Page 87 of Night Prey
Londyn’s perfectly plucked eyebrows rose. “I don’t know Ian all that well. This is the first time we’ve worked so closely with each other. But you become a detective, and you learn to read people. He’s a great guy. Committed. Compassionate. And he still wants to make a difference when a lot of law enforcement officers become jaded after the years of service he’s put in. He’s one of the most hardworking detectives in our department.”
“Sounds like there’s a but coming,” Malone said.
“But I think he works so many hours to forget how empty his life is outside the job. I can recognize it because I do the same thing.”
“You’re not in a relationship?”
Londyn shook her head, her eyes clouding over. “Was until recently. But this job is hard on relationships. I hate to tell you that and add another reason for you and Ian not to get together. But often the job has to come first, and you have to find a partner who can handle that. I haven’t, and honestly, I’ve given up.”
Malone didn’t know Londyn well, but she squeezed the detective’s hand. “I’m sorry about that.”
Londyn shook her head. “Listen to me. This is so far from professional. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“Must be that we share the fashion connection.” Malone grinned and pulled her hand back. “And maybe the fact that Ian and I can’t have a relationship either.”
Londyn cupped her mug and looked at Malone. “Don’t let what I said deter you. I think Ian has the strength and determination to overcome whatever is put in front of him. Plus, his faith is strong, and that helps us all set priorities, right? So don’t give up hope.”
Malone sipped her sweet tea, letting the warmth coat her throat. She wouldn’t lose hope, even if Londyn pointed out that she had more strikes against a relationship. But Londyn reminded her, Malone and Ian had God on their side. She just needed to help Ian see that.
19
Ian stood in Junior’s apartment with Londyn and tried not to yawn. He’d spent a sleepless night, his dreams filled with Flagg Sr. coming on to Malone and attacking her as Junior had done so many years before. The kid probably learned the behavior from his dad. More proof for Ian that children could become just like their parents. But then the Flaggs didn’t believe in God. Didn’t seek to be better people because of their love for God. They did as they wanted, exactly like his parents. If not for having gone to a church youth event to get away from his family one night, he could’ve become them.
Had he really escaped a lifetime of living decadently like Flagg Sr. and his son did? The shallowness of it all still twisted his gut. Like this condo. Ostentatious. Money spent on every expensive furnishing, but what good did that do anyone? Didn’t help Junior or Karen.
Ian had lived years on a police officer’s salary, and he had everything he needed. More than he needed, and unlike his parents, who lived for gaining additional wealth, he was content being who he was and with what he had.
Yeah, he could be the man Malone needed him to be. The man God wanted him to be. He’d left his past in the past. The only thing he’d carried with him was the fear of letting the past take over his life. Now he could leave that too.
Resolved to talk to Malone in person as soon as possible, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly to return his focus to work. In the few days since Ian’s and Londyn’s last visit to the condo, the air had turned stale, and a hint of mustiness permeated the space.
“Exactly what do you hope to find here?” Londyn asked as she snapped on latex gloves.
“I don’t know. I just have a feeling Junior hid something that will explain how he learned about the Rices’ accident.”
“He could have a storage unit or used a storage facility paid for by Olivo.”
“But you wouldn’t want to go to a storage unit every time you needed something to do your job, would you? A cell phone, for example. I know we have no proof he communicated with Olivo and think they may have used drones, but if he really was Olivo’s lieutenant, he had to talk to someone to move the product, right? Plus, where’s the drone he used to deliver the finger?”
“You’d think so.” She glanced around the room that had black fingerprint powder on most surfaces. “I figure once they crack his computer, it might tell us about where he kept things, but this place has been searched as has his storage locker downstairs. They could’ve communicated by email, but I doubt they’d put their actions in writing.”
“Humor me and let’s look for hidden storage.”
“You mean like floorboards that come up?”
“Like that, but not in the floor. Condos are built on concrete slabs, so unless the entire floor is raised—which I doubt—there’s no room underneath the wood.” He looked around. “Check cabinets for false drawers, hidden spaces behind pictures. Stuff like that. You take the living area. I got the bedroom again.”
He headed down the hallway, tapping the walls along the way and looking behind pictures.
In the bedroom, he went straight to the walk-in closet. The space was the size of a small bedroom. Deep brown closet organizers filled all the walls, and a small island sat in the middle. Ian remembered the drawers of the island held expensive watches in one of the drawers, socks and underwear in another. The others were empty. He pulled out each one and felt for false bottoms. Nothing.
He went to the hanging racks. The clothing varied but was mostly T-shirts and jeans. Ian went to the hamper to check pockets again but came up empty. He ran his hands over the cabinets, feeling for a hidden or trap door. He searched the inside of closed cabinets. Slid clothing out of the way and felt the walls behind. Felt in pockets of the hanging clothes and folded items. Dumped out shoes to look for hidden objects like a key for a storage unit as Londyn had suggested.
Nothing. Not one hint of what Junior did for a living or how he learned about Malone’s parents.
How had he done such a good job of hiding his occupation? In Ian’s experience, the guy wasn’t that smart.
Ian went to the bedroom and dumped out nightstand drawers and checked under the mattress and bed. He gave the bathroom a thorough search.
