Free Scream for Me by Karen Rose

sat, staring, her heart beating hard and fast. Before she’d been afraid for Bailey. She’d been terrified of Bailey’s house. Now, thanks to Vartanian, she was afraid for herself, too.
    He might be totally wrong, but if he was right . . . She needed protection. She needed a dog. A big dog. And a gun. She started up the rental car and was ready to pull away from the curb when a knock at her car window had her screaming.
    Her gaze flew up to the window where a young man in a military uniform stood smiling. He hadn’t heard her scream. Nobody ever did. Her screams were only in her mind. Drawing an unsteady breath, she rolled down the window a crack. “Yes?”
    “I’m sorry to bother you,” he said pleasantly. “I’m Captain Beardsley, U.S. Army. I’m looking for Bailey Crighton. I thought maybe you might know where I could find her.”
    “Why are you looking for her?”
    Again his smile was pleasant. “That’s between me and Miss Crighton. If you see her, could you tell her Reverend Beardsley stopped by?”
    Alex frowned. “Are you a captain or a reverend?”
    “Both. I’m an army chaplain.” He smiled. “Have a nice day.”
    “Wait.” Alex grabbed her cell phone and dialed Meredith while the man stood outside her window. He did wear a cross on his lapel. Maybe he was really a chaplain.
    And maybe he wasn’t. Vartanian had her paranoid. But then again, Bailey
was
missing and that woman
was
dead.
    “Well?” Meredith demanded without preamble.
    “It’s not Bailey.”
    Meredith sighed. “I’m relieved and at the same time . . . not.”
    “I know. Listen, I came by Bailey’s old house to see if I could find anything—”
    “
Alex.
You promised to wait until I could go with you.”
    “I didn’t go in. I just needed to see if I could.” She glanced at the house and her gut began to twist. “I can’t. But as I was sitting here on the street, this guy came up.”
    “What guy?”
    “Reverend Beardsley. He says he’s looking for Bailey. He’s an army chaplain.”
    “An army chaplain is looking for Bailey? Why?”
    “That’s what I’m going to find out. I just wanted someone to know I was talking to him. If I don’t call you in ten minutes, call 911, okay?”
    “Alex, you’re scaring me.”
    “Good. I was getting too full of fear myself. Need to spread it around. How’s Hope?”
    “The same. We need to get her out of this hotel room, Alex.”
    “I’ll see what I can do.” She hung up and got out of her car.
    Captain Beardsley looked concerned. “Has something happened to Bailey?”
    “Yes. She disappeared.”
    Beardsley’s concern became shock. “When did Bailey disappear?”
    “This past Thursday night, four days ago now.”
    “Oh, dear. Who are you?”
    “My name is Alex Fallon. I’m Bailey’s stepsister.”
    His brows went up. “Alex Tremaine?”
    Alex swallowed. “That’s my old last name, yes. How do you know that?”
    “Wade told me.”
    “
Wade?
”
    “Bailey’s older brother.”
    “I know who Wade is. Why would he tell you about me?”
    Beardsley tilted his head, studying her. “He’s dead.”
    Alex blinked. “Dead?”
    “Yes. I’m sorry. I assumed you’d been notified. Lieutenant Wade Crighton was killed in the line of duty in Iraq about a month ago.”
    “We’re not really blood relations, so I guess the government wouldn’t have contacted me. Why are you looking for Bailey?”
    “I sent her a letter her brother dictated to me just before he died. Lieutenant Crighton was injured in a raid on a village outside Baghdad. Some called it a suicide mission.”
    A sense of satisfaction stole through Alex, making her ashamed. “Was the mission accomplished?” she asked very quietly.
    “Partly. At any rate, Wade was hit by mortar fire. By the time the medics got to him, it was too late. He asked me to hear his confession.”
    Alex’s brows knit. “Wade wasn’t Catholic.”
    “Neither am I. I’m a Lutheran pastor. A lot of men who ask me to hear their