Kidnapping cold case, p.17
Kidnapping Cold Case, page 17
Without waiting for a response, Vargas left.
Cash stared at the door for several minutes after he’d gone.
There was still no sign of Jacy. And he couldn’t help feeling dejected that she hadn’t bothered to say goodbye.
SIXTEEN
Hiding a flash of impatience, Jacy smiled at her female witness as she turned the sketchpad toward her. She desperately wanted to get to Madison to see Cash but hadn’t been able to turn down the request to help find another creepy guy who’d physically assaulted a young woman. Seeing the bruises darkening the girl’s face from where he’d struck her while trying to grab her purse had made Jacy angry. But she didn’t let on to her already-frightened-enough witness. “Amelia, how does this look?”
Amelia’s eyes widened. “That’s him! That’s the man who hit me and tried to rob me!”
“I’m glad.” Jacy shifted her eyes toward the Appleton police detective standing beside them as she carefully removed the sketch from her pad and handed it over. “Here you go. I hope this helps you find this guy and soon.” She hesitated, adding, “If you don’t need anything else, I have someplace I need to be.”
“No, this is great. Thanks, Jacy.” Detective Miles took the sketch. “I need a minute to scan this in and distribute it to all the officers in the area.”
“Good.” Jacy nodded in satisfaction.
The detective escorted Amelia out, taking the sketch with him. He returned a few minutes later. “All set. I understand you’re looking for a ride?”
“Yes.” She held his gaze. “Detective Vargas promised someone would take me to pick up my car as soon as I’d finished up here. It’s been at the repair shop on Barker for the past few days.” Days that had spanned a lifetime.
“He mentioned that to me.” His eyes hardened. “Vargas just called to let me know he’s at the farmhouse with a K-9 team specializing in cadaver searches. He’s having the cop and the German shepherd canvass the entire property to see if they can find anything. He asked me to take you to the garage, since he can’t.”
Jacy’s stomach rolled at the thought of a cadaver K-9 team searching for the missing girls. “I hope they find something,” she murmured.
“Me, too.” Detective Miles gestured toward the door. “Come with me. I have a squad car parked out front.”
“Thanks.” Her phone was still considered evidence, and Vargas had taken Cash’s cell phone from her at the farmhouse, too.
Vargas had given her an update earlier through Miles, letting her know Cash was out of surgery and that his condition was stable. But that wasn’t good enough.
She needed to see him for herself.
The car repair shop was still open and, thankfully, her car was ready. Jacy thanked Detective Miles, paid the car repair bill with her credit card and gratefully slipped behind the wheel.
Minutes later, she was driving on the interstate, toward Madison.
Shortly after Cash had been taken to the hospital, Vargas had insisted she return to Appleton to give her formal statement about how she’d been tased, kidnapped, escaped the truck, then shot with a tranquilizer dart and taken to the farmhouse, where she’d managed to escape, again.
Vargas also asked to have her blood drawn to see if any remnants of the drug Robbie had hit her with might still be in her system. Of course, she’d readily agreed, knowing that both activities were important in keeping Robbie behind bars.
But it all seemed to take way too much time. And when they’d finally finished, she’d been asked to do a sketch for a recent assault and attempted robbery.
Her sketchbook and pencils had been left in Cash’s SUV, which the cops wanted held for evidence, so Detective Miles had run out to buy new supplies for her. That had caused another delay.
Turning her back on a woman who’d been assaulted with the intent to rob her had been impossible, so Jacy had worked with Amelia to do the sketch. It had only taken thirty minutes to complete that task. But driving to Madison would take another two hours.
Two hours!
Thankfully, traffic was light and she made decent time on the highway. She found herself glancing frequently at the rearview mirror, only to remember she wasn’t in danger anymore.
Thanks to God’s grace and Cash’s keen instincts, Robbie wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again.
When she finally reached the hospital, she parked in the visitor lot and hurried inside. Detective Vargas had told her what room Cash was in, so she didn’t stop at the desk but made a beeline for the elevator.
On the fourth floor, the antiseptic scent made her wrinkle her nose. Every hospital she’d ever been in smelled the same. It reminded her of how she’d lost both parents to cancer.
Upon reaching Cash’s room, her steps slowed. She didn’t want to wake him if he was sleeping, but maybe she could sit in the room without disturbing him. She tapped lightly on the door.
“Come in,” Cash answered in a hoarse voice.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. Cash looked pale and tired in the hospital bed, making her heart squeeze with how close she’d come to losing him.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her. “Jacy? I’m surprised to see you.”
He was? She stepped forward, closing the door behind her. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”
“It’s okay.” He averted his gaze, as if he hadn’t really cared if she was there or not. “I spoke to Vargas, sounds like White isn’t talking.”
She didn’t really care about Robbie White now that he was in jail. She went over to stand near the edge of his bed. “How are you feeling, Cash? Vargas told me your surgery went off without a problem, but that you were in a lot of pain.”
“Surgery hurts,” he said wryly. His eyes searched hers for a moment. “I’m glad you’re okay, Jacy. I know the time you spent with White must have been scary.”
She told herself his preoccupation with Robbie was natural, considering the guy had shot him. She lightly touched Cash’s arm. “I did my best to keep him talking, because I knew you’d find me.”
“Almost too late,” Cash muttered. He glanced down at her hand resting on his arm before looking up at her. “I guess you gave Vargas your statement?”
She nodded. “First, they took a vial of blood to test for remnants of the drug Robbie had used on me. Then I gave my statement, which took a long time because they kept asking more questions. Then, before I could leave, a Detective Miles asked me to do a sketch for a woman who was assaulted by a man who attempted to rob her.” She sighed and added, “Once all of that was done, I had to get a ride to the garage to pick up my car. Then I made the two-hour drive to get here. Better late than never, right?”
“What?” Cash’s eyes collided with hers. “They made you do a sketch after you’d been kidnapped, drugged and barely escaped a serial killer? What were they thinking?”
She arched a brow, taken aback by his response. “Maybe that I’m good at my job and that the perp who hurt that woman needs to be arrested and held responsible for his crime?” She didn’t understand Cash’s attitude. It was almost as if he resented her work for the police department.
Just like Greg had. Yet as soon as the thought entered her mind, she rejected it. No way. Comparing Cash to Greg wasn’t fair. Cash would never cheat on his girlfriend, the way Greg had. Cash was an honorable and faithful man.
Still, she’d expected him to be supportive of her career.
She removed her hand from his arm and stepped back, feeling at a loss. Maybe coming here was a mistake. Her time with him was over. She was safe, and he needed time to heal from his wound. Just because she cared about Cash more than she should didn’t mean he felt the same way.
Offering a tight smile, she said, “You’re right about this being a long day, Cash. Probably the best and worst day of my life. I can’t deny I’m exhausted. Yet I’m so thankful that Robbie is behind bars, where he belongs.”
“Exactly my point,” Cash said with a frown.
She went on, ignoring his comment, “But you, of all people, should understand that sketching suspects is what I do. It’s not just a job, it’s a calling. There was no way I was going to walk away from a victim who’d been brutally assaulted.”
“I know but...” His voice trailed off. He rubbed his temple then said, “I’m sorry. Just ignore my bad temper. I thought you were avoiding me on purpose.”
What? “Why would you think I’d avoid you? You saved my life, Cash. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“I don’t want your gratitude, Jacy.” He held up his hand, so she stepped forward to take it, relaxing a bit as his warm fingers enclosed hers. “I want more.”
More? She stared at him and then dropped her gaze to their joined hands. “You do?”
“Yes. I do.” He gently squeezed her hands. “I know you may not be ready to hear this, but I’ve fallen in love with you, Jacy.”
Love? She gave herself a mental shake. Was this for real? The last person who’d claimed to love her had cheated on her.
But Cash wasn’t like that. He was the complete opposite of Greg Archer. In every single way except for being a cop.
“It’s okay if you don’t love me,” Cash continued in a low voice. “I just wanted you to know.”
She sank into the chair next to his bed, her knees going weak. Before she could say anything, though, her phone rang.
No, not her phone. She didn’t have one. It was Cash’s phone. He released her hand to answer it. “Rawson.”
She watched as he listened to the caller. Then his somber look met hers. “Thanks, Vargas. Jacy is here with me. I’ll let her know.”
He set the phone on the bed, looking uncomfortable.
“Tell me what?” Jacy prodded.
“A K-9 cadaver team found the bodies of Emily, Beth and Kim at the abandoned farmhouse. Apparently, White used an area off in the distance, a hundred yards behind a half fallen-down barn, to bury his victims.”
She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest, silently praying the victim’s families would experience a sense of peace and comfort.
Five murders. The man she’d once believed to be her friend had ruthlessly abducted and killed five innocent women.
The nightmare was over, now that Robbie was in jail. But at what cost? Knowing five young girls were dead made it difficult to be glad about that.
Especially since she was the one Robbie had wanted all along.
* * *
He hated seeing the distress filling Jacy’s eyes. If his entire body didn’t hurt so much, he’d have sat up in the bed, stood and gathered her into his arms.
But that wasn’t possible. The most he could do was to cradle her hand in his, offering his support.
“I always suspected that they were dead,” Jacy whispered. “If one or more had managed to escape, they’d have returned to their families.”
“Yeah, I had the same thought.” In some ways, he was glad they’d been found. “The other thing Vargas mentioned was that they found a stash of jewelry in a hidey-hole in the bedroom he’d been sleeping in. The same room where I found a police scanner. Trophy items he’d kept from each of his victims.”
Her hand went to her neck and the crystal that hung there, as if imagining the necklace being in the hiding spot if he’d succeeded in killing her ten years ago. “That’s good news, right? Those items will connect Robbie to each of the dead girls.”
“Yes, that is very good news from a forensic standpoint.” Cash had no doubt the case Vargas put together against Robert White would result in the man being put away for the rest of his life. “And as terrible as it is that the girls died, at least their families will know the truth. And they will be able to give those poor girls the proper burials they deserve.”
“Yes, I’m sure that will help a little.” After a long moment, her troubled eyes met his. “Why did God allow me to escape, Cash? Why am I alive while those poor girls are dead?”
He thought about that before he answered. This wasn’t a question to take lightly. “You know I believe in God’s plan. And that it’s not up to us to question Him. But I think the reason you’re alive now is because God knew all along that you would be the one to bring White to justice.”
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to argue, but he stopped her.
“White might claim he killed those girls because he couldn’t get to you, Jacy, but keep in mind, he’s a brutal serial killer. If you ask me, he’d have killed other girls even if he’d succeeded in killing you first. A guy like that doesn’t stop at one victim.”
She was silent for a long moment then nodded slowly. “I think you’re right about that. Robbie kept telling me that I didn’t see him. That none of the pretty girls did, either. And then he admitted that it was only when he was strangling a girl that she truly saw him.” Jacy shivered. “He wouldn’t have stopped, Cash. Even if I was dead, he wouldn’t have stopped.”
“I completely agree with you on that,” Cash murmured. “I’m just sorry that you had to be the one he focused on first.”
“We were friends in school.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not right. I was friends with the boy I thought he was. The persona he portrayed to the world, not the killer he turned out to be. Looking back, the way he betrayed our friendship was a big factor in why I blocked the memories of that night.” She held his gaze. “It was a dichotomy that didn’t make sense. I truly cared about Robbie, but he would have killed me without blinking an eye. I guess I couldn’t handle the truth.”
“It’s easy to understand that,” he agreed. “And I don’t blame you, Jacy.”
“I still blame myself.” She lifted a hand. “I know, you’re going to say I’m not responsible. That what happened to those girls was wrong and evil, but it may have been part of God’s plan that we were able to work together to stop Robbie from hurting anyone else.”
“Yes, because that’s true. You also need to remember you were a scared sixteen-year-old girl. I highly doubt you’d judge other teenage girls as harshly as you’re viewing yourself.”
She sighed. “That’s a fair point. But it’s going to take some time to get over this.”
Time and therapy, which might be good for her. “I’ll support you in any way I can.” His ill-timed declaration of love hung in the air between them. He now wished he’d kept his thoughts to himself. Then again, he didn’t want her to walk away without knowing the truth. “You’re not alone, Jacy. I’m here for you. No matter what you need.”
A hint of a smile tugged at her mouth. “Thanks, Cash. I appreciate that.”
He hesitated then decided he may as well go for it. “I hope you give me a chance to prove how much I care about you, Jacy. I know my timing isn’t good, but I don’t want to lose you. I hope we can see each other again once I’m discharged from the hospital.”
Her expression softened. “Oh, Cash, I care about you, too. Staying away from the hospital to do the things I needed was very difficult. I wanted to be here sooner. To let you know that I’m here for you, too.”
“I’m glad.” He stared down at their clasped hands for a moment.
“I love you,” Jacy said at the exact same moment he said, “I asked Vargas about positions in Appleton.”
“What?” Jacy gaped at him. “You did?”
“You love me? Really?” He could barely believe what he was hearing.
She chuckled. “Yes, Cash, I love you. More than I could have thought possible. When you were lying on the ground outside the farmhouse, practically bleeding to death, I prayed God wouldn’t take you away from me. That he would spare your life because I love you so much.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because I love you. Being with you made me realize I didn’t love Lana. Not the way I should have, to make that sort of commitment.” Cash felt as if a huge weight had rolled off his chest. His shoulder still throbbed with pain but that didn’t matter.
Jacy’s love would get him through this. And his love would help her recover from what she’d endured at White’s hands, too.
“I—uh, what did Vargas say about job openings?” Jacy asked hesitantly.
“He said there is a detective retiring at the end of May.” Cash grimaced before adding, “I know that’s a few months away, but I have a feeling I’ll be off duty and relegated to a desk for at least twelve weeks. I want to be up to full speed before I take another position with the Appleton PD. If they’ll have me.” Vargas had promised to put in a good word for him, which might help.
And Cash knew his case closure rate was better than most, if he did say so himself.
“Are you sure?” Jacy’s brow furrowed. “I support a lot of police precincts in the area, but I could consider relocating to Madison, if that’s easier for you.”
Her offer was heartwarming. “No, Jacy. I would never ask you to return to Madison.” He suspected the city held too many bad memories. “I want you to be happy.”
“I want you to be happy, too, Cash.” She gave him an intense look. “I left Madison to escape the few memories I had, but I know now that I’ll carry them with me regardless of where I live. And if moving to Madison is what you need, I’ll make it work.”
“Ah, Jacy. You’re a sweetheart to make that offer. But, truthfully, I like Vargas and am looking forward to the opportunity to work with him.” Her happiness was the most important thing to him. “I believe God brought us together there for a reason. Madison isn’t a home, it’s a place I’ve chosen to work. Home is where you are. And I like the thought of relocating to the Appleton area. Specifically, a place close to you.”
“I’d like that, Cash,” she admitted softly. “Very much.”
