Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Does the name Kelce Andrew Kelly sound familiar to you?”
“No, should it?”
“Since he’s the officer who found the girls’ car and is the same one who has signed off on about a dozen inquires in the state police’s case file on the girls’ murders the answer is yes.”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“No, check the file. In the morning, we need to have a meeting with Marshall.”
“Are you telling me that he was standing right in front of us.”
“I can’t guarantee it, but it’s looking that way, I’ll meet you at the station at eight.”
“See you then.” He hangs up, I drop my cell to the top of my desk and look up at Emma. Following her gaze, I curse when I see that her eyes are on the open file and the stack of crime scene photos clipped to the top with a paperclip. Shutting the file, I wrap my hand around the side of her face and force her eyes to mine.
“Someone did that to them.” The whispered question is filled with sadness and anger.
“Baby.”
“Why would someone do that to them?”
“I don’t know.” I stand taking her with me, then grab my cell. “Come on let’s go to bed.”
“You have to catch whoever did that to those girls.”
“I will.” It’s been a long time since I’ve made that kind of promise. I learnt a long time ago to never guarantee anyone anything while working a case. There are always too many variables. And there is no worse feeling than letting someone down when you can’t give them the closure they want and need.
I lift her off her feet and carry her through the dark to the bedroom. Placing her on her feet at the side of the bed I nudge her to get in, then take off my shirt and slide under the blankets next to her. She moves as soon as my head hits the pillow and curls her body around mine.
“How do you deal with seeing things like that?” she asks quietly as the dark settles around us. Fuck I hate that she saw those pictures.
“I talk to my brothers if I need to get something off my chest and make sure I enjoy every second I have with my family. It’s human nature to think of time as some infinite thing as we go about our lives but it’s so fucking short, and the time we have with the people we love is never guaranteed.” I smooth my fingers up and down her arm. “In every case I’ve worked over the years, the family and friends who are left behind almost always wish they had taken advantage of the time they had with the person they lost, I never want to have those regrets,” I say, then continue quietly. “You understand that better than most.”
“Yeah,” she whispers curling deeper into my side, then asks softly. “Do you like your job?”
“No.” My chest expands on a deep inhale of breath. “Especially on days when I’m faced with the worst parts of humanity. But people depend on me, I’m good at my job and I know I’m making a difference even if it’s a small one.”
“So you keep showing up,” she says softly.
“So I keep showing up,” I agree just as softly resting my lips against the top of her head.
“You’re an amazing man, I hope you know that.” My throat gets tight.
“I’m glad you think so.”
“I don’t think so I know it.” The statement is firm. “This world is better with you in it.”
Fuck I love this woman.
“Sleep Em.” I rest my lips against her forehead. “It’s going to be an early morning and a long fucking day tomorrow.”
“First,” she whispers snuggling closer. “Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”
Fuck.
“My favorite color is orange. Yours?”
“Lavender.”
CHAPTER 32
miles
Sitting in my SUV with Martinez in the passenger seat the two of us watch the doors of the small family-owned restaurant in the town Officer Kelly calls home. Hidden in plain sight the other officers parked in the lot do the same. Early this morning Martinez and I gathered a few detectives and set out to follow Kelly around on his day off, after we got a warrant and approval from Chief Marshall to set up a sting operation in order to retrieve DNA evidence from him. Over the last couple of days, we were able to confirm that his phone number matched up with the one from the bar’s records and that the pre-pay phone Anna had called and sent a text that pinged off a tower near his house. And although those two pieces of evidence will help in our case against him right now, they are only circumstantial.
“Do you still have eyes on him?” I ask Logan, an officer who normally works undercover with the drug unit, but who decided to help us out today. Then again there was not a lack of volunteers after the guys at the station found out the man possibly responsible for the murder of two young women could be one of us. Someone who took an oath to serve and protect. The only thing that pisses law enforcement officers off more than murders are murderers who wear a badge.