Sleep was impossible. With her sister missing and not knowing whether the kidnappers would return, Maddie didn’t bother going to bed. She hung out in the kitchen, drinking coffee and running her hand through LouLou’s soft fur. If not for the dog, she might have opted to stay in a hotel.

The next morning as she walked up to her store to open for the day, the wind riffled through her hair and blew it into her face. With a quick brush of her hands, she pushed the long strands behind her ears and wrestled the shop keys from the clip on the side of her purse.

The store was comforting and had a warm feeling to it, like coming home. The walls were a creamy tan and had a darker filigree design that she and Janie had painted by hand. Their Dad had helped set up the wooden cabinets and displays for their eclectic jewelry and clothing made by local artisans. Sometimes, the sisters helped the artisans come up with the designs, guiding them with the feedback they received from customers. The shop was located on the corner of the town’s historic Main Street. The area had recently been updated by other shop owners and the town to make it look like it had during the early 1900s. The area was well-kept and very popular, locally and with tourists, in this central part of Colorado.

Maddie and Janie enjoyed their shop, and the profits provided them with a comfortable income. They’d even been able to save and set aside money. Maddie had gone to college first to get a degree in business with a minor in design. Now, it was Janie’s turn, and she was working on an economics degree with a minor in languages. Both women had learned good work ethics and determination from their father, who’d served in the Army throughout their youth. They eventually wanted to expand their business and be able to travel to purchase goods from all over the world.

Maddie set her bag on her desk in the office the sisters shared and walked back to the counter. The shop was just as they had set it up the day before to get ready for the fall season. All the colors were rich and warm and went beautifully with the leaves that were changing outside into the golds, oranges and reds of the season. Everything appeared normal but, to Maddie, nothing was right with her world. A heavy feeling weighed on her shoulders, and her stomach remained knotted from witnessing the chaos of her home and the emptiness of her life without her sister.

As she slipped behind the counter, she noticed a piece of paper that hadn’t been there when she’d left the night before. Maddie read the words written in very neat handwriting.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR SISTER AGAIN, LEAVE THE COPS OUT OF THIS. IF YOU TELL THE COPS ANYTHING YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR SISTER AGAIN. YOU WILL BE CONTACTED.

Maddie’s throat tightened, and her hands curled into fists.

The bell over the door jangled, making Maddie jump. Her gaze jerked toward the entrance, her eyes round, her body tensing, ready to run.

A couple of middle-aged women smiled and called out a greeting as they entered the store. Two college-aged girls entered behind them and headed to the shoe display on the back wall.

The customers didn’t notice Maddie’s distress. She schooled her face into a strained smile, while the hairs on her arms stood on end. Despite the note’s warning, Maddie had to call the detective. Surely, they could run tests on the note to see if they could lift finger prints, or figure out where this paper had come from. Without moving or touching the piece of paper, she retrieved the card Derek had given her. When his voicemail picked up, she whispered a message about what she’d found and where she was. When she ended the call, her hands shook. If she’d had any doubt about what had happened to her sister, the note made it clear. Janie had been kidnapped.

The little boy with dark hair and a superhero backpack slammed the car door and stomped from the curb where the car was idling up to the elementary school.

“Hey, Jacob, have a good day,” Derek called out after the boy’s retreating figure. “Remember, your babysitter will pick you up after school. Make sure you eat your dinner and brush your teeth.”

Derek’s chest tightened. Jacob, the little boy whom he’d only known for six months, walked just like he did. He’d give his right arm to have been there for all six years of Jacob’s life. The anger he felt for Jacob’s mother resurfaced. She’d kept Jacob from him. He might never have known he had a kid, if the mother hadn’t died and left word with her attorney that Jacob was Derek’s son.

Jacob continued to walk toward a teacher standing at the front entrance to the school. At the last minute, he turned and waved his little hand. Then with a grimace, he spun back toward the teacher and walked into the building. Derek returned to his black sedan, shifted into drive and moved out of the drop-off line. With a quick glance down at his cellphone, he noticed a missed call and new message had been left. He spoke to the car’s Bluetooth connection, “Listen to voicemail.”

Maddie Finley’s smoky voice came through the vehicle’s speakers. Her words were shaky and terse as she described what she’d found.

With a curse, Derek pulled out of the school zone and headed for the historic downtown area.

Maddie’s shop was in the old but classic part of town that had been restored to look like bygone days. He parked in front of her building and pushed through the wood and glass door to the sound of a bell jingling over his head. His gaze went straight to Maddie.

She shot a glance his way but continued to address the customer standing in front of her.

Derek stood back, studying the woman he barely recognized as the girl he’d known in high school.

Long wavy hair draped over her right shoulder in a silken mass. Her curves were accented by a long-sleeved, dark purple dress, and she wore short, black suede boots. After a few more words, she excused herself from the customer and walked toward him. The sway of her hips made his groin tighten. The urge to smooth his hands down her body threatened to overwhelm him. He shook off the thought and tightened his lips. He was there on business, not a social call. He began to sway toward her, and then stopped himself. Feeling the need in his body to physically touch her was as strong as the attraction of a magnet to metal. A small gasp slipped from his lips when he got a full view of her and realized instantly that he wanted this woman.

“Derek, I’m glad you got here so quickly.” She waved her hand toward the service counter. “I left the paper where I found it and didn’t touch it. I wasn’t sure what you needed to do and didn’t want to contaminate it with my fingerprints.”

He followed her to the counter and looked over the note she’d found. “You did good. Was there any sign of forced entry to the shop this morning?”

Maddie shook her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “None.” She glanced around, rubbing her arms as if she were cold. “I was the last one to leave and the first one in this morning. The only people who have keys to this shop are Janie, Dad and me.”

Looking into her face, he realized how much she’d changed. So much had changed for him, as well. He’d started college and met a girl. They had gotten really close, and then she’d left him, out of the blue, with no indication of where she’d gone or why. Hurt and angry, he’d finished college, joined the military and served, up until a few years ago.

Being on the police force, as first an officer and now as a detective, was similar in many ways to serving in the military. Both jobs granted him the camaraderie and sense of purpose he needed. Just this year he’d found out he had a son from the girl who’d left him in college. It had taken her death for him to learn about the boy, otherwise, she might never have told him.

It had been difficult adjusting from bachelorhood to life with a small boy dependent on him for everything. But the boy looked and acted so much like his father, sometimes Derek could see a miniature of himself in his son. The first time Jacob had hugged him and told him he loved him had touched Derek so deeply he could no longer imagine life without Jacob.

Derek came back to himself and realized that he had been staring at Maddie.

Her cheeks reddened, and she glanced away.

“Maddie, where is your Dad? Have you been in contact with him yet?”

She looked up at the question. “No. I tried calling his satellite phone, but he’s in Turkey working as a civilian contractor. With the unrest there, they may have him on communications lockdown. I haven’t been able to get through to him.” She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Her simple, feminine movement made Derek’s pulse stir. When had she become so beautiful and desirable, and why was he reacting to her so strongly? He squared his shoulders and clenched his fists, reminding himself he was on the job, and he had a son to think about. “I’ll take the note back to the station and see if we can lift prints. In the meantime, stay safe, and don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you up to date on our progress.”

With a nod, she leaned in, as if to give him a hug, but seemed to think better of it and stuck out her hand. “Thank you for helping me find my sister.”

Maddie’s eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. She jerked back her hand and rubbed it on the side of her dress.

If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d felt something, too.

Using a tissue, Derek lifted the note and dropped it into a paper evidence bag. He left Maddie at her shop and drove to the station, his thoughts spinning around Maddie and her sister’s disappearance.

Back in his office, he left the note with their expert, who worked miracles lifting latent prints and running it through the fingerprint database. “As soon as you get something from this, notify me.” Then he hurried toward his desk, hoping for news from the officers canvassing Maddie’s neighbors and the college campus.

Before he reached his office, he passed his partner, who sat staring at his computer screen, a frown furrowing his brow.

“Hey, Jonesy, whatcha lookin’ at?” he asked.

Derek’s partner looked up and ran a beefy hand through his disheveled hair. “I’ve spent the last four hours reviewing the campus security recordings. There’s something odd going on, for sure.” He clicked a few keys and leaned back. “Take a look.”

Derek rounded the desk and studied the screen view of the main campus park at 9:00 pm the previous evening. A woman stood on the curb. Though the video was very grainy and dark, the female standing there looked a lot like Maddie, although she was taller, and her hair was a pale shade of blond.

A truck pulled up beside her, and a man got out. He rounded the hood to the other side of the truck and held the door open for the female. She got in. The man returned to the driver’s side, got in and drove off.

Jonesy hit a few more keys on the keyboard and leaned back again. “I went back a few weeks to the timing of the last kidnapping on campus a month ago. You can’t see the driver of the vehicle very well, but it’s the same truck, and the shape and size of the man is identical.” Jonesy looked up at Derek. “There have been rumors of a possible sex ring operation in the area. Men might be taking girls and selling them overseas. My confidential informant has been keeping his ears to the ground and has heard whispers. We should get him involved or have him ask around. But carefully, in case he gets caught. I don’t want to lose a CI.”

Derek went around to his desk and sank into his chair. “Yeah, I think we should consider these rumors more and see if any more issues have been reported on campus, before we start getting into that mess.”

“Ready to hit the campus?” Jonesy asked.

“Let me check my emails and voicemail. Then I’ll be ready.” Derek punched the button on his desk phone and listened to his voicemail at the same time as he powered up his computer. He listened to one message reminding him of an appointment with his son’s teacher the next week. Derek jotted down the time and date then scanned through his email, hoping for a lead on Janie’s case. After a cursory glance, he pushed back from his desk. “Ready.”

Jonesy punched a key and the printer on his desk spit out an image. Derek’s partner stood and shrugged into his jacket.

Derek rounded his desk and grabbed the paper from the printer. It was a blurry image of the man from the truck. It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

As they walked out of the building, Jonesy asked, “Hey man, your car or mine?”

“It better be mine, that way I can drop you off on my way back,” Derek said. “Straight to the campus?”

A few minutes later, Derek pulled up to the campus, parked and got out. “We should start with campus police.”

Jonesy strode toward the campus security office.

Derek walked alongside him, matching his pace.

Inside the building, they were ushered into Martin Mayweather’s office, the Director of Campus Police.

The director sat at his desk, staring at a computer screen. He waved toward a couple of chairs. “Please, have a seat.”

Derek and Jonesy each took a seat and waited for the director to complete what he was doing before they spoke.

Mayweather hit a few keys, his lips pressed in a straight line, and then he pushed back from the screen and focused his attention on Derek and Jonesy. “I understand you’re here about one of our students, Janie Finley.”

“That is correct,” Derek said. “Miss Finley was reported missing last night after she went out on a date. We found evidence of a struggle in her home.”

The director leaned forward, his brow forming a V. “I’m sorry to hear that. What can we do to help?”

Jonesy pulled out a pad and pen. “We think she might have met her date on campus. We need to see any surveillance videos from campus security cameras.”

“Absolutely,” the director said. “My employees will cooperate with you on whatever you need.”

“Thank you, sir.” Derek pushed to his feet. “Also, we’d like to canvas some of the students who might have been on campus last evening about the time Miss Finley was due to meet with her date.”

Mayweather rose from his chair and held out his hand. “Whatever you need, just let us know.”

Derek shook the proffered hand. “If any of your students come to you with information regarding Miss Finley…”

“I’ll be sure to relay that information, immediately.” Mayweather shook hands with Jonesy, walked the two detectives to the security monitoring center and handed them off to the officer in charge. “I hope you find the young lady.”

“We hope we find her alive,” Derek muttered beneath his breath as he settled in to watch video recordings from the previous evening. After reviewing a number of surveillance videos, they located one with a woman matching Janie’s description and the photo Maddie had given him to use in his search. In the video, they got a fuzzy image of a young man and the truck he’d driven when he picked up Janie.

The officer manning dispatch in the campus security office made a still image of their person of interest to pass along to officers patrolling the campus. Derek warned him they’d be sending officers to canvas students in the area where she was last seen. After receiving a promise that security would put together a file of all students who’d suddenly stopped showing up to class, Derek and Jonesy headed back to the station.

At his desk, while looking through reports of missing girls or attacks on young girls in the local community, Derek noticed a trend of college-aged women who’d gone missing over the last year. Not only had they all gone missing from the local university, but reports showed women had disappeared from other universities and community colleges in nearby towns and cities.

At that moment, Jonesy walked up. “Derek, I just got a call from a young woman, a student at the university.”

Derek glanced up from his computer. “What did she say?”

“She said she’d heard rumors that several girls had gone missing, and she’s concerned because over the last few days she feels like she’s being watched. That there have been guys on campus who’re lurking, not so much going to classes. Just…watching.”

“Are the guys students?” Derek asked.

His partner shook his head. “She isn’t sure.”

“Did she say anything else?”

Jones sank into his chair, put his feet up on his desk and laced his hands behind his head. “Well, she did say something about being warned by one of her brother’s friends, that she shouldn’t go anywhere by herself and to always be on her guard. He’d given her advice on what to do if attacked.” The detective placed his feet on the ground and looked directly into Derek’s eyes. “The consensus from her friends is that girls are being taken for nefarious reasons.”

Derek raised his eyebrows. “Nefarious reasons?”

“Her word, not mine.” Jonesy’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “Probably the word of the day.”

“Exactly what does that mean?”

“She didn’t say, but it can’t be good,” Jones said with a sigh.

Just then the unit’s LT popped his head around the corner. “Jones, Lewis, in my office. Now.”

Derek followed Jones into Lt. Slaughter’s office and closed the door behind them.

The LT had been a cop for over thirty years, and it showed in his stance as well as the deep lines in his face. He had worked his way up the ranks quickly and had friends in high places through his wife, whose father was the mayor. His office had all the cop paraphernalia with his certificates of training and framed newspaper articles of drug busts and murderers he had helped catch. The LT looked at both men. “You are to cease and desist any work you’re doing on the case concerning Janie Finley. And drop anything you might be working on in reference to any sex ring. I just got a call from the governor’s office that the FBI will be taking over the investigation, and they don’t want our cops mucking it up.”

Derek’s fists clenched. “So, the FBI has figured out that there might be human trafficking or sex trade potential in these missing women?”

Lt. Slaughter nodded. “That would be my guess. They don’t always tell me everything.”

His lips tightening, Derek frowned. “Need to know basis?”

“You got it.” The LT tapped his pen on the desktop.

Derek glanced toward Jones and back to the LT. “So, are we off the case then?”

“So it seems,” said the lieutenant.

Anger boiled beneath the surface. Derek bit down hard to keep from cursing. “Every minute that passes is wasted time. You know as well as I do that the first twenty-four hours is crucial. The FBI will be looking at the big picture, not concentrating on getting Janie back.”

Lieutenant Slaughter raised his hands palms up. “I know,”

“They’re cutting us out.” He slammed his fist into his palm. “That’s bullshit.”

The LT’s eyes narrowed, but he gave them a sly smile. “No, but I don’t want to hear anything about this case, unless you get a better lead. Something shady’s going on, but we don’t want to get our asses chewed by the governor’s office. If you guys continue down this path, you’re on your own. You have been given the official word.”