Parkman jumped out, a toothpick sticking out of the corner of his mouth.
Some things never change.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, but I could’ve used your help a couple days ago.”
“I didn’t know where you were. I’m here now. Jump in and brief us on what to expect when we enter this home. We’re going in right now.”
Spencer offered her a more welcoming smile than she deserved after having stolen Drake from his protection and run away with him. He started the car up Elmore’s driveway while Sarah told them more details about Drake and Rod and their wounds. She explained the cages and what Elmore had been doing in the past. She added that he ate fingernails, which got a strange look from Parkman, who then rolled his window down a little and spit his toothpick out.
There was no movement at the front of the house as they got close.
“His car was here when I ran out the front door. I don’t know how he got past me. I watched his driveway while I waited for you guys.”
Spencer stopped the car and they all got out, both cops with guns already in their hands. The ambulance stayed back fifty meters, and no paramedics exited.
“Stay out here,” Spencer said.
Sarah nodded. Gladly. Too creepy in there.
She wasn’t the trained professional in these situations that the two men approaching the house were.
In the distance, it sounded like a whole platoon of cop cars were en route.
Spencer and Parkman stood on either side of the front door for the count of three and then Parkman stepped out, kicked the door and disappeared inside. Spencer followed him.
Sarah sat down in the backseat of the cruiser, leaving the door open. She waited a full minute before she couldn’t anymore handle it anymore. If Elmore’s car was gone then so was he. That meant no danger and Drake and Rod needed that ambulance.
She got up, walked to the front door and entered the main foyer. Spencer saw her from the kitchen.
“I thought I told you to stay outside.”
Parkman stepped between them from an office. “You think you can get Sarah to do what you want?”
Spencer started up the stairs, his weapon held high. Parkman opened the basement door.
“Be careful,” Sarah said.
Parkman nodded. “Hello? Anyone down there?”
They both listened, but heard nothing.
Parkman got down on his knees and brought his head close to the ground to see as far into the basement as he could. He looked at Sarah. “All I see is the front of two prison cell like cages. In the one on the left it looks like Rod. The one on the right is empty.”
“You don’t see Drake?”
He shook his head.
Sarah stepped past him and started down the stairs. Parkman grabbed her arm.
“Hey, wait, let me go first.”
“The car is gone. Drake is gone. That means Elmore’s not here. We’re safe.”
A cacophony rose from the front of the house. Parkman and Sarah turned to see a line of uniformed police officers entering the front door.
“Backup’s here.”
Sarah stepped away from Parkman and down the stairs. She reached the open door to Rod’s cell and ran to him.
“Where’s Drake?”
Rod eyes opened halfway. His skin was pale and he looked very sleepy.
“I need an ambulance in here,” Sarah shouted toward the stairs. “Now!”
She turned back to Rod and lifted his head. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you out of here. You did good. You saved Drake’s life. We’ll find him, we’ll find him.”
Parkman came up behind her. “Paramedics are coming in now.”
She nodded at him. Then she leaned in closer and asked Rod if there was anything he could tell them that would help. She caught the slight nod of his head. She leaned in closer to his mouth to listen.
“They left… ten minutes ago. He has… Drake.”
Sarah turned and looked at Rod. “Okay, I’ll get him. You take it easy. Here come the doctors. Go get healthy now, okay. We’ll see you when you’re better.”
Two paramedics rushed in. Sarah held his head a little longer and then got out of the way.
Parkman started for the stairs and Sarah followed, leaving Elmore’s basement behind. Just before she reached the top of the stairs she looked back at the cell she had been in and saw the brown box of panties in the back corner that Elmore had given her to wear when she had arrived.
Disgusting.
She knew the police would dig up everything they could on Elmore. That meant digging up the property surrounding his home and letting his victims have proper burials. Maybe then they could rest in peace.
In the kitchen, Spencer was on his cell phone asking someone on the other end for everything they had on an Elmore Justin Ackerman. He said he needed it yesterday and then dropped his phone into his suit jacket’s inner pocket.
Parkman and Spencer debated where Elmore would’ve taken Drake. Sarah listened as they covered public transportation like trains leaving Toronto, the Greyhound Bus or even the Toronto International Airport.
We’re running out of time. Drake’s life hangs in the balance.
Sarah hadn’t eaten since she had gotten to Elmore’s. Her stomach growled and she bent a little at the pain. She had to eat soon, but she wouldn’t eat anything from Elmore’s kitchen.
“This is such shitty luck,” Spencer said as he slapped the countertop beside him. “Drake just got away from Monika and her sick family with his life, only to be kidnapped by a psycho. Now he’s a hostage somewhere and we can’t even catch a break.” He stopped talking when his face lit up with something. “Maybe this has something to do with Ferenci? He may be still involved.”
Sarah looked down at her shoes. She’d completely forgotten about the guy who wanted to kill Drake at the baseball game.
“Sarah?” Parkman said.
She looked up at him.
“Can Vivian help us on this?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t heard from Vivian in days. She’s been strangely silent.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure she’ll tell me soon enough. What I do know is,” she held a finger up, “where Elmore took Drake. I think I’ve figured it out. Parkman, Spencer, bring a couple men and let’s go. I’ll tell you everything on the way.”
Chapter 33
Spencer drove south toward Toronto, the car’s lights flashing on the roof. He took liberties with his driving that only cops could, driving on the wrong side of the road at times and running red lights.
Sarah observed from the backseat, a place she hated to be under any other circumstance. The backseat of a cop car always sucked.
“Are you sure Elmore didn’t say anything about the location of his studio?” Spencer asked.
Sarah shook her head. “No, I’d remember. He said nothing about where it was, only what he did there to the girls.”
“I called it in,” Spencer said. “I’ve got my best guys working on Elmore’s public records to find what properties or businesses he may own and where they are.”
