All For One, page 10
The color drained from Kara's face. "That's horrible."
"I know," Nicky said. "We're doing everything we can to find her. We think she's still in Vitaly--but we have to act fast. We need to know where Deloris Pond is."
Kara scowled. "Deloris? Why do you need her?"
"Do you know where she is?" Ken jumped in, and Nicky had to agree with his urgency--they didn't have time to explain things. Daisy was in danger.
"I don't know," Kara said. "That woman is so strange. Her boyfriend, Mark, works as a stagehand with us, and Deloris sometimes plays background roles, but she's kind of crazy. Now that I think about it..." Kara went pale. "Deloris tried out for Daisy's role. When she didn't get it, she was angry. Do you really think she had something to do with Daisy’s disappearance?"
"I don't know," Nicky said. "Who is her boyfriend? Is he around?"
Kara pointed to the far end of the parking lot. Nicky looked and saw a man leaning against a white van.
"There," Kara said.
"Thanks, Kara," Nicky said. "You've been really helpful. Stay here."
She and Ken walked quickly to the van. Nicky could see that the man was writing something in a notebook and didn't notice them approach. When they were close, Nicky said, "Excuse me," and the man jerked up. A strand of brown hair fell across his forehead, and his brown eyes narrowed at her. He looked like a total beach bum, maybe stoned on something.
"Yeah?" he said.
"I'm Agent Nicky Lyons with the FBI," Nicky said, showing him her badge. "This is my partner, Agent Ken Walker. Are you Mark?"
The man's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah... what's up? Is this about that dead chick?"
Nicky tried not to wince at his cavalier attitude toward Amanda--who wasn't just a "dead chick." She was a real human being with a life and people who loved her. And she needed justice. Regardless, Nicky needed to stay professional.
"We're looking for Deloris Pond," Nicky said. "Do you know where she is?"
"Oh, God," Mark said. "What'd Deloris do now?"
"What do you mean?" Nicky asked. "Are you referring to the incident at the festival in January?"
"No," Mark said. "Deloris is my girlfriend and all, but she's always... messing with people. When you said you were looking for her, my immediate thought was that she was up to no good."
He paused and studied the ground, as if he was thinking hard. Nicky and Ken waited, letting him think.
"Here's the thing," Mark said. "Deloris is always doing shady stuff. I mean, I'm not the most mentally stable person myself--I smoke a lot of weed, and I'm probably not the best boyfriend to have. But Deloris has this... crazy streak."
"What do you mean?" Nicky asked.
"I mean, like, I know she's up to something," Mark said. "And I'm sure I've never really understood it, but I've learned to trust my gut, and I just know that she's messed up in this."
"What do you think she's done?" Nicky asked. "Do you think Deloris could have something to do with Daisy's disappearance?"
"Well, no," Mark said. "I mean, I have no idea where she'd put her."
"What about the woman who was found deceased yesterday?" Ken added in. "Do you think Deloris could have done that?"
"No way, man," Mark said. "She's not a killer."
"Where is she?" Nicky asked.
Mark hesitated. "She's, well..."
Nicky narrowed her eyes on him. She could tell Mark knew Deloris was trouble, but also cared about her. He'd be willing to protect her.
"Is this your van, Mark?" Nicky asked. Deloris didn't have a vehicle registered to her--but she could be traveling in Mark's.
"Yeah," Mark muttered, kicking at the sand.
"Mind if we take a look inside?" Ken asked.
"Yeah, yeah, go for it," Mark said. "I don't give a shit. We're kind of--on the outs right now."
"Mind if we take a look at your things?" Nicky asked.
"Uh, well, that's kind of my stuff..." Mark muttered.
"We're looking for anything that might indicate that Deloris had something to do with Daisy's disappearance," Ken told him. "You do care about Daisy, right?"
Mark looked at the ground. "Yeah. She's--she's a good kid. Deloris is not a killer, man. I mean, she's a little crazy, but she's not a killer. Anyway..."
Mark opened up the van. Inside, the smell of pot wafted out, and Nicky was shocked to see the van was stuffed full of props--masks, costumes, and more decorated the walls. There wasn't much room inside, but what was there was covered in either clothes or costumes. Nicky peered further in to see a mattress stuffed at the back--with no one on it.
"D, you in there?" Mark called out.
"She's not here," Nicky said, glaring at Mark. "But you knew that, didn't you?"
"Huh? No! I actually thought she was in there, no lie!" Mark said.
"Mark, look," Ken said. "We're going to find her. You need to tell us where she is."
"I swear, I don't know! She probably wandered off somewhere behind my back! I doubt she's far, man, she doesn't even have a phone!"
Nicky was sick of talking to this guy--even if he was lying, it was a waste of time. Deloris had to be around here somewhere--she didn't have a car. She could be on the beach, or maybe at one of the local stores.
"Okay, Mark," Nicky said. "Just--stay here. Don't leave. This is an active investigation. We're looking for Deloris."
As they left Mark, Nicky heard him mutter, "That crazy bitch..."
Nicky and Ken made their way back across the beach, and Kara jogged up to them.
"So?" Kara asked. "Did you find her?"
"No," Nicky sighed. "But she might be in one of the stores. We're going to check there."
"I'll come with you," Kara said. "If Deloris is there, maybe I can convince her to talk to you."
"No," Nicky cut in. "Stay away from Deloris, Kara."
"Why?"
"Just--listen to us, please," Nicky said.
With that, she and Ken jogged away over hot sand as the sun pounded down on them.
As they walked down the boardwalk, Nicky's mind whirled. She didn't know what to think about this guy, Mark. He could be lying, of course, but he could also be telling the truth. Could Deloris really be involved? Maybe she was just batty--but the connection between the plays and the previous assault charge was too much.
Nicky shook her head. She didn't know what to think anymore. Daisy had been missing for almost twenty-four hours now, and they hadn't found anything.
Every second spent wasting time was another second she was closer to danger.
Focusing forward, Nicky's resolve burned.
I'll find you, Rebecca.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The search for Deloris was on.
Nicky and Ken were scouring the beach, and they'd called in for the help of local police to locate the woman. Now, all they had to do was search every damn part of this town until she turned up.
Sure, it was a long shot--but they had to try. Who knew what Deloris was capable of?
And if she was involved, Nicky needed to find her before something terrible happened.
Nicky and Ken started at the strip of stores off the beach. There was a touristy gift shop, and the bell dinged as Nicky and Ken entered.
"Hello?" Nicky called out.
The shop was empty. It sold surfboard accessories and beach-themed memorabilia. Nicky and Ken made their way through it quickly. No one answered, until:
"Hello there!" an older woman said, turning around from the counter. "I'm Beth. How can I help you today?"
"Hi," Nicky said. "We're, uh, looking for a woman. Her name is Deloris, but she might be going by Rebecca." Nicky pulled up a photo they'd extracted from her online and showed the woman. "Have you seen her here?"
The woman shook her head. "No," she said. "Can't say I have--but I'm not here all the time, unfortunately. My husband runs the shop."
"Oh," Nicky said. "He here?"
"No," the woman said. "He stepped out for lunch."
"Oh," Nicky repeated.
"Have you checked the other stores?" the woman asked. "There's a liquor store, a toy store--"
"Yeah, we're going to check all of them," Ken said.
"Well, it was nice talking to you," the woman said. "Come again soon!"
"Thanks," Nicky said, feeling like they'd just hit another dead end. They exited the shop, stepping into the warm summer morning air and moving onto the next store: a café. They opened the door and stepped inside, letting the smell of coffee fill their noses with each breath. The café was empty, save for a single barista, who looked up at them from her cup of coffee as she leaned behind the counter. Nicky wanted to get this over with quick so they wouldn't waste more time like they had in the last shop--so she took out her badge and flashed it, along with Ken, and the girl's eyes widened. Then, Nicky pulled up the photo of Deloris.
"Good morning," Nicky said. "FBI. Have you seen this woman?"
The girl, a teenager, had a shocked expression--she had probably never seen an FBI agent in real life before.
"Um---maybe?" the girl said. "A lot of people come here."
"Look harder please," Nicky urged.
"Her name is Deloris, but she might be going by Rebecca. She's around thirty years old and she's missing; she needs our help. Have you seen her?"
The girl's eyes darted around. She was clearly uncomfortable.
"Yeah...maybe," she said.
"Where?" Ken asked.
"Um..." the girl said. "I think she bought something like, thirty minutes ago. A coffee and bagel, if I remember right."
Nicky's heart jumped. This could be it. Deloris could still be in the area. "What was she wearing?" Nicky asked.
"Huh? I don't know," the girl said. "Uh, jeans?"
Nicky groaned. "Did she seem nervous or anything? Did she say anything about anyone else around here?"
"No, nothing really," the girl said. "She was just a regular customer."
"Thanks anyway," Nicky said. "If you see her again, call the police immediately."
With that, Nicky and Ken left. They continued up the strip, checking the other stores. None of them had seen her.
Running out of stores and options, Nicky and Ken stood outside the café, looking down the strip.
"What do we do now?" Ken asked.
"We go back to the beach," Nicky said. "Maybe she's there."
"No, we should check the park first," Ken said. "That was where she ran last time; she might have found somewhere to hide out."
"We should split up, then," Nicky said. "We can cover more ground."
"I'll go over there, and you check the beach," Ken said.
Nicky nodded. It was a good plan. With the other officers scouring the scene as well, Nicky was sure Deloris would have no real escape from Vitaly Beach.
Breaking off from Ken, Nicky jogged in the direction of the beach, where she caught sight of the festival grounds, still caution-taped off. The officers were all gone, though--most were out looking for Deloris, and forensics had already extracted every piece of DNA from the scene. Seeing the stage, with the wooden clown face on top, so empty, creeped Nicky out.
No one was there...
But the only thing to keep someone out was caution tape. That didn't mean someone couldn't go onto the stage.
Deloris could be there.
Maybe it was a longshot, but Nicky was running out of options. Taking a breath, she walked onto the beach, feeling the hot sand. The sun was pounding on her face, too, making her sweat.
She was close to the stage now, and she glanced around. No one was near. She breathed a sigh of relief. No one was on the stage--and if Deloris was here, then she had to have gone right past Nicky.
Nicky took a few steps forward, until she was at the foot of the stage. She looked around again, and then came to a decision.
It was worth a shot.
Easing onto the stage, Nicky paused, listening. The only sounds she could hear were the waves crashing in the distance. She sighed, and then turned to look at the stage itself.
Taking a breath, Nicky walked onto the stage and went to the backstage area.
Empty costumes still hung from the racks, and there was a faint stench of sweat. The spotlights were still off, and it was dim, with the light from the sun coming in.
Nicky walked around, searching every pocket, every corner. But there was no one there. It was empty, just like last time, and Nicky was beginning to feel defeated.
Maybe they'd been wrong. Maybe Deloris had never come here.
But then, she heard a creak.
Nicky whirled around. No one was there, but...
Positioned against the back wall, there was a coffin. A prop coffin, similar to the one Amanda had been found dead in. It must have been a backup.
Nicky began to sweat. The last time she'd seen a coffin like that, it contained a murder victim. An image flashed in her mind--what if she opened it, and inside was a dead Daisy Finn?
What if they were already too late?
Nicky swallowed. Maybe it was empty. Maybe nothing was in it at all...
Either way, she had to check. To know for sure if it was empty.
Slowly, Nicky walked over to the coffin and placed her hand on the lid. It was cool to the touch, and for a moment, Nicky hesitated.
This was it.
There was no turning back now.
Nicky took a deep breath and then lifted the lid of the coffin.
Before Nicky could even blink--something popped out of the coffin, causing her to fall back in shock.
"What the--"
Someone ran past her, and that was when it clicked--
Deloris.
She'd been hiding in the coffin.
Nicky scrambled to her feet and saw Deloris running off the stage.
"Hey!" Nicky yelled, chasing after her. "Come back!"
Deloris ran, now, without any sort of hesitation. Her eyes were wild as she glanced over her shoulder, then ran off again. She ran as if her life depended on it, and Nicky ran after her, determined to catch her.
Nicky chased after Deloris, but with the sand beneath her feet and no crowd to use to her advantage, she was much slower.
"Come back here!" she screamed.
Deloris jerked away from Nicky, and then turned to run in the other direction. Nicky growled in frustration and chased after her, but Deloris sped up. She was running for her life.
"I'm not going to hurt you!" Nicky yelled. "Just listen to me!"
Deloris was a few feet ahead of Nicky now. Damn it--hadn't Deloris learned from the last time?
The moment Nicky was close, she dove toward and tackled Deloris, bringing her straight to the sand. At that same moment, some police officers nearby noticed the commotion and ran up to Nicky's aid.
"Let me go!" Deloris screamed.
"I didn't do anything!"
Nicky blinked. That was a lie--Deloris had potentially killed two people in cold blood.
"We know what you've done," Nicky said. "And we know you killed Amanda. And we know you took Daisy. And we're going to make sure you pay for it."
Deloris smirked. "You have no idea what I've done," she said. "You have no idea--"
"Here, ma'am, let me take her," one of the male officers said. Nicky eased off Deloris, and the cop swept in with handcuffs and slapped them on her. Grunting and squirming, Deloris was dragged to her feet by the officer. She met Nicky's eyes with a cruel smirk.
"Rebecca, huh?" Nicky said. "I know all about you, and what you've done. You have some serious questions to answer."
Deloris smiled wildly--before she spat right at Nicky. Nicky recoiled, narrowly avoiding the wad of saliva.
That was when her patience was truly running thin.
Nicky went right up to Deloris, getting into her face. Deloris only smiled.
"You'll regret doing that," was all Nicky said, then faced the officers. "Take her away."
She watched as Deloris was dragged away by the officers. She'd be escorted to the police station, and then maybe she'd finally tell all.
Nicky sighed, and then turned to walk back to the festival grounds. She was just about to go back to Ken, when she heard someone calling her name.
"Nicky!"
Turning, she saw that it was Ken. He was jogging toward her, looking a bit panicked.
"It's okay, I found her," Nicky said.
"Where is she?"
"We'll meet her back at the precinct--the cops have her," Nicky said. This whole thing had disturbed her. Deloris was a deranged woman, and Nicky had no doubt she was capable of murder. Sighing, she faced Ken. "Let's go question the hell out of her."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The woman sitting across from Nicky in the interrogation room at the precinct was nothing like the woman she'd talked to yesterday.
No--yesterday, she had been timid, frail, like she was drugged out...
But now she was smug, smirking at Nicky and Ken from across the table. On top of that, Deloris looked completely different. The character, Rebecca, she'd been playing yesterday had seemed cracked out and disheveled. But this Deloris had flattened hair and was wearing normal, even flattering clothing.
The whole "Rebecca" thing--it had been an act.
A damn good one, Nicky had to admit.
"So, Deloris," Nicky said. "Quite the fast one you pulled on us yesterday."
Deloris smirked before she full-blown cackled. "I had you both fooled, didn't I?"
Beside Nicky, she could feel Ken tense up. His instincts about the woman had been spot on--they could not have trusted her then, and they certainly couldn't now.
"I guess you did," Nicky said. "But you're not going to get away with it this time."
Deloris only continued to smirk. "I already have," she said. "And I don't intend to stop now."
Nicky stared. "What?"
"I'm not going to stop," Deloris repeated. "You can't stop me."
"Oh, I know that," Ken said, leaning forward, his hands planted on the table. "But we're going to stop you. Somehow. You killed one woman and--"
"Two women," Deloris said, smirking. "They deserved it."
Nicky's mind raced. No. No. She had to be messing with them. There was no way Daisy was already dead.
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