He continued. “I mean, there’s no way this woman could have bought those shoes even if she didn’t have a child, or maybe even stolen them from somewhere. Have you thought about that, huh, Wilde? Some people will go a long way to convince you they’re telling the truth. I’m telling ya’. I have seen my share of crazy stuff in my day. You will too when you’ve been around as long as me.”

I shook my head. No. I couldn’t think like that. I couldn’t be this cynical. I saw those Crocs, and the moment I did, I instantly knew there was a girl who had worn them recently. And that girl was nowhere to be found. Were there a lot of strange things about this mother and the fact she had no identification, no pictures or any toys lying around? Absolutely. But I had to follow my gut on this one. I felt very strongly that this was important. A little girl’s life was at stake. I couldn’t take that lightly. I simply refused to.

“Chief, I know it might seem like a long shot, but what if we’re wrong?” I said. “What if there really is a child out there who is in danger? Could you live with yourself if something happened to her? I know I couldn’t.”

He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, his eyes piercing through mine. He clicked his tongue and seemed to be mulling it over. I felt annoyed. We were wasting precious time by just sitting there, doing nothing. Debating whether or not we should use resources on this.

A missing child, for crying out loud!

What was there to discuss?

“And what about the Cassandra Perez case, huh?” he asked, tapping his finger on his wooden desk. “I think that should be our priority now. Someone killed that young girl and threw her in the pond. She was strangled and dumped like trash. It’s not right. It makes me so angry. These things aren’t supposed to be happening in my town. Not in my town. I want this solved, and the killer off the streets. As soon as it gets out it will terrify our little community. I want this killer caught before panic spreads around here. That’s your job. Not looking for missing toddlers that only exist in the mind of a weird woman.”

“I can do both.”

He looked at me like he didn’t quite believe me. I wasn’t giving up. I knew I could persuade him.

“I think the cases are connected,” I added. “The mother claims Cassandra was her babysitter. She’s wrapped up in this somehow, and I’d never forgive myself if a little girl was truly missing and I did nothing to find her. Neither would you.”

He eased up. I seemed to have caught his attention with this new information. His phone started ringing and I could tell he wanted me to get out of there, so he could take the call.

He grunted, annoyed. “Fine. You have until the end of the week. That’s all I can agree to.”

I clenched my fist. Finally, he gave in. “Thank you, Chief. You’ve made the right decision.”

“But that’s it. If you don’t find anything by then, I want you to drop this and focus on your other cases. And no focus is taken from the Perez case, do you hear me? It’s a top priority right now. Absolutely top. Nothing above it.”

“I hear you, Chief. I want this killer caught too. Believe you me.”

“Then get to work.”

I nodded, grateful for the opportunity. As I stood up to leave, the Chief lifted his hand and stopped me. He had grabbed his phone, but hadn’t picked it up yet. It was still ringing in his hand.

“Wilde, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

He looked at me from above his glasses. “If you’re wrong about this and it turns out to be a dead end, I don’t want to hear any excuses. Is that clear? You’ll be facing the consequences. I hope you realize this.”

“Yes, Chief.”

With that, I left his office, determined to prove him wrong. As I walked past Tom’s and Scott’s desks, they gave me a look of support, but I could tell they were worried about me. I was taking a huge risk, and if it didn’t pay off, it could jeopardize my entire career. I wasn’t that concerned. Not for me at least.

I was, however, extremely worried about Emma.

FOURTEEN

Then

Officer Damian quickly became a regular houseguest. They all enjoyed his visits, even Kitty’s mom, who would invite him over for dinner at least once a week, mostly in the weekends, so they could drink beers in the living room of their mobile home all night long.

Kitty loved it when he came over. She would get to stay up late, and it was like everyone changed around him. Her mom and stepdad would be in a better mood, and they wouldn’t yell at her so much, or at each other.

As the months went by, Kitty found herself looking forward more and more to Officer Damian’s visits. She would stand by the window and watch as he drove up into the driveway, then feel the excitement rush through her body as she saw his face approach. He would always come bearing gifts—a new book for her to read, a cute pink teddy bear he just bought in the dollar store on the way there that was “staring at him, begging him to take him to the prettiest girl in the area,” and loads of beers for her mom and stepdad to share. She loved how he always seemed to know just what to bring.

One evening, as they sat in the living room watching American Idol, Officer Damian leaned over and whispered in Kitty’s ear.

“Hey, I’ve got a surprise for you, pretty girl,” he said. “I managed to snag some tickets to Disney World for this weekend. How about you and I go together on Saturday?”

Kitty’s heart skipped a beat. She had never been to an amusement park before, even if they lived close to a lot of them, but it was way too expensive for her mom. And Disney was the one she wanted to try the most. All the kids in her class had been there and some even went once or twice a year. The thought of spending the day with Officer Damian made her feel beyond giddy with excitement.

“Yes, please!” she exclaimed.

“But we have to make sure it’s okay with your mommy,” he said and looked at her sitting on the couch next to Cole.

Kitty stared at her mother, eyes growing wide with anticipation. Would she say yes?

“Please, Mommy, can I go? Please?”

Her mother looked at her, her eyes glassy, beer still in her hand. Then she smiled. Her voice was slurred, but Kitty heard the words loud and clear. “Of course. Go. Have fun.”

Kitty jumped to her feet. “Yay! Did you hear that, Officer Damian? I can go.”

He smiled at her excitement. “I heard it. I’m so happy.”

She clasped her hands together. “I can’t wait. I can’t believe it. We’re gonna ride the roller coasters, and eat cotton candy, and… and… eat candy and…”

“Say a proper thank you to him for being so nice,” Cole said. “Go sit on his lap, girl.”

Officer Damian’s face lit up. He signaled for her to come closer. Kitty hesitated. She wasn’t sure she dared to.

“It’s okay, girl,” her stepdad said and ushered her along. “Remember he’s a cop, you’d better do what he says.”

That was right. He was the police and you had to do what they said. It was true. She had been taught that in school.

“Don’t wanna get in trouble with the law, now, would you?” he added, and he winked at his friend. “Go ahead.”

Kitty swallowed and bit the side of her cheek. She felt nervous. She really, really liked Officer Damian and was afraid of doing something wrong.

“Come, pretty girl,” he said and reached out his arms. “Come closer.”

Kitty looked briefly in her mother’s direction, like she wanted to make sure it was okay with her. She didn’t want to do something that she didn’t approve of. She didn’t want her to get mad at her. But her mother had dozed off. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily, her head leaning on the backrest of the couch.

Cole laughed as Officer Damian reached out for her and pulled Kitty up into his lap. She sat there, nervously, but also feeling happy. He really did like her, didn’t he? She liked him too. A lot.

FIFTEENBILLIE ANN

“I can’t help you if you don’t help me.”