Colton's Dangerous Liaison

by Regan Black

  “Me, too,” she admitted. Melissa longed for her uniform and the plain pearl-stud earrings she wore to work every day. A hairbrush would be appreciated, too. As much as she’d enjoyed the French twist, she longed for the familiar bun or ponytail.

  The uniform was more of a signal to others. Neither her authority nor her confidence was tied to her wardrobe, as the people she intended to question would soon find out.

  “Tell me you have an interview plan for the Everleigh Emerson connection.”

  He tapped the notepad on the table. “All charted out. We can take my car,” Troy offered. He stood and put on his suit coat, stuffing the tie into a pocket.

  His sedan was more subtle than her official SUV emblazoned with the GGPD shield. “The media will catch up with us, anyway.”

  “Your call.”

  She wasn’t sure it made any difference. Word was out and whoever had kidnapped Danny and sent that ransom message would surely use the advantage to refine the plan or hiding place. “Your car,” she decided. “Let’s get rolling.”

  “One more thing. I asked your mom to drop off a uniform for you.” He tilted his head toward a garment bag draped over one of the empty chairs at the table. “Just in case you want to change.”

  She stared at Troy. “Seriously?” Her cousin was a lifesaver. “Give me five minutes.” Grabbing the garment bag, she hurried down the hall to the restroom to change.

  * * *

  In the surveillance office, Antonio’s cell phone rang nonstop. Reporters, picking up on the crisis from social media and Melissa’s brief statement, continued to crowd the hotel entrance. He gave strict instructions not to allow them inside, and to be clear that any and all information would come from the police department. With luck, they would migrate there as soon as it was clear there was no search happening on the grounds.

  The press was as necessary as the police department, but that didn’t mean Antonio enjoyed their presence. His guests deserved privacy when they stayed at his properties and he did everything in his power to ensure they got it. The poor bride and groom had been through enough. At least the bridal suite was at the back of the hotel, with a view of the lake.

  It would always be a balancing act, and in this particular instance, they might eventually need everyone in town on the lookout to find that little boy. As of right now, though, Melissa had refrained from sharing a picture and asking for community help.

  He set his phone to vibrate only and returned to his research while the other two men searched for anyone who had interacted with the kidnapper. He was certain the woman who had carried Danny away from the wedding had been in the hotel before tonight. There was something in the way she moved, the way she carried her head, that struck him as familiar. It wasn’t enough to take to the police yet, but he wasn’t giving up. Melissa and the department were focused on facial features to make an ID, but Antonio had years of practice and experience in recognizing people by their mannerisms as much as appearance. Reading body language helped him serve a businessman whose deal fell through, or do something special for a couple newly engaged.

  He reviewed the few seconds of footage of the woman in the blue dress and hat entering the hotel, comparing her to others in the crowd, assessing her height and slender build. He couldn’t be absolutely sure, but he felt as if there was a small hitch in the woman’s gait. Maybe one leg was slightly shorter than the other, or maybe she had a knee or hip problem. He rubbed his eyes. Or maybe she’d simply been trying to avoid stepping on the heel of the man in front of her.

  Although Antonio didn’t have Ken’s footage handy, he was certain he’d seen someone with that same uneven stride recently.

  On a sigh, he thought about the ransom demand the chief had received. Tonight’s wedding had been on the hotel calendar for months and was definitely an event known to the police. In a small city like Grave Gulch, that made it public knowledge, too. There was no way this was a spur-of-the-moment crime; it had gone too smoothly.

  The kidnapper knew just where to be to avoid the best camera angles. What she couldn’t avoid, the hat blocked. And despite that imperfect stride, she’d gotten away swiftly. He muttered an oath under his breath as he accessed more video from the weeks leading up to the wedding. He focused on the routes they knew the woman in blue had taken, but it was still too many hours for him to review on his own.

  His phone sounded off again and he sighed at the text message from his manager on duty that the GGPD chief wanted to speak with him. Smothering a sigh, he headed toward the conference room they’d turned into a staging area.

  Looking for Melissa in her deep green dress, he did a double take when he saw she’d changed into her dark blue uniform. Her hair was still the same, and her vivid blue eyes were accentuated with the more intense makeup, but the stern expression indicated she was all business.

  “Thank you for the space,” she said. “We’ll be clearing out and moving all of this to the station. I’ve assigned two officers to remain here at the hotel, just in case the kidnapper returns Danny here.”

  “We’ll make sure they’re accommodated,” he said. “Are you planning an arrest?”

  She frowned at the query. “In time,” she answered. “We’re just beginning this investigation. There are several people to question about their possible involvement.” She stuck out her hand. “Again, the department appreciates your assistance.”

  “I’m going with you,” he blurted, ignoring her offered hand. “I can recognize the woman who took Danny.”

  “You found footage of the kidnapper’s face?” She glanced at his empty hands. “Where is it? Did you send it by email?”

  “Not her face,” he admitted. “Her stride, the way she moves. Let me come along. I will recognize her. I can help you rule out suspects faster.”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  He paused. “You need my help,” he insisted.

  “This is police business,” she stated, her lips as firm as her tone. “If you find anything helpful, please contact the department.” She handed him a business card.

  Now he was annoyed on top of everything else. Folding his arms over his chest, he blocked her path to the door. “Witnesses can identify perps in the field.” He couldn’t stop the wave of sarcasm. “I’ve heard it’s something that happens regularly in police business.”

  “You’re not a witness, so there’s no cause to ride along. If—when—we make an arrest, I’ll invite you to the station.”

  Invite him? What a useless line. “Without me, you will likely arrest the wrong person and waste valuable time.” He saw the jab land and he didn’t regret it. The GGPD had made mistakes time and again. With a baby’s future hanging in the balance, he expected her to be smarter than this. Though his hopes of fatherhood had been dashed, he couldn’t help identifying with the distraught mother. He wanted her to have a happy ending.

  “I have the means to haul you in for obstruction.”

  “What’s the holdup?” Troy asked, entering the room. “I pulled the car up to the kitchen entrance.”

  Antonio turned. “You have room for me?”

  Troy arched his eyebrows, his gaze moving to his boss, who was also his cousin. “Yes?” he replied slowly, gauging Melissa’s reaction.

  She caught Antonio’s elbow firmly, holding him in place. “You’re staying right here, Mr. Ruiz. Someone will be in touch if you’re needed.”

  Her hand was warm, but the contact sent a bolt of unwelcome awareness through his system. More intense than the shock when they’d been in the surveillance room together. Without her heels, she had to look up at him more. Although, in uniform and wearing that air of authority like a cloak, she didn’t seem any shorter.

  “You do need me. Right now.” He turned to the detective. “I’m riding along to help you identify the kidnapper.”

  The man’s eyebrows climbed higher toward his hairline. �
�That’s—”

  “Not happening,” Melissa interjected. She maneuvered around him, clearly hoping to leave him behind.

  “Why fight good help?” he said, but she ignored him. “I should’ve known the GGPD wouldn’t change, not even for one of their own,” Antonio said loudly. He didn’t care who overheard him.

  Melissa stopped short. “What did you say?”

  “Should I repeat it?” He wasn’t afraid to state his opinion or call out their mistakes. “The GGPD is in no position to turn down any assistance, no matter how small. You don’t need facial recognition or an immediate confession with me along. I will recognize the kidnapper.”

  Troy stared at him. “How, exactly?”

  “He can’t.” She shook her head. “This is absurd. Let’s go.”

  “Can you really afford to blow off my help?” he asked. “What does it hurt to take me along?”

  Storm clouds moved through her blue eyes, but behind her, he could see Troy relenting. “What we don’t have is time to waste arguing,” the detective said.

  “Fine.” She planted her hands on her trim hips, arched an eyebrow in challenge. “Keep quiet and keep up.”

  He fell into step beside her as they moved down the hall and through the kitchen to the delivery area.

  “You’re in back,” she said, holding the door for him.

  She sat up front and let Troy drive. When they were on the move, she swiveled in her seat to face him. “You will keep quiet while Troy and I handle the questions. If you recognize something or someone, you speak to me about it, not the suspect.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She rolled her eyes. “And if we get into any trouble, you will follow my orders. I don’t need civilian injuries complicating this case.”

  “Do you have a safety waiver you’d like me to sign?” Antonio queried.

  “In the glove box,” Troy said, shocking him. “Always have them ready for media ride-alongs or school career shadow days.”

  Melissa found the form and pulled a pen from her pocket. “I suggest you hurry up and sign before we reach our first stop.”

  “I was joking,” he said.

  “Well, I’m not,” she retorted. “We have the forms and policies for a reason.”

  And yet somehow they kept messing things up. Orr was surely responsible for Wendy’s death, but the man wasn’t in jail. Antonio was admittedly biased, but he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they’d messed up things in the Emerson case, too. Melissa was devoted to her work and the community, but somehow she had to lift the rest of her department up to that same high standard. He felt as though he had an obligation to prevent another blunder with the kidnapping. His stomach churned at the thought of a mother and son being separated forever. He signed the paper and thrust it back at her. She looked at his signature and, apparently satisfied, folded the sheet, then tucked it into her pocket.

  Troy turned off Lakeview Drive into an older neighborhood. Streetlights glowed over cleared sidewalks and small, snow-covered lawns. He parked on the street in front of a Tudor-style home and cut the engine. For a moment no one moved. Melissa was reviewing some information on her cell phone.

  “This is Janet Carlisle’s residence,” Melissa said. “She worked with Everleigh at Howlin’ Eddie’s bar prior to the Fritz Emerson murder. She could possibly be our kidnapper and she wasn’t at work earlier this evening.”

  “You have the still shot?” she asked Troy.

  At his affirmative nod, she opened her car door. “Let’s go.”

  Antonio obediently followed, keeping his thoughts and opinions to himself as they approached the house. The woman who answered the door confirmed she was Janet, but she was shorter than the kidnapper and her hips were wider. She left them on the stoop instead of inviting them in and he noticed that roused the suspicions of the cops in front of him. But when she walked away to ask her roommate to come and verify her alibi for the time of the reception and kidnapping, Antonio was sure she wasn’t the right woman. Her gait was too even.

  Troy showed them the picture of the kidnapper. Neither of them recognized anything about the woman or offered any information that would move the search for Danny forward.

  Antonio was surprised when Melissa shifted gears and asked Janet a few additional questions specifically about Everleigh.

  “I know she didn’t cheat on her husband,” the woman said with unwavering confidence. “That girl is loyal to the bone. Fritz probably started the rumors about Everleigh as an excuse to leave her. That man was a class-A jerk.”

  “How so?” Melissa queried.

  The woman rolled her eyes. “Sometimes he’d come in while Everleigh was working. He was a big tipper, especially if the waitresses gave him extra attention. And he would flirt with other women in front of Everleigh all the time.”

  Sounded like a jerk to Antonio.

  “Did you ever see Fritz get physical with Everleigh?” Troy asked.

  “No,” the woman admitted. “That doesn’t make him less of a creep. However it went down, I say the world’s better off without him.”

  Antonio expected Melissa and Troy to blow off the claims in a rush to get back to their search. Instead, they continued to ask intelligent follow-up questions, waiting patiently for the replies and taking notes. The thoroughness earned a bit of his respect.

  They repeated the same thorough process at their next stop with an old high-school friend of Everleigh’s and he was grudgingly impressed by their steadiness, neither of them jumping to conclusions.

  After each interview, Melissa checked in with the teams watching Everleigh’s relatives. So far no one was acting strangely. At their visit with Everleigh’s aunt, Antonio realized Melissa deliberately asked for a glass of water to give him a chance to evaluate the woman’s stride. But the aunt was far too short to be the kidnapper. On top of that, when asked to send a text, she fumbled through the test. No way she’d sent that ransom message.

  “How did you decide the order of interviews?” Antonio asked when they were back in the car on their way to speak with Everleigh’s mother.

  “Proximity to the hotel,” Troy answered.

  “Based on the timing of the ransom note and the swift disappearance of the kidnapper,” Melissa added. “The scent dog lost the trail at the parking lot. Do you have a suggestion?”

  It was the last question he’d expected. “No. Not exactly. I wondered because it appears we’re talking to a cross section of Everleigh’s associates. A coworker, an aunt, a good friend from high school and so on.”

  “None of them strike you as the woman under that hat?” Melissa asked.

  “Not so far. I think we might be dealing with an older woman.”

  “Why older?” Troy asked.

  Antonio explained the issue he’d noticed with the woman’s stride. “I’m not one-hundred-percent convinced it’s permanent,” he admitted. “But it was too consistent not to be real.”

  Melissa didn’t respond, her gaze on the street in front of them.

  “I haven’t given you enough credit,” he said. “Watching you tonight, you’re a solid cop, Melissa. You’re both good with the people and the investigation.” This peek behind the curtain had given him a better appreciation for the delicate line she walked.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that,” Melissa said. Troy shrugged.

  “But you still don’t want me here.”

  “Not really,” she admitted with a faint smile. “This situation has become enough of a circus already.”

  They’d picked up a bit of an entourage on the way, as reporters caught wind of the questioning and followed them in a grim parade, hoping to be there for the baby’s rescue or a big nasty takedown.

  “Chief, you want to go out of order and visit Emerson’s grandmother?”

  “Stick with the plan,” Melissa said. She checked in
with the team outside the grandmother’s home.

  Was that doubt in her voice? He was all in to help find the little boy, but the more people they spoke with, the more he wanted some kind of confirmation that the GGPD would take another look at the evidence against Everleigh, who was on trial for murder. If Melissa was open to that, maybe he could eventually convince her to investigate Orr again, too. So far, no one bad-mouthed Everleigh outright and no one exhibited any stress over being questioned.

  “Hard to believe a woman this widely adored did something as nasty as kill her husband,” he mused into the heavy silence in the car.

  “Tonight, my primary focus is finding Danny,” Melissa snapped. “Be alert,” she warned as Troy parked again. “From the pictures, her mother fits the build of the woman who took him.”

  Troy glanced at Antonio through the rearview mirror. “You good?”

  He nodded and climbed out of the car, hoping with everything he had that this would be the last stop of the evening. He needed to see a happy ending for baby and mother, but for his own peace of mind, as well.

  Technically, he could walk away. Melissa would surely approve that choice. But he was too invested. Despite the old pain and loss dredged up by the situation, he wouldn’t let another parent suffer if he could help it.

  Chapter 3

  All of the interviews without results were wearing on Melissa. It was as if the January weather grew colder with every stop. Troy’s stoic reserve was in place, but she’d caught him gripping the steering wheel with extra force as they headed to Everleigh’s mother’s house. They had to find Danny, then they could sort out why the kidnapper resorted to such drastic measures.

  Compounding the stress were the consistent denials from the family and friends. Not only about being involved with the kidnapping, but also about Everleigh. No one they’d interviewed so far seemed completely convinced she was a murderer, but they weren’t convinced of her innocence either. The DNA evidence and witness statements had resulted in her arrest and anchored the prosecutor’s case. Obviously someone with significant doubts had kidnapped Danny to force the department into action. When Melissa found her little cousin, she would take action, but it might not line up with what Everleigh’s ally intended.