Gone by Dark (Carolina Moon Book 2)

by Christy Barritt

  He couldn’t do that, though. It was a bad idea on so many levels. For her and for him.

  Her eyes were riveted to the screen. “Stop! Right there.”

  Joshua looked at the screen and saw a woman at the door, just as Charity had said. He paused the video and stared for a moment.

  The woman did have dark hair. She was approximately the same height and had the same build as Andrea.

  But was she Andrea?

  He leaned closer, staring at the screen. He had to admit that the resemblance was uncanny.

  Andrea would have changed in the ten years since she was last seen. Were there any age progression photos available? He wasn’t sure. If not, he could find an artist who might be able to put one together for him.

  “What do you think?” Charity asked. She sounded like she’d been holding her breath.

  He rubbed his neck in thought. “I have to admit: that woman does look a lot like her.”

  “It was Andrea.”

  “Why are you so certain? We don’t know for sure what she might look like today. Maybe she’s just similar. A lot of people share features with strangers.”

  “She’s the one who sent me that letter, who left the hat. She wanted me to come back here to Hertford. I don’t know why. But I need to find her.”

  ***

  When they climbed back into Joshua’s truck, silence stretched between them. It didn’t surprise Charity. She’d expected the awkwardness.

  Why had she expected anyone to believe her? The story sounded crazy to her.

  In Joshua’s defense, he had made a copy of the video and printed out some frames of the woman. He hadn’t outright said that he didn’t believe her. But that was a given.

  “If Andrea did survive the abduction, why would she come back now?” Joshua said. “Why would she just target you and not her father? Why not go to the police?”

  Charity felt her shoulders lower some. It seemed like he was mulling everything over in his mind. She’d take that to being dismissed. “I don’t know.”

  “I’m just trying to figure out what possible motivation she might have to do that.”

  “Maybe she feels like I’m the only one who can help her.”

  “Why, though?”

  Charity stared out the window a moment, chewing on her own thoughts. “I ran into Brody Joyner the other day. Do you know him?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. We go to church together.”

  “He used to date Andrea. He told me that in the weeks before Andrea went missing, she and her father weren’t exactly seeing eye to eye.”

  “Most teenagers have some sort of problem with their dads.”

  “I know, but Andrea told me everything. Yet she never mentioned that. Why?”

  “Maybe she didn’t want to burden you with it.”

  “I don’t know. I wonder if there was more to the story. Maybe Andrea didn’t feel like she could talk to anyone.”

  “Still, what’s that have to do with this?”

  “If Andrea didn’t have a good relationship with her dad, in effect she didn’t have a good relationship with law enforcement. He was a cop, after all.”

  “So she bypasses her dad and the cops and lures you here. She’s going through a lot of trouble. Plus, where is she staying? Why hasn’t anyone else recognized her? How is she managing to be in Hertford and Edenton? Is she following you back and forth?”

  “I wish I knew the answers to those questions. It doesn’t make any sense to me either.”

  He shook his head beside her, his jaw locked in place. “I just wish we had something more to go on, you know? It’s like all the clues in this case disappeared. There are no footprints. No witnesses. Every lead dried up. It’s like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.”

  “Until now.”

  “Until now,” he repeated. “I’m going to see what I can find out, Charity. I promise you that.”

  Warmth spread through her. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe hope was in sight.

  ***

  Even though Joshua didn’t have to work today, he dropped Charity back off at Daleigh’s place, feigning an excuse as to something important he had to do. Instead, he went to the station, found the number of an old friend of his from Atlanta, and gave her a call.

  Gayle answered on the first ring. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again. How’s Mr. Hotshot Detective doing?”

  Joshua smiled. “Not so much of a hotshot anymore. In fact, I’m about as small town as you can get.”

  “I heard about the divorce.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry.”

  He really didn’t want to talk about that now. “I need a favor.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I need an age progression photo done of a sixteen-year-old girl. She’d be twenty-six now.”

  “You have some photos?”

  He glanced at the file on his desk. Several pictures of Andrea as a teen filled the folder. “I do.”

  “Can you scan them into your computer and send them to me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll see what I can do for you. Is this for a case you’re working on?”

  “It’s a cold case, but I have permission to work on it in between everything else. Does the name Andrea Whitaker ring any bells?”

  “Sounds vaguely familiar.”

  “She’s a teenager who went missing in North Carolina. There were never any solid leads. The FBI even got involved, but it’s like this girl was wiped from the face of the earth.”

  “You know what? She sounds familiar because I think I already did an age progression on her.”

  “Are you sure? There’s nothing in our files.”

  “I’m not 100 percent. Send me those photos. I’m going to look through my files. But I feel certain I’ve worked this case before.”

  Joshua hung up. Strange. Why wouldn’t something like that be in the files? For that matter, there should be pages and pages of notes and reports about Andrea’s abduction. Instead, there was just one box.

  Unease stirred in his gut. He needed to keep his eyes open. As far as he was concerned, no one was off limits.

  CHAPTER 17

  After Joshua had dropped Charity off at Daleigh’s place, she got busy attending to details of the house fire. As she looked up some phone numbers on Daleigh’s computer, her mind raced through everything she’d learned today.

  Could her former teacher Mr. Johansson really be guilty? He’d always been so kind. But behind his kindness, were there other ulterior motives? She didn’t want to believe it.

  She leaned back in the wicker chair by the computer, the computer screen blurring as her thoughts took over. But Mr. Johansson had been found with Andrea’s wallet. Would her friend really have left something that important behind?

  It was hard to say. Andrea was always so careful. But rehearsals that day had been exhausting with lots of choreography. Maybe she really had accidentally left her wallet behind.

  There was so much she didn’t understand. But now her life was on the line, and she had to find answers or she might not survive.

  All of this was so unnerving.

  She needed a break from her thoughts, so she grabbed the track phone she’d purchased and dialed Lucy’s number. Her friend answered on the first ring.

  “I tried to call you yesterday, but there was no answer. I was getting worried.”

  “My old phone is what you might call destroyed.” She explained the fire to her friend.

  “Maybe you should come back here,” Lucy said. “Forget everything you might believe about the importance of tying up loose ends. Just come back.”

  “I wish it was that easy. Lucy, I think my friend Andrea might be alive and well.”

  Her friend didn’t say anything for a minute. “What?”

  “You heard me correctly. I know how crazy it sounds. But I’ve seen her. I think she texted me. I think she’s the one who sent me the letter in Tennessee.”

  “There’s
no logical explanation as to why that might happen, Charity. Did she waltz out of captivity, and now she’s hiding out, secretly trying to correspond with you?”

  Lucy had always been logical, a trait Charity usually admired. “I don’t have any answers still. In fact, I’m even more confused now than I was before I left.”

  “It almost seems like someone planned this, Charity.”

  Charity trembled upon hearing her friend’s words. “What do you mean?”

  “I just mean be careful. I’d hate for you to find out this whole scenario was just a ploy to get you back in Hertford.”

  “Why would someone do that?”

  “You and I have both seen a lot of evil, Charity. Take your pick.”

  ***

  After work, Joshua stopped by Daleigh’s place. As Ryan opened the door, the scent of peppers and onions drifted out, making Joshua’s stomach growl.

  “You’re just in time,” Ryan said. “The ladies are fixing dinner. There’s enough for you, too.”

  “I was just coming by to check on Charity.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you did, because now you get dinner, too.” Ryan extended his arm behind him.

  Joshua grinned. “You know I can’t turn down homemade meals.”

  As he stepped inside, his gaze connected with Charity’s. Her cheeks flushed and she smiled, almost looking shy.

  Was she feeling something between them too? That was even more reason why he should stay away. He’d both failed his last relationship and been burned by it. But Charity had no one else to help her. She deserved answers, especially in light of these recent developments.

  He just had to remember to keep his heart in check. He needed a lot of boundaries, lest the past repeat itself.

  “Joshua Haven, have I ever told you how handsome a man in uniform looks?” Daleigh teased, stepping out to give him a hug.

  “Hey, hey,” Ryan said. “None of this talk. I’m standing right here.”

  “I’m actually pretty fond of how you look in your uniform also.” Daleigh jabbed Ryan in the chest before reaching up and planting a kiss on his lips.

  Joshua looked away. Those two were so in love that it was hard not to feel jealous sometimes. Something about seeing Ryan and Daleigh together stirred something in him. There was a part of him that wanted more, that didn’t want to do life alone. He feared both being a failure and being hurt again. That was the way the dance usually worked, though.

  “Sorry about that. Too much public display of affection. That’s actually the title of one of my new songs,” Daleigh said, sampling a pepper from the skillet and then closing her eyes in delight. “That’s good.”

  “I can’t wait to hear your new album,” Joshua said. He’d liked her music even before he knew her.

  “Well, I’m hoping to release it in a few months. After we’re married, then I’ll think about touring some more. For now, I’m just enjoying being in one place.”

  The woman was an incredible musician. She’d headlined shows for thousands of people, but decided that family was the most important thing. Her sister and nieces lived here. Then she’d met Ryan while investigating her father’s death. That was the story Joshua had heard, at least.

  “Give me just one minute and I’ll be done,” Daleigh said.

  As she finished, Joshua crossed the room toward Charity. “How’s it going?”

  “It’s going.”

  He nodded, wishing he could share more about the case with her. But he couldn’t, especially not right now.

  “Let’s eat,” Daleigh announced, carrying a platter of food to a small table by the window. There was just enough room for the four of them.

  He glanced over at Charity as they sat down and saw her offer another shy smile. His heart sped up at the sight of it.

  Uh-oh. This wasn’t good. He really had to keep his emotions in check because this felt too much like a double date. It felt too much like something he could get used to. And he couldn’t afford that.

  Just as they started to say a prayer, a loud pop sounded outside.

  “Stay here,” Joshua ordered. He and Ryan rushed toward the door just in time to see smoke coming from the mailbox. A SUV squealed away, its license plate concealed by the darkness.

  A rock with a piece of paper tied around it lay at the bottom of the steps. Joshua grabbed it and unwrapped the paper. It was a note.

  “Get out of this town,” the note read.

  And he had a feeling it was directed at Charity.

  CHAPTER 18

  Charity wrapped her arms over her chest as she stepped onto the porch. Joshua and Ryan had stepped outside five minutes ago, but it felt like hours. Tension filled her as she tried to figure out what had that sound been.

  “What happened?” Charity asked, her heart pounding in her ears as she registered the scent of smoke lingering in the air.

  Joshua shook his head and shoved something into his pocket as he approached her. “It was a bottle bomb. Probably just some kids playing a prank and causing trouble.”

  “A bomb isn’t a prank,” Daleigh said, appearing behind her and shaking her head with disgust.

  “Don’t get too close. These things can be unpredictable,” Joshua said. “It looks like it ripped your mailbox apart, Daleigh.”

  “I can replace a mailbox.” Daleigh slipped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

  Charity nodded. “Me, too. And I’m sorry I’m dragging other people into it.”

  “That’s what we’re here for—to carry each other’s burdens.” Daleigh squeezed her shoulder again. “There’s no need to apologize.”

  Charity wished she had even a touch of the peace that Daleigh seemed to have.

  Joshua and Ryan wandered back to the mailbox. A couple of onlookers had gathered on the sidewalk as well. Charity knew that someone was trying to send her a message.

  Joshua started their way, a deep frown on his face. “I’m going to bag up the evidence and see what I can find on it. I need to go to the station and write up a report.”

  “You have any idea who might be responsible?” Daleigh asked, her voice warm with concern.

  “I have an idea, but I don’t want to incriminate anyone until I know something.” Joshua’s voice sounded somber. “I’ll take a rain check on that dinner.”

  Charity forced herself to nod. She hadn’t realized how much she was looking forward to his company or how disappointed she’d feel with him leaving. “I understand.”

  “By the way, I’m going to visit your old teacher tomorrow. Care to ride along?”

  “Sure,” Charity said.

  “I’ll see you in the morning then.”

  As he walked away, Charity already missed him. Which was strange. She had no reason to miss him.

  He didn’t seem like Bradley, she realized. Bradley was always trying to make a name for himself, trying to get ahead and impress people.

  Joshua actually seemed to be looking out for Charity’s best interests. But, in another way, he seemed too good to be true.

  Thirty minutes later, Ryan had shooed away all the onlookers and insisted they all go inside to finish eating. They all sat back at the table, but the earlier lightheartedness was gone.

  “Speaking of trouble, any word on what happened at your place, Charity?” Daleigh asked, taking a bite of her dinner.

  Charity shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything. I only know that someone wanted me to die in that old house.”

  “That’s horrible,” Daleigh said, squeezing her hand.

  “I feel really lucky that I got out when I did. Actually, if Joshua hadn’t been there, I probably wouldn’t have gotten out.”

  “Joshua is a good guy. He’s dedicated to his job, to God, and to his son.”

  “His son?” Charity asked, not bothering to hide her surprise.

  Daleigh tilted her head. “You didn’t know? Yes, he has a four-year-old boy. He’s the cutest thing ever. He’s on vacation with his
mom and stepfather right now.”

  “I see.” She cleared her throat, needing to get the subject off Joshua. For some reason, it hurt that he hadn’t told her. But that was crazy. He had no obligation to get personal with her. He’d made it clear earlier that he was just doing his job.

  The rest of dinner, they talked about the upcoming wedding, a car show, and Daleigh’s new album. Charity was grateful for the lighthearted topics. It was better than thinking of the things her mind wanted to go toward.

  Things like the bomb. She hoped that wasn’t a warning directed toward her. And if she didn’t heed this “warning,” what would be next? Would someone go to even more extreme measures to get her out of this town?

  ***

  Joshua waved to Isaac, who was busying taking a report from a woman hysterical about her neighbor’s loud music.

  That was good because Joshua needed a moment.

  He sat at his desk and pulled the note from his pocket. The crudely written words there made him pause. Get out of this town.

  If he had any doubt before about how much hostility there’d been directed toward Charity, he was absolutely certain now.

  The note had burned in his pocket. Why hadn’t he told Charity about it? He knew the answer: she would just take that note as one more sign of how much someone hated her and wanted her to go home.

  Maybe there was a part of him that didn’t want her to go back home. Or maybe he just wanted to protect her from the emotional hurt an incident like this might cause.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t think Charity could handle reality. It was just a lot for anyone to swallow. She had enough on her plate as it was.

  Joshua grabbed a kit and dusted the paper for fingerprints. There was nothing. It appeared whoever had written this was well versed in wearing gloves to conceal their identity.

  He frowned and leaned back in his chair.

  Someone was going out of his or her way to get this message across.

  With a sigh, he pulled up his computer. He logged in the information for the vehicle he’d seen earlier. All he could tell was that it was a new model black Explorer.