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“Do you really believe that?” Malcolm asked.
I considered it for a moment, then admitted in defeat, “No.”
The problem was I had no idea where to start looking. The police had never taken fingerprints after the break-ins to my house, and a million people had a grudge against me.
“We need to pay a visit to the pervert in prison,” Malcolm said.
“Excuse me?” I choked out.
Malcolm turned to his attorney. “Can you set that up? Today?”
Sitting back in his seat, Hale’s face contorted into an agonized look. “It’ll be tough, but I think I can manage it.”
“Hate to be the bearer of bad news,” I said, “but the prison doesn’t allow visitors on weekdays.”
A smirk lit up Malcolm’s eyes. “Then you obviously don’t know Carter Hale. He’s capable of just about anything.”
I curled my upper lip. “I suppose so if he’s kept you out of prison all these years.”
Hale laughed. “Stop. All of these compliments are going to my head.”
“I’m not going to visit that monster,” I said, my stomach churning. “But I give you my blessing to talk to him yourself.”
Malcolm’s eye twitched. “Not worried that I’ll withhold information from you?”
I was certain he would. But the thought of sitting mere feet from the man who’d brutalized my sister made me want to vomit. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to restrain myself from killing him with my bare hands.
Hale drew in a deep breath and shifted in his seat. “Here’s the thing, Detective Adams. You have to go. You’ll be the excuse I use to get the special permission.”
My back stiffened. “First of all, I’m not a detective anymore, so let’s get that clear, but second, we don’t even know if he’ll agree to see me. In fact, I bet he says no.”
“We won’t know until we ask,” Hale said, sounding far too chipper considering the odds were against him. “But you know that going straight to the source is the best way to get answers.”
I rubbed my hand over my forehead. I was horrified at the thought of seeing him, but I had to admit there was a part of me that needed to know if he was sorry.
“Fine,” I said with more force than I’d intended. “I’ll do it, but I’m not sitting around waiting for you to make the arrangements. The police station will have surveillance but there’s no way I can ask them for footage of my car this morning, so I’m going back to the Peterman neighborhood to see if anyone is more willing to talk to me today.”
“That’s fine with me,” Hale said, then looked up at Malcolm. “You good with it?”
Malcolm stepped to the side. “Fine with me, but answer our call or text when it comes in.”
I had a snotty retort on the tip of my tongue, but instead I shook my head and walked out. Once I was in the parking lot, I realized I’d left the thumb, but I didn’t want it. The sender had made his point. Let Malcolm and Hale figure out what to do with it.
Grabbing the door handle of my car, I peered in the window to see if I’d gotten any new messages or gifts, but it looked untouched.
As I drove toward the Peterman house, I got the creeps thinking about someone breaking into my car, going through my things. What if they didn’t stop at leaving me messages? What if they decided to cut my brake line or plant a bomb?
Crap. Would they break into my parents’ house or my apartment next? As soon as I parked on the street across from the Petermans’ house, I sent my father a text.
Is it okay if I stop by your office for a chat?
I wanted to make sure he and my mother were safe, but it occurred to me that I could also ask some questions about Andi’s kidnapping. I was sure there were things they’d kept from me. Maybe I could convince him to share them with me now.
While I waited for a response, I studied the houses on the street. When I’d canvassed two days ago, there hadn’t been many neighbors home. I decided I’d pay a visit to the houses on either side of the Petermans. The one directly across from the Petermans, and one three houses down on the corner on the same side of the street. Then I’d try the other houses too. There was a chance they’d been home and hadn’t answered the door. I’d press them harder to see if they’d noticed anything unusual at the Peterman house and/or someone tampering with my car.
I got out and headed for the house on the corner when my phone buzzed with a text from my father.
Sounds good. How about we have lunch? Just you and me?
