With those dark eyes boring into her, she couldn’t think, much less hold back the words bubbling up in her throat. “How did you know so much about cults?”
“It’s a current state of affairs. People searching for surety about the next life, people looking for a place to belong. Cults can provide that sense of community we seem to be losing day by day as social media takes over more and more of our lives.”
He’d nailed it, and she gave a grudging nod. “It was disconcerting to watch.”
“Why?” His gaze held her pinned in place. “It’s just a documentary.”
“Not for some of us.” The whispered words startled her. She hadn’t meant to tell him.
“You sound like you know more than most.”
Something about the sympathy in his eyes opened the torrent of words. “M-My parents. They belonged to one for a while. Until my dad took me away. No one knows about it, though.”
“I don’t think your dad hides it, does he? That big compound is a sure giveaway that he’s got a prepper bent to him.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. People can be preppers without being in a cult.”
He shrugged. “People have guessed about it. Even your detective Brian thinks your dad was in a cult.”
She bolted upright as the words seared her. “You’re lying.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Brian told me just minutes ago.”
“You talked to him about me being in a cult?” She could hardly choke out the horrible words.
“Of course not. I told him you seemed like a competent chief of police and asked how long he’d known you. He mentioned where your dad lived and the rumors about the cult.”
She was going to chew Brian out tomorrow. He had no business discussing her. Not with this man and not with anyone.
“You look like you’re about to explode. It bothers you that much that someone might know something that happened to you as a kid? Your parents took you there. You had no say in it.”
While what he said was true, it didn’t wash away the guilt she felt. “I don’t want to talk about it. It was a painful time in my life, and I hate that anyone in town even suspects.”
“So that’s where your hostility toward me is coming from? The cult documentary I did?”
When he said it like that, it sounded ridiculous. He hadn’t even interviewed her. “Don’t ever bring it up to me again, and maybe we can get through the next couple of weeks.”
“Done.” He gave Parker a final pat and rose. “I’ll get out of here and see you bright and early tomorrow.”
She pressed her lips together and went to lock the door behind him. Somehow the conversation had left her feeling almost stripped bare of the protective layer she’d woven around herself over her past. How many people in town were looking at her and judging her because of her past?
She went back to the balcony, but instead of picking up her e-reader, she sketched Reid’s face. She nearly sketched him with hair instead of a shaved head but put down her pencil at the strange impulse. He looked good the way he was.
Sixteen
Will’s smile could light up a football stadium. The boy wore a Saints cap backward, and he slung two camera bags onto his shoulders as he exited Reid’s SUV outside the police station. A tripod stuck up out his backpack.
A pelican fluttered down the strut on the grass by the road, and Will pointed it out. “Look at that!”
“No fish here in town.” Reid locked his vehicle. “You don’t look eager or anything. This will be hard work.”
Will bounced a little on his flip-flops. “It’s going to be great, Dad. I know I can do it. Thanks for giving me a chance.”
The boy was obsessed with cameras and moviemaking. His phone was filled with movie shorts on various subjects, and he had an eye for composition and angle. “They’ll be long days. There won’t be time for goofing off.”
“I’ll stay focused.” Will led the way toward the building.
Reid followed slowly. He wasn’t sure about this. Being around Jane could be dangerous.
Jane was exiting the door as they approached. She held it open for Parker to exit behind her. “I saw your arrival through the window and thought I’d save you checking in.” She shot a glance at Will. “You brought your son.”
“He’s my acting cameraman. Spring break started, and he’s a good videographer.” Not that he had to explain anything to her.
Will stooped and petted the animal. “Does the dog get to go with us?”
“I take him everywhere with me. He’s a K-9 officer and a great asset. You mind driving? My vehicle is in for maintenance, which should have been okay, but I’ve been called to a meeting with the mayor.”
“I don’t mind,” Reid said as they walked to his SUV. Her hazel eyes were shadowed this morning, and he suspected she didn’t get much sleep after he left last night.
She stopped when she saw the pelican. “There’s Pete.”
“You know this bird?”
She nodded. “He’s kind of a pet around here. I usually go out to the dock with minnows for him, but he must have gotten tired of my neglect.” She squatted in front of the bird. “Sorry, Pete, no fish today. You’ll have to catch your own.”
The pelican eyed her with a beady stare, then flapped his wings and flew off toward the water.
Reid grinned and shook his head. “He acted like he knew what you were saying. So what’s up with the meeting with Lisa?”
She made a face. “She sounded upset and wanted me to come to her house, maybe to lessen the chances of being overheard. She’ll be pleased to see I haven’t managed to ditch you. She lives just out of town.”
“You worried she’s heard about your dad?”
“I’m sure that’s what this is about. News travels fast.”
“Then what?”
“Then we’ll see.”
An evasive answer. What was she up to? Looking at her closed expression it was clear she wasn’t about to discuss what was on her mind.
It was a perfect spring morning. The Alabama sun was hot through the windshield, and he turned on the air. Jane stared out the window and said nothing as he drove his big vehicle a few miles out of town. Parker was draped across Will’s lap, and the boy was on his phone, so Reid filled the silence by turning on the radio. “Your Grace Finds Me” poured out the speakers, and he felt her tense at the music. He had no idea of her faith—or maybe lack of it—but he could see her jaw flex.
“What is that music? It sounds . . . different.”
“Christian music.”
“How is it different from other genres?”
He grinned. “The lyrics. Want me to turn it off?”
With the sun in her face, the eyes she turned his way were more gold. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who listens to Christian music.”
“You like country. I noticed you listening to Faith Hill last night. I find Christian music helps keep me centered and focused on what’s important in life.”
“And what do you find important in life?” Her tone indicated she truly wanted to know.
He turned into the parking lot. “Micah 6:8 says God wants us to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him. That kind of sums up what I strive for. I don’t always succeed, though.”
She made a small sound of disbelief. “If only everyone did that. Instead injustice is everywhere and everyone pursues their own self-interest. Church seems to be a way to control people.”
Her time in the cult had scarred her. “You’ve been in the wrong kind of church. In the right one we learn to be more like Jesus and to encourage each other to strive for eternal values.”
“That sounds very foreign to my experience.” She unbuckled her seat belt in front of a large brick mansion with pillars on the porch. “I guess we’d better get this over with.”
* * *
Lisa Chapman sat behind her desk with her hands folded in front of her, and she didn’t smile. She was always smiling.
>
Jane’s smile faltered on her lips, and she shut the door behind her entourage. “Everything okay, Lisa?”
Lisa’s gaze flitted to Will and Reid behind Jane, and she frowned as the boy lifted the camera to his shoulder to start recording. “There is no need to record this meeting.”
“I thought you wanted the documentary to show all aspects of a small-town cop’s life,” Reid said.
“Not this one.”
Ominous words. Jane’s chest squeezed, and she knew her initial trepidation was right. She waited until Will turned off the camera. “What’s this all about?”
“Your father has been arrested.”
“Yes, I was there when the FBI showed up.”
“And you didn’t see fit to call me?”
Uh-oh. She hadn’t even thought about it. “I’m conducting two homicide investigations, and I didn’t think.”
Lisa rose and went to fiddle with her window blinds to shut out the sun’s glare. “You realize how this looks now, don’t you? His daughter in charge of the very department he swindled?”
Jane braced her hands on her hips. “You can’t think he’s guilty!” Parker came to press his nose against her leg.
Lisa returned to her desk. “The FBI wouldn’t have arrested him without a great deal of evidence.”
“I know my dad, and he would never do this.” Jane hated the quiver in her voice. She tipped up her chin. “He says he’s been pursuing evidence of who he thinks did this.”
Lisa lifted a brow. “He have any proof yet?”
“Well, no, but over the years I’m sure he’s made a lot of enemies.” Aware she was grasping at straws, Jane shut up.
“Some of the town council members think we need to suspend you while this investigation is ongoing. The FBI will need help from the department, and we need assurance you’ll cooperate with any requests.”
Jane swallowed. “Of course I’ll comply with anything they need.”
“I expect you to put aside your belief in your dad’s innocence and look at the evidence.”
That might be harder to do. Jane gave a stiff nod. “I’ll look at the evidence.” And try to find out who is framing my dad.
“I’ll let the FBI know they’ll have your complete cooperation. Thanks for coming in. I’ll let the council know there’s nothing to worry about.”
Jane nodded and forced her stiff limbs to move toward the door. She caught a glimpse of Will’s head hanging down. This dressing down had probably been as embarrassing to witness as it was for her to endure.
She rushed for the exit and stepped out into the breeze. She kept her head high until Reid’s hand fell on her shoulder and he whispered, “Hang in there.”
Her cheeks went hot, and she couldn’t look at him. “I’m fine.” She walked quickly to the SUV.
He climbed behind the wheel and glanced at her. “Let’s go get ice cream.”
She finally looked into his warm, compassionate eyes. “Ice cream at nine in the morning? Where would we even find a place open?”
“Dairy Queen will do in a pinch, and I think this is definitely a pinch. I’d say a banana split is in order.”
Will climbed in the back with Parker. “Or maybe a hot fudge sundae.”
A smile took control of her lips. “I guess I could face-plant into a bowl of ice cream. There’s a Dairy Queen in Foley. We can go there.”
“I know where that is.” He grinned and pulled out of the circular driveway. “Then where to?”
She wasn’t sure when or how this new camaraderie had developed, but she wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. “I need to check on Nicole Pearson’s autopsy.”
“Are we going to your office or to the morgue?” His lips twisted into a grimace, and he swallowed hard.
She grinned. “Big, tough guy afraid of a dead body?”
“I’d like to keep my banana split in my stomach. Is that so wrong?”
She huffed out a laugh. “Well put.”
They fell into a companionable silence as he drove to Foley. She tried not to listen to the comforting lyrics of the Christian music playing. Wanting comfort and love was what got her parents into the cult situation in the first place.
Reid drove into the DQ lot and parked. He got out of his SUV and took Parker’s leash from Will as they exited the backseat.
He held the restaurant door open for them, and she entered the cool wash of air-conditioning and the enticing aroma of sweet treats. The Peanut Buster Parfait was her favorite, and she licked the hot chocolate and caramel slowly from her spoon. What was she going to do about the FBI? First she needed to see what evidence they had on him. Was it someone’s testimony or something more serious?
Reid threw away the empty boat from his banana split. “You’re lost in thought.”
“Just thinking about the trouble my dad is in.”
“You seem pretty adamant he’s innocent.”
“If you’d ever met my dad, you’d be certain too.”
He wiped his hands on a napkin. “I’m sure.”
Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. “Chief Hardy.”
“The autopsy on Nicole Pearson is done, Chief. I just emailed the results to you. Oops, sorry, gotta go. I have another call.” The ME ended the call before Jane could ask any more questions.
“Let’s head for my office. I want to see what killed Nicole for sure.”
And if she was able to reinstate Paul Baker, her job might be in even more jeopardy. Lisa had made it clear Jane was on the rocks in heavy surf. One false move, and she’d be out and Paul would be in. While she wasn’t sure she had the skills to do this job, she was sure he didn’t.
* * *
Her head felt as big as a melon. Fanny blinked in the total darkness that was as smothering as a wool blanket and waited for her vision to clear enough to see where she was. It didn’t happen. She reached out and felt a hard mattress beneath her. She sat up and set her hand down to touch the ground. The bed was just a mattress on a dirt floor.
Where was she and where was her son? Terror held her immobile for several seconds. She wet her lips. “Harry?” Her voice was barely above a hoarse whisper.
She eased up enough to stand on wobbly legs. “Harry!” The crushing weight in her chest grew. “Harry, come to Mommy. Follow my voice.”
No matter how hard she strained, she couldn’t hear anything but the wild pounding of her own heartbeat. She didn’t sense anyone else with her. Had Harry managed to escape? She could only pray he’d made it to safety.
She smelled musty air and dirt like maybe she was in a basement. Hands in front of her, she shuffled across the uneven floor a few feet until she touched the cold wall. She worked her away around the room and counted her steps as she went. The space appeared to be about an eight-by-eight square with one door and no windows. No light penetrated the room from the door so she had to be underground somewhere. That realization made her shudder.
She took a calming breath and made her way back to the door. The doorknob wouldn’t turn. Locked on the outside. Maybe she could find some way to pick the lock. She felt around in her hair for the bobby pin she’d used to hold back the bangs she was trying to grow out.
When she yanked it free, it fell to the floor. “No, no,” she sobbed. She fell to the floor and felt around the cold dirt for it. Fanny finally found it in the crack between the floor and the wall.
On her knees, she felt for a hole in the lock to try to insert one end. There was nothing like that in the door, just a cold knob on a smooth metal plate. Tears burned her eyes, and she sat back on her haunches. She had to get out of here and find Harry. Her baby needed her. What if he was still wandering in the woods somewhere? What if he was hurt and crying for her?
The pain was almost more than she could bear. She got up and staggered around the room again. Maybe there was something in here to use. But no matter where she put her hands, the only item in the room was that bare mattress on the floor. With her bobby pin in her mouth, she went bac
k to the door and felt for the hinges. Maybe they could be pried loose.
If only she had even a glimmer of light to see. She touched the hinges and tried to see with her fingers. There was a large pin holding the hinges, so she tried to pry it up with a bobby pin. It didn’t budge, and she pressed hard until the pin bent. Nothing.
Terror for her son clawed at her chest, making it hard to draw air. The man could do what he wanted with her, but Harry had to be all right. She had to find him and breathe in his little-boy scent. She wanted to feel his small arms tight around her neck.
“Harry,” she said brokenly as she sank to the floor. “Oh, God, take care of Harry.”
Seventeen
Jane spotted Paul before Reid parked his SUV in the city hall parking lot. The detective wore a hangdog expression as he leaned against Jane’s SUV as if waiting for her. It seemed odd to see him in shorts and a T-shirt instead of his uniform. They didn’t socialize, so their contact had been mostly limited to here.
Her gaze went to the man next to him. Victor Armstrong looked smug and confident.
Reid turned off the engine. “Looks like trouble’s waiting for you. Does this need to be a private conversation?”
“No. Maybe they’ll make it fast if we’re not alone.” She shoved open her door and slammed it behind her before she strode over to join Paul and Victor. “Did you call Lisa and tell her about my dad?”
Paul straightened from his slouch against her vehicle. “Was it supposed to be a secret? You should have called her yourself.”
“So that’s a yes. And I suppose you’re here asking to be reinstated, but the whole time you’re stabbing me in the back.”
“Like I said, you should have called yourself. Lisa agreed with that as well.”
“And I do too,” Victor said. “You’re not up to this job, Jane.” Victor gave her a contemptuous sneer before walking away to cross the street to the coffee shop.
“I can tell I’m wasting my time.” She turned toward the building.
“Wait, that’s not why I’m here,” Paul called after her.
She turned back around and stared at him. “Okay, let’s have it.”
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