by C. J. Carson
“This whole thing just keeps getting weirder and weirder!”
He spoke into his phone. “Payne, we found Ms. Cole. Please send backup to the property next to the crime scene.” He paused. “Yes, sir, but—” Another pause. “No, sir, we won’t touch anything.”
Before he could hang up his cell, sirens of the ambulance and squad cars blared right outside.
Surprised, I blurted out, “What? How did they get here so fast?”
Opening the back door, Jake summoned them in. “In here!”
The EMTs stepped in with a gurney. “Hello, sir, how many patients are there?”
Jake directed them to the table. “Just one. This is Patricia Cole.”
An EMT kneeled next to her chair. “Hello Ms. Cole, my name is Rick. Do you mind if I get your vital signs?”
Shaking her head, she offered her arm for his blood pressure cuff.
Payne walked through the door and we found ourselves standing face-to-face with him. It was clear he was angry with us both. “Look, Jake, what did I tell you about calling me as soon as you left the crime scene?”
I couldn’t let Jake take all the heat. “That was my fault, Payne. I didn’t think we had time to wait. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
Payne looked more than frustrated. “I would like to believe that, but somehow—”
“Look, Payne, she’s right. Things could have been different. We didn’t know he had left her here to be found.”
“Jake, for all we knew, you could have been walking into a trap.” Stretching and rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed. “You know we canvassed this area when Ms. Cole disappeared. He must have moved her here once things cooled down a little. Smart move! He knew we had already checked the neighborhood for her, so why not hide her in plain sight?”
Jake’s brows furrowed. “But how did he know we would look for her here?”
“Because ten minutes before you called me, we got an anonymous tip that we should check out this place regarding the Cole case. We were on our way here when you called.”
Feeling relieved, I piped up. “I wondered how you got here so fast.”
Jake turned to me and chuckled. “Allie found her without the tip. Maybe we should put her on the force as a detective and our secret weapon.”
I gave Jake a friendly shove. “That’s not funny. From the sound of that note, I think our perpetrator was counting on it. It only confirms how close and talented he is. By the tone of it, he seems to know more about me than I do, and that makes me more than a little uncomfortable.”
Payne went over to look at the note. “I want to know who the hell this guy is and how he is getting his info. Look, Jake, could you please take Allie back to her car at George’s Café? I would like to meet you both at the hospital. I’m headed there to interview Ms. Cole after we wrap things up here. I’m sure it would be helpful to have you both there.”
As we left and the EMTs were loading Patricia Cole into the ambulance, Payne gathered the forensic team around the table where we found the note.
“Let’s get this place checked out. Leave no stone unturned. This guy is not just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill creep. He’s a brilliant son of a bitch and we are going to have our hands full until we apprehend him.”
Chapter 15
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, PAYNE, Jake, and I met at the hospital to interview Patricia Cole. As we moved down the hall, we met Doctor Kennedy. “Well, if it isn’t The Three Musketeers. Good morning! I understand it was the three of you that rescued our damsel in distress. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since she got here. I have given her something to relax her, but she is so relieved and grateful you found her.”
Concerned, Payne asked, “Do you think it would be okay if we talk to her?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, she has been waiting for you. I’ll tell you what, Payne. She is one lucky lady.” Turning to me, he remarked, “Not nearly in the shape that you were, Allie. By the way, it’s been a while, as I am sure you are aware. How are you feeling?”
His comment made me feel more than a bit guilty. “I know, I’m sorry.”
“Just kidding. Why don’t you come down to my office in the emergency room on your way out and we can do a quick check? That might save you some time and me some peace of mind.”
Jake laughed. “We’ll make certain she does.”
“Okay, I’ll be there for the rest of the afternoon, just come by.”
We moved into Patricia Cole’s room. She appeared exhausted and badly bruised. Although she had a swollen eye, her cheeks were pale and sunken as if she hadn’t eaten in a month.
“Hello, Ms. Cole, I’m Detective Payne. I believe you have already met Detective Carpenter and Allie. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”
Raising her trembling hand to gesture for us to come closer, she cried. “Not at all. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Okay, why don’t you start at the beginning? Tell us everything you remember. If you can, go back and try to tell us what you remember the night you were abducted.”
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Well, I had an appointment that evening with what I thought was a new buyer. He told me his name was Richard Smith.”
Payne interrupted. “Ms. Cole, do you always meet with a new client at night by yourself?”
“Not at all. He had come by the office, spoke to the receptionist, and provided an ID. I realize now that couldn’t have been him, but normally that is the procedure.”
“Yes, we did follow that lead and discovered that the ID was fake. The gentleman who came to the office was not Richard Smith, but a young man who was paid to come in to make the appointment. I’m sorry, please go on.”
“I arrived at the beach house that night about fifteen minutes early. Any time I am meeting someone at night, I like to get there and make sure I am in the house and I have all the lights on. It’s a security thing. I entered the front door and before I could turn on the lights in the foyer, I was shoved from behind. Within a few seconds, I was pinned, face down, on the floor and he was whispering in my ear. ‘Don’t struggle. I’m not going to hurt you.’ I paused for just one second to process what he was saying, but it was too late. I felt a sharp pain in my neck.
“The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the trunk of a car, blindfolded, with my hands and feet bound and a gag in my mouth.”
“That was the needle I saw!”
Payne turned to me. “What needle? Where?”
Realizing I had told no one what I saw at the crime scene, I bit my tongue. “Ah, I think I need to tell you about that later.”
Jake turned his attention to Patricia Cole. “Do you remember anything while you were in the trunk? I know you were blindfolded, but maybe sounds that might indicate where you were? Any traffic noises, trains, water, or anything at all?”
“Actually, yes. When the car finally stopped, he pulled me out of the trunk and dragged me across what felt like gravel and then up some stairs. I was trembling, I couldn’t stop shaking. I mean, it was cold, but I was shaking more out of fear than because I was cold. I could smell pine as if we were in the woods. I was certain I was right when I heard an owl call out close by. I think the next thing I heard was him opening a door. He dragged me into the building, across a wooden floor, and threw me on what felt like a cot. I remember my head was pounding. It was so dry and warm in there; it made my head hurt even more. I smelled wood burning. I know it was a fireplace because the whole time I was there, I heard him loading and stoking it, keeping the room warm.”
Payne folded his arms across his chest. “How long was it before he moved you to the house we found you in?”
“I don’t know, days? It’s hard to say when you’re blindfolded and gagged a good part of the time. I know I was only in that house a few hours before Allie and Jake found me.”
I interrupted. “This is all so strange. I don’t get it! Why you, Patricia?”
“I don’t know. He kept sayi
ng that this was only a test, and it wasn’t his intention to hurt me. Over and over, he told me that if I just kept quiet, he would take the gag off. The first time he did, I tried to talk to him. He hit me with his fist and said, ‘Don’t you understand what I meant by keeping quiet? Quiet means no talking, no questions, no crying, no laughing, no nothing.’ Eating was all I was allowed to do, and most of the time, the gag stayed on. He never removed my blindfold, but I managed to work my head back and forth to slide it down when he left me in that house today.”
As we continued to talk, Josh walked into the room. “Hello, Patricia. I got here as soon as I could.”
Surprised to see him, Payne raised a brow. “Well, hello Josh. How do you know Ms. Cole?”
Josh gave Patricia a huge hug. “We have known each other since we were kids.”
Hanging on to his hand, a tear fell from her eye. “Josh has been like a brother to me. I don’t know how I would have survived my childhood without him and his family. They took me in after my parents passed away.”
He chuckled. “You’re stronger than you think, give yourself some credit.” Handing her a tissue from the table, he continued. “Patricia also used to be one of my students. I have to say, for the life of me, I don’t know how this guy got the drop on her.”
Pointing to the bandage over her eye, she moaned. “Looks like I need to come back to the dojo.”
Detective Payne nodded to Jake and me as if he wanted us to leave the room. “Well, I think we should leave Patricia to her guest. Can I see the two of you in the hall for a minute?”
Once we were in the hallway, Payne waited for the door to close. “Allie, what did you mean when you said you saw a needle?”
I was grasping for the right words. “I’m not sure if you’re ready to hear this, Payne.”
“Try me.”
Looking at Jake, I blurted out, “Well, I passed out at the crime scene, but just before I did, I saw someone holding up a hypodermic needle. You see, guys, ever since my accident, I have been seeing this little girl. She appears to me at strange times. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. It seems she is trying to let me know when something is about to happen. Sometimes, I think she just appears to help me stay calm.”
Jake looked at Payne. “I believe her. Some really bizarre shit has been happening around her. I don’t understand it, but I do believe what she’s saying!”
Payne looked down at the floor, nodded, and looked up at both of us. “I was hoping that when we found Ms. Cole, this joker might think we were on to him, but I am concerned about his comment that this was a test. This is surely connected to you, Allie. Clearly, this is your attacker and between the note he left and Ms. Cole’s comments, I’m afraid he is still a step ahead of us. More importantly, he is escalating.”
At that moment, I saw the little girl at the far end of the hall and in a flash, she was standing right in front of me, nodding.
I looked directly at Payne. “Uh, I know you’re right about that!”
With a strange laugh, Jake said, “I don’t even want to ask. What do you say we call it a day? I think we have an important engagement this weekend and I need to be at the top of my game for it. Right, Allie? Josh and I will be at your house Saturday evening at seven-thirty to pick you and Claudia up.”
Payne turned to Jake. “What’s this about? No dating while on surveillance, Jake, especially the person you are supposed to be protecting.”
“Well, first off, I am not on duty Saturday, Payne, and secondly, I am not going on a date with Allie. I am joining Allie and her date, and I just happen to be bringing my own date. Her name is Claudia. Besides, what better way to protect Allie than to be spending the evening with her and her friends?”
Payne shook his head. “Isn’t she a close friend of Allie’s, the one who has been staying with her? You’re dangerously close to a conflict-of-interest situation!”
As if perfectly timed, Nurse Laura stepped out into the hall. “Hi, Allie, how are you feeling?”
“Much better, thank you so much for asking!”
She continued walking. “Well, duty calls, take care of yourself.”
***
Across town, the man from the Summit pulled into the parking lot of George’s Café. He got out of his car, stretched his arms, and moved toward the café. As he entered, George greeted him.
“Well, hello there, sir. How can I help you on this fine day?”
“I think I’m a might hungry. Do you have any suggestions?”
George handed him a menu. “Well, I guess it depends on what you’re in the mood for. The grilled chicken sandwich is good. We serve it with coleslaw and chips, but if you’re in the mood for something lite, there is always a salad or soup.”
“Let me try the sandwich.”
George gestured to the tables. “Have a seat. I’ll bring it over to you as soon as it’s ready.”
“Thank you, sir.” He took a seat.
George finished preparing the sandwich and as he delivered it to the table, he sat down. “What in tarnation are you doing here, Dakota? Allie’s car is in the parking lot and she is with Detective Payne right now. They might be back any minute.”
“We need to talk, George. I don’t think we can wait any longer to speak with Allie about all that is going on.”
George lunged and grabbed Dakota by the collar. “You are going to compromise everything if you’re not careful. This is bigger than all of us and way too important for you to panic and react too soon.”
“Are you kidding me, George, too soon? We need to come clean with Allie about her role in all this. She may be the only one anywhere that can stop these wheels that are in motion.”
“Look, Dakota, she doesn’t even grasp the enormity of her gifts and has only touched the tip of the iceberg. Her grandfather was very clear on this. She needs to discover most of this on her own and you need to act as her guardian, protecting her from the truth until it unfolds naturally. Then and only then will it be safe for her to realize the gravity of the purpose of her gifts in this lifetime.”
Chapter 16
IT WAS FRIDAY EVENING, AND THE weekend was finally here. Things had been quiet for a few days, to the point of feeling eerily calm. My senses were continuing to heighten and, in some ways, I always had the feeling something was looming around the next corner. At first, I attributed it to the fact that until they caught my stalker, I would probably feel someone over my shoulder most of the time, but that wasn’t quite it.
I arrived home to find the unmarked police car still parked near the house, and Claudia’s car sitting in the driveway. As I drove up, she stepped out of her car.
“Hey, girl, you’re late. Josh and Jake are going to be here in about twenty-four hours for our first official date and we haven’t even thought about what we are going to wear!”
“You are unbelievable, Claudia. Are you joking? I would think you, of all people, would know we can’t wear anything in our closets for this date! We need, how would you say it, new threads?”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Of course not, but we have some shopping to do. What do you say we head over to the mall?”
“I’m in!”
“Come on then! Let me get changed and we’ll be on our way.”
With Claudia on my heels, as I entered the house, she hesitated in the doorway. “Allie?”
I turned to her. “What?”
“Do you think he knows where we are all the time? Your stalker, I mean.”
“I would say it’s a safe guess that he knows what I am doing and where I am most, if not all, of the time. I have a sense that, in some way, he is always looming around.”
“That is crazy. How can you stand it?”
“Claudia, we don’t have to go shopping. We can limit what we are doing until after this all blows over if you want.”
“No way! That jerk will not stop us from doing anything, including tonight. No one, but no one, gets in the way of me and the mall! Come
on, get changed and we’ll hit the food court before we shop.”
Claudia meant business! She grabbed our things and headed out the door before I could blink. True to her word, she parked right outside the food court so we could eat first and get right down to our evening of shopping.
After a quick bite, we headed into the mall.
“Hey, Claudia, Tara told me about a new, small boutique here in the mall and it is near the food court. I think the name of it is Boutique Al a Cart. I heard it is a very eclectic shop. They only sell coordinates and their niche is to help you put an ensemble together using some unique pieces. I guess they’re good at it. I hear all the artsy people are loving the place. We can check it out before we head over for my appointment at Nordstrom’s.”
“What are you trying to say, Allie, that it’s my kind of store because I’m an artist?”
“That’s exactly what I am saying. I thought it might be a store you would appreciate.”
We both chuckled.
“Well, since you put it that way, let’s give it a try. Hey, there it is over there.”
Saying the store was eclectic was putting it mildly. When we walked in, I think Claudia thought she had died and gone to heaven. She was enthralled. It wasn’t an overly large store, but there were clothes and accessories of every color imaginable from floor to ceiling.
Two salespeople, who looked to be in their mid-twenties, greeted us at the door.
“Good evening and welcome to our little unique boutique. My name is Robert, and this is Jenna. We are your designers for today.”
Claudia melted, but I tried to bow out. “Oh, that is perfectly okay. I am just here with my friend, Claudia, helping her pick out something to wear on a first date.”
