eyebrows.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said, his arm falling.
Lilly’s question to him about the lack of public notification came to the forefront of his mind. If he’d released the facts of this assailant’s MO, would he have this sense of guilt?
This would near the top on his list of his unforgivable acts.
Mike continued, “She was there the day we brought that woman in—the one you thought—”
“I know who she is,” Nathan interrupted. A uniformed officer paced a few steps behind.
“You okay?” Raul asked.
“What hospital?”
“The guy that found her doesn’t think Sage is a good idea under the circumstances. We’re going to Blue Ridge. It’s closer anyway.” Mike nodded to Raul to continue on.
The waiting officer nearly bumped into him in his anxiousness to speak. Nathan didn’t recognize him. He sighed at the thought of working with a rookie.
“Sir?”
“What have you got for me?”
The young man pushed up his fingerprint-smudged glasses and flipped opened a notepad, running a pinky over his notations. “Victim was found at approximately midnight by that man”—he paused, pointing—“Kadin Daughtry. Man states he came here and found the door open. Says he didn’t want to surprise her because she’s a black belt and has a gun—”
“Is the weapon accounted for?”
“Not yet. He says he doesn’t know where she keeps it.”
“Have you looked?”
“In the process, sir.”
“Let me talk to him on my own. We’ll compare stories later. Why don’t you make sure the techs are on their way?”
The officer nodded, closed his pad, and retreated to the kitchen. Nathan approached the man at the couch, who appeared to be praying. Even though Nathan cleared his throat and coughed a few times, several moments passed before the man acknowledged him.
Nathan offered his hand. “I’m Detective Nathan Long,” he said.
He remained sitting, his hands clasped together. “Dr. Kadin Daughtry.”
“Are you a colleague of Dr. Reeves?” Nathan took the chair opposite the pensive man.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
Nathan remained quiet, taking time to weigh the potential trajectory of this conversation. He wrote consequential observations, waiting for Kadin’s next move.
Interview of Dr. Kadin Daughtry. Male, approx early 30s. Six feet, brown hair, brown eyes. Unshaven. Tired. Angry.
“You were there the day they brought Torrence in. I delivered her baby,” he continued, now sitting as if a schoolmaster had reprimanded him for sleeping in class. “Lilly thought you were hiding a serial rapist from the public. Was she right?”
Angry at me.
“That’s not information I can divulge at this time. The investigation is at a very sensitive point.”
“If you can’t speak honestly with me, then maybe this interview will become very difficult for you.”
Nathan stopped writing and set his pen and pad on the armchair. He leaned forward, deflecting Kadin’s anger in as peaceful a manner as he could muster. “I know that you must care for Lilly very much; otherwise you wouldn’t be here. The best way to help Lilly is to answer my questions. As far as the investigation as a whole, there will be decisions forthcoming that will likely allay your fears about public safety.” Nathan picked up his pen. “Can we continue?”
Kadin sank into the sofa. The man’s eyes shifted out of Nathan’s line of sight as two crime technicians entered the living room.
“Start up in the master bedroom,” Nathan pointed to the stairs.
“You know there’s likely only one drug that could cause her symptomology.”
Nathan turned back to Kadin. “What’s that?”
“An anesthetic agent called ketamine. Causes nystagmus, increased heart rate and blood pressure.”
“Nystagmus?” the rookie asked. Nathan turned, his glare causing him to retreat.
“The same finding you guys check for during a roadside test for drunk driving. Where the eyes tick back and forth like one of
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said, his arm falling.
Lilly’s question to him about the lack of public notification came to the forefront of his mind. If he’d released the facts of this assailant’s MO, would he have this sense of guilt?
This would near the top on his list of his unforgivable acts.
Mike continued, “She was there the day we brought that woman in—the one you thought—”
“I know who she is,” Nathan interrupted. A uniformed officer paced a few steps behind.
“You okay?” Raul asked.
“What hospital?”
“The guy that found her doesn’t think Sage is a good idea under the circumstances. We’re going to Blue Ridge. It’s closer anyway.” Mike nodded to Raul to continue on.
The waiting officer nearly bumped into him in his anxiousness to speak. Nathan didn’t recognize him. He sighed at the thought of working with a rookie.
“Sir?”
“What have you got for me?”
The young man pushed up his fingerprint-smudged glasses and flipped opened a notepad, running a pinky over his notations. “Victim was found at approximately midnight by that man”—he paused, pointing—“Kadin Daughtry. Man states he came here and found the door open. Says he didn’t want to surprise her because she’s a black belt and has a gun—”
“Is the weapon accounted for?”
“Not yet. He says he doesn’t know where she keeps it.”
“Have you looked?”
“In the process, sir.”
“Let me talk to him on my own. We’ll compare stories later. Why don’t you make sure the techs are on their way?”
The officer nodded, closed his pad, and retreated to the kitchen. Nathan approached the man at the couch, who appeared to be praying. Even though Nathan cleared his throat and coughed a few times, several moments passed before the man acknowledged him.
Nathan offered his hand. “I’m Detective Nathan Long,” he said.
He remained sitting, his hands clasped together. “Dr. Kadin Daughtry.”
“Are you a colleague of Dr. Reeves?” Nathan took the chair opposite the pensive man.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
Nathan remained quiet, taking time to weigh the potential trajectory of this conversation. He wrote consequential observations, waiting for Kadin’s next move.
Interview of Dr. Kadin Daughtry. Male, approx early 30s. Six feet, brown hair, brown eyes. Unshaven. Tired. Angry.
“You were there the day they brought Torrence in. I delivered her baby,” he continued, now sitting as if a schoolmaster had reprimanded him for sleeping in class. “Lilly thought you were hiding a serial rapist from the public. Was she right?”
Angry at me.
“That’s not information I can divulge at this time. The investigation is at a very sensitive point.”
“If you can’t speak honestly with me, then maybe this interview will become very difficult for you.”
Nathan stopped writing and set his pen and pad on the armchair. He leaned forward, deflecting Kadin’s anger in as peaceful a manner as he could muster. “I know that you must care for Lilly very much; otherwise you wouldn’t be here. The best way to help Lilly is to answer my questions. As far as the investigation as a whole, there will be decisions forthcoming that will likely allay your fears about public safety.” Nathan picked up his pen. “Can we continue?”
Kadin sank into the sofa. The man’s eyes shifted out of Nathan’s line of sight as two crime technicians entered the living room.
“Start up in the master bedroom,” Nathan pointed to the stairs.
“You know there’s likely only one drug that could cause her symptomology.”
Nathan turned back to Kadin. “What’s that?”
“An anesthetic agent called ketamine. Causes nystagmus, increased heart rate and blood pressure.”
“Nystagmus?” the rookie asked. Nathan turned, his glare causing him to retreat.
“The same finding you guys check for during a roadside test for drunk driving. Where the eyes tick back and forth like one of
Similar Books
