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“Why does it matter?” she answers icily, flitting her gaze past mine and back out the window. But for a second, I had it, and I saw the unmistakable fear of a woman who has nowhere to go.
“Because you matter. Wherever you came from doesn’t seem like a very nice place, and I’d like to help you not go back there.”
She wraps her fingers around her elbows and looks back at me. “I have a home. I know I’ll be okay.”
“Doe—” The sudden ringing of my cell cuts off my argument. “Sorry, one second.” She goes back to staring, this time at the wall between the door and closet, as I dig my phone out of my jeans pocket.
Tavers flashes across the screen. The time shows I’ve only been here for about forty minutes. My stomach tightens when I answer.
“Hello?”
“I’ve got something here. Need you to come back to the station.”
“When you say you’ve got something, you mean what exactly?” I glance from the floor back at Doe and catch her watching me with her big, guarded eyes.
“A possible break in Aislin’s case.”
“Tavers… you said it yourself, we’ve had a lot of false alarms lately.”
He clears his throat then the sound of a door closing follows a minute later. “I hope like fuck you’re sitting down right now.” He pauses. “We’ve had a witness come forward.”
“Bull. There haven’t been any in fifteen years.” My temper flares as scenarios fly through my brain.
“The guy was just a kid back then. Only about eight. I haven’t taken his statement yet because I wanted to wait for you to be here, but Niko, this is the real deal. I don’t get the vibe he’s bullshitting us. There’s no money on the table and no other reason for him to come forward besides his own damn conscience.”
“Why now?” My voice sounds raw to my own ears.
“I don’t know. As soon as you left, we sent out the press release early. I thought it’d keep Captain busy until you got back. I think maybe it triggered something for the witness. He mentioned seeing it before he came in.”
“I’m on my way. Wait for me.” If I could hear the desperation in my voice, no doubt he could as well.
“Got it.”
I hang up without saying goodbye. Fuck. There’s something incredibly painful about trying to hold down the hope when all it wants to do is rise up and be set free. When I look up from ending the call, Doe is still watching me.
“Work calls. I have to go.”
“Okay.”
I get up and start for the door, entirely preoccupied with Tavers’ phone call, but her voice stops me.
“Will you be back?”
I forget how to move my feet. My torso swings around so I can face her, and without hesitation, I murmur, “Absolutely.”
“Okay, Niko. Bye.”
I haul ass down the hallway, into the elevator, out the doors and to my truck, and I’m halfway to the station when it hits me—she remembered my name. Not Detective but my first name. And second to that thought is that I couldn’t remember telling her it except during that very first moment I visited.
* * *
The doorto the station opens as Officer Keely steps out, and I grab it before it closes to haul my ass inside. My trajectory is aimed at Tavers’ office. I give a short knock and pull it open before waiting for an invitation. Once inside, I turn around to shut the door gently behind me and lean my back against it. Then I take him in.
The guy who held back information.
Kid or not, I’m instantly cautious of his story. I need to hear it for myself, to feel him out. Is he truthful? Can I trust the story he’s telling me or is this some play at a moment of fame? More often than I ever thought, that shit happens. People wanting a little notoriety fabricate stories to see their face on the evening news. Makes me fucking sick. And if that’s all this guy is, I’m going to be fucking pissed.
“Mr. Dune, sorry to interrupt, but this is Detective Niko James. He’s the lead on this case.” Tavers looks down at the notepad on the table. He and Mr. Dune sit at the small circular table to the left of the door. The setup is more personal than sitting on opposite sides of the desk.
