Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele)

TWENTY-NINE

Amanda’s phone rang as soon as she’d dropped off the keys for the department car at Central. “Hello.” She didn’t consult the caller ID, figuring it was probably Zoe, hoping it was Zoe.

“I know you said we’d call it a night, but…” It was Trent.

“What is it?” She had this strong feeling she wouldn’t want to hear his answer.

“Chloe’s phone records are in, and with Ryder’s lawyer coming in tomorrow, I thought—”

“Son of a bitch.” How could she go home and ignore this? Something in Chloe’s records could give them what they needed to close the case. “You thought right,” she said with a sigh.

“I didn’t even say what I thought yet.”

“You thought I’d want to look at them and see if there’s anything we’d want to take up with Ryder and his lawyer tomorrow. And since they’re going to be there first thing, we should look now. So we’ll be armed and ready.”

Silence.

“Trent?” It was okay for him to read her thoughts but not the other way around?

“Where are you?”

She was marching her way toward the warren of cubicles for the Homicide Unit. “Fifty feet from our desks, if that.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

He was standing at his desk when she rounded the corner. The printer on his desk was doing full-time duty as it spat out page after page.

Shit.The realization that they could be looking at this for hours hit home. Chloe Somner had been a young woman with an active social life and a busy online persona. Amanda couldn’t leave all this with Trent, or could she? There was a part of her that wished she could justify doing so, but there was a lot to review. If they were to have any hope of uncovering something useful to the investigation, specifically that might apply to their meeting with Josh and his lawyer tomorrow, they’d better dive in as a team.

“I need to make a call,” she told him and walked back outside for privacy. The air was chilly, and a breeze gusted around her, causing her to burrow deeper into her coat. She pressed the number for home and stared at the digits on the screen. This was the last call she wanted to make. Yet another time that she’d be home late from work. She hit the Call button, and Libby answered on the second ring. “Libby, it’s Amanda.”

“Hi.” One tiny word, and it was sucked dry of all energy and enthusiasm. She must have guessed what was coming.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be home. Are you able to feed Zoe? Maybe even take her on a sleepover?” Amanda massaged her forehead with her free hand. A headache was setting in with a vengeance. Tonight was probably the worst time for this to happen, coming on the tail of last night.

“Yeah, sure.”

“I really appreciate it. Thank you.”

“You know how much I love Zoe.”

Libby was technically the girl’s godmother, though circumstances had changed in her life that made adopting Zoe not feasible. At moments like this when she had to stay late for an investigation, Amanda had to wonder if Zoe wouldn’t be better off with the schoolteacher, who held predictable office hours. “I do. Can I talk to her for a minute?”

“Ah, sure. Let me get her.”

A few seconds later, Zoe’s voice pinged across the line. “When are you coming home?”

“As soon as I can, sweetie, but Aunt Libby and I were thinking that maybe you could have a sleepover at her place tonight.” The thought of parting with Zoe stabbed her in the heart.

“On a school night?”

“Just for tonight.” Amanda trembled, unsure if it was from the recent gust of cold air, or her insides freezing from the thought of disappointing this child.

“Okay.”

“Hey, it will be fun, right? You love your Aunt Libby.” Amanda did her best to infuse lightness and joviality into her tone.

“I love you too.”

Amanda’s chest paused on an exhale, which she slowly released. “And I love you.”

“Bye.”

“Zoe—” The line was dead. How had she really expected this conversation would go? Amanda felt like she was letting everyone down. Dramatic possibly, but it was how she felt nonetheless. She’d make things up to Libby and Zoe, but right now she wanted to make sure that she didn’t fail Chloe Somner.