Almost Dead (Lizzy Gardner #5)(46)

“Lizzy, why don’t you have a seat?”

Lizzy grabbed her jacket and went to the door, her other hand gripping the knob. She took a breath and looked over her shoulder at Linda. “I’ll see you next week, OK?”

Linda nodded. “I’ll be here.”





CHAPTER 30

“Please let me go. I’m freezing. We’ll both die out here in the woods. I’m scared.” The girl’s teeth chattered, loud enough for him to cover his ears to drown out the noise. He should have killed her the first day he’d brought her up the mountain. Shelby Geitner talked too much, was even demanding at times—telling him to get her more blankets and another sweater. Always something.

Frank Lyle added wood to the fire. It was a small fire, but it would heat up the soup he’d stolen and it would keep his hands warm.

“You know you’re going to go to prison for kidnapping, don’t you?”

“I’ve been locked up before. It’s not so bad. Three meals a day, hot showers, television, a library.”

“What were you in prison for?”

He didn’t answer her.

“Do you read?” she asked.

“None of your business.”

“If you could bring me a book to read, I wouldn’t be so bored during the day.”

“You won’t have to worry about being bored for too much longer.”

“Why? Are you going to kill me?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not now?”

He grunted.

“Why are you doing this?”

“No more questions.” He grabbed a cup, poured some soup into it, and brought it to where the girl was bound to an oak tree. He began to spoon-feed her. She was hungry. Feeding her was like feeding a baby bird. She opened her mouth before he even had a chance to ready the spoon.

He saw a spider crawling next to her and didn’t hesitate to squash it with the heel of his boot.

He wasn’t Spiderman. Unlike Spiderman, he didn’t give a shit if they were called arthropods or arachnids. Spiderman considered the eight-legged things to be his friends. Frank didn’t want any friends, creatures or otherwise. He wasn’t a wannabe. He had plans of his own. He was going to make a name for himself.

Eventually he would have to kill Shelby Geitner—he might even rape and torture her before killing her—but not tonight, and probably not tomorrow, either. Not until he found an empty cabin or maybe a shed, some place where he could keep his prey. Then he would focus on Lizzy Gardner—find a way to lure her there, into his own private hell, make her watch him do to Shelby what he did best. When the moment was right, he would do the world a favor and kill Lizzy, too.





CHAPTER 31

The Geitner family lived in the Boulevard Park area in the heart of Sacramento, just a few blocks from downtown. It was known as the historic residential area, convenient due to the close proximity of restaurants and shops.

Lizzy knocked and then waited for someone to come to the door. She had called ahead of time to make sure Shelby’s parents would be willing to talk to her.

Mr. Geitner came to the door. Pleasantries were exchanged before he led Lizzy inside. They passed by a grand foyer with a formal staircase. Shelby’s mother, Denise Geitner, awaited them in the main sitting room. She sat quietly in one of the cushioned chairs surrounding the stone fireplace.

“Thanks for having me,” Lizzy said before taking a seat across from Mrs. Geitner.

“The more people looking for our Shelby, the better,” Mr. Geitner said.

They had known each other for years, but Denise barely acknowledged her. It was clear the woman was holding something in, maybe resentment or blame. Lizzy wasn’t sure. “I am so sorry,” Lizzy began.

“Sorry for what?” Denise asked. “Is there something you know?”

“Let her finish,” Mr. Geitner cut in.

Lizzy tried again. “I can’t imagine what you two are going through—”

“But you know exactly what Shelby is going through,” Denise said. “Is he torturing her? Raping her? Is she tied up? Where is my daughter? What is he doing to her?”

“She’s here to help us, Denise. Give Lizzy a chance.”

“I don’t understand what you think you can do, Lizzy. The entire police force is working on finding Shelby.”

Lizzy didn’t let the woman’s tone rile her. She’d been dealing with distraught parents for over a decade. Denise was panicking. Probably hadn’t gotten much sleep. She wanted to blame someone . . . anyone.

Lizzy just needed to stay calm, find out what she could if she was going to be able to help Shelby. “I was wondering if you could tell me what Shelby’s mood was in the days before she disappeared.”

Mr. Geitner sighed. “Detectives asked the same question. Neither of us noticed any changes in Shelby. She’s a happy, healthy teenager. She has lots of friends. We didn’t notice any changes in her demeanor.”

“I did notice something different about Shelby,” Denise said, her voice a whisper. “Shelby seemed skittish, always looking over her shoulder, as if someone were watching her.”

Lizzy felt a chill settle over her.

“You didn’t mention any of this to the detective when he questioned you,” Mr. Geitner cut in, clearly out of sorts. “I thought you said she’d been the same as always—doing her homework, helping with chores . . .”