Page 432 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

“Do you have mono?” I ask, suddenly worried about what I’m taking home to Emmy and Livvy.

True rolls her eyes. “Obviously not. Jenny Ennis has it. She told me how to fake.”

Mac narrows his eyes at her but doesn’t say anything before he turns and starts packing up his kit.

I hold my hand out to True.

She raises her eyebrows.

“Phone,” I say. “I know you have at least one.”

She wiggles her nose and mouth. Kid has a face made for comedy. So expressive.

Eventually, she fishes a cheap phone out of a hidden pocket in the waistband of her jeans, unlocks it, and hands it to me.

While I type my and Mac’s numbers in, I nod to her. “Smart not to keep it in an outside pocket. Most adults wouldn’t frisk you.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you going to frisk me?”

I chuckle. “No. What would you like for breakfast? Pancakes?”

Her arms lower slowly. “Waffles?”

“Sold.”

“And bacon?”

Mac’s head lifts from his packing. “Definitely bacon.”

A small smile creeps across the kid’s face.

twenty-one

EMILY

I paceacross the kitchen floor again, bouncing Livvy in her chest harness.

She’s been an angel since Daddy and Mac went to Jersey to stake out Sacrum again. Even without Logan to give her a bath and put her to bed last night, she went down at ten o’clock on the dot for her big sleep and slept through until half-past seven. Yes, she slept in our bed but Daddy doesn’t need to know that. It’s really hard for me to lower her into her crib without waking her. Daddy’s so tall, he just bends at the waist but I have to go up on my tip-toes and then lower her off my chest and she startles like I’m dropping her and starts crying. Climbing into our bed with her last night was so much easier.

Livvy’s not what’s gotten me pacing.

I’m pacing in part because I’m excited to meet Joker’s B. Daddy and Mac are bringing her to breakfast. Well, brunch. But still, how exciting is that? A real-life thief! I have all kinds of questions for her. How did she find Sacrum? How did she first get in? How did she evade the posse? Does she know how topick locks? How did she avoid Daddy’s cameras? Sooo many questions. I hope Daddy will let me ask some of them.

The second reason I’m pacing is because of the letter that arrived this morning. It was addressed to me, so I opened it but I wish I’d waited until Daddy was back.

It was from Miranda.

Dear Emily,

I implore you to let me see my baby. I feel like I’m dying without her. You must have held her. You know her baby smell, how soft she is in your arms. Please let me hold her just one more time. You know Logan’s punishing me by keeping me away from Olivia. You know this is a monstrous thing to do. He’s hurting Olivia as well as me. You heard the way she cried for me. I’ve come all this way. I’m staying at the First Park hotel. Bring my baby to me. Do the right thing, Emily.

Miranda

I don’t know what to do. I do know that baby smell, and how soft Livvy feels in my arms. I can’t imagine anyone taking her away from us now and she’s not even mine. I don’t want to feel any sympathy for Miranda but I do. I hate what we’re putting her through.

But I trust my Daddy. He’s cut off contact with her for good reasons. I don’t want to know what horrible things she did that resulted in the judge taking away custody of her baby—I mean, even more horrible than tricking Daddy into getting her pregnant, which is horrible enough on its own—I absolutely trust Daddy’s reasoning.

But it does feel cruel.