Back to Tiffany's

Rick spent a couple of hours driving around north Dallas, assuring himself that Dan Hughes hadn't planted some other tracking device on his daughter before he dared head back toward McKinney.

Using his burner phone, he learned that the police had set up roadblocks on the tollway and 75, which left him old highway 5 as the best route north. Not that there were any guarantees that that wouldn't be watched also.

So he stopped at another Wal-mart, got some purple hair dye and a trashy t-shirt that said something about being adjusted and not playing with the knobs, and tossed them to Nicki. "Look like someone else," he suggested.

"I already do."

"Yeah. Well, look like a third person."

It wasn't the hair color or shirt but the way she did her makeup that really transformed her. She managed an old-school goth look that he never would have imagined she could pull off.

"Okay," he said. "if we get stopped, let me do the talking unless they ask you any questions. If they do, you're my daughter Lisa."

She stuck out her tongue. "That's such a dorky name. And if I'm your daughter, does that mean I have to blow you while you drive?"

"Do you blow your dad when he drives?"

"Of course. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't help him relieve his stresses."

"A normal daughter."

The second the words left his lips he realized he should have kept his mouth shut. Nicki had been through enough already without being reminded how absolutely abnormal her upbringing had been. "Sorry," he tried. "But the way your father has raised you is not normal and it's not okay."

"You didn't mind playing with me when you were massaging me. Or are you just into milfs like my mom?"

"When I massaged you, you were eighteen. Now your body is twelve. And that is not okay for me or for your dad. Do you understand?"

"No."

Some part of his mind considered putting her over his knee and giving her a spanking. Which was exactly the kind of thing her father probably was doing to Misty right then. He didn't think Nicki would mind. The difference was, Rick didn't follow through on his thoughts.

Sure enough, there was a police roadblock in Allen.

Rick rolled to a stop wondering if he should have disguised himself rather than just Nicki. The cops shined a flashlight into his borrowed car, checked out the disguised Nicki, and let them through.

He dropped Nicki off with Tiffany, returned the car, then walked the couple of miles across town to Tiffany's place.