A Dark Mind by T. R. Ragan Read Free Book Online Page A

she was hearing, her voice shaky with emotion.
    “She’ll be wearing an ankle monitor, but yes, she can be picked up.”
    Lizzy gave up trying to talk and take pictures at the same time and set the camera aside.
    “By the time Hayley’s situated,” the caller said, “the monitor will have been activated. The rules are strict. At timed intervals,the monitor sends a radio frequency signal with location to a receiver. If the offender has moved outside a permitted range, the police will be notified. The monitor cannot be tampered with in any way. Removal attempts will cause authorities to be alerted and she’ll end up right back where she started.”
    Lizzy looked at the clock. If she left now, she could make it in time. She couldn’t let Hayley spend another night in that place. “I’ll be there by three. Thank you.”
    Simpson walked like an old man as he reached into his mailbox, but then he grabbed his mail and ran up the path and into his house.
    Damn
.
    “I’ll be back,” Lizzy told him, inwardly cursing as she pulled away from the curb and drove off.
    Juvenile Detention Center
    Sacramento
    Monday, May 7, 2012
    After filling out ridiculous amounts of paperwork, Lizzy returned to her car and drove to the other side of the California Division of Juvenile Justice building, where she parked at the curb, climbed out of the car, and waited, her eyes focused on the steel double doors.
    It wasn’t long before the blocks of steel came open and Hayley stepped outside.
    Lizzy closed her eyes, inhaled some cool afternoon air, and let the moment wash over her before she pushed herself from the car and headed toward her. For the first few months after Hayley’s incarceration, Lizzy and Jared had spent every waking momentdiscussing possibilities of how they were going to go about getting Hayley released before her term was served. Lizzy had gathered documentation about the men who had hurt Hayley over the years, while Jared had worked on the legalities of Hayley’s release. They had met with the judge three times before they had finally been allowed a hearing. At the moment, though, none of that mattered. Their persistence had paid off. Hayley was free.
    Lizzy crossed the street and waited outside the gate as she watched Hayley get closer and closer to freedom. In the nine months that Hayley had been incarcerated, her dark auburn hair had grown well past her shoulders. Lizzy had visited less than two weeks ago, but today Hayley looked paler and thinner. Her hair was unbrushed and stringy. She wore loose jeans, a dark T-shirt decorated with a symbol Lizzy didn’t recognize, and black tennis shoes with white lace. Her piercings had been removed upon her arrival at the detention center, and had yet to be replaced.
    The guard and Hayley did not exchange words as he opened the chain-link door surrounded by barbwire fencing.
    As the gate was locked behind them, Lizzy took Hayley into her arms. Although she had been planning for this moment for months, and she knew Hayley wasn’t the touchy-feely type, she couldn’t help herself. She wrapped her arms around Hayley and held her tight. Hayley felt stiff and rigid, but Lizzy didn’t care. She didn’t want to let go, but she finally released her hold, and they walked toward the car without speaking.
    Lizzy held her keys toward her new car and pushed a button. A beep sounded and the trunk popped open.
    “Movin’ on up, I see.”
    “I also replaced the carpet with wood flooring in the office.”
    “Nice.”
    “Faux wood, not real wood,” Lizzy said, “since I don’t want my clients thinking that they’re overpaying me.”
    Hayley shoved the few things she had in the trunk, clicked it shut, and then climbed into the passenger seat. Lizzy was already strapped in. As soon as Hayley had her seatbelt on, Lizzy merged onto the street and headed for home.
    “How bad was it?” Lizzy asked after a few quiet moments passed between them.
    “It could have been worse. I met some