Secrets Boxset: A Riveting Kidnapping Mystery Collection

by J. S. Donovan

  It was nearly 2 am when Arden arrived at the Macon Police Department. Derrick Steward answered the door and gave her a hug. He was a tall, African-American police dispatcher. He had big square glasses and a cue-ball head.

  “She in?” Arden asked.

  Derrick held the door for her. “Room two.”

  Arden trekked through the desolate bullpen. Only a handful of officers worked the graveyard shift. They drank coffee and yawned as Arden approached the holding cell. Inside, Maya was lying on the cold cement bench. Her eyes were closed. One knee was bent. She had a vacant expression on her face. There was no one else there. It must’ve been a quiet night.

  Arden leaned her forearm against the bulletproof plastic. “You still awake?”

  Maya opened one eye, looked her way, and then went back to resting.

  Arden watched her for a moment. Getting no response, Arden said, “Your Aunt Tinda hired me to find you.”

  Maya sat up. General confusion muddled her expression.

  Arden elaborated. “She knew you got caught up in some difficult things. She wanted to give you a second chance.”

  “You want to help, get me out,” Maya barked.

  “I brought you to this place so we can talk,” Arden replied.

  There was venom in Maya’s response. “Wait. Was it you who called the cops? Why the hell should I care what you got to say?”

  Arden drew in a breath. “God is after your heart, Maya--”

  “Psh.” Maya shook her head. “What are you? A priest? Get out of here.”

  “He sees you. He cares.” Arden tapped the glass. “Look at me.” Arden’s eyes were genuinely damp. “This isn’t me acting. You’re important. You have great worth. Stop running. Come home.”

  Maya’s mocking hostility turned into dreadful seriousness. “You don’t know my life.”

  “We’ve all been through the wringer.” Past regrets flashed in Arden’s mind; they seemed distant, like faraway fog. “Whatever you’ve done, whatever has been done to you, He is bigger.”

  Maya was silent for a moment. “What do you get out of this? I know my auntie ain’t paying you nothing.”

  Arden cracked a smile. “If I wanted money, there are a million other things I could be doing.”

  “So what then?”

  “Because you’re valuable,” Arden replied.

  Maya cast down her gaze.

  Arden straightened her posture. “My friend is going to get you in contact with a group that can get you on your feet. They’re good at helping of girls who’ve had similar experiences. Take care, Maya.”

  The girl didn’t reply.

  Arden rejoined Derrick away from the holding cells. She gave him a card with the rehabilitation program information. “This is for the girl.”

  Derrick pocketed it as they walked toward the exit. “How many is that this month? Seven? Eight?”

  Arden shrugged.

  Darrick smiled. “Keep that up and we’ll have to hire you.”

  Arden buried her hands in her jacket pocket. “Good night, Derrick.”

  “Night, Briar.”

  At 3 am, Macon was quiet. The roads were empty. The stores were closed. Police sirens echoed somewhere far away. Arden parked outside of a two-story building. The first floor was a cheap Chinese buffet. A metal staircase was bolted into the side and led to Arden’s office. Briar Investigative Services. Moths fluttered around the hooked lamp above the old wooden door.

  Arden entered, acclimating to the stench of old Chinese food that forever permeated the small office. It consisted of three rooms with equal width but varying length. The first was the waiting area consisting of two rows of six chairs pressed against the right and left wall, then there was Arden’s office and her studio apartment. The office had a simple tin desk backed by a bookshelf. A painting of a boat on the ocean hung on the wall. Another door opened into her small studio apartment. She could walk from her bed to her kitchen in a matter of seconds. Before anything else, she changed out of her day clothes. Arden turned on some music, lay back in bed, and mumbled her thanks until she drifted away.

  She slept until her internal clock got her up at 6:43 am. She brewed coffee, filled it with cream and sugar to the point where it would probably rot her teeth out, and then got into the Word. She opened to Ephesians 5:11 “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”

  Arden sipped her mug and went to read the next verse.

  A buzzing noise took her out of the moment. Arden checked the time. She still had over an hour before she opened. Getting dressed in a blue striped button-up and jeans, Arden slipped on her shoes and headed into the office.

  The person outside pressed the buzzer again.

  Arden opened the door.

  A giant towered over her. He was six foot, three inches tall. He had a full beard that connected to the faded sides of his head. His eyes were dark, bloodshot, and haunted. There was a small scar that interrupted the outer end of his right eyebrow. He wore a rugged utility jacket that was unbuttoned over a plaid shirt. His jeans were denim with black work boots tucked underneath. Even without his tall stature, the man would be intimidating.

  “You’re Arden Briar?” He asked sternly.

  She nodded and shook his hand, feeling the calluses on his palms. “And you are?”

  “Joe Carmon,” the man said. “Can we talk?”

  His bluntness made it sound like he was an angry father. It’s a little early, Arden held her tongue. She gestured for him to come in.

  She took a seat at her desk. Joe glanced around the room, absorbing the information that was around him. He took a seat near the edge of the chair facing the desk.

  Arden studied his movement. His posture was straight. His body was very controlled. Possibly military, Arden theorized. By the dark circles under his eyes and the shallowness of his cheeks, Arden guessed he hadn’t been eating or sleeping.

  She spoke politely. “You want something to drink?”

  “I had a Red Bull on the way over.”

  Arden cracked a smile. “At seven in the morning? Living dangerously.”

  A little light returned to Joe’s countenance. It was quickly consumed by his gloom.

  Arden folded her hands on her lap. “What can I do for you today, Joe?”

  He stared off at nothing for a moment. He broke his stare and looked into Arden’s eyes. “I need to find someone.”

  “You’ve come to the right place,” Arden replied.

  Joe pulled out a folded picture and slid it across the table. “Her name is Jessica.”

  The girl was young, fourteen or so with long hair, big glasses, and a studious look about her. Arden recognized her. “She’s the one that vanished on Halloween?”

  “You’ve been keeping up with the news,” Joe said.

  “There’s not much there, honestly,” Arden replied. “She went out with friends, got split up, and vanished. What’s your relationship?”

  “She’s my daughter.”

  Arden absorbed the information. She had dealt with many people who’d lost their loved ones. Some investigators got jaded. Arden tried to not be one of them. Remembering the stakes were real kept her driven. After all, she was dealing with a real family with real lives, hopes, dreams, and aspirations. “I’m sorry,” she said gently.

  Joe set his jaw for a moment. “The police say they are getting tips, but I’m not hearing any results. Now, I’m stuck waiting for someone else to do something while my daughter is who knows where. You know what that’s like?”

  Arden’s eyes glossed over. “Yeah. I dealt with that with my sister.”

  “Did you find her?” Joe asked.

  Arden blinked and remembered the pale cadaver.

  Her expression must’ve tipped Joe off. He said, “You felt useless—worthless--like you’ve lost all control.”

  “Tell me about Jessica,” Arden said, switching the focus of the conversation back on him.

  Joe eyed Arden, seemi
ngly suspicious she didn’t give him a chance to dig deeper. Arden didn’t relent.

  “She’s quiet. Smart… a lot smarter than me at her age.” Joe smiled to himself. It left as fast as it appeared. “Kids like that don’t have many friends, and after her mom passed, I tried my best to be there, but teenage girls can be complicated. We moved down here six months ago. She wanted to step out of her shell more so when some of the girls on the cross-country team invited her out on Halloween. They picked her up--”

  “What time?”

  “18:50. I told Jessica to be back by 20:00. She convinced me to let her stay out a little longer. The other girls lost sight of her. They thought I had picked her up, so they didn’t bother calling her.”

  “Is there any possibility that she ran away?” Arden asked.

  That struck a nerve. “No.”

  Arden asked another question. “Have your relatives ever picked her up?”

  “I have a brother in Seattle I never see. My parents live in Daytona. My aunts and uncles live throughout the country. None of them would have taken her,” Joe replied. “I haven’t talked to most of them in years.”

  “Did Jessica exhibit any strange behavior before she went missing?” Arden asked.

  “She was the same old same old,” Joe said. “Look, I told the police all this stuff. I get it’s standard protocol, but let’s just get boots on the ground.

  Arden said half-jokingly. “Without information, I don't know where to go.”

  “That’s why I’ll show you,” Joe said.

  “That’s not how this works.”

  “It’s been six days since she’s been missing. My girl could be—” he stopped himself from saying the word. After catching his breath, he continued, “Time is short, and every second wasted is another second she’s gone.”

  “Hey,” Arden said calmly. “I’ll do my best to find your little girl. You just keep staying strong.”

  Joe smirked. “I’m not after counseling. I need results.”

  “I know--”

  Joe pulled out a stack of dollar bills and put it on the desk. It must’ve been at least ten grand. He kept his hand on top of the stack.

  Arden stared at the money. Usually her jobs ran from two hundred to six hundred a gig.

  “Find her,” Joe said. “It’s yours.”

  Arden forced herself to say. “That’s too much.”

  “Accept the deal,” Joe said, almost commanding. “You won’t get a better offer.”

  Joe pulled a few bills off the top and put them on the desk. “Here’s a down payment.”

  “Fair enough.” Arden took the three hundred and fifty bucks and went to open the desk drawer.

  “One more thing,” Joe said.

  Arden stopped.

  “I’m going to help you,” Joe said with cold seriousness.

  “Of course. We can start by going over the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and anything else about Jessica’s life that may lead us to her.”

  Joe spoke seriously. “You want this money, we work together. Side-by-side. As a team.”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Arden put him down gently.

  “I’ve served two tours in the Middle East,” Joe said. “Marines. I’ve seen and done a lot of things that you wouldn’t imagine.”

  “I appreciate your service,” Arden said. “But there are certain regulations that prevent you from having a partnership with me.”

  “So you’d let some document stop you from looking for my daughter?” Joe asked, growing frustrated. “I’m not a praying man, Briar. So you’re my next best option. Let me tag along. Even if we don’t find her, I’ll still pay you. Deal?”

  The man openly wore his desperation.

  Arden’s instinct was to give the man back his money, but she thought about the verse of the day. Expose darkness. Maybe she was supposed to do this. Maybe helping this man was part of a bigger divine plan. Her wisdom said to reject him, but something deep within called her to do otherwise.

  Arden rubbed her brow. “There are certain rules that must be followed. One, I’m in charge. What I say you do, you do. Rule two, if I say that you are done, you are done. Understand?”

  For the first time, hope brightened Joe’s face.

  3

  Six Days Gone

  9:36 am

  Joe got into his 2004 Ford Mustang. Dirt and dust stained its glossy black body. The engine rumbled. Stickers related to the Marine Corps decorated his bumper.

  Arden followed him in her Lincoln. Her hands stayed calmly placed on the steering wheel. Though her expression appeared neutral, she couldn’t help but think about the deal she just made. Joe seemed honest enough. However, the more Arden understood the forces working in the world around her, the harder it was to trust anyone.

  They drove through Cotton Avenue. The surviving 19th century buildings stood alongside modern architecture. Arden and Joe parallel parked outside a cafe and smaller shops.

  Joe counted the quarters in his palm and paid for both of their parking meters.

  He glanced around the area. “Her friends were on this sidewalk when they lost track of her.”

  Arden asked. “Who did Jessica dress as Halloween?”

  Joe smiled sadly as he remembered. “Velma.”

  “Scooby-doo?” Arden asked.

  Joe nodded. “Yeah…”

  The two were silent for a moment.

  “Someone might have seen her,” Arden said.

  They went from shop to shop, talking to the clerks about who worked on Halloween. Eventually, they found a lady in charge of a small coffee shop. Rustic decor hung on the wall behind the counter. She glanced over the picture of Jessica. “Yeah, I remember her. Sweet thing. She tried to get hot chocolates for her friends.”

  A look of urgency appeared on Joe’s face. “What time?”

  “It was maybe 10 pm or so.”

  Arden processed the information. “And her high school friends were gone at this point?”

  The lady nodded. “I sure didn’t see them.”

  Joe rubbed his hand down his face. “Which way did she go?”

  “It's hard to say,” the lady said. “I was serving a lot of people. She might have gone to the concert a block away. To be left by her friends like that…” the lady said with compassion. She looked at Joe. “I’m sorry, dear.”

  Arden asked, “Did you see anyone follow her?”

  “No.”

  When they returned to the sidewalk, Joe set his jaw.

  Arden saw his rage building. “What?” She asked.

  “I was told that Jessica got split from her friends, not that she was abandoned,” Joe replied. “On a night as busy as that, you’d think they’d be more careful.”

  “There are only a few things more brutal than high school girls,” Arden replied. “I’m sure we’ll find time to talk to them, but first, let’s search the area.”

  Arden pointed out a number of security cameras on different buildings. Arden told the building owners about her mission and need to view the footage from Halloween. Most of them had either turned over their footage to the police, or it was programmed to delete every 48 hours. Unable to pursue that lead, Arden had to get creative. She imagined event from the abductor’s point-of-view and knew that her goal would be to lead the victim into a secluded location to kidnap her. However, on a night as busy as Halloween, she needed a lure. She asked Joe if Jessica had a habit of going off by herself.

  “She has always been a loner, but she was never stupid,” Joe said. “She knows just how sick people can be. I told her expressly to stay in a group and don’t talk to anyone who was above her age. If anything, she would’ve found another crowd to blend into.”

  They reached the place where the concert was held, but there was no longer a stage there. It was just an alley with a few tables and chairs. A handful of littered pamphlets and loose pieces of candy were washed into the corners of the nearby buildings.

  Arden looked b
ack to where they had started. “It probably took Jessica 3 to 5 minutes to get here,” Arden estimated.

  Joe looked down the vacant streets. “You think she would’ve come this way?”

  “If she was trying to find her friends, sure. This was probably the most interesting thing on the street. Also, it’s more crowded, as you said. We’re going to need to find out who played that night,” Arden said.

  She shut her eyes and played out the abduction in her head. Jessica and her friends trick or treated down the sidewalk. Jessica’s friends leave her, Jessica goes to find them. All the while, the abductor would’ve had to be watching her, perhaps from across the street. Arden looked that way. On Halloween night, it would’ve been easy to jaywalk. There were so many people out that the police wouldn’t heavily enforce such laws. The abductor could’ve seen Jessica heading to the crowd and would’ve tried to intercept her while in the midst of people.

  Arden researched Macon Halloween on her phone. After finding a dozen or two posts on the various social media platforms, Arden was able to create an accurate mental image of the size of the concert. She guessed it was around seventy to a hundred people.

  Joe anxiously watched her, waiting for her to speak.

  Arden ended her train of thought and raised her brows at him, silently posing a question.

  “Thoughts?” Joe asked.

  Arden pointed across the street. “There’s a high probability that the abductor crossed around there and intercepted Jessica in the midst of the concert.”

  “There must’ve been dozens of witnesses,” Joe said, finding hope.

  “Perhaps, but there’s a good chance they didn’t see anything,” Arden said. “With the ruckus, people, and costumes, she could’ve easily been lost in the crowd.” Seeing Joe’s expression sinking, Arden added. “But who knows?”

  She looked up ahead and saw an alleyway with a blind turn. “This way.”

  Arden walked on ahead. Joe was quick enough to keep pace with her. They reached the threshold of the alley. Arden looked back to where the concert had been. “If the abductor got her to this point, he could’ve hidden her from the masses. It’s blind on all sides.”