Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
But they needed to get shit straight.
“What else didn’t you tell me?”
That was when she verbally punched him right in the throat.
“Madden adored her, she adored Madden. So how do I tell my baby girl her big sister is dead?”
“Shit, Lucinda,” he whispered.
Knowing he was no longer feeling anything close to pissed, she pressed her advantage.
“I want her, Agent Lazarus.”
“I can’t—”
“I. Want. Her.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
She leaned his way. “I want her.”
“Honey,” he said softly, “I can’t make promises, but I swear to you right now, I’ll do what I can.”
She snapped her mouth shut, sat back and cut her eyes again to the window.
“You didn’t let her waitress for you when she needed money, but you let her watch Madden to help her out,” he deduced.
She refused to admit to that.
She said, “You heard Keyleigh. Britt loved kids.”
She let her watch Madden to help her out.
In fact, he’d lay money on the fact Brittanie Iverson was the highest paid babysitter in the county.
“She wanted her own one day,” she went on, her gaze coming back to him. “She was going to be nothing like her mom. When someone is starved for love all their lives, they go one of two ways. Either they have no idea what it is, so they can’t give nor receive it, or they have so much of it pent up, when they find someone worthy of it, it explodes all over the place.”
“It exploded for Madden,” he guessed.
She didn’t confirm.
She said, “There’s nothing more I didn’t tell you. You’re right. I was testing you. You handled me well, you handled Keyleigh well.”
She left it at that, but he got what was unsaid.
So it was half joke, half true when he replied, “I’m pleased to earn your approval.”
“I’ll have your appointments sorted for tomorrow, starting at one.”
Brittanie might now be his, but those were his marching orders.
At that, he couldn’t beat back the smile, but he dropped his head to hide it as he stood.
However, one more thing…
He tossed his napkin on the tray and looked to her.
“Is there something between you and Melanie Iverson I need to know?”
She shook her head. “Outside her being shit as a mom so Brittanie felt unworthy and needed to search for that worth in men she could attract or steal, no. This wasn’t abuse, precisely. It wasn’t neglect, as such. It also wasn’t competition, exactly. It was all of those in a unique package that’s Melanie. You’ll know when you meet her, Agent Lazarus. You’ll know more when you meet Dakota. These days, people spend a lot of time talking about how our country has gone to hell. They say we need church. They say kids need discipline and faith. They’re wrong. They simply need someone to give a shit.”
“I can’t argue that.”
“I know you can’t.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow at one.”
“Come at twelve thirty. I’ll have a sandwich waiting for you.”
“You don’t have to feed me.”
“Yes, I do, Agent Lazarus, because in case you haven’t noticed, I give a shit.”
Christ God, he had a huge fucking problem.
Because he really wanted to kiss her.
This being, of course, before he fucked her.
“I’ll be here at twelve thirty,” he said low.
“I’ll see you then.”
With that, because he had things to do, even though he didn’t want to, he turned and walked away from Lucinda Bonner.
He was okay with that.
But only because he’d be back the next day at twelve thirty.
SIX
Filled His Soul
On the way back to town, Rus made four important calls.
The first was to Wade Dickerson, Moran’s deputy in charge when he was out of commission. Rus recited the list of patrons who’d shown Brittanie attention. He also gave him the list of boyfriends Lucinda had written down. He then told Dickerson they were persons of interest, and why, and he left the man with the mission of having chats and gathering alibis if they were to be had.
The second was to Ben McGill, his local FBI lead, who assured Rus he’d be delivering the things Rus had asked for to Pinetop Lodge within the hour.
The third was to his son, Acre, who was a junior at the College of William and Mary studying Criminal Law and Psychology.
And yes, that meant Acre wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, though he wanted to skip the being-in-the-army-for-four-years part, along with the being a cop for five (instead, after graduation, he was going to enlist in the Marines, this flip-flopping what Rus did—Army first, then he went to school for five years while working).
After serving, Acre wanted to apply right to the Bureau.
He got Acre’s voicemail.
“It’s your dad,” he said after the beep. “I’m on a case in Washington state, but as usual, I’d like regular indication you’re alive, eating, hydrating, studying and using condoms. Text me.”
The last was his daughter, Sabrina, who was a freshman at the University of Florida. And even though she’d only been there mere weeks, evidence was suggesting her major was researching all the ways you could make an entire year at college into a spring break.