The hell of it was, it wasn’t even his darkest secret. Or his deepest shame.
I’m sorry, Mama. He could still hear her crying over him. Could still hear her pleas for him to hold on. Just a little longer, baby. Just a little longer. I promise. It’ll be okay. You’ll be okay. I promise.
She’d promised. She’d delivered. And then she’d walked away.
He’d wanted to hate her. But he’d known what it had cost her to walk away. To go back. He’d known why she’d returned, why she’d left him. Mercy.
His mother had been forced to make an unimaginable choice. But Mercy had needed her more. He’d understood it then, even as he’d bitterly begged her not to leave him. He understood it now and regretted the words he’d flung in fear. In desperation. In pain.
But it didn’t matter because she was gone again. Permanently. He could never take back the words he’d said, could never beg her forgiveness. I’m sorry, Mama. I’m so sorry.
“Agent Reynolds? Agent Reynolds.”
Gideon looked up with a jolt, the moment broken by Rafe’s sharp voice. But it wasn’t Rafe’s voice that occupied his attention. It was the small hand that covered his fist, squeezing tightly. Daisy Dawson.
Gideon slid his gaze to Daisy’s face. She was watching him with a mixture of grim realization and compassion. Slowly she released his hand and went back to stroking her dog, never breaking her gaze.
What had he said? Suddenly panicked, he looked to the others. Both Erin Rhee and Cindy Grimes looked puzzled. Maybe a little concerned. But not upset.
Rafe gave him a wry smile that said more than words could. You didn’t say anything. It’s okay. “Thought you’d fallen asleep on us there. I asked if you were sure he was dead.”
Gideon slowly exhaled, hoping he hid his relief. He couldn’t believe he’d said that much, but he’d been shocked. Part of him wanted to hurt Rafe for putting him in this situation, and then he remembered that Daisy’s attacker had mentioned others. He would have done the same thing in Rafe’s place.
“Yes,” he said, without explanation. He tapped the folder. “Was there anything more in the locket?” he asked because his brain was finally beginning to kick in.
He’d killed the man in the wedding photo. Miriam—or Eileen, as the girl in the photo had preferred to be called—wouldn’t have been allowed to be single afterward. She would have been given to another man.
Or she escaped shortly after I did. Which seemed unlikely. There would have been another wedding photo, inserted over the first.
“There was,” Cindy said, surprised. “A layer of shredded paper, cut into tiny pieces. I think it was another photo, but I’ll have to try putting it together.”
“You know the girl in the picture?” Erin asked.
“A long time ago. I haven’t seen her in seventeen years. Her name was Miriam. The locket would have been hers.”
“And the scraps of paper I found?” Cindy asked.
Not here. Not now. He’d already said too much. He aimed a pointed stare at Rafe.
Rafe stood up. “I think we’re done for now. Daisy, come with me. Mom, Dad, and Sasha are all waiting to take you home.”
Daisy looked abruptly frustrated. “You’re kidding.”
“Sorry,” Rafe said with real apology behind it. “You can’t be here anymore.”
Daisy rose, her blue eyes flashing. “Rude,” she muttered. “Just when we were getting somewhere.”
Gideon had to clear his throat because a laugh had come bubbling from nowhere. She looked so righteously angry. But he instantly sobered because she was right. They were getting somewhere and that was nowhere she needed to be.
“Come on, Brutus. We’re being thrown out. Just when it was getting good.” She settled the little ball of fur into her purse, adjusting it so that the side expanded, revealing mesh netting.
Gideon reached out and touched her hand before he could talk himself out of it. He could have controlled his need to touch her once more, but he didn’t and he wasn’t sure why. Okay, that was bullshit. He knew why, but he wasn’t going to think about it. Daisy Dawson had given him comfort when she hadn’t had to. And he’d found himself dropping his guard around her. It should have appalled him, but it didn’t.
“Thank you,” he murmured when she looked at him in surprise. “Be careful.”
Her lips curved into a sad smile that hurt his heart, and he wondered what she’d seen when she’d watched him with such compassion. “I will. Be well, Agent Reynolds.” She shouldered the bag and followed Rafe to the door. “I can find my way out.”
“I bet you could,” Rafe said, his voice thick with amusement. “And I’m sure that you’d come upon many interesting conversations to ‘accidently overhear’ while you were pretending to get lost. So this nice officer here will walk you upstairs.”
She glared up at Rafe. “You don’t have to be so smug about it.” She turned her glare onto the uniformed officer waiting patiently in the hall. “How long has he been there?”
“Since about a minute after I walked through the door with Agent Reynolds, because I know you too well.” He gave her hair a brotherly tug. “Tell Mom that I’ll call when I can.”
“I will.” She grew serious, her glare disappearing. “I assume I can go back to my normal life tomorrow. Like work? And all my events?”
Rafe hesitated. “One of us will drive you tomorrow. Don’t go anywhere by yourself.”
Daisy’s brow lifted delicately. “One of you?” She indicated the interview room with a gesture. “Or one of the Sokolovs?”
Me. The thought hit Gideon hard. It was unexpected and ridiculous. The woman had a lot of people to watch out for her. His services were definitely not needed. Or even wanted, probably.
“Not sure,” Rafe said. “What time are you expected at the station?”
“Five A.M.,” Daisy told him with the slightest bit of satisfaction. “We go live at six. From your parents’ house, I need to leave by four twenty-five.”
Rafe winced. “Ouch. I’ll let you know who’ll be accompanying you.”
“Babysitting me, you mean.” Her shoulders sagged dejectedly. “I know you’re just trying to protect me, but I thought I’d finally gotten my independence and now some asshole takes it away from me again.”
Rafe gave her a quick hug and Gideon had to bite back a growl. Settle down, he barked to himself. Honestly.
“Hopefully it won’t be for too long,” Rafe said. He met the officer’s gaze. “You’ll follow them home, right?”
The older man nodded. “Of course. I’ll call you when they’re inside and safe.”
“Thank you.” Rafe closed the door and returned to the table. “Officer Taggert is a friend of my parents. I think he’s hoping for a slice of my mom’s medovik. She always has one on the sideboard.”
Gideon didn’t blame Officer Taggert. Like anything Irina made, the honey cake was well worth the extra hours on the treadmill to run it off.
“Then why are we here?” Cindy asked with a smile. “We need to go to your mom’s.”
“I’ll bring you some cake,” Rafe promised, then turned back to Gideon. “Okay, now that it’s just us, what about the scraps of paper Cindy found in the locket?”
Gideon wanted to apologize, excuse himself, and run home. But he knew he couldn’t. This was the lead he’d been waiting for, ever since he’d escaped that hellhole. A connection to the community. To the men who’d raped his sister and killed his mother. He’d get justice for them if it was the last thing he did.
I’m sorry, Mama.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 12:00 A.M.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Karl asked for what had to be the twentieth time since Officer Taggert had delivered her to the lobby of the SacPD, where the Sokolovs had been anxiously waiting.
“I’m fine.” Sliding into the backseat of the Sokolovs’ Tesla, Daisy gave Karl a smile that she hoped dispelled his fears, but that she knew probably wouldn’t. He’d promised her father that he’d keep her safe and considered Daisy being hurt on his watch to be a personal failing. “Nothing a cup of tea won’t fix.”
His smile was small and wary. “All right, then. Buckle up, Daisy. You too, Sasha.”
Sasha Sokolov folded her nearly six-foot self into the backseat from the other side of the car and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. Not like I’m twenty-five years old or anything,” she added in a mutter that was loud enough for him to hear.
“I know how old you are,” Karl said. “I was there when you were born.”
Sighing, Sasha made a grand production of buckling her belt. Daisy followed suit, but more sedately. When they were both secured, Karl brought the wing door down, which always gave Daisy a silly little thrill. It was just a door, but it was very cool.