Easy Innocence

Chapter 45

GEORGIA GRIPPED the wheel as she drove back to Sam's. Tom Walcher was Charlie. Charlie was having sex with Sara. Sara had serviced her best friend's father. Made possible by the actions of his daughter.

In one way, she wasn't surprised Tom Walcher was catting around. His wife Andrea was a cold fish, and a hostile one, at that. She could understand Walcher seeking comfort elsewhere. But screwing his daughter's best friend? An underaged teen? What would make a man so reckless? Was he that arrogant? Or just stupid? The website files said he'd hooked up over two dozen times. He'd put his entire legal career in jeopardy. How could he risk it?

She turned south onto Sheridan Road. It was one thing to discover a supposedly respectable lawyer was making it with a teenage hooker. It was another thing to accuse him of murder. She had no evidence Walcher was involved in Sara Long's death. And it was possible his showing up was a coincidence. Still, she knew she should go to Kelly with what she did have. They had enough reasonable doubt to sink a battleship.

But something inside her rebelled at doing that. Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe she still was a cop at heart. Cops didn't just create reasonable doubt. They solved crimes. Or maybe it was her ego. Maybe Georgia just wanted to prove to Robby Parker and the rest of the force that she knew what she was doing. Or maybe it was just that since the fire, the case had become personal. Self-preservation was an excellent motivator.

She stopped at a light just south of Winnetka Road. Twilight came quickly this time of year, cloaking everything in a hazy purple light. She glanced through the windows of homes she passed. Women were preparing dinner in cheerfully lit rooms. Kids lounged in front of the TV or sat at tables. As a little girl, she remembered playing outside on brisk fall afternoons, stopping only when it turned dark and she was sniffling from the cold. She loved coming inside to the warm, cozy house where her mother was waiting, where the aroma of a hearty dinner floated through the air. That stopped when her mother left. Georgia was twelve. She hadn't seen her since.

Which brought her to another reason she wanted to keep digging. She'd promised to protect Lauren Walcher. No one else was looking out for her—no parent, no one in school, not even her friends. How many times had Georgia wished for someone to watch her back? If she went to Kelly now, Lauren's life would be shattered. She wanted to delay that—at the very least cushion the repercussions—until she could find a way to shepherd the girl through them. A seed of trust had sprouted between them. She didn't want to let her down. A shiver ran through her. Was this what it felt like to love a child?

Although she knew the route by heart, she stared through the windshield, suddenly unsure where she was. Dark shadows loomed on both sides of the street, and the landmarks she normally took for granted fell away. Was she still on Sheridan Road? Had she made a wrong turn and wandered into lost territory? The landscape looked eerie and alien, like a dream that was only half-familiar. She was about to pull over when the trill of her cell phone broke the trance. She snapped back. Yes. There was the strip mall with the 7-11. And the print shop next door. She pulled into the 7-11's lot and answered her cell.

"Davis, it's O'Malley."

"Dan, I was just thinking of you."

"Evanston told us about the fire. And the shooter. You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"That's good." She heard relief in his voice. "I think it's time for you to fold your tent, Davis. Things are—forgive me—getting too hot to handle."

She ignored the lousy pun. "I'm fine, Dan. In fact, I was—"

"I didn't expect you to say anything different."

She transferred the phone to her other ear. "Look, I know you feel responsible because you handed me the case. But I'm making progress. I'll have it nailed down soon."

"Assuming someone doesn't use you for target practice again."

"I can take care of myself."

"Look, I'd feel better if you turn it over to us. We're on it."

"Does that mean Parker is rethinking the Cam Jordan angle?"

"It's clear there's something else going on besides a mental running around the Forest Preserve."

"I appreciate it, Dan, but I'm not quitting."

"I figured you'd say that, too. Can't blame me for trying." He sighed. "Listen... do you still have your—what you need to protect yourself?"

"I'm fine, Dan." She assured him. "Don't worry. Now I have a question. I know it sounds crazy, but, have you—or did anyone say they'd seen Matt recently?

"Matt Singer?"

"Uh-huh."

"Not for a long time. Last I heard he was running around the Holy Land finding religion. Why?"

She frowned. "Nothing. Hey, take care of yourself, okay?"