Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) - Karen Rose Page 0,166

closer to Farrah. “What happened?”

Farrah sighed. “The guy who was scheduled to pick us up was followed from this neighborhood to the airport. He’d just dropped off Mercy’s sibs and was coming back for us because Mama, André, and I caught a later flight. A big truck followed him and made the driver and the off-duty cop with him twitchy. They called for backup and a cruiser tried to pull the truck over. It got away. The cops found the truck abandoned on a side road. When they began searching . . .”

“DJ killed them,” Liza whispered. “Oh no. Does Rafe know?”

“I don’t think so?” Farrah shook her head, uncertain. “André got the details from the people who eventually picked us up. There was . . . well, he killed a woman, too. To get her car.”

“Rafe can’t have known. He couldn’t have gone on with this party had he known.”

“I agree. We all made a pact not to mention it to Mercy, but I thought since you knew about the security and you’re friends with Agent Hunter . . . I thought you knew.”

“Poor Mercy,” Liza murmured. “This has to end.”

“I know. Mercy’s gonna go off the deep end when she finds out. I’ll be here till tomorrow if she needs me.”

Liza winced. “She’s going to be so angry with us for keeping this from her.”

“But she gets her birthday with all of us here. I wasn’t going to take that from her.”

“I won’t, either. It’s just . . .” She trailed off, having no words to complete her thought.

“I know.” Farrah straightened her spine and smiled, but it looked forced. “Gotta go back into the fray and mingle. My mama and Irina are comparing notes.”

“Recipes, I hope?”

“I hope so.” Farrah mock-shuddered. “If they start comparing notes on us, we’re screwed.” She started to walk away, then turned back. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being there for Mercy. I love her like a sister and it’s been tearing me up not to be here for her. She told me that you’ve been supportive and I appreciate it.”

Liza didn’t deserve thanks. She didn’t want it. “She’s supported me, too.”

Farrah just smiled, squared her shoulders, and reentered the party chaos.

Liza took out her phone and googled the shooting from the night before. The details were worse than she’d expected. Both of the fallen officers were family men who’d left wives and small children behind. There were photos of the scene and . . .

There, in the photos, was Tom. He and his partner, Ricki Croft, were talking to a uniformed officer. Everyone in the picture looked exhausted.

She found herself texting him a message of support before she remembered. They weren’t friends right now, and that was on her. She felt small and petty. This was a big case and he probably needed someone to talk to.

She could do that. Just talk to him. Couldn’t she?

Yes. She wasn’t seventeen anymore. She was an adult. Then act like one. So she texted him.

Saw the story from last night online. You look tired. Call if you need to talk. Still want to be there for you if you want me to. That’s what friends are for, right?

She hit send before she could change her mind, then watched Abigail play.

GRANITE BAY, CALIFORNIA

SUNDAY, MAY 28, 3:15 P.M.

Tom had been waiting for Rafe to leave Mercy’s side for an hour. He needed to talk to the man, but this wasn’t a conversation he wanted documented in any way.

He also didn’t want to disclose any details that would be distressing, not yet. He especially didn’t want to mention last night’s murders. Tom had suggested that Rafe keep Mercy off social media until after her birthday party. He hadn’t wanted her to know about the two dead cops and one dead civilian woman.

She deserved one day free of stress.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that Rafe would also stay offline. The homicide detective had been in communication with his off-duty cop friends and the Bowie security guys, but Tom had instructed them not to mention the incident from the night before, either. It seemed that no one had said a word, and Rafe and Mercy were having one wonderful day.

Gideon knew, though. He’d seen the police report the night before. Tom was grateful the other agent had called him before calling Rafe or Mercy.

Together, Tom and Gideon had determined how to best protect the Sokolovs. Having called this house his second home since he was a teenager, Gideon had directed Raeburn’s agents,