NightScream Read online

  “A month ago, Bridget told me she and Jason were having some problems. I can’t believe you would condone her leaving her husband for another man. What were you thinking?”

  “Your sister is forty years old. Neither your father nor I have ever been able to tell her what to do. You know how stubborn she is. That’s why your father said we should just support her.

  “We don’t want to be cut out of her life completely. We didn’t exactly approve of your marriage either, but what would us telling you that have accomplished? Would you have listened? No. You were in love and that was all there was to it.”

  “True. But don’t you think this is a bit drastic?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why didn’t you call me and tell me what’s going on?”

  “I assumed you knew. You and your sister have always been so close.”

  “Apparently not. Does Shauna know?”

  “I haven’t spoken to your sister about it. She can be a bit high-strung, as you know. And being the oldest, she’s always felt the need to fix things. This is not something any of us can fix.”

  “What about the girls? Do they like this Samuel guy?”

  “They haven’t met him yet.”

  “What? Has she completely lost her mind?” Meagan drummed her fingers on the table.

  “She told me that they’d collect the girls once they’re settled. She wants the girls to finish the school year before she uproots them.”

  “What do you mean by settled? Where does this Samuel guy live?”

  “That’s a bit vague.”

  “Mom, do you mean to tell me you have no idea where Bridget is right now?” Meagan rubbed her temple, she felt a headache coming on.

  “Not exactly.”

  “What do you know?”

  “Samuel is fifty-five years old. He has salt and pepper hair and the bluest eyes. He’s a nice looking man. He’s divorced with four boys, ranging in ages from ten to fourteen. He’s a minister and grew up in the Bible Belt. He’s in the middle of a nasty custody dispute with the children’s mother. He claims she’s unfit.”

  “When did you meet him?”

  “When he came to pick up your sister, about two weeks ago.”

  “My God, she’s been with him for two weeks? And you’re sure she’s okay?”

  “Yes, dear, she calls every couple of days. They’re on the road. Samuel has an RV that they’re living in at the moment.”

  “Great. That’s just great. Do you by any chance know this guy’s last name?”

  “Miller, Samuel Miller. Why?”

  “Just curious.”

  Thomas walked into the kitchen and stared at her across the room. She could tell by the look on his face he wanted to know what was going on.

  Without taking her eyes off his, she said, “Mom, I’ve got to go. I’m going to call her myself. If I find out anything new, I’ll call you. Love you.” Meagan turned off her phone.

  “What’s going on? I could hear you yelling from upstairs.” He came to the table and scooted back the chair next to hers.

  “It’s Bridget, she’s lost her mind.”

  “Crap, what’s she done now?”

  “She’s left her family and run off with some minister.”

  “Jesus.” Thomas scrubbed a hand down his face. “Poor Jason. How are the girls? They must be devastated.”

  “I don’t know. All Jace told me was that Bridget is missing. I guess he doesn’t know she’s left him, so maybe the girls don’t know either. What a friggin’ mess.”

  Thomas started stroking her back. “Babe, I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  Meagan swiveled on the chair toward him. “Actually, yes there is. Will you do a background check on Samuel Miller?”

  Thomas got up and walked over to the counter where the landline was and picked a pen out of the can next to it. Then he snagged the pad and sat back down. “Okay, Samuel Miller. What else do you know about him?”

  “He’s fifty-five, a minister, and grew up in the Bible Belt. He’s divorced with four boys and going through a custody battle.”

  “That’s not a lot. Do you have any idea how many Samuel Millers are out there? Where does he reside?”

  “I don’t have any idea where he lived before, but he and my sister are driving around the country in an RV. I don’t even know where she met him.”

  “Probably at church.”

  “I bet you’re right. God, I just can’t believe this.”

  Meagan’s cell phone rang. “It’s Jason. What should I tell him?”

  “Nothing yet. No reason to upset him further until we get a handle on what’s going on.”

  “Okay.” Meagan answered the phone. “Hi, Jace.”

  “Did you talk to her?” his panicked voice greeted her. It was all she could do to keep calm herself. “No, I haven’t spoken to Bridget yet. But I talked to Mom and she says Bridget’s been in contact with her and she’s fine.”

  “What does that mean? Where is she staying? Why won’t she answer my calls or texts?” His voice was nearing hysteria.

  “I know this is hard, but you’ll just have to be patient. How are the girls? What do they know?”

  “I told them their mother was on one of her religious retreats, but McKayla is starting to get suspicious. She knows her mother is never gone more than a week on one of those things and she keeps asking about her.”

  “Yeah, she a pretty smart nine year old. What about little Fi?”

  “Oh, you know Fiona, our tornado. It’s all I can do just to keep up with her.”

  Meagan smiled as she pictured the little whirling dervish. “Who’s watching them while you’re at work?”

  “The neighbor, Judy. She’s been really great.”

  “Yeah, she’s a sweetheart.”

  “You know, Meggie, there is something else that’s been bothering me.”

  “What?”

  “Bridget cleared out our savings account. She took the whole twenty thousand dollars.”

  “What? Why would she need that?”

  “My thought exactly.”

  “Jason, did Bridget tell you she wanted a divorce?”

  For a moment, she thought she’d lost him. “About three months ago. It came right out of the blue. I didn’t even know she wasn’t happy. I asked her if there was anything I could do to change her mind. She said she didn’t know and that’s the last I heard on the subject.

  “You think she’s left me and the girls for good? Would she really do that? I thought the girls meant the world to her. I’ve been trying to be understanding about all this church crap. It’s gotten so bad, she’s going every day.

  “When she wasn’t at church, she was holed up in the bedroom on her damn computer. She kicked me out of our bed six weeks ago. I’ve been sleeping on the couch.” Meagan heard him sniffle and knew he was crying.

  “Dammit, Meagan, I would do anything to get her back. Anything!” Then he broke down completely and she couldn’t bear to listen anymore.

  “Jason, I’m gonna let you go and call Bridget. If I learn anything useful, I’ll call you back. Okay?”

  He sniffled. “Okay.”

  “Take care.” Meagan hung up and looked at an expectant Thomas. “This is bad. She cleared out their savings account.”

  “Shit. She means business.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m going to call her and see what’s going on.”

  “I’ll finish putting away the groceries. Want a beer?”

  Meagan looked out the window and noticed the sun setting. “That would be great, thanks.” She watched as he went to the fridge, took out two beers, opened them and handed one to her. Then he bent down and gave her a kiss.

  “I’m sure everything will be fine. Give your sister a chance to tell her side of the story.”

  “You’re right. Hey, I’m fixing Cajun pork chops tonight. Have you heard from Cody?”

  “No, I’ll call him while you’re on the phone.”

/>   “Thanks, if you could just get an ETA, that would be great.”

  “Roger that.”

  Meagan smiled, her eyes glued to his ass as he left the room. She hit three and send on her cell phone and waited as it rang.

  “Meggie! How’s my baby sister?”

  “I’m fine, Bridge, the question is how are you?”

  “Great. I couldn’t be better.”

  “Jason called. He’s pretty broken up. Says you cleared out the savings account, but that’s all he knows. Want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Oh, please. I told him I wanted a divorce months ago. It’s just gotten so bad, you have no idea.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. Tell me.” Meagan took a sip of her beer.

  “He’s an alcoholic and he takes the Lord’s name in vain. He won’t accept Christ as his savior, which means he’s not going to heaven. How can I share this life with someone who won’t be with me in the next?”

  “What do you mean he’s an alcoholic? I’ve never seen him drunk in all the time I’ve known him.”

  “You haven’t seen him lately. He drinks beer every night.”

  Meagan looked at the bottle in her hand and cringed. “Uh-huh. How many beers does he drink?”

  “An entire six pack. He sneaks them. I’ve seen the empties in the garbage. And he yells at me and uses profanity. I can’t live like that. I just can’t. Oh, Meggie, just wait until you meet Samuel. He’s such a wonderful man. He treats me like a queen. He’s very godly. He’s a minister, you know. I’ve met my soulmate.”

  “Mom says you’re living in an RV. Where are you right now?”

  “Florida, it’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to travel. Samuel’s promised to take me anywhere I want to go. We’re on our way to the Florida Keys. I saw wild alligators today!”

  “That’s great, honey. I’m glad you’re having fun. Bridget, are you sleeping with this man?”

  “Do you mean are we living as man and wife?”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t that a sin? I mean, you aren’t married to him. I remember you giving me a hard time when I moved in with Thomas instead of marrying him first.”

  “That’s different. I can’t marry Samuel until my divorce is final. He says God understands. Samuel talks to him every night. We are God’s children and we are meant to be together.”

  “Speaking of children, what about yours?”

  “When the girls finish school in June, we’ll send for them. Samuel’s going to start his own church. Isn’t that wonderful? Right now, we’re ministering all over the United States. I’ve met so many wonderful, generous people. Oh, Meggie, I’ve found my bliss. This is where I’m meant to be. Please say you’re glad for me.”

  “Oh, sweetie, you know all I want is for you to be happy. I’m just concerned you’re moving too fast. One minute you’re telling me that you and Jason are having problems, the next, you’ve left your family for a man you barely know. By the way, what do you know about this Samuel?”

  “All I need to. He tells me everything. He’s not secretive and brooding like Jason. And he’s affectionate and caring and romantic. He gave me the most beautiful engagement ring. I can’t wait to show it to you.”

  “What did you do with your wedding ring from Jason?”

  “I sold it. It means nothing now.”

  “I understand you’re in love, but why sell the ring?”

  “For the money, silly.”

  “But I thought you had twenty thousand dollars. Why would you need more money?”

  “Gas isn’t cheap, you know. There’s food and our traveling expenses. Samuel takes care of all of it. I no longer have to worry about paying the bills, or sweating because we won’t make the mortgage. He says all I need to do now is trust him. It’s such a relief.”

  “What about him? Doesn’t he have any money?”

  “Of course, but it all goes to supporting his four boys and legal fees. Once he gains custody, they’ll be living with us and the girls. But his horrible ex-wife has them now.

  “Oh, Meggie, the things this poor man has had to put up with. She’s a real jezebel. She sleeps around and is an alcoholic and does drugs. We need to rescue those boys as soon as we can.”

  The alarm bells going off in Meagan’s head were reaching record proportion. Meagan took a deep breath before she spoke. “When do I get to meet Samuel?” She couldn’t wait to give him a piece of her mind.

  “Christmas. He says he’ll bring me home then so I can spend it with my family. Isn’t he the greatest?”

  “That’s eight months away.”

  “I know it seems like a long time now, but it will fly, I just know it. Besides, you’re busy with school and Thomas. You probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  Meagan had to keep her anger to herself. She needed to get as much information from her sister as possible. She couldn’t take the chance Bridget would get upset and end the call prematurely. “So where is Samuel from?”

  “He grew up in Kentucky and he has the most beautiful cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He says that’s where we’ll live and start our new church. I’ve seen pictures. Oh, Meagan, you’re going to love it. I know how much you’ve always wanted a cabin in the mountains. You and Thomas will have to come stay with us once we move there.”

  “Sure, sweetie, that would be great. Where did you meet this guy?”

  “At my church. He was a visiting minister.”

  “He was living in Laguna Niguel?”

  She chuckled. “Oh, no. He left the following day to go to the next church. After his sermon, I told him how wonderful it was. He invited me back to his RV and we talked for hours. If I didn’t have to fix dinner, I would have stayed longer. He’s the most interesting man I’ve ever met, he’s so smart and he’s been everywhere.

  “We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. We kept in touch by skyping and texts. We’ve been getting to know one another over the last year. Then three months ago, he told me he was in love with me. It was such a shock. I mean, I didn’t go looking for love, Meagan. I swear. It just found me.”

  “And what about you? Were you in love with him?”

  “I never dared to dream a man like Samuel would ever be interested in me. But once he said the words, I knew I felt the same. Jason and I haven’t had a good marriage for years. I just didn’t want to tell anyone. It was so humiliating.”

  “It was quite a surprise when you told me you were having problems. Why didn’t you tell me about Samuel? How long have you been planning on running away with him?”

  “That was Samuel’s idea. He said we should keep it to ourselves. The non-believers would try to stop us.”

  “Us? You mean stop you, don’t you?”

  “Even though Samuel is already divorced, he was living in the family home. He said he didn’t trust his wife with the boys alone.”

  “But they’re alone with her now. Isn’t he worried?”

  “Oh, yes. It keeps him up at night. But it can’t be helped.”

  Meagan had the urge to slap her sister upside the head. It was as if she didn’t have a lick of sense. It was like talking to a stranger or an insane person. What was she going to do?

  “I’m sorry, but I have to go. Samuel needs me. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for calling.”

  “Take care of yourself, okay?” Meagan practically pleaded.

  “I’ve got Samuel for that.” Bridget giggled, then she was gone.

  Meagan laid the phone on the table and covered her face. Before long, she felt strong hands rubbing her shoulders.

  “How are you doing, babe?” Thomas asked.

  “It’s worse than I thought. This guy has totally manipulated her. I don’t know what to do.”

  He kissed the top of her head and sat next to her. Then he slid her onto his lap. “Did you learn anything more about him that will help with a background check?”

  Meagan laid her head
on his shoulder. “Yeah, he’s from Kentucky and has a home in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

  “That’ll work. I’ll call Shadowhawk and get her on it.” He stroked her arm up and down. “I just got off the phone with Cody. He’s tied up right now and said not to wait dinner on him.”

  “Okay.”

  “You know, honey, as much as I love your pork chops, you don’t have to cook tonight. We can just order take-out.”

  “Yeah.” Meagan didn’t really care what they did for dinner. She’d lost her appetite.

  “Cheer up. I’m sure everything will turn out fine.”

  “I wish I had your confidence. You should have heard her. She’s totally lost it. Besides her savings, she’s sold her wedding ring and handed over all her money to a man she barely knows.”

  SIX

  Jilly and Cody sat in the sheriff’s office at the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station. Bud had just been apprised of the situation and was not too happy with it, nor the fact that Cody, an FBI agent, was there. Tough shit.

  He’d called Special Agent Lang a few hours ago and asked her to search VICAP, the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, for similar cases. If this MO showed up in other states, they wouldn’t have a choice about letting him in on the investigation. He also called his SAC, Special Agent in Charge, Frank Simpson and filled him in. He too wanted the FBI involved.

  “Jilly, I want you to head this investigation,” Bud said, standing behind his desk.

  “But, sir–”

  The Sheriff put up his hand to silence her. “You already have the experience as a homicide detective and I don’t want to lose control of this case to the Centralized Homicide Unit.” He turned his attention to Cody. “And you–”

  The phone on his desk rang. “Dammit.” He picked it up. “Marge, I told you to hold my calls.” He listened. “Oh, hell, put him through.” He glared at Cody.

  “This is Sheriff Bud Gunderson, how can I help you?” He ran a hand through his short Marine haircut. “Uh, huh.” Then he rested that hand on his hip, his eyes never left Cody. “I see. Thank you. Okay, just a second.” He held the phone out toward Cody.

  He stood and took the receiver. “Special Agent Thomas here.”