Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) (11 page)

Lisa’s hands and feet were bound to the pole above her head. A wire collar was secured around her throat and attached to a leash bolted to the table. The wire dug into her skin when she moved.

A yellow light bulb dangling from the ceiling left shadows in the corners of her musty, windowless prison and hid the monster hovering nearby. She’d given up fighting when Monster Man first choked her into unconsciousness.

When she regained her senses, the monster was doing gross things to her that hurt. 
Please, God, stop him.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. A hand came toward her and she flinched.

He squeezed her shoulder.

His touch made her cry harder. She wanted to go to sleep, wake up at home, and hear Teagan calling her to get up for school. Please, God, wake me anywhere but here.

Her tormenter’s face never moved or showed emotion, but those cold eyes peered at her with an icy gleam of excitement when she begged or sobbed. She hated them the most.

Fingers came around her neck and squeezed. Not again. She gasped for breath.
“
Won’t fight.”

The grip eased. The monster’s hands groped her breast.

She shot a glance at the small door on the reverse side of the bookcase full of tools. Tools that weren’t used for work. Her coffin, the hollowed-out space in the earth, was behind the shelves.

When finished, the monster would shut her away in her tomb, in the blackness. She’d go crazy, if she didn’t die first. “Don’t put me back in—” She blurted out the words and felt the monster’s energy rising. Fear rose from her chest and blocked the rest of her begging.

The fingers threaded through her hair yanked. She gasped in pain.

Tears rolled down into her mouth. “I want to go home. I’ll never tell what happened. I’ll say I was lost. Please. I won’t tell.”

The monster stared at her.

“I promise. Just let me go home. I’ll tell everyone I was hurt. Couldn’t walk. Lost my phone.”

He released her and grabbed the electric prod resting against the bookcase.

Cold fear raced up her spine as he approached. Her gaze froze on the prod. Pain. More pain was coming. “I won’t whine. I’ll—”

A gleam widened those eyes, enjoying her begging, anticipating the torture. The Monster got off when she pleaded.

Scum
. She drew back her head and spit into the uglier eye on the right.

A volley of cusses and swears filled her ears before the metal touched her breast.

“N—” Pain and spasms ripped her body.

After Noah picked up Hines, they headed for Travis Bodell’s place north of the village to surprise and question their person of interest. Noah filled in his partner on Travis’ possible visit to the Raynes’ house, and Teagan and Father Matt’s denial that Travis threatened Lisa.

“No reported violence in his family either,” Hines said. “The letter in his Latin book might have been about Lisa, his father, or his mother.”

“Yeah, a shrink would agree with you. He could claim he was writing song lyrics and offer us his autograph.”

“I’d like him to offer us the truth.”

“Not likely, Hines.” Noah concentrated on driving. At this late hour, the sidewalks were empty and soon disappeared. The lake came into view as they crested the hill. 

Noah remembered the days when he was young and he and his old man waited for a full moon so they could fish at night. His father joked the moon lit up the water just for them. The scent of the damp ground merging into the water hung near the shore. On hot evenings, heat lightning would streak across the sky.

They’d sit in his dad’s boat for hours, their lines bobbing, listening to the nighttime sounds of the frogs and insects, and the swoosh of the water lapping against the rocks. Oh, and then, there was the pop of the old man’s beer tops opening.

A car puttered by at the thirty miles-per-hour speed limit, and Noah banished his childhood past. His father was gone, and the good residents of Hawick Falls were asleep in the early morning hours.

“When we find the Grant kid, want to take a day off to fish?” Hines said from the passenger seat.

“You’re on.” His friend loved the water as much as Noah did.

Hines had grown up further south in a land locked town, but he took right to the lake.

A moose emerged from the woods a few yards in front of them. Noah hit the brake. At over eight feet tall and over a thousand pounds, a collision with the bull meant serious damage to his vehicle and possibly worse for the animal. In their headlights, he threw a glance at them and then ambled across the road.

“Don’t want to run into him.” Noah watched as the moose disappeared into the woods.

“Hope he makes it through the hunting season,” Hines said. “I heard Mrs. Johnson hit a moose on Goat Hill. She was mad because the EMTs were asking her if she wanted the meat instead of asking if she was hurt.”

“Was she injured?”

“Nope.  Car was totaled along with the animal.” They headed down the hill.

“What’s your gut reaction to Teagan Raynes?” Hines asked him.

“Reaction?” He pictured Teagan’s surprised face when he’d first touched her hair, and his hunger for her grew. She was nothing like June, who waited for him to lead the way. Teagan would agree to stay put, then change her mind, and rush into the situation.

“Yeah, you know,” Hines said, interrupting Noah’s off track musings, “those gut instincts that help us wrap an investigation.”

Right, the case. He was glad the dark hid his expression while he omitted his true gut response to Teagan. “Miss Raynes is intelligent and seems genuine.” An image of Teagan attempting to pry her window up popped into his mind, the sun glinting off her dangling pendant by the open vee of her shirt, exposing a hint of what was underneath.

“What did you think of her at camp?”

Noah searched for a noncommittal answer to Hines’ question. “I barely remember her, except she wore clothes that looked like they were ordered from a catalog, not the usual cut-offs and T-shirts like the rest of the campers. I’m pretty sure we didn’t talk unless I was speaking to her group. I was a counselor, too old and too cool for her.”

“Too bad the cool part’s changed.” Hines grinned.

“In your warped opinion, but as far as the priest goes, he and Miss Raynes seem overly friendly,” Noah said, redirecting the conversation to the key persons and away from his feelings about Teagan. “She claimed they’re friends. I’m still figuring out what she means.”

“Father Matt could star in that old movie my wife watches whenever it’s on TV. What was the name?” Hines snapped his fingers. “
The Thorn Birds
. The priest fell in love with a girl who was way too young.”

“At least Raynes is not a teenager, but Father Matt is always around her. He was in her kitchen when I arrived tonight.”

“Where would he be late at night except accessible to one of his congregation who is in trouble? You sound angry over the priest’s availability, Cassidy.”

“I’m suspicious. You got to admit the Father doesn’t have the best reputation with women.” Teagan and Father Matt shared a bond that the priest used to cut others out when he was around. Was Teagan the woman in the rumors? Had he been wrong about her honesty?

“Most people were happy the priest wasn’t a pedophile.” Hines’s voice interrupted Noah’s musings.

“That’s sick.” Noah tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “And isn’t watching that movie sacrilegious, Hines? You are a Catholic, not a heathen like me.”

“I didn’t write the story. If I did, I’d be rich, and you’d miss having me for your partner. You should count your lucky stars I can’t write.”

If his partner ever had a sour moment, he recovered in seconds. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do after taking vacation.”

“Vacations are overrated. Most people spend it fighting with whoever they’re with.”

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll be sure to avoid inviting someone along.” Noah hung a left on to the road with older single-family houses. The aged structures needed fresh paint and repairs. He slowed to take in the house numbers on the mailboxes in his headlights. They were close to Bodell’s.

“Another problem with vacations, you need money,” Hines added.

“Right, cancel the cruises.”

“If you did go on a big trip, I’d expect to be invited for picture night when you got back. Why don’t you come over for supper and bore us with your time-off stories. How about next week?”

“People don’t hold picture nights anymore, Hines. I spent my vacation holed up in a mountain cabin out west. No photos. Anyway, you should have gotten right to the point.” Noah shook his head over his friend’s lame attempt to bring up the invitation. “I try to break the habit of eating while solving a major case. Tell Chelsea thanks, but I’m fine. You guys should stop worrying about me.”

The image of the dark-haired Chelsea standing on his doorstep with a casserole after June’s funeral floated into his mind. Chelsea had been the first to show up and offer sympathy when the news broke of the accident.

Through the past two years, she’d also introduced him to her single friends. He’d appreciated her efforts and gone on a few dates, but none of them eased the pain or guilt that lurked beneath the surface.

.  “My wife worries about everyone who’s alone,” Hines said, pulling Noah back into their conversation, “but I told her you had us.”

“Don’t expect me to start hugging you.”

“Save your appreciation for my wife, but I give her the hugs.”

“Give her one for me.” Noah shifted in his seat as the problems of the case returned and ate at him. “Teagan and Father Matt believe Travis sent the holy card.”

“The kid’s climbed to first spot on my person of interest list.” Hines dug up his interview notes on his phone. “Travis Bodell’s uncle, Seth Bodell, is forty-six and self-employed. He picks up construction jobs when he can. He’s worked on a number of buildings in town from the addition to Muffy’s to the Activity Center at St. Jude’s.”

“I’ve seen his partial résumé hanging on a tree by All Saints High School.”

“Me too. He’s good at marketing. He was arrested twice for drunk and disorderly. Last time was three years ago. Since then, he’s kept a low profile. He reported various relationships with women, but no permanent ones.” Hines lowered his phone. “Maybe his nephew will continue the family arrest tradition.”

“Then we’d have another happy ending.” Noah parked in front of the brown, two-story house with sagging steps. The neighborhood was known as lodging for those unable to afford the upper and middle-class village home prices. Every few years, a flat lander who planned to make big bucks through criminal activities moved into the area and was surprised when a uniform knocked on his door with an arrest warrant for illegal drugs. They assumed the Hawick Police Force couldn’t tell the difference between a tomato and a marijuana plant.

“I bet Seth will be happy when we wake him.” Hines jumped out of the vehicle.

“Yeah, if he suffers narcolepsy.”

They strode up the chipped brick walkway, rang the bell, and waited. In the dark, the moon shone over them, and their shadows stretched toward the two trees in the front yard.

Noah banged on the entry. “Mr. Bodell, it’s Detectives Cassidy and Hines.”

Hines turned to Noah. “I’ll go to the rear and—” The sound of footsteps, and the sliding of a chain cut him off. An outside light snapped on overhead. The door cracked open an inch, and the barrel of a rifle appeared in the aperture.

“What is it?” a threatening voice yelled.

Noah’s hand went to the butt of his firearm under his jacket, and he fought the itch to shoot out the spotlight on them.

“Seth Bodell, I’m Detective Hines. We met before at the station, and this is Detective Cassidy. We need to speak to Travis. Can you put your weapon down, Mr. Bodell and get him? We’ve come to talk.”

A bulky man with the shadow of a beard opened the door wider and shot them suspicious looks. He wore a gray T-shirt and plaid drawstring pants.

From his physical appearance, he’d be perfect to play an angry Paul Bunyan in a movie. Some women might fall for his woodsman profile.

“Kinda late to talk. Why are you here?”

Hines held up his hands. “We spoke when Lisa Grant first went missing. We’re on police business. If you give us a chance, we can show our badges.”

Seth lowered his rifle. “Don’t bother. I recognize you.” His gaze lingered on Noah and his eyes narrowed.

“Mr. Bodell. Mr. Bodell,” Hines raised his voice to gain the man’s attention. “We need to speak to your nephew.”

“What do you want to pin on Travis now? Am I goin’ have to call my lawyer to get you to stop botherin’ me? It’s the middle of the night, for cripe’s sake.”

“We’ve a few questions for Travis.” Hines shifted to look over Seth’s shoulder into the house, but the man angled his body in front of the detective and blocked his view.

“Well, you came for nothin’. Travis is gone, and I don’t know where or when he’ll be back. I’ve nothin’ more to say about the girl. You shouldn’t be bangin’ on doors at night. Show respect for people who need their sleep to work hard.”

“Yeah, life on the force is a snooze,” Noah answered. “When was the last time you spoke to your nephew?” Would the guy alibi Travis or let him hang?

Seth shot Noah a venomous glance. “How would I remember? I don’t wear a watch or keep track of when we talk. Might have been breakfast yesterday.”

“You’re his uncle, and you’re not worried about what he’s doing at two in the morning?”

“I can’t chain him to his bed. He sneaks out when I’m working. There’s not much I can do.”

“It’s important we meet with him,” Hines said.

“The cops already spoke to him plenty. Besides, Travis broke up with that girl before she disappeared. They broke up a month ago. I told you this before.”

“That’s strange,” Noah said, “because two students reported them together at the mall food court the last afternoon she was seen.”

“Must have been someone else,” Seth snarled.

“We need your help,” Hines said. “Lisa Grant’s been missing for almost three days.”