BURN OUT

by Traci Hohenstein

Burn Out

Traci Hohenstein

Published by Traci Hohenstein at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Traci Hohenstein

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right to produce this, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text should be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the written express permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

Edited by: Lisa Hazard

Cover art: Jeroen ten Berge

Formatting and layout: Nicholas J. Ambrose

Please visit author at

www.msthriller.wordpress.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people who helped make this book possible. To all my first readers for their invaluable insight and critiques of this novel: Carl Hohenstein, Shirley Satterfield, Michelle Couch, Stephanie Roessler, Lisa Abrams-Morris, Leann Thompson, and Sheila Pennington. Thanks to Suzette Breland for your expert legal advice and for graciously letting me use your name. Jeroen Ten Berge for the brilliant cover art and Lisa Hazard for your awesome editing skills.

Authors note: Santa Rosa Beach is a real town. It is a place where I proudly live and play. We are home to the world’s most beautiful beaches. However, the police and fire department are fictionally named in this novel. Some places are real, like the Donut Hole, and some are a figment of my imagination.

To my husband,

Carl Hohenstein,

and all the firefighters

at South Walton Fire Department

Chapter One

Samantha Collin’s story

Santa Rosa Beach, FL Thursday 6:36 PM

Just breathe. Stay focused. I said the mantra over and over to calm myself. This wasn’t my first fire, but my heart still beat a thousand beats a minute as I made my way through flames so vivid I thought I was in hell.

I crawled along the hallway gripping the fire hose tightly. The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see past my gloves. I led my crew towards the rear of the building where the victim was last seen.

The angry, orange flames danced up the walls and I could feel the intensity of the heat, even through my protective gear. We should be getting really close. I thought back to what little information dispatch had given us about the fire.

When the call came into the station fifteen minutes earlier, I thought it would be a small fire. Quick, get in, get out. But this was a doozy. Campbell’s Farmers Market was totally engulfed in flames when we arrived. According to dispatch, the owner’s son was last seen in his office at the warehouse.

I pictured the layout of the market in my head. I’d been to Campbell’s many times to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for my family. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be crawling on my hands and knees in the dark trying to find my way around.

Moving through the dense smoke, I lead the crew to the office which was supposed to be straight ahead. My knees ached badly and I desperately wanted to stop and take a break. But I knew every second counted when a person was missing.

At last I found what I thought was the door to the office. I stopped and felt the door before pushing it open. The smoke was not as heavy in here as it was on the main floor. I slowly made my way around the office and motioned to Kevin and Mack, the guys on my crew, to look around the desk. I felt around the floor and found something hard near the back of the door. I called out to Mack and showed him the body. “Command. Occupant located. We’re heading out. Conditions are worsening,” I spoke into the radio.

Mack and Kevin carried him out while I followed close behind holding the line. I heard a loud noise and turned around to look. It was hard to see with all of the heavy smoke, but in the distance I saw a sliver of light. What the hell was that?

When we got within a few feet of the front door, I noticed something was out of place. At first, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Was that someone standing in the distance?

I needed to get closer to get a better look. It was now or never. I checked to see if the crew and victim were safely outside. When I turned back around, I saw a figure heading towards the rear of the building. I knew it was against protocol, but I made a split second decision to follow. I made my way back through heavy smoke. The air tank suddenly beeped, sending out a signal I was running low.

I could barely make out who it was, but as I got closer I realized the person had firefighter gear on. I quickened my pace, bumping into furniture and equipment trying to catch up. I tripped over something and landed hard on my side. Within a couple of minutes I heard the frantic call through my radio.

“Mayday!” Command called in a desperate tone. “One firefighter unaccounted for. Mayday!”

My last thought was of Bella and Gracie, my sweet little girls, before the roof collapsed into a fiery crash all around me.

Chapter Two

Miami, FL Monday 8:30 AM

The office for Florida Omni Search was located a block off the beach in Miami. Rachel Scott, the founder of the company, had converted an old souvenir shop into their office.

She walked through the door juggling her briefcase with one hand, and three coffees and a bag of bagels in the other. “Good morning, everyone,” Rachel said with a smile. She dropped everything onto the reception desk.

“Coffee. You’re my savior,” said Janine.

“Good morning, Ms. Scott,” Red Cooper said as he reached into the white bakery bag and pulled out a bagel.

“I forgot to pick up a new coffee maker this weekend. I was too busy doing nothing,” Rachel said.

“I don’t blame you. After the hellish month we’ve had, you deserved a break,” Janine said.

Janine Jensen was the co-founder of Florida Omni Search and Rachel’s closest friend. She was a few years older than Rachel and wore her wavy hair shoulder-length. She had a hippie look and favored long skirts with flip-flops year ‘round.

Rachel had been travelling the last month on two back-to-back difficult searches for missing people. It kept her mind busy and her karma bank account full.

“Anything come in over the weekend?” Rachel inquired. She took a sip of her caramel flavored latte, savoring the sweet taste and the hit of caffeine.

Florida Omni Search was a search and rescue company which specialized in finding missing people. It was a non-profit organization that was manned twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The toll- free hotline was run by volunteers. They took calls from law enforcement agencies and family members requesting assistance in finding missing persons.

“We only had a couple of calls. One was for a runaway teen from Orlando, but she was found safe and sound with her boyfriend. They were found at a hotel about an hour away from home. The other call you may want to look at. A firefighter was reported missing from Santa Rosa Beach,” Red said while looking at the call log.

Red Cooper was her top investigator at Florida Omni Search. His real name was Winston, but he earned the nickname Red during his childhood because of his thick, curly red hair. These days Red was short, beefy and bald. He was also an ex-cop from Miami PD, divorced three times, no kids, and an avid collector of Harley Davidson motorcycles. He ran Cooper Investigations out of the Florida Omni Search offices and in exchange for free rent, worked on all of Rachel’s cases when she needed assistance. He was a jack of all trades – background checks, surveillance, and sometimes, body guard. Rachel had known Red for a long time and trusted him with her life.

“Santa Rosa Beach is up in the North Florida Panhandle right? Near Panama City Beach?”

“Yes. It’s about a twelve hour drive from here.”

“Who called it in?” Rachel asked while flipping through the call log. Most calls were routine. Runaway teenagers usually topped the list, followed by adults who were thought to be missing, but turned up a couple days later. Some calls were from law enforcement agencies. It wasn’t uncommon for the FBI or other agencies to request assistance. She worked with some pretty high profile cases and had sophisticated equipment most agencies didn’t have the budget for.

“This came in from the missing firefighter’s mother. According to her, the daughter was on duty when a call came in for a warehouse fire. She went into the building with her crew to search for a victim and during the rescue, she disappeared. The roof collapsed and she was presumed dead,” Red told her. “But here is the kicker. Her body was never found.”

“When did this happen?”

“The fire was Thursday evening. The firefighter’s mom, Nora, called us on Sunday. There is a little more to the story and I think you should hear it from her,” Red said as he handed her the number.

“Here’s to a busy morning!” Janine said, raising her coffee cup.

“Enjoy. I’ll be in my office,” Rachel said.

Rachel’s office was covered with artwork and letters from children of family members she helped find. She found artwork motivated her more than any other motivational poster – like the ones she had in her former real estate office.

She had come a long way from the days when she was a Miami socialite and real estate mogul. Back then, her days were filled with multi-million dollar business deals, nightly parties and shopping. She was always dressed to the nines in outfits such as Dolce and Gabbana, Tori Burch, and Gucci. She had weekly manicures and facials, and visits to the hair salon. It had cost thousands of dollars a month to maintain her lifestyle.

It took the disappearance of her three-year-old daughter Mallory to change all that. The day she vanished was the day Rachel’s life changed forever.

Chapter Three

Rachel replayed the morning Mallory disappeared. Just like she did every day. That day was hectic. The nanny who normally cared for Mallory called in sick. Rachel was trying to close a big real estate deal which involved a commercial piece of property. If it closed successfully she would net a ninety thousand dollar commission. Her husband Rick owned several luxury car dealerships throughout Florida and was on his way out of town.

After breakfast, she quickly got Mallory dressed. Mallory insisted on wearing her princess costume complete with tiara and little high- heeled shoes. Everyone always told Rachel that Mallory looked like a miniature Little Mermaid with her long curly red hair and bigger-than-life emerald green eyes. It was a beautiful day so she took Mallory outside to play. While Mallory was playing with her dolls on the front lawn, Rachel sat on the porch crunching numbers, trying to find a way to save the deal.

Mallory kept asking over and over, “Mommy, will you please come play with me.”

“Baby, Mommy is busy working. In a little while, okay?”

“Please, Mommy. I’ll let you be the princess if you want.” Mallory pleaded.

“In a few minutes, honey. Let me finish this. Okay?”

Mallory poked her lower lip out. “Please?”

She heard her phone ringing inside. “Mallory, I’ll be right back.” She ran inside to answer it. It was probably Rick calling to say he made it to the airport. She was only gone a couple of minutes. When she came back outside, Mallory was gone.

Frantically she looked everywhere for Mallory. Front yard, inside the house, back yard, garage, and up and down the street. Everywhere. No Mallory. Her world came crashing down all around her.

That’s all it took. Two minutes and her daughter vanished. No leads, no witnesses, nothing. It was like she fell off the face of the earth.

Weeks later, when the story got hot and received national attention, all the wacky leads came in. The police followed up on as many as they deemed reasonable. It wasn’t enough for Rachel. Mallory was never found.

She felt the guilt of not spending enough time with Mallory. She cursed herself for not paying attention the morning she was taken. Rachel’s obsession with finding Mallory took a toll on her marriage. Rick eventually moved out and their divorce soon followed.

Rachel took all her anger and grief and turned into a positive thing. She would never stop looking for Mallory, but she realized she had the money and resources to help find other missing people.

After a year of putting together her team – forensic experts, experienced search and rescue volunteers, and top investigators – she started Florida Omni Search. Now, three years later, she had located over a hundred missing children and adults. She rarely turned down a case and would help just about anyone who needed her. With over 2300 Americans, including children, reported missing every day, how could she not?

Rachel sat down at her desk and picked up a picture of her and Mallory she kept in a silver frame. The picture was taken at Disney World the year Mallory disappeared. They were standing in front of Cinderella’s castle and Rachel was holding Mallory in her arms. Mallory was wearing her pink tutu and was eating an ice cream cone. She had chocolate sauce dripping down her little arm and a huge smile on her face. Rachel had tears in her eyes as she put down the photo. She hardly recognized the woman in the picture. The woman she used to be. The beautiful, well put-together woman with long auburn hair that hung straight and shiny down her back and makeup that was always perfect. Staring at the picture, she longed to hold Mallory again in her arms. “I will always, always look for you. I will never give up.” She repeated those words every day as she looked at her daughter’s smiling face. She missed her little girl so much it physically hurt.

She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath as she refocused her energy on helping the missing firefighter. She dialed the number on the paper Red gave her, and after several rings, a child answered the phone.

“Hello. This is Rachel. May I speak to Nora?” The phone clunked down with a clatter. After a few seconds, Nora picked up.

“Hello?”

“Nora, this is Rachel Scott from Florida Omni Search. I’m returning your call about Samantha.”

“Oh, Ms. Scott.” Nora cried on the phone. “Thank you so much for calling me back. I’ve seen you on that TV show about missing people. I hope you can help me find my daughter, Samantha. I just know something bad happened to her.”

“I will help you in any way I can, Nora. Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Rachel leaned back into her chair and listened to Nora’s bizarre story.

Chapter Four

After speaking with Nora about her daughter’s strange disappearance, Rachel committed herself to finding Sam. Before she headed up to Santa Rosa Beach, she wanted to find out everything she could about the case. She ran a Google search which came up with an article that was posted under “breaking local news” in the Walton Sun newspaper that morning.

FIRE DESTROYS CAMPBELL’S FARMERS MARKET

ONE FIREFIGHTER DECLARED MISSING

Firefighters at Santa Rosa Beach Fire Department responded to a fire at Campbell’s Farmers Market Thursday night.

Fire Chief Glen Toomey said the twenty-five thousand square foot warehouse housed the farmer’s market caught fire around 6:30 pm. The owner’s son was reported to be trapped inside. Lt. Samantha Collins and her crew were the first to respond and went inside to locate the victim. After the victim was found, the firefighters pulled him from the building. It was then noticed Lt. Collins was missing. A mayday call was quickly sent out with no response from Lt. Collins. A few moments later, the roof collapsed.

Firefighters and investigators have searched the rubble and the surrounding area, but Lt. Collins has not been found. Her firefighter helmet, however, was discovered in the rear parking lot. A source close to the investigation said the police department is stumped. They do not know what happened to Lt. Collins.

In an interesting twist, her husband, Ken Collins, the former captain of Santa Rosa Beach Police Department, was arrested two months ago for running a marijuana growing operation out of his property. Samantha was to testify at his trial later this week.

Charges were filed against Samantha Collins in the case, but were later dropped when no evidence could be found that she knew about the grow operation. Samantha’s mom, Nora Prince, does not believe Samantha would intentionally leave her children, ages four and six. Nora was watching her grandchildren while Samantha worked her regular shift at the fire department.

“Something happened to my daughter. She wouldn’t leave her kids. She was worried about what was going to happen if Ken was convicted and sent to prison. But she is a strong person and was planning on going to his trial to show support.”

Samantha’s best friend, Tammie Knowles, repeated the same sentiment.

“Sam would never run from her problems. She was concerned about money and wondered how she would support her and the kids without Ken, but she was working it out. She would never leave them at a time like this.”

Santa Rosa Beach authorities are considering Lt. Samantha Collins a "missing and endangered adult.” Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Rosa Beach police department.

The news article confirmed everything Nora had told her. Rachel emerged from her office to find Janine at the front desk. She was training a new volunteer to answer the phone.

“Janine, I’m going to drive up to Santa Rosa Beach after lunch. Will you find out what volunteers we have up there and put them on standby? Also, I’ll need the number for the fire marshal’s office. I want to call them on the way and set up a meeting for when I get there.”

“Ok, I’m on it. Red just left to run some errands, but he can help out when he gets back.” Janine grabbed her notepad to take notes. “What about Peter and Rankin? You want them to go with you?”

Peter Moore and Rankin Smartz were part of her search team and usually went on all search and rescue cases with Rachel.

“Just let them know what’s going on. I’ll call as soon as I meet with investigators and get a better handle on the case. This is not going to be your run-of-the-mill disappearance case. I can feel it.” Rachel gave her the details of the conversation she had with Nora and what information she gleaned from the news article.

“Are you taking Maggie with you?” Janine asked. Maggie was a black lab Rachel had since she was a puppy. She bought Maggie for her daughter on her second birthday. Maggie was her only companion since Mallory’s disappearance. She rarely went anywhere without her.

“Not this time. I was hoping she could stay with you and Jack,” Rachel said, smiling hopefully. Jack was Janine’s ten-year-old and he absolutely adored Maggie.

“Of course,” Janine said, smiling. “Jack has been missing her lately.” Jack was abducted by Janine’s husband when he was two years old after a nasty custody battle. Rachel was still dealing with the loss of her own daughter and had seen the news about Jack’s disappearance. She reached out to Janine and together they helped track down Jack and his father. They formed a tight bond and opened up Florida Omni Search together. Janine had a drive and determination equal to Rachel’s.

“I’m going home to pack, so call me on the cell with the information when you get it. Pretty please,” Rachel said.

“Bossy,” Janine replied back.

“You know you love it.”

“Do you need me to make hotel arrangements for you?”

“No, I already took care of that. I’m going to stay at a rental house my friend Michelle Couch owns. You remember Michelle?”

“Sure. You guys went to FSU together.”

“That’s right. She’s a psychologist and lives near Santa Rosa Beach. Thankfully she owns a few rental properties in the area and graciously offered to let me stay at one. I’ll call you with the address and number when I get there.” Rachel gave Janine a hug goodbye.

They had a great working relationship. Janine had full custody of Jack now, so she rarely travelled with Rachel. She had years of administrative experience and was better equipped to run the office. On the other hand, Rachel liked to get out and meet people. She also had an amazing sixth sense and had a knack for knowing what made people tick. The arrangement worked well for them.

Rachel walked back to the parking lot and unlocked her truck. It was another change in her life. She had traded in her black, 7 series BMW for a black four-wheel drive Tahoe. She climbed in and headed home.

Rachel actually had two homes. When Mallory went missing she couldn’t bear to sell her house. In the back of her mind, she felt one day Mallory would come back home. And she didn’t want strangers living there if that happened. So she kept it empty except for a live-in maid and her husband, who was the maintenance man. One day she knew she would have to sell. It didn’t make sense to put over a hundred grand in maintenance and taxes to keep a house she would never live in again. Her second home was a cute Florida bungalow near the beach. It was three bedrooms. One for her, an office, and a guest bedroom. She had a small pool, hot tub, and a nice yard for Maggie. She was rarely home, so it suited her nicely. And it was a quick drive from the office.

It didn’t take Rachel long to get everything she needed for the trip. She always kept a suitcase packed since she travelled on the road quite a bit. Ever since Mallory disappeared, her longing to help others got stronger.

Rachel heard her phone beep, letting her know she had a text message. She checked her Blackberry. Janine had sent the phone numbers she needed to get started with the case.

She called the fire marshal’s office to make an appointment with the lead investigator, Jeff Stanton. Jeff said he was familiar with her work. Rachel Scott and Florida Omni Search made national headlines when they were involved in finding Amber Knowles, the only daughter of Florida governor, John Knowles. They agreed to meet at his office the next morning at eight a.m.

She threw everything in the back of her Tahoe and went inside to get Maggie and her things. When she took Maggie to Janine’s, she always packed extra food and toys in case she was gone longer than she expected. She grabbed the bag of Science Diet dog food and reached into the wicker basket for Maggie’s favorite squeaky toys. The purple dinosaur, a yellow duck, and a red plastic ball all went into a baggie.

Maggie sat watching Rachel with great interest, her thick black tail wagging. Her tail was so long and heavy it would probably be illegal in some states. One unintentional whip of her tail would leave a bruise on someone’s leg.

The loyal black lab jumped in the Tahoe. Rachel rubbed Maggie on top of her head. “Good girl. You’re going to Jack’s house for a few days. Aren’t you a lucky girl?”

Maggie gave a cheerful bark.

Chapter Five

Santa Rosa Beach, FL Monday 10:30 AM

Ken Collins paced in his eight by ten jail cell thinking how fucked up his life had become in such a short amount of time. He reflected back to just a few days ago when he got the worst news of his life.

“Get up, Ken. You got a visitor.” The prison guard rapped on his cell.

Ken threw his legs over the top bunk and jumped down. He wasn’t expecting anyone. His lawyer came by every Tuesday like clockwork to discuss his case. But today was Friday. He wondered what was up. Ken walked with the guard down the long hallway towards the visitor’s room. However, the guard kept walking.

“Where are we going?” Ken asked, puzzled since they past the visitor’s room.

The guard kept walking in silence.

“I thought I had a visitor,” Ken mumbled as they kept walking, going through two security doors. They stopped in front of the warden’s office.

What the hell, Ken thought. This could be really good or really bad. The warden wasn’t known for having social visits.

The guard rapped on the door and opened up. “Ken Collins,” the guard announced as he opened the door.

“Thank you. You can leave,” the warden said to the guard. “Ken, please, have a seat.” The warden gestured to a chair across from his desk.

Buster Radcliffe, the nameplate read on the putty-colored metal desk.

“Ken, I know you are wondering what you are doing here,” Buster began.

Ken nodded his head.

“Well, you do have visitors, but before you see them I wanted to talk to you first.” Buster straightened up in his chair. He was six-foot- five and even though he was on the skinny side, he was solid muscle. With thick red hair and a smattering of freckles across his face, he looked a lot younger than his fifty-four years. Ken thought he looked like Howdy Doody.

Buster and Ken had a long friendship which started when Ken was promoted to Captain at the police department. Ken sent many men to this same jail. They had appeared in court together. They were both members of the local Kiwanis and Rotary club. They ran in the same social circles. Yet Buster treated Ken like any other prisoner. He acted like he never existed outside the prison walls.

“Ok,” Ken said. He was a man of few words.

“There is no easy way to say it. Your wife has disappeared.”

Ken came out of his chair. “What?”

“There was a fire last night over at the farmer’s market and Sam and her crew responded. They were inside the warehouse trying to find the owner’s son. After they pulled him out, Sam went back in.” Buster paused. “There was an explosion.”

Ken’s face drained of color. “But I thought you said she disappeared?” He had trouble getting the words out. “Is she hurt?”

“I don’t know. They found her helmet outside the back door of the warehouse. The state fire marshal’s office is still investigating. They searched the warehouse, she wasn’t found. Police Chief Gladstone is here to see you and he can tell you more about what happened. Your lawyer is present, as well. I wanted to let you know what was going on before you met with them.”

Ken slowly sat back down in his chair. “Thank you.” He didn’t know why he said that. His beautiful wife was missing and he was in jail and couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

A million thoughts went through his head. Sam left him, was his first thought. She couldn’t take the strain of his trial, all the mounting bills and pressure of the investigation. So she just got up and left. That was the best-case scenario because it meant she was alive. Or, someone was out for revenge and Samantha was hurt, or worse.

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” Buster got up from his chair and walked over to the door. He gave Ken a hardy pat on the back. “Good luck, son.”

Ken followed the same guard back down the same hallway they had just walked from ten minutes ago. This time the guard stopped at the visitor’s room. It was a large, surprisingly clean and bright room with many tables and chairs. A large box of toys sat in the corner, along with a small bookcase which held children’s books and magazines. Ken never wanted his children to see him in a place like this. He asked Sam and her mother not to bring them here. He would rather they remember him as a good dad. Not a common criminal.

He recognized his former boss sitting next to his attorney.

“Ken, I’m sorry about Samantha,” Chief Gladstone said.

Suzette Breland, his attorney, nodded in agreement. “We are all shocked by the news. I take it the warden gave you the story?”

“Yes, he just did. Some of it. What happened?” Ken felt a numbness come over him as he sat down at the table. .

Chief Gladstone went through the events the night of fire. “No one knows why Samantha went back into the fire. We did a search last night and again at daybreak around the area of the warehouse. Nothing was found, except Sam’s helmet. But we are still investigating. Your mother- in- law came to the scene this morning. She is obviously very upset. She said she was going to call Florida Omni Search to assist with the search.”

The chief took a long look at Ken. He wore the standard issue gray prison uniform with a white t-shirt underneath. His hair was brown with gray streaked throughout – kept clean and short, military style. His face was graced with wrinkles and his eyes were the color of iced tea. Light brown with golden hues. He was obviously visibly shaken.

“When was the last time you spoke to Sam?” Chief Gladstone asked.

“Tuesday. She came for visitation with her.” He pointed his thumb toward his lawyer, Suzette.

“We went over her testimony for the trial,” Suzette said, picking at her nails. She had painted them a bright pink color which matched the bright pink highlight piece in her hair. She dressed a little promiscuous, but she had the reputation of a bulldog in the courtroom. She didn’t take no for an answer and fought like hell for all her clients.

“How did she sound to you?” Chief Gladstone asked.

“Like always. She was a little stressed about the trial and about money. But she seemed to be holding up pretty good.” Ken sighed.

“She didn’t mention wanting to leave the area or get away from it all?”

“No, absolutely not. She wouldn’t leave the kids,” Ken said. “What are you getting at? That she was planning on leaving us?”

“I’m just trying to cover all the bases, Ken. You know how this works.”

“Well, I’m telling you she wouldn’t leave. Sam doesn’t run away from her problems.”

“How about threats? Anyone been threatening her?”

Ken shook his head. “You mean the local drug cartel?”

“Anyone at all.”

“No. I don’t know she would tell me if she felt threatened by anyone. Sam tries to be the tough one. And she wouldn’t want me to worry about anything while I’m in here, anyway.”

“How about you? Have you gotten any threats while in here?”

“I haven’t exactly been making friends,” Ken said smugly.

“Ok. If you think of anything else, let me know.”Chief Gladstone looked Ken over for a few seconds. “I’m really sorry about this, Ken. I know how much you care for your family.”

Ken nodded his head. “Thanks.”

“I’m going to talk to the judge today to see if we can get a postponement,” Suzette said. She pushed her chair back and stood up. Today she was wearing a tight blouse with a short, dark skirt which showed off all her assets in all the right places. Ken wondered how she got away with dressing like that in the courtroom. It just suited her perfectly, though. “In light of everything that has happened, I don’t think it will be a problem.” She told him goodbye and left the room.

“Ok. If we are done here…” Ken said.

“I’ll be in touch, son.” Chief Gladstone said as he got up to leave.

Chapter Six

Santa Rosa Beach, FL Tuesday 6:00 AM

After a long, twelve hour drive from Miami to Santa Rosa Beach, Rachel had a hard time getting up and ready for her meeting. Michelle set her up with a nice beach house overlooking the beautiful sugar sand beaches and crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. She wanted to stay in bed listening to the waves crashing and the calls of the seagulls.

Santa Rosa Beach was a small coastal town which was home to about ten thousand people year around. During the summer tourist season, the population soared to about fifty thousand, give or take a few people. Most people who lived here were either retired or serviced the tourist industry – fishermen, hotel workers, restaurant employees, real estate agents, and kitschy clothing and gift boutique shops owners.

She drove over to a popular local diner called the Donut Hole to grab a cup of coffee before her meeting with the fire investigator. The waitress took her order of French toast and bacon and she settled in to read the paper. The Walton Sun had run a full length feature about Samantha and the warehouse fire. Rachel read the highlights of the article again.

“Hi. Excuse me, but are you Rachel Scott?”

Rachel looked up from the newspaper. She studied the man standing before her. He was tall, good looking with thick, dark hair and kind eyes. She put him to be around mid to late thirties.

“Yes. And you are?”

“I thought I recognized you from the news shows about missing people. Samantha’s mom said you might be coming up here to help us.” He held out his hand to her. “Mack Dixon.”

She instantly recognized his name from the article she just read. “Ah, Samantha’s partner from the fire department.” Rachel shook his hand. “I was reading about the case in the paper. Please have a seat.” Rachel motioned to the chair across from her.

“Sorry to disturb your breakfast, but I just wanted to say hello and see if there was anything I could do to help.” Mack sat down. “Sam is not only a co-worker but a good friend of mine.”

“Sorry to hear what happened.” Rachel paused while the waitress sat down her food and offered Mack some coffee. “I’m meeting with Jeff Stanton this morning to go over the particulars of the case. Anything you can tell me about Sam would help.”

“Sam and I are close. We’ve known each other since grade school. Her husband and I are also good friends. I was best man at their wedding.” Mack let out a deep breath. “I keep going through my head what happened that night and nothing makes sense.”

“What did happen that night?” Rachel asked. “I read a little bit in the paper, but it doesn’t tell me much.”

“Well, all day long Sam seemed a little distracted. She had gotten a phone call around dinner time that upset her. She didn’t want to talk about it when I asked if she was okay. There isn’t a lot of privacy at the fire station. I just figured it was Ken. His trial was scheduled to start this week and she was going to testify.”

Rachel chewed absently on her thumbnail. It was a bad habit she picked up recently when she was deep in thought. “Do you think Ken’s involvement with marijuana had anything to do with her disappearance?”

“I hope not. It does seem a coincidence Sam disappeared right around the time his trial was supposed to start. I have thought about it.”

“Did you get a chance to talk with her again?”

“No, we got the call about the warehouse fire just a few minutes later.”

“How many were on your shift?”

“Five, including me. Sam is the lieutenant and we had Charlie Bryne, the district chief and two other firefighters on duty that night.”

Rachel pointed down to the newspaper she was reading. “The paper doesn’t tell me much. Maybe you can you walk me through what happened. Give me a better understanding on how she disappeared?”

“Ok. Well, we arrived on scene in less than five minutes. The owner was there waiting for us. He was the one that called it in. Apparently, his son was late for the family dinner they had every Sunday. His dad went back to the market when his son didn’t answer his calls. The son is diabetic and he got worried something happened to him. By the time he got to the market, the smoke was too thick for him to attempt to enter the building. Our crew went in to help find his son while the rest of the guys started pulling hoses to put out the fire.” Mack paused to take a few sips of his coffee.

While Mack was drinking, Rachel took the time to admire his athletic build. He was a good looking guy. She could easily imagine him posing for one of those firefighter calendars which featured bare-chested men with nothing on but bunker gear pants and suspenders.

Mack continued. “Sam went in first and Kevin and I were right behind her. We made our way to where the office was located. After we found the son and pulled him out, I turned around to talk to Sam and she wasn’t there. I tried calling on the radio, but she didn’t answer. I alerted the chief to the situation, but by the time we called out a ‘mayday’, the roof started collapsing. I didn’t think she had made it.” Mack rubbed his face with his hands.

Rachel could tell he was devastated. Tears were welling up in his eyes.

“It was like losing my best friend.”

She thought about it for a minute and took a sip of her coffee. Her breakfast went untouched. Mack’s story was mesmerizing. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “Do you know how the fire started?”

“No, I don’t know. I’m sure Jeff Stanton can tell you more. I can tell you the fire burned fast and hot, which is typical of an arson fire. Some kind of accelerant was probably used. ” Mack hesitated for a second. “We’ve had our share of arson related fires over the last couple of months, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it was ruled as arson.”

“Do they know who started the arson fires?”

“No. It’s still under investigation. Again, I think Jeff can give you more insight than I can.”

Rachel looked down at her watch. “I have a meeting with him in about fifteen minutes so I should get going. Do you mind if I call you later?”

Mack wrote down his number on a piece of paper. “Good luck with your meeting.” He handed her the paper. “I hope you find Sam. She is special to a lot of people.”

Chapter Seven

Rachel walked into the Santa Rosa Beach Fire Marshal’s office at eight o’clock sharp. She told the receptionist Jeff Stanton was expecting her.

The receptionist replied warmly, “Of course. Just take this hallway down to the end. He is the last office on the left.”

As Rachel walked down the hallway, she couldn’t help but notice how nice the offices were. She expected cold, drab décor of other government offices she had visited. Gunmetal gray desks with beat- up file cabinets crossed her mind. Instead she saw solid oak desks with pictures of families in nice frames. The walls were adorned with certificates of achievements and degrees.

She got to Investigator Jeff Stanton’s office and the door was ajar. She knocked twice and poked her head around the door. The first thing that struck her about Jeff was he looked like Will Ferrell. Curly dark hair with blue eyes a little too close to his nose.

“Hi. You must be Rachel Scott,” Jeff said as he stood up from his desk and shook her hand. “Please have a seat.”

“You have a very nice office.”

“Thank you. I inherited most of this from the last investigator. I’ve only been here about six months. Transferred from the Tallahassee office.” Jeff got down to the business at hand. “So you want to help with Samantha Collins case?”

“Yes, I was contacted by the family to see if I could help find her.” Rachel said. “Can you tell me where you are on the investigation?”

“Instead of telling you, why don’t I show you? We can take a ride over to the site and then I’ll tell you what we got so far.”

***

As they drove up to the warehouse, Rachel saw a large wooden sign with Campbell’s Farmer’s Market in big red letters. Underneath, it read Family Owned and Operated For Over Fifty Years. Jagged pieces of the roof were charred and the smell of smoke still hung in the air. Two yellow forklifts and a bulldozer were parked along the edge of the parking lot.

“You wouldn’t know it, but we have a lot of rural farms within a hundred miles of the beach. Most of them contract with Campbell’s to sell their produce and goods. It’s really busy during tourist season and weekends. Been around for a long time,” Jeff said. “The front of the market has stalls vendors can lease. The back of the warehouse has two offices and a large storage area.”

“It’s so sad to see it burned down.”

As they got out and looked around, Jeff said, “It took over twenty firefighters and five hours to put out the fire. The fire was fueled by various materials stored in the warehouse. Four stations responded to the call.”

“How large is the warehouse?”

“It’s approximately twenty-five thousand square feet and includes the offices and storage space.”

“This is the main entrance?” Rachel asked pointing to the door.

“Yes. Sam was last seen here when they pulled out the owner’s son. We believe she somehow made it to the rear entrance before disappearing.” Jeff shook his head. “Strange. We have no idea what happened to her.”

“Was any of her gear found?” Rachel asked.

“Just her helmet was found in the rear parking lot. It’s like she vanished into thin air.”

That was how most people responded to her questions about missing loved ones. ‘They just vanished into thin air’ was a common response.

Rachel followed Jeff around to the back of the warehouse. “Have you searched the woods here?” Rachel pointed to the large empty lot behind the warehouse, thick with trees and underbrush.

“The police department came out Sunday with a couple of their search and rescue dogs, but they didn’t turn up anything.”

“Have you talked with any of the neighbors?” Rachel noted the warehouse had a residence to the west, an empty lot to the east, and a convenience store across the street.

“We interviewed the neighbors next door and the clerk who was on duty at the convenience store the night of the fire. No one remembers seeing anything unusual.”

“Take me through what happened that night,” Rachel said. Even though she had heard the story first from Nora, then from Mack, she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss anything. Every detail was critical.

“The call went out around 6:30pm. Sam’s crew was the first to respond. Because the owner said he thought his son, Mike, was in the building, they went in first. Sam found Mike on the floor behind the door of his office. Mack and Kevin dragged him out the front door, which is about a thousand feet from the office. When Mike was pulled out, they started performing CPR on him. Mack turned around to speak to Sam and she wasn’t there. He took a quick look inside the front door and didn’t see her anywhere. He immediately put in a mayday call. Then the first explosion hit and the roof collapsed.”

Mack’s story matched with the investigators, she thought. “How long was it until someone searched the rear of the building?” Rachel asked.

“The district chief was first on scene with Station 3. He took an initial drive around the building when they first arrived. He didn’t remember seeing anything out of the ordinary. When Sam and her crew went in to locate the victim, the chief stayed with the pump operator in front of the warehouse. The fire department had two other trucks that came in to assist with the fire. They arrived after the first explosion.”

“I met Mack Dixon this morning. He was at the diner where I was having breakfast. He mentioned you had some fires lately which were ruled as arson.”

“We’ve been investigating a possible arsonist for the last couple months,” Jeff confirmed.

“You think the same person started the warehouse fire?”

“It’s too early to make that assumption. We’re still waiting on the lab to come back with test results and it takes awhile.”

“What does your gut tell you?”

“Off the record…this could be the work of the same person who set fire to a couple of properties last month. The first fire was a beach house, thankfully vacant. It was fully involved by the time firefighters got there. The arsonist pried a door open and then used gasoline as an accelerant.”

“And the second one?”

“That was at Nick’s Seafood restaurant out on the beach highway. There were similarities between the two fires. The restaurant was closed for the night and the fire was started after midnight. Same thing…the back door was pried opened and gasoline was used as an accelerant.”

“Did Sam work those other fires?”

“Well, that is the interesting thing. All the fires were on Sam’s shift. Coincidence? I don’t know. But whoever set those fires either didn’t know what they were doing or were just being plain careless. Gas is an easily traceable accelerant,” Jeff explained. “It’s not uncommon, especially in this economy, for people to set their property on fire to collect insurance or get out from under the debt. There are other accelerants which can be used that are harder to detect. This person didn’t know what kind of accelerant to use or just didn’t care.”

“And the owners of the properties checked out okay?”

“Yep. The vacant house was paid for and the owner didn’t have any debt or any motive to have started the fire. The owners of the restaurant, though, were mortgaged to the hilt. But, we didn’t find any evidence to point to their involvement either.”

“How did the arsonist gain access again?”

“They broke in through a back door in both cases. We’re awaiting matches to the tool marks on all the cases. After the warehouse fire, I put a rush on it. Sometimes it takes awhile for forensics to come back with results. I should hear something soon.”

“No fingerprints or any other evidence left at the crime scene?” Rachel asked.

“Nope, not so far. I’m meeting with police chief Gladstone tomorrow to go over the case file. I’ll let you know what we come up with.”

They walked to the front of the warehouse and stood in front his truck. Rachel took a camera out of her pocket. “Do you mind if

I take some pictures?”

“Sure. Go right ahead.”

While she took some shots around the front of the warehouse, she asked him, “I read the article about Sam’s husband, Ken Collins, and his involvement in the marijuana operation. It seems like Sam was under a lot of pressure with the trial and everything else that was going on. Do you think she saw an opportunity to run?”

“We have thought about that scenario, as well.”

“She could’ve waited for an opportunity and took off. A risky one, but it could have happened. I have seen all kinds.” Rachel took a few more pictures of the charred building.

“Have you talked with Sam’s family yet?” Jeff asked.

“Actually, that is my next stop.”

Chapter Eight

Santa Rosa Beach, County Jail, Tuesday 9:30 AM

Ken lay on his bunk and stared at the ceiling in his jail cell. He couldn’t believe Sam was missing. It was his fault and there was nothing he could do about it. He had never felt so helpless in his life.

He thought back to the day when his life began to unravel. It started as a routine traffic stop. He was training a new guy with the police department and it was midnight, almost the end of their shift. They had pulled over a guy driving a late model Camaro with a broken tail light.

His trainee approached the car and after speaking with the driver, thought he smelled marijuana. The driver of the car was a nineteen year old male named Jason Blum. Jason had admitted he smoked a joint prior to being pulled over.

After a search of the car revealed several bags of marijuana in the trunk, Jason was arrested. Deals were struck with Jason and he was given immunity in order to disclose his source. The sting operation, which included the police, sheriff’s office, and DEA, was the largest in the county. It ultimately ended with the arrest of Pedro Gonzalez, who was a part of the local Mexican drug cartel. They had been growing a strain of marijuana called Cush, which was popular with teenagers and college students. Cush was known to give a quick and long-lasting high. It was expensive to grow, expensive to buy, but the high it gave the user was worth the cost.

One night Ken and his buddies were sitting around a fire in his backyard drinking beer and talking about the sting operation. Paul Hart, a firefighter who worked with Sam, said he’d watched a show on Discovery Channel about how to manufacture marijuana. Ken mentioned to Paul how much money was confiscated during Pedro’s arrest.

“That’s a lot of moola. I wonder who will take over the local marijuana market now that Pedro is out?” Paul asked.

“Maybe you should look into it. You could finance your little real estate endeavor.” Brent, one of Ken’s buddies said.

Paul was trying to save up his money to put a down payment on a fixer-upper he planned to flip. “No way. I don’t know anything about that stuff,” he said.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but thirty K a month profit would help me out,” Ken said. “I could learn fast how to do it if I knew I was going to make that much money.”

Ken made a decent salary at the police department and Sam was doing well at the fire department, but with the high cost of living in a beach community, they were realistically just making ends meet. With two kids to raise and now a second mortgage on the land, it was tempting.

After his buddies left, Ken couldn’t get the idea out of his head. He got on the computer and researched the equipment needed to get started growing marijuana. He was amazed at all the websites which were dedicated on how to grow and manufacture marijuana for profit.

It was very tempting to try it out. At first he thought of it as an experiment to see if he could get the plants to grow and produce a viable product. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to get started. Once he got a private post office box, he ordered the seeds and special lights for indoor growing through one of the websites. He didn’t want his wife or anyone else to find out what he was doing. Finding the perfect place to grow the marijuana was easy too – he had a nice, large pole barn on his fifteen acres of land. His wife never went out there and it was practically hidden from view with all the trees.

Within a few months, he had produced a viable plant to harvest. Now he just needed to figure out how to market the product. That was the tricky part. One wrong move could land him in jail.

One night he called Paul and invited him over. He wasn’t sure how Paul would react because they hadn’t talked much about it since that first night. He had known Paul since they were teenagers and sometimes Paul could be a little unpredictable at times. But Ken didn’t know anyone else who had the money to invest in such a big operation. After a few beers, Ken brought the subject up again.

“Hey, I have something to show you. Want to take a walk?” Ken asked.

“Um, sure buddy. As long as it involves keeping your clothes on,” Paul said.

“Come on, smart ass. It’s in the pole barn.”

As they walked along the trail which led to the barn, Ken asked him, “Remember the drug bust I did, back a few months ago?”

“Yes, the local Mexican mafia. Sure I remember. You got some of those guys hog-tied back in the barn?”

“Nope, something better.” Ken unlocked the door and they walked into the barn.

“Don’t tell me you are starting your own little grow operation back here.”

Ken switched on a light. The florescent lighting gave off an eerie, green glow. Three large rectangular pots filled with blooming, sweet smelling plants, sat in the middle of a long table. He could hear Paul swear under his breath

“What… the…hell?” Paul asked.

“It’s just a little experiment. These plants are maturing and I’ve already harvested one. Look over here.” Ken motioned excitedly to another smaller table. There were three small baggies of what looked like dried herb inside them.

“I sure hope that’s oregano you have in there.” Paul said.

Ken laughed. “I bought some seeds online and started my own little experiment. This is so easy to grow. You wouldn’t believe what they sell online. There is one small problem though.”

“What would that be?”

“I can’t test it. You know…random drug tests at the department. It wouldn’t look good if I was tested and came up positive.”

“Don’t look at me buddy. You know I’m in the same situation. Are you really thinking of doing what I think you are doing?”

“Maybe. I dunno.” Ken shrugged his shoulders. “It seems like a good way to make some serious dough. And think about it. I’m a trusted officer at the police department. I know first-hand when a raid is going down. This is almost idiot proof.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

“To get started, I need a few thousand dollars for more seeds and equipment. I figure we could produce enough plants to net about fifty grand every couple of months.”

“I don’t know, Ken. Have you really thought this out? Who are you gonna sell too?”

Ken had thought about this for awhile. He had a plan worked out in his head. After arresting Jason and the rest of the drug cartel, he found out how the system worked and thought he could replicate it, but with better results. And less chance of getting caught.

“I’m going to sell to Jason Blum. He was the middleman who worked with Pedro. He was let off with probation as part of the sting.”

Paul looked at Ken with disbelief. “You really think that’s a smart thing to do?”

“Sure. We cut him in. He has all the contacts with the small time distributors. What else is the kid going to do? He knows no other trade other than selling dope,” Ken said, like it was all easy street.

“Sound like you really researched this. How do I fit in?” Paul asked. Before Ken could answer he said, “It better not be what I’m thinking.”

“I need seed money. Literally. About ten thousand dollars to get us started. We split profit fifty-fifty. You put up the money and I’ll take care of everything else. Your hands stay clean.”

“Ten thousand?” Paul looked at him hesitantly. Ken knew he would be a hard sell, but he also knew Paul loved money. Firefighters didn’t make a lot of money and most of them had second and third jobs. This would be an easy, almost fail-proof way to make a buck. And Paul was all about the easy buck.

Paul had a small inheritance from his dad and he once confided in Ken he was going to use part of it as a down payment for a new house. A fixer-upper he found which was a good deal. He was going to try and make extra money flipping houses, just like all those mega-rich real estate agents did.

“You will get it back after the first sell. We are talking six months or less.”

Paul didn’t say anything. He just stared at plants.

“Come on, man. I have two kids, a wife and a good job. I know the risk. You are a single guy – no one depends on you.”

Paul looked hurt at this last comment.

Ken didn’t want to beg, but he knew of no one else who he could trust. “This is a great opportunity. All you have to do is put up the money.”

Paul took a look around at the barn. “What about Sam?”

Ken looked confused. “What about her?”

“Does she know?”

“No. I don’t plan on telling her. She never comes out here. For all she knows, I’m working on building some furniture for the girl’s room.” Ken picked up one of the plants and held it up to the light. “Let’s say we do it for one year and when we make a little money, then you can quit. You’ll get your ten K back with 100 percent interest. You can buy that house you want and sock the rest away for a rainy day.”

“Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you. Let’s go back and finish off that six pack.”

Paul eventually came around and a few months later, they were in business. And now his wife was missing and he just may be the cause of it.

Ken hit his fist against the cinderblock wall and cursed. All because of him, his family was suffering. He would find a way to make it right. He had to.

Chapter Nine

Santa Rosa Beach Tuesday 11:00 AM

Rachel entered the address to Nora’s house into her GPS. After taking several dirt roads off the main highway, she found the place. Nora lived in a double-wide trailer on the outskirts of town. She pulled up to the trailer, anxious to get started. She talked with Janine on the way and gave her the go-ahead to call the police chief to get permission to put together a search around the warehouse. She would need Peter and the rest of the team to head up here. The quicker they found a missing person, the better the chance of a good outcome.

Two women were sitting on a deck in worn lawn chairs sipping drinks. Rachel got out of the truck and walked toward them.

“Be careful of that first step. It’s a little wobbly,” the older lady called out. “You must be Rachel. Thank you so much for coming here. I’m Nora and this here is Tammie.”

Rachel cautiously walked up the stairs onto the deck. It looked like the whole thing could cave in at any second. “Hi. Thanks for meeting me today.”

“Have a seat. I’ll get you some iced tea. It’s hot today,” Nora said in her slow, southern drawl.

Nora looked far beyond her fifty-five years. She had perfectly coiffed, bleached-blonde hair and her face was caked with heavy makeup, despite the heat and humidity. She wore Capri stretch leggings with a long, sleeveless purple tunic top covered with rhinestones which spelled out Beauty Queen.

Rachel sat down on one of the saggy lawn chairs, its plastic fiber frayed around the edges, as Nora went inside to get her drink.

“So you’re here to help find Sam?” Tammie studied Rachel, looking her up and down. “Nora told me all about you.”

“Yes, I’m here to help. You’re a friend of Sam’s?”

Tammie nodded her head. “Sam and I go way back. We’ve been friends since the fourth grade. Anything you need to know about her, I can pretty much tell you.”

“That’s good to know. The more I know about her, the better chance of finding her quickly.”

Nora came back out and handed Rachel the tea, the glass already sweating with tiny beads of water rolling down the side.

“Wasn’t sure if you liked lemon or not. It also has a little mint in it.”

“This is fine, thanks.” She took a sip of the tea. It was delicious, nice and sweet the way her mom made it. There was nothing like sweet iced tea on a hot day summer day.

“Tell me more about Sam.” Rachel said to Nora. “When we spoke on the phone, you said you didn’t think Sam would leave on her own accord. Why do you think that?”

Nora adjusted her heavy frame in the chair and wiped the sweat from her brow with a damp paper towel. “Sam was over here the morning before she went to work. I watch Bella and Gracie while she works at the fire department. That morning, she came a little earlier than usual because she said she wanted to borrow my newspaper and look through the classifieds to see about getting another job.”

“Why was she looking for another job?”

“The fire department put her on probation when she got arrested as an accessory. Even though the charges were dropped, I think the department was waiting on the outcome of Ken’s trial to see what they were going to do with her. She wanted to go ahead and find something part time to help pay the bills and as security just in case. The lawyer fees were costing them a lot of money and they were tapped out. They already took out a couple of loans on the land and the house.”

“What else did she do while she was here?”

“Well, I heard her on the phone talking about selling the house. When I asked her about it, she said she had called a real estate agent because she wanted to get an idea of what it would sell for. We got in an argument about it.”

“Why is that?”

“Her daddy and I gave her the land when she married Ken. It has been in the family for a long time. I didn’t want her to sell it.” Nora wiped the sweat from her brow again, smearing some of her makeup in the process. “Why would she do that if she was planning on leaving? And the most important thing, she loves her kids more than life itself. She would never leave them. She would never leave me.” Nora started to tear up. “Sorry, I’m just so worried about her.”

Rachel leaned over and patted her on the knee. “It’s understandable. I know what you are going through.” She sat her tea glass down on the deck. “Would Sam make any money from selling her house?”

“Not with the market the way it is. Beside, the IRS froze their bank accounts because of the dope mess Ken got them into. I doubt she would make anything at all.” Nora finished her tea in one long gulp. “Sam was never a person to run from her problems, if that is what you’re thinking. She always took care of her responsibilities.”

Nora started to tremble, her words coming out slower and unsteady. “I’ve already lost so much,” she cried. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Tammie helped her up and watched as she walked into the trailer.

Tammie sat back down in her chair. “She has been through a lot these past few years.” She told her Nora had lost Breck, her oldest son, in an accident and then her husband shortly after that to a heart attack.

“How awful.” Rachel said.

“It’s getting hot out here. Let’s go inside and check on her.” Tammie got up and Rachel followed her into the trailer. The living room had a large bookcase which was covered in trophies and ribbons. There were pictures of Sam dressed in pageant gowns and bathing suits. She was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her smile was huge and bright. Rachel got a closer look.

“Samantha won more pageants than any other little girl in Florida,” Nora said quietly.

Rachel swirled around to find Nora sitting on the couch wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.

“Before the accident she was a happy, little girl. We travelled all over the south going to beauty pageants. Samantha won every one of those pageants, hands down.”

Rachel looked over at Tammie, who was propped up against the kitchen bar. She nodded her head at Rachel.

“The accident changed everything. It took my beautiful girl away from me. But it didn’t take her spirit.”

“What accident?” Rachel asked, confused.

“Sam was in a boating accident when she was twelve. She got cut up pretty bad by a boat propeller blade. She almost died.” Tammie told her.

“Wow, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Rachel said. “So, Samantha has scars from her accident?” The more she knew about scars, tattoos and any other body markings, the better.

“Yes. She had several reconstructive surgeries. You can still see the faint scars on her face and body.”

“Do you have any current photos of Sam?” Rachel would use the photos to put on the Florida Omni Search website as well as to show her team.

Nora got off the couch and walked into another room. She came back a few moments later with a couple of pictures. “Sam didn’t like her picture taken much after the accident. I only have these to give you.”

Rachel took the photos from her. Sam was still very pretty. Her blonde hair was now cut shorter and framed her face. However, her eyes seemed a little dull and her smile not as big. Rachel could see the faint scars that made a trail down her face. “Thank you, Nora. I will make copies and give these back to you.”

“Anything I can do to help find my baby.”

Rachel swung the conversation back around to Sam’s disappearance. “I heard all charges had been dropped against Sam for the marijuana operation. Was she worried about any repercussions from local drug dealers?”

“She was worried about the safety of her and the kids,” Tammie answered. “When Ken started dealing dope, he pissed off a lot people, especially the drug dealers he put behind bars.”

“Did she receive any threats?” Rachel asked.

“No, not that she told me. It was rumored Ken had stashed some of the cash he got from the drug dealing. Sam was scared people would come after her for the money thinking she would know where it was. But she didn’t have a clue what Ken did with the money – if there was any truth to it,” Tammie said.

“Was there anyone else Sam was close to that she may have confided in?”

“She and Mack got pretty tight. But they always have been. She leaned on him after Ken was arrested. I came by her house a few times to help watch the kids and Mack was always there. Of course, they work the same shift at the fire station and you know those people are like a second family to her.”

“Ok, thanks for all the information.” Rachel looked at her watch. “I need to get things started. I’m going to coordinate another search around the warehouse. The police department may have missed something the first time. Nora, you might want to think about having a press conference. It would be good to get Samantha’s face out there. Someone somewhere may have seen something and we need all the help we can get. I can get that coordinated for you through the police department.” “Sure. Whatever you think will help find Samantha. Thank you so much, for coming down here to help us.” Nora walked her to the door. “Believe me when I tell you something happened to Sam. She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

“I know. I’ll do everything I can to find her.” Rachel gave Nora a hug. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

Rachel treaded lightly down the steps and walked back to her truck.

Tammie yelled at her. “Hey, Rachel. Wait up for a sec.”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Nora. Is there any way we can talk in private later?”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

Tammie looked back at the trailer. Nora was sitting on her chair, with another glass of tea and watching them.

“There is something about my last conversation with Sam that’s bugging me. Here’s my number. Call me later so we can talk.”

Rachel took her number and promised to call her. As she drove down the long driveway, she picked up her cell phone and put it on speaker while she checked her voice mail. There was only one and it was from Janine.

“I just wanted to let you know, you are all good for tomorrow’s search. Peter and the rest of the team are on their way up. And I have talked with Chief Gladstone and he wants to coordinate with you. Call me back for more info.”

Rachel pressed the end button and put her phone away.

This would be the most intense search she’d ever had. She didn’t have much to go on. Questions about what happened to Sam went through her mind. Did Samantha plan this fire as an escape from her life? Or did someone else plan this fire as a means to kill or kidnap Samantha? Revenge and retaliation from the drug cartel? Or her husband who was in jail – did he have something to do with it? All she knew was the answers would come in time. They always did.

Chapter Ten

Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday 7:00 AM

It was seven in the morning and the heat was already intense. The Florida sun was bearing down and sweat trickled down Rachel’s back. It was early August and still the dog days of summer.

Rachel was always amazed at the number of volunteers that turned out for searches. All she had to do was put the word out to the local media, which is what she did after meeting with Nora yesterday. She also contacted Chief Gladstone and got the ball rolling on a coordinated search of the warehouse grounds where Sam was last seen.

The volunteers included members of the police department, local firefighters, plus members of the public. Rachel was happy to see Mack Dixon and Jeff Stanton even made it out for the search.

Red and Janine had sent up their main search team which was specifically trained in forensics to round out the volunteer list. Florida Omni Search used specialized equipment in their searches. In Sam’s case they were using search planes, ATV’s, and sonar equipment.

“Ok. Just to highlight what the Chief said. Stay in your group of four and within your search grid. If you see anything at all that looks suspicious, use your marker and call it in immediately," Rachel said, wiping the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief. She never went on any search without her purple hankie. It was a good luck charm of sorts given to her by one of her first clients – an elderly lady who had Alzheimer’s. She had gotten lost while walking home from the grocery store.

Rachel glanced at her map of the area. It was a pretty easy terrain – flat, sandy ground with small undergrowth and pine trees. The volunteers would have to pay extra attention to the tropical undergrowth in order to see anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, there were a lot of snakes and other vermin to watch out for.

The police department had searched the night Sam disappeared and again the morning after, but did not find anything other than Sam's helmet discarded by the back door. One theory, Rachel thought, was Sam might have been knocked unconscious by the blast from the propane tanks and her helmet came off. She could have suffered head trauma and wondered off.

Chief Gladstone came over and asked if she was ready to go. Rachel thought he was a little anxious to get started. He was reluctant when she called him to coordinate the search, but he seemed to be warming up to her. When she came at the families request for help on some of the cases, she never knew how the authorities would treat her. Some thought she was some kind of quack and didn’t like her butting in on their territory and others were grateful for the help. She figured Chief Gladstone was somewhere in between the two.

Chief Gladstone’s demeanor fit his physical profile. He was a stocky man with thinning gray hair – complete with Donald Trump comb over – and a round, doughy face that was always red, which gave an appearance he was mad about something.

Getting a large search team together in a short amount of time required a well balanced plan. Fortunately for Rachel, she had a lot of practice. She grouped the people into separate categories. The experienced searchers and equipment handlers would be involved in the ground search. The volunteers, who had not received training which Florida Omni Search mandated, manned a relief station with water and snacks. Another group was also set up to administer first aid. The last group was communications and they were responsible for marking the map as groups called in their locations and anything that was found. The area would be marked and the police department would tape off the area and process the scene.

Rachel would be teaming up with Peter Moore, who was her specialist in ground searching. He had an impressive military search and rescue background. Peter had been with Florida Omni Search since the beginning. He was one of Rachel’s real estate clients and had moved to Miami when he retired from the military. He knew this area well, having been stationed at Eglin Air Force base, which was about forty five miles west of Santa Rosa Beach. He was one of first people Rachel contacted when her daughter disappeared. Also in her group were Chris Cumbie and Darcy Black, another forensic specialist team. They would start their search at the rear of the warehouse, where Sam's helmet was found, while the other teams set out to search the woods.

Nora had given Rachel some clothing Sam had recently worn in order to aid the search. She handed it off to Rankin Smartz, who was the dog handler. His dog, Max, was an adorable and capable black lab who reminded her of her Maggie. Rankin and Max would start at Sam’s last known position, called LPI by search and rescue people, which was the rear of the building.

Searching in a grid system was tedious work, but it was also the most effective. After an hour had passed, Rachel heard the crackle of a call come through on the radio. One of the search group members reported finding an object and gave their exact location over the radio.

"Group five. Stay where you are. We are on the way," Rachel instructed. "Grab the thermal equipment, Chris.” They headed out with Chief Gladstone and his crew. It was a quick walk to where the group was waiting. She was thankful she dressed appropriately today and worn plenty of sunscreen. The weather was humid and her t-shirt was sticking to her chest. She wore her typical search and rescue outfit. The long khaki pants were helpful when searching through dense undergrowth. Most of the low-lying bushes had prickly vines and weeds. Her boots and socks always picked up sand spurs. Even though today’s temp would probably reach ninety degrees, she wore a light, long sleeved t-shirt with the Florida Omni Search logo on it, to prevent sunburn and scratches on her arms. Her baseball cap protected her from possible ticks and other icky bugs.

They got to the site where one of the search groups was waiting for them. The head of the group, Casey Simmons, was one of her best volunteers. He had been with the Florida Omni Search for about three years. He was always available for searches and he never missed a thing.

"Whaddaya got?" Chief Gladstone barked out at the group. He was red-faced and breathing hard by the time they got there. Rachel didn't think the police department got exciting action like this. The most he probably got was drunken teenagers on spring break.

"We first saw some red fabric in the bushes here. When I got a closer look, we found this." Casey pointed the bush. He had put down a marker when he saw it – just like he was trained to do. He also had taken a few photos with the digital camera he always carried.

One of the officers on Chief Gladstone’s crew put on a pair of gloves and reached down to the bush. He pulled out a pocket knife and turned it over in his hand. Rachel noticed it had a Maltese cross on the side.

“That is a firefighter emblem, right?” Rachel asked him.

The officer bagged it along with the red fabric. “Yep. Looks like it.”

"Get this back to base. Let Mack Dixon take a look at it and see if it belongs to Sam," Chief Gladstone said as the other officer handed him the bag.

Rachel got her radio out. "Rankin, can you get Max over here and let's see if they can pick up a scent?" She gave him their position again.

A few minutes later Rankin and his dog Max came to the site. He gave Max another sniff of the scent and they took off.

Rachel and her team followed Rankin and Max for about a half mile along a worn path through the woods. She could hear the Chief behind her, gasping for breath and struggling to keep up. Every few minutes Rankin would give Max encouragement. The path suddenly ended at a dirt road.

Max wondered around the dirt road a bit and finally settled down on his hind legs. He let out a whine as Rankin soothed him and gave him a treat.

"Where does the road lead?" Rachel asked.

“It dead ends at a fishing camp this way.” Chief Gladstone pointed east. “And if you go the other way, it hooks back up to the highway by the farmers market. There are also some trailers, maybe six or seven which are on this road.”

"So, it is probable someone picked her up?" Rachel asked.

“Probable, yes. We don't know if she had help, someone took her, or she went on her own. Anything is possible.” Chief Gladstone wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. “Let’s head back.” His heavy frame was soaked with sweat.

Back at the warehouse, Mack Dixon and Jeff Stanton were waiting for them. The officer handed Mack the baggie with the knife in it.

Mack took a look at the pocket knife. He turned it over slowly in his hand. "Sure looks like Sam's knife. Her kids gave it to her for Mother's day last year."

“Sentimental value. Something she always kept on her?” Rachel asked.

“She never went anywhere without it.”

"What about the red fabric?"

"Have no idea. That could be anything."

"What was she wearing again when you last saw her?" Rachel asked.

“When we came on shift, she had on civilian clothes. I think she was wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt. We wear our standard firefighter uniform while on duty, which is dark navy slacks and work shirt with the fire department logo,” Mack explained. “Her clothes she wore when she came in that morning are still in her locker.”

"Well, we do know one thing for sure. Sam didn’t die in the warehouse fire. She made it to the street down there. Either on her own or someone got her," Chief Gladstone said, shaking the evidence bag. “The lab will run for fingerprints."

Rachel thanked all the volunteers and went to her truck to grab some water and call Nora to give her an update. After talking with Nora, she would call in reinforcements. She scrolled through the phone book on her cell phone and hit the dial button.

Chapter Eleven

Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday noon

Stacy Case was a reporter for the Miami Sun who befriended Rachel on her last case in the Bahamas. It didn’t take long for the two to form a friendship. Stacy was good at her job as a reporter and proved to be a great source of information. Rachel would describe their relationship as a give and take. Stacy used her investigative skills to help Rachel with her cases and Rachel returned the favor by giving Stacy exclusive interviews on juicy stories.

Rachel had planned on leaving a message, thinking Stacy wouldn’t answer her phone while on vacation. She was surprised when Stacy picked up on the first ring.

"Hey girl, how is your vacation going?" Rachel asked her.

Stacy was in Arizona at the Canyon Ranch Spa. Probably soaking up the sun, eating fresh, healthy food, and taking yoga classes, Rachel thought. She wished she were there too, getting massages and facials. Canyon Ranch was one of her favorite spots for R & R.

“Just reading a book and then later today taking a hike with Guido.”

“Guido? Are you serious?” Rachel laughed.

“Yeah. He is one of the fitness instructors. Funny name, but he has a nice ass. What's up with you?"

"I’m working on a new case. Something big." Rachel switched the phone to her other ear.

"That's nothing new," Stacy said. "Let me guess. You need some help."

"Yes, I do. And you know I hate to bother you, especially while you’re away. Going on hikes with Guido and stuff."

“You know me better than that. I’m itching to get back into things. I’ve been here three days and to be honest with you – I am going stir crazy. Whatcha got?"

Stacy was just as much as a workaholic as she was. Rachel was surprised Stacy even took the time to get away. She assumed her boss at the Miami Sun had something to do with it. Stacy got a huge story out of the last case they worked on together. The missing daughter of Governor John Knowles cracked Stacy’s career wide open.

"I’m in Santa Rosa Beach, which is up in north Florida. There is a firefighter missing. Her name is Samantha Collins. It’s been almost a week since she disappeared and so far we have squat.”

Rachel heard some rustling on the other end of the line. "Hang on, I’m getting a pen," Stacy paused. "Ok, go ahead. Give me something to go on."

Rachel gave her all the details she knew so far. "I’m really looking for some information on her husband, Ken Collins. He was a former captain of the Santa Rosa Beach police department. He was busted this past February for marijuana possession. Actually, there’s more to it. He was growing and selling pot out of his backyard and apparently without Sam's knowledge."

"Yeah, I remember hearing something about it," Stacy said, writing everything down. “He was partner with another firefighter and they got busted. It was a big story. Some guy in my office did the feature on it. I’ll look it up.”

“He got busted and was bonded out along with Paul Hart, his partner. But then Ken did something to violate his bond. Not sure what, but he is back in jail awaiting trial.”

“Ok. Got it. What about the wife?”

"Samantha Collins. She is now officially missing," Rachel replied. “It was first assumed she perished in the fire, but they didn’t find a body. Her helmet was the only thing found when they did a search of the warehouse. Today, we did a search around the area and found a pocket knife which belonged to her.”

"That’s strange. Are you thinking her husband’s grow operation had something to do with it?"

"Could be. It is very suspicious she disappeared the week before she was supposed to testify at his trial.”

"Maybe she ran?"

"Not sure. From everything I heard so far, from Sam's mom and her friends and co-workers, the trial had a huge impact on her life. Financially and emotionally. But I think she was on her husbands' side. They have two kids together. I’m going this afternoon to the jail and talk to Ken to see what he has to say.”

"Ok. Let me get on the computer and do some digging around. I can get on the next flight back to Florida.”

"I know this goes without saying..."Rachel started to say.

"Yeah, I know. Keep your name out of it and keep it quiet." Stacy sighed.

"Thanks, Stace. Travel safe. Call me when you get in."

Stacy was a hound dog when it came to tracking down information on someone. If anyone could help her figure out what happened to Sam, it was Stacy.

Chapter Twelve

Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday 3:35 PM

This is just like déjà vu, Ken thought as he made his way back to the visitor’s room. He was anxious of any news – good or bad – that involved Sam. As he walked into the room, he saw a pretty redheaded woman sitting next to his lawyer. He guessed this was who Chief Gladstone was talking about. The woman who ran the search and rescue company. Now he took a good look at her, he recognized her from several cable network shows like Nancy Grace and America’s Most Wanted. She wore a white skirt and turquoise top which showed off her tanned figure. Ken thought she resembled the girl from the movie Pretty Woman.

His attorney, Suzette, stood up from the table and made the introductions. Ken was shocked to see his attorney was dressed a little more appropriately today in black pantsuit. She still wore her blonde hair with the trademark hot pink streak in it, though. “Rachel works with Florida Omni Search. Nora called her and asked if she come down here and help us found out what happened to Samantha.”

“I have seen you on TV before. You worked on the Amber Knowles case,” Ken said, looking at his lawyer. “She was the governor’s daughter who went missing a few months ago.”

“Yes, the governor requested my help in finding his daughter after she disappeared from a cruise ship,” Rachel confirmed. “I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. I would like to help in any way I can. Can you tell me why you think Sam would have disappeared?”

Ken ran his hand through his hair. “I just can’t believe this. Sam wouldn’t leave our kids, with everything that’s going on.”

“Your mother-in-law said the same thing to me when I asked if Sam would have left on her own.”

“I heard you guys were going to do another search today. I thought the police already did this once. Did you find anything different?”

“I know they conducted a search around the warehouse the day after she disappeared, but we have special equipment most law enforcement companies don’t,” Rachel explained. “During our search, we did find a couple of items of interest. The police department is processing them for prints and such, so I only have these.” She put a couple photos on the desk in front of him.

Ken stared at the pictures. “What is this?”

“It is a piece of red fabric, probably from an article of clothing.”

“This is Sam’s knife.” He pointed to the other picture. “Where did you find it?”

“Our searchers spotted the red cloth first. Then the knife was found under a bush near the cloth. It was located about a half mile from the farmer’s market,” Rachel said. “Are you sure the knife is Sam’s?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I picked it out with the kids for her Mother’s day gift last year. She had lost her other one during a fishing trip. I was going to get it engraved for her, but never got the chance.” Ken scrubbed his face with his hands.

“Did she always carry the knife with her?”

“She never went anywhere without it.”

Click. It was like a light bulb went off in her head. That was the same thing Mack had told her. She didn’t say that to Ken though. She was starting to get an inkling something between Mack and Sam was going on.

“Where did she keep it?”

“She always kept it on her while she was on duty. She put it in the front pocket of her pants.”

“When was the last time you spoke to Sam?”

“Last Tuesday, a couple of days before she disappeared, she came with my lawyer to talk about the case.”

Rachel looked at Suzette for confirmation. She nodded her head in agreement.

“Did you notice anything unusual about her demeanor?”

“No. The Chief asked me the same questions. If there was something bothering Sam, then she hid it well. She is a rock.”

“Did you know she was putting the house up for sale?” Rachel asked.

“What?” Ken exclaimed. The question stunned him. “No, I didn’t. I mean, we talked about it, but I didn’t think she would do it.”

“The house is in her name only?” Rachel asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, it’s part of her family’s land. Her father deeded it to her right before we were married. We have fourteen acres with a main house and then the guest house and barn. I told her not to sell it.”

“Nora said she was talking to some real estate agents last week. She was trying to get a value on the place.”

“Money is tight. I know. But I told her not to do anything drastic without talking to me first.”

“Nora said she was also looking for another job. She was watching the kids while Sam went on interviews. Said it was almost impossible for her to find anything. No one wanted to hire her, it seems.”

“It’s because of what I did. It is all because of me she wants to sell the house. Because of me, she can’t get a job. And because of me, she is missing.” Ken pounded his fist so hard on the table, Rachel jumped in her seat.

“Calm down, Ken. We are just trying to find out what happened.” Suzette said.

“Someone who is putting their house up for sale, looking for a job and has two beautiful children to look after…doesn’t sound like someone who would just up and disappear,” Rachel said.

“I don’t think so, either. Something bad happened,” Ken agreed.

“Suzette said you were getting death threats?”

“That’s is typical. I am an ex-cop who helped put away most of these bastards in here.” He waved his hand around the room. “They keep me in a separate cell away from the others. I eat, exercise and shower by myself.”

“Would any of these people want to hurt Sam?” Rachel asked.

“To get back at me, I’m sure. I told her to be careful and not go anywhere alone.”

“Did anyone know her routine? Work schedule. Where you live?”

“Sure, lots of people. It’s a small resort town. Everybody knows everyone. It wouldn’t be hard to find out when Sam worked.”

“Are Mack and Sam close?”

Ken looked at her for an uncomfortable moment before answering. Rachel could see the tension in his face. “Yes, they have been friends for a long time."

“Mack seemed to think the fire was intentional.”

“Mack was with her that night. He should have never let Sam out of his sight. He should have never let her go back into the building. If anything happened to her, I blame him,” Ken said.

“In his defense, I don’t think he knew. Their focus was on getting the victim out of the building and getting him medical attention. He said he thought Sam was behind him the whole time.”

“Well she wasn’t. Was she?”

“Look, Ken. I will do whatever I can to help find Sam. We’ll be in touch.” Rachel stood to leave. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her white linen skirt and looked back at Ken. His last words stopped her in her tracks.

“I would talk to Mack again if I were you. Since he and Sam were having an affair.” Ken got up from his chair, scraping the legs across the linoleum tile. “Guard, I am ready to go.”

Chapter Thirteen

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday 10am

Rachel went to the airport to pick Stacy up. It was the least she could do for asking her friend to cut her vacation short.

Stacy was waiting outside the baggage terminal for her. She threw her one bag into the backseat and climbed in Rachel’s truck.

“Travelling lightly, huh?” Rachel asked.

“No need for a lot of clothes at a health spa. Bathing suit and a couple pairs of workout clothes.”

“Did you throw Guido in your bag too?”

Stacy laughed. “No. Guido has lots of women to keep him company at the ranch. I am but one in his long line of conquests.”

“Are you sure you went to Canyon Ranch and not some nudist colony? I don’t remember anybody named Guido when I went there. Only Helga. Large Swedish woman with hands the size of ham hocks.”

“Yes, Helga. She’s still there. Best massage ever.”

“Well, thanks again for coming back. You look well rested.” Rachel admired Stacy’s healthy glow. Stacy wore her honey blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and she looked ten years younger than her thirty-five years. She was petite, only 5’1 and about 115 pounds with inquisitive green eyes and deep dimples in both cheeks.Stacy could light up a room just with her presence.

“Oh, there will be payback.”

Rachel laughed. “I was expecting it.”

“I started looking into Ken Collins last night,” Stacy said, adjusting her seat.

Rachel expected nothing less. Once Stacy got a sniff of a good story, she was like a bulldog. Persistence and determination were her middle names. She may be small, but she was feisty.

“What did you find out about the marijuana operation?”

“Well, I did some digging around and found out a few things,” Stacy answered. “As you know, Ken got started after the arrest of Jason Blum and Pedro Gonzalez. He partnered with Paul Hart and they ran the grow operation out of his barn. They produced a particular brand of marijuana called Cush.”

“Wait. There are different types of marijuana?” Rachel interrupted.

“Yes.” Stacy laughed. “Remember when you could buy a huge dime bag for $10?”

“I never did that kind of stuff growing up.”

“Yeah, right. I forgot – you were a goody-goody cheerleader.” Stacy rolled her eyes. “Anyway, now you can get all kinds of marijuana and it’s more expensive than it was back in our day. It gives different kinds of effects when you smoke it. Some highs are longer than others, depending on what type of marijuana you smoke,” Stacy explained.

“I see you did your homework. What kind of high does Cush have?”

“Well, Gary, the guy I work with at the Miami Sun, originally did the story on Ken. He was a big help.” Stacy continued. “Cush is very popular with the younger crowd, but also people who smoke it for medicinal reasons. It gives a quicker and longer-lasting high. It’s costly, but it will last a long time.”

“So how much money were they making?”

“Gary said they were clearing about fifty grand every couple of months. And here is the interesting part. The guy Ken first arrested – Jason Blum? He was cut a deal with the DA’s office in order to catch the bigger fish, Pedro Gonzalez. So he got a slap on the wrist and probation. So when Ken gets ready to start his little business, who does he turn to handle distribution?”

“Jason Blum?”

“You got it. Smart, huh? Jason already had the contacts. So Ken and Paul would sell to Jason, who in turn distributed to other small-

time dealers. We are talking a street value of about a couple million dollars worth of marijuana a year, with plans to produce more.”

“Wow. Not too bad for a couple newbies.”

“Of course, Ken thought they were invincible. With him being a captain at the police department, he had the perfect set-up. He kept his hands clean by selling to Jason, the middle man, and kept his name out of where the dope was coming from. Working at the department, he could keep an eye on Jason and also an ear to the ground about any drug busts going down before it happened.”

“Well, if he had it so good, then how did he get caught?” Rachel asked.

“Good question.” Stacy paused. “Ready for this? An anonymous tip. Somebody blew the whistle on his operation.”

“An anonymous tip brought it all down?” Rachel asked, stunned by this information.

“Yep. A couple of undercover officers went sniffing around the Collin’s property without a warrant. They couldn’t see much from the property line, but apparently smelled marijuana, so they went back to the judge to get a warrant. They raided the property while Ken was on duty. Sam was home with the kids and let them in. They confiscated about a million dollars’ worth of plants and several thousand dollars’ worth of equipment. They also searched the home and got a couple of computers and other stuff,” Stacy said.

“And Sam was implicated as well?”

“Yes, she was. Even though she denied she knew what was going on. DA’s office decided there wasn’t enough evidence she was involved so they dropped the charges against her.”

“And Paul?”

“He got it easier than Ken. Since the grow operation was on Ken’s property, Paul was only charged with accessory and money laundering. They both got bail. Then Ken violated his bail a couple of months later when he left the county to visit family without permission. Ken said it was a misunderstanding, but the judge threw him back in jail without any fanfare. Now Ken’s trial is being postponed due to Samantha’s disappearance. Paul is being tried separately.”

“So, hubby is in jail, the bad guys are after you, money troubles piling up and no job prospects. Sounds like someone who would run far, far away,” Rachel said.

“But she has two kids who she adores, right?”

“Yeah, there is that.” Rachel pulled into the driveway of the beach house and they sat with the truck idling.

“But you could have read it all in the papers and on the internet,” Stacy said. She had that trademark look on her face. Like the cat that ate the canary. “Want to know something that wasn’t in the papers?”

“Of course.”

“Some people think Mack was the anonymous tip.”

“Really? Why Mack?”

“Because Mack is in love with Sam. Always has been, according to my source.”

“Your source sure has a lot of inside information. Are you going to tell me who it is?” Rachel said, half-jokingly knowing Stacy would protect her sources to the bitter end.

“Yes, they do, and no, you know better than to ask.”

“Ken did mention to me, as we were wrapping up our interview, that Mack and Sam were having an affair.” Rachel gave Stacy the details about her meeting with Ken at the jail.

“Sometimes the husband is the last to know. Did he think that had something to do with Sam’s disappearance?”

“If he did, he didn’t say. We didn’t exactly leave things on a good note.”

“Have you given it any thought Mack may have had a hand in Sam’s disappearance?”

“Yes, but he is not on the top of my suspect list. I think he is truly stumped about what happened to her. The drug cartel – or what the locals call the Mexican mafia – they are at the top of my list.”

“I would suppose so.” Stacy patted her on the leg. “Be careful. These so-called Mexican mafia are dangerous people.”

“I heard about Pedro.”

“Pedro Gonzalez is just a little fish in a big pond. It’s Richard Flores, the head of the gang, you need to worry about. He is famous for cutting people’s appendages off for messing around in his business.”

“So you think these guys have something to do with Sam?”

“I don’t know. I’m just saying to be careful who you talk to and what you do.”

“Thanks. When you heading back?”

“I thought I would stick around here for awhile. I have some vacation time left and besides, this could be another big story for me.” Stacy smiled.

“Then let’s go get you settled in. Wait till you see this place. The views of the beach from your room are stunning. Then we can get some lunch and plot our next move.”

“Sounds good to me,” Stacy said reaching for her bag. “Here is the first article written about Ken’s arrest. You can read it while I freshen up.”

They walked inside the beach house and put their things down. While Stacy went upstairs, Rachel took the article outside on the deck to read it. The beach was dotted with brightly colored umbrellas and there were a ton of people taking advantage of the lovely day. Teenagers playing volleyball and sunning themselves, kids building sandcastles, and surfers catching small waves. She started reading the article Stacy handed her. It was dated several months ago, when Ken was first arrested.

Police Officer Charged With Running Marijuana Grow Operation

A captain with the Santa Rosa Beach police department has been charged with running what officials describe as a multi-million dollar marijuana operation.

Kenneth Jay Collins, 35, has been charged with trafficking marijuana, possession with intent to sell, plus manufacturing a hallucinogen, according to arrest records. He is being held without bond in the Walton County jail.

His attorney, Suzette Breland said, “I haven’t had a chance to get into the allegations with my client.”

He is scheduled to be in court next Tuesday.

Collins owns a home on fourteen acres in the rural part of Santa Rosa Beach, where undercover officers found over 600 marijuana plants, 40 pounds of marijuana and several grow rooms with high tech watering and lighting systems, which operated on a $30,000 generator, police spokesman John Paulsen said.

Paulsen also said an accomplice would be charged in the next couple of days.

Rachel thought it was time to meet with Paul Hart. If Ken was getting threats, maybe Paul was too. She picked up the phone book to see if he was listed. There was only one Paul Hart in the directory. Here goes nothing, she thought as she dialed the number.

Chapter Fourteen

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday 1:20 PM

When Rachel first talked to Paul, he was initially reluctant at first to meet with her. She was used to it. Most people didn’t want to get involved in an investigation which involved a missing person. She played the guilt card, don’t you want to help your best friend find his wife, and she hated to do that, but it worked. She got lucky and was able to get him to agree to meet with her. After having a quick bite with Stacy at the beach house, she drove over to the Donut Hole to meet with him.

She walked into the popular diner and spotted him immediately. He looked just like the picture that ran along side of the article she had read. He was the only redhead in the diner with a thick, bushy handlebar mustache. She walked up to his table and introduced herself.

“So you want to talk to me about Sam.”

“Yes,” Rachel said, sitting down at his table. “Thanks for meeting with me.”

“You realize I’m not supposed to talk about this. My attorney didn’t think it was a good idea with the trial coming up and everything.”

“Yes. I know.”

The waitress came over and took Rachel’s drink order of sweet tea with lemon.

“You should try the special. Meatloaf is good today,” Paul suggested.

“Thank you, but I already ate,” Rachel politely declined. “I don’t want to do anything to compromise the investigation. I’m only interested in any information about Sam.”

“Yes, I could get in a shit-load of trouble…on top of everything else that is going on.” Paul nervously picked at his nails. “But Sam is in trouble and I figure I am part of the reason.”

“Why is that?” Rachel asked.

Paul looked at her like she was an idiot or something. “Because.” He said his words slowly and quietly. “Of what Ken and I did. The marijuana operation.”

“But what would it have to do with Sam’s disappearance?”

Paul looked around the restaurant and leaned over to whisper, “We put those Mexicans out of business. They didn’t take lightly to that. They are out for blood. Don’t matter if it’s mine or Ken’s. They start with our family and work their way in.”

“You think Pedro Gonzalez may have done something with Sam?”

Paul nodded his head.

“Pedro would know Sam’s schedule?”

“Yeah. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out, especially if he was following her. She works every three days, twenty-four shifts. Like I said, he was out for revenge.”

“What kind of relationship do you have with Sam?”

Paul thought about it for a minute before he answered. “I grew up with Sam. We have known each other since grade school. I was best friends with her older brother Breck. We all went to firefighter school down in Ocala together. Sam and I joined the department within a couple of months of each other. Breck went down south to Miami and got a job at Dade County Fire Department.”

“I heard Breck died in a fire a couple of years ago?”

“Yep. About killed Sam and her mom. They were really close. He wasn’t even supposed to be working that day. He came in to cover for a buddy who had a family emergency.”

“What happened?” Rachel asked.

“There was a fire in a furniture store. He was on the roof when it caved in. He broke his neck when he fell. Sam and her family were devastated. Now with Sam missing, Nora is beside herself.”

“Is Sam having an affair with Mack?” Rachel asked.

The question caught him off-guard. Paul stared at Rachel for a few seconds before answering. He waved his hand away, dismissing the question. “Just rumors. Mack and Sam were always close.”

Paul’s food arrived and he started to dig into his meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The meatloaf was covered in tomato gravy and the potatoes were smothered with melted butter and topped with parsley. It smelled heavenly and Rachel wished she had gotten a plate, even though she had just eaten lunch with Stacy.

“How was Sam getting along with Ken in jail? I heard she was planning on putting the house up for sale.”

“I know she was having a hard time making ends meet. They had a second mortgage on the place. With the way the real estate market is, I doubt she could have sold it for what it’s worth.”

“If Sam were to have run away, any idea on where she would have gone?”

Paul thought about it for a minute, slowly chewing his food. “I have wondered the same thing myself. I don’t know. She didn’t have any friends or close family I know of, outside of here. And apparently she didn’t have any money.” Paul picked up a napkin and wiped his face. “I don’t think she ran. I think Pedro got her.”

Chapter Fifteen

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday 2:40 pm

Paul Hart had a cabin he used for fishing and hunting. It was about an hour north of Santa Rosa Beach. The cabin had been in his family for years. When his father died a couple years ago, he willed the place to Paul, his only son. Since being put on suspension by the fire department, he spent more and more time at the cabin. He liked to go there to relax and get away from it all. The stress of the impending trial was beginning to wear him down. He checked in with his attorney to let him know he was going back there for a few days.

After lunch with Rachel, he went to his house and started packing. His supplies at the cabin were running low and he would have to make a pit stop at Wal-Mart. He was loading up the truck when he heard the crunch of the gravel driveway and was surprised to see Mack’s black truck easing down around the curve to his house.

“Hey there. I have been trying to call you,” Mack said as he got out of the truck.

“Yeah, sorry. I got your messages. I’ve just been trying to get some things done around here.”

“You didn’t show up for the search for Sam,” Mack said with a bit of an accusing tone.

Paul shuffled his feet in the dirt. “I didn’t hear about it ‘til the last minute. I was already up to my eyeballs in painting. Want to see what I have done?”

Mack followed him inside the house. Paul bought it as a fixer- upper a few months ago. Rumors had swirled around Paul used the money from the marijuana operation to buy his new home.

Paul had all the windows open to air out the paint smell. The dining room, which was once covered with dark wood paneling, had been covered with new sheet rock and was freshly painted a bright yellow.

“Looks good,” Mack said as he walked around, paper crinkling under his feet.

“Well, I know you didn’t come all the way out here to look at the house. What’s up?” Paul asked, getting a beer out of the refrigerator. He handed one to Mack.

“I just wanted to talk to you about Ken.”

“What about him?”

“You met Rachel? The lady from Florida Omni Search?” Mack asked.

“We met for lunch today. How did you know?”

“Cleve called me and said he saw you two at the Donut Hole. Anyway, Rachel is working with a theory the drug cartel may have had something to do with Sam’s disappearance. But I’m starting to doubt it.”

Paul wasn’t surprised Mack knew about his lunch meeting with Rachel. Cleve worked at the fire department and the Donut Hole was a local hangout for firefighters and police officers. Santa Rosa Beach was a small town and everyone knew everyone else’s business.

“Yeah, she mentioned the same thing to me. I happen to agree with her.”

“I don’t doubt they would be out for revenge. But to kidnap Sam? If they did have something to do with the fire, why not just leave her there to burn? Or put a bullet in her head?” Mack took a swig of his beer. “It just doesn’t make sense to go through all the trouble to snatch her and hide her somewhere. Swift, painful deaths are their specialty, so I hear.”

“What does it have to do with Ken?”

“I’m thinking Ken may know where Sam is. You and Ken are pretty tight. What do you think?”

Paul took a long pull from his beer bottle before answering.

“I haven’t seen or talked to Ken since he was arrested, so I don’t know what is going on with him. But I do know he would never do anything to hurt Sam. Besides, what could he do while he was in jail?”

“Sorry, I think you misunderstood me. I don’t think he has hurt her. He may have helped her get away. She was supposed to testify at his trial this week. Maybe he arranged for her to ‘go away’ for a while.”

Paul finished his beer in one long gulp, belched, and threw it in the trash. He reached in the fridge for another. He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess anything is possible.”

Mack continued to stare at him.

“What? You think I helped her? Is that what you are implying?” Paul asked.

“Just covering all the bases.”

“I’m in enough trouble as it is, Mack. Like I said, I haven’t talked to Ken in a few months.”

“What about Sam?”

“I went by her house a couple nights before she disappeared. She called and asked me to come by and pick up some stuff I had in her barn. When I moved out of Mary Ann’s house, I stored some furniture there. Sam said she was getting ready to put the house on the market and was trying to clean everything up.”

Mary Ann Lipscomb was Paul’s latest girlfriend. They lived together for about a year before Mary Ann got bored with him and kicked him out. Having a felon for a boyfriend didn’t appeal to her, either.

“It was the last time you spoke?” Mack asked.

“Yes. I already told the Chief that.” Paul was beginning to feel like this was an interrogation.

“How did she seem to you?”

“She was in good spirits, I guess. She said she was ready to move on. Fresh start and all.”

Mack noticed some small boxes lined up in the foyer.

Paul said, “I am going out to the cabin for some fishing this weekend.” He was getting tired of all the questions and was ready for Mack to go.

“It should be a good weekend for it. Nice, cool weather, no rain.” Mack said, walking back to the front door. A glint of silver caught his attention. “Is that a new Halligan?”

Paul hesitated. “Yeah.”

Mack picked up the tool and examined it. The Halligan bar was a common tool firefighters used to gain access to locked doors. “What happened to your old one?”

“Stolen. My whole toolbox in the truck was lifted. Probably by some neighborhood kids.”

“Did you file a police report?”

“Yeah.”

Mack put the tool down and walked out the front door. “How long are you going to be gone?”

“Just a few days. Wanna go?” Paul asked, even though he knew Mack wouldn’t take him up on the offer.

“I wish, man. I got to work tomorrow. Besides I would like to hang around and help Rachel out.”

Another jab, Paul guessed, at his unwillingness to help search for Sam. He decided not to even respond.

Mack got into his truck. “Have a good time.” He waved as he backed down the driveway.

Paul was glad to see him go. Mack could be a pain in the ass sometimes. All his insinuating questions were bugging him. He cleaned up all the paint mess and locked up the house. Throwing a suitcase in his truck, he decided it was time to get to the cabin and check on things there. He didn’t want to keep his lady waiting any longer than necessary.

Chapter Sixteen

Lake Juniper, Thursday late afternoon

Paul made a hard right off the highway onto a dirt road that seemed to go nowhere. The more he drove the truck down the endless dirt road, the darker it became. Not many people knew about this area. It was mostly hunting land and agricultural farms. He made a turn onto another bumpy dirt road and after driving about a mile, it was like the forest opened up. His little log cabin came into view. It was built by his grandfather many, many years ago.

Paul was about five years old when his grandfather bought the land. It was over fifty acres of hunting and fishing property and came with an older cabin his grandfather deemed uninhabitable. So they made it into a storage place for all their hunting gear. It was decided the new cabin would be built closer to the lake. Paul, his dad, and his grandfather built this new log cabin by hand. Log by log. It was a small, two bedroom cabin with a living room, fireplace, tiny kitchen and one bathroom. The wraparound porch had views of the lake where fish were in abundance. This was an escape for the men in the family. Now his dad and grandfather were deceased and Paul was the sole owner of the cabin. He brought some of his buddies here for fishing and hunting, but most of the time he came by himself. He relished the quiet.

Paul had plans to eventually add on to the cabin and build an additional bedroom and bath. If everything went according to plan, he would need the extra room.

Driving to the cabin gave him time to think. He was ready to get away from the mess that was going on with the upcoming trial. He had already accepted the fact he was probably going to lose his job at the fire department. A job he had held for many years with an exemplary record until now. No one else would hire him. He would be lucky to get a job flipping burgers at McDonalds. It was ironic he would get caught in a drug dealing scheme. He was never one to do drugs…yeah, he smoked a little in high school, but he was mostly a beer drinker. Never in his wildest dreams would he think he would be caught manufacturing and selling an illegal substance. Marijuana. Never. But here he was. Arrested. Awaiting his trial for manufacturing with intent to sell, among other charges.

He blamed himself, but he also blamed Ken. He let Ken talk him into the whole thing. The promise of big money and never getting caught is how Ken sold the idea to him. He made big money all right. That part of the promise came through. But he also got caught. So now Ken had ruined his life twice. First, he took away the girl of his dreams and now he was going to lose his job. And he had no serious prospects of ever having another job. And who would want to date an ex-con? No one he would be interested in – that’s for sure. So he had to come up with a plan. To get the girl of his dreams back and have a life which should have been his to begin with.

As he parked his truck in front of the cabin, he felt himself starting to relax a little. He hopped out and started unloading his supplies. The front door squeaked when he opened it. He would have to remember to get the WD 40 and oil the hinges.

“Honey, I’m home!” he yelled out. No one answered back, as usual. He unloaded some of the boxes and put them on the couch. He headed back to the truck to get the cooler.

Whistling while he worked, he opened the refrigerator door and loaded up the eggs, milk, cheese, salad mix and beer he bought at Wal-Mart. Tonight the menu would be simple, but luxurious. A single man’s go-to dinner. Steak on the grill, buttered baked potato, and a salad.

He marinated the steak with some brown sugar, soy sauce and other spices and placed it in the fridge. He grabbed the potatoes and washed them in the sink, scrubbing the skin with a vegetable brush. Grabbing a dish towel, he dried them, poked a few holes in the skin with a fork, and wrapped them in aluminum foil to place on the grill with the steaks. Then he took some time to tidy up the place. His date was waiting for him and he wanted it to look good.

He lit some candles, which smelled like apples and cinnamon, and placed them throughout the small living area. He started a fire in the fireplace, taking pleasure in hearing the crackle of the fire, and he fluffed the pillows on the couch and straightened the afghan his mom had made.

Glancing at the kitchen clock – a black cat with a swinging tail – another gift from his mother – he realized it was almost time for his date. He brought his suitcase in from the truck and took a shower, relishing the fact that in just a couple of hours he was going to be reunited with the love of his life.

Chapter Seventeen

Lake Juniper, Thursday night

She was being held in some dark room that had a damp and earthy smell. She was pretty sure today was Thursday, but it was hard to tell because there was no light to keep track of the days and nights. And “the asshole,” as she liked to call him, took away her watch and other jewelry when he kidnapped her.

She looked at her surroundings. There were a couple of small Coleman battery-operated lanterns – “the asshole” warned her she shouldn’t keep on all the time because once the batteries were gone, they were gone – an army surplus cot with a moldy smelling blanket and pillow, and a makeshift toilet. The toilet was basically a bucket for her to take a piss in. She also had a cupboard with a couple loaves of bread, some peanut butter, a jug of water and some Skittles. How considerate; “the asshole” remembered she liked Skittles. Some diet.

But there must be some reason why he wanted her to live or he wouldn’t have left the food and water. One thing she knew, she would never eat peanut butter and Skittles again if she ever got out of here alive. Correction, she thought. When she got out of here.

She had a lot of time to think and kept her mind active so she wouldn’t go crazy. The events on how she was kidnapped played over and over in her mind like a broken record. It all started the night of the warehouse fire.

It was her turn to cook for the crew. Every shift someone was responsible for making dinner. Everyone raved about her homemade chili, so it’s what she made. Her cell phone rang as she was putting the cornbread and salad together. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered the call anyway.

“Hello.”

“Hey, little lady. How are you doing?”

It took her a second to recognize the voice. And only one person she knew called her little lady. She hated that. And hated him.

“What do you want? I’m a little busy.” She popped the cornbread in the oven and then stirred the chili on the stove top. The smell of spicy tomatoes and onion filled the room.

“I need to talk to you. Can we meet when you get off shift?”

She put the spoon down, motioning to Mack to take over dinner. She walked outside where she could talk in private.

“I don’t think it’s wise we are seen together, let alone talk. I said all I needed to say to you last weekend.”

“I think it’s really important we talk. There are some things you need to know before you go to court next week. Please.”

Leaning against one of the fire trucks in the bay, she let out a deep sigh. “Whatever you need to tell me, you can say over the phone.” The last thing she wanted to do was see him in person again.

“I don’t think it’s safe for us to talk about this over the phone. I need to see you in person.”

This was starting to get old. She needed to end it, for good this time. “I am hanging up the phone now. I have nothing to say to you and have no desire to see you. I’m done. Please don’t call me again.” She disconnected and turned off her phone.

As she went back inside, Mack was setting the table. She knew her face was hot with anger and she took a couple of deep breaths to settle her nerves.

“Everything okay? You seem upset.” He knew she was stressing out due to her husband’s trial.

“Yeah, sure.” She nodded towards the other guys sitting at the table listening.

Mack got her meaning. Can’t talk. He was the one person she could count on right now and it killed her that she couldn’t tell him everything.

“Ok, then let’s eat.”

Just then the tones went off, indicating they had a call.

Everyone froze and listened to the voice of the dispatch operator coming over the speaker. After getting the information on the fire, Sam and her crew quickly dressed in their bunker gear and took off.

Sam could smell the smoke before they rounded the corner to Campbell’s Farmers Market. She directed her crew once they got there, knowing her first priority was to locate the victim and get him and her crew out safely.

Once inside the burning building, she couldn’t help but think how easy it would be to run from her problems. Here was the perfect opportunity. She had already stashed a little money away in case she had to leave. It wasn’t enough to get far, but she could start over somewhere else. She knew Ken was in over his head with the trial and now the Mexican mafia wanted to hurt him on top of that. There were threats made to her as well, but she thought the kids would be safe with her mom. The thing was…could she leave her kids? She didn’t think so. They already lost their dad… at least until after the trial or jail time. No, her kids needed her. She chastised herself for even thinking that way. She put the thought out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.

A few minutes later, they found the victim and she led her crew towards the front of the warehouse. She was bringing up the rear and saw Mack and Kevin already had the victim out the door.

It was then she saw something. A quick flash before her eyes. She hesitated and turned back around to take a better look. It looked like the figure had on firefighting gear. Did someone else come in without her knowing? She made the split second decision to go investigate. Making her way toward the back of the building, her air tank warning went off. She only had a few seconds. When she got close, the figure suddenly turned and started rushing towards her. What the hell is going on here? She heard Mack’s frantic Mayday call over the radio. She went to answer the call when suddenly she tripped over something. The roof starting caving in and then everything went black.

The next thing she knew, she was riding in the back of a van. She thought she was in an ambulance at first. Then she realized she was alone and bound by her legs and arms. Her mouth was so parched she could barely whisper and her head hurt. She felt nauseous and dizzy. After what seemed like a long time, the van came to a stop. She held her breath when the van door opened. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“What the hell are you doing?” she said, croaking out each word painfully.

“Shhh. Don’t talk. We will have plenty of time for that later.” He lifted her gently out of the van and brought her inside. “I’m getting you away from all this. Where you will be safe from everyone.”

Sam tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down. “Just relax. If you play nice, you can stay here. I have to go back in a couple of days, but I will make you comfortable before I go.”

He took out a needle and leaned over her.

She started to protest. “What is that?”

“Just a little something to help you sleep. Tonight has been traumatic enough.” She could barely feel the needle prick her skin. Before she could say anything else, her eyelids closed and she went into a deep sleep.

The next time she woke up she was here. In this dank, dark place. She had no idea why he didn’t leave her in the cabin. The asshole had left a note that said he had to get back to town, but would be back soon. His explanation of why she was here, to keep her safe, made no sense whatsoever.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a gunshot. She had heard a few shots off in the distance when she first got to this hell hole, so she figured she was close by a hunting lodge. But the sound of this one was a lot closer. Like right outside the door.

She listened for a few more minutes and thought she heard footsteps. Then a creaking noise. Sure enough, the door was opening.

Instinctively she crouched in the far corner and waited for whatever hell she was going to face next.

Chapter Eighteen

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday late afternoon

Jeff Stanton had been staring at the open file on his desk for the past thirty minutes. The fire at Campbell’s Farmers Market had him baffled.

Jeff had worked as the Santa Rosa Beach fire marshal for around six months since transferring from the Tallahassee office. He had a wife and a stepson who he adored. His other love was fire. He had been fascinated with fire since he was a child. Not in a pyromaniac kind of way, but a scientific way. How it started, what made it burn, how to put it out. What fuels the fire? So it was natural he became a firefighter. For the first two years of his career, he fought fires. But he realized he was more interested on how and why it burns.

He trained to become a fire marshal. He worked in the Tallahassee region and when an opening came up in Santa Rosa Beach, he applied. His wife was from the area and wanted to move closer to her parents. His stepson was autistic – his wife’s former husband left her because he couldn’t handle the situation – and she wanted her parents’ help.

This was the seventh fire his office had investigated since his arrival. It was also his most challenging. There had been two other suspected arson fires in the last two months, but this was the first one involving a missing person.

The fire had proved to be set intentionally and whoever did it either wasn’t skilled or didn’t care it was sloppy. Gas was used as an accelerant – which was the most traceable source. The perp who set the fire splashed gas throughout the warehouse and then lit it on the way out. The warehouse was not equipped with smoke alarms, so the victim never knew what happened. The smoke had become so thick, he had no chance of escaping. Sam and her crew came at the right time. Another minute and a rescue would not have been possible. Plus, the propane tanks the owner had stored in back for weekend BBQ’s were full. They exploded with force a few minutes after the victim was pulled out.

An interview with the victim didn’t glean much information. He had closed up shop at five o’clock and went to his office to do paperwork. He was turning off his computer and gathering his things to go home when he smelled smoke. He opened his office door to see the warehouse in flames. That was the last thing he remembered. Whether he was overcome with smoke or his blood sugar was low – he was diabetic – it was unclear. He had passed out and didn’t remember the firefighters bringing him out. His next memory was waking up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

What happened to Lt. Samantha Collins was the most puzzling thing. There was no reason for her to go back into the warehouse. Not only was it against protocol, but it was stupid. Even if she saw something or someone in the warehouse, she would have notified her crew. And then to leave her fire helmet at the back door was even more puzzling.

He remembered some advice his old boss gave him when he was training as a fire investigator: “If you hear hooves, it's probably horses, not zebras.” In other words, sometimes the most logical answer is the correct one. Her helmet could have come off during the explosion. She became disoriented and wandered off. It was quite puzzling and he thought of the different scenarios so many times his head was hurting.

As a fire marshal, the easy part of the job was done. He found the cause of fire. Who started it and why? And more importantly, what happened to Samantha Collins? He was still waiting on fingerprint analysis to come in, but he held little hope for it. The farmer’s market was a public place and it would be hard to exclude everyone. The gas cans were not found.

The police department was helping with the investigation and so far they had not turned up anything, either. There was talk about the Mexican mafia, but so far he hadn’t heard of any concrete leads.

Sam’s husband was in jail so it ruled him out…unless he had help. But according to the warden, Ken was surprised to hear about Sam and was upset when told the news.

Of course, the family of Campbell’s Farmers Market was investigated thoroughly, but nothing had come up. Their finances were solid and they had a nice insurance policy – nothing outrageous or suspicious. As the owner pointed out, his son was in the building during the fire. Why put your life on the line? So they were ruled out. That left other unknown suspects. Now he was back to square one. Who and why?

Jeff shuffled paperwork around his desk and thought about what to do next. He always worked better at the scene of the crime. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out his camera. On his way out of the office, he stopped by to tell his assistant, Valerie, he was leaving. Valerie Crumpton reminded him of his grandmother. She was in her late fifties and had an ample bosom and always wore themed sweaters around holidays. It didn’t matter if it was 80 degrees on Halloween. She had on her orange pumpkin sweater with orange and black beads. She brought in fresh muffins and sweet rolls once a week for the staff.

“Valerie, I’m leaving for the rest of the day. I’m going back out to the farmer’s market.”

“Ok, Mr. Stanton. See ya tomorrow morning.” He asked her to call him Jeff, but old habits never die.

He didn’t know what he hoped to find out at the farmer’s market since he had been out there several times since the fire. He had a feeling he was overlooking something obvious.

The drive to the farmers market only took a few minutes. He parked around back and got out of his state vehicle. He looked around the perimeter, focusing on the woods behind the warehouse, and took photos. Putting on his work boots, he entered the shell of the warehouse. Days before, his investigative team sifted through all the debris. Samples of the debris were taken and sent to the forensics lab.

He looked again at the back door where someone apparently forced entry. There were tool marks on the side of the door frame. Forensics took a mold and sent it to the lab. They would determine what type of tool was used and hopefully narrow it down if a suspect was found.

Jeff took another look around and something shiny caught his eye. He reached into his pockets and found his gloves. Reaching into a mound of debris, he pulled out a buckle. Some reflective fabric had melted onto the buckle. He was familiar with this type of buckle. It was normally found on bunker gear of firefighters. The reflective strips were on the jackets they wore. Intrigued, he went back to his truck and pulled out his tool box he carried with him at all times. He went back to the debris pile and took some pictures. Then he went to work sorting through the rubble. He got to the bottom of the pile. What he found next stunned him.

Chapter Nineteen

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday evening

“He was too weird for words.” Rachel went to dinner with Stacy and filled her in on the details of her meeting with Paul.

La Pas was a Mexican restaurant Michelle, Rachel’s friend, had suggested they try. It was packed with tourists on a perfect, late summer night.

“Weird how?” Stacy asked.

“Well, it was nothing he said. It was more what he didn’t say. He had this nonchalant demeanor.”

The waitress brought over steaming plates of enchiladas for both of them. “Man, this looks good,” Stacy said digging into her food. “Mmm, lobster enchiladas. I think I have died and gone to heaven. Sorry, you were saying?”

“Also, the fact he has shown no interest whatsoever in helping look for Sam. Ken is supposed to be one of his closest friends and he grew up with Sam. I would be doing everything I could to help find her.”

“Yes, you’re right. That is weird.”

“He was quick to think her disappearance had something to do with revenge from the drug cartel.”

“You think he is hiding something?”

“I do. And I intend on finding out what it is.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Do some more digging. He was living with someone recently. Mary Anne Lipscomb, I think. Maybe we should start there.”

“I’m on it.” Stacy said in between huge bites of food. “Man, this is so good.”

Rachel laughed, pointing at Stacy’s almost empty plate. “I can tell. Are you going to lick the plate when you’re done?”

“I’m a little more civilized. I plan on using my finger to get the leftover sauce up.”

After dinner, they returned to the beach house and Stacy retreated to her room to work on submitting a story to the newspaper while Rachel sat outside on the deck and watched the waves roll lazily in. She loved the smell of the beach, the feel of the smooth sand on her feet, and the soothing sounds of the crashing waves. She was momentarily distracted when her cell phone buzzed. She didn’t recognize the number and picked it up. “Rachel Scott.”

“Hi Rachel. It’s Jeff Stanton. Fire Marshal’s Office.”

“Hi Jeff. What’s up?”

“Sorry to call so late. I just got back from a meeting with the police chief and thought I would give you the news before the media gets wind of it.”

“Yes?” That didn’t sound good. She was glad she was sitting down.

“We have officially ruled the warehouse fire as arson.”

“Well, I guess it shouldn’t come as a big surprise. What happened?”

“Test results came back late this afternoon. An accelerant was used, just like we thought.”

“How is the owner’s son doing?”

“He is good and was released from the hospital today.”

“He never saw anyone?”

“Nope. He walked his assistant to the door, said goodnight and returned to his office around five-thirty to do some paperwork before leaving. The fire started a little after six, we believe.”

“Any ideas on why Sam went back into the fire against protocol?”

“Well, I found something else in the rubble that was missed the first time we went through.”

“What?”

“This information hasn’t been released to the public. The chief wants to keep it under wraps,” Jeff said. “Pieces of a mannequin were found.”

“A mannequin?” Rachel asked incredulously.

“Firefighters sometimes use a mannequin in their training. For things like CPR classes and when they do search and rescue drills. We think the mannequin was clothed in a firefighter bunker suit.”

“Why would that be at the warehouse?” Rachel asked. “So Sam would think it was another firefighter in distress?”

“Could be.”

“Who would have access to a training mannequin?”

“Chief Gladstone is talking to the fire chief now. We will find out if any training equipment is missing from their department.”

“Does Mack know?”

“No. I’m sure the police will be talking to everyone again at the fire department. That’s all I got for now.”

“Ok. Thanks for the heads up.” Rachel hung up the phone. She hated she couldn’t share this bit of information with Stacy, but she didn’t want to compromise the investigation. Stacy would run with a juicy tidbit. She went inside the house to get her notebook. Whenever she was working on a case, she would keep a written journal of events that happened during the search. Rachel compared finding a missing person kin to putting together a jigsaw puzzle. She just had to make sure she had all the right pieces. She wrote in her journal -

Possibilities: X starts fire and plants a mannequin to distract Sam. X knew her routine and knew she would break from protocol to rescue someone. Who is X? Pedro Gonzalez and Richard Flores? Would the mafia go through the trouble of setting fires just to kidnap Sam? Ken Collins? He could have set it up to get Sam away from everything. Which means she had to be in on it? Sam had access to fire equipment. So did Mack and Paul.

Rachel looked over her notes and sighed. No matter which possibility was right – all she knew was she had to find Sam. She owed it to Nora and her little girls. She would search every square mile of this beach town if she had to. She needed some help getting information about the Mexican drug cartel, too. She wasn’t ready to rule them out yet. And she knew just who to call.

Chapter Twenty

Santa Rosa Beach, Friday early morning

There was a knock on the door just as Rachel was having her second cup of coffee. Stacy had already left to meet someone for breakfast and she wasn’t expecting anyone. Her heart skipped a beat when she glanced through the front door window.

“Hello, Mike Mancini.” Rachel opened the door. Mike was a former DEA agent she met while working on the Amber Knowles case. He recently retired from the DEA and was working as a private investigator in Jacksonville.

Mike bent down and kissed Rachel on the cheek. She thought he smelled wonderful. Like a mix of mint and something woodsy.

“You look nice,” Mike said, admiring her long, tanned legs.

“Oh, thanks. I just got back from a quick run on the beach.” Rachel wondered if she should go put on some jeans. She felt naked in front him with her tiny running shorts and sports tank top.

“Nice place,” Mike said, looking around the beach house.

“Yes, it is. My friend Michelle was nice enough to let me use her vacation home while I worked on this case. I wasn’t sure how long I would be here.” Rachel opened the sliding glass door which led to the deck. “Want to go outside and have some coffee?” She grabbed the coffee carafe and an extra mug.

He followed her out onto the deck and took a seat. He hadn’t changed much since she had last seen him, which was a few months ago. He still had the “biker” look going on with a snug white t-shirt under a black leather jacket and distressed blue jeans. He looked good, she thought. Real good. She had a hard time keeping her feelings in check around him. It was hard to maintain a professional relationship with a handsome man who obviously liked you as well.

“Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t expect you until later this week,” Rachel said. When she had called him last night, he said he would be glad to help out, but it would be a couple of days before he could leave. It was a four hour drive from Jacksonville so she figured he must have left before the crack of dawn.

“The case I was working on got wrapped up sooner than I thought. So here I am.”

“Well, I’m glad you came.”

“Tell me what you got so far.”

Rachel sat down on the chair next to Mike, curling her legs up under her, and brought him up to speed on the case. She ended with telling him the conversation with the fire marshal. She trusted Mike not to say anything to anyone about the mannequin. “I think Sam may have gotten mixed up in something that was bigger than she could handle.”

“And the Mexican drug cartel may have been responsible for her disappearance?”

“Maybe. The head of the gang, Richard Flores, was pissed Ken and Paul zeroed in on his territory. Not to mention Ken was the person who initially busted one of his guys, Jason Blum. Then turned around and used Jason to run his deals. I think he had something to do with it – whether he kidnapped Sam or she set up this whole thing in order to get away from him. ”

“Flores is a sadistic and unpredictable son of a bitch. The rumors have circulated about him are gut-wrenching, to say the least. He is a legend among the Mexican mafia. You need to be careful.”

“I’ve already been warned. It’s why I wanted to see if you could help me out. I figure if Flores had something to do with Samantha’s disappearance, then the more I know about him, the better chance I have of finding her,” Rachel said. “What can you tell me about Flores?”

“Let’s see. Where do I start?”

“How did he get involved in the drug trade in Florida?”

“Richard, or little Ricky as he was called when he was younger, grew up filthy poor in Mexico City. His mom was a prostitute and his dad was non-existent most of his life. He learned to survive on the streets. When he was just six years old, he worked for Richard Gomez peddling weed to tourists and stealing from the same tourists he sold the weed to.

“When Flores turned sixteen, he was Richard Gomez’s right-hand man. He had proved his loyalty to Gomez by committing many murders of other rival gang members. By this time, Gomez had relocated his mafia family to San Diego.

“Flores has a tattoo of the gang, which is an eagle and a snake – the national symbol of Mexico – over a flaming circle of crossed knives.

“While in San Diego, Gomez increased his family gang members and Flores’ power grew. However, Flores grew tired of being the little guy. He had loftier aspirations. One night, Gomez mysteriously disappeared. No one questioned it because they were scared of Flores. Flores was next in line and took over operations. He decided to move the gang to Florida when California started cracking down hard on drug trafficking. Flores had connections in Miami and knew he could build his empire even higher. He wanted to establish himself as a prominent business man, so he starting buying up real estate and other businesses to funnel his drug money through. He donated money to the appropriate politicians and charitable organizations. Attended the right parties and mingled with the ‘in crowd,’ all the while increasing his business in the drug trade.

“He started expanding operations all through Florida. Santa Rosa Beach was a good place for him because of the location – easily accessible by water, close to five major cities such as Atlanta and Mobile, but also a low key spot for him to distribute his wares.

“Everything was going smoothly until Blum and Gonzalez were arrested. The DEA put the heat on Flores and he disappeared back in Mexico City.”

“Do you think he is out for revenge because Ken Collins arrested one of his guys?” Rachel asked.

“No, I think he is out for revenge because Ken Collins stole money from him by taking over his drug clientele.”

“When did Flores find out about Ken’s operation? He could have been the tipster if he knew.”

“I don’t know how Flores found out, but I am sure it was pretty easy. He has sources,” Mike said.

“If Flores did have something to do with Sam’s disappearance, what would he have done? Hold her somewhere?”

“I think if Flores got Sam, it’s not good. He is not the type to ask for ransom. He has money. This would be strictly revenge.”

Rachel shuddered. That was what she was afraid of. “Let’s hope she ran away then.”

“What can I do to help?” Mike asked.

Rachel smiled. She knew she could count on Mike to jump right in and use any resource to get the job done.

“Check your sources and see if you can find out if Flores knows anything about Sam’s disappearance.” Rachel laughed

“Right. Like it’s that easy.”

“Also, I would like to know if Flores has property around here. It may be a good place to search.”

“Ok. Let me make a phone.” Mike pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Rachel only had to wait a couple of minutes before Mike had the info he needed.

“Flores owned several rental properties in the area. He funneled a lot of money through them. I have a list getting sent to my email. We can start there,” Mike said. “But don’t hold out too much hope. If Flores had anything to do with Sam’s disappearance, he wouldn’t have dumped her body on any of his properties.”

“Flores is just one theory I am contemplating. Mack Dixon, who was allegedly was having an affair with Sam is another. So is Paul Hart, Ken’s friend and business partner.”

“Ken would be at the top of my list.”

“Why is that?”

“His wife disappears the week she was suppose to testify at his trial? That’s just not sitting right with me. Too much of a coincidence, if you ask me.”

“It’s kind of hard to set a fire and kidnap your wife while in jail,” Rachel argued.

“Just because he is in jail doesn’t mean he couldn’t arrange for it to happen. He is an ex-cop. And alleged drug dealer. I’m sure he has plenty of contacts.”

“I don’t know. When we talked to him, I didn’t get that. He seemed genuinely concerned about his wife and his kids. He said over and over Sam wouldn’t leave the kids.”

“I’ve worked with many deceivers. Plenty of men and women have lied directly to my face. Look at his track record. He was a trusted member of the law and was selling dope right under their noses.”

“Nora, Samantha’s mom, is holding a press conference tomorrow morning. It’s going to be at the warehouse at 10am.”

“Sounds good. Something will shake loose soon,” Mike assured her. “I’ll make some more phone calls and meet you at the conference tomorrow.”

“Do you have a place to stay? We have an extra room.” Rachel hoped she sounded friendly and not too forthcoming.

“Thanks for the offer, but I already got a place down the road.” Mike got up from his chair.

“Well, at least come back over tonight for dinner. Stacy and I are going to the seafood market to get some fresh shrimp for pasta tonight.”

I hope it didn’t sound desperate, she thought, regretting the invitation as soon as it came out of her mouth.

Mike paused at the sliding glass door. “Ok. Sounds great.” He smiled. “You had me at pasta.”

Immense relief flooded through her. Rachel felt like she was 16 again and had a schoolgirl crush. “Great. See ya around seven-ish.”

Rachel watched him leave. She had mixed emotions about Mike. When they worked together in the Bahamas, there was definite chemistry between them. Today, he seemed a little detached. She didn’t know what to expect from him, but she was glad he was here to help. Before heading to take a quick shower, she glanced at her phone. She had a missed call and voice mail. She checked her messages and listened as Tammie asked if she would meet her tomorrow before the press conference. Rachel thought back to the day she met Nora. Tammie had said she had something important to tell her about Sam. She wondered if this had something to do with Sam’s affair with Mack.

Chapter Twenty-One

Santa Rosa Beach, Saturday morning

The next morning Rachel woke up with a good feeling. The nasty weather didn’t match her mood. She sat on the deck and watched thunderclouds roll in from the Gulf. A pod of dolphins were frolicking in the waves without a care in the world. When raindrops started falling, she grabbed her coffee cup and headed inside. Stacy was finishing a bagel and looking over her email.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Stacy said as she shoved the last bite in her mouth.

“Not going be sunshiny here today. I feel great, though.”

“Mike Mancini has something to do with that?” Stacy teased.

Rachel laughed. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You can’t play coy with me, missy. I saw the way he looked at you all through dinner.”

Mike showed up for dinner right at seven and brought flowers. It didn’t take much to tempt him with homemade shrimp scampi and a nice bottle of wine.

“Mike is just a friend. I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“Who said anything about a relationship?” Stacy said. “You just need a little companionship. Big difference.”

“That’s what Maggie is for.” Rachel said with a twinge of regret. She missed her black lab and hated leaving her for so long. However, she knew Jack was taking good care of her.

“It is not the kind of companionship I was talking about and you know it.”

Rachel grabbed her brush off the counter and started attacking her long, auburn hair with it. Her hair was already getting frizzy from the humidity. She twisted it around into a bun and secured it with a clip.

“What time are you leaving?” Rachel asked, eager to change the subject. She wasn’t ready to discuss her feelings about Mike just yet. Stacy was intuitive – it’s what made her a good reporter. And once she had a hold of something, she wouldn’t let it go. That was something they had in common.

“Tsk, tsk. Changing the subject. But I will let it go for now.” Stacy closed her laptop and put it in her briefcase. “I am planning on leaving for the airport right after the press conference.”

Stacy had to go back to Miami for a meeting with her boss, but would be coming back in a couple of days.

“I can take you to the airport after the conference,” Rachel offered.

“Thanks, but Mack offered to give me a ride to the conference and then to the airport. It will give me a chance to talk to him so I can turn this story in when I get to Miami.” Stacy was writing an update on the search for Sam for the Miami Sun. Even though she was technically still on vacation, her boss was glad to have her back working on a potentially hot story.

“Ok. I’m going to get dressed. I have to meet Tammie in about an hour. She said she wanted to talk to me in private and I’m anxious to see what she has to say.”

“Sounds good. I will see ya there.”

Rachel headed upstairs to change. She was looking forward to getting this press conference done and hoped it would bring in the lead she needed to find Sam.

***

Rachel pulled up to Tammie’s house. The home was a brick, ranch-style with black shutters, a small manicured front yard with a Tampa Bay Buccaneer flag stuck in the flower bed – with colorful Zinnias scattered around. She walked up to the door and rang the bell. After a moment, she heard Tammie yell, “Be right there.”

She opened the front door with a baby on one hip and another small child wrapped around her legs. She wore sweat pants and a white t-shirt, which had baby food splattered across her chest. Her long, dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail.

“Hang on a second. Let me give the kids to my husband and I’ll be right out to talk. It’s quieter out here.”

“Ok.” Rachel took a seat on one of the rocking chairs and waited.

She heard some yelling inside and the baby crying. A few minutes later, a frazzled looking Tammie walked back outside. She took the other chair and let out a sigh.

“Sorry about that. It’s my husband’s only day off and he thinks he can just sit around all day and watch TV.”

“It’s okay,” Rachel said. “So you and Samantha have been good friends for a long time?”

“Yes. My family moved next door to Samantha’s family when I was six years old. We moved from Georgia when my dad got a better job here in Florida. Sam and I have been friends ever since.”

“I was amazed at all the trophies at Nora’s house. From talking to the guys at the fire department, Sam doesn’t strike me as the beauty pageant type, even though she is a beautiful girl. How did she get involved in pageantry?”

“Sam was a rough and tumble tomboy at heart. But her mom was the one who pushed the beauty pageants on her. Until she was twelve, she was on the kiddie pageant circus. Her daddy worked two jobs like most firefighters did. So, he didn’t have much say in it. Two to three days a week you could find him at the fire station and on his off days he mowed lawns – except for Sundays. He wasn’t around a lot when Sam was growing up, but she loved her daddy.”

“Why did her mom want her to be in pageants?”

“Nora is a former beauty queen. She started entering Sam into beauty pageants when she was just a baby. She won the Little Miss Walton County, Little Miss Sunshine State, Miss Junior Florida and dozens of other titles.

“That’s why her daddy had to work so hard. Pageants cost a lot of money. And her mom, Nora, knew how to spend it. Dresses, coaches, fake teeth, or flippers, like they are called in the kiddie pageantry, and travel costs were in the thousands.

“Sam was almost guaranteed to win any pageant. She had inherited her momma’s good looks. Beautiful thick blonde hair with corkscrew curls, cornflower blue eyes lined with thick curly lashes and a smile that lit up a room. She didn’t like all the makeup and fancy dresses and all the time spent with dance and pageant coaches, but it was what was required in order to win pageant titles. Sam would rather be outside climbing trees and making mud pies.

“But she was good at pageants. She could also win over the judges just by a wink and a smile. It was genuine. And boy, was she a natural. It was like she was born to be on stage. She won pageant after pageant. She got a couple thousand dollars in college scholarships as well,” Tammie said.

“What happened to change all that?”

“Well, the unthinkable happened. The summer before Samantha turned twelve, she had a horrible accident. Her dad had taken a rare day off and took Samantha fishing with him. She loved the pageants, but loved spending time with daddy more. And she would follow him to the ends of the earth.

“So, early one Sunday morning, she went off with her daddy and big brother to Millers Lake for a day of fishing. It was really a hot day, so her daddy let her go swimming after they had lunch. Sam didn’t see the other boat until it was too late. She got caught in the propellers and it ripped into the right side of her arm, shoulder, and part of her face.

“They rushed her to a local hospital and then life-flighted her to the Atlanta children’s hospital, when they realized the extent of her injuries.

It was touch-and-go because of all the blood she lost. She also got an infection, which complicated her recovery. All in all, she had five surgeries to fix her injuries, including plastic surgery to help with the deep gashes in her face.”

“Wow, I guess it put an end to her days of pageantry,” Rachel said.

“Yeah, it did. I don’t think Nora truly forgave her husband. Sam missed a whole year of school and got behind. The family had tons of medical bills and Nora had to get a job to help.

“Sam became closer to her older brother. They were at home a lot by themselves. Her brother always wanted to be a firefighter like his dad. She hung out with him and all his friends.

“When it came time to graduate high school and think about college plans, Sam decided to follow in her brother’s footsteps and go to Fire College. Her mother was devastated, to say the least. She wanted Sam to go to the junior college and get a business degree.”

“I have the recent pictures of Sam that Nora gave me. She’s still beautiful. You can barely see the scars on her face.”

Tammie agreed. “Even though Sam still has scars on her face, she is very beautiful. She doesn’t think so, though.”

“So, she went to Fire College in Ocala.” Rachel tried to move the story along. She could hear Tammie’s baby starting to cry in the house. She figured it wouldn’t be long until Tammie’s husband started yelling for her to come back inside.

“Yep. She graduated with honors from Fire College. She got the job at the fire department a few months after graduation.”

“What happened to her brother?”

“By this time, Breck had met a girl, got married and moved to Miami. He was working for the Miami Fire Department when he was killed. His unit responded to a fire at a furniture store. Breck was on the roof when it caved in and he fell to his death. Broke his neck on impact.”

“That’s horrible. And she lost her dad as well?”

“Yes, to a heart attack about a year after Breck’s death.”

“I see why Nora is so emotionally distraught.” Rachel absently chewed on her thumbnail. “How did Sam and Ken meet?”

“Sam met Ken soon after joining the fire department. If I remember right, it was a domestic violence call that got ugly and the guy had lit his house on fire. Within six months of dating, she was pregnant with Ken’s baby. They got married and moved into a trailer on her parent’s land while they built a house. By the time the house was ready, she was pregnant again. Another girl. Born twenty one months apart. They settled into working and family. Ken working his way up at the police department and Sam juggling the girls and working at the fire station.”

“Then Ken gets arrested and the whole family is thrown into turmoil again,” Rachel finished for her.

“Yep. Now with Samantha missing and Ken in jail, Nora is clinging to those girls. She feels like a curse has been put on her family. The former beauty queen is beaten and down trodden. Sam’s little girls are all she has left. So finding Sam alive and well would be a god-send for Nora. She has already lost so much.” Tammie shook her head.

“Did Sam know about Ken’s marijuana operation?”

Tammie looked a little uncomfortable at the question.

“Tammie, I don’t want you to think you’re betraying Sam’s confidence. This conversation is between us. I need to know everything I can about Sam if I am going to find her.”

Tammie took a big breath. “I’ve been interviewed by the police. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“I promise. What you say is between us,” Rachel said again.

“She knew, but she wasn’t involved that I know of. She kind of turned a blind eye toward it.”

“When did she find out?”

“Ken hid it from her at first. He told Sam he was working on project for work. She never went to the barn. She referred to it as his man cave. After a few months he started spending more and more time back there. One day, curiosity got the best of her. While Ken was at work, she walked back there and found the door locked. She thought it was strange. He never locked the barn door. When he got home, she mentioned it to him. He made up some story he had bought some expensive tools for his project and wanted to lock it for security purposes.”

“Did that explanation satisfy her?”

“At first. Then she noticed Ken started buying a lot of stuff. And he started taking her to nice dinners and he was always buying toys for the girls. Sam did most of the bill paying for the family and knew how much he made. When she asked him about where the extra money was coming from, he made up something about a bonus check. But she didn’t buy it. Once again, she took a trip out to the barn. This time she brought some bolt cutters and broke in.”

“I bet she was suprised.”

“Yeah. She was shocked. The whole barn had been transformed into a grow factory. There were rows and rows of plants, special lighting, and all kinds of chemicals and bottles. When she realized what he was up to, she was pissed. She was waiting for Ken when he got off his shift. She put the girls to bed early and waited.

“She confronted him with what she found and he admitted it. When she found out how much money he was making, she was shocked. He said he was saving most of it for retirement. Ken promised he would stop after he made so much money.”

“Did she know Paul was involved?”

“Yes. She wasn’t happy about it, but Ken explained he needed some start-up money and cut Paul in on the deal.”

“Why didn’t she like that Paul was involved?”

“Well, ever since she broke up with Paul, she tried to keep her distance from him. She tolerated him. Especially since Ken and Paul were good friends.”

Rachel looked shocked. “Paul and Sam dated? Before she married Ken?”

“Yes, I just assumed you knew that. She and Paul were high school sweethearts. Paul was little possessive. I will never forget this goofy heart charm he gave Sam. It was a heart in two pieces. She wore one half on a necklace and he had the other.” Tammie leaned back on the bench and stretched her legs out. “Paul proposed after college, but Sam turned him down. They had a nasty break up.”

“Wow. I had no idea. And Ken and Paul remained friends?” Rachel wondered why Paul didn’t mention he was in a relationship with Sam when they met at the Donut Hole a couple days ago.

“Things had already started going sour, and if you ask her side of the story, her and Paul were already broken up when she met Ken. Paul denies it. He begged for her to take him back, but once she met Ken, things happened fast. She got pregnant and they got married. Eventually, Paul came back around. She didn’t really care for him hanging out with Ken, but she tolerated it. Paul was friends with her brother and his friends. It’s a small town and all.” Tammie shrugged her shoulders.

“Did Paul ever get married?”

“No. But he had a serious, live-in relationship with Mary Anne Lipscomb. She is an older lady who runs the local pharmacy in town. They broke up a few months ago – before Paul was arrested. He moved out of her home and bought a new place just outside of town. I don’t think he is seeing anyone now. In my opinion, he never really got over Sam. He thought they would get married and have kids.”

“Ken was okay with that?”

“I don’t think Ken knew Paul was still pining for Sam. Ken is the most laid back, easy-going person I know. Even as cop, he rarely raises his voice, but when he does, people notice. If he knew Paul was still in love with Sam, he never mentioned it.”

“What about Sam? Did she know Paul’s true feelings?”

“I think so. But she ignored it. With work and raising two little girls, she rarely had time to think about it. She hoped Paul would find someone else.”

“Is Paul a vindictive type of person?”

Tammie thought about it for a minute. “I’m not sure. He went a little crazy after the breakup, but he never did anything to hurt Sam. I know he is crazy about her little girls. Always buys them presents on their birthdays and stuff.”

“He was pretty upset about getting arrested, though,” Rachel said.

“It was his own stupid fault for going along with Ken’s idea. He knew the risks when he got involved.”

“What about Mack Dixon? I heard him and Sam were close.”

“They have been friends for a long time. But I think they became even closer after Ken got arrested. Mack stepped in to help out. He was always around the house when they were off shift.” Tammie closed her eyes like she was trying to remember something. “She was bothered about something a couple days before she disappeared, though.”

“Did she say what it was?”

“That is what I wanted to speak to you about.” Tammie hesitated.

“Go ahead,” Rachel prompted when she sensed Tammie’s reluctance. “This conversation is between us. I’m not going to repeat anything you tell me.”

“She stopped by my house on the way home from her shift one morning. I could tell she was upset. I thought it was Ken or the trial. I asked her what was wrong. She said she had gotten herself into a mess with Mack. When I pressed to find out what she meant, she said to just forget it.”

“Did you find out what it was?”

“No. It was the last time we spoke.”

“Any idea as to what kind of mess she was in?”

“No, but I can guess,” Tammie said. “She was fooling around with Mack and someone at the station found out. That’s grounds for termination. I think it is also why she was looking for another job.”

Rachel glanced at her watch. She only had a few minutes to get back to the beach house and get ready for the press conference with Samantha’s family. She was glad it stopped raining and the sun was making an appearance. “Ok. I will keep this information to myself. Thanks for your time, Tammie. If you think of anything else, please call me.”

Tammie nodded her head. “I appreciate it. I don’t want anything coming back on me.”

“Will you be at the conference?”

Tammie shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll try. It depends on my husband’s mood.” As if on cue, Rachel could hear Tammie’s husband yelling for her to hurry up. “He’s a little grumpy. Working all those extra shifts since the baby was born.”

“Ok. I hope to see ya there.”

Rachel drove back to the house thinking about her conversation with Tammie. She wondered what exactly Sam meant by getting in a mess with Mack. Sam was already on probation at the station and was looking for another job. Why would she care if someone found out about her and Mack? Something else was going on with Mack. Maybe Stacy would get it out of him when they met. Mack just might be the key to all this.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Santa Rosa Beach, Saturday 11am

There was a mob of people standing outside Campbell’s Farmer’s Market when Rachel got there. Nora had insisted on holding the press conference there since it had been the last place Sam had been seen. It had been almost a week since Sam’s disappearance and nothing new had turned up.

The local and national news people showed up in droves. Sam’s unusual disappearance was turning out to be a big media sensation. The story had gotten the attention of Nancy Grace and other cable news networks. Stacy Case was covering the story for her paper, The Miami Sun.

Chief Gladstone took the podium. “Good afternoon. I’m police chief Gladstone with the Santa Rosa Beach police department. We're here today with Samantha Collin’s family and Rachel Scott with Florida Omni Search. They are not prepared to answer questions today, but each will make a short statement. First, I will give you an update on where we are with this investigation.

“Let me first say that I know the public has a very keen interest in knowing every detail of Samantha’s disappearance, and we appreciate it. We are now classifying this as a criminal investigation and because of that, there are still a number of details we cannot get into and we will not be taking any questions today regarding the investigation.

“The first search turned up a missing item that was identified as Samantha’s. The item was found about a half mile from here. Again, because of the criminal nature of this crime, we can not specify what was found. We will be initiating a second canvas of the area where the item was found and will be searching an additional twenty miles around this area.

“Our detectives and searchers are continuing to follow-up on many leads, including the activities of Samantha prior to her disappearance. We would like to encourage anyone to call in any tips you may have. It is oftentimes the smallest detail - something that may seem inconsequential to you -that is the piece of the puzzle we need to crack a case wide open. If you saw or heard something unusual or know anything about Samantha, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, give our investigators a call or send us an email.

“We want to remind all citizens that a reward of $25,000 has been established for information leading us to Samantha. Anyone with information regarding Samantha Collins whereabouts is urged to call our tip line or to dial 911.

“Thank you. I will now turn over the podium to Rachel Scott with Florida Omni Search.”

Rachel pushed down the nerves in her stomach as she stepped up. This part was always the hardest. She hated press conferences, but viewed them as a necessary evil.

“As of this afternoon, our search-and-rescue crews will have searched every location of interest. It includes an extremely wide area of land around the warehouse and everywhere between. This was possibly the largest search operation of its kind in this county. In addition, we have used the best equipment available for searching this terrain.

“It is very important to us that family and friends of Samantha -- as well as the public -- know our commitment and resources are unwavering. We will not give up until Samantha is found. Thank you.”

Rachel stepped aside as Nora walked up. She was dressed in a flowery sundress with her blonde hair hanging loosely around her face. She looked like she had aged considerably since Rachel had first met her. The pain of losing a husband and a son and now a daughter had taken its toll on her. She looked older than her fifty-five years, but Rachel could still see a hint of the former beauty queen’s looks. Samantha’s two girls, Bella and Gracie, were standing beside Nora while she pleaded for the safe return of her daughter.

“If anyone out there knows anything about where Samantha is, I am asking you, as her mother, to please call the tip line. Her daughters miss her and need her. I miss her so much. Please call. Even if you think it’s nothing, we need your help finding her. And Samantha, if you can hear me, there is nothing we can’t handle together. Please come home.” Nora wiped the tears away from her eyes.

“We are so grateful for the support and work of the police department, as well as the hundreds of searchers, volunteers and firefighters. Thank you to everyone for your support in trying to find Samantha.”

The media shouted out to Nora and Rachel, despite the Chief’s request for no questions. One of the officers ushered them safely to a private area which was set up for the conference. Someone had thoughtfully put out some water and snacks for everyone.

Stacy made her way through the throngs of the media and found Rachel. She pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. “I heard that one of the investigators found something interesting at the site the other day.”

Rachel’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“Pieces of training mannequin dressed in firefighting gear.”

Rachel’s tried to look indifferent, but Stacy didn’t buy it.

“You knew?” Stacy’s voice filled with hurt.

“It was supposed to be confidential. I was asked not to disclose it yet.”

“Then why am I here helping you? I thought we were friends. That you trusted me.”

“I do trust you. You know that, Stacy. I gave my word. It has nothing to do with us being friends.”

“I think it does. You have given me stuff off the record. This is no different.”

“Yes, it is. You aren’t listening. I gave my word I wouldn’t say anything. I would have told you as soon as I could.”

“It would’ve been too late. Obviously. Someone has already beaten me to the punch.”

“I’m sorry, but I will not go back on my word.”

Stacy checked her watch. “I have to go. My plane leaves in one hour.”

“Ok. Please don’t be upset with me.”

“I’ll see you when I get back.” Stacy turned around and made her way through the dwindling media crowd. Rachel let out a long sigh. She knew there was a risk in being friends with a reporter, but she thought Stacy understood there were some things she couldn’t discuss when there was an ongoing investigation. Rachel walked back to her truck where Mike was waiting for her. She tried to put it out of her head.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. “You look upset.”

“No, I’m fine. It’ll work itself out.”

“Are you ready to go drive by some of these rental properties?”

“Yes. I want to see for myself if Flores is hiding something.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Santa Rosa Beach, Saturday 11:34pm

Rachel was vaguely aware she had the dream again. She is watching her little girl Mallory playing in the front yard. One minute she is playing with her dolls and the next minute she vanishes in front of her eyes. She runs around the yard yelling her name over and over. However, this dream is a little different than the one she usually has. Her throat starts to burn every time she screams Mallory’s name. Her lungs feel like they are on fire. The coughing and choking sensations wake her up.

She struggled to open her eyes. The room was filled with smoke. She was so stunned by this, she thought she was still dreaming. Then she noticed a flickering of bright orange all around her room and realized it was not a dream. Panic seeped through her body and for a moment she was entranced by the fire.

I have to do something to get out of here. She looked around, but could see no way out. The room was quickly engulfed in flames and the smoke was making it hard for her to breath. It felt like a knife was slicing through her lungs.

Rachel kicked off the covers and thought about her dwindling options. It would be impossible to go through the bedroom door. The doorway was blocked by a wall of flames. She glanced at the window where the fire was starting to eat away at the curtains. Her bedroom was on the second floor and faced the beach. It would be a long drop down, but hopefully the sand would cushion her fall. Choking on the smothering smoke, Rachel started wrapping her hands around the sheets to protect them from the glass. At most, she thought she may get some burns and a broken bone by jumping. The only other option was to stay and be burned alive.

Just as she started to brace herself, glass shattered and rained down on her face. At first, she thought the intensity of the heat blew out the window. Then a dark figure entered through the window and reached out for her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

She instinctively backed away. “Rachel. It’s Mack.” A hand reached out to hers. Relief flooded through her body. She quickly grabbed Mack’s hand and he guided her to a ladder leaning against the house. As they were climbing down, a blast of fire came out from the downstairs and propelled the ladder away from the house. They hit the sand hard about twenty feet away. Rachel was stunned for a few seconds.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

She nodded yes while gulping fresh air.

“Easy. Take it slow,” Mack said, rubbing her back.

“What…happened?” Rachel asked confused. She could hear sirens in the distance.

“I’m not sure. Something downstairs must have exploded. Stay here while I go get the paramedics. I’ll be right back.”

An ambulance and a fire truck pulled up the gravel drive just as Mack walked around front. He took the paramedics around to the back where Rachel was still lying on the beach. Mack stayed with her as they loaded her up on a gurney and strapped an oxygen mask across her face.

Mack rubbed her arm. “You are going to be okay. I’m going to ride in the truck with you to the hospital.” She smiled weakly at him and then everything went black.

***

At the hospital, she awoke to whispered voices.

“Hello?” she croaked out. Her mouth was parched and her throat felt like it was on fire. She looked around and saw an IV taped to her left arm and her right hand was covered in bandages.

Mack’s face suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Hey. Looks who’s awake.” He smiled at her.

“What happened?”

“There was a fire at the beach house.”

The pain medication was making her thoughts fuzzy. She was struggling to remember the fire. “I saw you in the window.”

Mack nodded his head. “That’s right. I was driving by and saw the flames from the road. I tried the front door, but the fire was too intense. So, I found a ladder in the storage area underneath the house and climbed up to the second story. I got lucky and found you. You got a mouthful of smoke, but the doctor says you will be okay.” He pushed the button for the nurse and alerted her that Rachel was awake.

“Water?” Rachel pointed to a carafe on the nightstand next to her bed.

“Ice chips.” Mack took a spoonful and fed it to her.

“Thanks.”

“Everyone is worried about you. Mike is down at the cafeteria getting some coffee,” Mack said as the doctor walked in. “I’ll go get him for you while the doctor talks to you.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said gratefully.

Dr. Schmitz told her she was a lucky girl. No lung damage that they could tell. She had second degree burns on her right hand, lacerations on her face and hands, and a sprained ankle. He said she would stay overnight and if everything went well, she could leave in the morning. The nurse came in to give her a mild sedative and something for the pain.

Mike walked into the room as the doctor left. He kissed her on the forehead. “I was worried about you.”

“Thanks for being here. The doctor said I’m fine and will be out of here tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Mike pointed to the sofa couch in the room.

“No, I’m okay.”

“I hope you don’t mind. I called Stacy. She is headed back up here tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks.” Rachel ate a few more ice chips. She thought her voice was coming back stronger. “Any idea on how the fire started?” she asked as Mack walked back into the room.

Mack cleared his throat. “No. I talked to Jeff Stanton and he was heading out to the scene. I’m sure we will know something soon.”

“This was the work of the arsonist, wasn’t it?” Rachel asked.

Mack and Mike exchanged glances.

“We don’t know that yet, but it is a strong possibility,” Mack said.

“Apparently you have gotten the attention of someone who doesn’t like you poking around in Sam’s disappearance,” Mike said. “I would feel comfortable if you stayed with me for a while.”

“I guess that’s not a bad idea.” Rachel felt her eyelids getting heavy.

“The nurse must have given you some strong drugs for you to be so agreeable so quickly.” Mike laughed.

“Ok. I’m going to get out of here. Let you get some rest.” Mack said his goodbyes and left the room.

Mike grabbed a blanket and pillow and settled down on the couch by Rachel’s bed. He was going to stay whether Rachel liked it or not. Within a couple of minutes, he was asleep.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Santa Rosa Beach, Monday 7:30am

When she awoke the next morning, the first thing she saw was Mike stretched out on the uncomfortable couch.

She vaguely remembered the fire, but couldn’t understand what Mike was doing on the couch. She cleared her throat.

Mike shot straight up. “Hey. You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Ready to get out of here. What are you doing?”

“I wanted to stay and make sure you were okay.”

The nurse walked in and said she was going to check her vital signs. She told Rachel the doctor would be in soon and would probably release her this morning.

“I’m going to head down to the cafeteria and get some coffee. Need anything?”

Rachel looked down at her gown. “I guess I’m going to need some clothes. I’m guess most of my stuff was destroyed in the fire.”

“Yeah, I talked with Stacy this morning. She was able to catch an early flight and will be here soon. She said she was bringing you some stuff.”

“Thanks for everything. I’ll be okay if you need to go.”

“Ok. I’ll be back soon.”

Rachel let the nurse do her thing while she thought about what her next move was going be. Someone must think she was a threat. She wondered if Flores had gotten wind of her poking around his rental properties. The afternoon before the fire, she and Mike drove by all his rentals, but they didn’t find anything that was out of place. Three of the four rentals had tenants. The other one was vacant with a for rent sign in front. Well, one thing is for sure, she thought. She wasn’t going to let someone run her out of town. First thing first. Her things needed to be replaced and she needed to find another place to stay.

The door opening interrupted her thoughts.

Jeff Stanton poked his head around the corner.

“How are you?”

“Good. I think I’m going to be able to leave today.”

The nurse took off her blood pressure cuff and told her everything looked good. “The doctor will be by shortly,” the nurse said as she walked out the door.

Jeff pulled up a chair next to her bed. “I wanted to come by and see you. I went to the beach house earlier. Not a pretty sight.”

“What do you think happened?”

“Possibly arson,” Jeff said.

“Really?”

“I won’t know for sure until tests come back, but I would guess gas accelerant. Plus, the tool marks on the side door look familiar.”

Rachel’s face paled.

“You’re lucky Mack drove by when he did. Another couple of minutes…” He let the thought go on.

Stacy walked into the room carrying a cheerful balloon and flower bouquet. “Hey, girl.” She looked tentatively at Rachel.

“Hey, thanks.” Rachel sat up straighter in bed.

Stacy looked over at Jeff. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s okay. Looks like she needs some cheering up.”

“I brought a few things for you.” Stacy held up a bag with her other hand. “Change of clothes, makeup bag, toothbrush….and voila! Trashy magazines for your guilty reading pleasure.” She put the copies of Life & Style, Star, and OK! magazines on her nightstand.

“You got a mirror in there?” Rachel asked.

Stacy hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Is it that bad?”

Stacy reached in the bag and pulled out the makeup case. There was a small mirror on the flap. She handed it to her.

The first thing she noticed was her eyebrows were singed. Rachel ran her finger over what was left of her right eyebrow. She also had several small cuts around her mouth and forehead.

“I guess it could be worse.” A tear slid down her cheek.

Stacy walked over and gave her a gentle hug. “Oh honey, it could have been a lot worse. You’re alive and we will get you back to normal in no time.”

“Anyone see anything?” Rachel started to get angry.

“No, unfortunately not. But trust me when I tell you this…we will get this guy,” Jeff said.

“I know we will. Thanks for stopping by.”

“Call me when you get to feeling better. We’ll get together with Chief Gladstone and come up with a plan.” Jeff got up and left the room.

Stacy took his side by Rachel’s bed.

“Hey, I’m really sorry with the way we left things. I shouldn’t have given you any heat about the tip.”

“I’m sorry, too. I wish I could tell you everything Stacy. You are one of my dearest friends. You know that.”

“I promise not to get hotheaded again. I know we have to draw the line between business and friendship sometimes.”

“If you would just know when to keep your big mouth shut,” Rachel said.

“I know sometimes it gets me in trouble.” Stacy laughed. “Now let’s get you dressed and out of here.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lake Juniper, Monday late afternoon

Sam sat at the table staring at the meal “the asshole” had fixed for her. The steak and potatoes had grown cold, which was just as well because she had no appetite.

“What’s wrong? You need to keep up your strength.”

“I told you I’m not hungry. Being kept locked in a dark cell does that to you.”

“I said I was sorry. I couldn’t help it. I had things to do.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“To keep you safe.”

“I was doing fine without your help.” Sam poked at her salad. The lettuce was drowning in the ranch dressing and the tomatoes were mushy.

“No, not really. You have no idea what was going on around you.” He smiled at her. “Did you know Pedro Gonzalez had someone following you?”

“What?” Her fork hit the plate with a loud clang.

“Yeah. One of Gonzalez’s goons was hanging out around the fire station watching you. Following you on calls. Biding his time.”

“Is that what you called to talk to me about the night of the fire?”

“Yes. And to offer you a safe place until I could handle the matter.”

Sam took a deep breath to control her anger.

“My welfare is none of your concern. I can take care of things myself. Now, if we can quit this whole charade, I need to get back to my girls. My life.”

“I’m sorry. That is not an option right now. It’s too dangerous for you to go back. Especially in your delicate condition.”

Sam’s face went pale. “What?”

“Don’t play me. You know what I’m talking about.”

Sam thought hard. How in the world would he know about that? No one knew. She laid her hand protectively over her stomach.

“Look, I’m tired of your games and I’m not playing along anymore.” Sam abruptly pushed away from the table and stood up.

“Sit back down. Now.” The asshole had a crazy look on his face. She had seen the look only one other time and it scared the crap out of her.

“No. I’m ready to go. Either you take me home or I’ll walk back.” She slammed her hand down hard on the table. “Enough!”

His eyes met hers as he slowly reached under the table and pulled out a gun. He pointed it at her stomach and said in a quiet voice, almost whispering, “I said, sit down. If you’re good, I will let you sleep in the cabin tonight. We need to come up with a plan of action. We are going to Millers Lake.”

Sam sat slowly back in the chair. She would listen to what he had to say. Pretend to cooperate. Then devise a plan to escape this craziness.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Santa Rosa Beach, Tuesday morning

Mike had Rachel moved into the same hotel where he was staying. It was one of those hotels designed as an efficiency apartment. She had a kitchenette, separate bedroom and bath, and a small living area which she set up as her office. Stacy insisted on staying with her again, although she joked she may have to up her health insurance policy. Rachel replaced her wardrobe and her laptop, which was destroyed in the fire.

When Janine and Red found out what happened, they both offered to come up and stay with her. But she insisted they stay in Miami. A few new cases had come in and it made more sense for them to stay there.

She put on a pot of strong coffee to brew and fired up her computer to update her website and blog. When Mallory went missing, Rachel spent her nights on the computer visiting various missing persons’ websites. The fact that Rachel found stunning was over 2,300 Americans were reported missing every day. Of course, a lot of those cases are runaways, family abductions, people with drug and alcohol problems, as well as people with psychiatric problems.

But regardless of the reason why a person was missing – family abduction, runaway, or kidnapped by unknown person – the families go through the same range of emotions. The feeling that Rachel knew so well – an empty pit in your stomach, the sleepless nights of not knowing where your child is, the hurt in your heart and the helplessness feelings.

It was an easy decision to dedicate her life’s work to helping find missing people – especially children.

One thing Rachel found true, publicity was essential in the days just after a person goes missing. In addition to assisting people in finding their loved ones, she maintained the Florida Omni Search website so other people she couldn’t help could download a tip sheet and a list of helpful resources.

Rachel logged in to the Florida Omni Search website and was happy to see Janine had put up Samantha Collins’ picture and information on the front page of the site. Rachel wrote a short update on the case and then turned her attention to updating the blog. She was working on a three part piece about how to travel safely in foreign countries, with a special emphasis on teenagers who travel during spring break. She had a lot of experience in that area when she took on the case of a missing teenager who had disappeared while on a spring break cruise. She reviewed her notes, opened up the word processing software…but the words wouldn’t come to her. Her thoughts were jumbled and filled with Sam Collins. She couldn’t focus and her hand still hurt where she got burned.

A knock at the door brought welcomed relief. Mike walked in with a bag of donuts and a cup of coffee. “What are you working on?”

“I was trying to finish an article for my blog, but I just can’t focus. All I can think about is Sam.”

“Me too. It kept me up all night.” He handed Rachel a chocolate donut. “Maybe some sugar will help.”

She took a bite of the donut. “Yummy.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. My hand still hurts a little, but the swelling on my ankle has gone down.”

“Good. Just take it easy.” Mike sat down and handed her a cup of coffee. “You know, I think we are looking at this all wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“We agree Sam was probably kidnapped. She wouldn’t leave her kids. Right?”

“Yes.”

“So the question is not who, but why would someone want to kidnap her?”

“Revenge. The mafia wanted to send a message to Ken.”

“Then why hasn’t her body shown up? I have looked into Mafia executions – specifically Richard Flores gang – and all of them left the bodies were they could be found. Immediately. He does not have a history of kidnapping. Just killing.”

“Ok. So that leaves…?

“Why are most people kidnapped?”

“Sexual abuse,” Rachel said, as she shuddered at the thought, but it was true. The most troubling statistic is ninety percent of abductors are men and they sexually assault their victims in over half of those cases. That was one thing that kept her up at night. Who had her daughter Mallory and what terrible things might they be doing to her?”

“And money.”

“Sam isn’t rich.”

“No, but her husband was rumored to have stashed some money. So, now who would benefit from it?” Mike asked.

“I imagine the mafia would want their take.”

“Anybody else?”

“A lot of people may have known about the money. Her best friend Tammie, but I don’t picture her pulling off a kidnap plot. And there is Mack, her other best friend and possible lover. But, he was with her the night she was kidnapped.”

“Keep going.”

“And…Paul. He was a little creepy when I met with him. He seemed to still harbor some resentment toward Ken.”

“Now we are getting somewhere.”

Rachel’s cell phone buzzed on the table. “It’s Stacy. I need to take this. She left this morning to meet with a source.”

After a few minutes, she got off the phone.

“This case just took an interesting turn.”

“What?” Mike asked.

“Sam was pregnant.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Huh?” Mike looked confused. “Pregnant?”

Rachel rolled her eyes. Typical male response, she thought. “Stacy met with her source who told her Sam had taken a pregnancy test the day she disappeared.”

“Who was her source?”

“She didn’t tell me. But, if I had to take an educated guess, I would say Mack or someone at the police station. Who else would have that intimate type of information? I already interviewed her best friend, Tammie, and she wasn’t even sure what kind of relationship Sam and Mack had.”

“So, I’m assuming it would be Mack’s baby? If the rumors are true, that is.”

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “Your guess is as good as mine. This calls for another visit to Ken.” She picked up her cell and starting dialing.

“Who are you calling?”

“Suzette Breland, Ken’s attorney to arrange another visit. And then I’m calling Red. I should have thought of this earlier. I want to run a background check on Paul.”

***

While Rachel waited in the parking lot outside the county jail for Ken’s attorney to show up, she thought about what Mike said. Maybe he was right; they needed to follow the money trail.

Rachel saw Suzette’s black Mercedes roll into the parking lot. She stepped out with a short, black skirt, lemony yellow silk blouse which complemented her deep, dark tan, and stylish Jimmy Choo slingbacks. When she pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, Rachel noticed Suzette’s trademark…a thin bright pink highlight intertwined through her honey blonde hair.

“Thanks for coming,” Rachel said as she walked up to her.

“Not a problem.” Suzette pulled her leather briefcase out of the back of her car. “How are you? I heard about the fire.” She pointed to Rachel’s bandaged hand.

“I’m fine, thanks. Just a minor burn and some cuts and bruises.”

“What’s going on with the case?”

“That’s what I need to talk to Ken about.” Rachel paused. “Samantha Collins was pregnant.”

Suzette showed no emotion. “And it’s not Ken’s,” she said as a matter of fact.

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“May I ask you where you got this information?”

“A confidential source.”

Suzette raised her eyebrows at her.

“Apparently, the night of the fire Sam was discovered missing, the fire chief and crew along with a police officer went through Sam’s things at the fire station. Her bunk room was clean, but one of the officers found a pregnancy test in the trash.”

Suzette looked at her suspiciously. “I don’t see Sam throwing something like that in the trash for all to see.”

“No. It was wrapped in a paper towel and then put inside a CVS pharmacy bag.”

“The deputies were rather thorough, then.”

“Yes, they were.”

“Anyone could have put it there.”

Ah, here we go, Rachel thought.

“The fire station is not locked when the guys go out on a call,” Suzette continued. “One of the wives or girlfriends of the crew could have come by to surprise their guy and left it there.”

“According to my source, the crew was questioned. No visitors came by that day. The trash is emptied after each shift,” Rachel said. “Plus Suzette, do you really believe some random girl just came by the station to use the bathroom and leave a pregnancy test in the trash?”

Suzette threw her hands up. “I don’t discount anything.”

“Come on. Sam was pregnant and that, my friend, adds another element to this crazy case.” They started walking towards the jail.

“Ken is not going to take this very well.”

“Yes, I figured that. He already thinks Mack and Sam were having an affair.

“So why tell him about this? He is already worried about her missing and the trial.” Suzette said. “Why go there?”

“Because, despite everything that is going on, I believe Ken still loves and cares about Samantha. And because I need to find Samantha. They have two little girls who need their mother.”

“We both can agree on that,” Suzette said.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. After going through all the proper procedures, they were led to the visitor’s room.

“Do you mind if I talk to Ken alone first?” Rachel said quickly, before Suzette rejected her idea. “I think he would take the news better from me.”

Suzette was about to protest when Rachel interrupted her.

“Please. Just give me five minutes.”

“Ok. But if Ken refuses to answer any questions…” Suzette started to say.

“I’ll come and get you.”

Suzette walked to the couch. “I’ll be right here.”

Rachel was walking to the visitor’s table when they brought Ken in. Even though it had only been a couple of days since her first visit to see him, he looked like he had aged another ten years. She didn’t have much time, so she cut through all the pleasantries and jumped right in.

“Was Sam pregnant?” The question hit Ken like a ton of bricks.

“No. Why are you asking that?”

“Because we found a pregnancy test Sam took.”

“No way. Where did you find this test?” Ken asked.

“It was discarded in the trash can at the fire station.” Rachel watched the color drain from Ken’s face. “It was found when they searched her bunk room at the fire station.”

Ken thought for a moment, scrubbing his face with his hands. “If Sam is pregnant, it’s not mine. I had a vasectomy when Gracie, our youngest daughter, was born.”

Rachel sat in silence.

“Plus…” he waved around the room, “I have been at these luxury accommodations for the last couple of months. No conjugal visits here.”

That is what Rachel expected to hear, but was still a little surprised.

“It can’t be confirmed the test was hers, but since she was the only female at the department that day, and the trash is taken out each shift…” Rachel let the words fall.

“So you think Sam got knocked up by someone else.” Ken finished the sentence for her. “I guess it confirms my fear about her affair with Mack.”

Again, she sat in silence. This was difficult for her. She didn’t want to get involved in an obvious marital discord between Samantha and Ken Collins. Her first priority was to find Sam. And that meant figuring out what was going on prior to her disappearance. Sometimes uncomfortable situations like this one would come into play when trying to locate a missing person. But she had to get down to the nitty gritty. Find out what was going on with Samantha before she disappeared. What made her tick? Who was in her life and what were their roles? What was she doing before she disappeared? Who was with her the day of her disappearance? What was on her mind? These were difficult questions that had to be asked. She just hated to be the one who had to ask them.

“I don’t know if it was Mack Dixon. I know you said last time we met to ask Mack since he was having an affair with Sam. Well, I did ask and he has denied any affair. Tammie even said she knew nothing going on between them.”

“That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

“Why did you think there was an affair?”

Ken just gave her a hard look.

Rachel put her hands on the table and leaned over. “I’m sorry, Ken. I’m doing my best here, trying hard to find your wife. Unfortunately, it means having to ask the tough questions.”

“I found a birthday card Mack gave Sam. Let’s just say it was romantic in nature. I never mentioned it to Sam.”

“When did you find the card?”

“Sam’s birthday was in January. I found the card hidden in her closet. That’s all I have to say about it.”

“Ken, anything at all you can remember about Sam’s activities before she disappeared may be a big help in finding her. Please know whatever you tell me will be held in confidence.” Rachel patted him on arm. “I’m just trying to help.”

Ken looked at her with despair. “I know. It’s hard being in here. I’m used to being in control of these types of situations. To sit here and know there is nothing I can do is tearing me apart.”

Rachel looked around the room. The one guard in the room was busy picking at his fingernails. Suzette sat at the couch flipping through a magazine.

“There is something you can do.” Rachel leaned forward again and whispered, “Something that might help us find her.”

Ken looked at her hopefully. “What is it?”

“Tell me what you did with the money.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ken leaned back in his chair and stared back at Rachel. He seemed to contemplate her question.

“Let me rephrase that. If you did hide the money, which is what the rumors are, did Sam know where it was?” Rachel asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rachel switched her tactics. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

“We are working on theory here. Someone who knew about the money grabbed Sam. With the hopes of getting the money, we think.” Rachel said. “If you tell me where the money is hidden, then I can get the dogs out there and see if they can pick up Sam’s scent. It’s worth a shot.”

“Who all would be involved in this search?” Ken asked.

“It would just be me and a couple of my volunteers.”

He looked at her skeptically. “No police?”

“No police.”

“I’m putting a lot of trust in you,” Ken said. “If you find any money, what will you do with it?”

“I won’t touch the money. I just want to know where it is. We will search the area and see if we can pick up any clues on Sam’s whereabouts.”

Ken thought about this for a minute.

“Assuming I would hide any money, I wouldn’t do it on my property. And Sam wouldn’t have any knowledge of it.”

“Right. Your property has already been searched. I wouldn’t think you would have hidden anything there. ” Rachel paused. “And Sam might not know about the money, but it doesn’t mean someone thinks she knows where it is.”

Ken thought about it for a minute. Then he said,“When I was little my dad used to take me fishing every Sunday after church. We would go to my dad’s favorite fishing hole. A beautiful place called Millers Lake.”

“Where is Millers Lake?”

“Just north of here. You can find it on any local area map. Anyway, after a hot day of fishing, we would eat a lunch my mom packed. Then, while my dad would take a nap, I would climb this tree. It was a big tree – lots of branches – with a nice size hole in the trunk, about half way up. I would hide little trinkets in there – match box cars, colored rocks, four leaf clovers...”

Rachel got his meaning.

“I took the girls there once fishing. I let the oldest one climb the tree and showed her the secret hole. It’s still there. I told Bella – my oldest – the tree was worth a half of million dollars.”

Rachel looked back at Suzette, who had apparently gotten bored and was now staring out the window. The guard was still interested in his fingernails.

“Thanks.” Rachel got up to leave.

Ken stopped her. “Hey, by the way, what happened to you?” He motioned to her hand.

“I was in an accident. I’m okay.” She didn’t want to go through the whole story of the fire.

“Ok.” He looked unsure. “Take care.”

“Suzette – your turn,” she said when she walked over to her.

“That was quick.”

“Told you it wouldn’t take long.”

“Did you get whatever information you needed from him?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Ok. Give me a few minutes and we’ll get out of this dump.”

After fifteen minutes, Suzette was done, and they were on their way out.

As Suzette walked her to the car, she said, “Every time I leave here I have to go home and take a shower. The smell of sweat and despair just soaks into your clothes and skin.”

“Job hazard. We all have them.” Rachel shook her hand. “Thanks, Suzette. I’ll be in touch.”

Maybe going back to the hotel and taking a quick shower wouldn’t be such a bad idea, she thought. Then she could gather the troops and head out to Millers Lake. Today was going to be her lucky day. She just knew it.

Chapter Thirty

After a long, hot shower, Rachel took the time to tend to the burn on her hand. She used the ointment the doctor gave her and applied a clean bandage. Her ankle still hurt, but she didn’t want to take any more of the strong painkillers. She needed to think clearly, so she swallowed two ibuprofen with a glass of water, and got to work on finding more information on Millers Lake. If she was going out there to have a look around, she would have to hurry. There was only a few hours of daylight left.

First, she would have to find out where Millers Lake was. She didn’t want to involve Mack or Tammie with this. She still felt unsure about Mack’s motives with Sam and she didn’t want Tammie to get suspicious.

She hooked up her computer and tried Googling it. No such luck. Ken told her it was his dad’s favorite fishing hole, so she decided to call a store that sold bait and fishing supplies. She got the phone directory out of the desk drawer and looked for any store listings under fishing.

She tried to first number. No answer. The second one, someone picked up on the first ring.

“Haverty’s Bait Shack. This is Stan. Can I help ya?”

“Hi, I’m new in town and would like to try out some fishing spots. I was wondering if you knew where Millers Lake was located?”

“Yes, I do,” Stan answered.

“Ok. Well, I need directions. I am staying at the Seaside Inn.”

“Why you want to go over to Millers Lake? There is better fishing over at McCann Park.”

“I want to go to Millers Lake. Can you help me?”

“Ok. If you are sure it’s where you want to go,” Stan said reluctantly. Then he gave her the directions.

She quickly called a couple members of her team and asked them to meet her at the hotel in a half hour.

Rachel knew going to Millers Lake and finding something that would help locate Samantha was a long shot. With nothing else to go on, she had to try. The tricky part was going to be honoring Ken’s promise and keeping the Chief out of it. This in turn meant keeping this from Stacy, again. Not something she wanted to do, but she felt she had no choice. If she told Stacy about the search at Millers Lake, and the search was successful, Stacy had an obligation to report that in her paper. And if she reported the search in the paper then the Chief would catch wind of it and possibly confiscate any money – if there was any money – and Ken would be furious with Rachel. She was lucky Stacy had plans to go to dinner with Mack tonight to wrap up her interview. The important part was to find Samantha – not the money.

Rachel was getting everything ready for the search at Millers Lake when she heard a dog barking in the hallway. Must be Rankin and Max, she thought as she opened the door.

“That was quick…” she was beginning to say when a black lab jumped up and licked her on the face.

“Mags!” Rachel was stunned to see her faithful companion, Maggie, and her top investigator at Florida Omni Search, Red, standing at her doorway. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We thought you might need some help. And besides, Maggie was missing you.” Red walked in her room.

“Last I talked to Janine, she said you were working on a new case.”

“Yep, well the case resolved itself.” Red sat down on one of the dining room chairs and watched Rachel fill up a bowl of water for Maggie.

“Which case was this?” Rachel inquired.

“A young lady reported her husband missing when he didn’t come home after a dinner meeting. The police told her the standard ‘you have to wait 48 hours before we can do anything’ and she freaked out and called us. Long story short. He was discovered the next day by a hotel maid handcuffed to a bed. Apparently he picked up a prostitute after a dinner meeting at the hotel, went to a different hotel, had some disagreement with the prostitute over money, she tied him up and stuffed her bra in his mouth, taped it shut, and left. She told the police she intended to return later that night and let him go – after he learned his lesson – but her son got sick and she had to take him to the ER. She forgot about it until the next morning and then was too scared to go back to the hotel. So she made an anonymous call to the police.”

Rachel started laughing. “Oh my gosh, that’s horrible. Was the guy okay?”

“He was when he left the hotel. I’m sure his wife did more damage when he finally got home.” Red looked around at all the stuff on the dining room table. “So, what’s going on here?”

“Well, you arrived at the perfect time. We are getting ready to go on another search.” Rachel brought him up to speed on the case and what they were planning on doing at the lake.

“If you can give me a few minutes to change, Maggie and I will go with you.”

“Thanks for looking out for me.”

“You okay?” Red nodded to her bandaged hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Red was a man of few words when it came to mushy stuff, but Rachel could always rely on him to have her back. She had a feeling he would probably make his way up here to help her even though she told him not to. He was like a second father to her. While he went to change, she sat down and cuddled with Maggie. “I missed you, girl. This has been so hard. I need to find Sam. Can you help me find Sam?” Maggie answered by licking Rachel’s face. “That’s a good girl.”

A few minutes later, Mike walked in with Rankin Smartz and his dog, Max, and Peter Moore, her forensic specialist.

“Well, who is this?” Mike said as they all walked in.

Mike had never met Maggie. And Maggie never met a human being she didn’t like. Especially if they gave her belly rubs like Mike was doing. Rachel introduced everyone to Red and explained where they were going.

“You think Sam knew where the money was hidden?” Peter asked.

“Ken didn’t say it outright, but I think he must have thought Sam knew where it was. Or had an inkling of an idea.”

“How do we know Sam didn’t take the money before she went missing?”

Rachel thought about it for a minute. “We don’t. But my gut feeling tells me she wouldn’t take the dirty money.”

“Why?”

“Because she was looking for another job. Her mom said she was struggling to make ends meet,” Rachel said.

“It could have been a cover,” Peter said.

“No. I don’t think Samantha would have risked it. Unless someone forced her to find the money,” Mike added.

“You are operating on the assumption she was taken against her will?” Rankin asked.

“Yes,” Rachel replied.

“Let’s take this one step further. Based on your assumption, someone set the fire knowing she would be there and took a big chance of getting caught and grabbed her. She was forced to reveal where the money was. She led them to Millers Lake – if indeed that is where the money is – and she showed them the hiding place.”

“Right,” Rachel said.

“So what next?”

“If she was there, hopefully Max will pick up the scent and lead us to the direction where she was taken. At least we will know she was there at some point.”

“It’s a long shot,” Rankin admitted.

“Yes, it is, but it’s all we have right now,” Rachel agreed. “And you guys know me by now. I check out every lead and don’t give up.”

They all shook their heads in agreement.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get our asses over to Millers Lake,” Red said.

***

After a thirty minute drive, they finally found Millers Lake. Rachel felt a sense of peace and tranquility when she viewed the surroundings. This was a spring-fed lake which gave the water a pretty cerulean color. The water itself was smooth and clear as glass. Visibility looked to be about six or seven feet. Magnificent tall oaks, birch, and pine trees surrounded the lake. A few picnic tables and BBQ grills were scattered around. Rachel could imagine families coming here for Sunday picnics, spending the day fishing and tossing a Frisbee or football. She then remembered Tammie’s story about Sam’s accident. This is where it happened, Rachel thought. How ironic.

While everyone set up and got ready, she walked over to one of the trees. She looked up and couldn’t see the hole Ken described.

She walked around checking all of them. Her ankle was starting to bother her and she slowed down. In the fall this would be easier, she thought. The trees were thick with leaves. The fourth tree she checked out had possibilities. She could see what looked like a small hole about half way up the tree.

“Hey, I think this is it,” she called out to her team.

“Want me to climb and check it out?” Peter asked.

Rachel looked around. Daylight was fading fast. The sun was starting its slow descent and soon it would be dark.

“Yes, go ahead.”

While he climbed up the tree, she helped get Max ready for the search.

“Here is the shirt we used for the last search.” She pulled it out of the truck. “Let’s see what Max comes up with.”

They all walked over to the tree and waited.

Peter yelled down. “I found something.”

“What is it?” Rachel said.

“You are not going to believe this.”

“Try us.” Rachel answered back.

“Match box cars. And rocks. And….”

Rachel could barely see him up in the tree.

“Star War toys. Old ones.”

“Money?” Red asked, looking up at him.

“If there was any, it’s gone now.” Peter started heading back down the tree.

He dropped to the ground when he was about five feet from it.

“It’s like a dream toy chest for a seven-year-old up there.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “But no money.”

“Either Ken was telling tall tales or someone got it already,” Mike said.

“I am betting someone else beat us to it,” Rachel said. She walked over and sat on the picnic table to rest her ankle. She watched Rankin and Max walk around the perimeter of the lake. After a few minutes of sniffing around, Max started whining.

“Nothing.” Rankin said walking back to them. “I thought he caught a scent. If Sam was here, she stayed around this immediate area and then was driven away.

The team looked disappointed. “We have a few more minutes of daylight left. Let’s take another good look around and then we’ll head back,” Rachel said.

Mike grabbed a flashlight from the truck. “I want to take a good look inside the tree.”

“Might as well,” Rachel said. “Let’s start packing up.”

After a couple of minutes, he yelled out. “Hey, Rach. Looks like we missed something.”

Rachel looked up and could see Mike’s leg dangling precariously from a branch.

“Looks like someone was here,” he called down.

“Well?” Rachel said.

Mike worked his way back down the tall oak. “I’m not sure what this means, but I think it’s worth taking a look.” He handed Rachel a sterling silver necklace with a broken heart charm.

Peter took a look. “I don’t know how I missed that.”

“It was hung up on a piece of bark inside the hole.” Mike said.

She turned the charm over and saw the initials engraved on the back. A feeling of elation came over her slowly. Then the feeling of dread when she realized what this meant.

“I think I know where Sam is.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Lake Juniper, Tuesday evening

Sam was lying on the dirty cot in the cellar trying to think of reasons why Paul would want to kidnap her and hold her in this hell hole. He was not like the Paul she first met back in high school. The Paul she dated for several years. Or was he?

When they first met, she was smitten by all the attention he gave her. She was still self-conscious about the scars she had gotten from the boating accident. Everyone, including Paul, told her she was still beautiful, but she didn’t buy it. All she saw when she looked in the mirror were the angry, pink zigzag streaks down her face. She wore makeup to cover them up, but you could still faintly see them.

Paul would meet her every day after football practice and they would do their homework together. Most of the time he stayed over for dinner. In the morning, he would pick her up in his Camaro and take her to school. They would take off the t-tops and turn up the radio, singing Sweet Child O’ Mine at the top of their lungs, the salty air blowing through their hair.

She only saw Paul lose his cool twice. The first time was during their senior trip to Disney World. The park opened its gates at midnight every year for graduation night. All Florida seniors were invited to play at the parks from midnight to six the next morning. She couldn’t ride some of the roller coasters because of the head injury she got during the accident. She was susceptible to headaches. So, while Paul and his friends rode Space Mountain, she sat down at a table and waited. Another guy from a rival high school she knew, Kenny, offered to buy her a Coke and wait with her. Kenny was also a football player and she thought he was kinda cute. They talked about school, football, and college plans while she waited for Paul. When Paul and his buddies got off the ride and he saw her talking to Kenny, Paul lost it. She had never seen him jealous before. He started shoving Kenny around. If his buddies hadn’t pulled him off, there would have been a fistfight.

She was cool to him for the rest of trip. He apologized over and over, but she didn’t give in. He gave her a sterling silver necklace with a broken heart charm to make it up to her. It had their initials, P + S on the backside of the charm. “You wear this half of the heart,” Paul told her. “And I have the other half of your heart.” He put the second broken heart charm on a key ring he always carried around. The thought of Paul carrying around a silver heart charm made her giggle. Paul took it to mean she forgave him. But the fiasco at Disney World was when it all started going downhill, she thought. She saw a side of him that was a little scary and possessive. What she first thought was cute, Paul always insisting on taking her places and never letting her go anywhere alone, was now feeling claustrophobic to her.

She was glad when graduation and summer were over. They started school together at the Fire College and while she excelled in all of her classes, Paul struggled. She wanted to break up with him then, but she felt bad he was having such a hard time with school. So she stuck it out for two years until graduation. Paul was also pushing her to marry him. She kept holding back, saying they needed to finish school and get jobs first.

The night after graduation, she saw the angry side of Paul again. For what she thought was the last time. He wanted to take her to dinner to celebrate, but her family had already made plans. She promised him she would meet him afterwards and they would celebrate. She figured it was time to break it off with him. What she didn’t know was he had other plans.

After dinner, Paul took her to Millers Lake where they frequently went to hang out. She willed herself to be strong and tell him how she felt. She rehearsed the words in her head all night. She would tell him they needed a break, she wanted to remain friends, and they would still see each other. Paul parked the truck and they walked over to the picnic area. He pulled out a bottle of champagne and glasses out of a bag. She thought he was celebrating their graduation. She took a deep breath and started to say the words that had been in her head all night. “Paul, I just want you to know I have really enjoyed our time together…”

He reached over and put a finger on her mouth. “Shhh..I have something to ask you.” Paul got down on one knee at took her hands in his.

Oh shit, she thought. Not this. Not now. She should have seen this coming. The champagne, the flowers, his nervousness.

“Paul, I don’t think…”

“Please, Sam, let me finish before I lose my nerve,” Paul pleaded. “I have loved you all my life. I want us to be together forever. We have the same dreams, the same goals, and we are perfect for each other. Will you give me the honor of being my wife?”

She was stuck. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but at the same time, if she didn’t say something now, it would just be harder later on.

She took a deep breath. Now or never. “Paul, I can’t do this. I was going to tell you tonight. I think we need to take a break. This is just too fast for me. I want to get a job and get settled. I’m not ready to get married.”

Paul was crushed. She would never forget the look on his face.

“What? You want to break up with me?”

She nodded her head yes.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” His face got red and flushed. “Who is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who are you seeing?”

“There isn’t anybody. I just want to take a breather. That’s all.”

He sat there for a minute, trying to calm down. He took the ring and twirled it around his hand. The tiny diamond glittered in the moonlight.

“You can still wear this. We can call it a promise ring. We can wait to marry after we get jobs,” Paul pleaded with her.

“No, Paul. I can’t accept it. It’s time for us to move on.” She forced herself to look directly at him. He was crushed. “We can still hang out as friends.” She regretted saying it as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

He started to get mad again. He stood up and clenched his fists.

“Don’t…do…this…Sam. Please. If there is no one else, then why are we breaking up? Don’t you love me?”

She shook her head no. All the things she planned to say were gone. “No, Paul. I’m sorry, it’s over.”

Paul took the bottle of champagne and threw it, the bottle giving a satisfying pop and sizzle, as it hit a tree. He took the skinny champagne glasses and did the same thing. “I can’t believe this!” He yelled at her. “You…will…regret…this…you fucking bitch!” Paul was shaking as he got in his truck and left. She sat on the picnic table and cried for a long time. She wasn’t sad, she was relieved. She didn’t realize until that moment she was feeling stressed the whole time she was with Paul. Now, she felt nothing but sweet relief. She was free.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, another vehicle pulled up. It was one of her brothers friend, Blake, and his girlfriend. They gave her a ride home. She didn’t see Paul again for a couple months.

They ran into each other at the fire station for tryouts. He acted like nothing ever happened between them. It was awkward at first, but then she got used to it. They both ended up getting hired for Santa Rosa Beach fire department and thankfully worked on different shifts. She managed to be civil to him when they saw each other. Eventually, the awkwardness went away and she didn’t give Paul a second thought.

Then she met Ken at a call. She didn’t realize it was the same guy she met at Disney World her senior year. Kenny Collins. He had gone to another rival school and they knew of each other, but never hung out. Ken looked a little different now. His skinny frame had filled out nicely and he was taller.

Ken was working with the police department as a new officer and they ran into each other at a domestic dispute call. The husband had set fire to his house with his wife tied up inside. After the victim was rescued and her husband in custody, they all stood outside the house talking shop. Ken asked her out for coffee. She told him no, but he could take her to dinner instead. She was a little reluctant to know Ken and Paul were already friends. It didn’t seem to bother Ken she and Paul had once dated, so she decided to put the past behind her and move on. Ken and Sam were married within six months of dating. They had two beautiful girls and everything seemed good. Until she learned Ken and Paul’s secret.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Santa Rosa Beach, Tuesday late evening

Stacy handed Rachel her cell. “This thing has been going off like gangbusters since you’ve been in the shower. Vibrating all over the counter.”

“Thanks.” Rachel took the phone and glanced through the call log. “Jeff Stanton called. Probably to let me know the tool impressions have come back.” She sat down and put her head on the table.

“Everything ok?”

“It’s been a long day.”

Stacy sat down at the table with her. “I hear you. The hot lead I got about Pedro Gonzalez turned out to be a dead end. At least the dinner with Mack wasn’t a waste of time.”

“Mack is a very handsome guy.”

Stacy agreed. “Yes, he is. But it is so obvious that is in love with Sam.”

“Really? Why do you think?

“You really have to ask?” Stacy laughed. “When he talks about Sam, his eyes light up. They were in love.”

“What happened at dinner?”

“We went to Jack Speight’s house. He is a detective at the police department. Even though he is not active on Sam’s case, Mack thought he would be able to give me some insight on the arson cases.”

“How did it go?”

“Good. Although, I don’t think any of the information he gave me will help us with finding Sam. What happened with Ken?”

Rachel told of her visit at the jail and the decision to search around the lake. Since no money was found, she thought it was okay to tell her what happened. “We found a necklace that belonged to Sam.”

“How do you know for sure it was Sam who left the necklace?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it seems to fit the puzzle. Tammie told me the story about the necklace when we met before the press conference. As far as she knew, Sam didn’t wear it anymore. If it had been in the tree for a long time, it would have shown some wear from the weather. The necklace was clean when we found it. I think Sam left it there on the chance Ken or Mack would find it and understand the significance of the necklace.”

“You think Paul kidnapped Sam?”

“That is a strong possibility. We need to find Paul and talk to him.”

“At dinner, Mack mentioned Paul had a cabin somewhere north of here. He is supposed to be there now. Fishing or something.”

“Do you know where the cabin is?”

“Not sure. I can call Mack and ask for directions.”

Rachel looked through her call log again. “Jeff Stanton called me three times. I better call him back before everyone comes back. Mike went to pick up some pizza and we were going to come up with a plan to find Paul.”

“Are you going to tell Jeff about the necklace?” Stacy asked.

“Not yet.”Rachel walked into her bedroom to call Jeff. “Hey, Jeff, it’s Rachel. Sorry I missed your calls.”

“Hi, Rachel. I’m sorry to be calling you so late, but I wanted to let you know this before it comes out in the media.” Jeff hesitated.

Rachel sensed something bad was coming down. She instinctively sat down on the bed. No late night phone calls were usually good ones.

“Mack Dixon was killed in a car accident tonight. I wanted to tell you before it hit the media outlets.”

“Oh my gosh! What happened?” Rachel asked.

Stacy could tell something was wrong by the tone of Rachel’s voice. She came into the room and sat down next to her on the bed.

“I don’t know all the details yet. It happened on Highway 20. From what the state trooper told me, it looked like he lost control of his truck and it flipped over in a ditch. He died on impact.”

“When did this happen?”

“About ten o’clock.”

“That is just awful. Please keep me updated.” Rachel clicked off. She felt numb. She didn’t know how she was going to tell Stacy. She had just had dinner with him.

Stacy put her arm around her. “Bad news?”

Rachel nodded her head and whispered, “Yes. Mack Dixon is dead.”

“What? I just saw him a couple hours ago!”

Rachel repeated what little information Jeff had given her. “He said he would call me later when he found out more.”

“He said he was a little tired when we were leaving. Maybe he fell asleep at the wheel?” Stacy covered her face with her hands. “Oh, god. I can’t believe this is happening.”

Rachel rubbed her back. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Mack was fine while we were at dinner.” Stacy reflected. She just couldn’t wrap her head around the fact Mack was now dead. “Maybe someone messed with his truck?”

“Yeah, you have to admit it is suspicious with everything else that is going on with Sam’s disappearance.”

Rachel heard some noise in the other room. “Sounds like Mike is here with the pizza. Want to get something to eat?”

Stacy shook her head. “Not hungry. Give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Sure. Take your time.” Rachel went to go tell Mike the bad news.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday morning

Jack Speights was the last person to see Mack alive. Stacy thought it was a good idea to head over there first thing in the morning to talk to him about Mack. She couldn’t shake the feeling his death had something to do with Samantha’s disappearance.

Jack lived in a nice subdivision close to the beach. It was a modest neighborhood dotted with colorful Florida cottages. She followed Stacy’s directions as she drove past the swimming pool, a children’s playground, and tennis courts. They parked in front of a pale blue house at the end of a cul-de-sac. As soon as she rang the bell, dogs starting barking. A petite blonde with hazel eyes and a nice smile answered the door. She was wearing an apron decorated with a daisy design.

“Hi, Stacy. Nice to see you again.” Stacy introduced Rachel to Jenny. “Nice to meet you. Please come in,” Jenny said.

“Thanks for having us over.”

The home was decorated with seaside flair with white, denim covered couches and light blue and green colors. She could see Jack and his kids outside in the back yard playing, tossing a football.

“Can I get you some lemonade?” Jenny offered.

They accepted the sweet, tangy drink and Jenny led them outside.

“Hey there,” Jack said as they walked out onto the deck.

Jenny gave her husband a drink and took the boys inside. Stacy introduced Jack to Rachel and they all settled on the Adirondack chairs which overlooked the lake.

“I’m sorry to hear about Mack. Stacy said you were close,” Rachel said.

“Thank you. I think we are all still in shock.”

“I appreciate you letting us come over. I’m sure Stacy told you my background and what we are doing to find Samantha. I can’t help but wonder if Mack’s car accident wasn’t planned.”

“I have to say the thought crossed my mind a couple of times as well. Until we get the coroner’s report back, I don’t want to jump to conclusions.” Jack paused. “Why do you think Mack’s death wasn’t an accident?”

Rachel wasn’t ready to disclose what they found at Millers Lake. “There is something about Paul I don’t like. I think he has something to do with all this.”

“Funny you mention that. Mack repeated the same sentiment last night.” Jack looked at Stacy for verification.

“Yes, he said he had gone to Paul’s house a couple of days ago to talk to him about Sam. He said something was bugging him the whole time he was there, but he couldn’t put his finger on it,” Stacy said. “It finally dawned on him last night.”

“What was it?”

“When Mack was leaving Paul’s house, he saw a tool Paul had just bought,” Jack responded.

“A Halligan bar?” Rachel asked.

Jack looked surprised. “Yes, how did you know?”

“I have been working with Jeff Stanton and he called me early this morning. He said the tool marks left at the scene matched the marks of the other arson cases. He speculated it was some type of crow bar. Possibly a Halligan bar.”

“Mack thought the same thing. He asked Paul what happened with his old tool bar when he noticed a new one in his house. Paul said his old one was stolen. Mack asked me to check to see if Paul reported it stolen – like he said he had – but it wasn’t true,” Jack said.

“Why would Paul lie about his tool being stolen?”

“He is trying to hide something.”

“I should go visit Paul again,” Rachel said.

“Chief Gladstone needs to know about this. I’ll call him and see what’s going on with the case.”

“I don’t think we can wait for that.”

“Well, you can probably find him at his fishing cabin. I would check there first.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Sure. I’ve been up to his cabin a couple of times with some of the guys during hunting season. I can give you directions. It is about an hour from here.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Juniper Lake, Wednesday noon

“Are we sure the fishing cabin is this way? This road is leading to nowhere,” Rachel said.

“Yes, this is the right way.” Stacy consulted the directions Jack gave them. “This is so out in the boonies the GPS doesn’t even register the place.”

Just as she said that, the road opened up to a large field with a small cabin beside a lake. The cabin was made of logs and had a wide front porch with two rocking chairs on one side and a wooden bench on the other. A planter box adorned the window panes that looked like they once held beautiful flowers.

“Looks like no one is here,” Mike said. “I don’t see Paul’s truck.”

“That’s a good thing. We can snoop around a bit.” Rachel stepped out of the truck. She walked up to the front door and tried the knob. “It’s unlocked.”

“I would knock first. You know. Don’t want to get shot or anything,” Stacy said. “Red wouldn’t like it if we came back without you.” Red had stayed behind to look after Maggie and catch up on some paperwork while they came up to the cabin.

She softly knocked on the door. “No answer.” She opened the door cautiously. “Hello,” she called out.

“Let me go first.” Mike walked in with Rachel and Stacy following.

“He must have been here recently. It still smells like breakfast,” Rachel said. “Bacon and eggs, I’m guessing.” She looked around the room. The place was clean and tidy. A small, worn couch sat in the middle of the room with a Lazy Boy recliner in front of fireplace. On the coffee table were various, worn, hunting and fishing magazines. Off to the right, was a tiny kitchen with a two-top table and chairs. On the left side of the room was a hallway which led to two closed doors.

“That must be the bedroom and a bath.” Stacy headed down the hallway.

Stacy opened one of the doors. It was the bedroom. The queen bed had been hastily made with a quilt bunched up and two throw pillows placed by the headboard. There was a half empty glass of water on the nightstand, along with a bottle of Tylenol. She opened the other door and walked into the bathroom. The sink was still wet and a damp towel hung from the towel bar.

“Someone was just here,” Stacy called out. “But no sign of Samantha.” She pointed to the wet towels and used bar of soap.

“Well, we didn’t pass Paul’s truck on the way out unless he went the other way,” Mike said, coming up behind her.

“Let’s take a look around outside.” Rachel led the way out from the back door off the kitchen. She viewed a path which led down to the lake. Mike opened up the trash cans by the back door.

“Why are there latches on the top of the lids?” Rachel wondered out loud.

“Raccoons probably. They are smart little buggers and like to get in the trash,” Mike said, digging around in the trash bag.

“What are you doing?” Rachel asked, wrinkling her nose at the smell.

“You can learn a lot by looking in someone’s trash,” Stacy said.

“You sound like you’ve done that before. Yuck.”

“He must have emptied it recently. Just some beer cans and food,” Mike said.

They looked around the yard. “Nice little retreat Paul has here. Let’s walk down to the lake,” Rachel suggested.

There was a worn and heavily used path which lead them around to the water’s edge. The lake was a beautiful emerald green color with a sandy bottom.

“Florida has the most beautiful lakes I’ve ever seen,” Stacy said.

Mike crouched down to the ground. “Lots of footprints. Maybe recent, hard to tell.” The sandy path was covered with them.

“Looks like two sets,” Rachel said.

“Man and woman?” Mike said. “See the size difference? And look at the direction of the prints. The larger one goes both ways. ”

“And the smaller set of prints only heads towards the direction of the lake,” Rachel said.

“Paul had some company. Let’s see where they lead to.”

They started following the prints down to the lake and then they stopped by the edge of the lake.

“Here they pick back up,” Stacy yelled.

“Let’s see where this leads. Maybe one of you should stay back at the cabin for look out.”

Stacy said, “I’ll go back and wait.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Shit, no cell service.”

Rachel and Mike looked at their cell phones. “Same here,” Rachel said as Mike nodded his head, too. “There is a whistle in my backpack. I left it in the truck.”

Mike tossed her the truck keys and laughed. “And if a whistle isn’t enough, I have a loaded Glock in the glove compartment. You know how to shoot?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. Whistle if you need us. Use the gun in an emergency.”

“Right. Got it.” Stacy turned back around and headed towards the cabin.

Rachel and Mike carefully made their way through the thick brush following the trail and the footprints.

“What do you think about the two sets of prints? Paul has an accomplice? Or is it Sam’s?” Rachel said.

“I would like to think the latter.”

Rachel nodded in agreement.

The trees were thick and provided shade from the overbearing sun. It gave the effect of approaching darkness and there was a distinct chill in the air.

“We should have brought a flashlight with us. The more we head down this path, the darker it gets,” Mike said, brushing a branch out of his way. “How’s your ankle holding up?”

“Good, so far. I wonder how long…” Rachel started to say as she slipped on something and landed flat on her butt.

“Ouch. What the hell was that?” She reached around and rubbed the side of her hip.

“Woah. You okay?” Mike held out his hand to help her up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Rachel looked down at the path. There was a shiny object protruding from the sandy path. Mike reached down and picked it up.

“A wine corkscrew. That’s weird,” he said.

“It could have come from the cabin. Let’s keep going.”

After a few hundred feet the footsteps stopped.

“Looks like they go off path here,” Mike said.

There was a small like tunnel of undergrowth that went through the heavy pine trees. Mike had to hunch down to go through. Rachel followed him. He came to a standstill. “Is that what I think it is?”

A small structure was almost invisible from the trail because it was covered in thick brush and shielded by all the pine trees. A wooden door with a heavy latch on the front stood in front of them.

“It looks like an old cabin,” Rachel said. She started to step up to door when a loud gunshot rang out through the woods. She jumped back in surprise.

“What the hell? Stacy?” She turned around to face Mike.

“I don’t know,” Mike said. “It could’ve been a hunter. Hard to tell where it came from.”

Rachel turned back to the door. She wanted to go in and take a look, but the thought of Stacy in trouble was too much.

“We can always come back. Let’s go check on Stacy,” Mike said. “Stay low and follow me.” Rachel followed Mike’s lead as they made their way back to the other cabin. The thick trees and undergrowth made a great camouflage for them.

“Why do I get myself in these messes? I always wind up with the psychos,” Rachel mumbled.

“Shhh. Keep quiet and move faster,” Mike whispered.

“Easy for you. You don’t have a sprained ankle.”

“Sorry, Rach. I forgot.”

They came back to the clearing by the lake and Mike stopped suddenly.

“What?” Rachel whispered.

“I see someone. Just stay behind me,” Mike said as he reached down and got his pistol out of his ankle holster.

“Wait! It’s Stacy.” Rachel pointed.

Stacy was running towards them with the whistle in her hand.

“Just stay down. Someone may be following her,” Mike said.

It was hard for Rachel not to run toward Stacy. She wasn’t sure if she was in trouble of not. In a few seconds she was upon them at the trail.

“What was that?” Rachel asked as Stacy got close. It took her a minute to answer her, she was so out of breath.

“I don’t know. I was just getting back to the cabin when I heard the gunshot. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. I didn’t see anyone or hear any vehicles. I hid behind a tree for a few minutes until I could get the courage to come after you guys.” Stacy was gasping for air. “I thought maybe someone was after you, so I came looking for you.”

“No. We thought the same thing,” Rachel said.

“It could have been a hunter.” Mike repeated.

“Did you guys find anything?” Stacy asked.

“Yes, an older cabin off the beaten path. It was boarded up. We didn’t get a chance to look inside. We heard the gun shot before we could do anything,” Mike replied.

“It’s getting dark. Probably too late to go back and check it out. Let’s come back tomorrow,” Rachel suggested.

“Yes, you’re right. It looked deserted anyway. We’ll try again in the morning,” Mike said.

“If Paul is around, he will notice someone has been here,” Rachel said. “That might spook him.”

“Yes, probably so. That’s why we need to come early before he has a chance to do anything,” Mike said.

They quickly made their way back to the truck and got in.

“This place is creepy,” Stacy said.

“Just like Paul,” Rachel agreed.

“It’s a true sportsman’s paradise. Remote, hidden from view with everything a hunter could need,” Mike said.

“Yes, and a perfect place to hid a body.” Stacy shivered.

They rode back to the hotel in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Mike dropped them off and walked them inside.

“Want to stay for dinner?” Rachel asked him.

“Why don’t I cook dinner for you?”

“Sounds great.” Rachel looked at Stacy for confirmation.

“Hey, whatever you guys want to do. I thought I would go over to Jack’s for a bit. He invited me over for dinner again. They are planning a memorial for Mack.”

“I guess it’s just you and me then,” Mike said. “I’ll go change and pick up something from the store.”

“What time to you want to leave tomorrow?” Stacy asked him.

“I say we leave around seven. Get an early head start.” Mike grabbed his stuff. “I will be back in about an hour.”

“Got it. Bright and early,” Stacy said as Mike left. She waited until Mike was gone and said to Rachel, “I’m gonna take a quick shower. I’ll hurry so you can get ready for your big date.”

“What?”

“You and Mike,” Stacy said with a smirk.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rachel said, pulling a couple of beers out of the fridge and handing one to Stacy.

“The chemistry between you two is undeniable.”

Rachel took a deep pull of her beer.

“Mike? He’s so not my type.”

“Yeah, whatever. The man is fixing you dinner.”

“He offered to fix dinner for us. You are the one who is bailing and going over Jack’s.”

“I would’ve gone somewhere else anyway. You guys need some privacy. And don’t worry, I’ll be home late.”

Rachel laughed. “I am so not talking about this right now.”

“I want details in the morning.” Stacy walked toward the bathroom. “I’m getting in the shower. Be out of your way soon.”

Rachel sat out on the patio drinking her beer. Maybe she would make a move tonight.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Santa Rosa Beach, Wednesday evening

That was cutting it close, Paul thought, as he made his way back over the bridge and into town. Thank goodness he had spotted them first.

He was just getting ready to move Sam back to the cabin when he saw Rachel and her friends walking outside. It was perfect they left the other girl behind. He waited until Mike and Rachel started down the trail before shooting his gun. He knew it would spook them and they would come running back. Now he would have to wait until morning to get Sam. She would eventually come around and see things his way. With Gonzales breathing down his neck, he knew they had little time to escape. First, he needed to change out his vehicles. Everyone knew he had a black truck, but not many people knew he still drove his father’s old pickup. When he got back in town, he would get everything ready to go. His heart quickened with anticipation. Sam and the girls would finally be his and they would start a new life together.

***

Rachel walked in living room to the smell of garlic and tomatoes. It was heavenly. “What is this?”

Mike was stirring something in a pot on the stove. “Spaghetti and meatballs. My mom’s special recipe. Guaranteed to heal what ails you.”

He handed her a glass of red wine.

“Thanks. It smells delicious.”

“You look very nice.” Mike gave her kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks. You too.” Rachel took her wine and sat on one of the barstools, watching Mike work. She had a hard time deciding what to wear. She still didn’t buy much when she replaced some of her wardrobe and the choices were limited. So Stacy ended up loaning her a simple black jersey knit dress with crochet detail on the cap sleeves and upper back. The dress hit just above the knees and showed off her legs. It was still hard to brush her hair and put on makeup due to the heavy bandage on her hand. But she felt like she did a fairly good job. Her eyebrows were still singed, so she had to take an eyebrow pencil and fill in the bare spots. She kept it simple and just put on some mascara to make her green eyes pop and a swipe of strawberry flavored lip gloss across her generous lips. She added mousse to her natural wavy hair to make it glossy. Rachel thought she looked pretty damn good for working with what she had. A spritz of Chanel Chance, her favorite perfume, and she was ready to go.

She looked around the room, surprised. It was magically transformed. The candles sparkled on the table and jazz was playing in the background. This certainly feels like a date, she thought. Very romantic.

Mike dished some spaghetti on the plates. “Please have a seat.” He pulled out a chair for her. “Just let me get the garlic bread from the oven and we’ll be ready to eat.”

She watched as he finished up getting the bread and salad to the table. Rachel thought he looked great in a pair of khaki pants with a polo button down shirt and scuffed cowboy boots on. She had never seen him out of jeans and a t-shirt, so this was a treat.

“You clean up nice,” Rachel said, teasing.

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Everything looks great. Thanks for doing this.” Rachel ate a forkful of spaghetti and savored the taste. “Yummy.”

“Mom would be proud.”

“Yes, she would. This is delicious.”

“I’m sure this nothing compared to fine cuisine you are used to in Miami.”

“I would rather eat this than anything I could get in Miami. This is pure comfort food.”

“How do you like living in Miami?” Mike reached for a piece of garlic bread to sop up some of the red sauce with.

“It’s great. All you can ask for. Great, white sandy beaches with emerald green waters. Nice weather year round. Shopping and restaurants galore. And an international airport to take you anywhere you need to go.”

“Sounds like a nice lifestyle.”

“And the Miami Heat. Can’t forget my sports team,” she said, taking a bite of the salad.

“I never pegged you as sports fan.”

“Sure. I love basketball. I have season tickets. You should come with me sometime.”

“I would love to.” Mike took a generous sip of his wine. “Is that an invitation?”

“Yes. Hot dogs, beer and a basketball game. What more could you ask for?”

“What else do you do in your spare time?”

“Well, unfortunately I don’t have a lot of spare time. When I do I like to shop. I’m an antique junkie. Also, I have a weird thing for learning different languages.”

“I don’t think it’s weird. How did you get started?”

“When I was starting out in real estate, I wanted to do all I could to stand out as a top agent. A lot of my clients were from other countries. So, the first language I learned was Spanish, since Miami is home to many Hispanics. I found it easy and fun to learn. After Spanish, I mastered other languages.”

“Such as?”

“Ringraziarla per questa bella cena.” Rachel waved her hand over the food and smiled. It was Italian for this dinner is delicious.

“Grazie.”

Rachel looked amused. “Farla parla l'italiano?” Do you speak Italian?

“Un po'. La mia mamma è italiana,” he answered. A little. My mom is Italian.

“Nice. I love Italian. It is the most romantic language of all.”

“It sounds really nice when you say it,” Mike said. “What else do you know?”

“German and French. I was working on Mandarin Chinese before I got called on this case.”

“A woman of many talents. Is there anything else I should know?”

“I’m a lousy cook. I have about twenty-five restaurant phone numbers memorized by heart. My kitchen drawers are filled with take- out menus instead of utensils. So this is a real treat.” Rachel pointed to the plate of spaghetti, which was almost gone.

Mike laughed. “Well, I love to cook. My mom taught me everything I know.”

“What are your specialities?”

“Let’s see… Besides spaghetti and meatballs, I can make lasagna, pasta carbonora, and a mean steak and twice-baked potato.”

“That’s more than I can do. Bacon and eggs I have mastered fairly well, though.”

“Well then, you can make breakfast next time,” Mike said.

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. Breakfast. She thought about what that implied.

They finished eating and Mike opened another bottle of wine. “Let’s go sit outside. It’s nice tonight.” There was a little private courtyard just off the living area. Mike and Rachel sat down at the small table. Her bare leg brushed up against his.

“This is nice,” Rachel said. “I’m glad you came over to help.”

Mike reached up and stroked her chin with his finger.

“I’ve been wanting to do this since the first time we were alone together.”He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.

Rachel returned his kiss with more urgency. She ran her hand across his chest and down his left arm. He was so strong and hard. She found herself turned on.

Mike wrapped his fingers around her hair and tugged gently, kissing down her neck. Rachel head was spinning from the combination of the wine and the passion that was heating up from inside of her.

“Let’s go inside,” she suggested in a throaty voice.

And for the first time since she divorced her husband, she opened herself up and made love to another man.

***

The next morning Rachel woke up to an empty bed and the smell of bacon and coffee. She grabbed her robe and went to the kitchen.

“First you cook me a great meal. Then seduce me. Now breakfast? I thought it was my turn to cook.”

Mike turned from the stove, spatula in hand, and smiled. “I thought I’d let you sleep. We have a busy day ahead.”

“You sure know how to turn on the charm.” Rachel gave him a kiss as he handed her a cup of coffee. “If you keep cooking for me, I’m going to have to up the miles I run every day to ward off the pounds.”

“I think you look fabulous.”

They sat down to eat breakfast. Mike asked her, “So we didn’t get around to talking about your visit to Jack’s.”

Rachel finished chewing her eggs and said, “Jack had Mack and Stacy over for dinner the night of his accident. He said Mack talked to him a little about the case and he felt Paul was hiding something, too.” She looked around the room. “Where is Stacy?”

“She’s already up. Came in for a cup of coffee and then said she was going for a run. She should be back in an hour ready to go.”

Rachel smiled. She knew Stacy didn’t run unless someone was chasing her or there was a big sale at her favorite store. She was just giving them more time alone.

“Jack works for the police department, right? They should be looking at Paul,” Mike said.

“Jack is not active on Sam’s case. But he did say Chief Gladstone is not looking too hard at Paul. He is pretty convinced the mafia is to blame for Sam’s disappearance and her body will turn up eventually.” Rachel finished her coffee. “I think he was going to talk to the chief and see if he could convince him to take another look, though.”

“You didn’t tell him about the necklace we found yesterday?” Mack got up and cleared the breakfast dishes away.

“No. I think we need to keep it under wraps until we check out Paul’s cabin again. Besides, I gave Ken my word about not involving the police with the search at the lake.”

“What would he gain from kidnapping Sam?”

“I’m not entirely sure he kidnapped her. Maybe she used him to get away.”

“Well, there is only way to find out.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lake Juniper, Thursday morning

“Huh, still no truck,” Rachel said. “That’s weird. I had Red do a drive by at Paul’s house several times last night just in case he decided to come home. Red said Paul wasn’t home all night. Where is he?”

“Maybe he hid his truck somewhere. Jack said his cabin was located on forty acres of land. It’s a big hiding space.”

“Shall we go check the inside of the cabin again?” Stacy asked.

Just as they were getting out of truck, Rachel saw a figure running from the house. She stopped in her tracks and pointed toward the house.

“Somebody just left.”

Mike withdrew his gun and motioned for them to stay behind him. As they made their way closer to the house, Rachel stopped. “What is that smell?”

Before anyone could answer, the whole cabin blew up in front of their eyes. No one had time to react. The force of the blast blew them back several hundred feet from the cabin. Debris from the impact scattered all around them. Rachel looked at the house as it became a large fiery ball of orange, then black thick smoke filled the air. Her vision was a little blurry and her ears hurt. She could feel the intensity of the heat all around her.

One minute she saw a figure running from the small cabin and the next minute there was nothing but a black hole of smoke and fire.

Rachel looked around for Mike and Stacy. Mike was sitting up a few feet away from her. He looked stunned just like she was. Stacy was to her right, propped up against a tree.

“You guys okay?” Mike yelled.

Pieces of black debris still rained down on them. Slowly her hearing came back to her. She checked all over her body. Nothing seemed broken or out of place. “What the hell just happened?”

“Are you okay?” Mike made his way over to her.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said as Stacy crawled over to her. “Let’s just hope Sam wasn’t in the cabin.”

“Did you get a good look at the person coming out of the cabin?”

Stacy asked.

“No, I didn’t get a chance. It could have been anybody.”

“We need to get to somewhere with a cell signal and call the fire department,” Mike said. “Rachel, you go with Stacy and call for help while I go check out the other cabin.”

“No way. I want to go with you. In case we find Sam.” Rachel saw the look on Mike’s face. He didn’t want her to go with him. “Mike, I have to be there.”

“Ok.” Mike tossed her the keys. “There is a flashlight under the driver’s seat. Can you bring it back to me before you leave?”

“Sure.” Stacy headed for the truck.

“Are you sure you are okay? You look peaked,” Mike asked Rachel.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little shook up.”

Stacy came back with the flashlight. “I’ll be back as soon as I get a signal and call the police and fire department.”

Mike took the flashlight. “Be careful.”

***

Stacy got in the truck and headed down the long drive that connected to the highway. Even though it was daylight and the sun was shining bright, the dense overgrowth and tall pines shaded the sun and made it hard for her to see. Especially since her eyes were still adjusting from the blast. She flipped on the headlights and spotted someone limping along the side of the road. She instinctively slowed down. The person was obviously injured. Was this Sam? Did she somehow escape Paul and get hurt in the blast?

Stacy tried to get a better look. The figure was dressed in long pants and a baseball cap. It was hard to tell whether it was a man or woman. Whoever it was collapsed as soon as Stacy pulled the truck over. She quickly checked her cell phone. Still no signal. Cautiously, she got out of truck and walked over to the side of the road.

“Are you okay?” She got a little closer.

The figure emitted a low moan that reminded Stacy of a cat when it goes in heat. She bent down next to the person and repeated, “Hey, are you okay?”

Suddenly, the person grabbed her wrist and pulled her down hard. She looked into a pair of eyes that made her spine tingle. It was Paul.

He forced her up and held a gun to her back. Shit, she thought. She was in trouble now.

“Walk slowly to the truck and get in. No funny stuff or I will shoot you. And I won’t think twice about it.”

Stacy thought about her options. She was still a couple miles away from the highway and didn’t know the area very well. She tried to remember if Mike had left the gun in the truck or had taken it with him.

Paul made her get in the driver’s seat. “Let’s go. Pull out nice and slow.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just drive. I’ll let you know when you need to turn.”

Stacy pulled back out onto the road. She wondered how long it would be until Mike and Rachel knew she didn’t call the police.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“You feel up to going to the other cabin?” Mike asked as he helped Rachel up.

Rachel got her balance and tested her legs. She was a little unsteady on her feet and her ankle throbbed.

“We can rest for a bit,” Mike offered.

“No, let’s go. I’m ready.” Rachel felt like their time was running out. Like Sam’s time was running out, was more like it, she thought. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Looking back at where the cabin once stood, she said a silent prayer. Please let Sam be alive.

They retraced their steps from the day before, carefully making their way around the lake.

“Watch your step. Stay close behind me,” Mike said as they headed through thick brush.

“What do you think happened at the cabin?”

“I don’t know why Paul would blow up his own cabin. Unless he was hiding something from us.”

They found the cabin again. It was still locked.

“Now what?” Rachel asked.

Mike pulled out his gun. “Step back.” He aimed the gun at the lock and pulled the trigger. The lock blew off and left a small hole in the door. He pulled the door open and looked inside.

“It’s dark. Hand me the flashlight, please.”

Rachel handed over the flashlight and he stepped inside.

“What do you see?”

“Looks like they are using this place for storage.” He shone a light around the area. Rachel could see a couple of ATVs and storage shelves that were neatly stacked against wall. They held several rows of storage tubs.

Rachel and Mike walked deeper inside. Rachel figured the room was about ten feet wide and thirty feet in length. The flooring was made of old pine wood.

“I guess this is where Paul stores all his hunting gear,” Rachel said as she walked to the back of the room. “He sure likes everything neat and orderly.” Rachel began to look inside one of boxes.

“I wonder why he built a storage area so far away from…Hey, wait a sec. Did you hear that?” Mike asked, shining his light near the back of the shed.

Rachel took a step back and listened.

A faint noise seemed to come from beneath the flooring.

“What is that?” Mike shined the light on the floor where Rachel was standing.

“An animal? It sounds like it’s coming from underneath.”

Rachel got on her hands and knees and felt around the floor. She brushed away some debris. Her hand felt something rough.

“I think this is some type of cellar.” She found a handle to the door and gave it a tug. The door wouldn’t budge.

“That’s strange. It’s almost impossible to build anything underground in this area,” Mike said. “This must have been built into a hill. It’s hard to see with all the foliage surrounding it.”

“I wonder if this was the original cabin. It looks older.”

“And turned this one into a storage place. Makes sense,” Mike said. “Here, let me help.”

Rachel got out of the way and Mike gave the handle a hard yank. The door slowly creaked open and he pushed it all the way down.

“Hand me the flashlight.” She passed him the flashlight. He shined it down the dark hole.

“Jesus.” Mike let out a sigh.

A small room, no bigger than six by eight, held a small cot, jugs of water, a bucket and a shelf with canned goods. It was the smell that turned Mike’s stomach. A mix of sweat, urine and fear.

Rachel peered over the top of the hold and felt a sense of dread. They were too late. Her gaze followed the light of the flashlight. Someone was curled up in a tight ball in the corner. Not moving. Mike quickly climbed the ladder down into the cellar with Rachel right behind him. He got to her first.

“It’s Sam. She’s alive.” The sweetest words she ever heard.

***

Rachel limped over to Sam. “Are you okay?”

Sam looked up at her with tears in her eyes. She nodded her head yes.

“I’m Rachel Scott with Florida Omni Search. We have been looking for you for a few days. Your mom asked us to find you.”

“Do you think you can make it up the steps?” Mike asked her.

“I think so.”

Mike helped her up. “You are going to be okay.”

Rachel said, “Why don’t I go back up first, then you follow with Sam the rest of the way.”

When they got outside, Rachel found blanket in her bag and covered Sam up.

“Where is the asshole?” Sam asked shivering.

“Paul? I don’t know,” Rachel answered her. “We haven’t found him.”

“I wonder what is taking Stacy so long. She should have been back by now,” Mike said.

“How did you find me?” Sam asked Rachel.

“We got a lead and went to Millers Lake. I found your heart charm necklace.”

Sam looked shocked. “You found my necklace?”

“Yep. Your friend Tammie told me about the necklace a few days ago. We just got lucky and found it. I knew you must have left it there on purpose.”

“The asshole made me wear it again. It was his half of the necklace. He took me back to the lake a couple of days ago to look for the money that Ken hid. I took a chance when Paul wasn’t looking and hid it in the tree.” Sam took a deep breath. “He had this silly plan that we were going to get back together. I don’t know what happened to Paul. He just cracked. I was afraid I would never see my kids again. I hoped one day Ken would find the necklace and know what happened. That I didn’t leave our kids.”

“I think he knows that. After we found the necklace, we came up here to talk to Paul. We haven’t been able to find him yet.”

We need to head back up to the cabin. Do you think you can walk?” Mike asked Sam.

“Yes.”

“Paul’s cabin actually exploded.” Rachel explained to Sam what happened.

“What? That crazy bastard blew it up?”

“We don’t know what happened. We had just pulled up and were walking toward the cabin when it exploded.”

“That must have been the noise I heard. The ground shook really hard.”

“We don’t know what happened to Paul,” Mike said. “A friend of ours, Stacy, went to call the police after the house went up in flames.”

“Hopefully she’s waiting for us there,” Rachel said.

It took them longer to get back to the cabin. Sam had to stop a couple of times for a break.

The cabin finally came into view. Or what was left of it. Sam gasped when she saw the large smoldering black hole where the cabin had been.

Mike’s truck was nowhere to be found.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Stacy tried to keep her cool while she was driving. She wondered if he was going to risk going back to his house. They were heading that way.

She tried to make small talk. “How long have you lived around here?”

Paul sat in silence. She sneaked a peek at him. He was sullen and lost in thought. She tried another tactic. Maybe he didn’t want to talk about his transgressions. “My dad used to own hunting land in Alabama. He would shoot anything that moved. From deer to dove to turkeys.” She came to a fork in the road. Left would take them to the interstate and towards Pensacola. If they went right, it would take them back to Santa Rosa Beach.

“Take a right.” Ahhh, so we are heading back to town, Stacy thought. This could be a good sign. Maybe he would drop her off at the nearest gas station.

In anticipation of getting there and also worried about her friends, she pushed on the gas pedal and watched her speed slowly increase.

“Keep it within the speed limit.” Paul finally noticed she was going faster.

Stacy eased off the gas pedal. They were getting closer to the beach. The Clyde B. Wells Bridge, which crossed over the bay, was looming up ahead. They would be at the beach in a matter of minutes. She wondered what Paul had in mind once they got to where they were going.

***

“Stacy should have been back by now. She would’ve gotten cell service up by the main road. What should we do?” Rachel asked Mike.

“Do you think you will be okay here? I can start walking that way and call for help as soon as I get service,” Mike offered.

The sound of a truck coming down the drive got their attention. It was an old red Chevy. Not Stacy. It came to a stop and an older man in blue jean overalls got out. “What the hell happened here? You can see the smoke all the way up at my farm!”

Mike stepped forward and introduced himself. “The cabin exploded as soon as we drove up.”

“Huh. Where’s Paul?” The man looked suspicious.

“We have no idea. We saw someone running off towards the woods right before the explosion. It could have been him.”

The old man took off his hat and rubbed his hand through his thick gray hair. “Huh.” He seemed to be at a loss for words. Welcome to the club, Rachel thought.

“Did you happen to call the fire department?”

“Yep. But it will take them a while to get here. Volunteer.” He looked over at Sam. She was still huddled up in the blanket. “What happened to her?”

“Long story,” Rachel said.

“Did you pass a black Dodge Ram on the way here by chance?” Mike asked him.

“Nope. Sure didn’t. I thought…” Sirens howling in the distance interrupted his thoughts. “Huh. That was faster than I thought.

They watched as a fire truck and ambulance pulled up to the cabin. The firefighters immediately pulled their hoses and started attacking the fire. There wasn’t much left of the cabin, but they were concerned about the fire spreading into the surrounding woods.

Rachel directed the paramedics to Sam and waited while they tended to her.

“You are going to be okay,” Rachel said to her. “The police will find Paul.”

“I hope so. I’m worried about my kids.”

“I’ll give your mom a call and let her know to meet you at the hospital,” Rachel told Sam as the paramedic loaded her in the ambulance.

Sam grabbed her hand. “Thank you for everything.”

Rachel smiled. “Take care of yourself.”

Mike was giving the police officer the details of what happened at the cabin. The officer put a call into Chief Gladstone and told them he was on his way here.

“We also put an APB out for your truck as well as for Paul Hart,” the officer added.

“There is a lot of land to cover here. Paul may still be hiding out somewhere,” Rachel said. “We should go back to the hotel and get the team together to look for him.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Gripping the steering wheel hard, Stacy knew she had to come up with a plan. The odds of Paul just letting her go were slim. He had obviously gone off the deep end.

“Where we going?” Stacy asked again.

Paul let out a sigh. “Don’t you ever shut up? We are going to get my money and then I am taking off.”

“Taking off where?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Are you planning on letting me go?”

Paul seemed to think this over. “As soon as I let you go, you will call the cops. So what do you think?”

“I think you’re crazy. That’s what I think.” Stacy regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. Paul got red in the face and slammed his fist in the dashboard.

“I think you better shut the fuck up and not say another word or you will be swimming with the fishes soon.” He hooked his thumb in the direction of the water.

They were just coming off the bridge. “Take your next right. We are almost there.”

Stacy knew he lived somewhere off this road. Rachel had mentioned it when she asked Red to drive by Paul’s house last night. Maybe she would get lucky and Red would be staking out the house. Rachel and Mike may have called the police by now, too. She had been gone for over an hour.

“Take a left here. Third house on the right,” Paul snarled at her.

She drove up the gravel driveway to a nice brick house. The house was actually in good shape. No way of knowing a psycho lives here. She put shifted the gear into to park and waited. “Now what?”

“Shut off the truck and get out. Don’t think about running. I will put a bullet in your back. Don’t tempt me.”

There were plenty of houses around, although his house was far back from the main street. She didn’t want to risk it just yet.

She got out of the truck and walked up to the front door. She would wait until the right time to make her move.

While the outside of the house was nice and orderly, the inside was a complete mess. It was obvious he was remodeling. The flooring was covered in paper and there were sheets covering all the furniture. It still faintly smelled of wet paint. Empty beer bottles and pizza boxes littered the kitchen countertop and the trash can was overflowing. Stale beer, wet paint, and sweat – the smells made her stomach churn. She wondered why he would go through all the trouble of fixing up a house if he was planning on skipping town. Something must have happened recently to make him go nutso.

“Nice place. I like the paint color.” She tried to make nice.

“Sit down.” Paul uncovered a wooden dining chair. After she sat down, he picked up a roll of duct tape off the kitchen bar. “Put your hands behind your back and sit real still.”

He had to put the gun down in order to tape her up. It was now or never. She heard him place the gun on the countertop. As soon as she felt him starting to go down behind her to bind her hands, she sprang up and knocked over the chair, causing Paul to fall backward into the countertop.

“Fucking bitch!” Paul slipped on the paper covering while trying to stand back up. Stacy lunged for the gun on the countertop. Her hand hit the cool metal of the gun just as Paul put his hands around her waist, trying to pull her down.

“Let me go you mother fucker! I’ll shoot your balls off.” Stacy tried to fight him off. Paul was still trying to drag her down. She tried to remember the defense moves her ex-boyfriend taught her. She swung her left elbow back and connected with Paul’s nose. He still didn’t let go, but his grip slacked enough for her to turn around.

She pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.

Chapter Forty

Rachel called Nora to let her know Sam was being transported to the local hospital. She was overjoyed Sam was okay. Rachel told her she would stop by the hospital later to see her.

Chief Gladstone and Jeff Stanton met them at the cabin. Mike and Rachel explained to them what happened. Chief Gladstone said they would send someone over to Paul’s house to check it out. An APB was already out for Mike’s truck and an arrest warrant for Paul was in the works.

Rachel was becoming worried something happened to Stacy. She used Jeff’s phone, which was the only one that had service, to call Stacy’s phone several times, but it went to voice mail each time. “Something went wrong,” Rachel said.

“The police are out looking for my truck and Stacy. She will turn up,” Mike tried to assure Rachel.

“That was Paul who ran. He set fire to the cabin as a distraction and he ran. Somehow he got a hold of Stacy when we went looking for Sam. I know it. I can feel it.”

“Jeff is going to give us a ride back to town. We will go back to the hotel and get your truck. We’ll find her,” Mike said

* * *

Stacy stared at Paul, then back at the gun.

Paul laughed. “Guess the joke is on you! The gun wasn’t loaded. Stupid bitch.”

Stacy was so stunned she didn’t have time to react when Paul swiped the gun from her hand. He pounded the gun into her temple and she crumpled to the floor.

“Time for a little burn out.”

He had to work quickly. He knew he didn’t have much time before the cops were crawling all over the place. Too bad things didn’t work out according to plan. He really wanted to have a new life with Sam and the kids.

“Oh well, Plan B,” he said out loud to no one in particular.

In the garage, he hauled a couple cans of gasoline into the house. He started pouring gas around the furniture, splashing some on all the walls.

“Such a shame. I had big plans for this house.” No one would probably find Sam for a long time –she was hidden away. He hesitated and thought about letting someone know where she was. But then again, if he couldn’t have her, no one else should be able to. Mack was taken care of. Ken was in jail. She would be all alone anyway. What was another murder? He would be far, far away by the time they discovered both bodies.

He grabbed his bag – the one he had packed over a month ago – and his fake passport. He would go to his hideout until things cooled down. Then he would make his escape. He was glad he put most of his money into an offshore account. Harder to trace.

He walked back to the garage and uncovered his motorcycle. Everyone thought the bike was being worked on, but Paul finished it months ago. No one would suspect he got away on his bike. He had been on his way to his hidden truck when Stacy found him. That part was unplanned, but proved to be genius.

When he got to the house and got out his matches, Stacy was still out cold on the floor. He lit a match and threw it against the wall. The curtains immediately caught fire. He took one last look around and left. He strapped his backpack to the bike, got on and took off, never looking back.

***

Rachel called Red once they were on the way back to town. “Take Maggie and head back over to Paul’s house. Chief Gladstone said he was sending a patrol car over there, but I’d feel better if you went, too. I have a bad feeling.”

“Sure thing. I was beginning to wonder what was going on. I’ll call you when I get there.” Red hung up.

“I had just gotten the call from Jack Speights before I left for the cabin.” Jeff looked over at Rachel. “Mack’s truck had been messed with. It wasn’t an accident.”

“I knew it! Stacy did, too. What happened?”

“Simply, his brake lines were cut. When he tried to slow down at the big curve, his brakes failed and he ran off the road. When he hit the embankment, his truck rolled over. Mack wasn’t wearing his seatbelt and he was thrown from the truck.”

“Jack tells me Mack was getting suspicious of Paul. And I think Paul knew it. He must have followed Mack that night and then took the opportunity to mess with his brakes.”

“That fits. Paul used to work as a mechanic. Tammie told me it’s what he did while in high school. His dad owned a car repair place in town.”

Rachel’s cell phone rang. “It’s Red. He must be at Paul’s place.” She took the call. Immediately Mike knew something was wrong when she said, “See if you can find Stacy. We will be there as soon as we can.”

“He just got to Paul’s house.” Rachel turned around to the backseat and said to Mike, “Your truck is there and the house is on fire.” She pleaded to Jeff, “Please hurry!”

Chapter Forty-One

Stacy felt the heat pressing down on her body before she even opened her eyes. “Oh, shit,” she thought as she struggled to open her eyes. Flames were dancing all around her. She tried to get up, but she couldn’t move. The bastard tied my hands and feet together with duct tape. A loud popping sound diverted her attention from trying to get free of her binds. The paint cans in the kitchen were exploding. She worked faster, rubbing wrists together - back and forth. The heat was actually starting to work in her favor. The glue in the duct tape was melting and she was able to work free of the tape around her hands. She was elated when she got her hands free. But the feeling was short-lived when she realized there was nowhere to go. She was surrounded by fire.

Her throat was so swollen from the heat she couldn’t scream for help. Not that anyone could probably hear her, anyway. The fire seemed to have consumed the room in less than a minute. It was hopeless. She was going to die. She half-crawled to the coffee table and hid underneath it. She knew the fire would find her under there, helpless and vulnerable, but she somehow felt safe. Starting to lose consciousness, her last thoughts were of Mack. As her eyes began to close, she imagined him coming through the door to rescue her.

Red got to Paul’s house in record time. From the hotel, it would normally take about ten minutes. He made it in five, running every red light and stop sign. He saw the smoke before the house even came into view. He quickly called Rachel to let her know what was going on. Parking the car at the curb, he ran up the front door and threw it open. The intense heat pushed him back. He could see the whole living room was engulfed in fire and smoke. He stood back and scanned the room as best he could. He saw a foot sticking out from under the coffee table.

Red ran back to his truck and grabbed Maggie’s blanket he kept in the back seat. He used the water hose by the front door and soaked the blanket as best he could. He heard the sirens and knew help was on the way, but he didn’t think there was much time left. He had to act now to save Stacy.

He covered his body as best as he could, took a deep breath and ran through a wall of flames. Grabbing Stacy by the feet, he pulled her out from under the table and reached down to pick her up. Using a fireman’s carry, he threw her over his shoulder, covered both of them with the blanket and headed back out the front door. He collapsed onto the front yard, still holding on to Stacy.

Chapter Forty-Two

Santa Rosa Beach, Thursday evening

Rachel walked into the hospital room where Red was lying in a bed covered in tubes and wires. The doctor told her Red had suffered from a mild heart attack after rescuing Stacy. He also had bandages on his hands and feet where he suffered second and third degree burns. As soon as she sat down, he opened his eyes.

“Hey buddy. We have matching bandages.” Rachel held up her right hand where she was burned.

He smiled faintly. “Is Stacy okay?”

Rachel nodded. “She is doing just fine. She had some smoke inhalation and minor burns, as well. Stacy is a tough cookie. Doctor said she can probably go home tomorrow.” Rachel gently smoothed the sheet over him. “We are both very grateful for what you did.”

Red lifted his left hand and waved it away. “It was nothing. I was there at the right time.”

“Yes, you were. Any later and Stacy might not have made it.”

“Rachel, there is something I need to tell you.” Red cleared his throat. “There is another reason why I came here.”

Rachel felt her stomach tighten in a knot. “Go ahead.”

“We got a lead on Mallory.”

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. “What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Janine wanted to be sure it was valid before we proceeded. I just found out this morning that it may be worth checking out.”

Rachel wanted to scream. He should have told her sooner. Whether or not the lead was valid was up to her to decide. But she treaded lightly. She didn’t want to add stress to Red’s already weakened heart. She supposed they were just trying to protect her.

“What lead?”

“Janine got a call about another missing girl. An American couple was on vacation in Mexico when their daughter was kidnapped,” Red said. “Her parents were staying at a resort hotel. While their daughter was sleeping, they went for a quick drink at the pool bar. The mom went back thirty minutes later to check on her and the little girl was gone.”

“What does this have to do with Mallory?”

“I’m getting there.” Red took his time getting the facts right. The pain meds were making him groggy. “After a search of the resort, she wasn’t found. They called in authorities and searched the entire island. The little girl wasn’t found. The police thought since they were rich Americans, there eventually would be a ransom, but nothing ever came in.”

“When did this happened?”

“A few days ago. Now the FBI is involved. We got a call at the office the day after you left to come here. A maid at the resort came forward and gave the FBI information about a child kidnapping ring. Her son also works at the resort and she found out he was involved. She was struggling on whether to do the right thing and turn in her only son. She finally came forward and told the authorities what she knew. When they busted the son, the FBI took his computer.” Red paused and collected his thoughts.

Rachel’s heart was beating fast and she started sweating. Please don’t let my little girl be dead.

“They found some information on the computer which led to some other names of the people involved in the kidnapping ring.” Red took a deep breath. “Scott Jensen was on that list.”

Rachel was stunned. “Janine’s ex-husband?”

“Yes.” Red knew this would be hard for her to hear. Scott had worked for Rachel’s husband for a short time at the car dealership. This was before she even knew Janine.

“Why would Scott be on the list?”

“The FBI is investigating that Rachel. They have talked with Janine, but she claims she didn’t know anything about it. So far, the authorities haven’t located Scott.”

“Scott may have had something to do with Mallory’s disappearance?” Rachel put her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

Red nodded his head.

Epilogue

Sam was reunited with her mom and children. She gave birth to a son on April twenty-first. She named him Breck, after the brother and father she lost. She has not identified the father, although most people assume it was Mack’s. Sam filed for divorce, put her house and land up for sale, and returned to work at the fire department.

Ken was sentenced to twelve years in jail for his part in the marijuana operation. He is currently serving his time in the Walton county jail.

Mack was given a funeral with honors. He was laid to rest in the same cemetery as Sam’s brother and father.

Red recovered from his injuries and is back to work at Florida Omni Search.

Rachel is working on her latest lead to find Mallory.

Stacy quit her job at the Miami Sun and decided to freelance for awhile. This was her last article she wrote for the Sun.

Missing Firefighter Found Alive

by Stacy Case

Samantha Collins, firefighter with Santa Rosa Beach fire department, was found alive yesterday. She was being held captive by Paul Hart, also a firefighter with SRBFD.

Acting on an anonymous tip Thursday morning, Florida Omni Search located Collins on a hunting property owned by Paul Hart. “She was being held against her will in an abandoned hunting cabin,” said founder Rachel Scott.

Chief Gladstone of Santa Rosa Beach police department said Samantha was found in pretty good shape and is being evaluated at a local hospital. He also commented Paul Hart is currently at large and wanted by SRBPD for questioning.

Paul Hart was arrested this past February along with Ken Collins, Samantha’s husband, for marijuana trafficking.

“Right now, there is no clear motivation on why she was kidnapped by Paul Hart. We haven’t had a chance to question Samantha in depth yet,” Gladstone said.

Samantha’s mother, Nora Prince, said to us, “This is the best moment in my life,” after hearing Samantha was alive. She wanted to thank Rachel and Florida Omni Search for helping locate her missing daughter.

“It was truly a miracle we found her. I just hugged her and told her over and over she was safe now,” Rachel Scott said.

Nora said her daughter has been through some “really horrible circumstances and was mentally tortured” during her imprisonment. She declined to elaborate due to an ongoing police investigation.

Paul Hart has a twisted history with her daughter, according to her mother. “They dated in high school and Sam broke up with him before she met Ken. Paul was also friends with Ken and was arrested as a co-conspirator in his marijuana grow operation.”

Prince described Samantha’s current mental state as “terrified and extremely anxious.”

“Samantha Collins is under police protection until Hart can be located,” Chief Gladstone confirmed.

There is a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the capture and arrest of Paul Hart.

A Sneak Peek… to another Rachel Scott and Florida Omni Search missing person case.

Asylum Harbor

My name is Amber Knowles and I am one of the thousands of people who go missing every day. Of course, the day I went missing started out beautiful with lots of sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. My parents had dropped me and my two best friends off at the Tampa dock. We were taking a cruise on the SeaStar Cruise line to the Bahamas. This was our high school graduation present and a chance to let loose before college.

My parents weren’t too happy to see me go. They were worried – with good cause I suppose. You see, my dad is the Governor of Florida and he planned on announcing his intent to run for presidency in the next election. He was a little concerned about sending his only daughter on a trip without any security. I fought desperately for that freedom and he finally gave in.

Now, I kinda wish he did send someone.

The first day we set sail to Key West. My best friends, Nicole and Rowan, were just as excited as me to spend a couple of hours shopping and hitting the famous Duval Street. We even managed to score some margaritas at Sloppy Joes. However, that night back on the ship was when the fun came to an end for me.

After a nice dinner, we decide to check out the nightclub Aqua. As we approach the door to Aqua, I see a cute guy in a white uniform with the SeaStar logo. He introduced himself as Josh McCain. He is a VIP host. I know it sounds clique, but Josh has the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. He walks us to a private room and tells us to let him know if we need anything.

After an hour of dancing, I start feeling sick to my stomach. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or if I am getting seasick. Probably a little of both.

“I’m not feeling well,” I tell Rowan as I lay my head down on the edge of the sofa in the VIP room. The velvet feels cool against my skin.

“I’ll go get you some water,” Rowan says. “Stay right here.”

A few minutes later Josh walks in with a glass of water. “I ran into your friend at the bar. She said you weren’t feeling well. I offered to bring this to you,” he says sweetly, handing me the ice cold water.

I take a sip and immediately I feel my stomach rolling around.

“I don’t feel so good.”

“Do you want to go lay down? I can walk you back to your cabin and get the ship’s doctor for you. It’s probably seasickness.”

“That’s okay.” I tell him. I feel embarrassed for being sick.

Rowan and Nicole walk back into the room to check on me.

“Hey, you don’t look so good,” Nicole says.

“You want us to go back to the cabin with you?” Rowan offers.

“No, that’s okay,” I start to protest.

“I offered to walk back with her. I can get some medicine from the commissary shop for her,” Josh tells my friends.

After a few minutes of encouraging me to go back to the room, I finally give in and let Josh walk me back.

On the walk back to my cabin, he tells me he is from California and has worked with the cruise ship for about eight months. I can’t help but wonder if he is flirting with me.

I tell him I just graduated from high school and will be attending Florida State University this fall. “I plan on becoming a veterinarian and they have the best program in Florida,” I tell him. “Plus, it’s close to home, which my parents like.”

What I don’t tell him is what it’s like being the daughter of a prominent governor and all the stress and problems it causes me.

We get to my cabin, which I can tell he is impressed by.

“Wow, the penthouse suite. You must be someone special,” he says. The penthouse suite costs like $8000 for the four-day cruise. If he only knew.

I don’t reply and immediately lay down on the sofa. My stomach is still rolling around and now I am getting a headache.

“Why don’t you rest and I will call the doctor for you. He is really nice.”

“No, I don’t want to go through all the trouble. I just need something for my stomach.”

Josh insists on going to get some medicine at the ship’s commissary and I let him.

“I had trouble with seasickness when I first started working. What really helps is fresh air and looking out over the ocean.”

So I decide to wait out on the balcony while he gets the medicine.

The night sky takes my breath away. The effect of the hundreds of stars combined with the thousands of twinkling lights from the cruise ship reminds me of Christmas time.

I pull my long blonde hair into a ponytail and slide off my pink flip flops, taking a big breath of the salty air.

A gust of wind out of nowhere picks up a flip flop and tosses it over the railing. I grab the railing and look over the top just in time to see the shoe get swallowed up in the foamy wake.

I start to wonder what happened to Josh. He should have been back by now. It is then I hear the sliding glass door open behind me. I turned around and see Josh.

“Hey there. I thought you forgot me,” I say. He has a strange look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

Then someone gives Josh a hard push onto the balcony.

I stare at the strange man in shock. He has a gun pointed to Josh’s head.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” I scream at this stranger.

“Move it,” The man says, pushing Josh further out onto the balcony.

“Leave her alone. She doesn’t know anything,” Josh finally says.

“What is going on?” I ask again. “Josh, who is this?” This is like a bad scene playing out in a movie.

“Come on, Amber. Join the party.” The man motions to me with the gun.

It takes me a second to realize what the man said. How does he know my name?

I press my back into the balcony railing. There is no way I am going anywhere with this lunatic. Apparently he has the wrong room or something!

“Leave her out of this. She doesn’t know anything,” Josh pleads.

“Not my problem. No witnesses.” The man raises the gun and points it toward me.

Now I really start to panic. It is silly now to think this, but I can’t help but wish my dad would have sent security with me. I turn around and can just faintly make what looks like the lights of a coastline. We must be near our next stop in the Bahamas. If I jump, I may have a chance to make it to shore. My hands are shaking as I climb the railing and throw my leg over the side. Contemplating, I look down at the ten story drop into the swirling water below.

“Look, we can work this out. I will tell you what you want to know if you just let her go inside,” Josh tells the man.

“Don’t think so, Josh.” The man holds the gun steady at me.

“Amber, what are you doing?” Josh asks me as I sit on the railing, leaning my body toward the water.

I feel the icy finger of fear grip my heart as I look into the water again. A loud pop rings out through the night as I vanish into darkness.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Epilogue