But Nate took a mental step back.
Yesterday, he might have indeed believed it. Before he’d seen her reaction to Noah’s kidnapping. Before he’d witnessed firsthand how terrified she was.
Before he’d kissed her.
Yeah, that was playing into this, as well.
The sweltering attraction. But Nate knew in this situation that the kiss wasn’t clouding his judgment. Darcy hadn’t taken that money, and she hadn’t had anything to do with kidnapping the babies.
Grayson moved to the end of the table and sat down. He studied Edwin and Adam for a moment. “So, you’re suggesting a lawyer with no criminal record would do something like this?” He didn’t wait for them to respond. “Because she’s not a suspect, and you two are.”
“I did nothing wrong!” Adam shouted.
“Nor did I.” Edwin’s voice was almost calm. Almost.
“That remains to be seen,” Nate let them know.
Edwin got to his feet. “Are you arresting us? Because this was just supposed to be an opportunity for us to tell you about her stealing that money and trying to clear her client. And I don’t appreciate your intimidation tactics. If I’d known we would be grilled like this, I would have brought my attorney.”
“Come on,” Grayson fired back. “Did you really think you could walk in here and put this kind of spin on what happened? If Darcy had wanted to clear her client, she would have gone about it differently. Not using reverse psychology.”
“And if she had criminal intent, she could have created and paid for a witness,” Nate explained. “One that would have given Dent an airtight alibi. It would have been far cheaper. Far safer. And it wouldn’t have put her baby’s life on the line.”
Nate leaned in so he could look them in the eyes. “But you two have a lot to gain if you put Dent behind bars. Or better yet, get him the death penalty.”
“Dent made his own bed,” Edwin insisted. “He’s running scared because he’s guilty. And he knows you can prove it. You’ve said so yourself that you believe he’s guilty.”
Nate had said that. He couldn’t deny it. And maybe Dent was behind the kidnapping, but Darcy certainly wasn’t. So, that meant either these two had been duped into thinking Darcy was guilty, or they were the ones trying to do the duping.
Edwin gave his suit an adjustment that it in no way needed. “We’re done here. We’ve given you the information, and now we’ll go to your captain at SAPD. We’ll press him to file charges against…” He cut his eyes toward Darcy. And smiled an oily smile. “Well, whatever she is to you.”
Nate didn’t consider himself someone who had a bad temper, but Edwin’s suggestion sent anger boiling through him.
“Who said we’re done?” Nate fired back.
Surprise showed in Edwin’s eyes. Adam seemed alarmed.
Grayson stood, gave Nate a nod. “I’ll take things from here.” He looked at the two men. “You have the right to remain silent—”
“You’re arresting us?” Edwin howled.
“Detaining you for questioning and possible arrest for multiple felonies,” Grayson clarified. “When you’re done hearing your rights, I suggest you call a lawyer.”
The two men started to protest, but Grayson glanced at Nate, and he knew what that glance meant. This was now an official interrogation. Not an interview. And that meant Darcy and he shouldn’t be there.
“We can wait in Grayson’s office,” Nate said to her.
She looked ready to argue, and her gaze flew to Grayson as if he might allow her to stay. But Grayson only shook his head.
“Come on.” Nate caught her arm and led her out of the room.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For sticking up for me in there.”
He maneuvered her inside Grayson’s office but didn’t shut the door. Privacy and Darcy weren’t a good idea, especially since her nerves were raw and right at the surface.
“It was a no-brainer. As I said, you love Noah too much to put him in danger.”
Darcy looked at him and shook her head as if she didn’t know how to respond to that. But she did respond. Man, did she. She stepped forward until she was pressed against him, and slipped her arms around him.
“I’m wired to handle stress,” she whispered. “But not this kind.”
Was she talking about Noah now, or this suddenly close contact between them? Nate wasn’t sure, but that didn’t stop him from pulling her into a hug.
Unfortunately, a hug he needed as much as she did.
He, too, was wired to handle stress, but it was different when his entire world was tipping on its axis. For so long he’d been living in a dark cloud of grief and pain over losing Ellie that he had nearly forgotten what it was like to feel something, well, good.
His body was burning for Darcy. There was no denying that. But that didn’t make things easy. Or even acceptable. Wanting Darcy could put a wedge between him and his family.
Without breaking the armlock they had on each other, she eased back a little and looked up at him. A soft breath left her mouth. Like a flutter. And her face flushed with what he thought might be heated attraction.
Nate tested that theory by brushing his mouth over hers.
Yeah, attraction.
“We shouldn’t act on this,” Darcy whispered.
But she didn’t back away. She kept her mouth hovering just beneath his. Her breath smelled like the cinnamon tea she’d had earlier, and he wanted to see if she tasted as good as she smelled.
But Nate didn’t get the chance. The sound of the footsteps stopped him.
He braced himself for a face-to-face with one of his brothers, who would almost certainly notice all the heavy breaths and lust-filled eyes that Darcy and he had for each other. But it wasn’t his brother.
It was Wesley Dent.
Nate stepped into the hall, directly in front of the man.
They knew each other, of course. Nate had interviewed and interrogated him at least a half-dozen times. Times that Dent apparently hadn’t liked because his green eyes narrowed when he looked at Nate.
Unlike Edwin and Adam, there wasn’t much polish here. Dent wore his usual jeans and untucked white button-down shirt that was fashionably rumpled. It was the same for his shoulder-length, highlighted, brown hair. As a rule, Nate didn’t trust a man who got highlights and manicures. He especially didn’t trust Dent.
Was he looking at the person behind the kidnapping?
Just the thought of it caused the anger to boil up inside him again.
“I heard about your daughter. And your son,” Dent said, glancing at Darcy before he brought his attention back to Nate. “You’ve arrested Edwin and Adam?”
“Not at the moment,” Nate informed him. “They’re here for questioning.”
Dent’s eyes narrowed again. “Why not just arrest them? They’re behind this.”
“Where’s the proof?” Nate challenged.
“The motive is proof.” Dent looked up, huffed, as if he couldn’t believe Nate hadn’t done the obvious—arrest his dead wife’s ex and son. “Those two morons wanted you to set me up. To fix the investigation. If that isn’t proof, I don’t know what is.”
“Maybe,” Nate mumbled and he left it at that.
“How did you know about the kidnapping being tied to you?” Darcy asked. She stepped out into the hall with them.
Dent wearily shook his head. “It’s all over the news. I tried to call your office, to make sure you and your son were okay, but your secretary said you were out indefinitely.”
All over the news.
Though he hadn’t turned on the TV or opened a newspaper, Nate didn’t doubt that word had gotten out. Heck, this was probably a national story by now, especially with so many deaths and the kidnapping from a small-town preschool. But he did have to wonder how many of the details had been leaked. Details like the possible identity of the person who’d hired Ramirez to force Darcy and Nate into throwing the investigation.
“So, when will you
be back at work?” Dent asked Darcy. “We need to discuss what’s happened. Alone,” he added, sparing Nate a glance.
That was reasonable. After all, Darcy was his attorney, but Dent’s remark stirred up other feelings inside Nate. Old wounds about Darcy and he being on opposite sides. And new wounds about his confused feelings for her.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” Darcy let him know. She looked over her shoulder when the bell on the front door jangled.
Nate looked, too. After what had happened, he didn’t feel completely safe even in the sheriff’s office. He couldn’t see who had arrived because Tina Fox, the dispatcher, stood to greet the person and blocked Nate’s view. He did relax a little, though, because it was obvious Tina wasn’t alarmed.
“Look, I know you’ve been through a lot,” Dent complained to Darcy, “but my life is at stake. If the cops arrest me—”
“Mr. Dent, effective immediately I’m resigning as your lawyer,” Darcy interrupted.
Both Nate and Dent stared at her, and Nate didn’t know which of them was more surprised.
“I wouldn’t be able to give my full attention to your defense,” she continued. Her voice wavered a little but not her composure. “My secretary or assistant can give you other recommendations.”
“I don’t want another lawyer,” Dent howled. “Good grief, the police are trying to pin my wife’s murder on me. I need you to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “But I simply can’t represent you.” She turned to go back into Grayson’s office, but Dent stepped in front of her.
“You can’t do this,” Dent insisted. “I won’t let you do it.” He flung his hand toward Nate. “Is it because of him? Because he’s turned you against me? Well, you’re stupid to believe Nate Ryland. He’s had it in for me since the moment Sandra drew her last breath.”
Enough was enough. Nate stepped between Darcy and the man. “Dent, my advice is to make some calls. Find another attorney. Because you’re probably going to want one with you when Sheriff Ryland questions you.”
“Sheriff Ryland?” he said like profanity. “If any of you badge-wearing cowboys want to question me, then you get a warrant for my arrest because I’m done playing games.” He aimed a glare at Darcy. “I’ll settle things with you later.”
Nate latched on to Dent’s shirt and snapped the man toward him. “Is that a threat?”
Dent opened his mouth as if he might verify that, but he must have decided it would be a bad idea. He tore away from Nate’s grip, cursed and turned, heading for the door.
Nate followed him, to make sure he did leave. Grayson would indeed want to question him, but that probably wasn’t a good idea with Edwin, Adam and Darcy there. Besides, Dent needed a new attorney. Later, Nate would talk to Darcy about that, to make sure she was doing this for all the right reasons—whatever those reasons were.
For now, he watched.
Dent was moving at lightning speed. Until he reached the dispatcher’s desk. And then he stopped and stared at the person on the other side of Tina.
That got Nate moving. Darcy, too. Nate wasn’t sure who had captured Dent’s attention, and he was more than a little surprised that it was Marlene. She had a bandage on her cheek, another on her arm, but she looked as if she’d physically weathered the kidnapping ordeal. Not mentally, though. The woman was practically cowering.
“Grayson said I needed to sign some papers,” Marlene said, her head lowered, her bottom lip trembling.
“Papers?” Dent challenged, and his booming voice caused Marlene to look even more rattled. “Please don’t tell me this woman had something to do with the kidnapping.”
Nate put his hands on his hips and tried to figure out what the heck was going on.
“The gunmen took me hostage,” Marlene explained. “I work at the Silver Creek Preschool and Day Care.”
Dent stared at her. And then he laughed. “Oh, this is good.”
That got Marlene’s gaze off the floor. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she insisted. And then she turned the pleading gaze on Nate and Darcy. “I swear.”
“What do you mean?” Nate demanded. When Marlene didn’t answer, Nate looked at Dent.
But the man just smiled and headed for the door. “Why don’t you ask her? Or better yet, ask Edwin. I’m sure he’d like to tell you all about it.”
Chapter Ten
Darcy kept watch out the SUV window while Nate drove back to the ranch.
Even though she didn’t think anyone was following them, she wanted to make sure. With the eerie turn in the investigation, Darcy didn’t want to take any chances with their safety. Or the babies’. She certainly didn’t want a second wave of kidnappers trying to follow them to the ranch.
Nate was keeping watch, too, but he also had his cell phone clipped to the dash. Ready. And waiting for a call from Grayson that would hopefully explain why her former client had suggested Marlene was associated with Edwin. Grayson hadn’t quite dismissed the semi-accusation, but he’d insisted that Nate and she head back to the ranch and leave him to handle the questions, not just for Edwin but for Marlene.
That was probably a good idea because the anger was already starting to roar through Darcy. Not just for Marlene’s possible involvement but because she’d seen firsthand the venom inside Dent. She’d thought he was innocent, but she wasn’t so sure of that now. Plus, there was the money taken from Sandra’s safe. Dent could have stolen it and used it to fund the kidnapping.
Of course, the same could be said for Edwin or Adam.
“In all the interviews I did regarding Sandra Dent, Marlene’s name never came up,” Nate commented.
“Same here.” But what had come up was the tyrannical way that Sandra had treated others—especially her husband, her ex and her son. It was that behavior, and her net worth, that had provided the possible motive for her murder.
Nate took the final turn to the ranch, and finally his cell rang. And Darcy saw that it was Grayson’s name on the caller ID. Nate jabbed the button to answer and pressed the speaker function.
“Well?” Nate immediately asked.
Grayson huffed. “Edwin and Marlene know each other.”
That kicked Darcy’s pulse up a notch. “How?” Nate and she asked in unison.
“In the worst way possible for our investigation.” Grayson sounded tired, frustrated and riled. “They had an affair.”
“An affair?” Darcy challenged. “Those two don’t exactly run in the same social circles.”
“No,” Grayson agreed. “But they apparently met at a bar in San Antonio. He bought her a drink, and things went from there.”
Nate cursed, and it mirrored exactly how Darcy felt. “Any idea if Marlene had something to do with the kidnapping?” Nate pressed.
“She says no. So does Edwin. He puts the blame directly on Dent.”
Of course, he would. Dent was putting the blame on Edwin and Adam, and the finger-pointing was just going in circles.
“Edwin says the affair was short, just a few weeks, and that it ended months ago,” Grayson continued. “Marlene echoed the same, but I got to tell you, I’m not sure I believe her. After all, she had an entire day to give me a heads-up about her relationship with Edwin, and she didn’t even mention it. I have to ask myself why.”
Darcy’s pulse went up more than a notch. “Are you holding her?”
“No. I told her not to leave town, that I would have more questions for her once I did some checking. I’ll get her phone records and go from there. Edwin’s, too. If they put this kidnapping together, I’ll find a way to prove it.”
“Thanks,” Nate told him.
“There’s more,” Grayson said before Nate could hang up. “The two deputy marshals are here to extradite Ramirez.”
“Already?” Nate cursed. And Darcy didn’t blame him. They’d hoped to have more time to get Ramirez to talk.
“Yeah. And the marshals want to leave immediately. I can’t stop them f
rom taking him,” Grayson explained. “But I’ll try.”
Nate thanked his brother again, hit the end-call button and stopped the SUV in front of the ranch house. But he didn’t get out. Neither did Darcy. They sat there trying to absorb what they’d just learned. A woman they had thought they could trust, a woman they had believed had helped them by writing those initials, could be the very person who had helped put their children in grave danger.
Darcy stared up at the iron-gray sky for a moment. Everything suddenly felt heavy. Dreary, even. Probably because a storm was moving in. Literally. But that storm was inside her, too.
They got out of the SUV, and Darcy glanced around at the lack of other vehicles in the driveway. Good. Fewer brothers to face. When they went inside, she could smell Bessie’s lunch preparations, but none of the others were around. However, there were several notes on the table, which Nate stopped to read.
“Where is everyone?” she asked, automatically making her way to Nate’s wing of the house. Maybe it was the news about Marlene, but she had to see her son and make sure everything was okay, and she headed in that direction.
Nate was right behind her. “According to the notes, Mason is in his office in the ranch hands’ quarters. Kayla and Grayson’s wife, Eve, are in San Antonio. Eve had a doctor’s appointment.”
Alarmed, Darcy stopped and whirled around to face him. “Is that safe? I mean, the person behind the kidnapping might go after members of your family.”
He shook his head and ran his hand down her arm. “It’s okay. Kade’s with them. Grayson considered having Eve reschedule the appointment, but because of her age, her doctor here wanted her to see a specialist in the city. It’s just a routine checkup.”
“Routine,” Darcy repeated under her breath. An impending birth that the family should be celebrating, but instead they were under this cloud of fear. Well, she was, anyway. Darcy didn’t think she could forgive herself if something happened to another member of Nate’s family.
Nate Page 9
