Stevens called home from the passenger seat of Windermere’s rented Camry. Got the answering machine, of course; it was the middle of the day. Nancy would be working, Andrea and JJ at school. Stevens ended the call and looked out the window, watched the outskirts of Charlotte pass by.
Windermere watched him from the driver’s seat. “Everything cool?”
Stevens turned away from the window and sighed. “My daughter,” he said. “I think the whole Tomlin thing affected her more than we realized.”
“She okay?”
“I don’t know,” Stevens said. “Half the time she’s the happiest girl in the world. I came home from Philly, though, and she seemed to think I was putting the whole family in danger. She thought I was leading the killer straight to our house.”
Windermere exhaled. “Yikes.”
“Nancy says she’s okay. She talked to a counselor.” Stevens stared out the window some more. “Still doesn’t feel right to be out here.”
He picked up his cell phone again. Scrolled through to Andrea’s cell phone and pressed CALL. Waited as the phone rang in his ear.
“Daddy?” Andrea answered, half whispering. “Daddy, I’m at school.”
Stevens felt his body relax. “I know, honey,” he said. “I just wanted to check on you. See how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine, Daddy.” Andrea sighed. “This is about that fight we had, isn’t it? You told Mom, and now she thinks I’m screwed up in the head.”
“Nobody thinks you’re screwed up in the head, honey. We just worry about you. After what happened last year.”
“I’m fine,” Andrea said. “I get scared sometimes, that’s all. We don’t have to make a big deal about it.”
“So you’re okay,” Stevens said. “You’re not scared right now?”
“I’m scared I’m going to get a detention for talking on my cell phone.” Stevens could hear her rolling her eyes. “Are you almost done with your case?”
Stevens glanced down at the picture of Michael Parkerson in his lap. “Just about,” he said. “Just about caught up to the bad guy.”
“Catch him, Daddy. Hurry up and come home.”
“Will do, sweetheart,” Stevens told her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy. Bye.”
Andrea ended the call. Stevens looked at his cell phone for a minute. Then he put it away. Beside him, Windermere kept driving, saying nothing. Somewhere in the outskirts of Charlotte, Michael Parkerson waited.