Page 51 of Detective Daddy Next Door

When I grab my packed-up goods and walk toward the doors, I let a few people go out before me, then step out and hurry toward my car. I rush to open the door, but just as I'm about to get in, I feel a bullet swish past me. I get in quickly, but before I'm about to pull away, I feel a bullet hit the brim of my hat. I pull my gun out of the holster and aim in the direction the bullets came from, the roof of the building opposite the store. I let out two shots through my open window and drive away quickly with just one hand.

I'd not expected that they would go after me. Bria had dialed my number through the phone she found in Daisy's house. They probably—no, not probably, they definitely checked to see whose number it was. I wish we hadn’t been rushing that day so I could have taken the phone with me. I'm away from the store now and on my way to the house when I slow down for a red traffic light.

Ellie. Oh my God, Ellie. Thankfully, I'd just gotten to an intersection. I wait for the green light to come on.

"Oh, come on you motherfucker," I scream at it.

When it turns green, I drive around the junction and head for Ellie's school. It's not release time yet, but I need to get her away now before whoever was shooting at me gets to her.

I’m sweating when I get to her school. I give the front office some excuse and we head for the car with my hand on my waist. I want to pull my gun out as we leave but I don't want to cause alarm.

"Daddy, you're here early," Ellie says as I usher her hurriedly into the car.

"Yes," is all I can murmur.

I drive away quickly. When I'm out of the school premises I bring my gun out of my pocket and put it on my lap.

When we get home, I rush her in.

Bria scrambles off the couch when she sees me come in with Ellie.

"You didn't say you were going to pick her up."

"Daddy came early," Ellie says, jumping.

Garcelle comes to the living room.

"Take her to her room, Garcelle."

Garcelle doesn't ask any questions. She takes a happy Ellie in.

"What's the matter?" Bria asks when they're out of earshot.

I'm sweating buckets. "I was attacked as I was about to get into my car. In front of the grocery store."

"It's Daisy. This was what I was scared of. Why haven't they been caught?"

"I need to call Jon."

She nods and sits back down with a panic-stricken look on her face.

I dial Jon's number and wait for him to pick up.

"Hey Milley."

"Hey. Any word about Daisy and Ben yet?"

"I just spoke to one of the officers. No. There are no leads yet. They've combed the city. I think they might have left town. We have to extend our search."

The phone is on speaker, so Bria is listening. I end the call and slump into a chair.

"If they're out of town, then who attacked you?" Bria asks.

Chapter 21

Bria

Allofmyworstfears are coming to pass. I'd wanted so desperately to protect Myles’ identity. I'd wanted so desperately to protect Ellie. But one silly mistake has jeopardized it. I'd used Daisy's phone to call Myles and had not erased the history. Now they know who I’m working with. And now Ellie could end up getting hurt. I’ve never had to live with so much fear in my life. But what makes it worse is that I'm not only worrying about myself, but about two other people—three other people, actually. Garcelle could be caught in the line of fire too, which is why Myles told her she could take a week or two off. He promised to pay her for them. He doesn't want her to get hurt. He feels they might come looking for him at home and he doesn't want an extra person caught up in this. I've been thinking of getting Ellie out of the house too. What happened yesterday might repeat itself, and this time it could be deadly.

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