Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            Liza frowned to herself. She’d heard those names before, and in conjunction with Eden.

            Sergio was also frowning, but at Daisy. “You know who they are.”

            Liza turned her attention to the other woman and knew that Sergio was right. Daisy appeared stunned, but her eyes were coming back into sharp focus.

            “Where were you when you did his tattoo?” Daisy asked. “Which city?”

            “Benicia, same city as is on his ID. It’s outside of Oakland.”

            “I know it,” Daisy said quietly. “I lived in Oakland when I was a little girl.”

            Liza wanted to ask questions but held them. She could ask once they were in the SUV.

            “Can you send this to my phone?” Daisy asked. “It’s the number I called you from a few weeks ago.”

            Liza returned his phone and Sergio sent the files via text, paling at the concern etched into Daisy’s brow. “Is this man a danger to me and my family?”

            “I don’t know,” Daisy said honestly. “It’s unlikely, but . . .”

            Sergio’s expression became grim. “But I should be very aware.”

            Daisy nodded. “I would be.”

            Sergio ran his hands through his hair before turning to Liza with a strained smile. “Do you still want the memorial tattoo? No worries if you don’t.”

            “I really do. But can you give us a minute to talk privately?”

            “Of course. I’ll go in the back and prepare your design. It will take me fifteen minutes.”

            “Who is he?” Liza asked as soon as they’d shut all the doors to Gideon’s Suburban.

            Daisy quickly brought Gideon up to date, his eyes widening at the mention of Bo and Bernie.

            Gideon’s mouth fell open. “Are you fucking kidding me? The guy who got the tattoo was Bo? Pastor’s dead son, Bo?”

            Daisy nodded. “He initially wanted his and his sister’s names included on the tattoo.”

            Gideon stared at the driver’s license photo in disbelief. “I don’t recognize him, but I was very young when he and his mother and sister were declared dead, and he was a lot younger than he is in this photo. Plus it’s been twenty-five years. We need to show this photo to Amos. He might be a better judge.”

            “Oh,” Liza breathed. “Bo and Bernie. Boaz and Bernice.” That was where she’d heard the names. They were Pastor’s children.

            Gideon was shaking his head, stunned. “This . . . this is not what I expected. We were told that they were lost in the wilderness.”

            “Which is what they said about you,” Daisy said softly.

            Gideon’s laugh was bitter. “True. Marcia—she was Pastor’s wife—had taken the kids on a hike to gather herbs and they never came back. Pastor looked and Waylon looked. All the men searched, but never found them. Eventually Waylon found their remains at the bottom of a ravine. They were not recognizable. Or so goes the story we were told as kids. It was something the leaders told us to keep us from venturing far from the compound.”

            “Those remains belonged to someone else,” Liza said, feeling foolish for stating the obvious. “Hopefully victims of an unrelated accident.”

            “But possibly murder victims,” Daisy said soberly. “Waylon brought back a body after Gideon escaped. Told everyone it was him, but he was also unrecognizable.”

            “So Pastor’s wife and kids survived,” Liza murmured. “I wonder why she ran? How old were they when they disappeared?”

            “Eleven,” Gideon said, still staring at the photo. Then he looked up, understanding in his eyes. “Almost twelve. Bernice would have been married off very soon.”

            “And her mother didn’t want her daughter raped in the name of marriage at twelve years old,” Daisy finished. “What a hypocrite.”

            “Yes, but also a mother who saved her kids,” Liza said. “Although it sounds like Bo didn’t like being saved all that well if he wanted an Eden tattoo.” She sighed. “So which of us is going to tell Tom?”