Page 17 of Three Girls Gone (Detective Amanda Steele #14)

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? ”

“Ah, sure.”

“Wonderful. I’ll see you in about ten, fifteen minutes.” Amanda was smiling when she hung up. A break away from a case in the first twenty-four hours was almost unheard of.

“I overheard. You’re running away?” Trent said.

“I am. That’s if you’re okay to handle things.” Maybe she misspoke and assumed incorrectly that he’d be fine on his own. “Or maybe you could pop home and have a bite with Kelsey?”

“Kels won’t be home. She just texted a minute ago that she’s going out for dinner and drinks with some colleagues.”

“Oh.” Amanda hadn’t intended for that one little word to slip out, and after seeing Trent raise his eyebrows, she wished she could reel it back in.

“Meaning?”

“Nothing.”

“No, it’s not nothing.”

“That’s a lot of negatives.” She grabbed her light jacket and headed for the door.

“Just talk to me.”

If there was a way out of this, she’d take it, but he’d stay on her. She stopped walking and turned around. “You know how this job is unpredictable and has us breaking promises to those we love?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good that you found someone who has fluidity to her life too. Don’t take that for granted.” Even as she doled out relationship advice, jealousy reared its ugly head.

“It is. Here, let me get the door.” He slipped ahead of her and held it open.

“Where are you going?” The question tumbled out of its own accord. It shouldn’t matter to her where he was headed.

“I assume I’m allowed to eat too.”

“Of course you are. Never mind me.” She smiled, but it failed to cut through an awkward undercurrent. In the back of her mind, she was imagining the three of them going out for a meal. That being her, Zoe, and Trent.

“If you and Zoe want company, I could tag along. I’d just hit a drive-thru otherwise.”

Now, he’s reading my mind… She choked back on the fact that he’d just invited himself along, but why should she make a big deal out of this? Zoe knew Trent was her partner, and she liked him. They all needed to eat… “Sure. Why not? I mean, I’m sure Zoe will be happy to see you.”

“Nice.” Trent grinned. “She’s a good kid.”

“That she is.”

He stopped walking and looked over the parking lot. “I guess the question becomes your car or mine.”

“Let’s take your Jeep. I’m good with being chauffeured.

” The truth was this impromptu date had her mind spinning.

She was best to focus on the job. “Since we’ll be out, we should call McGee again to let him know we can swing by Eastern to pick up the files.

” She made it sound like the thought just occurred to her.

He didn’t need to know this was her original justification for stepping out.

Trent unlocked his Wrangler and got behind the wheel while she hefted herself up into the passenger seat.

“I’ll call on the way. Just tell me where I’m headed.”

She gave him Libby’s address, and he got them on the road.

He placed the call to Detective McGee using the vehicle’s Bluetooth. When McGee answered, Trent said, “It’s Detective Stenson.”

“We just spoke. I need more time to get the files together and over there.” McGee sounded irritated, and it fueled Amanda’s temper.

“That’s why I’m calling. No need for you to bring them over or send them with someone. Detective Steele and I can pick them up.”

“They’re not ready yet.”

“We’re grabbing a bite to eat. Say in an hour?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?”

“Thanks.” With that Trent hung up and looked over at her. “He sounds thrilled.”

“Doesn’t he though? I’m not sure how to read the guy. One minute he’s indifferent, the next some emotion shows through…”

“Who knows what his story is.”

“True enough. Everyone has one.” This sentiment daisy-chained to another thought. “I sure hope Katherine gets cleared to help. It would mean a lot to her.”

“Me too. She needs this.”

Amanda nodded, as her mind tripped down the rabbit hole. She couldn’t imagine how Katherine would feel knowing she was inching in on her daughter’s killer, but on the ugly flip side of that it had taken another young girl’s life to bring it to her attention.

Trent pulled into Libby’s driveway, and the front door swung open. Zoe came running out and down the steps.

Amanda’s heart lifted, and she couldn’t get her seatbelt undone fast enough. Only instead of going to the passenger side, Zoe went straight to Trent.

I’ll pretend that doesn’t sting… Amanda walked around the front of the Jeep. Zoe didn’t pass her a glance.

Trent put his window down and leaned out.

“Hey, Trent.” Zoe was grinning up at him, not self-conscious about her missing front teeth.

One up, one down. The Tooth Fairy gave her ten dollars each for them, and Amanda encouraged her to save one of those bills.

It was tucked into a piggy bank in the girl’s room.

When its belly was stuffed, Zoe would empty it and take a fourth of the money to buy whatever she wanted and open a savings account with the rest.

“Hey, Zoe,” Trent mimicked the girl.

“What are you doing here?”

“Going out for dinner with you and your mom.”

Zoe’s smile faded, and she faced Amanda but didn’t close the distance.

Amanda could see her mind working and feared it might be stuck on the mom bit. Trent was looking at Amanda, clearly feeling he’d misspoken, but Amanda shook her head. He didn’t need to feel bad for what he’d said .

“Hey, Zoe,” Amanda chimed in to take some of the pressure off the girl. Even though she had adopted Zoe almost four years ago, she never expected to be called Mom. Amanda appreciated it might be a title reserved for Zoe’s late mother, and respected that was Zoe’s decision to make.

“Mandy!” Zoe pumped some enthusiasm into seeing her.

Finally… Amanda was close to getting a complex.

“So I’m not here to pick you up for the night, but like Trent said, we’re taking you out for dinner.

Where do you want to go?” With that carte blanche offering, she hoped it wasn’t going to be the Waffle House.

That girl could eat pancakes for any meal of the day.

“Petey’s!”

Amanda could live with that choice. Petey’s Patties was a burger joint with checkered floors and vinyl booths. Their menu only consisted of comfort food. “Sounds good to me. Trent?”

“Delicious!”

Zoe laughed.

“Let me just check in with Libby.” Amanda hadn’t missed that Libby was standing in the doorway still.

Amanda went to her. “Thank you for taking her tonight and letting me pop by like this. I hope it’s not too much of an inconvenience.”

“Never a problem where you or Zoe are concerned.”

Whenever Libby talked about Zoe, Amanda could feel her love for the girl. “Just know you’re appreciated.”

Libby dipped her head.

“I should have her back within the hour,” Amanda said and turned to leave. Summarizing her limited time with Zoe drilled an ache into her chest.

“See you soon.” Libby shut the door behind her.

Amanda returned to the Jeep to find that Zoe had climbed into the front passenger seat. She slipped into the back. “Hey now, what’s going on here?”

“Trent said I could ride shoe gun.” Zoe giggled.

“ Shot gun,” Trent corrected.

“Yeah, that’s it. Close enough.” The girl was grinning, her head turned toward Trent. He might be her first crush.

The girl has impeccable taste… The thought fired through Amanda’s head at lightning speed. Then she spent the next forty-five minutes telling herself dinner with Trent and her daughter was normal. Platonic. Nothing to it. If only her heart was listening to her head.