Page 19 of Forged in Steele

“For now. While Luna needs a lot of attention.”

“And how does that make you feel?” Jared asked.

Pratt flashed his gaze up to Jared. “Oh, I get it. You think I want to go golfing, so I kidnapped my own kid. That’s just ridiculous.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Jared said, keeping his focus.

Pratt gritted his teeth. “I love to golf so I’m disappointed. But having a daughter more than makes up for it.”

The guy was astute and saw through all of their questions, but Jared still believed him. And if he’d taken the child it would be on camera.

“Give me timeframes for your morning.” Franz took out his notepad.

“Don’t quote me on exacts. These are all about when I think things happened.” Pratt rattled off times and what he’d been doing.

Jared noted the information in his phone, and Bristol seemed to be doing the same thing. They would set up a timeline for the events, including the parents, nurses, doctors or anyone else who came into their room.

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Pratt?” Jared asked.

“I’m an electrician, why?”

“Just collecting details.” Jared worked hard to hide his interest over the fact that Pratt had the skills to disarm the door.

“Has Luna had any visitors?” Franz asked.

Pratt nodded. “Last night. Both sets of her grandparents.”

His statement concurred with his wife’s but then they could both be lying, and Jared would keep an open mind. He hated to think any parent would harm their own child, but sadly it wouldn’t be the first time a child had been kidnapped or died at the hands of their parent.

Jared placed his full attention on the man. “Do you have any idea who might’ve taken her?”

“No.” He shook his head. “That’s all I’ve been thinking about while I’ve been sitting here. Only our family and close friends even know she was born.”

“Your wife posted on Facebook,” Bristol said.

“Well yeah, but that’s just our friends or people we know.”

Jared didn’t want to be the one to tell him that it was a public post, so he didn’t. No point in driving a wedge between them when it wasn’t necessary. At least not yet.

“Is there anyone in your world who lost a child recently?” Bristol asked.

“Not that I know of.”

“At work, maybe?” She continued to watch him.

“Again, not that I know of.”

Franz’s phone rang, and he quickly answered. “Be right out.”

He looked at Jared and Bristol. “Detective Hale. He’s on his way up.”

“We should go meet him,” Jared said, as talking to the detective for the first time shouldn’t be done in front of the father.

Franz looked at Pratt. “Stay put until we dismiss you.”

Franz headed for the door.

“Will Hale be in charge?” Pratt asked.

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