The Girl in the Pink Shoes by Stacy Green

Author:Stacy Green [Green, Stacy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803149288
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Too early the next morning, sitting at the breakfast table, I watched Philadelphia wake up. An untouched bowl of steel-cut oats sat cooling in front of me. I sipped coffee and wished I had an espresso maker. The extra boost would be extremely welcome right now. I should at least start buying stronger coffee, but I’m too cheap to buy the good stuff.

Mousecop warmed my lap, his legs dangling on either side. I ran my fingers through his silky fur, the feel of his happy purring easing my rampant nerves. This afternoon would mark ninety-six hours since Kailey’s disappearance. Her mother had appeared on the news this morning, looking exhausted and pleading for her daughter’s return. I was amazed the media hadn’t realized who Jenna was. According to Todd, her family went to great lengths after she was returned home to establish a new identity for her, and that’s why they hadn’t made an appearance since Kailey had been taken. They wanted their daughter to be able to move on without anything more than her own memories hanging over her head. As if those weren’t monsters enough. Todd hadn’t even realized who she was until he found out Chris’s real name and started checking out Jenna on a hunch.

Still, the media could smell a sensational story like a shark senses chum. They’d find out, and most likely soon. Probably from a source in the police department. I wondered how long it would take before they tracked Chris down. Then again, he had his uncle protecting him.

I prayed Chris didn’t have Kailey. If he did, then my instincts had gone to complete shit. Last night, despite everything I’d learned and my own previous fears, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Chris had nothing to do with the kidnapping. I had no real reason for this, other than a pure gut feeling, and that apparently wasn’t very reliable anymore. But every time I thought about our talk in the parking lot, about the way he looked when he answered my questions, about his emotion when he spoke of Kailey, I couldn’t swallow the idea he’d taken her.

And that needed to end right now. My business wasn’t based in gut feelings. I worked with hard evidence. With every vigilante action I’d taken, I’d had hard proof the subject was still hurting children. This was no different. All I had to do was work the methodology. And get Chris to talk. By tonight.

The buzzing of the intercom nearly made me topple in the chair. Mousecop leapt off my lap and sauntered off, his bottlebrush tail sticking straight up. Hand to my pounding heart, I trudged to the speaker. “Yes?”

“It’s Justin Beckett. I really need to talk to you.”

My mouth dropped open. “How’d you get my address?”

“I spent the night at Todd’s last night. He had it on file.”

“He’s got a file on me?” Of course he does.

“He thought you were following me.”

“You thought I was following you,” I corrected.

“Can you blame me?”

No, but still. I couldn’t believe he’d shown up here.

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