The Perfect Couple (42 page)

Or that detective who'd been involved could do the same. Tiffany had been lying when she said she'd notified the police. She'd only been hoping to learn if Zoe had already contacted them herself--and to stop her if she planned to.

Just get her out of town. If they could reach the mountains, they'd lose reception and Tiffany could relax. A little bit, anyway.

Eyeing her own cell phone, which rested on the console, she finally broke down and called Colin. She had to have some idea of where he was, some assurance that he'd be able to escape the office when he thought he could.

"Hi, how's work this afternoon?" she asked when he answered. She made sure her voice sounded casual, but she hoped he'd clue in to what she was really asking, and he didn't disappoint her.

"I'm not at the cabin yet," he said. "I ran home to get the credit card on my desk. I'll need some way to pay for groceries and gas. And that put me behind."

He must've left it when he'd ordered those bondage implements over the Internet for their party with his friends. The package had arrived the following day--express courier--but she hadn't seen it since Paddy died and 275

Colin had scrubbed the house from top to bottom. All the toys they owned were gone. Colin had cleaned out everything, including the bonus room.

"Where--where did you put the things in that box that was delivered last week?"

"What things?"

"You know, the party favors for Friday night that you ordered over the Internet."

"Oh, they're safe, in my trunk."

He was bringing them with him. Tiffany's stomach gave another painful lurch as she imagined the night ahead. She wanted Zoe dead, but she didn't want to watch Colin have sex with her first. If he acted too kind or loving, it'd break her heart. And, even if he wasn't loving, even if he only wanted to hurt her, Tiffany had no desire to watch. She didn't have the appetite for torture that he did. He found it funny, exhilarating, stimulating.

He achieved some sort of sexual gratification from making others scream and cry. But it just made her sick.

She wondered if he'd let her leave or if he'd demand she watch.

Or participate...

Or help bury the bodies...

She stifled a shudder.

"Tiff?" Colin said.

"What?"

"Zoe's with you, right?"

"Yes. She's here. We're on our way."

Zoe glanced over and smiled. She was nervous, too, Tiffany realized.

She seemed intensely focused and hardly talked at all, which was fine.

Tiffany couldn't manage much of a conversation at the moment. She was too afraid she'd sound strange or make a revealing comment, accidentally alerting Zoe that the situation was not what she'd represented it to be.

Tiffany knew how quickly an errand such as this could go bad. Take Rover, for instance.

"How close are you to the cabin?" Colin asked.

"Another hour or so."

"Then you need to slow down. Misty was late going to lunch today.

The first freakin' day she isn't dying to feed her fat face at exactly noon. Can you believe it? Anyway, I think I'm behind you."

No! Not behind. She wanted to get this over with, turn Zoe over to her husband as soon as possible.

Tiffany checked her speed but didn't dare ease off the gas. She could always pretend to get lost once they exited the freeway and were out of 276

range of any cell towers. "I hope he didn't do it, either," she said randomly, for Zoe's benefit.

"Tell Colin I'm so grateful for his support," Zoe murmured.

Tiffany gritted her teeth against the jealousy that welled up. "She says to tell you she's grateful for your support."

"Tell her I'd do anything for her," he said with a satisfied chuckle.

"He hopes it helps," she said instead and hung up.

Her eyebrows furrowed in an expression of concern, Zoe nodded and stared straight ahead.

Then Zoe's cell phone rang. It was a wrong number, but it still put Tiffany on edge. Because she knew Jonathan Stivers or Detective Thomas could call at any moment....

Whoever had come home and nearly surprised Jonathan hadn't stayed long. Just as the door opened, he'd dashed into the garage, where he'd only had to wait a minute before a car that'd been left running in the drive pulled away. He wasn't sure if it was Tiffany or Colin. He hadn't been willing to risk detection in order to look. He'd provoked Colin after the man had nearly been fired; he wasn't about to hand him a big stick.

It didn't matter who'd come home, anyway. It only mattered that he hadn't been seen. That gave him the chance to get out, and he immediately did just that.

But he wasn't happy about the wasted time. Colin and Tiffany were young, attractive, successful. Not your average pedophiles. What had he been thinking following up on such a long shot?

He unlocked his car, which he'd parked around the block so it wouldn't be seen on Colin's street.

He'd been thinking he'd solved the mystery, of course. But now he just felt foolish. If Colin was as twisted as the man who'd attacked Toby, there would've been some sign of it in his house--videotapes, pictures, pornography, sex toys, something--especially if his wife was aware of his perversion and he didn't have to hide.

"What a waste," he grumbled and turned on his phone. He had an appointment with Detective Thomas at 1:30 p.m. and wanted to check the time. Fortunately, he still had an hour, but he'd missed a slew of calls, most of which had come from Zoe.

Eager to find out what was so urgent, he called her right away. And she answered on the first ring.

"What's going on?" he asked. He hoped Toby had revealed some specific information about the man who'd hurt him, enough that they could 277

catch the bastard. He heard Jasmine's voice echoing in his head--You need to find her, Jon. You need to find her now--but he was no closer to saving Sam than he'd been the day she disappeared.

"Didn't you get my messages?" she asked.

"Not yet." Deciding to call her instead, he hadn't listened to his voice mail messages.

"Where are you?"

"On my way to Truckee. We've got a lead on Sam." The words came in a breathless rush.

"What?" His hand froze halfway to the ignition. That was exactly what he'd been hoping. "Because of Toby?"

"No. Toby still has a lot of healing to do. He's not completely coherent yet, and the doctors don't want us bothering him, anyway. His condition is too fragile."

"So where did this lead come from?"

"Right next door."

"You're kidding!"

"It's not what you think, though," she hurried on. "Colin's father, a man named Paddy Bell, has a history of pedophilia. He molested Colin while he was growing up. His sister, too."

"No..."

"Yes, but Colin and Tiffany thought that was old news. A terrible period that ended when Colin's mother found out and left him." She paused.

"Until he went missing on Friday night."

Jonathan let his head fall back. "Colin's father went missing?"

"Yes."

"What happened to him?"

"We're not completely sure. We think he's on the run. Colin saw a news report on Toby, noticed that the boy was kidnapped from his father's neighborhood and mentioned it to him."

Jonathan watched a middle-aged man drive by in a car that needed a muffler. "And then?"

"A day or so later, Colin realized that his father also knew Sam, or knew of her. Paddy had even mentioned her a few times."

Jonathan's blood ran cold. No wonder he hadn't been able to solve the case. There was nothing to give Paddy Bell away. He was too distantly connected.

"When he started asking Paddy about Sam, it must've made Paddy nervous, because he took off not long after," she said.

"Why didn't Colin tell me this when I saw him a couple hours ago?"

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"I've got Tiffany here. Let me see what she says."

Zoe asked her the question, and Jonathan could hear Colin's wife's response.

"He wasn't sure," Tiffany was saying. "We were both hoping that...that we were wrong and he'd show up. No one wants to accuse a family member of something like that. If he's just off with another woman, he'll never forgive Colin, or me, for bringing up the past and ruining his reputation. But when Mr. Stivers came by the firm and then called me, we both realized we had to take that chance."

Jonathan felt bad for the way he'd behaved in Colin's office. The guy had already been having a bad day. And, happily married or not, Colin had a crush on Zoe, which complicated matters. Not surprising that he hadn't wanted to reveal what he suspected of his father.

At least he'd done the right thing in the end. "So we know who might've taken her and we think she might be in Truckee?" he asked Zoe.

"Jasmine mentioned a forest, remember?"

How could he forget? It had been on his mind all day. "I remember."

"Paddy owns a cabin in the mountains outside Truckee."

"Holy shit." Spurred into action, he jammed his key into the ignition.

"I'm coming. Where are you?"

"We just passed Auburn."

"Who's we? You and Tiffany?"

"Yes. We're in her car."

He pulled into the street, heading for Interstate 80. "And Colin?"

"He's still at work."

Of course. Jonathan had seen the way Scovil had treated him, knew he'd probably lose his job if he left. "Where should we meet?"

"We can't stop, Jonathan. We can't even slow down. I'm too frantic."

"Zoe, I know what you're feeling. But I'd rather be with you. We have no idea what you might find."

"Can't you just meet us there?"

He knew no amount of warning would convince her to stop now that she thought Sam was so close. She'd walk through fire if she had to. And he wasn't that far behind. He could catch up or arrive shortly afterward. "Okay.

Where is it?"

"Here, I'll let Tiffany give you directions."

"Have you notified the police?" he asked before Zoe could pass the phone.

"I've left a message for Detective Thomas. I think we're covered.

Colin reported it, too."

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"Great. Let me talk to Tiffany, then."

"I'll see you there."

"Whatever happens, Zoe..." He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. He hated the thought of her finding Sam in Toby's condition--or worse.

He wished she'd let him shield her. But every minute mattered; he understood that. "...I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay." She sniffed and he knew she was crying. "Thanks."

He reached the freeway while he was talking to Tiffany and nearly floored the gas pedal--only to be slowed by traffic through Lincoln a few minutes later. After he hung up, he continued to drive as fast as traffic would allow. But he didn't see Tiffany's BMW anywhere along the interstate.

And although he followed the directions Tiffany had given him very carefully, he couldn't find the cabin.

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The only thing wrong with his plan was that he didn't have the time to implement it properly, Colin thought. He had to rush, and he was running late.

He'd sent a text to Tiffany telling her to waste half an hour and she'd responded with "HURRY!!!" But there was nothing he could do to get there any faster. He'd had to stop by Tommy's cousin's house before he left Sacramento to pick up keys to the rental he'd asked to use. The house, little more than a shack, was in Chester, not Tahoe or Truckee, which meant he had a long drive ahead of him after he grabbed Zoe and Sam. But it would be worth it. Using someone else's place meant there'd be no records of any kind, and Tommy's cousin was a distant enough contact that he probably didn't even know Colin's full name. Bill Bristol was lending it out for the whole week on the promise that Tommy would make it up to him by letting him use his sandrail for a summer trip. And Colin was making it up to Tommy by letting him use Tiffany for two nights this week while he was gone. He'd tried to whittle his side of the trade down to one night, but Tommy had driven a hard bargain and Colin had been too desperate not to agree.

Now he just needed to convince Tiffany to do whatever Tommy wanted. He'd promised she'd be open and completely flexible. He'd even drawn some graphic images to encourage Tommy to jump on the deal.

Hopefully, that diamond he'd bought his wife yesterday would help make her amenable. He'd get her another present, if necessary. Maybe a new car.

And he'd remind her that once this week was over, Zoe would be gone for good and so would Sam.

Because he'd been speeding, Colin checked his rearview mirror for cops, breathed easier when he didn't see any and eased over toward the next exit. He was almost at the cabin. Once he took care of business in Tahoe and reached Chester, he'd be safe. He'd have to drive back to Sacramento and put in an appearance here and there over the next few days, just to let everyone know he hadn't gone missing along with his father, Zoe and Sam. But he could blame the long hours he spent away from home on the fact that he was so busy searching for his father.

God, he couldn't have set it up any better.

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Sam heard her name as if from a great distance. She was swimming deep beneath the water, enjoying its shimmer and smoothness, and ignored the voice that was calling her. Somehow she could breathe, stay under as long as she wanted, which should've told her it wasn't real. But she didn't care about real. She just wanted to be comfortable.

She would've stayed right where she was, but her mother stood at the water's edge, telling her she needed to talk to her immediately.

Fighting hard to obey, she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids and gazed up at the blurry image looming over her. "Mom?" she said, her voice a mere croak.

"Oh, good. I thought you were dead."

That was Colin's voice. And he didn't sound as if he really cared one way or another. Maybe that was why he'd abandoned her. She'd eaten the granola bars he'd left and drunk the water, then used whatever energy she had to dig at the spike that held her in place. But it had been no use. She was too weak to free herself.

For the past--she didn't know how many hours--she'd slipped in and out of consciousness, listening to the flies buzz. They landed on her all the time, tickling her cheek, her forehead, her arms and legs, but she couldn't even swat them away. "You're...evil," she said.