Find Her Before Dark: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller (Darkwater Cove Psychological Thriller Book 5) by Dan Padavona

Author:Dan Padavona [Padavona, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Thursday, July 3rd

8:45 p.m.

The last sliver of sun glows Halloween-orange over the western ridges when Julian drives Darcy across the village toward Cassy Regan’s neighborhood. Two headlights shine in the mirrors, and Darcy keeps ensuring the lights belong to Officer Nix’s cruiser and not to a Chevy Cobalt driven by a cyber-stalker. They keep the radio off so the only sounds are the hum of the tires and the chirping crickets outside the windows.

“You’re certain you don’t want me to come in with you?”

She leaps at his voice and touches her chest.

“This is something I need to do alone.”

He doesn’t answer. Simply shakes his head. The police radio Officer Nix gave Darcy squawks in the center compartment. Someone reported teens drag racing on the north side of the lake. She releases a breath and says, “At least we know it’s not Hunter.”

The corner of Julian’s mouth quirks up.

“Hunter and his friends like to race? Why didn’t I know about this?”

“I can’t say for sure. A group of juniors and seniors used to take their cars out to the coast road between Genoa Cove and Smith Town when Hunter was in high school. That kid Hunter hung out with, Squiggs, was a ringleader. But I never allowed Hunter to take my car when I suspected they were racing.”

“No offense, Darcy, but your Prius wouldn’t beat a lawn tractor in a drag race.”

His laughter disarms her, unlocks her frozen bones. She gives his shoulder a playful smack and lets a giggle escape her mouth. Dammit, she misses Hunter and Jennifer. But she harbors no regrets for taking this case. If it were her kid missing…and she’s lived that nightmare more than once…she’d want the FBI, the police, and the nation’s military searching.

The radio buzzes with activity again. Iglesias’s voice booms through the radio. Does the chief work twenty-four hours per day? He’s been on shift since sunrise.

“I’m here, Chief Iglesias,” Darcy says, lifting the radio.

“We have a problem. Agent Ketchum and I just finished interviewing Janine Harlicki. She’s the Veil Lake Postmaster. Turns out Trevor Funes lied.” Darcy glances at Julian, who divides his attention between Darcy and the road, now drowning in black as the light vanishes. “Funes switches his route twice per year. Harlicki mentioned a period two years ago when their office was shorthanded. For six weeks Funes walked the east side of the lake, including Faith Fielder’s neighborhood.”

“That changes things. Do we know if Funes had direct contact with Faith?”

“Negative. But Funes’s route took him past the Fielder’s residence between two-thirty and three-thirty on weekdays.”

“That’s about the time Faith stepped off the bus and walked back to her house.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Iglesias says with a tired groan in his voice. “We’re bringing Funes in for a chat. I’d like you and Agent Ketchum to sit in on the interview. Finish up at Cassy Regan’s house. I can’t waste anymore time on these side trips.”

Darcy grits her teeth and glances at the dashboard clock. She feels fortunate she doesn’t work for Iglesias.

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