Sam nods, walking over to Kathy. He grips her arms as his partner starts to read her Miranda rights.
“What are you doing?” Kathy squawks. “Let me go right this minute.”
I follow the officers outside. Kathy continues to protest until they put her in the back of the squad car.
What a fucking disaster.
CHAPTER 42
Holt
Leah’s giggles give me a direct line to where she’s hiding. Gia and I grin at each other as we pretend like we still can’t find her. Lauren is as silent as a mouse. She’s always been good at hide-and-seek. She hid in a cabinet once and fell asleep. I couldn’t find her for a long time, and I started to freak out when she didn’t respond after I called her name several times.
I took a picture of her once I finally calmed down. She looked so freaking cute in there.
“Do you think Leah’s in the dining room?” Gia asks.
More giggles.
“I’ll check in there, you check the kitchen.”
We narrate our steps, making it clear we can’t find her anywhere. I move into the living room, pretending to look in baskets she’d never fit in. The suspicious lump on the couch continues to laugh.
“Jeez. I just can’t figure out where she went.” I sigh. “I guess I’ll sit on the couch and rest a minute while I think.” Sitting down in front of Leah, I lean back and act as if the couch has gotten lumpy.
Leah loses all pretense of hiding, throwing her blanket off her body as she belly laughs. “It’s me, Daddy!”
“What?” I tickle her rib cage. “You tricked me.”
Leah squeals and kicks her feet to get away. She stands from the couch, breathing hard. “Let’s go find Lo Lo.”
She takes off upstairs with Gia and me following behind her.
My cell phone rings. The name on the ID makes my stomach drop.
“Who is it?” Gia asks, picking up on my distress.
“Hannah’s dad, Leonard.”
“Go. I’ll keep the girls distracted.”
I press a quick kiss to her mouth and pace into the kitchen. “Hello?”
“Holt.” Leonard sighs as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. It’s been two days since Kathy took the girls. After the police took her in, we found out she’d planned to drive them to her sister’s house in Montana. If Lauren hadn’t had the courage to take Kathy’s phone, I have no idea what I would have done to Kathy once I got my girls back.
The police had brought Gina Halbrand in for questioning by the time we made it out to the cabin. She was loading her car with two massive suitcases when they arrived. Apparently, Kathy and Gina had become good friends over the years, and the two of them hatched this plan to “save the girls.” Gina was going to meet them in Montana, though what they were going to do once they got there remains a mystery. The police are still investigating, but it seems Kathy’s sister had no clue the two women had hatched this scheme.
Gina and Kathy are still in custody, which has allowed me fall asleep at night, although the nightmares wake me up soon afterward.
The girls are supposed to go back to school in the morning, and I keep bouncing between keeping their normalroutine and holding them a little closer for a few more days. I’m not ready to let them out of my sight, but they have no idea what could have happened to them. Turning it into a big deal in their eyes would likely do more harm than good.
“I’m not in the right headspace to talk, Leonard.”
“I understand, son. I’m… I guess I’m calling because I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I hadn’t been paying attention to Kathy’s behavior. It’s not an excuse. It doesn’t take away the pain she’s caused you, but I just wanted you to know that I never would have let this happen if I’d realized she was at the breaking point. Neither one of us has handled our grief over losing Hannah correctly. We should have done better.”
I scrub my palm down my face. Everything is still too fresh for me to appreciate his apology, but it does soothe something in me to hear it.
“Listen, I want you to do whatever you think is necessary. I’ll love you and those girls no matter the outcome, but I still wanted to see if you’d be willing to make a deal for mandated therapy on the condition that if she stops going, she goes to jail. She needs help, son, and I just don’t think she’ll get it in the system. Like I said, though, you do whatever you think is necessary. What she did was unacceptable, and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to throw the book at her, but I’ve been a shitty husband as it is, and I couldn’t ignore a possible opportunity to help her. Think about it. There’s no reason to make a hasty decision. Talk with your lady and make the right choice for you. I love you guys.”
