“Ms. Delany, I know I messed up,” I argued.
“No, dear, you didn’t mess up; you lost the mark. This is the first mission that didn’t go as planned.”
I grabbed the gun from beneath my pillow and shoved it into the waistband of my jeans just as Ms. Delany picked up a drawing on the dresser that Petunia had given me the first day.
“I lost the detail.” The acknowledgment stung like swallowing glass. Petunia wasn’t a detail. She was a five-year-old that had been counting on me to keep her safe.
Ms. Delany held out the picture. “Don’t you think it’s time to find her.”
Realization dawned on me. FDG might have gotten kicked off the case, but Ms. Delany knew I’d never give up. She was giving me a head start before the FBI arrived. I grabbed the hand-colored picture. “If you get any lab results back or more information, just call. I’m going to stop by Cassie’s house.”
My sister Cassie was a tracker. She made money using her scrying skills. Someone might call her to locate a missing earring or other objects. She was a PI that worked with the police when asked to track down bail jumpers. She was a finder of things, and I needed a little girl found.
“I thought you might say that.” Ms. Delany clasped her hands together and stepped aside to let me pass.
I jogged down the stairs and met Max’s gaze. Our words went unspoken. There was nothing left to say. He blamed me for Petunia’s disappearance, and I agreed. He was right to kick me off the case, but that didn’t mean that I had to go willingly. Like him, I protected the people I cared about. I wasn’t about to just walk away. When Petunia was safe and sound…well…that might be another story entirely.
