Page 42 of Fatal Betrayal

"Do whatever you want. But please don't tell me this is why you dragged me down here in the middle of an active investigation."

His jaw stiffened. "That's not why I asked you to meet. I have information that might be helpful."

"And now you want to help me?"

"Of course. As you said, there's a child's life on the line."

"Then let's talk about what you know," she said, still suspecting he had a hidden agenda.

He took a moment to lift his coffee mug to his lips and take a sip. Then he said, "Claire Benedict was treated for postpartum depression."

She had to admit he'd surprised her. "How do you know that?"

"I have a source. Mrs. Benedict saw Dr. Stefan Mulders for three months after her baby was born. She stopped seeing him a few weeks ago."

"Maybe she felt better."

"Or she was still struggling and did something to get rid of her kid," he countered.

"Who was your source?"

"I can't say, but the information is solid."

"I'll look into it. Was there anything else?"

"I can be helpful to you, Andi," he said. "I have a lot of connections in circles that include the Benedicts. I've been living in LA a long time. If you keep me updated on the situation, I might be able to provide some contacts for you."

"I appreciate that," she said.

"I hope you do. I also hope you don't believe that I botched the case involving your neighbor."

She wasn't about to go down that road now. "I don't want to get into all that. It happened a long time ago."

"Yes, it did, but it still feels like yesterday to me. It must be the same for you, too."

"It is," she admitted. "Especially now that I'm back in Los Angeles."

"I did everything I could to bring that little girl home. And Bradford's brother was a legitimate suspect. You were right to point him out."

"But he didn't do it, and whoever did, got away with it." She paused. "I still have hope that one day that person will pay, that Hannah will get justice."

"The case has never been closed. So that's still possible."

"I hope so. Thanks for the information."

"Like I said, I can be an excellent ally if you keep me in the loop."

She didn’t comment on his statement. If she needed his help, she'd ask for it, but she was still suspicious of his motives. And she wasn't completely sure if he was trying to help her or send her in the wrong direction because he was angry she'd gotten the case. But she would talk to Claire about what he'd told her and go from there.

"How is it dealing with Bradford again?" he asked. "He was furious with you."

"A lot of years have passed since then."

"So you're friends now?"

"That's probably a stretch." She paused, knowing she shouldn't go back into the past, but she couldn't stop herself. "The Bradford family suffered a lot because of Kyle's arrest, and I've wondered why you made it so public. Kyle was basically paraded in front of the community as the kidnapper."

"That's not what happened. I didn't treat Kyle any differently than any other suspect. The kids in the neighborhood talked to the press, not me."