Chapter 7

Nate returned to the station frustrated and confused. What was wrong with Ashley? Where did all the weird stuff come from? She had never done anything like that before. Was she trying to be some kind of psychic or something? Nate couldn’t connect the beautiful and polished woman he knew with the frail woman ranting strange things.
“What do you make of Ashley?” Nate asked Eric as Eric walked past his desk.
“I have no idea. You know her, is that like her?”
“Not at all. She’s never done that before. That’s the first time she’s seen a dead body since her husband and son died. Maybe she was thinking of them and reacting to that.”
“You’re probably right. On the other hand, the way we found the girl did suggest she’d been running away.” Eric laid some pictures of tire tracks on Nate’s desk. “These tire tracks also suggest that someone drove away quickly. We have molds down at the lab to try and identify the make and model of car. It’s possible that they stopped and the girl got out and ran away.”
“And then someone just killed her for that? It seems plausible but why would someone take her in the first place and then kill her so quickly?” Nate raked his hands through his hair and leaned back in his chair.
Loud voices reached Nate’s ears. He looked around Eric to see a rather round man standing behind the desk yelling at a uniformed officer. The officer was making attempts to calm the man down but they didn’t seem to be working.
“I want some answers and I want them now!”
The officer responded a voice to low to hear.
“Where is the detective in charge of my daughter’s case?” The man ignored the officer and began searching the desks beyond. Recognition dawned on Nate. This would have to be Daisy Brandt’s father. The morgue had just left a message stating he had positively identified the body and would be heading over to talk to Nate and Eric.
Eric realized the same thing. “Showtime,” he said.
“Mr. Brandt?” Nate asked approaching the man.
“Yes, who are you?”
“I’m Agent Zimmerman and this is my partner Agent Walker. We’re in charge of your daughter’s case.”
“And my wife’s?” The anger seemed to dissolve into pain.
Nate couldn’t even begin to imagine what this man felt. He had never lost anyone close to him. Even his parents were still alive. He found himself wishing for Ashley. She would understand this man’s pain and be able to talk to him much better. Nate pushed the thought aside. Why was he thinking of Ashley again?
“Yes, we are also working on that case. The two are being combined now and we have a lot of people on the job. I assure you that we are doing everything we can to find the man or woman responsible for your wife and daughter’s murder.”
The large man began to cry; his broad shoulders shaking with grief. Nate glanced down to the photos he had of the wife and daughter. Both of them had long brunette hair and very bright green eyes. Nate rarely saw such beautiful green eyes and both mother and daughter looked like a copy of the other. Nate couldn’t help but note how the large man next to him didn’t seem to fit with the pair he was looking at. He was clearly out of shape and wider than he was tall. He had a few extra chins and his eyes looked puffy even when they weren’t filled with tears. However, the man wore a Rolex watch and a very expensive suit that Nate couldn’t identify the brand of, he just knew it was more than a month’s salary. Nate also recalled that the wife was found murdered next to a Mercedes Benz sedan. Some married for looks, but many married for money. Could this man have been possessive enough to murder his wife and daughter?
“Mr. Brandt, we’d like to ask you a few questions.” Mr. Brandt looked up at Nate but didn’t bother to wipe away the tears rolling down his cheeks. Bright red splotches added to the man’s round face. He’d make a good Santa Claus if he changed his hair color from dirty blonde to white. Nate suppressed a smile.
“You can call me Harvey. I’m sure I’ve answered most of the questions already so you can write this down now. No, I did not have an affair. No, my wife and I were not fighting. I’m aware of how different we look. People tell us that all the time but I love…loved…my wife and my daughter and I wouldn’t do anything to harm them.”
“Where were you…”
“I was at work when my wife was in the accident. If you check the phone records you’ll see that we were on the phone right as she got hit. She said she would call me back after she called the police and exchanged information with the person she hit but she never got back to me. That’s when I called the police.”
“Did she say anything about the accident?” For some reason that bit of information was not in Nate’s notes. Occasionally the local police were territorial about things and information but Nate couldn’t imagine them actually wanting to work this case themselves. This was too big and would require way too much manpower. Nate was already wishing he could pass it along to someone else.
“Only that the guy just pulled out in front of her and cut her off. I know she dropped the phone so she could control the wheel and avoid him but I heard the crunch. She picked up the phone right after to say that she and Daisy were okay but then nothing.”
“Did you hear a gunshot?”
“No, she’d already turned her phone off by that point.”
“Did she happen to mention a license number or make of car?”
“No, she was going to get the guy’s information,” Harvey paused and looked up at the ceiling. Nate remained silent, waiting. “Wait, I do think she said it was an SUV. At one point she cursed at the big SUV that pulled out in front of her. That was right before the accident. My wife doesn’t like SUV’s and insists that we both drive very safe cars.” A small smile tugged at Harvey’s mouth and for a second Nate thought he could see why such a beautiful woman might actually fall in love with this large man.
“Do you remember anything else about the accident? Anything else she said?”
“I think that’s it. After she cursed at the SUV she said she would call me back and then the phone went dead. I figured she hung up on me. I didn’t give it a second thought until she didn’t call me back. That’s when I called the police to see if they had investigated the accident...”
“And your daughter was with her?”
“Yes, they were probably running errands. My wife home schools. We thought it best for Daisy. She, um, got picked on a lot at school so my wife thought it best to keep her home. She’d been doing really well these past two years. She had been a bit chunky like me.” Harvey shrugged and laughed. “Guess you could see that, huh? Anyway, she’d slimmed down quite a bit. Jenny kept her on a better diet. She had been in gymnastics. She was doing so well.” Harvey paused and rubbed his face. His pride in what his daughter had accomplished and his grief at their loss were evident. Still, Nate had to ask.
“Mr. Brandt, I must ask you this. Did you kill your wife?”
“Absolutely not! Why would you even ask me that?”
“I have to ask Mr. Brandt. I also have to ask if you murdered your daughter?”
“Are you crazy? No, I have never laid a hand on my daughter or her mother!”
“Was there any reason you would want them dead?”
Nate was pushing the man’s buttons, seeing how he would respond, seeing how angry he would get. Harvey’s knee was shaking and his arms were turning white as they held the arms of the chair. He looked as if he wanted to wrap his arms around Nate’s throat and squeeze tightly but he didn’t move. He breathed slowly and relaxed his grip on the chair. “Agent Zimmer was it?”
“Agent Zimmerman.”
“Fine, whatever. I did not murder my wife. I did not murder my daughter and I did not have anyone kill them. I was just called in to identify my daughter’s body and now I come here wanting to know what you know and instead you’re asking me if I’m guilty. I would appreciate it if you were out looking for who actually did kill my wife and daughter.” The words came out in a very controlled manner. Harvey Brandt had had practice at keeping his emotions under control.
“Do you know anyone who would want to harm you or your family?”
“I run a successful carpeting and tile business. I don’t make many enemies. I can’t imagine who would want to harm Jenny or Daisy.”
“Were they your only family?”
“I have a son in college from a previous marriage. Jenny was my first true love. My first marriage ended rather quickly. We were young and stupid but Jenny… Jenny and I hit it off right away. We got married and she was pregnant just six months later. We were so excited and when Daisy was born… Well, it was magical. We wanted more children but we just weren’t able to get pregnant after that. Daisy was our world. I don’t know what I’m going to do without them.” Harvey dropped his head into his hands and sobbed.
“Mr. Brandt, I promise you that we are doing everything we possibly can to find the man responsible for this crime…”
“Do you know what happened to my daughter?”
“What do you mean?”
“How did she die? I know that my wife was shot but no one said how my daughter died. Do you know?”
“We’re waiting for the autopsy report.”
“Was she hurt?” Harvey asked. Nate’s puzzled look must have registered for he continued, “Was she um, raped?”
“We don’t know the answer to that yet.”
“Will you tell me? When you find out, will you let me know?”
“I can do that, Mr. Brandt.”
“Do you have any more questions for me?”
“No, you’re free to go. Just be sure to stay within reach in case we have more questions for you.”
“Okay.” Harvey Brandt stood from his chair, extended his hand to Nate for handshake and turned to leave the building.
“I don’t think he did it,” Eric said from behind Nate. Eric had listened to the entire interview but had stayed silent. He was observing Harvey’s reactions and emotions.
“I don’t either. I can’t imagine he’d have any ties to the other girls but let’s run a background check just to be sure.” Nate was frustrated by the lack of leads and lack of evidence. He needed that autopsy report to find out what happened to the girl and he needed to find it soon. One girl dead didn’t look good for the other girls missing. This case was getting more serious and more complicated by the minute.
“Let’s call the coroner and see if he’s done with the autopsy. Maybe that will give us some idea of what’s going on,” Eric said.
“Better yet, let’s just go. If he hasn’t started then we can join him. I don’t want this taking any longer than it has to.” Nate grabbed his suit coat and headed out of the office with Eric on his heels.
The trip to the coroner’s office was short given the time of day. The lunch rush was over and the streets were clear. Nate pulled into the parking lot, climbed out of the car and headed into the building.
“Ah, Nathan, I’m not surprised to see you here so quickly. Mr. Brandt was in just a little while ago and he said he was on his way to you. Come, come, I have something to show you.” Dr. William Folek had to be approaching eighty years old but yet still he showed up every day to do his job; the same job he’d been doing for the last fifty years. Nate knew his gait had slowed and his skin had wrinkled but Nate knew his mind was clear and he was the best at what he did.
“Thank you, Dr. Folek.” Nathan and Eric followed Dr. Folek back onto the autopsy room. The stench was both repulsive and sterile. The air was much cooler. Nate knew it was to refrigerate the bodies and keep them from decomposing too quickly. Nate couldn’t help but notice the white sheet covering a body falling too short of the end of the table. No one that small should be on this table.
“Nathan, you know I’ve seen a lot in my life but I hate when I see this. This poor girl.” Dr. Folek shook his head as he pulled the sheet back. Daisy’s face looked pale and blue, her eyes closed, her mouth upturned in a small smile. The horrors this child had faced before her death were unfathomable.
“What happened to her?” Eric asked from behind Nate. Nate knew Eric wouldn’t stop any closer. Eric had two daughters of his own and the last thing he wanted to see was Daisy’s tiny body on the table.
“I’m sorry to say but this little girl was raped repeatedly before her death. Her body shows a great deal of recent trauma but death was by strangulation. I have a clear set of fingers around her neck and peticial hemorrhaging in the eyes. The fingers are large enough to be a man’s which fits with the trauma I’ve found.”
“Any trace evidence?” Nate couldn’t bring himself to say “sperm”.
“I may have found some but it’s quite degraded. It looks like there were multiple donors and that in itself makes a mess.”
“Multiple donors? Any idea how many?” Nate couldn’t comprehend how one man could take advantage of a little girl let alone a number of them.
“I can’t tell how many but I would guess somewhere upwards of ten.”
Nate thought he might be sick. This was worse than he ever could have imagined. He had to change the subject. “Anything else you can tell us?”
“It also appears that she had been cleaned.”
“Cleaned?”
“Possibly before the murder, possibly after but someone scrubbed her. The small amount of trace I did find was inside the uterus thus the degrading. I’m not sure you’ll get anything from it.”
“And under her nails?”
For the first time, Nate noticed a small glean in Dr. Folek’s eyes. “I did find some trace under her nails and I have sent it on to the lab. Hopefully there will be enough for DNA.”
Nate certainly had his doubts but he said a silent prayer that there would be some. How anyone could do this to a little girl was beyond him. But whoever could do this had to be stopped and now Nate knew it wasn’t just one man but many. How much worse could it get?

Chapter 6

Nate and Ashley drove in silence to the hospital. Nate seemed more than happy to be rid of Ashley as he dropped her off by the curb. Truth was, Ashley needed some time away from him too. She couldn’t help but feel a small attraction to him but she couldn’t tell what kind. She wanted him around for company but she wasn’t sure there was a physical attraction. If there was, maybe she was just ignoring it.
Ashley walked up to Kyle’s floor, gave her ID to the nurse and the guard outside Kyle’s room and slipped inside. It was quiet and it gave her time to think.
Stepping over to Kyle’s bed, she found that his tubes had been removed. At least most of them. He still had wires coming off of his body but the breathing tube that had been down his throat was gone. That was a good sign. His eyes were closed as Ashley sat down next to him.
“Hey, bud, how are you doing?” She thought she saw a flicker of movement in his eyelids in response to her question. She hoped it wasn’t her imagination. “It’s Ashley, do you remember me?” His eyelids flickered again. It wasn’t her imagination. “Kyle, open your eyes, look at me.”
She waited. Kyle’s eyes flickered again and then opened. The light blinded his eyes and he closed them again. Ashley walked back to the door, shut the overhead lights off and sat back down. She held his hand, encouraging him to look at her. He responded to her touch, and his eyes found hers.
“Hey buddy, can you look at me?” Ashley waited until his eyes stayed on hers. “I’m here to help you. Can you talk to me?”
“My throat hurts.” Kyle used his free hand to rub his neck. Ashley found him some water and let him drink until he coughed. “Thanks.”
“Kyle, I know you don’t know me very well but I want to be here for you. I want to be your friend.” Kyle didn’t seem convinced by her speech. “I know I told you the other day that I used to have a son. He would be a bit older than you but do you know what happened?”
Kyle shook his head, now she had his attention.
“I was at home,” Ashley paused. This would be harder than she had expected. “I was at home cooking dinner. My husband, Donnie, had gone to the store with our son. He had just turned one. He was so adorable.” Ashley wiped her eyes. Aidan had been her life. He had looked just like his father. The same sparkling and mischievous blue eyes. The same hair that stuck up in the morning but always laid flat on his head by the end of the day making him look like a Precious Moments doll.
“What happened?” Kyle asked then coughed again. The removal of the breathing tube must have been very recent.
“I’m sorry. You know how you had a bad day? I had a really bad day too,” Ashley paused again and tried to smile. “I was cooking dinner inside and I heard the garage door open. That always meant that Donnie was home. I remember smiling because I loved him so much. I loved them both. I remember hearing the van door open and then close. That meant that Donnie had taken Aidan out of the van. It took them a little while to come in so I figured they had gone to get the mail. Donnie did that a lot…” Ashley covered her mouth. The tears were becoming impossible to control. After eleven years she should be able to talk about it without crying but she couldn’t.
Kyle squeezed her hand. “You can tell me.” His words made him sound older than his nine years. Ashley wondered if he had comforted someone else before her.
“It was weird, Kyle. They didn’t come back in right away and that’s not like them. Then I heard these pops. Quite a few of them. I didn’t know what that meant until I ran outside. They were both lying there in the driveway. There was blood everywhere.” Ashley looked at Kyle to see if she got a reaction. Not much of one. She couldn’t decide what that meant. Had he seen his mother lying on the ground? Had he seen what happened to his sister? Either he didn’t so he had nothing to compare her words to or he had and couldn’t bring himself to talk about it.
“Where they okay?” Kyle asked the question slowly as though he knew what the outcome was but didn’t want to hear the reality. Ashley could empathize with that.
“No, they weren’t. I called the police but my husband was gone when they arrived and Aidan didn’t survive long in the hospital…”
“Like my mom?”
“Yes, sweetie, like your mom.” Ashley squeezed Kyle’s hand tighter. She watched a tear roll down his cheek and expected more but none followed. He used his free hand to wipe the one tear away.
“What about Kayla?”
“I don’t know about her. Everyone is looking for her.” Ashley decided to try asking a case-related question. “Did you see anything? Did you see anyone take Kayla?”
“No.” Ashley knew that was a lie. Kyle pulled his hand from Ashley’s grasp and crossed his arms. He was no longer willing to meet Ashley’s gaze. Not a good sign of an interview going well.
Ashley switched the subject back to herself. “I miss Donnie and Aidan so much. Do you miss your mommy?”
“Yes.”
“What do you miss about her?”
“I don’t know. She was cool. She knew when I had a bad day…” Kyle’s voice trailed off. It was obviously a subject he was embarrassed about.
“Do you have a lot of bad days?”
“I just don’t like… I don’t like going to school without Kayla. She’s my best friend and she takes care of me. Mom understood that.”
“What about your dad?”
“He’s always pretty busy. I don’t know if he knew.” Another averted gaze, another lie. Something wasn’t right in the family but Ashley couldn’t put her finger on it.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Ashley’s gaze shifted from Kyle to the man standing at the door. It was Michael. His grin revealed perfectly straight and very white teeth. Every hair was perfectly in place and up to date. The man was a walking billboard for fashion. He was meant for politics.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were here,” Michael said as he entered the room.
“I thought it would do some good to spend some time with Kyle.”
“Has he said anything?” Was that anxiety or concern in his voice?
“No, we’ve just been getting to know each other a little better.” Ashley smiled at Kyle to bring him into the conversation. He was a child but they didn’t need to speak about him as if he wasn’t there. Kyle forced a smile onto his lips as though he spent his life doing just that. Kyle would make a wonderful husband someday. He seemed to be truly concerned how others around him felt despite his own pain.
“Did you say anything about the girl?” Michael lowered his voice and attempted to speak out of the side of his mouth. Kyle didn’t miss a thing. Ashley avoided pointing out that Kyle was nine, not three.
“No…”
“What girl?” Kyle asked.
“It’s okay, bud, don’t worry about it.” Michael’s patronizing tone did nothing to help the situation.
“Tell me.” Kyle waited while no one spoke. “What girl? What about her? Was it Kayla?”
“No, it wasn’t Kayla. The police found another girl that was missing…” Michael pulled up another chair and sat on the other side of Kyle, taking the hand that Ashley wasn’t holding in his.
“Is she okay?” Silence filled the room again. “Is she okay?”
“No, sweetie; the police found her body.” Ashley tried to break the news as gently as possible but she knew nothing would truly soften the blow.
“What happened? What happened to her?”
“We don’t know much yet. The police are looking into it. Remember the guy that came in with me before? That was Nate and he is going to find the person who did this and arrest them.”
“What about Kayla?”
Ashley knew she couldn’t make promises that couldn’t be kept. Ashley had no way of knowing whether or not Kayla was alive or dead and she didn’t want to promise Kyle anything.
Michael saved her from her thoughts even if Ashley wouldn’t have chosen the words herself. “Kyle, Nate will do everything he can to find Kayla. We all will. I know she’s safe. I can feel it so I want you to feel it to. Can you do that?”
Kyle only nodded his response. Ashley was sure she wasn’t the only one in the room to notice Michael’s change of tone. Maybe this man could connect with his son after all. From experience Ashley knew they would need each other to make it through such a hard time. She had wished for someone like that in her life after Donnie and Aidan died. Her church had tried to reach out to her and they had but she had pushed them all away. What could they give her? What could God give her? He had already taken everything away and she had nothing left to give anyway.
Michael turned his attention to Ashley. “Thank you for coming to see him. I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you after the meeting but thank you for all you’re trying to do. It means so much to our family.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to help any way that I can.”
Michael reached across and took Ashley’s hand in his. His hands felt strong and warm around hers. Somehow the gesture seemed natural although the smile on Michael’s face made Ashley believe it was planned. “Let me say thank you. Let me take you out to dinner. It’s late and it’s been a long day. You could use the break and Kyle could use the rest.” Michael turned his eyes to Kyle. “What would you think of that, son? If I were friends with Ashley would you talk to her?”
Kyle didn’t respond but his eyes grew wide. Ashley wished she knew what he was thinking. His mother had just died days ago and here is father is asking another woman out to dinner. Don’t be silly, Ashley, it’s not a date. But there was something else in those eyes that Ashley couldn’t read. Weakly, the boy nodded.
“It’s okay buddy. I’ll leave it up to you. If you don’t want me to talk to your dad then I won’t. I’m here for you. What would you like?” Ashley pulled her hand out of Michael’s and focused completely on Kyle. The boy needed to know that she was here for him and not for his father or anyone else.
“I…don’t…know.” The words came out slowly from Kyle’s mouth.
Ashley sighed. As innocent as her intentions were with Michael, Kyle might not interpret it that way. “You know what, Michael; I don’t think that would be a good idea right now. I’m going to stay with Kyle for a while longer.”
A strange look crossed Michael’s face but was quickly replaced with a smile. “I understand.” Michael stood, kissed Kyle on his forehead, gave Ashley another smile and left the room. As Ashley watched his retreating back, she wondered if she had made a huge mistake while at the same time realizing that her heart couldn’t have taken even a few moments alone with Michael.

Chapter 5

“I’m going with you,” Ashley declared as Nate stood to leave.
“No, this isn’t about you.”
“You’re not leaving me behind.” Ashley hoped her tone was strong enough to be commanding. She had heard Nate’s end of the conversation and it didn’t sound good. She didn’t really want to be in on a bad situation but some part of her felt like she should be. For Kyle’s sake.
“Fine. But you’re not getting in the middle.” Nate’s hard answer wasn’t what Ashley had hoped for but she took it anyway and followed him out of the restaurant, water bottle in hand.
Ashley climbed in to the passenger’s seat in Nate’s unmarked Caprice after they had made the short walk back to the FBI offices. Nate turned on his sirens and headed out of the parking lot.
“What did they find?” Ashley asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Nate said.
“Tell me anyway.”
“It looks like we’ve found one of the girls.”
“I would guess that’s not a good thing or we wouldn’t be heading that way. Is there a stand off? Is someone holding her hostage?”
“That would be a better situation but no, that is not the case.”
Ashley didn’t need any more explanation. Her heart sunk. As many bad cases as she had worked on, as many children as she had ever talked to, with the exception of her son, they were all alive. By her own choice, she didn’t have to deal with other dead children. Looking at Nate, Ashley knew this was the kind of situation they were headed to and she also knew Nate had been there before.
Neither said a word as Nate sped towards wherever it was they were going. It had been too many years since Ashley had been in Florida for her to recognize any of the streets but as they pulled on to Highway 75 she found something familiar. The landscape hadn’t changed much. There were no hills or mountains, only large numbers of trees and flat land. Occasionally they passed a small trailer, sometimes a decent home but mostly just flat land. Ashley had been glad to leave the state behind ten years ago. While she loved the beaches, she hadn’t missed the rest of the state.
At an undetermined mile marker, Nate pulled off at the side of the road. This area of trees didn’t look any different from any other area of trees they had passed. The only difference was the large number of police cars lining the road. There was also the matter of yellow police tape that seemed to extend from a broken down car into the trees and beyond where Ashley could see.
“Stay in the car,” Nate said as he climbed out. He slammed the driver’s door without another word. Ashley sat still, her heart pounding. She wanted to listen to Nate but she couldn’t. She wanted to help but how could she? She certainly couldn’t get any information out of a dead child. She was good at talking to kids but that was pushing it.
Ashley pushed open the passenger’s door and put one heeled leg out. As she pushed against the seat to stand, she lost her balance. No, not her balance, her sense of reality. An image flashed across her mind. A small girl, in a plaid dress. Not a dress, a uniform. It was a jumper. Like for school. She was running. She kept looking back over her shoulder but something or someone was behind her.
The image changed and Ashley saw the girl lying on her back, blood pooled on her lips and her eyes were open, staring at the sky.
As quickly as the images came they disappeared. Ashley shook her head. What was that? It was no one she recognized.
The image firmly planted in her brain, Ashley climbed out of the car. This time she was successful and slowly followed the path that Nate had taken. She got all the way to the yellow tape and was stopped by an officer. “No crossing this line, ma’am.”
“I’m sorry; I’m with Agent Zimmerman...”
“No civilians beyond the tape.” The officer did not lift the tape, nor did he move from his post. Ashley attempted to look beyond him but even straining her neck all she could where the backs of the agents looking down at the ground. Ashley could only imagine what they were looking at.
She paced back and forth in front of the tape, making herself and the officer standing guard all the more nervous. What was she doing here? What did she possibly think she could do? Maybe she had only come along to keep from being left alone in the bagel shop. To keep from feeling abandoned again. Nate had made her feel needed; a part of this case but she was hardly even doing a decent job. Kyle wasn’t talking; his sister was still missing and now this. Whatever this was.
Ashley turned back to where the agents were. One of them was kneeling down to get a better look, just as the others parted to let a petite woman with the words coroner on her jacket through. Ashley gasped at what she saw.
“Nate!” Ashley screamed. All eyes were on her. She could feel them boring through her. Couldn’t they see what was in front of them? Didn’t they know? How did she know?
Nate rushed over to where Ashley was standing. As he approached, she grabbed onto his shoulders to keep herself from falling over. “What is it, Ashley? What’s the matter?”
“The girl…” Words failed her.
“I know, she’s dead. I told you to stay in the car. You weren’t supposed to see her.” Nate pulled her into an embrace but Ashley pushed him away.
“No, you don’t understand. I saw her. I saw the girl.”
“I know. We all saw her…”
“Listen to me! I saw her…” Nate began to interrupt Ashley’s words but she held up her hand. “No, I see her now but I saw her before. It’s the same girl.”
“The same girl as what? I don’t understand,” Nate’s words were firm and Ashley hadn’t missed the strange glances she was getting from those around the girl’s body.
“I saw her running. She was running away.”
“Ashley, she hasn’t moved since we got here.”
“I know, Nate. I know what you see but when I got out of the car. I’m telling you, it’s not what I saw. I saw her running and then I saw her lying there just like she is. Her eyes were open and there was blood around her mouth. I saw her plaid uniform jumper. I saw it all.”
Ashley watched Nate’s eyes and he could see the unbelief there. She knew it was crazy. She wouldn’t have believed it either but she had seen something.
“Ashley, how could you have seen it? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. It’s never happened before. It just came over me and I just felt it. I could feel her fear as she ran…” Ashley broke down then, the tears streaming from her eyes. Why couldn’t she have seen this before? But it wasn’t a premonition about something that would happen; it was a knowledge of something that had happened. An overwhelming feeling as if she was there.
“Come on; let me take you back to the car. You need a break. You need to think things through.” Nate led Ashley back to his car, opened the passenger door and helped her settle back in. Her hands were shaking and they wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t will her body under her minds control. The girl on the ground was the girl she had seen in her mind. The same dress, the same blood trail on her lips.
Nate turned to walk away but Ashley grabbed his arm. “Nate, please, you need to listen to me. I saw her running and then I saw her on the ground. Just like she is now…”
“I’m sure you just think you did. Seeing someone dead, especially a child is disconcerting. It’s hard to handle even when you’ve seen it before.”
“It’s not that. Look, I couldn’t see her face from where I was standing. From where I was, I wouldn’t know if her eyes were open or not. Check it out, stand where I was. You’ll see.”
Nate held up his hands in surrender, walked to where Ashley had been standing, looked around and walked back, a slightly different look on his face. “You’re right; you can’t see her eyes from there. But you made a good guess.”
“No, Nate, it wasn’t a guess. I saw her. She was running away. Maybe the person she was running from chased her here and killed her.”
“But why leave her here?” Nate asked as if Ashley would actually have an answer.
“I don’t know. I have no answers. I’m just telling you what I felt.”
Nate ran his fingers through his hair. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks and yet they had only been on the side of the road for maybe an hour. “We’ll talk about this later, Ashley. I have work to do.”
Ashley didn’t say another word as Nate shut the door behind him and went back to join his colleagues. A few cast her glances but most continued on with what they were doing. An hour later, the girl was zipped up in a body bag, strapped to a gurney, rolled out of the grass and into a van marked “coroner”. Ashley couldn’t help but feel loss for the tiny girl. Her parents, no just her father, would be devastated. Losing a wife and then a daughter. Could life be more cruel?
But Ashley knew that life was cruel. She had lost her husband and son in the same day and she had been left with nothing. Eleven years later she still had nothing. Aidan would be a bit older than Kyle. How she longed to hold him.
Ashley waited patiently for Nate’s return to his vehicle and then demanded he take her back to see Kyle. Even if the boy wasn’t conscious they could work through some of their pain together. It was time to be brutally honest with the boy.

Chapter 4

Nate couldn’t help but steal another glance at Ashley as she sat next to him in the front seat of the car. Even slightly upset, she looked beautiful. Her hair was tucked perfectly up in her hair clip. Her suit was pressed and in place. The gray of the suit matched the burgundy shirt underneath perfectly. Nate wasn’t sure how she walked in the heels she had on but she did it with much style and grace. She was impossible to ignore. Her face beautifully matched the appearance she portrayed. She could easily make the cover of any magazine.
Clearing his throat he looked away and tried to act professional. “Did you get anything from the kid?”
“The kid’s name is Kyle and no, I didn’t get anything from him. He’s not even talking yet. I told you it was going to take a while. I’m not sure you’re prepared for just how long.”
Nate didn’t reply. The thought of his investigation taking a lot more time was frustrating but the thought of Ashley staying in town longer was a nice one. They drove in silence until he pulled into the FBI home office. Ashley climbed out her side of the car and walked briskly to the building. Nate rushed to keep up.
Waving his badge he escorted her past the receptionist, through the maze of cubicles and back to the conference room. He had to introduce her to the rest of the group and explain why he had called her in. It had barely been okayed and he had worked very hard for even that okay.
“Gentlemen,” Ashley said as she stepped into the room in front of Nate. She seemed very comfortable with her position even when all eyes were on her. Nate wanted to lean over and wipe the drool off of Eric’s face but he chose not to. If they thought her looks were something, they would really be wowed when they saw her work.
“I’m Commander Herndon; I assume that you are Ms. Ashley Parks.” The Commander extended his hand and Ashley shook it. “Please take your seats; we have a lot to discuss.”
The group sat around the large conference table in their highly used and uncomfortable metal chairs. Nate traced someone’s graffiti embedded in the table with his fingernail. Herndon covered the preliminaries and the fact that they had yet to solve this very high profile case. He didn’t leave out the fact that it had just gotten more high profile with the disappearance of Michael Fleming’s daughter. Herndon nodded at Nate. It was his cue.
“Ashley, sorry, Ms. Parks met with Kyle this afternoon but they are yet unable to communicate because Kyle is still on a ventilator. Michael Fleming was there when we left…”
As though on his own cue, Michael Fleming entered the room. His harsh footsteps leaving no question as to who he believed were in charge. “Gentlemen, my son is doing better, thank you. He isn’t talking yet but he seemed to like Ms. Parks’ company,” Michael glanced at Ashley and Nate wasn’t sure he liked how he looked at her nor did he miss Ashley’s glance back. For some reason the looks made a knot in Nate’s stomach and he didn’t like the feeling at all. What was getting into him? Ashley was here for a professional visit.
“Thank you Mr. Fleming…” Commander Herndon began.
“I want to know where you are in the investigation,” Michael interrupted. “I want to know what’s being done to find my daughter and I want to know where my wife’s murderer is.” Michael’s already red face had turned a few shades darker in his anger. There was no one in the room who was not accustomed to such outbursts. In fact, many of the officers had experienced these outbursts from this DA before but never in such a personal manner. This was going to be a tough case.
“Be assured, Mr. Fleming that we are doing everything possible. You know from our previous work that we are professionals…” Commander Herndon droned on and seemed to be soothing Michael’s nerves. On the one hand, Nate felt for him. He had just lost his wife and daughter. On the other hand, Nate couldn’t help but feel the anger was a show. Michael had been planning to run for political office, maybe he was just using this tragedy as a way to advance his cause. Nate couldn’t remember the man ever being close to his family.
“Agent Zimmerman, what have you brought us?” Commander Herndon’s question brought Nate back into the conversation.
“I’m afraid we don’t know much that is new. As Mr. Fleming mentioned, this is Ms. Ashley Parks. She’s a forensic psychologist with a lot of experience in interviewing children. Our plan right now is to have her spend time with him until he recovers and when he is ready to talk she will be ready to listen.” It wasn’t what he had hoped to say. If he had been honest with himself he had wanted to swoop in with the answer to the case given him by Ashley through Kyle. He was supposed to be the hero but now he had to wait and wonder if Kyle would ever talk again and if he did would he talk to Ashley?

“Interesting meeting. Do they always go like that?” Ashley asked as they exited the conference room. Michael and Commander Herndon where still arguing behind closed doors. Nate had no idea what was left to argue but Michael had kept going. What did the man expect? They certainly couldn’t pull a suspect out of thin air.
“No, the DA is never present but for obvious reasons he has a more personal interest in this situation.” Nate stopped and looked down at Ashley, not that he had far to look down, she was only a few inches shorter than his 6 foot frame. “Come to lunch with me.”
“What?”
“You’ve got to be starving. It’s been a very long morning, let’s get something to eat.” Before she could answer, he placed his hand on her arm and directed her out the door. They walked in the heat down to the Einstein Brother’s Bagels on the corner. Nate loosened his tie and took off his jacket hoping the sweat on his underarms wasn’t too noticeable. He sat opposite Ashley being sure to keep the front of him towards her. He was sure the sweat on his back was worse than under his arms.
Ashley scooped her skirt under her and sat down. Nate couldn’t help but notice how thin the suit she was wearing made her look. As he looked towards her face he couldn’t help but notice her collar bones prominent at her neckline and her cheeks looking more sunken in. Maybe the bagel he presented to her would put a little more meat on her bones and put a little more color on her cheeks. Nate could see how the years had been harsh to her and wished he could do something to take it away.
“Thanks Nate,” Ashley said before taking a bite of her bagel. “I’m sorry about Kyle. What have the doctor’s said?”
“Not much. He should recover. They thought he would be off the breathing tube by now. That’s why I called you in. If I had known he couldn’t talk I would’ve waited.”
“No, I’m glad you called. Being with him while he’s in the hospital will help him trust me. Trust is important with children. With anyone…”
“Do you think you can get him to talk?”
“I’ll try.”
Nate couldn’t help but notice Ashley’s frustrated tone. Time to change the subject. “I know you’ll do your best. Now, tell me how work has been for you these past years. I’ve tried to follow some of your cases, very impressive.”
“Not really. I guess I’m doing for them what I couldn’t do for Aidan.”
“You couldn’t have saved him, Ashley. Don’t continue to beat yourself up over it.”
“I was there Nate. I should’ve died too.”
“It wasn’t your time. The Lord wanted to keep you for other things. Maybe for the work you’re doing. Maybe for the girls that are missing now.”
“I wish He had chosen someone else!”
Nate chewed on his own bagel in silence. There weren’t many topics they could talk about without Ashley getting upset. Her cold nature was frustrating. After such a long time since Donnie and Aidan’s deaths, Nate had hoped she would have a better outlook on life.
“I’m sorry, Nate. I don’t mean to be angry. I wish there was something more that I could do for you and your case. I want to find Kyle’s sister. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Kyle just reminds me a lot of Aidan and it’s hard to see him hooked up to all the tubes. You know that Aidan lived for a few hours in the hospital? He was…he was on all the tubes. It was so hard to see him like that but then when he died. I just couldn’t believe he was gone. I still can’t.”
Ashley put down her bagel and took a sip of water. Nate noticed the small tears around her eyes and also noticed the control she used to keep them from falling down her face. He was sure it wasn’t the first time in her life she had maintained such tight control.
“I understand…” Nate reached across the table and took Ashley’s hand in his. He wasn’t surprised when her hand stiffened but he was surprised that she didn’t pull it away immediately. “Ashley, I can’t know exactly what you’re going through but I can understand how you feel. You can’t keep beating yourself up over this…” Ashley pulled her hand away sharply and Nate sighed. Was he ever going to get through to her?
“What do you think is happening to these girls?” Ashley asked.
“I don’t know and to be honest I’m afraid to know. There are all kinds of evils in this world we have no idea where to even start. I hate to think about what could be happening to these girls and we can’t get to them.”
“I’m sure I’ve heard as many disturbing things as you’ve seen. I mostly just see the aftermath and it isn’t pretty.” Ashley returned to her bagel and her eyes fogged over as she looked out the window.
Nate followed her eyes and saw what she had fixed her gaze on; a young couple pushing a stroller with two small children in it. Nate knew that was where Ashley had expected to be in her life. Married to Donnie and having his children. Nate attempted to put aside his attraction to Ashley and feel her pain but it wasn’t easy. He had never lost anyone so close to him and he prayed he never had to. On the other hand, he believed the Lord was in control of all circumstances including the taking of Donnie and Aidan. There had to be a reason. Nate could hold on to that and try to help Ashley find the reason.
Nate and Ashley finished their small lunch in silence. Nate was out of words. Ashley wounds were still healing despite the long number of years since the incident. Nate’s thoughts were cut off by the ringing of his phone.
“Agent Zimmerman,” Nate answered the ring.
“Nate, its Eric. We’ve got a problem.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve found one of the girls.”
“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Nate turned his head away from Ashley’s listening ear but knew that she was still paying close attention.
“Not the way we found her, man. Nate, she’s dead. We’ve only found her body."

Chapter 3

****** I'm adding another chapter early since I have it written and mostly to get everyone hooked - otherwise who will bug me to keep writing?? ********

It was her first trip outside of Baltimore in almost three years. She didn’t have anywhere that she cared to go and without Donnie and Aidan to share it with she didn’t see the point.
She had packed quickly, throwing some extra suits and heels in just in case things took longer than she expected. Despite Nate’s praises, her job wasn’t as simple as sitting down next to a child and having them spill their guts. There was often a period of relationship building. Things could take time depending on how traumatized the child was. Ashley hoped he would talk quickly, but she had her doubts. If they had taken the time to call her then someone had already tried talking to the boy and failed.
The airplane ride was uneventful. As the plane touched down in Tampa, Ashley’s heart began to beat faster. She hadn’t seen Nate in a long time but she hadn’t forgotten his fit physique and tall stature. He had always been a close friend and had stood as Donnie’s best man when he and Ashley married. She had admired him for that, for his crush on her had not gone unnoticed. Strangely, Ashley found herself wishing he might still have that crush. But who was she kidding? She’d had one relationship since Donnie and Aidan died and that ended very poorly.
Rolling her luggage behind her, Ashley exited the plane, her heels clicking underneath her. Nate was meeting her at the luggage carousel but even without him there the memories assaulted her. It had been eleven years since she had set foot in Florida. She had avoided it at all costs. She had lost so much in this state it couldn’t bring her any good luck. And yet, here she was.
Pushing the thought aside, she made her way down to find her luggage and face Nate. In some way she was looking forward to working on an actual case. She had consulted with the FBI before but usually it was just to review a file or talk to a child witness. She had also testified in many trials but never had a hand in catching any bad guys. Maybe it would be an exciting week. She could only hope.
Nate was right where he said he would be, punctual as always. And still good looking. Ashley couldn’t help but notice that his shoulders looked broader and fuller. His hair had thinned out a bit but not in a bad way. It was just enough to give him a more mature and manly look. His face was still clean shaven so his face looked almost the same as college. How did he stay so young? She smoothed down the front of her suit and stepped up to give him a hug. Awkwardly he returned it.
“It’s good to see you, Zimmie,” Ashley had been the only one, ever, who was allowed to call him that and even still he cringed when she said it. Today wasn’t any different.
“Hello to you, Ashley. You’re looking great.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Ashley smiled. It wasn’t a true smile but she didn’t have any of those anyway. That was as good as it got.
“How much luggage did you bring?”
“I think I have two pieces there.”
“Not too bad.” Ashley concealed a smile as Nate struggled to pull her two suitcases off of the conveyor belt. Shopping was the one thing she enjoyed doing and so she did it a lot.
She wasn’t supposed to be in Florida for more than a few days provided things went quickly but she could never be too prepared for any occasion.
Neither of them said a word as Nate lugged her two suitcases out to his state-issue Ford Caprice. Ashley waited until they were seated inside the car to begin her inquiry on the case.
“What can you tell me?” Ashley laid a notebook in her lap and prepared to take notes as best as she could during the ride.
“What do you need to know?” Nate sounded strangely irritated by her question.
“Nate, if you want me to talk to the boy I need to know what kind of information I’m looking for. I need to know what happened to bring me down here.”
“Fine,” Nate took a deep breath before beginning his explanation. “About two months ago, a woman is in a traffic accident. No one was around to see what happened and by the time someone passed by the woman was already dead. At first the police chalked it up to road rage. The front end of the woman’s car was busted so they thought she had rear-ended the wrong person and in that person’s anger they shot her in the head…”
Ashley gasped, “Oh my goodness, that’s horrible.”
“It gets worse. When the police went to notify the husband about his wife’s death he asked about his daughter who was in the car with him. The problem was there was no trace of her. For a while, they thought it was an isolated incident but the exact same thing has now occurred three more times. On the third time, the local police called the FBI in because it has happened across counties and appears to be bigger case than a small amount of road rage.”
“And how does this involve me?”
“This last case was the wife of the Assistant District Attorney, Gina Fleming. At first we assumed that there was a mistake because it was the first time there was anybody in the car besides a mother and her young daughter. Instead of a daughter there was a son and he was shot twice. He’s in intensive care but he is expected to recover. He’s the one we need you to talk to. We want to know if he knows anything. He’s our only witness at this point.”
“And were you right?” Ashley asked.
“Right about what?”
“That they had made a mistake?”
“Unfortunately, no. When I was at the hospital with Kyle and his father, his father asked about his daughter, Kyle’s twin sister, Kayla. She is nowhere to be found.”
“Has there been a ransom note of any kind?”
“Not on any of the girls. And we can’t find a pattern other than all the girls range in age from 9 to 12, are Caucasian and come from middle class to upper middle class families. The mothers have all been shot once in the head and there is no sign of struggle with the girls. They just seem to vanish. Kyle is the first witness.”
Ashley nodded. They did need serious help but it would be tougher than Nate thought. Kyle would be traumatized between seeing his mother shot, watching his sister kidnapped and being shot himself. This could take some serious time. Looking out the window Ashley wondered if she had the heart to give it that time and if Nate understood the commitment he was asking her to make. She doubted it.

Nate parked close to the hospital entrance and jumped out. Ashley followed suit, attempting to keep up with Nate’s stride in her heels. Flashing his badge, he was allowed access up to the patient rooms, through the security guard and into Kyle’s room.
What Ashley saw startled her more than she had expected. The little boy lay asleep on the hospital bed with a tube down his throat, his chest rising and falling in rhythm to his breathing machine. How was she supposed to communicate with a boy so incapacitated?
“If he can’t talk, I can’t ask him questions,” Ashley whispered.
“They expect him to be off all of this soon. I wanted you to meet him first. Maybe do some bonding or whatever it is that you do.”
Nate’s remarks were beginning to annoy Ashley. This was a child in the bed not some puppet that needed the right puppeteer to make him talk. “Nate, this child is very sick and this is going to take time. I wish you had let me know this earlier. I could’ve waited a few days to come and talk to him.”
“We don’t have a few days. We need to know now who did this.”
“Nate, he may not remember. He’s been shot and now he’s unconscious. I’m not sure what I’ll be able to get from him.” Ashley sighed. Why had she even come?
Nate appeared just as frustrated as Ashley felt. He slowly breathed out, “Just do the best you can as quickly as you can please.” With that, he walked out of the room, spoke softly to the guard and left. Ashley hoped he would be back for she had no other ride and nowhere to go.
With another sigh she sat down on the chair next to Kyle’s bed. She had heard that people in comas could hear when others talked to them. She had never done any research on it but she trusted the expertise of others in many areas. It was worth a shot.
She took Kyle’s hand in hers and stroked it. “Hi Kyle, my name is Ashley. Mr. Nate asked me to come here and talk to you. Mr. Nate is a police officer.” Ashley sat back in the chair and let Kyle’s hand fall out of hers. She didn’t know what to say. She felt as helpless as though this were her own son. The immediate connection was strange to her. Her own son, Aidan would have been older than the boy in front of her. He would’ve been twelve…
Ashley pushed the thought aside. She needed to focus on Kyle, not on her own past or problems. As if in response to her mental thoughts, Kyle groaned on the bed and opened his eyes. She watched his tiny blue eyes scan the room and land on her. His blank stare slowly changed into a question.
“Can you hear me?” Ashley asked.
Kyle nodded his answer.
“Good. My name is Ashley. The police wanted me to talk to you…”
Kyle began to vigorously shake his head and shut his eyes tight. This was obviously not a subject that Kyle wanted to discuss.
Ashley changed the subject. “Okay, Kyle, we don’t have to talk about that. How about I tell you who I am?”
Kyle nodded and grunted.
“I’m Ashley Parks and I live in Maryland. Do you know where Maryland is?” He nodded again and Ashley continued, “I’m a counselor and I talk to kids to help them. I’ve talked to lots and lots of kids. I like kids.” Ashley took a deep breath. She needed a connection with the boy but did she dare go there? Looking in his eyes, seeing no trust there, she had no choice. “I had a little boy once. Just like you. He would be twelve now but he went to heaven when he was just one years old. He wasn’t as strong as you. Do you know how strong and brave you are?”
Ashley choked down the tears that were threatening to overcome her. That was something she didn’t need to share. This child had enough sorrow of his own.
Footsteps interrupted their “conversation”. Ashley turned to see a very tall man with dark black hair and the same blue eyes as the boy on the bed in front of her. It didn’t take long for Ashley to guess that the man before her was Kyle’s father. She sat back from Kyle, nervous about his presence as well as embarrassed by the tears that were still forming in her eyes.
“May I help you?” The man’s voice was stern and demanding. Ashley wondered what kind of father he was.
She stood to her feet, smoothed the skirt of her gray suit and extended her hand. “I’m Ashley Parks. Nate Zimmerman asked me to come and talk to your son to see if he had any information to share with us about what happened to him three days ago.”
Without taking Ashley’s hand, he said, “I’m Michael Fleming. I’m Kyle’s father and I was not informed that you would be here.” Pushing past her, he took the seat she had been in and scooted himself closer to Kyle.
“I apologize for that, Mr. Fleming, I am only trying to help.”
Michael’s shoulders drooped visibly and it appeared that the weight and arrogance he was carrying had disappeared. He looked up at her and met her in the eyes for the first time. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. They’ve had so many people in and out of here with Kyle and no one’s gotten any answers. I don’t know what you can do differently.”
Ashley’s opinion of Michael changed quickly. While he appeared in control he did seem to care about his son and Ashley knew he was dealing with a lot. She could certainly cut him some slack. “I don’t know what I can do differently. Nate asked me to come here and talk with Kyle. I have a lot of experience with children. I can only hope that Kyle would learn to trust me enough to tell me what he knows.”
“I hope that will be the case then.” Michael turned back to Kyle as Nate walked in. Ashley couldn’t help but mentally compare the two. Michael seemed like a broken man, a place he wasn’t used to being. He was obviously tall and held a position of authority. His looks didn’t hurt matters either. He looked a bit like Donnie when they had met. Nate, on the other hand, was very different. He had blond hair as opposed to Michael’s black hair, murky green eyes instead of bright blue ones and more rugged features rather than cultured ones. They both seemed attractive in their own right.
“Ashley, are you ready?” Nate’s abrupt tone brought her out of her comparison. It didn’t matter who was better looking, she had given up on men a long time ago. And neither of them was beginning to change her mind.
“Yes, Nate. We can go but I’ll need more time later.”
“That’s fine.”
“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Fleming,” Ashley said before turning to follow Nate out of the room.
“It’s Michael.”
“Then Michael, I’ll see you again soon.”

Chapter 2

Ashley made her way into the parking lot and to her Ford Mustang. It was brand new. She purchased the newest model every year. Financially it wasn’t the best move but it was her one indulgence and after five years she’d gotten along well with the salesman and always got a great deal.
She lowered the roof and let the wind ruffle her hair. The heat of summer was finally giving way to the coolness of fall. The leaves on the trees were beginning to turn colors and Ashley couldn’t help but wish she had someone to share it with. But no, that was out of the question. Not now and not ever.
Ashley drove past the Baltimore harbor without a second glance. She knew what types of people were there. People with lives and homes to go to. People enjoying time as family at the Baltimore Aquarium, at the mall and on the paddle boats. She didn’t need a reminder of what she didn’t have.
The garage underneath her apartment building was a welcome site. It was like crawling into a cave and hiding. The world couldn’t find her in here. She parked in her assigned spot and made her way to the elevators. Thankfully she could avoid the lobby and head straight up to her floor.
The 12th floor was inviting. Lush wall coverings and lighting made her ten foot walk enjoyable but Ashley didn’t pay much attention. She just wanted to hide, find a drink and ignore what lay ahead.
Unfortunately, life had other plans. Her phone was ringing the moment she unlocked the door. Few people had her home phone so she answered it quickly.
“Hello?” Ashley threw her purse on the granite countertop and opened the refrigerator door to find the vegetable shake she’d make the evening before.
“Ashley?” The male voice on the other end was unfamiliar and Ashley’s pulse began to race.
“Yes.”
“It’s Nate. Nate Zimmerman.”
“Zimmie?” Ashley’s heart rate slowed.
“It’s me. Trish gave me this number. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No,” Ashley lied. Was this bad enough to fire Trish over? Even Trish knew it wasn’t. “I got your message earlier. I don’t understand.”
“I have a witness I need you to talk to.”
“That’s not really my thing.”
“I’ve heard your like a child-talker.”
“Nate, I’m not a horse-whisperer. I have counseling sessions with children, I’m a psychologist.” Ashley made her way back to the bedroom taking her heels off as she went. She used her shoulder to hold the phone to her ear and unzipped her skirt. It fell to the floor and she kicked it towards her hamper.
“Yes, but you talk with children and they tell you things. I just need you to sit down with this kid and see what he knows. After that, you’re done and you can return home.”
Ashley pulled out a pair of workout shorts and sat on the bed to pull them on before asking, “And how did you come to find me?”
“Everyone knows you…”
“Not true.”
“Okay, so I’ve been keeping up a little with the court cases you’ve testified in. You must admit a few of them were high profile. Plus, you’ve consulted for the FBI before. It’s not too hard to track you down.” Ashley knew this to be true and didn’t reply. “Look, I’ve heard you have a talent so I’m asking you a favor. Will you do it?”
“Fine, I’ll come in the morning on the flight Trish booked me. After that I need to come back.”
“Great…” Ashley cut off his words with her thumb. She was not looking forward to seeing Nate. He would bring back so many memories. Memories that needed to stay hidden.

Nate closed his cell phone and took a deep breath. It would be hard to see her again. Would she be the same person? He’d had a crush on her in college but it was quickly squashed when Donald Parks showed up. Nate had stepped aside and let Donnie sweep Ashley off her feet. It had crushed Nate but Ashley had hardly noticed. For the last eleven years it had been easier not to be involved but at this point he was out of choices.
“Is she coming?” Nate’s partner, Eric Walker asked from his desk next to Nate’s.
“Yes, she’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Think she’ll be able to get something out of Kyle?”
“She’s the best. I hope so.”
“She’d better. Michael Fleming is not a patient man.”
“Tell me about it.” Nate leaned back in his chair recalling his first encounter with Assistant District Attorney, Michael Fleming.
The man had stood like a soldier in front of Nate outside of Kyle’s hospital room. His arms were crossed behind his back and his brown eyes looked dark and fierce. He was not a man to be crossed. “Tell me what you know.” He paused but before Nate could respond he added, “Spare me no details.”
Nate couldn’t imagine that Michael would want all of the details. They were grizzly and graphic and even Nate didn’t want to recall the scene. But as a detective, that’s what he did and he had no choice. “We got the call this morning at 10:02 AM. My partner and I rolled out immediately. At 10:43 we arrived on the scene of what looked like road rage gone bad. A female was lying face down on the road, she had already been declared dead by the paramedics on the scene. Rescue personnel had turned their attention on to a young boy, Kyle, in the backseat of the vehicle. He appeared to have been shot twice but he was alive.”
“And Kayla?” Michael’s expression had not changed despite the mention of his wife lying dead on the ground. He was a prosecutor and emotions seemed not be allowed.
“Who?”
“Kayla, my daughter. Where is she?”
Nate was at a loss for words. There was no girl on the scene. “We found no one else on the scene.”
The dark eyes grew wider and the lines that had been hardly noticeable before on his forehead suddenly became furrowed and sunken. “What do you mean my daughter wasn’t there? Didn’t you connect this case with all of the others?”
All of the others was an exaggeration. There had been three other cases very similar which was why the FBI was involved. “I’m sorry, sir, we assumed there had been a mistake and they had thought that Kyle was a female. When they discovered him to be male, we believed they had tried to kill him from speaking to the police. There was no evidence of another child in the vehicle.”
“Kyle wasn’t supposed to be with his mother. Maybe Kayla is still at school. Give me a moment.” Michael held up a large finger to Nate, took out his phone and walked away.
Nate immediately notified Eric that there could be a problem. They may be missing a fourth girl. If so, this was definitely a serial kidnapping. While Nate waited for Michael to finish his phone call his mind drifted back to the scene. He and Eric had only been on the last two homicides. It had taken a third dead mother and a third missing girl in different counties of Florida for the local police to contact the FBI for help. It was rare that their help was requested and the fact that it was meant this case was very serious.
“I want a missing persons report filed immediately,” Michael’s tone was demanding as he walked back to Nate. “The school said that Gina had not dropped the kids off for school this morning. She was supposed to have dropped Kyle off at school and taken Kayla to a dentist appointment. I called the dentist; Kayla never arrived for her appointment. I have no idea why Kyle was in the car.” The last sentence he mumbled more to himself than spoke it to Nate.
Nate took out his notebook. He needed to know who they were looking for. “How old is your daughter?”
“Nine.”
“What does she look like?”
“Just like Kyle. They’re twins. I know they’re fraternal but whenever Gina cut Kayla’s hair short, you couldn’t tell them apart.” Michael’s steel resolve was melting. His hand rubbed his chin and he searched the hospital corridors seemingly at nothing but Nate knew that at times like these a person had no idea where to begin so they just look everywhere randomly.
“Do you have a recent picture?”
“At home I think. I can’t get it right now I need to stay with Kyle. You have my permission to enter my house and search for whatever you need. Maybe something Gina was into will give you a lead.”
“Are you saying she was into something?”
“No, not like that but maybe she met someone or her friends knew someone. I don’t know why this would happen to her.” The distraught look still on his face, Michael walked away from Nate and back into his son’s private room. Nate radioed for the guard to return to his post and watch over Kyle. As the only witness to a case such as this mean Kyle’s life might still be in danger. They couldn’t take any chances.

Prologue

****Author's note: I'm sorry I forgot to put the prologue in first - re-start here ****

Prologue

Gina pushed her hair back from her face. It was another hot day in Florida. She’d give anything to be in another state. This one was becoming suffocating but Michael loved it. He claimed to love the weather and the beaches but Gina was convinced he loved his status and wasn’t sure he could have the same status elsewhere.
“Come on, both of you, in the car.” Gina directed Kyle and Kayla like a drill sergeant. The twins silently obeyed. At least until Gina climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I don’t want to go to school.” Gina didn’t have to look to know it was Kyle. He hated school and hated it even more if Kayla wasn’t going to be there.
“Kyle, it’s just a dentist appointment. Kayla will be there in a little while. You’ll be fine.”
“But I don’t want to go without her…” Kyle cut off his words but Gina didn’t miss the tears that were threatening. Gina knew his concerns. He was bullied quite a bit at school and no matter how many times his father intervened or threatened the parents of the perpetrators the problem persisted.
“You’ll be fine, Kyle. I’ll be there in a bit.” Kayla’s words soothed Kyle’s nerves a bit but Gina didn’t bet on them changing his mind.
She was correct. “But, Kayla, I can’t do it without you.” In her rearview mirror, Gina could see Kyle wiping at his tears and Kayla holding his hands in hers speaking softly. Even though they were obviously not identical, the two looked so much alike. They both had their father’s dark skin and bright blue eyes. What Gina couldn’t figure out was why Kayla was popular and made friends and Kyle did not. Could longer hair make that much of a difference?
Gina looked behind her and finally pulled her BMW SUV out of the driveway and out onto the street. The school was on the way to the dentist. Maybe Kyle would change his mind. As she drove, Gina realized there would be no such luck. Sighing, she decided there would be no harm in bringing Kyle along. He could miss two hours of school and still do fine. His social life suffered but his grades never did.
As she drove past the school without stopping she could feel Kyle’s tension lift and his mood change. He began chattering with his sister and they talked constantly about nothing until she parked the car in front of the dentist’s office.
Thankfully the office was running on time and Kayla’s cleaning went smoothly. No cavities. Silently she thanked God. Michael would be pleased. He was strict about their diets, making sure they all ate healthy. Michael would not want his children having cavities. What if people found out? They would assume the children had bad eating habits.
“Okay, now it’s off to school and I don’t want any complaining,” Gina said and opened the back door for the kids. At one time she had regretted not having any more babies but seeing the two of them so self-sufficient made her life so much easier.
Gina was lost in thought, remembering Kyle and Kayla as babies, remembering her rough delivery that turned into an emergency C-section and how she thanked God then that they were all okay…
The car in front of her stopped short. Gina hit her brakes hard and jerked the wheel but the car in front of her seemed to follow her every move. They hit their brakes again and Gina braced herself. She yelled at the kids to brace themselves and prepared herself for the impact.
The blow was painful but at least the airbag had been there to take most of the shock. Shaking her head, she carefully pushed open the door. Was the accident her fault? She couldn’t remember. On wobbly legs, she stood to apologize to the person she had just hit.
She didn’t feel a thing but a small sting to the back of her head and she was flat on the ground. In her left hand she could feel the gravel of the road. In her right hand she felt something warm and sticky. She tried to lift her head to have a look but couldn’t. The pain made her eyes ache so she lay still.
Footsteps whirled around her but none of them stopped to check on her. Instead she saw one pair of footsteps grab Kayla out of the backseat so hard that she screamed. Gina tried to lift her hand to stop them but she couldn’t find the strength to move or yell. Another set of footsteps rushed to the first’s assistance something dark in his hands. Before taking hold of Kayla he raised the thing in his hands and two large noises sounded in the backseat of the BMW.
Gina pushed her left hand into the gravel and tried to push herself up. Her children needed her but her right hand was getting stickier. Another small sting in the side of her head and her whole world faded to black.

Chapter 1

Ashley Parks crossed and uncrossed her legs. The sofa she sat on should have been comfortable, yet today it wasn’t. Today as she stared into the deep chocolate brown eyes of eleven-year old Keisha Sommers nothing was comfortable or right. Keisha was mostly bones. Ashley swore that the skin that covered those bones was transparent and although Keisha’s color should have been a smooth brown it was almost white because of her bones. Could a girl really be that thin?
Ashley watched as Keisha held a doll in her hand. The doll was fully clothed yet underneath it was anatomically correct. If this girl had not been a victim of sexual abuse the doll would mean little to her but Ashley knew otherwise. The pictures in her file proved it all. Ashley was just the next and final step to removing this girl from her home. If Ashley Parks said this girl was abused then it was so. As an FBI consultant and an expert witness, her reputation preceded her. Both the defense and prosecution attempted to woo her to testify but Ashley cared little for anything but the truth and she would tell that truth no matter which side it helped.
“Keisha, can you tell me what happened?” Keisha had been in the office almost an hour. Not once had Ashley seen her smile. Only twice did she hear her speak. Ashley laid her hand over the tiny girl’s arm and felt Keisha stiffen. She rubbed slowly and pulled her hand away. She wouldn’t add to this little girl’s pain or fear. “Keisha, I am here to help you. You are the only one I care about. In here, you are free to talk about whatever you would like.”
“I can’t tell you.” It was a very common response from a child especially when they had been told over and over not to speak a word to anyone else. Sometimes the offender added the threat of harm to the child or someone else close to the child to ensure the child’s silence. Ashley didn’t know which was worse.
“I know it seems like you can’t but I think you can. I know you’re a brave girl and that you can do this.”
“If he goes to jail, my mama will be angry. She already told me that…” Keisha bit down on her bottom lip, the regret of her statement written all over her face.
“I understand.” Ashley paused. “But what do you want? If you could have anything that you wanted what would it be?”
A small smile slipped across Keisha’s face and was gone. It was a start. Trust would not come easy for the small girl but they had made headway. Ashley was committed to staying with her until she knew the answers. She refused to send the girl back into an abusive situation. Without Keisha’s testimony her stepfather could not be prosecuted. Too much circumstantial evidence the defense said. How five broken bones in one year could be circumstantial was beyond Ashley’s comprehension but according to the district attorney the defense could argue that the girl was clumsy. What an awful predicament for such a small child.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Ashley asked again, “Keisha, if you could do whatever you wanted what would it be?”
“Me and mama would go away and never come back.”
“Where would you go?”
“Wherever he couldn’t find us.”
“He won’t find you if he’s in jail.”
“He says he’ll get out and find me if I ever tell…” She clamped her tiny, bony hand over her mouth. Ashley resisted the urge to take the girl into her arms and hug her until she had no fears left. But from personal experience, no one else could take away the pain. It had to be faced alone.
“Keisha, I won’t let him hurt you. If you tell me what happened, I promise I won’t ever let him near you again. Can you do that for me? Can you tell me? If you do, you’re mommy will be safe too.”
Tears welled up in Keisha’s eyes and silently slipped down her cheek. She was just on the opposite end of the sofa but Ashley felt as though they were on opposite ends of the world. Ashley took soft, deep breaths. This was not the time to push or lead. She couldn’t make suggestions to Keisha about what had been done to her. If she asked any questions that could put ideas in Keisha’s mind the defense could throw it out. The story had to come from Keisha.
And then, slowly it did. The beatings, the molestation. It had started when Keisha was just six years old and her mother hooked up with a new guy. He had been sweet at first but whenever they were alone he would try to seduce her and whenever she refused he would beat her and put her in a closet. She had been starved for weeks at a time. Worst of all, her mother knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it.
That complicated things.
Ashley couldn’t recommend that Keisha go back with her mother if her mother did nothing to protect her child. There had been no evidence that the mother was abused by Keisha’s stepfather.
“Can I go home now?” The tears were gone and the quiet voice was back as though she hadn’t just recounted horrors some adults had never experienced.
“Keisha, where’s your mom?”
Keisha shrugged her reply.
“I don’t know that she can pick you up. I have to talk to some people and see what they say.”
“I want my mama!” Ashley had no doubt that her secretary, Trish, could now hear everything going on in Ashley’s office.
“Keisha, I understand but if your mom didn’t help you when your stepfather beat you then the court might not want you back with her.”
“She loves me! You promised!” Angry words poured out of Keisha’s mouth as she threw herself on the floor. A temper tantrum, similar to one a 2-year-old might throw, ensued. Ashley motioned for Trish to step into the room and then began to softly stroke Keisha’s back willing her to calm down.
“Keisha, I know your mom loves you but I want to protect you. I want you to be safe. Didn’t I tell you I would keep you safe? Can you trust me?”
The stroking had a calming effect and Keisha slowly stopped her heaving. With her face nuzzled in Ashley’s thick carpet she nodded her head. Ashley could barely perceive the nod but a look at Trish confirmed the small gesture. “Keisha, I have to make a phone call. My friend Trish will stay with you for a minute. Why don’t you color for me while I’m gone?”
Ashley helped Keisha to the children’s table she kept in her office. She found blank paper and crayons and handed them to the girl who somehow looked even smaller than before. Keisha fumbled for the crayons and began to draw. Ashley left the room to make the call. The news was not good. Keisha would not be released back into her mother’s care until there was further investigation. The mother could not be ruled out as participating in the abuse and no one wanted to risk Keisha’s safety especially now that she had come forward to say that her stepfather had been abusing her.
Trish and Ashley stayed with Keisha while they waited for a social worker to pick her up and take her to a foster home. It was not a good solution for Keisha but it was the safest one they had available. Ashley prayed that someday there would be a better way.
After Keisha was gone, Ashley collapsed on the waiting room chair. Trish’s small reception desk was across from it. Trish was Ashley’s only staff but the office ran smoothly. Trish took care of everything.
“Long day, huh?” Trish asked. Smoothing her skirt beneath her she sat back in her chair. Ashley could only see the tip of her blond head from where she was sitting. Trish had requested a barrier between herself and the patients. She said she didn’t want people staring at her while she worked. Ashley thought it was more so she could hide stuff from her. Not bad things, just life. Ashley had no desire to participate in life and didn’t really care to see anybody else do it either.
“Yea, it’s been a tough one,” Ashley said finally. She had to respond or she’d get a silent reprimand from Trish. Trish might’ve been younger than Ashley but she was more the motherly type.
“I have some things for you…” Trish’s voice trailed off something that rarely happened.
Ashley’s heart began to pound, “What kinds of things?”
“This came today,” Trish said. Now instead of looking at an empty desk and counter, Ashley was looking at a single rose in a crystal vase. Was it the17th already? Had another month gone by?
“When are you going to tell me what it means?” Trish asked.
“Never. Throw it away.” Ashley struggled to keep the quiver out of her voice. “What else do you have for me?”
“Nate Zimmerman called. Said you’d know who he was. You’re needed in Florida. I booked you a flight in the morning.”
“What? I have clients tomorrow!”
“Not anymore. I’ve changed your appointments. You’re not needed here for another week. They need you there. Apparently it’s something big. You need to go.”
“I’ve never consulted in Florida.” Last she’d heard Nate was an FBI agent out of the Tampa office but it had been a long time since they’d talked. What could he want from her? “Shouldn’t you have talked to me first?”
“You wouldn’t have gone. Nate said you were old college friends. He sounds cute. I think you should see him again,” Trish said.
“He is cute but that’s not the point. I don’t want to see him.”
Trish stood up, knocked the stack of files in her hand straight and then placed them in her bag. “I think it’s time that you met someone and stopped hiding here.”
“Besides,” Trish continued, “I want the week off. Patrick and I are going to go away on vacation.” With that she left the office. Ashley had half a mind to fire her but Trish couldn’t be replaced. Trish was the only person in Ashley’s life and she had no desire to find another. Ashley looked up at the counter in front of Trish’s desk. The rose was still there and next to it a pink slip, presumably from Nate.
Nate. She hadn’t thought about him a long time. At least ten years. How did he know where to find her? Given the items on the counter, Ashley wasn’t very good at hiding. “Seems like everyone can find me these days,” Ashley mumbled.
Ashley picked up the items on the counter and glanced at the message. Nate’s cell phone number was written in large print with a heart around it. Trish was big into match making. Not that she had done really well for herself. Patrick was just the latest in a long line of men. She didn’t want to “tie herself down to just one”. Ashley suspected that Trish’s commitment fears were worse than her own. And as a scholar of Psychology Ashley could know these things.
With a toss, Ashley threw the flower into the trash, dumped the water from the vase into the bathroom sink and stored it in a cupboard in her office next to the hundred or so others that were there. She had always thought about throwing them away but somehow they reminded her of what happened. Reminded her of her responsibility in the whole matter. Reminded her of the danger that still lurked just outside her office door.

Very First Post

I am setting up this blog as a means of sharing my writing and novel with everyone. I will make an attempt to update with a new chapter at least once a week and this is my new years resolution of sorts.

Here goes nothing! (or everything)