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A sob welled in her throat, but she swallowed it back, pushing her fist against her mouth. She used to think he blew up because he was afraid someone would hurt her. That he did it out of love.
But sometimes she wondered…
One night she’d heard him talking in a hushed voice on the phone, “Don’t call me again,” her father had growled. “If you do, you’ll be sorry.”
A noise startled her and she jerked her attention back outside. In the shadow of the moon, she saw a figure skulking along. Her breath tightened. Was it the man in the black hoodie she’d seen, watching her window again?
Downstairs, she heard the door screeching as her daddy left. A tiny voice inside her head whispered for her not to look. That whatever her father was doing was his business.
But she couldn’t drag herself away from the window. Her heart racing, she watched her father meet up with the other man. Then they disappeared into the woods together.
SEVENTY-FIVE
WIDOW PEAK COLLEGE MEMORIAL HALL
Dog-tired, Ellie and Derrick left the ERT and Laney at Black Snake Cove to do their jobs and got in her Jeep to drive back toward town. But her phone buzzed before she started the engine.
Her pulse jumped when she saw it was her captain and she answered. “It’s Ellie.”
“Detective, just got a 9-1-1 call from a woman at Widow Peak College Memorial Hall. She claims two classmates, Beverly Hooper and Janie Huggins, were abducted.”
Ellie’s gaze latched with Derrick’s. “Agent Fox and I are on our way. Send back-up.” She turned to Derrick as she ended the call. “I should have assigned someone to guard Beverly Hooper. She and her friend Janie have been taken.” Self-blame pummeled her as she started the engine.
“Don’t go there, Ellie. You can’t predict this perp’s every move.” Derrick pressed his warm hand over hers. “We’re a team. All we can do is follow the clues.”
Ellie heard him but silently chastised herself as she sped toward the college. Halfway there an idea struck her. “That’s it… We’re a team. These crimes aren’t being committed by just one person. There have to be at least two perps working together.”
“That’s possible,” Derrick agreed.
Ellie digested that, her mind shifting pieces of the puzzle into one that made sense. According to what they knew, there had been three guys in what some claimed to have been a cult. Dr. Dansen had provided names and claimed the young men were possibly dangerous. Frank Wahlburg, whereabouts unknown. Professor Roland Pockley, who worked at the college. Reuben Waycross, dead and a suspect in Amy Dean’s murder.
Then there was Dominique Radcliff who may have been part of it or an inspiration to the others because they’d studied his case.
“You know Coolidge could have been part of the group,” Ellie said. “If not, and he’s just some pervy peeping Tom, his cameras might have caught something that could help us.”
“Excellent idea,” Derrick said. “I’ll call Bennett and have him collect all the footage from Coolidge’s cameras over the years and review it.”
For the first time in days, hope sparked that they might have just caught a lead.
He made the call as she drove through campus. Decorations and twinkling lights adorned Memorial Hall where a sign out front announced a cocktail party for the alumni.
She pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine, rolling her shoulders to alleviate the tension. Deputies Eastwood and Landrum were already on the scene, along with Sheriff Waters and two of his deputies, working to keep the attendees from leaving.
“We’ve tried to contain the guests, but some left before the call came in,” the sheriff said as soon as she and Derrick approached him. “My deputies are already canvassing the guests for witnesses and taking statements.”
“Who called it in?” Ellie asked.
“Girl talking to Deputy Eastwood.”
“Thanks, Sheriff,” Ellie said. “Will check in later.”
Inside, she found Shondra consoling a petite redhead. She and the deputy traded an understanding look as Ellie joined them, and Derrick went to look around. She guessed there were about a hundred and fifty attendees, all growing restless and anxious about the police presence, their celebration dampened by a possible abduction of two of their own.
“This was supposed to be a fun night,” the girl was saying to Shondra. “Everyone was so excited to see each other again.”
Shondra rubbed the young woman’s back. “I know, and you’re doing great, Dodie. Thank you for calling. We want to find your friends.”
Ellie introduced herself. “Tell me what happened.”
