He leaned in and studied the photo of Felicia kissing a man’s cheek. “Well, I’ll be damned. Gil.”
“These were taken years ago, when she starred on that TV show.”
“It’s the slicked black hair that threw me. He looked like a movie star back in his younger days.”
“Every single photo in this file is of that time in her life, when she starred on Lost ‘n’ You.”
“Weird. Seems like she’s been living her life in the past.”
“Like a famous basketball player in town I know.”
Karl started to say something but stopped himself.
“You’d think she’d have some pictures of her daughter on here. That’s all I have on my computer, photos of Katie and Raisin growing up,” Isla said.
“What do you think it means?”
“I think it means she badly misses her old life.”
“Must be pretty sad to live in the past.”
Her phone bleated. She pulled it out, hoping the caller was Katie or Raisin. But the caller ID was blocked. She answered the phone and, to her surprise, heard Raisin’s voice.
“Raisin! Where are you?”
“I don’t know, but I found Katie and Willow,” he whispered. “Someone grabbed them and put them downstairs, in a basement. I snuck upstairs and found this phone and decided to call you.”
“Why did you sneak off with Katie?”
“She had no idea that I hid inside Dad’s truck. She wouldn’t have let me come with her if she knew.”
“Do you know why this person took Katie and Willow?”
“I don’t know anything, Mom. I just want them rescued.”
“Do you know who did this to them?”
“I don’t know that, either.”
“You need to be careful, Raisin. If the person knows you’re in their house, they might try to grab you, too.”
“Think I don’t know that? It’s why I’m whispering.”
“Do you know where you’re at?”
“I can’t tell. It’s too dark outside.”
“Can you find out and tell me your whereabouts?”
“You’re going to be really mad at me, Mom.”
“It’s okay, honey. I promise you I won’t.”
“I really want to find out where I am, but there’s one problem.”
“What is it?”
“I’m feeling really dizzy.”
Her worst fear was becoming reality. “Is Scout with you?”
“I had to leave Scout behind in order to stay with Katie.”
“Okay, honey, stay calm and relax. We’ll find you, no matter what it takes.”
“Oh crap.”
“What is it, Raisin?”
She heard another voice in the background. Then she heard Raisin shouting at someone to leave him alone. Suddenly the line went dead. Isla felt all the blood drain from her face.
“What, Isla? Is he okay?”
“No, he’s not okay. Whoever took Katie and Willow has just found my son.”
“Oh no! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s worse than that. He’s having a diabetic reaction and has no medicine.” She turned to him. “He could die, Karl.”
“Then we need to find him as soon as possible.”
KARL
THEY FACED THE WORST POSSIBLE SITUATION. HE COULDN’T IMAGINE how he would feel were it his own child in jeopardy. Double jeopardy, as it was, and not in the legal way. Raisin faced his mortality both from external and internal forces, now that his blood sugars had flared up at the worst possible time.
Once again, Karl had no answers. Their only hope had been if Raisin somehow managed to tell them his location. But he couldn’t even do that. Not knowing where the kid was ate away at him. As a cop, he needed to be assertive and have a strategy always at hand. But now he had no idea what to do, and it made him feel powerless.
Isla paced back and forth in the room, thumbnail wedged between her teeth. He thought it incredible that she was able to keep herself together for the sake of her kids. Most women would have collapsed in a pool of their own tears. But not Isla Eaves. It was one of the reasons he so admired her.
He convinced her to get into the cruiser, telling her that the state police had brought in police dogs to help locate Raisin. They just needed to get a piece of his clothing in order to track his scent—and fast. She rocked in her seat as he drove to her home, and he knew that every second mattered.
He had sped off the bridge and was turning right onto Bay Road when he saw something at the top of the hill. Two glowing eyes approached his vehicle. Whatever it was, it was running straight downhill and toward them. There were lots of deer in town. And moose, too. Was this