Page 81 of Mountain Refuge

“Good luck.” He smiled. “We’ll be here waiting for you.”

Knowing he waited gave her strength. With heavy steps, she climbed the porch steps and pressed the doorbell.

A man who looked to be in his forties answered the door. “If you’re selling something, you’re wasting your time.” He started to close the door.

“No, sir, Mr. West. I’m here on behalf of the Misty Hollow PD.”

His brow furrowed. “Why? I’ve already spoken to the Langley police.”

“They’ve asked for my help in finding your daughter. May I come in?”

“What can you do that they can’t?”

“Find your daughter.” Tracy stood at the bottom of the steps, a frustrated Ryan behind her.

He shrugged. “Sorry. She ran out before I could stop her.”

Tracy moved closer. “She can find her the same way she found me.”

The man glanced from Tracy to Taya and back again. “Okay. Come in.”

“I told you to stay in the car.” Heat climbed Taya’s neck. She groaned and followed the man inside. So much for promises she might not be able to keep. “Stay, Betty.” Even the dog wouldn’t mind her. Betty lay on the porch, head on her paws.

Inside, framed photos of the man, a woman, and a pretty teenage girl lined the mantel over the fireplace. Down a short hallway, Taya spotted more photos.

“Please. Sit. I’ll go get my wife. She…spends a lot of time in bed.” He shuffled away.

The three of them squeezed onto a striped sofa.

“I could tell he wasn’t going to let you in.” Tracy crossed her arms. “So, I came to help. To give them some hope.”

“What if I fail?” Taya gripped her phone hard enough to make her knuckles ache.

“You won’t. Taya, you never fail.”

Wishing she had her niece’s optimism, she faced the doorway at the sound of footsteps.

“You can find my baby?” A red-eyed woman entered the room and made a beeline for the sofa. “This girl with you was taken?”

Taya took a deep breath. “This is my niece. Yes, she was taken a little over six months ago. It took me a while, but I did find her and rescued her, along with a few others. I’m hoping to do the same for your daughter.”

“How much? We’ll pay whatever you’re asking.”

Taya held up her hands. “No, you don’t understand. I’m helping the police. I’m not doing this for profit. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“We’ll tell you anything if it helps get Lacey back.” The woman took her husband’s hand and pulled him onto the matching loveseat. “Do you want to take notes?” She grabbed a small notepad from the end table and handed it to Taya.

The woman’s eagerness and hope shone from weary eyes.

Taya’s throat seized. She cleared it and opened the notepad. “Lacey. Blond. Blue Eyes. Any distinguishing marks?”

“She has a birthmark on her inside right elbow,” the father said. “Kind of looks like the state of Texas if you use your imagination.”

Taya wrote that down. “Where was she…taken?”

“From outside the dance studio. When she didn’t call or arrive home on time, I went looking for her. My wife’s car, a Nissan, was still parked in the lot. No one saw Lacey talking to anyone. No one saw her get into a vehicle. It’s like she vanished.” He glanced at Tracy. “Was it like that for you?”

Tracy nodded. “I was outside a coffee shop, except it was me and my best friend. A really cute guy came up and started talking to us. We didn’t think anything of it when he started moving down the sidewalk. We just went with him. When we reached the corner, a white van pulled up, and two men jumped out. Before we knew what was happening, we were inside, blindfolded and tied up. It happened very fast.”

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