Chapter Twenty
Hunt picked up his office line at the station, hoping he didn’t have to go out on another call. He really wanted to go home and check on Cyn. She’d had a rough night after the hospital visit, waiting for him outside the latest house Rad had burglarized, then getting hit with another wave of grief over her missing sister and niece. It was all he could do to coax her to eat the lasagna and garlic bread dinner he reheated when they got home. She barely said good night before snuggling into him in bed and falling into one nightmare after the next.
He thought he felt rough when he woke up this morning, but it was nothing compared to seeing her with the dark circles and haunted look in her eyes.
He wanted to make her promises but couldn’t.
He tried to make her smile, but even the glimpse of a grin she gave him left her lips as quickly as it had appeared.
It had only taken him asking her to stay at his place and not go into work or anywhere else for her to agree. He didn’t like her easy capitulation when not so long ago she’d been stubbornly insisting she’d live her life the way she wanted to.
He needed to get home and check on her. But instead he picked up his ringing phone. “Officer Wilde,” he said to the caller.
“Hello, Hunt. This is Jacob Harmon.”
“Mr. Harmon. It’s been a while. I hope you and your wife are well.” He started with the pleasantries with Rad’s father. He’d been welcomed in the Harmon house since he was a boy, and he hated that they were on opposite sides now.
“As well as can be expected under the circumstances, what with Angela running off with our grandchild.”
Hunt gave it to Mr. Harmon plain. “I don’t think that’s what happened. I don’t think you believe it either. Not after I arrested your son for assaulting Angela’s sister.”
“You mean the woman everyone is talking about you seeing now?”
“Cyn and I are together,” he admitted. “That’s a recent thing. Your son has a long history of domestic abuse with Angela. It’s no leap to tie her disappearance to him.”
“That’s why I’m calling. My wife just heard from Rad. He said Angela called him this evening and told him she and the baby are fine. They’re in Idaho with some friend of hers. She says she’s not coming back.”
“I’d like to hear Mrs. Harmon’s account of the call. Maybe ask her some questions.”
“I was listening in. I heard everything.”
At this point, Hunt had to take his word. “Okay, then, did she tell Rad what city she was in or how he could get in contact with her in the future?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Not surprising.
“Did she say that Rad or you could go and see the baby?”
“He said that they talked about shared custody and that she’d let him see the baby soon.” Vague.
“Did Rad say he was going to Idaho to see her?”
“He told his mama he’d bring the baby to see her soon, so I’m guessing he plans to bring her home for a little while before he returns her to Angela.”
That didn’t make much sense since Angela was breastfeeding the baby, according to Cyn. “Where is Rad now?”
“He didn’t say. We haven’t seen him in several days.”
“He hasn’t been at his place in the last few days either. If he’s not home or staying with you, where would he go?”
“Don’t know. He’s a grown man. He doesn’t answer to me anymore.” That came across as defensive.
“Your son is suspected of killing Angela and Lana.”
“Sounds to me like Angela took off with his kid without telling him.”
“But she didn’t take anything for herself or Lana from the house. Her car was found submerged in the river, like someone wanted to either hide the vehicle, or make it seem like she and the baby were washed away in the current.”
“Maybe she did that to cover her tracks and her friend picked her up and drove her to Idaho.” Mr. Harmon was reaching. And wishful thinking.