Brenda sniffed. “She said I had to come alone.”
“That’s the usual protocol kidnappers put on the table. But don’t worry. We’ll figure that part out as soon as we know the location.”
Ben’s cell shimmied in the cup holder. He reached for it and checked the screen.Max.He opened the text box.
Found active payments from Lawrence to a house on Mariposa Road.
Ben asked for the house number and thanked him for the good work. Once he had the number he entered the location into his maps app and reviewed the directions. Not so far from here.
“We have another address with an active account connected to Mallory. It’s very near the Bradley house where we found the second message.”
“Are we going there?” Brenda asked, her voice hopeful.
He nodded. “We are.” His phone shimmied again. This time it was the tracking app. “Lena Jenner is on the move.”
Brenda groaned. “What do we do? Follow Lena or go to this house?”
Ben considered their options. “We don’t know with any measure of certainty that Lena is involved with Mallory. She didn’t appear to be aware that Janey was even missing.”
“You’re right.” Brenda nodded. “Let’s go to the Mariposa address. Mallory and Janey could be there right now.”
A left turn out of the parking lot and they followed Airport Road until it transitioned into Johnson Road. A right on Triana Boulevard took them back to the Merrimack Mill Village area. A few more turns and they arrived on Mariposa.
“That’s it.” Brenda pointed to the house coming up on the right.
Ben slowed and pulled to the curb two houses before the one that was their target. There were no vehicles in the driveway or nearby on the street. No lights in the house.
“What if this was just a distraction?” Brenda chewed her lip. “That text did come just before Lena left her house.”
“I know it looks that way,” Ben said patiently, “but trust me, Max knows what he’s doing. If he says there’s activity on the property related to Mallory, he’s done a check of the payment history. It won’t have been just a sudden transaction, or he would have warned me.”
“Sorry.” Brenda shook her head. “I’m just…overwhelmed.”
“No explanation necessary.” Ben hitched his head toward the house. “Let’s check it out. Even if Mallory and Janey aren’t here, there may be evidence that will help us trace their movements.”
They emerged from the car and moved along the sidewalk until they reached the house. It was a one-story with large windows. Ben walked straight to the door and knocked. Brenda peeked through a window.
“It’s dark in there, but I think it might be empty,” she reported in a stage whisper. “Maybe a sofa or a love seat in the middle of the room.”
Ben checked the door. Locked. “Let’s walk around back.” He wasn’t opposed to breaking and entering when necessary, but it was best not to do it where you were likely to be seen by neighbors.
They moved around to the back of the house. The yard was fairly small. A bit overgrown with a rickety privacy fence—all worked in their favor. Brenda moved in close to the windows, attempting to see beyond one after the other. Ben walked straight to the rear entrance. A sliding glass patio door. He gave it a tug and, to his surprise, it slid open.
“Here we go.”
When Brenda joined him, he reminded her, “Stay behind me until we’ve ensured the house is clear of potential threat.”
“Got it.”
He walked in, she followed. He slid the door closed once more. The rear entrance brought them into a small kitchen. He tried a light switch, then another. Apparently the utilities had been shut off. He used the flashlight app on his cell phone to scan the room. Clear. The interior was in need of a new coat of paint on the walls but otherwise unremarkable.
Beyond the kitchen was an L-shaped living-dining room combo. There was a sofa but no other furniture or indication of occupancy. The place was surprisingly clean. Off the living room was a narrow hall. The first door on the left was a bathroom. Empty. Nothing in the cabinet over the sink or in the one beneath.
The first bedroom on the right was very small. No furniture. No indication anyone had been there recently. Brenda checked the closet.
“Empty.” She hugged herself, chafed her arms. “Looks like the whole place is empty except for that sofa in the living room.”
“Let’s see the rest.”