Maddocks drove too fast in the unmarked MVPD vehicle he’d taken from the crime scene. Ginny’s small, slurred voice, her words, tumbled and tumbled through his mind.
“Daddy ... can you come? I screwed up ... I ... I’m so, so sorry ...”
Emotion burned into his throat as he swerved up against the curb outside her converted apartment block. He left his car door open, took the stairs three at a time, banged hard on his daughter’s door, then tried the knob. It opened. Inside her apartment it was dark. Dank. He could smell sweat—male sweat. Alarms began to clang inside his head.
“Ginny?” He smacked on the lights, then stilled as the living room came into focus. Upturned chair. Mug on the floor. Spilled liquid. Ginny’s purse—her phone lying next to it. He rushed madly through the small apartment.“Ginny!”
His heart jackhammered.
She wasn’t here.
Maddocks rushed back to the table, opened her purse, rummaged through it. Her apartment keys, wallet, ID, everything still there. A sick, cold feeling dropped like a stone into his bowels. He spun around. And that’s when he saw it.
A note. Written in black marker. On the kitchen counter. Beside it, a lock of dark-brown hair. A spear of dread sliced his heart.
Maddocks lunged for the note.
Come alone,
And you might have time ...
To say goodbye ...
To watch her die ...
Old rail trestle at Skookum Gorge.
Tick tocks ... Detective Maddocks
See you there, or be square.
Johnny the Baptist
Oh God, please, no.Had he already assaulted her? Mutilated her? That was his modus operandi—to sexually assault first, baptize,thentake his trophy. He stared at the lock of his daughter’s hair.
Breathe. Focus. Think.
He scanned the note again.
... you might have time ... to say goodbye ...
Time. Spencer Addams had taken a rifle, spare ammunition. He was luring Maddocks, using his own daughter as bait.Why?Because he wanted a confrontation? He wanted to kill one of the cops hunting him? Because they’d cornered him, and now he was devolving into something else—entering some kind of spree phase? Or was this going to be a negotiating tool to escape? Maddockshadto believe this—that Ginny was okay—that she was going to be okay. He just had to reach her in time.
He dialed Angie’s number as he made rapidly for the door.
She answered right away.
“He’s got her—Spencer Addams has taken Ginny to the old trestle bridge over Skookum Gorge. He left a note in her apartment.” Maddocks ran down the stairs and got into the unmarked vehicle, firing the ignition as he spoke.
“It’s a trap, Maddocks,” she said. “He’s luring you into a trap—”
“I know. Get another SWAT team—everyone out there. We’re thin on the ground right now with the yacht and James Bay house takedowns, so bring in neighboring jurisdictions, military if we have to. Medical backup. This is not just about my daughter, Angie,” he said, swerving out into the street and hitting the gas. “This is an armed and dangerous serial offender who’s killed and attacked women in several countries.” He blew through a red light and swerved onto a main street, tires skidding. Horns blared and brakes screeched as he narrowly missed oncoming traffic. Even at high speed and on an empty highway it would still take over half an hour to reach Skookum by vehicle.
“I’m coming—”
“No! And that’s an order, Pallorino. Remain with the forensics unit at the Addams house. Help me by coordinating response from your end—the ERT teams will come into Skookum via chopper. They’ll reach the inlet well before you could, and do far more. Use your time, nail this bastard from the evidence end.” He killed the call, flicked on his siren and lights, and floored the accelerator, both hands tight on the wheel. He wasnotputting Angie in jeopardy as well.
Please, please ... don’t let him have time to hurt her, to rape her, to mutilate her like those young naked female bodies on the morgue slab ...
