Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold (top novels TXT) 📗

her head and picked at the soaked tissue in her hand. “As I said, she didn’t think he was anything she couldn’t handle. Besides, a restraining order wouldn’t have stopped the bastard. He did whatever he liked.”

“Well, if she had gotten one, it would have given police authorization to put him in jail if he broke the terms.” Amanda hated that her words made it sound like Shannon was to blame for the harassment.

“Sure, okay, but then he’d just get out and return to the streets angrier than before.”

Amanda had nothing to say to that. The system wasn’t perfect. She watched as Keira turned the tissues into shreds. “You and your sister were close,” she said kindly in offer of support.

“Very. We were all we had. Our parents weren’t any type of role models.”

As they’d learned from Bethany… “Sorry to hear that, and so very sorry for your loss. Is there someone that we could call to come be with you? Your husband?”

Keira dabbed her nose. “We separated last month. He was a cheating piece of shit.”

“Anyone else?” Amanda’s heart broke for this woman.

“Nah, I’ll make some calls myself.”

“If you’re sure.” Amanda inched forward on the couch. “Before we go, we’ll need that man’s information.”

“Not really a man in my opinion, but his name’s Sean Fitzgerald. He lives in town.” Keira proceeded to give them his address, which Trent recorded in his notebook.

They said their goodbyes, and once back in the car, Trent brought up the ex’s background in the computer.

“He’s forty-eight, and he’s a piece of work all right,” Trent said. “Guy’s got a record. Drug possession, and charges of domestic abuse and assault.”

“Let’s go meet him.”

Twenty-One

“What the f—” The door swung open, mid-knock and mid-sentence.

The man standing in the doorway, with his large gut and wide girth, would have intimidated a lot of people. Not Amanda. Not given what Keira had told them. Not with what his criminal record had revealed.

She held up her badge. “Detective Amanda Steele with the Prince William County PD. My partner, Detective Trent Stenson, and I would like to talk to you about Shannon Fox.”

“Oh, yeah.” He crossed his arms, which were like tree trunks and heavily tattooed.

She stepped to within a few inches of him. “She was found murdered this morning. You have something to do with that?” She was primed to drag his ass to the station. She just needed him to give her one teeny reason.

He started to laugh. “She’s, ah, what now?”

“Murdered,” Amanda hissed. “We understand that you—”

“Threatened to kill her? Yeah, I’d admit to that.”

She should be appalled by his blatant audacity, but guys like Sean lacked the ability to shock her. “Okay… Did you act on your threat?”

Another laugh. “Bitch wasn’t worth my time. Can’t say I’m surprised she drove someone to it, though.”

With every word from the man’s mouth, Amanda’s temper ratcheted.

He arrogantly carried on. “It was fun toying with her. Making her a little loco.” He spun a finger in a circle next to his ear and grinned.

She curled her hands into fists but coaxed herself into relaxing them. She didn’t need this loser viewing it as a threat from the police. “We’re going to need to know where you were between four and six this morning.”

He turned around to the inside of the house and yelled, “Tara!”

There was some thumping, then obvious padding of footsteps heading toward the door.

Sean stepped to the side, leaving room for this small woman to stand next to him in the doorway. He draped his arm over her, hanging it on her like a treacherous vine. “Tell this detective where I was this morning between four and six.”

The woman had dark circles under her eyes, and it looked like she had a fresh cut on her chin. Amanda imagined that this asshole had struck her not long before their arrival.

“Tell them.” He nudged Tara in her side, and she winced.

Amanda guessed he might have hit her in the ribs. It was usually best in suspected abuse cases like this to play it cool, but it was taking all of her control not to haul off and hit the guy. Maybe give him a taste of his own medicine.

“Ah, Sean was in bed with me.” Tara’s voice was weak and unsure.

“Uh-huh, that’s right.” The baboon was grinning. “We was—” He mimed the rest by thrusting his hips forward and back.

“For two hours? You? I highly doubt it. Less than two minutes, that I’d believe.” She knew she was antagonizing him, but that was the least of what she wanted to do.

Sean grimaced. “No, lady, I’m just that good at pleasuring the ladies.”

Trent stepped closer to the man. “What you think and what you are—likely two very different things.”

His smile faded, and he scowled at Trent, but he looked back at Amanda. “When I wasn’t giving it to her, I was sleeping. Ain’t that right, baby?” Again, he nudged her.

“That’s right.” Tara’s gaze was on the ground.

“Okay. You need anything, call me.” Amanda extended her card to Tara, but Sean swatted it out of the way, and it fluttered to the front step.

Trent picked it up and pressed it to Sean’s chest. “You dropped something.”

Sean stared at him. “She don’t need your deets. Get outta here.”

Trent didn’t budge.

Amanda pried her eyes from her partner and Sean to look at Tara, but she was gone. She must have returned inside. “Let’s go, Detective Stenson.”

“You heard her.” Sean smiled smugly. “Do as the bitch tells you.”

Trent lunged forward, but Amanda grabbed his arm and shook her head. “It’s not worth it.”

Trent huffed but relented and returned to the car. She caught up with him.

In the vehicle, she stated the obvious, “The guy got under your skin.”

“You could say that.”

Amanda could tell that what they’d just witnessed struck close for Trent. “Guys like that piss me off too, but I learned a long time ago you can’t help everyone. The women who get caught up with these losers get themselves locked in a cycle of