“So, he did own one?”
She nodded. “Yes. But it was in his garage when it burned down, so it was lost in the fire.”
“Do you know if Jeff was ever in an accident with that car?” I asked, even though I knew it didn’t fit with the timeline.
Isabella paused. She gave me a strange look. “Who are you people? Why are you asking all these questions?”
I showed her my FBI badge. “We’re just investigating an old case. Two and a half years ago, a man was hit by a truck in downtown Winter Park. It was a Ford Skyranger like Jeff’s.”
She shook her head. “So, you thought my brother killed him?”
“We’re investigating what happened; that’s all. The car led us here in our search. But if Jeffrey died in the fire four years ago, then it couldn’t have been him.”
She scoffed. “I can’t believe you people, coming here and asking these questions after he is dead. Have you no shame?”
“I…just said that…”
Isabella didn’t stay to hear me out. She turned around and walked away, her high heels clicking loudly. Scott came up behind me with a deep sigh.
“Looks like we hit a dead end.”
I nodded, feeling disappointed. I had felt so confident we were onto something here. Now, it felt like we were back to square one, even though I didn’t want to admit it.
Chapter 32
Sarah Abbey had run track in high school and even gone to state, where she placed third in her junior year. It was many years ago now, but at this moment, storming outside of her prison into the street, she was suddenly so grateful her mother had pushed her not to quit running back then. She was still fast, even though it wasn’t as fast as she used to be. But as the adrenalin kicked in, she was able to accelerate and get as far away as humanly possible.
As she looked behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed, she charged into an elderly lady. She forced her into the bushes next to her and made her drop the bag in her hand. The woman screamed for dear life and stared at her like she was being attacked. Seeing this, Sarah stopped, picked up the bag, and handed it to her, saying, “I am so sorry.”
Sarah fumbled with the bag while the elderly woman stared at her, eyes wide and frightened. Sarah realized what she must look like as the woman pulled the bag from between her hands with a disapproving grunt.
“Are you hurt?” Sarah asked, her heart pounding in her chest, eyes glancing toward the street where she had come from, fearing to see her kidnapper show up at any moment.
You pierced a nail into their chest! That should give you some time.
The elderly woman nodded, clinging to her handbag. Sarah took off again, heading toward an intersection where she could cross the street. She sprinted along the sidewalk and reached a strip mall, where she slowed down, then merged in with the crowd of shoppers, catching her breath while zigzagging between them, blending in as best as she could without turning heads because of her dirty and torn clothes. Luckily, most people were too busy with their own quests even to notice her. A few children did, though, and pointed at her. One even laughed.
As she walked past the stores and reached another parking lot, Sarah took off running again. She spotted a park and realized she knew where she was.
“Mead Botanical Garden,” she mumbled.
Sarah crossed the street and went in. She sat on a bench in the garden’s amphitheater and caught her breath. Then she began wondering what to do next. Where could she possibly go? A police car drove by on the street outside the garden, and her heart sank.
If only she could go to the police.
But if she couldn’t go to them, where could she turn for help? She couldn’t go home to Viera. Her kidnapper had taken her from that place.
Sarah sat on the bench, contemplating what to do next as the sun began to set behind the tall trees. Suddenly, exhaustion and fatigue overpowered her. So, she put her head down—just for one second—and closed her eyes.
Less than a minute later, she was heavily asleep. Meanwhile, a bright red 1991 Ford Skyranger drove by outside the garden and stopped for a second by the entrance, revving the engine a few times, then decided to continue, tires screeching on the asphalt.
Part III
Three Days Later
Chapter 33
Grocery shopping with two infants wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. I had Angel in a sling on my chest and Owen in his car seat inside the cart, pushing him through Publix, when I turned down the cereal aisle and saw her.
Kim!
I stared at her. She hadn’t seen me yet and studied the label of a cereal box from the organic section. At first, I wondered if I should simply turn around and walk away but then thought about it again.
I’m not the one who should be ashamed of myself.
Instead, I lifted my head high, then pushed the cart down the aisle toward the cereal when she lifted her gaze and spotted me. She froze completely. Her eyes landed on Owen inside the cart.
“Hello, Kim,” I said, pretending like it wasn’t the most awkward encounter in the history of grocery encounters. “How are you today?”
Her eyes didn’t leave Owen, and I could tell she was struggling within herself. She stood utterly paralyzed and stared at her grandchild. I remained still too and let her, hoping that seeing him would wake some kind of maternal instinct inside her.
I had asked Christine to talk to Amy’s boyfriend at school and maybe find out if he knew where Amy was, but she said he had simply told her he hadn’t seen her for months. We didn’t believe him, of course, but were also contemplating what to do next. If Amy was hiding at his place, then we had to tread carefully. Christine said that Amy had told her that he didn’t know she had a baby. She didn’t even tell him that she was pregnant and ran away before it showed on her body. If she was hiding with him, it wasn’t as easy as that to go there and ask her to come back. She was hurting, and it needed to be done the right way.
Meanwhile, I was drowning in diapers and barely got any sleep. Still, Owen was growing on me, and I had to admit, I was beginning to care about him a lot—almost like he was my child. I wasn’t even sure I’d give him to Kim and Phil if they asked me. I wanted to make sure he ended up in a home where there was love. I’d rather live like this, getting no sleep and constantly taking care of a baby, than live knowing he was in a place where they didn’t care about him, where they didn’t love him.
If anyone could do it, it was me, I told myself. Matt was of another opinion, naturally. But we were just different that way.
“He’s gorgeous, right?” I finally said. “He started to smile yesterday.”
And you missed it. Just like you’ll miss the first time he rolls over, the first time he sits by himself or pulls himself up to stand. How can you live with that?
Kim looked up at me, her eyes wide. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
“Anyway,” I said as Angel started to fuss in the sling, “I should get these two home. It’s feeding time.”
I pushed the cart past Kim, then got down to the sugary non-organic cereal, feeling her eyes on me as I filled up the cart with Cheerios and Frosted Flakes. I sensed she was still watching me as I grabbed the cart again and pushed it further down when suddenly she spoke, “Eva Rae?”