Evan's Addiction (62 page)

     He didn’t budge from the entryway. “What’s this about? We settled
everything with the courts yesterday.” His gaze met mine and he glowered in
recognition.

     The man had been pretty silent during the proceedings yesterday,
except for a lot of angry whispering in his son’s and lawyers ear. He either
hadn’t cared that his son was a psychopath, or was in denial.

     “We need to ask your son a few questions, Mr. Rainwright. Is he
here?” Case repeated.

     He gave us all one more glare before stepping back and yelling up
the stairs. He then stood there in the entry way with his arms folded not
appearing to want us further in his home. A long minute later Ford tripped down
the steps and my muscles bunched in preparation.

     At the sight of the cops Ford’s steps faltered and he looked
apprehensive. When his gaze landed on me antagonism joined it. “What’s going
on, dad? Why are the police here…with that asshole?”

     “Let’s try to keep this discussion civil to avoid the possibility
of escalation.” Delaney scowled. “Ford Rainwright, we need to ask you a few
questions about your day yesterday.”

     Ford sneered and waved his hand my way. “I was screwed in court by
this dick and his dick swallowing girlfriend.”

     I stiffened, wanting so badly to kill the mother-fucker. DeLaney
and Case took up a more commanding stance; spreading their legs and setting
their hands closer to their guns and tazer. I wasn’t certain if that was to
caution me or Ford.

     “Mr. Rainwright, we can do this here, or at the station if you
continue with your belligerent speech. Which do you prefer?”

     “Ford, watch your mouth and keep your answers short.” His dad
barked.

     Ford rolled his eyes and waited.

     “What did you do directly after your court proceedings yesterday?”
DeLaney asked.

     “I came home.”

     “Directly home?” He pressed.

     “Yes, he came directly home.” His dad broke in irately. “I drove
him to the courthouse and drove him straight home.”

     “Did you speak to Miss. O’Conner at any time after the court
proceedings?” DeLaney continued.

     Ford’s eyes narrowed. “No I didn’t talk to that bitch. Is she
accusing me of something else now? She’s a …”

     DeLaney interrupted him. “Did you have any contact with her
afterwards at all?”

     “No!” Ford shouted, face red in fury. “I’m not going anywhere near
that bitch ever again. I’m not going to jail because of some cheap ass
trailer…”

     Delaney broke in again. “Mr. Rainwright, can you confirm your
son’s story that he never, at any point, had any contact with Ms. O’Conner
yesterday?”

     “Yes.” His dad gave an angry jerk of his head. “I was with him the
entire time. We left the building together, walked to my car together, and
drove away together. And at no point did we encounter…that girl.” His lip
curled in antipathy.

     Assholes, both of them. It explained where Ford got it.

     “That’s all the questions we have. Thank you for your time.” The
cops turned and tilted their heads at me in a manner that said ‘go’.

    Again, I had to force my body to follow the rules. Spinning on my
heel I strode out the door and spotted Nic’s truck; he was waiting on the grass
watching us expectantly.

     “Is that it?” I asked angrily as the door slammed behind us.

     DeLaney gave me a sympathetic look. “That’s all we can do here at
the moment, but the courthouse has cameras stationed around the building and we
can go review them to confirm their story, and maybe we could also verify if
she got into a cab.”  

     “Can I go with you?” I would go crazy just sitting around waiting.

     The two cops shared a look. “Sure.” DeLaney relented with a nod.
“Before we do that try calling her again and that friend of hers.”

     I did as they directed, and got the same damn response…nothing.

     Delaney and Case got back into their squad car and I pulled in
behind them as they drove off down the road. Nic followed behind me. At the
courthouse the both of us trailed the cops through the building to the security
office where two security guards sat in front of a wall of monitors with views of
the interior and exterior of the building.

     In minutes they had images on the screen from yesterday around
four o’clock.

     “Right there.” I exclaimed loudly when I saw mom, Shaw and myself standing
together just outside the building.

    They set the picture to normal speed and we all watched as Shaw
walked away out of the camera’s view. They pulled up a different cameras feed
where she appear around the corner talking on the phone. She hung up and just
stood there. My eyes were glued to the screen, drinking her in. Her features
weren’t that cleat but I watched as her head turned in the direction she’d come
from like she was hoping to see me come after her.

     I rubbed my hand over my face in misery…I should have gone after
her. Then I watched as she wiped at her eyes, like she was crying, and my heart
constricted painfully in my chest. I knew she’d been upset.

     “She appears upset, Evan. Did you guys have an argument you’re not
telling us about?” DeLaney inquired with flatly.

     “She was upset because the judge was making me pay Ford’s medical
expenses. She thinks my assault charges are her fault. I don’t know why. I’m
the one that hit the dipshit.” My eyes stayed on the screen and I watched as a
cab pulled up. She slid in the back.  

     “What cab company is that?” I asked.

     “We’re going all out, are we?” Case drawled.

     “Do you have other plans? And there is the possibility she could
be another one.” DeLaney mumbled.

     What the hell did he mean by that?” Another one what?” I didn’t
like the expression on either of their faces.

     He exhaled a breath. “A few girls have gone missing in the last
year; young and pretty. Shaw is a little older than the other victims though,
by a couple years. The other girls were around seventeen and eighteen.” Case
explained.

     Fuckin-A! I remember hearing about that. The girls had been taken
and never heard from again; not even a body. My legs shook. “You think he got
Shaw?” I croaked.

     Both of them shook their heads. “No, no, no. We don’t know
anything yet. And like I said; she’s older than the other girls.” Case tried
smiling reassuringly.

     It didn’t help…not one ass bit. “Not by much.” I whispered.

     Nic’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s check with the
cab company.”

     Fifteen minutes later the four of us were at the cab company
talking with the dispatcher; a short, skinny, nearly bald, cranky-ass male with
a god complex.

     “Omar said he dropped that girl off at UVA’s apartment complex on State Street at four-thirty yesterday. I then directed him to a pick up at Wilson Avenue, so if something happened to her it wasn’t my guy.” He glared pointedly at all
of us.

     “Mr. Gale, we’re not saying your guy did anything. We are just
retracing her steps. Thanks for your time.” Delaney uttered as we walked out.

     I scrubbed my trembling fingers through my hair in acute,
mind-dumbing panic. “She was dropped off at the apartment building but she
didn’t make it up to her apartment. Something happened to her. Someone’s got
her. What in the hell are we going to do?”

     Oh god, Red. Where are you? Please be okay.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE

SHAW

     I groaned and tried opening my eyes. Why did they feel so heavy
and sluggish? And why was my throat so dry? And my stomach really, really hurt.

     Squinting, I peered through my slit lids, and then frowned at the
unfamiliar view came into view. It was a plain white cement wall. Who had white
cement walls? And a cot? Because I was on my side lying on one.

     A hand gently touched my shoulder. “Are you feeling sick?”

     I rolled to my back and frowned harder at the strange girl
hovering over me. She was young, really pretty, and wearing black lingerie.

     What the hell was going on?

     “Who are you?” I went to sit up but my stomach cramped and
dizziness swamped me. I pushed through it.

     She stepped back and hugged herself. “Elizabeth. What’s your
name?”

     I rubbed my eyes. “Shaw. Why are you in lingerie?”

     “Do you remember what happened to you?” She asked, ignoring my
question.

     I lowered my hand and frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

     Her expression was sad as she stared down at me. “It took me a
couple minutes to remember too.”

     The frown was hurting my face but I couldn’t seem to lose it as I
took in my surroundings. I was in a basement, a white basement I didn’t
recognize, but an additional examination showed me something way worse.

     I was in, what appeared to be, a translucent, two-inch thick gigantic
plastic box. And the box contained a cot, a toilet with a curtain for privacy,
a jug of water, and a very pretty girl in a black teddy.

     What the hell happened to me!?

     Panic was swiftly taking a hold of me. “Where am I? Who are you?
Why do I feel like I was hit by a truck?” I stood and limped around the small
area like a hunchback. Shit, my side hurt.   

     “I don’t know why you feel like a truck hit you. I only remember
feeling kind of woozy.” I could feel the girls gaze following me as she talked.
“I can’t tell you where you are because I don’t know myself. All I know is that
I woke up here weeks ago, and I’ve been stuck down here ever since. The guy who
took us…he’s one of those sex slavery guys who sells girls to the highest bidder.”

     I stared at the girl in shock, and laughed. “You can’t be serious.
They take beautiful girls, and I’m not beautiful.” I pointed to her. “You make
sense.” I pointed to my face. “I don’t.” I shook my head. “No, this isn’t
right.” 

     She frowned. “What are you talking about? You’re very pretty, and
your red hair just makes you more eye-catching.”

     My head hadn’t stopped shaking in denial…of everything. “No, this
is wrong.” I spun in a horror-filled, heart-hammering circle looking for the door.
I noticed the outline of one in the glass with a padlock on the outside. Shuffling
over I pushed at it hard over and over again. It wasn’t budging.

     “I’ve done that everyday since I’ve been here. I don’t think it’s
even loosened.” Elizabeth said desolately.

     My breath was coming out erratically as my fear escalated,
coursing through my lungs to beat against my ribcage with every shaky breath.
This whole thing had to be a nightmare. It just couldn’t be happening.

     Elizabeth took my arm and directed me back to the cot. “Come sit
down. I remember this part too, and it will pass…eventually.”

     I sat down and stared up at her with wide terrified eyes. “How can
you be so calm?”

     She sighed. “I’ve been dealing with it for weeks. It’s old news
now.” The corner of her mouth lifted but it wasn’t in a smile.

     I finally
really
looked at her. She was gorgeous; long,
honey blonde hair, full lips, creamy clear skin, and light brown eyes. She was
leagues beyond me in beauty. And she was vaguely familiar.   

     “How old are you?” I whispered.

     She sat down on the bed beside me. “Eighteen. How old are you?”

     “Twenty, almost twenty-one.” I swallowed and asked something I
really didn’t want to know but couldn’t stop my mouth from asking. “Has he
been…raping you?”

     She shook her head, eyes dark with misery. “No, he just sells us.”

     “Us?” I looked around the basement.

     “He’s kidnapped other girls and sold them. He told me he gets one
girl at a time; that’s why there’s only one box with one cot. I was surprised
when he brought you in.” Her face tensed and her eyes glassed over with tears.
“But he told me I’ve been sold so I won’t be here much longer.”

     “Oh my, god.” Without thought I reached out and wrapped my arms
around her. She squeezed me back tightly, and I could feel the both of us
trembling against each other.

     She had to be so scared. I was scared. Sobs began to shake her
chest and I held it together so she could fall apart. She’d been here so much
longer than me…weeks. Oh god.

     Her sobs ebbed after a few minutes and I asked. “Is that why he
has you in lingerie?”

     Elizabeth pulled back wiping at her red, watering eyes. “No. I’ve
been in this crap from the beginning. There’s a camera on the wall.” Her eyes
flickered up and I followed it to see that there was indeed a camera on the
wall. “And he videos us all the time. The videos are sent out over his
computer…” I followed her gaze again. “To prospective buyers.” Her mouth
twisted in revulsion. “They watch us and at the end of one month the highest
bidder gets the prize.”

     I inhaled unsteadily at how disgusting, disturbing and wrong that
was. “How long have I been here?”

     “He brought you in around five last night, and now it’s nine in
the morning.” Her head inclined towards a clock on the wall.

     I looked around the sparse basement. All it contained was a small
desk with a computer. There was a door to the right of us but it was closed so
I had no idea what was behind it.

     “How do you know if it’s night or morning? There are no windows
down here.”

     “I’ve been keeping track.” Elizabeth said. “It’s one of the only
things I can really do down here.” Her gaze suddenly looked keener. “Did my
disappearance appear in the news?”