Turner was silent for a long moment, shoulders rising and falling with each breath, eyes blind with terror. He looked ridiculous in his shiny dress loafers with no socks, basketball shorts, a suit jacket over the top of a T-shirt, and wild hair.
Blinking, he seemed to get a tenuous hold on his emotions. “I have to?—”
Josie cut him off. “You have to do what will help Dani and Cassidy the most right now and that’s talking with me.”
More seconds ticked by. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. When he opened them again, he began to slowly peel off his jacket. Then he kicked off his shoes.
Josie approached him warily. Not wanting to waste any more time, she took her phone out and pulled up the still photos of the man who had abducted Dani and Cassidy. The Chief had told them not to show him the footage and Josie had no problem with that directive.
“Do you recognize him?”
“No, no, I don’t—it’s just some guy in a baseball cap. I don’t understand. How did this happen? Quinn, this doesn’t make sense. You’re saying this guy just walked into the house and they left with him?”
“Not willingly,” Josie said.
He leaned down until his face was only inches from hers. “What the hell does that mean?”
“He had a gun. He was holding Cassidy’s arm, forcing her to walk with him. Dani was behind them. Once they got to the porch steps, he made her get in front of them.”
“So she wouldn’t try anything,” he muttered.
“There was a small cut on Cassidy’s face which likely accounts for the blood on the coffee table and carpet.”
Turner reared back, the look in his eyes desperate and angry. “He hurt my kid?”
“Focus, please,” Josie said, trying to redirect his attention. “I need to ask you some questions.”
“Wait,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken. “What day did you say they were taken?”
“Monday,” Josie said. “But Turner?—”
Before she could finish, he dashed out of the room, down a hallway. She wasn’t sure whether to follow him or not but moments later she heard him say, “Stay here,” before he reappeared, phone in hand.
As he frantically swiped, Josie said, “Turner, is there someone else here?”
“Yeah,” he said absently.
“Do you want to ask her to join us? I may need to ask her some questions.”
“It’s not like that,” he mumbled, scrolling with one hand while he tugged at his beard with the other.
“Well, I might?—”
Before she could continue, an ancient-looking Dalmatian emerged from the hallway, carrying a threadbare blue octopus in its mouth. It lumbered over to her on unsteady feet, tail wagging.
“Cassidy’s battery ran out Wednesday night,” Turner said. “Dammit. I thought she was home. They were ignoring me. Both of them. I just figured it was more of the same. It never occurred to me that something like this could happen. What about her tablet? She has a tablet she uses for art. It’s got Wi-Fi. I bet we could track it if?—”
“Her tablet was in her bedroom,” Josie said.
“Earbuds,” he went back to his phone, swiping and stabbing at the screen. “Wireless earbuds. We’re on the same account. Dani didn’t want a smartwatch. She wears a Fitbit but they both have earbuds. We might be able to track them that way if I can just get this damn app to open?—”
A wild panic flashed through Turner’s eyes as he studied the screen. Then he tipped his head back and screamed a curse that reverberated through the entire apartment. The dog bumped Josie’s thigh, pressing against it. She scratched his head, noting his cloudy eyes.
Clearly, the earbuds were a dead end.
“Turner, I need you to?—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Quinn,” he snapped.
