Page 10 (1/2)

"Do you know someone better for the job?"

"No, but I’ht Because there are so e boy with an ex-convict father You knohat a load of crap that is He’s lucky to have found you"

"I’reat kid This is the first tiiven me any trouble"

"I doubt trouble is what he set out to cause tonight Why don’t you talk to him? Talk to the police I’et Wyatt back in jail for breaking parole or so"

"Do you think?"

"You won’t know until you try"

Isabelle nodded "I’ll talk to them"

She stepped out of Grant’s erabbed her hand, stopping her "Let him see the consequences of his actions He needs to know that what he does affects you"

"I don’t want hi hiain Trust me"

Isabelle stared into Grant’s a moment "I do trust you" And because she did, she left her face wet and went to join her son

Trina didn’t kno long she’d have before her kidnapper caiven her had finally worn off enough that she could get off the cot without falling down Hitting her head on that hard ceh of an incentive for her to be more careful this time

She had no idea where she was, but she felt like it had to be a basement Every once in a while, she could hear the faint creak of floorboards overhead and what she thoughtin the pipes

Wherever she was, it was dark There were no s, no lale bulb overhead was on the outside of the door Only a thin ribbon of light fro at all

At least he’d left her that much Trina was sure that if he hadn’t, she would have panicked weeks ago

Or was it months? She couldn’t be sure anyed htain

Every ti frohtly, that ht within him

Trina’s eyes welled up, and she bit her lip to keep froh to see in here without the added hindrance of tears If she was going to have any chance of getting out of here, she needed to find a plan soon, before her husband’s killer caain

She looked around the tiny space It was about eight feet square, with a cot along one wall and a toilet and sink tucked in the corner The floor was bare concrete There was noin here that wasn’t per, a bar of soap, a washcloth, and a single roll of toilet paper

Trina had already tried to open the door the last ti to waste whatever little tiain She needed a new idea

Maybe if she ht bulb, break it, and use the pieces as a weapon

Of course, as soon as the killer ca rong

He’d warned her that he’d punish her if she gave his he gave her lasted, and she was never awake for ain

Trina figured she had ain

A sick sense of panic swelled inside her veins She didn’t knoto last in here She’d spent , and already she was starting to feel her es

Not toweaker by the day With little use, her h the killer fed her, she didn’t eat much She couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried

Trina scanned the dank space, searching for so she could use as a weapon or a tool

The toilet It had bits of metal in it, didn’t it?

Trina stumbled across the small space and lifted the lid off the back of the tank It was dark inside None of the ribbon of light from under the door found its way in here

She stuck her hands in the frigid water, feeling around for so she found was a metal rod that connected the lever on the outside of the toilet to a chain

Hope speared through her as her shaking fingers ure out how to free it

The next time her husband’s killer ca right into his eye

CHAPTER FIVE

Isabelle had to sit on her hands to keep fro out to Dale to reassure herself he was okay She kneouldn’t like her coddling hi on the couch

"Let’s go over this one er of the two policemen, Officer Reynolds He was rope thin and held his pencil poised over his notepad in anxious anticipation "You were in your roohtened with frustration "It was about ten, I guess"

"And then what?"

"I already told you," Dale nearly shouted

Isabelle had never seen hi more had happened than the siain, h

Reynolds opened his mouth, but the older officer who’d introduced hi hand to his partner He had a calm patience about hi with children He was a little on the heavy side, but it only ain, son," said Officer Brooks in a calm, steady voice "It helps make sure we didn’t mess up any details the first tihed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands It was nearly ht, and he looked exhausted Isabelle barely stifled the urge to run the police off and send Dale to get some much-needed rest

"He threw rocks at ht it was one of my friends, so I went over, but it was Da--Wyatt"

He’d almost said "Dad," and the fact that he had to stop himself and call his father by his first name to distance himself from him broke Isabelle’s heart