Free A Haunting Dream (A Missing Pieces Mystery) by Joyce Lavene, Jim Page B

examined a laptop thrown on the bed. “They took the hard drive. That might be a clue about what happened to Chuck.”
    “There has to be something else.”
    “Not to put too fine a point on it, Dae, but you’re the one who finds things. I’m just backup.”
    “My amazing finding abilities seem to be on vacation right now.”
    We finally reached a little pink and white room that I guessed was Betsy’s. Even this was ripped apart—bedclothes tossed around and stuffed animals torn to pieces. “What were they looking for in her teddy bears?”
    “Drugs. Jewels. Flash drives. There are plenty of things you can hide in a stuffed animal. I’ve seen a lot of things hidden in them.”
    “Well, we know she was here.”
    “But was she here when Chuck was killed?” Kevin asked.
    “I don’t really know if she was with him. I feel fairly sure he was killed at the Harris Teeter and someone tried to get rid of his body in the Atlantic. I didn’t see her in the original vision set off by the medallion. I don’t know where her mother is. All I really have is my vision about Chuck and my dream about someone taking Betsy against her will. And, of course, dead Chuck telling me to help her.”
    We’d reached the living room again. Kevin stopped walking. “I think you have enough to bring in the chief, Dae. Looking at this as a professional, I’d want to know where the little girl was in these circumstances, even if she’s with her mother. You should call him.”
    I knew he was right. I just wished I had something more definite so we didn’t have to go through the chief’s usual
Oh, Dae had a vision
kind of thing. It would be nice to justify what I’d seen before the police ripped it apart.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move, and went to investigate. I had to navigate through overturned furniture, broken knickknacks and torn-up books to reach the front-door area.
    I was pretty sure that whatever had moved wasn’t Betsy—too small. But as I searched through all the debris, I saw a doll that had been dropped by the front door.
    I carefully picked up the well-loved doll and realized that this was a key to what had happened. Betsy had been holding it when someone took her away. I dropped it on the floor again before I could feel anything else from it.
    What if she’s dead? What if her last memories are imbued in this doll?
The idea made my hands tremble and my mind almost numb with fear.
    “What’s wrong?” Kevin joined me in the entryway. “What did you find?”
    I told him my thoughts. “I’m scared to hold it.” It was blunt and brief but horribly true. I’d seen some terrible things since my original gift had changed and increased.
    He put his hands on my shoulders as he leaned in close to me. “I’m here, Dae. I’ll pull you back. I won’t let you go.”
    Just for a moment, I had a brief vision of him saying almost the same thing to Ann. They’d been very close as partners. That was how they’d become romantically involved. They’d been with each other all the time.
    Kevin was a very supportive person—very hands-on and empathic. Had he been drawn to me because I was gifted like Ann?
    I forced myself back to the problem at hand. “I can do this, but thanks for being here.”
    “Always.”
    There was no hesitation on his part as he said it. I sighed and forced myself again to address the issue I was facing right now.
    I started to pick up the doll again when something hissed and bit me. For a minute, I thought it was a snake. Gramps had been bitten by a cottonmouth out in the garage one day. He’d been sick for a while after, but he’d pulled through.
    When I looked again, I saw that it wasn’t a snake but a small black kitten with bright green eyes. It was backed into the corner, crouched on part of the doll. That was the movement I’d seen.
    “It’s a kitten,” Kevin said. “Poor thing. It’s probably starving and terrified.”
    I looked at the tiny but bloody wound it had