Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
E sther’s heart lurched into her throat as Detective Stroud turned the corner near Little Nicky’s. An ambulance turned out of the lot, the siren coming on as it hit the road. Stroud pulled to the side to let it pass. Esther’s gaze followed it, wondering who was inside. Whoever it was must be truly critical. The paramedics hadn’t been on scene long.
The car bumped over potholes as Stroud took his foot off the brake and rolled forward again. Red and blue strobe lights pulsed through the night, giving the scene an eerie vibe that did nothing to settle her heart back where it belonged.
Stroud pulled up behind a county cruiser and cut the engine. “You stay with me. Hopefully, you’re wrong, and I can have a uniform take you back to the station to get your car.”
“I’m not wrong.” Though she prayed she was. Unbuckling, she followed him out of the vehicle.
They ducked under the crime scene tape. Esther stayed glued to Stroud’s side, not wanting to get in anyone’s way or contaminate the scene. He led her to a uniformed officer near the front of the building. The man was hunched over, speaking to someone she couldn’t see.
“Meigs.”
The man glanced over his shoulder, then straightened. Esther let out a gasp as she caught sight of the person hidden behind him. While she’d never seen the woman in person, she’d seen pictures. Connie Tyler, with her white-blonde hair and high cheekbones, was striking, and recognizable even with her tear-stained, puffy face.
Stroud glanced at Esther. “What?”
“I told you I wasn’t wrong. That’s Connie Tyler. My student’s mother.”
He let out a soft curse. With a quick tip of his head, he motioned the officer to the side.
Meigs stepped away.
“Mrs. Tyler?” Stroud’s voice, though firm, held a note of compassion.
Connie looked up from her seat on the bench in front of the restaurant.
“I’m Detective Stroud. Do you know this woman?” He pointed at Esther.
A slight frown marred Connie’s face. “Should I?”
“She says she knows you.”
“I’m Esther Campbell.” She hadn’t mentioned to Detective Stroud that she’d never met Leah’s mother.
Connie’s frown turned curious. “Leah’s teacher?”
It was Stroud’s turn to frown. “Wait. You know the name but not the face?”
“We’ve never met. I’m always at work when she’s there. Rob—” Her voice caught, and she paused to swallow before continuing. “Rob is the one who deals with Leah’s schoolwork.”
Esther glanced around, suddenly realizing Rob was nowhere in sight. A pit formed in her belly. The call had been for an abduction and a shooting.
Connie stood up and folded her arms, hugging herself. “I don’t understand. Why are you here?”
Stroud spoke before Esther could. “Mrs. Tyler, can you tell me what happened?” He took a small notebook and a pen from his pocket, flipping to a blank page.
Sniffing, Connie swiped at her face. “Um, we—we were leaving. Walking to the car. Right over there.” She extended an arm, pointing past them to her right. “Leah was so happy. She’d had a great day.” A soft smile lit her face, and she glanced at Esther. “I heard all about what you and your friend did for her. Thank you.”
Esther cleared her throat to rid it of the lump that had suddenly formed. “You’re welcome.”
Connie’s expression sobered, then went distant as she recalled what happened. “We were maybe ten feet or so from the car when a man popped out from a couple vehicles down, pointing a gun.” She closed her eyes, and a tear trickled out. “He came up so fast. Grabbed Leah from between us. I remember screaming. Then Rob charged at the guy, yelling for him to put Leah down. He—he—” She broke off with a sob. More tears tracked down her face. She drew in a shaky breath that ended on a soft hiccup. Opening her eyes, she looked at Stroud. “The man shot Rob. Practically point blank. Then he was gone. He just—tucked Leah under one arm and took off that way.” She gestured toward the parking lot entrance.
“He wasn’t parked in the lot?”
Connie shook her head. “I ran after him, but he was too fast for me. By the time I reached the sidewalk, he was gone. I don’t know where he parked, but it wasn’t in the lot.”
“Okay. Did you recognize him?”
“No.”
Esther narrowed her eyes. There’d been an ever-so-slight hesitation to that single word. She was no psychologist or investigator, but she was a kindergarten teacher. She’d honed her lie-detection skills on five- and six-year-olds. There was something about Leah’s abductor that triggered something in Connie’s memory. “Are you sure?” she asked the other woman.
Connie turned silvery blue eyes on her. She held Esther’s gaze for a moment. A hardness glinted in their depths and made Esther frown. She had no proof, but she’d bet Connie Tyler was hiding something.
“I’m sure.” She turned to the detective. “He had a hood pulled low and wore black gloves.
Hoodie Man.
Who was that guy? What did he want with Leah? And Asher?
“What else can you tell me about him? Height, weight, race, age?”
“I didn’t see his face, but he was probably about six feet tall. Thin, but not skinny. I’m not sure about race. White, I think. There was some skin showing above his glove when he put his arm around Leah.”
“Okay. Did he say anything?”
“No. He just grabbed Leah, then shot Rob and took off running.”
“Mrs. Tyler, is there anyone who would want to hurt your family?”
“No.”
Again, there was that slight hesitation on the beginning of the word. Almost like a stutter, but so slight, it was barely there.
“You’re sure?” the detective asked. “You didn’t even really think about it.”
“Why would I need to? I live a boring life. I work and go to the grocery. Rob takes Leah to most of her doctor’s appointments, of which there are many. Other than that, we’re home all the time. We don’t socialize. We don’t have time. There isn’t anyone who’d have a beef with us.” Connie shifted her arms, tightening her hug around herself.
Stroud pressed his lips together. Esther wanted to ask questions, but didn’t dare.
Moisture trickled down Connie’s face again. She sank onto the bench. “What am I going to do? I just want my baby back.”
Esther spared Stroud a quick glance as she moved forward and sank down beside Connie. “She’s a strong kid. She’ll be okay until the police find her.”
Connie nodded, raising a hand to wipe at her face as she sniffed. “I know you’re right. Thank you. I still don’t understand why you’re here, though. Is the detective your dad or something?”
“No. My friend—the one who helped me surprise Leah for her birthday?” She paused, waiting for Connie to acknowledge she knew who Esther meant.
“The man in the unicorn suit?”
“That’s him. He’s disappeared too.”
Connie’s eyes widened. Then, just as suddenly, she reared back and stood up, aiming a glare at Esther. “Your friend did this?”
“What?” Esther’s eyes rounded, and she rose to face the angry mother. “No. Asher would never. I think their disappearances are related somehow, but he didn’t take her. I was at the police station, filing a missing person’s report on him, when the call came in about Leah.”
“Mrs. Tyler, do you know Asher Horn?” Stroud asked.
“No. I’ve never heard the name before.”
Esther noted there was no hesitation in her voice this time.
“Why do you think they’re connected?” Connie demanded of Esther.
It was Esther’s turn to hesitate. For one, she didn’t want to talk out of turn. She doubted Stroud brought her along so she could inject her speculation into his case. And two, she didn’t want to upset Connie if she happened to be wrong. Ultimately, she decided to go with a basic truth. “Someone’s been lurking around outside your house. I thought they were following me, because I’ve seen them at my place too. Asher was with me, not just to help surprise Leah, but to make me feel safer. He’s been my shadow for the last week.”
Connie’s brows dipped. “Why would someone kidnap your friend and my daughter?”
“I don’t know. But their disappearances have to be connected. It’s too coincidental.”
“All we have at this point is conjecture.” Stroud closed his notebook and tucked it into his pocket, along with his pen. “I’ll look at all angles for both disappearances.”
“I don’t care what you do. Just find my daughter. She—she could die”—her voice broke—“if she doesn’t take her meds.”
“What are the meds for?” Stroud asked.
“Anti-organ rejection. She had a heart transplant in late August. If she goes too long without them, her body will reject her heart. It can be irreversible.”
“How much can she miss?—”
“None,” Connie said, not letting him finish. “At this stage, missing any doses could cause rejection fairly quickly.” Tears gathered in her eyes again. “Unless you can find her in the next hour or so, she’s going to miss a dose. She takes them every twelve hours. At eight a.m. and eight p.m.”
An ache speared Esther in the chest. Connie was right. They were on a ticking clock.