window where the kids were sound asleep.
Harper’s cell phone finally rang. He switched off the sound of the siren and answered.
‘Garcia here. I’ve got the cell phone of the officer.’
‘Go ahead.’
Harper took the number and immediately cut Garcia off and dialed the officer. He waited as the ringer started up. The cop finally answered. ‘Hi there, it’s Candy.’
‘Candy, nice to know your first name. My name is Detective Tom Harper of North Manhattan Homicide. Are you with anyone?’
‘Just me and the social worker.’
‘Where’s the second officer?’
‘They haven’t turned up yet, but they should have been here by now.’
‘Okay, Officer Candy, listen up. We’ve got reason to believe that someone has the location and identity of the kids. Have you seen or heard anything at the house?’
‘Nothing, Detective, it’s all quiet here.’
‘That’s good. But this killer is smart. Listen to me. Don’t get alarmed, but I want you to stay on the phone and go upstairs.’
‘Have you called patrol?’
‘Yeah, everyone’s on their way. We’re on our way. Just keep calm.’
‘Okay, I’ll go check.’ The officer stood up and walked to the stairs. She pulled out her gun and switched on the light. The cell phone returned to her ear.
‘Anything?’ said Harper.
‘Nothing,’ she said.
‘Check the kids.’
‘I’m going up,’ she said and walked slowly up the stairs. She felt a cool breeze down the corridor and edged into the children’s room.
‘What do you see?’ asked Harper.
‘They’re both sleeping,’ she said, feeling relief rise in her stomach.
Harper thought for a moment. ‘How about the window?’
‘It’s wide open. I’ll shut it.’
‘Was it open when you left them?’ said Harper.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Candy.
‘Then it might be too late,’ said Harper. ‘Pull your gun. He’s there already.’
‘Oh, Jesus Christ, oh no,’ she said.
‘What?’ Harper said urgently. ‘Come on, Candy, keep it together.’
‘Shit, shit, shit.’ Her voice was high and trembling.
‘Help me here, Candy.’
‘I’m looking outside. There’s a rope hanging down from the roof.’ She leaned out of the window and saw the rope swinging right down to the ground. Across the street, she noticed a red car that hadn’t been there before.
‘There’s a car parked across the street. It wasn’t there earlier. It’s red. License-plate is not visible.’
‘Shit,’ said Harper. ‘Check the beds
The police officer raced over to the beds. Neither child was visible. For a moment, she dared not look, the only sound Harper’s breathing in her ear.
‘Are the kids there?’ said Harper. The officer placed the phone on a bedside cabinet, took a deep breath and pulled back both covers. She picked up the phone.
‘Harper,’ she whispered. ‘They’re safe. Still sleeping.’
‘Thank God. We’re on our way — we’ll be there soon as we can.’
The police officer put down the phone and checked the children’s breathing, the fear subsiding slowly. She turned to the door and the fear returned immediately.
He was standing in the dark, behind the door, no face, a gun out in front of him. He motioned her towards the window, his finger on his lips to indicate that she should remain quiet. Her heart felt as if it had stopped.
He pulled the gun from her hand and threw it on the bed. He then took her handcuffs and cuffed both hands behind her back.
The officer couldn’t help herself. ‘Please stop. You can walk away from this. This house is surrounded by cops. You’ll never get away. Just leave the kids and walk. You’ve still got time.’
He pulled the rope through the window, wrapped it three times around her shoulders and arms and tied it.
‘Please don’t hurt the children,’ she said.
He forced her to the window and pushed her out. She dropped a few feet then jerked to a halt. Her body strained as the rope pulled around her shoulders. She dangled there beside the tree.
The man turned to the now waking children. He opened his backpack and took out the body bags. He looked at the phone on the side. All he could hear was a voice calling for the officer. He picked up the cell and put it to his ear, then he killed the call.
On the other end of the line, Harper hit the wheel. ‘We’ve been cut off.’ He screeched around a corner.
‘What?’ said Denise.
‘It means he’s in the house.’
Chapter Seventy-One
As they arrived at the safe house, Harper looked for the car parked across the street. It was gone. Harper got out of the car, Denise following quickly behind. He told her to wait at the entrance and walked around the house. At the back of the house, he saw a strange shadow. There was something large hanging from a rope.
He felt his pulse quicken and for a moment he thought the figure was dead. Moving closer, he saw a female officer with the rope pulled tight around her shoulders.
She saw Harper in the dark and called out, ‘He’s gone. He’s taken the kids.’
‘We’ll get you down,’ shouted Harper.
‘No,’ she said. ‘You’ve got to get him. I think they’re alive. I caught his license-plate as he drove off.’
Harper was astonished. ‘Well done, that’s got to help.’
‘I feel so guilty,’ she said. ‘I was looking after them.’
‘You shouldn’t have been alone,’ said Harper. She told him the license-plate and Harper called it in immediately to Dispatch.
With a racing pulse, he moved quickly into the house. The social worker was sitting in an armchair facing the TV, motionless. Denise flinched. ‘Are you all right?’ Harper asked.
‘He said he’d kill them if I moved,’ she explained, a look of terror across her face.
‘Did you see what he looked like?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘He was wearing a balaclava.’
‘Stay here,’ said Harper. Denise sat beside the woman and comforted her while Harper ran upstairs. A moment later he reappeared in the living room. ‘There’s nothing there. He was hiding in the closet. I need to haul the officer in the window. Denise, I need your help.’
He turned to the social worker. ‘What happened? Just tell me.’
‘He took them, in two bags. Black bags.’
Harper called base and gave them the lowdown. They’d send an ambulance, and backup was already on its way. He then took Denise upstairs and together, they pulled Officer Candy Simons back through the window. They untied her and she flung her arms at them. ‘Leave me, for God’s sake. Go after him.’
Harper and Denise headed for the car. They had no idea which way to turn.
