Page 9 of Once Vanished
“As I was saying,” he continued, his voice softening again to that unsettling conversational tone, “there’s an elegance here I hadn’t anticipated.Your housekeeper—Gabriela—now has to live with the knowledge that she failed.She had a gun.She had the opportunity.And still, I walked out with you.Imagine the guilt she’s feeling right now.”
A pause, as if inviting Jilly to contemplate this cruelty.
“Your mother trains her to use a weapon, entrusts her with the safety of her precious adopted daughter, and when the moment comes...failure.Complete, devastating failure.That’s a special kind of torment, don’t you think?The kind that keeps you awake at night, replaying the moment over and over, thinking of all the things you could have done differently.”
Tears welled in Jilly’s eyes, spilling hot down her cheeks.Not for herself, but for Gabriela—steady, reliable Gabriela who had become as much family as anyone.Who had cared for Jilly, cooked her favorite foods, listened to her problems when Mom was away on cases.The thought of Gabriela blaming herself, was almost worse than her own predicament.
“And then there’s you,” Leo said, his voice drawing closer again.“You’re causing your mother exquisite pain just by being here.Right now, she’s frantic—searching, questioning, imagining the worst possible scenarios.The famous Riley Paige, whose greatest fear has always been failing to protect those she loves.”
The chair creaked as he stood.His footsteps circled around behind her again, and she tensed, waiting for another touch that mercifully didn’t come.
“Do you feel it?”he whispered, his voice now directly behind her, close enough that she could feel his breath stir her hair.“The shame?The guilt?Knowing that your very existence in my custody is destroying her bit by bit?”
Jilly squeezed her eyes shut, though it made no difference inside the hood.She tried to block out his words, to deny him the satisfaction of her reaction.But the tears continued to fall, and she knew he could sense her distress, her fear.
“Of course you do,” he answered his own question.“That’s what makes you so perfect for this.You understand what it means to cause pain to those who love you.”
The words struck at something raw and vulnerable inside her—memories of her life before Riley, the foster homes, her abusive father.Then the cutting she had done to herself, the running away, the worry it had caused Riley.How did he know?How much had he learned about her?
“I did my research, Jilly,” Leo said, again as if reading her thoughts.“I know about your past.You’re no stranger to causing anguish to those who care for you.”
His footsteps moved away, creating distance between them.
“But don’t worry,” he said, his voice lighter now.“This time, it’s not your fault.Not entirely, anyway.You’re merely the instrument, not the musician.Though I suspect that distinction will bring little comfort to your mother.”
Jilly tried to speak again, straining against the gag.She needed to ask him—what was he planning?What would happen to her?But only muffled noises escaped, pathetic and unintelligible.
“I’ll leave you to reflect on all this,” Leo said, his voice now farther away.“We have time, you and I.More than enough time for everything I have planned.”
Panic surged within her.No, he couldn't leave her like this—bound, gagged, unable to see.She tried to scream through the cloth, the sound emerging as nothing more than a strained groan.She kicked hard against the air, against the fear rising in her throat.She imagined it would feel like this if she were buried alive.
Breathe, calm down,she told herself.Don't let him win.
His voice was calm, pleasant.“Oh, don't worry so much.”A pause, as if he were savoring her terror.“As I just said, I'm not a monster.I’d love to let you out of those bonds, to let you move around, even use the bathroom.But before that, I have to be sure you’ll behave.Not attack, not try to run away.”
She glared back at him, knowing that the gesture wasn’t visible through the hood.Was he still there?Could he still see her, hear her?Or had he already left her alone in the dark?
“Goodbye for now, Jilly,” Leo said, his voice receding into the distance.“Try to rest if you can.Later...we’ll just have to see.”
She heard his footsteps growing fainter, moving away across what sounded like a hard floor.Then came the unmistakable sound of a door opening—a brief creak of hinges followed by a soft click as it closed again.
And then silence.Complete, oppressive silence.
Jilly strained her ears, desperate for any sound that might tell her where she was or if Leo was truly gone.But there was nothing—no traffic noise, no household sounds, no voices.Just her own heartbeat and the harsh rasp of her breathing against the gag.
She was alone.Completely, utterly blind and alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
As Riley descended the stairs to Gabriela’s apartment, she felt embarrassed by her own words.She had lashed out at Hogue unfairly.She knew that he hadn’t deserved her anger, but the man’s calm professionalism while her own world collapsed had intensified her sense of helplessness.
As her hand gripped the railing, she steadied herself for what she knew awaited her.Gabriela had been there when Leo took Jilly.Gabriela had seen what Riley hadn’t.Gabriela would be in terrible anguish.But now Riley needed to hear every detail about what had happened.
The door to Gabriela’s apartment stood ajar and Riley paused at the threshold.Gabriela sat hunched on her couch, her sturdy frame diminished somehow.Her shoulders curved inward, her hands trembling as they clutched a crumpled tissue.Beside her, a female police officer murmured quiet reassurances, a notebook open but forgotten on her lap.Darby, Jilly’s small, big-eared dog, pressed against Gabriela’s leg, his vigilant eyes fixed on the doorway where Riley now stood.
The apartment, usually immaculate, bore subtle signs of disruption.A teacup had been abandoned on the side table, its contents cold and untouched.Tissues had been pulled from a box on the coffee table, used tissues scattered nearby.The afternoon sun shining through the glass doors from the back yard didn’t raise the mood at all.
“Gabriela,” Riley said softly.