Karen Rose - Have You Seen Her?

Friday, October 14, 9:00 P.M.

"What the hell is this all about?" Victor Lutz barreled into Interview One, where a tight-lipped Nora Lutz and her lawyer sat at the table with Liz. Lutz recognized Davies who sat in the corner, arms crossed, face hard, and Lutz's expression blanched as he and Davies played the staring game.

Finally Lutz turned and Steven was gratified to see a flicker of fear in the man's eyes. "We settled this," Lutz said, considerably shaken. "My son had nothing to do with the vandalism."

Steven wanted to strangle the man here and now. Instead, he calmed his knocking heart and smoothed his voice. "We're not talking about vandalism. We're talking about murder."

"The English teacher is fine," Lutz insisted. "She was released from the hospital this morning."

Steven raised a brow. "Worried about Miss Ryan, were you? I suppose you had cause to be considering it was your prompting that incited your son's friends to cut Dr. Marshall's brakes." Steven held up his hand when Lutz would have denied it. "Save it for your indictment, Mr. Lutz. Detective Pullman has two young men who've sworn out affidavits implicating you. I'm not talking about attempted murder. I'm talking about serial murder. Four young girls four years ago in Seattle. Four young girls in the last month here in Raleigh. Ring a bell?"

Lutz's gaze flicked to Davies sitting in the corner, then back at Steven. "He is insane, so determined to ruin my family that he comes all this way to spread his lies. Rudy was exonerated."

Steven pursed his lips. "I'm not talking about Rudy. I'm talking about Josh."

Lutz's face blanked. Then he laughed. "Josh? You're crazier than he is. Josh is a half-wit."

"Shut up, Victor," Nora snapped and jerked her arm away when her lawyer tried to silence her. "For years you've told my son he's stupid and unworthy. And for years you've been wrong."

Lutz frowned at her outburst. "Nora, you know as well as I do that Josh is retarded."

"I don't think so, Mr. Lutz, and I'm not prepared to give you all the wherefores and therefores right now," Steven said, abandoning his patient routine. "Your son's kidnapped four girls, killed three of them, and three hours ago Dr. Marshall was abducted." He drew on the scattered remnants of his calm, doing his best not to think about Jenna at the hands of Lutz's sick bastard son. Tried not to think about the frantic cell phone call Allison made when she discovered her unconscious father at the cemetery. Steven slipped his hand in his pocket and fingered the silver Celtic ring Jenna left behind on Adam's headstone. Allison had insisted he take it, as if knowing she'd said good-bye to Adam would make him search for her harder.

He clenched his fist, feeling the edges of Adam Llewellyn's ring cut into his palm. Like he could be looking any harder. He'd turned the Parker house upside down, but found nothing.

There was absolutely no clue to where Josh had taken his victims and if Nora Lutz knew, she wasn't saying. She just sat next to her lawyer, unconcerned about Jenna, Kelly… Any of the senseless tragedy her son had caused… It made him want to scream, to throw something. To put his hands around her neck and shake her until she at least showed some remorse. Some regret Something beyond the arrogant, self-absorbed concern over her precious, demented spawn of Satan.

Lutz was staring at his wife as if she were a complete stranger. "Josh is just not capable."

Steven gritted his teeth. "I'm not interested in your denials. I just want to know where he is ."

Lutz turned his disbelieving eyes from his wife to Steven, then shook his head. "I don't know."

"Where would he go? Where would he hide? Where could he take, kill, and dismember four young teenaged girls?" Steven smacked the table and Mrs. Lutz flinched, then straightened, making Steven think of a very dowdy queen.

"My Joshua is innocent," she said coldly. "And this conversation is over."

"Are my clients being held?" the Lutzes' lawyer asked mildly. "Or are they free to go?"

Steven looked at Liz who shook her head. "We can't hold them, Agent Thatcher."

"Then they're free to go," Steven said bitterly and watched them leave. Free as birds while their son held Jenna. He closed his mind, not allowing himself to think about what could be happening to her at that moment. To Kelly, should she still be alive. Not allowing himself to remember the horror of Alev's mutilated body. Or Samantha's. Or Lorraine's. He knew Neil had tacked four more names onto the list of victims he wasn't allowing himself to remember.

But of course they remembered. Josh had made sure they knew exactly what he could do. Because Josh knew that made the terror that much worse.

He waited until the Lutzes were gone before finding Sandra. "Follow them," he said through his teeth. "I want to know how many squares of toilet paper they use to wipe their asses until we find Jenna and Kelly." He looked around, irritably. "Where's Harry? I haven't seen him all day."

Nancy slid her arm around his waist. "He called a few hours ago. He's got a lead on the Richards man, the dead farmer who supposedly bought the ketamine. Harry said he'd call again when he had something. Steven, I want you to go home. Brad's called for you twice. Your kids need you at home." She hugged him to her. "Have courage, Steven. It will be all right. I know it."

Steven dragged his palms down his face, feeling numb. Have courage, Steven . "She said that to me, the first day we met. Jenna did."

Nancy hugged him again and shoved him toward the door. "Then listen to her, Steven."

Friday, October 14, 10:00 P.M.

Helen met him with open arms. Nicky stood in the foyer, stoic and wise. Mike stood behind him, hands on Nicky's shoulders, Nicky's red hair bright against the black of Mike's robes. Matt's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. Brad stood beside him, his arm around Mart's shoulders.

No one said a word until Nicky spoke up, his little boy voice strong. "She'll come home, Daddy," he said. "You'll bring her home just like you brought me home."

Matt stifled a sob that he tried to hide.

Steven's throat closed. He dropped his chin to his chest, clenched his eyes shut, and battled to keep it all inside just a little longer. Just until he got alone, away from the boys, where they couldn't see him cry. He'd nearly shoved it all back down when two little arms wrapped around his waist and hugged tight. He opened his eyes to see Nicky's red head burrowed into his stomach. His chest heaved as his breath came shuddering out. He brushed his hands over Nicky's hair, then hoisted his little boy into his arms and hugged him with a ferocity that made Nicky protest.

"Daddy."

Steven loosened his hold, burying his face in Nicky's shoulder. "Sorry, buddy."

Nicky patted his back. "It's okay."

Mike stepped forward and took Nicky from his arms. "I think your dad needs some space, boys," he said, shepherding everyone into the kitchen. "Let's fix him some dinner."

Only Brad remained, looking at him with serious eyes. Steven cleared his throat, refusing to be embarrassed. "Nancy said you've been trying to reach me all day. I'm sorry I didn't call you back."

Brad shook his head. "It's okay, Dad. I didn't know what was happening. I never would have bothered you if I'd known."

Steven made his mouth curve. "Well, now I'm home. So tell me what's on your mind."

Brad didn't smile back. "Can we go in your office? There's something I need to say."

So they went, Steven's stomach heavy as lead. What next? What now ?

Brad shut the door and leaned back against it. "I'm only going to tell you now because I know Dr. Marshall would want me to. I went to see her today."

Steven's eyes widened. "Why?"

"To try to get her to come back to you. To show her this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper Steven instantly recognized. His eyes shot up to Brad's.