Into the Light (The Light, #1)(50)

“Same house?” Sirens sounded from the phone and outside my open window. I quickly pushed the button to raise the window, hoping that Dylan would think the sounds were all occurring around him.

“No. I shouldn’t even be telling you this. I need to get back to work.”

My mind raced with questions as I turned from side to side, searching for the source of the sound. The sirens’ roar grew louder and then softer, but they were nowhere to be seen.

How close is he?

“Where, Dylan? Is it near where the other two bodies were found? Is it a woman? A man? What’s her age? Is she blonde?”

“Seriously?” he asked in disbelief. “Stay away from Highland Heights. The DPD will be covering the entire area today and tonight. If one patrolman, one detective, or hell, even a Highland Heights traffic cop tells me that he or she saw you or your car here, so help me . . .” His sentence trailed away.

My shoulders stiffened as my brows rose. The temperature inside my car wasn’t going up only due to the closed windows. “Finish your threat, Detective Richards. I’d like to know exactly what you planned to say before I tell you to stick it up your—”

“It wasn’t a threat.” He exhaled. “Listen to me and I’ll make you a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“You stay away from here today, and in the morning, I’ll escort you to the crime scene.”

The opportunity sounded too good to be true. My curiosity was piqued. “Why? What are you hiding from me?” My hand moved to my suddenly racing heart. “Oh my God, do you think it’s Mindy?”

“No. I know it isn’t. Stella . . .”

I sighed. “Thank God. Then why? Why would you be willing to do that?”

More voices, growing louder, came through the phone, mingling with the sirens. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Just shut up.” He paused.

Though my lips came together, and my rebuttal was on the tip of my tongue, I stayed silent since his time was obviously short.

Dylan continued hurriedly, “I’m offering because I know you. You’re not going to listen to me unless you know you’ll get to see this. Call me a controlling ass, I don’t care. I don’t want something to happen to you because you’re in the wrong place. Just let the DPD handle it today. Tomorrow early, after dawn and before all the idiots hit the street, I’ll bring you to both houses. That way you’ll get a look at the crime scenes, satisfy your curiosity, and I’ll know you’re safe.” He lowered his volume. “I’m hanging up. Tell me we have a deal.”

Shit!

“OK, we have a deal.”

“Good-bye.”

“Bye—” I didn’t have a chance to say it before the phone went dead. I shook my head. Turning on my ignition, I cranked the air conditioning and smoothed back my hair. Inhaling the cooled air, I lifted my ponytail from my neck and redirected the air-conditioning vent. Though it was past Labor Day and autumn was approaching, it hadn’t stopped the heat. I’d lived in the area long enough to know that it could, any day. Seventy degrees one day and thirty the next. Welcome to autumn in Michigan.

I contemplated Dylan’s warning. I drove a gray Ford Fusion, an inconspicuous car, for a reason. There had to be hundreds of them in the Detroit metropolitan area. Besides, it was only ten thirty in the morning.

If I leave this parking lot now, even to leave Highland Heights, will Dylan or one of the other officers see me? If they do, will they know it is me? How am I supposed to wait almost twenty-four hours before I learn more?

Waiting wasn’t my thing, but then again, neither was surveillance, and I did it. Waiting was a big part of my job. The investigators on television had it easy. They parked their car and then boom, their suspect would walk right in front of them. That wasn’t the way it worked in real life. I’d been sitting in this parking lot since before the sun came up, around six this morning, and my legs were beginning to feel it.

I grinned. Maybe it wasn’t the surveillance my legs were feeling. Maybe it was the aftereffects of last night’s activities. Dylan had made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Oh, I could have, but I hadn’t wanted to.

At first I’d decided to cancel our evening plans. I was getting nowhere fast on my research, and I needed to jump in with both feet. Over the last two-plus weeks, I’d made it through all Dr. Howell’s cases more than once. I’d even deciphered Bernard’s sketchy information regarding drugs and missing persons. There were a few unsolved cases as well as people who crossed the border with increased regularity. That wasn’t in itself a crime, but some of their information was questionable. Could that connect them to the drugs?

None of it made sense. There were dots to be connected; I just couldn’t make out the picture they formed. Plus I’d promised the Rosemonts, once again, that I wouldn’t stop. It was one thing to say it on the phone or in an e-mail, but the week before I’d said it while holding their hands. They’d been back to Detroit for the second time since Mindy’s disappearance. I didn’t blame them. Even though I’d promised to do everything at this end, they felt helpless in California and needed to feel involved. I didn’t hold much hope that a solution would materialize from the flyers they’d put all over the city, but then again, who was I to fault them? I wasn’t making progress either.