The Executioner

Eighty-Seven

Garcia picked Hunter up at 7:00 a.m.

After a marathon of phone calls the night before, Mrs. Adams, Gardena High School’s librarian, had agreed to meet them at the school at 7:30.

‘I found Mollie,’ Hunter said as Garcia joined Hollywood Freeway heading northwest.

The statement caught Garcia by surprise, and he glanced at Hunter. ‘What, really? How?’

‘Actually, she found me. She called me last night.’

‘What did she say? Where is she?’

‘It took some convincing, but I booked her a room at the Travel Inn just a few blocks from my apartment.’

‘You booked her a room? Is she OK?’ Garcia asked, concerned.

‘She’s scared. She was about to run away.’

‘Where to?’

Hunter tilted his head. ‘Anywhere but here.’

Garcia thought about it for a moment. ‘Because of the newspaper article?’

Hunter nodded. ‘She told me a little bit more about herself last night. She was abused in every possible way. She’s terrified her father will find her.’

‘How can you guarantee she won’t run away from us again?’

‘I can’t. But I’m earning her trust.’

Garcia knew no one who inspired trust more than Hunter.

‘I gave her a prepaid cell phone. Our numbers are programmed in and it’s equipped with GPS. I told her never to turn it off.’

They hit heavy traffic as they merged into Harbor Freeway.

‘She had another vision.’

Garcia stared at Hunter in anticipation. ‘A new victim?’

A quick head shake and Garcia let out a relieved breath. ‘What did she see this time?’

Hunter ran through everything Mollie had told him the night before. Traffic started to ooze through, but Garcia didn’t notice.

‘New Year’s Day? What does it mean?’

‘I’m not sure, but Mollie was certain it meant something to the killer. Something important.’

‘Maybe it’s when the killer plans to strike again,’ Garcia ventured.

Hunter closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. ‘Or the day he plans to end it. Maybe it means that they’ll all be dead by New Year’s Day.’

‘All? How many is all?’

‘I’m not sure, but whatever she meant by New Year’s Day, it doesn’t give us much time.’

‘Nine days, to be exact.’

Hunter understood and shared Garcia’s frustration. So far they had nothing concrete, no real leads, just suppositions based on the little they knew and the visions of a seventeen-year-old girl.

Angry drivers sounded their horns. Garcia inched his car forward.

‘Did she see any reasoning behind any of this? Why the killer is going after these people? Anything to do with the schools or the students at all?’

A quick head shake.

They drove the rest of the way in silence.