Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
She gave a watery little laugh. “You know, Dillon, I actually believe that.”
“I’ll call you with any and all updates I find, okay? I promise.”
“Will you tell me which airport to fly into? I’d like to be there when you find her.”
My heart cracked all over again, and I wondered briefly what it must’ve been like to grow up knowing that you were that loved and cared for.
“I’ll text you all the details, but it won’t be from this number. Also, if you need to contact me again, you should call me on that number. I think that I’m gonna go check in with the sheriff and see what he has to say about our progress.”
“Okay. Thank you for calling me, Dillon. Let’s stay in touch.”
There was something about the way she’d said it that made me think that she meant it beyond just today and finding her daughter. I was hoping to prove her right.
When I hung up, I pulled out my regular phone and entered her number into my contacts, hoping I’d have another reason to stay in touch with her. She was a nice woman, and even though I wouldn’t just be finding her daughter for her, I wanted to help assuage her worry.
I got up and went back inside, where Hank was sitting on one of the barstools and drinking coffee from one of my mugs. I held up my phone to show him. “Macy’s mom gave me some pretty good information, so I’m gonna call Jim.”
I pulled out my phone again and dialed the backline of the sheriff’s office, using the number he’d given me when I’d just been down there. “Jim?”
“Hey, Dillon. We’re working on it, but—”
“No, no. I just talked to her mom, and she gave me some new information that we might be able to use. I have his cell number and a license plate number for his car out in California. Do you have a pen?”
“Yes, I do,” he said without missing a beat. “Ready when you are.”
I rattled off the information.
“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll put out an APB on the car and start running a trace on the phone number, and I’ll call you when I find anything. Try to get some rest, okay?”
“No chance, man.”
He was quiet for a second. “Look, Dillon. I know we’ve had our differences, but I know what a good cop you were, and I know you know that this is the worst time.”
“Yeah, and I also know that the next couple of hours are critical, Jim,” I said, my voice strained. “We have to find her now.”
“He’s not going to kill her, Dillon. He’s been looking for her for too long to do that. I know everything is awful right now, but you’re not gonna do yourself or her any good by panicking.”
I knew he was right, but I couldn’t stop pacing around my house as I thought of what might be happening to her at Alex’s hands right then.
“I know that I’m a civilian now, but don’t treat me with kid gloves, okay? I have experience, and I know how to handle myself with shit like this.”
“Yeah, but it’s never been your girl that’s been the one who was kidnapped before, has it?”
I couldn’t argue with that, even if I had been the one to find my mom’s body as a kid. “Fine. Just call me when you have an update, okay?”
“Will do. We were just getting ready to put out an alert for—”
“No, don’t do that.”
He was quiet, and I had to wonder whether he might be getting ready to lecture me on telling him how to do his job, but he didn’t. He just waited for me to explain my reasoning.
“He’s too reliant on the fact that he’s book smart, but he’s a dumb criminal. He probably took her back to his hole that he’s been staying in, and if we put out the alert, then it could tip him off, and he’ll end up moving her. I want him to be comfortable and complacent.”
He was quiet for a second. “You know, if you ever wanna come out of retirement, I think we could find a place for you at the PD.”
I snorted. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” I hung up without another word before turning back to Hank.
“Good updates?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Time will tell.” I walked over to the bedroom and called for Bucky who we’d picked up from Hank’s on the way back to the cabin. He came to me immediately. “I’m gonna take him for a walk, but will you pick up the phone if it rings?”
He nodded, looking at me worriedly.
I took my dog out, doing my best not to think of the fact that with every minute that passed, Alex had another opportunity to hurt Macy.