Page 238 of Things We Hide from the Light
That was how long it had been since a man had shoved Lina into the trunk of his car and driven off.
Grave was running the partial plate number Waylay had memorized.
Knox drove Waylay and Liza J home to Naomi.
And I was flying down Tate Dilton’s street as a light, misty rain began to fall. I swung the wheel and came to a screeching halt at the base of his concrete driveway. There was a shiny red bass boat parked on a brand-new trailer in front of the garage.
I didn’t bother closing my door, just barreled up to the front door of the white Cape Cod bathed in blue and red from my lights.
The door swung open before I made it past the hay bales and pumpkins on the front porch. Behind me, tires squealed on the street as another vehicle came to an abrupt stop.
Melissa Dilton, Tate’s pretty blond wife, stood in the doorway, one hand clutching the neck of her blue bathrobe.
She had tear-stained cheeks and a fat lip.
Fuck.
“Where is he, Missy?”
She shook her head, eyes welling with tears. “I don’t know, but I swear I’d tell you if I did.”
I wanted to push my way inside, to search the house from top to bottom, but I knew she wasn’t lying.
Nolan and Lucian climbed the porch steps looking grim.
“How long’s he been gone?” I asked her, ignoring them.
“A couple of hours. He packed a bag like he might be gone for a while. I–I saw him take a stack of cash out of the crawlspace access in Sophia’s bedroom.”
“What are you doing, Morgan?” Nolan asked quietly.
“Where was he the night I was shot?”
Melissa swallowed hard as twin tears slid down her cheeks. “H-he said he was working.”
“He wasn’t. He called in sick that day.” I’d checked on the way here.
“He said he was working. He didn’t come home until late and I…I could tell he’d been drinking. I asked him about you. I heard about the shooting from my parents. I asked him if you were gonna be okay and he…” She looked down at her bare feet in shame. “He hit me,” she whispered.
I heard Lucian swear darkly behind me.
“It’s okay, Melissa. You’re not in trouble here. But I need to find Tate.”
She looked at me with tears swimming in her eyes. “I don’t know where he is. I’m sorry, Nash.”
“Not your fault,” I told her. “None of this is your fault. But I need you to get the kids and go to your parents’ house tonight. I need you to stay there until I say it’s safe to come home. Understand?”
She hesitated, then nodded.
“Go wake up the kids. Tell them they’re having a sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa. Lucian will drive you. I’ll have officers watch your parents’ house.”
“It’s all over, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“It will be tonight,” I vowed.
She squared her shoulders and nodded. And for the first time, I saw a spark of determination in her pretty green eyes. “Good luck, Nash.”
I turned and hooked a thumb over my shoulder. Lucian nodded and followed Melissa inside.
