Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Box Set Read online

  Matt gave me a look. It reminded me of how he used to look at me on the playground at school. It was a look that I never knew if he wanted to hit me or play with me.

  He scratched his stubble. "Okay. What is it?"

  "It needs to stay between us. You can't tell any of your colleagues."

  "I…I don't know, Eva. It sounds like trouble."

  "It is trouble, but a girl's life is depending on us," I said.

  He wrinkled his forehead. "You're telling me you want me to help you do police work…illegally?"

  I threw out my arms. "Not illegally. Just…bend the rules a little. Help me save a young girl."

  He rolled his eyes at me. "You're going to be my death, Eva Rae Thomas. I always knew you would be."

  I leaned over and smiled. "I’m counting on it. So…do I have your word? That you will keep this between you and me?"

  He stared at me, contemplating, weighing the pros and cons, his nostrils flaring lightly.

  "All right," he said. "But then we're even, you hear me?"

  I exhaled, relieved. "Thank you."

  I told him the story of Maddie and Mrs. Altman and the photo, while his eyes grew wider and wider.

  "And she never told the police?" he asked with anger in his voice.

  "No," I said. "She can't. She's a prostitute. She'll lose her daughter. DCF will take her."

  "Darn right, she will. And she should. For leaving her alone at night," Matt argued. "No kid should be home alone all night."

  "You and I can agree on that, but we can also agree that sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, okay? This woman is trying her best. Besides, that's not the point here. The girl is in danger, and we can help her. Let's help a girl and her mother, okay?"

  Matt looked at me. He was about to argue again but stopped himself as our eyes locked. I saw the softness in them that I remembered so well. He never could say no to me.

  "All right," he said. "You said you know where she is?"

  "I know who took her," I said. "And I think maybe he's the same one who took Sophie Williams. I did see a white car parked in the alley that night before she was found. It could be this one. You could end up solving your case. Not half bad, huh?"

  "Okay, I’m buying into it. Who is he?"

  "Thomas Price. Sophie Williams’ coach."

  I opened Mrs. Altman's photos on my phone and showed him.

  "Here. This is his car that Maddie was picked up by. This is the last time she was seen. I had Cooper run the plate, and it belonged to Thomas Price."

  He grabbed the phone and studied the picture, then nodded. "Cooper is involved too?"

  "Just for running the plate. He doesn't know anything else."

  Matt gave me a look, then sighed. "All right. Let's go have a chat with him."

  Chapter 39

  Matt handed me his Police jacket to put on while we walked up to the house.

  "Just to make sure you look official," he said.

  I nodded while putting it on. It felt strange to wear one again. Especially in this heat.

  Matt smiled when he saw me wearing it.

  "What?" I asked.

  He shrugged. "It suits you."

  "Very funny," I said as I walked up to the door and knocked. It took a few seconds before Thomas Price opened it. He stared at Matt, then at me, a look of confusion on his face.

  "Officer Miller?" he asked. "What's going on?"

  "We're looking for a girl," he said and showed him the picture of Maddie. "Madeleine Jones. Have you seen her around?"

  He took a quick look, then shook his head. "Nope. Never seen her before."

  "We have reason to believe she might be hiding somewhere around here," I said. "Could we take a look around inside?"

  Thomas Price shrugged. "I don't see why. She's not here."

  The tone in his voice got angrier…almost hissing.

  "We're not accusing you of anything, Mr. Price," I said. "We just need to take a quick look around."

  He gave me a strange look. "Who is she, Matt? Why is she suddenly everywhere? I thought you had kids to take care of. Or was that just a lie you told me this morning? What is all this? Why are you harassing me?"

  "I assure you, sir, I am not…" I said, but we had lost him. He shook his head violently.

  "If you don't have a warrant, then you're not coming inside," he said.

  "Thomas," Matt pleaded. "It's just a quick look around. If she's not there, we'll be out of here immediately."

  "Why would she be here?" he asked aggressively. "You don't think I know what's in my house? You don't think I would know if a girl was inside my house?"

  "She could be hiding, maybe under a bed or something," I said, thinking this was getting too far out. He was onto us, and there was no way we were getting inside that house.

  "You know what? How about I take a look around myself and then I'll call you if I find a little girl, how about that, huh?" Thomas Price said. As he was about to slam the door shut, I put my foot in it to stop it. It hurt like crazy as he tried to close it anyway, but I didn't care. I pushed it open, pushed him aside, and rushed past him.

  "Maddie?" I called, hurrying into the living room.

  The TV was on but muted. The News was on, talking again about the senator's son. I turned away, then spotted a door and ran to open it. Thomas Price was yelling behind me, but I hurried, so he couldn't catch me. Matt was yelling at me to come back out too. Meanwhile, I rushed into the bedroom and looked around, but found nothing, not even in the closets that I pulled open. I then ran to another bedroom and looked around, even under the bed, but found nothing.

  "Maddie!" I called, hoping she would hear me and answer, but there was nothing.

  Thomas Price was now in the doorway, yelling at me to get the hell out of his house. I walked up to him, stared into his eyes, and felt a chill run down my spine as I saw the look in his.

  "You can't just come in here," he growled. "I know my rights."

  "Where is she?" I asked and showed him the picture of his car from my phone. "She got into your car."

  Then Thomas Price started to laugh. "Did you see my car in the driveway?"

  "No."

  "I don't have a garage, and you assume I have the car somewhere? Where? In my living room?"

  "What are you saying?" I asked.

  He leaned over. I could smell his breath as he spoke. "I gave my car to my mom three weeks ago. She needs it more than I do since hers broke down. I can walk to the ocean from here. If I need to go further, I just pick it up at her place."

  Matt came up behind him. I felt the blood leave my face.

  "Embarrassing, huh, Officers?"

  "You could still have borrowed it, and the car is part of an ongoing investigation," I said.

  Coach Thomas shook his head. "You're crazy, lady. Now, please, get out of my house. I wonder what the chief is going to say when she hears about this. You know she and I go way back, right?"

  Chapter 40

  I looked at Matt. We were driving back in his cruiser. It was getting dark out, and bugs were dancing in the headlights. I felt terrible.

  "I am so sorry," I said. "I was so certain she was there, you know with his connection to Sophie Williams and everything."

  Matt sighed and stopped the cruiser outside my house. "You were only trying to help…I guess."

  "I hope I didn't get you in trouble?" I asked.

  "We'll see. But maybe…just maybe you should leave the police work to me from now on, okay?" he said, forcing a smile. "I know you used to be a big shot and everything, but maybe you need to focus on yourself and your family right now."

  I grabbed the door handle, then opened the door before looking at him again.

  "Thank you, Matt. I am glad you were here today. I’m just sad we didn't find the girl."

  "Well, I did owe you one. But now we're even, okay?" he said. "I'll go talk to Price's mother before I head home today. Just to make sure the girl isn’t over there, but I know her, a
nd she's an old woman. Still, I'll check just to be certain. I’m sure that'll help you sleep better tonight."

  I nodded. "Thanks."

  I watched his cruiser as it disappeared down the road, then turned with a deep sigh and walked inside. I knew I wasn't supposed to do any more police work, but how could I not? Maddie was still out there somewhere, and her mother had put her confidence in me finding her.

  Barely had I set my foot inside of the house before Olivia stood in front of me, hands on her sides, an angry look in her eyes.

  Uh-oh.

  "Where have you been?" she asked.

  "I…I had to be somewhere, why? Is everything all right?" I grabbed my phone and looked at it—eleven calls and seven texts, all from Christine. My first thought was that something had happened to Alex, but as I finished the thought, I heard a loud scream coming from the stairs, and Alex came storming toward me, holding out a sword. I exhaled in relief. The boy was okay. Louder than ever, but okay. Then what was it?

  "Is it Christine?" I asked, my heart beginning to race.

  "You’re darn right it is," Olivia said.

  "What happened?" I asked, panic beginning to rush through me.

  "You missed it," Olivia said.

  "I missed what?" I asked. "Olivia, tell me what is going on right away. You're scaring me."

  "Her concert," Alex screamed.

  I looked at him then up at Olivia. "What concert?"

  "Christine's concert. It was tonight," Olivia added.

  "What concert? I never heard anything about a concert?" I asked, still feeling confused.

  "Her choir concert," my daughter said. "She even put the note up on the fridge to remind you; look. You really mean to tell me you didn't know?"

  I rushed to the fridge. There it was, right in the middle where I couldn't miss it.

  How could I not have known this?

  "So…where is she now?" I asked.

  "She's still there. But it's too late to go," Olivia said. "The concert is over now. She'll be home soon."

  "Oh, okay," I said, disappointed. "Guess I'll have to make my famous chili for dinner, huh? Her favorite." I was about to take out some meat when I paused. "Say…how did she get there? Did she bike?"

  Olivia shook her head. "Nope. She got a ride from someone."

  "She got a ride? From whom?" I asked.

  Olivia shrugged. "How am I supposed to know that? Some parent, I guess."

  Chapter 41

  I was about to explode with anxiety for the next fifteen minutes. It felt like forever; that's how nervous I was. I couldn't stop thinking about Maddie Jones and the white car. What if Christine never came back? Just like Maddie had never come back?

  I was terrified.

  I called my parents and talked to my dad. My mom said she couldn't deal with this right now and gave the phone to my dad, who calmed me down. I told him about Maddie and how she had gotten into a car with a stranger and how I was so scared the same thing had happened to Christine. I told him how we had been on the trail of finding her, tracing the car, but had run into a dead end.

  "I get why you’re freaking out," he said. "Believe me; I do. There is nothing worse than not knowing where your kid is. But you have to remain calm. It won't help anything if you lose it. It won't bring her back. Give it time. She might be back."

  After exactly fifteen minutes of me watching the driveway from my window, my stomach in knots, biting my nails, a car drove up the street, and I spotted my daughter in the window. The car slowed down to a stop, and she got out, then walked up to the house. I ran to the door, heart beating hard in my chest.

  "Christine!"

  I was about to take her in my arms, but she pulled away.

  "Mom. How could you forget?"

  "I am so sorry, baby, I am so, so sorry. I…I hadn't seen the note on the fridge. I know I should have but I didn't…and I was just so…scared."

  She wrinkled her forehead. "You were scared? Why?"

  "Christine. You went in a car with a complete stranger. What have I told you all your life about strangers?"

  Christine stared at me. "You've got to be kidding me? You're making this about you again? Of course, you are. You're trying to make me feel bad when you're the one who screwed up? All the other parents were there. I was the only one whose mother wasn't there. Do you have any idea how that feels? I almost missed the entire concert because you weren't there to take me. I waited forever for you to come home. I called you a million times, but you didn't answer. I was about to go by bike, but I knew I would get there too late, when he came along. Luckily, he could take me, and I made it in time."

  "Who?" I asked, my hands still shaking. "Who took you there?"

  "His name is Phillip," she said. "He's the captain at the fire station. He was wearing his uniform. He said he knew you."

  "And you went with him? In his car? Just like that?" I said, my heart thumping in my chest. After all the years I had spent telling my girls to be careful, I couldn't believe she could be so careless.

  "Would you stop it? It's not like that," she said. "He was only trying to be nice. Besides, I’m back, aren't I? Nothing happened."

  She was about to walk past me when I grabbed her arm. "This time. Promise me you'll never do it again. Never get into a car with a stranger."

  Christine looked at me, then rolled her eyes at me. "Mom, would you cut it out? I know something bad happened to you once. I know some guy tried to grab you in Wal-Mart; I know it happened to you, but it doesn't…"

  "My sister was kidnapped, Christine. It wasn't just a little thing. It wasn't just me overreacting. I never saw Sydney again after that day. No one knows what happened to her. Not a day goes by when I don't wonder why the guy took her and not me."

  Christine looked into my eyes, then exhaled. "I know this story, Mom. You've told it to me a thousand times. It doesn’t mean the rest of us can't live our lives. Now, can I please go? I have homework to do."

  I let go of her, and she ran up the stairs. I looked at my trembling hands. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine, my hands shaking so heavily I could barely hit the glass when pouring it.

  Chapter 42

  THEN

  The boy was down in the living room when it happened. His dad had brought home a new toy truck for him, and he had woken up early on this Saturday to play with it. His baby sister came down too and brought her dolls with her, and now they were playing on the floor, blocking out the world and forgetting everything around them for just a few hours.

  The knock on the door was loud and demanding. The boy gasped and looked at his sister when they both heard it. The boy swallowed, knowing he wasn't allowed to open the door when his dad and new mommy were sleeping. Still, the knocking continued, and the two children got curious.

  Together, they walked to the window and peeked outside.

  Baby sister gasped. "It's Momma!"

  The boy's heart pounded, and he could hear his pulse in his ears. He didn't know what to do. Seeing his mother made him feel warm and happy, yet he knew he couldn't count on her. She could be high and then there was no telling what she might do. That was what his dad had told him. That was why they didn't go visit her anymore. Their dad was afraid of what she might do to them.

  "We have to let her in; come," his baby sister said.

  Mommy knocked again, hard and angrily. It frightened the boy. Soon, she was yelling too.

  "Let me in! I want to see my children! Tommy, I know you're in there! TOMMY!"

  His sister looked at him, pleading. "She wants to come in. She wants to see us; come."

  His sister rushed to the door and reached for the handle. The boy stood like he was frozen.

  "Wait," he said worriedly. "We should wake up Dad first."

  "Why? She wants to come in. Let's let her in," baby sister said, tilting her head, not understanding. "It's Momma."

  "No," the boy said and walked to her, grabbing her hand. "We can't."

  His sister burst into tea
rs. If there was one thing in this world the boy couldn't stand, it was his sister crying. It hurt his heart so badly he couldn't stand it.

  "I want to see my momma!"

  "Okay, okay," he ended up saying. He grabbed the lock and unlocked the door. His sister stopped crying and grabbed the door handle, then turned it and the door swung open.

  Outside stood their mommy and, as he saw her, the boy's heart started to race. She smiled and bent down, holding out her arms.

  "My babies!"

  Baby sister ran to her and hugged her tightly, while the boy stayed behind scrutinizing his mother. She had gotten skinnier, her cheeks had sunken in, her eyes had deep dark marks beneath them, and she looked different. He didn't like the way she looked.

  "Aren't you going to hug your mommy?" she asked.

  The boy stared at her, contemplating for a few seconds more, then decided he would love to feel her embrace once more and took off toward her. He had barely reached her when a voice yelled from the stairs behind them.

  "What's going on here?"

  It was Daddy and New Mommy. They were storming down the stairs, barely dressed, New Mommy wearing a silky robe, daddy in his jammies. They grabbed baby sister and the boy and New Mommy pulled them inside, while Daddy started to yell. The boy heard it all from inside the house, while his sister cried her little heart out.

  "You can't just come here like this."

  "They're my children too, Tommy. I am entitled to see them."

  "Look at you. You can't even look me in the eye. Look at how your hands are shaking, not to mention your slurred speech. You're high again, aren't you?"

  "No! Why would you say that? Tommy?" their mommy pleaded. She was crying now, and the boy wasn't sure he could hold his tears back much longer either.

  "Get off my property before I call the police. You hear me? I don't want to see you here."

  "But…Tommy…they're my children…I want to see them," she cried. "How can you be so cruel?"

  "Get out."

  "I don't want to go," she said, hissing. "I’m not going till I have seen my children."