Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

all. Zacharias never ran a background check on Kimberly, even though he said he had. He told Maynard that Kim was clean. If he’d done his job . . . well, things would have turned out differently. But Maynard seems like the loyal type.’
    ‘He is. I don’t think that’s a failing.’
    ‘Never said it was. I just meant he knows his friend fucked up, but he’s still keen on finding Doug. He and his assistant found the webcam in the trooper’s house. They also found the other cop houses that Doug and Kim broke into.’
    ‘She seemed so perfect,’ Ford said angrily. ‘Played me for a sap.’
    ‘Fitzpatrick searched her room. Found her crib notes. She’d been researching what you like, don’t like, music, food, hobbies. That’s why she seemed so perfect.’
    How humiliating . ‘ Hell.’
    ‘Was she your first?’
    He scowled. ‘Because you’ve been nice you get one personal and that was it. Yes.’
    ‘Then this is gonna take a while to heal, man. Most guys get garden variety betrayal. You know, she cheats with a football player. You, it’s like you chose the Titanic for your first cruise. Upside is, if you ever go on a boat again, it’ll never be that bad.’
    The Fed looked like he had more to say. ‘What else?’ Ford asked.
    ‘Your mom doesn’t know this part and I only know because I asked Maynard directly. According to Kim’s girlfriend, Kim and Doug may not have practiced safe sex.’
    Ford’s stomach turned over. ‘What?’ he whispered.
    ‘Look, I’m not your dad. I’m not anybody’s dad. I’d probably be a lousy dad. But I am a big brother and, um, one of my sisters trusted her boyfriend when he said he was clean. He wasn’t and now my little sister’s not either.’
    Ford swallowed hard. ‘Is your sister’s condition curable?’
    ‘Not at this time. Nobody’s saying Kim has any STDs. If you used a condom, you’re likely okay. You still need to get tested. Got me?’
    ‘Yeah.’ Overwhelmed, Ford covered his face with his hands. A sob was building in his chest and he didn’t know what to do. He heard a chair scrape on the floor, the plastic squeaking as Novak sat down.
    ‘It’s okay,’ Novak said softly. ‘If you need to let it out, let it out. I’ll close that door and nobody will come in. Or I can stay. Your choice. My feelings are fine either way.’
    ‘I don’t want to let it out,’ Ford said hoarsely. ‘Last time it wasn’t pretty.’
    ‘When was the last time?’
    ‘When my mom was sick and my dad was being a real prick. And my grandmother sold my horse to get back at my mother.’
    ‘How old?’
    ‘Me or the horse?’
    ‘You,’ Novak said, amusement in his voice.
    ‘Twelve.’
    ‘Hell of an age. What’d your mom have?’
    ‘Breast cancer. She was twenty-six. If she’d been her age now, she’d have had a nine in ten chance of being fine. Then, they gave her six in ten of making it five years.’
    ‘She made it.’
    ‘My mom’s a fighter. But me . . . I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life. Until last night. I thought I was gonna die all alone out there and no one would ever find me. And I thought Kim was out there and I couldn’t save her.’
    ‘Well,’ Novak drawled, ‘somebody would have eventually found you. When the snow melted.’ He sobered. ‘As for Kim, she didn’t want to set you up in that alley. It sounds like she was having major second thoughts because she was getting attached to you. Doug stole her sister, only fourteen. We think that’s how he got her to do his evil bidding.’
    ‘I guess that’s something.’
    ‘That’s what your mom was trying to tell you when you told her to leave.’
    Ford rolled his eyes to the ceiling, miserable again. ‘God, I’m an asshole.’
    ‘Hey, I know assholes. I am an asshole. You ain’t one, kid.’
    Ford looked over at him. ‘Thanks, Agent Novak. I appreciate it. All of it.’
    Novak shrugged. ‘We’ve used the word “condom” in a conversation. I think you should call me Deacon.’ He stood abruptly and pushed the chair against the wall. ‘Try to get some sleep. I’ll make sure nobody bothers you.’
    Ford waited until Novak was at the door. ‘Deacon, I hope your sister stays well.’
    ‘Me, too, kid. Me, too.’

Chapter Twenty-Two
    Wednesday, December 4, 11.45 P.M.
    J oseph got his laptop from his room so that he could search the online archives for Wilson Beckett’s death certificate. When he re-joined Daphne, she was pacing back and forth in front