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Lacey sighed and bit her lip. “No. I don’t remember his name. He was tall, thin and pretty young. Like maybe in his mid-twenties?”
Mason pursed his lips. She’d just described fifty percent of the police force. Through various methods, he could find the guy, but it would take time. Time Bethany might not have.
Lacey’s fingers curled into fists by her side. “I know there was a scrap of material and it’s important.” She stared at Mason. “I was in Bethany’s closet a little while ago. She’s missing a shirt and a pair of jeans. They weren’t missing before that thing appeared on her bed. I think the person hid out in the closet—” her voice wobbled “—and was there when I found that…thing. The smell in the closet reminds me of…” She broke off and bit her lip.
“Who, Lacey?”
“Daniel,” she whispered. At Catelyn’s shocked look, she gave a small shrug. “I’m sorry.”
Mason rubbed his nose. “All right. Let’s just call Daniel and ask him about it.”
Although this information, along with the fact that Daniel hadn’t asked Catelyn about the white Buick, fueled his suspicions. And it hurt. And made him feel like an idiot. All this time he’d believed a lie. And Daniel had been playing him for a fool. Secretly laughing that he’d managed to come between Lacey and Mason.
But why?
Because he’d wanted her for himself. How could he have been so blind? A memory surfaced. Specifically, Daniel’s comments about Mason being a lucky guy to have a girl like Lacey. One time, Lacey had been cheering at a football game. Mason had caught Daniel watching her so closely that it made Mason uncomfortable. He’d asked, “You got something you need to tell me?”
Daniel had jerked and said, “No, why?”
“Because you’re eyeing Lacey like a lion on a hunt.”
Daniel had simply peered at him through narrowed eyes, then shrugged. “Just thinking how you always seem to get what you want. I’m not sure I think that’s fair.”
Mason had laughed. “Yeah, I know. Maybe one day ya’ll grow up to be like me.”
Mason blinked as the memory zipped through him at warp speed. And he knew.
Cold, hard certainty settled like a rock in the pit of his stomach as he pulled his phone from the clip. Daniel was behind all this.
“But what about the piece of material? It could have been the scarf. In fact, the more I think about it the more I’m sure it is. Definitely a scarf,” Lacey said.
He frowned and his finger hesitated above the button that would send the call. “The material you think Daniel hid?”
“Yes.” She flushed but didn’t back down. “Who could it belong to? The woman who helped Bethany?” She sucked in a breath as a horrible thought hit her. “If he’s the one who has Bethany, that scarf—or whatever it was—could lead him to the woman who helped her! No wonder he hid it. He wants to be the one to find her so he can silence her for good!”
Doubtful, but… “Possibly.”
Catelyn spoke up. “I checked all the hospitals. No one reported seeing anyone by Bethany’s description being brought in.”
Mason nodded. “And we didn’t get a good description of the woman who supposedly helped Bethany. All right,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Let’s track down Daniel and question him.” He punched Daniel’s number in his cell phone and waited.
Nothing.
He looked at Catelyn. “You have any idea why he wouldn’t be answering his cell?”
Catelyn looked uneasy. “No. I don’t like that. You know as well as I do, an on-duty cop is always a phone call away. He should be answering.”
“Sometimes he forgets to turn it on Ring, remember?” Lacey reminded them. “Janice fussed at him about it a couple of days ago.”
“Right. Then I suppose we can drive around until we spot him.”
“We’ll try him on his car radio, too,” Catelyn suggested.
“Put out over the air that we’re looking for him and would he please call in.”
“Good.” Mason looked at Lacey. “You sit tight and wait here.”
“But…”
