Stop being a scaredy cat.
Oh, thats mature. The fax machine tray was empty, so she edged around Foley and returned to her desk.
Its not like you to turn your back on a case thats still active. Foley settled on the edge of her desk, in her way.
She shooed him off. Park your backside on your own desk. And how would you know whether or not its like me to turn my back on an open case? This was my first case as a detective.
Foley made a face. You know what I mean. I saw how you tackled this case. You must want to see it through to the end. So why ask for reassignment? Unless you and Cooper-
She glared at him. Mind your own business, Foley.
He opened his mouth to respond, but the trill of his desk phone stopped him midsound. He slid off Kristens desk and crossed to answer. Foley.
Kristen straightened her desk blotter where Foleys hip had knocked it askew, wishing her fellow investigator wasnt quite so good a detective. He probably knew exactly why shed asked Carl to assign her to a different case. And unlike Carl, whod at least had the kindness to keep his comments to himself, Foley was likely to make her next few weeks miserable with his endless attempts at armchair psychoanalysis.
Well be there. Foley hung up the phone and picked up the folder in front of him. Grab your jacket, Tandy. Youre going to get to be in on the end of this case after all.
Whats going on?
Foley stopped in the doorway, flashing a smile. Cissy Coopers awake. And shes talking.
EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE in proper working order, J.D. told Sam as they waited outside Cissys hospital room for the nurse to finish taking her vital signs. No neurological deficits or anything like that. She even remembers the night of the attack. When I told her the police had a suspect in custody, she said she thinks she can identify him if the police show her a photo.
Sam clapped his hand on his brothers arm, happy to see J.D. looking so relieved and excited. This is the best news, huh? Did you call the police?
He did. Jason Foley walked up, followed closely by Kristen. Sam tried to make eye contact with her, but she kept her gaze on J.D.s face, her expression impossible to read.
So that was how she thought she was going to play it, huh?
Like hell.
The nurse emerged, smiling at J.D. Youd never know she was out for four days. Shes doing really great, Mr. Cooper.
J.D. beamed at the nurse and headed back into Cissys room. Foley and Kristen followed, and Sam brought up the rear, trying not to stare too obviously at Kristens slim, curvy backside. Just two days away from her, and he felt like an addict twitching for the next hit.
Cissy looked good, Sam was relieved to see. She grinned weakly at him. Hows Maddy? Daddy said she didnt get hurt, but is she really okay?
Shes fine, Sam assured his niece, squeezing her hand.
Your father told us you remember the attack. Kristen moved closer to the hospital bed.
Cissy looked up at her. I do.
Sam let go of Cissys hand. Cissy, this is Detective Kristen Tandy of the Gossamer Ridge Police Department.
He could see from the shift in his nieces expression that she recognized the name. But she didnt say anything, just held out her hand to Kristen. Nice to meet you.
Im very happy to finally meet you, too, Kristen said with a smile. This is Detective Foley. Weve been investigating what happened to you. We picked up a suspect a couple of days ago-can you take a look at this picture?
Kristen pulled a photograph from her notebook and handed it to Cissy, who brought the photo closer to her face.
Sam realized he was holding his breath. He let it go slowly, glancing from his niece to Kristen, whose expression was as tense as he felt.
Sam realized he was holding his breath. He let it go slowly, glancing from his niece to Kristen, whose expression was as tense as he felt.
Cissy handed the photo back to Kristen, her expression apologetic. Im sorry, no. Thats not the guy.
Sam felt his chest contract into a painful knot. Kristen turned to look at him, her eyes bright with alarm.
Wheres Maddy? she asked urgently.
At school, Sam answered, his heart pounding.
Ill drive, she said, and hit the door at a jog.
OUTSIDE TIME WAS MADDYS favorite time of all. She liked coloring and singing and all the things she did with the teacher inside the school, but outside time was perfect. Just perfect.
Sometimes the teachers played games with them. Miss Kathy was the best at kick ball, and she laughed a lot. Maddy liked to hear Miss Kathys laugh. It was a big, booming laugh, straight from her belly. Maddy sometimes tried to laugh just like that, although it came out kind of silly sounding. But that was okay. Daddy said it was okay to be silly sometimes.
Thinking about Daddy made her think about this morning, when hed told her that Miss Kristen was at work. Miss Kristen was a detective, Daddy said, and her work was Very Very Important. Maddy wondered what was important about being a detective. In fact, she wondered what a detective was, anyway.
She only knew that she liked Miss Kristen. She liked how Miss Kristen didnt try to treat her like a baby since she was a big girl now. She liked the sound of Miss Kristens voice. And she liked Miss Kristens smile, even though Miss Kristen didnt smile nearly as much as Aunt Hannah or Grandmama. Maddy wondered why she didnt smile as much. Maybe she needs a little girl to love, Maddy thought. Like me.
Across the playground, a little girl screamed, and Maddy looked up with surprise. She saw Cassie Price jumping up and down shrieking, and a couple of the boys in her class had bent over to look at something in the grass.
Maddy saw Miss Kathy and Miss Debbie hurry over to see what was going on. She started across the playground, too, but a big hand reached out and stopped her.
She looked up and saw a tall man in a blue uniform standing just behind her. Her heart gave a little lurch of surprise.
Theres a snake over there, he said. Maddy thought his voice sounded familiar. He looked familiar, too, but she didnt know why. He had a big, bushy mustache and wore a pair of silvery sunglasses. She could see herself in the glasses, she realized with a little smile.
Come with me, Maddy. Im taking you to your daddy.
Was he Daddys friend? He had a uniform sort of like her Uncle Aarons. Was he a policeman? Im not afraid of snakes, she said. Aunt Hannah had taught her how to handle the little green snakes that played around Grandmamas garden. She liked to feel their dry, scaly bodies wriggle through her fingers.
But thats a poisonous snake, the man said firmly, taking her hand. She saw he had her backpack in his other hand. She could see the ringed tail of Bandit, her stuffed raccoon, hanging out of the zippered pocket.
The man saw her looking at the tail. He reached into the pocket and gave Bandit to her. She said thank you-Daddy said always say please and thank you-and hugged Bandit close, not liking the feel of the mans big hand around hers.
Wheres my daddy? she asked aloud.
Hes waiting for you inside my van. The man pulled her toward the side gate of the playground fence. They had gone around the side of the school building, and Maddy couldnt see the other kids on the playground anymore.
The man opened the gate and gave her a little nudge to go through. He closed the gate behind them and pulled her hand.
Maddy looked at the van parked at the end of the small parking lot. It was green and looked old. There were two windows up at the front but no windows in the side. She didnt see Daddy inside.
Wheres my daddy? she repeated, starting to feel scared.
The man opened the door of the van, picked her up and put her inside. He didnt even have a special seat for her, like Daddy did. Her legs dangled over the seat, and she felt hot tears on her cheeks.
Wheres my daddy? she screamed, but the man had already closed the door. She saw him put something in her backpack and toss it into the bushes at the side of the building.
Maddy tried to open the door of the van to run away-Daddy said when you got scared, it was okay to run and find a grown-up you trusted-but she couldnt get it to open.
The man in the uniform opened the front door and pulled himself into the seat behind the steering wheel. He spoke to her, his voice firm. No crying, Maddy. You have to be a big girl now, okay? He pulled a cap from the dashboard and put it on. Maddys eyes widened.
Now she knew why the man in the uniform looked and sounded familiar. He was the bad man.
The bad man who hurt Cissy.
Chapter Fifteen
Sam clutched the cell phone more tightly as Kristen swerved around slow-moving traffic on I-59. He was on interminable hold, waiting for the preschools principal to come on the line. Hed made a call as soon as they got outside the hospital, but the principal had been out of the office and hed had to leave a message. Hed spent the next twenty minutes certain that Jennifer Franks would return his call at any moment.
When she didnt, he called again. The principal still wasnt in her office, but this time, he told the secretary that he wasnt hanging up until he talked to her boss.
Still nothing? Kristen asked, sounding as annoyed as he felt. Youve been on hold forever.
Just then, there was a click on the other end of the line and Jennifer Frankss breathless voice greeted him. So sorry, Mr. Cooper. Weve had a bit of an uproar Ive been trying to get under control.
Sams stomach twisted. What kind of an uproar?
One of the children found a rather large snake on the playground a little while ago. Were still trying to find out whether or not its harmless, and several of the children are very upset. Weve had to call some parents.
Sam tamped down his impatience. I left a message with your secretary twenty minutes ago-Im trying to locate Maddy. Did you get that message?
No, Im sorry-my secretary just told me. Maddys class was outside for recess when the snake incident happened, but Maddy wasnt one of the children involved.
Where is she now?
I assume shes back in her classroom with her teacher.
You assume?
Across the seat, Kristen muttered a profanity under her breath.
Ill check right now. Hold on a moment.
Im on hold again, Sam muttered.
For Gods sake! Kristen jerked the wheel, taking the Impala around a slow-moving coal truck at breakneck speed. How hard is it to find one four-year-old?
Mr. Cooper?
The fear he heard in Jennifer Frankss voice made Sams blood freeze. Tell me you found her safe and sound, he said.