life. She didn’t care about handsome anymore, not after...not after what she’d been through. She doubted she’d ever care again about things like that. No, her pulse thrummed because of how he made her feel—safe, secure and as if she could do anything, like fight the devil and win.
The line clicked. “Detective Larson, may I help you?”
Not the voice she’d been hoping to hear.
“I’m sorry.” She tried to hide her disappointment. “I must have called the wrong number. I’m trying to reach Chief Scott.”
A pause, then “Miss Brighton? Is that you?”
Caught. “Yes. Could you please give me Chief Scott’s number? I thought I was calling his cell but obviously I’ve called yours instead. I need to talk to him.”
“You called the right number. He left me his phone in case someone needed to get in touch with him in an emergency. There is no cell service where he is right now. His phone was sitting on my desk and rang, so I picked it up.”
“Oh. Well, I don’t know that I’d call this an emergency, but it’s very important. I’d appreciate it if you would tell him that I need to talk to him and—”
“Miss Brighton, I’m sorry, but unless it’s urgent I really can’t justify interrupting the work that Zack’s doing on the Ghost of Mystic Glades case just to tell him to—”
“You’re calling the man who abducted me a ghost? Why? He’s the devil, not a ghost. I didn’t imagine what he did to me. He—”
“Miss Brighton, hold on. I’m really, really sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It came out before I could stop it.” He let out a deep sigh. “Believe me, no one is trying to belittle your experience by assigning a cutesy name to the killer. It’s just that there’s a legend in the Glades...well, it doesn’t matter. What I was trying to say is that I’d prefer to take care of whatever you’re calling about rather than drive out to find Chief Scott. I’m part of the same task force that he’s on trying to bring the man to justice who hurt you. That is why you called, right? To tell me something about the case?”
She pressed her hand against her chest, embarrassed at her outburst. “Detective, forgive me. I shouldn’t have jumped all over you like that. I get...flustered, and emotional these days.”
“You absolutely don’t owe me an apology. Now, how can I help you?”
She curled her hand around the phone. “I appreciate your offer, but it’s Zack that I need to speak to.”
Silence met her request, and she realized her blunder—calling Chief Scott by his first name. Her face grew heated, but there was no backpedaling now. She had no control over what crazy thoughts might be running through the detective’s head. And she didn’t care about all the reasons her therapist gave her for what she called her fixation on the man who’d saved her. To her, Chief Scott would always be Zack. And Zack was the only person she felt comfortable enough to talk to about what had happened.
“If you’ll leave your message with me, I promise that I’ll give it to him the minute I go home to Mystic Glades this evening. He’ll have to stop the search at nightfall.”
There was a slight intake of breath on the line, and she realized he’d said more than he’d intended. Her pulse hammered in her veins as dreaded images pounded through her mind like a battering ram, making her temples throb.
“He’s...he’s out there ? In the swamp? Looking for her?”
A deep sigh sounded. “Yes. Zack is searching for both of them, Mary Watkins and Sue Ellen Fullerton. Like I said, if you’ll just give me the message, I promise I’ll tell him tonight—”
“No. That will be too late. You need to tell him now.”
Another sigh, this one of resignation. “All right. Give me your message.”
“You’ll take it to him right now? You won’t wait until later? Promise?”
“I promise.” His voice sounded weary, but it also sounded honest. She believed him.
“Okay. Please tell
The line clicked. “Detective Larson, may I help you?”
Not the voice she’d been hoping to hear.
“I’m sorry.” She tried to hide her disappointment. “I must have called the wrong number. I’m trying to reach Chief Scott.”
A pause, then “Miss Brighton? Is that you?”
Caught. “Yes. Could you please give me Chief Scott’s number? I thought I was calling his cell but obviously I’ve called yours instead. I need to talk to him.”
“You called the right number. He left me his phone in case someone needed to get in touch with him in an emergency. There is no cell service where he is right now. His phone was sitting on my desk and rang, so I picked it up.”
“Oh. Well, I don’t know that I’d call this an emergency, but it’s very important. I’d appreciate it if you would tell him that I need to talk to him and—”
“Miss Brighton, I’m sorry, but unless it’s urgent I really can’t justify interrupting the work that Zack’s doing on the Ghost of Mystic Glades case just to tell him to—”
“You’re calling the man who abducted me a ghost? Why? He’s the devil, not a ghost. I didn’t imagine what he did to me. He—”
“Miss Brighton, hold on. I’m really, really sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It came out before I could stop it.” He let out a deep sigh. “Believe me, no one is trying to belittle your experience by assigning a cutesy name to the killer. It’s just that there’s a legend in the Glades...well, it doesn’t matter. What I was trying to say is that I’d prefer to take care of whatever you’re calling about rather than drive out to find Chief Scott. I’m part of the same task force that he’s on trying to bring the man to justice who hurt you. That is why you called, right? To tell me something about the case?”
She pressed her hand against her chest, embarrassed at her outburst. “Detective, forgive me. I shouldn’t have jumped all over you like that. I get...flustered, and emotional these days.”
“You absolutely don’t owe me an apology. Now, how can I help you?”
She curled her hand around the phone. “I appreciate your offer, but it’s Zack that I need to speak to.”
Silence met her request, and she realized her blunder—calling Chief Scott by his first name. Her face grew heated, but there was no backpedaling now. She had no control over what crazy thoughts might be running through the detective’s head. And she didn’t care about all the reasons her therapist gave her for what she called her fixation on the man who’d saved her. To her, Chief Scott would always be Zack. And Zack was the only person she felt comfortable enough to talk to about what had happened.
“If you’ll leave your message with me, I promise that I’ll give it to him the minute I go home to Mystic Glades this evening. He’ll have to stop the search at nightfall.”
There was a slight intake of breath on the line, and she realized he’d said more than he’d intended. Her pulse hammered in her veins as dreaded images pounded through her mind like a battering ram, making her temples throb.
“He’s...he’s out there ? In the swamp? Looking for her?”
A deep sigh sounded. “Yes. Zack is searching for both of them, Mary Watkins and Sue Ellen Fullerton. Like I said, if you’ll just give me the message, I promise I’ll tell him tonight—”
“No. That will be too late. You need to tell him now.”
Another sigh, this one of resignation. “All right. Give me your message.”
“You’ll take it to him right now? You won’t wait until later? Promise?”
“I promise.” His voice sounded weary, but it also sounded honest. She believed him.
“Okay. Please tell
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