Page 1 of Fatal Witness

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The back door slammed, and nine-year-old Danielle Bennett jumped. Her daddy was home. She held her breath, waiting to see which Daddy it was. The one who laughed and swung her up in the air or the one who yelled and broke things...

Her heart sank as he yelled at her mama to get things packed. When she yelled back that she wasn’t going anywhere, Danielle covered her ears, but it didn’t do any good. She prayed Daddy wouldn’t be mean. Remembering the last time that happened made her sick to her stomach. She should have done something. Stopped him ... or called someone.

“Danielle! Get in here!”

She flinched.

“Now!”

If she didn’t go, he would come after her. She laid her Barbie on the floor and trudged to the kitchen, slipping inside the room quiet as a cat.

Her dad shoved her mama toward their bedroom. “Get packed. We have to leave. Now!”

Mama turned and crossed her arms. “Why is he coming here, Bobby? What does he want?”

“His share of the diamonds,” he said. “We need to leave before he gets here. Now get to packing!”

“No! You have to take them back!”

“You’ve been talking to your mother, haven’t you?” He jutted his jaw. “Don’t you understand? They’re our way out—” He cocked his head as tires crunched in their drive. “He’s here!” He slammed his fist against the table. “If you’d done what I’d said, we’d be out of here.”

“Me? You’re the one who broke the law! And now you’re even stealing from your partner.”

His face was so red Danielle thought he might explode. Then his face changed, and he didn’t look so mad. “I’m sorry. I’m just...” He swept her up in his arms and turned to her mama. “You stay here. I’ll see if I can talk our way out of this. But first, I’ll hide Danielle.”

She looked over his shoulder as he rushed her out of the kitchen. Her mama’s face ... Danielle had never seen it so white.

“It’s going to be all right, Little Bit.”

Danielle’s stomach squeezed. Daddy smelled funny ... he always smelled funny when he yelled at Mama. She buried her face in his shoulder, not wanting to remember.

They stopped at a row of cabinets in the hallway, and he opened the door to the one they put her in when storms were coming. “I want you to get in here, and no matter what happens, you stay here until Mama or I come get you. Can you do that?”

“Why, Daddy?”

“Because it’s very important.” He knelt and pushed a board on the wall, and it slid open. Then he put something inside, but she couldn’t see what it was before he closed it. Her daddy motioned her inside the cabinet. “Climb in.”

Once she was settled, he stood and stared solemnly at her. “Promise me you’ll stay here no matter what you hear. Will you do that for me?”

Danielle nodded solemnly.

“I want to hear you say it—I promise.”

“You’re scaring me, Daddy.”

“Hurry! You have to promise.”

Tears burned the back of her eyes. “I promise.”

He shut the door, and darkness closed around her like a blanket. She scooted back against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest. It was hard to breathe...

Suddenly there was shouting. Someone was yelling at her daddy.

The house filled with booms. Then it was eerily quiet.

Danielle’s heart beat so fast she thought it would jump out of her chest. She felt for the door and remembered her promise. Maybe Daddy would come get her in a minute.

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