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He just looked so stern and sexy…
Nope. Not gonna go there.
I’m not sure what it is about Isaac that turns me on. He shouldn’t. But he’s a good dad, protective of Lyla. She doesn’t know how lucky she is to have a parent who loves her so much.
I’ve never had that before…and if I’m being honest with myself, I think I would give anything for even a fraction of that kind of care and attention.
In less than five minutes, I’ve used the restroom to freshen up and got dressed in the first comfortable clothes I found in Lyla’s dresser.
Mrs. Perry is standing in front of the kitchen sink, washing dishes by hand in a pink jogging suit, tall and so lean she looks fragile with her short white hair.
“There you are,” she says when she glances over and sees me, giving me a warm smile. “It’s nearly lunchtime.”
“Sorry.”
“No apology needed. I was just getting worried about you. And I wasn’t the only one.”
“Oh?”
“Lyla’s been texting every hour, wanting to know if you’re up, if you’re okay.”
“That’s…nice of her,” I say. She wouldn’t be worried about me if she knew…
“I assured her I would have you call her from the house phone before you leave. She told me about your phone and car getting stolen. Just awful what some people in the world will do.”
“The phone I can easily replace. My car, not so much.”
“Maybe it’ll turn up,” she says. “Until then, help yourself, and let me know if you need a ride home.”
Home. To the town house that a stranger could be lurking in or robbing right now…
Now I’m not in such a big rush to leave. The Perry house is so warm and safe.
“But there’s no rush. I’ll be around whenever you’re ready, hon.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Perry.”
“Now, dig in. If you’re hungover, I can make you my special hair of the dog.”
I place a hand over my stomach; it doesn’t seem to be revolting at the idea of food as much as one would expect after all the shots I did last night. Guess all that food Isaac made me eat and the water he insisted I drink soaked it up. “Actually, I think I feel okay enough to eat.”
“Good, good. Have a seat, and I’ll pour you a glass of orange juice.”
And so, I sit and eat and talk to Mrs. Perry for hours rather than rush home to my possibly trashed apartment.
* * *
Isaac
“So, who is this Joseph Graves, and why do we give a shit if he’s stealing cars?” Hank asks.
“Because he picked the wrong car to steal, one of my daughter’s friends,” I tell him. “Not that it matters. I told y’all to find him, so find the fucker!”
I was able to get a video from the gas station of when Holly and the guy met yesterday. He had stood around watching cars pull in and out, waiting for an easy victim. My contact at the police station, who enjoys spending nights with some of my girls, was eager to help run a facial recognition search for a free hour of Daisy’s time. No surprise that once he had a name, he was also able to provide me with his rap sheet for a second hour of free fun. Turns out the asshole has an arrest warrant out on him for none other than a previous grand theft auto charge.
My guys have already checked every prior address and came up empty. There’s no sign of Graves or Holly’s BMW.
“He has to be working for someone. Someone with a chop shop and a place to hide him. Talk to every connection you have until you find one with the BMW. Tell them I’ll pay whatever they want for a finder’s fee, but it must be in one piece. Not a single part missing.”
