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Chapter Thirty-Seven

Logan’s pulse pounded like he was driving down a rumble strip as he looked through Miles’s house for any clue as to where he had taken AJ. He’d known it was too good to be true to think AJ would be there, but this was where his phone had been when he’d called Logan. So where were they now? They’d gotten here quickly, but not quick enough. Apparently Miles had been ready to leave. Logan had to find some clue.

“Hey, Logan.” Adam’s voice came from the other end of the house. “You might want to see this.”

Logan went down the hall and turned into what must be the master bedroom. It was minimally decorated. Simple lamp on a nightstand, neutral colors everywhere.

Adam stood along a wall holding the edge of a large canvas of an abstract painting. It was strangely off center in the room.

“What is it?”

Adam tugged on the side of the picture. It came out from the wall and folded open, revealing a collage of pictures of AJ. Miles had been watching her for more than three weeks.

Pictures of AJ running through the park. Going into and out of the fire station. Coming and going from her dad’s house, Granny’s house, and Will’s house. At church. In her apartment, including ones of her changing.

Logan’s blood ran hot.

What had set Miles off? Miles had been in that car accident. Was that when he noticed her again because she’d been on the scene? Logan thought back to when that was. But it looked like he’d been taking pictures of her longer than that. However, the text messages started the day after the accident. They’d suspected Daryl because of the timing, but clearly they’d been mistaken.

Logan shook his head and reached out toward the pictures of AJ but didn’t touch them. This man had violated his wife’s privacy. A monster raged inside of Logan, wanting to come out and avenge AJ’s honor. Lord, keep this monster in check .

They continued their search and left. They didn’t want to talk about next steps knowing Miles had cameras in the house. They’d found a few but hadn’t searched specifically enough to know if they got them all or not.

In the car, Adam and Amelia both turned to Logan. Adam asked, “Are there any locations that connect Miles and AJ?”

“We all went to high school together and were in the same friend circle. I doubt he’d take her to the high school. It’s Friday, and school is in session.” He thought through anything that might have been significant to Miles other than the gym where he’d gone to the dance with AJ. “The asylum. Enzweiler. We used to play Capture the Flag there all the time.”

Zara. After her ordeal a month and a half ago, she’d not be ready to face the idea of Enzweiler again. But he hadn’t called her or Will yet.

Amelia broke into his thoughts. “It’s worth checking out. I’ll get us some back up.”

“I need to call Will and Zara.”

Adam drove while Amelia radioed for backup.

Logan took out his phone and dialed Will’s number.

Will answered with a groggy voice. “Why aren’t you still sleeping?”

“Because AJ’s been taken.”

“What?”

“Miles is her stalker and took her this morning.”

“Miles? Seriously? Mild-mannered Miles?”

“That’s the one. Apparently he’s a sociopath. He’s been following AJ for a while.”

“And he took her?”

Logan gritted his teeth. “Are you listening to anything I say?”

“Sorry. Processing.”

“We’re headed over to the asylum to see if he took her there.”

“Have you checked your app for her phone?”

“Oh, I forgot about that. Thanks.”

“I’ll wake Zara up, and we’ll join the search. I’ll get my parents praying too. We’ll all be praying. Have you called AJ’s dad?”

Logan slumped back. “No.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” The friends hung up, and Logan opened the family finding app. Her phone came up right away. “Take Wakefield Road instead of Brighton. That’s where AJ’s car broke down.”

“Got it.” Adam nodded. “We should get that scene processed immediately too.”

Amelia radioed that in as well. The whole force was coming out to help find AJ. It reminded him of how so many people had supported them when Bree died. The entire community had surrounded them with love in the form of meals and kind words. Those first months had been a blur, but they had kept moving forward only because of the community that had come out and surrounded them with support through the initial grief.

He was torn. So many places to be. He wanted to stop by the car, but he also wanted to check out any possible locations where AJ could have been taken. But teams were going to her car and the asylum. It would be okay. It had to be.

Another loss would break him completely. He’d never recover.

The Holy Spirit whispered in his soul. My grace is sufficient .

Sustain me, Lord. I should have sought You in my grief and hurt, but I didn’t. Forgive me. And forgive me for assuming the worst of AJ.

They stopped in front of AJ’s car, taking his mind away from his prayer, but his heart stayed prostrate before the Lord. He’d tried too often to do things by himself and learned the hard way he couldn’t possibly get through this on his own. Only the God of the universe, his heavenly Father, could sustain him now.

Logan got out of the car and walked toward AJ’s.

A cell phone lay on the ground. She’d had her phone in her hand when Miles had approached her. Why had she gotten out of the car?

He looked at the hood. She’d popped it but hadn’t opened it. Maybe that’s what happened: her car died, and she had to stop.

Logan darted to the hood and lifted it.

“What is it?” Adam asked.

“I’m wondering if Miles sabotaged her car, and she stopped because it broke down.”

Amelia said, “Keys are still in the ignition. Someone who left on their own wouldn’t have left them there. Not that we needed that confirmation, but it’s helpful.”

Logan looked back at Adam, who was fiddling around under the hood.

“Yep, this has been messed with.” He went on to explain what had been done. Logan’s ears glazed over, not because he didn’t understand what Adam was explaining, but because Miles had again invaded their space. He’d been in AJ’s dad’s driveway at some point in the last day and a half, and they’d missed it.

Adam grabbed his shoulder. “Hey, it’s not your fault. We keep moving forward. We will find this guy if it means we grid out and search the whole city.”

Logan swallowed the anxiety building in his chest and nodded. He had to keep positive, determined, for AJ’s sake.