CHAPTER 14
Sally Crumb could tell Parker Hathaway was anxious. He wasn’t very good at hiding the emotion. He kept staring blankly out the window or looking at the time on his cell phone. She remembered the days when people wore wristwatches; now cell phones had taken their place. And a good thing, too—a watch couldn’t make or receive a call, or let a detective know so clearly that a person was distressed.
Why was he so nervous? Did it mean he’d been in Salt Lake that night? Or was it for another reason altogether?
If he had been in Salt Lake the night Madison had gone missing, he was most certainly involved in the disappearance. But what had he done with the child? Everyone they’d spoken to, even the child’s mother who seemed to hate Parker with as much passion as he hated her, was adamant that if he was involved, he wouldn’t harm Madison.
“I hope it was him,” Dakota had told Sally that morning. “Because then I’d know she was okay.”
Sally didn’t know what Parker was hiding, but if he’d kidnapped his own daughter, he’d lose her entirely. Which would be terrible for the child. Because she’d be left only with her mother, and Sally didn’t like Dakota Allen. From their first meeting, the blond woman was evasive about the time of the disappearance and uncooperative about giving out the names of her friends. Since talking to Parker that first day, Sally had done all the checks, but though Dakota had been arrested many times for possession or for being publicly drunk, she’d never been convicted. Sally was still looking for clues, not limiting herself to the past few months. Sometimes you had to go back a few years to find solid evidence.
The mother’s little boy, a son from another relationship, seemed happy enough and well cared for, but that didn’t make Sally feel any better about Dakota. She had a feel for these things, and something didn’t add up. Like with Parker.
She itched to get her hands on his cell phone. She’d managed to do some preliminary checking on him within the realm of her warrant, but his phone had supposedly been shut off during the time of the kidnapping. But it might hold the answers. With the recent developments on the case, she’d be sure to get a warrant before morning.
Parker met her gaze as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I have to get to work tomorrow. How long is this going to take?”
“As long as it takes. At least we managed to arrange things for tonight. Not easy on a Sunday. If you’re cleared, you’ll be free to go.” He seemed more at ease then, so maybe he was only worried about his job. Sally narrowed her eyes as she studied him.
He met her stare without flinching. “I would never do anything to hurt my daughter.”
She nodded. “I believe that. Not purposefully, anyway.”
“Dakota lived in a meth house before I moved her to where she is now. The only time I saw Madison during that time was when she brought her to me. It was a living nightmare not knowing where she was and not seeing her regularly. When I found out what kind of place they were staying at, I rented the other house. I thought she’d change, but she hasn’t.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“She’s doing drugs. Madison isn’t safe with her.”
“So you keep saying, and I promise you I’m pursuing every lead I have in that respect. But I need to know—did you take your daughter to protect her?”
He looked out the window. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
A few hours later at her police precinct in Salt Lake City, Sally stood with the witness, a man who worked the night shift at a frozen food company. Dale Stewart lived in Madison’s neighborhood, and on his way home each morning he almost never came across anyone.
“Could have been him,” he said. “Can’t tell you any better. It was dark, but I had my brights on. Didn’t expect to see anyone. But it was definitely that truck I saw, or one exactly like it. I remember the dent in the front bumper and half of the license plate number.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stewart. We appreciate your coming in.”
Stewart inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Anything, as long as it helps bring back that little girl.”
An officer led him out, and Sally stared at the lineup for a short moment. “Okay, you can tell them to go.” She turned to the chief of police standing beside her. “Except for Hathaway. It’s enough to hold him, I think.”
“And to press initial charges. But there needs to be more proof for any kind of a legal case. You know that as well as I do.” The chief was a tall, impressive man, if a little on the thin side. His suit hung on his lean frame, but his face was one you could trust. He could make hard decisions when necessary, but he was compassionate about it. Moreover, he trusted his employees to do their jobs without checking up on them constantly.
“I’ll get proof.” She was thinking of Hathaway’s cell phone. “As long as I have enough to legally hold him and to examine his belongings, I think I’ll find exactly what I’m looking for.”
“What about the mother?”
“Hasn’t given us a thing.”
“Maybe she doesn’t know anything.”
“Maybe. But I want to keep her in holding a bit longer. When we do let her go, we can tail her.” Sally didn’t think it’d be necessary, but it paid to be careful.
The chief nodded. “Keep me informed. I’m heading back home now.”
“Thanks for coming in tonight.”
“Hey, we’re all rooting for this girl. We need to do what it takes to find her.”
Sally nodded and strode from the room, feeling sure the answer was close at hand.
Parker was waiting for her in an empty questioning room. He sat at a table, long legs sprawled, his hair mussed. “So, am I free to go? Or are you going to arrest me?”
“Your truck was positively identified as being near your daughter’s house that night,” Sally informed him without emotion, “so we do have reason to hold you while we investigate.”
His shoulders sagged slightly. “How long?”
“Twenty-four hours unless we file charges. If you’re arrested, it will be another day or so before you’re arraigned.”
He sat up and banged his fist on the table. “Even if my truck was there, couldn’t I sometimes drive by my daughter’s house to make sure everything’s okay? Is that a crime? Don’t you ever check on your children?”
“We’ll need to see your cell phone, Mr. Hathaway. I have a warrant to search it, but it doesn’t seem to be with your other belongings.”
Parker blinked. “They must have misplaced it.”
Sally pursed her lips at this lie. She’d had the squad car checked as well as the garbage bins he might have had access to but without result. Yet there were many other places he could have stashed the phone—in a plant, under a cushion, in a box of miscellaneous items—and if it was turned off as she suspected, there would be no ringing from incoming calls to alert them.
“Okay,” she said, switching tactics. “Tell me again why you were in Salt Lake that night.”
“I didn’t say I was. I said it was possible.” He shook his head wearily. “Look, you’ve already asked me a million questions tonight, and I’ve answered them. But I know the drill. Even if you have a reason to hold me here, I have the right to speak with a lawyer before I say anything more.”
Sally stifled a curse. Those magic words meant she could no longer ask him any more questions until his attorney said so. “Do you have one?”
“No. And I can’t pay one, either. Not with all my child support and bills. Maybe my mother will help. Can I see her?”
“I’m sorry. We’re questioning her now.”
“Are you detaining her too?”
“Unlike you, she is free to go any time she pleases. She drove her own car.”
“But I bet you didn’t tell her she could go, did you?” he growled.
“Where’s your phone?”
“I don’t know, but I already told you I’m not answering any more questions until I talk to a lawyer.”
“Fine. Have it your way.” Biting back frustration, Sally left the room. On her way down the hall, she took out her phone and called Tony. “Hi,” she said.
“I was beginning to think you got lost.”
“I wish.”
“So, you coming home tonight?”
“Not yet. We found a suspect.”
“Ah.” He would know what that meant, but he was also familiar enough with the routine not to ask any questions.
“How’s Randi?”
“Fine. Just got her to bed. Don’t worry about it.”
“I do worry. I hate working so much.”
“It’s not all the time. Just when it’s important. She understands. She told me she hopes you find the little girl.”
“I’m closer. We’re going over all his old phone records again and the pictures we took at his apartment. There has to be something more. Everyone’s pulling overtime on this.”
“Try not to come home too late.” There was a husky note in her husband’s voice. “If I’m still awake, I’ll give you a back rub.”
“Mmm. Sounds heavenly. I’ll do my best.” She spied one of her colleagues coming toward her, waving a paper and looking excited. “I gotta go, hon. See you tonight. And if not, I’ll take a raincheck on that back rub.”
“Deal.”
Pocketing the phone, she asked, “What you got, Jim?”
Jim smiled. “Remember that unknown number we were trying to trace from Hathaway’s records? Finally got ahold of the guy, and guess what? He rented Hathaway a house on the edge of Manti, starting last week. There haven’t been any more calls, so Hathaway must not have called again, or he’s using another number, but I have the address.”
Gotcha, Sally thought. To Jim she said, “Let’s get local officers there now.”
“Already on it.”