Page 46 of Copper

“Ah. I’ll let you know if we need to speak to her, but this looks pretty summed up. Glad I came here.”

I stand and shake the man’s outstretched hand again. “Nice to meet you. I’d also suggest a conversation with Jalen Quarry or one of the other partners. They’ll back up what I just told you. Good luck.”

I sit at my desk past quitting time, thinking. Coleson’s right. Something about all of this gives me the creeps. When Bertie returns Lucy’s file to me after giving it to the detective, I go through it with a fine-tooth comb, marveling that I’m flipping through a file about a woman I know so intimately.

I have everything about her past life in front of me. I made love to this woman last night and see the life she lived with a total asshole on paper today. I see what bank Beck did business with. I see when they bought a new mattress and remodeled the bathroom with a contractor. I chuckle when I see Beck made a donation to the police officer’s union and to a nearby church Lucy never mentioned. He obviously liked to keep up appearances as much as his cousin.

There’s not much with Lucy’s account. There’s the gym membership and a charge to Sephora around Beck’s birthday. Lucy was obviously expected to look nice for an event. There was also a hardware store purchase that must be the new faucet Lucy said she had replaced in the kitchen a few days before Lucy reported Beck missing. There’s absolutely nothing that raises my eyebrows.

I want to solve everything for her. Push every obstacle out of her way.

I get up and walk to my window, hands in my pockets, and stare at the town below until long after the orange sunset streaks the sky. Looking down at the road, headlights cast shadows against neighboring buildings and police red and blue lights appear sporadically as officers leave on calls.

My pants vibrate with a text, and I reach for my phone, expecting to see a text from Lucy asking if I’m coming home soon. I should have been home an hour ago.

I don’t expect to find a message from Pearl on her kids’ messaging app. She never uses that except to message her grandparents on the small tablet we got her for downloading library books. I didn’t know she knew how to reach me through it.

Pearl:Daddy?

Me:Yeah, sweetheart. What’s up?

Pearl:I’m scared.

Dots fill the screen like she’s typing, but I already have my keys and wallet in my hand and am halfway out the door before I get another message.

Pearl:There’s a man here. Lucy put me in the closet and went down to look for Ruby.

I grip the doorframe with nausea but force my feet to keep going. Something’s wrong. Lucy isn’t the type to shut kids in the closet unless there’s a good reason. Where’s Ruby in all this? I need to keep calm. I need to let my daughter know I’m coming, but I also need more information on what I’m dealing with.

Me:I’m on my way now. What’s he look like, baby?

If Beck Lenin is within a mile of my children, much less within a mile of Lucy, I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill him. I check my holster for my gun. For the first time in my career, I know that I’ll have no problem using it if that bastard has one toe on my property.

I expect to see the description of Beck from my daughter. Coiffed dark hair. A smirk you want to punch. Something like that with a child’s vocabulary. I don’t expect one last message to come through as I close the door to my work-issued car and turn the emergency lights on.

Pearl:I didn’t see him, but I heard Lucy say the man’s name. Geoffrey.

I’m ten minutes from home on a normal day. I’m going to do it in four.

Chapter 23

Lucy

“Stayhere,”Isay,my voice shaky with fear. I blow out a breath to keep calm in front of Pearl, but I’m anything but calm.

I push aside Aaron’s old coat and what looks like some of Cynthia’s old scarves. They’re hand-knitted and probably made by Cynthia herself and saved by Aaron for his daughters to wear someday. I pull a red one down and wind it around Pearl’s neck. Maybe one of her mom’s scarves will comfort her enough to stay quiet.

Pearl doesn’t argue with me. She doesn’t put up a fight when I also push Mickey into the closet. I lovingly run my hands through the dog’s fur, trying to comfort myself. “Good dog. Stay with Pearl.”

I hand Pearl her tablet and look into the eyes that look so much like Aaron’s. “Text your dad. Can you do that for me? Tell him there’s a man in the house. After you do that, contact 911. Did Daddy show you how to do that from a tablet?”

She nods, and I shut the door, ignoring her whimper at being left in the dark. I toy with the idea of locking the door, but it won’t do any good. She wouldn’t be able to get out, but Geoffrey would still be able to get in from outside the door.

How did he even find me? I guess he knows I date Aaron and put two and two together. Did he go to my apartment first? Wait around for me? When I didn’t show up, he must have figured out where I was and waited until dark. How long has he been outside? He obviously waited until Aaron wasn’t home and wanted to make sure it was dark.

Of all the nights for Aaron to be late. This is also the one time in a year that I let my phone die and just plugged it in before I heard Ruby's muffled scream. When I went to the banister to check on her, I heard Geoffrey laugh and tell me to come find her.

I knew his voice from the gala, and I'll have nightmares about it the rest of my life if I make it through tonight.

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