The Summit (11 page)

She blushed. Even in the thin stream of light coming in through the balcony doors in the living room, he could see the slight rose in her cheeks.

“Actually, I never gave it any thought, one way or another.”

“Too bad. I was hoping you had.”

She flicked him a sideways glance, then turned away. “I've never dreamed more than once in a night, so you can go home if you want or you can stay until morning.”

“I'll stay. I'm not much on wrestling the bums on the street this time of night.”

She nodded as if that were a wise decision.

“Will you be able to go back to sleep?” he asked.

“It's never easy.”

He reached out and ran a finger along her cheek. “I could help with the problem,” he couldn't resist saying, letting his guard down a moment since he knew she would refuse.

Autumn backed away. “On second thought, maybe it's better if you wrestle the bums.”

Ben just smiled. “Try to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Are…we going to start looking?”

His smile slid away. “Yes.”

“We're going to find her, Ben.”

He didn't answer. The possibility was too painfully remote. But he had made up his mind and from this moment forward he was committed to the search.

Ben lay down on the sofa, but he didn't fall asleep.

 

It was odd having a man in the house for breakfast. Even when Josh had stayed over, Autumn hadn't cooked. They had always gone out to eat instead. For reasons she refused to examine, she felt like cooking this morning.

While Ben was in the shower, Autumn poured two glasses of orange juice, cooked bacon in the microwave, toasted a couple of English muffins, and scrambled some Egg Beaters with onions and tomatoes.

The table was set when he walked into the kitchen wearing the same tuxedo pants he had worn the night before, bare-chested, towel-drying his thick dark hair.

“Something sure smells good.”

She tried not to stare but it wasn't that easy. The man had a beautiful V-shaped body that was all lean sinew and powerful muscle in just the right proportions. Of course she saw jocks with far bigger muscles in the gym all the time, but somehow it wasn't the same.

“I hope you like bacon and eggs,” she said to him as he dragged on his wrinkled white shirt. “Well…bacon and Egg Beaters at any rate. My dad has high cholesterol. He got me started cooking egg substitutes, since they're better for him than eggs and they're also lower in calories.”

“I'm not picky, especially when I'm starving.” He hadn't bothered with his cufflinks and studs and the shirt hung open as he moved toward the table. “Anything I can do to help?”

“It's almost ready. Go ahead and sit down.”

Ben rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing those terrific forearms and sat down in one of the chairs at the small dining table in the living room. “It was nice of you to make breakfast. I can't remember the last time I've had someone cook for me.”

She focused her attention on stirring the eggs. “Didn't your wife like to cook?”

He scoffed. “Jo hated anything to do with the kitchen. She didn't like to clean up the mess…or at least that's what she said. We ate out a lot, which was harder after the girls were born.”

His expression closed up as he said this last and she knew he wouldn't say more.

“I enjoy cooking,” Autumn said pleasantly. “What I make is pretty basic, stuff my dad taught me. I eat at home more often than I go out.”

“I guess your dad mostly raised you.”

She turned the burner off and reached for a plate. “My mom died when I was thirteen. She was killed in a car accident. Drunk driver swerved onto her side of the road. I guess you probably know that.”

He didn't confirm or deny it. “Must have been hard on you.”

The loss of her mother was painful to discuss but she needed him to have faith in her and to do that, she had to be forthright, no matter how difficult the subject.

“Her death nearly destroyed me. I was always a little bit shy. After that, I withdrew almost completely. My dad decided I need something to take my mind off losing my mother so he started to take me climbing. He has high blood pressure now, so climbing's out but we still go hiking once in a while and he exercises regularly to keep himself healthy.”

Ben made no comment. He was looking at her in that way she had noticed lately, as if he were trying to figure her out. She set the plates on the table, filled their coffee mugs and sat down in the chair across from him.

“Actually, I'm glad you're here this morning.” She took a sip of orange juice. “Now that we're ready to get started, we need some sort of plan.”

“A plan,” he repeated.

“I've been trying to think where to begin our search; what sorts of things we might do to get things rolling. To start with, I was hoping you'd have a photo of Molly you could lend me. I mean, I have copies of the ones that were printed in the newspapers but I need a real picture, not a copy.”

“I've got a couple at home. I'll have to figure out exactly where I put them, but I know they're there someplace.”

She paused in the midst of crunching into a strip of bacon. He had put away the photos, as if seeing them was too painful.

“What?” Ben asked, apparently not liking the way she was looking at him. “I said I'd get the picture and I will.”

“Great.” She bit down on the bacon, crunched a couple of times.

“Why do you want it, anyway?”

She reached for her coffee cup. “I want to have it computer aged. I've seen that done on TV. I want to make absolutely sure the girl in my dream is Molly.”

Ben eyed her with renewed suspicion. “But you're fairly certain it is.”

“I'm very sure it's her. I just don't want to cut any corners and besides, we'll need it if we're going to start a new search. She's twelve now, not six. We need to be able to show people what she looks like today.”

“All right, I'll take care of it. The company has a very sophisticated Web site. That means we've got some really savvy computer geeks working for us. They'll know how to age the photo or find someone who does.”

Autumn beamed. “That's great! What else should we do?”

“Well, since you dreamed about the guy who took her, you know what he looks like. Maybe you could go through the mug books down at the police station. See if you recognize a face.”

She took a sip of coffee. “I already did that. I have a friend named Joe Duffy who's a detective. I spent an afternoon going over photos of known pedophiles in Seattle and the surrounding areas who fit the description.”

“You told this guy Duffy about your dream?”

“I told him there was a man hanging around the school and I wanted to make sure he wasn't any sort of a threat.”

Ben smiled. “Very clever.”

“I'm not a good liar. I'm amazed Joe actually believed me.”

“It was worth a try, even if it didn't pan out.”

“What else can you think of?”

“I figure we should re-canvas the area where Molly was taken. In the last six years, maybe someone has remembered something they didn't think was important at the time.”

“Good idea. I knew if we put our heads together—”

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves. So far all we have to go on is a dream about a blond guy with a puppy and girl named Ruthie who lives in a house in the mountains.”

“Sorry.” She toyed with her eggs, then finally took a bite. “So when can we drive out to Issaquah?”

“I'm busy today. I've got some work to do at my office and as soon as I'm finished, I'm taking Katie on a boat trip around the harbor. She loves boats…just about anything to do with water.”

“I'd like to meet her sometime.”

Ben made no reply. He kept his private life private and though Autumn felt a twinge of disappointment that she was excluded, she couldn't really blame him.

“So when can we go out there? We need to get started.”

She could see he was still reluctant. She knew he didn't really believe they would find his daughter so the search was bound to be painful. But unlike Ben, Autumn refused to consider the possibility of failure.

“Ben?”

“All right, how does Monday sound? When do you finish your lessons for the day?”

“I'll be done by two.”

“I'll be working in my office. I'll meet you in the lobby at two-fifteen.”

He didn't suggest she come up. He didn't want people knowing about the search. He was worried about his family finding out. He had mentioned his ex-wife several times. Autumn wondered if he might still be in love with her. The notion bothered her more than it should have.

As soon as they finished their breakfast, Ben grabbed his tuxedo jacket off the back of the chair, stuffed his cufflinks and studs into one of the pockets and slung the coat over his shoulder. “Thanks for the meal.”

“No problem.”

He opened the door but didn't leave. There was something in his eyes when he looked at her that made her breath catch.

“That kiss last night…I'm afraid this could get complicated.”

Autumn hurriedly shook her head. “It won't. I won't let it. Last night was just…you know…a fantasy. We're working together, that's all. Strictly a means to an end.”

Ben stared at her a moment, then nodded. As he stepped out into the hall and closed the door, she couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed.

R
ight on schedule, Autumn finished her last private lesson, changed into jeans, a white cotton blouse and brown corduroy sport coat, stepped into a pair of loafers and headed for the lobby. Ben was just coming out of the elevator when she got there.

Earlier that morning, she had been a little surprised when Ben arrived at her climbing session, since he had already made his decision to help her. He didn't need to continue the lessons, but the man was an athlete who liked a challenge and climbing was certainly that. It was obvious by how fast he was improving that he had been reading extensively, had perhaps been getting help from some of the guys who worked at his stores.

He seemed determined to learn and he had a natural knack for the sport, scaling the wall this time all the way to the top without falling. She liked the way he moved, liked to watch the muscles working in his arms and legs as he shifted and pulled himself higher.

After class, Josh came in hoping to schedule another weekend trip and she introduced the two men. Their first few moments were spent sizing each other up the way men do, then Ben reminded her of their appointment that afternoon, nodded to Josh and left the climbing gym.

“So what about this weekend?” Josh asked after Ben was gone. “You must be getting the itch to hit the mountains by now.”

She thought of Molly and the search she was committed to. “I can't say for sure, Josh. I'm really busy right now.”

He tipped his head toward the door. “Busy with him?”

Autumn shook her head. “Not the way you're thinking. We're involved in a project is all.”

Josh's gaze remained on her face. “Be careful, Autumn. That guy has a major reputation where women are concerned.”

Don't I know.

“You get in too deep with a guy like that you're bound to get hurt.”

Her stomach knotted. “You don't have to worry, Josh. But thanks anyway.”

That had been two hours ago. Now it was two-fifteen and Autumn stood in the lobby waiting for Ben. She spotted him walking toward her in that purposeful way of his, as if time were a valuable commodity and he didn't want to waste it.

“My car's in the underground parking. Let's go.” He urged her back toward the elevator he had just walked out of, climbed in and hit the button: Lower Level 1. His car was waiting in the valet area when they got there, a gorgeous silver Mercedes.

“Beautiful car,” she said.

“I like it.”

She surveyed the sleek, expensive automobile. “Nice as it is, somehow I thought you might be a little more energy conscious.”

He flicked her a glance. “So what do you drive?”

“A Ford Escape hybrid. It gets thirty-six miles per gallon.”

He patted the roof of his car. “This little beauty is an E-320 CDI. It tops out at about a hundred and sixty.” He grinned. “It gets thirty-seven miles to the gallon—sometimes better. Let's go.”

Autumn bit back a smile. It seemed to her that a guy in Ben's line of work ought to be environmentally conscious and for some ridiculous reason, she was inordinately happy to see that he was. He held open her door while she slid into the dark-gray leather seat, then rounded the car and climbed in.

They left Seattle and drove east on Interstate 90, heading toward the mountains. Autumn asked how his Sunday outing with Katie had gone.

He smiled. “It was a great day on the water.”

“What kind of boat do you have?”

“Forty-foot Raptor. It's Australian-built. I'll admit it guzzles diesel big-time, but not as bad as some and it's one of the safest boats you can buy. Besides, I don't really use it that often.”

Talk about boats led into a discussion of kayaking, Ben's favorite sport, but as the car drew closer to his old Issaquah neighborhood, the conversation became more and more sparse and his expression more and more grim.

“You have a store out here, don't you?” Autumn said, trying to lighten the mood. “It seems like I've driven past it.”

They had exited the freeway and were weaving their way through the central area of town. Originally, it had been named Gilman, she had read, and was settled during a coalmining boom.

“The store's right up here on the left,” Ben said.

Autumn spotted the sign, MCKENZIE SPORTING GOODS, above the door of a two-story brick building with dark-green canopies over the windows.

Ben pointed to a vacant lot across the street. “We just made a deal on that piece of land on the corner.”

“You're expanding?”

He shook his head. “Just trying to stay ahead of the competition.” As they continued through town, he explained about A-1 Sports and how they were trying to force him to sell his entire chain of sporting-goods stores.

“They don't know about the lot deal yet,” he said. “Kurt Fisher's going to be fit to be tied.” He explained about A-1's VP of acquisitions and how hard the man had been pushing to make the purchase.

By the time Ben finished, they were pulling up in front of a big gray stucco-and-stone tract house at the end of the block, but it was the beige house three doors down with the fancy brick trim that Autumn recognized instantly.

“This isn't your house. That's it down there. I saw it in my dream.”

Ben's gaze zeroed in on her. “You sure?”

“Absolutely.” It was clear he had purposely stopped in the wrong place just to see if she would realize it wasn't the house where Molly had been taken.

“I have to be sure, Autumn. Or at least as sure as I possibly can be.”

“It's all right.” She glanced around. “What about your wife? If we talk to the neighbors, she's bound to find out.”

“Six months after Molly was abducted, we moved out of the neighborhood. Neither of us wanted to live here anymore. There were just too many painful memories.”

“I don't think I would have stayed either.”

“Joanne and Katie still live in the house we moved into. It's here in Issaquah in one of the more upscale areas. Unfortunately, by the time we got settled, our marriage was basically over. We blamed each other for what happened to Molly, though deep down I don't think either of us really believed it was anyone's fault. Just one of those tragic things that happen. I was hoping if we started over, maybe things would work out. Mostly it was my fault they didn't.”

“Why is that?”

“I started working longer and longer hours. I just didn't want to be home. Maybe I should have tried harder, but the truth is, our marriage wasn't that strong to begin with. If it hadn't been for the girls…”

He let the sentence trail off and Autumn didn't press him for more. Trust was a two-way street. It was clear Ben was still hurting, even after all these years. Maybe in time he would trust her enough to share more of his feelings. They might even turn out to be friends.

That was what she wanted from a man, she told herself,
friendship, nothing more.
If she wanted to keep from getting hurt, it was crucial her relationship with Ben go no further.

They climbed out of the car and started walking toward the house next door to the one he and his family once had owned. A gray-haired woman in her seventies wearing a loose-fitting flowered pantsuit answered the knock at the door.

“Why, Ben McKenzie. What a surprise. What on earth are you doing out here?”

“Hello, Mrs. Biggs. It's nice to see you. This is Autumn Sommers. She's a friend of mine.”

“It's nice to meet you,” the older woman said, then returned her attention to Ben. “Still handsome as ever, I see. How long has it been…nearly six years, isn't it? Not since your poor dear little Molly—”

“That's what we wanted to talk to you about,” Autumn cut in, ending the painful words.

“We were hoping you might remember something about that day,” Ben added. “Something you didn't think of at the time.”

She let out a pity-filled sigh. “Like I told the police, I was sitting in the family room watching TV when it happened. I can't recall which show it was, but—”

“Did you see anyone suspicious hanging around the neighborhood before it happened?” Ben asked. “Someone sitting in a parked car or maybe just driving around?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Is there anything at all you remember that was a little out of the ordinary? Something that might have occurred before or after the abduction?”

Mrs. Biggs shook her gray-haired head. “Nothing that seemed unusual. I remember Mr. Bothwell's cat died the day before. He was surely broken up about that cat.”

Ben took a breath and slowly released it.

Autumn caught his arm. “Well, thank you anyway, Mrs. Biggs.” With a little tug, she urged him away from the door. Beneath his tan, his face looked paler than it had when they arrived. Until Mrs. Biggs had opened that door, Autumn hadn't really understood how difficult this was going to be for Ben.

Still, they were there and Autumn was determined.

They spent the next hour knocking on doors in the neighborhood, getting the same responses the police had gotten six years ago.

No one had seen anything.

“So much for canvassing the neighbors,” Ben said darkly. His shoulders were stiff with tension and his jaw looked hard.

“It happened really fast, Ben. The neighbors were inside or out in their backyards.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“It was worth a try.”

He nodded wearily.

“We need to talk to the children,” she said. “The kids who were playing with Molly that day. I know that's the last thing you want to do, but we have to, Ben.”

He clenched his jaw, but nodded. “There were only three of them besides Molly. They were all close to Molly's age and all of them went to the same grammar school. As far as I know, none of them have moved from the area.”

“You know where they live?”

“They were all from this neighborhood or close by. I talked to them a number of times after Molly was taken. I kept hoping the kids would think of something that might help us find her, but they were all so little. I'm not sure how much they'll remember this many years later.”

“I remember a lot of things from my childhood. Maybe one of them will, too.”

“It's worth a try.”

They climbed back into his car, drove to the first child's house a few blocks away and parked at the curb. This time of day even the kids in summer school would probably be at home or playing somewhere nearby.

Mrs. Sidwell, the mother of one of the girls in the yard that day, was sympathetic and polite. She warned Ben not to press Emily too hard.

“I don't know how much she remembers, you know? I think mostly she remembers all the excitement afterward with the police and all. And how sad everyone was.”

Ben promised he would be careful.

Though the girl was now six years older, Autumn recognized her as one of the children in her dream. Dark-haired and dark-eyed with a dimple in her cheek. Unfortunately, Emily didn't remember anything more than she had told the police at the time of the abduction.

“I'm sorry, Mr. McKenzie,” she said. “I was awful little then. I wish I'd been paying more attention.”

“We all wish that, Emmie.”

The other little girl, Megan Turner, began to cry when Ben asked if she remembered Molly.

“I remember her,” the twelve-year-old said, wiping away the wetness on her cheeks. “We were best friends. I never forgot her and I never will.”

Ben swallowed hard. “I'll never forget her either,” he said softly. “She's right here in my heart.” He placed a fist over his heart and Autumn's throat closed up.

Megan put her arms around Ben's neck and gave him a hug and Ben hugged her back so sweetly Autumn had to look away.

Megan moved out of his embrace. She was tall for her age, her light brown hair cut shoulder-length and curled under. “Why are you asking me about Molly after all this time?”

When Ben seemed to grope for words, Autumn answered for him. “We're just trying to tie up some loose ends. We thought you might be able to help in some way.”

“I wish I could. But all I remember about that day was a white car going around the corner at the end of the block with Molly inside, then everyone shouting and going crazy.”

According to the newspapers, the car was pretty much all that the children had seen. Their descriptions of the man who had taken Molly had been so varied as to render them totally useless.

And Gerald Meeks had been driving a white Toyota at the time he was arrested.

There had been plenty of evidence against him in the other murder cases and there was, of course, his confession to those crimes. Though there was no blood evidence in the car and no DNA except his own, the white car seen during the abduction was one more reason to believe Meeks had murdered little Molly.