My phone buzzes and I press Conner’s face. “Anything?”
“OK,” he starts, a little bit out of breath. “Here’s where we’re at. There’s a guy from Nebraska who did in fact work for Asher Productions a long time ago. Like back before the kidnapping took place. But he left and went to work—”
“In a high-school theatre department in the middle of Nebraska?”
“Yeah. How’d you know that?”
“We’re at his house right now.”
“This isn’t our guy. He’s too old. Maybe he’s got more info, so check that out. But the main thing I wanted to tell you is that he had a student who got a summer internship at Asher Productions after the old man left.”
“What’s his name?”
“Derek Hauser. And he fits the profile. Right age. Born and raised in Chadron, Nebraska—just north of the national forest. And I think if we dig deeper, we’ll find a record of him being at camp at the same time Grace was at archery camp. I’ve got the FBI looking into it.”
“So where’s he live? In California?”
“No. He quit his job a few weeks ago. Right before IM2 came out.”
“Tell me he wasn’t on the set.”
“He’s not on our roster. At least not under this name. But we think he was a guest of someone else in the effects department the night of your premiere. That’s how he got inside the theatre to make that call. We’re going house to house with all the effects people to try and get a confirmation. What’d you guys find out?”
“We’re at the old theatre teacher’s house right now. It’s not looking promising.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I mean, there’s nothing here but cows. It looks…” I hesitate to say the word. I hate to say the word But it’s the only one that fits. “Dead.”
“Well, this Hauser guy doesn’t own any property in the area anymore. His family died way back and he sold the farm the same year. So I’m not sure where we’d even look for him. Try to get it out of the old man. He’s our best lead right now. Because this guy could be anywhere.”
We hang up and I look over at Felicity. “I guess we go ask this guy.”
“Don’t you think it’s weird,” she says, her eyes never leaving mine, “that we’ve been sitting in this guy’s driveway for ten minutes and no one’s come out to ask us what the hell we’re doing? I mean, this area strikes me as being filled with shoot-first kinda people.”
I stare at her. “You think they’re in there?”
She shrugs. “I dunno. But we don’t even have a gun. Maybe we should call the police?”
Just then my phone buzzes in my pocket.
@MrsInvsman has logged on to Twitter, my third-party app tells me. “Grace!” I say. “That’s Grace!”
Girl @mrsinvsman
@mrinvsman help me help me help me
Oh, fuck. I almost throw up.
“Answer her, V! Quick!” Felicity grabs the phone from my hand and begins to type.Master @mrinvsman
@mrsinvsman where are you I’m looking for you in Alliance, Nebraska
Girl @mrsinvsman
@mrinvsman I don’t know! I smell cows and I see corn. I can’t get outside! It’s locked. I can’t get outside! He’s not dead!
I snatch the phone from Felicity and start typing.
Chapter Sixteen
Master @mrinvsman
@mrsinvsman kill him! Now. Kill him and break a window
I’m barely done reading the message when I hear a groan behind me. I whirl around and he’s already on his feet. I reach for the nearest object but I’m not fast enough. He lunges for my legs and tackles me to the floor.
“No!” I scream. I’m so fucking close! I kick and squirm, but he drapes his heavy body over mine and I’m helpless. He’s too big. He’s too heavy. I’m too weak, and tired.
I’m caught.
Again.
Chapter Seventeen
“GODDAMN“ it! She’s gone! She’s logged off!”
“We should check the house, V. Maybe she’s in there? Maybe she’s right in there?”
We both get out of the car and slam our doors closed, running to the front door as quick as we can.
We have no weapons. We might be walking into something we won’t be able to walk out of. But in moments like this, I work on instinct.
I hear the knocking before I realize that’s what I’m doing.
Chapter Eighteen
A CAR door slams outside and both of us go still. I am just about to scream for help when his bloodied hand wraps around my face so tight, it cuts off my mouth and nose at the same time. I flail my arms as I try to find a breath, but it’s no use. He’s smothering me.
A few seconds later there’s a knock at the door.
Chapter Nineteen
WE wait. We place our ears up against the door and listen. We shuffle our feet and knock again and again and again. But no one comes.
“Let’s break in.”
“Felicity, if this isn’t the place, we’ll go to jail. We’re not breaking in.”
“And if this is the place and Grace is being murdered right now because we’re standing out here on the doorstep like idiots?”
She breaks the window next to the front door and reaches inside to unlock the latch. I twist the handle as soon as I hear the click and slowly open the door.