It had been the most excruciating day of Cameron's life. By the time he left the hospital, it was almost two thirty AM, eighteen hours since he'd boarded a flight from Kansas City. His body had processed every last drop of adrenaline. There was nothing left inside him and what remained was a used-up version of Cam that barely qualified as a living organism. He got into his car and he texted Brick.

I'm on my way.

Brick didn't respond. Hopefully, he was asleep. After all, it was almost the middle of the night.

Cam felt that if he leaned back into the comfort of the leather driver's seat and closed his eyes, he could sleep for two straight days. But the sediment of rage and anxiety that continued surging through his bloodstream wouldn't allow it. 

He started the car and he drove. He drove through the dark and the stillness of the suburban communities squinting at the headlight beams of the occasional vehicles moving by him in the opposite direction.

Twenty minutes later, he parked in front of Jonas' house, got out of his car, and knocked on the front door.

Jonas' mom answered the door.

"I'm sorry to be so late," Cam said.

"No problem," she said quietly. She turned and called into the living room. "Brick. Your dad's here." While waiting for the boy to gather his things, she whispered to Cam, "How's Kelsey?"

He shrugged. "She's been through a lot. We're just grateful to get her back."

Rubbing his eyes, Brick appeared, his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Oooh, it's cold," he mumbled before dragging his feet to the car.

"Thanks again," Cam said.

"Any time," she replied.

They got into the car, Brick with his backpack on his lap.

Cam looked at his boy before steering away from the curb. "How you doing?"

"Tired." He yawned.

They drove for a while, Brick looking straight ahead.

"Kelsey's doing good," Cam said. "She might even come home in a few days."

"And so," Brick said, eyes still forward. "You're not going to do anything?"

"The police have some new leads and they think..."

Brick heaved a disgusted sigh.

Cam said, "Everybody's upset, buddy. This has been–"

"Maybe if we had a dad who wasn't gone all the time this wouldn't have happened."

Cam swallowed his response.

"You're our dad. You're supposed to protect us."

........

Lloyd entered Patrice's office, stopped at the window, and looked out at the lunchtime traffic below. "On that security footage from Micky D's. Looked like our guy, but apparently, he didn't park in their lot. Got nothing on his vehicle."

"Figures," she said.

He walked around the corner of the desk and stood behind her chair, looking at some faces she'd pulled up on her computer. "The creep squad," he said. "When we got the description, you prob'ly thought the same thing I did."

"Huh?"

"Buckethead."

"Rory Buckley." She grinned. "Funny how some people find a place in your head and won't leave."

"He's got three more years before he's eligible for parole."

She tapped the screen with a pen. "Charles Campbell. Pale wouldn't begin to describe him. He's almost transparent like he's lived in a cave his whole life."

"Doesn't fit the profile. He's probably almost six foot six."

Orion got out of her chair. "Let's go talk to some neighbors."

The interview with Beth Ferretti amounted to a self-flagellation session. In between rivers of tears, Beth bawled, "I should have done something. "She added, "I shouted at him, I remember that. But I just froze. I couldn't move. I know I should have done something."

"Honestly, I don't know what you could have done," said Patrice. Her words of comfort didn't put a dent in Beth's angst.

She remembered the abductor's blue latex gloves and when asked about eyeglasses she replied, "I'm not sure but I think so, maybe."

"Well, that was productive," said Lloyd as they walked to their car parked at the curb. "She couldn't say if the car was a Mini Cooper or a fire truck let alone if it had out-of-state plates."

A few minutes later they were across the street from the McKenzie residence ringing the Washington's doorbell. Agitated barking preceded an elderly man opening the door. He looked like the kind of guy who would be content spending his afternoons browsing hardware stores.

Mr. Washington," Orion said with a polite smile. "We're police officers." She raised her voice.  "We'd like to have a word with you."

"Sadie. Quiet now," Mr. Washington said before turning his attention back to the detectives.

Ms. Washington appeared over his shoulder and said, "This is about the dog, isn't it? We got our gate fixed so she won't be–"

Orion shook her head. "No, Ma'am. It's not about the dog. Can we come in and ask you a few questions?"

"Is the dog friendly?" Lloyd asked.

"She's scared of her own shadow," she said.

The detectives entered cautiously, eyes on the dog who continued barking.

Lloyd pulled a Milkbone biscuit from his pocket. "Be okay if I give her a treat?" Before the Washingtons could reply, Sadie zipped forward, snatched the cookie, and crunched it up.

Orion said, "You probably already know that Kelsey McKenzie was abducted a couple nights ago."

Mr. Washington's jaw fell open. His wife placed a shaking hand on her chest and gasped, wide-eyed.

"Oh, my goodness." The man exchanged a look with his wife. "Did you say abducted?" His eyes went wide, his eyebrows headed for his hairline like he was moments away from going into convulsions.

"I think I need to sit down," she said. She backed up toward the couch and plopped down. She removed her glasses and rubbed her watery eyes.

"Where did this happen?" he asked.

"Right down the street at the bottom of the hill before the intersection."

"I can't believe it," Ms. Washington said. "Right here in the neighborhood."

"The girl's being treated in the hospital," said Lloyd. "Pretty sure she's gonna be okay."

Mr. Washington took a glance through the front window. "Ab-abducted right here on this street?" He stumbled over the word and it nearly got stuck in his dry mouth.

Lloyd nodded. "Yes, sir."

Orion stroked the dog's head. "Have either of you seen anyone out of the ordinary recently? Somebody you didn't recognize from the neighborhood?"

"A strange car or truck?" Lloyd asked.

Mr. Washington shrugged. "Lots of people coming and going around here."

"They're such a nice family." Ms. Washington said after a few moments' silence. "Wonderful people."

"Anything we can do to help," said her husband. "You just let us know."

Patrice offered her card. "If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, give us a call, day or night."

"I have been hearing some strange sounds," Ms. Washington said. "Downstairs in the cellar."

"What sort of strange sounds?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, for goddess sake, Marie," said her husband. "You're hearing things."

"Half the time you don't even hear the dog barking," she said.

"I'd be happy to check your basement," Orion said.

"You're wasting their time," he said to his wife.

"Not a problem," said Lloyd. He followed the woman down the hallway. She opened the basement door. Lloyd and Patrice descended the stairs to the large open basement area where boxes were stacked against the walls. Lloyd walked across the concrete floor to a door that opened to the backyard. He tried the doorknob. "Seems like a solid sturdy door. I see you got a deadbolt. That's good." He looked through the window. "Is that an open field behind your backyard fence?"

Mr. Washington frowned. "The developer probably has plans to build another twenty homes back there."

Patrice noticed a tall steel locker against the back wall. "Is that a gun safe?"

"Mostly important documents, tax stuff," said Mrs. Washington. "A few pieces of jewelry."

"Any guns?"

"I got my old deer rifle in there. An old Winchester my dad gave me years ago."

Orion looked around the base of the safe. "I think those are mouse droppings."

"Oh, my goodness," said Ms. Washington.

"Probably field mice," said Lloyd. "It happens. They can get up into your walls."

"That's probably what I've been hearing, the scratching noises."

"Get an exterminator out here. I'm sure they'll take care of it for you."

"I told you I've been hearing noises in the pantry." She glared at her husband.