long time coming. Excruciatingly long. But, oh, so worth it.
The nightmare is only beginning for you, my dear Lexi. Just beginning. I’m going to take everything you have away, one by one. Just like you took everything from me.
* * *
The sound of the door slamming brought Ace to his feet. In three quick strides he stepped from the den into the living room. A stone settled in his stomach as he took in Lexi’s pale face and terrified blue eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“N–nothing.” Lexi’s words came in sharp, quick gasps.
“It doesn’t look like nothing. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He moved closer to her, afraid she would collapse at any second.
“No, really. I’m fine.” Lexi forced a humorless laugh. “Just my overactive imagination.”
“What happened?” Ace frowned, shoving one hand in his trouser pocket and propping his other one on the door frame.
“I went jogging out back near the bayou. I–I thought I heard something in the woods.” Though she tried to hide it, fear seeped into her voice. “It was probably just an animal.”
“I’ll go take a look, but you need to sit before you end up on the floor.” He didn’t care for the way her skin seemed to have lost all color. With everything that had been going on the last few days, it was a wonder she could function at all.
Ace took Lexi’s hand. It felt cold and clammy in his. He led her to the couch where she sank down with shaking knees.
“I’m fine. Really, there’s no need to make a fuss.”
There will be when I bring you in for formal questioning and possible charges. Ace didn’t voice the dreaded thought, but he knew there was no getting around it. He had seen the tape himself, and though he had a few doubts of his own, the evidence was too overwhelming to overlook. It seemed Lexi had indeed been in that fast food joint with Anna a few hours after the child had allegedly been kidnapped. There was no easy way around it. He would have to bring her in for another round of intense questioning. But first he needed to find out what was in the woods.
Sheriff Dawson and Deputy Owens appeared in the doorway of the den. “Good. She’s back. Have you–”
“Not yet.” Ace’s curt response cut off the sheriff’s question. “I need you both to come with me first.”
Sheriff Dawson shot Lexi an odd look.
Lexi’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about? Did you find Anna?”
“No. Stay put until we get back.” Ace motioned for the two men to follow him, then walked outside before Lexi could ask any more questions
Sheriff Dawson hurried to catch up with him, his breath puffing. “Why didn’t you bring her in?”
Ace pulled his gun from the holster and held it up, barrel pointed toward the thicket. “Lexi thought she heard something out here.”
Sheriff Dawson snorted and pulled his own gun from his holster. “She’s leading you on a wild goose chase. She’s as guilty as the day is long and you know it. You saw the tape yourself.”
Ace stopped and pinned Sheriff Dawson with a cutting look. “I check out all leads before jumping to conclusions.”
A flush climbed Sheriff Dawson’s ruddy face, but he didn’t say a word.
Ace crept into the thicket. “Cover me.”
Sheriff Dawson positioned himself behind Ace, pistol raised, and Deputy Owens did the same.
An owl hooted in a nearby tree. Spanish moss slapped Ace in the face as he made his way into the dense greenery. He pushed it aside.
Small beams of light filtered through the tall oak trees casting shadows among the branches all the way to the ground. The woods, eerily silent other than the occasional owl, seemed to close in on him. Ace tightened his grip on his piece and eased deeper into the thicket. He could hear the light footsteps of the local law enforcement as they followed him in.
He stopped to get his bearings. It would be easy for a young child to get lost in the woods. Everything looked the same. The trees, the weeds, even the
The nightmare is only beginning for you, my dear Lexi. Just beginning. I’m going to take everything you have away, one by one. Just like you took everything from me.
* * *
The sound of the door slamming brought Ace to his feet. In three quick strides he stepped from the den into the living room. A stone settled in his stomach as he took in Lexi’s pale face and terrified blue eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“N–nothing.” Lexi’s words came in sharp, quick gasps.
“It doesn’t look like nothing. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He moved closer to her, afraid she would collapse at any second.
“No, really. I’m fine.” Lexi forced a humorless laugh. “Just my overactive imagination.”
“What happened?” Ace frowned, shoving one hand in his trouser pocket and propping his other one on the door frame.
“I went jogging out back near the bayou. I–I thought I heard something in the woods.” Though she tried to hide it, fear seeped into her voice. “It was probably just an animal.”
“I’ll go take a look, but you need to sit before you end up on the floor.” He didn’t care for the way her skin seemed to have lost all color. With everything that had been going on the last few days, it was a wonder she could function at all.
Ace took Lexi’s hand. It felt cold and clammy in his. He led her to the couch where she sank down with shaking knees.
“I’m fine. Really, there’s no need to make a fuss.”
There will be when I bring you in for formal questioning and possible charges. Ace didn’t voice the dreaded thought, but he knew there was no getting around it. He had seen the tape himself, and though he had a few doubts of his own, the evidence was too overwhelming to overlook. It seemed Lexi had indeed been in that fast food joint with Anna a few hours after the child had allegedly been kidnapped. There was no easy way around it. He would have to bring her in for another round of intense questioning. But first he needed to find out what was in the woods.
Sheriff Dawson and Deputy Owens appeared in the doorway of the den. “Good. She’s back. Have you–”
“Not yet.” Ace’s curt response cut off the sheriff’s question. “I need you both to come with me first.”
Sheriff Dawson shot Lexi an odd look.
Lexi’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about? Did you find Anna?”
“No. Stay put until we get back.” Ace motioned for the two men to follow him, then walked outside before Lexi could ask any more questions
Sheriff Dawson hurried to catch up with him, his breath puffing. “Why didn’t you bring her in?”
Ace pulled his gun from the holster and held it up, barrel pointed toward the thicket. “Lexi thought she heard something out here.”
Sheriff Dawson snorted and pulled his own gun from his holster. “She’s leading you on a wild goose chase. She’s as guilty as the day is long and you know it. You saw the tape yourself.”
Ace stopped and pinned Sheriff Dawson with a cutting look. “I check out all leads before jumping to conclusions.”
A flush climbed Sheriff Dawson’s ruddy face, but he didn’t say a word.
Ace crept into the thicket. “Cover me.”
Sheriff Dawson positioned himself behind Ace, pistol raised, and Deputy Owens did the same.
An owl hooted in a nearby tree. Spanish moss slapped Ace in the face as he made his way into the dense greenery. He pushed it aside.
Small beams of light filtered through the tall oak trees casting shadows among the branches all the way to the ground. The woods, eerily silent other than the occasional owl, seemed to close in on him. Ace tightened his grip on his piece and eased deeper into the thicket. He could hear the light footsteps of the local law enforcement as they followed him in.
He stopped to get his bearings. It would be easy for a young child to get lost in the woods. Everything looked the same. The trees, the weeds, even the
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