"Gotcha. Anything else I can do?"

  "Nothing. Thanks."

  Nicky hung up.

  In the darkness of the night, she slouched against the seat of the car.

  There was a kidnapper out there. But it wasn't Pedro Lopez.

  Then who? Nicky asked, staring up at the moon as it appeared through the clouds.

  Who was taking the girls?

  CHAPTER TEN

  Back at the hotel room, Nicky tossed her keys on the table and flicked on the lights. Ken came in behind her. They'd been quiet the whole drive here. Nicky had been too frustrated to even talk about the fact that Pedro wasn't their guy, and clearly, Ken had felt the same way.

  They were at their first real dead-end.

  The hotel room had floral comforters on the two beds and a beachy decal that matched the wallpaper around it, plus a table with two chairs, where Nicky intended to keep working--even if she did have no leads. Through the windows, it was dark and quiet outside.

  They'd talked to the witness. One dud of a suspect. But on the drive, Nicky had realized that they hadn't yet talked to the family. She sat down at the table and pulled out Mira's file, glancing it over.

  Name: Mira Phillips.

  Age: Twenty-one.

  Parents: Linda Phillips (nee Jones) and Mark Phillips. Note: Parents live in New York. Mira moved to Florida with her younger sister, June, two years ago for school. Estranged from parents.

  "You saw that she's estranged from her parents but close with her sister, yeah?" Nicky asked Ken.

  He yawned, stretched, and sat across from her at the table. "I did. Wasn't sure if it would end up being relevant."

  "We should talk to her sister," Nicky noted. "If the parents are in New York, I doubt they know anything, but we could check with them too. The sister seems relevant, though."

  "Agreed," Ken said.

  Nicky stood up and picked up her phone again. She dialed the number and put her phone on speaker.

  It rang only twice before it was picked up. A young woman's voice, full of annoyance: "Hello?"

  "Hi, this is Agent Nicky Lyons with the FBI," Nicky said. "We're investigating a kidnapping case that took place on August 18th and we were hoping to ask you a few questions about it."

  "Oh, and what about it?"

  "Well, your sister was kidnapped that day, was she not?"

  A pause. "Oh. Uh, yeah, she was."

  "You're Mira's sister?"

  "Uh... Yeah. I am. June."

  Nicky hesitated. June's reaction was a bit... odd. "I know it's late, but could we come over? We'd like to ask you a few questions about the day your sister disappeared."

  "Oh, wow," said the girl. "Well, of course, but I am going to bed a bit soon... you could just ask me here."

  Nicky looked at Ken, who just shrugged. They supposed it made no difference.

  "All right," Nicky said. "I saw that you and Mira moved here together. Do you not live together anymore?"

  "Oh, no, Mira much preferred the company of her roommates," June said. "I like living alone anyway."

  "Right..." Nicky trailed off. "Well--"

  "You know," June cut in, "I don't think we need to worry too much about Mira. Everything that happens is part of Richter’s plan, and I have to believe that Richter has something wonderful in store for her."

  Nicky and Ken both frowned. Ken raised his eyebrows at Nicky.

  “Richter?” Nicky asked.

  “Oh, yes, you might not know of Him. Richter is our deity at the church. He is all-knowing, you see.”

  Nicky blinked. This girl was very strange, that much was clear. “You don’t worship… God?”

  “It’s not a typical religion we follow,” June said. “You might find it odd. But Richter is growing in popularity. I promise you that. Everyone will know Him soon!”

  Right… Nicky was getting the sense this was some sort of strange cult, not a church. "Be that as it may, Ms. Phillips, we have to do our jobs and find out what happened to Mira."

  "Oh, don't worry about it," June said. "I mean, it's hard to accept, but it's true. I believe in Him.”

  "I see..." Nicky said, pressing her lips together. She wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. "Well, with that in mind, we'd like to ask you a few questions about Mira. Would that be all right, Ms. Phillips?"

  There was a moment of silence. "I guess that would be okay."

  "How would you describe your relationship with her?"

  "Oh, we were very close," June said. "We're very, very different: she was a social butterfly, I'm a homebody. She was really outgoing, and I tend to keep to myself. She was also very, very beautiful, and I'm... well, I'm not. We really just had different personalities. But I loved her. I still love her."

  "I'm sorry to ask this," Nicky said, "but I have to know--did she ever go on dates? With guys, I mean."

  "Oh, sure," June said. "She dated all the time. She was pretty, you know. She was very popular."

  "Why was she popular?" Nicky asked, trying to lead June along. "What kind of guys would date her?"

  "Oh, anybody," June said. "She was beautiful, and people loved her. She was really good at making friends."

  "So, she was popular with everybody?"

  "Wait," June said, "would you like me to go down the list of boys she dated?"

  "Sure," Nicky said.

  "Well, there was her first boyfriend, Danny. He was a jock. He was a lot like her, popular with all the girls and that kind of stuff. But he broke up with her and that hurt her, so she was a little bit mean to him the next time we saw him. He was pretty hurt by that. Then there was Trevor; he was the musician. Very cool guy. They dated for a few days and then he broke up with her because he thought she wasn't serious about the relationship. There was also Alvaro, the nerd. He was a real sweetheart. Bit of a pushover, but he--"

  Overwhelmed by June's rambling, Nicky cut in: "Oh, no, June, that's okay. I don't need to know about every boy. Just any who she might have dated here in Vale."

  "Oh!" June said. "Nobody here in Vale. All of those guys were back in New York."

  So, it was irrelevant. Nicky sighed, trying to keep her temper in check, but this was leading nowhere. She expected Mira's sister to be more concerned about her whereabouts and willing to help, but this felt bizarre.

  "Okay, thank you," Nicky said. "So, you can't think of anyone who might want to hurt Mira?"

  "Not off the top of my head, no," June said.

  "Good. And I'm sure you heard about Mira's neighbor, the one who said she heard a scream at about five in the morning. Was it typical for Mira to be up at five a.m. on a Sunday?"

  June let out a laugh. "Oh, goodness me, yes--but Mira wouldn't have been at her house at that time. Oh, no, she would be at church."

  Nicky paused, sharing a confused look with Ken. "Church?"

  "Of course!" June exclaimed. "Mira was a saint. She would go early every Sunday to help prepare for worship. She never missed it. In fact, she wouldn't have missed it for the world."

  Nicky took this in. The timeline still matched up--Mira was last seen on the night of the 17th, by her boss at a clothing store downtown, who claimed Mira went home that night as she always did. As far as the police were aware, no one else had seen Mira. It was reasonable to say she went missing on the 18th. But maybe what the neighbor had heard really was nothing.

  Maybe Mira went missing from an entirely different location.

  "What was the name of the church?" Nicky asked.

  "The Good Shepherd," June said. "Do you want the address?"

  "Please," Nicky said, grabbing a pen and paper from her bag.

  June recited her the address, and Nicky wrote it down. "Thank you."

  "Well, if that's all, I'd like to go back to bed," June said.

  "Sure," Nicky said, relieved. "I appreciate your time."

  "Mmhmm," said June. She hung up.

  Nicky stared at the phone for a moment and then set it down on the table. The sister's reaction was odd, but if she really was evangelical, then maybe she truly did believe that Mira was okay out there. Nicky admired the optimism, but she also knew there was evil in this world--and it was her job to snuff it out.

  "Well, what do you think?" Nicky asked Ken.

  "I think she has had too much sugar," Ken said.

  "Yeah. That was strange."

  "More than a bit," Ken agreed.

  Nicky looked down at the paper with the address on it. It was after dark now, and the church was probably closed--but it was too early to call it quits, and this was a promising lead.

  Nicky stood up. "I guess we should pay this church a visit."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The headlights of the rental car cut through the night, and Nicky slowly navigated her way toward the beach, where the smell of salt and brine leaked into the vehicle. The moon rippled off the ocean as they drew closer, finding themselves in a parking lot that led toward a set of docks covered in houseboats.

  "Where the hell is this place?" Ken asked from the passenger seat.

  "June didn't mention it was on a boat," Nicky mumbled. What kind of church took place on the water? As she parked the car, she couldn't help but feel like this whole thing gave off a strange aura. There were a surprising number of cars in the parking lot.

  Nicky and Ken stepped out of the car, into the warm night, where the sound of waves lapped against the shore. Nicky checked the GPS on her phone again--this was definitely the right place. According to the map, they just needed to walk up the dock, and there it would be.

  Nicky and Ken moved up the rickety wooden planks, looking out at the water. In the distance, Nicky could see lights twinkling from houses on nearby islands, but here there was nothing but the dark water of the ocean. The clouds reflected off the water, producing a pale reflection of the sky.

  Their feet pounded against the dock, creating a woody sound. Up ahead, Nicky noticed a tall structure floating, moored to the ocean with a dock leading up to it. It was strange--definitely not a typical boat, and as they got closer, they could see there were lights on inside what looked to be a literal church floating on top of a boat.

  "Odd," Nicky muttered. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

  "Looks like they're home," Ken said.

  They were now close enough that the white-painted walls were clear. Nicky's eyes weren't playing tricks on her--this was a literal church on a boat. Inside, the faint sound of organs playing emitted through the night.

  "Think they're having an evening worship?" Nicky asked.

  Ken shrugged. "Guess we should find out."

  Nicky and Ken stepped onto the wooden dock and walked up the stairs toward the church. Nicky reached out and knocked on the door. Inside, the music continued to play.

  "That's odd," Ken said.

  "What?" Nicky asked, surprised.

  "I don't know," Ken said. "It just feels a little weird here."

  Nicky frowned, but she knew that Ken was right. There was something about this place that was just… off. The music was playing, and they could see lights on inside the building, but nobody came to answer the door. Nicky knocked again, and that was when the door flew open, revealing a curly-haired woman in her mid-thirties. She looked at them with confused, wide eyes. Warmth spilled from inside the boat/church, and the organ music was louder here. Behind the woman, there were various people milling about, all dressed in plain white clothes. The boat resembled a typical Christian church, and Nicky suspected it was at one time—before “Richter” took over and they remodeled. On the wall, there was a picture of a man--a man in an old war uniform, probably from the Second World War. The whole thing creeped Nicky out, but right now, she had no reason to suspect it was them who had anything to do with Mira’s disappearance.

  Unless they… sacrificed her or something insane like that.

  But the people, they seemed normal and nice enough. For now, Nicky had to stay on track. She couldn’t make assumptions just because they followed a religion she didn’t understand. It didn’t automatically make them deranged killers.

  "Oh, are you here for worship?" said the woman. "We're just about to start--"

  Nicky cut her off by holding up her badge, and Ken did the same. "Ma'am, we're with the FBI," Nicky said. "I'm Agent Lyons and this is Agent Walker."

  "Oh, my! What's happened?"

  "We're looking into the disappearance of Mira Phillips," said Nicky. "Could we speak to who's in charge around here?" Nicky asked, peering over the woman's shoulder.

  "Well, um..." She glanced into the church. "Oh, dears. Worship is just starting. I can't pull Father Michaels off stage. Can't you stay for just a bit?"

  Nicky looked at Ken. She wasn't keen on wasting time at a worship when she had a crime to solve, but she wanted to talk to the person in charge--a person who might know Mira.

  But if she had to sit through it, then so be it.

  Nicky nodded at Ken, beckoning him to follow, and they stepped into the warm, dimly lit church. The floor slowly rocked beneath them.

  "You must be here for the evening service!" a young man with shaggy brown hair and a solemn expression said as he passed by. "If you would like to take a seat, we'll get started."

  The congregation moved to an area in front of the stage as Nicky and Ken took a seat in the pews. A young woman who looked to be in her early twenties walked up onto the stage, wearing a long white skirt, white headdress, and a simple white blouse. She looked like she was ready to sing. A man in the same white garb walked up the stage behind her, carrying an ornate book. This must have been Father Michaels. The organist played a few more bars, and then everything went quiet.

  "If there is anyone here who has not yet made Richter their Lord and Savior, would they please do so now," Father Michaels said. "You do not need to be afraid. Richter loves you. All you have to do is open your hearts."

  Nicky and Ken shared a look, awkwardly shifting. Nicky had respect for all forms of religion, and people's right to practice it--but being an FBI agent sometimes made it a bit hard to see on the brighter side. Still, it didn't hurt to sit back and listen until the Father was done. Then, they would get answers on Mira.

  If she really was a member of this church, then maybe she went missing near here, not her home.

  The music swelled, and the congregation sang. Nicky wasn't sure what she expected, but this wasn't it. The song was upbeat, the congregation was lively, and the woman on stage was beautiful. She had a voice like an angel, and Nicky found herself mesmerized. Nicky and Ken remained quiet as the service continued, and Nicky found her mind wandering as she listened to Father Michaels's words, and to the music.

  She thought of Felix Anderson, rotting in his cell. He would probably toy with her forever, never giving a single concrete clue as to what had happened to Rosie--or whether he actually knew something.

  Nicky couldn't shake the feeling. In her heart, she felt like Felix was the key.

  But he had said it all led back to her father...

  For the first time in a long time, Nicky pictured her father's face. The last time she saw him, drunk, as always, he looked like he'd been through hell and back. Sagging skin, a grizzled beard, brown eyes that had long lost their light. He was overweight and red-faced in his old age. When he was younger, when Rosie was around, Nicky remembered he'd go hunting and chop trees sometimes. He'd been strong in some ways, at least physically, but when Nicky saw him last, he was a deteriorating shell of the man he was once.

  The thought of ever talking to him again sounded far from appealing. In fact, Nicky dreaded it. Maybe that was why she was so quick to dismiss Felix's words.

  But right there, in that church, she considered that for a moment--Felix had already given her the clue she needed.

  Maybe... maybe she really did need to talk to her father.

  Nicky's stomach rolled at the thought. No. She could never do that. Felix was just lying, toying with her to get in her head.

  That had to be it.

  Nicky refocused on the scene in front of her, and before she knew it, it seemed the service was coming to an end.

  Father Michaels was closing in on the end of his sermon, and the organist was playing softly. The man on stage was speaking softly, too.

  "And that is why, dear friends, I urge you to open your hearts and your homes to the Lord. He will bring you great joy and comfort if you will only give him a chance. Richter can heal you of your sins, even the ones you haven't committed yet. Richter will take away your pain. And Richter will give you a whole new life--a life of purpose. A life of joy.”

  "There is no better time than tonight to accept Richter as your Lord and Savior! If you would like to accept Him, please come up."

  Nicky and Ken watched as the congregation rose, and dozens of people walked up from the pews to the stage. They all bowed their heads, and Father Michaels placed a hand on each of their heads. Nicky and Ken remained in their seats, which the man seemed to notice. Once everyone was done, he glanced back at Nicky and Ken, frowning.

  Nicky held up her badge. And that seemed to get his attention, because he shot them a frown, then beckoned for them with his hand to follow.

  ***

  Moments later, Nicky and Ken were in Father Michaels's office, facing him as he sat on the opposite side of his desk. Nicky adjusted her legs in the seat in front, feeling strange being here. The boat rocked and lulled with the sea, and there were crosses all over the walls in the small, cramped room.

  "You might have more room if you were on land, Father," Nicky said.

  Father Michaels let out a wheezy laugh, running his hand over the gray stubble of his chin. "We like the boat life, my child."

  "Mind if I ask why?" Nicky asked.

  "It's a reminder that we're not here for this life," he said. "We're just passing through. Waiting for the next life." This time, his laugh was much softer, and this time, he had to cough. There were two bottles of cough syrup on his desk, and Nicky thought of Mira. Maybe she had been caught in this strange cult. Maybe she had gotten sick. Maybe she was dead...

 

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