Find Her (Detective D.D. Warren #8)(53)

“Colin, I know you want answers.” Pam again. “I know you love your daughter. I know you would do anything to get her back.”

“Did you hire a private investigator?” D.D. spoke up. “To help find Stacey?”

Colin didn’t speak. He no longer appeared angry to D.D., but stark. A father who was trying to keep his heart from breaking.

“Mr. Summers, I can get a warrant for your phone records,” D.D. continued, “as well as for the security cameras in this building. Such actions will take away resources the Boston police could otherwise spend continuing the search for your daughter, but if I have to . . .”

“I know Rosa Dane,” he conceded abruptly. “She’s our mentor. I told you that.”

“She shared her story with you, correct? That’s part of her role. Letting you know what she went through and, even more importantly, that even after being kidnapped for over a year, a daughter can come home again.”

Colin nodded.

“Rosa’s honest. She told you about Flora’s struggles, didn’t she? About how you can get a happy ending, but still not live happily ever after. How her own daughter has spent the past five years obsessed with criminal behavior and self-defense in order to try to feel safe again.”

Colin didn’t say anything.

“And that got you to thinking. The police haven’t been able to help you. Apparently, you weren’t satisfied with any of the private investigators you interviewed—”

He scowled at Pam, clearly irritated that the victim specialist had revealed so much.

“So what about Flora Dane? What about a girl who’s truly been there and done that? Who’s become something of an expert on kidnapping and abduction. Why not talk to her?”

He chewed his lower lip.

“You met her here,” Pam spoke up. “In this office. It’s the only place you have any privacy. And you wouldn’t want Pauline to know—it would upset her. And you wouldn’t want me to know because I wouldn’t approve. So you contacted Flora and arranged to meet her here. Remember, Colin, we can pull security footage.”

“Fine. I met with Flora. In this office. We just talked, though. After everything Rosa had said, I was curious to meet Flora in person. A survivor, you know. Someone who did make it. As for Flora, she’d clearly been following Stacey’s case. She had questions of her own.”

“When did you meet with her?” D.D. asked.

“I don’t know. Three weeks ago?”

“I want the day. Monday, Tuesday, third Saturday of October? Be specific.”

Colin scowled, but after a moment, he pulled out his cell phone, consulted his calendar. “Tuesday, second week of October, three P.M. Better?”

“How long did you talk?”

“Hour. Maybe ninety minutes.”

“Did she have theories on Stacey’s abduction?” Pam interjected.

Colin shrugged. “Nothing new, just the usual. What did we know of her online activities? Who were her friends she went out with that night, how big a drinker, could she handle herself? She wanted to know about Stacey’s . . . resources. I mean, my daughter’s athletic. People don’t always take it seriously, but cheerleading is an intense sport. Flora said that would be a mark in my daughter’s favor. Then she wanted to know if Stacey had taken any self-defense, karate, carried Mace, anything like that. She hadn’t. What about mental resilience. How my daughter functioned under pressure. I . . . I couldn’t really answer. Maybe Pauline could. But my job, my whole life, has been to keep my daughter from being under that kind of stress. To take care of her. To keep her safe.”

Colin Summers’s voice broke. He looked away. Neither Pam nor D.D. spoke. After another moment, he composed himself. “I said Stacey’s smart. If she could figure a way out, she would. But also . . . Stacey’s sweet. And I don’t just mean that as her father. From a very early age, she has always been so . . . likeable. Total strangers gravitate to her. And she gravitates to them. She’s one of those people, she sees the best in everyone. Flora said . . . Flora said that might help her. She said the guy who kidnapped her used to talk about killing her all the time. She listened. Agreed with everything he said, did whatever he wanted. And eventually, the guy didn’t talk about killing her anymore. Eventually, he decided to keep her instead.”

“Did Flora think Stacey was still alive?” D.D. asked curiously. Too late, she caught Pam’s warning glance.

“Of course my daughter is still alive!”

“And Flora agreed with this assessment.”

“She thought it was highly possible!”

“Colin,” Pam interjected quietly, “did you hire Flora to find your daughter?”

“No. Of course not. I mean, she’s just a kid herself. A past victim. I’d never do such a thing.”

“Remember, we can subpoena your financials.”

Colin glared at the victim specialist. “At what point are you on my side on any of this?”

“Why don’t you consider me on Pauline’s side?” Pam Mason smiled sweetly. Colin blanched.

“I didn’t hire Flora. Not . . . exactly.”

“She offered to help,” D.D. filled in.

“She was already well versed on the case! Had been following it on her own. And her mother hadn’t exaggerated. The things she knew, talked about. Flora Dane was more impressive than any of the private investigators I interviewed. And definitely more vested in finding my daughter than any of you detectives have been!”