“What the fuck is this?” I growl out, still clutching the island to keep myself upright.
CHAPTER 5
PROVIDENCE
Tears gather in Mellie’s eyes as she takes a drink of coffee and swallows. It’s like the world has narrowed down to her face, and all I can do is focus on her.
“I’m so sorry to drop this on you out of the blue. But I didn’t know what else do to,” her voice is strained. It’s obvious she’s struggling to hold back her tears.
Nodding, I slowly lean down and right the toppled chair, and drop back into it. Then I grab the bottle of water and take a long drink. My thoughts are racing all over the place. How did I not remember this? I mean, she could have faked it, but damn, she’d have to be good, and for what purpose? No, this is real, and even as I think it, I know it’s true.
“I understand, there’s no way I’d have believed you without seeing it. How the fuck do I not remember any of this, though?” I look down at the paper and skim the beginnings of the article. We were four. As traumatic as a kidnapping is, I should have memories. Unless it was so bad that I blocked it. God, do I even want to remember any of this? “And how come you remember?”
Rosy color stains her cheeks. “Can I get one of those?” She points to my bottle of water.
“Yes, of course.” I grab another one from the fridge and hand it to her.
After she twists the top open and takes a drink, her crystal blue eyes connect with mine, and she sighs. “You’re not going to like any of this, and I apologize up front. I swear if there was any other way…”
In a perverse way, I understand. I can’t imagine having to explain this trauma to someone. I reach down and pat my phone in my pocket. My hand itches to pull it out and text Tony to come home. But I just told him this morning that I could take care of myself.
“Shortly after that story came out, your parents packed up and moved out of Woolridge. No one knew where you’d gone. I suppose they were trying to escape the notoriety. It was a huge a story though, made national news even. I don’t know where they could have gone that you wouldn’t have been recognized. Unless they changed your appearance.”
I try to remember that time in my life, but it’s a blur. What did they do to me? Is this the reason my parents got divorced? All I remember are countless arguments and being passed between them. Neither of them wanted me, and I couldn’t wait to go to college and then join the Navy. I haven’t been back to Magnolia, Mississippi, since I left after I graduated from high school.
“I don’t remember any of that. It’s odd I do remember hating keeping my hair cut short and having her color it. She told me it was because the color was horrible and I believed her,” I mumble to myself but loud enough for her to hear.
“You were so young. We both were. My parents handled it differently. We stayed in Woolridge and they worked with the police to try to come up with ways to keep children safer.Stranger Danger was just starting to be a thing after Etan Patz was taken in New York. But it wasn’t as prevalent in rural Mississippi yet.”
“Do you remember everything?” My words were so low I wasn’t sure she’d hear them.
When she nodded, my stomach churned, and saliva pooled in my mouth. I fought the urge to vomit and sipped from my water bottle as I waited for what she’d say next.
“I do. You should be happy you don’t, really. Years of therapy helped me deal with it, but I still have nightmares sometimes. I’m not going to tell you, not unless you really want to know. That’s not why I’m here.”
It was something I’d been wondering. Why was she here? Why now? “You’ve been trying to find me?” More a statement than a question, but I needed to know. “Why?”
“Because I read the press release about Knights Kidnap, Ransom & Recovery, the mission statement. And because I can’t stop him alone. I’ve been digging, they never caught Master but after we were found the police figured he’d moved away when he had the chance or just stopped.”
“Master?” Why did saying the word give me goosebumps?
“That’s what we had to call him. He controlled everything. We were locked in a room the size of a large closet for weeks before we somehow managed to escape. I think we must have had help, but I don’t know who or how. Otherwise, how would two four-year-olds escape? It never made sense.”
I let out a huff of breath, trying to center myself and keep the panic from rising again. Maybe that’s why my parents took me and moved? Although their actions as I grew up say otherwise. “You think it’s this same Master person?”
“No, it would be impossible. He was old, well we thought he was ancient. Still, it’s been over forty years. He wouldn’t be able to pull it off now, he’d have to be in his seventies or eighties. Itwouldn’t surprise me that he’s still involved if he’s alive, though. I think it’s either a copycat or someone he groomed to take over for him. My theory is he trained someone to continue when he couldn’t.”
“But why wait forty years then?” I understand what she’s saying, but it still seems a little far-fetched. Forty years is a long time.
“I don’t know. I’m not a professional. Goodness gracious, I write romance novels. But I’m good at research, and I still visit my parents in Woolridge. Last week two girls went missing while they were outside playing in their own yard. It was too close to what I remembered happening to me to be a coincidence.”
“Fuck. And that’s why you tracked me down? To help you rescue them?” It made sense. Tony and his team could handle this, except they’re in Baltimore for who knows how long.
“Well, not us, exactly. I was hoping you’d bring in your man and they’d do it. I’m reckless but not stupid,” Mellie said with a grin.
“Seeing our press release is one hell of a coincidence though. I get the feeling you’re leaving something major out of all of this.” My gaze rests on her face as her jaw tightens and her lips narrow. I don’t think she expected me to dig deeper. Instead, she was counting on me not to want to know. It can’t be easy on her either.
“Honestly, I’ve been looking for you for years. For three weeks we were everything to each other and when you disappeared you took a piece of me with you. I’ve been hoping that seeing you again, healthy and happy would finally help me let it all go.” Tears well up in her eyes and slide down her cheeks. I can feel her pain, the devastation.
