Kidnapping cold case, p.3
Kidnapping Cold Case, page 3
“That’s possible.” He hated the idea of someone stalking her because of the police work she’d done. “But why would that same person come after you now? What triggered this most recent attack?”
“The missing girls?”
“You haven’t worked on those cases.”
“No.” She sighed. “But only because no witnesses have come forward.”
He pulled into the parking lot of the police station. Since it was late, he chose a spot right in front of the building. “I need a few minutes to drop off the evidence. Wait here.”
“Yeah, sure.” She forced a smile. “I hardly think an assailant is going to try something in front of a cop shop.”
“Exactly.” He twisted in his seat to open her bag and remove the plastic evidence bag holding the defaced sketch. “I won’t be long.”
Cash had to use the intercom to be let in since most police stations didn’t have open lobby areas 24/7. That was just asking for trouble. He instructed the desk clerk to have the picture dusted for prints and to be given to Detective Vargas. “He can call Detective Cash Rawson for further information.”
“Understood.” The clerk labeled the bag. “Anything else?”
“No, thanks.” He didn’t waste any time in heading back outside, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Jacy sitting calmly in the passenger seat.
He slid behind the wheel then used his GPS screen to find nearby hotels. “Here’s a place located outside the city a bit. The Whistling Wind Motel. What do you think?”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Curious, she asked, “Although, why is it important to be out of the city?”
“I’m just thinking it would be nice to stay in a place where there aren’t a lot of other people.” He flushed, adding, “Being in the city means there will be strangers around, those at the hotel or walking around outside. Keeping an eye on them will be nerve-racking and impossible to identify a bad guy until it’s too late.”
“Okay, the Whistling Wind it is,” she agreed.
He made the call, asking for two connecting rooms. When he was finished, he put the SUV in gear and backed out of the parking spot. “Are you hungry? We could grab something to eat on the way.”
“No, I’m fine. But if you’re hungry, go ahead and stop.”
“I have munchies in my bag,” he admitted with a wry grin. “Chips, maybe a few cookies and some beef jerky, if you’re interested.”
“Ah, a junk food junkie?” She turned to face him. “I’m a vegan.”
He almost choked. “You are? Really?”
She giggled. “No, but you should have seen your face. Hilarious.”
He was glad she’d relaxed enough to joke around. Keeping a wary eye on the rearview mirror, he tried to make sure they weren’t followed. But that was difficult to do while in the city with people coming and going.
According to the GPS on his dash, the motel was off one of the interstate exits. He turned and took the first ramp onto the freeway, knowing he’d feel better once they were out in the less populated area of town.
Traffic thinned on the interstate, which was a blessing. He stayed in the right lane, so that he could take the next exit to get to the motel.
As he got off the highway, he tapped the brake, but nothing happened. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he pressed down harder.
His foot went all the way to the floor.
What in the world? He pumped the brake, hoping and praying the vehicle would slow down, but it didn’t.
Just the opposite. The SUV picked up speed as the exit ramp followed a downward incline. Panic gripped him by the throat. They were going to crash!
“Cash? What’s wrong?”
“No brakes. Hang on!” He wrestled to keep the SUV under control, even as he sought for a way to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.
“Cash! A semitruck!”
“I see it!” The large eighteen-wheeler was heading across the road directly in front of them, going at a much slower speed. He didn’t dare take his hands off the steering wheel, but Jacy reacted by leaning over and hitting the horn.
The truck lumbered on, as if the driver couldn’t hear them.
Cash could tell the road up ahead was only one lane, with just a small shoulder off to the right. He struggled to keep the vehicle off to the side of the road, desperately praying they wouldn’t hit the semitruck.
They didn’t hit the semi, but the SUV continued careening forward, picking up even more speed. There was a large field off to the right, so Cash did the only thing he could think of to stop the speeding vehicle.
He wrenched the wheel, turning off the road and out onto the field. They’d barely made it five feet before the vehicle hit something, a rock or a tree stump, he wasn’t sure. Instantly the SUV flew up and flipped over. The airbags deployed, sending a burst of pain through his face and head even as the SUV continued rolling over and over again, until it finally came to a stop against a small hill.
“Jacy!” He batted the airbag out of the way so he could turn to find Jacy. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She groaned and lifted her head. He didn’t see any blood, but that didn’t mean anything. She could have internal injuries or worse.
“Wh-what happened?” She glanced around in confusion. “We crashed?”
“You don’t remember?” His gut tightened with fear.
“No, I do, but...” She lifted a hand to her head. “I don’t understand why we crashed.”
He reached over to unlatch his seat belt and then helped her with hers. “I think someone tampered with the brake line, made a small hole in it. Can you move? We need to get out of here.”
“Tampered with it?” Jacy stared at him for a long moment. “Like, on purpose? Who? The same person you chased outside my apartment building?”
“I believe so, yes.” He hated having to push her. “Come on, Jacy. We need to get out of here.”
“Okay.” She shoved at her door, but it wouldn’t open.
Cash managed to pry his door open enough that he could get out. Then he ran around to her side, but it was no use. That part of the vehicle was up against the hill’s incline. He hurried back to the driver’s-side door. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to need to crawl out this way.”
She grimaced and leaned forward. Somehow, she managed to lift herself up and over the center console, and finally out the door. He hauled her into his arms, holding her close for a long moment.
It was only through God’s grace that they’d survived the crash. That and the safety features built into all cars these days. All five of the interior airbags had deployed. He and Jacy would be bruised, but they’d survive.
“Why? Why is this happening?”
“I don’t know.” He didn’t want to let her go, but they couldn’t stay here. “Lean against the car for a moment.”
She did as he asked.
He reached in and pulled her bag out, then went around to the rear hatch. The window was broken, giving him enough room to reach inside to grab his overnight bag and his laptop. He hurried back to where Jacy was leaning against the SUV. “Can you walk? The hotel isn’t far.”
“Of course.” She let out a soft moan as she pushed away from the vehicle.
He slipped his arm around her waist. “Lean on me.”
As they made their way back across the field, he raked his gaze over the area, searching for the perp who’d done this.
There was no sign of anyone, but he knew the assailant was out there somewhere.
And that person had just tried to kill them.
THREE
Jacy’s entire body ached, but she didn’t complain. They were alive and that was all that mattered.
“We’ll need to call a rideshare and get you checked out at the closest hospital,” Cash said.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” she protested.
“I do.” His tone held a note of finality.
“What about you?” She turned to look at his grim profile. “I’m not getting checked unless you do, too. We were both in the same crash.”
He hesitated then grumbled, “Fine. We’ll both get examined by a doc. For now, let’s keep moving. It will be easier to get a rideshare at the motel, rather than having someone pick us up in the middle of a cornfield.”
The uneven terrain made it difficult to walk, especially when her muscles were screaming in protest. They were sore, but she didn’t think she had any broken bones. Thankfully, the airbags and seat belts had done their job.
“I can’t believe the brake line was tampered with,” she murmured.
“Hard to prove for sure, but the SUV is relatively new, so I’m going with the theory this was no accident.”
“You were almost killed because of me.” The realization sank deep into her bones.
“Not because of you. Because of the perp.” He tightened his grip around her waist. “I thank God I was here with you, Jacy.”
Her throat tensed with emotion. “Me, too.”
They reached the Whistling Wind Motel ten minutes later. Rather than check into their rooms, Cash called for a rideshare. “We can’t stay the night here, anyway,” he confided in a low tone. “Too close to the crash scene.”
The trip to the Emergency Department didn’t take as long as she’d feared. Just telling them they’d been in a rollover crash was enough to get them into rooms right away. Cash must have made the call to Detective Vargas because he came in shortly after she’d been scanned from head to toe.
“I already heard what happened from Detective Rawson,” Vargas said. “Do you have anything to add?”
“No. Other than I was afraid we were going to hit the semitruck at more than sixty-five miles per hour.” She shivered at the memory. “I still can’t figure out how Cash managed to avoid it.”
“I understand these incidents may be related to a perp you helped put away,” Vargas said. “Do you have any ideas on who that might be? Besides Felicia Gephardt?”
“Maybe someone hired by Jonah King.” She exhaled a breath then added, “I’ll make a list of all the names I can remember. Maybe going through my portfolio of sketches will help.”
“That would be great.” Vargas’s expression softened. “I’m glad you and Rawson aren’t hurt too badly.”
“Me, too.” Right after Vargas left, the doctor returned.
“No signs of internal bleeding, just bumps and bruises. I’ll make sure you have a prescription for pain meds to take with you.”
“No need.” Jacy shook her head then winced at the soreness of her neck. “I’d rather stick with over-the-counter meds.”
“Okay, you’re free to go, then.” The doctor turned and left just as Cash came in.
“Ah, Jacy. You should take the prescription,” he advised. “Tomorrow you’ll feel worse than today.”
She swung her legs over to sit on the edge of the bed. “Did you take a prescription?”
“No,” he reluctantly admitted.
“I didn’t think so.” She stood and took a deep breath before reaching for her coat. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I found another motel.” Cash slung both their bags and his laptop over his shoulder. “We’ll use a rideshare for now and work on getting a rental car tomorrow. I don’t want to keep bugging Vargas for help unless we really need it.”
She stifled a groan as she shrugged into her coat. “We could check in the morning to see if my car is ready. It’s been in the shop for repairs.”
“I’d rather get a rental. At least with a vehicle not related to either one of us, we should be safe.”
She wanted to believe that, but couldn’t seem to shake the lingering apprehension. Maybe if she could come up with a list of suspects, it would be easier to look at these attacks from a logical perspective.
Rather than from fear.
The rideshare driver took them to a chain motel that was roughly seven miles from the hospital. Thankfully, Cash was able to get two adjoining rooms.
“Open the connecting door for me, okay?” He set her bag on her bed.
“Sure.” After doing so, she sank down into the closest chair. Her muscles were already stiff and sore, and she didn’t even want to imagine what tomorrow might bring.
Cash joined her a few minutes later. He took the seat across from her, the munchies from his bag scattered on the table. She reached for a potato chip. “I know we need to make a list of suspects for these recent incidents, but I also wanted to ask you what you remember from that night ten years ago.”
She groaned. “Don’t you think I’ve tried to probe those missing memories before now? Especially after Claire went missing? I don’t remember anything new.”
“Please, Jacy? For me?” He offered a crooked smile. “I know you were on your way home from choir practice.”
“Yes. We had a small twelve-person choir that was set to compete at state.”
“Have you joined a choir here in Appleton?”
“No.” Jacy looked down at her lap, hardly able to remember her life before the attack. “I never sang again and my parents homeschooled me for the rest of my high school years, too. Although, after I was finished, they ended up getting divorced.”
He winced. “I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds as if you enjoyed singing in the choir.”
“I did.” She shrugged. “After the attack, I became focused on art instead.”
“I’ve seen your drawings. You’re a very talented artist.”
“My skill is more in extracting details from witnesses and managing to portray them on paper.” She lifted her eyes to his and smiled. “I learned from a seasoned forensic artist who discovered this as her second career after she was a victim herself. She was incredible.”
“I think you’re incredible,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so incredible that I can’t remember anything from the attack.”
“You’re doing your best, which is all I can ask.” He paused then said, “You always took the same route home from school, correct?”
“Yes. I lived in an older neighborhood, while most of my friends lived in the new suburb.” She smiled wryly. “You know, the one with the more expensive houses.”
“Hey, I didn’t live in the expensive neighborhood, either. Nothing stood out as unusual as you walked home?”
“No. I was thinking about our practice and humming under my breath as I went. As the soprano, I had to hit the high notes and I’d flubbed a few during the practice. Or so my choir teacher claimed.” At the time, she’d been upset at the criticism, something that was so meaningless now.
“Interesting, those details weren’t in the police report.”
“They weren’t?” She frowned. “I’m sure I mentioned it to Detective Jane Ash.”
“I’m sure you did. Detective Ash retired from the Madison PD three years ago. I took this case over from her.”
“I knew that’s why you came to see me,” she murmured.
“I can’t lie to you, Jacy. Once I heard about the second missing girl, I knew I needed to talk to you again. Please don’t be upset with me.”
“I’m not.” How could she be upset about a cop who wanted to put the bad guy behind bars, especially one who’d rushed to her rescue?
“What is the last house on the street that you can remember?”
She tilted her head, regarding him thoughtfully. “I remember going past the Colgate house. We called it that because of the white fence out front that badly needed a coat of paint. You know, like teeth needing to be cleaned with Colgate toothpaste.”
“Do you remember who lived there?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not really, they were an older couple. I didn’t interact with them much.”
“Okay, so you saw the Colgate house,” he prodded. He took a bite of beef jerky. “Then what?”
“The next thing I remember is waking up to see your face leaning over me in the darkness. I saw you, then realized my entire body hurt, much the way it does now.” She furrowed her brow, adding, “You told me I fell down the hill, landing at the bottom of the ravine.”
“Yes, that’s true. I was a witness back then, so it helps me to have you go through the details again. Do you remember anything else?”
“You were sweet and kind, telling me to stay down until the ambulance arrived. You covered me with your coat.” Her eyes abruptly widened. “I didn’t have my coat. The attacker must have kept it!”
“Yes, you were not wearing a coat that night. It’s one of the things I noticed, considering the temperature was only ten degrees outside. That and the way you were running, as if you had no idea where you were going.”
She frowned. “What makes you say that?”
“You ran right across the road without looking, slipping on small patches of snow.” He waved a hand. “There was a less icy route you could have taken, but didn’t. I had the impression you were running in blind panic. It was the main reason, along with the fact that you were not wearing a coat, that I followed you.”
“A blind panic,” she repeated softly. “I don’t remember running or falling.”
“You don’t remember anything between seeing the Colgate house and seeing me looking down at you.”
“That’s correct.” A wave of annoyance hit hard. “Look, I get you’re trying to uncover the truth. But I don’t remember. I desperately wish I did. Those girls...” Her voice trailed off.
“The fact that they went missing isn’t your fault,” he quickly interjected. “We don’t even know if there’s a connection between what happened ten years ago and the two recent cases at all.”
“But you drove up from Madison because you think there is a possible link.”
“I do, yes. And to see if you’d be willing to walk with me through the crime scene, the ravine where I found you.” He shrugged. “We can also walk around the high school grounds to see if something sparks your memory. Although, you should know my boss thinks I’m way off base.”
