Trail of Secrets Page 11

  EIGHT

  Seth had barely said anything to her ever since they’d left the mission, and Callie was beginning to wonder if he was truly upset over her suggestion. She studied his profile out of the corner of her eye as they entered the building that housed the District Attorney’s offices and took the elevator to the third floor.

  When they stepped off the elevator, Callie could hold her tongue no longer. She stopped in the hallway and put her hand on Seth’s arm. “Is something wrong? You’ve been way too quiet.”

  He shook his head. “What you said back there about volunteering has gotten me thinking. I shouldn’t bring you into this investigation. It’s dangerous, and you’re not used to dealing with situations like this. I can’t run the risk of your getting hurt. How could I explain that to Dan?”

  She sighed and shook her head. “Seth, we’re never going to find out anything if you keep trying to protect me. I feel like we’re on the verge of discovering something that may lead to some answers, and we have to go forward. I’m willing for you to take the lead, but I want to be there with you.”

  He looked at her, then pointed down the hallway. “Behind the doors down this hallway are the assistant D.A.s I work with all the time. I have never brought a person who has a special interest in a crime to a meeting before. I don’t think Ms. Dalton will want you in there when I see her.”

  “I can understand that. Why don’t I wait outside in the hall? I see a bench against the wall down there, and I can sit there while you’re inside with her.”

  “You’d be willing to do that?”

  She laughed. “Of course I would. I want to do whatever it takes to find out some answers.”

  “Then that’s settled. Let’s go.”

  At that moment another elevator door opened, and a woman who appeared to be her mid-thirties stepped off. She wore a black skirt with a matching jacket, and her blond hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. Small-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose. She smiled when she saw Seth. “Detective Dawtry, how are you today?”

  “I’m good. In fact, I’m here to see you.” Her gaze swept Callie, and he nodded in her direction. “Abby Dalton, this is Judge Lattimer’s niece, Callie.”

  Her eyes darkened, and she stuck her hand out. “I was so sorry to hear about your uncle. How is he?”

  Callie grasped her hand and shook it. “He’s holding his own.”

  “Good.” She turned back to Seth. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes. Could we talk in your office?”

  “Sure.” She darted a glance at Callie.

  Callie pointed to the bench she’d mentioned earlier. “You two go on. I’ll wait here for you, Seth. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Dalton.”

  “And you, Callie. I’m praying for your uncle’s recovery.”

  “Thank you.”

  Callie sank down on the bench as Seth and Abby disappeared into her office. How she wished she could be a fly on the wall and hear what they would say, but she knew she had done the right thing. Seth needed to follow police regulations, and having a victim of a crime present while he was talking with the District Attorney’s office might have raised some red flags. Still, she wished she could have been in there. She sighed and settled back on the bench.

  A door down the hall opened, and a man who looked familiar stepped out into the hallway and walked toward her. He stopped when he drew even with the bench. “Excuse me. Aren’t you Callie Lattimer?”

  She looked up into the dark eyes of the man she knew she’d seen somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place him. “Yes. I’m sorry. Have we met?”

  He smiled and nodded. “My name is Brad Austin. I’m one of Seth’s partners. You came with Judge Lattimer to my wedding.”

  The memory of a night two years before popped into her head, and she smiled. “Of course, Brad. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. I enjoyed that night so much.” She scooted over and pointed to the bench. “Would you like to sit down?”

  He looked at his watch, then nodded and settled onto the bench. “What are you doing sitting out here all alone?”

  “I’m waiting for Seth. He’s in talking with Abby Dalton right now.”

  Brad nodded. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you out here alone. I’ve been to the hospital several times to check on your uncle, but it’s been when you weren’t there. How is he today?”

  She shook her head. “He’s about the same. I just wish he would regain consciousness.”

  He glanced toward Abby’s door. “I’ve talked to Seth several times. He’s really been torn up about what happened to your uncle. You know he loves him like a father.”

  Callie’s throat tightened, and she swallowed. “I know.”

  “Seth and Alex, our other partner, are two of the best friends a guy could ever have. He’s talked to me a lot about how much he missed having a father who loved him when he was growing up. Your uncle has made a real difference in his life. More than being a father figure, he’s also the one who led Seth to his faith in God. That has gotten him through a lot of tough spots in his life.”

  “I’m glad to know that.”

  “Seth says that Dan talks a lot about how worried he was when you came to live with him that he couldn’t be a good father. He has tried to pass on to Seth what he learned.” Brad smiled. “But I’d have to say Dan did a good job. Look at how successful you are. Dan is really proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

  Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for telling me that. I owe him a lot—and I love him very much.”

  Brad took a deep breath. “I need to get back to the office. Tell Seth I’ll see him there later.” He started to rise but hesitated. “But better than that, tell him Laura and I would really like for him to bring you to dinner at our house. Laura’s a nurse at the hospital, and she’s been checking on your uncle, too. She’d mentioned having you over. That’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “I’d like that, Brad. Thanks for the invitation.”

  His smile deepened. “And it’ll also give us a chance to show off our son. He’s the center of our world, and he loves Seth.”

  “He does?”

  Brad chuckled. “You ought to see Seth with him. If ever a guy was cut out to be a father, he was.” He pushed to his feet. “I’ve got to get out of here. It was good to see you, Callie, and don’t forget about the invitation. I’ll remind Seth, too.”

  She nodded. “I’ll tell him, and tell your wife thank-you for checking on my uncle. Maybe we’ll see you soon.”

  Callie managed to hold on to her smile until the elevator door closed behind Brad. Then she slumped against the back of the bench and let the tears stream down her cheeks.

  Two men in different places had said the same thing to her today. Seth would make a wonderful father.

  She clenched her fists and pounded her knees. Why did she have to keep being reminded of something that she knew to be true? Seth would make a wonderful father, and she’d given him the chance to do that when she’d refused his marriage proposal.

  The thing that bothered her, though, was that he didn’t seem to be moving on like she’d thought he would. Several times he’d hinted that he still didn’t understand why she had said no. Maybe it would be better if she told him the real reason, but she wasn’t sure how he would react to the truth.

  She sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Better to leave things as they were. In time he would find a woman he could love. Then he’d be able to have the family he deserved. Even if it still hurt at times to think about him married to someone else, she had to admit it was better than having him come to hate her because he was saddled with a wife who could never give him children.

  * * *

  Seth sat in the chair facing Abby Dalton’s desk
and thought of Callie waiting in the hall for him. He’d been surprised when she’d volunteered to wait outside, but she’d been right. Abby might not have opened up if someone who wasn’t involved in law enforcement had been present.

  He settled in his seat, propped his elbows on the chair arms and clasped his hands in front of him. “Thanks for seeing me.”

  “No problem. Is there something I can help you with about one of your cold cases?”

  “It involves one of my cold cases that may be linked to an investigation right now. I’m looking into how Judge Lattimer’s attack may be related to a cold case that happened twenty-five years ago.”

  “Twenty-five years ago? I was only a child then, so I don’t know that I’ll have any information for you about a case that old.” She frowned. “Why would the attempts on Judge Lattimer’s life have anything to do with something that happened so long ago?”

  For the next few minutes Seth explained the case involving the murder victim Dan had called Hope and how he believed the attacks in the car and at the hospital were attempts at silencing him. He told her about a street informant who had identified Carlos Allen as the hit man and how Carlos had been killed at Sam’s Bar and Grill.

  When he finished, she pulled off her glasses and laid them on her desk. “I heard about the shooting of Carlos. I hated that. I’d hoped he was getting away from the criminal lifestyle after his last run-in with the law.”

  “That’s something I don’t understand,” Seth said. “Carlos has a long rap sheet. He seemed to be in court time after time, but he never went to jail. He was always given community service hours. Do you know why?”

  She shrugged. “It’s simple, Detective. Our jails are crowded, and the courts are hesitant to keep sending offenders there unless we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they’re a threat to society.”

  Seth’s eyebrows arched. “And you thought Carlos wasn’t a threat? The man died in a shootout with police. He pulled a gun on me in a bar and was about to start shooting without any thought of innocent bystanders. I’d say he was a grave threat to society.”

  “It doesn’t matter what you or I would say—all that matters is what can be proven at trial. I know at times the police don’t agree with what this office does. My only response is if the arresting officers would be more careful about what they do then we here at the prosecutor’s office might have an easier time when we went into court.”

  Seth frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that several times when I got ready to prosecute Carlos it was suddenly discovered that the evidence against him had disappeared from the evidence room. There’s no way I can get a conviction just because an officer believes something to be true. I have to have hard evidence. Once he was denied a lawyer after he’d asked for one, and the last time Carlos was arrested, the case was thrown out because nobody read him his rights. Those kinds of cases can’t be won, Detective.”

  “So you’re saying the police are at fault in a lot of these instances?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. With the weak evidence that I had, there was no way I could win those cases, so I took plea bargains that kept them from being complete acquittals. I thought I was doing a service to Carlos and to society by getting him to agree to do community service, and the judge authorized it.”

  Seth pondered what she’d said for a moment before he spoke. “Do you assign all of your offenders who do community service to the Midtown Mission?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I noticed that all of Carlos’s time was spent there.”

  “Really? I wasn’t aware of that, but it doesn’t surprise me. The Midtown Mission is one of my pet charities. They do a great job, and I feel confident they’ll work with the people I send to them.” She glanced at her watch. “Is there anything else? I have a meeting with the District Attorney in his office in ten minutes, and I need to get my notes together.”

  He stood and stuck out his hand. “Then I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Thank you for seeing me today. I’ll see myself out.”

  She smiled and shook his hand. “I hope I was of help. Come back anytime. My door is always open to the police.”

  At the door he glanced over his shoulder, but she was already looking at a piece of paper she’d pulled from a folder. He exited the office and stepped into the hall where Callie waited. She rose from the bench when he stepped into the hallway and smiled, but her lips trembled a bit.

  He frowned and stepped closer. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’m okay. I was thinking about Uncle Dan.” She inhaled and swallowed. “How did your meeting go?”

  He glanced around as a door down the hall opened, and two women stepped out. “I’ll tell you when we get in the car,” he whispered.

  They walked to the elevator, and as they waited the two women ambled up behind them and stopped. “I’m glad you suggested a break,” one of them said. “I’ve been working on those files all day, and I still haven’t finished.”

  “Donna, you don’t have to do it all today. You’ve got until next week.”

  “I know, but I have some other things I need to work on before the D.A. gets back from his trip. I promised him the files would be my priority.”

  Seth’s body stiffened at the words he’d just heard. He turned, faced the women and smiled. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but overhear. I’m Detective Seth Dawtry with the Memphis PD, and I was hoping to get an appointment with the D.A. I just heard you say he’s out of town. When will he be back?”

  The one he supposed to be Donna smiled. “He’s gone to a meeting in New Orleans and should be back a week from today. I take care of his calendar. I’ll be glad to set it up for you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call when I see what my schedule is like.”

  The elevator arrived at that moment, and the four of them stepped inside. When the doors opened on the ground floor, Seth allowed the two women to walk out before he and Callie headed toward the front door.

  Once on the sidewalk, Callie glanced up at him. “What do you need to see the D.A. about?”

  “Several things,” he said. “One being why an assistant D.A. just told me she had a meeting with him in his office in ten minutes. The lady who takes care of his calendar said he wouldn’t be back for a week.”

  Callie’s eyes widened. “Abby Dalton lied to you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  NINE

  On Saturday afternoon Callie hummed a familiar tune as she folded her laundry and put it away. She picked up a pair of capris and frowned when she remembered these were the pants she was getting ready to buy when she’d been abducted. She shook her head and tried to think of something more pleasant.

  Her uncle still hadn’t regained consciousness, but his vital signs improved every day. The doctors were now sure it was just a matter of time until he opened his eyes. She looked forward to that happening, but in some ways she dreaded it. That’s when the hard work would begin with the rehab he would need to restart his life.

  “Callie, can you come downstairs?” Seth’s voice echoed up the stairway.

  She opened the bedroom door and called back. “Be there in a minute.”

  Over the past few days, Seth had been busy at work, and she had hardly seen him except for him to drive her to the hospital in the mornings and pick her up later for the return trip home. She’d spent most of her afternoons on the new computer she’d bought after the fire. Fall would be here before she knew it, and she had to get the syllabus ready for each of her classes.

  Somehow working on the lesson plans and assignments for her classes hadn’t given her as much pleasure as it usually did. The uncert
ainty over Uncle Dan’s condition loomed in the back of her mind. She hoped he would be well enough to be transferred to Virginia before fall classes began.

  She hung the capris in her closet then headed downstairs. Seth sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He looked up and smiled when she walked in. “Would you like some coffee?”

  “I would, but I’ll get it.”

  He didn’t say anything else until she was seated at the table with her cup. Then he smiled. “Mom just left to meet some of her friends for their Saturday afternoon movie outing. They’re going out to dinner afterward, so she won’t be home until later.”

  Callie nodded. “She told me while we were shopping she had plans. I’m so glad she stays busy. Uncle Dan always has, too. I hope he gets the chance to do it again.”

  “He will. Just give it some time.” He picked up a spoon and stirred his coffee. “It looks like we’re on our own for dinner.”

  Callie shook her head. “That’s all right. I feel like I’ve monopolized your time since I’ve been here, and you haven’t gotten to do anything with your friends. If you want to go out tonight, don’t worry about me. I have a lot of work to do, and I can find something to eat. Your mother keeps a well-stocked refrigerator.”

  He tilted his head to one side and stared down into his cup. “There is something I’d like to do with my friends tonight, but they’ve asked you to come along, too.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “Really? What is it?”

  “Brad called. He and Laura are having a few friends in for a cookout, and he’s asked us to come.”

  “That’s so nice of him. He told me the other day he’d like for us to get together, but I thought he was just being polite.”

  “Where did you see him?”

  “He stopped and talked to me when I was waiting for you outside Abby Dalton’s office. He said his wife has been checking on my uncle.”