Page 36 of The Hanging Dolls (Zoe Storm #1)

THIRTY-FIVE

Zoe had been in several tense situations in her life.

She had attended briefings with powerful men and women.

She had spent nights sleeping next to a predator undercover.

But being in Travis’ office with Scott and the woman who she had concluded was Scott’s pseudo ex-girlfriend was the worst situation she had found herself in.

It vexed her how aloof Aiden was. He could probably sense the tension rolling off the townies more than she could. But where she was a sponge, absorbing everything, he was a shiny piece of metal, just reflecting it all.

The silence nicked by the woman’s sniffles was stuffy. Zoe glanced at Scott who was leaning against the wall, his face eclipsed by worry.

The flappy door swung open and Travis entered, his boots squelching and water still dripping from his hat.

“Imagine my surprise to get a call that there’s chaos at my station again when I’m trying to convince Hicks that I got everything under control.

” He shed his coat. When he saw the woman next to Zoe, he did a double-take. “Carly?”

Carly .

“Lucy is missing,” Scott said.

Carly sobbed into her hands. “Lucy… L-Lucy…”

Travis’ eyebrows touched his forehead, his face ashen. He almost tripped as he fell into his chair that protested under his weight. But in the last few days, he had thinned to worrying levels. “When did this happen?”

“I was picking her up from her friend’s place,” Carly cried. “I just made a quick detour to buy some cigarettes before I got there so I was running a few minutes late. When I got there, her friend’s mom told me she’d left already. But she never came home.”

“What time did you get there?” Travis asked.

“Around five thirty.”

“So thirty minutes ago. And what time did Lucy leave her friend’s place?”

“F-four thirty.” She lowered her gaze.

Travis paused. “Why the hell did it take you an hour to buy cigarettes?”

Carly’s portly frame shivered. “I ran into one of my customers who hadn’t paid up, we were arguing… I didn’t realize the time.”

Travis’ eyes hardened. His hands gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white. The room felt like it was closing in, the air thick with tension.

“Carly,” Travis said, his voice low and controlled, “why would Lucy leave her friend’s place before you got there?”

Carly’s lip trembled, and she looked down, unable to meet his gaze. “You don’t know her. She’s ten years old but feisty and independent and hardheaded. She… would get upset with me and do things on her own,” she admitted, her voice barely audible.

“Let me guess. You neglect that girl so often that she was used to fending for herself and playing grown up,” Travis said.

A tear rolled down Carly’s face. Her shame hung in the air like a heavy cloud. “Since the murders, I’ve been trying to be a better mom to her.”

Scott, who had been standing silently in the corner, suddenly cursed under his breath. He started pacing back and forth, shaking his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. “Classic Carly. Every damn time…”

Zoe wanted to melt into her chair. It’s like they had forgotten she was there. Whatever history they had was now spilling over for everyone to see.

Travis didn’t take his eyes off Carly. “What did Lucy tell her friend’s mom when she left? I doubt she would have let her just leave at a time like this.”

“Lucy said I was outside waiting in the car. Look, you don’t know her. That girl has forged my signature more than a couple of times just to go to field trips.”

“You were running late because of your cigarettes and your… client,” he said, the words dripping with disappointment. “Lucy was supposed to be home over an hour ago, and you were… what? Too busy feeding your addiction and chasing down clientele?”

Carly flinched at the accusation, her eyes flickering to Scott. The look she gave him was desperate, like she was seeking solace and only cared about his opinion.

“You just… you never change, do you?” Scott laughed in exasperation. “Why am I not surprised that you were too busy getting laid to care about your daughter?”

“Scott!” Travis jumped to his feet. “I’m warning you.”

But Scott’s eyes were locked on Carly. Zoe had never seen Scott like this—his edges so sharp and callous, his eyes burning with ruthlessness. There was not a tinge of empathy.

“Why?” Scott finally tore his eyes away from Carly and stared at Travis. “She knows what’s happening in this town. Every parent is being careful. Are we really surprised, Travis? Don’t we both know her very well?”

“Take a walk. Now. ”

Scott stormed out of the office so fast that Zoe felt a rush of air in his wake.

“I… I didn’t realize the time, Travis. I know, I know it’s my fault. B-but…” Carly gulped. “I don’t know what to do.”

“This is Agent Zoe Storm and Dr. Aiden Wesley from the FBI,” Travis said, ignoring her last remark. “They will work closely with you. I think it’s best to keep you and Scott away from each other.”

Carly’s teary eyes flitted to Zoe and Aiden in surprise, as if she hadn’t noticed them until now.

“Carly, I’ll do everything I can,” Zoe said earnestly. “Have you noticed anyone suspicious around Lucy? A man being extra friendly or watching her?” Carly shook her head. “Did Lucy ever mention anything to you? A new friend?” She shook her head again.

Zoe wasn’t surprised. There was a harebrained way in which Carly carried herself.

A lack of conviction and control that she normally saw in parents.

As she took her statement, Carly looked even more lost. A single mother who wasn’t ready to be one.

But there was an innocence in her eyes, like she was the child in this situation.

Like she’d had Lucy because she needed someone.

“How often does Lucy go to her friend’s place?”

“Every other day, same time. This is her picture.” She pulled a small picture from her wallet and wiped away tears. “I thought… I thought you might need it.”

“Definitely.” Zoe brushed her finger over it. A mirror image of Carly.

Carly blinked, her mouth open like she was thinking of what to say. “What do I do now?”

Zoe couldn’t reply. Her thoughts were tail spinning. Instead Travis escorted Carly out, assuring her that they would do everything to find her daughter.

When Travis returned, he sighed. “We can’t be sure if Lucy was taken by the killer.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s Carly.” Travis shrugged. “She has a lot of clients. It’s possible that Lucy was abducted by a jilted lover instead of the serial killer.”

Or maybe Lucy was the final victim. The third girl for the third noose. The killer’s final target before, in his words, darkness falls.