When she opened the door, Orion was greeted by the rumble of the giant boilers. She called out, "Jonathan Bowman?"

No answer.

"Jonathan Bowman." She raised her voice. "Police."

Below them on the sub-basement floor, Bowman peeked out from behind a boiler.

"Lemme see those hands," she hollered over the mechanical thrumming.

When he saw the detective coming down the concrete stairs he bolted.

"Son-of-a-bitch," Orion growled. She grabbed the steel railing and raced down the steps. Lloyd trailed.

Bowman killed the lights.

"You are aware," Lloyd shouted into the dark. "That this is the only way out." He waited but no answer came.

Patrice drew her firearm.

"Okay, then," Lloyd hollered. "Let's all just sit tight until the K-9s get here." He plopped down on the cold concrete step and dialed his phone. "Damn it. I got no signal." As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see his partner at the bottom of the steps, practically radiating anger.

"Treece." He stood. "I'm going upstairs to make a call. You coming?"

She didn't answer.

"Be right back," he said. A shaft of light from the hallway cut into the darkness when he opened the door.

"Prop that door open, would you?" she said, turning her head very slowly.

He obliged and then climbed the next flight to the main hallway.

The deep pits of blackness were impenetrable. Orion took two tight steps backward and flattened herself against the wall at the base of the stairwell, thinking maybe it wasn't too late to join her partner upstairs.

When she heard the sound of footsteps, her eyes rolled right. She stood rigid, listening, searching the shadows. Sensing movement coming up from behind her, she instinctively lurched forward. Something cold and metallic grazed her cheekbone and then came down hard on the steel handrail with a CLANG. She pivoted and raised her pistol. In the dim light, she saw Bowman's hulking form emerging from the shadows. He swung a metal pipe wrench. She sidestepped, deflecting the impact. The gun jumped from her hand and clattered loudly as it landed on the concrete floor.

He bolted past her up the steps. She threw herself at his legs, arms wrapped tightly around his ankle, and she yanked. His foot shot out from under him and he he cried out when his ribcage hit the edge of the cement stair. He rolled onto his side, freeing himself from her grasp, his breath ragged.

He regained possession of the wrench and swung. She ducked. He lunged at her. She threw her body under his arcing swing, and in one swift motion, grabbed a fistful of his shirt collar and jerked him over her shoulder off the stairs.

He hit the wall so hard his head bounced and he lost his grip on the wrench. He staggered forward, struggling to find his footing, and caught a solid roundhouse right to the jaw that sent him sprawling on the floor.

Patrice found her weapon and aimed. "Don't move." She wiped a smear from her mouth. The familiar taste of her own blood kept her adrenaline pumping.

"What'd I do?" he gasped.

"Assaulted a police officer for starters."

He slid his arm across his abdomen, protecting his aching ribs, and groaned.

The overhead lights flickered on and Lloyd came through the door and down the steps. Surveying the scene, he found Jonathan Bowman on his back, Patrice standing over him, her weapon trained on his heaving chest.

"Looks like I can call off the K-9s," Lloyd said. Eyeing his partner, he added, "Ouch. A bloody nose."

"Think it's my lip." She dabbed her glistening chin with her sleeve.

Lloyd pulled the handcuffs off his hip. "On your belly," he said to Bowman.

"What's this about? What'd I do?" His trembling voice sounded like the voice of a kid on his way to the Principal's office.

Lloyd raised his voice. "Get on your belly! Now!"

Bowman rolled over, face down, and the detective secured the cuffs. Lloyd winced at his partner's bloodied face and then said to Bowman as he jerked him to his feet, "You have any idea what happened to the last jackass that made her bleed?"

........

The following afternoon, the detectives parked at the curb in front of the McKenzie's house. Patrice got out the passenger side and Lloyd joined her as she crossed the driveway to the front door.

Skyden's watch pinged a security camera alert. She checked the image on her watch and saw the detectives approaching. She opened the door before they reached the doorbell and with surprise in her voice, she said, "Detective Orion."

"As she entered, Patrice said, "You remember my partner, Detective Lloyd."

"I do." She stiffened with anticipation.

Cameron stood in the living room, hands in his pockets, eager for good news.

Lloyd closed the door behind him and stepped into the living room, taking a position a few feet from Patrice. He gave the McKenzies a small disarming smile.

"You know a man named Jonathan Bowman?" Orion asked.

"Yes, I do," said Skyden, her voice a little thin.

"Did you know he was working at the high school?" 

She nodded, glancing at Orion's swollen split lip. "We took him into custody this afternoon." She gestured to her lip. "Collateral damage."

Brick bounded down the stairs and came to a halt when he saw the detectives. All four adults turned their heads. "What's going on?" he said.

"Why don't you go back to your room?" Cameron said.

"Why?"

Cameron took a parental tone. "Just go."

Brick plodded up the stairs, muttering.

Orion lowered her volume. "Bowman hasn't made a formal confession yet. But we're getting a strong sense that his attorney is pushing for a plea deal. That's the direction it seems to be headed."

"What did he do?" said Skyden. "I mean, why did you arrest him?"

"Police found one of the missing girls in Ohio," said Patrice. "There's a pretty good chance we're gonna get a DNA match."

"From Jonathan?" Skyden's voice grew shaky. She rested her shoulder against the wall feeling hollow.

"Wait," said Cameron, trying to keep up. "Who's Jonathan Bowman?" He shifted his gaze from the police detectives to his wife.

"I went to high school with him," said Skyden. "And last week I saw him at Higbee."

"You've been in contact with him?" Lloyd asked.

"No. I haven't seen him since high school. Until the other day."

Skyden wished she could call a time-out, take a break, and digest what the cops had just told her about Jonathan Bowman. She remembered him leaning against the roof of her car, peering in at her and Kelsey. She remembered feeling uneasy, he'd always made her feel that way. But she couldn't imagine he was capable of murder. Of murdering a child and doing who knows what else. She wanted to push that thought out of her mind but it wouldn't budge.

Orion said, "He works for an HVAC company in Ohio. He was doing work at the high school."

Lloyd said, "With his priors, we can't figure how he was permitted within a mile of that school, but..." He shrugged. "We're looking into that."

While trying to fit the pieces together, Cameron sat on the arm of the couch.

Skyden said, "Do you think he had something to do with the missing girl?"

Both detectives nodded.

Cameron said, "And you think he's the guy that tried to break in here last week?"

"Sure looks that way," said Lloyd.

Cameron said, "And what about the person who was pretending to be her friend on Facebook?"

Orion's gaze shifted back and forth between the McKenzies. "You went to the same school. Knew the same people. Makes sense. He probably knew your friend, Megan, right?"

"I'm sure he did," Skyden responded.

Nobody said anything for a minute before Orion added, "It's a lot to process. But for you and your family, this is good news." The tightness went out of her jaw and brightness lit her eyes.

"Yeah." Skyden managed a tepid smile. "I guess it is." Cameron got off the couch and took her in his arms. She trembled, waiting for the sigh of relief to arrive.