Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
Amanda continued questioning Nina, pushing her for the identity of the man who worked with her in the abductions.
But without her admitting she was there and no concrete evidence to prove she was, Amanda had no leverage.
She even tried to unearth some humanity, which turned out to be a fool’s errand.
Not that this surprised her. Amanda suspected Nina was psychopathic, and her loyalty to Hernandez would keep her quiet.
Fear wasn’t the reason she followed his orders.
Obeying him gave her an outlet for her depravity. Killing gave her pleasure.
“I’ll call Tranquility and check her alibi,” Trent said.
“Is there a point? Even if the spa tells us she was there, can we believe them? If they know who she is, they’re not going to cross her.”
“True enough.”
They were back at their cubicles, and Amanda was reeling over all the wasted time.
She felt much like a hamster must on its wheel.
Lots of movement without getting anywhere.
They weren’t any closer to finding the Archers, and she didn’t have Zoe to go home to tonight either.
Her mother was taking her to their place for a sleepover.
She slapped the folder she’d taken into the room on her desk with flourish.
“You’re not going to like the news I’ve come with.” Russell stood in the mouth of her cubicle looking like his dog had been run over.
“Don’t tell me the warrant was—” No, she couldn’t even finish that thought.
“The judge turned it down.”
“What in the hell? Where did you go?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, it does. Was it the same judge who dismissed Abigail’s testimony?” A corrupt bastard who sits on the bench and supplements his income with dirty money?
“It’s nothing like that,” Russell said.
Trent stood next to the marshal. “What reason did they give for denying the request?”
Amanda was prepared to lay into the marshal before Trent intercepted. What the hell was Russell’s response supposed to mean?
“The judge said it sounded like nothing more than a fishing expedition. If we bring him solid evidence Hernandez was involved in murder and abduction, he will reconsider.”
“The fact Abigail McGee’s body was on Hernandez’s property wasn’t enough to get clearance to search his residence?” Has everyone lost their minds?
Russell shook his head. “The body wasn’t found at his residence, where he lives.”
“And you told this judge about the history between McGee and Hernandez?” Amanda was trying to make sense of the rejection, but she couldn’t see how she could.
“I did.”
“Is it the same judge who dismissed…?” She started asking her earlier question again and stopped when Russell shook his head. “Regardless, we go to another judge.”
“Amanda,” Trent said, drawing her gaze to him. “You know it’s not that simple.”
She did. If they approached another judge, they were obliged to disclose the prior denial.
They’d be right back to where they were already—in need of indisputable evidence against Hernandez.
“Shit.” She ran a hand through her hair.
What were they supposed to do now? Just wait around for Valerie’s and Brooke’s bodies to turn up?
“Listen, I’ve got to clear my head a bit, take a break.
” She brushed past Russell. Stopped. Faced him.
“Did you notify Lloyd McGee about his wife’s death? ”
“Not yet, but I was going to do that next.”
Amanda opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She was shaking with anger.
“We were focused on finding the Archers,” Russell added in his defense.
“Right. Well, since that’s at a dead end…” She moved past him, and Trent caught up with her.
“I’m coming with you.”
“I can come along too,” Russell said.
Amanda held up her hand. “We’ve got it. Not to worry.” It was for his own good to sit this out. She couldn’t stand the sight of him right now.
Amanda knocked on Lloyd’s front door, and it opened before she’d lowered her hand. Had he been waiting on the other side expecting bad news about Abigail? She couldn’t imagine what he’d suffered the last eight years and how the wound was made fresh this past week. And it’s about to get a lot worse…
Lloyd stepped back and motioned them inside. They just crossed the threshold when he said, “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“Let’s sit down before we talk.” Amanda eyed the living room to the right of the entry.
Lloyd dipped his head and retreated into his home.
He knows… In his heart, he knows…
They all took a seat, and Amanda wasn’t going to make him wait any longer. “Abigail’s body was found earlier today. She was shot.”
“When did she die?”
“It’s uncertain,” Trent told him. “An autopsy will confirm.”
“I knew she was out there alive all these years. I just knew it.” Lloyd bit his bottom lip and sniffled. “She never would have left me if she had any choice in the matter. Did the person who took her years ago kill her?”
Amanda felt for this poor man, but at least she had some answers to give him. “Abigail was never taken, but she overheard something eight years ago that could have gone a long way to putting a very dangerous man behind bars.”
His eyes met hers, seeking out an explanation.
“She was put into WITSEC.”
“Then, they failed her.” He swiped his cheeks and jutted out his jaw. “Who is this ‘dangerous man’?”
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to—”
“Amanda, if this was your husband or relative… Come on, tell me.”
A knot formed in her chest. In his position, she’d want to know everything. But she also couldn’t be trusted with what she’d do with that information.
“Either you tell me, or I will find out another way.”
Trent inched forward on the couch cushion. “Lucas Hernandez.”
Two words, one name, and they sank in the room like a heavy weight.
“The drug kingpin?” Lloyd asked.
“The same,” Trent told him.
“She overheard something that could have sent him to prison. It was from the day of the raid on his warehouse. The one where a few PWCPD officers lost their lives.” Amanda struggled to focus on the good they were doing by giving Lloyd some closure.
It was hard to ignore the pain and angst that shadowed his face.
“Okay, but… Wait, I don’t understand. Why wasn’t he put in prison years ago then? And Abigail returned home?”
Amanda took a bracing breath. How could she tell him that Abigail’s testimony was dismissed? That she had given up her life with her husband for the last eight years for nothing.
“Amanda?”
“It never made it to trial,” she said.
His brow pinched. “What? Why?”
“Her testimony was dismissed, and the case fell apart,” she told him.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lloyd popped to his feet and paced the room. “Tell me you’ve arrested him for her murder. Tell me that much.” He stopped walking in front of her, stared her down.
“It’s not turning out to be that simple.”
His face shot red, and he opened his mouth to speak.
She intervened. “I am angry as hell about all of it. You can trust I will put him behind bars for what he’s done.”
Lloyd’s nostrils flared, his gaze on fire. “But you haven’t yet.”
“Unfortunately, it’s complicated. There are proving to be a lot of hoops to jump through.
” Amanda heard herself trying to excuse why Hernandez hadn’t just been arrested and wanted to scream.
She rose to her feet and put her hands on Lloyd’s shoulders and looked him in the eye.
“Trent and I will get him, Lloyd. I promise you that.” A promise she had no right making but one she intended to keep.
“Did Hernandez kill Paul and take the rest of the family?”
She nodded. “We think it was all on his orders. Though it’s hard to know if killing Paul was the plan from the start.
” Hernandez would have likely preferred to use Paul as bait to draw out his sister, Abigail.
Even though they knew now that she was in touch with Valerie and figured Hernandez had learned of that, as well.
“Hell. Do you have any idea where Valerie and Brooke are?”
“We’re still working on it,” she assured him.
Lloyd stepped away from her and shook his head. “No, it’s not of any use. If all of this was some scheme to get to Abigail, he accomplished that. They’re dead too. They have to be.”
It was most likely, but she said, “We need to carry on as if they’re still alive.”
Lloyd dropped back into the chair he’d been in before and dropped his face into his hands.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Lloyd,” she said. “We both are.”
“If there’s anything we can do, let us know,” Trent inserted.
“Yeah, there’s one thing.” He lifted his head. “Make sure you nail this bastard to the wall.”
Some time passed in silence. Amanda couldn’t know what Trent was thinking, but the heat of Lloyd’s request chilled her. “Do you want us to call anyone to come be with you?”
“Who, Amanda? Who’s left? Besides I should have known better than to get my hopes up.
Statistics tell me that much. I’ve dreaded a call like this for the last eight years.
Now it’s here, well, why am I surprised?
It’s just that I thought someone took her, not that she left me.
I would have gone into WITSEC with her.”
“She did it to protect not just herself but you and the rest of her family. She didn’t want to upset your entire life.” Without the ability to ask Abigail, Amanda could only surmise this.
“Too late for that. My life was tilted upside down. But why now? How did Hernandez catch up to her after all these years?”
Amanda sat on the chair nearest to Lloyd and turned to him. “We believe that Abigail found out about her nephew, Landon, needing a bone marrow transplant. We think she was going to get tested.”
“How could she have known about any of that?”
Amanda didn’t want to come out with the fact Valerie had been in contact with Abigail for the last year.
That betrayal would cut deep. On the flipside, avoiding Lloyd was for his protection, so that Hernandez would have no reason to go for him.
The sole thing that drew her out of hiding was her nephew’s health.
As for why she was in contact with Valerie long before that, it was hard to say.
Amanda surmised she checked in on Lloyd through her sister-in-law, but there was nothing to back that up.
Those texts were long gone. “She may have been watching over all of you from a distance all this time.”
“I’d love to believe that.” Lloyd shook his head. “But not if that’s what ended up getting her killed.”
Amanda took the following silence as a cue to leave. “If you need anything,” she said, repeating what Trent had offered earlier.
“You just make that bastard pay. If the system doesn’t, someone will.”
Amanda made eye contact with Lloyd for a few seconds. McGee hadn’t given up hope for the last eight years. He’d joined Missing Persons because of his wife’s disappearance, proving he wasn’t the type to let things go. She just hoped he didn’t do anything stupid.