Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
It’s not that I’m squeamish about fire, but I’m not going to touch a match on Bellamy land without cutting lines so clean they’d satisfy an insurance adjuster and a forest ranger. I don’t have fuel with me beyond what’s in the truck and the oil in the crankcase, and I’m not going to siphon like an idiot and leave a breadcrumb trail if I don’t have to. If Reyes wants a picture, he can wait. He didn’t say when. He said do it.
First, I want to know what I’m erasing.
And I don’t want to do this alone.
I need my older brother.
I need Falcon.
“Tomorrow,” I tell the building.
Then I walk back to the truck, turn on the engine, and begin the trek to the main road.
Falcon.
But first…Eagle.
18
DANIELA
“Dangerous?” Chef asks. “I mean, he’s a little eccentric, but dangerous?”
“You knew he was dangerous,” Vinnie says, “or you wouldn’t have come here in the middle of the night to tell us about him as soon as you made the connection.”
“But I…” Chef shakes his head. “You’re right, of course. Gwen didn’t like him at all. But she’s just a kid, and I didn’t think… Oh, hell. I don’t know what I was thinking. He and I have known each other for years. I just can’t believe…”
“Chef,” I say, “How long was Gordon here?”
He rubs his chin. “He arrived right before Valentine’s Day. I remember because I was planning a chocolate lesson for my advanced students, and he teased me about using Belgian instead of Ecuadorian.”
My heart squeezes. “And when did he leave?”
“A little over a week ago. I drove him to the airport myself. Two days before Gwen’s sleepover.”
Raven exhales a sharp breath. “Right. You said he was gone before the sleepover. So before Belinda disappeared.”
Chef nods. “Yes. Gwen wanted to wait until he was gone to have friends over. She said…” He pauses, looking sheepish. “She said he gave her the creeps. I told her she was being silly. He’s a chef, not a—”
He stops.
I finish for him. “Not a monster?”
Chef swallows. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant.” My voice is steadier than I feel. “She’s smart, your daughter. She trusted her instincts. Good thing she did.”
Because I didn’t.
I wasn’t much older than Gwen when I started trading favors for lessons. Hands for guidance. Body for validation. I told myself it was different, that he saw potential in me. That he was giving me a chance.
He wasn’t. He was grooming me. The same way my father did, only with cooking lessons and kinder words.
The air feels too thin. I excuse myself quickly before I break down right there in front of everyone.
“He was here,” I whisper finally. “In the same state. Staying in that house while tormenting me with his little gifts.”
Chef drops his jaw. “What? My God…”
“It’s a long story,” I tell him, “but you were right to see a connection.” I turn to Vinnie. “The timing lines up exactly. He was in town over Valentine’s Day, left before the sleepover, and the card showed up at my door that same week. Who else would do that?”
Vinnie’s jaw ticks. “And the roses with the barbed wire?”
“The DNA from the dead guy on the registry. Chef could have…” I drop my head into my hands.
“Those chocolates you had me analyze?” Chef Charleston says. “You think Gordon Brown sent them?”
I nod. “Only one was Colombian. You said so yourself. It was a message. He wanted me to know it was him. That’s how he works. How he’s always worked. Subtle enough to make you question your sanity, but close enough to smell your fear.”
Vinnie curls his hands into fists. “I’ll look into it. If he’s behind Belinda’s disappearance, I’ll find proof.”
“Please,” Chef says. “You’ve got to believe me. I never knew he was… I mean… I assume he…”
I sniffle. “Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say he taught me to cook.” I gulp. “In exchange for…”
Chef goes pale. “Oh my God… And he stayed in my home. With my child. He’s been visiting for years.”
I swallow again. “I’m sure Gwen is fine, Chef. But if he started giving her the creeps, he probably—”
“Oh my God!” Chef says again. “I need to go home. I’m so sorry, Daniela. So sorry about everything. That monster will never be allowed in my home again. Certainly never anywhere near my daughter, or any child.”
I sniffle again. “Thanks for coming, Chef. If you hear anything about Belinda…”
“I’ll call you all right away.”
Vinnie walks Chef to the door and then returns to Raven and me.
Vinnie sits at the kitchen island, opens his laptop, and starts typing. “Let’s go through everything,” he says. “One more time. I want to get every detail down.”
So I do. Every detail. The dates, the card, the roses, the way Chef C’s friend matched the timeline perfectly.