Don't Forget Me

by Stacy Claflin

  Genevieve found her voice. “She screamed when I told her the bones were real. It took me several minutes to calm her down.”

  He nodded, looking deep in thought, then turned to Tinsley. “Can I ask you about the bones you found?”

  Genevieve’s chest tightened. She prepared for more screaming.

  Tinsley put her bookmark in place, set the book down, and nodded at Nick.

  Relief flooded through Genevieve.

  The captain kept his voice soft as he asked Tinsley yes or no questions about the skeletons. She kept eye contact with him the entire time and either nodded or shook her head after each question. She didn’t yell once. In fact, she seemed calm and at ease.

  Genevieve’s heart softened as she watched how good Nick was with Tinsley. He wasn’t just a good cop, but an excellent father figure—not only to his own kids but also the ones he came across in the line of duty.

  More than an hour had flown by when he was done questioning them.

  Nick closed his pad of paper. “Does your family have somewhere to stay? I’m not sure when you’ll be able to return home.”

  Genevieve frowned. “I’m not sure. We have some family a few hours away. Or we can just get a hotel. I’m sure Tinsley would enjoy swimming.”

  The girl’s eyes lit up from behind her book.

  Nick scooted back in his chair. “That does sound fun. However, I have another option.”

  “Oh?” Genevieve leaned forward. “What’s that?”

  “My condo is in between renters at the moment. Why don’t you stay there? It’s got some basic furniture—a couple of queen beds, a futon, and a kitchen table. It’s nothing fancy, but it won’t cost you anything.” He glanced over at Tinsley. “And I can bring my kids by. Hanna’s been begging me to set up another playdate with you.”

  Tinsley nodded furiously.

  Nick smiled, then turned to Genevieve. “Then it’s settled?”

  Both he and Tinsley gave her pleading looks. How could she say no? She smiled. “That’s really generous of you, Nick. Thank you.”

  “I’m just glad my condo is available. My renters moved out just a few days ago. They left it sparkling clean.”

  Genevieve’s heart raced at the thought of seeing Nick for a playdate with the kids.

  Sighting

  Alex rubbed his eyes and willed the light to turn green.

  It didn’t. In fact, it seemed to stay red extra-long just to spite him.

  He just wanted to get home and sleep before having to rise early and drive back to the academy before class began. But he needed to stop off at the store real quick for some shampoo. He’d run out the last time he’d stayed at his apartment.

  Finally, the light turned green. Alex drove a few blocks before turning at the first convenience store.

  He stumbled inside, so tired he probably looked drunk. Now it made sense why he’d heard that driving while tired was as dangerous as driving drunk. He could barely think straight. But at least he’d still remember this in the morning.

  Once he found the shampoo, he picked the one Zoey liked the smell of then headed for the register.

  He froze halfway down the magazine aisle.

  Flynn Myer.

  The man who abducted Ariana. Who had taunted Alex. The man who was supposed to be in the Washington State Penitentiary, awaiting execution halfway across the state. Nick had checked every other time Alex had seen Flynn.

  Yet there he was. Walking around as a free man.

  It made no sense. He had changed his appearance, but he was the dangerous criminal. There was no doubt about that. His hair was now longer and wavy instead of short and thinning. He now had bright blue eyes. He was also tan instead of a pasty white complexion. All were easy enough to change.

  Alex’s fatigue melted away. Anger and determination ran through him.

  Flynn was just staring at bags of potato chips like he hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Furious, Alex marched over to him. “Are you following me?”

  Flynn jumped a little, then turned to Alex. Recognition flickered across his face. Just like it had at the school not that long ago. His eyes widened with surprise.

  He wasn’t expecting to see Alex.

  An interesting twist.

  Alex clenched his fists. “I said, are you following me?”

  Flynn stood straight. He didn’t respond. The weasel never did. All he ever did was run. Would he again? Flee out of the store like the criminal he was?

  “What were you doing at the middle school? Looking for your next victim?” Alex stepped closer. He prepared himself to block Flynn’s fist. “Does it make you feel like a big, tough man going after little girls?”

  Flynn’s brows drew together. “I’m not who you think I am. And no, I’m not following you. Just like I wasn’t when your daughter was missing.”

  “Then you are Flynn!”

  His eyes darted around before landing back on Alex. “Like I said, I’m not who you think I am. Flynn is in prison. Give them a call.”

  “Oh, I know someone is in prison, disguised as you. I don’t know how you did it, but you evaded your sentence.”

  Flynn laughed.

  How dare he actually laugh about that? Alex gritted his teeth, barely able to keep himself from punching him to a pulp. “You have balls, you know that?”

  “You bet I do. Leave me alone before you end up in jail again.”

  Alex gave him a double-take.

  “I’m serious.” Flynn grabbed a bag of ranch-flavored chips. “Stay away from me, or you’re going to regret it. I’m not who you think I am. Remember that.”

  They stared each other down for a moment before Flynn grabbed another bag and stormed to the cashier.

  Alex stood there, dumbfounded. As tempted as he was to make a scene, he knew it wouldn’t do him any good. It never had—he either ended up in an interrogation room, or like Flynn said, in jail. That had only been one time, and it had been taken off his record, but still it had happened.

  And Flynn knew about it.

  Alex’s blood boiled as he watched the criminal walk out the door. He hurried down the aisle to look outside and see what car he was driving. Maybe even get a license plate or a photo. Something to prove that Flynn was actually walking around free. And if that didn’t work, there was also the video surveillance the store had to have.

  By the time Alex reached the window, Flynn was already out of sight. His pulse drummed in his ears as he scanned the dim parking lot.

  The coward was probably hiding.

  “Do you need something?”

  Alex turned toward the cashier. “Uh, yeah. Just this.” He went over to the counter and handed her the shampoo bottle, but kept his attention on the parking lot.

  He muttered a thanks as he left. Once outside, he studied every car in the lot for someone who might be hiding. Then he walked around, just in case Flynn was cowering behind a tree or trashcan.

  He wasn’t.

  Despondent, Alex headed for his own car. On the bright side, he was no longer struggling to stay awake.

  As he drove home, his mind raced. He clenched the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles turned white.

  It was hard to believe he kept running into Flynn on accident. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Sure, their town was pretty small but it wasn’t tiny.

  And what did he mean by, I’m not who you think I am?

  Who else would he be? He’d obviously managed to get someone to take his place in prison.

  The man had connections. That much was obvious. How else would he be able to get away with that? He would also need to create a whole new identity with Flynn Myer being in Walla Walla. He’d need more than just a different look, he’d have to get a new home and job. Bank account. Car. Everything would have to be replaced.

  Alex pulled into his apartment complex and parked but didn’t get out. He needed answers.

  Secrets

  Zoey pushed the cans into the shelf, closed the cabinet door, the
n went into the living room. “Do you need anything else?”

  Genevieve’s mom flashed her a grateful smile. “No, you’ve already done plenty. You didn’t need to bring over all this stuff.”

  Zoey leaned against the wall of Nick’s condo and stifled a yawn. “You’ve been displaced from your home. It’s the least I could do for a friend.” She smiled at Genevieve. “I can come by with Ariana on Saturday. She’s missed Tinsley.”

  Tinsley looked up at the mention of her name. She smiled shyly at Zoey, who gave her a friendly smile in return.

  They agreed upon the details of the playdate, then Zoey headed for the door. She shook everyone’s hands. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Foster.”

  Genevieve’s mom squeezed her hand. “Brenda, please.”

  “And Walter,” Mr. Foster chimed in.

  Zoey nodded. “Brenda and Walter, it was a pleasure. Let me know if you need anything else. I’m serious.”

  “You’ve already done plenty, but thank you.”

  After the adults all thanked Zoey yet again, she made her way outside into the cool night. She drew in a deep breath and headed for her turquoise electric car.

  Halfway there, her stomach lurched.

  No. Not now. Not here.

  It lurched again, this time with more force.

  Zoey looked around, and her gaze landed on a bush. That would have to do. She ran over and threw up just behind it.

  The sight of her vomit made her spew again.

  She stepped back, leaned against a tree, and wiped her watery eyes. The all-day sickness should’ve been gone by now. Or at least it had been when she’d been pregnant with Ariana. Hadn’t it? Thirteen years was a long time to remember a detail like that.

  Zoey rubbed her rounding belly. She was certain her stomach was growing faster this time. From what she’d read, that was normal. She was already wearing loose shirts and using a rubber band to loop around her pants’ buttons.

  That meant it would be all the harder to keep it from Alex. She’d wanted to wait longer before bringing it up to him. Partly hoping she might miscarry—as horrible as that was. It was her baby in there, but it wasn’t Alex’s. The father was a crazed lunatic who had shot up a school, held Zoey captive, then raped her before letting her go, probably thinking she was dead.

  Tears blurred her vision. She hadn’t spoken a word of Dave’s last assault on her since she’d been at the hospital and had to share every last detail with the staff. The examination had felt like another attack, even though the nurses couldn’t have been nicer.

  The whole world would know about it when Dave finally had his trial. She would have to give her testimony.

  That would be easier than telling Alex. Her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest just thinking about that conversation.

  They were planning their wedding. They had big dreams of having a family together. Of giving Ariana siblings. Not half-psychotic siblings. What if her baby ended up as crazy as Dave and his kid? Was the kid nuts because Dave raised him or because of genetics?

  And the biggest questions of all—would Alex still want her after what Dave had done to her? And could he accept this baby? One that didn’t belong to him?

  Tears spilled onto her cheeks. She wiped them away, then covered her vomit with loose dirt before trudging to her car.

  One thing was certain. She would have to tell Alex soon. Especially given the chance that all her wedding plans were for nothing if he couldn’t accept her pregnancy.

  Stalk

  The man rolled over and pulled stale, stiff blankets over his head. Nothing worse than cheap motel bedding. Except maybe the quality of his sleep over the last several hours. Or at least that’s what it felt like—hardly any sleep.

  His phone beeped again. This time, he realized it wasn’t the alarm.

  It was a notification. One of the families he was watching must have posted an update.

  Excitement drummed through him. He was getting closer to his next treasure.

  He threw off the blankets and sat up, reaching for his phone on the nightstand.

  It wasn’t just one notification. He’d slept through some others while tossing and turning on the rock-hard bed.

  There were half a dozen new notifications.

  Hardly able to breathe, he unlocked the screen with his thumbprint and scrolled through the new pictures. Two of the parents had posted morning updates of their daughters.

  A little blonde girl grinned widely, showing a recently-lost tooth, as she sat behind a pile of pancakes with a tower of whipped cream covered in sprinkles. The photo’s caption read, Happy Birthday, Maisie! You’re the best! XOXO

  So, it was her birthday. All the better. He loved showering his beloved prizes with gifts. This would give him the perfect excuse. Not only that, but with today being her birthday, it would be even more of a challenge to capture her. All eyes would be on her.

  The man’s pulse drummed in his ears. Up until this moment, he hadn’t been sure which one of the three would be his prize, but now he had his answer.

  Maisie.

  She even had a beautiful name to go along with her angelic face. The name was old-fashioned but at the same time had a modern ring to it. Like it might be topping all the name charts soon.

  He scrolled through Maisie’s mom’s public feed again until he found the pictures of her school. Parents these days made it so easy. She had first day of school pictures—ten of them to be exact—right next to the school’s sign. Back before social media, he’d had to work a lot harder on the lead-up to the nabbing.

  That part itself was still a wild thrill and always the most challenging part of the process. Each kid was different. Some responded to presents and candy despite their parents’ best efforts to teach stranger danger. Others needed befriending. Days of work before everything paid off.

  What would Maisie like? He would start with something for her birthday. A pink balloon maybe. Perhaps even a whole bundle of them.

  Beads of sweat broke out around his hairline. He might have his next treasure before dinnertime.

  Clue

  Nick rubbed his temples and downed the rest of his stale coffee. He fought a yawn, but it won. With as little sleep as he’d gotten the night before, he would be yawning all day. He might have to take a catnap on the couch in his office.

  Right then sounded good, but he’d just gotten to the office within the hour. And besides, people kept coming in with questions or new information.

  Knock, knock.

  Right on cue.

  Nick glanced through the blinds at Detective Garcia and waved him in.

  The detective entered and sat on the other side of Nick’s desk, talking a mile a minute. He was exhausted, too. His accent became more defined during the tougher cases.

  “Slow down.” Nick put his hand out. “Did you say they found even more bodies?”

  Garcia nodded. “We’re up to almost thirty. Thirty!”

  “What’s the actual number?”

  “Twenty-eight.”

  Nick’s stomach twisted. “Whoever this guy is, he’s up there with some of the state’s most notorious serial killers.”

  “Especially if this isn’t his only burial ground. If he has another property or two…”

  Both men shared a disturbed glance.

  “How much of the property has been dug up?” Nick asked.

  “Most of it, and they’re still going. Can’t rely on the dogs for a lot of the older ones.”

  Nick flipped through some of his notes. “The oldest ones are estimated to be about thirty years old?”

  “I’m no bone expert, but that’s what it looks like. We’re waiting on official word, and everything’s being taken to Seattle.”

  Nick raked his fingers through his hair. “We need to consider sending some of the remains elsewhere. It’s going to take them forever to get through all that. Plus, they’re sure to have plenty of their own cases to work on.”

  Garcia nodde
d. “At least this case is top priority. With so many victims attributed to one guy.”

  “What about the media circus outside?” Nick had seen a crowd out front when he’d arrived at the station. He parked in the back where the vultures weren’t allowed, so he’d been able to avoid them.

  “It’s getting worse. News is spreading far and wide. There are camera crews from the east coast and even Canada. Chang got some calls from Australia and London earlier. We’re famous.”

  Nick groaned. “I already am.”

  Garcia lifted an eyebrow.

  “When I took the kids to the Seattle Center recently, a twenty-something stopped me near that big fountain and wanted a selfie with me. He recognized me because of how many times I’ve been interviewed on the news. It’s crazy, especially given the size of this town.”

  “Seriously?”

  Nick nodded.

  “I never would’ve guessed. When I applied here, I thought this was a sleepy little town. Nice quiet place to start my career until I settled into the job.”

  Both men burst out laughing. Between all the abductions and killings, their police force was double other towns twice their size.

  Garcia unbuttoned his top button and leaned back in the chair. “What do you think it is about this place? What draws all the crazies?”

  “I’m not sure I want to know.”

  They discussed theories for a few minutes before Garcia went back out to deal with some calls.

  Nick dealt with a few pressing emails before walking around the office and stretching. As much as he hated having another serial killer on their hands, he was grateful it had brought Genevieve back into his life.

  Ever since she’d left on her sabbatical, he’d been trying to find her without any luck.

  Now she was staying in his condo and had agreed to a playdate with the kids. If Nick could get away early today, he’d take the kids over after school. Maybe he could even talk her into letting him treat her and Tinsley to a movie to get everyone’s minds off everything. It was Friday night, so nobody would have to get up early the next morning.