Page 1 of Three Girls Gone
PROLOGUE
They got away with it before, and they would again. Besides, the choice was made, and it was too late to turn around now. Like a car careening down an icy road, there was no point in resisting. They ended up where they were supposed to be, just like destiny had intended.
They glanced in the rearview mirror. The girl was nestled on the backseat, her blond hair fanned out beneath her head. For now, she was sleeping, but soon her eyes would shut for the last time.
Until then, they intended to savor the journey. It had been far too long since the last one. Somehow, they had forgotten the rush that came with snatching a child from under the world’s nose.
Taking advantage of her vulnerability and exploiting her trust was heady. First, by convincing her to get into the car. Second, getting her to sniff the rag soaked in chloroform. All they had to say from the driver’s seat was, “Does this smell funny to you?” and hold it through the console. She had leaned in right away, took a deep inhale, and knocked herself out.
Easy, peasy.
The recollection brought a smile, a sense of pride and power. They bravely took a stand to transform the world into a better place, and were righting future wrongs while they were at it. If this girl was allowed to grow up, she’d become like the rest. Selfish and needy, manipulating and hurting those who loved her the most. She’d chip away at their pride until there was nothing left but an empty shell.
That couldn’t be allowed to happen. They’d teach her. And once the girl’s tiny body was put on display, the world would pay attention. People would be horrified and fearful. More chaos would follow. But what they couldn’t predict was that the hunger was back.
This child wouldn’t be the last.
ONE
Amanda Steele accepted there were more tragic endings than happy ones. A sad fact of life. A viewpoint gained from experience as a homicide detective with the Prince William County Police Department. While she lived in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, a rather sleepy place fifty minutes from Washington, DC, she was stationed at Central District in Woodbridge. It was less than fifteen minutes from her hometown, but it was more populated and spread out. It also boasted the famous Potomac Mills mall, and offered quick access to Interstate 95. Both made traffic a nightmare at times. But the town wasn’t without its green spaces and trees.
She was loaded in the passenger seat of a department car while her work partner, Trent Stenson, drove them to one such place. Heroes Memorial Park. A girl’s body had been found on the carousel in the playground and was rumored to be six-year-old Hailey Tanner. She’d disappeared after her weekly ballet lesson at a local dance studio just three days before. Something so routine had turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. Amanda refused to think about where the girl had been all thistime and what she had suffered. If there was any mercy, death would have been swift and painless.
When her boss had called, Amanda had been wrangling her nine-year-old daughter, Zoe, into getting ready for school. She ended up dropping her off at her aunt Libby’s, but not before squeezing her so tightly that Zoe claimed Amanda was suffocating her. She let Zoe go with some reluctance. There were parents who would never hug their daughter again. It was for them and the girl that she was on the move.
Trent turned into the parking lot, free to visitors, and was waved past by a uniformed officer. He was one of many posted in the area, and several cruisers peppered the lot. No civilian vehicle was in sight. Earlier guests would have been escorted out and any new arrivals turned away. No sign of the news media either. Yet, anyway. She didn’t expect that to hold out.
The flashing lights and the police activity played out in stark contrast to the otherwise typical, beautiful May day. The air was warm, and the sky was clear.
Amanda got out of the department car with Trent. She shook her shoulders, willing the tension out. With every step, she braced for what she was about to see.
Two uniformed officers were standing side by side, facing them. They stood in front of a makeshift tent that blocked the view of the scene and eliminated the risk of any potential lookie-loo with a cell phone.
“Hey.” The often exuberant greeting was watered-down and solemn. It had come from Officer Brandt. Officer Wyatt, who was next to him, dipped his head and gestured to the opening.
Amanda stepped inside.
Time slowed down. All the surrounding chaos quieted. Chirping birds fell silent.
While Amanda had seen Hailey’s photograph at the station and in the news, nothing prepared her for this. Here theflesh-and-blood reality smacked against the grim truth that all the public petitions hadn’t worked.
Her small body was set on the carousel, posed loosely in a fetal position. She was dressed in a pale-pink ballerina’s tutu and slippers. A chiffon scarf, in a matching shade, adorned her neck. Her sweet, pale face was turned upward, eyes open. They were speckled with petechiae, evidence of oxygen starvation. Mascara was caked on her lashes and a bright-pink lipstick stained her rosebud lips.
“It’s definitely her,” Trent said, sounding dejected.
Amanda found it hard to take her eyes off the girl. The cosmetics made the scene even more unnatural, unsettling. “Hailey Tanner.” Amanda uttered her name, feeling it would be disrespectful otherwise.
The sound of coins jingling together had her stepping out of the tent. She came face to face with a man she hadn’t met before. Salt-and-pepper hair, in his late forties, early fifties. He was dressed in a suit jacket, slacks, and tie.
Amanda blocked the doorway. “This is a crime scene. You’ll need to leave.” How he got this far was unsettling.
In a swift move, the man lifted his jacket to expose the badge clipped to his waistband. “Detective Lloyd McGee with Missing Persons. Stationed at East.” He didn’t wait for Amanda to react, but sidestepped her. He came to a standstill upon seeing the girl and said nothing.
That explained why she didn’t recognize him. While Eastern District Station was also in Woodbridge, she had no reason to go there. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
He turned around, but the movement was slow and appeared painful. “I heard it come over the radio and had to know if it was her. Hailey was my case.”
She couldn’t fault him for wanting to be here, but there was a lot she held against him. Like why Hailey’s case hadn’t beenescalated to Homicide. “And now she’s ours. My partner and I will keep you informed.”
