Piece of My Heart (Under Suspicion #7) - Mary Higgins Clark Page 0,66

read all the comments on the fan pages and message boards. I have to admit, I thought maybe you were on the wrong track with the runaway bride case, but I eventually came around once all the facts were revealed. Your show is better at crime solving than even the FBI.”

Laurie explained that she was calling because she had learned from the prison that Summer was a frequent visitor of Darren Gunther. “Mr. Gunther is the focus of our next program. We interviewed him yesterday, in fact. Perhaps he mentioned that to you.”

“That’s great news. I’ve followed his case for over a year and am convinced he’s innocent. He’s such a gentle soul, plus a brilliant writer. Every day he’s behind bars is a tragedy.”

“So, did he mention that we interviewed him?” Laurie prodded.

After a long pause, Summer finally answered. “I consider myself part of his legal team. I don’t think I should repeat any communications I’ve had with him.”

Laurie was no lawyer, but she was pretty sure that wasn’t how attorney-client privilege worked. “As a fan of Under Suspicion, you may have read that the nephew of our former host, Alex Buckley, recently went missing from a beach in the Hamptons.”

This time, Summer didn’t pause. “I saw that! I’m so sorry. I should have expressed my thoughts and prayers as soon as you called. I can’t imagine how terrified his parents are.”

Laurie felt like she was floundering. She needed to get Summer to initiate the idea of trading Johnny for Gunther’s freedom. “His family—which is my family, as you may know—would do absolutely anything to rescue Johnny. Maybe that’s how you feel about Darren,” she added. She had come as close as possible to saying directly that they were willing to strike a deal.

“Darren’s not a little boy,” Summer said, “but he was barely an adult when he was sent to prison. And he’s just as innocent as Johnny.”

“Can you and I meet tomorrow?” Laurie asked. “You could provide valuable insight that our show is missing. And anything you want to say to me, I’m open to hearing it—completely off the record if you want it that way.”

The pause returned. “Let me call you back.”

Laurie turned off the recorder attached to her phone.

Chapter 40

Johnny tried not to cringe as the man’s fingers tousled his hair. Johnny could feel the man’s breath on his cheek as he leaned over Johnny’s shoulder to inspect his artwork. “You’re doing an excellent job. I knew you’d be happier once you were able to leave that little bedroom and roam around the house a bit more. It’s a comfortable place to be, right?”

Johnny started to say “uh-huh” as he continued to color, but quickly corrected himself. “Yes, sir. It’s a very nice place. Thank you again for the drawing table,” he added.

Two mornings ago, the man had unlocked Johnny’s bedroom door and then walked away with no comment, leaving the door ajar behind him. Johnny sat and stared at the open door for what felt like hours. Eventually, he heard the clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen, followed by the smell of bacon. Still, he stayed put until the man returned, saying, “Breakfast is ready if you’d like to join me in the dining room.”

Since then, he had allowed Johnny to watch an hour of television a day in the living room and to eat all of his meals in the dining room. They had even sat on the screened-in porch yesterday while the man read the newspaper, occasionally asking Johnny to read parts aloud to him. He said, “It’s healthy for a child to know about the world.” But then the man’s face had reddened at the sight of one page that he immediately folded and hid beneath a book.

The story’s about me, isn’t it? Johnny had wondered. They’re looking for me. They’re going to find me, and then you are going to go to jail, locked away like you locked me in that room.

“You understand why I had to secure you in that room for the first few days, don’t you?” the man asked as Johnny continued to color. “I need to know that I can trust you—and vice versa. I’m taking good care of you, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, then, so now you know: as long as you behave, everything’s going to be okay. The more I know I can trust you, Danny, the more privileges I can give you.”

This morning’s “reward” had been this table, which the man had brought