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He chuckled. “I meant before you joined our fine establishment in Savannah.”
Clementine had transferred from Arizona. She was used to working the small towns, so there was an adjustment period when she came to Savannah, but thanks to her uncanny superpower, the Chief had no problem settling in. She demanded respect wherever she went, and if someone didn’t give it to her, she sent them packing. She didn’t suffer fools.
“Right. Carry on.”
“I think the case with the original twelve victims was handled poorly. I don’t think we did as much as we could have to solve it, and I think more people suffered as a result.”
“Do you have proof of misconduct? Evidence of a coverup?”
“No, ma’am.”
Clementine leveled him with a stare. “Then I can’t help you.”
“I know.” He hung his head. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“You’re here because you want someone to let you off the hook. I can do that, but I don’t think my approval is going to ease your conscience. I’ve looked over the case, David. You weren’t the lead. You were still green, had to do what your superiors told you to do. It’s on the rest of them, and unless you have evidence, I can’t bring any charges or file any complaints against them. What you really need to do is forgive yourself.”
“That’s not easy for me.”
“It takes practice. Especially in this job. We make a lot of decisions that affect other people’s lives. Learn to live with your choices, and if you can’t, you need to learn how to fix them.”
David sat with that for a minute. There had been moments when he’d done the wrong thing. Not out of malice, but maybe out of ignorance or haste. Hindsight and all that. McLaughlin had decided to do something about his regrets. And when he died, he did it, knowing he’d done the best he could.
“Now, I’d love to sit here and play therapist—God knows I’d make better money—but I’m a busy woman, and you have a lot of paperwork to fill out.”
“Just one more thing—I’d like to take some vacation time sometime soon. I’m not sure when yet, but it might be a couple weeks. Think the precinct would be okay without me for a bit?”
“I think we can handle it. Harris has been looking to get some overtime, anyway.”
“Does she ever stop?”
“I don’t think so. She’s a beast.”
David stood up. “Thanks, Chief. I appreciate it.”
“Just don’t tell the others I’ve got a soft spot for you, Klein. They’ll accuse me of playing favorites.”
David left Clementine to her duties. As he passed through the main room, he noticed the mail had arrived. His stomach dropped. He hadn’t had a letter in a little over a week now, and he couldn’t help but wonder if his nightmare was over.
There was a pile of mail stacked on his desk, and he sat with some trepidation. His head was on a swivel to make sure no one else was paying attention to him. Harris was talking to Paulson at the front of the room, a coffee in hand. Two other officers were typing away at their computers. No one cared what he was doing.
David sifted through the mail quickly. Letters. Requests. Reports. He ignored them all.
Then, at the bottom of the pile, sat the one thing he was dreading. It looked inconspicuous. It was in a stark white envelope. A computer had printed his name on the front. No return address. Forever stamp in the shape of a liberty bell. Tightly sealed.
But instead of opening it then and there, he tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket, where it burned against his chest. After the first one, he’d started a new routine—every time another letter showed up, he’d stash it, drive halfway home, pull over on the side of the road, and open it where no one else could lay eyes on the information inside.
It was his little secret. And he intended to keep it that way.
40
The ghost of the little boy was waiting by the car when Cassie and Laura exited the house with their luggage. Cassie only hesitated for a fraction of a second before popping the trunk and throwing her suitcase in. Outside, she couldn’t tell if the chill in the air was due to the weather or her ethereal guest.
She felt like the mystery surrounding his spirit and the death of Sarah Lennox was just within reach. She still didn’t remember much about that time in her life, but she was a mere four hours away from discovering more. And maybe getting the answers to questions she’d been asking herself for decades.
Speaking of driving.
“Hey, do you mind taking the wheel?” Cassie waited until Laura had tossed her suitcase in the back before shutting the trunk. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
