Jane Doe

by Lillian Duncan

  An hour later the woman walked back in the lounge. “You’re still here?”

  “I am.”

  “Sorry, I had to get my shift started but I have a few minutes now.”

  “I understand. I’m Raven Marks.”

  “Jenet. Sydney really was my best friend.”

  “So what do you know that I need to know?”

  She looked at Raven. “Something happened. I’m not sure I should tell you. Why are you asking these questions so long after she died?”

  “Fair question. I only recently became aware of Sydney. She emailed me about a secret she thought other people needed to know. When I tried to follow through with it, I found out she’d passed away.”

  “Yeah, I always found that whole thing suspicious.”

  “Why?”

  She looked flustered. “People don’t usually fall off a flat roof by accident. It just seemed odd to me.”

  “Do you think maybe she jumped off the roof rather than fell?”

  “No. Absolutely not. She wouldn’t do that. Ever.”

  “So you think someone might have pushed her?”

  Jenet met her gaze. “I only know Sydney wouldn’t have jumped on her own. And that she wasn’t clumsy enough to fall off a roof without some help.”

  “OK. What do you know about why she quit?”

  “She served at a catered event one evening. A few days before Halloween. The next day she told me something. And a week later, she quit.”

  “What did she tell you?”

  “That one of the bigwigs started coming on to her. She flirted back of course. That’s how we get the big tips. Anyway, when she left, he apparently followed her.” She stopped.

  “And…”

  Jenet met her gaze. “And he tried to put the moves on her. When she resisted, he raped her.”

  Raven wished she’d been more surprised. Things like this happened way too often. “Why didn’t she report it to the police?”

  “I tried to get her to do that, but she was too afraid. He’s an important person.”

  “Who was it?”

  Jenet shook her head. “She wouldn’t tell me. All I know was that he was at that catered event at the Capital Building the week of Halloween. He apparently contacted her and apologized to her afterward.”

  “How nice of him.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Along with the apology came some big money, according to Syd.”

  “Enough money for her to quit and go to school.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Are you sure you don’t have any idea who it was?”

  “No. I don’t even know who attended.”

  “Do you remember the date of the event?”

  She thought back. “I think it was the Tuesday before Halloween, but I’m not sure. I bowl on Tuesdays which is why I didn’t help cater it.”

  “I will be looking into this. Thanks so much for telling me.”

  She stood up. “I need to go, but I hope you can get some justice for Sydney.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Be careful.” Jenet warned her. “I think this man could be very dangerous.”

  Raven walked out to her car with Jenet’s warning echoing. If the man who raped Sydney was the same man who’d kidnapped her, Jenet was right.

  He was a very dangerous man.

  36

  Charles Whitman stared at the computer monitor. He’d paid a lot of money to have access to certain tracking programs that revealed more information about people than they’d be comfortable sharing. Being a presidential candidate had its perks.

  Raven Marks was still alive and well. And apparently not minding her own business. He’d started monitoring her credit cards and debit card transactions as soon as Robert had located her. As long as she stayed in some little town called Charm, he wasn’t worried. But today, she’d left her little hideaway and gone to Marietta. And even more interesting, a search of her emails revealed she’d reached out to Sydney. Sydney’s sister had emailed Suzie Q back and the two met in Marietta. After that she got gas in Charleston. He had to assume that she was talking to the people who knew Sydney before she’d moved to Columbus. But Sydney had assured him that she’d told no one about him.

  Did he believe her?

  She’d been begging for her life at the time so she might not have been completely truthful. Sydney admitted to contacting a reporter, but she’d promised that she hadn’t given any details and that she would never contact anyone again. Charles was pretty sure that was the truth, but that didn’t mean Raven Marks couldn’t find out more. She was too good of a reporter.

  And that made her dangerous. It was obvious that she was on his trail. That made Raven a problem he couldn’t afford. Any scandals at this point in the race could be devastating. A few more months and he could—no would—be the next President. But he would need to take care of the Raven problem. He couldn’t trust anyone else to do it.

  Where would she land for the night? Having his own private plane gave him the luxury of coming and going without the relentless press being able to follow his every move. There were plenty of small, private airfields across the country where you didn’t have to file a flight plan. His plane was big enough to carry a small motorcycle so he could slip in and out of places without anyone ever knowing he’d been there.

  Tonight he’d take care of the Raven problem permanently.

  37

  Raven’s mind raced as she made her way back toward Ohio. Could the man who raped Sydney be the same man who’d kidnapped her? It seemed odd but the timing tied everything together. Somehow he must have found out that Sydney contacted her. He could have pushed her off that roof, and then kidnapped Raven in Marietta. Whoever the monster was, he was dangerous—very dangerous.

  It was such a farfetched idea that even she had a hard time believing. And there was absolutely no proof. The rational thing would be to forget about all of it. Go on with her life. Open the bakery with Lydia. Hopefully, start a relationship with Hunter and then live happily ever after.

  Sydney was dead so Raven couldn’t help her by pursuing the story.

  There was just one problem. A big problem. If she chose to leave it alone, then the monster was free to hurt more women. Monsters who weren’t caught did terrible things as long as they could get away with it.

  Raven didn’t think she could live with that knowledge.

  He might even have another victim right that moment.

  Her eyes drooped and she swerved. Time to find a room. At least she’d made it to Ohio. She pulled off the first exit and found a hotel.

  The clerk asked a few questions and then entered information into the computer.

  At his prompting, Raven handed over her credit card.

  38

  Raven fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her dreams were formless, dark, scary…

  She sat up in bed, her senses on high alert.

  A smoke alarm blared. Fire? In the motel? She turned on the light, jumped out of bed and stood in the middle of the room. She took a deep breath but didn’t smell any smoke.

  Maybe it was a false alarm.

  The clock read 4: 45. Even if there wasn’t a fire she probably couldn’t get back to sleep. She put on clothes and grabbed her purse and keys. Might as well drive home. She could take a nap later while the lasagna was baking. She opened the door and walked outside. Sleepy, half-dressed people milled around. She walked up to the closest person. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not—”

  The clerk came out of the lobby. “Everything’s fine. It was a false alarm. Someone pulled the fire alarm. You can all go back to bed. I am so sorry about this.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Raven assured him. “But I’m heading out. I left the key card in my room. Do I need to do anything else?”

  “Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll take care of it.”

  The others started going back in their rooms.

  Raven walked to her car
and hit the unlock button on her remote.

  “Oh, miss.” The clerk called.

  She looked back at him.

  “The manager said I was to refund anyone who left.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s already been approved. I just need your signature on the receipt.”

  “That’s so nice.”

  While Raven was in the lobby, she got a large cup of coffee. Between the coffee and loud music, she shouldn’t have a problem staying awake. The music blared as she started her car.

  She took a sip of coffee before putting the car in gear. Too hot. She quickly set it back to cool off then took the lid off. That would make it cool quicker. The highway was mostly empty as she drove along. Everyone else was at home safe and sound, sleeping.

  Which is what she should be doing. Instead she’d spent the day rushing from place to place. And yes, she had some answers but not the big answer.

  Who was the monster?

  The truth was even if she discovered his identity, she probably couldn’t do anything about it since she had no proof. And it wasn’t like anyone would believe her faulty memory. She knew she wouldn’t. But at least she had a better understanding of what had happened to her and why. Just not the who. And that would have to be enough for now.

  Just like the Bible said, there was a time for everything under the sun. A time to grieve and a time to dance. It was her time to dance.

  Life was good. She had friends. A best-selling book. And Hunter. She didn’t exactly have Hunter. She couldn’t put a name to what they were. Yet. She smiled. But whatever it was, it made her happy, just the same.

  Thump. Thump.

  Was there something wrong with the car? She turned down the music so she could listen. More thumps and then she felt it. A flat tire. Great—just what she needed. There went her plans for a nap.

  She pulled off the side of the road but didn’t get out of the car. The whole thing was spooky. A flat tire in the middle of nowhere and still dark. Oh well, she couldn’t just sit here.

  She stepped out of the car and walked around. And there it was—the front passenger tire—flat as a pancake. And she hadn’t even thought of renewing her auto club membership.

  She’d just have to change it herself.

  She took a deep breath. I can do this. I can. She pulled her key out of the ignition and then opened her trunk. She stared at the spare as she shook her head. First a fake fire alarm and then a flat tire. Could anything else happen between now and when she got home?

  Her pulse sped up—and her breathing. Anxiety attack—the last thing she needed right now. She gripped the trunk lid. “God is with me. God gives me a sound mind, not fear.”

  And then she could almost hear Hunter telling her, “If a situation feels wrong, leave. Just leave.”

  Down the road, she saw a headlight—one headlight. And heard the motorcycle. And then she remembered—the monster used a motorcycle when he visited her.

  Hunter’s voice. “Just leave.”

  Without another thought, she ran off the highway and across the field. Trees were ahead of her. Putting all her energy, she sprinted toward the trees. She told herself she was being paranoid but so be it.

  And then she was in the trees. She stayed hidden as she watched the motorcycle pull up behind her car. The man didn’t hesitate. He walked quickly to her side of the car and opened it. Then he started looking around. For her? He was probably just a Good Samaritan wanting to help a stranded motorist.

  He could probably change her tire for her. Maybe she should go back. If she did, she wouldn’t lose all that much time.

  He walked back to his motorcycle but didn’t get on. She still had time to go back, let him help her. He stood by his motorcycle, looking around.

  A chill went up her back.

  Was he looking for her?

  Then he started jogging across the field—toward her.

  39

  The moment Raven saw what he was doing, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, weaving through the trees. Thank you, Hunter for making her run and run and run some more. She’d hated it at the time but was glad she’d stuck to the regime. Thanks to all that training, she sprinted far ahead of the man. But he could still be back there. Somewhere.

  Could he really be after her?

  It seemed farfetched. He was probably just taking a bathroom break off the highway, but she wasn’t going to wait around to see. She kept running. Finally houses came into view. As she ran out of the woods and into a housing community, she finally stopped and turned back. Breathing hard, she looked behind her.

  No one. At least she couldn’t see anyone. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t out there. Watching her. Waiting. She rolled her eyes, sure she’d overreacted to the situation.

  Only one house had lights on at this crazy time of the morning. She jogged over to it. Please God, let them help me. She rang the buzzer. A moment later, a voice asked through a closed door. “Who is it?”

  “I need help. Please. Please let me in.”

  The door opened. A woman stood there. “What’s wrong?”

  “I had a flat tire. Out on the highway. I didn’t know what to do. I ran through the woods and ended up here.”

  “Oh my goodness, that’s awful.” The woman opened the screen. “Come in. I have a phone you can use.”

  “I’m not from this area and I don’t have auto club, so I didn’t know who to call.”

  “Not a problem. Actually, I’m sure my husband can change the tire for you. Let me go wake him up.”

  “Don’t do that. I can probably change it myself. I just got a little freaked out with it being dark and everything.”

  “I don’t blame you for that. But no reason not to let my husband help.”

  “What’s going on?” Her husband walked in the room.

  “She has a flat tire. Over on the highway. “Can you help her?”

  “Of course.” He held up a finger. “Just give me a few minutes.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

  He smiled. “Not a problem. Just give me a few minutes.”

  After he left, the woman said, “My goodness. You must be exhausted after that hike. It’s more than two miles through the woods to the highway. Would you like some breakfast?”

  Raven smiled. The woman reminded her of Lydia, ready to help at a moment’s notice. And always wanting to feed her. “That’s not necessary. Thank you so much for letting me in. A lot of people wouldn’t have done it.”

  “Well, I’m not a lot of people. Jesus said when we help those in need we’re helping him. So that’s the way I try to live. Breakfast?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’m sure you are but it’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  40

  Raven checked her makeup.

  Dinner for Hunter would be ready soon. She planned to share everything with him, despite being so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. The doorbell buzzed just as she walked back in the living room. She peeked out the window. Hunter was right on time. She hurried over and opened the door. “You’re quite the punctual one, aren’t you?”

  “Sorry, it’s my military training.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about. I like it. Want some coffee?”

  He held up a bottle of wine. “I brought this. It goes with Italian.”

  “Oh, that’s sweet, but I need coffee. You’re free to enjoy the wine with dinner.”

  “Nah, we can save it for another day.”

  That sounded like a promise to continue their friendship. Her heart lifted. She pointed at his other hand. He had a small brown bag. “What’s that?”

  “It’s part of the conversation. Later.”

  “So you’re not going to show me now?”

  “Later.” He followed her to the kitchen.

  She smiled at him. “I didn’t sleep much last night. I need the caffeine.”

  “Why not?”

  “Like you sa
id it’s for the conversation. Later.” She slipped a coffee pod in the machine and hit the large button. “It won’t make a whole lot of sense because it’s the end of the story not the beginning.” She removed her cup. “Sure you don’t want some coffee?”

  “No thanks. I’ll just have some pop if you have it.”

  “Check out the fridge. There’s several choices.” She took a sip of coffee.

  “Something smells good.”

  “Lasagna.” She walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl. “And salad.”

  “Perfect.”

  “And the rest of Lydia’s walnut cake.”

  “Maybe we should start with dessert.”

  “No way, not after I worked so hard on the lasagna. Want to eat outside?”

  Once everything was outside and the food on their plates, thoughts raced around in Raven’s mind. Hunter was so good, so honest, and so trusting. What would he think when she told him her secrets? And more importantly, how would he feel about her?

  He took a bite of lasagna.

  She wasn’t really hungry but took a bite anyway. “I…think I made a mistake.”

  “Not at all. It tastes great.”

  She smiled. “Not about the lasagna, Hunter. Me. I’ve made some wrong choices in my life lately.”

  “So what if you made a mistake. It’s not a big deal. Everyone does. So what did you do?” He laid down his fork. “You can tell me anything.”

  “You were right the other night. I have been keeping secrets. Not just from you, but from everybody. Even Amanda.”

  “So will you tell me these deep, dark secrets, now?”

  “I’m just trying to figure out the best way to tell you.” She nibbled on a bite of lettuce. “Everything.”

  He took hold of her hand. “It’ll be fine, Raven. I can’t imagine that you’ve done anything all that horrible that you should be this upset about it.”

  “I hope that you’ll feel the same way in a little bit. I…I…this is so hard. I’m not even sure where to start but I want you to know I didn’t tell you any of this before not because I didn’t trust you. I do trust you…very much so. I think it’s a habit I picked up as a reporter and it just sort of infiltrated my whole life.”