When he saw her he shook his head and held his hands out in question. He climbed into the car. “I ask you to do one simple thing—” he began.
“You big-shot FBI agents probably don’t worry about illegal parking, right?” Maggie said. “If a cop walks up and tells you to move your car out of the fire lane, you just flash your big shiny badge, and say ‘beat it, pal.’ Am I right?”
Zack nodded. “Yep. That’s what we do.”
Maggie spied a car pulling from a parking slot near the front and gunned her engine. She backed in so they had a clear view of the front doors.
Maggie cut the engine. “So, how much longer till the movie is over?” she asked with a half smile.
“One hour thirty-nine minutes.”
“I can’t believe I agreed to sit in a parking lot for two hours so my kid could go to a movie with her friends.”
“Look at the bright side,” Zack said. “You get to spend all this time with me. Play your cards right, and I’ll let you sign my babe cast. You can have Paula Zahn’s coveted spot.”
“I think not.”
He grinned. “So, now, what should we do to pass the time?” He stretched his arms out wide, then lowered them so that his left arm fell on the back of Maggie’s seat and finally her shoulder.
She shook her head sadly, but it was all she could do to keep from laughing. “That is so seventh grade.”
He looked wounded. “It always served me well in the past.”
“You must date some really dumb women. Like, uh, Bambi?” she added, pointing to a name on his cast.
“She was the ER doctor who took care of me after I got beat up,” Zack said.
“You’re yanking my chain, Madden,” Maggie said.
“I was a perfect patient. Never complained. Thanked the nurses profusely for each morphine shot. The only time things got ugly was when the nurses fought over who was going to sign my cast first.”
Maggie studied his smile. “Do you ever have a serious moment?”
“Oh, yeah, plenty of times.” He touched her hair, rubbed a thick strand between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ve been seriously fighting the urge to touch your hair since we met,” he said. He slipped his hand beneath her hair and brushed the back of her neck with his fingers.
The shiver started at her tailbone and worked its way up her spine, leaving each vertebra tingling. Maggie tried to keep her breathing steady. She shifted in the seat, leaned away slightly. “Hey, aren’t you on the clock? You’re supposed to be doing your FBI thing.”
“I got it covered, babe. I can stoke your fires of passion, and protect your daughter. I can encourage the rabbits to consider planned parenthood, keep the hens on a tight production schedule, and offer emotional support to a disabled goat on the verge of womanhood. My specialty is multitasking.”
He had a sexy, mischievous smile. Infectious too; Maggie couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I’ve got your number, Madden,” she said. “You’re a flirt and a sweet-talker.”
“You could be right.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of her neck. Her lips parted in surprise, and he raised his finger and tilted her jaw so that he could kiss her. Just like before, Maggie felt completely disarmed beneath his warm mouth. All her defenses seemed to melt like warm chocolate, and she couldn’t resist responding eagerly.
Zack raised his head and winced. “I think your stick shift just punctured my spleen. We should get in the backseat.”
“Hmm. The last time a guy suggested that to me I got pregnant.”
“So, does Mel know she was conceived in the backseat of a car or is this something I can hold over your head?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. He kissed her again. He pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat, kissed her chin, her nose, and closed eyelids. He slid his fingers through her hair, covered her breast with one palm. Maggie sucked in a short breath. Everything inside felt as if it were jingling and jangling, like pots and pans swinging from a rack. She was almost certain her heart missed three full beats.
She opened her eyes and blinked several times, bringing the world back into focus. He reached for her again, and she pressed her hands flat against his chest. “We have to stop!” she said, a little too loudly.
“I’m moving too fast?”
“We have an audience.” She scooted down in the seat as a security car slowly passed, both officers staring. “Oh, great,” she said. “I think the driver is the father of one of my patients.”
“They’re gone now.” Zack reached for her.
Maggie resisted. “You and I shouldn’t be doing all this kissing, Zack.” She tried to sound firm. “It’s too, um, confusing. And I’m not thinking straight as it is. My brain is numb. I didn’t sleep well last night.” It was the truth. Each time she’d closed her eyes she had seen Carl Lee’s face as it had appeared in the newspaper. And then there was McKelvey’s call, and her silent promise not to say anything, and wondering if McKelvey was going to inform the police as they both knew he should, or if he planned to try and deal with Carl Lee on his own. It was too much.
But the main reason she didn’t want to keep kissing Zack Madden was because she knew she was getting too wrapped up in him, and that would have consequences that she didn’t have time to consider at the moment.
“Okay, Maggie.” He gave her cheek a final caress. “Why don’t you close your eyes and relax? I’ll be here with you, and I won’t take my eyes off that door.”
Maggie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She was surprised how weary she suddenly felt. Stress and worry did that to people. How many times had she said those words to friends and family, and they didn’t even have a psycho-wacko on their trail? She wished she could lean her head against Zack’s chest, but there was a lot of comfort just knowing he was close. She dozed.
Maggie was only vaguely aware of the door opening, and the overhead light flashing on for a few seconds. Obviously, the movie had ended and Zack was going for Mel. She would wake up when they returned, maybe ask Zack to drive them home. Voices hummed in the parking lot. Car doors slammed and engines cranked. Then everything grew still.
Maggie heard the car door open again and knew she had to wake up, but the short nap had left her heavy with fatigue.
“Maggie?”
She thought she heard something different in Zack’s tone. “Huh?”
“Maggie, you need to wake up.”
She opened her eyes, saw his expression in the faint yellow light above his head. Something was wrong. She twisted around and found herself looking into an empty backseat. “Where—”
“Babe, we can’t find Mel.”
Chapter Nine
Fear sent an adrenaline rush through her body and sucked the air from her lungs. “What the hell do you mean, you can’t find her?” she yelled as she struggled to take a breath. She yanked the door handle and slammed from the car. She started to run and stumbled; Zack caught her before she hit the pavement. She tried to pull free, but he wouldn’t release her.
“Maggie, you need to calm down,” he said. “The police are on their way.”
“Calm down?” she said loudly, drawing stares from those lingering in the parking lot. “My daughter is missing, and I’m supposed to calm down!” She pulled free. “Find my damn daughter!”
She ran toward the theater, Zack beside her. She opened the door, and one of the employees looked as though he might stop her, but he stepped back instead. The expression on her face obviously convinced him she was somebody he didn’t want to tangle with.
Maggie scanned the lobby where people stood in line for the nine o’clock shows. “Where are Caitlin and Emily?”
“This way.” Zack took her hand and led her to the hall. He opened the first door they came to, and Maggie hurried into the auditorium. The lights had been turned up; a teenage boy sweeping up a popcorn spill moved from her path.
A heavyset man in dark slacks and a white dress shirt was talking to Caitlin and Emily, as their mothe
r Roberta stood beside them looking anxious. They paused and looked up as Maggie approached.
“Where is Mel?” she demanded, eyes darting from one girl to the other.
“She told us she was going to go to the bathroom,” Caitlin said.
“How long ago?”
“Right after the movie started,” Caitlin answered.
“Two hours ago?” Maggie was incredulous, even though her heart felt as though it were being squeezed and twisted like modeling clay.
“I’m going to look around,” Zack said, then glanced at Maggie. “Do not leave this theater, got it?”
She nodded. “Why didn’t you tell somebody when Mel didn’t return?” she demanded of Caitlin because she was the older of the two sisters. “Didn’t you think it odd?”
“Maggie, the girls feel bad enough,” Roberta said. “Shouting at them is not going to help matters.”
“You would be yelling too if it was your daughter,” Maggie said sharply. “Isn’t that why we insist the girls go in a group?” The woman looked away.
The man in the white shirt stepped forward. “Ma’am, I’m Len Besser, the manager. I have a security guard searching the premises now. The police will be here any second. Do you think your daughter would have left the theater?”
“Absolutely not! Someone took her.”
The manager looked surprised. “Do you actually have reason to believe that?”
“I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.” Maggie noted the kid had stopped sweeping and was listening. He glanced away quickly when he realized she was looking at him. “Did you ask that young man if he saw my daughter?” she asked Besser.
“I’ve questioned everyone,” he said. “Nobody saw anything, but this is our busiest night of the week so I’m not surprised.”
The boy started up the aisle toward the door. “Hold it right there!” Maggie said.
“I don’t know where your daughter is, lady,” he said defensively.
“Did you or anyone else let someone in through the exit doors? A man?” she added.
“I didn’t,” he said. “I don’t know about the others.”
Maggie’s mind flew in a hundred different directions. Had Carl Lee seen them leave the house? Had he followed them to the theater and watched Mel go inside? He would have tried to get in through an exit door if he knew they were parked out front watching the entrance.
“My employees know that’s against the rules,” Besser said. “They can get fired for it.”
Two police officers stepped inside the auditorium, and the manager quickly introduced himself and explained the situation. “I have a security guard searching the premises now,” he added.
Maggie reached inside her purse for her wallet. “I’m her mother, Maggie Davenport,” she said. “Here is a school picture of my daughter taken last year.” Her voice trembled, and her hands shook as she handed it to one of the officers. “I have every reason to believe she was abducted, and I demand that you call for backup immediately.”
Both men looked surprised.
“Don’t just stand there!” Maggie said loudly.
“Mrs. Davenport, we need a little more information,” one of them said.
“Carl Lee Stanton,” she said. “Tall, dark red hair, killer,” she added. “Is that enough information for you?”
Maggie heard Roberta gasp.
The look on the officers’ faces turned to disbelief. “Why would Stanton—”
“This is not the time to ask questions,” Maggie interrupted. “You need to be out there searching. You need to call—”
“Mom?”
Maggie snapped her head around at the sound of Mel’s voice. “Oh, thank God!” she cried. Seeing that her daughter was alive and in one piece left Maggie weak-kneed. She hurried toward the girl and pulled her into her arms. Tears stung her eyes as she stepped back to get a closer look. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?”
Mel looked embarrassed. “I’m fine. I went to the bathroom.”
“For two hours! Are you sick?” Maggie touched her forehead to see if she was feverish.
“I had one of my girls check the bathroom,” Besser said. “Several times.”
“Did you leave the theater, young lady?” the officer asked kindly.
Mel looked at her mother, then back to him. “Yes.”
“What?” Maggie almost shrieked the word. She released the girl.
“Is it okay if I take my daughters home now?” Roberta asked.
The officer held up his hand. “One minute,” he said.
Maggie looked stricken. “What is going on, Mel?” she demanded, resisting the urge to shake the words from the girl. “Where were you?”
“I just stepped outside for a little while, Mom. I was planning to come right back in, but the door was locked.” Her eyes darted toward Caitlin and Emily for a split second.
“She left with Travis Bradley,” Emily blurted. “She asked us to let her back in before the movie ended, but we were afraid we’d get into trouble.” She looked at Mel, whose face was now a bright red. “Why should we get in trouble when we told you not to do it?”
Mel looked down at her shoes.
Maggie felt a flash of hot anger. “Where is Travis now?” she asked.
“His parents picked him up.” Mel’s voice was little more than a whisper.
Zack and the security guard returned. They were clearly relieved to see that Mel had returned and was safe.
“How did you get back inside?” Besser asked, as though he were still concerned that one of his employees was involved.
“One of the shows must’ve just ended because a bunch of people were leaving through the side exit. I came through it.”
Maggie was embarrassed that she had lost her temper with everyone. “I’m very sorry that all of you were dragged into this,” she said, glancing at everyone in the group, including Roberta and her daughters. “And that I was so rude.” She could see the understanding in their eyes, and she felt her own eyes burn. She looked at Besser. “I’m sure you have people waiting to come in for the nine o’clock show so we’ll get out of your way now.”
“Don’t leave my side,” she told Mel, and without another word, Maggie left the auditorium. Zack and Mel followed closely. They exited the building and headed for Maggie’s car. She handed Zack her car keys. “Please drive.”
“Mom?”
Maggie stopped and looked at her daughter. “You do not want to speak to me right now,” she said.
“I was just standing outside talking to Travis, for Pete’s sake!” Mel said. “It’s not like I committed some great sin.”
“You left the theater!” Maggie shouted, startling Mel so that she jumped. “You intentionally disobeyed us, knowing damn good and well why you were told to stay inside. And you scared the ever-living hell out of me!
“You are grounded,” Maggie went on fiercely. “The first thing coming out of your room is your telephone. You have absolutely no privileges, understand? And you can bet that I am going to have a little talk with Travis Bradley’s parents about this.”
Mel opened her mouth to speak.
“Don’t even think of talking back to me, kiddo,” Maggie said. “You do not want to make me angrier, because if I get any angrier, flames are going to shoot right out of my mouth and smoke will pour from my ears.”
Mel winced.
Zack arched one brow as though thinking it might be interesting to watch.
“Just get in the car and don’t talk,” Maggie said.
They made the ride back in silence. Inside the house, Maggie marched straight to Mel’s room and unplugged her phone from the jack. “No TV, no stereo, no computer—”
Mel’s expression was pained. “What if I get bored?”
“Read a book.”
Carl Lee gripped the steering wheel tight and tried to hold his temper. “How can you possibly have to go to the bathroom again?” he asked Ed. “You just went twenty minutes ago. And twenty minutes before that.?
??
“He has prostate trouble,” Cook said.
“Like I told you,” Ed said. “I have a problem with my prostrate.”
“Pros-tate,” Cook said, having already reminded him several times.
“And this time I want to pee in a real bathroom and not in some ditch on the side of the interstate.”
“There’s a rest area less than ten miles from here,” Cook said, looking at Carl Lee. “We could be in and out in five minutes.”
Ed remained quiet until they pulled in. Cook headed toward the men’s room with him. “What’s the matter with Father Tom?” Ed asked. “How come he’s mad all the time? I thought priests were supposed to be kind and patient.”
“He’s under a lot of stress,” Cook said. “Just try to stay quiet.”
“I really need my pills from my suitcase,” Ed said. “It’s important that I take them first thing in the morning and every night.”
“I’ll get them for you.” They returned to the car. “I need the keys,” Cook said, “so I can get Ed’s medicine.”
Carl Lee sighed and tossed him the keys.
Ed took his pills and lay down on the seat, pulling his blanket with him.
“Is he asleep?” Carl Lee asked Cook some twenty minutes later. “I want to listen to the news.”
Cook turned around. “Yeah, he’s out.”
Carl Lee switched on the radio and punched several buttons. He finally settled on a country-western station. They sat through two songs before a newsman came on.
Escaped prisoner Carl Lee Stanton is still at large and thought to be traveling with Raymond Boyd, one of the two men who aided Stanton’s escape from a medical facility Friday morning at 10 A.M. A car fitting the description given by a witness was found early this evening in a ravine.
Carl Lee and Cook exchanged looks.
In other news, an explosion rocked I-20, east of Atlanta, this afternoon as rain and fog made driving hazardous and created a gridlock that surprised motorists and resulted in an accordionlike collision course. An eighteen-wheeler, bearing the name Prayer Mobile, exploded shortly after impact, when sparks ignited a gasoline spill and engulfed the fuel tank. The driver, the Reverend Will Jones, was pulled unconscious from the cab only minutes before the blast. He and several bystanders were rushed by ambulance to the emergency room and are listed in critical but stable condition.