28
Rowan was thrilled to hear about Sophia, but then guilt washed over her when she became upset that it wasn’t Evan who’d been found. Noelle offered to drive her to visit Sophia in the hospital but warned Rowan that the woman was badly hurt and seemed confused. She’d been found very dehydrated and covered with injuries.
“Where did they find her?” Rowan asked as they drove to the hospital.
“A couple of hikers came across her in the woods a few hours north of here,” Noelle said.
“A few hours ... how close to the Columbia River?”
“Maybe a couple miles away,” Noelle said. “The hikers had tracked their route with an app and said they knew where they came across her, but I haven’t had a chance to review it. The Wasco County sheriff has sent deputies to scour the route, and I know the FBI is headed up there.”
“Thor—”
“Could he work a route backwards?” Noelle asked as she steered into the parking lot. “If he starts where she was found, could he lead us to where she’d been?”
“We’ve never tried,” Rowan said slowly. “He’s trained to follow the most recent and strongest scent, which would lead in the opposite direction. I know others have been trained to do it, but Thor hasn’t.”
Should we try?
She didn’t want to pass up any opportunity to find Evan. But this would be asking Thor to do something he’d never done. In her gut, she knew it wouldn’t work.
There has to be another way.
“You said Sophia couldn’t answer any questions?” Rowan asked.
“She gave her name. That was it.”
Rowan was bursting with things to ask, and she could tell Noelle was too. The detective’s voice was louder than usual, and expectations shone in her eyes.
Please let this lead to Evan.
A few minutes later, the two women strode down the hall toward Sophia’s room. A deputy stood outside the door, and Noelle and Rowan signed his log. Other than hospital staff, Rowan noticed that only Detective Maxine Nelson and two other deputies had been inside the hospital room.
Rowan sucked in a breath at the sight of Sophia’s beaten and swollen face. Beside her, Maxine sat in a chair, holding the woman’s hand. “She’s asleep,” Maxine whispered to them.
“Holy shit,” Noelle muttered under her breath.
Rowan agreed. Sophia had heavy bruising around both eyes, which colored the skin in shades of ugly yellow and purple. Her lips had been split several times. Some gashes appeared almost healed; others looked fresh. Someone had cleaned her face, but crusted blood was still visible in both nostrils. Her arms were a mess of cuts and bruises and her hair stringy.
“Beat up like Rod,” Rowan mumbled. Evan had told her about the battered state of the man’s body. “She must have been with the same people. Did they let her go?”
Maxine shook her head. “We don’t know yet.” She nodded at an IV drip bag. “They’ve given her something for the pain, so she hasn’t said anything new. She’s getting lots of fluids and electrolytes too.” She took a deep breath and looked at Sophia’s face. “She’s lucky to be alive.”
“The hikers said she was sitting up when they found her, but she was delirious,” said Noelle. “They gave her some water and wrapped her in an emergency blanket. One stayed while the other hiked out for help. They hadn’t heard about a missing woman, so they had no idea who they’d found.”
“It’s been well over a week,” said Rowan to Noelle. “Do you think she was starved all that time?”
“Yes,” said a quiet voice.
Rowan gasped as she looked to the hospital bed. Sophia’s eyes were open, and she was studying her. Then Sophia’s confused gaze went to Maxine and finally Noelle. Clarity filled her eyes as she spotted Noelle’s badge on her belt.
“Thank God,” Sophia muttered, her lids drifting closed. “It’s not a dream. I got away.”
“How do you feel?” Rowan asked.
Stupid question.
“Like shit.” Her eyes opened, and her gaze landed on Rowan again. “I think I know you, but I can’t place you.”
“That’s because we’ve never met. I’m Rowan Wolff. Evan is—”
“You’re Evan’s girlfriend. I’ve heard a lot about you. Seen some pictures too.”
Rowan caught her breath at Evan’s name, desperate to ask Sophia if she knew where he was. But when Sophia had said his name, she’d shown no sign that she believed he could be in peril.
But she just started talking. Her brain needs to catch up.
Sophia looked at Noelle and raised a brow.
“Detective Noelle Marshall, and sitting next to you is Detective Maxine Nelson,” Noelle said. “We’ve been looking for you.”
“I know both your names,” Sophia said. “My dad—” Her words cut off as her face went white under her bruises. “My dad,” she whispered. Tears ran from her eyes.
Rowan moved to sit on the foot of her bed. “You know about your dad?” she asked in a kind voice.
“Were they lying? Is he really dead?”
“I’m sorry, Sophia, but he is.” Rowan’s heart broke at the pain in her face. The strong reaction when Sophia spoke of her father made Rowan more certain that she knew nothing about Evan’s situation. She wanted to ask about him but didn’t want to throw too many questions at the woman.
“That’s what they told me, but I didn’t know if I could believe them. I saw the blood and knew it had to be bad.” More tears ran and her lips quivered. Her eyes widened. “Zack! Is Zack all right? Where is he?” Her gaze scanned the room, and she struggled to sit up.
Maxine gently urged her to lie back down as Noelle asked, “When did you last see Zack?”
“He ... he was at a friend’s. I called the mom and asked if he could stay longer.” Her wide gaze shot among the three of them.
“Zack came back on Saturday,” said Noelle, in a flat voice. “But we couldn’t find you.”
Rowan cringed. Noelle hadn’t told the complete truth, but Rowan understood why.
Sophia sank deeper into her pillow, relief on her face. “I didn’t know whether to believe them. They claimed they had Zack. Showed me a video. Must have been fake. I’m so glad I got out of there.”
Shit. They do have him.
The detectives exchanged a long look. Rowan could almost hear their thoughts about whether to tell Sophia her son was missing.
“Where is he?” Sophia asked, getting worked up again. “I need to see him.”
“Sophia, who showed you a video of Zack and told you your father was dead?” asked Noelle, avoiding the woman’s question.
The woman blinked as she moved her gaze to Noelle. “I don’t know. Two of them. But their faces were always covered.”
Sophia spoke more clearly, and her eyes were less confused. The fluids and painkillers doing their job. Dehydration was serious. It could kill, but if it was reversed quickly enough, people could perk right up.
“Are these the people who beat you?” Noelle asked.
Fear flickered in her eyes. “Yes.”
“Why did they do that?”
“I’m not sure,” Sophia answered in a weak voice as her brows came together. She appeared to be thinking hard.
Rowan watched Noelle exchange a look with Maxine.
She doesn’t want to push too much.
“A minute ago you said you saw blood,” said Maxine, redirecting the topic. “Where was that?”
“My house. It was everywhere. He told me to leave, but I had to come back and check.” She lifted the hand with the IV to wipe her eyes but instead stared at it for a long moment, her gaze perplexed. She slowly set her arm back down and then used the other.
She’s still confused.
Rowan glanced at Noelle. The detective’s attention was locked on Sophia, a small frown on her lips.
She sees the disorientation too.
Noelle sat on the other side of Sophia’s bed, opposite Maxine and Rowan. “Sophia ... do you know what happened in your home? What caused all the blood?”
“They came for him. Just like he said they would,” she whispered. Her gaze was inward as she remembered. “He’d warned me. Wanted me to be prepared.” She closed her eyes.
“Who warned you? Was it Evan?” Rowan couldn’t resist slipping his name into the conversation again, hoping to trigger something in Sophia’s brain to indicate that she knew where he was. Rowan felt Noelle’s gaze on her, the detective displeased with what she’d done.
“No, my dad. He said I couldn’t tell anyone ... not even Evan.” Fear filled her face again, and her gaze took in all three women. She blinked rapidly and moved up the bed as if to get away from them.
“Sophia,” Noelle said firmly. “What’s wrong? We’re here to help you.”
“No.” The woman shook her head. “I can’t ... I shouldn’t ...”
Rowan remembered how Evan had implied that someone in law enforcement with ties to his investigation wasn’t to be trusted. He’d been hurt that Rod hadn’t confided in him ... just like Rod had told Sophia not to do. “Sophia,” Rowan started slowly. “Did Rod tell you not to trust anyone in law enforcement? Because Evan ...” She swallowed hard. “Evan has been dealing with some things and wondered the same.”
Sophia held her gaze and gave the smallest nod.
“Shit,” Noelle muttered under her breath.
“I don’t understand,” said Maxine, looking from Noelle to Rowan.
“Sophia, we want to find the men who did this to you,” said Noelle, focusing on the woman. “It’s extremely important that we do. I know you might be scared to say anything to us, but you have to agree that these men need to be found.”
Sophia gave a short nod.
“We know it was your dad’s blood in your home. Can you tell us what happened?”
Sophia closed her eyes. Her lips twitched, and the fingers of her right hand started to tap the sheets.
She’s reliving something.
“Can you give me a few minutes alone first?” she asked softly, her eyes still closed.
“Sure. We’ll move outside for a bit,” said Noelle. She stood and waited for Maxine and Rowan to do the same. The three women stepped out of the room and closed the door, all their expressions grim.
“No one except hospital staff goes in,” Noelle told the deputy standing guard. “And take a good look at their IDs.”
“We’ve got to tell her about Zack,” said Maxine in a low voice as they moved a few steps away and then stopped in a huddle.
“I know,” said Noelle. She pressed a hand against her forehead. “I’m afraid she’ll fall apart, and it’ll delay us finding who did that to her.”
“Or it will make her push harder,” said Rowan. “Don’t underestimate a mother.”
“I can see her being tough like that,” said Noelle, indecisiveness in her eyes. “We’ll give her a few minutes to pull together. I need to find some coffee and then figure out how we’ll approach her again. Agreed?”
Maxine and Rowan nodded.
“Where’s the cafeteria?” asked Noelle, looking up and down the hall.
Rowan pointed at a directional sign near the ceiling. Silently the three women went to find caffeine. Every cell in Rowan’s body pleaded with her to question Sophia more, not walk away.
Only Sophia knows who might have taken Evan and Zack.
We’ve got to speed up this investigation.