Hidden Legacy

by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

  He got out of the car and walked around to her side. When he opened the door, he took her hand as she climbed out. But instead of stepping back to give her some room, he put one hand on her waist.

  Her eyes found his, and what she saw there made her heart fly. Was he going to kiss her again?

  Henry’s piercing wail shattered the moment, and they both laughed. Jason pulled Henry from his car seat. Caroline expected Henry to lunge for her, but he didn’t. He tucked his head under Jason’s chin and snuggled in, his eyes fluttering closed.

  Jason shrugged. “He’s a great little guy,” he said.

  They made their way into the empty house. Kyle must still be at the Crawfords’ house, she figured. She took a little longer than necessary to get Henry ready for bed. She brushed the hair from his face after she pulled his pajamas over his head. He’d been a trouper. He’d endured so much.

  When would it finally be over?

  Father, do we have to call them? Do we have to make contact?

  When the idea settled into her heart, the fear that she’d expected to accompany it wasn’t there. It was more of a certainty that God was in control and that she could trust Him. With Henry. With Jason. With her future.

  She kissed Henry good-night and found Jason studying the monitors Kyle had left in her dining room.

  “I think we need to make contact with the Larrabies but keep Henry’s existence out of the picture,” she said.

  He nodded. “I agree, and I might have a way we can do it.”

  “How?”

  “Heidi’s been investigating the death of Charles Townsend, who we suspect was really Lee Baker. She’s only a couple of hours’ drive from the town where the Larrabies live. She could talk to William Larrabie about Lee and get a feel for his attitude toward him. Even ask him flat out about his kids if she has the opportunity.”

  “But keep Henry out of the conversation?”

  “Of course,” Jason said. “You should know there’s a chance that if we approach him and get him thinking and talking about his half brother, he might hire people who will put the pieces together the same way we have and find out about Henry. Then again, there’s nothing to prevent him from doing that at any time in the future—and there’s a good chance it’s already been done, and that’s how the twins found out, if they’re the ones who have been behind the attacks. I’d rather be the one asking the questions and be ready for whatever might come than to get blindsided by a knock on the door down the road.”

  “That’s a good point,” she said.

  “Do you want to call her, or shall I?”

  She smiled. “You do it. You can be the supercop while I see if there’s anything to eat in the house. At some point I’m seriously going to need to go to the grocery store.”

  “You didn’t have enough at Hot Dog World?” He was laughing as he dialed the number. She stuck her tongue out at him and went into the kitchen.

  She’d found some popcorn and a stash of frozen cookie dough and was making them a snack when he returned.

  “Heidi’s all over it. She’s convinced Lee Baker is Larrabie’s son. She talked to the clerk who married Stephanie and Lee. The wedding was legit. She thinks there will be enough DNA evidence either with his body or through Larrabie to get what we need to prove paternity if it comes to it.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t sure she liked that, but she kept listening.

  “She’ll approach William Larrabie from the standpoint of someone who knew Lee and is seeking answers on his behalf. After she talks to him, we’ll decide if it’s worth asking my father to smooth the path toward the discussion about Henry.”

  Caroline’s stomach flipped. I’m trusting You, God. I’m trusting You. She tried to smile.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, obviously not fooled by her attempt to hide her turmoil. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  Jason’s phone rang. “Drake.”

  “Hi, Blake. Yes, she’s right here.”

  He handed her the phone. “Blake, are you home?”

  He ignored her question. “Where are you?” A lifetime of concern and big-brotherly affection colored his words.

  “Home.”

  “Is that safe?”

  “As safe as anywhere at the moment,” she said. “Where are you?”

  “Our flight was delayed. The weather here is horrible. We can’t even hire a charter to get out. Everything is grounded. We may not make it back until tomorrow afternoon. I’m so sorry. I’ve been going out of my mind.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Jason’s here.”

  “That does not make me feel better,” he said. She could picture his face. He’d never liked Jason. Probably because he knew how much she did.

  “He’s saved my life several times,” she said.

  “Whatever,” he said. She could tell he didn’t want to fight with her at the moment. “Heidi called and filled me in. Dad knows William Larrabie, so Heidi’s going to be careful to keep all family connections out of her conversation. And I’ve left a message for Clark.”

  Clark? Her mind scrambled. Oh. Clark. The estate attorney. She had an appointment to talk to him next week about updating all her will and end-of-life documents as soon as the adoption was final.

  “Why Clark?”

  “Because I want him to confirm that there’s no way anyone can legally claim Henry before we open that can of worms with Larrabie.”

  “Good idea. Thank you, Blake.”

  She heard a commotion, heard Blake speaking to Maggie. “I have to run. I’m so sorry. I should have been there with you. We’re never all leaving again.”

  “Nonsense,” she said. “This was beyond anything we could have anticipated. And I’m okay.”

  More commotion. “I have to go. I’ll check in with you in the morning. Stay safe, Care Bear.”

  “I will. I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  She put the phone on the counter and checked on the cookies.

  “He doesn’t like me.” Jason made the observation without any hostility.

  “He doesn’t know you very well,” she said.

  “My guess is that telling him I’m here as protector did nothing to ease his worries.”

  She hated that he was right. But he was.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I always wanted an older brother like Blake.”

  “Get out of here.”

  “I’m serious.” He took a bite of a cookie. “His loyalties are undivided. He doesn’t care one bit about me—he only cares about you. About your happiness and well-being. And if I mess with either of those things, he will be sure to return the favor.” He winked. “I always wanted someone who would look out for me that way.”

  She slid the remaining cookies onto a plate and set them on the counter. “So, now what do we do? I feel bad about the others still working so hard to try to salvage things at the Crawfords’ house. Should we go back over there?”

  “No. You are going to sleep. And so am I, for that matter. We both need it desperately. The next few days may be longer than the last few.”

  “You think someone’s going to try to break in again?”

  “No. I don’t mean that. I mean emotionally trying.”

  She hated to admit that he was right. Again.

  She yawned, and he laughed. “You’ve proved my point.”

  “It wasn’t my fault,” she said. “You were talking about sleeping. It was an unconscious reaction to the conversation.”

  He grinned but then contemplated her with a serious expression. “I’m not going to play games with you tonight, Caroline. No digging through Steph’s old things. No laundry. No chores or tasks of any kind. You have to get sleep. Now. Tonight.”

  “I promise, but you have to promise to do the same,” she said.

  “I will. I’ll call Michael and find out where our evening’s protection detail is. As soon as they have things covered, I’ll crash on your couch.”

  Three
cookies and two handfuls of popcorn later, Caroline gave in to her exhaustion. “I guess I’ll call it a night,” she said.

  “Sleep,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

  “Good night,” she said.

  When she closed the door to her room, all the strength left her body. She fumbled through her normal nighttime routine. Pajamas, face washed, contacts in solution, glasses by her bed. She’d thought it would be hard to fall asleep, but her body had reached its limit.

  Things couldn’t go on like this. She needed answers. She needed a plan. She needed to get her life back. Henry’s life back.

  She needed to be able to see where things were going with Jason and what that looked like.

  Of course, she needed to be alive to do all of that, but no one had tried to kill her yesterday. That was something to be thankful for.

  Father, continue to protect us. Show us what to do.

  EIGHTEEN

  “You have to be kidding me,” Jason said. Caroline didn’t appear to be joking, but she couldn’t possibly be serious. Could she?

  “I am not,” she said as she spread cream cheese on a bagel. “I have work to do. Employees who are counting on me. No one else in the family is here. I have to go to work today.”

  “You do not have to go anywhere.”

  “I can’t stay here forever, Jason. I have responsibilities.”

  “Someone is trying to kill you.”

  “You don’t think I know that?”

  He saw the way the knife shook as she placed it on the counter. He made an effort to keep his voice low and his tone calm. “Going to work isn’t the answer.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I know you don’t want to endanger any of your employees and friends.”

  Caroline’s shoulders sagged. “I have meetings…”

  “They can wait.”

  “I’ll need to make some phone calls.” The words cracked, and she turned toward the refrigerator. “I guess I could make them from here.”

  “I think working from home is a great idea.” It would help keep her mind occupied and help her feel like she had some control, which was probably the biggest aggravation eating at her right now.

  He put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to him, burying her face in his chest. As much as he hated seeing her this miserable, he couldn’t deny the way his stomach flipped at her touch, or the way her trust in him made him want to protect her every day for the rest of his life.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she pulled away. “This waiting for them to try to kill us again is making me crazy.”

  “It’s making all of us crazy, but look at it this way. We know so much more than we did this time yesterday, and exponentially more than we did forty-eight hours ago. We are so close to solving this. Hang on a little longer, okay?”

  She flashed him a grim smile and returned to her bagel.

  The rest of the day passed slowly. Both of them spent a lot of time on phones and laptops. Kyle had returned during the night, and he kept constant vigil over the monitors. They took turns playing with Henry. There was no way he was going to day care today.

  Michael brought in Mexican food for lunch, and Jason’s mom went to the grocery store and dropped off the essentials—coffee, milk, bread, frozen pizzas, crackers and more doughnuts. They could withstand a weeklong siege if it came down to it.

  It had better not.

  Around two thirty, Kyle yelled from the other room. “Car coming up the driveway. You expecting anyone?”

  “No.”

  Jason joined Caroline as they leaned over the computer. Kyle tapped the monitor. “Either of you recognize this car?”

  A dark sedan flew up the road. “No. But they’re taking the curves like a pro.”

  “Or like they know the road,” Caroline said. The car pulled to a quick stop beside Kyle’s Camaro.

  Jason took a position near the front door, Kyle near the French doors. Both had their weapons drawn. Both had a clear view of the monitors and could see the scene outside. The car doors opened, and Jason could feel the tension flee the room as the driver stepped from the car. She was small, but something about the way she moved made him think she’d be fierce in a fight. The way she adjusted her shirt when she got out of the car made him think she had a weapon at her waistband. That and the curly hair meant she had to be Heidi Zimmerman Harrison.

  A strikingly beautiful woman climbed from the backseat, and they both paused to wait for the man who’d exited the front passenger side. He wasn’t sure who the woman was, but he assumed the guy was Heidi’s partner, Max. There was an easy camaraderie between the trio, but even through the camera he could see how alert Heidi and Max were.

  Kyle had already slid his gun back into the holster. Caroline smiled at Jason. “Come meet my sister-in-law,” she said. They walked onto the porch as Heidi reached the top step. She pulled Caroline into a quick hug. “You could have warned us,” Kyle said from behind them.

  “Why on earth would I do that?” Heidi said with a laugh.

  “Still trying to keep me on my toes?”

  “I knew you would be,” Heidi said. “I told Max we might need to get out of the car with our hands up. I figured you’d be ready to take us out.” They all laughed, but the mood turned serious quickly.

  Heidi glanced around. “Let’s make our introductions inside, shall we?”

  No one argued. Once inside, Heidi turned to him and extended her hand. “You must be Jason.”

  “And you must be Heidi.”

  Max stuck out his hand. “Max Jacobs. Pleasure to meet you,” he said. Jason shook his hand. Firm grip. Intense eyes. This guy wasn’t someone he’d want to mess with.

  Another hand, this one far more gentle than either Heidi’s or Max’s, reached for his. “I’m Sara Elliot,” she said.

  He looked between the three of them, then back to Sara. “You’re the psychologist?”

  “Yes.”

  Interesting. Sara hadn’t introduced herself as a doctor, although he knew from Caroline that she had multiple advanced degrees. Was that out of humility or was it part of how she disarmed people before she analyzed them? He’d have to spend more time around her to know for sure, but her laid-back demeanor seemed genuine.

  “Where’s Henry?” Max asked. “I haven’t seen him in ages.”

  “You saw him last month,” Caroline said.

  “Yes, exactly—ages ago.”

  “You’ll have to wait until later,” Caroline said. “He’s taking a nap.”

  “I’ll go peek in on him. Make sure his room is secure,” Max said as he headed down the hall.

  “You’d better not wake him up,” Caroline said, her threat clear.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a laugh.

  Heidi rolled her eyes. “Honestly, if we don’t find him a wife soon—”

  “I heard that,” Max said.

  Caroline and Heidi laughed. Jason couldn’t help but notice that Sara didn’t.

  Caroline must have noticed, as well. “Are you here to evaluate me, Sara?”

  Sara smiled. “Not necessarily, but I’m here if you’d like to talk.”

  Caroline nodded. “Thanks.” She swallowed hard. “I might take you up on that.”

  Jason could sense how hard that statement had been for her, but it made him even more proud of the way she was handling herself. She was tough, strong, resilient, and she had the good sense to realize she might need help processing everything. That made her even more amazing in his book.

  Max reentered the room, and Caroline sat on the edge of the love seat. “As much as I’d love to have a nice long gabfest and catch up, I can’t,” she said. “Let’s get to business. Bring us up to speed on what you’ve learned.”

  *

  Caroline looked from Heidi, to Max, to Sara and then back to Heidi. What she saw terrified her. The first night she’d met Heidi, she’d been all business. Compassionate but professional and 100 percent focused on the threat.
<
br />   Over the past eighteen months, she’d learned to recognize the different sides of her new sister-in-law. There was the relaxed, fun-loving Heidi. Granted, Heidi’s version of relaxed was still armed and dangerous, but she laughed more and she didn’t check her surroundings every ten seconds.

  Then there was on-the-job Heidi. On-the-job Heidi had always intimidated Caroline a bit. Okay. More than a bit. But on-the-job Heidi didn’t make nearly as many appearances when she was at home as she used to. Maybe that was why the difference was so frightening.

  Heidi was worried.

  And if Heidi was worried, she should be petrified.

  Jason took a seat beside her. “So what do you know that we don’t?”

  “For starters, we believe that the Charles Townsend who was killed in a jail riot in Wilmington, North Carolina, was, in fact, Lee Baker.”

  Max pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to her. It was a copy of a North Carolina driver’s license. The photo matched the mug shot of Charles Townsend.

  “Lee Baker was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to an Amanda Baker. No father was listed on the birth certificate.” Max handed her another sheet. “Amanda Baker worked as a nurse until a few months before her death four years ago.”

  Caroline handed the birth certificate and driver’s license copies to Jason. “How did she die?” Jason asked.

  Max handed over yet another sheet. “Heart attack.”

  She looked at Jason and saw the question in his eyes. She looked back at Max. “Do you believe it was really a heart attack?”

  “There’s no evidence of foul play, but given everything that’s happened, we have to consider the possibility that her death may not have been from natural causes,” Max said, his face grim.

  “Amanda Baker was working in the Duke University Hospital thirty-three years ago when Frederick Larrabie had quadruple bypass surgery. It’s possible they met there.”

  Heidi picked the story up again. “At the time, Frederick Larrabie was married to a Vanessa Jones. The Jones family had old tobacco money, and she was the only heir. Even though it wasn’t as common as it is today, they had a prenuptial agreement. Divorce on the grounds of infidelity would have cost him everything. Vanessa would have gotten not only all of her own money, but most of his assets in the settlement.”