Tracks of Her Tears Read Online Free PDF Page B

Seth led Travis back to the house. When they reached his brother’s yard, Luke White was waiting outside, arms folded over a brawny chest.
    “Did you kill Amber Lynn, Travis?” Seth asked as they marched toward the patrol car.
    “I didn’t kill anybody!” Travis yelled, panic raising the pitch of his voice as if, now that he was getting close to the police car, he suddenly comprehended the seriousness of the situation.
    “Let’s see. You were seen arguing with Amber Lynn yesterday, and you’ve already done time for aggravated assault. Murder doesn’t seem like a big stretch,” Seth reasoned. The sheer stupidity of criminals never ceased to amaze him. It was the big element that TV crime shows got wrong. Most thugs weren’t evil geniuses. They were dumbasses like Travis.
    “I didn’t kill her,” Travis insisted. “I didn’t even know she was dead.”
    “If you aren’t guilty, then why did you run?” Seth asked.
    Travis shrugged. “I panicked. I don’t want to go back to prison.”
    “What have you done to get you sent back to prison?” Seth asked.
    “Nothing,” Travis mumbled.
    Seth pushed harder. “Where were you last night?”
    “I went for a drive.”
    “No one saw you?” Seth asked.
    “No.”
    “You didn’t stop for a burger or anything?”
    “No.”
    “I’m supposed to believe you drove aimlessly around all night without seeing another person?”
    “I can’t make you believe anything. I don’t know anything about what happened to Amber Lynn.” Travis clamped his jaw shut and looked away. “The last time I saw her she was fine.”
    Frustrated, Seth turned to Luke. “Do you know where Travis was last night?”
    “He wasn’t here.” Luke shook his head. “Will he go back to prison?”
    Seth blew out a hard breath. “Not right now. I don’t have anything on him.” He spun Travis around and removed the handcuffs.
    “Damn.” Luke propped his fists on his hips. “The only reason I let him stay here was to keep him away from our parents. They keep taking in his sorry ass. In return he drained their checking account. Last week he took a power drill from my garage and pawned it. I’m a carpenter. I can’t work without my tools.”
    “I told you I didn’t take your drill,” Travis whined.
    “That doesn’t mean much since I already know you’re a liar.” Luke looked like he wanted to smash his brother’s face. Seth knew exactly how he felt.
    Luke pointed to the house. “Go pack your stuff. I want you out within the hour. And don’t you dare go to Mom and Dad’s house. I’ll find you and beat your sorry ass if you take one more thing from them.”
    Travis slunk off toward the house.
    Luke took a breath. “What happened to Amber Lynn?”
    “Someone killed her.”
    Luke’s mouth flattened. “That’s not right. Did Travis do it?”
    “I don’t know,” Seth answered. Travis had seemed genuinely surprised by the news, but he was also a practiced liar. “You knew her?”
    “A little. She was sweet, way too nice for my brother.” Luke’s mouth went tight. “I’m sorry she’s dead. Where’s the kid?”
    “Social services has the baby,” Seth said. Even after he’d heard about Amber Lynn’s death, Travis hadn’t asked about his own child. His only thoughts had been about himself.
    Frowning, Luke gave Seth his contact information. Seth and Phil got back into their cars. It was after noon. Bruce had been missing for twelve hours.
    What now?

CHAPTER FOUR
    It was after two o’clock in the afternoon by the time Carly drove the baby out to her mother’s house and started the search for relatives. She’d promised Seth she’d wait to call Travis White, but her initial phone calls investigating his background didn’t make him sound like a good candidate. According to his parole officer, Travis’s job at the car wash didn’t pay enough to support him, let alone a child. He also doubted that Travis was responsible enough to provide care for a young child.
    Seth