‘Jesus,’ Audra said. ‘How can you be so blind?’
‘Tomorrow morning, ten o’clock,’ Mitchell said. ‘Fourteen hours. That’s all you’ve got, Audra. After that, you’re in the hands of the state cops, the Department of Criminal Investigations. Then I won’t be here for you. You think this is tough? They will eat you alive.’
Audra straightened in the chair. ‘Have you questioned Whiteside?’
‘I’ve spoken with him, yes, but—’
‘Have you questioned him?’ Audra asked, her voice hardening. ‘As a suspect.’
Mitchell shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t.’
‘What about Collins?’
‘No.’
Audra looked her hard in the eye. ‘Then what good are you to me? I’d like you to leave now.’
She didn’t see Showalter move to her side, only felt his hand grip her hair and jerk her head back. She gasped and cried out at the pain. Her hands went to his fist, tried to pry his fingers away. He leaned in close and she smelt his cigarette breath, felt his spit on her skin as he spoke.
‘Now listen to me, you crazy bitch. If it was my choice, I’d beat it out of you. I still might. You got until morning to tell us what you did to your kids. After that, you’re all mine. And I don’t play nice.’
Mitchell got to her feet. ‘Detective Showalter, let her go.’
He leaned in closer, tugged at Audra’s hair. ‘Tomorrow morning. You hear me?’
‘Goddamn it, Showalter, stop.’
Audra cried out as he tightened his grip.
‘Take your hands off her,’ Danny Lee said.
36
DANNY HAD LISTENED as long as he could. The voices took him back five years. The accusations, the willful disbelief. He had stood behind the bathroom door, clenching his fists, grinding his teeth, picturing Mya in that room, the same questions thrown at her. Then he heard the cry, the cop’s bitter, hateful words.
When he stepped through the doorway, it had been with the intention of laying the cop out. But his mind had cleared when he saw it was indeed Audra there, not his long-dead wife.
As all three stared at him, he thought, what good can I do now? If I can’t hurt them, what can I do?
‘Who in the hell are you?’ Special Agent Mitchell asked, her eyes wide.
‘My name is Danny Lee,’ he said, stepping out of the bathroom doorway. He spoke to the big cop with a handful of Audra’s hair, his rage bubbling beneath his voice. ‘Sir, I asked you to take your hands off her.’
Showalter released his grip, pushed Audra’s head like he was tossing away garbage.
‘My friend,’ he said, ‘you better explain yourself pretty damn quick, before I kick your ass into next week.’
He thought, what can I do?
Then he decided.
‘Ma’am,’ Danny said to Mitchell, ‘can I speak with you?’
She put her hands on her hips. ‘What about?’
‘I’d rather do it in private,’ Danny said, nodding toward Showalter.
‘Wait a minute,’ Showalter growled.
Mitchell raised her hand to the detective, told him to be quiet.
‘Tell me your name again, please?’ she said.
‘Danny Lee.’
‘Mr Lee, I have no clue who you are or what you’re doing here. In all honesty, your presence rather alarms me, and I have a good mind to ask Detective Showalter to arrest your ass for interfering with this investigation. So why should I give you my time?’
‘Because you want to find those children,’ Danny said.
Special Agent Mitchell sat quiet and listened, her notebook open on the old dining table. She had declared the bedroom too crowded, so they had followed her downstairs. Mitchell had asked Showalter to wait out in the hall and he had protested, but Mitchell reminded him that, at least for tonight, she was still calling the shots.
Audra leaned with her back against the wall and watched Mitchell make notes as Danny talked. Mitchell did not interrupt, offered no views on anything he said. He tried to read her expression, but couldn’t.
Danny sat on the far side of the table, across from Mitchell, and spoke in as flat a tone as he could manage, no emotion, even when he described finding his wife’s body. As if he had expended all his tears long ago. Nothing left now but a hollow recital of facts.
When he finished, Mitchell remained still, her gaze on the notebook. The muscles in her jaw bunched. After a few moments she inhaled, exhaled, and got to her feet.
‘Give me a minute,’ she said, lifting the notebook. She stepped out into the hall, closed the door behind her.
Audra left her place by the wall, came to the table, sat down. Danny shook his head as he looked at her.
‘She won’t go for it,’ he said.
‘She might,’ Audra said. ‘Either way, we had to try.’
Danny stood and went to the window overlooking the street. He eased the blinds apart and peered out. The street seemed so desolate now. So barren.
‘The reporters have gone,’ he said. ‘Most of them, anyway.’
‘I think there’s a motel in the next town,’ Audra said. ‘Don’t worry, they’ll be back in the morning. They won’t miss their chance to feed again. You know. It happened to you.’
‘You’re a monster, as far as they’re concerned,’ Danny said, still watching the street. ‘Mya got it bad when it happened to us, but you got it worse.’
‘Why?’ Audra asked.
He turned away from the window and looked at her. ‘You really don’t know?’
She shook her head.
‘Because your children are white. A little half-Chinese girl didn’t matter so much to them.’
‘Christ,’ Audra said. She closed her eyes, covered her face with her hands. ‘If I don’t get them back, I don’t know if I’ll survive it. What your wife did. How could I not do it too?’
‘I think you’re stronger than Mya was,’ Danny said. He crossed to the table, retook his seat. ‘You’ve been to some bad places, right?’
Audra removed her hands from over her eyes and said, ‘Right.’
‘You’ll make it,’ he said.
All she could offer was a nod and a weak smile, but he saw the doubt in her. He offered her no further comfort. They both sat in silence until Mitchell returned.
The agent’s face remained blank as she closed the door. She came to the table but did not sit down, placing her hands on the back of a chair, gripping it with her strong fingers.
‘Mr Lee, I was able to reach Special Agent Reilly. He confirmed that your child disappeared and your wife took her own life. I’m very sorry for your loss, Mr Lee, but Special Agent Reilly told me he never believed your wife’s version of events. He also told me you have quite a colorful past. Two stretches in prison for violent crime, a long list of arrests, including for murder.’
‘That was a long time ago,’ Danny said.
‘So you’re a reformed character, that’s great, but it doesn’t help me right now. Nor does it help Mrs Kinney. Now, I’d like you to leave town tonight. If you don’t, I’m going to have Detective Showalter arrest you for obstructing this investigation.’
Audra stared up at Mitchell, balling her fists. Mitchell’s hard glare almost made Audra look away. Almost.
Mitchell spoke to her now. ‘At ten a.m. tomorrow, a warrant will be served for your arrest in connection with the murder of your children, Sean and Louise Kinney. You’ve got tonight to think about it. I’ve been as kind and as patient with you as I can be, but once that warrant is issued, I can’t help you anymore. Believe me, they will show you no mercy. They will tear you to pieces.’
Audra stood, leaned across the table to Mitchell. ‘Just do one thing for me. Please.’
‘What?’
‘Question Whiteside like you questioned me. Collins too. Put them on the spot. Put pressure on them, see if you can find a crack in their stories. Do it tonight.’
‘Please stop this,’ Mitchell said, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. ‘Just stop, for the love of God.’
‘Interview them,’ Audra said. ‘Then at least you can say you tried everything, that you did your job.’