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“It was a reasonable question. It’s also reasonable that you asked about the length of your stay. As to that, the task force is busy trying to find each of you a private accommodation, which we couldn’t manage to do immediately. We hope to place each of you where you can have some normalcy.”
“What’s the timetable on that?” Calder asked.
“Possibly as early as tomorrow.”
He opened his mouth to speak, seemed to think better of it, and resumed the broody contemplation of his boot… when he wasn’t casting broody looks at Elle.
Dawn, who was still weepy, timidly raised her hand, and Compton called on her. “Can I let my husband know that I’m okay? The deputies who came to the house wouldn’t tell us anything, not even where they were taking me. Frank was fit to be tied.”
“We brought a new prepaid phone to replace yours. Once it’s charged and usable, you can call Mr. Whitley.”
“And my mom?”
“Ask your husband to notify her. All of you will be allowed to call a family member or friend who’ll naturally be worried about you. But please, for everyone’s safety, keep the call brief and, most importantly, don’t tell anyone where you are.”
“How could I tell when I don’t even know?” Dawn said.
A phone chirped. It turned out to be Perkins’s. He glanced down at the readout, then left his chair and walked out into the hallway.
Compton watched him leave, then turned back to them. “You’ll be assigned bedrooms for tonight. There are two up, only one down, so you’ll be put in that one, Mr. Hudson. It has a private bath. Ladies, you’ll share a bathroom, but I’m sure you can work that out.
“You’re free to use this room, but if you want to go outside for some fresh air, ask one of the deputies to accompany you. The kitchen has already been stocked with snacks. Dinner will be brought in. You can eat together, but, at any time, please don’t discuss any aspect of the case or what you saw or heard that day at the fairground.
“Through no fault or action of your own, you’ve become very important to this suspect’s capture and identification. At trial, your testimonies could help win a conviction, but a strong defense attorney will attempt to make the jury doubt the accuracy of your memory. It needs to be clear and consistent with your initial statements to us. Don’t let it be clouded or influenced by something someone else says. Does everyone understand that?”
They nodded in unison.
“Good.”
Just then Perkins reappeared and said, “Calloway’s source is blown.”
He didn’t name him but described him as a civilian employee, not a deputy, a “glorified gofer.” His duties gave him access to every office in the building, making it easy for him to glean information from what he saw and overheard.
Calder said, “Shauna wouldn’t have given him over. How’d they find him out?”
“He turned himself in. Said she’d reneged on their deal.”
The two detectives left for the drive back to Dallas to question the man themselves.
The batteries in their phones had been removed while in the custody of the deputies. Elle and Calder had theirs returned with the batteries temporarily replaced, and Dawn was given her replacement phone. Again they were admonished to call only one person close to them who would want reassurance that they were all right. Weeks told them to keep it short.
Elle called Glenda. “I can’t tell you anything except that I’m fine.”
“Where’d they take you?”
“I can’t tell you, Glenda, and, honestly, I don’t know exactly. They may move us again tomorrow.”
“Us?He’sthere?”
Against her will, Elle glanced across the living room toward Calder, who wasn’t using his phone. He was zeroed in on her.
“Elle?”
“Yes, he’s here, but we haven’t spoken.”
“What does he think of his girlfriend’s dirty trick?”
“We haven’t spoken,” she repeated. Then, “Glenda, the deputies guarding us are signaling me to wind up.”
