AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leonard extricated himself from the reporters outside and pushed through the door. The reporters glared at him through the glass. Whatever he'd said to them had not left them happy, but it did keep them rooted to the spot. He strode over to the group and nodded at Detective Conroy.
"Sheriff Hawk?" she asked. "Thanks for making the transport."
"Happy to do it," he replied. He turned to Brook. "You're in good hands here, Mrs. Parrish." He patted her shoulder somewhat awkwardly. "We're gonna take off now." He handed a thin file to the detective.
Remembering her manners, Brook looked up at the sheriff. "Thank you for everything, Sheriff. I appreciate it."
"No problem." He gave her a small salute before leaving with his deputy.
“Come with me, please, Mrs. Parrish.” Detective Conroy led Brook through the door into the inner sanctum, down a hallway, and into a conference room. The detective nodded at the other people who waited by the door. “Get Marco down here. Bring me the Parrish file. And shut the door.”
Once they were alone in the room, the detective simply stared at Brook for a long time.
“Well,” she finally said, her face impassive. “I guess the first question should be; where have you been?”
“It’s a long story, Detective,” Brook began.
“I bet it is. And I can’t wait to hear it. Sheriff Hawk was a bit sketchy on the details,” Detective Conroy said. “You have no idea how happy it makes me when a missing person turns up alive and well. But, on the other hand, I'm going to need some answers." She paused, staring at Brook with frank interest. "How about something to drink? Coke okay?” At Brook’s nod, she picked up the phone and asked someone to bring a couple of drinks.
The door opened and a woman brought in two cans of soda and set them on the table, staring at Brook with unabashed curiosity. From under her arm, she pulled a file, which she placed into Randi’s outstretched hand. Still ogling Brook, she backed out of the conference room and closed the door behind her.
“Okay, I’m all ears,” Randi said as she handed Brook a can of cola and took one herself.
They were interrupted by the ringing of the phone on the table. Randi picked it up, listened for a moment, and then hung up.
“My partner, Marco, is on his way in. It’ll be a little while. You’re going to get tired of telling your story before it’s all said and done. But, this first time through, just give me the basics, okay?”
Brook placed her canvas bag on the table. Randi gave it a glance, but said nothing. Brook then pulled out her drawings and spread them on the surface. “These people abducted me and held me captive.”
As Brook told her tale, Randi picked up the sketches and looked them over. She raised her eyebrows when she reached the one of Gina but made no comment.
Brook wanted to protect Lance. When she reached his part of the story, she skirted around the identity of her rescuer. She would only say she had found safety, and had come in as soon as the weather permitted her return.
Randi looked skeptical. "I don't understand. Is there some reason you're withholding his name?"
"Yes." Brook swallowed hard. "He's a very private man. None of this was his fault. He was pulled into it by being a Good Samaritan, nothing else. I just want him left alone."
Randi gazed at Brook thoughtfully for a few seconds. "We'll come back to that later, then."
Brook massaged her forehead. This detective was not the sort to give up, and it made Brook uneasy.
“You know, your husband was frantic when you disappeared. He was convinced early on that you had met with foul play. I wasn’t so sure. At least not until this young woman,” Randi tapped the sketch of Gina, “showed up on an ATM camera trying to use your credit card.”
“She did? Did you catch her?” Brook exclaimed.
“No, but we’re still looking.” She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Your husband had no idea where you’d gone so he wasn’t much help at all. In fact, he was so upset we thought we might have to hospitalize him.”
He didn’t know where I’d gone? Brook felt a cold knowledge settle on her. “What did he say exactly? I mean, when he contacted you?”
Randi gave her an odd look. “Why?"
"I just need to know. He's not the best in an emergency." Brook blithely covered her reaction.
"You're right. He's not." Randi nodded. "He said you had probably gone shopping but he had no idea where. We didn’t know where to start looking. He was so rattled he couldn't even remember which car you were driving at first. I’m telling you, the man was a basket case.”
Randi noticed Brook’s rigid posture and frozen expression, but before she could question her, the phone rang again, and she took the call. When she hung up, she turned her gaze to Brook once more.
“Now, I’m sorry to make you start all over, but we need to record this. Let me get things set up and bring Marco up to speed. I promise we’ll try not to keep you too long.” The detective's eyes were sympathetic, but calculating.
