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  “What did he look like, Suzie?”

  “Tall, black hair, dark gray suit which looked expensive, white shirt, no tie. He had his hands in his pockets while we walked.”

  Kruger glanced at Boone, who nodded and wrote something on a notepad.

  “What did his face look like?

  “I really didn’t get a good look at him. The sun was setting, and he was standing in front of it when I saw him.”

  “Suzie, this is important,” Kruger paused for just a second, “what did they talk about?”

  “Something about meeting for coffee.”

  “Did Linda agree?”

  “No, she told him she had plans.”

  “What else did they talk about?”

  “I really don’t know, I didn’t follow them.”

  Kruger straightened in his chair. “I thought she turned him down for coffee.”

  “She did, but she followed him to his car.”

  “Did you see the car?”

  Suzie nodded.

  “Can you describe it?”

  “I don’t know much about cars, except how to drive them.”

  “That’s okay. What did you see?”

  “It was dark gray, just like his suit. On the front hood was a three-point star inside a circle.”

  Boone did a quick sketch on a page of his notebook, tore it out, and handed it to Kruger. He looked at it and showed the drawing to Suzie. “Like this?”

  She nodded.

  “It was a Mercedes, Suzie.”

  Kruger heard Bell gasp, and Suzie just stared at him.

  After Suzie Green left the office, Kruger turned to Bell and asked, “Do you know if Linda had a cell phone?”

  The coach nodded. “All of my players have cell phones. Why?”

  “Would you know which carrier?”

  She nodded. “Alltel. The university has an agreement with them to provide discounts for students and faculty.”

  “If she had her phone with her, we might be able to locate it.”

  “My players are to have their phone with them at all times. Team rules.”

  Kruger nodded. “It might help us locate her.”

  ***

  The search teams consisted of local police officers, county sheriff’s officers, two search dogs and their handlers, local residents with knowledge of the area, and Kruger. Now dressed in jeans, hiking boots, polo shirt and FBI windbreaker, he listened to Allen Boone as he gave direction to the searchers.

  “The last signal from Kelly’s cell phone was received by cell phone towers here twenty-four hours after the abduction.” He pointed to a wide circle on the map. “Alltel couldn’t pinpoint it any closer, so we have to search this entire area. You guys and ladies know the drill. Let’s see if we can find them.”

  The din of multiple conversations and the whimpering of anxious dogs could be heard as Kruger walked up to Boone.

  “What do you think?” Boone asked.

  “I’m not optimistic.”

  “Why?”

  “So far, this guy’s been careful. We haven’t found one witness who can give us a description except he was tall with black hair. He wears suits and drives a gray Mercedes. How many gray Mercedes are in the state?”

  “Thousands.”

  “Exactly. We’ve got nothing at this point.”

  “Do you think they’re dead?”

  “I don’t want to think they are, but…”

  “I know. I have a daughter. This kind of stuff makes me angry.”

  Kruger placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I have a son. It does me too.”

  Two hours later, one of the dogs found a spot of interest. Kruger and Boone hurried to the area and found the dog’s handler. He was a crusty old gentleman dressed in a brown Carhartt jacket and baggy denim bib overalls. An unlit cigar was in his teeth, and his John Deere hat was tilted back on his head. He stood twenty yards from his dog, a brown and black German shepherd. It stood on point as Kruger and Boone approached.

  Kruger walked up to the handler and shook his hand. “What’ve you got?”

  The old man looked at Kruger. “Don’t know.” He folded his arms over this chest as he nodded toward the dog. “She’s found something, I haven’t been over there and don’t plan to. Seen enough dead bodies. Don’t need to see anymore.”

  Kruger smiled and nodded. “I understand. I’ll take it from here. Call the dog back.”

  The old man whistled a sharp note, and the dog immediately returned to his side. He rubbed the dogs head and knelt down, saying, “Good, girl.”

  Kruger and Boone carefully walked to the spot the dog indicated. When they arrived, they saw what drew the dog’s attention.

  Three smashed cell phones.

  Chapter 3

  Jefferson City, MO

  Two Months Later

  “So they’ve suspended the search?”

  Allen Boone nodded as he poured two cups of coffee in the breakroom at the DDCC Headquarter Office in Jefferson City.

  Kruger sprinkled a half packet of Sweet N Low into the Styrofoam cup and carefully sipped the hot black liquid.

  “Why?”

  “Manpower and zero results. The girls just disappeared. No bodies, no clues, nothing.”

  “I was afraid of that. Any fingerprints on the diary?”

  Boone shook his head. “Only Linda Kelly’s, and yes, three pages were cut out.”

  “What about the black-haired man? Any other witnesses?”

  “Not that we can find.”

  “Great. So where does this leave the investigation?”

  “A cold case.”

  “I was afraid of that.”

  After they arrived in Boone’s office, he sat behind his desk with Kruger taking a seat in a straight-back chair in front. He reached into his backpack and withdrew a tan envelope. He placed it on Boone’s desk.

  “What that?”

  “Open it.”

  Boone looked inside the envelope and withdrew a file with numerous pages. After reading the first page, he looked up at Kruger and asked, “Akron, Ohio?”

  Kruger nodded. “Caroline Branch, attended the University of Akron on a basketball scholarship.” He watched Boone read more of the file.

  When he was finished, Boone looked up. “When did you get this?”

  “Yesterday. I asked a favor of a research tech at the Bureau. She’s very thorough and started looking for similar reports across the country after the girls disappeared.”

  “This occurred a year ago last fall?”

  Nodding again, Kruger pulled two more files out of his backpack. He held them for Boone to see.

  “Two more, each a year apart. Kelsey Sorenson in Florida and Jayla Carter in West Virginia. The only difference is that only one woman was abducted in the three other instances.”

  “Are all the MOs the same?”

  “Appears to be. All three women were basketball players and leading scorers on their team. None with Linda Kelly’s stats, but they were all well known within their communities.”

  “Why didn’t we know about this?”

  “First, they were all a year apart, starting in 1999. Second, they occurred in smaller towns at relatively unknown colleges.”

  “Akron is not a small town.”

  “No, but have you ever heard of the University of Akron?”

  “No, but I live in Missouri.”

  “Exactly. Little to no national media attention. They occurred hundreds of miles apart, and local authorities were never able to find credible witnesses. Except in Akron.”

  Boone said nothing as he waited for Kruger to continue.

  Kruger reached for the Akron file laying in front of Boone and opened it to the last page. “An employee at a McDonalds near the campus was a fan of the women’s basketball team. She was manning the drive-through window when she recognized the victim.”

  “Let me guess. With an older man with black hair.”

  “Yes, driving a dark gray car with a three-poi
nt star inside a circle on the trunk.”

  “Did she describe the driver?”

  “No, he was wearing a University of Akron baseball cap with the bill pulled down.”

  Boone took a deep breath. “Have any of the bodies been found?”

  “No.”

  “Damn.”

  “My sentiments exactly,” Kruger nodded.

  “Is the Bureau going to do anything about it?”

  “I plan to bring this to my boss’s attention, but with the age and lack of witnesses, that’s probably as far as it will go.”

  Boone continued to stare at the file in front of him. “That’s not right for the families, Sean.”

  “I agree. But without a definitive starting point, it’s hard to determine a path forward.”

  “No, it doesn’t, but it’s still not right.”

  ***

  “Mr. Kelly, my name is Sean Kruger.” He held his ID so the man at the door could see. “I’m a special agent with the FBI.”

  Paul Kelly stared at the man standing at his front door. He blinked a few times, opened the door wider, and asked, “Is this about Linda?”

  Kruger nodded, his expression grim.

  “Please, come in.”

  The older man’s size surprised Kruger. For someone with a tall, athletic daughter, he was of average height and build. His gray hair was thin and combed straight back. The house was modest, neatly decorated, and smelled of cedar air freshener.

  “Is Mrs. Kelly here?”

  The older man stiffened and then his shoulders slumped as he answered, “Patti passed away a year before Linda disappeared.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Kelly.”

  “What about Linda?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have good news.”

  The man stiffened again. “Why?”

  “We still don’t have any clues about what happened to your daughter.”

  “I can tell you what happened, Agent. My daughter was kidnapped and hasn’t been found.”

  Kruger nodded. “There are other incidents, similar in nature to Linda’s disappearance.”

  Kelly was silent as his eyes widened. Finally, he found his voice. “Where?”

  “Ohio, Florida and West Virginia.”

  “Have those women been found?”

  Shaking his head, Kruger kept his gaze on Paul Kelly. He could see moisture welling up in the man’s eyes. Turning away, he walked toward the kitchen, using the back of his hand to wipe away the tears.

  With his back to Kruger, the man said, “My daughter is dead, isn’t she, Agent?”

  “We can’t be sure, Mr. Kelly.”

  The man turned abruptly and stared at Kruger. “I’m sure, Agent. Why can’t anyone acknowledge this fact?”

  “Because it’s not a fact without a body. At least, that’s the viewpoint of the FBI.”

  “Really. Is it your viewpoint, Agent?”

  Kruger shook his head.

  “Finally, the truth.”

  “Reality.”

  “Yes, the ugly face of reality.” The father of Linda Kelly took a deep breath. “What now, Agent?”

  “I mainly came here to let you know the truth. The Bureau will keep the cases open, but few, if any, resources will be put against it.”

  “Kind of what I suspected.”

  “I wish I could tell you something positive, but I’d be lying.”

  Kelly nodded. “She was always an adventurous girl. From the moment she could stand on her own, she ran. I don’t remember her ever walking, really, it was a struggle to keep up with her. Her mother…” Kelly paused, his voice catching. “Her mother used to laugh and tell her she was going to get a leash. Linda would smile and run faster.”

  Kruger remained quiet as the grieving father reminisced.

  “It was her first day of junior high school. Like her mother, she was tall for a girl. Taller than all of the boys at that age. She was nervous about being teased.” He stopped and looked at Kruger. “You know how teenagers can be. Do you have children, Agent Kruger?”

  “Yes, an eight-year-old son.”

  “Keep him close.”

  Nodding was Kruger’s only response.

  “I remember telling her that morning, ‘Linda, darling, there is safety in numbers. If you feel threatened, draw your friends around you.’ Guess she tried to do that, since two of her friends disappeared with her.”

  There was nothing for Kruger to say. His training and experience prompted him to remain quiet.

  “I’m not sure what to do now, Agent. My wife is dead and my only child is gone. I don’t even have a body to bury.” He looked at Kruger. “What would you do?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I’ve never experienced what you are going through.”

  Kelly nodded and studied the carpet for a few moments before saying, “I can’t sell the house and move. What if she is alive and comes home? She wouldn’t know where to find me.”

  Silence fell upon the living room. Kelly turned and looked out the window leading into the backyard. “Too many memories here. Everywhere I look, something reminds me of Patti or Linda.”

  The man lapsed into silence. Kruger stood beside him for five minutes before placing his hand on the man’s shoulder and saying gently, “I have to leave, Mr. Kelly.”

  The man nodded, but did not turn around. Kruger showed himself out, leaving Paul Kelly to suffer in his own private hell.

  Chapter 4

  Kansas City, MO

  The fall evening was cool but comfortable as Kruger sat on his back porch, listening to the sounds of the city. A siren could be heard in the distance, a dog barked down the street, and the wind rustled leaves in the large oak tree in his backyard. The aroma of charcoal briquettes still emanated from in the Weber grill as the fire slowly burned out.

  “Steaks were good.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  Looking up, he saw his father sit down next to him and place two beers on the small table between the two chairs.

  The older Kruger looked at his son and observed, “You’ve been quiet tonight.”

  After taking a sip of the cold brew, he turned and smiled at his father. “Sorry.”

  “Brian’s asleep, and your mom is in our room, reading.”

  “Good.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Not much to say. I was just thinking about Paul Kelly and how his world has been shattered over the past twelve months. I’m not sure I could deal with the situation he’s experiencing.”

  “We all make adjustments for whatever life throws at us.” The older man took a sip of his beer. “Some do it better than others. You made adjustments when Christine abandoned you and Brian.”

  “That was different.”

  “How?”

  “Christine hated being married. The only thing she hated more was being a mother. We never discussed having kids while we dated. Guess we should have. After she left, I realized our relationship was more physical than emotional.”

  “That can happen. It takes a while to truly get to know your spouse. I was lucky when I met your mother. She was someone who wanted to be partners. You’ll find someone like that someday.”

  “I’m not looking.”

  “We know. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Kruger turned to look at his father. “What?”

  “Your mother feels our living with you is preventing you from finding someone special to share your life.”

  “Like I said, I’m not looking.”

  “Her point,” the elder Kruger chuckled. “She’s concerned our presence in your house is keeping you from looking.”

  Shaking his head, the younger Kruger sat his beer down and smiled at his father.

  “Dad, right now you and Mom living with Brian and me is the only thing keeping me sane. If I had to disrupt Brian’s world by taking him out of school or leaving him with a friend or neighbor every time I had to be out of town, I’d have to quit my job. Like this past wee
k, I was gone for four days. I can concentrate on my job knowing Brian is safe here with the both of you. His life is stable. That’s important to me.”

  “Mary and I love being here, but we don’t want to be a burden.”

  “Trust me, you two are not a burden.”

  Stan Kruger took another sip of his beer. The father and son shared many traits, but the main one was a similar body structure. Both were tall, the son over six feet and the father just under. Both were slender, but the elder Kruger lacked some of the son’s body mass. Both looked at the world through crystal blue eyes, the older Kruger’s assisted by glasses.

  “Funny how life works sometimes.”

  “How, Dad?”

  “I’m not sure I ever told you, I didn’t retire voluntarily.”

  The son shook his head. “No, you’ve never mentioned it.”

  “The day I turned sixty-five, I was called into the Human Resources department and told when my retirement announcement would be made.”

  The younger Kruger stared at his father, remaining quiet.

  “They told me I had four weeks of vacation banked, which I needed to start the next day. After the vacation, I would officially retire from my position as an IRS auditor. I protested, but was shown a small clause in the Internal Revenue Department employee handbook,” he chuckled. “I hated being retired and didn’t know what to do with myself. I drove Mary crazy as I tightened every screw on every appliance in the house. Your call, two months later, saved me. Your mother and I feel blessed we were able to help with Brian.”

  “We’re lucky you were in a position to help. I know Brian loves having you two around.”

  “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I never cared for Christine. I thought she was too…,” the father hesitated, searching for the correct word. “Uh, self-absorbed, for my taste. Those types generally don’t stay married long. Did she ever re-marry?”

  “Don’t know,” Kruger shrugged. “I refused to talk to her after she abandoned Brian in the apartment. My lawyer does it for me.”

  “I still get mad when I think about how she left that little boy by himself.”

  “It’s history, Dad. Brian survived, and I’ve moved on. He doesn’t even remember it. Which is good.”