Kidnapping cold case, p.6
Kidnapping Cold Case, page 6
“I’m glad you were able to get some rest,” Cash assured her. He gestured to the Capitol. “Does seeing that bring back any memories?”
“Not really, we didn’t get downtown much when I was a kid.” She hoped he wasn’t going to ask her that with every landmark they passed. “I will say the traffic is more congested than I expected.”
“Yeah, the growth in the city over the years has caused a lot of traffic nightmares,” Cash agreed. “The original design of the city has become a problem. With the lakes on either side of the capital, there’s only one road leading downtown.”
She shook her head. “Just another reason I’m glad I don’t live here anymore.”
Cash didn’t say anything for a long moment, making her realize she’d dismissed the place he’d chosen to call home.
“I’m sure it’s a great place to work as a detective,” she quickly added. “It’s just not for me.”
“I understand.” He offered a wan smile. “I thought I’d drive through the neighborhood where you grew up, first, if that’s okay?”
She tensed but nodded. “Sure, why not? May as well jump right in.”
He shot her a questioning glance. “There’s still time to change your mind.”
“No, we need to do this.”
He took the beltway around the city, heading to the neighborhood where she’d grown up. Where he’d grown up, too, she assumed, since he’d been on the road that night when she’d run away from her attacker.
She turned in her seat to face him. “Did you go to Woodridge High, too?”
“Yeah, I was three years ahead of you.” He smiled. “Sorry to say, I don’t remember you at all.”
“What senior pays attention to a sophomore?” She wasn’t surprised. “Odd to know that we went to the same school, though. I’m not sure why that realization hadn’t occurred to me before now.”
“You think your attacker is from Woodridge High?”
She spread her hands wide. “I don’t remember, Cash. I wish I did. All I can say is anything is possible.”
“Maybe we need to get a hold of some old high school yearbooks,” he mused. “Maybe looking back will jar something loose.”
“We can try.” She peered through the window as he took the exit that would lead to their neighborhood. “It looks very different from what I remember.”
“Youth has a way of distorting the past,” Cash agreed. “This is one of the main reasons I wanted to bring you back here.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. When he pulled into the parking lot of the high school, she wanted to protest.
But, of course, this was why she’d come. To walk the path she’d taken that fateful night ten years ago.
When he stopped the SUV, she drew in a bracing breath before pushing out of the vehicle. She stood for a moment to reorient herself. She hadn’t been back here since the attack, preferring to be homeschooled by her parents. The entire school looked smaller, but the auditorium where they’d held their choir practice that night was still visible on the north side of the building.
“I left through the side door there.” She gestured to the exit.
Cash reached out to take her hand. “Let’s go.”
Being afraid to approach the school wasn’t logical. It wasn’t the location of her attack; she clearly remembered walking past the Colgate house. Pushing aside the lingering fear wasn’t easy, but she did her best.
Fear would only prevent the memories from returning. She forced herself to picture Claire Simmons and Suzanna Perry. Two sixteen-year-old girls who needed to be found as soon as humanly possible.
She could and would do this. No matter the cost to her peace of mind.
“God is guiding you,” Cash said in a low voice. “Trust in Him.”
“I will.” She squared her shoulders and picked up her pace. The sooner she completed this task, the better.
* * *
Cash hated having to force Jacy to relive the night of her attack, but he didn’t see an alternative. He needed something, anything, to go on. Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant clue might help to find the missing girls.
“We may need to come back at night.” Jacy’s expression was thoughtful as she stood in front of the auditorium exit. The way she gripped his hand made him realize she appreciated having him close by. “It looks different in the daytime.”
“We can try that, if you think it will help.” He was surprised she’d suggested it. He’d wanted to jog her memory without dragging fear along for the ride. “Which way did you go from here?”
“Straight across the parking lot.” She headed that way, tugging him along.
He let her take the lead, keeping pace easily enough. She had to take a few detours around parked cars, but they soon reached the opposite side of the school parking lot. She crossed the road and took another few steps to reach the sidewalk on the other side of the street.
“I said goodbye to a few kids from my choir group here.” She stopped and turned to look around. “These houses look different for some reason. But I know this is where we parted ways. Some kids had cars, but those who walked lived in my neighborhood or in the more expensive subdivision located that way.” She gestured to the west. “They were all alibied by their parents, so I know they weren’t involved.”
“Were you afraid to walk home alone?” he asked.
“Not then.” She shrugged. “To be fair, I only live five blocks down from the school. And it wasn’t that late, only about seven thirty at night. Dark in January, though.”
“I have to admit, this has always been considered a safe neighborhood.”
“Until it wasn’t,” she muttered. “Let’s keep walking.”
Once again, he let her take the lead. They walked a few blocks until she abruptly stopped. “Where’s the Colgate house?”
His heart sank. “It’s right there.”
Jacy frowned. “Oh, I see, someone took the fence down. And they must have painted the house, too, because it wasn’t blue. It was a dirty white color that pretty much matched the dirty white fence that used to encircle the front yard.”
“Yes, it appears the house may have new owners.” There was a small play area, indicating little kids spent some time here. Could be grandkids, but he had a feeling the original owners of the Colgate house, as Jacy referred to it, had moved on.
He chided himself for not interviewing them before now. Yet he couldn’t deny feeling as if Jacy was the key to uncovering the truth. He’d see if he could find the former property owners, but watched Jacy as she stood on the sidewalk, looking around with confusion.
“I don’t know, Cash. This all looks different to me.”
“Take your time,” he urged. “Imagine the fence is still there. Can you tell me where you were standing when you last remember being here?”
She took two steps forward. “Here, I think. I remember being just past the front door.”
“What caused you to stop here?” Cash asked.
“I—I’m not sure.” She grimaced and turned in a circle. “My house was up on the next block. Maybe I heard something? Or saw something?”
He masked his disappointment, knowing she was doing the best she could. “Okay, let’s keep walking a bit.”
“Why? I know I didn’t get all the way home. I’m sure I’d have remembered that.”
“I know, but we’ve come this far. May as well go a little further.”
She reached out to take his hand. He longed to pull her close, but reminded himself she was only looking for emotional support, nothing more.
They were silent as they walked down the next block. This time, Jacy recognized the house where she’d grown up. “It looks the same, yet smaller.”
“Perceptions about size are often distorted by youth.” He gave her hand a small squeeze. “If you would walk back into the high school, the entire building would seem smaller, too. At least, it did for me.”
She nodded, her gaze lingering on the house. “I haven’t lived here in a long time, but it seems longer. Like decades.”
He gave it another minute before turning to head back toward the school, where he’d left the rental. “Let’s stop at a store to get the disposable phones, then find a place to stay.”
“And get lunch?” Jacy asked.
“We may start with that,” he agreed with a soft chuckle. “I’m hungry.”
She glanced over her shoulder one last time. “I hope the family living there now is happy.”
He frowned. “You weren’t happy living there?”
“I was, until that night. My life changed dramatically after that. Between the nightmares and the irrational fears I carried around, I didn’t leave the house for several months after the attack.” She shrugged. “My parents started to argue about me, too. It wasn’t until I stumbled across an article about forensic sketching that something clicked in my mind. I’d taken up sketching, but in that moment I knew I needed to pursue this as a career. Having a goal helped me push past my fears to apply for the program. Thankfully, I was accepted. I studied in Chicago then moved to Appleton.”
“I hope you know how amazing you are,” he said in a low voice. “It must have been difficult for you to conquer your fears, but you did it. And thanks to you, the police have been able to put many bad guys behind bars.”
“Bad guys and women,” she corrected wryly. “Like Felicity Gephardt.”
“Once we have replacement phones, we’ll follow up with Vargas. Hopefully, they have her in custody by now.”
“That would be good to know, but honestly, I don’t think she’s the assailant.” She glanced over at him. “It may not sound logical, but as I mentioned before, I have the impression the person who whispered and grabbed at my arm is a man.”
“I trust your instincts,” he agreed. They quickly returned to the high school parking lot. So far, the trip to Madison had been less than fruitful.
Yet he was hopeful that returning to the ridge where he’d found Jacy may bring back some memories.
Based on how different things had looked to Jacy over time, he couldn’t help but wonder if they should hold off heading back until darkness had fallen. Would the same time frame help jog her memory?
Or was this entire plan nothing more than a useless endeavor?
Cash reminded himself they needed to try.
“The girls who went missing after me, they all went to this high school, too?” Jacy asked.
“Two of them did, yes, but one of them went to a different one not far from here, Drake High School.” He glanced at her. “We could drive past that building, too, if you think it would help.”
Her brow puckered. “I was at Drake once, to attend a football game in the fall before the attack.”
He thought back to the files he’d reviewed on the three women who’d disappeared. “I think Beth went to Drake.”
“I guess we can drive past, but I don’t see how that will jog my memory.” She abruptly stopped and turned to face him. “Wait a minute, what if the attacker was a teacher? A substitute teacher might spend time at different high schools.”
His pulse spiked. “That’s a good thought. Do you remember any teachers that made you nervous or uncomfortable?”
“I barely remember the teachers at all,” she said candidly. “But it can’t be that hard to get a list of teachers who were on the payroll from the schools.”
“Harder than you’d imagine,” he said on a sigh. “I doubt they’ll give me any personnel records without a warrant. I’ll review Detective Ash’s notes. Maybe she was able to obtain teacher information.”
“Someone must have considered a teacher being involved,” Jacy said. She stood near the passenger door, waiting for him to unlock the SUV. “We need to tell Detective Vargas to check the schools Claire and Suzanna attended. Maybe the substitute teacher is back.”
“Well, if so, then he or she couldn’t have a criminal record. The schools check the background of every teacher on staff, even those who are substitutes.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” She sounded disappointed. “The nine-year gap between crimes is difficult to comprehend.”
“We’ve assumed the perp was locked up, but maybe he just moved away.” He was about to get into the SUV, but then glanced at the school. “I’m sure they keep yearbooks, here.”
She did not look thrilled at the thought of going inside. But she closed her car door anyway, and came around to join him. “Okay, let’s go.”
He could sense her trepidation as they walked into the high school. It seemed so much smaller and insignificant than it had back when he was a student. The office was in the same location, though.
Cash pulled out his badge and flashed it at the woman seated behind the desk. “Detective Rawson, I’d like to speak to the principal about accessing yearbooks going back ten years.”
“Ah, sure. But I don’t think Principal Jordan is going to be any help,” the woman said, rising to her feet.
“Surely they’re not considered confidential,” he protested.
“No, it’s not that. But we had a fire about nine years ago. Destroyed all the old records we had on file, including the yearbooks.”
“A fire?” he echoed in surprise. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure, but the fire department deemed it to be arson.” She shrugged. “They never figured out who was responsible. Even the backup file on the computer was lost.”
Cash glanced at Jacy, seeing the same shock in her eyes. There was no way that fire was a coincidence. He firmly believed the records had been destroyed on purpose.
SIX
Jacy followed Cash back out to the SUV, troubled by the news they’d received. “I don’t understand, Cash. The fire doesn’t make sense. I’m sure there are hundreds of students who still have their high school yearbooks. A fire wouldn’t destroy them all.”
“No, but the fire makes it more difficult to find the information we need.” He unlocked the SUV so they could get inside. “We’ll find a yearbook, but it’s the personnel files themselves I’m wondering about. If your theory about the assailant being a substitute teacher is correct, we won’t be able to prove he was here during the time frame of your attack.”
She shivered, not because of the cold but the diabolical plan of the assailant. Nine years ago, he’d covered his tracks.
Now he was back.
“I really need to review Jane Ash’s notes on the case,” Cash muttered as he pulled out of the parking lot. “I can’t believe she wouldn’t have considered the fire at the school to be related to the missing girls.”
She sighed and rubbed her temple. Fatigue and muscle soreness were dragging her down. Getting bad news didn’t help. It wasn’t easy to push away the discouragement. “Maybe we could grab something to eat and rest for a while.”
“Sure.” He shot her a concerned glance. “Are you feeling worse? Should I take you back to the ER?”
“No need.” She waved her hand. “This is all taking more of an emotional toll than I anticipated.”
Cash nodded. “I understand. Let’s grab the phones, first. I want to touch base with Vargas about the fire.”
“Sounds good. We may need more over-the-counter meds, too.” She wasn’t about to complain about getting a phone. Granted, this wouldn’t be the same number, but it provided a way for her to make calls if needed.
A basic privilege she’d taken for granted until it was gone.
After they’d stopped at a discount store to get the phones and the ibuprofen, Cash drove to a family restaurant. The hostess seated them in a booth and a server came to take their order.
Jacy wasn’t that hungry, but knew she had to eat something to give her strength. As she toyed with her water glass, she eyed Cash. “I think we should go to the ravine tonight, so that we are there at the exact same time you found me.”
His brow creased. “Are you sure? It will be dark outside.”
No, she wasn’t sure of anything, but forced herself to nod. “I think it’s best to recreate the actual scene, don’t you? As I mentioned, the environment looks different by daylight.”
“Okay, if you’re up to it.” He reached across the table to take her hand. “I’ll be with you the entire time.”
“I know.” Being stuck with Cash like this hadn’t been something she’d planned, but there was no doubt that he’d do whatever was necessary to protect her. His warm fingers encircled hers, giving her wordless support and strength. Making her feel as if she could do anything with Cash at her side.
It was difficult to believe his former fiancée had let him go. He was handsome, sweet and protective.
Dedicated to his job, sure, but that was an admirable trait. Not something to get upset over.
When their server returned with their meals, she tugged her hand free, but Cash didn’t let go. He waited for their server to leave before bowing his head. “Dear Lord, we thank You for keeping us safe in Your care. Please continue to guide us to the truth, and keep those missing women safe in Your care, too. Amen.”
“Amen,” she whispered, touched by his prayer.
Their fingers clung for a moment before he released her. “I feel certain we’re on the right path, Jacy.”
“I hope so.” She didn’t feel nearly as confident, especially in her ability to remember anything useful for the investigation, but she was willing to do her part. Even if it wasn’t much. “It’s nice to feel safe for a few hours.”
“I can agree with that,” he murmured. “I still don’t like the fact that we were found in the Jeep loaned to us by Vargas.”
“I think the assailant was staked out at the police station. Either way, it’s done now. No sense in dwelling on it.” In truth, she didn’t want to think about how close she’d come to being dragged off by the assailant.
