Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Nothing from the other side of the door.
“You do know your brother entered protective custody with Caitlyn, don’t you?”
The door was thrown open, and a handsome man, tall with black hair graying at the temples, heavy laugh lines, and sharp, angular features was staring at me in absolute shock.
“This was eighteen months ago,” I explained. “Did your brother not let you know before he entered the program?”
He glanced from me to Luke, then back to me. “He’s in witness protection?”
Evidently, he was having trouble grasping the facts.
“Yes. Mrs. Duchesne elected to take your brother with her instead of her ex-husband and her three children.”
Poor guy, he wobbled, and I reached out and grabbed him before he dropped to the floor. Between Luke and me, we got him to the bed. He was still holding on to my credentials, but Luke took those from him, almost snatching them out of his hand, and passed them to me.
“Be nice,” I whispered.
He made a tsking noise, and I couldn’t help smiling. This was a ridiculous situation where Luke, the man cheated on, needed to be nice to the brother of the man his wife had cheated with.
I took a seat on the twin bed opposite the one Richard was sitting on, and Luke joined me, close, as was his way, his thigh pressed to mine, both of us facing the very distraught man.
“I thought you killed my brother,” Richard told Luke. “And your wife.”
We were both quiet.
“I hired a PI to find them, and when he came back with nothing, no trace or leads…that’s when me and my whole family lost hope.”
“That’s understandable,” I replied, keeping my voice calm, gentle. “But you didn’t contact the FBI or even the police here in Eena?”
“I started here, and the police said they both just left.”
Luke scoffed. “Sounds like Wilson.”
From what I knew of the useless former chief of police, it certainly did.
“And the FBI’s stance, because Caitlyn and Marcello were having an affair, was that they ran off together and to please not waste their time.”
What had probably happened was that they’d accessed the information that the two people he was looking for were in protective custody, and that was the end of the conversation. It would have been nice if they’d let Mr. Conti know his brother had been placed into WITSEC, but without a formal notification, they were not allowed to.
“So that’s when you hired the PI,” I surmised.
“Yes,” he said with a sigh and then turned to Luke. “We had no idea Caitlyn had other children. She didn’t mention them when she came to visit us.”
“When was this?” I asked.
“I don’t remember exactly. In the summer of last—no, the year before.”
Luke said, “She used to go on girls’ trips with Ronnie and Kara to Mexico. I guess she lied about that too.”
I took his hand in both of mine, needing to comfort him.
“It was a long time ago,” he said, bumping my shoulder as he held my hand.
“Still,” I murmured, giving him a squeeze before releasing him.
“We were all so excited he found her,” Richard said. “She was amazing, and she told us the two of you were separated when they met.”
“Another lie,” Luke explained, “but it doesn’t matter now. The important thing to know is that I didn’t do anything to your brother. He’s with my ex-wife in witness protection and has been for nearly two years now.”
Richard stared at him. “You’re certain?”
“We are,” I confirmed. “You cannot look for them. I’m certain that your PI, if they were any good at all, realized what finding no trace anywhere meant.”
“Oh. He did say there was no record, but when I asked if that could mean Mr. Duchesne did something to them, he couldn’t say either way.”
“Of course he couldn’t say because he didn’t want to put them in any danger. We don’t either. I’m telling you what happened because normally, immediate family like you and your parents would be informed that your brother, their son, was entering the program. I don’t know where the disconnect came from, unless Mr. Conti did not want you to be notified.”
“No. He wouldn’t do that to my mother.”
“Then it’s an oversight,” I said, pulling out my phone. “Let me see what I can do, all right?”
“Right now?” He sounded so hopeful.
“Of course,” I said, calling the office, putting it on speaker.
“What?” Shaw answered.
“First, you’re on speaker. And second, your phone etiquette is for shit,” I informed him, and Luke chuckled.
“Sorry, but I thought we agreed you’d stay until after Thanksgiving.”
“We did, that’s fine. That’s not what I’m calling about.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding much better, even cheerful. “Then what?”
“I need to talk to someone at the marshals’ office there. Who can you get me to?”
“I’m gonna put you on hold while I figure it out, and then I’ll put you through. I assume this is about Caitlyn Duchesne?”