Chapter Forty-Five

Maddy couldn’t make out where she was. She couldn’t see a thing, and there was an odd smell, like old running shoes. Moving her head from side to side, she realized she was lying on something hard. Had she fallen out of bed?

Her head hurt, and her thoughts didn’t seem to flow. There was a terrible taste in her mouth.

Darkness. She was gone again.

****

Something soft brushed against her face. It was bothering her nose, making her want to sneeze. She shook her head, trying to move away from it. It came again, a hard push this time. A purring sound.

Oscar? What was he doing here?

The cat kept rubbing against her, making a mmm sound.

She tried reaching out to it, to push it away. Her hands were stuck together; she couldn’t separate them. And everything was so dark.

****

The next time she woke, there was no cat. She still couldn’t see anything, and her head felt thick, woolly.

Think. But thoughts wouldn’t come.

****

She tried to sit up, then fell back. Tried to roll over, but her feet seemed caught, tangled together somehow. Tried to call out, but couldn’t open her mouth; something held her lips closed.

Bringing her hands up to her mouth, she could feel something flat and smooth stretched across it, something thin but firm. Like...it was some kind of tape. She reached her hands to her eyes. Tape covered them too.

She tried to separate her hands but couldn’t. And she couldn’t move her legs apart either; when she stretched one, the other moved with it. A jolt of fear shot through her, as she struggled to get loose from whatever gripped her.

She had her first clear thought. I’m tied up.

Someone had done this to her.

Her throat tightened, and she fought down her panic, trying to get rid of the muddy feeling in her head. She tried recalling her last memory. It was...having supper. Pizza. And cocoa. And playing cards…

She couldn’t remember anything since then.

Lifting her hands to her face again, she scraped at the tape over her eyes. Her thumbnail caught under one corner, and she managed to pull it back enough to partly see something out of one eye.

It’s daylight! That was a surprise. But...it was dark when they were playing cards. So this must be another day. What had happened to the night?

She didn’t recognize where she was. This wasn’t any room in Daniel’s house. She was on the floor in some strange house, tied up.

Her breaths were coming fast and shallow now, puffing in and out through her nose. She reached to loosen the tape at her mouth, then jerked back as she heard steps. Instinctively she relaxed her hands and lay still, doing her best to control her breathing.

A door creaked open, and the steps came closer. She could see a sliver of the room at the side of the loosened tape.

And a face appeared in that sliver.

Daniel.

Relief flooded through her. He’ll get me out of this! But something about his movements made her wary. She lay still. His footsteps came closer, then moved away.

He must have seen her, but he wasn’t doing anything to rescue her.

She risked another peek; he was at the doorway, heading down a hallway. What was he doing?

She’d thought he was a nice man. Yet…he didn’t seem surprised that she was lying here, tied up.

Was he the one who did it?

The thought chilled her.

He’d been talking about a trip out west. He’d said they’d leave on Saturday. But today must be Saturday. He’d been talking about it like something they’d do together. Not something he’d force on her.

Why did he tie her up?

She suddenly longed for her mom. Mom would protect her. She might be bossy, but that wasn’t the worst thing. Maddy ached to be back in her own house.

But her mom wasn’t there. Her instinct said lay low; don’t let on you’re awake.

****

I was barely home from Daniel’s when Bob showed up on my doorstep. “Hi, hockey practice is over. I thought I’d stop by, bring you a coffee.” He held out a cup with a cardboard sleeve around it.

I accepted it and stepped back to let him in, and we headed to the kitchen.

“Did you go to Daniel’s house?” he asked.

“Yeah, I did.” I glanced at him; he didn’t say anything, but I could tell he wanted to hear more. I sat across from him, fidgeting. I took a sip of coffee but could hardly taste it. “I have a bad feeling about him. He opened his door but didn’t invite me in. He came out onto the porch to talk to me.”

He cocked his head. “That’s not surprising. When he came here, you didn’t invite him in either.”

“Well of course not!” I’d been terrified; I certainly couldn’t have Daniel in my house. But I did see Bob’s point. Daniel and I weren’t exactly on visiting terms.

“I was over there just now a second time, while Marie and some other cops searched his house.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Again? Why?”

“Somebody had a video with a girl, looked like Maddy. She was in a yard that had to be on Renfrew. Daniel’s street.”

“But they didn’t find her—?”

I shook my head. “No. And it turned out that the yard in the video wasn’t even Daniel’s.”

“So…”

I slammed my coffee cup against the table. “There’s something not right about him.” I turned my eyes to Bob’s. “If he thinks Maddy is his granddaughter, wouldn’t he be as distraught as I am about her being missing for so long?”

“Susan, he knows now that she isn’t his granddaughter. I told him yesterday.”

“Well, in that case you’d think he’d apologize for all the trouble he’s caused. But he wasn’t apologetic in the slightest.”

“He doesn’t seem like the apologizing type.”

“What if Marie and the others missed something?”

He frowned at me. “They know how to do a search.”

“They might not recognize something of Maddy’s. Just because she’s not there now doesn’t mean she never was. What if there’s something that I’d spot as hers…”

“What are you saying?”

I jumped to my feet. “I’m going back there. I have to check for myself. I won’t let him keep me out this time.”

Bob rose with me. “That’s not a good idea.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Maybe not. But if you’re going, I’ll drive you. I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive safely.”

****

His heart pounding, Daniel closed and locked the front door, taking a quick glance around the front hall as he headed back to the kitchen. Thank God he’d moved the girl and her belongings out of the house before the police arrived.

But they could come back any time. And having the girl stashed next door was too close for comfort. It was time to get her out of there.

There wasn’t much left to do. He’d tossed his clothes into his suitcase earlier, and his tools were already in the truck.

Moving steadily, he emptied the perishables from the fridge into a garbage bag and dashed upstairs to grab his case. Back in the kitchen, he crushed several more sleeping pills and dumped them into a bottle of water, shaking it to dissolve them. If she was still alive, he’d get a last dose into her before they left.

As an afterthought, he wiped down the counters. He grabbed his suitcase and opened the back door. He let Tucker out and locked the door behind them.

That’s goodbye to Aunt Ruby’s house.

Next door at Jim’s, Daniel filled two large bowls with dry cat food and water and took them into the downstairs washroom. The cat was no longer there; it must have nudged the door open and had gotten out. But here it was again, pushing against his ankles. Daniel put the dishes down, and the cat began to pick daintily at the dish of food. He closed the door, making sure to close it tightly this time, and headed to the mudroom.

The girl wasn’t moving and looked out of it, but she was still breathing.

Get that last dose into her.

Kneeling beside the girl, he uncapped the water bottle and pulled the tape off her mouth. She made a sound, and he thought she might wake. But it was a false alarm. She was still limp and unresponsive.

He put an arm under her head to lift it so he could pour water into her mouth, hoping that she’d instinctively swallow. Her mouth filled with water, and then she choked, convulsing against his arm. Water flowed down her chin, but he thought most of it went down her throat.

That should do it.

He laid her head back on the floor while he cut another section of duct tape and applied it to her mouth. Then, wrapping her in the blanket and picking her up—hooking a finger through a strap on her backpack, so he wouldn’t have to come back for it—he moved to the side door.

Now the riskiest part. He opened the door and peered toward the street; he didn’t see anyone.

He got her in the cab of the truck and laid her in the foot well behind the front seat. He tucked the blanket over her, blocking her from view. She didn’t stir.

As he climbed into the front seat, he paused. Had he forgotten anything?

He got out again, made sure Jim’s door was closed and locked, then left the key in Jim’s mailbox.

Putting the truck in gear, he pulled out of the driveway, heading toward Bronson Avenue. He could get onto the Queensway from there. That’d be the quickest way out of town, out to the countryside. He’d find someplace out there to get rid of her.

****

As we pulled up to Daniel’s house, I peered up and down the street. There was no vehicle in the driveway or parked at the curb. So Daniel had left. I leapt out of the car and slammed the door, striding up the front walkway with Bob close behind.

Standing on the front porch, I grabbed the door handle and tried to turn it. It didn’t budge; the door was locked. I glanced at Bob over my shoulder. He shook his head. “We can’t go in.”

I snorted. Try and stop me. “You may have rules, but I don’t.” I reached into my purse and pulled out a credit card. Turning to the door, I inserted the card into the doorjamb, swiping it down as I’d seen on TV.

Bob loomed over my shoulder. “You can’t just break into his house.”

I continued wiggling my card. “Why not? If he has my daughter…as an illegal act, I’d say that trumps my entering his house.”

He leaned in, closely watching my fruitless efforts with the credit card. “You have no proof he’s got her. What do you think you’re going to find in there, anyway?”

I was gripping the card so hard my fingers hurt. “I don’t know. I just want to see if there’s any sign that she’s been staying here. And any clues about what’s been going on.”

Bob looked skeptical.

I kept wiggling the card. “We have nothing to lose by trying.” But I was having no luck; the card just stuck. It wouldn’t slip down beside the lock, no matter how I jiggled either the card or the door.

He sighed. “Let’s see if there’s a back door.”

I followed him around toward the back of the house. As we rounded the corner, a dog started barking.

Bob raised his hand. “Hold on—that’s Daniel’s dog.”

Peering past his shoulder, I could see a yellow Lab standing in the middle of the backyard, watching us. Barking, but not approaching.

“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked.

“No, I saw him with Daniel before; I think he’s pretty tame. Just barking because we’re here.” Bob turned to me. “But if Daniel’s left his dog here, he won’t have gone far. He’ll be back.”

“Right. So no time to lose. I want to get in there while he’s gone.” I ignored Bob, who was rolling his eyes. By now I suspected he was as interested as I was in what we might find.

Two steps led up to a back porch with a railing running the width of the house. Beside the steps were three trash cans, lined up in a row.

I started up the steps, but Bob stopped to lift the lid off one of the trash cans, revealing a tightly filled black plastic garbage bag. He undid the twist tie and peered in. “This looks like food and stuff from the fridge.”

I watched him check the other two trash cans. They were similarly full, though their contents appeared to be more like junk.

My chest tightened. “If he cleaned out his fridge, that seems like he’s not planning to be back.” Bob frowned, his eyes in shadow.

He joined me on the porch and reached to wiggle the back door handle. No surprise, it was locked.

I pulled out my credit card again. There was a bigger crevice in this doorjamb. The card slipped down more easily, but I still couldn’t get the lock to open.

Bob shifted his feet. I could see him square his shoulders. “Let me try.”

I smiled wryly. So much for Mr. Upstanding.

The door slipped open. Bob stood back. “I can’t go in there.” The unspoken postscript: but you can.

I crossed the threshold without hesitating. The door opened into a tidy kitchen. The counters had been wiped and the sink was clean. The fridge held a bottle of ketchup and a jar of pickles, nothing else. I checked a couple of cupboards, finding only a few dishes, some canned items, and a package of dry pasta. And a half-full whiskey bottle in the cupboard over the sink.

Bob was still outside, leaning against the railing of the back porch, though he’d been watching me through the open doorway.

“I’m going upstairs,” I said. He shrugged, having apparently given up on telling me what I could do or not do. I moved through the house, checking the downstairs rooms as well as the three bedrooms upstairs.

I checked each bedroom, opening the closets and bending to peer under the beds. I was about to leave the third one, near the back of the house, when I backtracked to look under the bed a second time. There was a scrap of something near the wall, at the back. I got down on my stomach to reach for it, and as I pulled it out, my heart rose in my throat.

It was a sock. A sock I’d held in my hands, along with its mate, every time I did laundry for the past six months. I pressed it to my face, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Stumbling downstairs with it in my hand, I flung myself toward the open back door where Bob still waited, leaning against the porch railing. “This is Maddy’s,” I cried. “It was in one of the upstairs bedrooms.”

Bob stood up straight. “You’re sure?” His eyes searched mine, then he nodded. “Yeah, you’re sure.” He moved forward. “I’ll just have a quick look around.” Ducking his head under the low doorframe, he went upstairs.

Shortly he returned. “I checked the rooms again. There wasn’t much, but I found a couple of hair elastics in the bathroom. Do you recognize these?”

I inspected them. “I can’t be sure—but that’s the kind she uses.”

“There’s something else. There were strips of crumpled duct tape in the garbage too.”

“Duct tape?”

“It works quite well as a restraint. If that’s what…”

My eyes widened. “Are you suggesting he tied her—taped her up?”

“Maybe. While I was waiting for you, I checked that garbage can again, found this on top.” He showed me an empty prescription bottle. “The label says it’s for something called Zolpidem. Not sure what that is, but he may have drugged her too.”

Just then the dog gave another short bark.

We both turned to look at him. He was still standing in the center of the yard, watching us.

“So why would he leave his dog behind?” I said.

“Yeah, that’s weird. That dog’s like part of his family.”

“I can’t think of a reason...unless—” Goose bumps rose on my arms. “He obviously left in a hurry—Marie and her crew were here less than two hours ago. I wonder if he just plain forgot his dog in the rush.”

I turned to Bob, a sick feeling rising in my stomach. “If he’s that confused...it makes me all the more worried for Maddy.”

My head was pounding. I ran to the driveway, staring at the spot where Daniel’s truck had been this morning. He’s taken her. And drugged and bound her.

I had to do something, but I had no idea what. My fear was almost incapacitating.

Bob was behind me. I could hear him on his phone, calling Marie to update her on this development.

He turned to me. “She’s putting out an alert on Daniel’s license plate.”

“Does she know his plate number?”

“Sure, she noted it this morning when she was here.”

I swayed, suddenly feeling dizzy. “Oh my God. He’s got Maddy.”

“… It looks that way.”

“We have to find them.” My heart was racing, and my palms were sweating, despite the cold air. I stared around me, more frantic by the minute.

Bob took my arm and guided me to Daniel’s front step. “Take a seat,” he advised. “You’re hyperventilating. Try and catch your breath.” Reluctantly I sat down, my legs stretched in front of me and my head between my knees. After a minute my light-headedness lifted, but I could still feel adrenaline-fueled energy pulsing through me, demanding that I do something, anything.

Just then Bob’s phone rang. He stepped away to answer it. “Great,” I heard him say. “That’s him.” He turned to face me. “That was Marie. Daniel’s truck has just been spotted on the Queensway, heading west.”

“How did they find him so fast?”

“An officer in a patrol car equipped with automatic license plate recognition saw him. Unfortunately the officer was driving east at the time. With the median in between the east and west lanes, they couldn’t turn and follow him.”

I jumped to my feet. “Well, let’s go!”

“Marie and Kevin are already on the way.”

“Come on—we have to get moving.” I was sorry I’d come in Bob’s car; if I had mine here, I wouldn’t have to rely on him.

Bob looked doubtful. I glared at him, my hands on my hips. “He’s got Maddy—we can’t sit here doing nothing!” What was wrong with him? “I know it’s your day off, but you’re still a cop.”

He gave a wry grin. “Yeah, I am.” As I dashed toward his car, he followed, pulling his keys from his pocket.