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The only thing people were watching more than this investigation was the incident at Brighton Academy. It was all over the news, including the video of her loading Tori into her Wagoneer and speeding away.
Worry chewed at Kerri’s ribs. How in the world could she fix this?
“I need to pop into the ladies’ room,” she said to her partner. What she needed was a moment.
Falco nodded. “I’ll meet you outside.”
He strode on to the stairwell exit as Kerri moved toward her destination. The hydraulic wheeze of the ladies’ room door closing behind her followed Kerri into the first stall. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cool metal. She needed a moment of total silence to quiet the worries spiraling out of control in her head. The hydraulic wheeze sounded again, followed by heels clicking on tile. Kerri ignored the realization that she was no longer alone and worked to calm her thoughts. Tori would never hurt anyone. She was a good kid. A happy kid—at least as happy as teenagers could be. She needed her mother to be strong. To be there for her.
Kerri drew in a deep breath. Losing it wasn’t going to help her daughter.
She squared her shoulders, reached back and flushed the toilet, and then exited the stall. A woman stood at the row of sinks, her head bowed. Kerri looked away, walked straight ahead to the first porcelain bowl, and went through the motions of washing her hands. Another deep breath. She forced the lines of worry on her face to relax. Everything would beokay. Sykes and Peterson would find the truth—she would help—and Tori would be cleared. Life would go back to normal.
Kerri would not allow any other outcome.Good. Okay.She had to go. Falco was waiting.
“You’re working on my son’s case.”
Kerri’s attention shifted to her right.Lana Walsh.If Kerri hadn’t been so flustered, she would have recognized the elegant suit the woman wore.Damn.
“Yes.” Kerri grabbed a paper towel and dried her hands. “Detective Kerri Devlin.”
The mother moved closer, her eyes searching Kerri’s. “I need you to do something for me, Detective Devlin.”
Kerri wadded the towel in her right hand. “I’ll help if I can, ma’am.”
“Find who did this. Don’t be distracted or fooled by theatrics.”
“I’ll do my best,” Kerri assured her.
Her face gripped by misery, the other woman nodded. “Thank you.”
Kerri gave a nod and made her exit.
When she reached her car, Falco was waiting, leaning against the front fender.
“I have a message from Lana Walsh,” Kerri announced. At her partner’s raised eyebrows, she went on, “I ran into her in the ladies’ room. She wants us to find who did this and to not be distracted or fooled by theatrics. Who do you suppose she’s talking about? The task force or maybe her sister, Naomi Taylor?”
Falco grunted. “Could be both.”
“Maybe,” Kerri agreed.
He pushed away from the vehicle and started around the hood. “For the record”—he paused before getting in—“I’d do the same thing you’re planning. Make Talley talk to you, Devlin. To hell with what Sykes and Peterson think. To hell with this case. I’ve got this.”
Just another reason she was grateful for her partner.
Talley Residence
Twentieth Street South
Birmingham, 5:30 p.m.
Renae Talley’s SUV was in the driveway.
Kerri parked at the curb and climbed out. Tori usually went home after school. But considering what had happened, she had gone to Diana’s house. Kerri would pick her up after work. Tori loved her aunt Diana but didn’t like having to change her routine. Kerri pretended it was all good. The truth was she felt completely incompetent as a mother just now. She was supposed to protect her daughter from things like this. Be there for her ... instead she was at work. Long hours. Every day. Renae Talley, on the other hand, was a registered nurse and married to a surgeon. The couple had decided Renae would be a stay-at-home mom until Sarah went off to college.
Even if she’d had that luxury, Kerri wasn’t sure she would have chosen to stay home rather than continue her career. Her family had always been a great support system. If Kerri was caught up in a case, there had never been a need to worry about Tori’s well-being.
She closed the door of her Wagoneer. But Kerri’s situation was quickly changing. Her father had died a few years back, her mother years before that. Diana was scrambling to keep her life together after her daughter’s death. And Tori’s father was in New York. A band tightened around Kerri’s chest. Life happened. The only choice was to go with the flow and to be prepared when change shifted the circumstances.
