Maximum Guilt (Hidden Guilt Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

had sort of become expected of me. First things first: I had to finish up here and get to Stacy’s asap. I needed to get started on tracking down everything I could about Lisa Crease—who she was before college and what she had turned into after. I needed to know everything about her.
    Hilary begrudgingly joined me in getting rid of Stacy’s things and helped me clean up the telltale signs of their scuffle.
    “Hilary, I’m really sorry you got caught up in this.” I pulled her close to me and we shared a hug. I needed to do that more often.
    She wiped a tear from her face.  “Me, too, Dad. I’m going to my room if we’re finished.”
    The cleanup complete, I went downstairs to check on Miranda. She was still sound asleep. I just stared at her for a moment.
    It all made sense to me now. The child killings, the mysterious woman at Karen’s school, the blonde at the beach while we were on vacation, the woman who dragged De Luca from the accident—all Stacy. I went back upstairs and settled in front of the computer. It was time to start searching. I pulled up one of our police department databases to see what I could find.
    My initial searches came up empty. Somehow, Stacy had managed to make Lisa Crease disappear. Almost. Finally, I came across something. Crease was a native of New Orleans. I wondered if she’d gone back there. She’d grown up there and might know the area well. And they’re notorious for their bayous, swamps, and all sorts of unmarked streets. Lots of good places to hide.
    I’d also uncovered more about her past. Crease had been molested by her uncle when she was five. A newspaper clipping with a hit on Crease showed he’d died in a house fire twenty years ago. I had a sneaking suspicion that fire was no accident. It also made what I’d been a part of back at Tech that much worse. It was painstakingly obvious to me now that her accusations against the team and me weren’t just a ploy for her fifteen minutes of fame. The girl had been hurt that way before, at least once, and was out for blood. She’d apparently decided she would no longer be the victim, and right now I was her prize. God, how long had she been planning this thing out?
    I’d made a good friend in the military that happened to be from New Orleans and was now a detective on the force there.
    I pulled out my phone and thumbed for his number.
    “Paul Lafitte? David Porter here.”
    “Hey, my friend! Long time. How the hell are you, David?” I could hear the surprise in his voice.
    “Long time indeed. I wish this call was to catch up on old times, but it’s not so I’ll get right to the point. My youngest daughter, Karen, is in trouble. She’s been kidnapped, Paul.”
    “David . . . man. I . . . when did this happen?”
    “It’s a long story; I’ll fill you in later. I know who did it. Girl named Lisa Crease. Goes by Stacy Demornay now. There’s a bit of history there, too. I’ll have to fill you in later on that as well. Look, I know Crease is from New Orleans, so I’m thinking maybe that’s where she’ll run to hide. Easy to get lost in those bayous.”
    Lafitte had already logged into his laptop and was waiting for it to load. “I’ll pull up everything I can on her, see if I can find an LKA, too. Maybe she’ll go back there. It’s a longshot, but crazier things have happened. Hey, I got her file up right here. Hang on a second. Yeah, I remember when her uncle’s house burned down. You know, some of the boys didn’t think that was an accident, but we didn’t find a darn thing to suggest otherwise.”
    “I believe their hunch was right. In fact, I might even have dug up what would be an excellent motive. Listen, keep your eyes open and put out a soft search for Crease. If she’s back or headed that direction, I don’t want to spook her. Lord knows what she’ll do to Karen if she thinks I’m close. I’ll be in New Orleans in a few days, Paul. Thank you, my friend.”
    I disconnected and kept my fingers