AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you know where his sons are now?”
“One of them is living in Wolford. The other just moved back to town last fall and joined the police department. Drew Sylvester.”
My mouth dropped open. “Drew?”
He nodded. “Good kid. He showed up last November asking for a job. I told him it wouldn’t pay much, but he said he didn’t care.”
I took a second to let that sink in. “I actually met him through my friend Nate,” I said. “He said he moved back to help his mother.”
He scrunched up his face. “Jackie’s had some health issues in the past, but she’s doin’ better now.”
“And the other son’s name?”
He pressed his lips together. “Danny. Got into a bit of trouble after his father left town. Did a short stint in prison for manslaughter.” He made a face. “Bar fight down in Memphis. Drunk off his ass. But it wasn’t his first run-in with the law. He had some minor drug possession charges. When he got out, he moved back to the area.”
I studied the chief for a moment. “Why are you telling me all of this? This morning you were ready to arrest me for kidnapping Ava Peterman.”
“I’m getting too old for this shit. Besides, maybe I felt like you deserved to know.” He hesitated. “Despite what you think, I tried my best to find and save your sister. I never wanted it to end the way it did.”
Maybe so, but his ego got in the way of saving her. She’d been alive for nearly a week, a week of pure hell. If he’d called in other agencies sooner, I couldn’t help but think she might be alive today. Obviously, he didn’t feel the same way. I could call him on it, but I didn’t see the point. It wouldn’t bring my sister back, and Stevens was rotting in jail.
Since he was talking to me civilly, I decided to push my luck. “Do you really think Ava Peterman ran away?”
His face instantly hardened. “Her father says she did.”
Tilting my head, I held his gaze. “And we both know that parents are the number one suspects until proven innocent.”
“He didn’t do it,” he said. “He says he’s got someone on it.”
“What do you mean he’s got someone on it? A private investigator? Does he have any leads?”
He looked away. “I have no idea.”
“You’re not checking?” I asked in disbelief. “Why not?”
His cheeks flushed. “I have my reasons.”
“And what reasons could trump the life of a child?” And what would entice this power-hungry man to willingly give up power?
“He assures me that he’s got it under control,” he snapped, anger filling his eyes, but I saw guilt there too. “Running a police department is a hell of lot more expensive than it used to be.”
Of course. Money. “And he promised you money from the city budget.”
“Peterman’s all about growing the town, which means more revenue. He’s promised me a chunk of it.”
“If you let him handle it,” I said dully. Jesus. He’d potentially traded the life of a child for an increased police budget.
“He’s about to announce his run for state senate and he’s running on making the state safe. He can’t very well do that if his daughter was taken from his own home.”
“Seems to me he could run on the premise that his daughter was taken, and he needs to clean things up.”
He shook his head, suddenly looking older than I’d ever seen him. “He’s running on the position that he’s already cleaned things up. Shutting down the Morris brothers, then Malcolm.”
“How inconvenient for his campaign that his daughter was kidnapped and possibly murdered,” I said in disgust.
He got to his feet. “I think it’s time for you to go.”
I stood and held his gaze. “And what if I told you that I had evidence suggesting she was taken, and I have a lead on who did it?”
