Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Those poor parents.
That poor little boy.
“He was playing in his yard, right? When he went missing?” Gentry asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat next to Black. He pulled the case file over to himself and started to flip through it.
“Yes,” Black answered as he flipped open another case file. “This is Monty. Two and a half. Playing in his backyard with his dog, Reno. Just poof. Gone. Jackson and Melinda Cross have also been cleared of any wrongdoing. They don’t have any family, though. Been missing for four weeks.”
“How many in total?” Gentry asked as he looked through the next case file.
“Four. All same MO. Two and a half. Playing outside in the backyards. Then they’re gone. No sign of a struggle. No scream. No nothing. It seems like whoever took them knew the child. I could see one kid going without a fight, but not all four of them. Kids are usually hesitant around strangers at that age.”
A thought occurred to me, and I blurted it out without thinking first. “Do they all have the same caregiver? Like a babysitter?”
Black and Gentry both looked at me in surprise.
“If you think that they knew their kidnapper, that might be an explanation. Or a Sunday school teacher. Or a daycare worker.”
“Two went to church. So that might be the case for two. But not the other two. None of them went to daycare. But the babysitter theory…” Black stole one of the case files back. “A babysitter isn’t mentioned, but I’ll ask.”
I took a sip of the coffee and walked to the sliding glass door that overlooked Gentry’s backyard where the RV was parked.
As I stared at the camper, I realized you could see straight into it through the windows.
My cheeks heated.
Could he see me?
“This one mentions a babysitter,” Gentry said. “Thursday nights. From seven to ten. Parents are gone at…”
“SAR meetings.” I looked over my shoulder.
“Yes,” Gentry confirmed. “You’re aware of those?”
“A friend, Mable, encouraged me to start going. When Neo was missing. To give me something to focus on outside of wondering where he was,” I admitted. “There’s a couple that hasn’t been there in a while. The others were talking about it. I’m assuming that’s why. Their son was kidnapped.”
“Yes,” Black said. “What else you got, darlin’?”
I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “Not much,” I admitted. “Unless you want me to scour their social media and their babysitter’s. I’m pretty darn good at that.”
Black frowned. “Actually, that would be great.”
My brows rose. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I am. I usually have Kelly do it. But you have good instincts.”
I sat down. “Give me a list of names.”
Twelve
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but a left hook certainly makes a point.
—Gentry’s everyday thought
Gentry
She left a little over an hour later, heading to work.
She gave Neo a couple of blown kisses, then disappeared out into the yard and into her RV.
I watched her through the kitchen window for a long moment before Black interrupted me.
“So, your wife, huh?”
I blinked and turned my attention back to Black. “What?”
“She told Kelly Waller that she’s your wife.” He grinned. “Present tense. Not past.”
My lips twitched. “Oh yeah?”
“You realize that’s going to be all over town by tomorrow, right?” he asked. “And it’s not really going to save you from Kelly. You know she has no issue with married men.”
I grimaced.
Kelly Waller was a train wreck.
From a broken home, she dressed for attention, did things that she shouldn’t, and caused drama wherever she could.
Honestly, Black should’ve fired her a long time ago.
But she really was his niece, and he felt like he owed his brother.
She was a stain on the department, and she made working there uncomfortable.
He was also right.
Kelly would only be even more determined to interfere. It was as if she found the forbidden nature of breaking up people’s marriages exciting.
She hadn’t accomplished it with anyone from the department yet, but she sure had tried.
All of the deputies’ wives hated her.
“Well, you need to have a serious talk with her.” I shrugged. “She can talk to me at work, but she doesn’t need to be coming to my house. Not with Neo here.”
Black shook his head. “How’s he doing?”
I told him about today’s “breakthrough,” and he grinned. “He’ll get there. He may not ever be the dog that he was, but I doubt he gives up without a fight.”
“Agreed,” I said as I once again looked through the kitchen window toward the camper at the end of my backyard. She was standing in her kitchen in her scrubs, throwing her hair into a ponytail.
“She’s fuckin’ gorgeous, man,” Black said, following my line of sight.
I shot him a look. “Stop looking.”
He winked. “I’ll try. But whoa. She answered the door in just your flannel shirt. She’s got some great fuckin’ legs.”