Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Saint Andrew’s Church was three blocks away, tucked between towering office buildings like a relic from a bygone era.
Mimi Nguyen, the director of operations, was currently running an errand but would be back soon.
The secretary invited them to wait in the church.
Pews lined either side of the aisle leading to the marble altar.
Vaulted ceilings soared overhead, and stained-glass windows painted the stone floor in shifting colors as the sun moved across the sky. Dawson was humbled by it.
“Gorgeous,” Peyton murmured, her neck craning to take in the carvings on the giant stone columns.
Her steps were silent as she gravitated to the piano tucked in the corner, near a set of risers probably used for the choir.
She touched the wood lovingly before lifting her attention to the cross hanging behind the pulpit.
Dawson’s chest tightened. He’d spent hours watching her play the piano in church. In those moments, she’d lose herself, completely unguarded, her mind and spirit taken over by the music. It’d been a beautiful sight to witness. One of the many things he missed.
She’d stopped playing entirely after Samuel died.
“Do you miss it?” Dawson joined her. He’d removed his cowboy hat and held it loosely in one hand.
Peyton’s brows crinkled in confusion for a moment, and then understanding dawned. “I started playing in church last year. Not consistently. Work keeps me busy, but I play as much as I can.”
“What made you return to it?”
She turned to face him. “Remember when I told you I was in a bad car accident? It was about a year and a half ago. My fault. I was working overtime, not taking care of myself, and I fell asleep at the wheel. Just for a moment. But it was long enough to send my patrol car over the curb. It flipped three times. The doctor said it was a miracle I survived.”
He inhaled sharply. She’d nearly died, and he hadn’t known about it.
“I couldn’t understand it.” Peyton tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze lifting to the cross once again. “Why had God spared me? It didn’t make sense. For years, I’d believed that He was punishing me. That losing Samuel was proof that I wasn’t worthy of true happiness.”
It hurt to hear her say these things about herself.
Dawson had known that Peyton struggled with self-esteem long before their son’s death.
She’d been through so much even before they met.
A father who abandoned her, a mother who loved her but had been chaotic and unstable until her death.
Nana Grace had been a steadying force, but even that had been fraught with trouble.
Sandra’s battle with addiction had affected the whole family, including Lilia, who floated back and forth between her mother and her grandmother.
Peyton had responded to the chaos by excelling in every way she could. In her studies. In music. On the softball field. And it dawned on him. “You tried to earn God’s love.”
She nodded. “After the accident, I wanted to understand why, if I was so unworthy, had God spared me? I went to church for the first time since Samuel died. The pastor helped me see that my faith had been transactional, but that’s not how it works.
God doesn’t love me because I earned it.
He loves me because I’m His. That’s it. That’s enough. ”
The words were heartfelt and reverent. They pierced Dawson’s heart with their truth. He’d noticed a shift in her, a peace and quiet confidence that hadn’t been there before. Now he understood it.
He reached for her hand, taking it in his and squeezing lightly. “I’m glad you found your way back to Him, Peyton.”
Their eyes met, and a thousand unspoken words passed between them. Gratitude. Regret. Loss. Hope. They didn't need to say any of it. Fifteen years of loving someone gave you a language that didn't require words.
A door creaked open, interrupting the quiet moment, followed by brisk footsteps. Moments later, an older woman with gray hair and reading glasses hanging from a chain around her neck appeared. Dawson dropped Peyton’s hand and turned to greet her. “Mimi Nguyen?”
“Yes.” She came to a stop in front of them, her assessing gaze cataloguing Peyton and then Dawson.
Mimi might look like someone’s kind grandmother, but she had the careful astuteness of a woman who'd spent years sizing up strangers and deciding whether they could be trusted.
Dawson shifted his jacket so his badge was visible.
“I’m Detective Dawson Graham with the Knoxville Police Department.
This is Special Agent Peyton Hughes. We were hoping you could answer a few questions about Lilia Morrison.
” It was on the tip of his tongue to say that Carmen Reyes had sent them, but he didn’t want to get the lawyer into trouble.
Technically, she hadn’t violated attorney-client privilege, but she’d skittered very close to it.
“Lilia is missing, and it’s important that we find her. Peyton is her cousin.”
Mimi clasped her hands in front of her. “Forgive me, Detective Graham, but I don’t know a Lilia Morrison.”
She was lying. Dawson held her gaze. “Call the Knoxville Police Department and ask for Chief Sam Garcia. He will confirm our investigation and verify we are who we say we are .”
Mimi tilted her head, studying him for a moment, and then gestured to a collection of chairs in the corner. “Have a seat and give me a moment.”
She moved away from them, pulling a cell phone from her pocket. Dawson steered Peyton toward the chairs with a light touch.
“She’s cautious,” Peyton whispered.
“Mimi runs a women’s shelter. She won’t give out information about a client without verifying our identities.
And even then, we may not get much out of her.
It’s frustrating, but I understand it. The women she’s protecting have been abused, and many of them don’t trust law enforcement or the courts to protect them.
I’d be more surprised if she wasn’t cautious.
” Dawson claimed a chair next to Peyton. “She didn’t recognize your name.”
“No.” Worry clouded Peyton’s hazel eyes, and her shoulders were tense. “Do you think Lilia is hiding in the shelter?”
“Maybe. But if so, why hasn’t she called you?”
Dawson feared Lilia was dead. Or being held by someone.
Maybe SSA Fallon’s intel wasn’t as thorough as he liked to believe.
Or he could’ve been lying to them. Dawson didn’t like the idea that a federal agent was actively misleading them, but the Iron Serpents had connections in law enforcement.
It explained how they’d been able to operate for so long without being shut down.
Mimi hung up and approached, her long dress swirling around her legs.
Some of the tension in her posture was gone, and as she sat, her demeanor was more open and friendly.
“Forgive me, Detective Graham. Special Agent Hughes. I hope you understand, but in my line of work, I can't afford to take people at their word. The women in my care depend on me to be their first line of defense. Chief Garcia confirmed your investigation, and I’d like to help in any way I can.”
“Do you know where Lilia is?” Peyton asked.
“No, I’m sorry, I don’t. She left our shelter last week and I haven’t heard from her since.” Worry creased the space between her brows. “It was my understanding she was taking Grace to stay with family. You, in fact.”
Surprise flickered through Dawson. So Mimi had recognized Peyton’s name after all. He prided himself on being able to read people, but in this case, Mimi could give lessons on hiding her true thoughts. “What day was this?”
“She left Thursday morning.”
“In her car?”
“Yes, a 1999 Toyota Camry. Light blue.” She frowned. “You said Lilia is missing? Since when?”
Peyton quickly detailed the desperate phone call from Lilia and the attack at the train depot. “As you can imagine, we’re very concerned for her safety. According to my aunt, Lilia was dating Cade Maddox, the leader of a biker gang.”
Mimi nodded. “She moved in with Cade last year, shortly after falling pregnant. Initially, Lilia didn’t know about Cade’s criminal activities, but it soon became clear that he was more than a bar owner.
By then, he’d isolated her from everyone, and the abuse had begun.
Lilia was scared for her life, and that of her unborn child. ”
Peyton closed her eyes, her expression pained. “So Cade is Grace’s father?”
“Yes, and she was terrified he would find them. It took a lot of courage for Lilia to leave.”
Dawson could only imagine. “What made her decide to contact Peyton? Did Cade find her?”
“No.” Mimi clasped her hands in her lap.
“When Lilia left, she stole money from Cade, along with evidence of his criminal activities. Initially, she’d intended to keep it as insurance, to prevent Cade from coming after her and Grace.
But once her daughter was born, she had second thoughts.
” Mimi looked directly at Peyton. “She wanted to do the right thing and come forward. We discussed the matter, and I offered to help her go to the police, but she didn’t want to make any moves without making sure Grace was taken care of first. It was my understanding that she was going to confess everything to you and ask you to protect her baby.
That’s why she had the guardianship paperwork drawn up. ”
“Something went wrong,” Peyton pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Somehow Cade—or someone else in the Iron Serpents—figured out what she was up to and ambushed her at the train depot before I arrived.” She dropped her hand. “Whoever is behind this wants the money and the evidence.”
Dawson nodded, placing a reassuring hand on her knee before turning back to Mimi. “Do you have a copy of the evidence Lilia stole? Or do you know where it is?”
“No, I don’t. She never showed it to me.”
“Can we see where she was staying?” Dawson wondered if Lilia had hidden some place in the women’s shelter.
“That would be impossible. Lilia cleaned out her room when she left, and someone else is living there now.”
Dawson and Peyton asked a few more questions, but it quickly became clear Mimi had told them everything she could. As the interview came to a close, Dawson handed her his card. “If you hear from Lilia, or think of anything that might help our investigation, please call me. Day or night.”
“I will.” Mimi stepped forward and embraced Peyton.
When she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes.
“Please, if you can, let me know what happens. Lilia and Grace have been in my prayers since they left, but I’ll ask God to guide the investigation as well.
” She reached out to pat Dawson on the arm. “Stay safe. All of you.”
They thanked her. As they moved toward the exit of the church, two questions circled Dawson’s mind.
Where was Lilia?
And where was the evidence?
Sunshine beat down on his shoulders as they stepped outside. Dawson settled his cowboy hat on his head. He’d left his truck in the parking garage across the street from the lawyer’s office. A snarl of traffic blocked the road, the blare of horns punctuating the afternoon air.
Peyton zipped up her coat. Her expression was heartbroken. “I thought we’d find her here.”
“I know.” He wanted to take away her worries. Protect her. But if there was anything Samuel’s death had taught him, it was that some things couldn’t be fixed by sheer strength of will. “We’re doing the best we can, Peyton. That’s all we can ask of ourselves. The rest has to be left up to God.”
She squeezed his hand. “Yes. You’re right.” Peyton released a long breath. “I’m starving. What do you say we grab a bite to eat and discuss a game plan? I was thinking—”
The sound of a motorcycle drowned out her sentence.
Dawson reacted automatically, yanking Peyton behind a large column.
Adrenaline slammed through him. The sound of the motorcycles grew louder, the engines revving.
Peyton froze. He held up a hand, showing she should stay in place, and then peeked around the rounded curve of the column.
On the street, weaving through the traffic, were two members of the Iron Serpents. They drove slowly, their eyes sweeping the sidewalks and buildings.
They were searching. Hunting.
For them.