Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

disappearance, Kimberly and her sister were still missing. Hal’s son might have hidden the two girls somewhere on his father’s property.
    ‘Thank you,’ she murmured when he hung up his cell phone. ‘But, Joseph, why now? Why is Hal’s son getting his revenge now?’
    ‘I don’t know. But we’ll find out.’ He took her hand and held it as they followed Mark O’Hurley closer to where Doug had wanted her all along.
    Baltimore, Maryland, Thursday, December 5, 1.30 P.M.
    Cole had finally figured out where he was. Kind of. He could hear the echo of cars as they drove by and the occasional slam of doors as they parked. It was that ghostly sound that was peculiar to a parking garage.
    He could smell the chemicals that Mitch used on his HVAC job. I’m in the black van, covered with blankets . He guessed that Kimberly knew how to use the hydraulic lift in the back. She was too tiny to have moved him on her own.
    What he didn’t know was where exactly he was or how long he’d been out. She could have driven them anywhere. He wasn’t freezing at least, so maybe they were in an enclosed garage. He did know that his head was killing him. And he could smell blood. Probably from getting hit by a damn shovel . At least she hadn’t broken his nose. He’d have suffocated on his own blood by now if she had.
    When he caught the bitch, she’d be so sorry.
    Marston, West Virginia, Thursday, December 5, 1.45 P.M.
    Daphne sat in the Escalade while Joseph coordinated with Kerr and McManus, who’d followed them from the bus station. In front of her was O’Hurley’s car. In front of O’Hurley was the cabin and garage from her nightmares. It had taken O’Hurley five wrong turns before finding the right one.
    Now here she sat. Impatient and full of dread all at once.
    Joseph opened the back hatch and she turned to see him buckling into a flak jacket. He looked up and met her eyes. ‘You sure about this?’
    ‘Yes, Joseph. I’m sure. Do I get one of those?’
    He was checking the magazine of a semi-automatic rifle. ‘A rifle? No.’
    ‘I meant a jacket.’
    ‘Yes, you definitely get one of those.’ He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to letting her go in with him. ‘I’m fucking insane,’ he muttered. Without waiting for her to respond, he grabbed a small case by its handle and gave it to Kerr, who also wore a jacket. ‘Explosive detector,’ he told Kerr. ‘Run the wand around the garage door before you open it.’
    ‘Sweet,’ Kerr said. ‘Where’d you get this?’
    ‘My dad’s company makes them for military and private use. He heard that I almost got blown up on Tuesday and insisted I carry one with me. Daphne, it’s time. This vest is yours.’
    On shaking legs she got out of the car to put on the flak jacket, only to be stopped by O’Hurley.
    ‘What’s going on here?’ he asked, panic starting in his eyes.
    ‘We think that my cousin and I weren’t his only victims, that he abducted a girl as recently as six months ago. She might still be alive.’
    ‘You can wait in your car,’ Joseph added, buckling her jacket. ‘Hopefully we’ll know something soon. As soon as backup arrives, you’ll be escorted to the police station and they’ll take your statement. Until then, Detective McManus will see that you’re protected.’
    His face horrified, O’Hurley backed away until he reached his car.
    ‘Let’s go,’ Daphne said. Then to bolster her own courage added, ‘I’m doing this.’
    ‘You stay with me,’ Joseph said, his voice low and urgent. ‘Doug is here. Somewhere. He brought you here. He’s watching. I know it. You’re here to a, point us toward his underground room and b, draw Doug into the open. Maybe we can lure him out.’ He pointed to McManus. ‘Kerr goes in first. You cover our back.’
    His body a shield, Joseph hovered over her as they crossed the open, unprotected area around the house. As she approached she was struck by the stench of decomposing flesh. The cat Ford had seen. With the ‘Fluffy’ name tag. Realistically she knew it wasn’t her Fluffy’s body, but it was a damn fine way to mess with her head.
    She’d told the impostor FBI agent the cat’s name too. That’s how Doug knew .
    Oh, Hal . Why? How could you? Her mind was still having trouble believing it was true. But she knew. Good Lord . Hal . Drawing a breath she stepped into the garage . . . and back twenty-seven years.
    ‘It looks the same,’ she said softly. ‘The