Never Look Back (7 page)

They shook hands.

“Nice to meet you. You were able to get a hold of my father?”

“Yeah, I assume you know he’s in Costa Rica —“

“Right.” Rob leaned one foot to the wall. His father was busy with his new wife trotting the globe. He scrutinized the lawyer from head to toe. “And how many cases have you handled?”

Straightening his shoulders, Stanley grinned. “Don’t be fooled by my looks. Your father works with the best lawyers." He led Rob inside his office. “Let’s discuss more inside.”

Stanley circled around his desk and plopped himself on the chair.

Rob sat across him, glancing at color-coded folders, noticing how his desk was polished like his shoes.

Stanley smirked. “I know, I know. I suffer from OCD, but take my condition to your advantage since I will ensure I produce quality work with the investigation.”

"I trust my father, and I know you won't let me down.”

“Thank you. Anyway, here’s what I gathered.” He handed folders to Rob. “There have been five reported missing women in Manhattan during the past year. Dana is the fifth one and Stacy the sixth.”

Rob breezed through the documents. “How do we know they’re related to Dana’s case?”

“The women are all between twenty-eight and twenty-nine years old except for Stacy.”

Rob paused. “Wait a minute. Dana just turned thirty.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, December fifteen.”

“Hmm.” Stanley grabbed his red pen and marked his notes.

“And what does this have to do with Stacy? I assume she’s much younger than these women.”

Stanley leaned forward. “That’s what I need to investigate. The judge granted a search warrant, and they didn’t find anything suspicious at her parent’s house. They’re simple Russian immigrants who speak very little English.”

Rob stomped his feet. “They’re hiding something. I can feel it. Did you check the café?”

“Rob, I have to warn you to be careful. You can’t assume anything based on feelings. Right now, the media is pinning you down and you have to maintain a low profile.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“I hate to say this, but I believe it would be best that you don't stay at your loft. I can set you up at a motel in Brooklyn.”

“What about my projects?”

“It will only be temporary. And don’t do anything stupid.”

***

FBI Agents Felicia and Kerry sat on the benches across Central park, each chewing a hot dog. Kerry watched tourists, joggers and executives passing through the park.

“Something tells me this kidnapping is personal. Six attractive blonds. What do you make out of that?” Felicia asked.

"One Puerto Rican." He wiped mustard from his lips. “Tell me what your theory is.”

“The person doesn’t seem like he picked this women at random. The perpetrator must have studied every move, their routines, where they go. I think the Puerto Rican lady was to divert our attention from the criminal's patterns. My hunch tells me that this criminal doesn't work alone.”

“Possible.”

“The only thing that puzzles me is that Dana Simmons turned thirty recently. Why didn’t her captor take her before then?”

Kerry faced her. “You have a point there. Detective Schultz informed me that her friend Rob said her father just died.”

“Ah.” Felicia gave a sharp jerk of a nod. “Do you think that guy Rob has anything to do with this?”

Kerry pursed his lips. “I don’t know. He knew both Dana and Stacy.”

She threw a pebble on the ground. “I believe Rob has nothing to do with their case. He came to the police to find his friend, and when they shrugged him off, he sought answers for himself, which led to Stacy’s disappearance.”

“But that could be his cover up.”

“He might have a list of women who have modeled for him and that should give us clues in case this person targets another woman again.”

“Felicia, tell me again why I need you?”

She poked him. “Wake up. We’ve got work to do.”

Muffled cries filtered from the other room. Dana failed to open the locked door. The weeping grew deafening. She leaned her ears against the wall and heard Skully, her mother, and two, no three, no four women screaming.
What is happening out there?

“If you guys don’t shut the fuck up,” Skully yelled, “I will sink your head inside the toilet and leave you there.”

Silence descended, and Dana dashed back to her bed in case Skully came. Questions plagued her. Why was she here? Who were these women, and what would happen next?

“You need to let me know once and all who is your daughter, Marcy!”

Dana jerked back at the raw anger in Skully's voice.

"I told you I don't have any daughter."

Dana covered her face. They were after her now. Guilt washed upon her. Her father was right. Her mother only wished to protect her.

But from what exactly?

***

Rob sneezed for the sixth time that evening. He cleaned the mold from his bathroom and stared at the cracked linoleum tiles. Being a photographer taught him how to appreciate beauty and art, but there wasn’t anything attractive about this dingy motel.

Rob wiped the tears from his face as he clutched the phone. “I’m sorry, Mom. I never wished to disappoint you this way.”

“My son, I know you have nothing to do with these women. I don’t wish to turn on the TV anymore because the news just devastates me.”

“Don’t believe them. The media will do anything to destroy me. That’s how they make a living. In the meantime, be strong and pray for me.”

“I will. You take care of yourself.”

“I love you, Mom.”

***

Kerry and Felicia studied Ginny’s café from the corner table inside. Closing time approached, and both Mr. and Mrs. Kestav were cleaning the counters. No more patrons lingered in the café.

Kerry nudged his partner on the side. “We’ve been here three times. Nothing has changed.”

“Sh. You’re too complacent,” Felicia whispered. She raised her chin. “Just look at them, especially Mrs. Kestav. She’s nervous as hell. Trust me. I know they’re hiding something.”

Mr. Kestav approached them, his hair gelled to one side, both hands inside his pocket. “Agents, any updates with the case?”

Kerry stared at him. “You tell us, Mr. Kestav. Who would want to kidnap your daughter? Your sweet daughter who had a whole life ahead of her. Wasn’t she supposed to leave for Paris?”

“Yes,” he choked out in between tears. You have to find the bastard who took her."

Mrs. Kestav squeezed herself between them with a tray of desserts and two waters. "Please enjoy these goodies."

The couple sat beside the agents.

"So…" Felicia licked the chocolate icing of the decadent cake. "What's Stacy's favorite dessert?"

Mr. and Mrs. Kestav exchanged glances.

Mr. Kestav cleared his throat. "Stacy was actually a diabetic, and most of our desserts are made from real sugar."

"She was the one who created the special sugar-free desserts," Mrs. Kestav added.

After taking a sip of his water, Kerry said, "Must be difficult for a diabetic to be surrounded by sugar. Is this the reason why she wanted to leave?"

Stacy's sister stepped forward from the back. "Mom, everything's done. Can I walk ahead?"

"Natasha, we won't be long," Mrs. Kestav said. "I don't want you walking alone out there."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'll wait here then."

Kerry rose from his seat with his plate. "I'll take this to the counter." He followed Natasha to the back kitchen where she sat glued to her iPhone. "Must be lonely without your sister."

The skinny blond teenager didn't budge as she continued to text. "For once, I don't want to keep talking about her."

"My little brother died when I was twelve." He sat beside her.

She glanced at him. "How?"

"Asthma attack. All the attention was focused on his death. I not only felt left out, but I felt like I didn't exist."

Natasha pushed her phone aside. "That's exactly how I feel. When my parents talk, it's always about what Stacy would have wanted. And when they're not talking, I can taste their tears in our desserts."

"You can't erase her disappearance, but you can help us find clues."

She nodded. "You're right. I do miss her so much."

"And you're allowed to miss her." He handed her his business card. "If you find anything suspicious, please give me a call."

"Thanks." She tucked the card inside her pocket.

***

Five minutes later, the agents climbed into the car. Felicia blasted the music, but Kerry turned down the volume.

"C'mon. You're never too old for rock music." Felicia brushed back her loose hair.

His radio beeped. "Agent Wayne, we received an anonymous tip that four blond women were sighted being shoved inside a car by a man with a sleeveless shirt and tattoo stopped at a 7-11 in New Jersey," Officer Jones said.

"Copy that. Do they have the exact location?"

"Sending you guys the address now. Witness said the women looked filthy and gaunt."

"Thank you." He glanced at Felicia. "Maybe you can start blasting the radio as we take a drive to New Jersey."

Felicia checked her iPhone. "Hmmm, I know exactly where that is. My hometown."

"You never told me you grew up in New Jersey."

Bobbing her head from side to side, Felicia said, "Jersey Shore."

***

Dana waited. When her door opened and her mother entered, Dana pounced on her like a prey. She shoved her mother to the door and pushed the screwdriver on her throat.

Beads of sweat poured from Marcy's forehead.

"Sh," she whispered. "I'm not going to let them hurt us." She cleared her throat and yelled, "You better tell me everything, or I will kill you. I don't care what happens to me."

Skully popped inside. "Now, here comes the feisty woman. She surely takes after you, Marcy."

Marcy eyed the screwdriver and elbowed Dana in her stomach, knocking her down to the floor. "I make the rules around here." Turning to Skully, Marcy added, "For the tenth time, I have no daughter."

Dana lifted onto all fours and kicked Skully in the crotch .

"You bitch!" Skully doubled over.

Dana escaped. Four women sitting huddled together in the living room. "C'mon. Let's go."

The four women, resigned and filthy shook their heads.

One petite blond lady with a ponytail said, "We can't go anywhere. They will find us."

Dana pulled them up. "We can't give up. We're five. Please."

They followed her to the door. Dana's heart leaped as the door wasn’t locked. She dashed outside with the four women trailing behind and inhaled the fresh air.

From the corner of her eye, Dana spotted her mother running after her, but Skully pulled her back. Dana halted, but her mother signaled her to leave. Her heart sank.
I will see her again.

"Do you know where we are?" Dana asked.

The curly-haired blond inched her way beside Dana. "I overheard the man say we're near Jersey Shore."

"Hmm." Dana raced to the left. "You guys have to follow me. I tried that route." She pointed to the right. "It didn't lead me anywhere. I’m assuming if we go south, we should reach the ocean."

An hour later, the five women still followed the dirt road, catching their breath.

"We can't stop," Dana warned.

The Puerto Rican spoke up. "We need to know why they took us? I'm Maria, and this is Belinda, Jane, and Rosie. What's your story?

The women exchanged information sharing a common way of being abducted.

"The lady in the house is my mother," Dana said.

They gasped as Dana narrated how Marcy disappeared when she was ten and finished with her father's letter.

"Did your mother tell you why?" Belinda asked.

"All she said is that I was in danger."

"That's what she told all of us," Jane said. "We were all in an abandoned house before they transferred us to where you were. They all asked us if she was our mother."

"I was the first one," Rosie added.

"Did they rape you guys? What did they tell you?" Dana asked.

They shook their head.

"No, they would come bring food and psychologically play with your mind and then disappear and come after two days," Maria said.

"They did the same thing with me."

"Wait a minute," Rosie said. "You're a supermodel, right? I've seen your face in magazines."

Dana nodded. "Yeah, but I just turned thirty and nobody's going to want me."

"You're still beautiful. I'm twenty-nine and I would love to look like you," Rosie said.

"Me too. I'm twenty-eight," Maria added.