“I left a book at the site and needed it to study for my finals. I was getting ready to head out when I saw this, it’s Ms. Melinda’s, isn’t it?” he asked holding out the emerald and diamond necklace Jordan had given her for their first Christmas together.
“Where did you find this?” Jordan asked taking it.
“It was in front of the site. I guess she lost it or something, figured I should make sure she got it before someone stole it.”
“What is it Jordan?” Dwight asked seeing the expression that crossed his face.
“Mel was wearing this during graduation,” he stated holding it out for the others to see. “The chain’s broken.”
“Jordan,” Ford said unable to fathom what his son was thinking. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that something happened to Mel. I know it Dad. There’s no way she would leave this behind willingly. It’s also a brand new chain, the original one broke last week, the connectorring that connects the clasp to the chain was worn through from repeated wear so there’s no way this one just randomly broke less than a week out. She doesn’t let this out of her sight, hasn’t since those two tried to steal it at school.”
“You think someone hurt her?” Grant asked in surprise.
“Yeah, Todd, can you show me where you found it?” he asked turning to the kid who looked freaked out as he listened to them.
“Sure thing.” He nodded as they headed to the construction site. “There,” he told them pointing to the ground. “The sun hit it and bounced the rays off the stone. I don’t know how anyone could have missed it.”
“If Mel was here the security cameras would have picked it up,” Tate stated hurrying over to the trailer and opening the door. He quickly pulled up the footage and played back through the last half hour.
“Holy hell. Jordan, call the cops,” he yelled out the door as he grabbed the laptop and headed back out to the worried group. “Watch,” he said hitting the play button.
“Oh my god,” Nicole gasped as Caleb pulled her to him tightly. “How could anyone…”
“I don’t know,” Caleb told her gently.
“Tate, I want all of the footage from every single camera we have, the school’s, the parking lot I don’t care how you get it just find out where he went,” Jordan told him as he dialed the number for the police. “I’d like to report a kidnapping. My wife…Whitmore Campus…thirty minutes ago…because we have footage of it!” he shouted at the man on the other end questioning him like an idiot.
“Jordan let me,” Jake said taking the phone. “This is Jake Turner my brother’s wife Melinda Turner was taken from her graduation ceremony. I don’t care what you think you don’t know Melinda and we’ve all seen the security footage from the construction site. Her necklace was found with a broken chain,and the camera caught a man, Devon Peters, attack her placing a cloth with what I’d assume is chloroform over her face until she blacked out. Send someone now or else I’ll be calling Captain Riley and telling him that you don’t care that Ford Turner’s daughter-in-law was just kidnapped…yes thank you.”
“We’ll find her Jordan,” Ford stated putting his hand on his son’s shoulder.
“I knew there was something about that guy I didn’t like. The way he looked at Mel said it, but I was too wrapped up in making sure that Kevin Flaugher wasn’t going to be an issue to deal with him,” he said praying that Mel would be okay.
Tate scanned through all of their footage, catching a bit of Devon carrying Mel towards the parking lot. He turned to Dwight asking, “Know anyone with campus security who’d let me use their system?”
“I’ll make them,” Dwight stated calling up the dean. “Dean Johnson, I need a favor. Melinda Turner, yes, my daughter, we believe she’s been kidnapped…no sir this isn’t a joke. We found footage from the security cameras around the construction site that show Devon Peters attacking her and then carrying her towards the parking lot…thank you sir.”
“Well?” Tate asked.
“Said he’d give us anything we needed,” Dwight said as a police car pulled up in the area. A few minutes later, a security officer came over and joined them.
“I’ve searched all of the footage from our cameras, and he headed to the parking lot,” Tate stated.
“What can we do?” the security officer asked.
“Let me search the footage from the cameras on campus. I can do it faster and find it easier,” Tate told him when he balked. “Mel’s my best friend and I’m not going to let someone else try and possibly put her life at risk. I promised her I’d protect herwith my life when we were fourteen and I’m not going to break it now.”
“Alright, security department’s this way,” the guy told him and Tate hurried after him.
The police reviewed the footage and put out the missing person’s report promising they’d let them know if anyone found anything. “Honestly, the best thing for you to do right now is go home. This guy could have taken her because he thinks he’s in love with her and it’s the only way to get her, or there could be a ransom demand.”
“Oh my god,” Alana cried.
“Jake, what did you find out about Kevin Flaugher?” Jordan asked.
“Only that his dad used to work for the company until his arrest why?” he stated.
