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* * *
Terror invaded Mason as he listened to the menace in Janice’s voice. She wasn’t playing around. He motioned for Catelyn to be quiet as she drove, not wanting to miss one detail as to what was going on with Lacey and Janice. Where were they?
Come on, honey, give me a clue.
Twisting, he looked at Daniel in the backseat and whispered, “Where would Janice be this time of day?”
Daniel threw his hands up and shrugged. “I don’t know. The hospital maybe.” He grimaced. “No, that’s on Friday. The clothes closet at the church? Um…no! Try the store.”
Mason glared at the man. “Give her directions.”
While Daniel leaned forward to whisper in Catelyn’s left ear, Mason listened.
“Why are you doing this?” Lacey’s fear came through loud and clear in her shaky voice. Mason wanted to reach through the phone line and wrap his hands around Janice’s neck.
But he couldn’t. All he could do was pray.
* * *
Lacey walked into the lighted area and her gaze landed on a thin figure stretched out on a flimsy cot in the corner of the room.
“Bethany!” With a small cry, Lacey launched herself at her child.
Bethany lay on a cot, hands bound behind her, duct tape covering her mouth. Her eyes opened and closed as though trying to wake up.
“Bethany,” Lacey whispered.
At her name, Bethany’s eyes flickered again.
Lacey placed her palms on her daughter’s cheeks and felt her warmth, her life.Thank you, Jesus.She ripped the tape from Bethany’s mouth and the girl gasped, opened her eyes. “Mom,” she whispered.
“Okay, enough of that,” Janice ordered. “Move over there and sit down.”
“No, I’m not leaving her.” Lacey took in every detail of her precious child. She was dressed in the clothes that Lacey had discovered missing from Bethany’s closet. Reddish-blond hair that looked more brown than it ever had lay in a hunk over one shoulder. Her foggy blue eyes wouldn’t focus and her light dusting of freckles stood out in 3-D against pale white cheeks. “What did you give her?”
“A fast-acting narcotic. Nothing she won’t recover from. Although—” Janice’s eyes narrowed “—she’ll only recover long enough for you to watch her die.”
Terror slid through Lacey once more as she stared at the woman who used to be her best friend. “Why, Janice? What did I do to you to make you hate me? Hate my child? To want usdead?”
“Why?” Janice screamed at her. “What did you do? Everything! It’s all your fault! All of it!” Lacey watched Janice gather herself with an effort. The woman pulled in a deep breath and waved the gun at Bethany. “You don’t deserve her. You should never have been allowed to have her and watch her grow up.” Evil stared back at Lacey and she shivered at the cold emptiness that had seemed to have invaded Janice’s soul.
Lacey held up a hand, beseeching her, “I don’t understand. We were friends. Best friends. We did everything together. And now you hate me? It doesn’t make sense.”
In slow, measured words, Janice spat, “Because Daniel always loved you. It was always aboutyou.”
“What? That’s not true. Hemarriedyou!”
“But he never loved me! Not like he loved you! Even after we were married, he would get this faraway look on his face and I’d ask him what he was thinking about and he’d shrug and say ‘Old times.’” She snarled, “Well, we all know who was in those old times, don’t we?”
“Janice, I can’t…I don’t…” What could she say? Whatshouldshe say to convince Janice to let them go? “I was gone! I wasn’t here. How can you hold me responsible for that?”
It didn’t seem possible, but Janice’s eyes grew harder and the gun jabbed at Lacey. “Because you killed my baby.”
Bethany whimpered and shrank back against the wall, but didn’t say a word.
Shock made her Lacey gasp. “What? How is that possible? You said you lost the baby when you fell down the steps.” Was the woman completely insane?
Looking into those eyes, Lacey had a feeling she had her answer. And it terrified her.