It had been four hours since I received the text from the stalker. If I kept pacing in my office, I would wear a hole in the floor. The pink throw on the couch was a constant reminder of Patty. She would snuggle on the couch with her blanket and work on her laptop while I worked late.

It had to be around eight o’clock. Brock and Neal were in Brock’s office, looking through a video feed. Alex and Bridget were in the main conference room, trying to keep Jessica calm. The rest of my team was rechecking all the data we had compiled since the case started. I had to take a break from the room before I yelled at everyone. I couldn’t believe I’d let her down—the stalker had my pixie.

Lemon was walking back and forth with me. She was panting, and her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. I sat down on the couch, and she climbed up next to me and laid her head down on my lap. Slowly petting Lemon’s head, I could think of nothing but Patty’s smile. The night before filtered through my mind: Patty withering under my tongue while I took her to the brink.

Another image of Patty that morning made me smile. Her hairdresser had just left, and when she walked out with rainbow-colored hair, I smiled. I always looked forward to what color she would come up with. I’d grabbed her and had my way with her one more time before she left for Neal’s office.

Hearing a noise from the doorway, I looked up to find Neal standing there. “Any news?” I asked.

Shaking his head, Neal sat on the couch next to Lemon. “We are still looking through the video.”

I turned back to Lemon, slowly petting her. She was starting to fall asleep. “You know, I thought I would be alone the rest of my life. I never thought I would find someone who meant as much to me as Patty does. She came charging into my club and shook up my life with her humor. I can see her in my future, and I don’t know what I will do if I’ve lost her.”

“Patty is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. I’ve known her for years. She is so happy with you and will fight until we find her. Don’t talk like we lost her.”

The longer Patty was missing, the harder it was not to get discouraged. I made a frustrated sound that made Lemon stir on my lap. “Neal, it’s starting to hit me. We’ve been on this for months, and we are not any closer to finding this guy. How did she vanish from the street? It’s already been four hours. I’m scared it will be too late by the time we find her.”

Neal nudged Lemon. She was not happy about being disturbed but jumped down. “Get your ass back in there. We need you to help find her. Sitting in here, mulling over Patty being taken will not help with the situation.”

Patty had been missing for six hours, and the video in front of me was all starting to run together. We’d been looking at the video for hours. We had his van but had lost the trail in a part of the city.

Bridget and Jessica both had their heads down on the table. They had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes ago. Alex had just left to get everyone something to eat. Nobody had eaten since the news of Patty’s disappearance. Half of my team was still going over the previous cases, looking for a clue. The other half was looking for a mistake the stalker could’ve made.

Neal was looking into something he said he was on the verge of figuring out. I wanted information and was close to losing my shit, but he didn’t want to explain until he was absolutely sure who it was.

He had two screens up. One was the video from the deli. The other was a browser that looked like a website on the dark web. Instead of .com, his site ended in .onion, and a majority of the websites on the dark web ended with .onion. Patty had been trying to explain hacking and the dark web. I let her talk about it because she lit up when she talked about technology. I would nod and sometimes pick up on what she was saying.

When Neal had something, he would let me know, so I turned back to the case files in my hand. The first email had come a couple months before Patty broke into my club.

From: B. Waterville

Sent: Friday, December 9, 2016

To: Patty Beckett

Subject: Things will get back to how they were

Patty,

I can’t stop thinking about you and how beautiful you are and how beautiful your body is. Over the years, you have become the most beautiful princess. I can’t wait until you are queen and I’m standing by your side. I know other people who read this may find it “creepy,” but you will know the difference.

Yours forever,

Waterville

A few more emails were the same, but they were becoming more demanding, and the stalker was starting to become more aggressive in his emails around the time Patty came to my club.

From: B. Waterville

Sent: Friday, February 17, 2017

To: Patty Beckett

Subject: My long-lost love

Patty,

You could have been with me, but you chose another over me. I saw you last week going to a sex club. My perfect Patty shouldn’t have been going to places like that. You are too angelic to be having sex of that nature with strange men. You are very special to me, and what you did has brought misery into my life. I’ve been waiting and waiting for you, and you never come or answer my emails. I love you and want you to be a part of my life. If you don’t change your behavior, I’m going to have to step in and not wait for you to come to me, my love.

Yours forever,

Waterville

I needed to find a pattern in the emails that would help me figure out what his tactic was. Patty’s emails were the only ones that became more personal. The emails to the other women hadn’t seemed to have as much emotion in them.

From: B. Waterville

Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017

To: Patty Beckett

Subject: You will be mine again

Patty,

I’m sorry, my beautiful queen. I had to expose your identity. You weren’t listening to me. I told you to leave Sam, and you haven’t done what you were told. You have one week to leave that woman-beating asshole before I expose his business to the media. I will also be coming for you in one week. I almost have your room ready, and we will be together forever.

Yours,

Waterville

There was something about the emails we were missing, something that would help us. I took out a pen and started looking for words that would pop out. The emails were the key to figuring out the stalker’s identity.

Right when I was about to give up, it came to me. We kept analyzing the actual email when what we needed was to look at the subject line. I ran through all the emails again, and it was confirmed. He kept using a particular turn of phrase. I noticed he knew too much about her past. He kept talking about watching her for years. I stood up with the emails and headed toward Neal. “This has to be a fucking clue. Goddammit, if it’s not, I will lose my shit.”

“Let me see.” Neal grabbed the paper from my hands and looked at all the references to her past and how he has watched her for years. He turned back to the computer and continued to watch the video from the deli.

Finally, Neal replied, “It goes with what I have been looking into. This guy at the deli that made Patty’s hot cocoa slipped something in it. The first pass, I missed it. The man looked familiar. I’ve been trying to place him. I can’t seem to figure out where I recognize him from. I’m working on facial recognition. Just give me a few hours. I will find out who he is. I know he’s the key.”

I knew Neal was doing everything he could, but a few hours was not going to cut it. I needed her back immediately. I wanted her in my arms.

Patty had been missing for eight hours when Neal finally stood up from the monitors. “Fuck!” he grunted.

Everyone stood at attention and walked over to his position. The image that was pulled up was an overweight guy in his early thirties. He looked like a typical IT guy. His hair was greasy, and he had Coke-bottle glasses. His face was covered with pimples.

“Do you want to explain what you found, or are you going to sit here and make us guess who your friend is?” I snapped at Neal. Jessica, Bridget, and Brock were all surrounding his screens, waiting for his answer.

Neal pointed at the picture. “This is Brett Murphy. He went to MIT with Patty and me. He always had a crush on her. When we graduated, we went our separate ways, and Patty and I opened Black Hat.”

Jessica moved closer to the screen to get a better look. “Wow, he looks a lot different. He used to be stick thin and have long shaggy hair.”

“That’s why I couldn’t place him when I saw his photo from the deli,” Neal said. “I don’t understand why he is after her—we haven’t heard from him in years.”

“He was stealing money and information from companies and selling it,” Jessica said. “Patty found out, and they got into a big fight. He told her what he was doing because he thought she would work with him and they would be together. Instead, she tipped off the feds. I bet if you look closer, he’s been in jail for the last ten years.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I looked at the screen, and it was an unknown number. Normally, I didn’t answer blocked calls, but it might be our attacker, and there was no way I was going to miss that call.

“Yes.”

“Sam?”

Holy shit! It was Patty. She was still alive and on the phone. My pixie is still alive.

“Patty? Are you okay? Tell me where you are, and I will come get you.”

Patty’s voice sounded groggy, like she had just woken up.

“I don’t know. I’m chained to a wall in a room that looks like mine. Sam, I’m scared.”