Gone by Dark (Carolina Moon Book 2) Read online

  That would be a huge burden to carry. No wonder she’d stayed away. But that also raised the question: Why did she come back? “Were there any suspects?”

  Chief Rollins sighed in thought. “From what I remember, Buddy Griffin was the main suspect. No one could ever find any proof to tie him to the crime, though.”

  Joshua had met Buddy a couple of times. The man worked for animal control and Joshua had been called on scene to help out in a couple of circumstances. “Why was he even a suspect?”

  “He was accused of abduction about four years before Andrea went missing. You know Buddy. He’s a strange bird, an eccentric. Couldn’t find any evidence, though, to connect him to the crime.”

  “He was the only suspect?”

  The chief let out another sigh. “From what I understand, there were hundreds of leads. Like I said, I wasn’t here when any of this went down. All I know is that Andrea was never found and no one was ever arrested. The family—this town—never got their closure.”

  Joshua let her words sink in. An unsolved mystery. A key player in the crime back in town. Suspicions that still flared.

  Maybe things in this sleepy community were about to get interesting.

  ***

  As the morning sun rose higher in the sky and soaked in through the front windows of the living room, Charity sat on the ugly brown couch and stared at the picture in her hands. A sad smile brushed across her lips as memories flooded back to her. Being here in Hertford, her emotions felt even stronger and more vivid.

  The photo was of her and Andrea. They’d both participated in a Christmas parade downtown. In the picture, they were wearing Santa hats and red sweaters. Their arms were around each other, and huge grins were stretched across their faces.

  That had been such a fun day. The two of them had planned on being in the parade again the year Andrea disappeared. But that never happened.

  She traced the outline of them with her fingertip. Andrea was tall and thin—but not so thin that she looked fragile. She was the picture of healthy and vibrant with her long brown hair that was naturally highlighted by the sun. Her eyes were big and brown, and her features full. She’d been beautiful.

  Charity, in this picture, had blonde hair to her shoulders. She looked slightly awkward, like she hadn’t come into her own yet. She was super skinny, almost painfully so. The fact was only emphasized by a sweater that could have fit better and jeans that were a little too faded to be stylish. She still preferred to look natural rather than overdone, but she’d figured out which clothes worked on her petite frame and which hairstyle was more flattering.

  The memories of Andrea were so bittersweet. There’d never be anyone like her again.

  Since Andrea disappeared, Charity had put a lot of distance between herself and other people. Charity knew she had relationship issues. She had very few close friends and rarely dated. In fact, she was pretty content to be alone for the rest of her life. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe that was the punishment she deserved for leaving the one person who loved her behind.

  Charity sighed and put the photo down.

  Coming here was painful. More painful than she’d imagined. The memories were raw still, even after all these years.

  She let out a sigh and looked toward the ceiling.

  “Okay, I’m here. Now what?” she mumbled, as if Andrea could hear her.

  Did she expect answers just to drop into her lap? If the FBI hadn’t been able to find Andrea’s abductor, what made Charity think she could?

  She didn’t know. She hadn’t formulated a plan. But she felt like she needed to be here, that somehow she’d instinctively know what to do. She hoped that would happen sooner rather than later, because she only had two weeks of vacation time before she needed to be back at her job in Tennessee.

  She’d come here to get answers. That meant she couldn’t stay locked up inside the house for the entire time she was here.

  Even though she’d gotten groceries last night, she’d opted to travel to a town twenty minutes away so she could remain hidden. Again—that would get her nowhere.

  Gathering all her wits, she decided she would go into town. She’d stop by the town’s pharmacy and get a sandwich at the deli counter in the back.

  It was a baby step, but maybe that was all she could handle right now.

  She pulled her hair back into a sloppy bun, checked to make sure her cotton sundress was in place, and then stepped out. She paused on the crumbling porch and scanned the area.

  Was the man who abducted Andrea out there watching her? Had he been living for this day, when he could finish what he started? Rattled now, Charity hurried to her car, slipped inside, and locked the doors.

  Her hands trembled on the entire trip into town. It only took ten minutes to get there. As soon as Main Street came into view, her trembles intensified to the point of nausea.

  But she couldn’t avoid facing people forever.

  A café, a travel agency, and several gift shops composed Main Street. There was also a court building and the police station. Finally, what she’d been seeking came into view. A vertical black-and-white sign for a local pharmacy appeared on the corner. Apparently, the place had a new owner, but it still retained all the old-fashioned coziness it always had.

  As soon as Charity walked into the old-fashioned pharmacy, she was swept back in time. The scent of—what was that? Ice cream, she supposed—along with creamy milk and gooey hot fudge filled her senses. In the background she could hear the swish of whipped cream being doled out on sundaes and banana splits.

  She had a few vague memories of her grandmother bringing her here as a preschooler. When her grandmother died, all the good memories had died with her. Charity firmly believed her past had made her who she was today; she only wished there wasn’t so much pain in the process.

  Suddenly, Charity froze. There at the counter talking to the cashier was none other than her neighbor Joshua Haven, dressed in his official law enforcement uniform, one he filled out very nicely.

  He spotted her at the same time she spotted him.

  “And we run into each other again,” he said with a grin.

  She paused, eyeballing the ice cream and sandwich counter in the back and weighing her options. “The joys of small town living, I suppose.”

  “I hope you’re adjusting well.”

  She shrugged as she attempted polite conversation. “I’m just trying to tidy up the property so I can put it on the market. No adjustment needed.”

  “I see.”

  Something in his gaze seemed to indicate he knew more. Had he already heard her story since they met yesterday? It wouldn’t surprise her. Yet he’d been kind to her. There was no need to be abrasive toward him now.

  She shrugged again. “Coming home is . . . it’s hard.”

  “I can imagine.”

  She nodded toward the back, almost desperate to get away. “Well, I’m going to grab a bite to eat. Have a good day.”

  Joshua was definitely attractive, but Charity didn’t date cops. The one she had dated back in Tennessee had decided to dig into her past. It almost became like she was a case study for him. In the end, he hadn’t been interested in her at all; she’d been a potential stepping-stone for his career.

  No more.

  It was better if she just kept her distance. From Joshua and from the rest of the town.

  ***

  Joshua turned away from Charity before he got caught staring. Instead he grabbed a bottle of soda from the cooler and started toward the front of the pharmacy. It was his lunch break, and he’d stopped by to pick up a couple of things. He liked to make himself visible around town, especially since he was the new guy. People needed to see his face, needed to know he was trustworthy.

  Two older ladies were gathered near the register in front of him. He saw the women cast secretive glances at Charity before whispering to each other. They were obviously gossiping about the past.

  He bristled. Was this what Charity went th
rough whenever she came into town? There was little he could do, he reminded himself. He couldn’t change the social dynamics in the small town, and gossip wasn’t exactly a crime.

  But he wanted to know more about what had happened ten years ago. An unsolved abduction in such a small town had gotten a lot of attention. He even vaguely remembered hearing about the case. Had it been recreated on one of those TV crime dramas a couple of years ago?

  From his brief research this morning, he’d discovered that even the FBI had gotten involved. He could only imagine how the crime had turned the community upside down.

  One of his first cases when he worked as a detective in Atlanta had been a teenager who’d disappeared. They’d searched for her for ten days. On the eleventh day, they’d found her body. He remembered how agonizing it had been for the girl’s family. At least they finally had answers and were able to move on.

  That case had solidified Joshua’s calling as a detective. Through careful police work, Joshua had been able to track down the man guilty of the crime. He’d arrested him and taken a sicko criminal off the street before he could do more harm to society.

  Before Joshua had taken the job here, he’d considered applying for the FBI and their missing persons unit. That had changed when his wife had left him for another man. Somehow the judge had granted Justina full custody, and she’d packed up his son and moved to this area with her new boyfriend—the man she’d cheated on Joshua with.

  Maybe that’s why this cold case involving Charity’s friend continued to linger in his mind. He’d always had an interest in missing persons cases. It wasn’t because he was drawn to Charity.

  He offered one last glance at Charity before stepping outside into the sunny summer day. His steps slowed as a man across the street from the pharmacy caught his eye. The stranger wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, and he leaned against a tree near the courthouse.

  There was nothing illegal about the man lingering there. But something struck Joshua as odd about the man’s mannerisms—he just seemed out of place, though Joshua couldn’t pinpoint why exactly. Maybe it was because the man’s gaze seemed fixated on the pharmacy.

  Joshua took a step toward him, deciding to say hello, when the man suddenly straightened and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. He started at a quick clip down the street.

  Joshua watched the man until he disappeared from sight. That was probably nothing. But Joshua would keep his eyes open in the future, just in case.

  ***

  Everyone wishes it were you who’d been taken and not Andrea.

  As Charity’s mother’s words came back into her mind, she flinched. The memories always had that effect, even ten years after Andrea disappeared. They still caused her heart to thud and ache.

  She grabbed her club sandwich and paid for a few various items. The women whispering around her brought back so many bad memories. Maybe Charity shouldn’t have come back here.

  Besides, what kind of mother would say something like that to her daughter? Sure, Charity’s mom had been drunk at the time, but her mom had always been an honest drunk. Andrea was the town’s golden child. Hardly anyone would have missed Charity if the roles had been reversed. They wouldn’t have tied colorful ribbons all over the county or held prayer vigils or pleaded on the national news.

  Charity made it out the door and all the way to her car, her first fear conquered, when she heard someone behind her. Immediately, she tensed, anticipating the worst.

  She twirled around, not sure who or what to expect—only knowing the confrontation wouldn’t be pleasant. She’d had death threats after Andrea disappeared. Certainly there were still people here who hated her.

  “You!” a man said. “What are you doing back here?”

  Charity put a hand over her racing heart. It was Ron Whitaker, Andrea’s dad. The man had blamed her for everything that happened and didn’t make a secret of it. She’d kept tabs on Andrea’s family over the years, hoping they might move away. But they didn’t. They’d stayed here, a verbal attack always ready and prepared. He’d even found her after her mom’s funeral, just so he could lash out.

  Mr. Whitaker looked the same, only older. Much older. He had pronounced wrinkles now, a receding hairline, and gray hair. He still appeared tall and strong, but the tautness in his muscles had lessened. Still, the man was intimidating, just as he’d been when Charity was a child.

  Everyone in town knew that he wasn’t someone to be messed with. That apparently hadn’t changed.

  “I repeat: What are you doing back here?” He leered at her, simmering anger heating his gaze.

  “That shouldn’t concern you,” she muttered, holding her bag of groceries closer, almost like a shield between herself and the man.

  “I can’t believe you’d show your face around here. You have some nerve.”

  “I’m going to go.” She tried to turn to her car and fish her keys out of her purse.

  Before she could, Mr. Whitaker jerked her back around to face him. In the process, her bag dropped and her eggs cracked against the asphalt below. “My Andrea would still be here if it hadn’t been for you.”

  Charity shook her head, hot tears rushing to her eyes. She didn’t even care about her groceries anymore. She just wanted to get to a safe place. Anywhere but here, for that matter. “I really need to go.”

  He leaned closer, close enough that spittle sprayed on Charity. “I pray every day for bad things to happen to you, that God will find some kind of justice fit for you.”

  Charity’s throat clenched. “I’ve prayed the same things,” she whispered.

  Before he could stop her, Charity thrust her sandwich into his hands, grabbed her keys, and quickly unlocked her door. She jumped into the car and locked the door. Mr. Whitaker still stood there as she pulled away.

  Being here was going to be one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

  It wasn’t too late to run. But that would be cowardly. No, it was time to own up to her mistakes. Make peace with herself. Maybe even make peace with this town.

  Charity hurried home, ready for the reprieve she’d find there; she needed an escape from people’s judgments. Her own judgments of herself were heavy enough to try to endure.

  She rushed toward her door, knowing full well she was being irrational. No one had followed her here, waiting to exact God’s judgment on her and take justice into his or her own hands. But seeing Andrea’s dad had only confirmed her fears: everyone still blamed her.

  The town’s precious poster girl had been taken, while the town’s misfit had survived.

  It had seemed like the ultimate injustice for so many people here.

  The daughter of a woman who’d had more boyfriends and one-night stands than people could count had lived, while the daughter of the town’s revered police chief had disappeared.

  As she reached her porch, Charity stopped.

  There on the stoop was a blue knit hat.

  Just like the one Andrea had been wearing when she disappeared.

  CHAPTER 3

  Joshua had just gotten back to the station when Lynn, the dispatcher, handed him a slip of paper.

  “The chief asked if you could take this,” Lynn said. She was in her fifties with platinum blonde hair and lots of makeup. She proudly told anyone who asked that she had ten grandchildren, and she hadn’t let age slow her down. Joshua always called her the glue that held the department together.

  He took the form and looked down at it, mumbling, “Sure thing” before he even read any details.

  “It’s from Charity White,” Lynn continued, her voice tinged with curiosity. “I heard you and the chief talking about her earlier. Charity thinks she found some evidence tying in with the old case.”

  His pulse spiked. Charity. Again.

  Was God trying to tell him something? How many times within twenty-four hours could two people be thrown together?

  “The old case? You mean the abduction of Andrea Whitaker?” Joshua clarified.

 
; Lynn nodded, a little more bounce in the motion than usual. “That’s right.”

  Joshua crossed his arms a moment, sensing Lynn was eager to share what she knew. “Were you in Hertford when that happened?”

  Lynn sobered. “It was awful. Just awful. Andrea was such a wonderful girl. The town hasn’t been the same since then. And her poor family. They fell apart, especially Ron. He only lasted as police chief for about a year after Andrea was abducted. Then he was asked to resign. He lost all his good judgment, though you could never tell him that.”

  “So you were working here when Andrea’s father worked for the department?”

  She nodded. “That’s right. Andrea and Charity used to come in sometimes. Charity was just the sweetest little girl. I remember one time a woman came in to file a report because her little boy had gotten lost in one of the cornfields. Charity was probably only ten at the time, but she came and sat beside this grieving woman. The girl didn’t say anything: she just held her hand and let her cry. That’s just the way Charity is.”

  The mental image warmed Joshua’s heart. “So you don’t have any hard feelings toward her?”

  “Toward Charity? No. Of course not. I just wished she had a better home life. Her mom was pretty worthless, and I don’t say that very often. But there were so many men in and out of the home, so much substance abuse and neglect. I even called social services one time, but nothing ever came of it.”

  Joshua’s heart squeezed as the new facts were revealed. There was more to his neighbor than he knew. He wanted to ask more questions, but before he could, he noticed Lynn squirm and swipe a piece of blonde hair behind her ear.

  “What?” Joshua asked.

  “Speaking of which, I thought you should know that someone reported a confrontation in the parking lot off Main Street.”

  “Okay . . .” He waited for her to continue.