Page 38 of Dark Memories
Garth Davidson, Robbie’s friend, the one still out there somewhere, and apparently the mastermind of Kali’s kidnapping. The man better hope the police found him before Zach did. His phone pinged with a text, and his blood ran cold when he read it. He put his hand behind Kali’s back and touched his phone to Delaney’s arm.
She took it, read the text, then shot him a furious glance before sliding his phone across the table to Eve.
“I think we have what we need unless you have any questions, Harry,” Eve said after reading the text.
“Who’s Harry?” Kali said.
“I am.” Delaney smiled at his daughter. “It’s what the other police officers call me.”
“But that’s a boy’s name.”
Delaney comically widened her eyes. “It is?”
Zach tuned their conversation out. He would have been amused if not for the rage burning through him hotter than fire-red lava. Garth Davidson had just made his intentions known with a three-sentence text.
You were warned not to talk to the cops. You didn’t listen, now my sister is dead. An eye for an eye.
Eve placed the phone facedown on the table. “Harry, why don’t you find Dahlia and show her to Kali.”
“Harry’s a boy’s name,” Kali said. “You need to call her Delaney ’cause she’s a girl.”
“You know what? You’re absolutely right,” Eve said. “And Delaney is a much prettier name than Harry.”
“It is,” Kali exclaimed.
“Come with me.” Delaney stood, taking Kali’s hand. “I have something funny to show you.”
“Who’s Dahlia?” Zach asked after Delaney and Kali left.
“A stress ball that the detectives like to dress up as a girl. Sometimes—often actually—I think their mental age is around thirteen.” She turned the phone over and read the text again. “This is good and bad. Good because he hasn’t gone underground, so he’ll be easier to find. Bad because he now wants revenge.”
“I’ll tell you right now that I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my daughter. If he comes at Kali or me, I’ll kill him.”
“You need to let the police do their job. That doesn’t mean if you have to act in self-defense, you do what you have to do, but you don’t go looking for him. Understand?”
“I understand what you’re saying.” And that was the best he could give her because he hadn’t decided on a plan of action yet.
She narrowed her eyes. Eve Scanlon wasn’t stupid, and he knew she got what he wasn’t saying. He had faith in the Dark Falls Police Department, in Delaney and Eve, to do their very best to keep Kali and him safe, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances with his daughter’s life. And that was what he interpreted an eye for an eye to mean… Kali’s life for the sister’s.
“Did you know the woman Kali calls Miss Doe was Davidson’s sister?” he asked.
“No, we didn’t. We identified her as Holly Miller. She and the second man, Denny Miller, were married.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “Harry told me the two of you have a history, but that there isn’t anything between you now. If she actually believes that, she’s only fooling herself. I have a choice here. I either pull her off the case because this is personal to her, or put her on protective detail as Kali’s guard, and I honestly don’t know the best answer.”
“There is no one I trust more than Delaney. Because of her sister, she’s dedicated her life—”
“Her sister?”
“You don’t know?” He hadn’t meant to share something Delaney had kept a secret, but why would she have? He’d definitely be asking her that question.
“No, so why don’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not my story to tell. My point is, it won’t matter to her how personal things are between us. Delaney would give her life for Kali”—and probably him, something he didn’t like at all—“if it came down to that. I’ll take her over any of your detectives. And Kali trusts her.”
“That’s decided then. Her partner will be back from vacation on Monday. If we haven’t caught Garth Davidson by then, he’ll join the investigation. We have a BOLO—that’sbe on the lookout—for Davidson, and we’re interviewing anyone who knew him that we can find. That includes your brother.”
“Understand. He said he didn’t have anything to do with kidnapping Kali other than talking about her and me to Davidson. I believe him. After we’re done here, I need to call him, let him know that Davidson’s on the loose.” He should have done that this morning, along with giving Robbie a warning that he wouldn’t like the consequences if he involved himself with his cellmate in any way.
“Is there someone you trust enough to send Kali to stay with until this is over? Or even better, both of you disappear until it’s safe to return?”
