Protecting Their Baby

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  “Is that when Alice found you?”

  “No. Maggie and Tim found me. They were strangers at the time. But they became friends with my family after that. They approached Alice, told her that I was lost and asked her what they should do.”

  “Were you crying when you were with Maggie and Tim?”

  “I was crying the entire time. I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers, so I was leery of them. But they turned out to be really nice.”

  How nice? Rex wondered, his suspicious mind kicking in. “Why were you afraid of Alice?”

  “I thought I would fall down the rabbit hole if I got too close to her. But she contacted security and I was taken to the Lost Children Center. Tim and Maggie followed us there. They wanted to be sure that I was reunited with my parents.”

  “Is your family still friends with Maggie and Tim?”

  She nodded, then frowned at him. “You’re not planning on putting them on the list, are you?”

  “They’re fair game, Lisa.”

  “They’re not even in town. They went on a camping trip. My mom is collecting their mail and watering their plants.”

  “That could be a phony alibi.”

  “They’ve been gone for over a week and won’t be coming back until sometime next month.”

  “They’re still going on the list.” For now, everyone was. He took a closer look at the e-mail. It had been sent from Snow White. Another Disney reference?

  “You’re not scared of Snow White, too, are you?”

  “No. Can you find out who really sent this?”

  “I’ve got a CCFT who can check it out. A certified computer forensics technician,” he explained. “And I’ll let Bell know that you got what appears to be another threat.” He blew out a breath. “Is there anyone besides your family and Maggie and Tim who knows about the Disneyland incident?”

  “Most of my friends know. It’s sort of running joke that I’ll get lost whenever we go there. But no one has ever been mean about it.”

  Well, someone was being mean now, preying on childhood fears, reminding Lisa of the tears she’d cried.

  “Does Kirk know?”

  “Yes, but he never said much about it.”

  “What about your neighbors?” he asked, trying to narrow down the list.

  “Not that I’m aware of.” Her voice hitched. “I think I better quit stalling and call my parents. They need to know what’s going on.”

  Rex nodded his agreement. Keeping them in the dark wouldn’t do any good.

  “They’ll probably want to come over.” She turned away from the computer to look directly at him. “I’m glad I told you about the baby.”

  Strangely enough, so was he. Because he was the daddy. Because the tiny heartbeat inside her belonged to him, too.

  He left her alone to make her call, and while she was on the phone, he contacted the CCFT.

  Something in this case had to give. Something had to shake free.

  Before Lisa really did fall down the rabbit hole.

  Chapter 4

  Lisa hung up the phone and went in search of Rex. She found him on the porch, only he wasn’t sitting at the table. He was perched on the steps.

  She got his attention. “My parents are on their way over.”

  He turned around to look at her. “The CCFT is coming by, too. But it’ll be about an hour.” He patted the spot next to him. “Join me?”

  She sat beside him, and their shoulders brushed. The physical contact made the air in her lungs whoosh out. But every time she got near him, she wanted to move even closer.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Right as rain,” she responded, trying to keep the conversation light.

  He smiled, and the tilt of his lips was slightly crooked and naturally flirtatious. “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  Affected by his smile, Lisa exhaled again. What option did she have? Holding her breath and turning blue? “I’m a regular comedienne.” She bumped his shoulder and tried for a smile of her own. “Do you like sweets?”

  “Why? Are you going to whip up some goodies for me?”

  “No, but I’ll bet my mom shows up with something. She bakes almost every day. Actually, I bake, too. Mostly when I’m stressed. Sugar is comfort food.”

  “Then I’d say you’re due for some dessert.”

  “I eat plenty of junk.”

  “So do I, but then I have to hit the gym even harder.” He roamed his gaze over her. “Does dancing keep you thin?”

  “I’m sure it helps, but I’ve never had a weight problem. My parents think I must have inherited a skinny gene.”

  “From whom?”

  “My other parents. The biological ones.”

  His curious gaze didn’t falter. He remained totally focused on her. “Do you know anything about them?”

  She shook her head. “It was a closed adoption, so the records are sealed. But it’s never mattered to me. My identity doesn’t hinge on genetics. I am who I am because of the parents who raised me.”

  “My identity has always hinged on my heritage.”

  She studied the rugged angles of his face. He was squinting in the sun, creating tiny lines around his eyes. “The Warrior Society guy?”

  “The mixed-blood Warrior Society guy. Us half-breeds have more to prove. I think that’s why Kyle and I clicked. He walks in both worlds, too.”

  “Kyle?”

  “My friend whose wife is having a baby. He founded our Warrior Society. Joyce was the first white woman he’d ever dated. He used to try too hard to be Indian.”

  Lisa assumed Joyce was the wife. “Do you date all types?”

  He flashed that sexy smile. “Mostly I’m partial to long, lean blondes.”

  Was that how he viewed her? Although she was tall and trim with wheat-colored hair, she wasn’t seductive. She doubted that his other blondes were as homespun as she was. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever dated outside my race. But only because you’re the first ethnic guy who asked me out.”

  His smile went a tad more devilish. “I asked you out?”

  Her cheeks turned hot. What he’d done was ask her to bed. “I was trying to be polite.”

  “I know. I’m just teasing. But maybe I really should take you out sometime.”

  Whoosh. There went the air in her lungs again. “On a real date?”

  “Yes, but I’ll be a gentleman this time. I won’t expect you to go home with me.”

  Nervous, she reprimanded him. “Like you need to, smarty. You’re already living at my house.”

  “Yeah, in separate bedrooms. What could be more gentlemanly than that?”

  Meaning what? That after their date, he wouldn’t try to make a move on her? No body-warming hug? No good-night kiss? Relief washed over her, along with a pang of disappointment. Still, she knew it was less complicated to keep things platonic. “You better take me someplace nice.”

  He chuckled. “What? No Mickey D’s or KFC?” Going serious, he shifted his gaze. “Is that your parents?”

  She glanced up and saw their car. “Yes, that’s them.” They were parking in front of the house. Soon they exited the vehicle. Mom had a worried expression and was carrying a pie. Dad looked just as worried, but he seemed wary, too. His distrustful gaze was fixed on Rex.

  Rex stood and offered Lisa a hand. “I think your dad wants to kick my ass.”

  “Can you blame him? You knocked up his daughter.”

  “Gee, thanks for reminding me. God, I hope we don’t have a girl. If some guy does to her what I did to you, I’d kill him.”

  Lisa almost laughed. There was an odd sort of irony in all of this. She got a quick chill. Except for the knifed doll and threatening e-mail part. “He isn’t as scary as he looks.”

  “Says who? Daddy’s girl?”

  Okay, so her father was a sight. He stood tall and wide with a big bald head like his favorite “Stone Cold” wrestler. Mom, a full-figured brunette in spring colors, was much gentler,
but just as protective. They’d tried for years to have children, but had miscarried every time. To them, Lisa was a blessing, an adoptive miracle, and now that they were retired with plenty of time on their hands, they were anxious to have grandchildren. Lisa’s baby was their new everything.

  The foursome met on the lawn, and Mom rushed forward and gave Lisa a maternal hug, pressing the pie pan against her.

  Lisa suspected that the men were gazing silently at each other. Rex was still wearing the Killing Cowboys T-shirt. Thank goodness Dad wasn’t a country-and-western fan.

  Once the introductions were made, Lisa relaxed. Her parents’ names were Glenn and Rita, but Rex referred to them as Ma’am and Sir. His military background had become apparent. Or maybe it was his Southern roots. Suddenly he didn’t seem like a carefree Californian. He seemed much more proper.

  They went inside and talked about the case. Rex didn’t hold back. He told her parents that he was going to investigate absolutely everyone in Lisa’s life, especially now that the threat had become associated with her childhood.

  “Do whatever you have to do.” Mom admitted that losing their little girl at the happiest place on earth had been the worst day of their lives. “We couldn’t bear to ever lose her again.”

  Lisa’s heart stuck in her throat, and Rex repeated his promise to keep her safe.

  That sealed the deal for Dad. He jumped into the discussion, saying to Rex, “When she’s not with you, she’ll be with us. We’ll rearrange our schedules to make sure she’s safe.”

  Lisa listened to them decide her fate. For now, her independence was shot, but she wasn’t about to argue. There was more than her well-being at stake. She had a baby to consider. Still, it was tough to imagine having someone with her 24/7. She was used to her freedom.

  “Hopefully none of this will be necessary,” she interjected. “Not if the computer tech tracks down the person who sent the e-mail.”

  “You mean, Snow White?” Mom asked, referring to the sender’s chosen name. She turned to Rex. “Do you think it’s a woman? Or do you think it’s a man trying to disguise his gender?”

  He responded, “Anything is possible. But as Lisa said, hopefully we’re about to find out.” He glanced at his watch. “The CCFT should be here soon.”

  When the technician arrived, Rex escorted him into Lisa’s room, with Dad on their heels.

  The women stayed out of the way, going into to kitchen to brew a pot of coffee to accompany the pie.

  “Rex seems like a good guy,” Mom said, looking to her daughter for reassurance that her assumption was right.

  Lisa gave her stamp of approval, making the best out of what was happening. “I think he’s doing what he can to help me through it.” The key lime pie was helping, too. She savored every bite. “He even offered to take me on a date.”

  Mom leaned forward. “So it’s getting romantic?”

  “No. We’re just friends.” With flashes of unwelcome heat tossed in, but she kept that bit of information to herself.

  “It’s probably better not to jump into anything. You’ve got enough to deal with. Oh, sweetie, I’m so scared for you.”

  “I’m scared, too.” When the conversation turned to the danger she was in, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, holding on to her baby.

  Hours later, the men emerged, and the diagnosis was grim. Lisa didn’t understand the technical jargon, but she got the gist of it.

  Snow White’s e-mail was untraceable.

  The following day, Rex went to the studio with Lisa. The Heart of Dance was located in a quaint little shopping center in The Valley and offered instruction in jazz, hip-hop, tap and ballet.

  Rex had already met the students in her adult tap class, and although they’d seemed surprised to see him, they hadn’t expressed an unnatural interest in his relationship with Lisa. Sure, they would gossip and make speculations, but none of them stood out in a threatening way.

  Of course that didn’t absolve them. It just made the investigation more challenging.

  After the tap class ended, Rex and Lisa headed to her office. She had clerical work to catch up on, and he was still making his way down the potential suspects list, so they shared her desk, each at their own laptops.

  Lisa didn’t have another class tonight. She didn’t teach as many classes as the other instructors because running the studio was a chore in itself. He admired her work ethic. In that regard, they were cut from the same cloth. He was beginning to think that they actually had something in common.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Lisa called out for whomever it was to come in.

  A young woman entered. She appeared to be in her midtwenties, with fair skin and short dark hair.

  She immediately looked at Rex, then back at Lisa.

  “I heard your baby daddy was here,” she said, using the trendy reference he’d wondered about. She cast another glance in his direction.

  Lisa handled the introduction gracefully. The curious girl was Cathy Leonard, the jazz and hip-hop instructor. Her name was on the list, but he hadn’t run a background check on her yet.

  Rex said hello and shook her hand. She had a firm grip and a bright smile.

  “You’re the talk of the studio,” she told him. “Everyone has been saying how handsome you are.” Then to Lisa in a mock whisper, “He’s totally gorgeous.”

  Rex bit back a grin. Lisa was blushing.

  Still, she managed a response, acknowledging his supposed appeal. “That’s why I’m having a baby with him.”

  “No doubt.” Cathy bounced on the balls of her feet. “I just love babies.”

  Rex’s sense of humor vanished. She loved cuddling them? Or stabbing them?

  Cathy was the first person at the studio to actually seek him out, to insinuate herself into the situation.

  He took a closer look at her: the fair skin, the dark hair, the pretty perfection.

  Like Snow White.

  Damn, Rex thought. Damn. She really did look like the fairy-tale character. She even had a red headband in the front of her hair. All she needed to complete the package was a blue-and-yellow dress. He knew all about Snow White’s wardrobe because he’d researched her online.

  Regardless, Cathy’s outfit was similar to Lisa’s. Both sported black dance pants and white T-shirts with The Heart of Dance logo.

  So what was the deal with Miss Red Headband? Rex intended to find out. He asked, “How long have you worked here?”

  “A little over a year.” She kept smiling. “How long have you been a P.I.?”

  His radar went up even more. “You know what I do?”

  “Sure. Everyone does. Gossip, you know. I love those old gumshoe movies. You have a cool job.”

  She loved babies. She loved private eyes. And she resembled Snow White. Was she the perpetrator? Or an innocent coincidence?

  He answered her original question. “I’ve been a P.I. for thirteen years.”

  “You must be good.”

  Was she baiting him? “I am.”

  “I’ll bet Lisa thinks so.” She winked at her boss, making her double entendre clear.

  Was this girl for real?

  A short silence ensued, but she didn’t seem to mind. She remained as upbeat as ever.

  “I have a great guy myself,” she said.

  “Do you?” Rex was all ears. “And what does he do?”

  “Nelson? He’s a computer systems analyst.”

  Another coincidence? Or another obvious clue? He glanced at Lisa. She hadn’t been alarmed until now. Her chest rose and fell with her next breath.

  “Nelson what?” he asked, inquiring about a last name.

  “Clemmons. Nelson Clyde Clemmons. Isn’t that a great handle?” This time, she rocked on her heels. “Hey, here’s an idea. Do you guys want to have dinner with us tomorrow? We could go to a nice restaurant.”

  “Sure, we could do that,” Rex responded.

  “Cool. Nelson keeps saying that we should have more couple friends. I’
m sure he’ll want to go out.”

  Cathy bebopped again. She was like Snow White on speed. She had way too much energy.

  As for Lisa, she just sat there, letting Rex handle the conversation. But he suspected that she was going to rip into him about dinner after Cathy left.

  As if on cue, the other woman glanced at the clock on the wall. “Yikes! I better go. I have a class to teach.” She smiled at both Rex and Lisa. Then to her boss, she said, “I’ll call you later and we can figure out a time.”

  She darted out the door, closing it behind her.

  Lisa rounded on Rex. “Why did you accept that invitation? What if she’s the one? I completely forgot that her boyfriend worked with computers until she mentioned it. He could have sent the e-mail for her.”

  “That’s exactly why I accepted the invitation. I want to pick their brains. Maybe even bring them into the fold and ask for their help.”

  “You mean, tell them that I’m being threatened?”

  “If they’re the perpetrators, they might trip up and reveal something they shouldn’t.” He poured her a cup of water from the cooler in the corner. She looked as if she could use the refreshment.

  She accepted the cup. “This is crazy.”

  “What is?”

  “Making Cathy out to be a criminal. She’s quirky, but she’s never been anything but sweet to me.” Lisa drank the water. “In fact, aside from her boyfriend’s job, there’s no reason for me to suspect her. I must be getting paranoid.”

  “She looks like Snow White.”

  Lisa gaped at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “The dark hair, the light skin, the cutesy headband.”

  “Oh, my goodness. I guess she kind of does.”

  “I’ll bet at one time or another she’s been Snow White for Halloween.”

  “I don’t know about that. Last year we all dressed up, and she was a frog. She picked that costume because she’s always bouncing around.”

  “Yeah, I noticed how much energy she has.”

  “I can’t imagine her stabbing a doll.”

  “She was off that day.”

  “The studio is closed on Mondays. Everyone was off.”

  “I know, but I need to find out if she has an alibi. Just bear with me on going out to dinner with them.”