Brides of the Kindred 4_Found Read online

  “Because…” He stood up and started pacing. “You have to understand. We didn’t find Jessie’s body right away. She was missing for years before it was found. My parents…they went a little crazy. Jessie was always their favorite—I came along later so I was just an afterthought. But Jessie, well, she was so perfect and bright and beautiful you couldn’t help but love her.”

  “What did they do?” Nadiah asked softly. “Your parents?”

  Rast sighed. “After the case went cold and the police dropped out they hired private detectives—good ones too. Expensive. But my parents both had extremely successful careers—they could afford it.” He continued to pace, looking down at his shoes. “When that didn’t work, they went farther out into left field. My mom found a psychic who said she could feel Jessie’s energy. She told my mom Jessie was still alive, just waiting to be found.” He shrugged angrily. “It gave her hope—until we found the body, that was.”

  “The woman was a fraud,” Nadiah said flatly.

  “So were all the others my parents hired. They just wanted the money.” Rast sat beside her again, frowning. “And believe me, they got plenty of it. But the worst part was seeing how excited and hopeful my mom would get every time. She was so sure Jessie was out there, just waiting for us to find her.” He shook his head angrilly. “Fucking money grubbing liars, every one of them.”

  “That’s why you didn’t want to believe me, to believe I was telling the truth,” Nadiah said. “Because of the people who took advantage of your family during your time of grief.”

  “I’ve seen it happen to other people too, when they’re kids go missing.” He gave Nadiah a piercing look. “They’re frantic to find their child. They’d do anything, pay anything. So even though I could tell you were telling the truth, I thought you were just crazy. I could tell you believed what you were saying but I didn’t think anyone could actually see the things you were claiming to see. Not really.”

  “But you rely on your own gift,” Nadiah pointed out. “You have to admit that’s out of the ordinary—outside the realm of what’s possible.”

  He looked grim. “I didn’t rely on it enough to save Jessie. I knew that bastard Hains was trouble—I knew what he wanted to do to her but she wouldn’t listen.” He shook his head. “I should have kept her from leaving that night. Should have hidden the keys to her car, locked her in her room, something…”

  “You were just a child.” Nadiah spoke gently, wanting to comfort him. “You couldn’t help what happened.”

  “I should have made someone listen to me. If not Jessie, then my parents, or the police. I tried to tell them, tried to convince them to listen, to look for her right away. But they wouldn’t, you know?”

  “Because they didn’t believe you?”

  “That and because she was over eighteen—legally an adult. When a minor goes missing you start the case right away. With an adult, you always wait twenty-four hours first.”

  “What? Why?” Nadiah demanded. “That’s stupid.”

  “I think so too.” Rast nodded. “You know what the forensics guys said when they finally found Jessie’s body?”

  “What?” Nadiah whispered, almost afraid to know.

  “They said there was evidence of…of torture.” Rast looked fixedly down at his hands and his voice went low and tense. “They were pretty sure she’d been kept alive for at least a day after she was taken. Kept alive so he could have his sick fun with her. Then after he killed her, he dumped her far away.” He looked up at Nadiah, his truegreen eyes bright with unshed tears. “If I could have made someone listen to me—made them start looking for her earlier—they might have gotten to her in time. She might still be alive today.”

  “Oh, Detective Rast…” Nadiah didn’t know what to say. She put a hand over his and squeezed.

  “Rast.” He sighed. “ Just Rast. Nobody but my mother calls me Adam.”

  “Rast, it wasn’t your fault.” Nadiah looked earnestly into his eyes. “You did everything you could. You tried to warn her—I saw it in my dream.”

  He shook his head. “Thanks for playing therapist but I don’t think I’ll ever really forgive myself. Jessie’s murder is why I do what I do. I keep thinking if I can just find enough of them before they go missing forever, someday maybe I can make up for what happened.”

  Nadiah was touched. “You take your job very seriously.”

  “It’s life or death.” He sighed and straightened up. “Speaking of which, I need to try and find the girl who was taken last night.”

  Nadiah shifted in her seat. “If she was taken by the AllFather then I’m afraid there isn’t much hope for her.”

  Rast shook is head. “I’m still not sure he’s the one who snatched her.”

  She raised any eyebrow at him. “Did they find her clothes in a heap, like the other one—Tabitha?”

  “Well, yes. But don’t forget, Tabitha’s body was found,” he pointed out with an edge in his voice.

  “What was her cause of death?” Nadiah asked. “How did he kill her?”

  Rast frowned. “That’s the strange part. No cause of death that anyone could find. The coroner said her heart just stopped for no apparent reason.”

  “Were there any marks on her?” Nadiah asked. “In my dream I saw wires being implanted under her skin—it’s a kind of torture the AllFather has. He hooks you up to this machine that projects your worst memories for everyone to see.” She shivered. “Baird had it done to him.”

  “He did?” Rast asked in obvious surprise. “Actually, there were little wounds all over her skin but none of them were deep enough to kill anyone. The coroner couldn’t figure it out.” He frowned at Nadiah. “And I still don’t see why he would return the body.”

  “Maybe to send a message?” Nadiah said. “The first girl he took looked a lot like Lauren—maybe he’s still searching for her. Does the second girl look anything like her?”

  “Not really.” Rast reached into his jacket and pulled out a small holo cube. He flipped the bottom switch and the smiling, life-sized head of a girl with pale creamy skin and long black hair sudden popped into view. “See?” he said. “She’s white and Lauren is African American.”

  “I see.” Nadiah studied the holo closely for a moment. There was something about it that bothered her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. And there was no denying that the second girl who had been taken looked nothing like Lauren.

  “So…” Rast clicked off the cube and put it back in his pocket. “I need to see if I can find her.”

  “I hope you do,” Nadiah said quietly.

  Rast gave her a sharp look. “But you doubt it.”

  “If she’s the one I saw in my dream then yes, I’m afraid so.” Nadiah sighed. “Well, I guess I should go and let you work.”

  “I have to do everything I can to find her,” Rast said seriously. “Even if…you’re right. I still have to do my job.”

  “Of course you do.” She nodded. “Thank you for taking time to talk to me.”

  “Anytime,” Rast murmured. Nadiah started to get up but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Nadiah, look at me.”

  “What?” She searched his truegreen eyes with her own.

  “I mean that. Anytime you have something to tell me, something you saw or you know or whatever—just call me,” Rast told her seriously. “Day or night, doesn’t matter.”

  Nadiah’s heart jumped. “You mean it? You’ll listen to what I have to say now?”

  Rast sighed. “Yes. From now on I’ll listen.” He looked down. “I’m sorry I treated you like you were crazy earlier. It’s just…it was hard to believe anyone could actually have a talent like your…”

  “My gift,” she finished for him. “The Sight.”

  “The Sight. Right.” He nodded. “Well, come on.” He rose and held out a hand to her.

  Nadiah took it, feeling her heart start to pound as he drew her to her feet. “I’m sorry if I upset you, talking about your sister,” she said