Looking for Lainey - A gripping psychological thriller

by Kristen Middleton

  Chapter 36

  Carissa

  IT WAS TEN-FORTY-FIVE when Beth’s fiancé, Mike, walked through her front door. Carissa’s first impression was that he seemed like a genuinely likeable guy.

  “What’s going on here?” he asked, a funny smile on his face when he noticed everyone in the living room.

  “Mike, this is Dustin and Carissa. They’re the ones helping with the case,” Beth said.

  “Of course. So, you’re the famous psychic Beth was telling me about,” he said, staring at Carissa in awe. “I’ve always wanted to meet someone like you. I know there are a lot of fakes out there, but I hear you’re the real deal.”

  Carissa smiled. “I have my on and off days, but would like to think I’m the ‘real deal’.”

  He chuckled and then his face became serious. “Any new updates on Lainey?”

  “No,” replied Beth.

  “Not enough to find her at least,” Tom mumbled, from the other side of the room.

  “Sorry to hear,” Mike replied, putting an arm around Beth. He looked down at her. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her myself. I feel shitty about leaving you at a time like this.”

  “Good thing you had someone keeping your mind off of things while you were away then,” she said frostily before pulling away.

  Mike gave her a confused look. “What was that?”

  “We should probably head out soon so that you two can catch up,” Dustin said looking uncomfortable. He stood up. “What do you say, Carissa?”

  She rose from the sofa. “Yes. It’s been a long day for everyone.”

  “And a long night for some of us, apparently,” Tom said dryly.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Carissa said quickly, moving toward Mike. She held out her hand. “I’ve heard some great things about you and your work. In fact, Beth showed me the painting you did of her and Lainey. It’s beautiful.”

  He’d painted them on the beach, making a sandcastle. The colors and details of the portrait had been quite impressive. If Mike was anything, he was talented and meticulous with his artwork.

  Still looking a little perplexed, he shook her hand and thanked her.

  Nothing, Carissa thought, releasing his hand. From what she could tell, Mike knew nothing about the kidnapping.

  As far as the woman he’d had in his hotel room, Carissa felt as if something had happened but knew that it wasn’t any of her business. Besides, she had a feeling that once the couple talked, he’d be truthful about it. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who could hold a secret like that for too long without needing to come clean. It was too bad that it had to happen at such a horrible time.

  “Beth, would you like me to stay?” Tom asked, shooting Mike a stern look.

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t think that would be a good idea. Besides, my father will be back soon.”

  “Okay. If you need to talk, call me,” he replied, turning back to her.

  “I will. Thank you,” she said, looking grateful.

  Tom gave her an awkward hug and then was the first out the door.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Mike asked, removing his jacket.

  “His daughter is missing. What do you think is wrong with him?” Beth said dryly.

  “Yeah, I get that,” he replied, staring at her. “Have I done something wrong? Is it because I was gone?”

  She sighed. “We’ll talk about it.”

  “I’d appreciate it. I walked in here and felt like some kind of intruder,” he replied.

  “It’s just been rough with everything going on,” Carissa spoke out, trying to ease the tension in the air.

  Mike relaxed. “I’m sure. Speaking of missing family members, have you spoken to my brother lately, Beth? Mitch hasn’t been returning my calls and he mentioned that he was going to stop by your place this evening.”

  “Stop by? Here?” she replied, looking at him in surprise.

  Mike nodded. “He didn’t make it out to Madison to meet the painter yesterday.”

  Carissa was suddenly hit with a disturbing vision. It was enough to take her breath away.

  “Excuse me, Mike? Your brother didn’t fly to Denver with you last week either, did he?” she asked, the hair sticking up on the back of her neck.

  Mike sighed. “No. He bailed out at the last minute. Apparently, he had to meet with his financial advisor about some investments or something. Anyway, I take it you haven’t heard from him, Beth?”

  “No,” she replied.

  “Would you happen to have a picture of your brother?” Carissa asked, forcing a smile to her face.

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Not at the moment. He’s not one to stand still too long for pictures.”

  “I actually have one from Lainey’s birthday party, a few weeks back,” Beth said, picking up her phone.

  “Why do you want to see a picture of my brother?” Mike asked as Beth began scrolling through her photos.

  “Curiosity, mostly,” Carissa replied, not wanting to tell him about her suspicions. She sensed that Mike wouldn’t be too impressed with her if he knew what was running through her mind.

  “Here,” said Beth. “I took this a couple of months ago, after he gave Lainey her birthday present.”

  Carissa took the phone and when she saw the picture, a chill went down her spine. She looked at Beth. “There are times when I question my own intuition, wondering if I’m on the right track. This is not one of them, I’m afraid.”

  “What are you saying?” Beth asked.

  Carissa took a deep breath, knowing what she was about to say would cause an uproar. “I wasn’t sure before about the others. Not one-hundred percent. But, this time, I’d bet money on it. Mitch is the one who took Lainey from Walmart.”

  Chapter 37

  Tara

  AFTER GETTING LOCKED inside of the trunk, Tara found herself in-and-out of consciousness. Shivering, and in pain, she was too frightened to call out for help, thinking that the guy who shot her would come back and finish her off.

  “Tara!” hollered a voice, rousing her back from the darkness.

  Kurt.

  Opening her eyes, she called out to him, uncertain of the fate that awaited her once he opened the trunk. But, his voice sounded desperate and as much as she hated the man, Tara didn’t think he was there to kill her.

  “Hold on. I’ll get you out,” he promised.

  Trembling, she closed her eyes and was drifting off again when she heard Kurt arguing with someone. She immediately recognized the other voice as the man who’d shot her.

  “We have to get her out of there,” Kurt said angrily.

  Her heart sunk.

  “No. She stays,” replied the other man firmly.

  “Are you crazy? She’ll bleed to death. You shot her in the thigh, for God’s sake. That’s got to hurt like hell. I thought you said you killed her.”

  “Actually, I kind of thought she’d be dead by now,” he said, a smile in his voice.

  “What in the hell has gotten into you?” Kurt snapped.

  “I’m coming to my senses. Which is more than what I can say about you.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “We’re screwed. Yury is going to cut his losses and move the entire operation.”

  “Of course. He already mentioned that. We’re moving,” Kurt said, sounding haggard.

  “Not we. Him. He’s going to want to get rid of loose ends and disappear. Without you or me.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Because he’s Russian mafia. And they don’t have time for mistakes like this. He’s probably already planning our funerals as we speak.”

  “You’re being paranoid.”

  The other man grunted. “This is why you’re more of a liability than an advantage. Sorry, man,”

  Kurt gasped. “Wait a second. What are you doing?”

  “It’s better this way. At least for me.”

  A gun went off and Tara heard a loud thud.
Shocked, she closed her eyes and became very still.

  A few seconds later, the trunk opened up and the shooter placed Kurt’s body inside with her.

  “I know you’re alive,” he said, a smile in his voice.

  Tara opened up her eyes and stared at the masked man.

  “You don’t have long, though,” he said, glancing down at her thigh. “Maybe I should finish you off. Put you out of your misery.”

  “Please,” she begged, her eyes filling with tears. “Don’t kill me.”

  He stared at her for a few seconds and then slammed the trunk shut.

  Chapter 38

  Carissa

  AS EXPECTED, MIKE protested the idea of his brother being involved.

  “You’re a nutcase,” he said angrily. “Accusing my brother of something like that? Beth,” he turned to her, “you know Mitch. He isn’t a pedophile and he certainly would never harm Lainey.”

  Beth nodded.

  “I think you should leave,” he said, scowling at Carissa.

  “Now hold on,” Dustin said evenly. “Let’s hear her out-”

  “Hear her out? She just accused my brother of kidnapping Beth’s daughter! This is insane!” Mike began to pace. “My brother was right about psychics. They’re all lying, wackos out to make a buck.”

  “He’s right. Mitch is such a nice guy and would never do something like this,” Beth said, looking uncomfortable.

  “I need a drink,” Mike said, heading toward the kitchen. He looked back over his shoulder. “And they need to leave.”

  Beth didn’t reply.

  He disappeared into the other room.

  “I’m sorry,” Carissa said softly. “I know it might sound insane but think about this... Lainey allowed the kidnapper to get close to her at Walmart. Close enough for him to reach over and touch her face. Most kids would back away from someone they didn’t know. And now we’ve learned that he was in town when she disappeared.”

  “Okay, fine. That’s something to think about. But, he’s such a sweet guy. He loves Lainey,” Beth said shakily. “I can’t imagine him being involved with something like this.”

  “Listen,” Dustin said in a low voice, “I understand how difficult this must be for you, but if Carissa strongly believes that he might be involved, it’s definitely worth checking out.”

  Beth let out a ragged sigh and then nodded.

  Carissa touched her arm. “I’m sorry Beth. Sometimes the ones closest to us are hiding the most secrets. Yes, there is a chance I’m wrong but,” she licked her lips, “I have never felt so strongly about a suspect before.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “What can I do to help?”

  “Do you have an address for him?” Dustin asked.

  “He lives in Stillwater, right off of the St. Croix River. On Acorn Path. I don’t have a house number for you. I forgot,” she replied softly.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get it. What’s his last name?” Dustin asked, uncapping his pen.

  “Olson,” she said.

  He wrote it down and shoved the notepad back into his pocket. “We’ll do some checking around and call you later, okay?”

  She nodded.

  Carissa reached over and gave Beth a hug. “I’m sorry. I just want to help you find her.”

  “I know,” she said in a sad voice.

  As Carissa stepped back, Mike entered the room again holding a beer. He didn’t say anything, just crossed his arms over his chest with a brooding look on his face.

  “Goodnight,” Dustin said, walking toward the front door.

  “Goodnight,” Beth replied.

  Carissa followed him out.

  Chapter 39

  Mitch

  AS MITCH WALKED away from Tara, he wondered if he was making a mistake by not putting a bullet into her head. Admittedly, killing Kurt had given him a small thrill. But, something had come over him when he’d stared into the teen’s face. He didn’t know if it was guilt or compassion. Those things were normally foreign to him.

  Whatever the case was, he had more important things to attend to. Besides, Tara hadn’t seen his face and couldn’t identify him. They’d never even met face-to-face.

  Mitch got into the car and removed the ski mask. Then he began driving back toward the farmhouse, to find Yury. As he ran a hand through his hair, he could hear Lainey and Sammy sniveling.

  “Hey. Quit your crying. You know, it’s both of your faults that Tara is dead,” Mitch lied, looking at them in the rearview mirror. Making them believe she was dead could only give him leverage. “Now, if you two want to stay alive, you’d better behave and not try anymore shit.”

  Neither replied.

  Mitch pulled up to the house right as Yury was stuffing a large, black duffel bag into the trunk of his rental. He took the keys out of the ignition and looked back over his shoulder. “Stay here,” he ordered.

  They both stared at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes.

  Mitch got out of the car.

  “What in the hell happened out there?” Yury asked, walking over to him.

  “The kids flipped my truck and Kurt is dead,” Mitch said, keeping his hand on the gun hidden inside of his jacket pocket.

  Yury’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? How?”

  “It was an accident,” he lied. “Look, I’ve got the kids and want to get the hell out of here before the shit really hits the fan. I’m going to need my cut of the money now. Considering that this is the second time I’ve brought the little shits to you, and my truck is destroyed, I think I deserve a bonus, too.”

  Yury’s face darkened. “You don’t get paid the rest of the money until we do.”

  “Sorry, Pal. You’re going to have to make an exception this time. I just saved your ass and returned the kids,” he replied with a cold smile. “I certainly didn’t do it for free.”

  “I don’t have that kind of cash sitting around,” Yury said angrily. “Besides, you don’t make the demands. I’m the one in charge here-”

  Mitch pulled out his gun. “Not right now. Look, I’m not an idiot. I know you’re going to skip town and I’m going to be left high-and-dry. Either you pay me right this minute, or you won’t see these kids again.”

  Swearing, Yury glared at him. “You have no idea who you’re threatening. You pull that trigger and my associates will hunt you down and believe me, they will find you. And when they do, you, along with everyone you love, will suffer unimaginably. So, you’d better rethink your approach.”

  Mitch grunted. He’d heard Yury use the same lines before. “I just handed over my brother’s future step-kid. Do you think I scare easily or care what happens to family?”

  “No, but I imagine you care about your intestines, which will be fed to the pigs up the road if you keep this up.”

  Mitch chuckled. The man had a gun trained on him and was still making threats. “Come on, Yury. You must have some cash on you.”

  The two men stared at each other for several seconds and then Yury let out a ragged sigh. “Okay. Okay. I guess that I understand where you’re coming from. And, you’re right. We’ll be leaving town. Let me get my duffel bag,” he said, walking back toward the trunk of his car. “I will give you what I can for your services.”

  Mitch followed him, prepared for anything.

  “You know, even though you are an asshole, I admire you,” Yury said, unzipping the duffel bag. “Your friend Kurt told me that you were a shrewd business man. I see that he was right.”

  Mitch remained silent, keeping his eye closely on Yury’s back. “My services aren’t free. If that’s being shrewd, then so be it.”

  The front door of the farmhouse opened and Dina stepped outside with two suitcases. When she noticed Mitch holding the gun, she froze.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes wide with fright.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” Yury said before twisting around with a pistol of his own.

  Mitch, not particularly surprised, fired his gun. The bullet hit Yury i
n the chest and he toppled to the ground

  Dina gasped and dropped the suitcases.

  Mitch turned toward her.

  “Please, don’t kill me,” she begged, crying. “I won’t say anything.”

  “I know,” he replied, walking toward the porch.

  Her eyes widened as he raised the gun.

  “Sorry. You’ve seen my face,” he said.

  “Wait. I-”

  Mitch pulled the trigger and watched in satisfaction as the bullet hit her in the forehead, causing dark blood and brain matter to splatter everywhere. He shoved the gun into his jacket and walked back over to Yury. Mitch searched his duffel bag and found nothing but a few articles of clothing and a laptop.

  “Dammit,” he grumbled.

  He pulled out Yury’s wallet and found a small amount of cash along with a couple of credit cards. Pocketing the money, he tossed the wallet into the trunk and decided to put Yury there too, along with Dina. Unfortunately, the task proved to be more difficult than he’d anticipated, especially with the Russian’s massive weight.

  Suddenly, his phone rang. Noticing that it was his brother, he answered it.

  “What’s up, Mike?”

  “Hey man. Sorry to bother you so late.”

  “No problem,” he replied, trying to sound as natural as possible. “How was the trip to Madison?”

  “It went well. Anyway, that’s not why I’m calling.” Mike then went on to tell him about meeting the psychic, Carissa Jones, and how she suspected Mitch of being Lainey’s kidnapper.”

  Mitch’s mouth went dry. “You’re kidding?” he replied. “Me?”

  “I know, right? Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case the police show up and start asking questions.”

  Mitch swore inwardly. “You know I’m not involved.”

  “Of course I know you’re not,” Mike said angrily. “She’s a fraud and a nut case.”