Page 33 of Three Girls Gone (Detective Amanda Steele #14)

TWENTY-EIGHT

Amanda sat back in the passenger seat as Trent drove them to the Maynards’ house. Her mind was chastising her for bringing in Katherine and advocating for her help. She got carried away, swept up by emotion. “How did this person know Katherine was still investigating?”

“I don’t think it’s even necessary they did. That’s what we’ve been saying all along.”

She wished she believed that, but now another girl had been taken, she was left second-guessing. “This person is getting more brazen, taking a second girl within days of killing the last one.”

“Agree with you there.”

Trent pulled up in front of the Maynard residence and parked on the street behind a PWCPD cruiser. Three vehicles in the driveway. Two belonged to civilians while the third had a plate attached to the department.

The house was a two-story with a public sidewalk along the right side of the property that cut through to an adjacent street. The Maynards’ property was surrounded by a four-foot-tall chain-link fence, offering no security or privacy.

Trent rang the doorbell, and the door swung open a moment later.

Detective McGee was standing there, a solemn expression on his face. “Nothing personal against you, but I could have handled not meeting again under similar circumstances.”

Amanda and Trent stepped into the entry with him.

“Nothing personal,” Amanda parroted, “but back at ya. So tell me what we should know.”

“I’ve mostly been a sounding board thus far, not probing them with a lot of questions.

They’re still trying to process this. I’m going to be upfront and say there’s nothing that indicates Eloise was murdered or even injured.

I’m not sure how much you know about the situation.

” McGee stopped there, hands on hips, looking at them.

“Seven years old, an envelope addressed to Katherine was found on the girl’s bed,” Trent recapped.

“Okay. Yeah, well, that’s a whole thing right there. The mother discovered it, and she’s an absolute mess.”

Amanda stiffened. “What does it say?”

McGee produced the note from his pocket, sealed in a clear evidence bag.

Amanda held it so Trent could read it as well.

I knew you wouldn’t take my warning seriously. Now this girl’s fate is on you, Katherine Graves.

Amanda balled her hands into fists, feeling nothing but white-hot rage.

Katherine wasn’t going to recover from this blow.

She blamed herself already and had let this freak into her head.

Now this bastard was coming right out and assigning her blame a second time.

But this letter also contained a taunt. The implication being the girl’s life could be saved if they accepted this invitation to play his game.

Assuming it’s a man. Just because Anne Harrington didn’t pan out, that didn’t exclude all women.

Amanda looked at Trent to confirm he’d finished reading.

He nodded, and Amanda handed the note back to McGee.

“I’ll give you a heads up,” McGee started. “The girl’s parents want to know who Katherine Graves is. So far, I’ve skirted the question, but that won’t hold out forever.”

Amanda studied McGee. “You know?”

“That Graves was a former PWCPD sergeant and that there was a note to her found with Hailey Tanner? Yeah, I know. I don’t know what the killer was referring to when he told her to stop.”

Amanda didn’t want to get into all the details. “How do you know about that note?”

“You might think I’m cold or question my competency, but I care. Too much, to be honest. I had Rideout copy me in on his autopsy findings. He mentioned finding the note in the tutu’s hem.”

Amanda’s cheeks became hot with shame. She’d judged the man from snippets without considering the full picture.

With what he said, she got the feeling he had a case hit close to home that was his unresolved White Whale.

It might have happened after he’d landed in Missing Persons, or it might be why he worked there. “I didn’t realize…”

“How could you? We don’t know each other.”

“Well, smart call on not telling them more about Katherine. That could place her in danger,” Amanda said. The Maynards could make things personal with Katherine and go after her. Even kind people were capable of drastic measures under these circumstances. Logic fled.

“Which I understand, and it doesn’t shed a favorable light on the PWCPD either.

Anyway, I just wanted to prepare you for what you’re headed into.

They will press you on it. Moving on, Crime Scene has been called in to process the girl’s room.

I took a quick look around the house and couldn’t see any obvious signs of forced entry. ”

If it made a difference, Amanda would cross her fingers that CSIs Blair and Donnelly were assigned. She didn’t have enough self-control for another round with CSI Stuart.

“There wasn’t anything conclusive to indicate that at the Tanner home at first either,” Trent said. “Is there a connection between the families?”

“Hard to say. The Maynards only recognized the Tanner name from the news. And my bringing it up wasn’t received well. I’ll leave the matter for you two to investigate further.”

Amanda couldn’t imagine the comparison drawn from a murdered girl to their Eloise would be easy to handle. They’d also want an explanation for why the PWCPD hadn’t taken this person off the streets yet. “All right, could you intro?—?”

A knock on the door had Amanda turning. Two figures were visible through the sidelight, and at the sight of collection kits, she opened the door.

CSIs Blair and Donnelly were there, and Amanda let out a breath of relief. She stepped back to let them inside.

Detective McGee handed the sealed note over to Blair. “This is for you. I’ll take you up to the girl’s room and explain.”

CSI Blair tapped Amanda’s shoulder on her way past.

Amanda turned to Trent. “Guess we’ll introduce ourselves.”

They went deeper into the home, following the sound of sobbing. It drew them all the way to the back where a living room was off the kitchen. A man and woman were huddled together on the couch, and they looked up at her and Trent.

“Mr.and Mrs.Maynard, we’re Detectives Steele, and Stenson,” she told them.

“Damon and Krista,” the man said. “Please, sit wherever you’d like.” He gestured to the other chairs in the room, and Amanda and Trent each selected one and sat down.

“We can only imagine what you’re going through,” she began. “I assure you that Detective Stenson and I will do all we can to find your daughter safe and sound.” She’d do whatever she could to make good on that intention.

“Eloise. Please, just say her name. She’s special to us.” Krista hiccupped a sob, and when she raised her hand, Amanda noticed a photograph in her hand.

“Yes, of course. I apologize. Eloise. Is that a picture of her?” She pointed to what Krista was holding, and the woman nodded. “Could I see it?”

Krista nodded, and Amanda got up and took the photo from her.

“It was taken yesterday at her birthday party,” Krista told her.

Eloise was bright-eyed with blond hair and green eyes.

She was a sweet, innocent child. Anger swirled in Amanda’s chest as she tightened her grip on the photo paper.

The image appeared to have been printed from a home computer.

A quick look around the room showed the couple favored abstract paintings on the walls instead of framed photographs.

There were no shelves or units that displayed any either.

“We don’t like clutter,” Damon offered, as if realizing that’s what Amanda had observed.

She nodded, accepting that only because the home had a rather clinical feel. “She’s beautiful,” Amanda said, holding the picture for Trent to see before handing it back to Krista.

The mother said nothing but palmed her cheeks and stared at the image.

“When did you last see Eloise?” she asked, as Trent pulled out his tablet.

“It was last night,” Damon said. “Krista puts her to bed.”

“What time was this?” Trent asked.

“Eight o’clock. I read to her for about ten minutes and then it’s lights out.” Krista sniffled, and her husband gripped her closer to him.

Amanda could only imagine the living nightmare this couple was experiencing. They put their daughter to sleep, likely feeling that security as she had with Zoe last night, only to wake up and have her gone. “Is there any security system on the home?”

The Maynards shook their heads in unison.

“You can bet when we get her back, that’s the first thing I’ll have installed,” Damon said.

Amanda was impressed by his positive mindset. While it wouldn’t have a direct bearing on the outcome, it would keep him going. “A doorbell cam?”

“No,” Damon said.

It could have shown the perp. “What time did you notice Eloise was missing?”

“It was at seven when I went to wake her up to get ready for school.” Krista’s voice was robotic as she spoke. Her gaze never left her daughter’s face.

“Krista screamed, and I went running down the hall,” Damon picked up. “By the time I got there, she was holding a note in her hand. Ah, the other detective has it. He bagged it for forensics.”

“Yes, we saw it. Detective McGee handed it over to the CSIs to be processed for prints and DNA, to see if that gets us any closer to who took her. Do either of you have any enemies or people in mind who might have done this? Any new people in your lives?” It was unlikely their killer had stalked both Hailey and Eloise for a length of time.

Though if his intention was always a third victim, it was possible.

Damon looked at his wife, and they both shook their heads.

“Who is this Katherine person?” Damon asked. “The other detective wouldn’t tell us anything about her.”

“Our baby was taken because of her, whoever she is,” Krista spat before Amanda or Trent could respond to Damon. “Do you think the same person who killed that Tanner girl took our Ellie?” The woman’s face was bright red, and angry tears fell .

Damon handed his wife the tissue box from the table next to him. “Please excuse my?—”

“If you’re going to apologize for me, I’d stop and think that through.” Krista drilled her husband with a fiery gaze.

He held up his hands in surrender.

“All we can say with confidence is the investigation into your daughter’s disappearance is just beginning,” Amanda said.

“You’re covering something up.” Krista crossed her arms and thrust out her chin.

“I can appreciate you want answers, that you want your daughter back.” Amanda was quick to amend her statement. “And we will do all we can to bring her home to you.”

“And if you can’t? This Katherine lady needs to pay.” Krista smacked her mouth shut when her husband rubbed her arm.

Amanda appreciated that grief and anger looked for an outlet, someone to blame, a way to find relief, but Katherine was the wrong person for them to focus their energy on.

“The only person responsible for your daughter’s welfare right now is the person who took her.

Do either of you know the Tanner family? ”

“No,” Damon said. “We told Detective McGee that.”

Speaking of the man, he is taking his sweet time returning…

“What do you do for work, Mr.Maynard?” Trent asked Damon.

“I’m an electrician for LiveWire. They’re a local company.”

Amanda nodded, having heard of it. A job in the trades was a far different world to the Tanners’ one in investments.

Their paths were unlikely to have crossed.

Had the killer targeted Eloise at random?

There didn’t seem to have been time for them to stalk the girl for any length of time. “What did Eloise do yesterday?”

“She went to school,” Krista said.

“Which one does she attend? ”

Krista told her the name of a different school than the one Hailey had attended. Detective McGee returned and sat down.

“You mentioned it was Eloise’s birthday,” Trent said. “Did you do anything special for her after school?”

“We had a small party at the Scoop. It’s an ice cream parlor,” Krista told them.

Amanda had taken Zoe there, and Lindsey before her. The place had been in business for a long time. “Sounds like that would have been fun for her.” Amanda was endeavoring to relax the mother some.

“It was.”

“We’re going to need the names of all the kids there, any parents that tagged along,” Trent said.

“I can get that for you,” Krista said.

“Does Eloise love the spotlight? Maybe she has dance lessons or performs in competitions, pageants?” Amanda asked.

“Oh, she loves being the center of attention, but nothing like what you mentioned. She is obsessed with princesses, though, and insisted on wearing her pink gown and tiara to her party.”

Amanda said nothing to the Maynards, but she slipped a subtle side-glance at Trent. Again, it would seem, their killer had a type. And given what they’d just heard, it sounded like little Eloise was targeted on the spur of the moment. The killer was getting careless.