Built to Last

by Jean Page

  “Yesterday, why, what’s going on Cade?”

  He explained everything to her, feeling the tension in his shoulders and the knot in his gut increase. Del seemed worried as well. He told her about calling the police. Del suggested that she call as well and ask for a wellness check on her sister at least to get the police to come out to the house.

  “Have you checked her apartment yet?” Del asked.

  “I hadn’t thought to. She sublet it to Griffin for the next three months. You think she’d go back into the city?” he realized that he hadn’t gone to look for her car. “Dell hang on I’m going out to the garage to see if her car is gone.” Cade made his way around the large house and back to the front door. Once outside he headed for the garage. It was all closed up but there was a small side door that he found unlocked and walked inside. Finding and flipping on the switch his worst fears were realized. “Her car is still here Del.” And how could he miss it, the garage could hold three more it’s size and it was the only thing in sight.

  “We’ll find her Cade. I’m getting off the phone and calling now.”

  Cade’s heart was slamming into his chest. He tried to remember every word of their last conversation to pick up any clues as to why she wouldn’t be here. Sure, he was late but it was obvious that she had dropped whatever she was doing and just disappeared. He walked back to the kitchen feeling completely lost as what to do next. Thinking of what Del had said about her apartment, Cade called his foreman.

  “Do you have the marble mason’s number handy?”

  “Yeah, what do you need it for?” Steven asked. He’d heard that Griffin and Cade had a disagreement.

  “Just want to talk to him about a couple of things, Steven. It’s nothing for you to worry about for the moment. I’m not going to be at the site tomorrow and I need to cancel all my appointments. Something has come up.”

  “With that pretty brunette you have been seeing?” Steven asked his voice edged with a tone of disapproval.

  “Steven it’s important, just do this for me. I’ve got to go.”

  He dialed Griffin’s number and the phone went to voicemail immediately. He left a message asking the mason to call him as soon as he received it and hung up. Cade heard the door chime and went to answer it.

  “Good evening sir, we are looking for a Miss Noelle Fuchs. Does she live here?”

  “She has been yes. I was the one that called you earlier. I was supposed to meet her here for dinner and when I got here, she is nowhere to be found. Dinner is cooked and waiting her purse, cell phone and car are all still here.”

  “Do you live here sir?” the second officer asked.

  “No, like I said she invited me out for dinner.”

  “So you are not the owner of this house and you were coming to dinner with the woman who is?” the first officer asked.

  “No.” Cade replied walking into the foyer so they would follow him in. “No, Noelle works here. She lives here too but she doesn’t own the place. She’s working for the owner getting the house ready for them to move back in.”

  “Sir I’m going to have to ask you to step outside.”

  “Why?”

  “This isn’t your property sir and the woman you claim to be meeting here for dinner is not here. We will need to contact the owners.”

  “Fine,” Cade sighed with frustration. “I’m sure you can find the Whittaker’s number on Noelle’s cell phone. It’s in the kitchen on the counter. I didn’t touch it.” He walked back outside and stood next to his car. The second officer followed him out.

  Several minutes later, Cade heard the radio go off in the police car. “Officer responded to the 10-42 and found a 10-66. I need a call put out to the owner of the property, Elizabeth Whittaker. I have found signs of a possible 187.”

  The second officer moved forward. “I need your driver’s license sir.”

  Cade pulled his wallet from his back pocket and removed the driver’s license. “What did your partner say he found?”

  “Nothing for you to worry about, right now.” The officer answered. “Now, if you would please turn around, and place your hands on the roof of the car.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t make me ask you again.” The officer responded. He clicked the button on the radio on his shoulder. “I need a 10-27 on Cade Harden.” He began spelling Cade’s last name phonetically over the radio.

  The officer, that had been inside the house, came out and joined them. “You need to tell me again exactly what happened.”

  Cade looked at him and started over with his story. “She’s my girlfriend, I need to find her. If you aren’t going to help me then I need to check out her apartment in town.”

  “What’s the address?”

  Cade gave it to them. “She is subletting to one of the guys on one of my construction crews. His name is Griffin Andersen. I tried calling him a little bit ago and he didn’t answer. I need to go over there and see if he has heard from her.”

  “I’m afraid the only place you are going is downtown with us.” The second officer informed him as he grabbed Cade’s left wrist. “We have more questions to ask you.”

  Cade was getting angry. He was worried that something serious had happened to Noelle and these two officers were not helping matters. He needed to find her. “Why are you doing this? Am I being arrested? If I am, for what?”

  “Watch your head,” the first officer answered and pushed Cade down into the backseat of his car. “I’ll catch a ride back in with Billy. You get him in and processed.”

  As they were driving out of the driveway, they were passed by a dark van with BCI stamped on the side. Cade knew this wasn’t good. He wondered again just what the officer found in the house.

  ***

  “Breakfast time,” Griffin said as he opened the door again. Noelle was lying on her side trying to get some circulation going to her feet. “How are you doing? Are you hungry?”

  She could smell what he had cooked and her stomach growled in response. She noted that he had said breakfast but of what day? How long had she been out? Was Cade looking for her? She’d spent a lot of time thinking about how she was going to get out of this while he was cooking. Before she could think about escape, she needed her hands and feet free. So she would play his game until she got what she needed.

  “Yes, thank you. I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday. Griffin will you please cut my feet loose? The tie is cutting off my circulation. I promise I won’t try to run.”

  He grabbed her ankles and inspected them. The tie had chaffed her skin raw. He pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open then severed the plastic zip tie. All the blood flowing back into her feet made them tingle painfully. “I know you won’t run Noelle. There’s nowhere to run to.” He leaned down and kissed the damaged skin.

  He reached for her hands and frowned at the marks on her wrists before cutting the tie there as well. “I hope you like eggs. I made us omelets.” He walked out of the room and into the next. Noelle cautiously followed him, her feet screaming as the feeling came back to them.

  “Everything smells really good. Thank you Griffin.” She gave him a tentative smile and sat down in the chair he had pulled out for her.

  Noelle looked around the room as she ate. It looked like there were two other rooms besides this one, and the one he was keeping her locked in. His back was to the door that led outside. Unlike the bedroom she was in, this room had several windows. It was bright outside and the wind she had heard the night before had stopped. She could see pale blue sky with a few clouds and the tops of trees, from where she sat. She quickly had finished the omelet he offered and wanted to drink the water but was afraid that he was going to drug her again. She left it sitting. Now that her body was moving, there were other bodily needs coming to her attention.

  “Griffin I need to use the bathroom,” she said quietly.

  He stood and walked around to her chair and pulled it out for her. She stood, her heart hammering in her c
hest with fear, as he was so close to her. He put his hand on her back and guided her toward one of the two other rooms she had seen. The cabin had plumbing in fact the bathroom was quite up to date. Her eyes darted around the room noting the window.

  “Since we have nothing to hide from each other, the door stays open. You should also take a shower and change into clean clothes. I set them on the counter.”

  Her eyes got wide. She was to shower with him standing right here watching her? Dear Lord, the man wasn’t going to leave her alone long enough to even try to escape. She wanted to scream at him, shove passed him, and make a run for it. However, she knew that she had to bide her time. She needed him to believe that she was coming around to him. That she could be trusted and then maybe he would give her the chance to get away. He did say it wouldn’t be forever just until he thought she wanted to be with him. She turned to him having an idea.

  “I… I’m not shy Griffin, you can watch me shower, but I have to draw the line at watching me pee. A girl needs a little mystery. Please?” She lowered her lashes and put her hand on his chest over his heart, hoping that it affected him the same way the gesture had on Cade. She was rewarded with feeling his heart begin to race. It gave her hope to know that she had this little bit of power over him.

  “Fine,” he replied, and she noted a little hitch in his voice. “But just so you know. I already nailed the bathroom window shut.”

  Noelle closed the door behind him and started to undress. She noticed that there was blood on her shirt as she took it off, and frowned. Moving to the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror noting the bruises on her forehead, half hidden by the large bandage. She peeled it back and found an angry red gash underneath. It needed stitches, but apparently, Griffin knew to close it up, because it had been cleaned and little strips of tape held it closed in three places. It was still going to leave an ugly scar right at her hairline. As she looked down over her body, she noted several more bruises sustained in her fall and probably from Griffin as he had carried her out to his car and then into this cabin. She finished undressing and turned on the water for a shower waiting for it to warm up. She could hear Griffin moving around in the next room. So, she tried the window just in case Griffin was lying to her. It didn’t budge. She quickly stepped into the shower. She wasn’t sure but she thought she heard the door open. She couldn’t bring herself to turn and look through the glass of the door. She was grateful that it was frosted and steamy. Still, she would have to step out in front of him, so she took her time cleaning up. Her wrists and ankles stung where the zip ties had damaged them. She washed her hair next, seeing the water turn red with her own blood as she rinsed it out of her hair. As long as it took, she wondered just how much blood she had left on the kitchen tile of Whittaker Hall.

  Noelle thought of Cade again, hoping that he would figure out that Griffin had been the one to kidnap her. She had to find a way out. Would Griffin leave her here while he went to work? It would be suspicious if he didn’t show up for work. Cade knew that Griffin was subletting her apartment as well. And Del, she had told her sister everything about Griffin. Between them, surely the truth of what was happening to her would come to light.

  She finished cleaning herself up, and steeled her spine to step out of the shower in front of him. Only when she did open the door, she found a towel within reach and Griffin nowhere in sight. Taking the opportunity, she quickly dried herself and dressed in the clothing he’d left for her. It was the over-sized t-shirt and sweatpants Cade had leant her during the blizzard. She hugged them to her body and they gave her hope.

  Griffin had taken the time to grab clothing from her dresser and closet. The sweatpants felt baggy around her waist but definitely more comfortable than the skirt she had been wearing. She noticed that the bloody clothes were gone from the room. So... Griffin had come in while she was showering. She shivered not liking the idea of his eyes on her. She ran a brush through her hair, taking care not to touch the gash on her forehead. It looked better now that she had cleaned her hair off and out of it. She pulled the t-shirt over her head, and pulled her hair out from the neckline. Looking in the mirror, she found herself looking quite a bit more appealing than she had before the shower. It was time to start setting her plan in motion. She had to convince Griffin that she believed him and was falling for him. If she made it happen too quickly, she didn’t think he’d believe her, so, she’d have to go slowly and do a little bit at a time. She re-opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out.

  ***

  Cade sat in an interrogation room at the police station. No one had been in to talk to him yet, and he was getting more worried and more frustrated by the minute. They had pulled him into holding when they first arrived and then brought him to interrogation for the briefest of conversations. He’d been asked to give his version of the story again. They had asked him about Griffin and his relationship with the man. They hadn’t accused him of anything yet. He’d been left in the holding cell all night and most of the day. From what he could tell, it was afternoon again and they’d hauled him back to the interrogation room.

  The detective that had spoken to him the day before, entered the room finally.

  “Have they found Noelle?” he asked.

  “I’ll be asking the questions, Mr. Harden. You claim to have been invited out to have dinner with Miss Fuchs at Whittaker Hall. And when you arrived, no one was at the residence. You say you found her cell phone on the counter in the kitchen and that you sat and waited for her to appear, is that correct?”

  “Yes, just as I told both the officers when they showed up at the house. Could you please tell me if you have found Noelle?” Cade was beginning to think she was dead, and that they had found her body.

  “No, Miss Fuchs is still missing. However, we have found what appears to be a crime scene in the kitchen of Whittaker Hall. So, let me tell you what I think happened. I think you went out to Whittaker Hall to confront Miss Fuchs about her relationship with Griffin Andersen and things got out of hand. When you found her making a romantic dinner for two, you lost it and attacked them both.”

  “That is a total crock of shit! I would never hurt Noelle. You have no proof of any of that.” Cade slammed his fist into the interrogation table.

  “Calm down Mr. Harden.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. My girlfriend is missing and you are accusing me of what? Murdering her and Griffin Andersen? What the hell? You should be out looking for her not sitting here throwing around accusations.”

  “We are continuing to look for Miss Fuchs and Mr. Andersen. We found blood at the crime scene Mr. Harden. You had that same blood on your shoes.”

  Cold fear ran through Cade’s heart. “Wait… what blood?”

  “We found blood in the kitchen and evidence that someone had tried to clean it up. From the look of it, there was quite a bit. Telling me the truth now, would be better for you Mr. Harden.”

  Cade slammed his fist down on the table again. “I want my attorney. I am done talking to you.”

  “Have it your way. But I will get to the truth,” the detective warned.

  “I certainly hope so.”

  ***

  Two hours had passed before Cade’s attorney arrived at the precinct. Cade had never had an occasion in his life to need his attorney for anything more than looking through and drawing up legal papers and contracts for Harden Construction. He wasn’t a goody-two-shoes type by any means but he’d played on the side of the law. Now, it appeared to be turning on him.

  “Cade.”

  “I hope you can get me out of this Josh. My girlfriend is missing and they don’t seem to be interested in finding her.”

  “They can hold you for twenty-four hours without making an arrest Cade. They have no solid evidence to keep you here. I took the liberty of stopping by and grabbing a pair of shoes for you. We will not be answering any more questions today, and you are free to go.”

  Cade sighed with relief. A full day had passed and he
didn’t have any idea where Noelle was. “Thank you Josh.”

  “Don’t thank me just yet. There is more that you haven’t been told. But let’s get you out of here first.”

  “Can you drive me back out to my SUV?”

  “It’s in the police impound lot. It was considered possible evidence. It’ll take a while before it can be released to you.”

  Cade swore under his breath. “Back to my house then, so I can pick up my truck.” He took his cell phone and keys from the policewoman behind the desk and turned the cell back on. Twelve missed calls, most of them from Del, a couple from his foreman and one from Griffin. He punched in the code to listen to his voicemail.

  “Hey Boss, sorry to take so long getting back to you. I’ve had a family emergency, and was out of cell range for a while. I’ll need to take the next few days off. I promise I’ll be able to finish the job with time to spare.”

  “Cade?” his attorney asked, seeing the look on his face.

  “It’s Griffin. I know it is. He has to have her. He called to tell me he was going to be out of town. And he was downright friendly about it. I’ve got to get over to that apartment.”

  “As your legal advisor Cade, I’m advising against it. Let the police handle this.”

  They climbed into Josh’s car and headed for Cade’s house. “I can’t just sit back and wait Josh. I love her. I’m not going to let anything else happen to her.” He said it aloud without thought and as the words settled into his brain, he realized that he had meant them. He didn’t know when it had happened but he had fallen in love with Noelle and he wasn’t about to lose her just when he’d figured it out.

  “I still say you need to let the police do their job. If you get in the way, you could end up making it more of a mess. If this Griffin guy has her, then, you have already told them about him and they will follow the leads. But I can see from that look on your face Cade that nothing I am going to say is going to change your mind, so give me a call when you need me again.”