Chapter 9

NINE

Icy patches on the road glistened as Styles drove toward the mine entrance. The security around the mine surprised him. In Rattlesnake Creek they had security, but nothing like this sapphire mine. Metal gates spanned the entrance and on one side a small building housed a security guard. He flicked a glance at Beth. "I wonder if we'll hit pay dirt twice in one day and that's where Shoebridge is working."

"I guess we're going to find out soon enough." Beth pulled her cred pack from her pocket and held it up as they approached the building.

A man in his late twenties strolled out to greet them. Styles pulled out his cred pack and held it up as he buzzed down the window. "We're looking for Ethan Shoebridge. Can you point us in the right direction?"

"Just a minute." The security guard turned away. "I'll call the office and see where he's at."

Styles drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they waited. "I wonder why the hold-up."

"Beats me." Beth yawned. "I need coffee."

Hunger gnawed at Styles' belly and the thought of eating made him salivate, but he wanted Shoebridge more. He planned to wring every ounce of information out of the pathetic excuse for a man and then go and find the doctor. "Yeah, me too."

The time ticked by and at least ten minutes later the man came out rubbing the back of his neck. "I couldn't locate him. He must be around here somewhere. He's not answering his radio."

"You'd have seen him if he left the premises, right?" Beth leaned toward the security guard.

"Yeah, usually." The security guard frowned. "Unless he took the backroad. I'm not sure if he has a remote for the back gate. It's for emergencies, like fires or a cave-in."

Exasperated, Styles let out a long sigh. "Where does he park his vehicle? I know you'll have a list of vehicles in your office. We need to know right away if he's left the mine."

"Okay." The security guard ducked back inside the office, emerging a few minutes later with a clipboard. He flipped through the pages and looked at Styles. "I figured I knew his truck by sight, but I was just checking to make sure of the license number." He read the details from his list. "The parking lot is straight ahead and to the right. The security guard parking is in the first row as you enter the parking lot. If he's not there, he's left the premises by the back gate." He turned and walked back into his office.

The huge iron gate ground open like a squeaky wheel that needed oil. Styles drove through and followed the road to the parking lot. He crawled the SUV along the line of parked vehicles, scanning the makes and the license plates as they went by. When they got to the end of the first parking bay, he drove from one end of the parking lot to the other, slowly scanning each of the vehicles. He looked on one side and Beth on the other, but the truck in question was nowhere to be seen. He turned to Beth. "He's not here. Somehow he's been warned we were coming. Don't tell me we have another crooked cop in this town."

"Oh, no. I believe this is my fault." Beth stared at him and one hand went to her mouth. "The purse I gave Ginny, it had a phone inside. I didn't think she'd call him, Styles. I'm sorry." She stared at him with round eyes. "I didn't think of her as a suspect as she is a victim. I gave her the purse as it contained personal items I thought she might need."

Wiping a hand down his face, Styles stared at her. Beth never made mistakes like this. He shook his head slowly, not knowing what to say. "Did you miss the part when she said she loved him? Of course she called him and warned him we were coming. Call the local sheriff and get an APB out on him and his truck." He sucked in a deep breath. "Although it's probably pointless. He'll be in the wind by now."

As Beth made the call, Styles scanned on his phone for the address of Dr. Benson out of Blackwater. He got the number and made the call. "This is FBI Agent Styles. I'm trying to locate Dr. Benson. Is he in today?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Styles, Dr. Benson left due to a personal emergency about twenty minutes ago. He was heading out of town and said he won't be back for the rest of the week and to cancel his appointments."

Styles rolled his eyes. "Okay, thanks."

He used the mobile data terminal to run the doctor's name to discover what vehicle he was driving and the license plate. He found the information quickly and indicated to the screen. "While you have the sheriff on the line, give him this information. We want an APB out on Dr. Benson as well. Seems like the grapevine moves like lightning in these parts." He turned the SUV around and headed for town. "We might as well find a place to grab a bite to eat. By the time we're done, the judge should have issued a search warrant. If we can't catch the players in this tragedy, then I'm wasting no time going through the house. No doubt, Shoebridge's den is filled with evidence. Man, he had Ginny so confused she didn't even think to question him, did she?"

"From the concoction of drugs he was feeding her, I'm surprised she knew what day it was, Styles." Beth squeezed his arm. "Don't blame her for calling him. She did what she thought was best. For many years he's been the person who has cared for her. Brainwashed her, yes, but she didn't understand what was happening did she? She was ten years old, Styles. Ten. She lost her childhood. She witnessed what had happened to her repeatedly, and all the time Shoebridge told her he was helping the girls just like he did her. Now she believes what happened to her is normal."

Incredulous, Styles shook his head. "She went to high school and could have told her teacher. They have counselors there and she could have confided in one of them. Why didn't she? It makes no sense whatsoever."

"Going to high school didn't make any difference because the damage was already done." Beth's forehead creased into a deep frown. "I know how she felt. I went to high school and never told a soul that I was being abused. I was embarrassed but I knew it was wrong and ran away many times. I had street smarts, but she was a little girl who spent most of her time in shock, believing everyone she loved was dead. Pedophiles are so convincing, and at ten she didn't understand anything was wrong. He offered her comfort, at least at first. I understand why she never said a word when he told her not to tell anyone." She chewed on her bottom lip. "You know this has happened before to many kids. It's not the first time you've seen this, is it?"

Shaking his head, Styles looked at her and allowed the anger to slide away. "Nope. I've seen it many times. Abducted kids get attached to the monsters that took them. I just didn't believe it would happen to Ginny. My mother told her that men weren't allowed to touch her. She said it so often, like on a daily basis. It's as if she had a premonition this would happen." He pulled into a parking spot outside a diner and gave her a long look, searching her face. For once, he could see deep regret in her expression. Beth rarely showed emotion. In fact, he couldn't recall when he'd last seen her worried about anything apart from his dog. "It's not your fault. You showed compassion to a victim, is all. Let's go and eat, because once you get your hands on Shoebridge's laptop, we won't be leaving the motel until you're done."