“I hate hurting you,” he said. “But he’ll hit you more if I don’t do it.”
“It’s best if we do what he says,” said Rowan. “Next time I’ll act like it’s really hurting so he won’t tell you to pinch harder. At least the peanut butter sandwich was better than the crackers yesterday.”
Malcolm was silent. She straightened and peered at his face in the poor light. “You got a sandwich, didn’t you?”
“No.”
Rowan wanted to cry. “Did he give you some water?”
“A little. There wasn’t much in the bottle.”
“You said you hated me like he told you to! He said he’d feed you for that. He’s a liar!” Fury rocked through her. “I hate him.”
“I hate him too,” said Malcolm in a low voice. “I don’t understand why we’re here.”
“Do you think Carissa got away?” asked Rowan, fully aware Malcolm didn’t know the answer. They’d discussed their babysitter dozens of times. They hadn’t seen or heard her since the bad man had brought them to this place.
She and Malcolm had been in the back seat of Carissa’s car when the man wearing a mask forced himself into the car at an intersection. He’d pointed a gun at their babysitter and then at Rowan and Malcolm, threatening to shoot them if she didn’t drive where he said.
Neither of them knew where they were. They’d driven for a long time down dirt and gravel roads. He’d made Rowan and Malcolm take off their shirts and tie them over their heads so they couldn’t see where they were going. When they’d finally stopped, he’d told the kids he’d shoot Carissa if either of them tried to get out of the car. He’d gotten out and taken Carissa with him and vanished for a few minutes. Rowan and Malcolm had sat frozen in the car. Both too terrified to move. Malcolm had lifted his shirt and peeked. All he’d seen was big trees.
A few minutes later, the man led them to the shed. Rowan had asked about Carissa and been slapped, making her trip and fall. She’d been quiet after that.
Three nights had passed so far. Rowan wondered how many more there would be.
“I don’t know what happened to Carissa,” said Malcolm. “Maybe she got away and went for help.”
Rowan nestled against her brother. “Someone will find us.”
8
“I’ll wait until you’re done, Detective,” the patrol officer told Evan. “This isn’t the best neighborhood.”
Evan looked around as he slipped booties over his shoes. Ken Steward’s home was in an older subdivision; the homes were a little shabby and sat on large lots. He didn’t see anything that signaled bad neighborhood. “Seems okay.”
“We get calls all the time from this street. Big drug problem, which leads to all sorts of different crimes. Domestics. Break-ins. Car theft.” The young officer scowled as he looked down the street.
“I won’t be long,” Evan promised. “Leave if you need to.” He put on gloves, unlocked the door, and entered the quiet home. He shined his small flashlight at a wall, looking for a light switch, and turned it on.
A bachelor lived here. Evan recognized that fact immediately. Several women he’d dated had pointed out the bachelor-ish elements of his own home, and Ken had the same ones. Large overstuffed sectional. Big flat-screen TV. A coffee table with water rings. No rugs. No decorator pillows. Blank walls. Except for the flat-screen.
It felt comfortable but dull.
He stepped into the room and spotted two huge dog beds on the floor that had been blocked from his view by the sofa. One near where Evan assumed Ken liked to sit on the sofa, judging by the sagging cushion, and the other at the far end of the room, in front of a window, where it would catch the sun. There was also a folded blanket coated with black dog hair next to Ken’s place.
Evan could picture Juno and Ken relaxing in front of the TV.
No more.
He was grateful that Shannon Steward had taken Juno. No doubt Shannon’s home was also a place with multiple dog beds and a special spot on the couch. Even though Evan had never met the dog, the home felt as if a spirit were missing. There was a distinct loneliness that Evan suspected wasn’t solely from Ken’s absence.
Evan had thought about getting a dog after his niece and nephew moved out. The kids had stayed with him for a little while, and when they left, they’d taken Oreo, a tiny black-and-white dog Evan had found and adopted during an investigation. He still keenly felt the absence of all three of them. A dog would help fill that emptiness.