Page 114 of The Advocate’s Ultimatum

“I panicked.”

JP’s expression never changed.

Victor’s eyes opened, wet now. “I was drunk. If I’d admitted I picked her up, nobody was going to believe anything after that.”

“They didn’t.”

“I went back later that night.” Victor’s voice cracked. “And the next day. Then again. After a while, I convinced myself that I hadn’t picked her up, that I was too drunk to remember.”

“Did you see who took her?”

Victor shook his head. “No.”

“Did anyone follow you?”

“I thought maybe I was being followed when I left the bar, but then the car was gone.” Another swallow. “It could’ve been nothing.”

“What kind of vehicle?”

“I don’t know. Light colored, maybe. I wasn’t paying attention.”

JP waited a long moment. “You understand that you may not have taken her life, but you handed it away.”

Victor folded inward like the words had weight.

JP stood.

~~~

JP stopped by Sabre’s office on the way back. Again, the only person left in the building besides Sabre was the receptionist. Sabre’s office door was open, and she was at her desk, dressed in court attire, reading something with the concentration of a woman who would outwork gravity if challenged.

She looked up. “You look cheerful.”

“I just visited sunshine and joy at Donovan.”

“That bad?”

“That honest.”

JP closed the door and sat. “Hayes admitted to picking Hannah up, then losing track of her at the liquor store.” JP told her everything else Hayes had said.

“So, someone else took her,” Sabre said.

“It looks that way.”

“Or someone she knew came for her.”

“Could be, or he’s lying again. But he has nothing to gain with this lie.” JP gestured. “Your turn.”

Sabre gave a half smile. “Bay cracked a little, but she still wouldn’t share where she was living. She insisted that no one could know too much, and gave me one useful line: He wasn’t supposed to know about her.”

JP sat forward. “The other girl.”

“Yes.”

“Hannah.”

“Maybe.”