Read Online Chained Guilt (Hidden Guilt (Detective Series) Book 1) by Terry Keys - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Terry Keys
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asked.
I stood in shock as the officers looked at me, expecting an answer. They didn’t get one. I stood there for a minute until their taillights disappeared. I was soaked from the rain, which still had not let up. Suddenly, Karen stepped onto the porch and hugged my leg.
“It’s okay, Daddy,” she said. “It’s not your fault. We’re going to find Mommy, and everything will be okay.”
My daughter’s comforting words were pleasing to my ears. I was hopeful, but I knew if my wife wasn’t found soon, there was only a slim chance I’d ever see her alive again. I was also burdened with a massive amount of guilt. Hilary was right. If only I’d stayed awake. Maybe I could have started looking sooner. This was my fault. It had to be. Even the killer blamed me. Now the game had been taken to another level, a personal one.
I looked down into my daughter’s big blue eyes. She stood looking at me with a sorrowful expression that stabbed deep into my heart. She too was soaked from the rain, which seemed to be coming down harder now. I picked her up and carried her inside. I called for Hilary to come down, but she was either ignoring me or had her radio blaring too loudly to hear me. I slowly walked up the stairs to her room.
Still holding Karen, I opened the door to Hilary’s room and sat down next to her on the bed. I explained that it was okay if she was mad at me, as I was mad at myself. But I also told her it was not my fault. I promised to do everything in my power to find their mother.
“Stay here with your sister,” I said. “You’re in charge. I’m going out to look for your mom. I promise, Hil, I’m coming back with her.”
9
After I finished talking to Hilary, I carried Karen to her room and set her on the bed. “Karen, honey, I’m going to find your mother, don’t you worry. I’ll find her if it’s the last thing I do.” I paused and hugged my daughter tightly. “Hilary will be here with you.”
“No, Daddy, don’t leave,” she pleaded.
“It’s all right,” I assured her. “Hilary will be here, and there are a couple officers from the station outside. I have to help look for Mommy, Karen.”
Karen didn’t want to let me go, but she understood why I had to leave. She told me to be extra careful and to come back with her mother. As I left the room, I took one slow look back at my daughter.
“I promise,” I whispered as I disappeared from the doorway.
As I stepped outside my front door, I saw Wilcrest and a few others waiting outside. I told him to leave the suits behind to stay with my girls and then requested that he ride with me down to the channel. He held out his hand for the car keys, and I gave them to him, realizing I was too shaken to drive myself.
Being a fifteen-year-veteran officer, I had worked hundreds of accidents, but I’d never approached one knowing it involved one of my loved ones. It gave me an odd, eerie feeling that made me sick to my stomach.
“Are you sure you can handle this, David?”
“Just drive,” I snapped back. “I don’t have a choice.”
The uneasiness in my stomach grew more intense. My head rang and hundreds of thoughts clouded my mind. As we approached the crashed vehicle, I held my emotions in check. I couldn’t fall prey to my fear or I’d be useless. It took me a second to get out of the vehicle, and when I finally did, I had to force down the trembling that sought to overcome me. Wilcrest stood by my side, but I remained stoic, tough as it was. I wanted to wail in anguish, to shout my
I stood in shock as the officers looked at me, expecting an answer. They didn’t get one. I stood there for a minute until their taillights disappeared. I was soaked from the rain, which still had not let up. Suddenly, Karen stepped onto the porch and hugged my leg.
“It’s okay, Daddy,” she said. “It’s not your fault. We’re going to find Mommy, and everything will be okay.”
My daughter’s comforting words were pleasing to my ears. I was hopeful, but I knew if my wife wasn’t found soon, there was only a slim chance I’d ever see her alive again. I was also burdened with a massive amount of guilt. Hilary was right. If only I’d stayed awake. Maybe I could have started looking sooner. This was my fault. It had to be. Even the killer blamed me. Now the game had been taken to another level, a personal one.
I looked down into my daughter’s big blue eyes. She stood looking at me with a sorrowful expression that stabbed deep into my heart. She too was soaked from the rain, which seemed to be coming down harder now. I picked her up and carried her inside. I called for Hilary to come down, but she was either ignoring me or had her radio blaring too loudly to hear me. I slowly walked up the stairs to her room.
Still holding Karen, I opened the door to Hilary’s room and sat down next to her on the bed. I explained that it was okay if she was mad at me, as I was mad at myself. But I also told her it was not my fault. I promised to do everything in my power to find their mother.
“Stay here with your sister,” I said. “You’re in charge. I’m going out to look for your mom. I promise, Hil, I’m coming back with her.”
9
After I finished talking to Hilary, I carried Karen to her room and set her on the bed. “Karen, honey, I’m going to find your mother, don’t you worry. I’ll find her if it’s the last thing I do.” I paused and hugged my daughter tightly. “Hilary will be here with you.”
“No, Daddy, don’t leave,” she pleaded.
“It’s all right,” I assured her. “Hilary will be here, and there are a couple officers from the station outside. I have to help look for Mommy, Karen.”
Karen didn’t want to let me go, but she understood why I had to leave. She told me to be extra careful and to come back with her mother. As I left the room, I took one slow look back at my daughter.
“I promise,” I whispered as I disappeared from the doorway.
As I stepped outside my front door, I saw Wilcrest and a few others waiting outside. I told him to leave the suits behind to stay with my girls and then requested that he ride with me down to the channel. He held out his hand for the car keys, and I gave them to him, realizing I was too shaken to drive myself.
Being a fifteen-year-veteran officer, I had worked hundreds of accidents, but I’d never approached one knowing it involved one of my loved ones. It gave me an odd, eerie feeling that made me sick to my stomach.
“Are you sure you can handle this, David?”
“Just drive,” I snapped back. “I don’t have a choice.”
The uneasiness in my stomach grew more intense. My head rang and hundreds of thoughts clouded my mind. As we approached the crashed vehicle, I held my emotions in check. I couldn’t fall prey to my fear or I’d be useless. It took me a second to get out of the vehicle, and when I finally did, I had to force down the trembling that sought to overcome me. Wilcrest stood by my side, but I remained stoic, tough as it was. I wanted to wail in anguish, to shout my
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