Page 3 of The Perfect Escape
The detective walked over to where I was standing and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I know this is a lot to digest, but we need you to identify her. Mr. and Mrs. McCall are unavailable, and we need confirmation that it is her.”
I couldn’t comprehend what the detective said. It had to be nothing more than a bad dream. Nothing else made sense. Gwen wasn’t dead, and the woman he wanted me to identify was someone else’s daughter.
Fiancée.
Entire world.
Looking over to Axe and Calvin, I ignored the detective’s request. “How could this happen? You were supposed to keep an eye on the girls and make sure they were safe.”
Axe stepped out from behind the couch, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re right, and we were. There was nothing to make us suspect that Gwen was in any danger. We only lost sight of her for a moment when she went to the ladies’ room. You wanted us to stay out of sight. It wasn’t an option to follow her to the bathroom. One of us should have followed her. She would still be alive.”
The sound of a cell phone filled the room, interrupting our conversation. The detective pulled his phone from his pocket and answered the call. After a few words, he placed it back inside his pocket. “I’m afraid my presence is required at the station. Mr. Cross, as soon as you can get down to Mercy General to identify Ms. McCall’s body, the better.”
As soon as Detective Olson left, I knew I needed more answers than the ones I got. The girls didn’t need to hear what I had to say. “Men, in the library, now.”
∞
When the last man entered and secured the door behind him, my questions began. “Tell me everything you know and leave nothing out.”
I heard everyone had a coping mechanism built inside their brain to deal with a tragic event. Mine was to find the motherfucker who killed my fiancée. Every detail, no matter how big or small, would be investigated. I didn’t get where I was today by being sloppy. Every course of action needed to be taken to find out who did this.
I was waiting patiently for someone to speak up when Axe stepped forward. “When Gwen didn’t come back to the table where the rest of the girls were, I got nervous. I headed back to where the restrooms were and asked a woman waiting in line for the bathroom to find out if anyone inside named Gwen was still in there. When the woman came out with no response to Gwen’s name, I went to the back door to the bar.”
Axe’s voice broke, his emotions getting the best of him. “Sorry, Davian. If I would have checked on her sooner or waited outside the restroom for her, she would still be alive.”
I stepped up to Axe and placed my hand on his shoulder. “I’m not blaming you, Axe. I just want to find the son-of-a-bitch who took her away from me and give him the same courtesy he gave Gwen.”
With a nod of his head, Axe gathered his composure and continued where he left off. “When I opened the door, I looked around. I didn’t spot her right away, so I walked down the alley. That’s when I found her. Whoever killed her propped her body up against the brick wall beside a dumpster. There was blood everywhere. Her face took most of the abuse. I knew it wasn’t a mugging since she still had her engagement ring. So, before I called the police, I gathered as much evidence as I could. Anything that could lead us to who did this to her.”
“Where is this evidence now?” I asked.
“In the trunk of my car. And…” Axe’s hesitation drew me to one conclusion.
When Axe handed me his phone, my hand shook as I scrolled through the pictures he took. All I saw was the woman I loved, beaten, most likely terrified beyond belief. Her death was on me. I wasn’t there to protect her. Just like Axe described, someone had propped her body up against the brick wall—put on display. I’d seen this before. Only one name came to mind: Salko. The bastard killed Gwen, and he just signed his own death sentence. I only hoped that Axe got the evidence we needed to bury his ass.
~2~
Present Day
Davian
My patience was depleting by the minute. Margaret Curtis skated around every question I asked her, pushing me closer to the edge. Maybe she didn’t have a clue who Rui Salko was, but my gut told me she wasn’t as innocent as she appeared.
“I find it hard to believe, Ms. Curtis, that you just happened to be assigned to Reyna Braxton’s case and also her adoption.”
“I’m telling you the truth. I was assigned as Reyna’s caseworker by the state.”
Years of smoking hadn’t done Margaret Curtis justice. She looked much older than fifty-nine. From the looks of it, she would have been an attractive woman, but the addictive habit won out. Lighting one cigarette after the other, her nervous behavior proved she had something to hide.
“Where is your brother?” My hand came down on the table, causing her to jump. I needed answers. This cat-and-mouse game was over.
“He’s in Atlanta. That’s all I know. I swear.”
“Give me your cell phone.” One way or another, I would find Giles Curtis. If Margaret Curtis kept in touch with her brother, his number would be in her recent contacts.
Her hand shook as she handed me her phone. When I swiped the screen, it showed a locked screen requiring a password. “What’s the damn password?”
Margret only hesitated for a moment, until Patton moved closer to where she sat, intimidating her to give it up. “1961.”
