Escape from this hellhole was impossible. But could she do whatever was necessary to stay above ground? To live, to survive, she had to come to terms with her situation.
C
HAPTER 24
Rafe drained the cup of coffee, tossed the paper cup into the trash, and refocused on the surveillance video from the school. Wade had set up the conference room so Rafe could watch and study all the different angles from the different cameras. Damn that he'd found nothing suspicious. Caffeine, anger, and frustration were keeping him going.
Erin knew he cared for her, right? How big a deal would it have been to confess she'd always hold a special place in his heart? Someday, she would've understood that his lifestyle had put them on different paths.
He'd tell her face-to-face when he found her. And he would find her.
She was the focus of a massive manhunt. The patrol units were on alert to Erin's disappearance. The television station had already run a story on their hourly newsbreak. A few crank calls had come in, but for the most part concerned citizens had reached out and offered their services. Erin had a lot of people in her corner.
Rafe had spent hours going over backgrounds and real estate information. With no clues to work with, finding Erin was as likely as catching a handful of smoke. Still, somewhere there was a hint, something that would grow into a clue.
"Good morning."
Rafe looked up to find Luke standing in the doorway. He wore jeans and a white shirt and had obviously found his old Stetson. "Morning. You find anything?"
"Not yet." Rafe motioned to an empty chair. "What'd you learn from your time with Colton?"
"The narcotics squad is an interesting group." Luke turned the chair backward and sat down. "That college dude is spilling his guts. Colton says none of the names he's provided are on Erin's list."
"So no help there."
"What if Erin's kidnapper's name isn't on her list?" Luke asked.
"That's a real possibility. Still, this isn't a random kidnapping or a stranger abduction. The bastard sent her a message. ‘You test my love.' It was too familiar, too intimate to be from a stranger. He issued a warning."
"So he didn't approve of what? You?"
"Yeah." Rafe dragged a hand through his hair. "I think so." He stood, poured another cup of stale coffee, and offered it to Luke.
"No, thanks. Colton went for food. I asked him to bring you a carton of milk."
"Milk?" Rafe turned his attention back to the surveillance video. "If you're going into law enforcement, you'd better forget milk."
"Just drink it when he gets here. Your stomach will thank you for it." Luke slid his chair next to Rafe's. "What do we do next? Colton is still officially assigned to the drug case. He's going to the school with a couple of detectives this morning. Now that they've arrested the college boy, he's talking, and a few more students' names have surfaced."
"Good. The more they learn from Grace and her brother, the closer they'll get to the supplier in Laredo."
"We should go to the school, too." Luke pointed to the monitor. "Looking at the layout, the south exit is the logical extraction point. Even if the cops searched. area, we might see something."
"We are going to the school." Rafe kept his thoughts to himself. "I want to look for myself. I also believe the administrative assistant, Mrs. Henley, knows more than she thinks."
"I can hear you now. I'm not hungry." Colton entered the conference room in a hurry. "I was so damn hungry I ordered extra of everything, so eat up." He emptied three bags of food, one orange juice, and two milks. "Little brother must be worried about your digestive system."
"We don't have time for this. And Luke doesn't know I can operate for days on nothing but coffee."
"I've gone days with less." Luke opened his container. "There's nutrition in milk. I've had days I would have killed for a glass. So fuck off."
"Touché." Colton chuckled, pushing the carton in front of Rafe. "Drink your milk."
Rafe wolfed down a breakfast sandwich and polished off his drink. One of these days, he'd tell Luke that Colton knew plenty about war and going hungry. Nobody knew for sure exactly what he'd done or where he'd served as a SEAL. It was a topic he didn't discuss, and Rafe didn't bring up.
"You ready?" Rafe stuffed his trash in one of the sacks. "Thanks for breakfast." He clapped Colton on the shoulder. "We're going back to the school."
"I'll be finished with the drug case today or tomorrow," Colton said. "I'm not leaving. I'll ask for vacation time. If I don't, I'll be called back to work."
"Thanks." Rafe was grateful. He didn't try to talk Colton out of taking time off. It would've been a waste of breath. "I'll text Beckett. Let him know where we're going."
When Beckett returned the message, Rafe said, "Says he's going to the YMCA to interview the manager."
Rafe and Luke left the building and hurried to the parking lot. A dull ache had formed at the base of Rafe's skull. Normally, he thrived on pressure situations, loved solving the puzzle and bringing some lowlife to justice. This was different. He struggled to keep the panic below the surface. His imagination as to what Erin might be enduring sent his mind into turmoil.
Luke extended his hand. "I'll drive."
"You think I can't?"
"You tell me. You're standing next to the wrong car." Luke tapped the roof of somebody else's vehicle.
"Fuck." Rafe handed over the keys. "I'm a little distracted."
"And that's okay." He walked two rows over and opened the passenger door for Rafe.
****
Luke drove and Rafe tried to pull his thoughts together. He got that bad things happened to good people. He'd come to grips with that fact a long time ago. But this was Erin. She'd survived hell as a kid. Made a great life for herself. He had to make things right for her.
Luke drove into the school's parking lot and turned off the engine. Rafe got out and waited at the curb.
Luke held out the keys. "Want these back?"
"Keep them." They entered the building just as the bell rang and the hall emptied.
"Good memories, huh?" Luke stopped and looked around.
"Not so much." The high school was where Erin went missing.
"I'm sorry." Luke's voice trailed off. "That was stupid of me. You were thinking about Erin."
"Won't stop until I find her. There's something I'm missing. Something that will lead me to her." Rafe led the way to the office area. Mrs. Henley was at her desk, speaking with a student. Her gaze swung from Rafe to Luke and back.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Mrs. Henley said. "Give me just a moment?"
Rafe nodded, moving to the row of chairs that lined the wall. He sat and Luke joined him. "You remember Mrs. Henley?"
"Sure." Luke lowered his voice. "She was the librarian when I graduated. Always called me Lucas."
Rafe chuckled. "She still does."
The student left, and Mrs. Henley motioned for Rafe and Luke to join her. She stood and extended her hand to Luke. Her smile was sincere.
"Lucas," she said. "It's good to see you. I'm pleased Rafael brought you by today."
"We'd like to speak with you," Rafe said. "Is there somewhere we can have some privacy?"
She glanced around the office. "Is this about Ms. Brady?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
She asked one of the other women in the office to cover for her. "Let's use Principal Mueller's office. He had to run an errand." She led the way. "Please take a seat and tell me how I can help."
Luke sat but Rafe was impatient. Sitting wasn't an option. He handed her a copy of Erin's list of names. "I value your personal opinion. I assure you that nothing you say will find its way back to your door. I'd like your honest take on each of the men who interacted with Erin."
With a slight nod, she took the piece of paper from him and studied it. Time dragged on as she read, looked to the ceiling for a moment then went back to the list. He wanted to rush her, but he didn't push, knowing it could backfire and she'd miss something.
The principal's office hadn't changed much in the years since Rafe had been inside. The bookcases were still filled with dusty tomes on state and government policies and procedures. The desk was still cluttered and the chair overstuffed. He noted there were no family pictures, but then, the principal was single.
"My least favorite is Coach Evans. Just about anybody you ask will say the same thing. Well, except the football boosters. They love a winning season. I've met Coach's wife. Timid little thing. No doubt, scared to death of him. Did you speak with him?"
"Yes. He gave us permission to search his property. I don't like him either, but we found nothing that would point to him. That's why I thought you might be able to help. Maybe one of these men said something or did something that made you uncomfortable?"
She nodded again and went back to the list.
"Principal Mueller has been here for a couple of years, but I know very little about him. He's a decent-looking man, but he never brings a guest to any function."
"So he's a loner?" Rafe asked.
"Hard to say. I've heard whispers that he's gay, but I don't buy it. I've seen him try to flirt. He just doesn't know how."
"Odd that he doesn't have one picture."
"That is odd. He's had a picture of our school picnic on his desk for a long time." Mrs. Henley scanned the room. "I don't see it now."
Rafe moved around the room while Mrs. Henley went through the list, noting any small idiosyncrasy she had noticed. Luke made notes as she spoke. When she reached the end of the list, she shook her head.
"I haven't helped you one bit. I'm sorry."
"But you have. You've helped more than you know." He walked to the door and stopped. She and Luke joined him.
"It's good to have you boys home. I'm sorry for the loss of your father."
"Thank you," Luke said. "It was good to see you, too."
Mrs. Henley walked with Rafe and Luke to the outside steps. "If I think of anything, I'll call you."
"Word will get back to the principal we were here. You won't get into trouble for talking to us?" Rafe asked.
"With Casanova?" She glanced over her shoulder. "I doubt it. He's hardly here anymore. Always off on errands. Makes me wonder if he's interviewing for another job. Besides, what's he going to do? I'm retiring at the end of this year."
"Casanova," Luke repeated. "You just said he didn't know how to flirt. How'd he get that nickname?"
She grinned up at Luke. "He stumbles around women like a drunken sailor. It's a tongue-in-cheek name. I hung it on him after witnessing him trying to make a joke."
Rafe wasn't smiling. "Do you remember who the object of his interest happened to be?"
"I could've showed you if the picture had been on his desk. In it, he's staring kind of moon-eyed at Ms. Brady."
Rafe pulled his business card out and handed it to Mrs. Henley. "I need his home address."
She blinked a couple of times. "You don't think...I'll run inside and get it."
Rafe dug out his cell and called Wade. "We need to get over to Mueller's. It's looking like he could be our guy. I'm on my way."
"Wait a minute. You can't go cowboy and kick in his door."
Rafe disconnected and ran to meet Mrs. Henley.
C
HAPTER 25
Erin shivered. How long had she been down here? Dozing off and on made it even more difficult to keep up with time. Why she tried was a mystery. Some things were impossible.
The towel had dried a long time ago, but it didn't offer the warmth she needed to stave off the chill. The wedding dress had yards of material, but she'd preferred the cold to wrapping that thing around her body. She'd curled into a tight ball, using the thick terry cloth as a blanket.
Her legs had cramped, and she'd been forced to get up and walk around. With the nylon cord still attached to her ankle, she'd carried the loose end to keep her feet from getting tangled. The muscles had finally relaxed, but the pain in her calves reminded her to keep moving.
She'd been careful not to drink too much, rationing herself to small sips. Eventually, she'd finished the lone bottle of water he'd tossed down to her the night of her shower. Why did her thirst worsen the minute the damned thing was empty?
It was all about mind control, which was exactly what Mueller was trying to do to her. She'd read stories where the captured party had been completely brainwashed. Could she convince a madman that she'd gone just as crazy as he was?
She stared at that hideous dress. How would he react when he saw the damage to the lace? So he had an abusive father and his mother had abandoned him. She didn't accept that as an excuse for his actions. Her fingers trailed across her swollen cheek and eye.
Her anger and frustration disappeared. In its place, she felt a calm resolve wash over her. The towel silently slid to the floor. She picked up the dress, wound the cord around her leg, stepped into the dress, and pulled it on.
Erin paused to just breathe as she held the strapless bodice to her chest. Her heart pounded, and her hands shook, but her mind was made up. Reaching around, she tugged the zipper up as far as she could. He'd underestimated her size but not by much. A couple of more days with minimal food and water and the dress would fit perfectly.
She ran her hands over the lace, smoothing the material. Then she backed up to the edge of the cot, sat down, and waited.
Was he upstairs asleep? At work? On his way home? Her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since the fried chicken. How long ago had that been? Last night? The night before? Surely, he'd feed her soon.
****
Casanova had sported a hard-on most of the day. He couldn't count how many times today that he'd flashed on her sprawled naked on the floor.
He'd driven to Fort Worth to pick up a package. If Erin didn't respond positively to this surprise, he'd be forced to resort to corporal punishment. It would be entirely up to her as to how she was treated. If she failed to come around, he'd be forced to leave her downstairs until she became more compliant.