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touch.”
    “You, too.”
     
    ~~~
     
    “Will you be joining me tonight for the Arts Council
meeting?” Belinda Grant eyed her son warily from across the parlor. A warm fire
burned in the oversized hearth, spreading warmth into the cavernous space.
    “Not tonight, Mother. I’m afraid that I already have plans.
Benson can take you.” Graham didn’t bother looking up from his paper as he
answered.
    “Benson is not a Grant. You should really take your
responsibilities to the community more seriously, Graham.”
    “I take my responsibilities very seriously, Mother, as you
well know. And as our attorney, Benson should earn his keep. Besides, you are
enough Grant for the Arts Council, surely.”
    “You sound just like your father,” Belinda chided, picking up
her teacup.
    “Thank you,” Graham hid his smile behind the paper.
    “What are your plans?” Belinda inquired, politely.
    “Nothing that would interest you, Mother dear. I’ll be going
out before you return home. Please don’t wait up for me.”
    “Of course not, dear. You are certainly old enough to come
and go as you please.” Belinda hesitated, then asked the question that burned
in her mind. “Will you be in the company of a young lady? It’s high time you
settled down with a wife, you know.”
    “So I’ve heard,” Graham purposefully kept the malice he felt
from his voice. “As it happens, I do plan to spend the evening in the company
of a young lady. If it becomes serious, I’ll let you know.”
    “Wonderful,” Belinda practically glowed. These days, she
could imagine nothing better than to have grandchildren to spoil.
    “Indeed,” Graham shook his paper, indicating an end to the
discussion.
     
    ~~~
     
    Allison had long given up on ripping the duct tape bonds,
and her throat was raw from repeatedly screaming. Resigning herself to remaining
immobile on the uncomfortable mattress, she tried to capture tears with her
tongue, as they rolled from her eyes.
    As unnerving as the blinking red light on the camera was,
she managed to block it out, in light of everything else she felt.
    Chilled to the bone, she turned her thoughts to warm
memories of home, family, and friends in an effort to stave off the terror, and
remain calm.
    Whoever was watching probably wanted her to thrash around,
try to get free, she thought. Thinking he got off on it, she denied him the
pleasure. It was the only control she possessed, at the moment.
    As the hours passed, she remembered the events that led to
her current situation, cursed herself for the horrible decision to leave the
club alone, and imagined how different things would be, if only Trey had shown
up.
    Or if she had left with Sandy.
    Or if she had stayed home.
    Or if she had been where she told her mom she would be,
studying at Sandy’s house.
    Mom. Oh God, she thought. She must be frantic.
    “Does she even know that I’m missing?” Allison’s question
came out as a cracked whisper. “Does anyone know that I’m missing? Are they
looking for me?”
    With no way to gauge the passage of time, Allison could only
guess that she’d been in the concrete room for hours, but it could be days.
Couldn’t it?
    “Please find me, Mom. I want to go home.”
    The soft cries of the petrified young woman made her seem
years younger than her actual age.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “Kansas just issued an Amber Alert for sixteen - year - old Allison
Wells. Last known location was last night at a club called The Barn Door, in
Smathers, Nebraska.” Dylan’s clipped voice came through the phone speaker, loud
and clear. “Her mother, Trudy Wells, reported her missing shortly after school
let out today. She’s expecting your visit. I’ll text you the address.”
    “What part of Kansas?” Ethan asked, pulling off the road to
check a map.
    “Marsville, a suburb northwest of Toledo.”
    “What other details do you know?” Jeri asked.
    “According to the police report, her mother thought she was studying
at a friend’s