Page 29 of Bring Them Home

“Officer Wyatt here. I’ve been canvassing the Archer neighborhood this morning and just spoke to someone who recalls seeing a black Ford Transit in the area recently. The last time they saw it was Saturday morning about eleven AM parked a few doors down from the Archers’ house.”

She gripped tighter onto the phone. “Did they see the driver, catch a plate?”

“Neither, unfortunately.”

“Well, keep going. Another neighbor could have seen more.”

“I should have clarified. This neighbor was my last house.”

“There must be ones where you didn’t find anyone home,” Trent put in.

“Surprisingly, I got an answer at every door.”

She could argue that he wouldn’t have spoken to every member of each household, but her mind was on something else. “You said recently. How long has the van been hanging around?”

“Was there a few times on Friday.”

Amanda looked at Trent and said to Wyatt, “Thanks for the call.”

“You’re welcome.” With that, Wyatt was gone.

“Were the kidnappers stalking the Archers, biding their time?” Trent asked. “Then they took advantage of the Archer house being empty on Saturday morning to search the home.”

“Could be.”

Malone came walking toward them. “There you are. Daily’s in Interview Room Two. Before you head in there, you need to know that officers also went by his house. No one’s around, and there was no sign of the Archers. It’s just the one property attached to Daily’s name.”

“We don’t think Phillip Daily worked alone though,” Amanda pointed out. “So he could be holding them on one owned by his accomplice. The black Ford Transit could belong to that person too because we know Daily doesn’t have one.”

“True enough. Well, get in there and feel this guy out. See if we can get enough to support some search warrants. One for his property, for his phone, and all his electronics.”

“We’ll see what comes of this.” She looked over her shoulder at Trent and resumed walking toward her cubicle. There she grabbed a folder, put a printout of Daily’s background inside, and photos of the Archer family. She’d love to shock him with pictures from the crime scene but didn’t have any to share.

Amanda and Trent stopped by the observation room to get their first in-person look at Phillip Daily. Like his license photo told them, he was a good-looking man, but unlike the peaceful resting face that showed for the camera, Phillip was pacing the room. Every few seconds, he fired a glare toward the one-way mirror.

“Here goes.” She wasted no more time and headed next door.

“What the hell?” Phillip stopped in place the moment she cracked the door. “You people drag me in from work, and no one’s telling me what’s going on⁠—”

“Sit. Please.” She gestured toward the chair that faced the doorway.

“Give me one reason,” Phillip fired back.

“You’re suspected of murder and abduction. Sit.” Guess she was going with the direct method.

Phillip blanched and fumbled to get a hold on the back of the chair to pull it out. He dropped down while keeping a watchful eye on her and Trent.

She took her time sitting across from Phillip and placed a cropped photo of Valerie Archer’s driver’s license on the table in front of him.

“Should I get a lawyer?” Phillip’s eyes were wide, like his mouth, but it was gaping open and shut.

“That is up to you.” Amanda sat back and pointed at the photograph, drawing Phillip’s gaze to the table.

He said nothing.

“You recognize her?” Trent asked as he pulled out the chair next to Amanda and sat down.

Phillip’s eyes danced from him to Amanda and back. “So I was having an affair with a married woman, what’s the big deal? I could lose my job. Officers came to my workplace and took me away as if I were a criminal.”