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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

W ade looked up from his computer when he felt someone’s presence.

Mac cleared his throat. Wade swiveled in his chair to face his lieutenant. “What’s up, boss?”

“I spoke with our FBI liaison, and I learned something interesting.”

Wade picked up his nearly empty coffee cup and took a swig of the lukewarm brew.

“Our suspect was released on bail the day before Jamie was abducted.”

“Did I hear you correctly? Lester Parsons is not behind bars?”

“That’s right. It may be relevant, so I didn’t want to leave you in the dark.”

“I’m going to need a search warrant for the land around his garage.”

“Consider it done. We all want to get this creep. I’ll have it in your hands by noon.”

“Thanks, Mac.”

“Get this guy, and if our Jamie is alive, bring her back.”

He blinked away the tears filling his eyes at the thought that Jamie might already be dead. “I’ll do my best, sir."

The big man smacked him on the back. “I know you will, son.”

Once Mac returned to his office, Wade filled his cup and went back to his desk and called Ty to give him an update on the investigation. He needed a game plan. Lester would have a place to hold his victims before killing them. He needed to put himself in the shoes of a psychopath and figure out where that could be. An hour later, while searching satellite footage near Parsons’ home and garage, he found a new lead. He knocked on the doorway of Mac’s office to announce his presence.

“Did you find something?” Mac asked.

“I think so.” He set his laptop on Mac’s desk and showed him what he found.

“So, you think he might be keeping his victims on someone else’s property?”

“A ninety-year-old widow owns this two-hundred-acre plot of land adjacent to his garage. I couldn’t find a record of any children. It’s possible she leases the buildings on her property, but doubtful. The easiest way to find out is to ask her.”

“Go. Get permission to search her acreage and her outbuildings.”

“I’m on it.”

Wade called Emily and went straight to voicemail. He left a message. His stomach roiled at the thought of what she needed to do. He belonged by her side, but she was right. He needed to be here doing what he was doing. For Jamie.

He wound his way down the long driveway and parked by the front door. Before he could ring the bell, the door swung open and a white-haired woman answered. She didn’t quite reach five foot tall.

“Mrs. McHenry?”

“Yes. Is there something I can help you with?” her Italian accent was thick. He hadn’t been expecting it from someone named McHenry, but McHenry had been her husband’s name, so it made sense.

He pulled out his badge. “I’m Sargent Brunner with the Pennsylvania State Police.”

“What can I do for you, Sargent?”

“Would you mind if I came in so we could talk?”

“Not at all. Come on in.” She held the door wide for him to enter and then led him to a sitting area on a small screened porch off her kitchen. “This is my favorite place to sit. I can watch the birds come and go from the feeders.”

“It’s peaceful out here,” he said.

She smiled. “What can I do for you, sonny?”

He leaned forward. “I was looking at satellite footage this morning and noticed there are a number of out buildings on your property. Are they still in use?”

“Not since my Herbert died thirty years ago.”

“Have you had any contractors out to do work on them?”

“No.” She frowned. “Why do you ask?”

“One of your buildings appears to be in perfect condition. Thirty years of neglect should’ve left it in disrepair. I can’t disclose any information, but we’re investigating one of your neighbors, and I’d appreciate it if you’d give me permission to search your land and buildings.”

“I saw the news, sonny. It’s the mechanic next door you’re after.”

He smiled but didn’t respond.

“Let me guess. You cannot confirm or deny?”

“That’s right, ma’am.”

“You have my permission. Check anywhere you’d like. If that Parson’s fellow is doing something illegal on my land, I want to know about it.”

“Sure thing. We’ll certainly let you know if we find anything on your property.”

“What are you waiting for? Go check it out.”

He chuckled. “Thank you, Mrs. McHenry.”

After gaining permission from Mrs. McHenry, Wade took a walk around her property, glancing into greenhouses and storage sheds. When he reached a long building with modern solar panels on the roof. He slowed his steps and listened. There was a buzzing sound. He removed his weapon from the holster, crept forward, and peered into the building through a space between two slats. A man sat at a desk in the corner staring at a computer screen. This had to be where Parsons was keeping Jamie. The space was definitely in use.

He returned to his car and requested backup. Then he hurried back to the house to let the property owner know her land would soon be overrun with law-enforcement personnel.

Backup arrived and Trooper John Cunningham was among them. “Good to see you, Cunningham.” Wade shook hands with the state trooper. Then they took a few minutes to plan their entry. They didn’t know if anyone other than the man at the desk was in the building, so they had to be prepared for anything. They worked out the details, and it was decided that after they breached the door two troopers would enter before him. Two others would remain outside to catch Parsons if he fled. One of the officers tried the door, and it opened easily. The slight squeak caught the attention of the man at the desk, and he turned, pointing his Glock directly at Wade’s chest. Before the man could take another breath, he’d been dispatched. John’s hands trembled. Wade glanced down at the man on the floor. Bile rose in the back of his throat. If it wasn’t for Cunningham, it would be him on the ground.

He studied the dead man’s face. It wasn’t Parsons. He moved to John’s side and placed a hand on his arm. “You saved my life.”

“You’re wearing your vest.”

“Do you need to sit the rest of this out?” Wade asked.

“I’m good.” He tucked his service weapon back into his holster and wiped his hands on his uniform pants.

Wade looked at the screen the man had been watching. It showed a room with four banquet tables. Women were huddled in the far corner of the room. The gunshot had no doubt frightened them.

John Cunningham spoke from over his shoulder. “By my count, there’s twenty-four ladies down there.”

“Looks like they’re packaging cocaine.”

“You think they’re willing participants?”

“Doubt it.” Wade sighed. “Let’s move.”

They tried the door leading downstairs, but it had a fancy biometric lock on it. “See if you can open it using his fingerprint,” John said.

“We have an officer-involved shooting. We should document the scene before we can move him.” Wade groaned. This was going to take precious time they didn’t have. “Let’s see if we can find another way in.” They couldn’t locate another way in or out.

He might be reprimanded later, but he made an executive decision. “I’m moving the body. If any of you want to leave, you can go now.” His gaze swept the room. Nobody left, so he hooked his arms through the man’s armpits and dragged him over to the door. Taking his right hand, he placed his forefinger on the biometric lock. It opened.

John led the way down the narrow staircase. Seeing their service weapons, the ladies raised their hands over their heads. When they reached them, several spoke at the same time in a language unfamiliar to Wade. One of the younger women pushed to the front of the group, keeping her hands above her head.

“Do any of you speak English?”

The girl in front nodded.

“I’m Sergeant Brunner with the Pennsylvania State Police. Can you tell me what you’re doing here?”

“We came to America for fresh start, but they keep us here.”

“Are you the only one in the group who speaks English?”

She shook her head. “My sister, Catina, also speaks English.”

“What’s your name?”

“Dorotthea.”

“Where are you from?”

“Romania.”

“We’ll have an interpreter brought in so we can take everybody’s statements down at the station. In the meantime, would you let them know where we’re taking them?”

She nodded and spoke to the women. He had no idea what she said, but the group of ladies visibly relaxed.

Wade arrived back at the station. He had a boatload of paperwork to do, but first he needed to check in with Emily and see how she was doing. She answered on the third ring.

“Hello.” Her voice sounded thready and weak.

“How are you holding up?”

“Not great.”

“I wish I was there.”

“Me too. I don’t think I’m going to spend the night after all.”

“Why not?”

“I’m invisible here. There is no point in staying.” She sighed. “Once I gave them the news, the two of them holed up in a room together and only came out long enough to pick at the dinner I made them.”

“Do you want me to drive down?”

“No need. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Are you certain you want to leave your parents?”

“I don’t think they’ll notice I’m gone. I’ll call them tomorrow to see how they’re holding up, but right now I want to come home.”

Wade wondered if it was the grief talking or if her parents truly ignored her. He remembered her feeling the same way when Nora disappeared. She’d claimed that in a single day she’d lost her entire family. Nora was gone and her parents might as well have disappeared with her for as much as she saw them.

“I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“I’m going back to Sam’s.”

Disappointment surged inside him, but he shoved it down. As much as he wanted to keep her close, it was safer for her to stay with Sam than with him. She lived away from the madness. “I’ll be there waiting for you.”

“See you soon.” She disconnected the call.

Wade leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. Prayer. That’s what she needed. He couldn’t be at her side, but he could pray for her. After petitioning the Lord on her behalf, he settled at the computer to complete his report on the human trafficking and drug bust. Cunningham had been placed on administrative leave until they could investigate his shooting. It was standard procedure for an officer-involved shooting. He’d been through it himself once, so he knew how stressful it was. This one was cut and dry and their body cameras would clearly show the suspect aiming at them. No not them. Wade. If Cunningham hadn’t shot when he did, the suspect would’ve shot him, and though his vest probably would’ve saved him, he was grateful not to have had to find out.

Despite Wade’s best intentions, he couldn’t make it to Red Rock to see Emily on Friday night. She claimed to be too tired to care, but he’d heard the disappointment in her voice. Once again, she’d needed him, and he’d failed her.

By the time he interviewed all the women found in the drug house and completed his paperwork, his lieutenant found a new lead on Parsons. With Jamie at the mercy of a monster, it couldn’t wait until morning. He’d sat in his unmarked car in the shadows of a gym parking lot in Shickshinny where their informant claimed Parsons had a meeting at 1:00 a.m. The lead was a bust, so he couldn’t help wondering if it had been fed to them as a distraction.

He did manage to get a lead on why Parsons may have had the large cooler out on Harvey Lake. Dorotthea told him a story about a woman who’d tried to fight back when one of the men grabbed her. Her life had been snuffed out by the ruthless drug dealer. Wade suspected Parsons was the one responsible for disposing of her body.

Early Saturday morning, he took Ruger for a run. While he ran, he prayed. It was the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the twin towers. The day always left him feeling pensive. He was in elementary school back then, and his parents tried to shield him, but he’d seen the devastation, and everything changed in an instant.

When he returned to the house, Emily was there waiting. He scanned the area but didn’t see her bodyguard. “Are you alone?”

“I wish.” She twirled a strand of hair around her forefinger. “Sandra’s inside.”

He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s a nice surprise.”

“I figured if I waited for you to come to me, I’d be waiting a while since you’re busy with Jamie’s case.”

“True. We had a huge combination human trafficking and drug bust yesterday, but it wasn’t what we’d been hoping to find when we searched the property.”

“Where do you think he could be keeping her?”

“If we ever find him, we’ll put a tail on him and see where he goes, but last night’s stakeout was a bust. Parsons never showed.”

“What’s next?”

“I’ll take another look at the evidence and decide where to take the investigation. If I make the wrong choice, it could cost Jamie her life.”

She stared down at her shoes. “If he follows the same timeline he did with Lorraine Moore…”

“I have to believe she’s alive.”

Emily lifted her chin. “How can I help?”

“By staying safe.”

“Don’t shut me out. If I stick with you, I’ll be safe. I want to help.”

“I brought work home with me. We can set up in the dining room and look for new leads.”

“Or an old lead that was dismissed as unimportant,” she said.

“That’s a good point.” He hurried inside with her on his heels. “There was a lead Jamie and I were following before she disappeared.”

“What was it?”

“Probably nothing, but it might be something.”

“Wade!”

“Donations were made to Senator Martin’s campaign by all of the murdered women.”

“You don’t think Senator Martin is somehow involved?”

“No, but someone close to her might be. Possibly the person taking down the information from donors or an aide of some sort.”

“Do you have a laptop I can use?”

“Use my personal one.” He strode into his office and grabbed his computer for her and then dug his work one out of his briefcase. After he logged her in, she collected information on Senator Martin’s staff while he sorted through the other evidence looking for more leads.

Wade paid the pizza delivery boy and gave him a generous tip. Remembering how much Emily liked peppers on her pizza, he’d ordered half peppers and onions and half meat-lovers. When he placed the pizza on the kitchen table, Emily bowed her head. Once they’d thanked their heavenly Father for the food, she lifted the box lid and smiled.

“You remembered.”

“Of course.”

When she finished eating, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and sat back in her chair. “I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“For doubting you.” She avoided looking his way. “When you came into O’Brian’s Mug, I should’ve known better than to assume you were on a date.” She twisted her hair around her finger and bit the corner of her lip.

He stood and walked around the table. Bending down in front of her, he tipped her chin, so he could look into her eyes. “That was my fault. I should’ve called and told you ahead of time I was meeting with her. Don’t blame yourself.”

She clutched the front of his shirt and held on.

A tear slipped past her defenses, and he brushed it away with his thumb. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Her hands released their death grip on his shirt, and she brushed the wrinkles out, sending shock waves through his system. He rested his hand on top of hers. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

“We should get back to work.” He stood and pulled her up with him.

When they’d resumed their spots at their temporary command center, she snatched up the list and waved it at him. “Who should we speak to first?”

“Let’s split the list down the middle. We can each call half of the donors and see if they remember who they gave their donations to.”

An hour and numerous phone calls later, Emily looked up from the computer and her gaze found his. “I may have found a connection.”

Pete knelt beside Jamie and brushed her hair off her forehead. She’d been so beautiful, but now she was lifeless. It brought him sadness. He wished he could bring her back, so he could spend more time with her and relive watching her life seep slowly away as her blood was shed.

He hadn’t thought he’d grow up to be a killer. It wasn’t his fault. Not really. If the good senator hadn’t chased his father away, hadn’t left him feeling so inadequate that the only solution he could find was the business end of a shotgun, things might’ve been different. If he’d grown up in a healthy functional household, maybe he would’ve grown up to be a healer. A doctor. He smiled at the thought. He was intelligent. His IQ was 185. What good had his superior intellect done him? Happiness eluded him. Nothing he accomplished filled the emptiness inside.

Murder was a release, but the thrill it gave him was short-lived. If someone didn’t stop him, he’d keep at it. He couldn’t stop himself.

Emily Davis would die next. He wouldn’t settle for anyone else. It had to be her. There was a way around all the security measures she had in place. He was certain of it. He needed to find the weakest link and exploit it. It wouldn’t be long now. Pete could almost feel her in his arms.