Page 137 of Little Girl Vanished
“I still say he couldn’t have known I’d come back,” I protested.
“And maybe the photo was all he needed until you did come back,” Malcolm said. “If he was just an observer with your sister, he was a voyeur. Maybe seeing your name dredged up those old feelings and he wanted to experience it for himself. He chose your sister’s best friend’s kid. He started tormenting you. This is all a big game to him.”
I let his words sink in and mulled them over. “You could be right, and I suspect his father is trying to cover for him again. He took a leave of absence a week ago.”
Malcolm’s head jerked toward me. “It makes sense.”
He obviously didn’t know everything.
“So we should expect two of them,” I said. “The real question is whether they’ll expect you.”
“We’ll deal with ’em.”
I shook my head. “Not when I’m not armed.”
“Once I deem you sober enough, you will be.”
“We don’t have time to stop by my apartment to get my gun.”
“You’ll use one of mine.” He grimaced. “I’d prefer for you not to be armed, but you make do with what you’ve got.”
“You’re admitting you can’t do this all by yourself?” I asked in a snotty tone.
“Of course I can, but I’m hoping to do so without harming the kid.”
He had a point. “What about a plan?”
“They want you to show up on your own so we’ll let them think you’re by yourself. I’ll pull off the road a few hundred feet away and sneak in through the back. You’ll drive up and go through whatever door they have opened for you.”’
I didn’t ask him how he’d potentially get in through the back if it was locked up. I presumed he had plenty of experience with breaking and entering. “You don’t think I should go for the element of surprise?”
“No, I’ll be the element of surprise.”
“You know they plan to kill me, right? There’s no way they’re going to let me or Ava go.”
“Which is why I’m the backup.” He slowed down and started to pull onto the shoulder, putting the car in park. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to the kid. You have to trust me on that.”
I looked into his face and decided I believed him. Especially after I’d seen him beat John Michael Stevens. “And what about me?” I asked dryly, the buzz in my head starting to fade.
“Order of priority. The kid, then you. You’re a cop. Aren’t you supposed to put your life on the line every day?”
“I’m not a cop anymore, and yes. I’m willing to go in there and die if it means saving Ava.” Because it occurred to me that this could be a way to atone for my sins. Saving a kid after killing one.
“This isn’t a suicide mission,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “And if you insinuate any more than you just did that it is, I’ll tie you up to the steering wheel and go save the kid myself.” He shrugged. “Of course, the risk rate goes up significantly, so the choice is yours.”
“This isn’t a suicide mission,” I conceded. “My life might be shit, but I’m in no hurry to leave it.”
He studied me, then nodded. “Close your eyes and touch your nose.”
“What?” But I knew it was a drunk test, even if he was administering it the wrong way. I did as he said with both hands, then opened my eyes. “Happy?”
“Not especially, but it’ll have to do.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a handgun. “You only have nine shots, so make them count.”
I popped out the clip and counted the bullets, then loaded them back in.
“Do you want me to give you some kind of signal?”
“Nope,” he said as he opened the driver’s door. “I’ve got it covered.” He walked in front of the car and bolted into the woods next to the road.