"Please," Nicky said, hoping not to scare her more, "we really need to talk to you. We're with the FBI." Carefully, Nicky removed her badge and showed the skittish woman. Ken did the same.

  The woman pulled her arm out of Nicky's gentle grasp, and thankfully, this time, she didn't run. "W-why did you chase me?"

  "Why did you run?" Nicky countered.

  The woman shivered, hugging herself as if it were cold, even though it was a hot summer day in Florida. "I thought you were one of... them..."

  "Who?" Nicky lifted a brow.

  "They're everywhere..." the woman said, her voice quavering. "You... you don't know... you don't know how bad it is..."

  "Hey," Nicky said, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We're the FBI, we're here to help you. We can find these people--"

  "No," the woman shook her head. "There's nothing you can do."

  Nicky frowned. "Why are you so scared?"

  The woman closed her eyes. "You don't know," she muttered. "If you knew, you'd be scared, too."

  Nicky couldn't help but sigh. The woman did not seem well.

  "I'm not scared," Ken said.

  The woman now looked at Ken like he was crazy. "How can you not be?" she asked.

  "Because I'm a federal agent," he said, clearly losing his patience. "Now, if you don't mind, we'd like to ask you some questions about the phone call you made the other day."

  The woman's face went pale. "It was... it was anonymous."

  "We saw you on security footage," Nicky informed. "Please, we just need to talk about that call. Did you really see Amanda Smith with a man?"

  "Ah... Amanda Smith." The woman's voice shook. "I saw her... on the news, a few weeks ago. They said she was a missing girl. Then I saw a girl who looked just like her at the festival. In fact, I'm positive it was her."

  "You mentioned she was seen with a man," Nicky said.

  "Oh, yes," the woman said. "He was so angry. She looked so scared. I saw them near the outhouses at the festival."

  "How positive are you that it was Amanda Smith?" Ken asked. Nicky had to admit, she was skeptical now too. Could this woman's statement really be reliable? At the same time, this was the only possible lead they had on Amanda Smith. Nicky couldn't stomach the idea that they'd come all this way for nothing.

  "I'm positive," the woman said. "Positive, I saw Amanda Smith."

  "What about the man?" Nicky pressed. "Did you get a good look at him?"

  "Yes," the woman said. "He was... he was..."

  "He was what?" Nicky said, trying not to get frustrated. The woman was trembling, holding herself.

  "I think he's, well... I came back to the play today to confirm it. I think he's... he's..."

  "He's at the festival?" Nicky asked, her pulse jumping.

  The woman nodded, her eyes wide. Nicky sighed and glanced at Ken, who looked just as skeptical as she felt. But Nicky had to follow this lead through.

  "Let's go back, then," Nicky told the woman. "We need you to identify him. What's your name?"

  "Rebecca," the woman managed.

  "Okay, Rebecca," Nicky said. "Let's go find this guy."

  The festival was still in full-swing, gaining momentum as the sun drifted over the sky, turning morning into noon. There were no plays currently on, and Nicky could see the staff in their costumes hanging around the crowds of festival goers. People bought food and drinks from vendors and enjoyed their time on the beach.

  Nicky and Ken led an apprehensive Rebecca back into the main part of the festival.

  It was a bright, beautiful day, but Nicky couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  Nicky led Rebecca through the crowds, looking for the outhouses. She pointed them out, and Rebecca nodded. "I saw them over there," she said.

  "And they were arguing?" Nicky asked.

  "No... well... it looked more like the man was yelling at her," Rebecca said, fearfully scanning the crowd.

  "What did he look like?" Nicky asked.

  But Rebecca hesitated. Fear took over her again, causing her to shrink and hold herself. Nicky wondered what the woman was on. Maybe coming down from meth. Judging by the scabs on her arms, that was probably the case.

  "You really don't have anything to worry about," Ken told her. "We're the FBI. We can protect you."

  "It's not that," Rebecca muttered. "It's just them. They're everywhere."

  Nicky had a feeling Rebecca was referring to 'them' in the same way she'd referred to the man she'd seen at the festival with Amanda Smith. Nicky had no idea what she was talking about, but at this point, she figured the woman was just a bit on the unhinged side. She had almost no information to go on, and any lead, no matter how tenuous, was worth following up on.

  "I'm sure it's fine," Nicky said, trying to reassure the woman. "Can you describe the man who was with Amanda?"

  "Ah, I'm sorry," Rebecca said. "He was... well, he was tall, and handsome too. He had a long nose... and he was dressed in a white casual suit. I believe he had orange hair and a very thin amount of facial hair. That's all I can say."

  "You're sure he was with Amanda?" Ken asked.

  "Yes," the woman said.

  Nicky took out her phone, just to be sure, and opened a photo of Amanda Smith. "This is the woman who was with the man?"

  Rebecca looked at the photo. "Yes. It was her. She had pretty black hair like that, and you can tell it's her because she has a, well..."

  "A what?" Nicky asked, confused.

  "Her nose is really defined," said Rebecca. "It's big, abnormally big, and that girl was exactly like that. That's why I remembered her."

  Nicky looked at the photo. Indeed, a larger nose was one of Amanda's features. It seemed like Rebecca may have really seen her, and Nicky had to take her word on it. She hoped it wasn't a waste of time.

  She sighed and scanned the crowd, just to give her eyes a break. So many faces surrounded them, and Nicky looked up on the stage.

  That was when she saw him.

  A tall, lithe man with a long nose, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He had ginger hair poking out beneath the hat and a light orange beard that was practically blonde.

  Nicky's heart dropped. No... it couldn't be him... but he matched Rebecca's description perfectly.

  "Rebecca," Nicky said, pointing to the stage. "Is that the man you saw with Amanda?"

  The woman turned, and her eyes went wide. "Yes," she said, shaking. "It's him!"

  Nicky took a step back, her pulse jumping. She wasn't sure if she was more scared or angry at this point.

  Nicky felt like she was going to throw up. She swallowed. If this really was their guy, then she could wrap this case up and get back to Felix Anderson ASAP.

  "Are you positive?" Nicky pressed.

  Rebecca looked back on stage. "Y-yes... yes... that has to be him," she said. "He has the hair and everything!"

  Nicky glanced at Ken, who had doubt written on his face. Things never were that easy for them.

  "We'll need to catch him," Ken said. "Even if he is who you say he is, we'll need physical evidence to put him away. You're sure you saw him talking to Amanda Smith?"

  "Yes," Rebecca said. "That's the man."

  He was still on stage. If she remembered right, that man--he was a lead actor and had been on the stage earlier.

  Could he really be the one who had taken Amanda?

  There was only one way to find out.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Nicky and Ken stood off to the side of the stage, away from the crowd, and Nicky watched the ginger man as he talked with some of his co-stars between shows.

  They'd looked him up, discovering that his name was John Florence and he was a popular small-time theater actor with a modest social media following. To think that he'd been holding Amanda Smith hostage all this time seemed like a difficult thing to pull off, considering he was always on the road, traveling to do plays in different towns across Florida.

  "Where would he keep her?" Nicky asked Ken, who was pulling up information about John on his phone. "I mean, his co-stars would know if he had a girl with him all the time. They travel together. Where would he keep her?"

  "Maybe she did run away with him," Ken said. "Maybe what Rebecca saw was just a fight... but hold on... I'm accessing his file."

  On stage, John wore a charismatic smile as he laughed and chatted. Could he be their guy?

  "He has a record," Ken suddenly said, and Nicky's heart dropped.

  "What'd he do?"

  "Assault." Ken closed his phone and tucked it in his pocket. "Gendered assault, no less. Apparently, he slapped a woman across the face--she was a fan at one of his shows, and according to the file, she was persistent, and he smacked her. He was charged for it. But looks like he managed to sweep it all under the rug and continue his career."

  Nicky scowled at the charismatic man on stage. Narcissists could get away with murder and still have fans.

  "He could be our guy after all," Nicky said.

  No more time to waste.

  Nicky marched up to the stage and climbed the steps, heading right for the man with Ken behind her. As she approached, she noticed he wasn't alone. He had a woman standing next to him. She was tall and had long red hair and a thin build. She stood tall and straight, and Nicky could tell she was an actress. She wore a dark blue, tight dress and glasses attached to a thin, silver chain. She looked like a million bucks.

  Nicky looked up at the man, who stared down at her with a smirk.

  "Oh, are you a fan? We aren't--"

  Nicky held up her FBI badge, and Ken did the same.

  "I'm Agent Nicky Lyons, and this is Agent Ken Walker," Nicky said. "We'd like to speak with you."

  The woman looked at the badges, and her eyes went wide. "Look, I don't know what this is about, but--"

  "We have a few questions for Mr. Florence," Ken said.

  "Whatever it is, it's probably best to do this later," the woman said, putting a hand on a clueless John's shoulder. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"

  "Who are you?" Nicky asked.

  "She's my agent," John cut in, glowering at Nicky and Ken. Up close, Nicky could see he was handsome--she doubted it wasn’t hard for him to charm his way through life, even after he'd literally slapped a fan at a show. Not a good look. What else was he capable of?

  "John can't talk right now," his agent cut in. "Please leave the stage."

  "Like I said, we're with the FBI," Nicky said, hardening her eyes on the woman. "We're not leaving until we talk to Mr. Florence. Alone."

  "That's not going to happen," John said.

  The woman looked worried, and she turned to John. "John, you should go. I'll handle this."

  "I'm not going anywhere," John said, crossing his arms.

  His agent turned to Nicky, her face hardening. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave the stage," she said. "I'm not going to let you talk to John when we're in the middle of something."

  "I don't think you understand," said Nicky, her voice hardening. "I'm an FBI agent and I'm not going to leave until I talk to him. Step aside or we'll make this difficult."

  The woman laughed. "Try it," she said. "I don't know what you think you're doing but let me explain something to you. I've known John for years, and I know all about his--"

  "Where is she?" Nicky cut off, losing her patience. "Where is Amanda?"

  "Who?" John scowled.

  At this point, a crowd had gathered. They were standing on stage, and the —festival goers had noticed the commotion, along with some of the other actors milling about on the stage. John and his agent looked nervous as people took notice. This would be bad for John's career--and he couldn't withstand more hot water. It seemed like he realized this, as he grunted and said, "Fine, let's talk. In private."

  "Great," Nicky said.

  John shepherded them to the shadows of the backstage area. He looked around, as if worried someone might be eavesdropping. He turned to the agent.

  "I'll take care of this," he said. "You go back to the show."

  "But--"

  "Just go!" John said, and the woman rolled her eyes and left.

  When she was gone, John turned to Nicky and Ken. "Ok, let's get this over with," he said. "What do you want?"

  "Where's Amanda Smith?" Nicky asked.

  "I told you; I don't know what you're talking about," John said. "I haven't seen that girl, and she'd probably tell you the same thing."

  "Is she here?" Nicky asked, taking a step forward.

  "I don't even know who she is," John said. "Are you sure you two aren't crazed, cosplaying fans?"

  Nicky shot Ken a look, and he raised an eyebrow. "No, Mr. Florence," Nicky said. "We are not fans. This is a federal investigation, and I suggest you cooperate."

  "This is harassment," John said. "I've done nothing criminal so why should I have to talk to the FBI?"

  "You admit you haven't done anything?" Nicky asked.

  "I admit nothing," John said. "Of course, I've done nothing. I'm a respected actor."

  "Where's Amanda?" Nicky asked, taking a step forward. "And if you say you don't know who she is, then I'm going to have to take you down to the station and we can sort this out there."

  John glared at her. "You're not taking me anywhere," he said. "Are you crazy?"

  "I'm not here to play around," Nicky snapped. "I know you have her. I know you took her from a festival, and I know you've got her here, somewhere. Now tell me where she is."

  "I don't know what you're talking about." John shook his head.

  Nicky took a deep breath. They'd just have to rough him up a little. Get him scared. Maybe he would confess something.

  "John, I'm not playing around," Nicky said. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where is Amanda Smith?"

  "I don't know!" John's eyes went wide. "I don't know who you're talking about!"

  "Fine," Nicky said, and she took a step forward.

  But as she moved towards him, John took a step back. He held up a hand and tried to take another step back.

  "We can make it easy or hard for you," Ken said. "If you don't comply, we can arrest you and make you stay in jail for weeks. We can get the public on our side, and you'll be the one who looks bad. We won't even have to try. All we have to do is say the word."

  John scowled. "Say what word?"

  "Assault," Nicky said, her voice hardening. "We can bring you in on suspicion. You already have an assault charge. It would be bad if the media remembered it."

  "What?!" John's eyes widened. "What are you people talking about?"

  "A witness saw you with this woman." Nicky held up her phone with a picture of Amanda Smith. "You were with her. She's been missing for six months. Where is she?"

  "I wasn't with her!" John yelled. "I've never seen that woman in my life!"

  Nicky paused. "We have an eyewitness who says she saw you together."

  "They're lying! I don't know that woman. Seriously."

  Nicky exchanged a look with Ken. Tactics aside, they couldn't deny that Rebecca wasn't the most reliable witness. Nicky needed to change strategy--she needed to find out if it was even possible that John Florence could have taken Amanda Smith six months ago.

  "Where were you on the night of January 12th, roughly six months ago?"

  "What? I was touring," John said. Frustrated, he took out his phone and typed something in. Nicky watched, her pulse thrumming. She had a feeling this suspect was about to fall over on their heads. It was looking more likely that John wasn't their guy.

  "Here." John flashed the screen. It was a poster for a tour of John's play group. In January, they were performing in Miami. They had a show on the 12th. Therefore, it was not possible for John to have been at the festival when Amanda went missing six months ago.

  "I have no idea who this girl is," John said. "I didn't do anything to her."

  Nicky shook her head. "I--"

  She didn't know what to say. It looked like John was innocent.

  Nicky's shoulders fell. She'd been so sure. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Florence. We'll leave you to your show."

  "Thank you," John said, and he scowled one last time before he strode away, making for the stage.

  Nicky and Ken made their way out of the backstage area. They didn't speak until they were outside, walking through the festival to get back to the parking lot. This was a bust.

  "You were right," Nicky said to Ken. "John isn't our guy."

  "I'm not sure that's a good thing," Ken said, his voice low. "It means we have no idea who is behind this."

  "We'll find them," Nicky said. "It's just going to be harder now that we've ruled out John."

  She let out a long sigh as they made their way back to the car, and Nicky couldn't help but feel like they really had come all this way for nothing.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  He whistled happily to himself as he drove down the road, feeling the warm summer sun seep in through the windshield of his car. Ah, what a marvelous turn of events this was! Really, Amanda had played her role well... but in the end, he was happy to have given her the finale she'd earned.

  Life, like a play, was always moving forward. It had many acts--many characters who came in and out. He had just picked up his latest prize, and he kept whistling to himself as he caught a glance of her in the backseat.

  A lovely woman with a gag in her mouth and her hands tied behind her back sat in his back seat, grunting and moaning. He couldn't make out whatever she was attempting to say, but it didn't matter--she'd have her lines soon enough.

  He'd be her director.

  It wouldn't be long before she found out just how true that was...

  She'd been a little difficult, but he'd expected that. They always struggled, at least a little, at first.

  He'd have to put her in her place--have to show her who was boss. He'd have to remind her who she belonged to...

  But that was all in the future. For now, he just enjoyed the drive. After a few moments of grunting and shifting around, the girl in the back seemed to resign herself to her new surroundings. She accepted her fate--and a beautiful fate it would be.

  "You're with me now, sweetheart," he told her soothingly as he drove. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

 

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