“I’ll do that. Let me know if anything jumps out.”
Dani disconnected, then went back to doing what she did best.
She was like a little mole sometimes, her buddy Cam had told her once, just digging, digging, digging. She was going to just keep digging. If there was something in Aimee’s Blackberry to lead them in the right direction, Dani would find it.
Chapter 16
The Daviess County Department of Child Services was in a squat brick building off Highway 21. Miranda had been inside for almost forty minutes. Run around, run around, run around. No one wanted to really talk to her today.
Nothing she hadn’t expected, honestly. They’d been giving her problems since she’d gotten Bentley to begin with. She half-suspected if her father hadn’t been a very famous diplomat and everything, she might not have finalized the adoption yet, either.
Sometimes Gerald Talley came in handy.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Talley." The woman behind the desk had been polite enough, but the answer hadn't changed. "Case worker assignments from that far back aren't something I can just pull up. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd be authorized to release that information."
“It was less than two years ago.” Miranda shot the woman a knowing look. They both were well-aware she was getting the runaround right now. "I'm not asking for case files. Just a name. Whoever was assigned to my son's case when he was placed in foster care in this county, so that I can follow up on some leads regarding the case in which he was found. You know, the federal investigation into his serial killer father, and everything. I know your office wants to be…helpful."
And not only Miranda wanted answers. The director of PAVAD had told her to keep digging until she found them.
"I know. You're welcome to submit a formal request. I can give you the forms." She gave Miranda that suck-a-lemon look again. So interesting.
"How long does a formal request take?" She strongly suspected there would be ‘unexpected delays’ and all that good stuff. Someone was giving her the runaround right now. She just didn’t know why.
"Depends. Four to six weeks, usually. Sometimes longer if they need additional documentation."
"I'll take the forms." Of course she would. She was going to follow every protocol out there to cover herself. And then she was going to go after what she needed, however she could make it happen. Even if it meant calling in a few favors; she did work PAVAD, after all. With people who were very, very skilled at what they did. Including the attorneys.
Gerald Talley hadn’t raised a fool, after all. Neither had her grandmother. Miranda knew when a game was being played. This time…it involved her son. And she would never take that lightly.
The woman pulled a packet from her desk drawer and handed it over. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"No. You have been incredibly helpful, actually. Proven my point beautifully. Thank you for your time. I will be in touch—or my representative will."
Miranda was halfway across the parking lot when her phone rang.
She answered, quickly. "Dr. Talley."
"Dr. Talley, it's Hannah Philpott. Uh…Derek Gibson’s ex…well, ex-girlfriend. Am I catching you at a bad time?"
"No. I just finished up. What can I do for you?" She’d left the woman her card the last time they’d spoken. The interview had just confirmed what was already suspected; Derek Gibson was well liked, and no one knew anyone with a problem with the man or his family. Not even his ex-girlfriend.
"I found something. I was cleaning out my garage this morning, and there's a box of Derek's stuff back there. I forgot I even had it."
"What kind of stuff?"
"I'm not sure, honestly. I never really went through it. After everything happened, I cleaned out his Jeep so Hailey could drive it. She needed a car, and Derek's Jeep was just sitting there. Nobody else was going to use it. And he’d mentioned giving it to her before, and keeping Aimee’s old Ford Escort for Terra…when she…was old enough." Hannah paused for a moment. Miranda understood—Hannah had loved her ex’s children, too. Grief and violence touched so many lives. And they left their ghosts behind. "I just threw everything in a box and stuck it in the back of the garage. Figured I'd deal with it eventually. But I never really did. I think a part of me didn’t want to, you know?"
Well, Miranda could understand that. "And you found it this morning?"
"After we spoke, I just…kept reliving that week. Then I remembered that box. I checked, and it was still in my garage.”
"Do you know what's in it?" It could be relevant, and it could be nothing. That had happened so many times before. But Miranda had learned never to just assume anything. Pierce had mentioned the rest of the Gibsons’ belongings were in storage somewhere—Miranda wasn’t clear where—but if there was something relevant in those things, she suspected it would have already been found. Pierce and his predecessor on the case had definitely been thorough.
"Not really. I opened it up, took a quick look. There are some papers, I think. I don’t know if the police ever even looked through that Jeep. It was at our house the night of the murders. She’d just gotten her permit and he let her drive it home then he’d walked back. Would you…do you want the box?”
"I do. Thank you."
"I'm at work right now, but my shift ends soon. I can run home and grab the box and meet you back here.”
