Page 68 of Luke

“Whitefish.”

“Go. Get what information you can. If we can nail him, we’ll get in touch with law enforcement, and they can take him when you arrest him.”

“Alright. I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

“Good work, Luke.”

“Thanks.” He walked back to his desk, sat down and called Bryce but it went to voicemail. He left a message about leaving in the morning and told her he’d call her as soon as he returned to Clifton.

****

Bryce’s face lit up with a smile as she lifted Leah off the blanket on the floor of the daycare center. “Hello, my baby. Mama missed you,” she cooed, planting a gentle kiss on her daughter’s cheek. Leah responded with a happy giggle and Bryce couldn’t help but laugh along.

“She’s such a well-behaved girl,” commented the young woman who worked at the center.

“Shh, don’t say that too loud,” Bryce teased with a grin.

“How was your first day?” the woman asked.

“It was great. Most of the time I was just getting familiar with the hospital layout, but it seems like a great place to work.”

“It is. Oh, Leah just had a bottle so she should be good for a while. We’ll see you tomorrow. Bye, Bryce, bye Leah.”

Bryce smiled as she put Leah’s coat on her, gathered her bags, and headed out of the hospital. It was almost four o’clock and she was feeling hungry, so she decided to stop at the diner for some food on her way home.

At her car, Bryce carefully secured Leah into her car seat andchuckled as her daughter made noises every time she spoke to her. With Leah safely in the backseat, Bryce hopped behind the wheel, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.

When she arrived at the diner, she parked near the stairs and carried Leah inside with her. After placing an order to go with Connie, Bryce waited and then picked up her food before heading around to the back of the building.

Once they were inside the apartment, Bryce set Leah down in her bouncy seat and quickly ran downstairs to grab the rest of her daughter’s belongings. After bringing everything upstairs, she locked the door and removed both of their coats.

“Mommy needs to change into something more comfortable. I’ll be right back,” Bryce told Leah as she turned on the music and motion for her mobile to play. The little bears on the mobile began to move in a circle, capturing Leah’s attention while Bryce quickly changed in the bedroom.

As she took off her pants, Bryce noticed a missed call and voicemail from Luke. She listened to it and felt a twinge of disappointment as he mentioned going to Whitefish again for work. But she understood that he had a job to do and knew she would see him when he returned.

She walked back to the living room to see Leah still watching the mobile spinning around.

Bryce picked up the bag of food, sat on the sofa, and opened the bag to remove her burger. The smell just about brought her to her knees. She took a bite, then sent Luke a text message.

Hi! I got your message. I’ll miss you. Please be careful.

Hey, darlin’. How was your day?”

Wonderful. I think I’ll like it there.

Good to hear. I probably won’t be home until Wednesday or Thursday.

Okay. Wish I could have seen you tonight.

Me too. I promise to make it up to you.

Yes, you will.

I’m going to grab a shower then hit the sheets. I’m leaving early. I love you, baby.

I love you back.

She smiled as she set the phone down. She would miss him, but she knew he desperately wanted to solve this case for Mr. Hancock.

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