by Robin Caroll
“She told Mags that she understood how hard it was to break up with someone and that she certainly didn’t mean to cause her any pain.” Rafe grinned at Darren. “Then she tried to pray for Mags.”
Despite everything, Darren chuckled. “I bet she did.”
“Georgia prayed over every and anybody,” Rafe explained. “No matter what was going on with you, she was going to pray for you, with you, or over you.”
“And it didn’t matter if you were a believer or not, she was going to cover you in prayer, one way or another.”
Rafe nodded. “Apparently, it unnerved Mags Brewster. She spilled her coffee all over the table, jumped up and ran out of the diner.”
As crazy as the woman sounded, Eva figured that might have saved Georgia from something much worse than a confrontation.
Rafe stopped smiling. “The police figure she’d already sliced the other two tires before she even came into the diner. They aren’t sure about the blood on the doorstep, though.”
Darren sobered as well. “Tell me about that.”
Rafe nodded. “When I picked her up from work, I told her that she needed to call the police. She couldn’t afford three tires, even the used ones we all bought back then. She didn’t want to, though. She told me about Mags and I was sure that’s who’d slit her tires, but Georgia wasn’t ready to get her into trouble. So, I drove her home, arguing with her the entire way.”
Darren’s intent focus blocked out everything else but Rafe’s story. Eva couldn’t help but empathize. He had to feel betrayed on so many levels.
“When we got back to her place, I went to go check it out. As soon as we stepped onto that crappy little concrete entry, we saw the blood. It was fresh, still wet. I didn’t give Georgia a chance to argue against calling the police.”
“She never told me.” Darren spoke so softly, Eva figured he probably didn’t even realize he’d spoken aloud.
“The police filed a report and said they’d follow up with Mags, although Georgia was quick to tell them there was no proof of her involvement.” Rafe took a sip of coffee. “I asked her if she’d heard anything back on it after you got home, and she said she hadn’t. She’d not gotten any more notes or hang ups, so I figured the police followed up and scared Mags off.”
“I can’t believe neither of you ever told me.”
Rafe stared at Darren, tracing the lip of his cup with his forefinger. “I wanted to, as soon as you got back, but Georgia held me to my promise. You had been saved and baptized, and she didn’t want anything to dampen that moment for you.” He shrugged. “Then you two were engaged, married, and moving. To be honest, I forgot all about it until now.”
“It wouldn’t have made any difference, I suppose. Just odd that I never knew, and now…now there’s a chance she’s involved in my daughter’s abduction.”
“It is a little freaky,” Riley said.
“I’m assuming Wilson is running a background on her?” Nick asked.
Darren nodded. “Agent Lacey said she’d given him the information.”
“So, what? We have to wait for him to decide to share what he learns?” Eva finished off her coffee, and almost choked. It’d grown tepid as they’d talked and now it was just gross.
“That’s all we can do,” Nick said.
Maddie shook her head. “I’m with Eva on this one. No offense, honey, but Wilson has already proven he doesn’t have to keep us in the loop. Now that he’s upset with Darren, there’s the chance he won’t tell him anything either.”
“I’m the father.” Darren frowned.
“Do you always tell the parents every detail and step of the investigation?” Riley asked.
Rafe cleared his throat and stood. He grabbed the pot of coffee and brought it back to the kitchen table. “We don’t. I haven’t met Wilson yet. Would he really lock you out of the investigation?” He poured coffee into his own cup, then Darren’s.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m pretty sure Agent Lacey will keep me in the loop.”
“If Leo Wilson doesn’t lock her out.” Eva held out her cup to Rafe. “If he thinks she’s giving you information, Darren, he might lock her out of the investigation just so she can’t talk to you.”
“She is only a profiler,” Nick said. “He’s under no obligation to even keep her on the case if she’s built the profile for him.”
“Oh, this is ridiculous.” Riley stood and left the room.
Everyone stared after her, but she returned a minute or so later, MacBook in hand.
“What are you doing?” Darren asked.
“There’s no reason I can’t research this woman myself.” She smiled over her laptop. “I am an investigative journalist, you know. Pretty good, too.”
Eva smiled. She liked Riley even more now.
“Since we’re all here and up,” Maddie stood, “why don’t I make us something to eat?”
Eva caught Maddie’s nod toward Darren. “Yeah. Maybe some sandwiches?” She stood. “I’ll help.”
Rafe moved to take Eva’s seat. His head close to Darren’s, then he put his arm around his best friend’s shoulders. Both men bent their heads, and Rafe spoke. It only took Eva a moment realize they were praying together.
Something moved in Eva’s chest. Sure, she believed in God and had even gone to church a time or two with Maddie, but her faith wasn’t like that. Not like a woman who led two men Eva respected to accept her religion and live it. To pray for someone who’d confronted her and harassed her.
Eva’s faith wasn’t like two grown men, FBI agents, huddling together and praying.
Was she missing something?
Eleven
“Hmm.” Riley had been quiet for so long that her sentence bounced off the walls of Maddie’s kitchen.
“What?” Darren set the uneaten half of his sandwich on the plate. He’d forced himself to eat as much as he had to pacify Eva, who sat beside him and watched every bite he took. He knew she was only worried about him, and while it might be just the situation, it brought him comfort.
“When did you and Georgia get married?” Riley asked.
“Six years ago. May fifteenth.”
“Well this is interesting. Margaret Brewster got married same year, May twentieth.”
“Five days later. Kind of an odd coincidence,” Eva said.
But Darren didn’t believe in coincidences. “Really? Who did she marry?”
“One Jackson Kent. But, they got divorced the following February. Hang on,” Riley leaned closer to her laptop. The tapping sound increased. “The divorce decree was entered while she was a resident of the Lakeside Behavioral.”
“Wow. What was she in there for?” Maddie asked.
“Records are sealed. Let me try something else.” Again, the taps on the keyboard increased like machine-gun fire, then ceased. “No, they’re really sealed. I can’t even get in the back way like I sometimes can.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Nick said.
Riley shrugged. “Not my fault hospitals sometimes don’t shut their back doors.”
“Can you find out how long she was in the hospital?” Eva asked.
“Maybe.” Riley tapped away, then paused. “From what I can tell, she was admitted in January, transferred from Baptist Memorial, and wasn’t released until this August.” She typed more. “Locked out of the records, I can’t find a forwarding address.”
“So they were really only married for eight months before she went into the hospital?” Eva held up her fingers.
“And he divorced her while she was in the hospital?” Maddie added. “That’s kind of a chicken thing to do.”
Riley glanced over the top of her computer. “Divorce decree cites the reason he filed for divorce is inappropriate marital conduct.”
“What? I’ve never even heard of that.” Eva picked up the paper plates from the table and carried them to the kitchen counter.
“That’s all I can find about it.” Riley typed some more. “Still can’t
find an address for her.”
“She’s been in the hospital for about five years? Wow, that’s a long time.” Rafe shook his head. “I mean, I know she was unstable, but…”
Riley stopped typing. “Hey, I found him.”
“Her husband?” Maddie tossed the paper plates into the trash.
Riley nodded. “Jackson Kent. Last known address just happens to be right here in Memphis.”
“Should we call him? Maybe find out a little more about her?” Eva asked.
“It’s after midnight. He probably wouldn’t be too receptive to having someone show up at his door this late to talk about his ex-wife.” Maddie grinned. “Why don’t we all call it a night and hit it again first thing in the morning?”
“Maybe Wilson will have a lead by then as well,” Nick said.
Darren stood. “I need to check in at home anyway. Time to face Wilson.”
Eva stood beside him. “Come on, let’s get our coats and I’ll take you home.”
Maddie and Nick showed them out after Rafe and Riley said their goodbyes. At the door, Nick grabbed Darren’s arm. “Look, if Wilson gives you too much of a hard time, call me. Yes, you broke protocol, but he should understand that, given the circumstances. If he hasn’t been able to find the information on Brewster that Riley did, I’ll put in a call to the Director in the morning.”
“Thanks, Boss.”
“And know that we’re all praying, Darren. God’s got this all under control.”
“I know. That’s the only thing keeping me sane right now. Goodnight.” Darren followed Eva down the stairs and to her car.
The defroster’s air was almost as cold as the wind whipping around the car. Eva blew on her hands, wishing she could remember where she left her gloves. “You really rely on your faith, don’t you?”
Darren nodded. “I do. I know that God loves Savannah more than I ever could.” He twisted slightly in the seat to look at Eva. “I know you believe in God.”
“I do. It’s just…” She shrugged. “It’s just we see so much bad every day in our jobs. The evil that people do. The cruelty. It’s hard to reconcile all that with a loving God is what I have a problem with.”
Lord, give me the words. Darren let out a slow breath. “I understand what you mean. I used to struggle with that, too. Especially when Georgia was diagnosed and got so sick. And then again with Savannah’s heart condition. And asthma.”
“How do you deal with it? Accept it? Keep your faith so strong and resilient?”
“It took me a long time, but I finally just accepted the fact that there isn’t always an answer. There are just some things in this world that I’ll never understand. Taking someone so good is one of them. Allowing a child to be born with a defect is another. I can’t try to find reason for everything. It’d drive me crazy.”
“So you just accept what is?” Eva shook her head and stared out the front windshield. “That’s hard.”
“It is. That’s faith. I have to believe that while I may not understand everything, and I certainly may not like everything, there is a reason for each and every thing that happens on this earth, even if I never know what that is this side of paradise.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I have to be. It’s how I can make it through every day when there’s so much awfulness in the day-to-day world.” He smiled. “Then on the other hand, I watch Savy sleeping peacefully and I’m in awe at the beauty and wonder on this earth. It’s a balance.”
“Good and bad. Ying and yang.”
“Yes.”
Eva nodded in silence, then put the car in gear. He’d been as honest and open as he could be about his faith. But he realized he needed to be open and honest about something else as well. This would be harder.
“Eva, I owe you an apology.” He could barely push the words out.
“Whatever for?” She cut a look at him, then concentrated on the road unfurling in the darkness.
“When we agreed to stop seeing each other—”
She laughed, but it was humorless. “When you called it off, Darren. Call it for what it is.”
He started to protest, then realized she was right. And that was just something else he needed to apologize about. “You’re right. I called it off. I was unfair, and I let assumptions make that decision for me.”
She shot him another glance. “I’m not following you.”
No matter how he tried to explain, he would sound like a jerk. Maybe he was a jerk. He sure felt like one. “When we were dating, I came to really care about you. A lot.”
“And I cared about you a lot.”
A pregnant pause filled the cold space between them.
“So why did you call it off?” Her voice was softer than he deserved. “I never really understood.”
“I should have been more honest with you. Tell you what I was feeling.”
“Which was?”
At least the darkness hid the blush that had to flame his cheeks. “I thought you weren’t ready to be serious.”
“What?” She jerked her stare to him, held it for a split second, then looked back at the road. “You didn’t think I was ready to be serious? What does that mean?”
Trying to explain himself…yeah, he felt more like a jerk than ever. But he owed it to her. “I didn’t think you were ready to be in a serious relationship.”
“Then what did you think I wanted? Just to hang out with you?” She shook her head. “Darren, you knew I cared about you a lot. You knew I wasn’t seeing anyone else. Why would you think I wasn’t ready to be in a serious relationship? I thought that’s where we were headed.”
“I knew you dated a lot of guys. I’d seen how you would break it off when one got too close. You’d complained about clingy guys before.”
“Clingy, yes. Guys who bordered on stalking. Guys who suffocated me.” She pulled up to the stop sign and stared at him. “Not you. You didn’t try to control me. You didn’t try to change who I was. Who I am.”
“I’m sorry. I should have talked with you.”
“Why didn’t you?” Even with only the dim the lights of the dashboard, the evidence of her pain was obvious.
“I was too scared.” There, he’d said it.
“Scared? Of what?”
He glanced at the side mirror. Why couldn’t a car come up behind them at the stop sign and save him from her gut-punching stare? “I had started to fall in love with you, Eva, and I thought you weren’t ready. I was scared for you to break my heart…Savannah’s. I couldn’t risk that.”
“So you broke it off with me first?” She gave that dry laugh of hers. “Seriously?”
“In hindsight, I’m not proud of myself.” He ran a hand over his face. He was so tired. Physically, emotionally, spiritually…exhausted. But he had to be honest with her. She’d put her career on the line for him—for Savannah—today, and he owed her the truth of how he’d felt.
How he probably still felt, if he had the ability to concentrate on anything besides finding his daughter at the moment.
Eva turned the car onto his road. The one-point-four miles to his driveway felt like the longest he’d ridden in silence in a very, very long time.
“I was falling in love with you, too, Darren.”
Twelve
“Wilson will have us fired if he finds out what we’re doing.” Darren pulled into Jackson Kent’s driveway.
Rafe chuckled. “Let him try.”
The wind whistled outside of Darren’s car. The early news forecaster warned that snow would fall this morning, accumulating at least a couple of inches before nightfall. Everyone was on the road, stocking up on supplies. The news reported extra units from the electric and gas companies were on standby for outages. It promised to be a long afternoon and evening for emergency crews everywhere in the state.
“He better bring a sack lunch if he plans to take us on, my brother, because it’ll be an all-day event,” Rafe joked.
Eva wished she could be as nonchalant
as Rafe was about getting into trouble, but she had to admit she was worried. Peter had left her a voice mail this morning, furious that she’d gone to the lab last night. He’d been clear that she was to stay away from the investigation. Still, there was no other place she’d be than getting out of this car right now.
Darren locked the doors with a press of the button, then shut the driver door. The wind blasted against the three of them. “At least he’s getting the warrant to pull the information from the shoe store.”
“After Agent Lacey had to put his feet to the fire.”
“But maybe they’ll get her address. Some lead on Savannah.”
Eva swallowed. It was hard enough to deal with her emotions about Savannah being gone overnight like this…she couldn’t imagine how hard it had to have been for Darren to be home, without his daughter safe and sound at home with him.
Rafe led the way up the stairs to the house of Jackson Kent. “Want me to take lead on this one?”
Darren nodded, then looked at Eva. “Sure you want to be involved? Nick can pull strings and probably save mine and Rafe’s job if he has to, but we don’t have any pull over the powers that be at TBI.”
“I’m in. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away from this.” She straightened her badge, making it visible.
Darren gave her a shy smile and followed his best friend. She fell in behind Darren. After their conversation when she dropped him off last night, neither could be sure of where they stood with each other, but it wasn’t the time to figure it out.
Later. Surely they’d get a chance to figure…this, whatever this was…out later. Eva had to believe that. She couldn’t let Darren just walk out of her life.
Not again.
Rafe’s heavy rapping on the door pulled her attention. Footsteps echoed from inside. She imagined Mr. Kent might not be too happy to find badged agents at his front door before eight on a Saturday morning.
The door jerked open, revealing a man about Darren’s age, with a striking resemblance to Darren. Same shade of dark blonde hair. Same wide forehead. Same strong jawline. “Can I help you?”