Jack. She avoided watching her stash of sci-fi reruns. It would be too annoying to watch the characters teleporting.
When the phone rang Sunday afternoon, her heart lurched. Was Jack finally calling? She lunged for the receiver, then mentally slapped herself. Don't act desperate.
She lifted the receiver to her ear in slow motion and assumed a bored voice. “Hello?”
“Hey, girl.”
Her shoulders slumped at the sound of LaToya's voice.
“Hey.”
“I'm getting off work soon,” LaToya said. “Meet me at Morningside Park in thirty minutes.”
“Why?”
“Can't explain now. See ya soon.” LaToya lowered her voice. “Don't forget your badge.”
“What?” Lara asked, but her roommate had already hung up. What was LaToya up to? She usually came straight home when her shift ended.
Thirty minutes later, Lara waited by the park's main entrance and spotted LaToya headed her way, still in her patrol officer's uniform.
“What's up?” Lara swung her handbag over her shoulder.
“I want to show you something.” LaToya led her toward the entrance to Columbia University. “I didn't want to talk about it while I was still at work. The case has been turned over to some detectives there, so I'm not supposed to be involved with it anymore.”
“What case?”
“A missing college student. Vanessa Carlton. My partner and I answered the nine-one-one call, then later, we turned it over to the detectives.”
“So why are we here?” Lara asked.
LaToya adjusted her sunglasses against the late afternoon glare. “I was there when the detectives questioned the girls in the dorm, and it was really weird. I kept remembering the way you described Harvey and the paramedics when they were under Jack's mind control.”
Lara flinched. “You think Jack is involved with this girl's disappearance?”
“I don't know what to think. And I couldn't tell the detectives about what happened to Harvey when he doesn't remember it. We would both look crazy.”
“That's true.”
“So I thought you'd better see these girls,” LaToya continued. “You've seen mind control before, so maybe you can tell if that's what happened to them.”
Lara's heart sank. “Okay.” She'd always known Jack was different. Unusual. But she'd never thought he was a criminal. He couldn't be involved with this. Please.
She followed LaToya into the dormitory. A bulletin board covered the wall close to the entrance. Brightly colored paper announced seminars and parties.
Girls stood in small clusters in the hallway, whispering to each other. When they noticed LaToya in her uniform, they hushed, and a silent aura of fear hovered over them.
“Officer?” one of the girls asked. “Any news about Vanessa?”
“Not yet, sorry,” LaToya said.
The girls nodded and filed into their rooms.
“This is Vanessa's room.” LaToya knocked on Room 116, then raised her voice. “NYPD.”
The door cracked, and a young woman peered out. Young, about eighteen, Lara figured. Round, chubby face and innocent eyes.
“Did you find her?” Her eyes were wide with hope.
“We're still working on it,” LaToya said. “Megan, I brought another… detective here to ask you a few questions.” LaToya motioned toward Lara. “Can we come in?”
“Sure.” Megan opened the door. “But I already told the other detectives everything I know.” She sat cross-legged on a twin-sized bed and set a bowl of M&M'S in her lap. “Want some?”
“No thank you.” Lara sat at the desk chair that was situated between the two twin beds.
LaToya perched on the other bed and removed a pad of paper and a pen from her shirt pocket.
Lara began with questions about Vanessa's schedule, her girlfriends, boyfriends, enemies, her favorite pastimes or places to hang out. LaToya busily took notes while Megan answered between mouthfuls of candy.
“Do you have a recent photo of Vanessa?” Lara asked.
“Well, the other detectives took the best one.” Megan grabbed a photo album off the desk
When the phone rang Sunday afternoon, her heart lurched. Was Jack finally calling? She lunged for the receiver, then mentally slapped herself. Don't act desperate.
She lifted the receiver to her ear in slow motion and assumed a bored voice. “Hello?”
“Hey, girl.”
Her shoulders slumped at the sound of LaToya's voice.
“Hey.”
“I'm getting off work soon,” LaToya said. “Meet me at Morningside Park in thirty minutes.”
“Why?”
“Can't explain now. See ya soon.” LaToya lowered her voice. “Don't forget your badge.”
“What?” Lara asked, but her roommate had already hung up. What was LaToya up to? She usually came straight home when her shift ended.
Thirty minutes later, Lara waited by the park's main entrance and spotted LaToya headed her way, still in her patrol officer's uniform.
“What's up?” Lara swung her handbag over her shoulder.
“I want to show you something.” LaToya led her toward the entrance to Columbia University. “I didn't want to talk about it while I was still at work. The case has been turned over to some detectives there, so I'm not supposed to be involved with it anymore.”
“What case?”
“A missing college student. Vanessa Carlton. My partner and I answered the nine-one-one call, then later, we turned it over to the detectives.”
“So why are we here?” Lara asked.
LaToya adjusted her sunglasses against the late afternoon glare. “I was there when the detectives questioned the girls in the dorm, and it was really weird. I kept remembering the way you described Harvey and the paramedics when they were under Jack's mind control.”
Lara flinched. “You think Jack is involved with this girl's disappearance?”
“I don't know what to think. And I couldn't tell the detectives about what happened to Harvey when he doesn't remember it. We would both look crazy.”
“That's true.”
“So I thought you'd better see these girls,” LaToya continued. “You've seen mind control before, so maybe you can tell if that's what happened to them.”
Lara's heart sank. “Okay.” She'd always known Jack was different. Unusual. But she'd never thought he was a criminal. He couldn't be involved with this. Please.
She followed LaToya into the dormitory. A bulletin board covered the wall close to the entrance. Brightly colored paper announced seminars and parties.
Girls stood in small clusters in the hallway, whispering to each other. When they noticed LaToya in her uniform, they hushed, and a silent aura of fear hovered over them.
“Officer?” one of the girls asked. “Any news about Vanessa?”
“Not yet, sorry,” LaToya said.
The girls nodded and filed into their rooms.
“This is Vanessa's room.” LaToya knocked on Room 116, then raised her voice. “NYPD.”
The door cracked, and a young woman peered out. Young, about eighteen, Lara figured. Round, chubby face and innocent eyes.
“Did you find her?” Her eyes were wide with hope.
“We're still working on it,” LaToya said. “Megan, I brought another… detective here to ask you a few questions.” LaToya motioned toward Lara. “Can we come in?”
“Sure.” Megan opened the door. “But I already told the other detectives everything I know.” She sat cross-legged on a twin-sized bed and set a bowl of M&M'S in her lap. “Want some?”
“No thank you.” Lara sat at the desk chair that was situated between the two twin beds.
LaToya perched on the other bed and removed a pad of paper and a pen from her shirt pocket.
Lara began with questions about Vanessa's schedule, her girlfriends, boyfriends, enemies, her favorite pastimes or places to hang out. LaToya busily took notes while Megan answered between mouthfuls of candy.
“Do you have a recent photo of Vanessa?” Lara asked.
“Well, the other detectives took the best one.” Megan grabbed a photo album off the desk
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