Page 138 of Ghost

“Ok, Caylee Meadows is a five-year-old girl, recently removed from her mother’s care. Neighbors called the police, asking for a welfare check when Caylee wouldn’t stop crying. When the police showed up, they found a severely malnourished Caylee who weighed only twenty-five pounds.”

“For a five-year-old? Christ, Charlie is almost five, and she weighs near on to fifty pounds,” Jack exclaimed.

“Child welfare reports claim her speech was severely delayed, and she exhibited the emotional and mental capacity of a two-year-old,” Sypher said, his voice filled with emotion. Looking over at Pippen, he was staring at his husband. Unshed tears brimming in his eyes.

Sypher continued, “There are medical reports that show the physical and sexual trauma Caylee endured as well as a signed confession from her mother, admitting that she was neglectful and abusive, allowing the men she had traipsing through her home to have free rein over her child.”

“What the hell does that have to do with my woman?”

Sypher ignored me and carried on talking. “Dr. Melissa Jefferson was the leading expert on the court hearing at the mother’s trial. When Caylee was taken into custody, Melissa was called. She does emergency assessments for child services. She recommended Caylee be removed, then testified when the mother went on trial.”

“What’s the connection to the cop?” Jingles asked.

“Still working on that.”

“I found Melissa,” Nav said.

“Where is she?”

“She left here and drove into town. She stopped at the diner for a while, and when she came out, she was with Jessie. They both got in separate cars, but it looks like Melissa was following Jessie.”

“Someone call Jessie!” I demanded.

“I’ll do it,” Dante offered.

He put the phone on speaker, and Jessie answered, “Hey, Dante.”

“Hey, Jessica, are you with Melissa?”

There was a pause before she answered, “Nope. Just me in the car.”

Pippen rolled his eyes. “Jessica, where are you headed?”

“Why?” she asked, hesitant to answer.

“Jessabel, where the fuck are you going?” Sypher yelled.

“Dude, what is going on?”

“Jessie, please. Is Melissa with you?” I begged, my hands flat on the table.

With a loud exaggerated sigh, she replied, “Yes, she is following me.”

“Where are you taking her, Jessie?” King’s authoritative voice rang out. I held my breath, waiting for her to answer.

“To the Powell Ranch,” she confessed. I could breathe now. She wasn’t leaving town. “She wanted to go to the hotel, but I wasn’t letting her go to that shithole. Grayson’s letting her stay in one of the cabins.”

I looked at King. Grayson wasn’t letting anyone stay at the cabins right now because we weren’t entirely sure we didn’t have a serial killer in Diamond Creek.

“Did Grayson say that?” Jack asked with a chuckle.

“Not yet. But the man can’t tell me no. May as well take advantage of it.” We all heard the smile in her voice. She had been running him ragged with his pursuit of her. But she always slipped through his fingers.

“Why are you taking her to the ranch?” Gunner asked.

Shit, that was a good question.

“Um.”

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