Page 32 of Three Girls Gone

“And tipping them off,” Malone added.

“Exactly.”

“Does this mean she’s cleared to help?” Amanda asked. “As you just said, you want Trent and I to dig into Hailey’s world. That means our time will be quite full just following up leads and talking with people associated with her case.”

Malone rubbed his short, groomed beard. The noise of his fingernails scratching his whiskers was the only sound in the room. “I couldn’t pay you, Katherine. There is no way that is in the budget.”

“I don’t need money,” she rushed out. “I just want to get this guy and put him behind bars where he belongs.”

“I’m not sure if there’s an available desk for you to use,” Malone said.

“She can use mine whenever I’m not here,” Amanda offered.

Malone narrowed his eyes at her before turning back to Katherine. “That’s settled, and I’ll get you a login for the computer. But before you help in any official capacity, I will need to clear this by the police chief.” With that, Malone got up and left the room.

“You’re in.” Amanda smiled at Katherine.

“I’m not celebrating just yet, and it seems like it would be rather… distasteful if I did. We are talking about a repeat killer who targets young girls.” Katherine’s eyes blanked over.

“Nothing wrong with being happy you’re on the team that’s going to bring him down. We’re going to find this guy, Kat,” Amanda told her friend.

“We better. No ordinary person has the stomach for killing a child, let alone sexually assaulting them. There’s no telling what else he’s capable of.”

FOURTEEN

The meeting with Katherine wrapped up at five o’clock. While she was going to gather her laptop and files from the storage unit to be prepared, Amanda’s immediate concern was arranging for someone to take care of Zoe.

“I’m just calling Libby,” Amanda told Trent on the way to their desks. “Then we can look at the files from the Tanner case. I’d think that Detective McGee would have sent them over by now.”And speaking of him, he never returned my call…She’d let it go only because they had dismissed Nick Potter and Mara Bennett.

“I’ll go check,” Trent said.

Amanda called Libby, and she answered on the second ring. “Amanda? How’s it going?”

She asked in a chipper tone, though she must suspect what was coming. “I picked up a new case today.”

“Let me guess. It has something to do with Hailey Tanner. I heard about it on the news. What a tragic ending.”

And not just with Hailey…It hurt to think she was linked to a twisted killer responsible for at least two murders and threatening more. “It does, and I think you know why I’m calling.”

“You need Zoe to stay for dinner or overnight. Either is fine by us. We love having her here.”

“Well, Zoe loves it too.” Libby was Zoe’s godmother, but when the girl’s parents were killed, her life circumstances didn’t allow her to adopt her. But while taking Zoe in full-time wasn’t an option, she and her life partner, Penny, were a constant in the girl’s life. Since Libby was a teacher at her school, she brought Zoe home with her until Amanda picked her up.

Trent returned and was shaking his head.

“One second,” she said to Libby. “What is it?” she asked Trent.

“The investigation files aren’t here yet. I’ll follow up with Detective McGee.”

“Thanks.”

“Amanda?” Libby was prompting from the other end of the line.

“Sorry about that.”

“Dinner or overnight?” Libby repeated.

Amanda hesitated to answer. She wanted to see Zoe, but how could she swing that? Though it would take more time waiting on McGee for the files. Amanda could pick them up, and since she’d already be out… “Libby, I’m going to swing past if that’s all right and take Zoe out for dinner. But then I’ll need to get back to work. If you’re good to take her for the night after that?”