Catch the Girl

by Melinda Woodhall

  “Leo Steele! I was hoping to see you here.”

  Leo spun around at the sardonic greeting. Detective Marc Ingram sat slouched at one of the little tables along the wall. His partner, Detective Ruben Ortiz, decked out in a well-tailored suit, waved to Leo from the line in front of the counter.

  “What are you boys doing here?” Leo asked, although he was confident he already knew the answer. “Shouldn’t you be out looking for the real perp that broke into the Delancey’s house?”

  Ingram smirked and sat up straight in his chair.

  “Oh, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Here, making sure the real perp isn’t released back into society to hurt anyone else.”

  Stepping into line behind Ortiz, Leo forced himself to take in a full breath, then slowly exhale. He’d need his wits about him if he had a hope in hell of getting Hernandez out on bail with Ingram and Ortiz giving evidence.

  “Don’t let him get to you,” Ortiz muttered, looking back at Leo with a sympathetic grimace. “He can be a jerk, but he means well.”

  “I’ll buy the part about him being a jerk,” Leo replied, “but I think we both know the bit about him meaning well is bullshit.”

  Ortiz chuckled as he grabbed his drink off the counter.

  “See you in court, buddy.”

  Leo didn’t bother responding. He ordered a black coffee and a bottle of water, then checked his phone for messages while he waited for the cashier to run his credit card. When he turned back around, Ingram and Ortiz were gone.

  Juggling his coffee, phone and briefcase, Leo shouldered open the door and held it with his foot for a woman pushing a toddler in an enormous stroller. As she maneuvered the huge contraption through the door, Leo’s eyes fell on a collection of Florida’s most-wanted posters.

  A motley assortment of faces stared back at him, but one caught his attention. He let the door swing closed behind the stroller, studying a black and white image on one of the posters. The grainy picture looked like it had been taken from CCTV, but the woman in the picture was facing the camera, and her face and shoulders were clearly visible.

  “What the hell?”

  Leo dropped his eyes to the text beneath the photo.

  Person of Interest in 2016 Homicide in Pensacola.

  The woman had been caught on a hidden security camera leaving the scene of a homicide. Her identity was still unknown. Anyone with information on the woman in the photo should contact local authorities. Based on the violent nature of the crime, the poster warned that the woman should be considered armed and dangerous

  Holding his camera next to the poster, Leo navigated to the photos Frankie had sent him just an hour before. The woman in Frankie’s photo, the one by the lake facing the camera, was a dead ringer for the woman in the most-wanted poster.

  Leo used his phone to take a picture of the poster, then zoomed in on the woman’s face, sure that he must be mistaken. But a close-up look at the woman only confirmed his fears.

  The woman in Frankie’s picture closely resembled a possible murder suspect. Someone considered armed and dangerous. And that woman was standing next to a girl that Barker thought may be his missing daughter.

  Head spinning, Leo made his way to a marble bench outside the clerk of the court’s office. Who should he tell? He looked at his watch. How much time did he have?

  Raising the phone Leo searched for the name and number of the only detective in the WBPD that he trusted to take his concerns seriously. Nessa’s voicemail picked up after the sixth ring.

  “Nessa, this is Leo Steele. I need to talk to you urgently. Please call me as soon as you get this.”

  He was about to hang up when an image of Barker’s sad, puppy-dog eyes flashed through his mind.

  “On second thought, I’m heading over to see you now,” he belatedly added through gritted teeth. “This can’t wait.”

  Not letting himself think about how disappointed Oscar Hernandez was going to be when he found out the hearing had been delayed, Leo strode into the clerk of the court’s office and hurried to the counter. The cheerful young man behind the counter greeted him by name.

  “Hi, Mr. Steele, how can I help you today?”

  Ignoring the dull ache in his stomach, Leo forced the words out.

  “I need to file an emergency request for my client. We need to request a delay of his bail hearing.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The front door burst open, letting in a gust of cold air along with Hope and Devon. Moments later Barb Sweeny hurried in behind them, bundled in a thick parka, the kind more commonly seen on a ski slope than in the Willow Bay suburbs.

  Duke greeted the new arrivals with a wagging tail, while Eden stood back smiling, pulling her own cotton sweater around her as the frigid air swirled through the living room.

  “Why don’t I start up a fire?” Eden offered, desperate to keep busy. “I’ll get some wood from the garage.”

  But before she could turn to go, the automated voice of the security system announced that motion had been detected in the driveway. Seconds later Hope was flinging open the door to let in more cold air, and her boyfriend, Luke Adams.

  Liking the happy flush that appeared on Hope’s face whenever Luke was in the room, Eden turned to the boy and smiled.

  “I was just going to put some wood on the fire, Luke. Would you like to help me get some from the garage?”

  Giving an agreeable nod, Luke followed Eden to the garage and allowed her to pile several logs onto his outstretched arms.

  “You ready for the holidays?” she asked, walking back toward the living room. “Is your family going away on vacation?”

  “No, ma’am, we’re staying in Willow Bay.” Luke’s mouth curled into a shy smile. “Don’t tell Hope, but I’ve already got her a Christmas present. Can’t wait to see her open it.”

  Eden trailed behind Luke, touched by his obvious affection for her niece, but also concerned that the teenagers may be getting a little too close for comfort. She’d promised to protect her sister’s children, and that meant it was up to her to stop Hope and Devon from making poor decisions or getting into dangerous situations they couldn’t handle.

  After Hope’s abduction the summer before, Eden’s anxiety for her niece and nephew had grown along with a lingering fear that something, or someone, might destroy the happy little family they’d worked so hard to build.

  Shaking off the cloud of anxiety that was threatening, Eden lit the fire, then went to find Barb. There was no way she could sit at home all afternoon pretending everything was okay, when she felt as if nothing would ever be okay again. She needed to do something, anything, to try to understand what was happening, and to figure out a way she could help.

  Barb was in the kitchen, arranging oranges in a bowl.

  “The citrus was all on sale today,” Barb said, not looking up. “I guess everyone’s bringing in the harvest ahead of the freeze. I bought two big bags. One for you and one for me.”

  “Thanks, Barb. They look delicious.”

  Something in Eden’s voice prompted Barb to look up in concern.

  “What’s wrong, honey? What’s happened to put that sad look on your pretty face?”

  The older woman put a soft hand on Eden’s arm, and Eden struggled to keep her face composed. She couldn’t break down again. Especially not in front of the kids. They’d already been through too much.

  “I’m fine,” Eden insisted, patting Barb’s hand. “I just have loads of work to do. Would you mind if I leave you here to watch the kids and fix dinner while I go into the office?”

  Barb cocked her head, her eyes thoughtful.

  “Well, when you’re ready to tell me what’s wrong, I’ll be ready to listen. In the meantime, you go on and do what you need to do. I’ll take care of the kids and make sure they’re fed.”

  Eden collected her purse and her laptop bag, then stood at the door to the living room, watching the kids as they laughed and talked together in front of the crackling fire. T
he world outside the warm room suddenly seemed very far away.

  Leaving the cozy scene behind, she walked to the garage, Duke following closely behind. She turned to the golden retriever and smiled down at him.

  “You’ve been trapped inside all day, haven’t you, boy?’

  Grabbing his leash and a blanket for the car, she let the dog climb into the backseat of her Expedition, feeling a little better now that she wouldn’t be heading out alone. But as she drove out into the wintry afternoon, she had an uneasy feeling that it would be a long while before they returned.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The Mercy Harbor administration office was in an uproar when Eden arrived. Rumors about Ruth Culvert’s murder had spread from reception, to accounting, to health services. Edgar spotted Eden in the lobby and filled her in on the ensuing drama as she hurried toward the elevators, keeping Duke close beside her.

  “Everyone’s asking me if they should be worried,” the security guard said. “But I don’t know any more than they do.”

  “Just tell everyone to be careful,” she said, doors sliding open in front of her. “Until we know more, we should all be extra diligent.”

  The doors closed between them, and Eden let her shoulders slump. How could she reassure the people working at Mercy Harbor that they weren’t in danger when even she didn’t feel safe?

  Once the news broke that Ruth Culvert had been inside a Mercy Harbor shelter when she’d been lured outside and abducted, the staff and residents would have plenty of questions. And right now, Eden didn’t have any answers.

  Settling Duke on the sofa under the window, Eden sat at her desk, turned on her laptop, and double-clicked on the foundation’s client database. She typed in Ruth’s name and hit the search button. She wasn’t surprised when the No Matches Found message appeared.

  I would have remembered Ruth if she’d been a resident before.

  Eden had met most of the women and children that had taken refuge within the foundation’s network of shelters. The names, faces, and heartbreaking stories she’d encountered throughout the last five years had stayed with her.

  But why did Ruth have my name with her? And why was Mercy Harbor’s address written on that piece of paper outside Ruth’s window?

  The bloody paper had been turned over to the police once they’d arrived to investigate the scene, but when she closed her eyes, Eden could still see the grisly streaks through her name. Dropping her head into her hands, Eden tried to block the disturbing image.

  It took her a minute to realize that her desk phone was ringing. She glanced at the display, but the caller was listed as Blocked Number. Clearing her throat, she picked up the receiver and held it to her ear.

  “Hello, this is Eden Winthrop.”

  A woman’s high-pitched voice quivered over the line.

  "I want to talk to Ruth. I want to know if she made it there okay."

  Eden hesitated, trying to make sense of the words.

  “Who is this?”

  There was only silence at the other end. Eden thought the call had been disconnected, but then she heard soft breathing.

  “Please,” Eden begged, “tell me who you are and why you’re calling for Ruth.”

  “I’m her friend. I gave her your name. From the newspaper. There was an article saying you help people.”

  Pieces started falling into place in Eden’s mind. The local papers had been full of news about the murders Douglas Kramer and Adrian Bellows had committed. Several articles had referenced Mercy Harbor and Hope House. A few had even included pictures of Eden and extolled her role in catching the killers.

  Eden realized the woman on the phone must have seen the articles and sent Ruth and Candace to Mercy Harbor for help. It must have been her handwriting on the note.

  “Someone’s coming. I’ve got to go.”

  The girl sounded scared. Was she also in trouble?

  “Please, you have to tell me who you are. You may be in danger.”

  Gripping the phone tightly to her ear, Eden strained to keep her voice calm, terrified that the girl would hang up before she could warn her.

  “Danger? What do you mean?”

  The girl lowered her voice, as if she was trying not to be overheard. Eden knew she may not have much time. She couldn’t afford to wait.

  "Listen to me. Ruth is dead. Candace is dead. Someone killed them. Please, tell me where you are. I’ll send the police out to help you.”

  "Someone's coming," the girl repeated, her voice a hoarse whisper. “I have to go.”

  Eden stared at the receiver, refusing to believe the call had been disconnected just like that. She pressed the button on the phone to access the number of the last caller. Blocked Number appeared on the display.

  Frantic to reach the police, Eden dug into her purse for her cell phone. Nessa’s number was stored in her contacts. If she could reach Nessa, maybe the detective would have a way of tracking the blocked call. Maybe they could find the caller and make sure she was safe. And if they could track her down, maybe she would be able to tell them who had killed her friends.

  Nessa answered on the second ring.

  “Hi Eden, I’m in the middle of another call, can I call you back?”

  “No, Nessa. I need your help. A woman called asking about Ruth. Said she gave Ruth the note with my name and address.”

  The words got Nessa’s full attention.

  “Holy cow, that’s great. What’s her name? Where is she? We need to talk to her right away and see what-”

  Interrupting Nessa before she got too carried away, Eden broke the bad news.

  “She didn’t leave her name, and her number was blocked.”

  Nessa gasped, then puffed out a frustrated sigh.

  “Sounds like it might have been a prank, Eden.”

  “It wasn’t a prank, Nessa.”

  Eden was sure the caller had been telling the truth.

  “The girl was real, and she was scared, and she knew about Ruth.”

  A buzz sounded on the line.

  “Look, Eden, I’ve got an incoming call. I’ll contact the phone company. See if I can get the number that called you. But that takes time, and there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to link the phone to a specific location or a person.”

  “Okay, I understand,” Eden murmured. “Just let me know what you find out.”

  Eden had just set down the phone, her hand cramped and sore from clutching the receiver, when Duke jumped down from the sofa and growled low in his throat. She turned toward the door to see a man standing in the doorway.

  “Nathan?”

  “You haven’t forgotten me already, have you, Eden?”

  Striding across the room, Nathan hesitated when he saw Duke.

  “It’s okay, Duke,” Eden soothed. “You remember, Nathan. He’s a an old friend of mine.”

  Nathan held out a hand for Duke to consider. Once the golden retriever had given his tacit approval, Nathan leaned across the desk and gave Eden a loud kiss on each cheek.

  “You look great,” Nathan said, grabbing her hands in his. “I’ve missed those green eyes.”

  “What are you doing here, Nathan?” Eden couldn’t believe her ex-partner had followed through on his threat to come to her if she refused to go to San Francisco.

  “I told you. I need to talk to you.”

  A wayward lock of blonde hair fell over his forehead, and Eden automatically lifted a hand to push it back, before pulling away, feeling awkward.

  “Really, Nathan, what are you doing here?” Eden snapped. “I’m in the middle of another crisis, and I don’t have time for games.”

  “I’m here so we can talk. And I’m not leaving until we do.”

  Plopping into a chair across from her, Nathan crossed his arms and smiled defiantly at Eden. His blue eyes softened as he saw the stress on her face.

  “How about I help you solve your crisis first, and then we talk?”

  “No one but the phone company can help me now.”
r />   Nathan’s eyes widened.

  “The phone company? Are you experiencing poor cell reception?”

  Eden opened her mouth to protest when she saw the twinkle in his eyes. She shook her head and sat back in her chair, dejected.

  “A woman called asking about Ruth, the girl that was…killed,” Eden said, her voice weary. “The caller didn’t leave her name, and her number was blocked, so now there’s no way of finding her.”

  Nathan frowned, his face sobering at her words.

  “And you think this caller may know who killed Ruth?”

  “Right, and I’m worried she could be in danger. If I don’t find her, she might wind up dead, too.”

  Nathan cocked his head and scrunched up his forehead like he always did when he was trying to think though a problem.

  “You’ve asked the police to get the number from the phone company?”

  Eden nodded, her eyes downcast.

  “Yes, but they said it takes time, and there are no guarantees.”

  “Sounds familiar.” Nathan took out his phone and thumbed through his contacts. “When I hear that from one of my contractors I know just who to call. For the right price he can get me any information I need, guaranteed.”

  It was Eden’s turn to frown.

  “You mean, you pay someone to steal information for you?”

  Shaking his head, Nathan began tapping out a message.

  “It isn’t stealing, it’s borrowing. Now, give me your office number and the time of the call.”

  Within minutes Nathan had sent though a request for his mysterious contact to find the number behind the call. Eden assumed he’d have to hack into the phone company’s database, but she wasn’t sure Nathan was being serious.

  Would he really pay someone to hack into a private system for me?

  She knew the answer without thinking. Nathan was a true friend, and she knew he’d do just about anything to make her happy. The thought made her feel slightly guilty, and she pushed away Leo’s brooding face.

  “Let me buy you a warm latte while we wait to hear back,” Nathan suggested, standing and motioning toward the door. “I can’t believe how cold it is here. I only packed bathing suits and flipflops.”