Page 62 of State of Bliss

“This is an outrage!” Bart sputtered. “All this time, we’ve been waiting to hear something,anything, about what happened to our daughter,and it was him? The whole time? Why didn’t anyone else take over the investigation after he was arrested? Why doesno one carethat our daughter was abducted and probably murdered after withstanding God knows what level of torture?”

It’d been a while since anyone had screamed at Sam like that, not that she didn’t feel it was warranted. Still, the outburst unnerved her.

Bart got up so quickly, his chair toppled over.

Sam and Theodora both startled at the crashing sound.

He kicked the chair aside and went out the back door.

“I’m sorry,” Theodora said.

“Don’t be. He has every right to feel the way he does. It is an outrage. I want you to know… And this is not an excuse for the inexcusable. I swear it isn’t. But there’re so many cases… It’s not possible for us to keep up with everything we have going on currently as well as the cold cases that should get more attention than they do. I’m very sorry that your daughter’s case hasn’t received the attention it deserves. I vow to you that I’ll stay involved until you have answers. However long that may take.”

“I accepted a long time ago that she’s probably dead and that we may never know the truth of what happened to her.” Theodora spoke softly, but with conviction. “I had to accept it to keep moving forward. I couldn’t dwell in that sadness and anger for the rest of my life. It was killing me. Bart, though… He refuses to accept anything until he knows for sure. He continues to hope…” She shook her head. “It’s ruined our lives, Lieutenant. It’s ruined our marriage. It’s ruined everything.”

“I’m so sorry.” Sam was on the verge of tears listening to Theodora’s heartbreak. “I wish I could go back in time and change what’s happened. I would if I could. We’ve been working to right a lot of wrongs where Stahl was concerned. The magnitude of his crimes is only now becoming clear to us. I don’t say that as an excuse, because there isn’t one.”

“It helps me to see that a good police officer like you is sick over this.”

“I am,” Sam said. “We all are. It’s inconceivable to us that we worked next to a man who was capable of the things we already know he’s done. That it keeps getting worse…”

“It means a lot to me that you came here today. That you told us the truth, even though it caused you tremendous pain and probably significant humiliation to do so. You certainly didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. And I mean it when I tell you I’m going to stay on this case for as long as it takes, until we get you some answers.”

“I say this with all due respect to you and the other good officers you work with, but answers aren’t going to change anything for us now. Our daughter will still be gone, and our lives will forever be shattered because of how we lost her.”

“I understand.”

“I hope you never truly understand this pain, Lieutenant. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Sam swallowed the huge lump that suddenly appeared in her throat at the thought of one of her precious children going missing, let alone falling victim to a monster like Stahl. “Thank you for seeing me.” She glanced at the door through which Bart had escaped. “If you’ll tell him thank you for me, I’ll see myself out.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“We’ll be in touch.”

Theodora nodded, her posture and expression one of grim acceptance that answers might be forthcoming and that her fragile pact with grief might be upended.

Sam exited the house and took deep breaths of the cool air as she went down the sidewalk to where Vernon held the door for her.

His brows furrowed with concern. “You okay?”

“That was brutal,” Sam said softly. “Absolutely brutal.”

When she was settled in the back seat, he stood there for a minute after handing her a bottle of cold water. “Anything I can do?”

She shook her head as she took a sip of water. “Let’s get this next thing over with.”

Chapter Eleven

The Reid family lived on a cul-de-sac where kids rode their bikes under the watchful supervision of parents, who stood in a group in one of the driveways.

When the Secret Service SUV pulled onto the street, everything came to a halt.

Children moved their bikes to the side of the road, and the parents stared as the vehicle came to a stop outside the Reids’ home. The bricks had been painted white, and wooden accents gave it a fresh, modern look. Matching window boxes stood ready for spring blooms.

A woman with shoulder-length hair, brown skin and a trim frame broke away from the other parents. She was waiting for Sam on the sidewalk when she emerged from the SUV.

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