21st Birthday, James Patterson [best mystery novels of all time TXT] 📗

Do you know of anyone who wanted to hurt her? Who do you think killed your child?

Assuming she’s alive, where could Tara be?

Isn’t it true that you have a girlfriend and you want to marry her?

“Mr. Burke,” said Brady, standing at the table, throwing a menacing shadow over Lucas Burke. “Isn’t it true that you wanted to move on with your life and Tara was in the way?”

“You can go straight to hell,” said Burke. He pushed back his chair and moved toward the door.

Chapter 24

I was the so-called good cop in this setting.

I headed Burke off and stepped between him and the door, saying, “Come on, Lucas. We’re on your side. We’re frustrated, too. You don’t want to leave us without a lead to Lorrie’s killer, do you?

“Come on. Sit down. Look,” I said, “I still have your car keys.” I dug into my pants pocket and showed him his car keys. I stepped away from the door and put the keys on the table.

Burke glared at me, at Brady, at the keys, and then sat back down and angrily answered our questions.

“I don’t know who killed Lorrie. If I did, I’d kill him myself and happily go to prison. The last time Tara ran away she went to the outlet mall out in Livermore, but by now she’s probably run out of cash. So where is she? I don’t know. But you know what I think? I think a total stranger kidnapped Tara and killed my little girl.”

I asked, “Have you received a call or a note from anyone asking for ransom?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean she’s not a captive. Tara is a big flirt,” he said with a growl. “She flaunted her wild side. Makes total sense to me that she caught the attention of a psycho. She could have been buying all that makeup and underwear to show herself off. She’s trusting. Naive. Maybe she has a boyfriend. Maybe Lorrie wouldn’t stop crying. Oh, God. I don’t want to think about that. Is this what you want to know?”

Lucas’s ramblings made no rational sense, except as a glimpse inside his clearly conflicted mind.

I said, “Back to you, Mr. Burke. We’ve been told that you’re seeing one of your students.”

The photo of the note was on my phone. I found it, showed it to Burke. I read it out loud.

“Dear Misty, I’m in love with you. I promise that I will be free and we will be able to get married by the end of the school year. Love, Luke.”

“Look, it’s a fling. Misty is in my creative writing class. She’s very dramatic and we were playing at elopement. It was stupid of me, but as God is my witness, I had no intention of leaving Tara. Misty knows it wasn’t real. Ask her.”

“I intend to do just that,” I said.

“Tara is a terrible pain in the ass,” he said, “but I still love her.”

Brady said, “I had a bad marriage once, and I understand the pressure you’ve been under. But you have to come clean with us. Maybe something with you and Tara got out of hand. Did she attack you? Come at you with something heavy? Point a gun? Did you have to protect yourself? Is that how it happened? Because if that’s the story, we can help you, Mr. Burke.”

“No. No, no, no.”

Brady said, “Your mother-in-law has filed reports against you for abusing Tara. Any truth to that?”

“No, damn it. I was not charged. Tara didn’t accuse me; it was her nutty mother. Tara and I had a fight about money, that’s all. Shouting and door slamming. Both of us. I left her in the kitchen crying and that’s all I know.”

Brady was still standing.

He unhitched a pair of cuffs from a belt loop and told Burke to stand up and put his hands behind his back.

“We’re holding you as a material witness while we check out your story.”

“I don’t get it. You said I could leave,” Burke said, not moving.

“Changed my mind. You have a right to have an attorney,” Brady said, and then continued reading the man his rights. “Do you understand your rights?”

“You’re not charging me, but you’re holding me?”

“You’re a material witness, sir. Last one to see your wife and daughter. We have to verify your story, and as soon as we’re satisfied we’ll either charge you or release you. Hands behind your back.”

Burke looked up at the two of us. He wasn’t a big man, while Brady’s arms are massive and I’m a fit five foot ten. The door was locked. Burke didn’t stand a chance of getting out.

He stood and put his hands behind his back. Brady cuffed him and left me with Burke while he went to get guards to take Burke to holding on the sixth floor.

“This is for your own good, Mr. Burke. If we don’t find evidence of your involvement in murder or kidnapping, you’ll be in the clear. Meanwhile you’ll have a cell of your own. I’d advise you to sleep. Do you have a lawyer?”

“Divorce lawyer, that’s all.”

Interesting. “You want to call him or do you want a—”

“Harold Tish. Number’s on my phone.”

I used Burke’s phone, tapped on Tish’s saved number, and when a receptionist answered, I said that Lucas Burke was calling. When Tish got on the line, I put him on speakerphone and held Burke’s phone up to his face so he could hire his lawyer. When the arrangements were made, Burke was escorted to his cell.

What did all of this boil down to?

We had nothing on Burke. But we had him. And we were just getting started.

Chapter 25

Rich Conklin and his new partner, Inspector Sonia Alvarez, sat in Brady’s glass office, waiting for him to arrive. Conklin had met her at the elevator a minute earlier and walked her back to the corner office. He sized her up as they waited together in awkward silence.

He guessed she was mid-thirties, about five six, 130. Looked strong.