Chương 9
“Cole surrendered.”
Brooks stood.
“To whom?”
“His attorney brought him to Major Crimes twenty minutes ago.”
Richard looked at Brooks.
She checked her phone.
No notification.
Walter saw that.
“That’s interesting.”
Brooks said, “How do you know?”
“I know people who still return calls.”
Richard said, “What’s Cole saying?”
“He denies abducting Anna.”
“Of course.”
“He admits going to the apartment.”
“Why?”
“Claims Anna contacted him and offered to sell back stolen Halcyon data.”
Richard laughed once without humor.
Walter continued. “He says she demanded two hundred thousand dollars and immunity from civil action.”
“Does he have proof?”
“Text messages.”
Richard’s anger slowed.
“Authentic?”
“Unknown.”
Brooks’s phone rang.
She stepped away.
Lucy watched everyone.
“What does that mean?”
Richard looked at her.
“It means the man you saw may be lying.”
“He is.”
“Yes.”
“But?”
Richard hated the next sentence.
“But sometimes liars use true things.”
Lucy looked down.
Walter said softly, “She asked for money?”
Richard gave him a warning look.
Lucy answered anyway.
“No.”
“Did she ever talk about money?”
“She said we were broke.”
“Lucy,” Richard said.
Walter lifted both hands.
Brooks returned.
“Cole is in custody voluntarily. He brought counsel. His phone is being preserved pending warrant review.”
“Voluntarily means he can leave,” Richard said.
“Yes.”
“Arrest him.”
Brooks’s expression hardened.
“For what charge supported by what probable cause?”
“Witness intimidation. Unlawful entry. Kidnapping.”
“Lucy saw him at the apartment. She did not see him take Anna away.”
“He followed her to the café.”
“He says he followed because Anna told him Lucy had the data.”
Richard stared at her.
Brooks continued. “And before you ask, that statement may be self-serving and still contain truth.”
Lucy got up.
“I saw him take her.”
Everyone turned.
Brooks crouched.
“Yesterday you said you saw him in the apartment.”
“I saw him take her.”
“Tell me exactly.”
Lucy’s face reddened.
“He grabbed her.”
“Where?”
“By the door.”
“Did he move her outside?”
“I don’t know.”
“You saw him grab her, but you didn’t see him remove her from the apartment?”
Lucy’s eyes filled.
Richard said, “Enough.”
Brooks held up one hand.
“Lucy, I’m not saying you’re wrong.”
“You are.”
“No. I’m making sure I understand what you saw.”
“He hurt her.”
“I believe you.”
“Then arrest him.”
Brooks inhaled slowly.
Richard recognized the impossible position.
A child wanted the visible villain punished.
A detective had rules.
Richard had spent a career defending those rules until they obstructed someone he loved.
He disliked the discovery.
Brooks said, “I’m working on it.”
Lucy looked at Richard.
He did not contradict her.
That seemed to disappoint Lucy more than if he had.
She went upstairs.
Richard waited until her door closed.
Then he said, “What do Cole’s messages show?”
Brooks opened her tablet.
“We have screenshots provided by counsel, not forensic originals yet. Messages from a number attributed to Anna. She says she has ‘the Orchard package’ and will release it if Halcyon doesn’t pay.”
“Blackmail.”
“Potentially.”
Walter swore softly.
Richard said, “Could be fabricated.”
“Yes.”
“Could be her phone used by someone else.”
“Yes.”
“Could be selectively presented.”
“Yes.”
“You sound very reasonable now.”
Brooks ignored that.
“One message contains information consistent with files on the card.”
“Which suggests Anna wrote it.”
“Or whoever created the messages had access.”
Richard looked toward the stairs.
“What are you not telling me?”
Brooks met his eyes.
“Cole says Anna arranged the apartment scene.”
Richard laughed.
No one joined him.
“He says she planned to disappear again,” Brooks said.
Richard stopped laughing.
Walter looked at the floor.
Brooks continued. “He claims she believed the data would become more valuable if Halcyon thought she had evidence beyond the card. He says the second man at the apartment was a corporate security contractor sent only to recover company property.”
“And the blood?”
“He says she cut her hand intentionally.”
Lucy had said Anna cut her hand on the doll while sewing.
Richard felt nauseated.
“Cole says Anna staged an abduction?”
“Yes.”
“Why chase Lucy?”
“He denies chasing her. Says he went to the café because Anna’s notes indicated Richard Vale might receive the evidence.”
“He entered and left through the kitchen when Elise tried to lock the door.”
“He says he panicked when he realized police were being called.”
“A former state investigator panicked.”
Brooks said, “That’s his statement, not mine.”
Richard walked to the window.
The backyard was wet and empty.
Margaret had once grown tomatoes along the fence. Richard had removed the beds after she died because maintaining them felt like pretending.
Walter came beside him.
“Richard.”
“No.”
“You haven’t heard what I’m going to say.”
“Yes, I have.”
“She hid for twenty-one years.”
Richard turned.
Walter kept his voice low.
“She created a new identity. She let you believe she was dead. Maybe she had reasons. Maybe good ones. But Anna is capable of disappearing.”
Richard felt his anger target the easiest person.
“You think she abandoned Lucy.”
“I think we don’t know.”
“She wrote the letter.”
“Yes.”
“She prepared a locker.”
“Yes.”
“She sent Lucy to me.”
“Yes.”
“That is not abandonment.”
Walter looked tired.
“I hope you’re right.”
That afternoon, Richard received an unexpected call.
The number was blocked.
He answered in his study with Brooks beside him.
“Richard?”
He stopped breathing.
Anna’s voice was older.
Lower.
But Anna.
Brooks immediately signaled Shah to begin tracing.
Richard sat.
“Anna.”
A sound came through the line that might have been a sob swallowed before it formed.
“You have Lucy?”
“Yes.”
“Is she safe?”
“Yes.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No.”
“Did they—”
“She’s safe.”
Anna exhaled.
Richard closed his eyes.
Twenty-one years collapsed, not gracefully, but brutally.
He saw a nineteen-year-old girl by the front door, carrying a backpack and staring at him like hate was the only thing holding her upright.
Anna said, “I can’t talk long.”
“Where are you?”
“I said I can’t—”
“Where are you?”
A pause.
Then, with sudden anger, “Of course.”
Richard opened his eyes.
May you like
Brooks watched him.
He lowered his voice.
