Hidden Angels: Wildfire Lake Book One

by Victoria Wyngate

  ******

  It was 8:00 p.m. that night before Dr. Larabee finished with his last patient. Janet Meyers, the office manager, had left approximately twenty minutes earlier. She needed to cook dinner for her family and check her children’s homework.

  It was later than they normally operate on their long nights. That happens sometimes. There had been an unscheduled emergency. A little leaguer had his front tooth knocked loose by a line drive. Dr. Larabee didn’t hesitate to take his case.

  “You go ahead Michael. I’ll clean and lock up.” Peggy said. Michael poured himself the last of the coffee from the pot.

  “Thanks, Peggy. I owe you one.” Michael said, turning off the pot.

  “I think you may owe me more than just one, sir,” said Peggy sarcastically.

  “You know, you may be right,” he said, grabbing his extra set of scrubs from the back of the door. “See you tomorrow Peggy, and thanks again,” he said, as he walked out.

  “Don’t mention it.” Peggy called after him although he probably didn’t hear her.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It was 8:45 p.m. before Peggy finished cleaning the office. She made one final walk through of the building turning out the lights as she went.

  Exiting through the rear of the building, she locked the door. She glanced around the parking lot.

  Hers was the only car she saw.

  ******

  He had parked in his usual spot in the corner of the adjoining lot. While waiting, he had gotten the duct tape out of the trunk. What is taking her so long?

  He was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel when he saw the lights in the office start to go out. “Finally!” he said aloud.

  He got the bottle of Chloroform and soaked a cloth. Quietly, he waited. He knew there were no video cameras this far back in the lot. He doubted the dentist office had bothered with the cameras either.

  Perfect, just perfect.

  He watched as the pretty blonde walked toward her car.

  Peggy had her keys in her hand and was unlocking her car. She opened the door and threw her purse onto the front seat. By the time she sensed his movement behind her it was already too late.

  He grabbed her, placing a gloved hand over her nose and mouth. The hand that contained the Chloroform soaked cloth.

  She struggled briefly, but the Chloroform quickly took effect. She slumped silently against him. He kicked her car door shut and carried her limp form to his car.

  Opening the passenger door on the driver’s side of his car, he slid her inside. He wrapped the duct tape around her wrists and ankles. He got into the car and sped off into the night.

  Thinking of the plans he had for her, he smiled with the anticipation. He felt himself getting aroused.

  He looked down to the dashboard. No need to draw unnecessary attention to himself or the car. Don’t need to be stopped for speeding.

  He drove several more miles before turning onto a small dirt road. The road wound back into the woods to a cabin on Wildfire Lake.

  This cabin had been in his family for years. No one else used it. That made things a lot easier for him.

  The rest of his family had either died or lived in other states. It was unlikely he would be interrupted.

  He pulled the car around to the side of the cabin, parking under the oak tree. He looked at the woman in the back seat. She was still unconscious, good.

  He lifted her from the car and carried her to the front porch. He opened the door with the hand that supported her knees and stepped inside.

  It was dark, but having been to this cabin so many times he could navigate it blindfolded. He made his way to the double bed to lay her down. Going back to the car to get the rope, he flipped on the lights. Rope in hand, he removed the tape and stripped her of her scrubs.

  He used the rope and tied her, naked and spread eagle, to the four poster bed.

  Just the way I like my women, he thought.

  She awoke with a start. Where am I?, she thought. She looked around the dimly lit room, spotting a silhouette on the other side.

  “Well, it’s about time!” he hissed.

  “Who are you? What do you want with me?” she asked.

  “Who I am is not important, right now. However, what I want with you is,” he said. He approached the bed. She noticed the glint of a knife in his hand.

  “No, please!” she begged. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise. Just please let me go!”

  “I just might let you go. If you behave and do exactly as I say,” he said.

  “Yes, please, I’ll do anything you say. Just please don’t hurt me!” she pleaded.

  He raised the knife. Her eyes grew wild with terror. With two strokes of the knife, he neatly removed her panties.

  “Now, we’re in business,” he said, removing his clothes and joining her on the bed.

  “NO, PLEASE, NO!” she screamed. He got a condom out of the nightstand drawer. No DNA evidence.

  “Now, I’m gonna have me some fun,” he said as he climbed on top of her.

  She started screaming as he raped her.

  He walked out onto the front porch of the cabin. It was the end of September. None of the other cabins on the lake were occupied. No one around to hear her screams.

  He had looked her in the eyes as he grabbed her head and twisted. He felt nothing but intense pleasure as he heard her neck snap.

  He had prepared a final resting place for her along the shore of the lake. A shallow grave, but not too shallow. Don’t want to risk the coyotes or wolves discovering her too soon.

  But then, they hadn’t found his first.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Janet Meyers arrived at the dental office at exactly 8:22 a.m. Her twelve year old son Josh had refused to get out of the bed.

  By the time she got him up, ready for school, he had missed the bus. That meant she had to drop him off at school on her way to the office.

  She hated being late, especially if it could be avoided. She saw Peggy’s car in the lot as she pulled into her assigned spot.

  It wasn’t uncommon for Peggy to make it in before her. She often came in early, stayed late. A perk of being divorced was the overtime.

  She locked her car, walked to the front of the office and pulled on the door. It was locked. Maybe Peggy hadn’t gotten around to unlocking the doors yet, she thought.

  Their first patient wasn’t scheduled until nine. There was still a little time. She got her set of office keys, unlocked the door and went inside.

  The lights were off inside. “That’s odd,” she said aloud. She went further into the office. Peggy always turns them on when she comes in.

  “Peggy?” she called, “Peggy, are you here?” No answer. She checked all of the treatment rooms. She even checked the bathrooms. No Peggy.

  Fishing her cell phone from her purse, she called Peggy’s number. It rang four times. She received the customary voicemail greeting, but didn’t leave a message.

  The sound of the back door opening got her attention. She ran in that direction.

  “Peggy,” she said, “You had me worried there for a minute. I thought something might have happ......” She stopped mid-word.

  Standing before her wasn’t Peggy, it was Dr. Larabee.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “It’s Peggy,” she replied. “Her car is outside, but I can’t find her. The office was locked when I got here. All the lights were out. I’m afraid something might have happened to her,” she continued.

  “Did you try calling her?” he asked. “She might have walked to the convenience store down the block.”

  “I tried her number a few minutes ago. It went straight to her voice mail. I’ll step outside, try her again. Besides, I need to get my jacket out of my car anyway,” she said starting toward the door.

  She re-dialed Peggy’s number as she walked toward her car. Peggy’s Impala was parked just two spots down from her own car.

  The call went through again as she approac
hed the car. Now, she knew something was definitely wrong. Not only was she hearing the ringing coming through her phone. She also heard it coming from somewhere else.

  The voice mail picked up just as she reached her own car. She walked past it to Peggy’s and looked inside.

  There on the front seat lay Peggy’s purse. Her phone was laying half way out of it on the seat. Janet ran back into the office.

  She found Dr. Larabee in one of the exam rooms. “We need to call the police, NOW!” she said urgently.

  ******

  Detective David Moore, accompanied by two marked patrol units, arrived at the dental office twenty minutes after the call.

  David is a ten year veteran of the Charlottesburg Police Department. In all those years he had seen his share of burglaries, but nothing like this had ever happened in this small town. Another unit was dispatched to Peggy’s apartment.

  “I need you to secure a perimeter around Ms. Callaway’s car,” he told one of the uniformed officers. Running his hand through his dark brown hair, he looked around the parking lot. There were no cameras on any of the lamp poles. That might be problematic.

  “I’ll be inside,” he told the officer setting up the perimeter. “I need you to canvas the lot. See if you can find anything out of the ordinary. If you do photograph, bag and tag it.”

  He went inside to speak with the complainant.

  David went to the reception desk and asked for Janet. A few moments later, Janet entered the lobby.

  “Mrs. Myers, my name is David Moore. I’ll be investigating this case,” he said as he extended his hand.

  “Thank you for coming out. I hope I’m not just panicking. Peggy wouldn’t have gone anywhere without her purse,“ she said, shaking his hand.

  “Is there somewhere quiet where we could talk?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she answered, “Follow me.”

  She led him down the hall and into the employee lounge. They both sat down at the table in the center of the room.

  “When was the last time you saw Ms. Callaway?” he asked, taking a notepad out of his pocket.

  “I left last night around 7:40 p.m.. She was still here with Dr. Larabee,” she replied.

  “Was there anyone else?” he asked, taking notes.

  “We had a late walk-in emergency. A kid playing little league got hit in the face by a baseball. It knocked his front tooth loose. His mother brought him in. She waited in the lobby. No one else, other than Dr. Larabee and Peggy. The rest of the staff had gone home for the evening,” she replied.

  “Can you tell me what Ms. Callaway was wearing when you last saw her?” he asked, not looking up from his notes. “And maybe give me a description of her as well,” he continued.

  Janet thought for a moment before answering, “Peggy is about 5’5” to 5’6”. I going to guess that she weighs about 140 pounds. She has long blonde hair and green eyes. She was wearing a pair of blue surgical scrubs and white rubber clog type shoes.”

  “Any scars, identifying marks or tattoos?” he asked, scribbling down the information.

  “She didn’t have any of those that I know of,” she replied.

  “Anything else you can remember?” he asked.

  “Not really, like I said, she was still here when I left. You might want to speak with Dr. Larabee though.”

  “I plan to talk to him next. Could you possibly get him for me?” he asked.

  She got up and left the room.

  Denise, the dental hygienist, had just finished a cleaning as Dr. Larabee stepped into the room. He walked over to the viewer looking at the patient’s X-rays.

  “We might want to keep an eye on number twenty one,” he said to Denise, “We can have another look at it in about six months” he then said to the patient in the chair. “But of course, if it gives you any problems before that feel free to make another appointment and we’ll take another look. If not, I’ll see you in six months.”

  Janet stuck her head around the corner into the exam room.

  “Sorry to interrupt Doctor, but Detective Moore is ready to speak with you now,” she said, “He’s waiting for you in the lounge.”

  “Thanks Janet, tell him I’ll be right there,” he responded. She turned and left the room to relay the message.

  Dr. Larabee entered the lounge extending his hand as he approached the table.

  “Hello Detective Moore, I’m Michael Larabee. How can I help you?” he said as they shook hands.

  “I just need to ask you a few questions Doctor.” David said, “Please have a seat.”

  Michael sat down at the table and said, “I’d be glad to do anything I can to help.”

  “Can you tell about the last time you saw Ms. Callaway?” David asked.

  “We had an emergency last night. Little leaguer got his tooth knocked loose during a game.” Michael replied. “Peggy is one of my dental assistants. She stayed to help with the procedure. We finished about 8:00pm. Peggy told me she would stay to clean and lock up. I agreed, we said our good-byes and I left.”

  “So, she was still here and okay when you left?” David asked.

  “Yes, I haven’t seen her since.” Michael replied.

  “Did you notice anything odd or unusual about her demeanor the last time you saw her? Any suspicious vehicles in the lot?” asked David.

  “No, she seemed fine to me. My car and hers were the only ones I noticed in the lot… sorry.” Michael answered.

  “Well, thanks for your co-operation. If there is anything else you might think of give me a call,” he said, handing Michael a business card.

  Both men rose from their seats and headed to the door.

  “Don’t bother yourself with me Doctor. I know you’re busy,” said David, “I’ll see myself out. I’ll, also, let you know if we find anything. Oh, and someone might want to call her family and left them know what’s happening.”

  David’s cell phone vibrated in his shirt pocket and he retrieved it. “Detective Moore,” he said.

  “Hello Detective,” said the caller, “This is Sergeant Lee. My team is on scene at Peggy Callaway’s apartment. There was no response when we knocked on the door or called the land line. No signs of a struggle on the exterior perimeter check. Location is clean and secure sir.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant,” he said, ending the call.

  David stood on the sidewalk in front of the dental office. He was thinking of so many things. Other than the physical description, he had nothing. No witnesses, no video footage and no clues.

  All he had was one missing woman who seemed to have just vanished without a trace.

  ******

  As Trish arrived for her shift, she looked across the lot and saw all the squad cars and crime scene tape. What in the world is going on over there? Locking her car, she headed to Stacie’s.

  She threw her purse into the usual spot behind the counter and went to find Janelle. She found her at the other end of the store.

  “Janelle,” she said, “Do you have any idea what’s going on across the parking lot?” she asked.

  “Haven’t the foggiest,” she replied. “I’ve been back here most of the morning. Why?”

  “Well,” Trish said, “There are cop cars everywhere. There’s crime scene tape strung up through most of the trees in that lot. Something, major, must have gone down this morning. Maybe there will be something on the news about it tonight.” She went to help a customer waiting at the counter.

  Trish had finished with her last customer of the night and started wiping up the counters. One of the shoppers had spilled an entire container of powder foundation and it had scattered across the laminate.

  She was alone in the store as Janelle had already left for the evening. She completed her task and headed for the door.

  The mall would be closing soon.

  ******

  He watched the attractive blonde leave the mall savoring every movement. She made her way across the lot and got into her car. Such an exquisite beauty, he though
t. She’s worth watching. He would be doing a lot of that within the next few weeks.

  Adding her to his collection would be thrilling, but not just yet.

  ******

  Trish arrived at her apartment off Lexington Avenue at approximately 9:15 p.m. She threw her purse on the table beside the door. It’s too late to cook. I’ll just order a pizza after my shower, she thought.

  She headed toward the bathroom. After her shower, she walked back to the living room. Switching on the television, she flipped through the channels.

  Finding an old movie she hadn’t seen in quite a while, ‘Beaches’, she sat down to watch. Wish I had stopped at the store for some popcorn, she thought.

  Instead she picked up the phone and called Zippy’s Pizza Parlor. She was told her order would arrive in twenty minutes.

  She settled in to watch the movie and wait for the doorbell.

  The pizza arrived and she carried the box to the coffee table. She went into the kitchen to get napkins and a cold beer. As she sat down on the couch, her movie was interrupted by an important news bulletin.

  The anchor appeared on the screen. He was sitting at the desk and had his finger on his earpiece.

  “This just in,” he said, “Police are asking for information in the disappearance of Peggy Callaway. Ms. Callaway was last seen at 8:00 p.m. last night at the Larabee Dental Clinic in Charlottesburg.

  Ms. Callaway works at the clinic as a dental assistant. Ms. Callaway is described as 5’5” to 5’6”, weighing approximately 140 lbs. She has long blonde hair and green eyes. When last seen she was wearing a set of blue surgical scrubs and white clog type shoes.

  If you have any information about her disappearance, please call the number at the bottom of your screen. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.”

  The movie returned to the screen. So that’s what was going on, she thought, someone had been kidnapped.