Page 87 of One Night Years Ago

Suddenly, Natalie’s phone rang. “I’m sorry, Doctor, I need to take this. Rob? Is my father there? What’s happening?”

Hunter didn’t need to hear the other end of the conversation to know the news wasn’t good. Natalie grabbed on to the examination table with her left hand. Her whole body swayed lightly.

Hunter moved closer to her, placed his large hand over her smaller one.

“Are you sure?” Natalie asked. “Okay, thank you, Rob. Bag those things and close the door behind you. Well, never mind the door, it’s fine.”

She hung up the phone and stared at him, her eyes bright with fear.

“He wasn’t there, Hunter.”

“What do you mean he wasn’t there? There were three or four pints of blood on your floor. There’s no way he stood up after that and walked away.”

“That’s exactly what he did.” She wiped her hand angrily. “I should have made sure.”

He looked at her in silence. He hated to see her hurting like this.

“We’ll find him,” he said.

“I don’t know, Hunter. Ford was too smart not to have a Plan B. I get the feeling he may be gone for good.”

He held her hand very gently. “Wherever he is, we’ll find him and make him pay.”

Chapter 32

Natalie

Over the following week, Natalie’s hunch proved right. She’d dragged herself back to work the morning after the attack, right after discharging herself from the hospital. Her FBI contact finally managed to raise enough of a fuss that a team of two investigators was sent to Sharp’s Cove. They combed the town and surrounding areas and found absolutely nothing.

One afternoon, she left the station early and walked across town. There was something she needed to do personally. She climbed up the flight of stairs and knocked on Emma’s apartment door.

“Yes?” a soft voice asked from the other side. Natalie dug her nails into her palms. She hated the fact that her friend was now afraid of opening her door.

“It’s me, Em,” she said loudly.

“Nat! Hold on a sec.”

Natalie waited patiently while Emma unlatched at least two locks and a bolt. Finally, her friend opened the door.

“Nat, it’s so good to see you,” Emma said, pulling her in hard for a hug. Natalie felt like sobbing on her friend’s hair.

“We haven’t been able to find him, Em,” she said.

Emma reached back and held Natalie at arm’s length, looking into her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll stop looking for him?”

“I’ll never stop looking for him,” Natalie promised grimly.

“I thought so.”

“But I had the chance to stop him. If I’d only gone back into the house …”

“Then maybe you and Hunter would be dead as well, Natalie. Listen to me, it’s thanks to you that we know what kind of a monster Ford is. There’s a federal warrant for his arrest.”

“I know, but I—”

“Stop, Natalie, please. I know you want to catch him, but you can’t let Ford ruin any more lives.”

It was on the tip of Natalie’s tongue to ask Emma why she had three locks now, in that case, but she stopped herself just in time. Emma had to process what happened at her own pace. For now, it was enough for Natalie that her friend didn’t blame her.