“You’re being too hard on yourself,mon chérie.” She sighed. “This will get worse before it gets better, or maybe this was the worst.”
“Fuck, Jules, you didn’t see her. For her size, the strength in her body. The anger.”
She stopped walking to look at me. “We don’t know how long she’s been in captivity, so it’s safe to say her anger is far-reaching and trigger-inducing. Your decision about the mirrors might help. Still, we have no idea what other triggers will bring on an attack.”
“One step at a time?” I stifled a yawn. “The frightening part. She never cried. Not a single tear. She screamed, yes, but her sobs were all tearless.”
Juliette chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. “It could be a coping mechanism for her pain.” She shrugged. “It’s just a hunch. Until we know better, we treat her like a child. Baby steps, however long that takes.” She smiled. “And I think you need to get some sleep, or I might have to sedate you too,mon chérie.” She moved to walk away, then paused, her countenance thoughtful. “Do you want me to recommend a psychologist?”
Slowly I shook my head. “While that sounds like a splendid plan, I don’t think introducing her to another stranger with her current mindset would be wise. We can relook at the idea once she wakes.”
She nodded, kissed both my cheeks, and walked out. I watched until her car disappeared down the driveway, then headed for my study. Anger pissing through me, I dialed Wilkes. “Do we have anything on the girl’s family or the woman who brought her to Blackhall?”
“You’re not going to like what we found, sir.” Tensing, I heard him shuffle around for a second. “The house belongs to the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Kabir Shah.”
“What?” I barked, not sure I heard correctly. “Are you sure?” I’d heard of the bastard but never met him.
“Checked it out myself, sir. Layla Michaels was his stepmother. She kept her maiden last name after marrying Kabir’s father, which is why we never made the connection. When she passed, she left it to her twin sons, who, according to the authorities, have been missing for years. Their headmaster received a call advising they were sick one day, then they vanished off the face of the earth, no forwarding address.”
Not sure if I was annoyed or intrigued with this investigation, I reined in my temper. “What’s the connection?”
“I need a little more time. My gut says Kabir had something to do with their deaths. I’m inclined to believe he assumed one of their identities, got the deed to the house transferred to him then killed the boys. The variables are too many to ignore. I need a little more digging from the team.”
“Where’s Shah?”
“According to his office, he’s on personal time off. Back in two weeks.”
I dropped into my high-back chair with a resigned sigh. “Let me guess, his time off began the day the girl ran out of that house?” I snorted my disgust. “How the fuck did he get away with this? A highly respected officer of the law kept a girl imprisoned in his basement for God knows how long. Did his office mention any family?”
“Just a sister who doesn’t live with him. Hang on a sec.” I heard him partially covering the phone, chat to someone in the background before speaking again. “Kabir has another home he shares with a wife and a son. Both are also on holiday with him.”
“Bloody hell,” I growled. “He has a wife and does this to a young girl.”
“Looks like his family doesn’t know much about his secret life. I also just learned that the woman who brought the girl to Blackhall is Kabir’s sister. We have eyes on her. What do you want me to do?”
I ran a hand through my hair, debating whether to let Wilkes handle this alone. Terrified bi-colored eyes invaded my thoughts for a moment, stealing my decision. “If you get hold of her without giving her too many details, take her to the boathouse. Text me as soon as it’s done.”
“Will do.”
“Watch yourself, Wilkes. If the man is this high up, I’m sure his connections go to the top. We tread carefully, but I won’t rest until I get the answers I want.” I disconnected the call and stared at my phone, reliving the last few hours and the horror the girl had experienced. Yawning, I leaned back in my seat, toying with the idea of calling in some favors owed to me.
