Ruthless (32 page)

“Sir, I can’t answer those questions just yet but we are doing everything we can to find your family, so please work with me. Okay?”

“I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat. “What do you need me to do?”

“When was the last time you spoke with your wife?”

“Thursday morning. She wished me luck.”

“Are you acquainted with your wife’s father?”

“Fergus? Yes. I even tried to call him and he’s not answering. Is he all right?”

“Does your father-in-law have any property other than the farm where he lives? A place he vacations or just a little getaway?”

“I don’t understand,” Neely protested. “What’s going on down there?”

Obviously the Man in the Moon wasn’t big news in LA. “Sir, you have to trust me. I can’t help your family if you don’t help me.”

“Okay.” He moaned a tormented sound that tore at Jess’s heart. “Please, ask me whatever you need to.”

“Does Mr. Cagle own any properties besides his home place that you’re aware of?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“When did you first meet your father-in-law?”

Neely explained that his wife’s mother had taken her away from Alabama when she was only seven years old. She never allowed Lucy to see her father for reasons Lucy still didn’t know. But after she passed, Lucy wanted to find her father. By then the kids had been born and she had no other family. After their reunion, Neely’s company agreed to relocate him to Birmingham. That was thirteen years ago.

The same year the children of Birmingham stopped disappearing during the harvest moon.

“Mr. Neely”—this was where things would get hairy—“have you ever heard of the Man in the Moon case?”

“I heard something about that just before I left. Lucy
and I talked about it. Neither of us could imagine what kind of person commits such despicable acts.” He drew in a big breath as adrenaline obviously fired through him, sending his fear to the back burner. “It makes you wonder why no one was paying attention. It’s like all those mass shootings. If people would just pay attention to their families and friends and neighbors, a lot of these tragedies might never happen. Seems like the world is blind to…” Silence thickened across the line. “Why do you ask me about that case?”

The fear in his voice was unmistakable. The adrenaline rush was fading. The naïveté in his philosophy was unfortunately commonplace. Thing was, sometimes the face of evil looked as normal as your own reflection.

“Mr. Neely, we believe Fergus Cagle is the man who took all those children.”

“That’s impossible. No. He… he’s a doting grandfather. There has to be a mistake.”

“We found the room in his basement of his home where he kept the children, Mr. Neely. There is no mistake. Now a coworker of his is dead and Mr. Cagle is missing. Along with your family and another little girl, seven-year-old Janey Higginbotham.”

“The little girl down the street? Oh my God!”

“Mr. Neely, we need to find your father-in-law. We need to find him now.”

A moment or two more was needed for the husband to gather his wits once more. “He never takes a vacation. The kids usually go to his farm for a weekend and he takes them shopping, but never out of town for more than the day. He’s always been funny about staying close to home. Dear God… this can’t be happening.”

Before she lost him to the shock of this news, Jess pressed the question. “Think hard, Mr. Neely. Have you ever heard him speak of a getaway he hoped to visit one day?”

“No. Nothing comes to mind. Nothing at all… wait. He works with a man who has a cabin on the lake or a river. He mentioned he liked the idea of a place like that, but he never did anything about it as far as I know.”

“Can you remember this man’s name?” The pressure was pounding in Jess’s skull. She needed some place to start. If he could just give her something.

“Bulton or Bullot… something like that.”

“Bullock?” Goose bumps spilled over Jess’s skin. “Jerry Bullock?”

“That’s it! Bullock.”

Jess nodded for Lori to take over as she fished for her cell and put through a call to Cook. “We need the location of all properties listed to Jerry Bullock. Cagle may have taken his hostages to a place near the water that belongs to Bullock.”

It was a long shot, but it was all they had.

“I’m on it,” Cook assured her.

“Also,” Jess added before letting him go, “see if you can get the phone company to triangulate a number.” She went back to the charging dock and checked the little pink phone. She gave Cook the number listed for the brother. “His cell phone isn’t in the house. I’m hoping maybe he has it on him.”

The fact that he hadn’t answered the father’s calls or tried to text him back suggested the phone was either not with him or inoperable. But it was worth a shot.

“I’ll call as soon as I have anything.”

Before she could put it away her cell clanged.
Harper.
She hoped he had something more concrete than the news here. “Harris.”

“Ma’am, I just got a call from dispatch. Fergus Cagle’s truck was found on the side of the road on Oak Mountain Lake Road. Detective Roark and I are headed that way.”

Jess got a beep that she had another incoming call.
Cook.
“Keep me posted, Sergeant.” She tapped the screen to take Cook’s call. “Harris.”

“Bullock has a little house on about ten acres right on the lake practically in the park. I’m texting you the address so you can GPS it. I’ll meet you there.”

“What park?” The wheels in her head were turning and Jess wasn’t liking where it was taking her.

“Oak Mountain State Park. The only properties out there are mansions and a few holdovers from back in the day. Looks like Bullock inherited one of the holdovers. The land alone is worth a fortune.”

As he spoke, Jess checked the address. “The place is on John Findlay Drive as in f-i-n-d?”

“That’s it.”

Find me.

He’d already told her where he would be… she just hadn’t figured out the clue. Bullock’s address was near where Cagle’s truck had been found… he had to be there.

Adrenaline set a fire in her blood. “We’re heading that way now,” she told Cook before ending the call. To Lori she said, “We’re going to need more backup for this one.”

If Cagle was there, she wanted SWAT standing by just in case. She couldn’t risk finding him at this remote location and having to wait for back up to arrive.

Time was their enemy.

John Findlay III Drive, outside Oak Mountain State Park, 3:30 p.m.

The rustic board and batten style cabin sat on the south side of the lake. The location was just opposite a small peninsula that jutted out from the small slice of land that intersected the lake from north to south. Bullock’s cabin didn’t appear to have any luxuries, but it had a killer view from a big screened-in back porch.

Harper had checked Cagle’s truck. He’d left the key in the ignition. There was gas in the tank, and the engine started with no problem. For whatever reason he had abandoned it on the other side of the lake, only a couple of miles from the cabin.

For the past fifteen minutes while they waited for SWAT to get into position, there had been no movement or sound in or around the cabin.

Jess hoped Lucy and her kids were unharmed. She prayed little Janey Higginbotham was as well.

Dan waited next to her. She’d called him while Lori notified SWAT. Jess was glad he’d gotten here in time.
He should be a part of this.

The team commander’s order to move in came across the wireless communications mics they wore. Jess couldn’t breathe as she held her position waiting for the all-clear sign. She, Dan, Lori, Harper, and Cook were standing by, vests on and weapons in hand.

“Come on, come on,” she muttered. She hated the waiting part.

“Take it easy,” Dan urged. “We’ll be going in soon.”

Not soon enough to suit her.

“Clear, move in,” came over the communication
link. “We have three bound hostages inside. No visible injuries.”

Thank God. Jess was on her feet and moving forward. She tried not to think about the fact that only three people were inside. There were four missing: little Janey, Lucy, and her two kids.

Someone was absent… besides Cagle.

Lucy Neely and her two children were bound and gagged in the cabin’s one bedroom. As soon as they were free and the hugging and sobbing had subsided, Jess introduced herself and pushed for answers.

“Ms. Neely, where is your father?”

She shook her head. “Not in front of my children.”

“Detective Wells, would you and Officer Cook take the kids out front so they can call their father and let him know they’re safe?” Paramedics were standing by to check everyone over.

“Yes, ma’am.” Lori motioned for the kids to follow her. “You’re dad’s waiting to hear from you,” she told them as she ushered them into the hall.

Once the kids were out of the room, Jess asked, “Did he have the little girl with him? Janey Higginbotham?”

Lucy nodded and her tears started anew. “He kept repeating that he was a bad, bad man but that he hadn’t wanted to do this.” She shook her head in confusion or exasperation. “He said it was because of you. He called your name over and over.”

A quaking she couldn’t quite suppress started deep inside her, Jess would need to analyze that part of his motive more thoroughly but not right now. He had that little girl. Her heart hurt with the idea of what might happen next. “He gave you no indication of where he was going?”

“He said he was going to find you since you hadn’t found him.”

Jesus Christ. More of that anxiety and apprehension heaped onto her chest. This made no sense. “He didn’t say anything else?”

She shook her head. “He just kept apologizing over and over. Is he really the Man in the Moon?” Her face scrunched and the tears started anew.

“I’m afraid so, Lucy.”

“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “My mother always told me I could never see him again, but I thought it was because she hated him.”

Jess couldn’t explain Lucy’s mother’s reasons, since she had taken her away before the first little girl disappeared. What Jess did know was that sometimes killers like Cagle started out just daydreaming about hurting others. Sometimes they abused those they felt they could control. Or they harmed animals to relieve their urges. There were many things Cagle’s wife may have witnessed that prompted her to get away from him.

Too bad his wife hadn’t told someone who perhaps could have stopped Cagle before twenty little girls had to die.

“You talked to my husband?” Lucy asked, struggling to regain her composure.

“I did,” Jess assured her. “He’s been worried sick, but he’s on his way home.”

Lucy nodded, relief in her expression. “Is it all right if I use the bathroom? I already wet my pants one time too many. He wouldn’t release us for anything.” Her lips trembled. “I can’t believe he did this.”

“Sure.” Jess tried to give her a reassuring smile but her lips weren’t cooperating. “I’ll just wait outside the door.”

Each second that passed had Jess’s tension winding tighter and tighter. Where the hell would he go from here?

“Chief.”

She looked up to see Harper striding toward her.

“You’re going to want to have a look at the root cellar. Chief Burnett’s waiting for you on the porch out back.”

Lucy stepped out of the bathroom.

“Sergeant, escort Mrs. Neely to Detective Wells and the children. Her husband will want to hear her voice as well.” To Lucy she promised, “We’ll talk more later.”

“Just go through the kitchen,” Harper told Jess. He smiled for Lucy. “This way, Mrs. Neely.”

Evidence techs were already starting their routine as Jess moved through the kitchen. On the porch a portion of the floor was hinged and opened like a trap door. It stood open now, and narrow steps led down into a musty-smelling cellar. Dan stood partway down the steps. He offered her his hand to assist her in following him.

The cellar was dank but at least there was a light. She held tight to Dan’s hand as she descended into the small space.

He pointed to a doll in the corner. “Is that Janey’s?”

Jess pulled up the picture she’d snapped on her phone and then crouched down to inspect the doll more closely. Long dark hair, blue eyes. Red overall dress and pink tee. That was the doll. That icky feeling she’d been experiencing in the pit of her stomach lately started its ritual. Combine that with the worry pumping through her veins, and she felt queasy as hell. “That’s it.”

Dan swore.

“The upside is there’s no blood.” She studied the hard-packed dirt floor and the few items in the obviously rarely
used cellar, a storybook, a short stool—the kind used for milking cows. Shelves had been built along one dirt wall but they were empty. “No signs of a struggle.”

“But he’s not here.” Dan threaded his fingers through his hair. “He’s out there. God knows where. With that little girl.”

Jess wished she could take the doll with her just so she’d have it when she found Janey. Because she was going to find that little girl. But there were tests that needed to be conducted. Tests that would help link a serial killer who had proven his penchant for utter ruthlessness to a missing little girl.