Page 11 of Three Girls Gone (Detective Amanda Steele #14)

NINE

Amanda had taken a sip of coffee and Trent a few bites of his sandwich when her phone rang. “It’s Malone,” she said before answering on speaker.

“Tell me you’ve got some solid leads,” Malone spat out the moment she picked up.

“We have a few things we’re following up.” She filled him in on the developments at the Tanner house, leaving out any of her speculations about Butters or someone from the fertility clinic.

“So either an intruder or someone the Tanners welcomed into their home,” he summarized.

“That’s the gist. We have a list of names, and Detective McGee with Missing Persons is getting more together for us. Apparently, the Tanners held a dinner for investors and Mayor Beswick was present.”

Malone’s end of the line fell silent, leaving her with the sound of Trent’s chewing followed by him crumpling the wrapper from the sandwich.

“Sarge?”

“You can’t honestly suspect the mayor’s involvement in any of this. ”

“I never said that I did, but I thought you’d like to know.” She’d been at this job long enough to know so much of it was about optics.

“Don’t go near him unless you run it past me. Am I understood?”

“Understood.”

“And whatever you do, work fast. The news is out, and the police chief wants to provide some answers ASAP.”

No advantage would come from confirming scuttlebutt was already making its way around.

She pictured Chief Buchanan all over Malone to provide him with updates.

High-profile cases always put the department under a microscope.

It was her and Trent’s third such case in the last six months.

“Trent and I will keep you posted, but that’s all I can promise. ”

Malone mumbled something incoherent before ending the call.

“I don’t envy him,” Trent said as he got them on the road again.

“Me either. But is it just me or is the chief worked up more often these days?” When he first joined the PWCPD, he was a strong and fair leader who respected the team of people under him. In recent months, he wore his authority with more grit, putting her opinion of him in flux.

“Oh, he’s more worked up all right, but there’s also been a lot of cases garnering nationwide attention.”

She had no response. It just put more pressure on everyone’s shoulders. On her shoulders. “Tell me we’ll have video from the park ASAP.” He didn’t have a chance to update her yet.

“I don’t know about ASAP . The person I spoke with wasn’t big into committing to a turnaround time.”

“Stay on them.”

“You can bet I will.”

“Good. Now get us over to Mara Bennett. ”

Kendra Bennett’s apartment building was only two blocks east of the diner, and Amanda and Trent reached it in a few minutes.

He knocked on the door for unit 405. A short time later, the peephole cover was slid over.

They held up their badges, and the deadbolt was unlocked and the chain undone.

A woman in her early thirties stood there in an oversized sweatshirt and black leggings. Her heap of brown hair was wound in a loose bun on the top of her head. A few strands cascaded at the sides of her face in curly tendrils. She tucked them behind her ears. “Hello?”

“Mara Bennett?” Trent asked her.

“Yes.”

“We’re Detectives Stenson, and Steele,” he said. “We have questions pertaining to Hailey Tanner.”

Mara’s eyes filled with tears, but she nudged out her chin. “Where is Detective McGee?”

“Hailey’s case is ours now. Could we come in?” Amanda asked.

Mara nodded, and the emotion playing out on her face told Amanda she’d seen the news or the Tanners had called.

“Okay.” She backed up and let them inside the small apartment. The compact space was made to feel smaller by oversized furniture and hoards of bric-a-brac. Mara took them to the living room, which offered plenty of seating.

Mara took a chair, and Amanda and Trent sat at opposite ends of the couch.

“We understand this is your sister’s apartment. Is she home?” Amanda wanted to know if they should expect any interruptions.

“Nah, she’s at work. You never said what happened to the other detective.” Mara pinched the bridge of her nose, like she had a headache.

“I think you already know…” Amanda eased in.

Mara pressed her lips together, and tears fell down her cheeks. She swiped them away. “Jean called me. I can’t believe it.”

“You’ve had quite a shock,” Amanda empathized, while not letting go of her suspicions toward the nanny.

“I just had this horrible feeling it would come to this. Jean told me to expect you. You’re with Homicide?”

“We are.” Amanda studied the woman. “Why did you have a horrible feeling?” She tiptoed into potential landmine territory. If Mara was guilty, she didn’t want to spook her.

Mara’s shoulders lowered. “I don’t know. It’s just I think whoever takes a child is a sick person, their heads not quite screwed on right. Do they not realize that a six-year-old is a lot of work?”

“People have kidnapped children because they couldn’t have their own,” Trent put in as he balanced his tablet on his lap.

“I guess so.”

“What had you becoming a nanny?” Her answer could tell them a lot.

“I love children but have no interest in having my own.”

“No interest at all?” Amanda wished for Mara to elaborate.

“Well, I’m not in any financial position to raise a child, for one thing. And to be honest, the whole birthing process freaks me right out.”

Having a baby wasn’t for the faint of heart, that was for sure. Amanda had endured fifteen hours of labor with Lindsey, and the pain scale went from excruciating to unbearable until the epidural sank in. But the first half of Mara’s statement lodged in Amanda’s head. Did she take Hailey for money ?

“Do you have any idea who did this to Hailey?” Mara asked.

“We’re following some leads,” Trent told her.

“Jean said Hailey was found this morning in Heroes Memorial Park.”

It was hard to read if it was a natural transition or an effort to steer the conversation. “That’s right. Did you ever take Hailey to that park?”

Mara shook her head. “No need. The Tanners had everything a kid could want in the backyard.”

Amanda remembered what she’d seen out Hailey’s window and had to agree. “Are you familiar with a woman named Susan Butters?”

Mara chewed her bottom lip. “Never heard of her.”

Trent showed her Butters’s picture on his tablet. “Does she look familiar?”

Mara looked at the screen and shook her head. “I don’t know how Jean and Vincent will ever recover from this.” More tears made their way down the nanny’s face.

“They told us Hailey was their miracle baby, that they would have done anything for her safe return.” Amanda planted the bait and waited for a bite.

“Oh, they would have. They even talked about posting a reward to get her back.”

Amanda wasn’t sure what Mara’s play was with sharing that. Had it been to get in front of it, to lessen suspicion against her? Or was she stating a fact? Amanda was having a hard time getting a read on the woman.

“You must have had a close bond with the girl yourself,” Trent interjected. “This must be hard on you too.”

“It’s heartbreaking. I was with her from the beginning.”

“Could you tell us a bit more about the day that Hailey was taken?” Amanda asked.

“Ah, sure. I dropped her off for her lesson at Tiptoe Studio, helped her change, and stayed until I saw her go into class. Then, I popped out to pick up some groceries Jean asked for. I was getting ready to make my way back to pick Hailey up when Jean texted me. She said not to worry about Hailey, that she’d pick her up.

It wasn’t a number I had in my phone, but Jean said it was a new one.

I had no way of knowing it wasn’t her. That someone was orchestrating Hailey’s kidnapping. ”

“Of course not,” Trent empathized, and Amanda resisted looking his way.

None of this cleared Mara. The sender could be her partner in crime.

Amanda didn’t enjoy regarding everyone with a critical eye, but the academy had drilled that into her.

New recruits were warned not to take any situation at face value.

“You said you helped her change for class, but you don’t help afterward? ”

“No, Candace, who owns the studio, helps, helped , with that.”

They’d ask about this when they got to the studio. “Was it common for Mrs.Tanner to pick Hailey up after class?”

“No, I should have known something was up. I’ve been beating myself up about this ever since.” A fresh batch of tears soaked Mara’s cheeks, and she palmed them.

“It’s common to blame ourselves when something tragic like this happens, but the only person who is responsible here is whoever took Hailey,” Amanda leveled at her.

“I know you’re right, but it’s just hard.”

“I imagine,” Trent offered. “Did you ever see anyone hanging around, watching the girl? Anyone who you might have seen regularly on your walks? I assume you took her for walks?”

“I did. Just Nora, but she’s eighty-two and lives three doors down from the Tanners. She makes the most delicious banana bread and loved spoiling Hailey. There’s no way she’s wrapped up in any of this. Her heart’s going to break when she hears about her. ”

At least Nora didn’t sound suspect. “What are your thoughts about Nick Potter, Mr.Tanner’s former employee?”

“Nick? He seems like a decent guy, and Vincent struck me as remorseful for what happened between them. I take it you know about that?”

“We do,” Amanda said.

“Why are you asking about him?” Mara let her gaze dance back and forth between them.

“We’re trying to get a picture of the people in the Tanners’ lives, and we heard he came by around Christmas with a gift for Hailey.” Amanda would hold back about the missing tutu and slippers for now.

“He did, but there’s no way Nick’s involved in what happened to Hailey.”

“You sound confident,” Trent said. “Do you know the man well?”

Mara’s cheeks flushed. “Well enough. We had a thing for a little while.”

“By thing , you mean a romantic relationship?” Amanda sought clarity. It was possible that Nick Potter and Mara Bennett worked together.

“ Relationship is too heavy a word to describe what we had. A tryst, a brief affair. Either of those would do it more justice.”

“How long were you together?” Amanda censored herself not to say couple .

“Nick and I started up around Christmas and it lasted a week past New Year’s.”

“But things ended?” Trent looked up from his tablet.

“Just as fast as they started, but it was mutual.”

“Was he ever over when the Tanners weren’t around?” Amanda asked.

“Maybe once or twice, but please don’t tell the Tanners. They didn’t want me to have visitors over when they weren’t around. ”

Amanda found that rule understandable even if a person didn’t have a child. Factor in one age six, even more so.

“You took a risk. Hailey was old enough to talk and expose you,” Trent pointed out.

“We were careful about that. He’d only visit when she was in school, and I had the house otherwise to myself.”

“When was the last time Nick was there?” Amanda asked.

“January. Jean was out at some charity event or lunch with friends.”

“Did you ever bring anyone else into the home without their knowledge?”

“No, I swear.”

“No other lovers?” Amanda stressed.

“Absolutely not. I only let Nick in because I trusted him and the family knew him.”

“Well, in most cases of child abduction, it is someone close to the family and the kid,” Amanda pointed out.

“As I said, Nick’s not responsible and neither am I, if that’s where you’re going with all these questions. Detective McGee made no secret we were suspects in Hailey’s disappearance. Should I hire a lawyer?”

“That is up to you,” Amanda said. “Right now, we’re just talking.”

“Well, I think it’s time for you to leave.”

A key jangled in the apartment’s deadbolt hole but was promptly removed. The door swung open. “Mara? Why is the door unlocked?” a woman called out.

An older version of Mara peeked her head into the living room and brought with her the aroma of french fries and cheeseburgers. The source likely the paper bag stained with grease in her hand. Her expression of irritation deepened when she saw Amanda and Trent. “Police?”

“We are—” Amanda started but was interrupted.

“What are you doing here? Mara, you were supposed to meet with that lawyer after that one detective came after you already.”

“He cleared me. Kendra, these detectives are with Homicide.” Mara’s voice was small when she shared this news with her sister.

Kendra set the bag on an end table and crossed her arms. “Are you telling me that Hailey’s dead?”

“Someone murdered her,” Mara told her sister.

“Really?” Kendra turned on Amanda, let her gaze drift to Trent.

“You must not have seen the news. I believe it’s already out there,” Amanda said.

“No, not at all. It’s been a day.” Kendra dropped onto the couch and wrapped her arms around her sister. “Oh my God, Mara.”

“Just one more question before we leave,” Amanda said. Mara looked expectant while Kendra crossed her arms. “Were any of Hailey’s tutus at the cleaners?” She’d leave the slippers out of the conversation.

Mara narrowed her eyes. “That seems like a strange question.”

“Please just answer Detective Steele,” Trent encouraged with a firm tone.

“I took them two weeks ago, but they should all be in her closet, except for the one at the dance studio.”

Just as Jean Tanner had told them. But it wasn’t so much about her answer, but Amanda being able to get a read on the nanny. Based on appearances, she was genuinely confused that Amanda had brought them up. “All right, thank you for your time. We’ll see ourselves out.”

She and Trent didn’t speak until they were back in the car. Then Amanda broke the silence.

“Mara allowed visitors into the home against the Tanners’ wishes. What other lines did she cross? ”

“I admit that doesn’t say much about her character, but it seems a leap from that to kidnapping and killing the child under her care.”

Amanda would love to agree, but she’d witnessed too much human atrocity to dismiss the possibility.