HazardsDare (32 page)

“I called her home and cell numbers. Could she have car
trouble?”

“Not very likely, her CR-V is brand new. Doc helped her pick
it out when she moved here. Give it a few more minutes. If she doesn’t call or
show, call me back.”

“I will,” Hazard mumbled, ending the call.

Ten more minutes passed, increasing his concern. He didn’t
wait longer to call Alex.

“Alex, there’s been nothing from her for too long. I’m going
to rent a car. I’ll make my way to her apartment.”

“If she’s tied up in traffic, she won’t answer her phone or
text. She doesn’t have Bluetooth on the phone and doesn’t like the hands-free
earpiece. Let me call Ethan. He’s in Boston with his wife right now. I’ll see
if he can find out anything regarding traffic reports or accidents.”

“Okay, I’ll wait.” Hazard ended the call, looking about him
in the hopes of seeing a small SUV pulling up. There were plenty of cars
pulling up for passengers, some were CR-Vs, none were Avery’s.

An unfamiliar call came through his cell. A quick check of
the screen showed E. Maddox.

“Hello, Detective Maddox,” Hazard answered.

“Forget the formality. Alex Grant’s freaking out and gave me
your contact information. You okay, my man?”

“I’m worried. Avery should be here by now.”

“I’m on my way to you. I’ve checked traffic reports and
dispatch, there are no accidents through the tunnel or along routes she might
have taken to reach the airport. Boston traffic is always a bitch.”

“If it’s a problem, I can call a taxi or rent a car.”

“It’s not.”

“Something’s wrong, Ethan, I feel it.”

“I hear you. Morgan’s with me. She’s upset.”

“She knows something’s wrong?”

“She’s getting one of her visions. You’ve no idea how much
this shit scares me right now. But making sure Avery’s all right is the only
reason I’m not shaking Morgan out of what she’s going through.”

“Will it make her sick or hurt the baby? Avery told me Morgan’s
pregnant.”

“The baby will be fine. When she has a vision, she often
gets a migraine. At this point, I’m ending this call so I can drive safely.”

“Be safe, bro.”

“You got it.”

Through conversations with Avery during the week, he knew
that Alex had contacted Sawyer Hamilton regarding his investigation of John
Redman. From what they’d discovered, including PI Phalen Maddox’s research,
Redman’s bank account and ATM usages showed that the former ballplayer was in
Kentucky.

Why he started thinking about Redman, Hazard didn’t know and
didn’t like the direction of his thoughts. But no matter what he did as he
stood outside the airport terminal, he couldn’t stop worrying about the
possibility that John Redman was the reason Avery was missing.

Ten minutes later, an Acura sedan drew up to the curb, Ethan
hopped out to open the trunk and let Hazard stow his carryon. “Let’s go,
Osbourne.”

“Call me Hazard,” he told the detective.

“Got it,” Ethan said. “Climb in.”

Hazard saw that Morgan was in the front passenger seat, her
face cast downward. She wasn’t asleep, but he didn’t disturb her as he folded
himself into the backseat.

Out of precaution, he waited for Ethan’s cue to speak. He
didn’t want to cause Morgan unnecessary discomfort.

“How you doing, Hazard?” Ethan asked softly.

“Feels like I’ve been bowled over by a three-hundred-pound
center,” Hazard admitted, doing his best to copy Ethan’s calm tone. “Have you
gotten any news from Alex?”

“He went to Avery’s apartment. She wasn’t there and her
car’s gone. But it was obvious that she was preparing for you to arrive. There
was no evidence of a struggle or any visible reason to worry.”

“Here’s where the inevitable
but
comes in,” Hazard
said.

“Not long after Morgan and I got home, she had the feeling
that something was wrong with Avery. She became spacy and kept talking about
cookies.”

Hazard grimaced. “Cookies?”

“Avery’s where the cookies are,” Morgan murmured so softly
Hazard barely heard her from the backseat.

“One thing I’ve learned, Morgan’s visions are usually spot
on. They may not make sense right now, but they will when we get to Avery’s
apartment.”

“Do you know anything about Phalen’s investigation of John
Redman?”

“My brother’s been communicating with your friend out in
Nevada. Redman’s supposedly in Kentucky. He’s rented an apartment and has put
in job applications around Louisville at sporting goods stores.”

“Sawyer Hamilton discovered that Redman served time for his
involvement in an illegal porn ring. Avery told me the other night that her
brother and Redman had a brief history.”

“Phalen confirmed what your friend told you. Alex told us
about his relationship with John Redman. We’re not sure why he took an interest
in Avery. Alex suspects it was a way to get back at him.”

“So I’m right to worry. You all think her disappearance has
to do with Redman.”

“It’s a suspicion, mainly because we don’t know what
happened to his boyfriend, Billy,” Ethan stated. “He’s totally off the grid.
Try not to worry, Hazard. We’ll find her.”

“I’ll try. Can’t promise anything,” Hazard admitted.

“Phalen knows Avery better than I do, but from what I do
know of her, she’s smart and savvy. My partner, Sam Riley, is already heading
up a group to search Salem and Danvers.”

“If I don’t say it later, thank you for helping.”

“Anything for a friend, we’ll find her.”

Hazard hoped so. It was unnerving to hear Morgan whisper
things that came to her mind as Ethan drove them toward Danvers.

As worried as he was for Avery, he shared Ethan’s concern
about Morgan’s headache and only spoke if Ethan asked him something or to help
calm Morgan when she muttered or rubbed at her temple.

She kept focusing on cookies.

Hazard prayed she was right.

Where the cookies were, Avery would be.

Hazard had no real idea how long it took to reach Avery’s apartment
complex.

He didn’t bother getting his carryon bag out of Ethan’s car
when they parked in a spot designated for Avery’s apartment. Worry had begun to
gnaw at his insides and all he saw was the empty parking space with her number
painted on the front curb.

Where was her CR-V?

The second they headed across the parking lot, Alex Grant
came out of the apartment building and headed straight for them. Ryan Hathaway
and Phalen Maddox were right behind Alex, each man looking serious and
concerned.

“Have you heard anything?” Hazard asked, looking at Alex.

“Wish I could say yes.”

“Sam Riley phoned me a couple of minutes ago. Said the Salem
and Danvers police department have officers searching the area for Avery’s
vehicle,” Phalen commented. “Taran’s helping in the search of the area.”

“Could she have been carjacked?” Hazard questioned, not
wanting to think that way.

“It’s a possibility,” Phalen answered. “Her car keys aren’t
in the apartment. When you see it, you’ll know that she had everything prepared
for her weekend with you.”

“The winter coat she normally wears with a dress is gone and
there’s an empty dry cleaner bag and hanger on the back of the bedroom door.
Makeup’s a bit scattered around the bathroom, but that’s not unusual for my
sister,” Alex said.

Outwardly, Alex Grant appeared calm. However, Hazard could
tell Alex was worried. Dark as it was outside, streetlamps reflected the
concern in his eyes. His jaw was tight, his words clipped.

“Have you found the cookies?” Morgan interrupted.

“What cookies, darlin’?” Phalen questioned softly.

“Can we get my wife inside?” Ethan interjected.

Dr. Hathaway came forward and immediately went to Morgan’s
side, touching her forehead gently. “You sure you want to do this, Morgan?”

“Hmm,” she answered, nodding. “Need to see Avery’s
apartment.”

“Come on, honey, I’ve got you.” Ethan took over, putting his
arm around her waist and tucking her closer to his side. The moment she was
held by her husband, she appeared more settled and calm.

Hazard followed them, feeling out of step. There were
dynamics within this group of friends he hadn’t been privy to yet, but he
couldn’t concern himself with that. They were friends now and he needed to
focus.

A firm hand fell on his shoulder. He turned and looked at
Alex Grant, only then feeling that same hand tremble. “If Avery’s missing
because of me, Hazard, feel free to kick my ass.”

“How would it be your fault?” Hazard stopped to look at his
agent.

“We can speculate all we want,” Alex answered. “We both know
John Redman has something to do with her disappearance. When we find him, if I
don’t kill him, do it for me.”

“If he harms Avery in any way, he’s a dead man. I’ll let you
get some licks in no matter what happens.”

“Deal,” Alex said and squeezed his fingers just enough to
let Hazard know that his agent intended to kick Redman’s ass if it turned out
he was responsible for what happened to Avery.

Alex let Hazard take the lead as they walked up the path to
the apartment building’s entrance. As a lot of apartment complexes went, it was
pretty standard, with eight separate buildings and enough parking spaces and
walkways between them to offset each one.

The entrance looked a little aged, though a locking
mechanism on the door looked brand new. There was also a modern speaker system
along the wall with a cluster of mailboxes. A security camera was aimed
directly at the door.

“Is the security setup on this door new?” Hazard asked Alex.

“Yes. Not long ago, Cassie was the target of a psychopath.
Phalen made sure this building and the whole complex revamped their security
system. He did the same for Cassie’s diner and Morgan’s shop in Salem.”

“That’s right, I remember everyone talking about that at the
telethon. You did a good thing getting your athletes up here for that cause.”

“Cassie’s my friend. I couldn’t let her down, much less the
victims who have to endure the misconceptions or long-term effects of abuse.”

Hazard agreed, although grew quiet when he stepped into
Avery’s apartment.

It was small, but she’d transformed it into a cozy home. The
furniture was a mixture of comfort and design from a company called Stressless,
which featured easy chairs and sofas designed for back, leg and neck comfort.

At the moment, Morgan reclined in the easy chair, her eyes
closed. Ryan stayed close to her, but Ethan knelt on the floor by her side.

The small kitchen was spotless, with appliances that
belonged in a retro sitcom. On just about every conceivable surface, candles
awaited to be lit. A small dinette table set off to the right of the kitchen
was set with dinnerware, wine goblets and a small bouquet of flowers.

Phalen came out of what Hazard assumed was the bedroom. “It
sure looks to me like Avery left here with the intent to meet you. The candle
theme continues in the bedroom, twin roses are on the bed and there’s a bottle
of fine tequila, two shot glasses, salt and a dish of lime wedges covered in
plastic wrap.”

“Alex mentioned a dry cleaner bag,” Hazard said.

Phalen inclined his head. “My guess is she’s wearing
whatever had been on that hanger. I checked her closet, she’d stowed her
crutches and the ankle brace.”

Hazard let out a deep, angry growl. “Fuck!” The red dress,
she was wearing the red dress.

“You have a clue as to what she might be wearing?” Phalen
asked, coming up close to Hazard.

“It’s a guess. I’d say she’s wearing a red cocktail dress.
She wore it her first night in Dare. Redman saw her in it and made a beeline to
her. I witnessed it from the stage. My friend Jax watched out for her until I
could get there and protect her.”

Ethan straightened up from where he’d been kneeling next to
his wife in order to gently massage her temples. “I’m going to text Sam to let
her know about the dress. It’ll aid the police in their search.” The detective
quickly tapped his cellphone screen and tucked the phone away.

Phalen pointed to his phone. “I’ve been corresponding with
Sawyer Hamilton since we found out Avery’s been missing. He discovered John
Redman and his boyfriend were in Reno the same time Avery was.”

“During the convention, you mean?” Hazard asked, needing
some clarification.

“Yes, including the same hotel. The boyfriend left Reno two
days before the physical therapist convention ended. Redman arrived in Dare the
same day as Avery did. The couple ended up renting a cabin owned by Grainger’s
cousin. Apparently, he needed to hide from the press due to rumors of steroid
abuse.”

“The steroid use was likely true,” Hazard said.

“Hamilton concluded the same thing.” Phalen went to stand by
Morgan. “How are you doing, darlin’?”

“Confused,” Morgan answered softly.

“How can we help you, honey?” Ethan leaned down close to
her, shifting to grab his wife’s hand.

“Find the cookies,” she said yet again.

Ethan looked up. “Is there anything in the kitchen that
suggests Avery made cookies recently?”

From the middle of the room, Hazard could see that the
kitchen was spotless except for the candles. Avery had been planning a romantic
evening to celebrate the Griffins’ win.

It was a little uncomfortable to be among her brother and
friends and know that they were as aware of the romantic touches she’d left
around the apartment as Hazard was.

Hazard needed to do something or he’d go into berserker
mode. Walking into the kitchen, he cracked open the refrigerator and saw she’d
stocked it with enough food to last them through the weekend. She’d bought his
favorite water, iced tea and six-packs of beer and soda.

There was an excellent bottle of wine being chilled,
strawberries, chocolate sauce and several cans of whipped cream. It didn’t help
that he immediately envisioned Avery wearing nothing but chocolate and whipped
cream.

Slamming the door closed, he turned around. “I don’t think
she baked cookies. She wouldn’t have had time to do that and prepare all this,”
he said, gesturing to the candles.

Simultaneously, Morgan became more agitated. “I need to move
around,” she said.

Ethan made a motion to Ryan, who actually helped her stand.
Hazard didn’t understand why, but the detective didn’t touch her. He did stay
close, but gave her space to walk around and touch things.

The freaky part was Morgan’s eyes. They were open, yet it
was as if she could see something that wasn’t in the room. Whenever she touched
an object, she spoke, telling them that Avery had been happy as she set the
dinette table and planned meals over the weekend.

In the kitchen, Morgan touched the refrigerator, but didn’t
open it. She let out a girly giggle, saying, “Hmm…not a bad way to celebrate
Hazard’s victory. She’d gone shopping for supplies on her way home from the
castle. After stocking the fridge, she went on her computer to Google a
recipe.”

Morgan went over to the coffee table and touched the laptop
sitting there, becoming more agitated. “He’s a bastard. She didn’t realize he
was spying on her whenever she used the computer.”

“Honey, have you any idea who was spying on her?” Ethan
asked patiently.

Morgan shook her head no.

Hazard joined Morgan at the coffee table and picked up
Avery’s MacBook. “Can you tell me any more, Morgan? If it hurts too much, don’t
push yourself.”

She reached out and touched the computer again. Ethan
remained close. Ryan stayed to her left, supporting her with his hand at her
back.

“Two people spied, I believe they’re men. They’d watch her
and track her movements from their bedroom. Whenever she opened the computer,
the video camera would go on. Her preoccupation with getting back to work and
missing you and the friends she’d made while on vacation kept her from
noticing.”

Morgan stepped back, allowing Hazard to hit a key on the
keyboard. The screen came to life, revealing a recipe for tequila sunrise.

“Did you find anything?” Alex asked.

“A recipe,” Hazard answered. “Wait a second…”

The sound alerted him to open the video chat service they’d
been using all week. He fired up the camera and his face and the background
came into view on one chat window.

He fiddled a second, as he was more familiar with PCs than
Macs, and another screen opened, revealing Avery gagged and bound to a bed that
looked as if it belonged in a porn flick made in the seventies.

Her eyes were glued on someone or something across the room.
Though she looked scared, she was also angry.

Angry himself, the only thing that kept Hazard from
shattering the MacBook was the knowledge that Avery was fully clothed and she
didn’t look injured. Seeing her helpless on that bed made him want to pound his
fist into the cameraman’s face.

“She’s on camera right now.” Wary of showing Alex the video
screen, he carried it to his agent.

Alex glanced at it once. “What have I done to my sister?”

“This isn’t your fault,” Hazard stated. “If Redman’s the videographer
right now, we’ll find him and I’ll crush him.”

“We’ll save her,” Alex said, offering his hand. “Then we’ll
crush him.”

“Deal,” Hazard agreed, shaking his agent’s hand.

Phalen came over, respectfully avoiding the computer screen.
“Any hint as to where she is?”

“Not yet,” Hazard said.

“Ryan, were you friendly with your neighbor…Vivian?” Morgan
headed straight for the apartment.

“Vivian Albright lives across the hall and down one
apartment,” Ryan answered. “When Alex and I lived here, we kept an eye on her.”

“She knocked on the door,” Morgan said. “She asked about
you.”

Hazard kept his attention on the computer screen. If he
could, he’d switch places with Avery.

“I’m not great with computers, but I know enough to think
whoever’s filming Avery can make the video go viral. What he plans to do with
her on cam scares me.”

“When Avery was growing up she had the reputation of a
levelheaded good girl. Kentucky press liked when she consented to interviews
because she came across as someone of strong moral character.”

“She’s still that way, Alex,” Hazard assured.

“No matter what happens, make sure you remember that.”

“Avery restored my faith in commitment. She is the kind of
woman I want to spend my life with.”

“Are you talking marriage already? The two of you spent a
week together,” Alex reminded. “A little soon for that, don’t you think?”

“We’re still new together. But eventually, yes, I’d marry
Avery if it’s what she wanted. That’s a decision I’ll make with her, when the
time’s right.”

“Alex, I’m going with Morgan and Ethan to check on Mrs.
Albright,” Ryan interrupted.

“Be right there,” Alex said. “Keep an eye on her.”

“I am,” Hazard vowed.

He couldn’t look away. As much as it killed him to be
staring at Avery tied with ropes to a bed draped in gaudy faux fur and topped
with a heavy canopy, he tried to gauge where she was being held or spy a
glimpse of who was filming her.

The cameraman walked in a half-circle around the bed,
zooming in close to get a full view of Avery’s cleavage and mistakenly
revealing himself in the mirror hanging on the wall above the head of the bed.

“Phalen?” Hazard shouted.

“Right here,” Phalen answered.

“Redman’s not the only one who has Avery. I just spied his
boyfriend, Billy Grainger. He’s the cameraman.”

“We should have dug deeper into the baseball player’s past.”

Ryan returned to the apartment, followed close by his
friends and Alex. “Mrs. Albright wasn’t next door. I still had an emergency
door key on my key ring and used it.”