Free Dark Reservations by John Fortunato Page A

can’t let you guys explain away her disappearance as though it were some ridiculous Bonnie and Clyde thing.”
    â€œI’m not—” He stopped himself. He was about to say he wasn’t working the case anymore, but he thought that might get her even more upset. But stopping himself didn’t make a difference.
    â€œYou’re not what ? Not interested?”
    â€œLook, Ms. Hannaway, if you just came here to yell at me—”
    â€œI’m not yelling. I just want someone to finally take her case seriously. My sister didn’t run away. I know something happened to her. I just want closure. Our mother and father died never knowing what happened. Or why it happened. People said she ran off with Edgerton. People talked behind our backs, snickered, called her a tramp and a thief.” She lowered her head. “My father had a small life-insurance policy taken out on us when we were young, only a thousand dollars. He didn’t even put a claim in when my sister went missing, didn’t even think about it. But do you know what they did, the Great American Insurance Company, with their billboards that read ‘Take Comfort with Us’? A year after my sister went missing, they sent us a letter. They said they investigated and couldn’t pay off on the policy because she was wanted in connection with congressional corruption, and it was their opinion she fled the country. No one even asked them to pay off the policy. And no one asked them for their opinion. My mother and father sat in the kitchen and cried over that letter, hugging each other. The rumors and tabloids didn’t bother them half as much as that letter.” She pulled out another tissue to soak up those painful memories.
    Joe sat in silence, not sure what to say to comfort this woman, not sure if she even wanted him to try.
    â€œDo you know what it’s like to lose someone?” she asked. “Someone you love and care about. And then when they’re gone, you realize you can’t move on. You’re stuck. Stuck because you can’t get closure. You can’t understand why that person was taken. And you somehow feel responsible. Do you know what that’s like?”
    Joe knew. He knew all too well. He looked at the woman in front of him. He wanted to hug her and tell her he understood. Tell her that was exactly how he’d felt ever since Christine died. Instead, he did something he knew he shouldn’t. Maybe something he couldn’t.
    â€œI’ll do my best to find out what happened to your sister.”
    Her expression seemed to convey doubt, but she didn’t voice her feelings. Instead, she stood, shook his hand, turned, and walked out without a backward glance.
    Joe stayed in the room for another ten minutes, considered their conversation. Then he went back into Dale’s office.
    Dale was on the phone, so Joe plopped in the seat in front of his desk and waited. He listened to Dale tell the person on the other end about the bullet holes and that the old man had remembered seeing blood. He gave Joe a look that said, Get the hell out of my face. Joe ignored it. He guessed this was Dale’s third or fourth phone call. On high-profile cases, the big bosses never wanted to wait to read the reports. They always demanded verbal updates. Everyone was afraid to be caught outside the circle of knowledge. After a few minutes, Dale hung up.
    â€œI want the case back.”
    Dale said nothing, but his mouth moved a few times, as though he were practicing what he would say, Joe had caught him off guard. “Forget it. Not after that stunt. I’m giving it to Cordelli.”
    Joe tasted his own pride as it slipped down his throat. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have kept you out of the loop. It won’t happen again. I’ll keep you updated from here on out.”
    â€œI can’t trust you anymore. I should have known that when I gave it to you. No