CHAPTER ONE #2
Bill moved toward the kitchen to help, and Gabriela returned to her cooking. But Jilly lingered, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack.
“What is it?” Riley asked, recognizing that her younger daughter had something on her mind.
Jilly glanced toward the kitchen to ensure they weren’t overheard. “How much longer is Bill going to be watching me like I’m some kind of criminal on house arrest?” she whispered. “He practically frisked my math teacher yesterday when she offered me a ride home from the science fair meeting.”
Riley suppressed a smile at the image. “He’s just being cautious, honey.”
“He’s being psycho,” Jilly countered, her voice still low but intense. “I get why everyone’s freaked about this Leo guy, but I can’t even go to the bathroom at school without getting a text asking where I am. When is he going back to work?”
The question caught Riley off guard. Bill had taken personal leave to help protect their family while the search for Dillard continued, but she hadn’t considered how his intense vigilance might be affecting Jilly.
After her traumatic past before the adoption, the last thing Jilly needed was to feel controlled or monitored.
“I’ll talk to him,” Riley promised, tucking a strand of hair behind Jilly’s ear. “He means well, but you’re right—we need to find a better balance.”
Jilly’s expression softened slightly. “I’m not stupid, you know. I carry that pepper spray you gave me. I check in. I’m careful. But I can’t breathe with him hovering all the time.”
“I know, sweetheart.” Riley pulled her close for another hug. “We’ll figure it out.”
“A comer!” Gabriela’s voice called from the dining room. “Come eat now, before it gets cold!”
“We’d better not keep her waiting,” Riley said. “You know how she gets.”
Jilly rolled her eyes, but there was affection in the gesture. “Yeah, and I’m starving anyway.”
As they walked toward the dining room, Riley felt the familiar tug-of-war between protection and freedom that had defined so much of her parenting.
With April away at college and Leo Dillard still at large, the stakes had never felt higher.
But watching Jilly straighten her shoulders and march toward the dinner table, Riley was reminded that sometimes the greatest protection she could offer her daughters was teaching them to protect themselves.
*
The ringing sound sliced through Riley’s dream, pulling her from the depths of sleep.
A beam of horizontal sunlight came through the window.
She reached for her phone on the nightstand, her movements automatic while her mind still struggled to surface.
Beside her, Bill stirred but didn’t wake.
The glowing display read 5:37 AM, and beneath the time, a name that banished any remaining fog from her consciousness: Special Agent in Charge Brent Meredith.
The chief never called this early unless something urgent had broken.
“Paige,” she answered, her voice still rough with sleep as she slipped out of bed and padded toward the bathroom.
“Agent Paige.” Meredith’s deep voice carried the weight of authority even through the phone’s tiny speaker. “Sorry about the early wake-up call, but we’ve got a situation that can’t wait.”
Riley closed the bathroom door softly behind her, leaning against the cool tile wall. “What kind of situation?”
“Two homicides in Chicago. High-profile victims, unusual MO. I need you in my office as soon as possible for a briefing.”
“What makes this one ours?” Riley asked.
“Rather not get into it over the phone. I’ve already contacted Agent Esmer. She’ll meet us at the office within the hour.”
“Understood. I’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”
Riley ended the call and stood motionless for a moment. A case in Chicago meant leaving her family while Leo Dillard was still unaccounted for. It meant trusting others to keep watch over Jilly and April. The timing was bad, yet the call was not something she could simply ignore.
She showered quickly, her mind already shifting into professional mode, compartmentalizing her personal concerns. By the time she returned to the bedroom, Bill was awake, propped up against the headboard with knowing eyes.
“Case?” he asked simply.
Riley kept pulling clothes from her dresser. “Meredith wants me in his office ASAP about a case in Chicago. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I know the timing is terrible, with everything that’s happening with Dillard.”
“We’ll manage.” Bill swung his legs over the side of the bed, running a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. “I’ve got plenty of leave time stockpiled. I can stay with Jilly, keep an eye on things here.”
Riley paused in the middle of buttoning her blouse. “About that... Jilly mentioned something last night. She feels like you’re hovering too much.”
“I’m just trying to keep her safe.”
“I know.” Riley sat beside him on the bed, her hand finding his. “But after what she went through before we adopted her, being controlled and monitored is a trigger. We need to find a balance.”
Bill’s shoulders slumped slightly. “You’re right. I’ll back off a bit.” He squeezed her hand. “What about April?”
“I’ll call her on my way to the office, make sure she understands the situation.” Riley stood and retrieved her go-bag from the closet—always packed and ready for precisely these moments.
“I’ll check on her.” Bill rose and pulled her into an embrace. “Be careful in Chicago. Whatever this case is, don’t let it consume you.”
Riley leaned into his solid warmth for a moment. “I won’t. And Bill? Thank you. For being here … for everything”
His answer was a gentle kiss on her forehead before releasing her. “Go. Catch the bad guy. That’s what we do.”