Elizabeth Heiter - Vanished

“What?” Evelyn asked. She was sweating and thirsty, and the sun was beating down, no cloud cover in sight. The salty, humid air felt thick in her lungs. And the thought that Cassie could be buried under one of the dunes she was trudging over made chills dance across her sweat-drenched skin.

Because if Darnell was the Nursery Rhyme Killer, maybe she was right and he wanted to “discover” the bodies. Or maybe he was simply getting a thrill out of having her—an intended victim who was now investigating him—walk over them.

Of course, if he was worried that after eighteen years someone suspected him again, he could also be desperate. And desperate meant dangerous.

Darnell slowed down, eased in next to her. “Well, come on. No one wants to say it, but everyone knows. None of those girls were found eighteen years ago. The same guy is back now.” He raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

When she didn’t respond, he pressed, “They lure you into these search parties with the idea that you could help rescue this poor little girl. But let’s be honest. We’re looking for her body.”

An image flashed through Evelyn’s mind, and the shock made her slide partway down the dune. An image of a girl with blond ringlets bouncing in pigtails, sky-blue eyes dancing with happiness, a quick smile for everyone she met. Cassie.

The last time Evelyn had seen her, they’d played hide-and-seek in Cassie’s backyard. Evelyn had felt so free, felt she’d finally fit in somewhere, like she had a real home, a friendship that would last a lifetime. Instead, that day marked the last time she’d really been a child.

Anger swelled in her. Had this man taken that away from her? Taken Cassie?

The glare of the sun over the crystal-brown sand dimmed as Evelyn’s hand instinctively jerked toward her weapon.

When she spun around, Darnell was right there, so close that if she breathed too deeply they’d be touching. She recognized the look in his eyes because she’d seen it before, usually in interrogation rooms. His words were meant to get a reaction.

His lips twitched, something wanting to break free. A snarl? A smile? But he held it back, staring her down, triumph in his eyes.

And she realized what she’d done. She’d gotten distracted, thinking of Cassie. She’d let him get too close.

She was armed, yes, but in the time it took to clear her weapon from its holster, he could take her down with sheer bulk. She could run, but which way? She was at the base of two dunes, with no idea how to get out.

Triumph showed on Darnell’s face, telling her he could sense her fear.

And damn it, that infuriated her. It ignited all the anger she’d buried under mountains of survivor’s guilt and mourning.

So, he had a hundred pounds on her, all of it muscle. She had hand-to-hand training from the FBI. And she wasn’t going down without a fight.

She leaned her head back so he could see it in her eyes.

He was taken aback, like most bullies, when he realized sheer intimidation wouldn’t do it. A flash of surprise, of panic, appeared in Darnell’s eyes. He hid it fast and lifted his hand.

Evelyn instinctively jumped backward, her hands coming up fisted.

“Move back now!”

Evelyn identified the deep baritone instantly, and Darnell reacted to the order by calmly raking his hand through his hair. Then he took his time stepping away from her.

Finally Evelyn looked up, over the top of the dune, and right at Kyle, who was walking toward them, his weapon sighted on Darnell.

“Evelyn and I were just helping with the search,” Darnell said, sounding way too calm for someone who had a weapon aimed at his head. “You always this trigger-happy, man?”

Not lowering his weapon or taking his gaze off Darnell, Kyle held his hand out for her.

Evelyn took it, and he tugged her up the dune next to him as if she weighed nothing, barely even adjusting his weight. Only then did Kyle holster his weapon.

But his hand still lingered close to it, and Evelyn recognized the battle-hardened look in Kyle’s eyes as his “mission face.” For someone who usually seemed laid-back and approachable, right now Kyle looked exactly like the trained operator he was.

Darnell clearly saw it, because he kept his movements slow and his hands away from his pockets as Kyle indicated that he should move in front of them.

“You need to sign in with the rest of the searchers,” Kyle said as the three of them started walking out of the dunes.

“How do you know I didn’t?” Darnell parried.

“Because when I asked around about where Evelyn was, I heard I wasn’t the only one looking for her.”

Darnell had told people he wanted to find her? That meant he probably hadn’t intended to harm her, just to intimidate.

As her adrenaline level decreased, Evelyn cursed herself for screwing this up. If she’d stayed focused, she might have gotten him to slip up.

Darnell shrugged, glancing back at Kyle. “Evelyn was the one who told me about the girl’s abduction. She mentioned the search, so I figured I’d join her.”

As they stepped out of the dunes and onto the high grass alongside a parking lot full of beachgoers, Evelyn put her hand on Kyle’s arm. When he turned to her, she gave a quick shake of her head. A silent request not to warn Darnell to stay away from her.

She’d trained in psychology for years before arriving at BAU, which was its own specialized course in how the most dangerous minds worked. And every bit of her training was telling her that Darnell would seek her out again.

Next time, she’d be prepared. She wouldn’t let him catch her alone and off guard. Next time, he wouldn’t be the only one playing mind games.

Because he might have spent his whole life fooling people, but her job was to get into his head and make him give her the truth. And her job was the biggest part of her life.

She knew Kyle didn’t like it, but he kept quiet as Darnell glanced between them, obviously expecting a threat.

When none came, amusement glimmered in his eyes. “I’ll be back to help some more later. Can’t let this guy get away with it.”

He sauntered away, then called over his shoulder, “See you soon, Evelyn.”

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