Page 67 of Kept in the Dark

A light tap on his door caused him to look up. Deputy Rodriguez stood in his doorway and said, “Chief, we tracked down Ryan House. He’s at a bar in Lakeland.”

Hailey’s face paled slightly at the mention of Ryan’s name. Trey’s heart raced knowing what that SOB had done to her. As much as he didn’t want to talk to Ryan, he knew the monster may be able to give them new leads to follow. And if he was lucky enough, maybe he’d get to toss him in jail. Plus, Nicole’s case still had no updates. So, with any luck, Ryan may be able to shed some light on who may have wanted to harm her.

“Okay, I’ll head up there in a few minutes. Call Lakeland PD and see if a squad car can sit on him until I get there.”

The officer nodded and smiled at Hailey and Sara as he exited the room.

Trey said, “Why don’t you two head back to Gen’s. I don’t know how long it’ll take me to interview Ryan.”

Sara lifted a brow. “Do you really think you should do the interview after what Hailey just told you? I’m quite sure having the Chief of Police arrested on murder charges isn’t a good look for the department.”

Sara had held her tongue to keep from gloating when Hailey had mentioned that she finally told Trey about Ryan. But Hailey had seen the glimmer of cockiness in her sister’s eye and Trey had to quickly intervene to keep them from fighting again.

Trey rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the concern. I’ll be fine.”

That was a lie. Though he might not kill Ryan, he was considering hurting him at the very least. If he found him alone, he might actually do it. It wasn’t a secret that Trey went searching for trouble, but he still had a moral code he lived by; his own rules and boundaries he wouldn’t step over. But maybe it was time to break them.

He glanced at Hailey and pictured her curled up on the ground, screaming and crying as Ryan hurt her. Rage boiled deep inside him. It was a rage he had never felt before. He wanted Ryan to beg for his life like Hailey begged for hers. He wanted Ryan to feel his life slipping away as he gasped for breath, just as he’d done to Hailey.

Hailey stood to leave, pulling him from his dark thoughts. “Please be careful,” she said.

“I will, I promise.”

He thought about their kiss earlier. He found himself getting lost in her scent and he craved the way she melted into him, as if nothing had ever changed over the years.

He never thought he’d get a second chance and now that he might, he wasn’t going to let her go again. If he had to move to Alabama to be with her and Trinity, he’d drop everything in a heartbeat.

He walked over to her and took her hands in his as he kissed her on the forehead. “Maybe we can do something tonight. Go get ice cream or dinner?”

Hailey wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’d like that.”

“Get a room,” Sara scoffed.

Wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? Sara had been anything but modest years ago. Clearly so much had changed since then.

Hailey’s phone chirped and she quickly pulled it out of her pocket. She scowled and answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Hailey, why did you tell Trey about Nicole? It’s none of his business,” David said.

“Hello to you too,” she said dryly.

“I’m serious.”

Trey and Sara exchanged glances with Hailey.

Hailey said, “Because I can prove Sara didn’t kill Mom which means someone else had a motive to do it. And where better to look than at the woman who destroyed her marriage.”

He cursed at her. “You know damn well your sister is a murderer. I did everything in my power to put her away and now you’re trying to undo everything. She deserved to be behind bars, and I made sure that’s where she ended up.”

Trey shook his head. David was anything but a victim, though he would use that ruse if it suited his needs. Having your daughter kill your wife definitely fell into that category.

Sara clenched her jaw, willing herself to stay quiet. Trey could see the fire behind her eyes, fury burning within. He didn’t blame her.

David continued, “I’m assuming your sister is with you? Put me on speaker, I’d like to talk to her too.”

Hailey said, “She doesn’t have anything to say to you.”

“I didn’t ask if she did. I said ‘put me on speaker.’”

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