BACKTRACKER by Milo Fowler (e book reader txt) 📕

Muldoon attempted a smile, but it twitched crookedly. Little kidsalways made him nervous.Difficult to predict what they would do next."How many was that?"

Her eyes didn't show any recognition, didn't blink. But the vocalcords vibrated. "Huh?"

He gestured lamely toward the wall. "How many have youcaught?"

"In a row?" She didn't look irritated, didn't sound it.No emotional inflection at all, really.

"Yeah."

"I don't know."

It was too late for a kid this size to be out here all alone."Where are your folks?"

"Who?"

Probably an archaic word.

"Your parents. They know where you are?"

Her frail shoulders lifted and dropped, and at first it didn'tlook like she was going to reply. "They don't know anything." Nowthere was some feeling in her tone, a brief flash of anger in the pools of hereyes.

"You guys get into an argument or something?"

The ball compressed as her grip tightened. For the first time, shelooked away, focused on her target: the wall in front of hercovered in black graffiti. "They don't even know I'm here."

"You sure of that?" What am I doing? I should behome, in bed, not out here counseling a disturbed youngster. That was Irena's job.

A loud thump, a fast rebound. She caught the ball automatically."They're plugged in. Just sit on their butts all day." Thump,rebound, caught. Squeezed tight.

Parents are zombies, huh? "Got anyfriends?"

"None of your business, mister." Thump, rebound, caught.Brow furrowed. Whatever free therapy the bouncing ball had once offered waslost now, thanks to him. "I don't talk to strangers."

"Yeah, probably a good idea." He shouldn't have saidanything. Should have ducked past the bouncing ball and headed down the hallwayto his unit, where he belonged. "Well, nice to meet you." He shuffledhis feet. "Hope you can give that wall a break at some point. Doubt itknows what it did to offend you."

She kept her eyes to herself as he passed. His shoes clappedacross the tile and echoed against the doors of the units on either side. 801,802, 803. As he passed 804, the bouncing ball resumed its rhythm. Thump,rebound, caught, its echo competing for dominance with his footfalls.

He'd never seen the kid before, didn't know where she lived or whyhe even cared. Yet he did. She shouldn't be out there by herself. Herparents' neglect made him squeamish. He always hated the cases involving kids.Abduction, murder, abuse—so much worse when kids were in the picture. They hadtheir whole lives ahead of them; it was a cosmic crime to spoil that. He had nostomach for it, couldn't hold an objective eye when it came to sorting out thegrisly evidence. All he wanted to do was kill the son-of-a-bitch responsible.Every time.

The last thing he wanted to see in the morning was the face ofthat little girl on the Link. CHILD ABDUCTED FROM TENEMENT 3166... BODY FOUND—

"Hey mister," she called after him, the ball clenched inher hand again.

He stopped at his door. "Yeah?"

"Ilost count." Thump, rebound, caught. Pause."You messed me up."

He almost smiled. Same here, kid. He palmed the sensorgrate beside unit 806. It glowed between his fingers, releasing the door with aclick as it slid aside.

A soft light emanated from the far corner of the living room wherea lamp sat on an end table. It illuminated the black faux-leather couch besideit and cast a warm halo around his wife's dark hair draping a pillow. She layon her side, curled up beneath a blanket. Her shoulder rose and fell with eachunlabored breath.

She didn't stir as he entered and the door slid shut, lockingitself behind him. Sound asleep now, but she had been waiting up for him. Shewould've been in bed otherwise. Two untouched place settings sat on the kitchentable, and the fresh aroma of something delicious permeated the air. Lasagnaand garlic bread? Despite the hour, Muldoon found himself salivating. Hecouldn't remember when he'd eaten last. His stomach rumbled, even as it sankwith the realization that while she was waiting up for him, he was breaking thepromise he'd made.

No more late nights.

She would forgive him, but he wouldn't deserve it.

He pulled off his coat, laid it over one of the chairs in thekitchen, set his hat on the bare counter. Smoothed back his hair out of habit.Glanced down at his shoulder holster. He removed it, placing the gun on thecounter like it was a sleeping child he didn't want to disturb. He stepped awayfrom it without a glance back.

She held his gaze captive, this peaceful sleeping beauty. He felthimself drawn to her, pulling him to his knees on the floor beside her,beckoning his hand to brush her cheek, sweep a lock of her hair up over her earas his lips came close enough to touch her. But he hesitated. Why? Hewanted to kiss her, smile down at her as she stirred, sensing his presence,gradually waking and stretching, her eyes opening to him with everlastingwarmth.

He drew back, but his hand remained on the pillow next to herhead. He watched her. His eyes drifted along the curves of her body beneath theblanket, followed each rise and fall of her breaths, then returned to thesmooth skin of her face, the slope of her cheek where he'd almost kissed her.He'd come that close to waking her.

Irena… I'll find him. You'llsee.He stroked her hair across the pillow. You'll get your father back. Heclosed his eyes. It was like a prayer: I promise.

He rocked back onto his heels and swayed for a moment, thenstaggered as quietly as he could to the bedroom. The walls swayed around him,and he frowned. He was more than exhausted. This was borderline sleepwalking.

He plunged into the darkness, and his knees made contact with thefootboard, guiding him in the right direction. He fell face-first onto hispillow, and his body followed, caving into the mattress. The last consciousthought that passed through his mind came like a voice from a kilometer away. Ishould take off my shoes...

Irena awoke after a disturbing dream she couldn't remember androse with the blanket pulled around her shoulders. She found her husband'scoat, hat, and gun in the kitchen. A faint smile played across her lips. Hereyes drifted to the table in