Detective Ava Locke 0.5-Vanished by Clara Lewis (reader novel txt) 📗

you to assign someone to guard Cassius’s hospital room. Someone tried to kill him.”

Chief looked puzzled.

“Who’s Cassius?”

“My main witness,” Ava replied, giving no further explanation.

“I also have the location of where the last girl was abducted. I just need a few changes of clothes and wait there. It might be his spot.”

Chief held his hand up, causing Ava to stop talking.

“I thought I told you the case isn’t yours anymore,” Chief said.

Ava shrugged.

“It’s not like the kidnapper will dutifully wait for us to catch up. Look, Chief, we have no information on this guy. Our best bet is to gather the evidence ourselves.”

“It’s still dangerous,” Carl piped up.

Ava turned around in surprise to find Carl standing by the door holding forms. He looked at Ava, disapproval etched all over his face, mirroring that of Chief’s. Ava shot him a look that told him to shut up. She wanted her plan to work.

“Need I remind you that you have other cases to work on?” Chief said, his voice getting louder.

Ava spared a look at her desk and the files piled on top of it.

“I’ll get to it. This one is more urgent, no?”

Chief refused again, his eyes carrying the weight of a threat.

“No means no, Ava. Pursue this case any further and you just might get suspended.”

Ava bowed her head in what appeared to be defeat and exited the office, leaving Chief and Carl to talk about whatever in peace. In reality, she knew what had to be done.

She left work early that day, surprising her coworkers. Most had probably heard Chief raise his voice at her and assumed that she had gone home to lick her wounds.

Ava reckoned that all she had to do to look like a runaway was to simply dress how she did back in high school. She decided that it was time to go shopping. Ava took the next day off and went to the mall to buy what she needed for a believable disguise. Once she was ready, Ava drove to the address Cassius had given her. She changed at the station and emerged from the bathroom.

In the window of her car, she took in her all-black appearance and laughed. She looked ridiculous. Her long sleeves caught on everything, and her boots were impossible to run in. However, she looked every bit the runaway teen. She was certain that was enough to catch the attention of this kidnapper.

“This isn’t comfortable at all,” she complained, as she got into her car to observe.

There were no other cars in the vicinity other than the one that the employee inside the gas station owned. Minutes later another vehicle drove into the parking lot and remained in one spot for hours. This must be the kidnapper.

Ava got out of her car and walked past the van, hoping to catch a glimpse of the driver. To her dismay, his face was obscured by sunglasses and a mask, yet she knew he had given her the once-over. He turned away just as Ava thought she had his attention.

Ava looked for what had distracted him. The moment her eyes landed on another young girl standing by the driver’s window, Ava felt her stomach drop.

“No, no, no,” Ava mumbled.

The girl smiled at the driver and held up a finger. She threw her bag into the back seat and made her way into the gas station. Ava followed her through the aisles as she picked out a few things to buy. When they had both reached the back of the store, Ava grabbed the girl roughly by the arm.

“Get out of here, and don’t go with that man in the truck,” Ava bawled.

The girl pulled her hand away.

“You’re not my mother.”

Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t let go.

“I’m a detective, and I can tell you that man isn’t safe. Go home.”

Her last two words had caused the girl to push her away even more.

“I don’t have one,” she said.

The girl hurried to the counter and paid for her things. Once she had reached the entrance of the store, she broke out into a run, headed straight for the truck. Ava ran after her and caught her by the arm again.

“Please,” Ava pleaded.

Chapter 4

Ava was ignored. However, the driver was intrigued with the commotion Ava and this girl were making. He sat up in his seat and watched them intently.

Ava was not a weak woman. Years of training had prepared her exactly for moments like this. However, the girl was freakishly strong. In but a few steps, the girl had brought both of them to the driver in the truck.

“You brought a friend?” he asked.

He had meant for his tone to sound surprised, but Ava couldn’t help but think that he was more amused than anything. She hated that.

“She’s not my friend,” the girl grumbled.

“I’m her sister,” Ava replied, deadpan. “We seem to have the wrong car.”

She jerked on the girl’s wrist, earning her a glare. The man moved his head from side to side, getting a good look at Ava and the girl. He sensed the tension between them. He laughed.

“No, you’re not,” he said with amusement.

The man approached them. He was big… much, much taller than Ava had anticipated. Ava spared a glance back at her own car. It wasn’t too far off. They had a chance of making it provided the girl complied. Ava’s hand never left the girl’s wrist. She could tell by the way she gripped it that it would bruise tomorrow, but that was something she could apologize for.

The girl struggled against Ava.

“You’re Ellie, right?”

The man had stopped in front of them. Ava looked up at him in defiance. The girl, Ellie, nodded, her eyes pleading him to take her away