Vanished

NINE

Day four, 4:30 p.m.: Ashley missing ninety-four hours

Madison glanced up from studying her notes. With his arms folded over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face, J.T. stood back from the table where Eric sat in the lone interview room at the station.

“You want us to believe you won a trip to Atlantic City out of the blue and you can’t remember entering any contests?” Madison shook her head slowly.

Eric looked right into her eyes. “Yes, because it’s true. A five-day trip and it was awesome.” He swiveled in his chair and stared at J.T. “I couldn’t have kidnapped your daughter. I wasn’t here. You can check.”

J.T. unfolded his arms and moved toward the table, still not one bit of emotion showing. “We are. If your story checks out and there are witnesses to prove you were there, then you will be free to go. What I want to know right now is how you were informed about this trip?”

“I received it in the mail. At first I didn’t believe it, but then I called the hotel and they confirmed it. The catch was I had to be there the next day if I wanted the free hotel and meals.”

“And you didn’t think something was odd about that?” Madison rose, needing to stretch her legs after sitting for the past hour drilling Eric on his story.

“Lady, I’ve learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I like to gamble. This was my dream vacation.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were going to be gone?” J.T. lounged back in his chair as though he had not a care in the world.

“Who would I tell? No one will have anything to do with me since I got out of prison last year. I have an Internet business that barely makes me a living because I couldn’t find a job here in town.”

J.T. leaned forward. “Then why have you stayed?”

“It’s my home. A Carlton has lived in that cabin for several generations.”

“Let’s go over this one more time.” J.T. planted his arms on the table, his hands fisted. “What was the postmark—”

A rap on the door interrupted his question. Madison crossed the small room and slipped out into the hall.

“He’s telling the truth.” Paul gave her his notes on the calls he made to Atlantic City.

“Who paid for the trip?”

“Someone used cash.”

“Did anyone at the hotel remember the person?”

Paul frowned. “Not so far. A couple of our agents in New Jersey are still checking.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll tell J.T.” Madison reentered the interview room, wishing she had better news.

“So you don’t remember anything about the letter or the envelope?” J.T. glanced up at her, his gaze lingering for a few extra seconds.

“Nope. I threw it away in Atlantic City after I arrived.”

“Where?” Madison sat again at the table across from J.T.

“Some trash can in the lobby.”

Dead end. She knew it would be because too much time had passed, but she had to ask. “You’re free to go. We may have more questions for you later so please don’t leave town.”

Eric shoved his chair back and leaped to his feet. He hurried out of the room.

Silence reigned for a good minute as J.T. stared at Madison.

Finally J.T. said, “His story checked out. I figured it would. If he had taken Ashley, he wouldn’t have come back.”

“But we had to talk to him. We still have the Atlantic City lead. Maybe someone at the hotel will remember the person who purchased Eric’s stay.”

“Cash?”

Madison nodded.

J.T. dropped his head forward, raking his hands down his face. “Why can’t this be easy for once?”

Ashley sniffed the air, sensing something different in it. She cocked her head and leaned close to the doggy door, trying to figure out what it was she smelled. Then she remembered what happened the last time she hadn’t eaten real fast. She’d fallen in the dark and hurt herself because the bad man didn’t give her much time to eat.

Quickly she stuffed the rest of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich into her mouth, then gulped down the funny tasting water before hurrying back down the stairs to her cot. As before the light winked off, flooding the basement with darkness. Squeezing her eyes closed, she wrapped the blanket around her and scrunched into a ball to keep warm.

Sobs caught in her throat. She swallowed them. They did no good. Daddy wasn’t coming. She missed her daddy…sister…bro…ther.

Wh-what’s…hap…pen…

Suddenly her mind swirled, each thought there for just a second, then gone. She opened her eyes, but they immediately slid closed again.

Day five, 7:30 a.m.: Ashley missing one hundred and nine hours

Seated at J.T.’s table in his kitchen for the second morning in a row, Madison felt the strain in the air among Kim, Neil and J.T. Halfway through day five and they didn’t have much to go on. So many clues led to dead ends—like Eric Carlton. No one at the hotel could place the person who had bought him the vacation. They couldn’t even tell them if it was a male or female.

Yesterday evening after another prayer vigil at church, they had continued to check out the ex-cons and new people to Crystal Springs. Rachel was still delving into Max Dillard’s background, but no good leads yet.

Although he had gotten more sleep last night, J.T. appeared beyond exhaustion. He was functioning on sheer willpower. “I think you two should go back to school. Keep yourself—”

Neil interrupted. “No way, Dad! I couldn’t focus on my classes.”

“Me, neither. I’m not going.” Kim crossed her arms, a pout on her face.

J.T.’s gaze skipped from one child to the other then back. “You have finals.”

“Our teachers understand.”

J.T. played with his scrambled eggs, his gaze glued to his food, his movements slow, laborious. Again silence descended. Madison wanted to hug each one. She wanted to give them as much strength as she had. They were unraveling before her eyes. She ached for them, especially J.T. He was used to solving crimes and the most important one he couldn’t.

J.T.’s cell phone rang. Everyone lifted their heads and looked toward him as he unclipped it from his belt and put it to his ear.

“Go to Lakeshore Park.”

Click.

He froze for a few seconds with the cell plastered against his ear as the mechanical-sounding voice registered on his brain. Then his heart began to pound. His clammy hand holding the phone shook.

Madison’s sharp gaze zeroed in on him. “What’s wrong?”

He forced himself to take several deep breaths. “That was the kidnapper. He told me to go to Lakeshore Park.” J.T. surged to his feet.

“How did he get your cell phone number?” Madison asked.

“It’s common knowledge. A lot of people know it. Can you stay with the kids?”

Everyone at the table stood.

“We’re going, too, Dad.” Neil took a step toward the door.

“Yes, Daddy. We can’t sit here waiting to hear from you.”

J.T. sent Madison a beseeching look. “I’m coming, too, J.T. We can call for backup on the way.”

He dug his keys out of his front pocket, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the others, each set in determination. Frankly, his children were probably safer with him. “Let’s go. Madison, you make the necessary calls.”

As he sped toward the park near the lake, he questioned the wisdom of bringing his children. What if he found Ashley—dead? The last word shivered through his mind. He had to deal with it now because he couldn’t afford to fall apart in front of Neil and Kim. They would look to him for guidance and solace.

Suddenly the real reason he hadn’t left them at home struck him. Madison would have had to stay to protect them in case this was a ruse the kidnapper was using to get his other children alone. And he wanted Madison with him—for guidance and solace. It was scary how important Madison had become to him in such a short amount of time.

He pulled into the parking lot near the park entrance with three cars rolling in right after him. When he clam bered from his Jeep, he called to Rachel, “I need you to stay with Neil and Kim.”

“Dad, I want to come and help look.”

“Me, too.” Kim gripped the handle to open the back door.

J.T. leaned in. “You two have to stay here. No arguments about this. Do everything Rachel tells you to. Understood?”

Both Neil and Kim nodded somberly.

Neil started to say something. J.T. held up his hand and pinned him with a fierce look. “Don’t.”

J.T. strode to the group of agents and deputies. Matthew Hendricks directed different teams to fan out from the entrance and scour the park that ran three miles along the north shore of the lake.

J.T., paired with Madison, took the farthest southeast quadrant. He picked his way through the wooded area, comforted by Madison’s presence only a few yards away even though they kept quiet to listen for any unusual sounds.

In the distance he spied a mound of blue, not moving. He could have sworn his heart stopped beating for a split second. The pain that ripped through his chest almost drove him to his knees. Fear like a rock anchored in his gut held him immobile for a few seconds.

Then he ran. Ran toward the blue mound. “It’s her,” he shouted as his legs pumped as fast as they could.

Ten seconds later he fell to his knees beside Ashley, crumpled on the ground at the base of an old oak tree, her back to him. So still. He reached out to feel for a pulse but snatched his hand back, afraid to know the truth.

“Is she alive?” Madison panted next to him.

Lord, let her be alive. Let her be alive. His arm trembled as he stretched it out toward Ashley. Let her be alive. He laid two fingers along her warm neck.

He squeezed his eyes closed, whispered, “Thank you, Lord,” and turned his daughter toward him. He scooped her up into his arms and held her. Tears gathered in his eyes. He blinked, releasing several to run down his cheeks.

“J.T., look.”

He glanced at Madison and followed the direction she was pointing. Then he saw it. A note he must have dislodged when he moved Ashley.

In bold red letters cut from magazines, it read, “This is only the beginning.”

Day six, 7:00 p.m.: Ashley found eleven hours ago

Madison entered J.T.’s kitchen and found him standing before the refrigerator with the door open, staring at the contents. But she suspected by the faraway look in his eyes that he wasn’t really seeing anything before him.

“J.T.?”

Nothing.

She stepped nearer and with more force said, “J.T.”

He jerked around and faced her, slamming the refrigerator behind him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I know.”

“When did you get here?”

“Just now. Neil let me in.”

He lounged back against the counter, trying to appear relaxed, but there was nothing casual about the stiff lines of his body. “I didn’t hear the doorbell.”

“I didn’t ring it. I knocked. I didn’t want to wake Ashley up if she was sleeping.”

“She’s not. She’s playing a game with Neil and Kim in the den. They won’t leave her side.” He peered at the refrigerator. “I came in here to make something for dinner. Or, rather, heat something up. The ladies of the church have been filling my kitchen with food all day long.” He swept his arm in a wide arc to indicate the counters with various dishes sitting on them. “I don’t think I’ll have to cook for a month.” Suddenly as though he realized he was chattering, something he never did, he clamped his mouth closed.

“Matthew and two agents have left. Paul Kendall and I are staying to help you with the investigation unless you don’t want our help.”

He sighed. “Of course I want your help. This time it ended good.” His gaze drifted toward the window near the table as though he half expected to see the kidnapper spying in on them.

When he didn’t continue, Madison waited until his attention returned to her before saying, “But the threat is there. The lab report came back on the note and pajamas. Nothing was found. No fingerprints. Nothing special about the letters, the glue, the paper nor the pajamas she was dressed in.”

“Somehow I’m not surprised. The note only confirms this is someone out for revenge against me. We need to double our efforts on the list of criminals. I thank the Lord that my daughter wasn’t sexually assaulted. Put ting her in pajamas was certainly an effective way to get to me.”

“I won! I won!” Ashley shouted from the den.

Madison glanced toward the doorway into the hall. “I’d like to interview her.”

“I already did. She doesn’t remember anything except being in a dark—” he inhaled several large swallows of air “—basement on a cot with a scratchy blanket. She doesn’t know how she got there or to the park.”

“Let me try. She may remember something now.”

“Fine. You can stay and eat dinner with us. Then you can interview her afterward. I’m trying my best to make everything as normal as possible.” He turned back to the refrigerator and opened it. “If you really want to help me, help me decide what to have for dinner.”

“I’ve got a better suggestion. You go into the den with your family while I put something together. I’ll call you all when I’m through.” She stepped between him and the refrigerator, the cold air chilling her back.

He didn’t leave. He stared down at her. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help this past few days. You don’t know how much it means to me that you’re staying to work on the investigation.”

She quirked a smile. “You’d have to drag me away.”

He brought his hand up to cup her face. His touch warmed her to the tips of her toes. His gaze held hers for a long moment while he stroked his finger along her jaw. Then slowly he leaned toward her.

Madison’s heartbeat kicked up a notch. Her mouth went dry as she anticipated the feel of his lips against hers. She wanted him to kiss her.

“Dad! Dad, Kim’s cheating.”

Neil’s voice, full of laughter, propelled J.T. back a step, his hand slipping away from her. “I’d better go referee. It doesn’t take long for things to get back to normal.”

Madison watched him leave. She wished that were true. But she knew the ordeal of the past five days would stay with this family a long time. When she had seen Ashley earlier at the medical clinic where she was checked out then here at the house, the little girl acted as if she were putting on a performance for everyone to reassure them she was all right. But Madison glimpsed the terror in the child’s gaze when her father wasn’t looking. For the first half of the day, she hadn’t left J.T.’s side.

Suddenly Madison noticed the cold. She shivered, spinning around to see what the ladies of J.T.’s church had brought for the family to eat. Throwing herself into the task of reheating and putting the food on the table was just what she needed. Then maybe she wouldn’t focus on that moment with J.T. Even with Ashley’s return, how in the world could she see herself and J.T. in any kind of relationship? Brent had hurt her so badly that she didn’t want to risk that kind of pain ever again, and J.T. had a lot of baggage beyond the fact that someone was out to destroy him and his family. Besides, she decided that her job gave her the fulfillment she needed. It was much safer emotionally.

Madison pulled a chicken casserole out and stuck it into the oven. Then she went back to the refrigerator, took out the makings of a tossed green salad and found a cutting board and a large wooden bowl.

Pausing next to the sink, she grazed her fingertips across her lips. What would his kiss feel like? Probably dynamite! Suddenly she shook her head. Can’t think about that. Best if I never find out.

She turned her full attention to chopping up a cucumber, some carrots and an avocado for the salad. She was so focused that she jumped when she spied J.T. next to her.

She placed her palm over her heart. “You scared me.”

“For the next few hours let’s promise each other not to think about the case. This family needs to celebrate. I don’t want to ruin this moment for my children.”

“Deal.” Thankfully he assumed she’d been thinking about the case. There was no way she would tell him he had been the center of her thoughts. Even while dicing the vegetables, she couldn’t rid her mind of the dreamy look that entered his eyes as he dipped his head toward her.

“Do you need any help?” He took several sodas from the refrigerator. “Want one?”

“No. You go be with your kids. I won’t be long.”

As he left, the smile he sent her went straight down her length, making every inch of her tingle. She saw the goose bumps on her arms and was so glad J.T. hadn’t. Long ago she had promised herself she would never be attracted to anyone she worked with, especially a partner. It complicated a difficult situation. She knew J.T. wasn’t technically her partner and they didn’t usually work together, but for the time being she felt they were a team working to solve the case.