Page 44 of Kept in the Dark

He parked his truck and strolled into the station. He eyed Deputy Rodriguez at his desk and beckoned the officer to his office.

“Do you have any updates on Nicole House’s disappearance?”

“No sir,” he said, shaking his head. Marcus Rodriguez had been in the police academy with Trey. He was a great cop and had a sense of humor that put everyone at ease. The man was a talker and a looker, and Trey valued his friendship as well as his dedication to the law and the people of Auburndale.

He continued, “We’re still tracking down her son to see if he’s heard from her. And the crime lab is backed up so it may be a while before we hear about DNA results from the crime scene.”

“What do you mean you haven't tracked down Ryan? I just arrested him. He should still be in jail.”

“They released him, sir.”

Trey cursed. “How did that happen?”

The deputy shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t have the details, but I can get them for you.”

Trey nodded and said, “Do we currently have any reason to suspect him?”

“Not that we’ve found. I mean, he has a pretty thick record but surprisingly hasn’t done much time. From the interviews we did with Nicole’s co-workers, they all seemed to think the two were on good terms. Though the ladies said Ryan gave them the creeps.”

Trey agreed with that assessment. But now he was curious as to how Ryan was released so quickly. Trey knew he hadn’t bonded out as he likely hadn’t even been fully processed yet. How the hell had Ryan managed to skirt the law?

Then it dawned on Trey. David Gallagher had the power and the connections to make sure Ryan didn’t see the inside of a jail cell.

Would he manipulate his way into getting Ryan out of serving time? If he did, it would surely raise flags for Ryan if he didn’t already know about his paternity.

It was peculiar that David Gallagher seemed to land in the middle of these two investigations. First, his wife is killed and now his ex-mistress goes missing thirteen years later.

That’s a little too coincidental for Trey’s taste.

He made a mental note to track down Ryan after he talked to David.

Maybe the Mayor of Auburndale knew more than he was saying.

Hailey wasn’t sure how much Lauren knew about her father’s affair. Lauren had been David’s secretary when Morgan died so she would have been privy to his schedule and meetings. And Hailey wasn’t naive enough to believe Lauren hadn’t made it her business to know what went on with the influential people in town. She had often worked alongside Morgan to help David get ahead in his politics because she had always been well-informed on local policies and the politicians who wrote them.

Did Lauren and Morgan ever have whispered conversations about David? Did Morgan ask Lauren about his affair? Did Lauren even know about it?

Once back at her father’s house, she found Lauren eating lunch on the back porch.

Since Genevieve had the day off and David was working, Lauren had the house to herself. Hailey wondered if the woman enjoyed the peace and quiet or if she was lonely. She felt bad about not spending time with her, but Hailey wasn’t sure how to move past the awkwardness.

Lauren patted the table, encouraging Hailey to sit with her. “Hi, Sugar. I thought you’d be out most of the day.”

Not to Hailey’s surprise, Lauren was well-dressed, donning a name-brand red blouse paired with white shorts that showed off her tan legs. She wore a cute pair of heels to match.

Hailey fidgeted with her hair. “I was planning on it, but something came up.”

Lauren eyed Hailey. “Are you okay? You seem a little distracted.”

“I need to talk to you about Trinity. I didn’t appreciate you telling her anything about Trey.”

Red slowly colored Lauren’s cheeks. “Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn’t realize I did anything wrong. I really didn't mean any harm, she just seemed so sad.”

“I know, but there was a reason I didn’t tell her anything. She figured out Trey was her father and told him before I was ready to talk to him about it.”

Lauren sat up. “Hailey, I had no idea she would even be able to figure it out. It’s not like she would ever see him.” After the words left her mouth, her eyes rounded. “You’ve been seeing him again, haven't you? Oh, gosh, if I’d known he was around I wouldn’t have opened up my big mouth.”

She was genuinely mortified, and Hailey felt guilty for coming on so strong.

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