Vendetta Read online

  Her phone beeped as a text message came in.

  She unlocked her phone and read the message.

  Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

  Catch a killer by his toe.

  Any doubts that her imagination had been working overtime vanished.

  “What does it say, Nikki?”

  She handed him the phone so he could read it.

  Tyler grabbed her arm and started toward the house. “I want you back inside. Now.”

  Nikki followed him to the house. Once inside, he locked the door behind them.

  “I’m going to send him a text,” she said, pressing reply on the message.

  “And accomplish what?”

  She hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  “You need to report this to the local authorities and your team. I don’t want you handling this alone anymore.”

  Nikki made the call, then sat down on the couch, her fingers tight around her heart necklace. What if she’d put Sam and his wife in danger by coming here? And Bridget . . . she was still out there somewhere. Scared. Alone . . . If she was still alive. Twenty-four hours had passed. She knew how he worked. He would toy with her, kill her, then vanish. Just like he’d done with the others.

  “We’re going to find her,” Tyler said, reading her mind.

  She shook her head. “You can’t promise me that, just like you can’t promise me I’ll ever find the answers to Sarah’s abduction.”

  “I know. I just . . .” He sat down on the couch beside her and took her hands. “I want to fix this for you so badly.”

  “I know, but no one can fix this. Just like Katie, no one can bring back Sarah or those other girls. Even if we find him, there are still no guarantees we’ll find Bridget alive. You were right. I don’t know why, but he’s been playing with us all along. It’s as if killing the girls isn’t enough. He wants to prove to me—to all of us—that he’s better. That he’s in control.”

  She’d worked through the situation over and over in her head, but all she’d managed to realize was that once again, he was winning.

  She stared at a dark spot on the floor. “I can’t do this anymore, Tyler.”

  “Can’t do what?”

  She hadn’t consciously thought of quitting. Not yet. But now that she’d spoken the words out loud, it suddenly seemed like the right thing to do. Her mom and dad had cautioned her from the beginning about taking the position. Friends had warned her that she was too close emotionally. Even her pastor had questioned her decision. And they’d all been right. She was too emotionally close to the situation to be able to handle this kind of work. She’d thought she’d be able to separate the past from current cases, but so far all she’d managed to do over the past twenty-four hours was unravel.

  She pulled her hands away from him. “I’m going to turn in my resignation.”

  “What are you talking about? If you quit, you let him win, Nikki.”

  “He’s already won.”

  Justice had never been served with Sarah and the others, and now, another girl was more than likely dead. And he was free to go out and do it all again.

  “No. He hasn’t won.” Tyler tipped up her chin with his thumb, forcing her to look at him. “He only wins if you stop trying to save them. Which is why you can’t quit. This isn’t over.”

  “You don’t understand.” She wadded up the afghan between her fingers. “I’ve searched for him for ten years. Ten years, Tyler, and in the end, he’s still free and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t bring Sarah back or the other girls. I can’t erase the guilt. And when I think about what he might have done to her, I can hardly breathe. When I think about what he could be doing to Bridget right now . . .”

  “You’re wrong, Nikki. I do understand.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. The living room clock ticked off the seconds in the background. Loss had marked both of them. Taken away pieces that could never be replaced. And pulled them into that place of darkness she fought every day to escape.

  He dropped his hand into his lap. “Every morning when I wake up, a part of me begs God for a chance to redo the past. I would do anything to be able to have traded places with Katie. Because I should have been the one who died, not Katie. And now . . . now I have to face every day without her. I have to be both mommy and daddy to Liam, when I don’t know how. And in losing her . . . her death was my fault.”

  Nikki’s eyes widened at the confession. “Your fault?”

  The three of them had gone boating that day, Tyler, Katie, and Liam, on the forty-foot sailboat Tyler had inherited from his father. No one had expected only two of them to return alive.

  “Katie had been feeling off that week,” he said. “She was so tired of being pregnant and bloated. I thought a day on the water would make her feel better.”

  Nikki shook her head. “I still don’t understand how anything that happened that day was your fault.”

  “She hadn’t told me she was having dizzy spells, but the water got rough that afternoon. I should never have taken her out there. It was my job to protect her, and I wasn’t there. I couldn’t stop her from dying.”

  Katie had slipped, hit her head, and fallen into the water. By the time Tyler managed to pull her out, she was gone.

  He sat beside her, jaw tense, his gaze lost in the heartaches of the past. “I served in the Middle East for three tours and somehow managed to cheat death while good men died around me. They gave me a Purple Heart for being wounded in the line of duty to my country, and yet I let Katie and our baby die. And after all those arguments we had over my leaving the military . . . suddenly none of that mattered anymore.”

  “You didn’t let them die.” Nikki couldn’t fight the emotions anymore. Her eyes burned with tears, but her heart hurt even worse.

  It had been an accident. No one—not even the police—had blamed him after the initial investigation had been completed. It had simply been one of those freak accidents no one had control over.

  Like Sarah.

  Nikki pushed away the thought.

  “Her death was an accident . . . Not your fault.”

  “I know. Deep down I know that, but sometimes . . . I just can’t stop thinking, if I could go back and change that day. If I’d been with her at that moment instead of below deck . . .”

  But neither of them could go back and change the past. She looked up at him and caught the deep sadness in his gaze. Just like with her, he was going to carry this guilt with him the rest of his life if he didn’t learn to let it go.

  “Tell me how we can let go of the past.”

  “I don’t know.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her against him. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that I’ve seen you with Bridget’s brother and mom, and you have a source of empathy that most can only pretend to have. You’ve been there. You understand, and they respond to you. And that matters. Because it matters to them.”

  Nikki closed her eyes for a moment, still not convinced. “But it brings the loss of Sarah rushing back every time. I’m tired of living through those moments again and again. The moment we realized Sarah was gone. The panic and worry and frustration of not being able to find her. I thought helping others would help me let go, but if anything it makes her loss even more real.”

  Like a knife reopening wounds that had never completely healed.

  “Which is why no one—especially me—would fault you if you walked away from this,” he said. “But I truly believe if anyone can find this guy, it’s going to be you.”

  A light flipped on in the hallway. Nikki looked up as Sam walked into the living room.

  “Morning,” he said with a yawn. “I was hoping you’d sleep in a bit more, Nikki. It’s not even six yet.”

  “I woke up a little while ago . . .” She hesitated, not wanting to say why or what she’d seen.

  “He was out in the driveway,” Tyler said, speaking her fears out loud. “And he sent her a text. He’s playing with her. With all of us.”


  “This has to stop,” Sam said. “While you go back to town, I’m going to keep going through these files. See if I can find something we missed. Call in a few favors and see if I can find something that matches up to what’s going on today.”

  “You’ve already done so much, Sam—”

  “You don’t think I’m involved in this?” Sam’s frown deepened. “I want this guy as much as you do. He killed at least six girls, and I couldn’t bring him in. That alone keeps me up at night, and I’m sure I could say the same for you, because the emotional drain is starting to show in your eyes.”

  Nikki let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

  “Irene is planning to make some of her famous banana pancakes before the two of you head off, but then I’m going to send her to her sister’s for the next couple of days until all of this blows over. Just in case this guy decides to come back.”

  “I think that’s a good idea. And, Sam—” Nikki’s phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Thank you again. For everything.”

  Sam folded his arms across his chest. “We’re going to find this guy. And once we do, we’re going to find a way to put him away for the rest of his life.”

  Nikki answered the call.

  “Nikki? This is Ranger Anderson.”

  “Morning, is everything all right?”

  “Looks like we might have a new lead on your girl. I just got a call from one of our regular volunteers who works here at the park. He made a run up to one of the campsites to do some routine maintenance. While he was there, he found a ring. Said he didn’t think anything about it until he was watching the news this morning.” Anderson hesitated. “It matches the description of the ring Bridget was wearing.”

  19

  Nikki met up with Jack and Gwen at the mobile command center just after six thirty with a large coffee in hand, still trying to pump enough caffeine into her body to override the lack of sleep. She’d already shared with them the details of what had happened earlier that morning, keeping her thoughts of quitting to herself. Tyler had convinced her not to make any hasty life-altering decisions, but that didn’t mean she was done considering it.

  Low clouds gathered above them, leaving a light mist in the air as the predicted storm continued to roll in. Weather between March and May was always unpredictable. And while April was typically mild, severe storms during this time of year weren’t uncommon, including tornadoes, strong winds, and even snow flurries given the right conditions—easily destroying any evidence potentially left behind by their abductor.

  For now, though, all she could do was follow their latest lead and pray it was the break they needed. She could still hear his voice replaying in the back of her mind and wished she could understand what game he was playing. Maybe he’d really had Bridget’s ring, but as far as she was concerned, he could just as easily be using the ring to throw them off.

  Kyle arrived right behind them, wearing the same long-sleeved shirt he’d had on yesterday. Someone had apparently convinced him to sleep a few hours at one of the local hotels, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d slept at all.

  “Did you get any sleep?” she asked him.

  “Not really.” Kyle’s eyes were puffy, his frown pronounced. “I was just told you might have a new lead.”

  Nikki glanced at her teammates, not wanting to get his hopes up on a lead that may or may not go anywhere. “One of the volunteers who works in the park found a ring yesterday at one of the campsites. We believe it’s Bridget’s.”

  Kyle’s face paled. “Our mother gave it to her for her birthday when she turned fourteen. She never takes off that ring. If he killed her, then—”

  “We don’t have enough information yet to know what happened at this point, Kyle.”

  “But if it is hers . . . It’s been over twenty-four hours, and we don’t have any proof she’s still alive except for this ring? If she’s dead—”

  “You can’t start thinking that way, Kyle.” Nikki shook her head. “Not now. Not ever. All you can do is take one day at a time and keep praying for that miracle.”

  “What do you want me to do in the meantime?” he asked.

  “Exactly what you’ve been doing. Keep answering the phones. Send out approved updates on Facebook and to the media. Make sure the volunteers that will be arriving soon have plenty of flyers. What you’re doing is making a difference. The more people who see her face, the better our chances are of finding her.”

  “You’ll tell me if you find out anything, won’t you?” Kyle asked.

  She nodded. “You know we will.”

  But Nikki caught the doubt in his eyes. The realization that you were stepping deeper and deeper into a nightmare with every day that passed. And there was no way to know when you’d be able to wake up. It took all of your energy. All of your rational thoughts. And sometimes, your very sanity.

  “Anderson should be here any minute with Randall Cooper, the man who found the ring,” Nikki said after Kyle left. “We can interview him as soon as they get here.”

  Gwen shook her head. “We’ll keep going through Bridget’s online profiles. I’m still convinced he had to have slipped up somewhere.”

  All they needed was one mistake.

  Nikki glanced at her watch as she walked into the conference room. “Gwen, get an update from the local authorities who were watching the phones last night, then go ahead and get the volunteers up to speed.”

  “You got it.”

  Statistics played through her mind like a funeral dirge. Seventy-five percent of abducted kids were dead within the first three hours. And they were way past that timeframe.

  Anderson showed up at the door to the conference room, carrying the ring in an evidence bag and wearing his uniform and “Smokey the Bear” hat.

  “Morning.” He set the evidence bag in front of her on the table. “Cooper’s on his way here now.”

  “Morning. That’s great.” Nikki smiled up at him. “Before we get started . . . I know I thanked you yesterday, but please make sure your wife knows how much I appreciate the clothes.”

  Irene had washed and dried Nikki’s clothes, but she’d opted to wear the warmer fleece with today’s drop in the temperature.

  Anderson chuckled. “It’s not the first time she’s come to someone’s rescue, but I’ll be sure to let her know.”

  “Thank you.” Nikki set down her coffee, then picked up the photo of the ring they’d gotten from Bridget’s Facebook account and compared it to the ring itself. Anderson had been right. The sterling silver floral band was a perfect match.

  She held up the ring to the light and read the inscription.

  To my Bridget with love.

  There was no doubt it belonged to Bridget.

  She glanced up as Jack walked into the room, his eyes still red, his face blotchy. “It’s definitely a match.”

  He picked up the bag and read the inscription out loud, then sat down. “Wow, I guess there’s no question there.”

  “Mr. Cooper . . . ,” Nikki said. “What exactly does he do here in the park?”

  “A bit of everything.” Anderson folded his arms across his chest. “He’s been volunteering for five . . . maybe six years and has been involved in everything from assisting in the visitor center to maintenance to litter control. Yesterday we sent him up to fix a cable that had snapped on one of our food storage systems that keeps away the bears. He’s pretty willing to do whatever we need.”

  “So you would classify him as a reliable witness?”

  Anderson nodded. “Don’t know why not. I’ve never had any reason to doubt his character before.”

  “Good. Anything else you can think of before he gets here?”

  Anderson set his hat on the table and shrugged. “He’s a hard worker who keeps to himself mostly. A bit eccentric, I suppose, but he’s friendly and the tourists love him. He spends his off time searching for planes that have gone down in the park and has his own share of ghost stories to tell, but for the
most part, he’s just another volunteer with a love for the outdoors.”

  “Is that common?” Jack asked. “Hunting for downed planes?”

  “You’d be surprised. It’s a bit like geocaching, but they call it wreck-chasing. In this park alone, there’s been over fifty recorded crashes over the past few decades. And like missing people, a handful of them have never been found. Which means you’ve got treasure hunters, conspiracy theorists, and even proponents of alien abductions searching on any given day.”

  “But you don’t think he’s capable of kidnapping.”

  “Kidnapping?” Anderson shook his head. “I didn’t think Cooper was a suspect.”

  Nikki leaned forward, realizing she was the one sounding like a conspiracy theorist. But if Tyler was right—if this guy was playing games with them—they couldn’t assume anything. “He’s not at this point, but after last night, I’d put the pope on my suspect list if he gave me a reason.”

  Anderson frowned. “I understand that, but Cooper’s an older man who volunteers.”

  “He also has time on his hands and knows the park. I’m just making sure I don’t miss anything.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right to not cut any corners.” A call came in on Anderson’s radio. “He’s just arrived at the visitor center. I’ll go get him.”

  Jack leaned against the table while they waited for Anderson to return. “You really think this guy’s involved?”

  “I have no idea, but the hat, the phone, and now the ring . . . This guy isn’t sloppy. And we know now that he’s playing with us.”

  “Any theories as to why?”

  Nikki turned to Jack and caught his gaze. “Why does anyone abduct a sixteen-year-old girl and murder her in cold blood? He’s killed a minimum of six girls. Made them disappear without a trace. That’s careful and calculated. Not sloppy, like leaving a hat or a ring in plain sight. He might think this is a game . . . but it’s one we’re going to win.”

  A couple of minutes later, Anderson stepped back into the room with Randall Cooper. He offered him an empty chair and made quick introductions. Nikki shook his hand, then took another sip of her coffee as she studied the older man. Like all the volunteers, he wore UPS-colored brown pants and a khaki button-down shirt with a name tag. Late fifties, five foot ten, and clean-shaven with a light, jagged scar on his right cheek, he was clearly in good shape physically for his age.