Page 66 of Seven Deadly Sins

“It explains a lot, though.” She slid her phone into her pocket. “We can’t get new phones. He wouldn’t have our number, couldn’t communicate with us. We’ll have to let him follow us and hope he makes a mistake.”

Liam agreed, but he didn’t like the idea. “I want a light in there so we can go over every corner of that room. If it’s a hiding place for his father’s sins, maybe Robert left a piece of himself in there, too.”

He placed the call to the office and got the confirmation that a team would arrive within forty-five minutes. As he hung up, his phone vibrated. “Got another text.It bothers me that two law-enforcement officers would be foolish enough to gaze on each other with lust in their eyes. What will your chief say?”

Harper paled. “He thinks we’re guilty of the sin of lust. Do you think he’ll change his plans of when he comes for us?”

“No. It’s another part of his game.” At least, he hoped so. A deranged mind would continue to unravel and make Thompson unpredictable. His fear was that the man would think he no longer needed both of them to play the game with.

They moved back inside and waited for help to arrive. While Liam placed calls and paced the room, he’d pause and peer through the blinds for a glimpse of Thompson. So far, nothing. Not that Liam expected him to look like his picture. Unless he didn’t always leave wherever he was hiding in a disguise.

A woman answered his call. After asking his question, she responded. “The power has been shut off for the last five years.”

“Can you tell me whether anyone lived here during the ten years before that?”

“No, only that the power was turned on under the name of a Richard Thompson.”

“Thank you.” It was quite possible someone, a nanny perhaps, maybe a relative they had yet to find. had raised Robert until he turned eighteen. He sent an email to the chief asking that he have someone dig into the Thompson family for relatives that might have stepped in to raise the man’s young son.

“Found something of Robert’s,” Harper called from inside.

He joined her, frowning at the ratty teddy bear in her hand. “That isn’t sinful.”

“No, but rather the disappearance of innocence. Look at this photo. It looks like it came from a security camera.” She held it so he could see with his light.

It showed the senior Thompson cutting open the back of the bear and inserting a small bag of white powder. The man hid his drugs in his child’s toy when he was bound to have more than one safe in the house. “Why? It doesn’t make sense.”

“This helps.” She handed him another photo. This one of a party.

In the middle of a dining table were a variety of stuff animals, each labeled with a number. Smiling people held up matching numbers. “Wanna bet they got what was inside the toy with the corresponding number?”

“Wow.” They’d discovered that Richard had two sides to him, but this went over the top. No wonder his son went nuts. What kind of sickos used their children’s toys to indulge in their fetishes? Liam felt a bit sorry for Robert Thompson.

Chapter Six

By the timethe crime scene people arrived, and lamps set up around the house, specifically the hidden room, Harper’s stomach growled in protest. Now that things were in the hands of others, she motioned her head toward the jeep. “I’m starving.”

“We can’t leave yet. I want to go through that room now that we have a light.” Liam shook his head. “I happen to know that Carla always carries granola bars in the truck. I’ll get you one.”

“How do you know that?” She’d worked with the woman several times and didn’t know.

“I watch.” He flashed a grin and approached the leader of the crime scene team. Minutes later, he tossed Harper a bar.

“Thanks.” She wanted to go through the room again with lights, but knew once her stomach started its loud rumbling, she couldn’t concentrate.” While she ate and waited to be allowed back inside, she studied the darkening tree line. Was Thompson still out there?

Where was the man hiding? He wouldn’t be foolish enough to return to his office building. By now, she hoped his photo had been plastered across all the news stations. Someone might see through his disguise and alert the police department.

Hunger satiated, she again entered the front door of the house and made a beeline for the room behind the bookcase. She blinked against the harsh lights that brought all of the senior Thompson’s sins out of the shadows.

Despite what he had grown up to become, she wanted to give the hurting child Robert a hug. Orphaned at ten, then having cleaned out the house once grown, only to discover all this. She shook her head. Some people shouldn’t have children.

Her phone rang. “Detective Scranton.”

“It’s Annie. I’ve got the information you wanted on the Thompson nanny. I’ll text you the number.”

“Thanks. You’re a marvel.” Smiling, Harper waited for the text to come through, then stepped outside to place the call.

She asked the woman who answered about the nanny for a Robert Thompson. “Yes, that was Nancy Moore. I’m sure she’ll answer any questions you might have. I’ll give her your number and have her call you.”