Midnight Butterflies

Chapter 22

TWENTY-TWO

Reid

My cell phone buzzes on the table. It flashes with Dove’s name. It only rings once.

“I’ve got to try Dove. Service must be bad out there.”

“She tried calling?”

“Yeah, I think so. Better check in.”

“I thought she doesn’t normally call?”

My heart quickens because he’s right.

“She doesn’t.”

I get up from my barstool and call Dove. It goes straight to voicemail. I try again, and I’m sent right to voicemail again.

As beautiful as that mountain cabin is, the service can be spotty on a good day. With a snowstorm rolling through, I can only imagine what it’ll be like. Maybe I need to head out there and ensure I can actually access her roads.

I settle back and look over the details. I know Jonas has already sent them through, but we always do a debrief any time we’ve worked together. Usually, it’s under different circumstances, but the routine is already in place.

“Bad service,” I confirm.

Something just isn’t sitting right with me.

“I’m going to send her a text.”

Reid:

Baby, call me back. I can’t get through.

“Get it out?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Jonas goes back to looking at his laptop.

“Tom,” I mutter.

“What’s that?” Jonas asks, looking up.

“Tom Warner. I just don’t trust that guy.”

“You got to let it go.”

“Maybe.”

I try to get back to what I was reading, but the uneasy feeling just won’t go away.

“Why don’t you get out of here? I’ll finish up here. You can trust me,” he says.

“I know I can. Thanks. I think I will.”

Jonas just shakes his head and starts to tear down his action board.

“Let me know everything’s good after you see her.”

As I pull up to Dove’s house, I feel relieved to see that everything looks as it should. The usual lights are on, and I see her car still parked nearby.

I head up to the back door and see that it’s locked.

Interesting.

There’s still no reason to be concerned. She used to lock it all the time before I entered the picture.

My heartbeat starts to quicken, and I have to remind myself to remain calm. Even though it’s late, she has been known to go out to take photos at this time of night. Maybe she did that as a way to pass the time or calm any apprehension she has been feeling. I know my girl loves to be outside.

Thankfully, I pull out a key I had taken weeks ago and unlock the door. I slip in, and that’s when my heart sinks.

Destruction is everywhere. A broken lamp, strewn about pillows, it’s a mess. My eyes dart across the room as I try and remain calm.

“Little bird?” I call out as I start dashing in and out of each room.

“Dove?” I shout.

In her living room again, I see her cell phone on the ground. I pick it up and unlock it. Pulling up her call log, I scroll and see that she did try to call me. I’m the last call that she attempted.

I was right.

My gut feeling knew that something was wrong.

Who would be the intruder? I’m the boogie man on the mountain, so I know that no one is really out there.

I pace around the living room as I debate where to look next.

“Fuck,” I mutter.

Pulling out my phone, I shoot Jonas a quick text to let him know. Maybe there’s something he can do.

Realization dawns on me.

Tom.

I have to go to Abigail and Tom’s and just lay my own two eyes on him to know he didn’t do anything to hurt Dove.

I race out of her house and start running to Tom’s place to see if he knows where she is or what’s happened. That fucking weasel has to be part of this. If he’s not, then I have limited time to try and solve this.

I can’t let anything happen to my sweet girl.

I see the porch lights on at his house and use every bit of energy that I have to sprint over to it. Taking the steps up quickly, I reach the door, slightly out of breath.

“Tom, opening the fucking door,” I shout as I bang on the front door.

I hear someone scurrying about inside as I continue to bang on it.

“Open the door,” I scream.

“It’s me, it’s me,” Abigail’s voice shouts back as she opens the door.

I push it open and storm in right past her.

“Where is he?”

“Tom?” she asks weakly.

“Yes, Tom.”

“Why? What did he do?”

“Step aside, Abigail.”

She does automatically, and I begin looking everywhere in their home that I can see.

“He’s not here,” she says.

I stop my search and turn back to where she stands by the front door.

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.” She sighs.

I throw my hands up in the air.

“That’s not good enough.”

Abigail starts to cry and buries her face in her hands.

“Do you know where he is?”

“No, I don’t,” she croaks.

“Why are you crying? Did something happen to Tom?”

She brushes away the tears and faces me with red-splotched cheeks.

“He’s been manic for days on end. I’ve tried to get him out of this spiral. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

“What kind of a spiral?”

“He wasn’t making any sense and left a few hours ago. I’ve been worried sick. Something about the case on the mountain and the intruder.”

She looks up at me with tears still falling down her cheeks.

“Why are you searching for him like this? What has he done?”

I try and remain calm; I really don’t think Abigail had anything to do with Dove’s disappearance.

“I think he has Dove.”

She gasps and covers her mouth.

“Someone broke into Dove’s home, and Tom has been treating Dove oddly lately. I know he has something to do with this.”

Abigail puts both of her hands on top of her head and starts to turn in slow circles as tears drip down her face.

“Abigail. You’re her friend. Please. Is there anything you can think of that would help me? Tom may not be involved, but I need to go off my gut.”

I walk over to where she is as she stops spinning.

“I’m not allowed in his office,” she says slowly.

“Where is it?”

She gulps and looks down as she points.

“There. In the corner of the basement.”

“Show it to me.”

She leads the way downstairs to a finished basement. In the far right corner, there’s a separated space with a door closed.

I walk up to it and try the handle.

It’s locked.

Looking around, I see a towel on a workout bike and wrap it around my hand. Heading back to the office, I pull my hand back and punch out the window.

Glass shatters everywhere, and I hear Abigail yelp.

Carefully, I push through and reach around to unlock the door from behind. I hear the click and know it works.

I open the door and am stunned by what I see. Flipping on the light makes it even harder to grasp.

I swallow thickly as I take in images of Dove everywhere. Pictures where she clearly doesn’t know she’s the subject.

Pacing around, it’s not just photos. It’s her belongings, things that I know have to be hers. Papers are everywhere, and theories about the police case are mapped out.

That’s when I pause.

Photos of me are out across the desk. Blurry ones where he’s assuming I’m the murderer, and others of me coming and going from Dove’s place and us together.

Tom knows it’s me and that I’m with Dove.

“I think I know where they could be,” Abigail whispers.

“Where?” I don’t turn around to face her in the doorway.

“There’s an old barn on the west side of the mountain. It’s falling apart, and no one should be in it.”

I peer up. I know that place far too well. The only problem is, I wouldn’t know how to get there anymore.

“Take me there.”

Abigail nods, and we both silently head out of the basement and up to the main floor.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Tom has made comments to me lately about it. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but it’s your best chance.”

We head out the door, and I know this is going to be a long night.