The Piper

THIRTY-NINE




Detective Teller was the blonde girl Olivia had seen arrive with Withers. Olivia was trembling, and Teller put a hand on her shoulder to steady her as she stumbled down the front porch stairs.

Olivia stopped mid step. ‘Wait, I need to go back in.’

Teller took her elbow, and steered her away from the door. ‘Whatever it is, it can wait.’

Olivia jerked away. ‘I have to go back and get Teddy’s school papers. They’re on the mantel, it will only take a second.’

Teller’s face was full of an avid sympathy Olivia recognized.

‘Her papers will be fine, Olivia, don’t worry about them. I’ll keep an eye out on them for you, okay?’

‘Don’t patronize me.’

Detective Teller’s face went red. ‘I’m not patronizing you. I understand how upset you are. You should know that Detective Withers is very good at his job. He can be rough around the edges, but don’t take it personally. His mind is always on the work, and he’s three steps ahead of everybody else. If anybody can find your daughter, he can. You should be grateful he’s the one on the case.’

‘Grateful?’ Olivia took a step backward. ‘You’re twelve. Don’t tell me to be grateful. And let go of me, I can walk without your help.’ Olivia closed her eyes. Be careful, she told herself. Don’t antagonize the police.

McTavish was just pulling up when Olivia hit the last step. He parked the Cadillac at the edge of the curb and loped up the driveway, opening his arms. ‘Olivia. I can’t believe this. I’m so sorry.’ He looked over her shoulder at Detective Teller. ‘Donnie Withers on this?’

Teller nodded.

‘He put out an amber alert?’

‘Rodriguez took care of that from the get go, Modello,’ Teller said.

‘What about CASKU? Withers should call them now, while the trail’s still hot.’

Teller shook her head. ‘You know he won’t work with the FBI. He’ll handle it himself.’

‘Stupid f*cker,’ McTavish said.

‘Hey, come on,’ Teller said. ‘Donnie’s good, even if you don’t like the guy.’

‘Yeah? Because I hear through the grapevine your precious Donnie’s been treating her like shit.’

‘Pretty fast grapevine, you got some friends on the force?’

‘Good night, Detective Teller. Your babysitting duties are officially over.’

‘Donnie said—’

‘Donnie Withers can suck my dick. Come on, Livie. Come with me.’

Olivia was vaguely aware that McTavish leaned across and fastened her seatbelt for her before he backed into the street, and began to drive.

‘I know what CASKU is, McTavish. It’s the Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit with the FBI.’

McTavish ran a hand over his chin. Watched the road.

Olivia stared out the window. ‘The OVC is the Office for Victims of Crime. That’s the Justice Department. Then there’s the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC – aren’t they the ones that post the success stories? I know one of them does. And AMECO. That’s . . .’ Olivia stopped talking. She could not remember what she had been going to say.

McTavish was cruising the neighborhood. She had always loved the little bungalows in Bearden. So pretty. Were there children inside? Sleeping in their beds? Did their parents know they weren’t safe?

‘You know, McTavish, they didn’t have all those organizations when Emily disappeared. We were kind of on our own, back in the day.’

McTavish took her hand. ‘We’ve got a lot more smarts now, Livie. More resources, more experience. We’ll find Teddy. I’ll find Teddy. This is not going to happen to you again.’

‘Your fingers are nice and warm,’ Olivia said.

McTavish pulled the car to the side of the road and cut the lights. Took both of Olivia’s hands in his.

‘Listen to me, babe. Please. I know there’s stuff going on you haven’t told Withers. I know you’re upset, and it’s hard to think straight. Can you pull it together and talk to me? Whatever it is you know, it could help me find Teddy. And honey, you need to believe me when I tell you that underestimating Detective Donnie is a big mistake. He’s a prick, but he’s a smart prick.’ McTavish waited. Sighed when Olivia did not respond. He turned the engine off, and twisted sideways to face her in the dark. ‘I know there was something funny going on, the day that Amelia died. Tell me everything, so I can go out and help them find your little girl. Otherwise I’m going out with Rodriguez to knock on doors, which is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to leads.’

‘McTavish? I need you to do something for me. I need to go back into the house. Teddy’s school work is on the mantel, and I need to get that and take it with me to the hotel.’

McTavish sighed. Gathered her in his arms. ‘Olivia,’ he whispered. ‘Please, just please, try. Try and think with me, okay?’

Olivia liked the way he smelled. She pulled away from him, absently rubbing a thumb across his wrist. ‘Honestly, McTavish. It’s awfully hard to explain.’

‘Try me, babe.’

It was time consuming, telling him everything. Hard for Olivia to organize her thoughts. Any interruption stopped her cold and she had to go back to the beginning to get her head straight, and finally McTavish said nothing, kept still, and listened. They sat together for a very long time.

After a while, Olivia put her head in her hands. ‘You don’t believe me,’ she said. ‘I don’t blame you. I don’t believe any of it myself.’

McTavish rubbed his chin and looked away. ‘It’s not that. It’s Jamison. He’s afraid to be alone right now, he’s afraid to be asleep. But when he does sleep, he wakes up screaming. And he says that name over and over, that name that you and Amelia found.’

‘Duncan Lee?’

‘Decan Ludde.’