Safeguarding the Surrogate

by Delores Fossen

“As long as necessary,” Barrett assured him.

  Because she was still close to Daniel, she could see that relaxed him a little. Kara figured there was also a good chance that Leo would be spending some nights here at the inn. Barrett, though, had his own concerns since his fiancée was pregnant.

  “I just got off the phone with SAPD,” Barrett continued. “Georgia’s roommate reported her missing last night when she didn’t come home after working her shift at the hospital. She was a nursing assistant.”

  “Was?” Daniel said. “You’re sure the dead woman’s Georgia?”

  “Yeah. I’m at the scene now, and I found her driver’s license. It was tucked underneath her body, so obviously the killer wanted us to know who she was.”

  Kara got another flash image of the dead woman. She hadn’t seen the license, but she agreed with Barrett. The killer wanted them to know Georgia’s identity. Wanted them to know that she’d been a surrogate. That way, the mental torture could start right away. Kara was thinking exactly what he no doubt wanted her to think.

  Will I be next?

  The killer wanted her scared. Wanted to put her through hell and back. But it fired up the simmering anger inside her. She wanted this SOB caught and punished.

  “SAPD’s still working on contacting all the surrogates,” Barrett added a moment later. “But at least now we have a task force. Since the murders have happened in more than one jurisdiction, the Texas Rangers are coming in to help.”

  “Good,” Daniel answered just as there was a knock at the front door. He motioned for Kara to move to the side of the living room, and once she had, he went to the window and peered out the edge of the curtain.

  “Is something wrong?” Barrett asked when Daniel ground out some profanity.

  Daniel’s reaction didn’t send Kara into a panic. To her, he seemed more riled than worried about a threat. “No,” Daniel finally said. “It’s just Sean Maynard.”

  Kara pulled back her shoulders in surprise. Sean was a local rancher, and while he wasn’t the absolute last person she’d expected to hear from today, she certainly hadn’t been expecting him. Especially not here at the inn.

  “Kara?” Sean called out.

  Once, Sean and she had been lovers, and for a while she’d thought she was in love with him. However, things had gone downhill fast when she’d agreed to become her sister’s surrogate. He’d been totally opposed to it and basically given her an ultimatum. Either him or the surrogacy.

  Kara hadn’t chosen him.

  That’d been well over two years ago, and while things weren’t exactly friendly between them, she’d thought that she was no longer on his radar. He certainly hadn’t been on hers.

  “Kara?” Sean said again, and he followed it with a louder knock.

  “I’ll call you back,” Daniel told his brother right before he ended the call.

  He disarmed the security system for the front door and he opened it just a crack. Judging from his defensive stance and the way Daniel slid his hand over his gun, he wasn’t taking any chances.

  “Is Kara here?” Sean asked. “I need to see her. I need to make sure she’s okay.”

  Kara was certain that her own stance was defensive when she went closer to stand by Daniel’s side. Sean’s attention immediately shifted to her, but Daniel was firing glances all around the small front yard and the street. He was no doubt looking to make sure this wasn’t the start of another attack.

  “Are you all right?” Sean blurted out, his words running together. His breathing was way too fast, as if he’d just sprinted there. “I heard someone tried to kill you.”

  She nodded but was puzzled by his reaction. The reaction of someone who’d expected to find her injured or in immediate danger. Of course, everyone in Mercy Ridge had heard about the attack so maybe the gossips had gotten it wrong and were gabbing that she’d been physically hurt.

  “How’d you know we were here?” Daniel snapped.

  “I saw her in the cruiser when you pulled into the parking lot of the inn,” Sean readily answered.

  “I didn’t see your truck,” Kara pointed out.

  Sean tipped his head to Main Street. “I was in the hardware store. I was parked at the back.”

  Daniel made a show of checking his watch. “We’ve been at the inn for more than five minutes. It wouldn’t have taken you that long to walk here.”

  The steely tone of Daniel’s question caused Sean’s shoulders to snap back. “I debated if I should come over or try to call you instead, but I figured a visit would be better. I just had to know if Kara was all right.”

  She couldn’t figure out a reason why he would lie about something like that, but then she wasn’t exactly in a trusting mood.

  Daniel clearly wasn’t about to trust Sean, either, but Kara didn’t want this conversation to continue. With the door open, Daniel could become a sniper’s target. Best to give Sean the answer he wanted so he’d be on his way.

  “I’m okay,” she said to Sean, knowing it wasn’t anywhere near the truth. However, she didn’t want to get into a discussion about her well-being with her ex. Especially when her ex was tossing a few glares at Daniel.

  “She’s fine,” Daniel snapped, and he moved as if to shut the door in Sean’s face. But Sean’s foot stopped him.

  “I’m also here to talk to you,” Sean insisted. “Both of you,” he amended. “I have some information about the murdered surrogates.”

  Chapter Eight

  Until Sean had said that last part—I have some information about the murdered surrogates—Daniel had been about to slam the door in the man’s face. But hearing that sure stopped him.

  “Information?” Daniel repeated, and he didn’t bother to take the skepticism out of his tone or the glare he was aiming at Kara’s ex.

  Being her ex didn’t have anything to do with his extreme dislike of the man, Daniel assured himself. No. This had nothing to do with the attraction simmering between Kara and him, and it wasn’t the reason Daniel’s glare intensified. He had other reasons for despising Sean. The man had treated Kara like dirt after she’d told him about the surrogacy.

  “Information,” Sean verified, keeping his gaze focused on Kara. “This morning when I checked the mail, there was a letter. Whoever wrote it said you were in danger and that Daniel’s responsible.”

  Well, that got Daniel’s attention. Kara’s, too, because she moved even closer to Daniel, maybe so he could meet Sean’s gaze head-on. However, in doing that, she also put herself in a possible line of fire. That’s why Daniel stepped back, and he motioned for Sean to follow them into the foyer. Daniel also kept his gun ready in case this turned out to be some kind of dangerous ruse.

  He’d never thought of Sean as a potential killer, but there was a whole lot of anger simmering beneath the surface. People with that kind of anger could snap.

  Had that happened to Sean?

  Daniel had to look at it from that angle. Sean was bitter over his breakup with Kara so maybe he could have orchestrated a way to murder both of them to get his revenge. That was a long shot, but Daniel intended to be cautious enough not to overlook anything. Including that Sean might try to attack them now. And that’s why he moved Kara behind him.

  Sean noticed the maneuver, and it caused him to turn a scowl on Daniel. Daniel scowled right back at him, and he was certain he could pull off that particular expression better than Sean. The stakes weren’t nearly as high for Sean as they were for Kara and him.

  “Leo, stay upstairs with the others,” Daniel called out to his brother. He definitely didn’t want Noreen bringing Sadie down right now.

  “Is there trouble?” Leo immediately asked.

  “To be determined.” He kept his glare on Sean. “Tell me about this letter you say you got.”

  Sean definitely didn’t blurt out any info. Instead, he shifted his gaze back to
Kara, and Daniel didn’t think it was his imagination that Sean was waiting to see if she’d jump to his defense.

  She didn’t.

  That didn’t improve Sean’s mood, but it should have been what he expected. Kara and he weren’t exactly on friendly terms, and women were dying. Anyone who’d had a past grudge with Daniel or her was suspect.

  “The letter is in my pocket,” Sean finally snarled to Daniel. “Don’t shoot me when I take it out.”

  “Then make sure you don’t take out a gun with it,” Daniel fired back.

  “I didn’t have to come here, you know,” Sean grumbled, pulling the bent envelope from his back jeans pocket.

  Daniel watched the man’s every move. “You did if you actually have relevant information about an ongoing murder investigation. That’s the law.”

  The man’s glare stayed locked with his, but Sean gave the envelope to Kara. Daniel didn’t mind that because he wanted his own hands free in case he had to do something to restrain, or stop, Sean.

  Sean’s name was typed on the envelope, but there was no return address. The postmark was from San Antonio and had been sent two days ago. It normally only took a day to get mail from San Antonio, but it was possible that it’d been delivered yesterday and that Sean had just now found it.

  Possible.

  “Should I read it?” she asked Daniel. “Will I contaminate it?”

  Yeah, she could indeed contaminate it. If it was actual evidence, that is. That fell into the “to be determined” category, too. Still, the envelope had clearly been handled and opened so any trace or prints that might be there had already been compromised. Added to that, he couldn’t send it to the crime lab until he believed this might actually pertain to the case.

  “Read it,” Daniel instructed.

  Making glances from the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Kara slide the letter from the envelope. It was a single page with a few lines of typewritten words.

  “‘Sean,’” Kara said, reading it aloud. “‘If you still care for Kara Holland, you’ll get her away from Daniel Logan before he gets her killed. You can save her if you convince her that leaving with you is the only way to keep Daniel and his kid alive.’”

  At the bottom of the page was, “From a concerned friend.”

  Daniel tried not to react to the punch of raw emotion he got from hearing those words. But the emotion barreled through him, anyway. The SOB who’d written that letter had just threatened his daughter. It didn’t matter if the threat weren’t real because it still sank into him like a viper’s fangs. He had to wrestle with the rage that came with that and then force himself to think like a cop.

  “Sadie,” Kara said on a rise of breath. Obviously, she was also having to deal with the firestorm cause by that letter.

  “She’s fine,” Daniel reminded her. He reminded himself, too. His little girl was safe, and he had to deal with what this letter meant. Or figure out fast if it meant anything at all.

  Kara reread the letter, muttering the words this time, while Daniel watched Sean for a reaction. If the man was acting, then he was doing a good job of it because his anger had morphed into what appeared to be worry. Some of Daniel’s had morphed, too, and he’d mentally zoomed in on one line.

  If you still care for Kara Holland, you’ll get her away from Daniel Logan before he gets her killed.

  That seemed to put this threat right in his lap. But was it?

  Hell.

  Maybe.

  It was that possibility that had him rethinking this plan to be here at the inn. It had him rethinking everything.

  “A concerned friend,” Kara said, her voice mocking. “The killer. He didn’t have my best interest at heart when he tried to murder us.”

  No. But this might not be from the killer. It could be some kind of sick game that Sean was playing. But why?

  To get back at Kara and him?

  Possibly. If so, that could point at Sean. At Eldon Stroud, too, if he wanted revenge for his daughter’s death. Hell, Rizzo wasn’t off that possible suspect list, either, since this could be just another way to torment them. Along with putting some suspicion on Sean.

  Rizzo wasn’t an idiot, and he would have known about the bad blood between Kara and Sean. Which meant there’d also be bad blood between Daniel and Sean. Rizzo could be trying to tap into that in some way by getting Sean involved in his already messy mix.

  “Someone obviously wants you dead,” Sean said, stating what was already way too obvious. He pointed to the letter. “It says if you leave Daniel that it’ll keep you, him and his baby alive.”

  Daniel was certain that Kara hadn’t missed that part. Certain, too, that she wasn’t buying it. He got confirmation of that a moment later.

  “This could be a ploy to separate Daniel and me so that it’ll be easier to kill us,” she said. She looked up from the letter and nailed her gaze to Sean. “Someone’s murdering former surrogates, and why would my being with you stop something like that?”

  “I could protect you,” Sean blurted out.

  Daniel’s eyebrow rose, and he tapped his badge.

  Sean huffed. “You don’t have to be a cop to protect her. I could hire bodyguards.” He turned to plead his case to Kara. “I wouldn’t let a killer get to you. We were close once. Remember that, and maybe then you’ll realize that I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

  “Daniel’s doing everything possible to keep me safe,” Kara argued.

  Daniel hated that he felt any bit of pleasure about her saying that. But he did. Too bad he didn’t have as much faith in himself as Kara did.

  Sean huffed, propped his hands on his hips. “Does that mean you won’t even consider going with me?”

  “That’s exactly what it means,” Kara said without hesitation. “Do I have to remind you that you wanted nothing to do with me when I told you I was becoming a surrogate? Because I certainly don’t have to be reminded of it. There’s no way I can trust you after you did that.”

  Sean’s next huff was a lot louder, and his eyes narrowed. “Fine, suit yourself, but remember this. If you stay, you’re putting his daughter in danger. Is that what your sister would have wanted?” He slid them both a nasty glare. “Of course, I doubt Maryanne would have wanted you sleeping with Daniel, either.”

  Thankfully, Kara didn’t bite on that last part and try to convince Sean that they weren’t lovers. Neither did Daniel, and their combined silence and hard stares must have made the man realize this was one argument he wouldn’t win. Cursing them both, Sean turned and stormed out. Unfortunately, Sean nearly smacked right into Cybil, who was making her way up the steps.

  “Kara’s going to get them all killed,” Sean grumbled, maybe to Cybil, maybe just to himself.

  “A problem?” Cybil asked Daniel when she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

  “Maybe.” Daniel tipped his head to the letter that Kara was still holding. “Could you put that in an evidence bag and send it to the lab? Sean said someone sent it to him, and it might be connected to the murders.”

  “Of course,” Cybil answered, heading right back out. “I’ve got a field bag in my SUV. I can bag it, and Leo can carry it back to the office for a courier to pick up.”

  Daniel thanked her, and Cybil headed out.

  “Do you think Sean’s right?” Kara muttered the moment his fellow deputy was out of earshot. “Do you really think I could get us all killed?”

  “No.” Daniel didn’t even have to think before he answered. “Remember, both of us were attacked last night. I believe you were right when you said it’d be easier for someone to come after us if we weren’t together. Especially if you were with bodyguards that Sean hired.”

  Meeting his gaze, Kara made a sound of agreement. “I don’t trust Sean.”

  “Neither do I,” Daniel immediately assured her.

  He was g
lad they were on the same wavelength, but that didn’t address the problem of keeping Kara safe while in his protective custody. And making sure that Sadie didn’t get caught up in the crosshairs of a killer gunning for them. Moving his baby away from the ranch was a start, but he had to do more.

  Daniel’s phone rang just as Cybil was coming back into the house, and he answered it while he shut the door and reset the security alarm. It was Barrett, and Daniel put the call on speaker.

  “I just got a call that Sean Maynard was at the inn,” Barrett greeted.

  That shouldn’t have surprised Daniel. Mercy Ridge was filled with gossips, but in this case, the talk had happened darn fast since Sean had only been gone a couple of minutes.

  “Sean brought Kara a letter that he claims he received this morning,” Daniel explained. He watched as Cybil put on a pair of thin latex gloves to take both the letter and the envelope from Kara and slip them in an evidence bag. “Cybil’s taking it now. I’ll call the lab and see if they can put a rush on it.”

  “I can do that,” Barrett offered.

  Even better. As the sheriff, his brother had more pull than he did in that sort of thing.

  “Rizzo’s coming in,” Barrett added a moment later. “This shouldn’t come as a shock to you, but he’s pissed. Really pissed. It makes me wonder if he’s taking some kind of drug that’s hyping him up.”

  “Maybe. Then again, Rizzo’s usually riled about something.” And being ordered in for a formal interview wouldn’t sit well with him.

  “True, but I might try to find a way to have him tested.”

  Daniel definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “You’re not going to bait Rizzo and have him throw a punch at you so you can arrest him, are you?”

  “No, but that’d be easy enough to do. The man’s on a short fuse. But he’s bringing his lawyers. Yes, that’s plural. Lawyers. So, I might be able to appeal to them to help clear their client’s name with tests for gunshot residue and drugs. Maybe even a lie detector.”

  “Good luck with that,” Daniel mumbled. He wasn’t convinced, but if anyone could do that, it was Barrett. Maybe Barrett could press a few of Rizzo’s hot buttons and get him to agree to the tests. Then again, if Rizzo was truly guilty, then there was no way that was happening.