Chapter 27
The Widow
The doorbell rings.
A stiff wind of fear brushes over my skin. What if it isn’t the police? Nathan and I don’t own guns. I grab a butcher’s knife and move to the door.
When I peer through the side window, I see Detective Daniels and his partner.
Strange. I thought they were assigning a junior officer to us tonight.
I open the door. “Detective.”
Daniels’s eyebrows lift at the knife in my hand.
“Sorry.” I set it on the foyer table. “I’m still a little jittery.”
“Completely understandable.” His voice is gentle. “Can we come in?”
“Of course.” I gesture toward the kitchen. “Have a seat. I’ll fix us something to drink. Water? Tea? Cola?”
Tea it is. I pull out the pitcher of sweet tea and pour three glasses as I talk. “I wasn’t expecting you, Detective. They told me it would be someone else.”
When I sit down, I uncover a plate of cookies and set down a stack of napkins. “Thank you for coming. I’ll sleep easier. Has there been any news about the Rover?”
“We have some news about Walter,” he says, taking a sip. “We found him.”
All of the tension in my muscles releases at once. Thank goodness. Walter might be able to tell us more about the Big, Mean Man. We need to find him.
Daniels sets his glass down, his mouth tightening into a frown.
“We found him just a little while ago. Behind the old Cooper Motel.” He pauses. “Shot through the head.”
For a heartbeat, my brain goes numb.
What?
“I know you want more answers, Mrs. Glassier, but to be honest… I think Walter acted alone.”
I’m trying to listen. But I can’t. Walter was in this house a few hours ago, and now he’s dead. Murdered. Which means the man who tried to take Natalie is a murderer.
Daniels continues. “We don’t have any evidence that this other man is dangerous. The park video didn’t show him taking Natalie, and we know for a fact Walter did. I think this Big, Mean Man is just some poor guy who became involved in this because he was there at the same time.”
“But Natalie said—”
“A child has a big imagination,” he says. “Especially in a scary situation. Do you think it’s possible she thinks he exists because Walter told her so? A protective mechanism her mind built to help her manage her fear while Walter had her?”
No. I don’t. I know my daughter, and she knows what she saw.
“But Nathan… he found the Land Rover.”
“Yeah, we ran the tag. It’s not in the system. Maybe Nathan was off by a few digits? Whoever he was chasing may have gotten spooked by being followed by a stranger.”
That’s not possible. None of this makes any sense.
“Mrs. Glassier?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…” I glance toward the hallway, afraid Natalie may be listening. “You’re still going to stay with us tonight, right?” I force myself to push aside my rising panic.
“Yes.” He tips his head toward his partner. “Bill will be right outside all night. But try not to worry.” He gets up and rests his hand on my shoulder. “I really think it’s over.”
I know that’s not true.