Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) (17 page)

“The blaze is close.” Noah pointed to the south end of the village where smoke billowed into the air. His phone buzzed. He paced a few yards from her and answered. She fought the urge to join him. She didn’t want him to leave her side. Her craving for him still hummed in her blood.

Don’t think about the kiss.
Teagan focused on the gathering of town people, media, and police. The flames of the candles illuminated people’s features with an eerie glow. Nowhere did she find a face that matched Lisa or her mother’s.

Seth was gone, but in the middle of the mass stood Jake Clark. He was staring at the street along with many of the others, following the engines until their taillights vanished.

Even from the distance of fifty feet, she recognized the apprehension in his stiff body when he turned and their gazes met. He whirled around to the sidewalk and worked his way through the mass of people to exit.

Noah pocketed his phone and returned. “We need to go. Where’s your car?”

“I parked in the rear lot. Noah, Jake is out there. Did you want to speak to him?”

“I do. Where is he?” He snapped his attention to the pack of people.

“He headed away from the vigil.” She pointed in the direction. “He’s probably gone.

Seth was out there, too, wearing his usual scowl.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you an escort. Wait a second.” He ran down the church steps to his men standing at the bottom.

On the stage, the FBI consultant was discussing the five-mile radius that had been searched and asking for any tip, large or small. Teagan ducked inside the church and grabbed her purse. She paused to stare at the center of the aisle where she and Noah had kissed. One moment gone forever. She hurried back to him.

“Let’s go, and stay beside me.” He turned on his heel.

“I want to tell you something.” She caught his wrist and dropped it when he faced her with a question in his eyes.

“Someone sent me a text when I was stuck in the basement.” She dug out her phone and scrolled to the message.

Noah looked over her shoulder at the screen. “Latin again? Did you figure it out?”

“I think it says ‘I have the body’.” 

“Right, that’s the literal translation. The phrase has a legal meaning too, but if it’s a threat, I’d go with your interpretation.”

“I guess the texter wanted to make sure I was able to translate it.”

Noah’s phone buzzed. She started to move away to give him privacy, but he hooked his arm around her waist and tugged her to his side. Surprised, she glanced up at him. He was listening to the caller and not paying attention to her.

He hung up and released her. “
I’ll
drive you home.”

“I don’t want to leave my car here.” The idea of being stranded filled her with another fear.

“Hand over your keys, and I’ll assign an officer to bring your vehicle to your house.”

The pressure of his hand on her arm alerted her he wouldn’t stand around discussing it. She passed him the key ring.

“Come with me.” He steered her inside the church and to the exit at the other end of the building, where they exited.

Father Matt’s closing prayer carried over the bent heads of the gathering. The odor of ashes and soot choked the night sky.

Noah paused. “Where’s your car?”

A mass of vehicles parked at odd angles filled the rear parking lot. Anyone could hide behind an auto, or truck, spring out, and attack her. Teagan’s teeth began to chatter with stress. She pressed her lips together and pointed toward her hybrid a few feet away.

Noah spoke to an officer, who suddenly appeared, and passed him her key along with her address. Noah guided Teagan to his vehicle parked behind the stage. He opened the passenger door, and she slid inside.

In the closed quarters, the smell of smoke clung to her clothing and to her hair. She angled her head to glimpse the dark cloud rising skyward. The woods below the mountains must be burning.

Noah climbed into the driver’s seat. He gripped the steering wheel in a white-knuckle clench. They rode in silence until they reached her house, where he parked in her driveway.  He shifted and looked beyond her out her window. “Teagan, remember the dogs tracked both Kara and Lisa into Pretty Park? Our new theory is that someone is hunting girls at the park.”

Teagan focused her attention on the shadow of the smoke spiraling past the mountains. The rest of his words became lost as fear grew in her mind.

The gray cloud billowed higher and higher and disappeared into the heavens, but not before they marked the spot. The woods at Pretty Park were on fire. Was the clue to bringing Lisa home going up in smoke?

Noah escorted Teagan into her home. “I have to go to the fire. I’ll need your cell before I leave. The techies will work on tracing your last call.”

He held up his hand when she started to protest. “We’ll pick up another one when I get back.”

“Never mind. I’ll use Aunt Sophia’s phone.” Hers was still in service. “I’ll give you her number.” She plugged her aunt’s digits into his cell when he passed it to her. “When will you return mine?” Not that she was up for chatting or texting, but what if a miracle happened and Lisa called her phone? At least the tap was still on her phone and all calls recorded.

“Depends on backlog at the lab, but we’ll hope for forty-eight hours.”

Jogger appeared in the hall and meowed at them until Teagan bent and patted the cat. “You’ll keep me company, right?”

“I’m not reassured.” Noah muttered. “Remember, no one enters.” He reached for the doorknob and hesitated.

“What is it?” Had he more to report?

“I’ll check the house first.”

“I’m starting to feel OCD about my locks.” 

“You can never be too careful. I’ll do a walkthrough. Wait until I’m finished to enter.” He marched into the living room.

She turned her attention to the outside and the stray ashes that blew her way. The longer she watched the smoke, the more her anxiety built.

“All clear,” he said, coming back into the hall.

“Noah, if the dogs found traces of Lisa at the park, she might have gone back to hide in the woods.” Teagan rubbed her arms that were chilled and whispered, “I pray she’s safe and not in the area that’s burning. Please, go look for her.”

“I’m sorry, Teagan, but there’s no guarantee Lisa is still at the park. The dogs didn’t track her returning.”

“I understand, but we have to investigate every possibility.”

“You sound like a detective.” He pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that seared her lips. “Don’t go anywhere.”

She stood savoring the moment, watching him leave. Should she pinch herself? After years of dreaming about Noah Cassidy, he was with her, kissing and touching her. But were his feelings for her genuine? People reacted strangely during periods of high emotion, and his job had to be stressful, and what about Stacey’s story about his temper? How well did she know him?

She pictured Aunt Sophia’s disapproving face.
Focus on Lisa, not a temporary crush.

Teagan sat on the sofa and removed her .38 Special from her purse. She laid it on the coffee table within reach. Now all she needed was her car.

She jumped up and crossed to the hall and swung the door open. The odor of thick smoke greeted her. How bad was the blaze?

A picture of Lisa surrounded by a wall of flames sprang to life in Teagan’s mind. She spun around and ran to the TV. Grabbing the remote, she clicked the on button.

The local newscaster was reading from the prompter. “A five-alarm fire is currently destroying the woods in the south end of Pretty Park. At this time, no injuries are reported, but the firefighters are still attempting to contain the inferno. This section of the recreational area is popular with joggers, walkers, and nature lovers.”

Once the bulletin was over, she muted the sound and put on the shopping channel. The familiar blonde hostess was pitching a tea pot that fit over a mug and allowed the steaming water to drain into the cup through a bottom sieve.

Teagan glanced out the window to the street. Where was her car? “You can’t even trust the police to deliver on time.”

Restless, she found Aunt Sophia’s phone in her bedroom and plugged it in downstairs before she pushed the power button. An alert popped up on the screen that she had ten messages. This was how your life ended, a bunch of unanswered emails on your cell.

Don’t let this be Lisa’s ending, too. She hit Matt’s number, and he answered immediately.

“Teagan, are you using your aunt’s phone? Her ID came up on mine.”

“I needed a temporary replacement.”

“Where are you? Stacey told me you left the vigil with the detective.”

“I’m safe at home. Matt, Pretty Park’s on fire and Lisa was there before she disappeared.”

“What do you mean? She went to the park the morning she vanished?”

“I don’t know the time she disappeared.” Teagan looked out the front window. No signs of her vehicle. “The search dogs followed Lisa’s scent to and out of the park. Then they lost it.”

Headlights emerged from the dark. The driver slowed as he approached. Her car!

“Matt, I’ve got to go. Thank you for your help tonight.”

“Take care, Teagan. I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks.” She dropped the phone on the cushion, headed to her entryway, and stepped onto the step.

As the vehicle drew near, her spirits sank. It wasn’t hers. An unfamiliar blue compact slowed and turned into her drive.

Teagan fought the urge to duck back inside. What if it was an officer with news of Lisa? Her hand tightened on the knob.

A man climbed out of the auto as the light above the garage flashed on and spotlighted her visitor. It was Vic Taylor. 

He halted by her walkway. “Miss Raynes? It’s me, Kara Linn’s uncle.”

“I remember you.” He probably hoped for an interview. “I don’t have any updates for the press.”

“I understand. If you’d give me a few minutes to talk on a personal level, I’d be grateful.” He started toward her and paused. “Is the detective inside?”

“Detective Cassidy? No. If you want to join me for another vigil, contact Father Matt at the church.”

“I want to fill you in on what I know about my niece, Kara. It might help with your search for Lisa Grant and forgive me for coming to your house. I looked up your address since I wondered if Lisa lived in the same neighborhood as Kara.” He moved closer when she didn’t object.

A small wave of excitement rushed through her until her suspicious side kicked in. “Have you shared what you learned with the police?”

He walked to the steps. “I have, but a fresh pair of eyes and ears often sees and hears what others don’t.”

Stay locked inside
, Noah’s voice reminded her.

“Miss Raynes, you’ll find it interesting. I promise.”

The memory of his sad face at the vigil rolled into her thoughts and ended her indecision. She stepped forward. But what if she was wrong and the guy was her invisible stalker? “You can tell me here. I’m expecting an officer to arrive any second with my car.”

“I won’t take long.” He glanced at the debris floating in the air and wiped his perspiring face with a handkerchief. 

He looked like he could use a cool drink. 
Don’t trust anyone, even harmless looking people.
She tossed the idea aside.

“If you’re uneasy, we can talk under the light.” He eased down onto the top step and blotted the sweat on his forehead. “Excuse me, I need to sit. Tonight took a lot out of me. I imagine you, too.” He fisted his hand around his handkerchief.” You can watch for the police while I talk.”

She nodded, but kept two feet between them. He gave her a smile that she didn’t feel comfortable returning.

“I’d hoped to speak to you earlier, but Detective Cassidy was playing offensive lineman. Then I drove to the park, but the police have blocked access within half a mile.”

“What did you find out?” The sooner he told her, the sooner he’d leave.

“First, thanks for seeing me. I know how tough it is. Each morning you pray for the strength to make it through the day. At the end of the day, you pray to make it through the night.”

He said the right words. “Do you have an idea where Kara is, Mr. Taylor?”

“I’ve been conducting my own investigation. My niece has been gone for three months. During that time, I’ve pulled up the background of every missing girl and sex pedophile in the six-oh-three area code. I can recite them for you.”

“No need.” His rambling and odd expressions made her nervous. Never mind Noah’s last warning that a predator was hunting girls in the park added to her jitters. “And you discovered what?”

“I didn’t learn much on the Internet. Instead, I started spending hours at the park since she was last seen there walking her dog. I watched traffic, wrote down the plates of vehicles that visited frequently. Most of the cars I’ve ruled out. I’ve ascertained, however, there’s a bunch of high school kids who hang out in the woods and fancy themselves as a group of Robin Hoods.”

Now he was onto something. “I’ve heard of them. Lisa could be hiding with them.”

“My belief is the same. Kara might have joined them. She had an unrealistic romantic idea about life. I’m afraid she was meeting a boy at Pretty Park when she disappeared. Maybe he was part of the group. The cops claimed they questioned her friends and searched her electronics. No signs of a boyfriend surfaced.” Behind his thick lenses, Taylor’s eyes widened. “What about Lisa?  Did she have a boyfriend who might be in the band?”

“Travis didn’t belong to any group, but search dogs tracked Lisa into Pretty Park. I’m hoping she’s holed up in the vicinity, possibly with her boyfriend. I’d grounded her for a week before her disappearance. Lisa might be trying to punish me by not coming home.” Would she ever return? Had the worst already happened to her? An unexpected wave of grief hit Teagan. She turned her face away and blinked back the tears.

Vic rose and put his arms around her, holding in her a tight embrace that cut off her breath. “I’m sorry.” Strong cologne similar to the kind worn by grandfathers floated around him.