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“You’ll never get her back.”
His words boomeranged off the mountain, and she screamed and screamed Ava’s name, but her voice was lost in the thick forest just as her daughter was.
Suddenly someone gripped her arms, shaking her and calling her name. She opened her eyes, terrified to see his face, to find that he’d hurt Ava.
“Shh, Lara, it’s me.”
The deep voice bled through the haze and she beat at the man with her fists. But he wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her, rocking her back and forth. “Shh, it’s Jasper. I’m here. You were having a nightmare.”
Lara sobbed against him, hating him for leaving her, for sleeping with that vile woman, but grateful the police had released him tonight. That he was here.
She blinked back tears and looked up at him. Through the dim light pouring into her window, she saw the tears sliding down his cheeks.
Then she remembered the texts between him and Autumn and rage resurfaced. With as much force as she could muster, she pushed him away.
His breathing was erratic, his voice pained. “I swear to you, Lara, I didn’t make that plan with Autumn,” he said in a choked voice. “You have to believe me. I wanted to be with you and Ava for Christmas.”
Maybe he was telling the truth. Or maybe he’d gone along with the plan at first then changed his mind. Maybe he was crying because he loved Ava. Or maybe because he’d gotten caught. The maybes were piling up.
She didn’t know what to believe.
Except that she feared the monster in her nightmare was real and that she might never see her little girl again.
Sixty-Three
Crooked Creek
Sunday, December 22
The next morning, Ellie woke, worry pricking at her. It was three days until Christmas. She had no doubt that Lara and Ava would have been counting down the days and minutes until Santa came, if the little girl was home.
Dragging herself from bed, she quickly showered then stumbled to the kitchen for coffee. The blanket on her couch looked rumpled and she realized Derrick had spent the night there. She supposed she should be surprised, but he’d slept there before, and knowing him he’d worked half the night.
She found a note by the coffee pot, which he’d brewed for her, saying he’d gone back to his cabin to shower and that he’d meet her at the station in an hour.
Her cell phone buzzed as she poured herself a mug and breathed in the rich pecan scent. She glanced at the caller ID screen. Her father.
She answered but would make it quick. “Hi, Dad.”
“Ellie, I just wanted to check on you,” he said. “I know you’re swamped looking for that missing girl. And I’ve heard about the locals being upset that you’re providing protection for that man Grueler.”
“If you called to lecture me, Dad, don’t bother. Grueler definitely has a problem,” she said. “But he’s innocent until proven guilty, and I had no evidence that he abducted Ava. Instead, he claimed to have seen a woman watching Ava. If he comes to, maybe he can describe her.”
An awkward pause fell between them. “Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest of all,” he said gruffly.
Ellie wondered if he was talking about her or himself and the secrets he’d kept to protect her. His had come at a cost.
She hoped hers didn’t.
“I’m proud of you for standing up for your convictions and for being level-headed,” her father said.
Ellie felt a blush climb her neck. “Thanks, Dad. I’m about to go to work now.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.
Ellie grabbed her service weapon from her nightstand. “Thanks, but I don’t think so.”
He cleared his throat. “Your mom wants you to come to dinner on Christmas Eve, and for lunch on Christmas Day.”
