Page 61 of Hurt in Her Eyes
Hope didn’t have a father. Everyone knew that Bonnie Coleson had taken in a bunch of her orphaned sisters and nieces. Raised them all alone.
That kid there had probably never had a father.
Sol had read all the news articles about the Colesons. He wasn’t so sure he believed Heather’s older sister—that Bonnie who had been taken—had had anything to do with it like all the news networks were saying.
Sol just kept behind Hope and that Barratt. Just watching.
Watching over her, that was all. He could always interrupt that Barratt with a question if the guy looked like he was going to get out of hand.
The tween boy took off on his skateboard.
Then that Barratt took off in another direction.
Sol just stayed where he was. The girl, Hope, turned. Stared at something.
A look of fear went over her little gamine face.
She took off at a run.
Sol followed.
Just in case he was needed.
37
Haldyn watched the cars pull out and knew something significant had happened.
She thought it had involved Hope.
She immediately started in that direction, knowing her shadow was going to follow her. She had managed to escape that man for the first thirty minutes, while he caught up with the other guys of Major Crimes. But now…
“He’s just doing it to irritate me.” He had his eyes on her, and she somehow doubted that was going to change any time soon. The man was messing with her for some strange reason only he would ever understand. She just hadn’t figured out what to do about it.
“I’ve had the same thought,” Powell said, glaring over her own shoulder. Gunnar was coming up behind them, too.
“We aren’t going to be able to escape them.”
Those two men were beyond relentless. “No. Probably not. Well, they can just follow us around, then. I say we…keep them busy.”
“You go left, I go right?”
“Sounds like a good place to start.”
But first, Haldyn had to check on what had happened to Hope. Something had happened. There was no other reason Detective Kimball would have given a TSP escort, complete with flashers and siren. “I need to see what’s going on with Hope, then I’ll meet you around back. After I shake my shadow.”
Haldyn caught Heather as she was hurrying down the sidewalk to the back garden. “Heather, what’s going on? Is Hope okay?”
“She fell out of the tree, broke her arm. She’s going to have to have surgery to have it repaired.” Heather’s worry was in her eyes. Hope had told Haldyn before—Heather took watching over Hope to an entirely new level. Especially lately.
Hope hadn’t elaborated why. Haldyn assumed it had something to do with Eastman, but she wasn’t certain. Heather was intent on whatever mission she was on now. “Do you need help with something?”
“I need to find the rest of us. Give them updates, and we need to get Miguel’s kids back to my place. We should have extra car seats, but I’m not sure. Have you seen my niece Cara?”
“I’m not sure which one that is, I’m afraid.”
Heather was definitely a bit on the freaking-out edge right now. “Of course; I’m sorry. She looks like Zoey’s younger sister, the governor’s wife. But about this tall. With a little bit of Crispin—and I guess Penelope—or Hope thrown in.”
Haldyn tried to think for a moment. Alex, Powell’s brother, had been with a Coleson in a light pink shirt who met that description best, she thought. Earlier. “In a pink shirt?”