Texas Baby Cover-Up

by Virginia Vaughan

  He’d always known her family had no idea about the real nature of their relationship. They’d been on-again, off-again for years, reconnecting whenever she flew back into town, which had become less and less frequent over the years. He’d done his best to convince her to stay, told her he wanted to marry her and would follow her anywhere if only she would let him. But Kellyanne Avery was a woman who wanted her freedom. The youngest of six kids and the only girl, she’d been stifled by her brothers growing up and was determined not to allow them to take over her life. She’d moved away from Courtland County right out of high school and made a life for herself alone in Austin.

  And left Zeke behind.

  “Never mind,” Josh said before he could come up with an answer. “I’m just glad you’re there.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure she’s okay before I leave.”

  “And tell her to call me after she’s done with the police, okay?”

  “Will do.”

  He ended the call with Josh and walked back into the apartment where the detective was ending his questioning. “I’m certain I’ll need to ask you some more questions.” He glanced at the baby. “Should I call and make a request for someone to come and get him?”

  “No need for that,” Kellyanne insisted. “I’ll make the report and take care of it myself.”

  The detective nodded. “Thanks for your help. I’m sure I’ll have some more questions for you both, but for now, my condolences on the loss of your friend. We’ll do our best to find out who did this.” He handed them both a card with his name and number on it. “Call me if you think of anything else,” he said as he walked out.

  Zeke closed the door so she didn’t have to listen to the police working the scene down the hall. She didn’t need that constant reminder that her friend was dead, murdered in her own home.

  He glanced at Brady, who peeked at him through the mesh, and his mind shot back to his initial reaction at seeing him. He’d thought Brady belonged to Kellyanne and that implication had hit him in the gut. So much had changed since the last time they’d been together. He’d spent years pining after this woman, but he finally felt ready to move on. He’d gone back to church and recommitted his life to Jesus, but his past choices still carried consequences he was dealing with. He was thankful this little guy wasn’t one of those consequences. But a pang of regret struck him, because he did want children. He’d hoped to build a family with Kellyanne, but she’d shut him down on marriage and family years ago.

  She pulled a bottle from the diaper bag, picked up Brady and settled him into her lap. She looked natural with a child in her arms, but he would never tell her that since he knew her feelings on the matter.

  “I spoke to Josh. He wants you to call him.”

  She shot him an angry expression. “Why did you call him?”

  “For one thing, he’s my boss. I needed to explain why I wasn’t at the seminar he sent me to. Plus, he’s your brother. He would paint my barn good if he found out about this and realized I hadn’t told him.”

  She settled Brady back into his bed and turned to Zeke. “I don’t need my brothers following my every move, Zeke. That’s why I left Courtland in the first place.”

  He knew she hated that, and he couldn’t blame her. With older brothers that included a sheriff, a former deputy, a US marshal, a former navy SEAL, and an FBI agent, their watching over her wasn’t just the overprotectiveness of older brothers.

  “This isn’t just something you can shake off, Kelly. They have a reason to worry.”

  “And a reason to try to convince me to return to Courtland, where they can rule my life. That’s not going to happen.”

  “They don’t want to rule your life. They’re just worried about you.” He knew she loved her family, but she’d always been eager to get out from under their watchful eyes.

  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  He stopped and took a deep breath. At least he could tell Josh he’d tried. And speaking of babies. He glanced at Brady. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “The state will try to find his father or Lisa’s next of kin. If no one can be found, he’ll go into foster care.”

  While he knew there were some kind and caring foster-care families out there, he’d also heard the horror stories. “I hope that doesn’t have to happen.”

  A tear slid from her eye. “Me too.” He could see she cared for the child and wanted to do what was best for him and her friend.

  He put his arm around her. “You’ll find him a good home. I know you will.”

  She turned to him and seemed to notice him for the first time. “Don’t get me wrong, Zeke. I’m glad you were here today, but...”

  “But why am I here?” It was a logical question. He’d shown up out of the blue with one mission—to finally put his feelings for her to rest. He reached into his pocket for the necklace she’d lost at the lake the last time they were together. The clasp had broken, and she’d been devastated to lose it since it had belonged to her grandmother. He’d found it after she’d left. He’d meant to fix the clasp and return it to her next time she came to town, but that had been a year ago. She seemed to have forgotten all about the necklace...and about him.

  She gasped when he held it out to her. “My grandma’s necklace. You found it.”

  “The clasp broke.” He didn’t tell her about the hours he’d spent out searching around the lake for it after she’d left. He’d convinced himself she wouldn’t be gone long. He would hear from her soon, but as always, his calls and texts had gone unanswered.

  She grasped the necklace and leaned into him, planting a kiss on his cheek. She’d probably meant it as a gesture of thanks, but he longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her full on the lips.

  “You’re welcome,” he said and stepped away from her. “I should get back to the conference center. There’s an evening class starting in an hour.”

  Her expression said she didn’t want him to go, but he was already in too deep. He’d come for closure, not to get more involved, although he was glad he’d been with her when she’d found her friend.

  “Well, how long are you in town?”

  “Four days.”

  “Can I see you again while you’re here?”

  Everything inside of him was screaming to say no, but his heart wouldn’t cooperate. He didn’t want to be reminded of all the times she’d ripped it out and stomped on it. He just wanted to be with her. “You have my number, Kelly.” The ball was in her court.

  He opened the door but turned back one more time before he left. “Make sure you lock this door up tight. And call your brother.”

  He waited until he heard the locks turn before he left and walked past the police that were still gathering evidence from the brutal murder of Kellyanne’s neighbor and friend.

  He knew he wouldn’t sleep tonight. And he knew he couldn’t leave town when her life could be in danger.

  * * *

  Kellyanne pushed the grocery cart through the store to the baby aisle. She’d strapped Brady into the carrier in front of the buggy. The police had classified Lisa’s apartment as a crime scene and wouldn’t even allow her to gather any necessities for Brady, which meant Kellyanne had been forced into a grocery run. She had a few items in the diaper bag but not enough to make it through the night, much less the next few days. Except for the secondhand portable crib Kellyanne had, Lisa had always brought whatever Brady needed when Kellyanne watched him. Now he needed diapers, formula and baby food, and Kellyanne’s apartment was woefully unprepared for a child.

  Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. It was Zeke checking up on her. She wanted to take the call, but seeing him had felt too good. She didn’t want to lead him on again when she knew there would never be a future for them together. Not when he found out her secret. Not when he learned the truth.

&nbs
p; And when are you going to tell him?

  She choked back hot tears. Now was not the time to focus on that. She needed to complete her shopping, get back to the apartment and put Brady down for the night. She needed rest too. This day had worn on her.

  She pulled down a package of diapers, stunned at how much they cost. She would know the price of a child’s needs if she’d been more careful, if she’d taken better care of herself while she was pregnant. She grabbed a few cans of formula and put them in the cart. She could wash and reuse the bottles Brady had in his diaper bag she’d gotten from the day care. She was grateful Lisa had paid ahead on Brady’s tuition, since her bank account wouldn’t cover day care costs too.

  She knew she could place him in foster care. She did that every day with other people’s kids, but she wasn’t ready to do that with Brady, the sweet little boy with dark hair and blue eyes that always held a smile. They reminded her of Zeke’s eyes in that way, even though his were green. She bit her lip and tried to focus on what she was doing.

  She reached for several boxes of infant cereal and was about to place them in the cart when something jammed into her back, pressing her hard against the cart. Hot breath hissed on her neck. “Do what I say, and no one gets hurt.”

  Her throat went dry as fear rushed through her. “Who—who are you? What do you want?”

  She tried to turn, but the man rammed what she suspected was a gun harder against her back.

  “Don’t look at me. Just take the baby and go. We’re leaving.”

  She glanced at Brady in the buggy. He’d already lost his mother. If she went with this man, he would probably lose her too. She couldn’t do that to him. Couldn’t let that happen. She hesitated too long, and the man dug his fingers into her arm, causing her to cry out.

  “We’re walking out of here. Take the baby from the buggy now.”

  Her hands shook as she dropped the baby food into the cart and unlocked the strap keeping Brady from falling out. She lifted him into her arms and glanced around. Two people were in the aisle, a man at one end and a woman on the other. Both were preoccupied with their selections. She could cry out, but the man might shoot her or Brady. But what would he do to them if she left with him?

  Nothing good.

  She stepped backward and accidentally bumped the shelf of baby food, sending a display tumbling, jars busting at the man’s feet. He swore and jumped back, his attention diverted. She took advantage of the distraction and screamed for help and ran to the front of the store, tripping over her own clumsy feet and falling to the floor. Brady fell, too, and started crying, but at least she hadn’t fallen on top of him. A crowd quickly gathered around her.

  A man reached to help her to her feet. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

  “Someone’s after me. He has a gun.” She pointed toward the baby aisle and the man helping her turned and scanned the area before raising his hand.

  “There he is! Get him!” She looked up to see her attacker running for the front doors and vanishing as two strangers chased after him.

  A woman picked up Brady and tried to soothe him before handing him back to Kellyanne. “I don’t think he’s hurt. He just got scared.”

  She clutched the baby. He wasn’t the only one. Remembering the man’s hot breath on her neck sent shivers down her. How had he tracked her here, and what would have happened to her if she hadn’t gotten away?

  The manager rushed over and led her into his office. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll phone the police. You’ll be safe in here.”

  “Thank you.”

  He handed her a bottle of water. She placed Brady on the cushions of the seat and opened the water. It felt good against her parched throat. He hung up the phone. “The police are on their way. Don’t you worry. He can’t get to you in here. You’re safe. I need to go check the floor, but I can remain with you until the police come if you’d like.”

  She shook her head. “No, thank you. You’ve done enough. We’ll be fine.”

  He headed for the door. “Feel free to lock this behind me if it makes you feel better.”

  It did. She stood and locked the door and then walked back to the couch. Brady was calming down, but he was hungry and needed a change, and the diaper bag was in the car. She would have to deal with that, but for now, all she could do was relive the horror of that man pushing a gun into her back. She took out her phone and hovered her fingers over the last number that had called her. Zeke. She shouldn’t call him. It wasn’t his concern, but she wanted his comfort and the familiar, safe feeling of his arms around her.

  She put the phone away. She’d made her choice. She wouldn’t put him through this again. He deserved peace, and she was nothing but chaos and bad decisions. She slid the phone back into her pocket and turned to Brady. It was time to learn to take care of herself.

  * * *

  Zeke was in an evening class focused on new technologies available to law enforcement when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw the number for the local police department. Probably more questions about Kellyanne’s friend that he couldn’t answer. His gut clenched, realizing how little he knew about Kelly these days.

  He motioned to Greg that he would be right back and then slipped from the room to take the call. “Tyler.”

  “Deputy Tyler. This is Detective Shaw of the Austin PD.”

  “I remember you, Detective. What can I do for you?”

  “I just received word that your friend Kellyanne Avery was involved in a failed kidnapping attempt at a local grocery store.”

  His heart fell into his stomach, and the air left his lungs. “What? When? Is she okay?”

  “Both she and the baby are fine. Someone tried to abduct them right in the baby aisle at the Food Mart. She managed to run for help, and a couple of Good Samaritans chased the guy from the store.”

  “So he got away?”

  “He did, but I’m told the store has video of the incident, so we have a possible good lead.”

  He was grateful she and Brady hadn’t been hurt or taken, but why was Detective Shaw phoning him? Why hadn’t she phoned him?

  “I’m heading down to the store. I thought you might want to join me there?”

  “Is it still an active scene?”

  “It is. My officers tell me the lady is pretty shaken up.”

  “Text me the directions. I’m on my way.” He shot a text to his friend that he wouldn’t be returning to the lecture hall and then pulled up the ride-sharing app on his phone. He and Greg had driven to town in Greg’s car, but he’d already borrowed it earlier in the night and couldn’t leave his friend without a ride back to the hotel.

  By the time he made it to the grocery store, only two cop cars remained. He pushed his way to the front until he saw Detective Shaw. “How is she? What’s happening?”

  “She’s fine and so is the baby. They’re in the office. I’ve already taken her statement about what happened. Some guy she didn’t recognize shoved a gun into her back and told her to grab the baby and walk out of the store. She knocked down a display and used the opportunity to get away from him.” He took out his phone and pulled up a photograph of a man wearing a hat and a dark jacket. His face was largely hidden by the hat. “The store has a good surveillance system, so they were able to give us a photo of the man. Do you recognize him?”

  He stared at the photo but no name came to him. “I don’t. Did Kellyanne recognize him?”

  “No. She claims she didn’t get a good look at him.”

  “And no one caught up with him?”

  “We’re tracking down leads, but it looks like he got away clean.”

  He shook the detective’s hand. “Thanks for calling me.”

  “You’re welcome. I heard the call and recognized Miss Avery’s name.”

  He didn’t like thinking this attack had anything to
do with Lisa’s murder, but he couldn’t help but make that connection. “How did he know she was here? And why try to grab her out in public instead of at her apartment where there would be fewer witnesses?”

  Detective Shaw shrugged. “She was at her friend’s apartment earlier trying to get some supplies for Brady. Maybe the killer was watching the police working there, saw her with the baby, and followed her here. He might not even know where she lives, but if she saw him arguing with the victim, he might want to find out what she knows about him.”

  “So you do believe this has something to do with Lisa’s murder?”

  He shrugged before walking away. “It sure would be coincidental if it didn’t.”

  Zeke knew he was right. Coincidences happened, but where murder was involved, nothing was above suspicion.

  “I’ll have patrol cars driving by her building just to be safe.”

  He thanked Shaw and then walked into the manager’s office and saw Kellyanne leaned back against the couch, the baby on her chest, and his heart swelled at the sight. What he wouldn’t give for that to be his child. It was all he’d ever wanted with her, but it would never happen. His heart had been beaten and hammered too many times already.

  He knelt beside her and called her name. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her blue eyes looked at him, full of surprise. “Zeke. You’re here.”

  He nodded. “Detective Shaw called me.” He wanted to ask why she hadn’t called him but didn’t. He might hear that she didn’t want him around. “Are you okay?”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I was so scared.”

  “I know. You did good though. You got away from him.”

  He found it interesting that he’d specifically told her to take the baby. It was possible he just didn’t want someone noticing the child had been left alone, but Lisa had told Kellyanne her argument had something to do with Brady’s father, and now her friend was dead. Was he trying to get his hands on the child now that Lisa was dead? Or get to Kellyanne because she’d seen his face and could testify about the argument? Whichever it was, it took a lot of bravado to try to abduct someone from a busy shopping center. He should ask Detective Shaw to check the security footage outside. This man might have had an accomplice waiting in a vehicle for him.