Page 67 of Night Hawk
Clay flipped the picture then looked up. “You said your dad kept this on his desk.”
“He did.”
Clay ran his fingers over the brown paper glued to the frame in a neat seal. “There’s no stand affixed to the back like most desktop picture frames include.”
She dug in the box and pulled out a Lucite easel. “He used this.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to get a frame with a built-in stand?”
“I suppose. Do you think it’s important?”
“What if the paper is covering something up?”
Was it? She’d never considered the idea. Not once in the countless times she’d looked at the picture when she’d visited her dad’s office. But she’d been too focused on drinking in the sight of her mother. Of trying to remember this day. Remember the feeling of joy. Of love. Not of sadness over her loss.
“Mind if I take the paper off?” Clay asked.
“Go ahead,” she said, doubting they would find anything.
Erik returned with Pong and settled on the sofa as Clay dug a small knife from his pocket and flipped out the blade. He sliced around the back, set the knife on the table, and lifted the paper.
He revealed a brass key taped on the back of the photo. She gaped at the shiny key sparkling in the overhead light.
“Oh my gosh!” She ripped the key free and studied it. “There’s a bank’s name engraved on it.”
Clay looked at her, excitement burning in his eyes. “It’s likely for a safe deposit box.”
“Not for his regular bank. I closed those accounts. And there weren’t any statements or correspondence for this bank in his things. Not at home or at work.”
Clay locked onto her gaze. “Sounds like he didn’t want anyone to know about this.”
“Another secret.”
“Which means it’s something we really need to see. Hopefully your dad left money in this account to keep paying the rental fees. Otherwise, the bank could’ve disposed of the contents.”
“My dad was very thorough. He probably paid rent on it for a year or two. If the items are important, that is. Which they must be.” She felt the heaviness of the key in her palm. “I need to overnight this to Vance. I’m sure he’ll check it out for us.” She got out her phone to call her father’s former boss.
Clay started to set down the photo but stopped and stared at it as if the picture might jump out of the frame and bite him like the rattler they’d encountered.
Her stomach started churning. “What is it?”
“Something’s written on the back, but prepare yourself.” He held it out. “It’s a shocker.”
17
Clay reached out to catch Toni as she dropped to the stool, her face as pale as the white countertop in the attached kitchen. He didn’t think she could survive another family secret, but she was working hard to do so. Breathing deeply and exhaling, obviously trying to cope.
She traced her finger over the crisp handwriting on the photo back. Clay checked the words again to be sure he’d read them right.Lisa and Edie.
“He lied to me again.” Toni shook her head. “All these years I’ve been trying to place this day in my memory, and it’s not my memory at all. It’s Lisa and Mom.”
Toni tossed the photo on the counter and turned her back on it. “Finding a copy of this picture and the clothes in Rader’s garage makes more sense now.”
“You’re thinking Rader took Lisa.”
She flashed him a look. “Aren’t you?”
“Yes, but we can only prove that Rader knew about her and the other girls and perhaps took souvenirs from them.”
