the people
anymore, I don't want to. The police will just have to find all
their missing persons with real investigative work."
"That's ridiculous. Listen to yourself. My
daughter is missing and you're saying you won't help. Especially
after it started here."
"What started here?" Dolan asked.
The office door swung open, hitting the
guard who still stood in front of it. He moved out of the way as a
man walked in followed by two uniformed police officers.
The mantra came back to Caleb. No
police .
Dolan spoke first. "Alex, what's this?"
"Your security guard called them. After the
break in yesterday by his daughter, then the prowler at Esmerelda's
trailer last night, security thought it better to have the police
deal with him."
The guy was pointing at Caleb.
"Heh, look," Caleb said, he raised his hands
in supplication. "I'm dealing with this amicably now. The story
isn't so mixed up after all."
"Doesn't matter. You still assaulted the
security guards."
"They grabbed me," Caleb said, his voice
showing his exasperation.
One of the cops stepped in and nodded at
Dolan. He appeared to be well known.
"Come with us," he said to Caleb.
Caleb wanted to run. If whoever had Sarah
saw him with the police, it would be all over.
"No," was all he could think of.
Everyone looked surprised. The air seemed to
thicken.
"There's the easy way or the hard way," the
cop said.
"I pick the hard way," Caleb said for
Sarah.
Chapter 26
Amelia lifted the phone. This was fruitless.
It had been thirty minutes and she'd gotten nowhere. One more
hospital to call. Then she'd call the police. She wasn't waiting
any longer.
The doorbell rang. She placed the phone in
its cradle and stood. Could this be news about Sarah?
She walked to the door like a zombie, the
remnants of her headache an echo in her skull. When she got to the
door she straightened her shirt, pulled her shoulders back and
opened it. She was as ready as she would ever be.
"Can I help you?" she asked. A dark blue
sedan was parked in her driveway. She could spot an undercover
police car anywhere after living next door to a cop before moving
here.
"My name is Sam Johnson. I'm the lead
investigator in last night's hit and run fatality. I'm sorry to
intrude, but would you be able to furnish us with a current picture
of your daughter."
Amelia stepped back and frowned. Fatality?
What was he talking about?
"I'm not sure I understand what you're
saying about. Is Sarah hurt?"
The officer made a strange facial gesture.
It looked like he was surprised. He stepped back and looked at the
number on the house. "Are you Amelia Roberts?"
Amelia nodded.
"I had two officers come by here earlier to
explain what happened on Birk Street last night and to talk to your
daughter. They met your husband but forgot to ask for a picture. It
seems the witnesses' descriptions are scattered. If you could just
furnish me with a..."
Amelia wavered, feeling light on her feet.
She grabbed the door handle for support.
"Is everything okay, ma'am?" the cop
asked.
"Is Sarah dead?"
The officer tilted his head to the side. "I
wouldn't know that."
"You said fatality."
"A man was run down by a vehicle on Birk
Street. Witnesses said the driver was your daughter. We went over
this with your husband. He didn't tell you?"
"He said it was Jehovah Witnesses at the
door."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Why would he lie,
Mrs. Roberts?"
"He didn't say anything about police."
Amelia raised a hand to her forehead. "I need to sit down. Come
in," she said as she made her way to the couch.
"Is there anything I can do? Would you like
me to get you some water?"
"No. Just tell me what your men told my
husband."
She sat back and listened while the
detective walked her through what he knew about last night.
"And Caleb knows about this?"
"Yes. They even showed him your daughter's
notebook. Can you tell me anything about this notebook? Was Sarah
in and out at odd hours? Did she ever talk to you about it?"
Amelia shook
anymore, I don't want to. The police will just have to find all
their missing persons with real investigative work."
"That's ridiculous. Listen to yourself. My
daughter is missing and you're saying you won't help. Especially
after it started here."
"What started here?" Dolan asked.
The office door swung open, hitting the
guard who still stood in front of it. He moved out of the way as a
man walked in followed by two uniformed police officers.
The mantra came back to Caleb. No
police .
Dolan spoke first. "Alex, what's this?"
"Your security guard called them. After the
break in yesterday by his daughter, then the prowler at Esmerelda's
trailer last night, security thought it better to have the police
deal with him."
The guy was pointing at Caleb.
"Heh, look," Caleb said, he raised his hands
in supplication. "I'm dealing with this amicably now. The story
isn't so mixed up after all."
"Doesn't matter. You still assaulted the
security guards."
"They grabbed me," Caleb said, his voice
showing his exasperation.
One of the cops stepped in and nodded at
Dolan. He appeared to be well known.
"Come with us," he said to Caleb.
Caleb wanted to run. If whoever had Sarah
saw him with the police, it would be all over.
"No," was all he could think of.
Everyone looked surprised. The air seemed to
thicken.
"There's the easy way or the hard way," the
cop said.
"I pick the hard way," Caleb said for
Sarah.
Chapter 26
Amelia lifted the phone. This was fruitless.
It had been thirty minutes and she'd gotten nowhere. One more
hospital to call. Then she'd call the police. She wasn't waiting
any longer.
The doorbell rang. She placed the phone in
its cradle and stood. Could this be news about Sarah?
She walked to the door like a zombie, the
remnants of her headache an echo in her skull. When she got to the
door she straightened her shirt, pulled her shoulders back and
opened it. She was as ready as she would ever be.
"Can I help you?" she asked. A dark blue
sedan was parked in her driveway. She could spot an undercover
police car anywhere after living next door to a cop before moving
here.
"My name is Sam Johnson. I'm the lead
investigator in last night's hit and run fatality. I'm sorry to
intrude, but would you be able to furnish us with a current picture
of your daughter."
Amelia stepped back and frowned. Fatality?
What was he talking about?
"I'm not sure I understand what you're
saying about. Is Sarah hurt?"
The officer made a strange facial gesture.
It looked like he was surprised. He stepped back and looked at the
number on the house. "Are you Amelia Roberts?"
Amelia nodded.
"I had two officers come by here earlier to
explain what happened on Birk Street last night and to talk to your
daughter. They met your husband but forgot to ask for a picture. It
seems the witnesses' descriptions are scattered. If you could just
furnish me with a..."
Amelia wavered, feeling light on her feet.
She grabbed the door handle for support.
"Is everything okay, ma'am?" the cop
asked.
"Is Sarah dead?"
The officer tilted his head to the side. "I
wouldn't know that."
"You said fatality."
"A man was run down by a vehicle on Birk
Street. Witnesses said the driver was your daughter. We went over
this with your husband. He didn't tell you?"
"He said it was Jehovah Witnesses at the
door."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Why would he lie,
Mrs. Roberts?"
"He didn't say anything about police."
Amelia raised a hand to her forehead. "I need to sit down. Come
in," she said as she made her way to the couch.
"Is there anything I can do? Would you like
me to get you some water?"
"No. Just tell me what your men told my
husband."
She sat back and listened while the
detective walked her through what he knew about last night.
"And Caleb knows about this?"
"Yes. They even showed him your daughter's
notebook. Can you tell me anything about this notebook? Was Sarah
in and out at odd hours? Did she ever talk to you about it?"
Amelia shook
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