Every Precious Thing

CHAPTER SEVENTY — SIX

Erica watched as Clausen pulled out a set of lock picks and set to work on the door.

“Forgot to lock their deadbolt,” Clausen whispered with a smile. He worked the bottom lock for a few seconds before it gave in. “Too much faith in crappy hardware.”

He eased open the door wide enough for them to enter, then drew his gun and stepped inside. Erica followed.

There was a smell in the air, something musty, but not old. Like a…dog. Yes, that was it. The smell of a dog. That could be a problem. If the animal sensed their presence, it could start barking and expose them, making their job harder. Erica put a hand on Clausen’s back.

“Hold on,” she mouthed.

They held their position for half a minute, but the sound of claws running across the floor never materialized. With any luck, the dog was asleep in one of the bedrooms, or, God willing, outside.

They did quick checks of the living room, kitchen, and family room, noting dishes in the sink from a meal eaten not too long ago. Of special interest was the child’s sippy cup. It wasn’t proof that the girl was still here, but in Erica’s mind, there was no doubt now that this was where she had been hiding.

They approached the hallway that led to the bedrooms, stopping just outside it to listen.

All quiet. Too quiet.

Was no one at home? Where would they have gone? They’d obviously eaten dinner here, and if they were at all responsible, they wouldn’t be out too late with a two-year-old.

She looked into the hallway. It had a hardwood floor, partially covered by a carpet runner down the middle. The hall veered to the left, then made a ninety-degree right turn, disappearing from view. The only door visible led to a bathroom a few feet down.

Stepping all the way onto the runner, she carefully transferred her weight to minimize any sound of creaking floorboards. She repeated the process step by step down the hallway and around the corner.

There were three doors along the new section. When she reached the first, she looked in. Bedroom. It looked like a boy’s room, though clean and tidy, as if the kid who used it hadn’t been home for a while.

The bedroom at the end of the hall was clearly the master. Even the small portion Erica could see was nearly twice as wide as the room she’d just checked. If the girl was here, her bet was that she was in the room across the hall and down a little ways from where Erica was standing.

She motioned for Clausen to check the master while she checked the other room. With a nod, he moved past her down the hall.

The curtains of the last bedroom were closed, so as Erica walked in, it was hard to see much of anything. She activated the screen of her phone and swept it across the room like a flashlight.

There was a bed, a dresser, and some toys on the floor. Though the bed was unoccupied, its covers were pulled back. It was apparent from how the blankets were disturbed that whoever had been in the bed had not been very tall. A toddler, at best.

She put her hand on the sheet covering the mattress. Warm, but it was a warm night, so that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Clausen appeared in the doorway. “Empty,” he said, not bothering to even whisper. “No one’s home.”

“Then where the hell are they?” she asked.

“Movies, maybe. Out to dinner.”

“They had dinner.” Erica checked her watch. It was going on eight thirty. “And I doubt they would have taken a kid that age out to a movie at this time of night.”

Clausen shrugged. “Maybe they just went for some ice cream or something.”

“Maybe.” Wherever they’d gone, she was confident they’d return soon. “We’ll wait.”

Though the ultimate satisfaction of closing this problem was delayed, Erica was actually feeling pretty good. The girl was close. Soon she’d have possession of her, and it would all be over.

“Go get Markle and our guests, and bring them in,” she ordered. “We can tie up the two and lock them in the hallway bathroom for now.”

If I can think of a way to stage it, maybe we could even get rid of them here.

As Clausen started to turn down the hallway, there was thud in the backyard, followed almost instantly by a low groan and what sounded like a hushed voice.

“Wait,” Erica whispered.

She went to the window and carefully moved the curtain just enough so she could see out, but spotted nothing unusual.

“The dog?” Clausen suggested.

If it had only been the thud and the groan, perhaps, but Erica was sure she’d heard a human voice, too.

She let the curtain fall back into place. “We need to check.”