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out of the car and started walking up the front steps. Loud voices spilled through the windows, and Tain quickened his pace.
He rapped three times, barely paused and rapped three more times.
Ashlyn looked at him and started to reach back for her gun.
“Goddammit, what the hell is it now? More bloody…” The door was yanked open in front of them. The man’s face morphed from a scowl of annoyance to a worried frown when he set eyes on Tain. Then he turned to look at Ashlyn, and his jaw dropped. He blinked.
“Ashley Hart?”
“Ashlyn.”
“Right, sorry. I, uh…” His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he glanced over his shoulder and then turned back around. “Did you need to talk to me about the fires?”
She glanced at Tain and shook her head. “No, Mr. Brennen. We’re actually here about Taylor.”
“What? You’ve found her?” A woman pushed forward then, her silk blouse partially pulled out from her tight skirt, wisps of hair falling out of the clasp that pulled most of her long blond strands back, her thick makeup smudged and tear streaked.
Tain answered. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Brennen. We haven’t found Taylor, but we’d like to ask Mr. Brennen some questions.”
“How will that help? You should be out there looking for my daughter instead of wasting your time.”
“Mrs. Brennen, please. We have uniforms covering the fairgrounds and the surrounding area. Everything that can be done is being done. Can we come in, Nick?” Ashlyn stepped forward, hoping Nick Brennen wouldn’t resist. It sounded as though things had been on the verge of getting out of hand when they’d arrived. A domestic assault charge might have been understandable, but it wasn’t going to help anyone.
Nick Brennen stepped back and held the door open, gesturing for them to enter the living room.
“What did you want to ask me?” he said as he sat down across from them, barely balancing on the edge of the couch, looking like he was prepared to jump up at a moment’s notice.
“How often does Taylor stay with you?” Tain asked.
“She’s here every other weekend with her brother. It’s in the custody agreement,” Mrs. Brennen said, returning to the room with a drink in her hand.
“And every weekend when you can’t be bothered with her because you’re screwing the aerobics instructor or the pool boy or some drunk fool you picked up at a bar or whoever else you can get your hands on.”
“I didn’t ship them off to you this weekend, did I?” she snapped back.
Nick jumped to his feet. “Because I was working and Mom couldn’t watch them, so you sent them to the fair. The fair. What the hell were you thinking, Connie? Maybe you’d pick up some vendor for a quick fling while the kids were entertaining themselves?”
She flung the drink in his face, and he slapped the glass out of her hand, sending it crashing to the floor where it shattered, sharp pieces scattering across the hardwood.
Ashlyn jumped between them. “Separate corners, now,” she said, pointing each in opposite directions.
“Waste of a good drink,” Connie muttered.
“Daddy?”
They all turned toward the hallway where Nicky Brennen stood wearing Blue Jays pajamas. He had tousled blond hair, a brown teddy bear in his hands.
“Hey, sport.” Nick took a step toward his namesake and knelt down. “Let’s get you back to bed, okay?”
“Actually, do you think I could talk to Nicky for a minute?” Ashlyn asked, glancing at Tain, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She crouched down beside the boy. “Would that be okay?”
He looked up at his dad, who said, “What do you want to know?”
“Can you think of anyone unusual you might have seen around recently, maybe when Taylor was staying here? Anyone who showed a lot of interest in her?”
Nick frowned for a moment before shaking his head, tossing a hand up in the air. “No.”
“Had Taylor gone to any sleepovers or parties lately, anywhere unusual?”
“What has that got to do with anything?” Connie