Page 311 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“I’m Sergeant Brunner with the Pennsylvania State Police. Can you tell me what you’re doing here?”

“We came to America for fresh start, but they keep us here.”

“Are you the only one in the group who speaks English?”

She shook her head. “My sister, Catina, also speaks English.”

“What’s your name?”

“Dorotthea.”

“Where are you from?”

“Romania.”

“We’ll have an interpreter brought in so we can take everybody’s statements down at the station. In the meantime, would you let them know where we’re taking them?”

She nodded and spoke to the women. He had no idea what she said, but the group of ladies visibly relaxed.

Wade arrived backat the station. He had a boatload of paperwork to do, but first he needed to check in with Emily and see how she was doing. She answered on the third ring.

“Hello.” Her voice sounded thready and weak.

“How are you holding up?”

“Not great.”

“I wish I was there.”

“Me too. I don’t think I’m going to spend the night after all.”

“Why not?”

“I’m invisible here. There is no point in staying.” She sighed. “Once I gave them the news, the two of them holed up in a room together and only came out long enough to pick at the dinner I made them.”

“Do you want me to drive down?”

“No need. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Are you certain you want to leave your parents?”

“I don’t think they’ll notice I’m gone. I’ll call them tomorrow to see how they’re holding up, but right now I want to come home.”

Wade wondered if it was the grief talking or if her parents truly ignored her. He remembered her feeling the same way when Nora disappeared. She’d claimed that in a single day she’d lost her entire family. Nora was gone and her parents might as well have disappeared with her for as much as she saw them.

“I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“I’m going back to Sam’s.”

Disappointment surged inside him, but he shoved it down. As much as he wanted to keep her close, it was safer for her to stay with Sam than with him. She lived away from the madness. “I’ll be there waiting for you.”

“See you soon.” She disconnected the call.

Wade leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. Prayer. That’s what she needed. He couldn’t be at her side, but he could pray for her. After petitioning the Lord on her behalf, he settled at the computer to complete his report on the human trafficking and drug bust. Cunningham had been placed on administrative leave until they could investigate his shooting. It was standard procedure for an officer-involved shooting. He’d been through ithimself once, so he knew how stressful it was. This one was cut and dry and their body cameras would clearly show the suspect aiming at them. No not them. Wade. If Cunningham hadn’t shot when he did, the suspect would’ve shot him, and though his vest probably would’ve saved him, he was grateful not to have had to find out.

Despite Wade’s best intentions,he couldn’t make it to Red Rock to see Emily on Friday night. She claimed to be too tired to care, but he’d heard the disappointment in her voice. Once again, she’d needed him, and he’d failed her.

By the time he interviewed all the women found in the drug house and completed his paperwork, his lieutenant found a new lead on Parsons. With Jamie at the mercy of a monster, it couldn’t wait until morning. He’d sat in his unmarked car in the shadows of a gym parking lot in Shickshinny where their informant claimed Parsons had a meeting at 1:00 a.m. The lead was a bust, so he couldn’t help wondering if it had been fed to them as a distraction.

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