Yuletide Abduction

by Virginia Vaughan

  Elise followed his gaze. “That’s Larkin?”

  He clenched his fists as he nodded. Watching this man made him physically ill. Every girl in this school was at risk with this man around. Why wouldn’t anyone believe him?

  But Elise would believe. He knew she’d seen what he had. She’d seen Larkin’s true self.

  She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “If he did something to Candace, I will find out.”

  He believed her. One thing he’d come to learn about Elise was that she was determined. He liked that. She now knew the kind of man Peter Larkin was, and she wouldn’t give up on making sure he didn’t harm anyone else.

  Larkin kept glancing their way as kids herded into classrooms and the bell rang, but when the hall was clear, instead of going back into his classroom, he came toward them.

  “Let’s go.” Josh cupped her arm and led her away. Another confrontation with Larkin wouldn’t do any good. Elise had seen the man for what he was and that was what mattered.

  “Are you following me now?” He looked at Elise. “Does he have you believing his lies?” He kept up with them as Josh hurried down the hall with Elise in tow, but Larkin didn’t give up. “I won’t be harassed this way!”

  Josh couldn’t take his feigned innocence anymore. He stopped and faced him. “I know you did something to Candace. If I find out you hurt her—”

  Larkin got in his face. “How dare you accuse me!”

  “That’s enough, both of you,” Elise said, stepping in between them.

  Larkin pushed her, shoving her back against a row of lockers. Josh heard the slam of her body against the metal and the groan of pain it elicited.

  This man had taken his niece, had harmed his family and now had shoved Elise. He reacted instinctively, grabbing Larkin by the shirt and ramming him against the same row of lockers. He pressed his arm into Larkin’s neck, essentially pinning him there.

  This man would not harm one more person he cared about.

  FOUR

  “Stop it! Both of you stop it!” Patti pushed through the crowd of kids that had formed and pulled Josh’s arm away. “What is wrong with you two? Josh, let him go.”

  His adrenaline level began to fall and the look of disappointment on both Elise’s and Patti’s faces was evident. He released his hold and turned to Elise. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, climbing to her feet.

  Patti turned to address the crowd of students. “The excitement is over. Everyone return to your classes.”

  As the crowd dispersed, Larkin rubbed his neck where Josh had shoved his arm against him. “I should press charges.”

  “You’re not going to do that,” Elise told him. “You just assaulted a federal agent.” She flashed her FBI credentials.

  “That was an accident and you know it was.”

  “I’m conducting an investigation into Candace Adams’s disappearance, Mr. Larkin, which means I’m asking questions of all of Candace’s teachers.”

  “My answer is the same today as it was when the police questioned me. I don’t know anything about Candace’s disappearance.”

  “Then you won’t mind answering my questions.”

  “Fine,” Larkin stated, “but right now I have a class to teach.”

  “I can wait.”

  “I have fifth period free.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Josh watched him return to his classroom and shut the door behind him.

  He glanced around at the empty hallways. The disapproving look on Patti’s face spoke to him. “How am I supposed to keep the kids from fighting when my own brother-in-law and one of my teachers are brawling in the hallway?”

  “I’m sorry that happened, Patti.” He turned to Elise. “Are you sure you’re okay? It sounded like he pushed you hard against that locker.” He cupped her face, noticing the way her green eyes flickered. She trembled beneath his hand.

  “I’m fine.”

  He doubted that was true. She’d taken blow after blow, all for the sake of him and his family, yet she kept going. He was torn between his desire to let her loose to do her job and her obvious need for rest. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t lay a hand on you during the interview.”

  Elise looked at him with apologetic eyes. “I don’t think you should be there when I interview Larkin.”

  “I want to be there.”

  “There is clearly intense animosity between the two of you. Your presence will only shut him down.”

  “You don’t really think he’s going to admit to hurting Candace, do you?”

  “It isn’t what he says. It’s what he doesn’t say. I’m going to hang around the school and try to speak with Candace’s teachers and other students. Why don’t you come back and pick me up later?”

  She was dismissing him? That wasn’t going to happen. “I’m not leaving. Someone has tried to kill you twice. I won’t leave you here unprotected.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to me at the school surrounded by all these people. I’ll be fine.”

  Patti spoke up. “Agent Richardson is right. Your being here, your accusations against Mr. Larkin, won’t help. They will only make the situation more volatile.”

  “All I’ve done is try to help find Candace.”

  “I know you have, and I appreciate it, but Josh, she’s the FBI. She’s trained for this. Please. I know you want to do everything you can do to help Candace. Right now, what you can do is leave and let Agent Richardson do her job.”

  Her rebuke stung him.

  But Elise’s face softened and so did her tone. “Josh, give me a chance to handle this my way. This is what I do. Let me do it.”

  He rubbed his face. He hated being left out and he didn’t like Elise confronting Larkin on her own, but he had to admit she was right. Larkin was not going to open up with him around, especially not after what had just happened between them.

  He reluctantly nodded his agreement.

  “I’ll have the AV room cleared for you,” Patti told Elise. “You can conduct your interviews in there.”

  “That’ll be fine.” She turned to Josh and gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. If Larkin is involved, I’ll find out.”

  He walked outside to the Jeep and got in, slamming the door hard. His mind was already mentally ticking off equipment he had in his footlocker at home that might be helpful. His fingers turned the key on his neck, ready to pull it off and use it. He was certain he had listening equipment in there that could give him access to Elise’s interview with Larkin. But what good would that do? She’d been right when she’d stated it wasn’t what he said that would give him away.

  He leaned against the steering wheel, realizing that she was also right about his being there causing Larkin to shut down. He’d already confronted the man on three separate occasions, and it had accomplished nothing. He wasn’t used to this process. It wasn’t what he’d been trained for. He was trained for taking action, and not knowing what was the right action to take was the most frustrating part of this entire situation.

  He longed to act, but his actions had no purpose. He needed Elise and her three-letter agency connections to point him in the right direction.

  * * *

  Elise spent the rest of the afternoon trying to form a profile of Candace Adams. What she found from speaking to Candace’s teachers was a shy girl who was an above-average student. However, recently her grades had begun to suffer.

  Elise strolled the halls of the high school, noticing the stringed lights and Christmas decorations that had been hung. It saddened her to think of all the girls that would not be home for Christmas this year, including Candace. How would her family survive a Christmas without her?

  She’d seen the frustration on Josh’s face, b
ut she couldn’t give in. If Larkin knew something about Candace, he would clam up the moment Josh turned those accusing eyes on him. Josh was a man of action, but right now what they needed was patience and a sharp investigative eye.

  She hoped she was up to the task.

  When Larkin entered the AV room, Elise didn’t speak immediately except to suggest he sit down. She spent the next few moments perusing the file in front of her, allowing silence to fill the room and the tension to build. It was a common ploy meant to make people uncomfortable and on edge.

  And it worked. Larkin squirmed under her apparent lack of questioning. He jiggled his knee up and down and his fingers drummed against the table. Once or twice, he rubbed his balding head anxiously. Finally, he sighed loudly, and when Elise still didn’t react, he gruffly demanded her attention.

  “Do you have questions for me, Agent?”

  She glanced up at him then back to her file without a word.

  “I don’t know why you’ve brought me in here. I barely knew that girl.”

  “She’s one of your students.”

  “She’s in one class along with thirty other kids. She didn’t stand out.”

  Elise looked up from her files and fiddled with her pen. “Yet didn’t you single her out to help tutor Ben Massey for extra assistance?” She’d discovered that bit of information while speaking with other students in Candace’s class.

  He fidgeted at that reminder and tried to cover his previous statement. “She had the highest grade average in the class. He needed the help. It doesn’t mean I know what happened to her.”

  “I didn’t ask if you knew what happened to her.”

  “Isn’t that why you’re here? Investigating her disappearance? The officers I’ve talked to said she ran away. Since when does the FBI investigate runaways?”

  “My reason for being here is none of your concern, Mr. Larkin. Your only job is to answer any and all questions I choose to ask to the best of your knowledge.”

  He fidgeted again. “I still don’t see the point. I barely knew that girl.”

  “What about Brooke Martin? How well do you know her?”

  “I—I don’t know. She’s in one of my classes, too.”

  “The same class as Candace?”

  “That’s right.”

  “So I take it you don’t get very invested with your students. Why did you become a teacher? Was it so you could have summers off?”

  She knew her questions were abrupt and off-putting, but she wanted to see how Larkin responded to pressure. She already knew he was a lech...but was he a predator, as well?

  “I enjoy teaching,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I’m very invested in my students.”

  “Of course, you’re right. That was my mistake. In fact, I’ve learned from several people that you often keep students after school for special attention. Many of the girls commented on it.”

  He glared at her. “As I’ve stated, I’m very invested in my students’ progress. Some of them need extra help, which I am more than happy to offer.”

  “So you offer your personal assistance?”

  “Of course.”

  “But not Ben Massey? You passed him off to Candace. Is it only the female students you personally give your after-school attention to?”

  He squared up against her accusation. “I’ve done nothing wrong, Agent.”

  Elise studied him. “Not yet.”

  He sighed, a weary, frustrated sigh. “I thought you were here to ask me about Candace Adams. I have no idea what happened to her. I’m sure Principal Adams and her brother-in-law brought you here to pin something on me. As if with all the other girls in the school I would obsess over Candace. Do you know Josh has attacked me twice? I should be the one pressing charges against him. He’s got a vendetta against me and I haven’t done anything. You know you can’t believe anything he says about me, right?”

  Elise stood. “That’s all the questions I have today, Mr. Larkin. I may contact you again if I need anything further.”

  He remained seated. “I still don’t see why the FBI is investigating. The girl ran away. Everyone knows that.”

  Elise leaned over the table and locked eyes with him. “Let me make myself clear, Mr. Larkin. If I find anything linking you to this girl’s disappearance, I will be all over you and every detail of your life. I will leave no stone unturned to make certain you pay for any harm you’ve done to this or any other girl.”

  She walked to the door and held it open. Larkin stormed out. She shuddered at the idea of being anywhere near the man. He was certainly sleazy and inappropriate, neither of which was against the law.

  Now she only had to prove he was a predator, as well.

  * * *

  Elise finished her interviews then gathered up her notes, including the writing samples she’d requested and received from several of Candace’s teachers. She hoped to compare the writing from the samples to the runaway note to confirm Candace had actually written the note herself.

  She wasn’t expecting to find differently. In fact, if the samples showed Candace had not written the notes, that would indicate to Elise that she was not a victim of the trafficking ring and her attention would turn more likely to another suspect, namely Peter Larkin. His interview had raised more suspicions. Josh had been right to suspect him of something...but was it the trafficking ring she’d been investigating, or was he simply a predator of his students? She would conduct a more thorough search of his background, including contacting past employers to see if he’d ever been accused previously of inappropriate behavior with his students.

  Her phone beeped, indicating a message had been received. She assumed it would be Josh letting her know he’d arrived. Instead, she found a message from Lin containing an attachment. His message said, Uncovered information on Uncle Josh. Elise noticed the attachment was labeled Army Ranger Incident Report. She’d suspected there was something about his time in the military he’d been reluctant to expound on. Now it appeared her suspicions were on target. But could the incident referenced in this report contain the information that he’d been so determined not to share?

  She opened the file. Words like inaccurate intelligence, commander incompetence and multiple fatalities jumped out at her. Elise quickly closed the file and put away her phone. She felt as though reading it would violate some unspoken agreement she had with Josh.

  Still, she had a duty to uncover any evidence that might have a connection to Candace’s disappearance and she couldn’t rule out Josh’s time in the service...especially now that she knew about his Special Forces background and the incident report.

  Still, she hesitated. It just felt wrong.

  It would be better if he shared this information with her. But she owed a debt to Candace and Patti, too. Not only was she determined to uncover this ring, but from the moment she’d discovered Candace was Max Adams’s daughter, Elise had vowed to find her. She owed a debt that couldn’t be ignored, and she couldn’t keep that promise without thoroughly investigating every angle of potential danger that might have impacted Candace. She would give Josh the opportunity to tell her the details of this report before she read it, but she would have to know the truth about it one way or another.

  She headed toward the outside doors to wait for Josh.

  The matter of Candace’s missing backpack and schoolbooks still bothered her. If Larkin had abducted Candace, what had he done with those? And did he even possess the means to secure a girl against her will? She needed to find out more about his home environment, but if she shared her plans with Josh he would insist on tagging along. She would have to come up with an excuse so he wouldn’t know what she was doing. It wouldn’t work being stuck in a vehicle with him for hours, his blue eyes piercing into her in an enclosed space. Those eyes...she could lose herself in those eyes and in his fierce
gaze. She couldn’t help admiring his passion for finding his niece. Like her, he recognized evil when he saw it. She was sure that was from his time in the military.

  But she couldn’t bear spending so much time with the brother of the man she’d killed. She was getting too close to Josh. It was beginning to affect her judgment. Why was she relying on him so much? It did feel good to have someone believe in her again, to have someone on her side. She’d been working on her own for so long.

  Her phone beeped again and this time it was Josh letting her know he’d arrived to pick her up.

  “How did the interview go?” he asked when she answered.

  “You mean did he confess to harming your niece?”

  He grew impatient. “Elise, please don’t keep me in the dark.”

  “Is it true you attacked him twice?”

  “No! I’ve never laid a hand on the man except for today, and believe me, it has taken every ounce of strength and restraint I possess to keep from doing so.”

  “He said you did.”

  “Well, then, he’s a liar in addition to a predator.” She heard the bite in his voice and knew he was telling the truth.

  “I believe you.”

  “About him being a predator?”

  “About it taking all your strength and restraint to keep from attacking him. I only spent a short time with the man, but I could shower for a week and not wash away the ick. I can’t believe he’s still teaching.”

  “There haven’t been any complaints about him except from me, and since I don’t have a child in the school, the school board won’t listen to me. Without a complaint from a parent, they won’t do anything. Besides, Patti says she’s never seen anything inappropriate. I was beginning to think I was the only one who saw it.” He hesitated. “In fact, I was beginning to wonder if I was just imagining something wrong so I would have someone to target my frustration at.”

  She understood that comment. It was easier to be angry when there was a visible target. It was much harder when justice seemed so far-reaching and unattainable. Hadn’t she discovered that with this ring? She had no suspect to target, no visible trail, only an instinct and a gut feeling that she was close to uncovering an evil that had been lurking beneath the surface for too long.