On the Island…
By the hand, someone dragged Daphne as they sprinted through pine needles, evergreen branches whipping her face. The blindfold disoriented her. Although, judging from the short distance they’d traveled and the water crashing against the shoreline, she had a good indication that she hadn’t left Long Lake, even though it felt like they’d been running for miles.
“Stop. Please,” cried Daphne. “Does this have anything to do with Senator Cooper or his son?”
The person holding her hand stopped short. “Who?”
The high-pitched, nasally voice couldn’t belong to a male. Could it? “If you don’t know the name, then why’d you kidnap me?”
“To save you.”
“Save me? From who?”
“There’s no time to explain.”
With a tug of the arm, Daphne’s abductor took off again. As much as she resisted, the person kept pulling, practically dislocating her shoulder from the socket. “Wait. Please. Stop.”
For a moment her pleading worked. The kidnapper again stopped without notice. Only this time, Daphne kept going, lost control, and rammed headlong into the side of a tree. Dazed from the collision, she crashed to the soil-like sand. Sap sealed strands of her long blonde hair, matting clumps to one side of her face. The blindfold fell cockeyed, and Daphne raised her bound wrists to lower it even more.
“Don’t,” the same voice warned. “Don’t you get it? If he catches us, we’re both dead.”
“Who?”
“I told you, there’s no time to explain.” A long pause of silence fell between them—an unnerving tranquility with faint echoes of laughter. “Oh no. It’s too late. He’s coming.”
Chapter 9
In Boomer and Daphne’s cabin, we spread the print outs of missing persons across the kitchen table. Once the State Police finished questioning Boomer, Levaughn had walked them out and managed to convince one of the detectives to share the complete file.
The missing persons count was higher than we thought. Within the last thirty days, nine couples had vanished, erased as if they’d never existed. The victims last seen in and around Naples.
All vacationing couples, except one: Denise Phelps, a waitress who worked in a nearby seafood joint. The last anyone saw of her was when she left work three days ago. Because of her age—she was only twenty-two—detectives wrote it off as a disgruntled employee quitting her job, even though none of her friends had heard from her since.
While reading her description and the details surrounding her disappearance, an uneasiness churned my stomach acids. “I think we just found Denise.”
“Let me see that.” Boomer snatched the bulletin from my grasp. “It’s her. She’s the one who washed ashore. What the hell is going on here? Dammit!” He pounded a closed fist on the table, and the papers scattered everywhere. “People are dying. Why won’t they investigate?”
“Brother, tourism supports this state. It’s not right. It’s not fair. But it is what it is.”
“No. I don’t accept that. I won’t.” He strode away from us, a hand clawing back his short, dark hair. At the sliders, he stared out at the lake. And with a tone crackling with pain, he muttered a soft, “Where are you, sweetheart?”
Agony exuded off every move he made, the way he rested cupped hands on his knees, struggling for each breath as if the mere act of breathing without Daphne was too much to bear; the way he refused eye contact in an attempt to hide the emptiness inside him; the way he clasped his hands behind his head, pacing the room as though sitting still meant he wasn’t doing enough to find her.
Each gut-wrenching movement pierced my soul, chopping my heart into pieces. If ever there was a time we needed to succeed, this was it. If Boomer lost Daphne forever, he’d never recover. Not months from now, not years from now, not ever. The love they shared was so palpable, so meaningful, so rare you could feel the energy between them. The first night we spent time in their company Levaughn and I both picked up on it.
This was so unfair. If ever two people were born to be together …
I parted my lips to offer a suggestion, but Boomer beat me to it. “You said Nadine would babysit?”
“I’m sure she will, yeah.”
“Get her here, then. Please. I can’t stay cooped up in this cabin another second.”
“On it.” I sprinted out the sliders, on to the deck, and bustled down the stairs. Careening across the sand, the lake breeze sifted through my hair as I veered into our yard, double-stepped it up the stairs and into the house. “Nadine!” I searched the living room, the bedroom, hollered out to the garage, “Nadine!”
The refrigerator door closed and there she stood. “I’m right here. What’s the matter?”
Breath labored more from the urgency of the situation than exertion, I collapsed against the counter. “Remember Boomer next door? He needs you to babysit.”
“What? No. Christopher and I are going shopping today. We found these adorable little shops about thirty minutes north of here.”
“Sorry, but you need to change your plans. Please. He needs your help.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but they’re not the only ones on vacation. Besides, they’re your friends, not mine. You babysit.”
“Be serious. I don’t have the first clue how to care for an infant. Plus, they need me.”
“Then tell them to hire a babysitter like everyone else. I’m a librarian for cryin’ out loud.”
“You don’t understand. Daphne’s missing. Something terrible happened. I don’t have time to explain, but we really need your help. Can’t you take the baby shopping with you guys? It’ll be good practice.”
She planted a fist on her hip. “What sort of mess did you get them into?”
“Me? Who says this has anythin’ to do with me?”
Tossing her disapproving parental look, she eyed me up and down, trying to see if I was handing her a line of bullshit to get her to comply. This wasn’t the first time she’d used this move, and it wouldn’t be the last. Granted, in the past I may have deserved it, but not today. Not now.
“Ya mean, this isn’t a prank? His fiancé really is missing?”
I flung my hands in the air. “Yes! So, will you do it?”
“Of course. I’ll help any way I can. Let me tell Christopher where I’m going. I’ll meet you over there.”
“Thank you, Nay.” I enfolded her in a warm embrace. “I’ll make this up to you. I promise.”
“Wow. This must really be serious. You hate hugs.”
“It’s life or death.” I pulled out of her clasped arms. “I gotta get back. Use the deck entrance. We’re right inside the door.”
“Okay. Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work out.”
If only that were true. “I knew I could count on you.” I sprinted out the house. On the deck, I hesitated. Stuck my head through the sliders and called her name.
Nadine bustled into the living room. “What now? The shower just shut off. I need to tell Christopher.”
“I know. It’s not that.”
“Then what, Shawn? You told me to hurry.”
“Right.” The use of my legal name flustered me. “Uh…” How can I word this so she won’t freak out? “Even during the day these doors need to stay locked. Okay?”
“What? Why?”
“Just please do it. Use the security bar, too. You can’t be too careful.” Without waiting for a response, I hustled off the deck, across the beach, and returned to Boomer’s cabin in two minutes, tops. When I burst through the slider door, Levaughn was sitting alone at the table. “Where’d he go?”
“He’s putting Maya down for a nap.”
“Crap. I told Nay she could take her into town. They had plans today.”
Levaughn cocked an eyebrow.
“Don’t look at me like that. It was the only way I could get her to agree to babysit.”
He twisted in his chair, his gaze scanning the deck. “Where is she?”
“She’ll be here in a minute. I need to talk to Boomer first. Do you think it’s all right if I go in there?” I jabbed a chin toward the hall that led to the nursery.
“Hm. I don’t know, Shawnee. He’s pretty upset. He might need some time alone.”
“Shit. What do I do? If he won’t allow Maya to leave the cabin—”
“He may not. Honestly, considering what he’s going through, I wouldn’t blame him either. Want me to talk to Nadine?”
“Could ya?”
“Consider it done.” He tapped the chair next to his. “Sit. I want your opinion on something.” He lined up the photos on each missing person. “What’s the one thing all the victims have in common?”
I studied each bulletin. More specifically, their last known whereabouts scrawled under each smiling face. I sucked in a sharp breath. “The lake.”
“Exactly. Now, what activities occur at the lake?”
“Boating, water-skiing, swimming …”
“Okay. What else?”
“How the hell should I know? This is the first time I’ve spent any time near fresh water since my childhood.”
“Lemme try this another way. Where would a killer be able to interact with potential victims?”
“Oh, I see where you’re goin’ with this. Hmm …” Reviewing each report more closely, I searched for something—anything—that connected each missing person. “Other than the lake area I can’t see a commonality. Can you?”
“Not sure yet. We need Boomer’s timeline. Without it, finding where they came into contact with the suspect is a near-impossible task. I’m guessing this is what gives the impression the investigation has stalled.”
“Then what was all that crap about tourism?”
“That’s also true. However, I refuse to believe Maine State Police would let a killer walk free so they wouldn’t lose revenue. Come on.” His tone raised, words laced with aggravation. “You know better than that.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m not the one who insinuated Maine doesn’t give a shit about tourists. That’s on you, my friend.”
“It’s not what I meant, and you know it. Look. You woke me from a dead sleep. Boomer was a wreck, looking to me for answers. Tourism revenue was the first thing that sprang my mind. Because honestly, I can’t explain why it seems like the State Police are keeping the investigation so hush-hush. At RPD, we’d never get away with skirting the media the way they have.”
“That’s the truth. Damn reporters.”
“Maybe I should clarify what I meant.”
“Nah. It’s not gonna make a difference at this point. Let’s focus on finding Daphne.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Ya think we should check on him? He’s been in there a while.”
Nadine glided open the slider door, and I clutched my heart. “Hey, you two.” Her tone was that of mourner approaching a casket. “How is he?”
“Not good,” said Levaughn. “Listen, Nay. I know Shawnee said you could take Maya shopping with you, but it’s really better if you don’t leave the cabin. Would you mind pushing off your plans for a day or two? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t an emergency.”
Without even asking why, Nadine agreed. “Sure. Totally understand. Not a problem.”
My inner green monster reared its ugly head. If I had asked, she would’ve started in on me, firing off questions faster than I could answer. But she could never refuse Levaughn. A quick smile from him, and she’d probably jump off a bridge. If Nadine wasn’t my BFF since childhood, I might be tempted to think she had ulterior motives.
The green monster backed into its lair. A lifetime together proved her unwavering loyalty. Nadine would never betray me over a man. Ever. In many respects, I’m lucky to have her, even if I didn’t tell her often enough. Anyway, it wasn’t in my DNA to be overly mushy. She knew it. Although lately, with everything that mattered to Boomer fading away before our eyes, I should probably tell her how much she meant to me.
The mush-fest would have to wait.
We had bigger problems, like how to find Daphne without the full support of Maine State Police. For Levaughn and I, employees of the Revere, Massachusetts Police Department, an off-book investigation was a serious no-no. Especially in another state. Luckily for Boomer, we weren’t opposed to livin’ on the edge. When lives were at stake walking the line between legal and illegal became a slippery slope.
Silence hung in the cabin like a flaming arrow, fiery hot and ready to burn. As Boomer entered the room, we all turned and stared. I doubt any of us knew what to say. The protective wall around my heart crumbled—brick by brick—each time I glimpsed the faraway look in his eyes.
Before approaching Nadine, he cleared the gravel from his throat, but he couldn’t hide the emotions strangling his words. “Thanks for coming.” Half-heartedly he shook her hand. White beads of dryness cornered his lips; a vast contrast to the sheen of sweat on his face.
No wonder he’d taken so long in the nursery. His red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes proved Levaughn was right. The poor guy had broken down again. Good thing I didn’t disturb him earlier. Me and awkward moments didn’t mix well.
“So,” he said, breaking the silence again, “did you find a starting point?
Shuffling the reports, Levaughn slid out Denise Phelps’ bulletin. “She may be the key. We figure out what she has in common with the other victims and we may be able to determine where Daphne came in contact with the suspect. But first, I need you to tell me everyplace you and Daphne went. If it’s easier to jot down a list, that’s fine too.”
“I’ve already retraced our steps. We arrived the same day you did, and the only time we left the cabin was to walk the beach, grocery shop, and when we went out for dinner. Other than that we’ve stayed put.”
The mention of a restaurant obviously triggered something for Levaughn, evident by the way his neck snapped to attention. “What restaurant did you go to?”
“Let’s see. It wasn’t far, I know that. We found it on our way to check in.” His puffy eyes widened. “We paid by credit card, so I must still have the receipt.” Boomer slumped into the sofa, withdrew the wallet from his back pocket, and tore it apart. Scraps of paper came out in clumps, most worn too thin to be legible.
I could relate. My wallet still held receipts from the 1990’s.
“It’s here. I know it is.” Visibly shaken, his face mottled with various shades of red as he got more and more frustrated. “Dammit!” He whipped his wallet across the room, and it struck a crystal vase that held long-stemmed red roses, which crashed to the kitchen tiles, shattering glass shards in all directions, dyed water seeping toward the braided rug beneath the table.
Boomer’s splayed hands shot above his head. “Fuck! Look at this mess.” With a pained moan he fell back against the couch cushions and ever so slightly, his head shook from side to side. Palming his forehead, his muscular forearms hid his face, his chin tucked to his chest. “What if we never find her?”
The screech of Levaughn’s chair legs across the wet floor caused every tiny hair to salute, goosebumps sheathing my skin from head to toe. Nadine froze, her mouth gaped in amazement. Or fear. I couldn’t tell which.
Boomer had never snapped like this before. If we didn’t find a lead soon, God only knows what he’d do next.