Page 162 of Sing with Me

“Last evening after he got off work.” Earl yawned. “After this, I need to get some sleep.”

“And you’re driving right now.” Diehl couldn’t believe it.Does Earl even know where the roads are?

“I grew up in the metro area,” Earl said. “I can find my way with my eyes closed.”

“No, please don’t do that.” Diehl chuckled.

“I don’t need much sleep. Don’t worry about me. The point is, I told all that to Detective Jeong yesterday evening.” Earl stopped at another red light.

“So… Instead of getting a legitimate job like everyone else, Romina decided to abduct my daughter?”

“It gets more interesting,” Malik added. “Elisa went with Hans because he was taking her to Romina.”

“How? We watched all the security videos.”

“Remember the carts and trolleys?” Malik reminded Diehl.

Diehl almost knew where Malik was going. “Yeah?”

“Elisa was in one of the tilt trucks, underneath tablecloths.”

“No.” Diehl’s jaw dropped. “Did they drug her?”

“Hans told me that your daughter went willingly,” Earl said.

Diehl’s heart sank. Had he failed parenting class or something? He couldn’t recall teaching Elisa not to go anywhere with strangers.

Well, Hans wasn’t a stranger. He had been working for Chef Pierre for a few years, at least.

Neither was Romina a stranger.

The phone conversation that Elisa had with Romina a week before finally made sense. Somehow Romina must have convinced Elisa to get to a Greyhound station. And the only way out of Brooks Cottage without being noticed was in Chef Pierre’s van—in an utility cart.

“Who drove her to the Greyhound bus station?” Diehl asked. “Hans?”

“Yep.” Malik said. “Bradley the dishwasher suspected something and tried to warn Hans not to do it.”

“He did it anyway—because of the threat from Romina, but also because he was probably still in love with her.” Earl pulled in at Grady Memorial Hospital parking lot for visitors.

“Anything else I need to know before I see my daughter?” Diehl asked.

“That’s all I know. I’m sure Detective Jeong will fill us in soon,” Earl said as he parked the vehicle.

Chapter Forty-Four

As soon as Elisa saw Diehl walk through the door of the examination room, she started to cry.

She was sitting on the bed, looking quite disheveled and wearing a paper hospital gown. Her hair had been cut very short. She had scratch marks on her arms. She was barefoot.

“Shhh.” Diehl wanted to hug her, but she pushed him away.

“You’re not my dad.” Her voice was sharp, like her mother’s.

“I am too.” Diehl sat on one of those rolling stools. He placed Elisa’s tote bag on his lap. He was some distance away from Elisa to give her space, but close enough to let her know he cared.

She shook her head.

Diehl prayed. For the first time in his life, he found himself putting God first. Now that he had experienced the love of God—having been saved two days before—he felt more able to love his daughter, who might not have been his had God not placed her in his arms.

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