The Face Behind The Mask

33

Cameron followed the detective out into the hallway where her partner, Lloyd, was waiting. The corridor of the ICU hummed with nurses' quiet conversations and the sounds of medical equipment hissing and beeping.

"You told us you had the guy." Cam's face was red and getting redder. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "You said this was over!"

Orion turned to face him. "I can understand how upset you must be, Mr. McKenzie."

"Upset?" Cam's eyes bulged. "That's my daughter in there. Did you see–" He lowered his head, fighting to hold it together.

Lloyd leaned back against the wall out of the direct line of fire.

Orion met Cam's eyes and said, "There are similarities between Kelsey and the girl that was found in Ohio. For one, she was injected with Ketamine and I suspect Kelsey's bloodwork will also show Ketamine. We're concerned there may be others. We haven't been able to match DNA samples so your daughter's description is a huge help."

Lloyd nodded. "Huge."

Cam shot them a glare like he wished they'd stop talking and go away. He expected a word or two of consolation, some sign of remorse, and the fact that none was forthcoming really pissed him off.

"One more thing, Mr. McKenzie," Lloyd said in a respectful voice. "It's about your daughter's phone."

"Her phone?"

"Most kids, young people, listen to music when they're running. Or maybe she has an app that keeps track of her runs, distance, speed, frequency. Something like that."

"Yeah, I think maybe she does." Now that his anger had subsided, he looked a little unsteady on his feet.

Lloyd glanced from Cameron to Orion and back again. "We checked the area where the abduction occurred and we didn't find Kelsey's phone. It may be in the abductor's vehicle or in his possession."

Orion leaned in. "If we had her number we could track that phone."

........

As they crossed the parking lot to their car, Lloyd asked, "You driving or is it me?"

She tossed him the keys. "Be my guest."

Lloyd eased himself into the car, stuck the key into the ignition, and fastened his shoulder harness. A guy exited the car parked beside him, cupped his hand around a cigarette, lit it, and blew out a blue cloud.

Lloyd started the car. "If we weren't in a rush I'd be content to sit here and take in a few lungfuls of secondhand smoke."

"You're better than that," Orion said.

"Where'd you get an idea like that?" He backed the car out of the parking space, drove out onto the street, and merged with traffic.

Orion stared out through the windshield, sitting in silence for a minute before she said, "So we got a white male, thirties to forty–"

"That narrows it down to about half the population."

"He injects his victims with K and transports them to remote locations."

"And does what? Undresses them then kills them?"

"He's bold. He had to know the McKenzies called the cops after he tried to break in. And that didn't scare him off."

Lloyd glanced over at Patrice and she met his eyes. "He waits til her dad is gone and then he grabs her."

Lloyd shrugged. "Could be a coincidence."

"It would be worth talking to a few of the neighbors. Maybe somebody saw our man hanging around."

"Maybe." He lowered the visor, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"I'd like to circle back and interview that woman, Bella?"

"Who?"

"The woman who was with Kesley when she was abducted."

"Beth. Beth Ferretti."

"Right. Once the shock wears off, maybe something comes to mind." A notification on her phone pinged. "They got Kelsey's phone." She had that familiar flicker in her eyes like she'd move heaven and earth to redeem herself.

"Yeah?"

"Head north on 79. Looks like about seven miles away."

"He didn't get far." He wheeled through the traffic light and hit the accelerator.

........

The man occupied a McDonald's booth, eyebrows furrowed, struggling with the phone. Like a mystified toddler who'd found an old game controller, he sat there pushing buttons and shaking the device, not sure what was supposed to happen. His face contorted with three grimaces in succession.

He glanced at a booth by the window where two spirited teenage boys dressed in letterman jackets worked their way through a stack of burgers. The intoxicating aroma of french fries made his stomach grumble.

The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and slid out of the booth, the phone in his hand. The boys didn't notice him until the man was standing at their table.

"How do you work this?" He thrust the phone toward the boy with sandy brown hair.

The boy exchanged a quick glance with his friend and said, "Huh?"

"How do you work this?"

The sandy-haired kid took the iPhone. His friend sized up the peculiar man and shot the sandy-haired kid a side-eye.

When he tapped the phone, a wallpaper lock screen image of Kelsey appeared. "Whoa! Who's this?"

"Open it!" the man said.

"This isn't your phone," the kid said.

The man made a clumsy swipe for the phone but was too slow. The friend laughed.

"What're you doing with this chick's phone?" the kid asked.

The man stumbled forward and wrenched the phone from the kid's hand. The kid gave him a hard shove and rose to his feet. He was about the man's size but young and athletic and now he was agitated. "You better get right the fuck out of my face, jagoff!"

The man retreated to his booth, his facial tics coming on stronger. The brief confrontation drew attention and the man felt the weight of the stares. He left the phone on the table, scrambled out of the booth, and scurried out of the restaurant.

Twelve minutes later, Orion and Lloyd came through the door, eyes scanning. They paced through the restaurant when Patrice spotted the phone.

"Gonna check the bathrooms," said Lloyd.

Orion drew an evidence baggie from her jacket and a pen from her pocket. Using the pen, she pushed the iPhone across the table into the baggie and sealed it. She turned to the boys at the window booth.

"The guy who was sitting here," she said. "Where'd he go?"

They shrugged.

"Can you give me a description?"

The sandy-haired kid said, "Some twitchy creep. Big glasses. He wanted me to open the phone for him."

"You touched this phone?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had it in my hand and he ripped it offa me."

"Not gonna lie," said his friend waving his hand in front of his face. "He smelled like ass."