The picture wasn’t the greatest but it was easy enough to make out Kira’s SUV parked at the back of the garage. Sure enough, we watched as someone hopped the small concrete wall and stealthily approached the SUV, did something to the lock, and pulled the doll out from beneath a baggy sweatshirt. After closing the door, the person stuck something to the underside of the car.
My blood went cold. I’d bet it was a GPS tracker. I didn’t even dare look at Aiden.
“Can you zoom in?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah, but it just gets grainier. The surveillance equipment in here ain’t the greatest.”
Truth , as he would say. The zoom added nothing to the image of the culprit except static. At first I couldn’t even tell if the person was a man or a woman. On the tall side, medium build. Black baggy sweatpants. Dark sweatshirt with hood up to help obscure any facial features. Which wasn’t all that successful. “Pause there,” I asked.
The frame froze on the face. It was grainy, sure, but it was enough to see that it was man, maybe mid-twenties. I didn’t recognize him.
“I wanted to call the cops, but Ms. Fitz didn’t want to wait around. The baby was getting fussy—probably feeling the tension in the air.” Beckley gave me a knowing look. “Little ones pick up on stuff like that. Anyways, she asked me to save the video, and that she’d get in touch with the police. I gave her car a once over to make sure her tires were good and she left. I’m kicking myself for not calling the cops then and there.”
Aiden said, “There’s nothing else you can remember from that note on the doll?”
He shook his head, then his eyes lit. “But I have it. You want it?”
“Wait,” I said, excitement surging. “You have the doll or the note?”
“Both.” He shrugged. “Ms. Fitz was in such a hurry to leave that she left without them. I put ’em aside for her, figuring she’d be back for them after she contacted the cops. You want ’em?”
I thought Aiden might spring out of his seat and kiss Beckley on the lips. For the first time all day, I saw him loosen up, if only for the briefest of moments.
Beckley stood even before receiving an answer and turned to a closet behind him and reached inside.
“Wait,” Aiden said, standing. “You don’t happen to have gloves, do you? Or a plastic bag?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Trash bags.”
“They’ll do.” Aiden waited while Beckley went to another closet—clearly one used to store maintenance odds and ends. He handed a bag to Aiden, who slipped it over his hand and reached into the closet.
There was nothing to prepare me for the gut reaction of seeing the doll in his hand. I sucked in a breath as my heart lurched then raced.
The small doll was a sweet thing—full cheeks, blond hair. Very lifelike but soft and cuddly as well. I could easily imagine Ava loving on the toy. As easily as I could imagine Ava as the doll. Except for the size, they were nearly identical, all big blue eyes and baby-fine hair.
Clearing my throat, I said, “What does the note say?” It was stuck to the doll’s chest with a safety pin.
Beckley said, “I’ve seen some bad grammar in my days, hell, I’m probably one of the biggest offenders, but that note is something.”
Aiden placed the doll on the desk, and I leaned in to read.
U SHUD B MOR WURRIED 4 UR OWN KID
Aiden’s eyes sparked dangerously, and I wondered what was going through his head. Even though he hadn’t known Ava long, he’d formed an attachment. The note was a blatant threat against her.
“I need to take this with me,” Aiden said, sounding hoarse.
“Take it, take it,” Beckley said, backing away from the doll as though he wanted nothing more to do with it. “Anything to help find Ms. Fitz. She was a nice woman.”
Was . Did he even realize he’d referred to her in the past tense? It was very telling. He’d subconsciously spoken what we were all undoubtedly thinking.
It wasn’t looking good for finding
My blood went cold. I’d bet it was a GPS tracker. I didn’t even dare look at Aiden.
“Can you zoom in?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah, but it just gets grainier. The surveillance equipment in here ain’t the greatest.”
Truth , as he would say. The zoom added nothing to the image of the culprit except static. At first I couldn’t even tell if the person was a man or a woman. On the tall side, medium build. Black baggy sweatpants. Dark sweatshirt with hood up to help obscure any facial features. Which wasn’t all that successful. “Pause there,” I asked.
The frame froze on the face. It was grainy, sure, but it was enough to see that it was man, maybe mid-twenties. I didn’t recognize him.
“I wanted to call the cops, but Ms. Fitz didn’t want to wait around. The baby was getting fussy—probably feeling the tension in the air.” Beckley gave me a knowing look. “Little ones pick up on stuff like that. Anyways, she asked me to save the video, and that she’d get in touch with the police. I gave her car a once over to make sure her tires were good and she left. I’m kicking myself for not calling the cops then and there.”
Aiden said, “There’s nothing else you can remember from that note on the doll?”
He shook his head, then his eyes lit. “But I have it. You want it?”
“Wait,” I said, excitement surging. “You have the doll or the note?”
“Both.” He shrugged. “Ms. Fitz was in such a hurry to leave that she left without them. I put ’em aside for her, figuring she’d be back for them after she contacted the cops. You want ’em?”
I thought Aiden might spring out of his seat and kiss Beckley on the lips. For the first time all day, I saw him loosen up, if only for the briefest of moments.
Beckley stood even before receiving an answer and turned to a closet behind him and reached inside.
“Wait,” Aiden said, standing. “You don’t happen to have gloves, do you? Or a plastic bag?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Trash bags.”
“They’ll do.” Aiden waited while Beckley went to another closet—clearly one used to store maintenance odds and ends. He handed a bag to Aiden, who slipped it over his hand and reached into the closet.
There was nothing to prepare me for the gut reaction of seeing the doll in his hand. I sucked in a breath as my heart lurched then raced.
The small doll was a sweet thing—full cheeks, blond hair. Very lifelike but soft and cuddly as well. I could easily imagine Ava loving on the toy. As easily as I could imagine Ava as the doll. Except for the size, they were nearly identical, all big blue eyes and baby-fine hair.
Clearing my throat, I said, “What does the note say?” It was stuck to the doll’s chest with a safety pin.
Beckley said, “I’ve seen some bad grammar in my days, hell, I’m probably one of the biggest offenders, but that note is something.”
Aiden placed the doll on the desk, and I leaned in to read.
U SHUD B MOR WURRIED 4 UR OWN KID
Aiden’s eyes sparked dangerously, and I wondered what was going through his head. Even though he hadn’t known Ava long, he’d formed an attachment. The note was a blatant threat against her.
“I need to take this with me,” Aiden said, sounding hoarse.
“Take it, take it,” Beckley said, backing away from the doll as though he wanted nothing more to do with it. “Anything to help find Ms. Fitz. She was a nice woman.”
Was . Did he even realize he’d referred to her in the past tense? It was very telling. He’d subconsciously spoken what we were all undoubtedly thinking.
It wasn’t looking good for finding
Similar Books
