Luke looked into Lucky's eyes and saw all the pain he was feeling. He knew how much Lucky loved Elizabeth and his heart felt heavy for the pain he was going to have to endure until Elizabeth was found. He knew what it felt like to love someone that much. He had loved Laura that much since the day he met her, and still loved her as much to this day even though they were no longer together. He knew that kind of love never died. .
Luke turned from Lucky and dialed the number to the police station. Mac and Taggert arrived a few minutes later. While Mac searched downstairs, he led Taggert to the bedroom where Lucky still sat on Elizabeth's bed, holding the picture against his chest. Taggert spoke first, softly. "Lucky?" .
He looked up at him, his eyes glazed and unfocused. He was unable to get the vision of Elizabeth struggling with her captor out of his head. He could see her grabbing the picture as he pulled off the bed, meaning to take it with her as a reminder of him, something that would help to keep her sane. .
"Lucky, I need to ask you some questions." .
"Ah...okay." .
"Where's Mrs. Hardy? Is she at work?" .
"She's ah, she's at a convention. She wasn't here last night. I never should have left Elizabeth alone..." .
Luke spoke up. "I talked to Bobbie. She's gone to get her. Audrey's going to be upset and we didn't want her driving home alone. She's just a few hours away." .
"Good." Taggert turned back to Lucky. "Lucky, when was the last time you saw Elizabeth?" .
"I was with her until about 10:00 last night. We had dinner at Kelly's and then came back here for awhile to study for a test. I talked to her on the phone around midnight. She was so happy last night. And now...." He looked at Taggert searching for answers. "What kind of sick bastard would do this to her, and why?" .
"We'll do everything in our power to find her, Lucky." Lucky was grateful for Taggert's sympathy. He had appreciated the way he had treated Elizabeth after she was raped, and he felt that he truly cared about her. .
"When she wasn't at school this morning I tried to call her, but I thought she had just turned the phone off. I came over here after school and when she didn't answer the door I came to the window." .
"Is that something you've done before?" .
He nodded. "Lot's of times. But the window was open a few inches and that's when I knew something was wrong and I found the room like this." He ran his hands through his hair. "Why didn't I come over here this morning? Maybe I could have saved her, maybe he was still here and I could have stopped him." .
"Lucky, it's not going to do you any good blaming yourself and wishing you had done things differently. We need to search her room, see if we can get any finger prints or clues." Taggert pointed to the picture "What have you got there?" .
"It's the picture she kept by her bed. I found it on the floor by the window with the glass shattered." .
"You shouldn't have touched it, Lucky. You know that don't you?" .
He nodded. "I had to. I know Elizabeth, and I know she would have grabbed it and tried to take it with her. She would do that. It was probably one of the last things she touched. I'm sorry." .
"It's okay. I understand. Can I have it now?" .
He reluctantly gave Taggert the picture and finally stood up from the bed, surveying the room. He was extremely agitated. .
"Lucky, why don't you and Luke wait downstairs? And ask Mac to come up here." .
"Can't I stay?" .
"It would be better if you waited downstairs." .
Luke spoke up. "Come on son, let's go. Let them do their job." .
As he let Luke lead him from the room, he stopped to look at the bloody hand print on the door and then hurriedly went down the stairs to the living room. .
Now Lucky was pacing the floor, unable to sit still. It had been nearly an hour since they had left the bedroom. Luke approached Lucky. "Lucky, you need to try and calm down." .
"Calm down? How can I calm down, Dad? I can't even breathe. I keep seeing her struggling, trying to get free. I can't just stand here and do nothing. I have to find her before he hurts her anymore." .
Mac and Taggert came down the steps and their expressions were grim. "What? What is it?" .
It appears that some of her clothes are missing from her dresser. Whoever took her plans to keep her. And we think the blood is all Elizabeth's. The prints are all so small. We think that she must have been cut on the palms of her hands for there to have been so much blood on the prints. She marked every surface she could. We got some good finger prints; we should know who they all belong to by tomorrow." .
"There's something else isn't there? Something else you're not telling me." .
Mac and Taggert looked at each other briefly before Mac spoke. "The man who raped Elizabeth, Tom Baker, got out of jail yesterday on good behavior. We just got the call a few minutes ago." .
Lucky stared at them in horror, the color draining from his face. He felt his knees start to buckle. He whispered. "Jesus, oh Jesus," and leaned over, putting his hands on his knees, taking a deep breath, fighting the urge to be sick. Finally he stood up and looked at Luke. 'I'll kill him, Dad, I swear I'll kill him." Luke put his hand on Lucky's shoulder. "Son, come and sit down." .
He sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, closing his eyes to the ever present vision of her struggling with her captor, only this time the man had a face. He knew without a doubt that it was Tom who had taken her. He had vowed revenge on her months before. Lucky knew he would not have a moment's peace until he found her and saved her from the most sick and twisted man he had ever known. And he knew the bloody prints were her message to him: Come save me.