Maximum Guilt (Hidden Guilt Book 2) by Terry Keys Read Free Book Online

She cut the shit outta this guy. Real precise, too. No mess at all. Like she knew what she was doing. Did you know this girl was valedictorian and has SAT scores on record that are top two percent ever?”
    “Yeah, I know. She’s intelligent, disturbed, and emotionally scarred. Bad, bad combination. Hurt people hurt other people. You know that.”
    “We’re going to do everything we can to catch this girl and get your daughter back, David.”
    “I know. I should be there in a few hours myself.”
    I ended the call. Lafitte sounded so sure of himself. But he didn’t know Stacy like I did. I knew it would be anything but easy. It looked like a road trip to Louisiana was in my near future.
    “Bad news?”
    “Not great news, Miranda, but Karen’s okay as far as we can tell. Stacy killed a guy in Sulphur. Left me a note so we know it’s her.”
    Miranda broke down. I knew she had to be an emotional wreck inside after her own ordeal and now Karen’s. I’d expected a meltdown much sooner. I hugged my wife and whispered in her ear that I would make everything right.
    I went upstairs. I needed to talk to Hilary. While I was away, she’d need to take care of her mother hand and foot.
    My talk with Hilary went better than expected, and she agreed to watch after her mother.
    I hated leaving Miranda. I’d just gotten her back, and I was leaving her side again.
    “Stop looking at me like that, David. I know you have to leave, and yes, you have to go. Please bring my baby back home. I’ll be okay, and I’ll be right here when the two of you get back!”
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    Keeping Wilcrest informed as I worked on cases was something I needed to improve. I loved him dearly, like a father. He trusted me, and that gave me a lot more rope than the other detectives had. It didn’t go unnoticed around the station.
    Last year, Detective Salvez and I’d had it out pretty bad, and that issue alone was the root cause. Guess he’d seen and heard enough, so he made his displeasure known loudly enough for me and the entire tenth floor to hear. Then the guy even had the nerve to confront me about it after Wilcrest basically told him to grow a pair and get lost.
    In the end, Wilcrest did end up being forced to talk it out with the chief, but it was a brief conversation. Arrest records and number of cases solved speak for themselves. Even so, in order to help him save face with the other detectives, I was trying harder to check in more frequently and provide more details on my activities as well. At times the station could be a bit middle-schoolish, but I assumed most workplaces operate in much the same fashion.
    I took out my cell phone and dialed him up while I had a few moments to spare.
    “Cap. I’m on the road right now. Headed for Louisiana. Sulphur. Stacy killed a guy there last night.”
    “Jesus Christ! Let me guess; she left you a note?”
    “Yes. I have a good friend, Detective Lafitte, who lives in New Orleans. He’s headed there now. He agreed to help me with the investigation. I’m going to hunt her down if it’s the last thing I do. I gotta find Karen and bring her home.”
    “Keep me posted, and find your little girl. If you can’t, no one can. Now get off the phone and solve this case. That’s an order!”
    “That is definitely the plan,” I said before disconnecting.
    Houston to Sulphur was only a two-hour drive down I-10. Gave me a chance to make a few calls. I wanted to hit the ground running when I arrived on the crime scene. I was already about eighteen hours behind her now.
    I started with Detective De Luca. She hadn’t been in captivity as long as Miranda, but she’d have some healing to do nonetheless.
    “Hey, De Luca. It’s me—David. How are you?”
    “I’m okay. Pissed that I allowed myself to get ’napped, but other than that I’m okay. How’s Miranda?”
    “She’s okay, just tired. She’s at home resting.”
    “Where are you? Sounds like you’re driving.”
    “I’m headed for