Page 5 of The Sinner's Son

Sawyer had been a cop for nearly fifteen years and had seen many troubling things, but the Jane and John Does hit him hardest. Was no one looking for them? That was something he couldn’t accept. Sawyer knew that law enforcement was often a major part of the problem by refusing to take missing person reports for adults, as these Jane Does were. “Everyone needs to do better,” he said.

His cell phone rang, and he absently answered it without checking the caller ID. “Detective Sergeant Key.”

“Finally.” Alec Bishop’s frustrated voice snapped Sawyer back to reality. “I’ve been calling for hours.”

“Oh, I know you have. You’ve created quite the stir with your unprofessional behavior.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Alec said.

“Of course you did. Why else would you have done it?”

“I was excited to talk to you about our project, but you didn’t return my calls.” Alec sounded like a spoiled child instead of the investigator he wanted to be.

Sawyer pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you must know, I’ve been out of the office on personal business.”

“Oh.” Alec’s irritation deflated like a balloon. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Sawyer replied simply. “How did you get my cell phone number?”

Alec snorted. “Are you joking? What kind of investigator can’t ferret out someone’s phone number?”

“I’m not just someone,” Sawyer reminded him. “I’m a police detective.”

“And your information is just as vulnerable as anyone else’s if you know how to look for it.”

A fact that made Sawyer’s blood run cold. “Do I need to remind you that I’m the real investigator in this partnership?”

“Seems like you just did,” Alec snapped.

Sawyer gripped the phone tighter and fought the urge to tell Alec Bishop to go fuck himself. He trained his gaze on Monica’s and Jane’s whiteboards. There was hope for these women, and Sawyer didn’t want to let them down. So, he let the smart-ass comeback go. “I received a call from the lab, and they excluded your father as the assailant in another case.”

“Damn,” Alec said. “Another swing and a miss.”

“At least it helps us focus our resources on the final two.”

“And one’s a Jane Doe, right?” Alec asked.

“Yes.” Sawyer gritted his teeth and braced himself for a shitty remark.

“I really hope you find resolutions in all these cases, but especially the Janes. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” Even a broken clock was right twice a day. “And you’re not the only one with news.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“I’ll be in Savannah sooner than I’d planned.”

Sawyer barely managed to bite back a groan. Alec wasn’t supposed to arrive until Sunday, and he’d planned to make the most of his final days of freedom. “When?”

“In two hours.”

Sawyer’s heart sank. “That’s soon.”

“The house I’m renting on Tybee Island opened up sooner than expected. I guess the previous renter had to end their vacation early. The homeowner reached out to see if I wanted to take advantage of the vacancy for a discounted price. Couldn’t pass up that offer.”

“Of course not.” Could his voice sound drier or more brittle?

“Let’s get dinner tonight and kick around some ideas. The rest of my crew won’t arrive until Sunday, but we can get a jump start on the project.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”