Silent Girl by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-20T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The room was cold and sterile, the buzzing of fluorescent lights overhead barely drowning out the sound of Anthony Blair's labored breathing. Mackenzie stood alongside Natalie and Finn, her eyes fixed on Blair through the one-way mirror. He looked like a caged animal, his wrists shackled to the table before him, legs restrained by thick metal bands.

It was late afternoon, and the tension was palpable in the air as they watched the man who had thrown himself at them with the ferocity of a wild beast less than an hour ago. Mackenzie could still hear the echoes of his angry shouts, vehemently denying any involvement in the disappearance of his stepdaughter, Irene Summers. Her mind raced with questions, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Anthony Blair.

"Kenzie, what are you thinking?" Natalie asked, her voice tight.

Mackenzie took a deep breath, her fingers absently massaging her temple as she fought off the headache threatening to form. "I don't know," she admitted. "I have a hard time believing Blair could have faked his anger. The way he reacted... It seemed genuine."

"Seemed" was the operative word. Mackenzie knew very well that people were capable of deception, but something about Blair's explosive rage felt different. His shock when he learned that Irene had been kidnapped appeared authentic, suggesting that he might be innocent despite his criminal history and their suspicions.

Natalie leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'll admit it was unexpected," she said. "His reaction, I mean."

That's an understatement, Mackenzie thought. The man they had tracked down and cornered in a dingy motel room earlier that morning had been armed and dangerous, ready to shoot any of them without a second thought. And yet now, faced with the reality of Irene's abduction, he seemed grief-stricken and distraught.

Mackenzie couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Anthony. Was he truly innocent? Or was he simply a master manipulator, carefully crafting his performance to throw them off his trail?

Finn stepped closer to the one-way mirror, his voice low and cautious. "We can't assume Blair is innocent just yet. I once had a suspect who was a very convincing actor, almost got away with murder because of it." He glanced back at Mackenzie and Natalie, his eyes dark with the weight of experience. "Blair still has plenty of questions to answer."

Mackenzie nodded, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her thigh as she considered Finn's words. The stakes were far too high to allow any room for error, especially when Irene's life hung in the balance.

"Let's hope he's had time to calm down," Natalie murmured, her gaze never leaving Blair's slumped figure on the other side of the glass. With a nod from both Mackenzie and Finn, the three of them made their way back into the interrogation room.

As they stepped inside, Mackenzie couldn't help but notice how the atmosphere had shifted. Blair sat at the table, his posture much calmer than before—almost numb rather than angry. His eyes, however, betrayed a simmering storm of emotions lurking just beneath the surface.

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