Page 13 of Rescuing Sara

“If we’d known what Christine Everett saw twelve days ago, we might have found others to corroborate her story,” she said grimly. “I have a good mind to arrest her for withholding information about a missing child.”

“She really did seem terrified of her husband.” At any other time, Danni would have felt some kind of sympathy for Mrs. Everett. “I’m sure you’ve met women like that, Captain. They’re so scared of what their husbands might do to them, they’ll do whatever they’re told just to keep from being abused, physically or otherwise.”

“Then her husband is just as guilty as she is,” Captain Haggerty retorted. “I should arrest them both to teach them a lesson.”

“At least her concern for her own grandchild lessened her fear enough to finally tell you what she saw,” Miller put in. “But there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of four door black Honda Civics in Knoxville and in the surrounding areas. Without a license plate number, we’re dead in the water.”

“I’ll send a couple of detectives to talk to Everett,” Haggerty said. “Put the fear of God, or at least KPD in him for withholding information from our investigation. What is it, Danni?”

No. It can’t be. It simply can’t.A thought began to form in Danni’s mind, sending a wave of icy panic over her, chilling her skin and stilling her voice.No. It was too terrible to even think about.

But what if…

“Captain Haggerty,” Danni began, “What if you don’t say anything to Mr. Everett just yet? This may sound crazy, but what if he’s involved in Sara’s vanishing and that’s why he didn’t want his wife to say anything? If you talk to him, and he is involved,wouldn’t that scare him? It might double his effort to keep what he knows hidden. And I don’t think Mrs. Everett will tell him she met with us and Father Ryan. She was so scared of her husband finding out, she was crying when she left the church.”

“She didn’t have to say he was.” Patrick’s cobalt-hued eyes darkened nearly to black, and an old sorrow stared back at Danni. “But think about what she did say, and what Father Ryan told us. Everett hardly lets her out of the house to go to Mass. For a devout Catholic, that’s scary. She mentioned how mad Everett would be if she talked to us. Worst, not letting her talk to the police about possibly seeing Sara willingly get into the back of that car. And don’t tell me you didn’t notice the bruising under her make-up. I don’t know if you noticed it, but she was limping when Father Ryan took her back to her driver, who’s spying on her for Everett. That kind of control is abuse.”

Again, the controlled, flat tone, the absence of any expression.

“It has all the earmarks of an abused wife,” Patrick’s voice took on a dangerous edge. “Defy your husband and get knocked around. Doesn’t matter if you’re poor or how much money you have–did you notice her outfit, Danni? –that doesn’t protect you from a spouse’s violence. And if Everett is a VP at LBM, he’s probably rolling in money.”

He shut his eyes and Danni wondered how he’d gained his knowledge. She’d learned over the years in covering court cases involving domestic violence, that victims of domestic abuse were often too ashamed to report it, blaming themselves for it. Had Patrick known someone, cared for someone in Mrs. Everett’s situation, a woman who even with all her wealth, truly had no place to go, not even for help?

The tension in the room was building to the point where Danni could feel it pulsing in the air. Then, Patrick sighed,opened his eyes and his posture relaxed against the back of the chair.

“Sorry, Captain Haggerty,” he said. “If one of your officers talks to Mrs. Everett again, could a female officer be assigned to do it? I’m sure if you gave her Elaine Prescott’s number at Families United, Elaine would be more than happy to talk to her.”

“We can do that, Lieutenant,” Haggerty promised. “What were you saying, Danni?”

“Well, we’ve learned that Franklin Everett and Ed Turner live on the same block, just a few houses apart,” Danni said. “I didn’t know that until today and I’ve known where Ed and Sara have lived for years. And now we know both men work forLa Belle Monde. What if–”

The light in both Captain Haggerty and Grant Miller’s eyes suggested their thoughts were headed in the same direction as Danni’s. Seated beside her, Patrick’s eyes were narrowed in thought.

“We’ll recanvas the neighborhood without talking to Franklin Everett just yet and ask if anyone else saw anything that day, like a car they didn’t recognize as belonging there,” Haggerty announced. “We can keep a couple of squad cars in the neighborhood for the next few days too. Maybe they’ll feel safer and approach us with something they think they know.”

“And we can double check how many of them have children living with them or grandchildren who visit,” Miller added. “After this fall’s kidnappings, people are on edge enough as it is. We need to be seen as a presence to keep kids safe, at least in Sara’s neighborhood.”

“And Sara Turner is so very young,” Patrick said tightly, and Danni wondered if the pain stamped on his face was from his present physical injury or an old, emotional one. The kind that leaves invisible scars that can still hurt years later.

Like how I feel sometimes when I remember when my mother took off and left me and dad all those years ago, Danni thought. Some things never really go away.

“We’ll get that set-in motion by the end of the day,” Haggerty decided. “Anything else?”

“Captain, have you decided what you’re going to tell the rest of the force about Leo Anderson’s death?” Danni asked. “Somehow it seems wrong to keep them in the dark, especially since it’s murder. And what if the media starts asking questions about it?”

“We’ll certainly tell the rest of the force but have them keep it in house,” Captain Haggerty said grimly. “The more ‘boots on the ground’ to listen to street gossip about what people are saying the better. Miller, get in touch with your snitches and CIs to see what they’ve heard. Offer money if necessary. I want whoever killed Leo Anderson found and found soon. You will of course, continue to help Brotherhood Protectors as and when they need you.”

“Yes ma’am.” Miller’s hard tone would have sliced through granite. “And the media?

“For now, since Leo was well-known, we’ll announce that Lieutenant Leo Anderson died from a heart attack,” the captain said. “That he had health problems–which he did, according to his physical exam–and his death is a great loss to the department. If the bastards who killed him think we believe that, then let’s hope they’ll get stupid and arrogant and show their hand.”

“And a memorial service?” Danni asked.

Haggerty sighed. “HR tells me they’re having trouble finding his brothers to tell them of his death but Danni, you’re listed as his emergency contact. Can you help with that?”

“I can,” Danni said. “Things have been so crazy I’d forgotten about them. According to Leo, their work with Doctors withoutBorders took them to Mozambique last month. I have their information and that of the officials at the American Embassy at home. I’ll send it to you later today. But Leo said the Internet in the remote regions they serve can be spotty at times if we try to reach them directly.”

“Then I’ll reach out to the embassy,” Haggerty agreed. “Thank you for helping to take care of that. If that’s all, I think Lieutenant Danton should get some rest.”

---