carrying, her life could be in danger.’
‘If they find out you’ve got what she was carrying, your life could be in danger, too.’
An icy finger ran down her spine. ‘Yeah. I know.’
Tuesday, April 5, 8.55 A.M .
Silas swallowed hard when he saw the caller ID on his cell phone. ‘Yeah?’ he answered before the last ring, his voice flat. He’d learned to be a hell of an actor.
‘You lied to me.’
Silas’s jaw tightened. ‘No, I did not.’
‘You never said that Elena spoke to anyone. But there’s video all over the Internet that shows that she did.’
His blood went cold. Video? ‘From my vantagepoint I saw no words exchanged.’
‘You also didn’t mention the Good Samaritan who stopped to help her.’
‘Had I known they exchanged words, I would have killed her too.’
‘I need to know what they said. I need to know what Elena knew.’
‘Did you speak with Denny? Ask what the woman had seen?’
‘Of course, but I haven’t gotten a straight answer yet.’ There was a touch of amusement in his tone, punctuated by a guttural moan in the background. ‘But Mr Sandoval did, after a little convincing, tell me that Elena saw you. That you arrived at the bar as she was escaping. That’s not what you told me either. So, you did lie to me.’
‘I didn’t tell you she didn’t see me. By the time I got there she was already driving away. I had her in a place where I could run her off the road when Denny started shooting. I saw her heading into the apartment complex and I chose the building at the next driveway. That’s the truth. I got to the roof seconds before she crashed.’
Just as the woman leapt out of the way .
There was no answer, only heavy, angry silence. Silas closed his eyes. He couldn’t win this. He just had to survive. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘That’s much better. Listen and obey, or you will not be a happy man.’
He listened, his palms clammy. He’d do as he was told. The risk of disobedience was too high. When the instructions were complete, he disconnected. Just in time.
He made his lips smile as he opened his arms to the little whirlwind who’d brought him back to life from the ashes. ‘Hey, baby.’
‘Papa.’ She hugged him hard, then flattened her little seven-year-old hands on either side of his face, her eyes very serious. ‘You looked sad on the phone. Why?’
He kissed her forehead. ‘Because your Fluffy ate the pie that Mama made me for dessert tonight.’ He didn’t lie unless he absolutely had to, but he’d say anything, do anything to keep her from knowing the real world. From knowing the truth about me .
She laughed, a twinkling sound that soothed him. ‘Mama will make you more.’
He brought her close, wished he could hug her with all the emotion in his heart. But he could break her if he wasn’t careful. He was always careful. ‘You be good today.’
‘I’ll try.’
‘There is no try,’ he said with mock severity.
‘There is only do,’ she responded, as she always did.
‘I love you, baby.’
She burrowed into his neck. ‘I love you too. I hafta go. The bell’s gonna ring.’
He put her down, the smile still on his face as she darted away, waving over her shoulder. He turned for his van, waiting until he was inside before letting out the breath he’d held. But there was no relief. He’d been holding his breath for seven and a half years.
Seven and a half years since he’d made a horrible choice. He watched her rejoin the other children, happy, safe. Loved. And he knew if he had to do it all over, he’d make the same horrible choice again.
Tuesday, April 5, 11.15 A.M .
‘Did you call Anderson?’ Daphne whispered as they sat at the prosecution table waiting for the Samson jury to come in. ‘Please say you did.’
‘Yeah, I did,’ Grayson whispered back. ‘I had to deal that bastard Willis down.’ And he was very unhappy about it. With good behavior, a man who’d murdered two convenience-store
‘If they find out you’ve got what she was carrying, your life could be in danger, too.’
An icy finger ran down her spine. ‘Yeah. I know.’
Tuesday, April 5, 8.55 A.M .
Silas swallowed hard when he saw the caller ID on his cell phone. ‘Yeah?’ he answered before the last ring, his voice flat. He’d learned to be a hell of an actor.
‘You lied to me.’
Silas’s jaw tightened. ‘No, I did not.’
‘You never said that Elena spoke to anyone. But there’s video all over the Internet that shows that she did.’
His blood went cold. Video? ‘From my vantagepoint I saw no words exchanged.’
‘You also didn’t mention the Good Samaritan who stopped to help her.’
‘Had I known they exchanged words, I would have killed her too.’
‘I need to know what they said. I need to know what Elena knew.’
‘Did you speak with Denny? Ask what the woman had seen?’
‘Of course, but I haven’t gotten a straight answer yet.’ There was a touch of amusement in his tone, punctuated by a guttural moan in the background. ‘But Mr Sandoval did, after a little convincing, tell me that Elena saw you. That you arrived at the bar as she was escaping. That’s not what you told me either. So, you did lie to me.’
‘I didn’t tell you she didn’t see me. By the time I got there she was already driving away. I had her in a place where I could run her off the road when Denny started shooting. I saw her heading into the apartment complex and I chose the building at the next driveway. That’s the truth. I got to the roof seconds before she crashed.’
Just as the woman leapt out of the way .
There was no answer, only heavy, angry silence. Silas closed his eyes. He couldn’t win this. He just had to survive. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘That’s much better. Listen and obey, or you will not be a happy man.’
He listened, his palms clammy. He’d do as he was told. The risk of disobedience was too high. When the instructions were complete, he disconnected. Just in time.
He made his lips smile as he opened his arms to the little whirlwind who’d brought him back to life from the ashes. ‘Hey, baby.’
‘Papa.’ She hugged him hard, then flattened her little seven-year-old hands on either side of his face, her eyes very serious. ‘You looked sad on the phone. Why?’
He kissed her forehead. ‘Because your Fluffy ate the pie that Mama made me for dessert tonight.’ He didn’t lie unless he absolutely had to, but he’d say anything, do anything to keep her from knowing the real world. From knowing the truth about me .
She laughed, a twinkling sound that soothed him. ‘Mama will make you more.’
He brought her close, wished he could hug her with all the emotion in his heart. But he could break her if he wasn’t careful. He was always careful. ‘You be good today.’
‘I’ll try.’
‘There is no try,’ he said with mock severity.
‘There is only do,’ she responded, as she always did.
‘I love you, baby.’
She burrowed into his neck. ‘I love you too. I hafta go. The bell’s gonna ring.’
He put her down, the smile still on his face as she darted away, waving over her shoulder. He turned for his van, waiting until he was inside before letting out the breath he’d held. But there was no relief. He’d been holding his breath for seven and a half years.
Seven and a half years since he’d made a horrible choice. He watched her rejoin the other children, happy, safe. Loved. And he knew if he had to do it all over, he’d make the same horrible choice again.
Tuesday, April 5, 11.15 A.M .
‘Did you call Anderson?’ Daphne whispered as they sat at the prosecution table waiting for the Samson jury to come in. ‘Please say you did.’
‘Yeah, I did,’ Grayson whispered back. ‘I had to deal that bastard Willis down.’ And he was very unhappy about it. With good behavior, a man who’d murdered two convenience-store
Similar Books
