He finished the second glass of wine. “I know you won’t quit. I know my brothers won’t either. But I…” He sighed. “I don’t know how much more I can take of this.”
He looked sad and forlorn. I understood why. He had come to me tonight, needing me, and I had given him what he needed. It clearly hadn’t been enough. Even I knew enough to know that sex couldn’t fix someone’s problems. It could relieve a little bit of stress, but that was about it. I rubbed the top of his hand. “The glass is probably cleaned up by now. Let’s go to the room and go to bed. Things will be brighter in the morning.”
He attempted a smile but failed. “I love you, Ruby. I do. But I don’t know if things will ever be bright again.”
* * *
After a busy day at the office, I was getting ready to head back to the hotel that Ryan had booked for the week. My cell phone buzzed.
“Detective Lee.”
“It’s me. Shayna.”
I looked around the office. Most of the staff and officers had taken off for the evening. I was alone and could speak freely. “Shayna. Are you all right?”
“I still think I’m being followed sometimes. It could be my imagination.”
“It could be.” Though I didn’t believe it. But I didn’t want to alarm her.
“I got another text.” She choked back a sob. “It just said ‘help.’”
“Did it come from a number?”
“No. It just said private.”
“Shayna, this is the second time this has happened. Please, I need your permission to access your phone records. We can figure out what’s going on.”
“I’m…scared.”
“These messages came to your cell phone number, correct? The one you blocked me on?”
“Yes.”
Good. I had that number. “Look. If you think this came from Juliet and Lisa, we owe it to them to look into it.”
“I know. I know. I’m just so scared. So frightened.”
“I understand. Haven’t the police been out to talk to you? I’ve called them.”
“They have, but I don’t know much, and I’m—”
The line went dead.
Shit. “Shayna? Shayna?”
No use. I quickly traced the number. It was a pay phone at a gas station in East LA. I called the LAPD—again—and told them what had happened. I didn’t expect them to do anything, but I had to try.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ryan
Again I sat in the place I most didn’t want to be. The visitor’s room at psych lockup, facing my mother. I didn’t expect to be any more successful getting answers, but I had to try.
“Where’s my father?”
“I’ve already told you. I don’t know.”