Witchchild

by Carole Mortimer

  And Holly wasn't with either of them!

  Leonie felt the nausea washing over her as she turned to face Hawk. 'She's gone,' she gasped weakly. 'Holly's gone!'

  Hawk caught her as she fell, knowing as June came to her door belting her robe, and Hal and Laura got out of bed to do likewise, that Leonie had told the truth; their precious daughter wasn't in the house!

  Pain such as he had never known before pressed down on his chest, and he would have sunk to the floor with Leonie still in his arms if Hal hadn't hurried forward to help hold him up.

  Holly was gone! Oh, dear God, what did it mean? Who could have done this to them? Why?

  How? Who would have dared come into the house in this way?

  Hawk turned accusingly to June as she stared at them with stricken brown eyes. 'You said she was sleeping. That—'

  'Dad,' Hal cut in reprovingly, 'you know June had nothing to do with this.'

  Yes, he knew. June cared for Holly as if she were her grandchild. Then who? Only one name came instantly to mind, and if Spencer had harmed one hair of Holly's head he was going to regret it for the rest of his life. Which wouldn't be for long once Hawk got his hands on him.

  'I can manage,' he rasped at Hal as he would have taken Leonie from him; no one was ever going to take her from him. 'You'd better see to your own wife,' he ordered with a worried frown at Laura.

  Laura sat on the edge of the bed rocking backwards and forwards in silent agony, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She cringed as Hal approached her, moving to the back of the bed so that he couldn't touch her.

  'Laura—'

  'I told Leonie she was wrong.' She still rocked backwards and forwards, her arms wrapped about her bent knees. 'I told her you have to love or you shrivel up and die.' Her voice was so lacking in emotion it was painful to listen to. 'But she was right.' She shook her head, her eyes dull. 'We both loved Holly, and now she's been taken from us too. Don't touch me!' she told Hal shrilly as he would have reached for her. 'Don't touch me or you'll die too!'

  Hal turned to him beseechingly, completely at a loss with how to deal with the situation. Hawk was filled with a burning anger. 'Holly isn't dead, Laura,' he said harshly.

  For a moment she looked at him as if she didn't recognise him, and then there was the merest glimmer of memory in her eyes, those green eyes that were so full of pain it was like looking into the depths of hell. 'Isn't she?' she said flatly.

  He drew in a ragged breath, holding Leonie easily in his arms. 'June, call the police and then a doctor. Tell both of them that it's urgent,' he added grimly, carrying Leonie into her bedroom, placing her gently down on the bed and looking down at her with pain-filled eyes. 'I'll get her back, Leonie,' he promised. 'And once I do neither of you will ever leave me again!'

  As he continued to stare down at her he could hear a strange noise, something like an animal in pain, and turned round expecting one of the cats to be in the room with them. And then he remembered that the six of them were shut up in a room downstairs for the night.

  He also realised that the pained sound was coming from him, and that the tears were falling against the hardness of his cheeks.

  'Damn you, Spencer!' he cried out his anguish. 'Damn you for doing this to her.' He looked down at Leonie. 'Damn you for doing this to me! And damn you for daring to so much as touch our daughter!'

  He would find the other man if it was the last thing he ever did!

  Leonie woke slowly, her mind feeling foggy, completely disorientated for a moment.

  Goodness, she must have slept deeply, she realised with a pained wince as she sat up, guessing by the sunlight filtering in behind the curtains that it was already eight or nine o'clock in the morning. Strange, she didn't recall getting out of bed to feed Holly during the night. Perhaps the baby had slept right through for the first time, she thought excitedly. It could certainly—

  The memory of last night flooded sharply back to her—the empty cot, the searching for Holly, the sudden blackness. And then later, the agonising pain, the torment, of knowing someone had taken her beautiful baby, the crying out for Holly, for the child she loved so deeply. And then the sharp sting in her arm before the blackness closed in once again.

  'It's all right,' June soothed as she moved into her line of vision. 'You're all right, Leonie,' she calmed her.

  'Holly?' choked Leonie, knowing by the way June's gaze slid away from hers that Holly was still missing. She slumped back against the pillows. 'Where's Hawk?' she asked dully.

  June moistened her lips. 'He and Hal left straight after the police had finished their questioning—'

  'The police?' Leonie's sharp gaze swivelled to the other woman.

  June shrugged, looking much older than her forty-five years this morning. 'They had to be informed,' she explained gently.

  'Of course,' Leonie nodded abruptly. 'Where did Hawk and Hal go?'

  The other woman swallowed hard. 'I'm not really sure,' she shook her head.

  Michael. Hawk had gone to find Michael. She knew without being told that Hawk also believed Michael was responsible for—for Holly's disappearance. And he wouldn't wait for the police to find the other man. And Holly.

  She squeezed her eyes shut as the sweet memories of her baby washed over her, the tears escaping through the tightly closed lids. She had only just begun to show Holly how much she loved her, she couldn't possibly lose her now.

  'Laura?' she prompted abruptly.

  'She's—resting, too,' June supplied with an awkward grimace.

  'Resting?' Leonie echoed sharply.

  June shook her head. 'The doctor had to sedate her too. She—Well, she—'

  Leonie straightened too quickly, feeling dizzy for a moment, and closed her eyes to shut out the spinning of the room. 'What happened?' she demanded firmly.

  She listened with an increasing heaviness as June told her of Laura's reaction to Holly's disappearance.

  'I've never seen her like that before,' June finished huskily.

  'Do the police have any idea who—who—'

  Leonie couldn't go on, just the thought of someone else having her beautiful daughter was making her tremble. 'Have they heard from anyone?' she choked.

  She knew what the answer was going to be even before June shook her head. If it was Michael— and who else could it be!—he would enjoy letting her suffer a little before asking for what he really wanted: money. In the meantime, if he harmed Holly in any way he would have more than Hawk's wrath to contend with.

  'Hawk and Hal should be back soon,' June added encouragingly. 'Maybe they'll know something.'

  Knowing Michael as she did Leonie knew they would never be able to find him. And he had no idea how to take care of a baby, no idea what to feed Holly, or how to change her, or—or anything! But only he would dare to enter the house and take Holly in that way.

  'Can I get you anything?' June offered as she saw the utter despair on her face.

  Leonie shook her head. 'I think I'll go and sit with Laura for a while.' She stood up unsteadily, not surprised to find that she was wearing a sheer cream nightgown, sure that Hawk would have undressed her before putting her to bed last night.

  What was all this doing to him? He loved Holly just as much as she did, she was sure of that, and he had known her a much shorter time to love.

  Oh God, she should never have denied Holly her love, should never have held herself aloof from her own baby for the first three and a half weeks of her life. She might never get another chance to show Holly how much she did love her…

  Laura looked so peaceful as she lay asleep in her bed, but Leonie knew it was only an illusion, that as soon as her sister woke up her pain would begin again—Laura, who had refused to accept that love meant pain.

  Leonie stood up restlessly, her heart beating rapidly as the room across the corridor drew her like a magnet. The nursery…

  The room looked as it always did when Holly had been got up for the day, the tiny quilt not pulled back as it had
been when she gazed uncomprehendingly into the empty cot the night before, but neatly tidy, the teddy bears they had received as presents when Holly was first born lined up along the bottom of the cot, the clown-patterned quilt seeming to be laughing up at her. And the laughter seemed to be getting louder, and louder, making her head feel as if it were about to burst, as if—

  'Stop it!' June's hand landed painfully against Leonie's cheek and she sank to the carpet, her body racked by anguished sobs. 'Leonie, don't,' June knelt down beside her, taking her in her arms. 'Please don't. Oh God, it's all my fault,' she choked. 'If I'd kept a closer eye on Holly none of this would have happened!'

  They were all so filled with guilt, a guilt that wasn't going to do a thing towards bringing Holly back. June certainly wasn't responsible for what had happened, and she couldn't allow her to believe she was.

  'No,' Leonie said firmly. 'None of us could have stopped what happened last night,' she realised with certainty. She gave a deep sigh. 'I'd better get dressed.'

  June frowned. 'Are you sure you feel up to it?' Leonie rose unsteadily to her feet. 'I have to be strong, for Holly's sake. I have to—' She turned sharply as she heard the front door open and close.

  'Hawk!' she cried expectantly, running from the room. One look at Hawk's haggard face and Hal's desolate one and she knew they hadn't brought her daughter back to her.

  Oh, God, Leonie looked as if she were about to shatter into a million pieces, Hawk thought brokenly.

  They had gone to Spencer's home, where his disgruntled landlady had told them what she had already informed the police: that Spencer had left late yesterday afternoon and hadn't been back since. They had pressed the sleepy woman for names of his friends, anyone else they could question about where he could have gone. She had finally told them to try the female tenant in the flat opposite Spencer's, a lead that had also proved fruitless. The woman had been obviously eager to get back to the man who was sharing her bed for the night. And so they had got the landlady out of bed again, stressing how important it was that she remember any of Spencer's friends. She had finally come up with the name of a man who lived a few blocks away. Another dead end—the man was too high on something to be of any help to anyone.

  The police were looking for Spencer now; he could only hope they would have more luck.

  In the meantime he had to tell Leonie that Holly was still missing.

  She turned to Hal with pained eyes. 'Laura is still sleeping, so you might as well have breakfast before going up to her.'

  She knew. She had taken one look at his face and she knew their darling daughter was still with Spencer somewhere.

  Why didn't she rant and rave at him, remind him of the assurance he had given her only yesterday that Michael Spencer would never bother them again! He couldn't bear the quiet calm that hid so much pain.

  Hal shook his head. 'I couldn't eat a thing. I—I think I'll just go up and sit with Laura.' He came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the stairs. 'I'm so sorry about this, Leonie,' he choked, turning blindly towards her.

  Hawk almost broke down and cried again himself as he watched Leonie comforting his son, the bulk of Hal's body totally eclipsing her as she held him in her arms.

  Hal left them with a wrenching sob, running up the stairs as if he were pursued by demons.

  Leonie looked at Hawk with tears swimming in her eyes. 'Would you like some breakfast? You must be exhausted, and—'

  'Leonie!' he groaned, opening his arms to her, sighing his need as she instantly moved into them, burrowing her face against his chest.

  She had never seemed more like a child to him, a lost and lonely child who didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her, and keep on hurting her.

  'Oh—I'm sorry,' Sarah said awkwardly as she came out into the hallway.

  Hawk looked at her sharply, bent protectively over Leonie as she still clung to him. 'Get Jake, and tell him—'

  'But he isn't here,' Sarah shook her head, her expression one of deep concern. 'He doesn't seem to have been at the hotel all night,' she shrugged worriedly.

  Hawk's eyes narrowed, and he wanted to pursue the subject further, but not now. Right now he had to get Leonie back up to her bedroom.

  'Let me.' June appeared at his side, putting an arm comfortingly about Leonie. 'And I think you'll find Jake in the kitchen,' she said huskily.

  He bent to kiss Leonie gently on her brow. 'We'll find her,' he said with more conviction than he actually felt. He could have sworn when he had met Spencer two days ago that the other man wouldn't bother them again; and look how wrong he had been about that! He daren't even think of what would happen to Leonie if he didn't get Holly back for her.

  He stood at the bottom of the stairs watching Leonie and June until they disappeared into the bedroom before turning briskly to Sarah. 'Cancel all my arrangements for today,' he ordered. 'And then find out anything you can about Michael Spencer,' he added grimly. 'And I mean everything!'

  'Isn't he—'

  'The bastard who has my daughter,' he bit out harshly. 'And I want him!' His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

  Jake rose slowly to his feet when Hawk joined him in the kitchen, and if anything he looked more haggard than Hawk felt, his face pale, a dark-blond growth of beard on his chin, his clothes giving the impression that he had slept in them.

  'No news?' he rasped.

  Hawk shook his head. 'Where the hell have you been all night?'

  Jake gave a guilty start—or did it only look guilty to him? What could his friend and assistant have to be guilty about? Hell, Holly's disappearance was making him suspicious of everyone!

  'I went to look for Stephen,' explained Jake, shrugging awkwardly. 'I didn't find him.'

  Hawk's eyes were narrowed. 'No?'

  Jake gave a ragged sigh. 'He hasn't booked out of his hotel room or anything like that, his clothes are still there, but he just—Forget about Stephen,' he dismissed harshly. 'What can we do to get Holly back?' His gaze was intent.

  Hawk drew in a shaky breath and sat down heavily. 'Find Spencer,' he bit out angrily.

  'You think it's him?' Jake gave a puzzled frown. 'But I thought you'd settled—'

  'So did I,' snapped Hawk. 'But obviously I was wrong. Now it's a question of either finding the bastard or waiting for him to make the ransom demand. Knowing what a cruel son-of-a-bitch he can be I would say that won't be too quick in coming!' His eyes glittered coldly. 'If I don't get her back soon, Jake, this could destroy Leonie,' he added raggedly.

  'You think he did this for money?' Jake said slowly.

  Hawk nodded tersely. 'And to hurt Leonie and me as much as possible,' he said grimly. 'He should get some cheap thrill when I go on television tonight asking him to return Holly to us! I'm having the telephone number here broadcast too.'

  'The police are allowing that?' Jake frowned.

  Hawk shrugged. 'She's my daughter, Jake,' he said tersely. 'I'll give everything I have to get her back.'

  The other man shook his head. 'You'll get all the mental cases coming forward as well.'

  'It's a risk I have to take,' Hawk said heavily. 'I want my daughter back, Jake, and I'll do anything I can to achieve that!'

  'Wouldn't it be better to wait—'

  Hawk shook his head firmly. 'Someone out there may have seen Spencer with Holly. If they have, I and the police want to know about it. Once we've received a ransom demand the police have insisted on a media black-out.'

  'You're agreeable to that?' prompted Jake.

  'I said I'd do anything, Jake,' Hawk bit out. 'And that means anything Spencer demands!'

  Leonie was in control again now, regretting the lapse when she had almost collapsed in Hawk's arms. She was stronger than any of them now, had faced the pain of loss enough to know that grieving didn't help anything, that they had to sit and wait for whatever came next.

  She had just finished dressing when she heard Laura's raised voice coming from her bedroom, and she quickly ran out to be with
her sister now that she had woken up; possibly she the only one who understood the reason Laura had fallen apart so completely.

  Hal was trying to take the distraught Laura into his arms, and Laura was fighting him for all she was worth!

  'Leave her to me.' Leonie deftly took Hal's place, and Laura at once fell into her arms, sobs racking her body.

  'I was good, Leonie,' she choked. 'I was so good. Why am I being punished? Why?'

  Leonie glanced up at Hal, sympathising with his complete inability to deal with something he didn't even understand. 'Let me talk to her for a while,' she suggested gently. 'Just for a while,' she encouraged as he would have protested.

  'You'll call me if she needs me?' he said uncertainly.

  She gave him a gentle smile. 'I promise,' she nodded, waiting until he had left the room before turning back to Laura and softly beginning to talk, telling her sister all the things she knew she needed to hear, slowly feeling the tension ease from Laura's shaking body, watching as total awareness returned and her sister softly began to cry.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  It had been the longest day of Hawk's life.

  He, Jake and Hal had spent the afternoon and evening visiting every person Spencer had ever spoken to, with only the briefest of breaks in between when he had made his appeal on television. As Jake had predicted, it seemed every crackpot in the country had either seen or had Holly. The police were monitoring all the calls, and none of them had been from Spencer. He would know when the real ransom demand was made, he was sure of it.

  Leonie had spent the time with Laura, a still strangely withdrawn Laura, although she had lost the look of hell from her eyes.

  And Leonie—dear God, he had no idea what she was thinking any more. The vulnerability had gone, and in its place was a strength that nothing seemed able to pierce. She had become the comforter, not the comforted. And he knew that was the only reason she had come to his bed tonight.