ChasingShadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

shelf.
    “Andrea found Lisette’s bed empty, window open.” Surprisingly,
he managed to maintain his cool. His sister would need to depend on his ability
to remain the composed professional, despite his overwhelming desire to torture
the SOB who had snatched Lisette.
    “Juliana Westwood’s dream came true.” James’ voice sounded
faraway.
    * * * * *
    Yellow police tape secured Andrea’s condominium. Shaken,
Alex consoled his frantic twin in the living room while the forensics team
searched for evidence and dusted for fingerprints.
    The crime scene investigators discovered a footprint in the
recently watered flower garden below Lisette’s window. The otherwise summer-parched
yard offered no additional clues.
    Outside the condominium, neighbors and onlookers milled in
anxious groups, watching the crime scene with a mixture of curiosity and fear. James
interviewed neighbors and studied the onlookers for anything out of the
ordinary. Sometimes perpetrators returned to the crime scene if they knew they
could mingle with the crowd and remain unnoticed.
    Dane Christensen, the lead forensics technician, entered the
living room. “Lieutenant?”
    Alex gave Dane a hopeful look. “What did you find?” he asked
in a strained voice.
    “Nothing new. We’ve dusted and searched the bedroom. Snapped
photos and made a plaster of the footprint.”
    “Keep looking,” Alex snapped. Andrea’s heart-rending sobbing
shocked his soul. He rubbed her back, providing what little comfort he could.
    Dane pushed his gloved hands into his coat pockets, jiggling
loose coins. “I’d like Mrs. Chamber to tell us what’s missing in the bedroom.”
    Alex glanced down at his sister’s head. Her auburn hair was
limp and messy from a night in bed and from his fingers sifting through the
long locks. He’d give his life to strip away her pain and bring Lisette home
safe and sound.
    “Andrea, sweetie.” Alex kissed the top of her head and
handed her a clean tissue. “Do you think you can do that?”
    She took the tissue, her hand falling in a limp heap on the
pile of crumpled tissues in her lap. She gave a loud sniff and lifted her head
off Alex’s chest.
    “Yes,” she said roughly.
    Alex gazed into her blue eyes, grimacing at the pain and
horror that dulled their usual vividness. A raw and primitive grief overwhelmed
him. He wanted to lash out at the person who threatened to destroy his family. He’d
vaguely understood what drove crime victims or their families to violence while
protecting their loved ones. He now experienced the same feelings at a gut
level.
    With an arm around Andrea’s waist, Alex led her into
Lisette’s bedroom. She slumped down on the twin bed and described the missing
clothes and shoes. When finished, she began crying with renewed vigor.
    “Enough for now,” Alex said through the lump in his throat and
made a dismissing gesture with his hand.
    Andrea suddenly swung around and frantically rummaged
through the tousled bed covers. “Her bunny’s gone. It’s her favorite.” She
dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. “At least she isn’t alone.”
    Small consolation. Alex jotted down a description of the
stuffed animal. He had given the white bunny to Lisette the day of her father’s
funeral a year ago. She never slept without it.
    Alex carried Andrea into her bedroom and made her lie on the
rumpled bed. He whispered calming words that did little to defray her grief.
Sharon’s husband Matthew, a doctor at the local hospital, had sedated her. She
refused to swallow the pill at first, but Alex convinced her that Lisette
needed her strong, clear-headed and calm. Finally, Andrea’s best friend arrived
to relieve him and he felt confident enough to leave his twin for a while.
    He joined the other detectives in the living room and
wrapped up the crime scene investigation. They installed a wiretap on the phone
as the final task. The media swarmed outside like killer bees, waiting for a
chance to interview the lead