Kidnapping cold case, p.7
Kidnapping Cold Case, page 7
Twice.
She took a bite of her grilled chicken sandwich. The scent of french fries brought her appetite back.
“I think it’s better if we find a motel outside the city,” Cash said, breaking into her thoughts. “I’d rather stay away from downtown Madison.”
“Whatever you think is best.” She frowned, thinking about how he’d purchased the phones and the over-the-counter pain meds. “I can pay for my motel room, too. No need for you to foot the bill for everything.”
“I’ll gladly take care of it,” he quickly assured her. “You’re doing me a favor by being here.”
“Not just for you, Cash. For the missing girls.” She munched a fry. “It bothers me to think that if I could have remembered who attacked me, the other women would still be alive and well.”
“You are not to blame,” Cash said firmly. “The assailant is the person responsible here. Not you, or the missing girls.”
Easy to say, but virtually impossible to believe. Responsibility for their lives weighed heavily on her shoulders.
“God will guide us, Jacy.” Cash searched her face. “You’ll see.”
“I hope so.” She ate another french fry, trying to push the depressing thoughts of the victims aside. Cash was right about one thing. She needed to do everything possible to find the person responsible for these heinous crimes.
Less than an hour later, they were back in the SUV. Cash pulled up a listing of local hotels in the area, scrolling until he found one that he liked.
“How about this one?” He tapped the screen. “The Red Circle Inn.”
“Fine with me.” She glanced at the dashboard clock. “I can’t believe it’s almost three o’clock in the afternoon.”
“You can rest while I follow up with the detectives.” He smiled. “I remember I saw you running across the road at seven thirty in the evening.”
She nodded. “Choir practice finished at seven o’clock. It was a five-minute walk to the Colgate house. That leaves almost twenty-five minutes before you caught a glimpse of me running across the road. I guess that means I managed to escape shortly after he grabbed me. I just wish I could remember how.”
“All in good time, Jacy.” He reached over to take her hand. “Tonight, we’ll see if retracing those steps doesn’t help break through the barrier around your memory.”
She forced a smile, wishing she felt nearly as confident. “Let’s hope so.”
The motel was small and, based on the single car parked in front of one room, not very busy. Cash had her wait in the SUV while he secured two connecting rooms.
It was probably a good thing the place was so quiet. When Cash returned, he parked at the end of the row of rooms, then handed her a key.
He hauled their bags inside, including the recent phone purchases. Once they were settled, he went about activating and powering up the new phones.
While waiting, she pulled out her portfolio. Sitting on the bed, with the pillows propped behind her back, she went through the second half of her sketches, trying to imagine one of these perps coming back to seek revenge on her.
To her dismay, she only remembered about half of their names. Good thing she hadn’t tried to become a cop or detective, she’d have failed miserably in those roles.
She put the drawings in two piles, the ones with names and those without. Seeing Felicia’s sketch made her wonder if the Appleton PD had found her yet.
Cash rapped lightly on the door frame between their rooms before coming inside. “Hey, your phone is ready to go.”
“Thanks.” She took the device, feeling a measure of relief to have a connection with the outside world. “You mentioned I could check my email and let the precincts know I’m temporarily out of touch?”
“Yes, I have my computer set up on the table in my room.” He gestured toward the drawings. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I don’t remember them all,” she admitted, scooting off the bed to join him. Yet another way her memory failed her.
It only took a moment for her to log into her email account. Thankfully, she didn’t have any urgent messages waiting for a response. She quickly drafted an email to the contacts within each of the precincts she did work for, letting them know she was out of town, but could be reached via a new and hopefully temporary number if needed.
“I’m not sure we’ll be able to leave Madison at the drop of a hat,” Cash said from behind her, obviously reading her message.
“I can’t just leave them high and dry. Besides, I’m sure they’ll only reach out for urgent needs.”
“Finding criminals is always urgent,” he said dryly.
She turned on the chair to face him. “This is my career, Cash. I worked hard to establish myself as a credible and competent forensic artist. I can’t just turn my back on the various police departments who depend on my skills.”
“Okay, I hear you.” He raised his hands in surrender. “But don’t forget, we’re roughly two hours away.”
“I know.” She stared down at the new phone in her lap. “I’m not sure who I am without my career.”
“Hey, you’re more than just a job,” he protested. He moved the phone and drew her upright. “You’re a beautiful, talented woman, Jacy.”
She flushed at his words. “I wasn’t fishing for a compliment. It’s just that being out of touch made me realize how much of my sense of self is wrapped up in my career.” She shook her head. “You pointed out earlier that I don’t even bother to take vacations.”
He gently tugged her close. “Maybe once we get to the bottom of these attacks, you’ll find there is more to life than your job. Which is very important, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been focused on my career, too.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Once the danger is over, you should consider attending church with me. Or even better, consider joining a church choir.”
She pulled back to look up at him. Maybe he was right that she needed to broaden her horizons a bit. She’d been so focused on helping to bring criminals to justice and building her career that she hadn’t made time for other things.
Like having a personal life.
Granted, Greg’s cheating had soured her on dating. After that debacle, she hadn’t thought much about finding a guy.
Until now.
“I’ll think about that, thanks.” It wasn’t as if she didn’t have friends among the cops she worked with, because she did. None, however, who were really close.
None she could turn to in a time like this.
Cash’s gaze clung to hers for a long moment. Then his eyes lowered to her mouth. She went still, anticipating his kiss. But his phone rang, the jarring sound pulling them apart.
“Sorry about that.” He looked disappointed as he reached for his phone. “Vargas? Thanks for calling me back.”
She took a shaky step back, wondering what in the world she was thinking. Kissing Cash was not smart. For one thing, they lived in different cities. And he saw her as a way to close a case, nothing more. She knew full well that once this was over, they’d go their separate ways.
She turned away, knowing she’d miss him when their time together ended.
* * *
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Cash felt like an idiot for being so focused on his plan to kiss Jacy that he’d completely missed what the older detective had said.
“Do we have a bad connection?” Vargas asked a bit impatiently. “We have Felicia Gephardt in custody. She took off to stay with a friend in Milwaukee, so she’s in violation of her parole, which is good news for us. The bad news is that she has been in Milwaukee for over forty-eight hours, so there’s no way she’s Jacy’s assailant.”
“Oh, ah, that’s good.” He really needed to pull himself together. “I mean, I wish it was that easy, but at least we can cross her off the suspect list.”
“Are you okay?” Vargas asked. “You sound distracted.”
Yeah, that was one way to put it. Jacy was a big-time distraction. “I’m fine. There’s been no sign of a tail. I think we’re safe here.”
“I won’t ask where, because I know you want to stay off-grid,” Vargas said wryly. “Thanks for calling to give me your new number, though. And what’s this about a fire at Jacy’s former high school?”
Cash quickly filled Vargas in on the information they’d gleaned. The detective was interested in the substitute teacher angle, admitting it would not be unusual for a temp to fill in at multiple schools.
“I’ll create a list of substitute teachers for the high school here in Appleton,” Vargas said. “It can’t hurt.”
“I agree, it’s something.” He didn’t want to tell Vargas their plan to head to the ravine. “If we learn anything else, I’ll let you know.”
“Same goes.” Vargas paused then added, “Keep an eye on Jacy. I don’t like the way she’s become a target.”
“I will,” he promised. “Later.”
After he’d finished his call, Jacy glanced at him. “I knew it wasn’t Felicia.”
“Yeah, one down and far too many suspects to go,” he said with a sigh.
“I’ll let you get back to work.” Jacy moved through the connecting doors. “Let me know when you’re ready to head out to the crime scene.”
Letting her go wasn’t easy, but he had work to do. He took the chair she’d vacated and began searching online for yearbooks. It didn’t take long to find one from the year Jacy was attacked being offered for sale at a reasonable price.
He made a note of the address, deciding to stop there on the way over to the ravine. If Jacy was right about the perp being a substitute teacher, it wasn’t likely the yearbook would be much help. But he couldn’t afford to ignore any leads, no matter how small.
Next, he went through Detective Ash’s entire report, disappointed to note she hadn’t considered the teacher angle. Or, if she had, she hadn’t made any notes about it.
He worked until six o’clock, then forced himself to shut down the computer. It was easy to get lost in the details of the investigation, especially since the few tidbits Jacy had remembered hadn’t been included in Ash’s notes.
Jane Ash was a good detective, but he found himself wishing she’d documented her findings better. Not that he was perfect, by any means. But looking back, it was difficult to know if Jacy remembered new things or if Ash just hadn’t made note of them. No doubt she’d been reassigned to other cases once this one had gone cold.
It wasn’t cold now, he thought grimly. Just the opposite. It was molten hot. If the assailant coming for Jacy was the same one who’d taken her ten years ago.
If not, then he was certain the assailant targeting Jacy had also been involved in Claire’s and Suzanna’s disappearances. A copycat? Maybe.
“What time do you want to leave?”
He glanced over to see Jacy hovering in the connecting doorway of their rooms. “Now is good. I’m sure we’ll hit traffic along the way.”
“What if the ridge isn’t there anymore?” She ventured farther into the room. “Seeing all the new developments makes me think that the wooded field with a steep ravine could be a subdivision by now.”
“It’s not a subdivision. I checked the area out not long ago.” Specifically, the day before he’d decided to drive up to Appleton to meet Jacy. “There are some developments going up nearby, though, so it’s only a matter of time until the area is built over.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing we’re heading there now.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Jacy was brave, and as bad as he felt about putting her through this, it absolutely needed to be done. He pushed away from the small table and reached for his coat. “Ready?”
“Yes.” This time she sounded more positive.
He led the way outside. The car that had been there before was gone now, making the motel look completely empty. Except, of course, for their two rooms.
“Did you find anything interesting?” Jacy asked as he left the parking lot.
“I found someone selling a copy of your yearbook, and we might want to swing by there on our way back.” He’d spent too much time on the computer to go there now. “And I found George Voight.”
“Who?” She stared at him blankly.
“He and his wife lived in the Colgate house. His wife passed away, but he’s in an assisted-living apartment in Madison.” He shrugged. “I think we should pay him a visit tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay. Although, like I said, I doubt his memory has improved over time.”
He decided not to mention the missing details in the case file. Thankfully, Jane Ash had noted the names of the neighbors who’d been interviewed, but he’d noticed that only Martha, George’s wife, had issued a statement.
No one had gone back to follow up with George, to see if he’d seen or heard anything. Or if they had, no notes had been made about that conversation.
They were roughly five minutes early when he pulled off at the side of a rural highway. He threw the SUV in gear then turned toward Jacy. “I was on my way home from work when I saw you running. I slowed down, fearing you were going to race right across the road without stopping. And you did. I pulled over right here to follow you.”
She glanced around the area, her brow furrowed in a grimace. “I don’t see any houses or anything nearby.”
“I know. Detective Ash searched the area for a place where you may have been held against your will, but didn’t find anything.” He watched her for a moment. “Do you remember being in a car or at a house?”
“No. I don’t remember running this way at all.” She pushed open her door. “Let’s see if walking this way brings back any memories.”
He didn’t hesitate to join her in the blustery air. The darkness brought a damp chill, especially as the wind kicked up. He moved forward to show Jacy the way.
The landscape was dotted with snow, much like it had been that night. It wasn’t as cold tonight, though. After about fifty yards, they climbed a slight incline and then stopped at the top of the hill.
“I must not have noticed the ravine,” Jacy said in a low voice. “This hill has a very steep decline here.”
“I yelled a warning, but you were already rolling down the slope.” He remembered fearing she was dead.
Jacy began making her way down the steep slope. He followed behind, just as he heard what sounded like a muffled gunshot. A silencer? He felt something strike his upper arm.
“Down! Get down!” he cried hoarsely, throwing himself on top of her.
The assailant had found them!
SEVEN
Cash’s heavy weight pushed her to the ground, but then he rolled off her as they both tumbled down the incline. She scrabbled for a handhold, but found nothing to break her fall.
Was this how she’d ended up at the bottom of the ravine ten years ago? The jarring movement felt worse on her already sore and battered muscles.
When she finally stopped moving, she was on her back, staring up at the starry sky. Had there been stars out that night, too? Why couldn’t she remember?
“Jacy?” Cash’s voice was hoarse. He crawled toward her, his expression panicked. “Are you okay? You weren’t hit by the dart?”
In the darkness, she could just make out the dart that was imbedded at an angle in the sleeve of his coat. Pushing herself upright, she reached for it. “Do you feel funny? Did the dart inject anything into your bloodstream?”
“I don’t think so.” He stared at the dart in her fingers then reached inside his jacket to feel his arm. There didn’t seem to be any injection sight. “The tip of the dart must not have penetrated my leather coat. The angle is such that it went sideways through the leather rather than into me.”
“I’m so glad,” she whispered. What if Cash had been drugged? She wouldn’t have been strong enough to get him out of harm’s way.
“We need to find cover.” He took the dart and carefully put it in his pocket. They were both lying flat on the ground, but she knew they were still vulnerable if the shooter came to find them. “You first, Jacy. I’ll cover you from behind. Crawl on your belly toward those trees, okay?”
She nodded, her heart lodged in her throat. They were both wearing dark clothing, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the assailant from finding them. Crawling on her belly meant dragging herself over the rocky damp ground, but she ignored the mud. Keeping her eyes on the trees that were roughly twenty yards away from their current location, she moved as quickly as possible, praying the assailant wouldn’t shoot another dart at Cash.
After an incredibly long ten minutes, she reached the trees. She pushed herself up, but Cash put a restraining hand on her shoulder. “No, I need you to stay down.”
She fell back onto her stomach, turning so she could view the ridge. Scanning the area along the top, she didn’t see anyone lurking there with a gun.
Had the assailant run off? Or was he biding his time, waiting to shoot again?
There was the barest hint of movement along the top of the ridge. A head poked up and then she saw the tip of a rifle.
“Gun!” she croaked.
Cash had pulled his own weapon, too. He fired off a round just as another feathered dart landed in a tree, mere inches from him.
In that instant it was clear the assailant wanted to neutralize Cash to get to her!
The gun at the top of the ridge disappeared. Maybe Cash had hit him?
“Call 9-1-1,” Cash said, staring toward the top of the ridge. “I want backup, ASAP!”
Fumbling for her new phone, she made the call. The emergency operator asked for her location, and all she could provide was an approximation, adding that their SUV was along the side of the road. She mentally kicked herself for not paying attention to any highway markers along the way.
