The First Victim (18 page)

“It’s complicated.” He didn’t turn around.

“She’s dead. She took a handful of pills and ended her misery. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let myself become a fearful, empty shell of a person like her.”

Mark Castle whirled around. For the first time in her life, he yelled at her. “Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”

His angry words echoed off the walls, stunning her. Overcoming her shock, she hoarsely forced through her tightened throat, “Don’t you dare keep her secrets.”

Laurie came running into the room. “Is everything okay? I heard yelling.”

Sam piled in right behind her armed with a kitchen knife.

The expression of utter adoration as Mark looked at her younger sibling shed light on what he was hiding. Emily read it on his face as clearly as though it had been tattooed across his forehead. Mark Castle was Laurie’s father.

The revelation knocked her off her feet. She plunked herself down in the nearest chair, looking to him for confirmation of her suspicion. He nodded, his eyes once again filling with tears.

She closed her own, as her world threatened to topple off its axis. Every truth about her family had just been shattered. Everything she’d believed was a lie. The knowledge left her reeling.

“Em? Em, are you okay?” Laurie’s voice, pitched high with alarm, pierced the cloud of confusion Emily was lost in.

Snapping her eyes open, she offered her sister a smile that was meant to be reassuring. “I’m starving. Would you and Sam mind getting me something to eat?”

“Of course,” niece and uncle said simultaneously.

They practically tripped over each other in their race to get to the kitchen.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Emily patted the seat beside her. “She’s your daughter?” The phrase sounded right as it slipped off her tongue.

Sinking into the chair beside her, Mark buried his face in his hands.

Reaching over, she looped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “I’m not mad.” She kissed his cheek to emphasize her point.

“You’re choking me,” he teased.

She kissed him once again for good measure before releasing him. “She is, right?” She needed him to say the words aloud.

Mark shrugged. “I didn’t even suspect for the longest time…forgive me?”

“For making my mother happy? For loving her despite all the…complications? Never.”

“She never told me…not while she was alive. What you said about her taking those pills on purpose? I think you’re right. I got a letter from her about a week after the funeral. She’d mailed it to some nonexistent address in California, putting mine as the return address, so when the postal service sent it back, it came here.”

“You’ll show it to me sometime?” Emily asked, hoping it might provide insight into her mother’s actions and decisions

“Of course. If I’d known about Laurie earlier, things would have been different…maybe.”

“Maybe we could have been one big happy family?”

He nodded miserably.

“Maybe we still can,” Emily murmured.

“All I see are cows and fields and more cows and fields,” Sebastian complained, staring glumly out the car window.

“There are woods over there,” Bailey pointed out. What he didn’t tell Sebastian was that on the other side of the copse of trees was where Emily and Evan, covered with blood and dirt, had stumbled out in front of him fifteen years earlier.

“How much longer? Sebastian asked.

“We’re almost there,” Bailey told him as they rounded a bend in the road.

Leaving Chase to interview Emily at The Garden Gate had been a tough decision for him. Part of him wanted to stay and protect her from the probing questions that would no doubt pain the woman he loved, but part of him knew that her answers could be vital if they were going to find Anna or Mandy alive.

It had been Sebastian who’d urged him to join him on a drive out to the spot where Emily had been held captive so long ago. There was a small chance the kidnapper might have returned to the scene of his original crime.

Chase hadn’t seemed too enthused about the idea of the two former competitors undertaking the mission together, but the lack of manpower made it necessary. “Play nice, you two,” he’d warned.

Bailey gripped the steering wheel tighter as a dilapidated house sitting in the middle of a field came into view. This may have been ground zero for The Baby Doll Strangler. The site where he’d claimed his first victim, Emily Wright. The place he’d tortured her. A chill snaked down Bailey’s spine as he imagined the horrors that had taken place on this cursed ground. “He kept her in the basement.”

“It’s a good choice from the subject’s point of view. Quiet. Remote. No nosy neighbors to get curious,” Sebastian said, as Bailey parked the car.

Climbing out, the men surveyed the exterior of the house and the surrounding area. Under different circumstances, the pastoral scene could be considered idyllic. Bailey wondered if that’s why the location had been chosen. Had the kidnapper picked a peaceful landscape in direct contrast to the chaos going on in his mind?

Glancing over at Black he noticed that his face was scrunched up as though he’d bitten into the world’s most sour pickle. “What?”

“It smells like shit.”

“It’s a cow field. You should watch your step. We wouldn’t want you to ruin those Italian loafers you’re so fond of.”

Sebastian bristled defensively at the mention of his expensive shoes. “I hate the country.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

Moving in tandem, they approached the house. The place had obviously been well built. The paint was faded and peeling, and some of the windows had been broken, but the stairs were still sturdy. Bailey reached for the doorknob, and was relieved when it opened easily. He’d been dreading the idea of shimmying in through a broken window.

Dust particles danced in the air where shafts of sunlight entered the house, but the rest of the place was shrouded in shadows. Squinting through the darkness, it appeared that the rooms were empty. All traces of the home’s former inhabitants long-ago removed.

They’d no sooner stepped inside when they heard a noise emanating from the depths of the derelict house. Freezing in their tracks, they both cocked their heads, listening. Another couple of distinctive thumps confirmed they weren’t alone. Immediately they drew their service weapons.

They didn’t speak, but Bailey knew exactly what was going through his temporary partner’s mind. Worst Case Scenario: There was a chance that what they heard was a wild animal rummaging around in the abandoned building. Best Case: The Baby Doll Strangler might have returned to the scene of an old crime to relive his former glory, or better yet, the missing girls could be here.

Nervous excitement and dread co-mingled with the adrenaline now pumping through his body, sharpening his senses. This could be it.

Sebastian signaled that he’d go first as they moved toward the sounds.

Bailey whispered, “We need him alive.”

Sebastian nodded his understanding. Moving with deadly stealth, he raced across the darkened room. Bailey followed, his heart pounding.

Reaching a doorway to a hall, Sebastian paused. The muted beam of a flashlight bounced off the walls of what Bailey guessed was the kitchen. It was no animal.

Heartbeat hammering, he and Sebastian inched down the hallway toward the light. Pressing their backs against the walls to avoid being detected, they waited for their moment. Bailey tightened his grip on his gun. He was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

When the ray of light swung to the opposite side of the room, they made their move.

“FBI freeze!” Sebastian shouted as he barreled through the doorway, gun at the ready.

Startled, the shadowy figure of a man jumped.

Bailey followed, right on his heels. “Hands in the air! Hands in the air!”

Raising his hands overhead in surrender, the man pleaded, “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”

Still holding his gun on the suspect, Sebastian pulled a penlight from his pocket. “Keep the flashlight pointing at the ceiling, and slowly turn around. Any sudden moves and I will shoot you.”

With agonizing care, the man slowly turned to face them. Sebastian directed the beam from the penlight onto his face. He blinked but made no move to shield his eyes.

Bailey recognized him immediately. “Evan? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Evan who?” Sebastian asked.

“Evan Swann.” Bailey stared at the man he’d called his friend not twenty-four hours before.

“Okay, Mr. Swann. We’re going to take this outside. Keep your hands over your head, and take it slow and easy.” Sebastian lowered the blinding light, but kept a bead on Swann.

Shuffling along, the three of them walked out of the house. As soon as they were outside, Bailey ordered, “Turn around.”

The fear on Evan’s face was clearly visible when he faced them.

“What are you doing here?” Sebastian demanded.

“I…I thought that maybe…” He trailed off. “It was a stupid idea. I thought that I rescued Emily, so maybe, if I came back here, I could find Anna. Rescue her too.”

“Lower your hands,” Sebastian ordered. “Then drop the flashlight.”

Swann obeyed. “Look I know I was trespassing, but don’t you think this is a bit much? There’s no law against a man looking for his daughter, is there?”

“Are you saying you’re Anna’s father?” Bailey asked.

“Yes. Anna’s my daughter. Ask Kitty, once she sobers up, if you don’t believe me.”

“You’re the one who got Kitty Cartwright knocked up?”

Evan nodded.

“Put your hands behind your back,” Sebastian barked, moving closer to the suspect, but not before giving a sidelong glance to Bailey, a signal to cover him. “I’m going to cuff you. Then I’m going to search you for weapons. Am I going to find any on you?”

“Weapons? No.”

As Sebastian moved behind Swann to shackle him, Bailey asked, “Where’s your car?”

“I left it over at Jeb Wilk’s place. He owns the property. I’m sure he won’t press charges or anything. Wasn’t sure what kind of shape the driveway would be in. Didn’t want to tear up my undercarriage.” He winced as Sebastian tightened the cuffs. “Look, what do you think I did wrong?” he asked as he was patted down by the younger FBI agent.

“You tell us.”

“I trespassed on private property? I told you, I thought—C’mon, Bailey, you know me. You know I could never hurt anyone.”

“What I know, Evan, is that you disappeared for fifteen years and now you’ve come back to town, asking questions about Emily and claiming to be Anna’s father…a fact you conveniently neglected to mention when I questioned you earlier.”

“Kitty doesn’t want anyone to know. That’s why I didn’t tell you. You know how bitchy she can be when she’s pissed. I just thought that maybe, if I came out here, I could find Anna.”

Bailey lowered his gun. He couldn’t fault Evan Swann’s logic. Not when they were here because he’d followed the same train of thought.

“He’s clean,” Sebastian interrupted. “Stay right here. Don’t move.”

They moved off to the side so that they could confer in whispers.

“This is your call. What do you think, O’Neil?”

“I’m not sure. He seems pretty desperate to find his daughter and considering he was the one who rescued Emily, it makes sense he’d have the same idea as us to look for Anna here.”

“He could be a copycat,” Sebastian mused. “Suspicious that he didn’t just drive up to the front door like us. Either way, I don’t want to let him go until he’s answered a whole lot of questions.”

“We need to get a look in that house. Doesn’t make sense to drive all the way back into town to drop him off at the jail, just to turn around to come back here again.”

“Agreed, but I don’t think either of us should go in there alone.”

“What do you suggest then?” Bailey watched as Evan Swann nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“We could tie him to a cow,” Sebastian quipped.

“I’m not sure that’s in the handbook.”

Sebastian looked from the suspect to their car. “I guess you’re going to say that we can’t lock him in the trunk either.”

“But we could use a trunk.” Bailey jutted his chin in the direction of the two pine trees that flanked the house.

“You want me to cuff him to a tree?”

“I’ll do it.”

“Who does it, isn’t the point.”

“Let me ask him if it’s okay. If he’s got nothing to hide he’ll go for it. Don’t worry, we’ll record his agreement and your ass will be covered.”

Sebastian stared at him as though he’d lost his mind, but still whipped out his cell phone.

Bailey approached Evan Swann with what he hoped came across as a friendly smile. “I’m sorry about this, but with two girls’ lives hanging in the balance, we can’t be too careful. You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course, but I had nothing to do with that. I was just trying to find my daughter. That’s why I’m here. I’m just trying to find her.”

“And I appreciate your initiative, but you’ve thrown a bit of a monkey wrench into our plans. You see, we’d planned to search that house, but now we’ve got to question you.”

“Okay, question me. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“I’m sure you don’t, but procedures have to be followed. Red tape trips us up every time. You know how it is.”

Swann nodded, relaxing a little. Everyone could bond over how inconvenient bureaucratic bullshit could be.

“So I’ve got to ask a favor of you. A favor that could help us to find the missing girls.”

“Anything that will help you find my little girl!” There was no mistaking the desire to help.

“I need your permission to handcuff you to one of these trees.”

Evan Swann blinked, as though he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the unusual request.

“It wouldn’t be for long. Just enough time for us to search the house.”

Swann shrugged. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Which one?”

Bailey was so surprised that he’d agreed so easily to the outlandish request that he turned to Sebastian.

“Your choice,” Sebastian told the handcuffed man, turning off the recorder on his cell phone. He pocketed the device as the three of them moved quickly to one of the trees. It took only a moment to unlock Swann’s cuffs.

“You never would have gone for this thing when we were kids, Evan. You were Mr. Cool, Mr. Rebellion.”

“I’m not that person anymore. I haven’t been for a long time.” Without hesitation, Evan wrapped his arms around the trunk of the nearest tree so that the cuffs could be reattached. “Guess this makes me an official tree hugger.”

Bailey chuckled. “We’ll be out as soon as we can.”

“No rush. I’m not going anywhere. Do whatever is necessary to find Anna.”

Sebastian rummaged in the trunk of the car, finally pulling out an oversized flashlight.

“You’re going to need bolt cutters if you’re trying to get into the basement.”

“What?” Bailey asked.

“The door to the basement from the kitchen has a padlock on it. I’d totally forgotten that Sheriff O’Neil had locked it up so long ago until I found it again today. Then I remembered how he’d told me that it was to keep people like me from messing around down there.”

“People like you?”

“Juvenile delinquents. The lock’s still there. It’s old and rusty, but you’re not going to be able to open that door until it’s been removed.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” Bailey turned to ask Sebastian if he had a pair of bolt cutters only to find his partner waving the tool at him.

“Mind if I use your flashlight?” Bailey asked Swann.

“Help yourself.”

Armed with flashlights and implements of destruction they once again entered the abandoned building.

Bailey didn’t know what they’d find and he sure as hell didn’t know why his father had thought it necessary to lock the door. Nothing about this case, either in the present or the past, made an ounce of sense.

The basement where Emily had been held captive was actually a small series of rooms, connected by a surprisingly complex labyrinth of tunnels. Except for the layers of dirt and grime that had accumulated, Bailey imagined the rooms looked the same as they had fifteen years earlier. Empty, barren, hellish.

Just the thought of what she must have endured here, turned his stomach. She’d been so alone, so afraid.

Crouching down beside a rocking chair, Sebastian used his pen to pick something up off the floor. He held it up for Bailey to see. A clown mask.

Bailey swallowed hard. A clown. “Evan…Evan kept saying the clown was after them.”

“You mean Emily, don’t you?”

“No. Evan. Emily didn’t say anything, not a word. Evan said the clown…oh God, he said the clown was chasing them. I always thought…I thought he meant guy.”

Bailey closed his eyes trying to remember exactly what it was Evan had said all those years ago. “We were driving along—I don’t even remember where we’d been headed—when all of a sudden there they were, Emily and Evan, running into the road. Almost gave me a heart attack. They were both covered with dirt and blood…God, I was so scared.”

He opened his eyes waiting for Sebastian to make a crack. The other man stayed silent, waiting for him to finish the story.