A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Mystery 12) (7 page)

I wanted to take this girl by the shoulders and tell her the honest and dirty truth. That Dr. Wheeler didn’t give a shit about her. He was just a middle-aged man who had a closet fetish for young girls. “But that still doesn’t make it right.”

She looked up at me with worry lines on her forehead. “What am I supposed to do?”

“First, your parents need to know. They need to go with you to the police to file a report.”

“I don’t want them to know about this. Why do I have to tell them?”

“Because they are your parents,” I said. “They have a right to know.”

“… but I know them. They’ll just get pissed and blame me for all of this.”

“Rita will go with you to tell your parents. You will not go through this alone, I promise.”

“They didn’t even come home last night. I have no idea where they are.” Allison turned to Rita and pointed a rigid finger in her direction. “I trusted you not to tell anyone. I wish I never told you.”

Rita looked like she was going to cry but she held her chin up. “I care about you, Allison. I thought I was doing the right thing. Please let us help you.”

I cleared my throat to get the girl’s attention back to me. “Before you get upset with Rita, let me tell you what she did for you, Allison. She put herself at great risk to help us gather evidence against Dr. Wheeler. So, I think you should be thanking her. Most people would not have done that. Now, I know you might feel betrayed but, once you are able to step back and look at this objectively, you’ll appreciate the sacrifice Rita had made to help you.”

Allison’s pouty face gradually started to dissolve. She lowered her head again.

“Look,” I told her. “I should probably tell you, Dr. Wheeler posted your pictures online to share with some of his friends.”

She jerked her head up, her eyes burning with fury. “What? He showed them to other people?”

“I’m afraid so. Don’t you see? This is what guys like Dr. Wheeler do. They take what they want, and don’t care about the consequences. He doesn’t care about your feelings.”

Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed in anger. “But he told me he wouldn’t show them to anyone else. He said I could trust him.”

“Yes, I’m sure he did. But he lied to you.” It killed me to see this girl hurting, but I figured she had a right to know the truth. It would sting now, but later on, she would be wiser and less gullible. Hopefully, this experience would ultimately be a valuable lesson for the rest of her life. “Allison, we have enough evidence to get him, as long as you’re willing to do your part. Will you agree to tell the police what happened?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at her knees. She was shaking slightly as she tried to blink away the tears. When she looked up at me, her expression was strained. “Fine,” she said, resolutely. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I think maybe I
do
want him to go to jail.”

Chapter 16

When Allison left the office, Rita tried contacting the parents but the home phone number was out of service.

“Damn it!” Rita fumed. “I swear, I just want to pull my hair out sometimes. I bet Allison’s parents forgot to pay the damn phone bill again. I don’t even have any cell phone numbers in her file, not that that would make any difference.”

“Do you know where they work?” I asked, trying to be helpful.

“The dad does odd jobs here and there as a carpenter but he hurt his back a few months ago. The mother was working as a cashier at a gas station, but I think she was laid off. I guess I’ll just have to go to the house and talk to them. Not looking forward to that.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go alone. Carter and I will go with you, if you want.”

Rita rubbed her forehead like she was tired and irritable. “That might not be a bad idea. Who knows how they’ll respond to this situation? They could be calm about it, or they could go nuts.”

“When do you want to go?”

She checked her watch and frowned. “Allison’s last period is a study hall so she could leave school early. We’ll drive straight to her house and try to talk to her folks, if they’re around.”

“What if they are not around?” I asked. “Do we have to wait until we have their approval or something? I don’t really know how these things work.”

Reece nodded. “That would be preferable. Last thing I need is to give anyone a reason to take me to court but, if they’re not around or they’re tripping out on drugs, then I’ll just have to assume responsibility for Allison’s safety and wellbeing.” Rita looked at me with wide eyes, like an idea had just popped into her head. “If I gave you the address, could you and Carter go over there now and check on them? If they’re not home, maybe you can ask around and find out where they are.”

“Sure, we can do that.”

When I returned to the Buick where Carter was waiting, he asked, “How’d things go with Allison?”

I explained the situation. “I think I was able to convince her to file a report with the police against Dr. Wheeler but there’s one thing that might trip us up. Rita insists on telling her parents. Problem is, Allison says her parents didn’t come home last night. We need to locate them.”

I handed Carter the address and he plugged it into his GPS. “What kind of parents would leave their fourteen year old daughter home alone all night?”

“According to Rita, they have drug and alcohol problems. They probably went to a friend’s house last night, got drunk and spent the night. It’s almost noon so they might be home by now.”

Allison lived in a trailer park called Morningside Resort. It certainly didn’t look like any kind of resort to me. Maybe a last resort, if this was the only place left on earth to live. Not that I have anything against trailer parks. My best friend in high school lived in a very nice trailer park, a place I’d spent much of my time. We’d hang out at the community park, flirting with other boy’s our age who also lived there. Morningside Resort had a playground, too, but the swing set looked rusty and dilapidated, the ground overgrown with weeds.

Allison’s trailer was located directly across the street from this unsightly playground. There were no cars parked in the driveway and nobody came to the door after we knocked several times.

“Either no one is home,” I said. “Or her parents are passed out cold.”

Carter tried the doorknob. “It’s locked, but it’s a cheap door. I bet I could kick it in.”

“That’s probably not the best idea,” I said, giving him a look of admonishment. “Can you see through that window?”

He craned his neck to the left and peered inside. “I can’t see a thing, the glass is so filthy.”

Carter tried the door and it opened freely. “Look at this. Lucky break.”

As he entered the trailer, I noticed a man walking his dog, headed in our direction.

“Ma’am,” he called out to me. “Are you looking for Tom and Nancy?”

“Yes,” I replied, turning to face him. “Do you know them?”

As the man and his little poodle came closer, I got the sense that he wasn’t surprised that I was asking questions. “Yeah, I know ‘em. I live next door.” He gestured to the trailer to the right of Allison’s. “Let me guess, you guys are from child services.”

I didn’t answer that question. I figured I’d let him think that was true. “Any idea where they might be?” I asked.

“They have a pretty busy social calendar.” His tone was laced with sarcasm as he chuckled. “What have they done this time?”

“We need to talk to them about their daughter.”

The guy nodded in understanding. “Allison. Nice girl.”

“That’s right. You know her pretty well?”

He shrugged. “I talk to her every now and then but she never says much. I feel badly for her.”

“Do her parents often go off and leave her alone?” I asked.

“Sometimes, but usually not longer than a day or two. Quite honestly, I don’t know why you people won’t just remove her from their custody. She doesn’t need that kind of influence in her life.”

“Are they abusive?” I asked.

“Well, I’ve never seen them hit the girl, but I hear them shouting at her all the time. If you want my opinion, the girl would rather have them gone as much as possible.”

“Do you know if Allison has other family members who live close by?”

“Not that I’ve seen, although, I think she might have a boyfriend. He obviously doesn’t live in this part of town because he drives a BMW.”

“A BMW?” I took a moment to consider that. Reece never mentioned anything to me about her having a boyfriend. “He must be at least a few years older than her if he has his license. What’s he look like?”

“Didn’t get a good look at his face because he never gets out of his car. He picks her up and they go somewhere else for an hour or so and then he drops her back home.”

“How often does this happen?”

“A few times that I’ve noticed. Usually when her parents are gone he’ll come.”

“You didn’t by chance write down his license plate number?”

“No. I guess I didn’t because she always gets home safe and sound. But the next time he comes, I’ll write it down if I’m here.”

I reached into my purse and handed my business card. Since he was being such a good sport I decided to come clean. “My name is Sarah Woods and I’m a private investigator. I don’t actually work with social services, but I have a vested interest in Allison’s well-being. Could you call me when her parents get home? I’d really appreciate it.”

He examined the card with interest. “Sure, I could do that.” He offered his hand. “I’m Jake Dodds, by the way.”

I shook his hand with a firm grip. “Thanks for your help, Jake.”

When Carter emerged and returned to the Buick, he shook his head in disgust. “The place is a dump.”

“Any clue as to where they are?” I asked.

“No. But I’m telling you, no kid should have to live like that. There were some used hypodermic needles on their bedroom floor. I took a peek in Allison’s room but I didn’t want to invade her privacy so I didn’t go in.” Carter nodded toward the trailer on the left. “I noticed you were talking to the neighbor. Did he have anything interesting to say?”

“Well, he doesn’t know where Allison’s parents are, but he did mention something else. Apparently, she has a male visitor who picks her up when her parents aren’t home. He drives a BMW.”

“Could it be a boyfriend?” Carter asked.

“Allison told me this morning that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. So whoever this kid is, she wants to keep him a secret.”

“Maybe he’s not a kid at all but a grown man with a fetish for young girls.”

I was thinking the same exact thing.

Chapter 17

As Carter sped through town to Dr. Wheeler’s office, I called Rita.

“Did you find Allison’s parents?” she asked, not bothering with a hello.

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “They weren’t at home and we have no idea where they could be. Carter found some hypodermic needles laying around the trailer.”

“Dear God,” she said. “They obviously haven’t made any efforts to change. I’m going to call Emma, she’s the caseworker from child services. She’ll be very interested to know.”

“If you want my advice, I’d take Allison to the police directly after school today to file the report against Dr. Wheeler. No point in waiting for her parents to come home.”

“I agree. I’ve already got it set up. Allison will meet me here as soon as she leaves class which is in fifteen minutes or so. Then I’ll drive her to the police station myself.”

“Which brings me to the next topic. You’re not going to like it.”

Rita paused and when she spoke, her voice was tentative. “What is it?”

“When I spoke with Allison’s neighbor, he told me about this BMW that shows up whenever her parents are away. Allison leaves with the person and then he drops her off back home an hour or two later. We looked up Dr. Wheeler’s registration and he owns a dark blue BMW. It has to be him. Who else would she know who drives a BMW?”

Since Rita didn’t respond, I could only assume she was in shock.

“Look,” I said. “Carter and I are heading to Dr. Wheeler’s office right now.  Obviously this guy has been doing a lot more than just taking pictures of Allison. And I think she’s too scared to tell anyone the extent of it.”

“What are you planning to do?” she asked.

“Shake things up a little. By the time we get there, you and Allison will be at the police station. I want to see this guy face to face and see him squirm.”

Dr. Wheeler’s office was located on the second floor of a duplex building that he shared with an accountant and a chiropractor. Glancing around the parking lot, I spied the BMW. “At least we know he’s here. What exactly do we plan on doing, now?”

“Let me do the talking and just go with it.” Carter offered me a sly smile. “I have an idea. And it’s going to be fun.”

As we ascended the first set of stairs and came upon Dr. Wheeler’s office, we spotted a woman seated at the reception desk. She looked familiar to me and I realized where I’d seen her.

“That’s Dr. Wheeler’s wife,” I whispered to Carter. “His wife is also his secretary.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m positive.”

“Shit, that puts a damper on my strategy.” Carter continued to walk up to the desk and offered the woman a warm smile. “Hello, Ma’am. We’re investigators working with the Fitch Police Department. We’d like to ask Dr. Wheeler a few questions.”

She looked up, returned his smile, and gestured toward the door to her right. “What this about?”

“It has to do with one of his patients and social services,” Carter replied. “It will only take a few minutes. Is he available?”

The woman regarded us with confusion. “Well, um, he’s in his office, but he’s got another patient coming in in twenty minutes.”

“We should be out of your hair by then.” Carter gestured toward the door that she kept glancing at. “That’s his office, I presume?”

She nodded but said nothing more.

Carter knocked and a male voice said, come in. We entered his office to find him hovered over a plant, spritzing the green leaves with a spray bottle. He wore dark trousers and a white button down shirt under a wool cardigan sweater.  He was tall and lean and, in his preppy attire, he reminded me of Mr. Rogers from
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
, my favorite children’s TV show when I was growing up.  At the sound of our footsteps, he stood to his full height and regarded us with an inquisitive expression. “Good afternoon,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. He was probably trying to figure out if he’d seen us somewhere before and why we were there in the first place. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, sir. My name is Carter and this is my partner Sarah. We do some private investigative work for social services and we need to ask you a few questions about one of your patients. Allison Kenney. ”

His eyebrow twitched but he wore a convincing innocent expression of concern. “Has something happened to her?”

“Dr. Wheeler,” Carter continued. “We understand you’re not allowed to share certain information with us due to doctor-client confidentiality but, maybe you can help us in another way.”

“Certainly.” Dr. Wheeler offered us a seat at the couch that sat directly across from his desk. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds when I realized this looked like the same couch in Allison’s nude pictures. I sat down, kept my mouth shut, and tried to remain calm although my fists were clenched and beginning to sweat.

“Thank you.” Carter cleared his throat and retrieved his palm-sized notebook from inside his leather jacket. He took his time flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

All the while, Dr. Wheeler tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. “So, how can I help you folks?”

Carter looked up and smiled. “There’s a situation we’ve been alerted to concerning Allison. She’s confided in her guidance counselor recently about being sexually assaulted. Has Allison mentioned anything like that to you?”

Dr. Wheeler blinked hard as if in complete shock. “No. Allison never mentioned anything like that to me. Did she give a name?”

“Not yet. We believe it’s someone close to her but not her immediate family. Are you sure she hasn’t mentioned anyone to you?”

He swallowed hard and grabbed the bottle of water on his desk. He took two short sips and placed the bottle back in the same spot. “This is very disturbing news. It’s possible that Allison is simply looking for attention. Is there any proof of this sexual assault?”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “As a matter of fact yes, there is. Whoever this pervert is, he took nude photos of her and posted them on the Internet to share with his friends. Have you ever heard of a blog called
Teenager
Revealed
?”

The doctor pretended to think it over then shook his head. “Doesn’t sound familiar.”

“Well, it’s a site where men post stories about having sex with under-aged girls. It’ll make you sick. As far as we can tell, there are about six or seven guys who regularly post on the site. We’ve notified the FBI and they’re currently working on exposing the men involved. These websites are tough to crack so it might take some time. We just thought we’d stop by and ask if you knew anything about that.”

“I’m sorry, I really wish I could help.” He loosened the top two buttons of his shirt and glanced at his watch. “Look, I have a patient coming in shortly. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

“Just one more question.” Carter stood up to leave and I followed suit. “Allison’s neighbor mentioned to us that someone in a dark BMW has been to her house. We think this might be the same guy who posted her pictures on the website. Still not ringing any bells?”

Again, the innocent stare. “No.”

“That’s interesting,” Carter pointed to the window behind him. “Because I noticed a real nice BMW in the parking lot. What a weird coincidence.”

“Lots of people have BMW’s,” he said.

Carter held out his hand in a friendly manner but the good doctor didn’t move a muscle. “Great, well, I thank you for your time and your cooperation, Doctor. Sarah and I will see ourselves out.”