Page 43 of Vanishing Point
And this might be over.
“I might have a few more for you once I get a chance to question him myself,” Inspector Kay said. “I’m hoping to do that Monday afternoon. Will you be around Tuesday morning? At Detective Hart’s house this time?”
It wasn’t an accusation, so Vi didn’t know why it felt like one. “Yes.”
“Great. I’ll meet you there. We’ll plan for nine, but I’ll call if it needs to change.”
“Sure.”
The inspector reached out, gave Vi’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’re getting to the end, Ms. Reynolds.”
Vi swallowed. Hope seemed too dangerous a thing, but it was there. Flapping its wings in her chest. “I hope so.”
Chapter Twelve
Thomas headed home from the station. He was running a little late, but he didn’t mind showing up at these kinds of Carson and Delaney chaos get-togethers a little late. He was surprised to find Vi pulling up to his house about the same time as him. He hoped that meant her meeting went well.
“You sure look pretty,” he said in greeting.
“Is it okay?” she asked, doing a little twirl.
“Of course.”
“No, I mean, will it fit in?”
“Sure.”
“Ugh. Men.” She rolled her eyes. “Mags is asleep. I can just sit with her in the car if you want to go get ready and grab the present.”
“Sure, but how’d the meeting with the inspector go?”
She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t know that I really had any answers that helped, but she said she’s questioning Eric Monday. She seems to think it’s all leading to his arrest.”
“You don’t seem relieved by that?”
“I want to be, but I guess I’ve seen him get out of too many things to fully believe it until he’s behind bars.”
“That’s fair.”
“She wants to meet me at your house at nine on Tuesday to ask me a few more questions, but she seems to think she’ll have a warrant by then.”
Thomas scowled at that. “I’ve got court again.” And it was incredibly important this time. Allen Scott’s initial assault and battery trial, which could lead to reopening his wife’s “suicide” case.
“That’s okay. I can handle it.” And she sounded like she could. Like she wanted to. Every day she seemed more…determined to see everything through. To live in spite of it. Really live, not just hide out at the ranch, or even in his house.
It would have never lasted. She wanted too much for her daughter. So he knew her growth there didn’t have anything to do with him. He didn’t need it to, as long as she understood that it was really something that she’d managed.
“I’m proud of you, Vi. I hope you know that.”
Her mouth curved. “Well, that’s sweet, but talking to some postal inspector is hardly much of anything.”
“It’s everything.” He pulled her close, kissed her temple. “I’ll be right back.” He went to change and grab the present. If Mags woke up, she’d be fussy in the car and want out of her car seat, so he tried to hurry.
In under fifteen minutes, he was driving them out to Cam and Hilly’s house. Thomas tried to prepare Vi for the onslaught of people—some she’d know of, some she might even recognize from high school, but mostly it was a whole horde of people who all knew whoshewas, and she didn’t really know.
Cam Delaney had built a house just outside of town, and the driveway and road in front of it were filled with cars. Balloons and streamers decorated the outside of the house, and a big arrow sign directed people into the huge backyard, enclosed on all sides by pine trees and then mountains.
Thomas looked in the back seat at Magnolia, who was blinking her eyes open and yawning.
