again.
***
Jerry drove away slowly, trying to concentrate on the road. He hadn't even told his friends the worst of it. Sara was wearing her knives again. Even just around the house. She wore long sleeves and boots and he knew she had a spring-loaded knife tucked against each wrist and ankle. What could they possibly be for?
His mind turned back to what had happened that very morning. He shivered, wondering if she was living in the past or having true hallucinations. He had been looking for something in the very back of the closet and found food and water in a corner, plus some books appropriate for a girl about five or six years old. Did she not realize or remember that Lupe, the first girl she had ever rescued from a Mexican brothel, was dead?
Jerry shook his head, and wondered for the hundredth time who the knives were for. An imagined intruder? Him? Or herself?
Each possibility scared him worse than the last.
Jerry didn't want to admit it, but there was something even worse he was hiding, even from himself. As he drove down the quiet and dark street, unable to think about anything but Sara, he had to face it.
He was almost positive Sara was pregnant. He'd seen the changes in her breasts and her face. Rounder, fuller, with a few mornings of throwing up around the same time the nightmares had started.
More questions crowded his mind. Did she know? Was that what was causing her to become unhinged?
He didn't think he could handle the answer, no matter what it was.
Chapter 8
Hawk prowled the house and thought about his next move. He felt a thousand times better than he'd felt the day before, after getting so many hours of good sleep. He'd awoken around ten o'clock in the evening and sent JT and Dani back to their hotel. He'd stayed up until almost three in the morning and then woke Craig to watch the house while he slept a few more hours. Emma and Vivian had slept the afternoon and night through, then Emma had gotten up early to go to work. Vivian was still sleeping. Craig was also gone, checking in on a few of the last people in the Oberlin case who were still waiting on the hearing to discover their non-judiciary sentences. Hawk didn't think any of them were the likely perpetrators of the crap they had been through the last few days, but they had to start somewhere.
Hawk prowled down the hallway and checked in on his sleeping wife. She was exactly as he had left her. He was worried about her, she hadn't said more than a few words since their house blew up, and she'd slept for almost 18 hours now. He tried to brush the worry away. She was pregnant, or she wouldn't be sleeping so much. She needed her rest.
Hawk heard his new phone ring in Craig's office. Craig had bought it and brought it home for him before heading out to do his investigations. Hawk strode back down the hallway and walked into the room, snatching up the phone and answering it.
Craig's voice rang through it. "I checked in with Scranton. His girlfriend says he's in the Middle East until the hearing. He's been there for two weeks."
Hawk grunted. "Good cover?"
"I don't think so," Craig said. "He sounds like he's trying to clean up his act. But I have his phone number and I will talk to him as soon as he answers his phone. Who's next?"
Hawk looked at his list next to Craig's computer. "Collins. He's at the state building, working in the comptroller's office."
"Got it. Is that it?"
"No. Blitz Palmer, but he's in San Francisco."
Craig made a little noise of dissent. "He seems unlikely. He won't even get jail time with his limited involvement."
"It's all we got, man."
"I know. Do you want me to catch a flight to San Francisco?"
"Let me call down there. See what his schedule is. I'll let you know." Hawk heard the doorbell ring. "I gotta go."
Hawk set his phone down and walked to the front door. JT and Dani stood there and he was glad to see them. "Come in, guys. I'm working. Vivian is still in bed. I didn't have the heart to wake her but
***
Jerry drove away slowly, trying to concentrate on the road. He hadn't even told his friends the worst of it. Sara was wearing her knives again. Even just around the house. She wore long sleeves and boots and he knew she had a spring-loaded knife tucked against each wrist and ankle. What could they possibly be for?
His mind turned back to what had happened that very morning. He shivered, wondering if she was living in the past or having true hallucinations. He had been looking for something in the very back of the closet and found food and water in a corner, plus some books appropriate for a girl about five or six years old. Did she not realize or remember that Lupe, the first girl she had ever rescued from a Mexican brothel, was dead?
Jerry shook his head, and wondered for the hundredth time who the knives were for. An imagined intruder? Him? Or herself?
Each possibility scared him worse than the last.
Jerry didn't want to admit it, but there was something even worse he was hiding, even from himself. As he drove down the quiet and dark street, unable to think about anything but Sara, he had to face it.
He was almost positive Sara was pregnant. He'd seen the changes in her breasts and her face. Rounder, fuller, with a few mornings of throwing up around the same time the nightmares had started.
More questions crowded his mind. Did she know? Was that what was causing her to become unhinged?
He didn't think he could handle the answer, no matter what it was.
Chapter 8
Hawk prowled the house and thought about his next move. He felt a thousand times better than he'd felt the day before, after getting so many hours of good sleep. He'd awoken around ten o'clock in the evening and sent JT and Dani back to their hotel. He'd stayed up until almost three in the morning and then woke Craig to watch the house while he slept a few more hours. Emma and Vivian had slept the afternoon and night through, then Emma had gotten up early to go to work. Vivian was still sleeping. Craig was also gone, checking in on a few of the last people in the Oberlin case who were still waiting on the hearing to discover their non-judiciary sentences. Hawk didn't think any of them were the likely perpetrators of the crap they had been through the last few days, but they had to start somewhere.
Hawk prowled down the hallway and checked in on his sleeping wife. She was exactly as he had left her. He was worried about her, she hadn't said more than a few words since their house blew up, and she'd slept for almost 18 hours now. He tried to brush the worry away. She was pregnant, or she wouldn't be sleeping so much. She needed her rest.
Hawk heard his new phone ring in Craig's office. Craig had bought it and brought it home for him before heading out to do his investigations. Hawk strode back down the hallway and walked into the room, snatching up the phone and answering it.
Craig's voice rang through it. "I checked in with Scranton. His girlfriend says he's in the Middle East until the hearing. He's been there for two weeks."
Hawk grunted. "Good cover?"
"I don't think so," Craig said. "He sounds like he's trying to clean up his act. But I have his phone number and I will talk to him as soon as he answers his phone. Who's next?"
Hawk looked at his list next to Craig's computer. "Collins. He's at the state building, working in the comptroller's office."
"Got it. Is that it?"
"No. Blitz Palmer, but he's in San Francisco."
Craig made a little noise of dissent. "He seems unlikely. He won't even get jail time with his limited involvement."
"It's all we got, man."
"I know. Do you want me to catch a flight to San Francisco?"
"Let me call down there. See what his schedule is. I'll let you know." Hawk heard the doorbell ring. "I gotta go."
Hawk set his phone down and walked to the front door. JT and Dani stood there and he was glad to see them. "Come in, guys. I'm working. Vivian is still in bed. I didn't have the heart to wake her but
Similar Books
