and put a blow dryer to it for a few minutes. The time had come for her to make her big reveal. Kate opened the bathroom door where Dwight and Nick waited nearby. While the Curtis family stayed hidden in a safe house, the three federal agents were playing house in their residence.

  Kate appeared to wide-eyes and gasps. “Do I look that bad?”

  “No. Just—different.” Nick approached her and placed his hand on her hair, lifting a section of it to get a better look. “Just never pictured you as a blonde before.”

  “I don’t like it, but then this isn’t a permanent change, right?” Dwight asked.

  “No, definitely not.” Kate walked past them, toward a wall mirror that hung in the dining area. “Just long enough to catch Lyle Stroud.” She turned to them again. “So, how do we plan to do that?”

  “I got the Curtis’ usual schedule from the wife.” Dwight sat down at the dining table where Kate waited. “Sophie has dance on Tuesday nights, soccer on Mondays and Wednesdays, and choir after school on Thursdays.”

  “Geez, when does the kid sleep?” Nick pulled out the chair next to him.

  “That’s the way they do things now. My kids do the same kind of thing. Unfortunately, I’m not around for most of it. So anyway, that means she’ll have soccer practice tonight from 4:30 to 6:00.”

  “Who usually picks her up?” Kate asked.

  “She hitches a ride with a teammate and they’re both picked up by Mrs. Curtis.”

  “But how would Stroud know this?” Kate continued.

  “I don’t think he would, unless he’s been watching her for a while. He’s got these kids’ pictures and is picking them off, but how he finds them, or why, we just don’t know yet.” Dwight turned to Nick. “Any ideas on where he might go to watch out for her?”

  “Sophie was collecting a good Samaritan award at the retirement home. With everything else she does, when does she go there?”

  “Sunday, after church,” Dwight replied.