Page 117 of Night Hawk
“Did he say he knew my task force would be there?”
“No. Just that he was looking for a man named Sheldon Sharkey. Said this Sharkey fellow was working with the person who took Lisa.”
“What about killing Andrew Martin? Did Dad mention that?”
“Yeah. Once Martin was arrested for sexual assault, your dad started to believe Martin was involved in taking Lisa. Your father tried to prove it, but he couldn’t. His rage is obvious in his writing, and he said even if Martin wasn’t guilty of taking Lisa, he was guilty of victimizing that young girl. Your dad couldn’t abide Martin getting away with it.”
So he’d murdered a man. A relative at that.
She shuddered, her mind racing with crazy thoughts.
Had she known her father at all?
No. Clearly not. The man she knew wouldn’t commit murder. But then she couldn’t comprehend a parent’s turmoil after having a child abducted. To live year after year wondering. Waiting. Knowing if they were alive that they were in a horrible situation. Probably pleading with God. There would be anger. So much anger. Pain. Despair.
How had he gone on, day after day? Especially after her mother died. He talked to no one about it. He must’ve felt so very alone. If only he’d told Toni. She could’ve helped.
“Toni, you there?” Vance asked.
“Yeah, sorry.” She shook her head to clear the pain, the thoughts. “Thanks for mailing the journals.”
“No problem. And Toni. No matter what you’re feeling right now, know that your dad loved you very much. Talked about you all the time and about how proud he was of you.”
“Thanks, Vance.” She ended the call and pocketed her phone.
She had no time to think about that. The exam room door opened, and Lisa stepped out. Henry was hanging onto her, and Rachel was nearly glued to Lisa’s other side. Fear lingered in their eyes. They’d never experienced life in the real world. Shock and anxiety would be with them for some time.
Please help them. Please.
“Ready to go?” Toni made sure she sounded cheerful.
Lisa gave a sharp nod.
“Clay is waiting outside.” Toni got up from the bench. “He’ll drive us to the hotel.” She led the way through the busy ER to the exit. At the door, she spotted Clay in their vehicle idling at the curb. He’d dropped Drake off at his parents’ beach house and returned for them.
Lisa faced Toni. “We should let Grandma and Grandpa know I was found. Would you be okay with stopping by their place for a few minutes?”
“Tonight?” Toni asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to get some rest?”
“I think it’s important to face the situation head on.” Lisa lifted her chin, looking so like their father when he was resolute that it put an ache in Toni’s heart. She opened the door before she started crying and made things worse for her sister and kids.
Clay jumped out and came around the back. “I stopped at a store and got a car seat for Henry. I also saw the new guidelines for kids Rachel’s age suggesting they now ride in booster seats so got a booster seat for her. They’re both top-rated, so they’re good ones.”
“You did?” Lisa gaped at him. “That was very kind. Thank you.”
“Glad to do it,” Clay said. “If you need help buckling them up, let me know. I read the manual while you were inside.”
Lisa smiled at Clay, and Toni’s heart burst with pride over Clay’s consideration. He really was an amazing guy.
“We’re going to stop at our grandparents’ house,” Toni said to Clay.
He cocked an eyebrow but didn’t speak. Once everyone was settled, he got the SUV headed in the right direction.
Grandma and Grandpa. How foreign it felt to Toni to hear those words as related to her. She had no idea how she felt about them. Or how Lisa was feeling. If they’d told the police about Wilshire, would Lisa have been found years ago? Toni didn’t think Wilshire would’ve been honest about his relationship with Ursula, but the police could’ve questioned others about Wilshire and potentially learned about Ursula. It was a long shot, but possible.
So, were her grandparents off the hook? No, but they deserved to know that Lisa was alive and not just from some phone call or a visit by a deputy.
She looked over the seat at Lisa, who was twisting her hands together. “You sure you want to stop there?”
