Dana Jo forced a smile, although she had a nagging feeling there was more to her own anxiety than normal mother worry. That something bad might happen to Lou Lou.
“Go, Mommy,” Lou Lou said with a little kick of her leg against Dana Jo’s hip.
“Yes, we’re going.” She snagged her keys and the picnic basket from the counter and shuffled out the door.
Outside she stowed the food in the trunk of her Escape, buckled Lou Lou into her car seat, then slid into the passenger seat and drove toward the park. The seven-minute drive was filled with Lou Lou’s sweet voice singing “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”.
But the photo of Iris Benton from the news haunted her. Police had issued an Amber Alert and as she parked, she scanned the faces of the kids in case she spotted Iris, even checkingclothing as she’d read that sometimes abductors cut a child’s hair and dressed them in opposite-sex clothing to camouflage their identity.
Lou Lou banged the seat with her feet. “Out, Mommy, out.”
Dragging herself back to reality, Dana Jo hopped from the car, retrieved her daughter and made sure her coat and cap were on, then swung her up on her hip. She’d come back for the food later.
Lou Lou squealed as they reached the sandbox, wanting down, and Dana Jo lowered her into the sand. While Lou Lou began digging with the shovels, Dana Jo’s gaze traveled across the busy park. Toddlers and children were running and playing on the playground. A line was backed up for the monkey bars. A group of kids who looked to be around five to seven were chasing a soccer ball on the field. Two other boys were playing catch. A toddler fell down and burst into screams. On instinct, Dana Jo started toward her to pick up the child and comfort her. But just as she reached the little boy, his mother appeared and glared at Dana Jo. “That’s my son. I’ve got him.”
Dana Jo backed away, stunned. She’d only meant to help.
The woman scooped up the crying little boy and rubbed circles around his back. “It’s okay, Petey, you’re safe now. Mommy’s got you.”
Dana Jo sighed in relief that the catastrophe was averted although the mother’s glare still stung.
A ball flew by and two kids chased it. Dana Jo glanced back to check on Lou Lou but didn’t see her. Her heart pounded.
Only two kids in the sandbox. Not Lou Lou. A shovel tossed into the grass beside it. A sand bucket overturned.
Pure terror ripped through her and she turned and screamed Lou Lou’s name.
FORTY-THREE
He’d watched Clara and that Hazel woman’s house last night but the timing wasn’t right to take Clara. So he’d driven away, deciding to wait until she gave birth.
Tension knotted his neck. Dana Jo Glasser was more of a threat.
He wanted to snatch the kid and Dana Jo now. His hands itched to grab her. His skin tingled. Need hammered in his body.
He’d watched her for months. Stood outside her window at night and seen her toss and turn and cry as he stared through her window.
Last night she’d buried herself under the bed covers, sobbing like an insane person. Because of him.
He’d been overcome with laughter and had to hide his face in his coat, so she didn’t hear him through the window. Of course, the heavy wind had helped drown out the noise. It would also help camouflage her screams if he snatched her.
Had she remembered what happened? Would she recognize him if she saw him face-to-face?
He paced behind a row of pines. Dammit, there were too many people here though to make a move. And with the posters of Iris Benton’s picture on every light post and tree and even thefence, it was too dangerous. Moms and dads and grandparents were stuck to their kids like glue.
Dana Jo was scanning the crowd though. She didn’t get out much. She had memory issues. Lived in constant fear.
She was his one and only mistake. He’d never expected her to survive.
But she had.
And now she could be the death of him. Unless he killed her first.
He was going to make that happen. Nothing was going to interrupt his mission.
Especially her.
The little girl was running toward the woods chasing a butterfly. He stood in the shadows, anxious to get his hands on her. She’d be better off without her mother.
