Daylight Robbery (An Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  She flinched but kept her lips tightly zipped. Kellan was sure he could hear her heart thundering.

  “I know you don’t want to go there, but you’re forcing my hand.”

  Her gaze darted to his, her eyes narrowing in a dark glare.

  He raised his eyebrows at the intensity of her stare, but refused to be put off by it. “Suit yourself.” He nodded to Ollie. “Take her to the station and put her in the interview room. I’ll be there soon.”

  “Yes, Chief.” Ollie stood, bringing the girl with him. “We’ll book her and arrange a court-appointed guardian.”

  Kellan nodded, hating that they’d have to go to such lengths. Couldn’t the girl just tell them her name?

  He gave her a silent plea, but she turned away from it, sticking her chin in the air and trying to act tough.

  She wasn’t that tough. The way her jaw trembled gave away just how scared she was.

  It made something inside of his chest squeeze tight, and although it didn’t follow protocol to the letter, he quietly murmured, “Hold off on the booking for now.” Ollie frowned and Kellan leaned in close to whisper, “She’s terrified. Let’s see if we can get her talking before we put her through all that drama. I’m worried it’ll only shut her down even more.”

  Ollie’s expression flickered with understanding and he nodded, then tried to take her to the car. He couldn’t move her at first, even with a little soft coaxing. In the end he had to yank her along, but eventually her stick-like legs complied and she shuffled to the cruiser.

  Kellan watched them go, glancing down at the bag in his hand, then shaking his head as he jogged back to his parents’ place. He’d left it wide open and suddenly hoped the girl hadn’t been some decoy.

  But when he reached the house and ran around back, the French doors were exactly as he’d left them. He slowed his pace, pulling in slow mouthfuls of air as he crouched to study the doors. He was guessing she’d come in this way. People didn’t tend to break in at the front where they were visible from the street.

  His gaze drifted to the lock. He couldn’t see any marks or signs of forced entry. She must have picked it.

  He remembered that she was wearing gloves, so as much as he’d love to get the tech team in to dust for prints, it was probably a waste of their time. She’d even covered her shoes so as not to leave prints on the floor.

  It told him that she knew exactly what she’d been doing.

  Standing tall, he stepped into the house and glanced at the alarm sensors on the wall. They looked untouched as well, and when he’d entered the house and punched in the code, that panel had not been tampered with either.

  Kellan had read about thieves using radio signals to jam alarms. She must have been working with that kid who attacked Blaine. Kellan began to build a story around the both of them.

  The thing he couldn’t wrap his head around was their age.

  They were acting like seasoned criminals, yet were way too young to be doing so.

  Had they trained themselves? Or were their parents or guardians making them do it?

  Why the hell weren’t they in school?

  Using kids as thieves. It made him sick.

  Pulling out his phone, he walked up to his mother’s room to take photos of the areas that had been disturbed.

  But nothing had.

  At least to the clueless eye.

  The house looked untouched.

  If he hadn’t stopped by at the exact moment, he would have been none the wiser. His parents would have returned from their European adventure in six weeks’ time and only then discovered their precious jewels gone.

  It riled Kellan.

  But it also impressed him.

  It was a professional operation, and he had to admire their finesse and organization.

  It also sent a flare through his system. He was determined to get to the bottom of this little crime ring and make sure he caught every single player.

  Laying the jewels and his father’s watch out on the bed, he accounted for each one and took photos. He’d have to send them to his parents to make sure nothing was missing, although he was pretty sure everything was there. Hopefully he could get something out of the girl when he questioned her.

  Although the way she behaved in the park, he was doubtful.

  Gathering up the jewelry, he found an empty makeup bag in the bottom drawer of the master bathroom and placed the gems inside. He’d lock them in the vault in his office for now, not trusting the house to go untouched again. Just before he left, he scanned the room one last time before heading into the hallway.

  He’d spotted the girl walking in the other direction toward the bathroom, which meant she must have come out from one of the other rooms.

  He quickly entered each one, flicking on lights to check how the rooms looked.

  Each one seemed untouched.

  As he entered Novalee’s old bedroom, he held his breath before flicking on the light. This was always the hardest room to enter, and he tended to avoid it when he visited his parents.

  The photos on the dresser always hurt to look at.

  Happy families—whole, complete.

  Except for one.

  He gazed at the picture of Raelynn swinging in the air between Carrie and him. He remembered that day with crystal clarity. The sound of Rae’s laughter, the smile on Carrie’s face.

  His joy had been unassailable.

  If only he’d known that less than two years later it would be crushed to dust.

  Flicking off the light, he turned his back on the painful memories and tried to get his head in the game before reaching the station.

  5

  Wednesday, September 26th

  2:15pm

  The metal cuffs rubbed and irritated.

  Before they’d placed Leah in the car, the black cop had patted her down, taken her lock-picking tools, and then held her steady while the tall white guy re-cuffed her hands in front of her. The whole time he was doing it, he was saying something about her rights, but she couldn’t take it all in.

  She’d given him a jittery glance while he talked, but he wouldn’t look at her. The wound on his eyebrow was red and nasty. She was actually surprised he wasn’t flinging verbal abuse at her. Although his icy, calm demeanor was kind of terrifying too.

  When he said, “Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?” all she could do was bob her head, as if her neck were made of soft rubber. Robin said the police wouldn’t give her any rights and to not believe a word they said to her. All she had to do was stay quiet. She figured nodding without comment was the safest bet. It got her put into the cop car without any kind of beating, so it had obviously been the right thing to do.

  She looked out the windows as they drove to the station. It was weird watching the scenery pass by. She was used to being in a windowless van. Robin didn’t let them see the outside world much. He didn’t want them tainted by it.

  They were, of course, allowed outside on the farm, but the boundary line was pretty damn strict and crossing it wasn’t worth the risk.

  An involuntary shudder ran down Leah’s spine as a flash of a memory tore through her.

  Robin was currently away. He was due back soon, but she didn’t know the exact day. How would he react when he returned to find her gone? Not just gone but in jail!

  Clenching her jaw, she blinked at the stinging in her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart.

  She hoped Cricket was okay. It’d been such a relief to see him get free of the tall cop. For a second, she was worried that he’d come back to try and help again, but thankfully he’d run. Cricket was too kind and sweet to survive the cops. He showed his fear too easily, hated getting in trouble. He’d never suffered a beating, because he’d never done anything to deserve one.

  Leah was more resilient, so she’d sacrificed herself so he could get away. She hoped the repercussions for her best friend would be mild. It was her fault she got caught, not his. John had to hear the truth. She didn�
�t want Cricket getting in trouble because of her.

  She closed her eyes, realization sinking in. Dread simmered inside her like a thick, boiling sludge.

  Cricket would pay the price for her mistake.

  Shit!

  He’d tried to warn her, but she’d been caught in freaking dreamland.

  Frozen by photographs! Sentimental bullshit!

  Her family had never wanted her. That was how she’d ended up on the farm. Robin had rescued her off the side of the road and taken her in, given her a family. He was going to be so pissed when he found out what she’d let happen.

  During training, they’d been drilled with what to do if they ever got caught—shut up and wait for rescue. Don’t give the cops anything that could be used against the family.

  The family—they’d be worried about her, no doubt working overtime to figure out what to do next.

  Someone would come for her, but with Robin away, who knew how long it would take?

  What would the cops do to her in that time?

  What would happen to the rest of the kids on the farm when the van returned without her? The little ones would freak out. No one had ever been captured before. She thought of Bobby, his sweet little face bunching with tears. He’d be lost without her.

  Shit! She had to get back.

  But how would Robin react when he did come for her? He always warned them there’d be hell to pay if they messed up.

  She’d had a small taste of that hell before, but surely this time would be so much worse.

  Fear swamped her.

  “We’re nearly at the station.” The black officer spoke over his shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to tell us your name? We could have your family meet us there.”

  His voice was friendly enough, but Leah refused to believe it.

  Robin had spent too many hours drumming into them that the police were bad. They wanted to punish kids like them for something they didn’t even understand.

  Leah had to stay silent.

  Not even one word.

  It was the only way to protect herself.

  She kept her eyes out the window, refusing to look at the officers, even when the white one turned to glance at her. She could see him through her peripheral vision, but couldn’t make out his expression.

  Was he angry?

  What was he planning on doing to her when they got to the station?

  Clenching her jaw, she held steady. She wouldn’t break.

  She’d suffered pain before. She could endure it again.

  The car slowed and then turned into a fenced parking lot. Leah read the sign as the car swept past the building—Aspen Falls Police Department.

  She’d never heard of Aspen Falls before. She easily deduced that she was in the town of Aspen Falls, but she had no idea where it was in relation to the farm. She was always forced to memorize specific maps of areas, but had no idea of where it lay in the bigger state…or country, for that matter.

  The black officer pulled into a covered loading bay. There was a short ramp leading up to a dark blue door. A dark blue door that led into the police station.

  Leah tensed.

  She had no idea what would happen when she was pulled through it, but it couldn’t be good. Doors that locked from only one side were nasty things. The flashing memory from before tried to debilitate her, briefly cutting off her air supply, before she was surprised into breathing when the car door popped open.

  “Come on, let’s go.”

  Officer Moss.

  Leah read his nametag as he helped her out of the vehicle. His hand under her arm was firm but not painful.

  She risked glancing at his face. His expression wasn’t bunched with anger. If anything, he looked kind of tired.

  Stealing a glance at the other officer, she tried to read his nametag but couldn’t. It was angled away from her and half covered by his arm. He lifted the bandage away from his eyebrow and hissed.

  “You sure you don’t need stitches, man?” Officer Moss asked as they paused at the door.

  “I hope not.” The man winced.

  Leah flinched as a loud buzz sounded and the blue door clicked open.

  Her muscles went stiff when Officer Moss tried to move her. “Come on now, it’s okay. Take a step.”

  Her nostrils flared as she forced air through her nose. There was nothing she could do. She had to step through the door.

  The lights were bright on the other side, fluorescent like the ones Robin used in the bunker. It was a weird kind of comfort. She spent so much time training in that concrete bunker, having the same lighting was something familiar she could cling to.

  She glanced up as Officer Moss led her to the counter.

  Behind it sat another man in uniform. He had a round face with a weak chin. His lips were thin but rose at the edges when he was spoken to.

  “Hey, Mick,” Officer Moss greeted him.

  “Hey, fellas. What have we got here?”

  The guy glanced up from the computer and his eyes rounded in surprise when he looked at the tall white officer. “What happened to you?”

  “Hit with a flying torpedo.” He glared down at Leah.

  She shifted away from him, staring at the counter like it would somehow save her. Heat rose on the back of her neck, her skin prickling as fear tried to eat her alive.

  Her shoulders braced for impact…

  But it never came.

  “Go get yourself cleaned up.” Officer Moss lifted his chin at the door. “I’ll handle this.”

  Leah risked a glance at the wounded man. He was obviously reluctant to leave his partner, but finally nodded with a sigh. “I’ll be as fast as I can.”

  With a pounding heart, Leah watched the officer stalk off. She was still surprised he didn’t punch her. She’d been expecting it. Robin had said that the police could do whatever they wanted behind closed doors. She’d been expecting batons and knuckles.

  Instead Officer Moss calmly placed his free hand on the counter and spoke to the man behind the desk. Officer MacGregor.

  “She hasn’t said squat since we picked her up, but Kellan wants to skip booking and have her placed in the interview room until we can find out where she comes from.”

  MacGregor tipped his head to study Leah. She kept her expression neutral as he peered at her, then put on a closed-mouth smile. “You sure you don’t want to tell me your name? I can call someone for you.”

  She pressed her lips even tighter together, refusing to budge.

  Call someone?

  Who would they call?

  She couldn’t exactly give out John’s or Robin’s numbers—nothing that could be used against the family. That was the rule. What they did on the farm had to be kept a secret. People on the outside would never understand. When Robin finally did come for her, she had to be able to look him in the eye and swear she’d said nothing.

  With a thick swallow, she glanced down to avoid the man’s penetrating gaze.

  “You know, if you cooperate, things will be easier for ya.” His voice was kind and undemanding, but Leah still couldn’t trust it.

  She remained statue still, ignoring every question fired at her.

  In the end, Officer Moss let out a frustrated sigh. “She’s not going to talk.”

  “Yeah, I guess not.” MacGregor huffed and started clicking the keyboard in front of him. He asked the other officer to give him a brief rundown of where they’d picked her up and the circumstances surrounding her arrest.

  Once he was done, they told Leah to hang tight while they asked for a female officer to come and clear her pockets for her.

  They’d already asked her if she was carrying drugs or weapons before putting her in the police car. She’d nearly laughed.

  Drugs or weapons? She’d never even touched either of those things before.

  Leah didn’t see why she couldn’t just empty her own damn pockets, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she stayed stiff and still while she waited, but then couldn’t help a
surprised flinch when the door buzzed and a female officer walked in. She looked strong and fit, with bright blues eyes and a narrow, long face. She had a strict, no-nonsense air about her.

  She didn’t smile at Leah, just nodded at Officer Moss before quietly emptying Leah’s pockets.

  She placed a gum wrapper with a hard, used piece of gum inside it and a few coins for a payphone onto the counter.

  “No cell phone?” The man behind the counter raised his eyebrows.

  The woman shook her head. “Pockets are empty.”

  Leah couldn’t tell him that she wasn’t allowed a cell phone.

  Officer Moss placed her lock-picking tools on the counter and gave her a sideways glance before slipping them into a paper bag. MacGregor labeled them, then caught her eye.

  “You’re entitled to a phone call.”

  Leah swallowed. Robin had warned her of this. She shook her head the way she was supposed to.

  No words.

  Not even one.

  Silence was her only weapon.

  Robin would come for her. He’d find a way. She just had to be patient.

  “Alrighty then. Officer Moss is going to take you through to the interview room, and you can sit tight while we figure out what to do with you. It’s your right to have a guardian present when an officer questions you. Since you’re not telling us anything about yourself, I’ll arrange for the court to send someone over. Got it?”

  Leah blinked in response, but that was all she could manage.

  With a soft shove, Officer Moss propelled her toward the internal white door. Another buzz made Leah flinch before the door clicked and she was led into the bowels of the station.

  Fear pinched and stung, making her skin prickle.

  Her eyes darted along the corridor, taking in what she could—a locked door to the right, two open doors on the left that obviously led to bathrooms or lockers of some kind. Farther down was a bulletin board covered with papers of various colors and sizes, pinned up in neat rows.

  The pressure on her arm increased as Officer Moss lightly tugged her to the right and into a plain room. There was a large, black pane of glass on the wall. It was reflective, and she glanced away from her dim image. A desk sat in the middle of the room with two metal chairs in the middle. The chair scraped loudly as Officer Moss pulled it out.