money, but really, why? Why my Valerie? Why her, why now?”
“Because he thinks he can get away with it. But he won’t.”
“Who the fuck is this guy?”
“Someone who stepped over the edge.” Liam sipped his drink. “Most people stand right on the line, barely hold themselves back. And the crazy thing is they don’t even know it. They’re one paycheck, one bill, one little nudge from dropping off the map. You can see it in their faces when you pass them in the streets. There’s a delicate balancing act going on every day behind their eyes, and sometimes with even the slightest push, everything falls down.”
Liam fell silent, staring into the darkness past the window. When he glanced at Owen the other man held the expression he had noticed before, a candle flame within him flickering in a high wind.
“Are you okay?” Liam asked.
Owen seemed to surface from a depth, eyes swimming until they focused on him. “No. But I’m drunk and that helps.”
“Did you get any rest today?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then let’s get you to bed,” Liam said, standing.
“I don’t know if I can sleep.”
“You should try. There’s still a lot that needs to be done tomorrow.” He hoisted Owen up and put an arm around his shoulders to steady him. Owen swayed and put a hand on the wall to keep his balance as they went up the stairs. By the time Liam got him in a sitting position on the bed, Owen was crying again, silent tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Liam helped him with his shoes and covered him with a thin blanket, tucking him in like the world’s oldest child.
“I just want her back,” Owen whispered. “We’re going to get her back, right?”
“Yes we are.”
“I keep seeing her face all bloody and . . .” His voice hitched in his chest and he wasn’t able to continue.
“Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. You have good people working on this and they’ll be here all night.”
“You’re not going to leave, are you?” Owen resembled a child more than ever with the blanket below his chin.
“No. I’m going to stay. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Owen nodded and shut his eyes, a long sigh trailing from him. Liam waited several minutes and when he thought that Owen was finally asleep he moved to the door but the other man’s voice stopped him.
“Thank you for coming, Liam. Not many people would have.”
“You’re welcome. Get some rest.”
Owen swallowed loudly, then rolled toward the opposite wall. Liam left the door partially open and made his way downstairs to the living room where Perring and Sanders waited.
“He sleeping?” Perring asked.
“I think he will be soon.” Sanders drew out a pack of cigarettes and opened it, cursing at its empty interior. “Here,” Liam said, holding out the nearly untouched pack he’d used before entering the abandoned building. “You can have these.”
“Thanks,” Sanders said, drawing a cigarette out and placing it between his lips.
“You really should quit those things,” Perring said.
“And start chewing gum like a psychopath? No thanks.” Sanders jerked a thumb at Perring. “She smokes like a chimney from the time I meet her and then climbs up on a high horse a year ago and now she’s shouting at me from it.”
“Go chip at your lungs, old man,” Perring said, half smiling. Sanders rolled his eyes and headed for the French doors.
“You two complement one another,” Liam said.
“We get by. Been partners for a long time.” Perring rubbed her forehead and drew out the worn pack of gum.
“Long day for you.”
“Long day for everyone,” she said. “I was so sure we were going to get this guy tonight. I could feel it.”
“Me too.”
“I can’t get over the fact that it looked like he wanted us to know where he’d taken her. It . . .” Perring gestured with one hand “. . . pisses me off.”
“Maybe forensics will find something. Or a witness might come forward. Maybe the
“Because he thinks he can get away with it. But he won’t.”
“Who the fuck is this guy?”
“Someone who stepped over the edge.” Liam sipped his drink. “Most people stand right on the line, barely hold themselves back. And the crazy thing is they don’t even know it. They’re one paycheck, one bill, one little nudge from dropping off the map. You can see it in their faces when you pass them in the streets. There’s a delicate balancing act going on every day behind their eyes, and sometimes with even the slightest push, everything falls down.”
Liam fell silent, staring into the darkness past the window. When he glanced at Owen the other man held the expression he had noticed before, a candle flame within him flickering in a high wind.
“Are you okay?” Liam asked.
Owen seemed to surface from a depth, eyes swimming until they focused on him. “No. But I’m drunk and that helps.”
“Did you get any rest today?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then let’s get you to bed,” Liam said, standing.
“I don’t know if I can sleep.”
“You should try. There’s still a lot that needs to be done tomorrow.” He hoisted Owen up and put an arm around his shoulders to steady him. Owen swayed and put a hand on the wall to keep his balance as they went up the stairs. By the time Liam got him in a sitting position on the bed, Owen was crying again, silent tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Liam helped him with his shoes and covered him with a thin blanket, tucking him in like the world’s oldest child.
“I just want her back,” Owen whispered. “We’re going to get her back, right?”
“Yes we are.”
“I keep seeing her face all bloody and . . .” His voice hitched in his chest and he wasn’t able to continue.
“Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. You have good people working on this and they’ll be here all night.”
“You’re not going to leave, are you?” Owen resembled a child more than ever with the blanket below his chin.
“No. I’m going to stay. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Owen nodded and shut his eyes, a long sigh trailing from him. Liam waited several minutes and when he thought that Owen was finally asleep he moved to the door but the other man’s voice stopped him.
“Thank you for coming, Liam. Not many people would have.”
“You’re welcome. Get some rest.”
Owen swallowed loudly, then rolled toward the opposite wall. Liam left the door partially open and made his way downstairs to the living room where Perring and Sanders waited.
“He sleeping?” Perring asked.
“I think he will be soon.” Sanders drew out a pack of cigarettes and opened it, cursing at its empty interior. “Here,” Liam said, holding out the nearly untouched pack he’d used before entering the abandoned building. “You can have these.”
“Thanks,” Sanders said, drawing a cigarette out and placing it between his lips.
“You really should quit those things,” Perring said.
“And start chewing gum like a psychopath? No thanks.” Sanders jerked a thumb at Perring. “She smokes like a chimney from the time I meet her and then climbs up on a high horse a year ago and now she’s shouting at me from it.”
“Go chip at your lungs, old man,” Perring said, half smiling. Sanders rolled his eyes and headed for the French doors.
“You two complement one another,” Liam said.
“We get by. Been partners for a long time.” Perring rubbed her forehead and drew out the worn pack of gum.
“Long day for you.”
“Long day for everyone,” she said. “I was so sure we were going to get this guy tonight. I could feel it.”
“Me too.”
“I can’t get over the fact that it looked like he wanted us to know where he’d taken her. It . . .” Perring gestured with one hand “. . . pisses me off.”
“Maybe forensics will find something. Or a witness might come forward. Maybe the
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