“No, not at all. I think we can use a little prayer,” he said quietly and bowed his head.
Ava reached for his hands and clasped them. Caleb’s head jerked up, his eyes pinned on hers.
“It’s how we do it at my house,” she said, but the truth was she needed to lean on his strength. Caleb’s faith had always been strong, never faltering no matter how dark the path ahead became.
She bowed her head. “Father, I can’t even put into words how I feel, but You know.” The words felt awkward as she started but soon, an urgent plea tumbled from her lips. “I’m so worried for Rachel. Please, don’t let Wax win. Don’t let him hurt her. Help us figure out Wax’s puzzles before he takes he—” Her voice broke and she fought back tears.
“And thank You, Lord, for giving us your strength. We ask for Your wisdom to find the killer and bring him to justice. Amen.” Caleb finished the prayer for her.
She still held his hands, her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.” The words came out in a whisper.
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t look away. “Ava...”
She knew what he wanted to say. She’d felt the same pull of emotions that reminded her she still loved him.
“I know,” she said softly. “And I feel the same way, but I can’t think about us now. I can’t let myself hold onto that hope again.”
Caleb swallowed deeply and pulled his hands free. “When this is over, let’s talk about us.”
She smiled. “I plan on it.”
Ava sipped her coffee and picked at her food. “I think I’ll call my parents now. I want them to hear it from me before they see it on the news.” She pushed the plate away.
Caleb did the same. As much as they both needed food, neither had an appetite.
Ava retrieved her phone once more and called her dad’s number.
“Ava? What a nice surprise.” Her father’s voice confirmed he had no idea what was happening. Today was Saturday. Dad would be putting the finishing touches on his sermon for the next day.
“Dad, he’s back.” She barely got the words out before her voice cracked.
“Who is? No.” He figured it out from the tremor in her voice. “Please tell me you aren’t working the case.”
As much as she wished she could give him that reassurance, she couldn’t. “I’m leading the case. I have to do this, Dad,” she said before he gave her all the reasons not to.
“Sweetheart, you barely survived the last time you went after that monster. Mom and I thought we’d lost you. I don’t want you to go through that again.”
“I don’t have a choice, Dad. He’s killed two more women so far and he’s taken one of our agents. If we don’t stop him soon, she’ll die.” She hated the way her voice stumbled over those words.
“Okay, honey, I understand. Mom and I will be praying for you. Please be careful.”
It always humbled Ava when her dad told her that he was praying for her. She could feel those prayers protecting her.
“There’s something else.” She hesitated. “Wax keeps giving us clues that there’s some type of past connection between him and me and I think it might have something to do with my parents who died.” She told him about the creepy poem. “We’ve never talked about them and I don’t remember them at all.”
“How could you, honey? You were just a baby when they abandoned you.”
She swallowed back tears for the parents she never knew. “Dad, if you have any information about them—”
“Honey, you know we don’t. You were placed in foster care. We never even knew their names.”
Was it the truth? Her father had never lied to her before. Why would he start now? But she couldn’t give up so easily.
“Then I need to find a way to learn who they were. Wax believes there’s a connection between me and him. To find it I have to know more about my biological parents.”
The length of time it took for her father to respond was filled with questions Ava wished she could ask.
“I can check with the agency in which we adopted you and see if they’ll tell me anything. It may take your authorization to gain answers, though.”
