He put a hand on Henry’s back. “Either way, it certainly looks like this little guy is in grave danger.”
SEVEN
Jason sat straight up and tried to focus on what had wakened him. Sleep fled as he heard footsteps in the hall, moving toward where he’d made a bed for himself on the living room couch. His chest tightened as he slid his hand toward his weapon.
“Don’t shoot, son.” He relaxed as his dad’s soft voice floated toward him in the darkness.
“What are you doing, Dad?”
“Thought I heard something outside.”
Was that what had woken him up? Could someone be in the yard?
“What did it sound like?” Jason asked.
His dad sat beside him on the sofa but kept the rifle he’d brought with him from the bedroom. “Not sure. Something that didn’t belong in the night. I didn’t want to turn on a bunch of lights and scare the ladies, so I thought I’d put you on alert. Of course, you already were.”
Jason’s heart warmed at the pride in his father’s voice. “What are you thinking?”
“I’d say call your buddies and have them scope things out. And I think you should peek in on Caroline and Henry. Make sure they’re okay. Then maybe we should stay up for a while. Morning’s not too far off.”
Morning was a solid three hours away, but he had to hand it to his dad. The man did what needed to be done. Always had.
He checked in with the officers on patrol outside. They were fine and hadn’t seen anything suspicious, but they had been on the far side of the property and were just now headed back toward the house. He eased from the sofa and crept down the hall, then paused at the door to his room. He hated to invade Caroline’s privacy, and he also hated to wake her. She needed to rest.
He rested one hand on the doorknob and turned it a millimeter at a time. He eased the door open.
“Take one more step and it will be the last thing you do,” Caroline’s voice hissed from the darkness. His eyes could just make out her form, sitting on the bed, weapon aimed straight at him.
“Caroline, it’s me,” he whispered.
“Jason!” She jumped from the bed and came straight at him. He opened his arms, expecting her to need comfort. She slugged his shoulder.
“Don’t ever do that to me again!” He’d never known it was possible for someone to whisper and yell at the same time. “I could have shot you!”
“I wasn’t expecting to find you sitting there pointing a weapon at the door. Please tell me you haven’t been sitting like that all night?”
“Of course not.” She punched him again. A little bit gentler, but not much.
“Would you quit hitting me?”
“Would you explain why you’re creeping into my room?”
“Technically, it’s my room, but if you must know, I was checking on you.”
“Why?”
He didn’t want to tell her, but she had a right to know. “Dad and I both thought we heard something outside. Probably a deer or raccoon, but it woke us both. I wanted to make sure you and Henry were okay.”
She slumped against the wall. “I thought I heard something, too,” she said.
“Dad and I are both up and armed. The officers patrolling haven’t seen anything, but I’m going to go check it out, so when you hear some noise, don’t worry. Why don’t you lie back down?”
“Like I could sleep now.”
“Fine. I’ll be back with a report in a few minutes.”
“Be careful.”
Her concern warmed his heart as he slid out the back door and paused in the darkness. He gave his eyes time to adjust to the dark. He didn’t want to turn on the flashlight and make himself a target until he had some backup. His dad was sitting in the hall. No one would get past him. But had someone been outside? And were they still here?
Tires on the driveway alerted him to the arrival of the additional officers he’d requested to take a look around. He eased around the back of the house and met them at the front porch.
“There are no obvious signs of anyone near the house,” he told them. “Let’s take a look around, see if anything is out of the ordinary.”
They scoured the area surrounding the house but didn’t see anything suspicious. The cars didn’t appear to have been tampered with, and there were no obvious footprints or tire tracks in places they didn’t belong.
If someone had been out there, they’d had the good sense to leave.
He thanked the officers and reentered the house.
“All clear,” he told his dad.
The only reply he received was a grunt. It didn’t matter what they didn’t find. His dad wasn’t going to sleep tonight.
Caroline popped her head out of the bedroom door. “Find anything?”
“No.” He walked over to her. “Try to get some sleep. Henry has no idea what’s going on, and he’s going to need you tomorrow. Leave the bedroom door open. One of us will stay in the hallway. You’ll be safe.”
No one was coming in this house tonight. Not if they wanted to live to tell about it.
Caroline blew out a long breath. “I’m so sorry to have brought this on you. On your parents. Your dad should be resting, not sitting up all night with a gun.”
“He’s fine,” he assured her. “I think if it wasn’t for the fact that this is all deadly serious, he’d be enjoying himself.”
“Men.”
He almost smiled, but his mind was on what could have been outside—and why. “Exactly. So go back to sleep. We’ll be right here.”
“Fine.”
She crawled back into the bed and placed the gun on the nightstand.
“Caroline?”
“What?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you know how to use that thing?”
She laughed again. “Heidi made it her mission to turn all of us into gun-safety experts. I’m a really good shot.”
He was looking forward to meeting this Heidi.
“I hope you never have to aim it at a person, but it’s good to know you can. Now go to sleep.”
“Yes, sir.” It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like she threw him a little salute before she rolled over on her side.
He slid back into the hall and found his dad standing at the end of it. “Everything okay, Dad?”
“Yeah. Glad she didn’t shoot you earlier.”
“Me, too.”
“She’s a tough one. Doesn’t look like it on the outside, but she’s made of strong stock.”
“She is.”
“When you gonna get over yourself and marry her?”
“Dad!”
His dad chuckled. “I’m gonna sit over in the kitchen. You take the hall. We’ll switch in an hour. Tap the floor twice if you need me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jason stood in the hall. Caroline’s soft breathing sounded steady and slow. He could hear his mom snoring. His ears strained for any sounds that didn’t belong as he settled in for a watchful night.
*
Henry’s cry pierced the air. Caroline was on her feet by the pack ’n’ play before she even registered that she was awake.
“Shh.” She scooped him up and carried him back to her bed.
“Mama.” Henry patted her arm. “Mama,” he said again. She took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of baby shampoo.
Henry tolerated the cuddling for less than a minute. He squirmed his way to the edge and slid his feet over first. As soon as they hit the ground, he took off for the door. Caroline threw the covers back and followed him. She didn’t want to think about what her hair looked like, but at least she’d had the good sense to sleep in her clothes last night.
She dashed down the hall in time to see Jason scooping Henry into a bear hug. “Whoa, little man. Where do you think you’re going?” He smiled at Henry as he spoke, but she could hear the fatigue in his voice. See it on his features. She followed behind as Jason carried Henry into the kitchen.
&n
bsp; “I think you need some breakfast. Mama Drake has French toast and bacon almost ready. You like French toast, don’t you?”
“Of course he does,” Mama Drake said. “Who doesn’t love French toast?” She spotted Caroline. “Good morning, dear. Did you get enough sleep? Do you want to go rest some more? We can handle Henry.”
“Thank you, but I think I should freshen Henry up a little bit before he eats.”
Even though she’d avoided using the words diaper change, Jason’s expression was the funniest thing Caroline had seen in days. He held Henry toward her like he was a bundle of toxic waste. “Here ya go.”
Mama Drake’s laughter and Papa Drake’s teasing followed her down the hall. She changed Henry’s diaper, put him in a clean outfit and ran a comb through his hair. Blond, curly hair that was nothing like Stephanie’s. She had to admit, the curls were precious.
She examined Henry as she slid on his socks. She could see Stephanie in him every now and then, but she suspected this child bore a strong resemblance to his father.
She tried to think about anything Stephanie had ever told her about Henry’s father. Caroline had thought about him plenty of times, but she had to admit never with an ounce of compassion. When she thought of him, it was always with disgust and disdain.
Stephanie had loved him—so whatever he had done that made her leave, it had to be horrible. And then, assuming Stephanie hadn’t been lying to her, he’d landed in jail and gotten himself killed.
Was it possible his sins were reaching past the grave and into Henry’s future?
A light tap on the door broke her from her musing.
“Caroline? Everything okay? Mom says breakfast is ready.”
“I’m coming.”
Jason stepped into the room, eyes narrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?”
She tried to shake it off. “Just thinking about what you said. Wishing Steph had been more open. She trusted me with her son, I wish she’d trusted me with more about his father.”
Jason rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. “Well, since you’ve brought it up…”
“Brought what up?”
“Stephanie.”
“What about her?”
“Do you think you’d be up for paying her parents a visit?”
Caroline knew where this was headed. “You think they might know something I don’t?”
“Maybe. Or they might know something that they don’t realize they know.”
Could they do this? Could they put her friend’s parents through this pain again? She looked at Henry. Yes. They could. They had to.
“It will be hard. They don’t like to talk about Stephanie at all. After her death, Mrs. Crawford sank into a deep depression, and honestly, Mr. Crawford wasn’t much better. They’ve struggled to make sense of it.” Hadn’t they all? But she had Henry, and he kept her too busy to grieve. Well, to grieve much. “But you’re right. I’ll call them after breakfast. Maybe we can run over there this afternoon. What day is it, anyway?”
Jason groaned. “It’s Saturday.”
“Really?”
Jason nodded. “Feels like it’s been about a year, but it’s only been a little over thirty-six hours.”
Thirty-six hours? She looked at Jason. How was it possible that the past thirty-six hours had erased the past thirteen years of distance between them? It already felt like he’d never left. Like she could trust him.
He held her eyes. Could he sense how confusing this was for her? Did he have any idea how many questions she wanted to ask him and how afraid she was of his answers?
“Let’s eat,” he said, deliberately ignoring the tension between them. “Let’s figure out what’s going on with Henry.” He turned to the door, then paused. “But when this is over, you and I need to finish our talk.”
Indeed.
*
Breakfast was as lighthearted as she could have hoped for under the circumstances. Mama and Papa Drake kept up an easy banter. Henry provided solid entertainment by licking syrup off his plate, spilling his milk and running sticky hands through his curls.
Mama Drake volunteered for bath duty and whisked Henry down the hall, giving Caroline an opportunity to call Stephanie’s parents.
Part of her hoped they wouldn’t be home, but Stephanie’s mom answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Crawford.”
“Caroline? How is everything?”
She swallowed hard. “Not great, Mrs. Crawford, I’m afraid.”
“Is everyone okay? Is Henry—”
“He’s fine, but we’ve had a couple of situations over the past few days that have left us with some concerns. I was wondering if I could come over and talk to you. About Stephanie.”
The silence on the other end of the line lasted long enough that Caroline worried Mrs. Crawford might have dropped the phone.
“Mrs. Crawford?”
A sharp intake of breath came through the line. “Of course, dear. Whatever you need.”
“Thank you.” Now for the fun part. “I’m going to have someone with me. Do you remember Jason Drake?”
“Yes. I heard he’d come back home.”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s a police officer now. A detective.”
“I don’t know how much help we can be to a detective, but of course we’ll talk to him. You’re bringing my grandson?”
“Yes, ma’am. Definitely.”
“Okay. When should we look for you?”
“Would eleven be okay?”
“Of course, dear. We’ll see you then.”
When Caroline returned to the living room, Papa Drake was perched on the edge of the sofa, which wouldn’t have been particularly unusual if it hadn’t been for the rifle he cradled in his left arm. He certainly hadn’t had that with him at the breakfast table. What had made him pull it out again?
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Papa Drake patted the sofa. “Nothing to fret over.”
“Then why are you sitting here with a rifle?”
“I like rifles.” He winked at her.
“I know that, sir, but I’ve been coming to this house since I was in elementary school and I’ve never seen you sit on the sofa with one.”
He grinned. “New habit.”
“Because of me.” How could he joke about this?
He faced her, no trace of amusement left in his expression. “Young lady, you can get that out of your head right now. None of this is because of you. Someone is so lost they’ve reached a place where ending another life seems to be the only solution. That’s a sin problem right there. Not a Caroline Harrison problem. Not a Henry problem. Not even a Stephanie problem.” He patted the rifle. “I’ve lived a long time without needing to face problems this way. I’d prefer not to need to do it again, but if someone chooses to attempt to harm anyone in my home, I won’t sit by and allow it to happen.” He smiled at her. “Jason’s out walking the property. Looking for any signs of the cause of last night’s racket. I’m just taking a few extra precautions while he’s out.”
A hand gripped her heart. Jason was out there, where their attacker might be.
The sound of footsteps on the porch made her jump. “It’s me,” Jason said before he’d even come into view. He stepped inside. “I couldn’t find anything. Not that I’m a skilled tracker, but all I saw were the usual critters.”
Caroline blew out a breath in relief, but she didn’t miss the look of concern that passed between father and son. Just because he hadn’t found anything didn’t mean no one had been out there.
A danger she couldn’t see stalked her.
When would they strike next?
EIGHT
Jason held the door for Caroline as she maneuvered through it with the diaper bag on one arm and Henry’s hand held tightly in hers.
“Come on, buddy. Let’s go see your grandma and grandpa!”
Henry said something that did not sound like grandma or grandpa, but maybe it was
supposed to because Caroline said, “Yes, that’s right. Grandma and Grandpa.”
Once they were down the stairs, Jason ran to the car and opened the passenger door. “Here,” he said. “Let me.” He picked Henry up.
He placed him into the car seat and fiddled with the straps. He heard Caroline’s laughter behind him. “Let me. We’re running late. I’ll show you how it works later.”
He stepped back and watched as she buckled Henry in before climbing in herself. Henry started to fuss before they’d made it to the end of the driveway. Caroline reached inside the diaper bag at her feet and grabbed a book.
“Ow!” She slapped her arm.
“You okay?”
“Something stung me,” she said. She examined the dead bug. “A fire ant. That’s weird.”
Henry’s fussing changed. Before he’d sounded aggravated. Now? Mad. Or maybe hurt.
“It’s okay, baby,” Caroline said. “You love this one.” She turned toward the backseat with the book in her hand.
And screamed.
“No! Stop! Stop!” She fumbled with her seat belt as he slammed on the brakes.
“What is it?” He threw the Explorer into Park and turned to see what had Caroline in such a panic.
Henry sat strapped into his car seat, tears trickling down his face, as at least thirty ants crawled over his arms and legs. He squirmed to get away, but he was held fast by the car seat straps.
Caroline jumped from the Explorer and rushed to his side of the car. Jason beat her to it. Thankfully he’d been paying attention earlier. It took only a few seconds to free Henry from the seat. Seconds that felt like hours as Henry’s wails sliced through the air.
As soon as he pulled the boy from the restraints, Jason set Henry on the ground. “Get his shoes off,” he said to Caroline as he pulled off Henry’s long-sleeved shirt. Red welts had already exploded all over his little torso.
Jason ignored the stings to his fingers and hands. He had to get the nasty creatures off Henry.
Caroline moved fast. She had Henry’s shoes and socks off and was pulling his pants off when Jason heard the screen door slam and his mother’s worried cry. In his peripheral vision he noted the rifle in his dad’s hands and the way he wasn’t watching them but was scanning the surrounding area.
Hidden Legacy Page 6
