Lost in the Dark, page 16
part #1 of Camden Point Romantic Suspense Series
“Did she seem to know him?”
“I’m not sure. She was scared. I remember her trying to break free, but he had his hand over her mouth. Then he threw her against the car and knocked her out.” What else? What else? What else? There was something nagging at the edge of her memory. Something about Hoodie Guy.
Then she remembered. “Oh, wait. When I was waiting for you, he was on a call. Pacing back and forth in front of my car.” Ash closed her eyes and tuned out the hospital machines, the smell of antiseptic and illness. “He was young. Maybe early twenties. Just on the cusp of filling out and growing into his frame. His voice was deep with a touch of a Southern accent.”
“Did he mention any names? People? Places?”
“No, he was talking about a client. It sounded like he was picking up… doughnuts.” Which still made little sense. “But it was weird. He said the client wanted a half dozen, and he’d already picked up the vanilla frosted. He told the guy to get the chocolate ones, and he was about to grab the strawberry. I kept thinking, who picks up doughnuts two at a time?”
For a few minutes, both fell into silence as they got lost in their own thoughts. Ash kept trying to figure out how she’d let herself get distracted again. That was the second time in a year she’d lost her focus. Maybe it was time to rethink her career, because not only could she have died (again), but now two young women were missing. She might not be responsible for Hailey, but Rachel was on Ash.
“Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry,” Nate muttered. “If you’re only grabbing six, why not get a bigger assortment?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just that’s a very specific breakdown. Most people who get doughnuts for clients get a full assortment—chocolate, Boston cream, glazed, blueberry. What if he wasn’t talking about pastry?”
“What, cookies?” She was missing something, but damn if she could puzzle it out with her head threatening to split open.
“What if he’s talking hair color? Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry? Blonde, brunette, redhead?”
As Nate’s words worked their way past the pounding, an image of a scared clerk popped into Ashley’s head. “Rachel Calder had strawberry blonde hair.”
“And both Hailey Sweeney and Destiny Zagata were blondes.”
“The missing woman from Waterbury. The one the friend reported on social media. She was a brunette.” Ashley scooted to the edge of the bed, looking around for the call button. “Holy shit. That sounds like human trafficking to me.”
“Maybe. Or maybe we’re jumping to conclusions.”
Ash swung her legs off the bed only to be brought up short as the room spun around her like a merry-go-round. “It’s not a coincidence. Too many. Too close together.”
“People go missing all the time. You know that.” He scratched at the scruff along his jaw with his thumb, never taking his gaze off of her. “Where’s the connection? What do these women have in common?”
She stared out the glass doors through the open space Nate had created when he came into the room, willing the doctor to hurry. Time was wasting away. She had no right to sit on her ass while women were in jeopardy. One machine started beeping an incessant, loud, annoying noise, but she didn’t take her eyes off the hall. As if that ever worked to rush anyone. Her breathing grew heavier, louder, until Nate cleared his throat. His body sat tense as he leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he inspected every inch of her. He reminded Ash of a big cat ready to pounce on his prey or a worried friend ready to catch her when she fell.
That relentless, grating beeping finally made her look over at the machine. Her heart rate was up. She took in a deep breath. Held it and let it out to the count of ten. One of these days, her impatience was going to be the death of her. But not today. Satan was going to have to wait.
And she got it. Nate was asking the questions that she would ask in his shoes. Ones that she’d asked her old partner time and time before while on the force. Knowing she could have saved Rachel and didn’t, ate away at Ashley. Simply put, she fucked up.
She thought about Nate’s questions. What did they all have in common? What was the connection? “Age and location,” she said. At Nate’s questioning scowl, Ash continued. “They’re all between the ages of twenty and twenty-two. Also, all of them are from Connecticut. And no one saw a thing, which means they were grabbed when they were alone.”
“Until today,” Nate’s soft voice added.
Yeah, he doesn’t need to remind me.
“Which means our window of finding them before they end up like Destiny just narrowed.” She slid off the bed, intending to walk to the exam room door, stick her head out and grab the nearest medical personnel she could find to start her discharge. Her body had other ideas. It swayed back and forth as the room went a little fuzzy. Her last meal made rude, unwelcome threats.
In seconds, Nate was there, his arms wrapped around her and holding her close. Her world righted. The heat from his body chased away the chills. The scent of his cologne tickled her nose, causing her head to spin for an entirely different reason. A pleasant, tantalizing reason that she had no right to entertain, but wanted for reasons she couldn’t explain. He was all wrong for her.
They were colleagues. He lived in Connecticut. Her home was New York. He was a straight shooter, a by-the-books kind of guy. She didn’t have a problem bending the rules. If she gave in to what he asked for, what he offered… They wouldn’t last. They’d burn bright, hot, fast. There would be clashes and arguments. Followed by hot makeup sex.
Not that she had a problem with hot makeup sex or just sex in general. She was actually quite fond of it. Missed it tremendously during their brief break. But as she’d realized, sex with Nate wasn’t just sex. There were emotions and feelings involved, which meant one of them was going to get hurt. She knew Nate said he didn’t care, but she did because she liked Nate. A. Lot.
There was no way Nate Daines was the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. He’d already proved he didn’t know what friends with benefits meant. He practically screamed long-term and white picket fences with two point five rugrats and a dog named Fido.
Plus, there was the whole she might be crazy because she saw, heard, and talked to dead people thing.
Hey, maybe my new friend could tell me how to get rid of this annoying gift?
The thought brightened her day a smidge, as did being wrapped in Nate’s arms with the not-so-slow thud of his heart rate against her chest and something else pressed below. Seemed she wasn’t the only one whose thoughts had drifted in a different direction. If she turned her head, just an inch or so, her lips would meet up with his. Would that be so bad? I mean, sure, we’re in a hospital room, but we’re alone. It’s not like we’re going to get horizontal. Just one kiss. That’s it. Just one to remind me of what I almost lost today.
Nate’s arms tightened around her as his warm breath fanned across her neck. His hands slid to her waist. She gripped his forearms, not sure if she planned to push him away or pull him in closer.
“Ash.” Her name whispered over her skin, sending a shiver through her body.
She pressed closer, and his lips skimmed along her jaw to land on her mouth. He didn’t bother with a warmup, instead he went in deep and fast. Devoured her. Stole her breath and left her craving more.
“Is this okay?” His low, rough, deep voice made her laugh. Or maybe it was the fact that there was a tinge of worry since he’d acted first. It should have been clear it was okay because she’d kissed him back. Or how she had practically melted into him. If she’d gotten any closer, they would have been one.
“It’s more than okay, except for the part where you stopped.” So much for the just one kiss part.
Nate’s worried grimace vanished as a grin spread from ear to ear. He gave her one playful wink, then backed her up until her butt landed gently on the hard hospital bed. He tilted her head back. Cupped her face in his big, warm, strong hands and kissed her like she was about to break.
Ash wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and ride him until the sun rose. She tried to wiggle herself closer, but Nate kept her pinned in place.
Someone coughed a moment before a throat cleared. Nate opened his eyes to gaze into hers. He gave her one last quick kiss and then stepped back. Ash glanced over to the door to see the doctor standing in the doorway.
“I’m glad to see that head trauma didn’t keep you down for long, Ms. Medearis.”
Well, if he hadn’t interrupted when he did, she might have been down, but in a totally different way. Just her luck.
Nate handed the “Best Nana” mug filled with peppermint-smelling tea to Ash and dropped into the overstuffed chair. It was his first time in her place. He grinned as he looked around the small, cozy beach house with its handmade blanket over the back of the gently worn love seat, coasters made of yarn, and framed crayon artwork.
“I’m guessing the place came fully furnished.”
Ash, sitting on the love seat and holding the cup of tea under her nose, opened one eye before closing it again. “Nope. Brought it all up from the city with me.”
“So, you knit or whatever they make those coasters from?”
“Crochet. Would that surprise you if I did?”
“Honestly?”
“No, lie to me.” She smiled over the edge of her cup as she sipped the hot drink.
“Okay, no. I can see you here at night, knitting, crocheting, sewing—all that—as you wind down from a case. I’m betting in the fall, you can your own fruit and vegetables. Maybe you have one of those rooftop gardens at your place in the city. You probably cook everything from scratch, too.”
She snorted tea out of her nose, coughing as the liquid went down the wrong way.
“I’m just surprised you don’t have a cat or ten to keep you company.” He tried, but couldn’t keep his amused smile at bay.
“A: I’m allergic to cats. B: my mom tried to teach me to knit. It’s not as easy as you’d think, and those needles make my fingertips go numb. C: I can cook from scratch. I choose not to because it’s just me and they create most recipes for parties of two or more. I’m not fond of leftovers, and I leave the canning to my mom.”
“So, that’s a yes on the place being fully furnished?”
“Yes. It belongs to a delightful couple who inherited the place from her parents. She hasn’t had the heart to change the décor and, really, I don’t mind. It’s homey.”
“Not to mention it has a magnificent view.” He walked over to the giant picture window, then to the slider that overlooked the Long Island Sound and the beach between the water and the small grassy, unfenced—unsecured—backyard. Anyone could walk right up to her sliding glass doors—day or night—and slip into the place without any deterrents.
It was great for “curb appeal.” It was also a security nightmare.
He was surprised Ashley had rented the place. Then again, it wasn’t like Camden Point had a high crime rate. Satisfied that no one was loitering on the beach making plans to storm the cottage, Nate sat down on the chair farthest away from Ashley. After that little make-out session in the ER exam room, he figured it was better to keep his distance. If she didn’t have a concussion, he would have been game to continue what he’d started.
“How are you feeling?”
“The same. Pounding headache. Queasy when I move too fast. Pissed off that I let Hoodie Guy get away.”
“You didn’t let him get away, Ash. He got the upper hand and knocked you out.” She winced at his words, which made him feel bad. That hadn’t been his intent. He knew and she should too that no matter how badass you were, no matter how many self-defense classes you took, there was always someone out there bigger, stronger, tougher, or meaner.
“Should have seen it coming.”
“Should have, could have… can’t change the past. Stuff happens.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Yes.” She slumped deeper into the love seat, letting him know he was doing a shit job of cheering her up. “Besides, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. If I hadn’t been late, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“Ooh, is that because you’re a big, strong man?” she snarled.
He didn’t take the swipe personally. She was hurting and loading a ton of guilt onto her own shoulders. “No. Two against one would have had better odds, and I promised to have your back during this investigation. I let you down.”
Ash stared at him for a moment or two, then closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the cushions. “Sorry. I’m being bitchy. How about we both just accept that we blew it and now another woman has gone missing? We should be out looking for Rachel.”
“My team is looking for her, as are the state troopers. You need to rest and heal.”
“I don’t like sitting here, doing nothing.”
“Are you hungry?”
She opened her eyes as she sat up, grabbing the armrest as if the world moved too fast. She held up her hand as he jumped up to grab her. “Just give me a minute. The spinning isn’t as bad as before.” After a minute or two, or maybe it was only a few seconds, but felt longer, Ashley stood. “Are we calling out or are you offering to cook?”
“Depends on what you’ve got in the kitchen.”
“Not much. Maybe some pasta stuff.”
“That’ll work. You supervise and I’ll get it going.”
While Nate pulled out pasta, sausage and a can of tomato sauce, Ash sat at the kitchen counter pointing out where everything was stored. For a bit, they talked about non-case stuff like her family. When he mentioned her parents, she blanched and said she’d need to call her mother later to let her know what happened and that she was all right. He got it. His mom accepted his job, but she didn’t like the risks associated with the role. He switched the topic to movies, music, and favorite vacation destinations. By the time dinner was done and they’d consumed the penne with sausage, Ashley seemed more awake and alert. The cloudiness in her eyes had cleared. Her shoulders relaxed, and she didn’t wince every time she moved.
They took their drinks, more hot tea for her and coffee for him, back to the living room and sat on the love seat, knee-to-knee and hip-to-hip. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her in close. Sex was off the table at the moment, even if both of them might want it. He wasn’t about to take advantage of someone who might be mentally impaired from a concussion.
“Remember that favor you asked of me? To look up Vincent Mattetuci in the Camden Point PD system.”
“Yeah.” Her eyes lit up as she turned her body to him. “Did you find anything?”
Aw, man. I should have kept my mouth shut. He’d been hoping to distract her from their current case, but didn’t think how his news might upset her even more. “Not really. There was a strange note on a dispatch record during the time frame you gave me.”
“Strange how?”
“Someone called in hearing shots fired. No name given, and they weren’t exactly sure where they originated. The note says the caller was walking on the beach and heard the noise. They didn’t stick around to find out who was shooting. Instead, they hightailed it out of there and called it in from a payphone in town.”
“A payphone? I forgot we even had those then.” Ash chewed on her lip for a moment, clearly thinking. “Did it say anything else?”
“Nope, case closed. No report, nothing.”
“That is strange. Even if they found nothing, surely the responding officer would have filed a report stating that fact. Did it say who was the responding officer? Maybe I could go talk to him or her?”
And that’s the part he hated telling her.
Seeing his hesitation, Ashley sat back, frowning. “Don’t tell me. Either there wasn’t a responding officer’s name noted or the person is dead?”
Nate took a sip of his coffee, stalling. “There’s a name, and yeah, he’s gone.”
“Oh.” That two-letter word held the weight of the world as Ash’s mood deflated. “I can see your wheels spinning, Nate. Just forget I asked. I don’t want you doing anything else that might get you in trouble. If I’m meant to find my biological father, I’ll find him, but thanks.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, besides. I’ve gone without knowing the truth for thirty years and it’s not like I don’t have a wonderful stepdad. At least now I can put all my focus and effort into finding Hailey and Rachel and not be distracted. Speaking of which, are you planning on going back to the station?”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” He smiled, trying to lighten the mood and let her know he was teasing.
“It’s ten o’clock at night and you’re drinking coffee. You keep looking at your phone. Your leg is bouncing. You’re as tense as a virgin on prom night.”
“That bad, huh?” He had to laugh at her reference.
“You can leave if you want. I’ll be all right.”
But that was the thing. As much as he wanted to be out doing his job, he wanted to be there with Ashley. It wasn’t solely to monitor her head trauma, either. He wasn’t a saint.
His phone rang, and he excused himself to take the call. He’d hoped it was Wyman or the Chief with good news, but it was Rafe. Nate stepped onto the back patio as he studied the surrounding landscape and brought the other detective up to speed on current affairs. He assured Rafe that Ashley was okay and that the man didn’t need to cut his vacation short.
When he stepped back into the house, Nate locked the back door and dropped the security bar into place. Ashley looked at him with hope in her eyes. He shook his head. They talked for a few minutes about his conversation with Rafe. She took the lack of news on the case in stride. Both knew the chances of finding Rachel that night were slim to none.
“So, did you decide if you’re going back to the station or not?” she asked.
He knew what he wanted, but what mattered to him was what Ashley wanted. “Do you want me to go?”
She walked over to him, slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
