Her cleaning efforts had stopped downstairs, he noticed after walking through each room once again. Nothing up here had changed. Lucan took the children’s step stool from the bathroom and used it to pull down the trap door in the hall ceiling. Narrow steps unfolded leading up to the attic.
“I didn’t even notice that.”
Kyra’s expression was dismayed.
“We did,” he told her gently, “but let’s look again.”
“A little boy wouldn’t be able to reach the pull-down even with the stool.”
“No,” he agreed and began to climb. “A child wouldn’t.”
Two bare bulbs overhead cast shadows over the space under the eaves. Lucan stood in the only spot he could, the center, under the sloped roof. Kyra poked her head through the opening and stopped as soon as she saw that the attic was empty. There was nowhere up here for even one child to hide, let alone three of them.
When he turned around, Kyra had disappeared. He found her in the master bedroom. Her head was bowed, her forehead pressed against the glass window. Her posture was one of utter dejection. It tore at him.
As he drew closer he saw the silver tears running silently down her cheeks. He started to back out and give her some privacy but stopped.
Casey Fillmont and her children were Kyra’s only close relatives according to the slim dossier he’d compiled on her so far. Their parents had died several years ago. While there were uncles and distant cousins, Kyra had told him they only had each other.
Lucan’s own family was tightly knit. He’d be devastated if something ever happened to one of his brothers or their families. Ronan, Neil and Flynn weren’t just his brothers, they were his best friends. He loved their wives like sisters and adored his nieces and nephews.
The members of his family were always there for each other. Hadn’t Whitney gone out of her way the other day to deliver his mom’s lasagna so Lucan could come home to something warm to eat after work? They were always doing things like that. Kyra was alone and frightened. She had no one but him at the moment.
He crossed to where she stood and put his hand on her shoulder in silent support. She turned, wiping furiously at her face.
“No,” he told her. “It’s okay to cry. Come here.”
Lucan drew her into his arms, half surprised when she let him cradle her against his chest. He hadn’t bothered to zip his jacket, so it hung open giving her access to his worn flannel shirt. After a few minutes he guided them to the torn-up bed and sat with his back against the headboard. Over her half-hearted protests, he continued to hold her as the tears turned to wrenching sobs.
She’d be embarrassed later, but they’d deal. This was what her body needed at the moment. He liked the light lemony scent of her hair and stroked the silky strands back from her face. It was a measure of her exhaustion that she didn’t pull back even when the sobs lessened to shudders that rippled through her.
“Relax,” he whispered when she would have raised her head. “It’s fine.”
And it was. He didn’t mind the way his shirt was damp against his skin or the mild cramping caused by his awkward position on the bed. It felt right, holding her this way. Gradually, she relaxed and he let his own eyes close, leaning back against the headboard.
A faint sound opened his eyes. With a start, Lucan realized he’d dozed off. He had no idea how long he’d been sleeping, but he still held Kyra, asleep in his arms. His left arm was badly cramped from her weight. Ignoring the pain, he listened for whatever sound had wakened him. It took his sluggish brain a long moment to recognize what he’d been hearing, and by then the house had fallen silent.
Someone had used the bathroom in the hall. They hadn’t closed the door or turned on a light and he waited, hardly breathing, for the sound of a flush. It didn’t come, but Lucan knew he hadn’t imagined the sound.
Very gently he eased Kyra out of his arms. Instantly, her eyes snapped open. Lucan covered her lips lightly with his fingers, clenching and unclenching his cramped hand. He nodded toward the hall. For someone who’d been asleep only a second ago, she woke quickly and alertly.
As silently as possible, he stood and crossed to the dark hall. The bathroom was empty, but a glance showed he hadn’t imagined the sound.
“Where exactly did you see that shadow?” he whispered in her ear.
“Down there, outside the baby’s room. He’s here, isn’t he? Kip’s in the house?”
Lucan nodded and stepped into the hall. If the boy had made it back to his hiding spot already, then he was hiding close by.
At the door of the baby’s room he listened to the silence a moment before flipping on the light. The room appeared empty, just as it had earlier.
He prowled the small space. There was nowhere for anyone to hide. Unless…He focused on the bookcases. Frowning, he tugged on one, feeling a slight give. He went back to the door and studied the depth of the wall, then met Kyra’s excited expression. She’d seen what he was thinking. Inclining his head in tacit agreement, Lucan indicated they should leave the room. He led her back to the master bedroom.
“I knew it!” she whispered excitedly. “I knew he was here somewhere!”
“We should have seen it. There’s a panic room behind the bookcases.” He gripped her arm when she would have headed back out the door. “Wait. The boy is scared. If he was going to trust you, he would have come out by now. I could force it open, but that would only add to his panic.”
“So what do we do?”
“It’s almost morning. Most likely, he went back to sleep which means he’ll need the bathroom again when he wakes up.”
“And he’ll be hungry.”
Lucan smiled. “Yes. He’ll come out if he thinks it’s safe. We’re going to help him think that it is by staying very quiet.”
“He’ll run when he sees us.”
“We’re going to make that tough for him to do. He’s smart. He’ll realize pretty fast that he has nowhere left to go.”
She thought that over. “Thank you, Lucan.”
He blinked, surprised by the sound of his first name on her lips. She’d seen his name on his badge and the card he’d given her, of course, but he was pretty sure if she’d thought about it, she would have called him Detective instead. Using his first name implied a level of trust. He liked that thought.
Kyra reddened. “Sorry. I—”
“It’s my name. Feel free to use it, but I haven’t done anything worthy of thanks just yet.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Yes, you have. You didn’t arrest me and you even let me cry on your shoulder.”
He’d been right. She was embarrassed. “You needed to cry. In your place I would have wanted to cry as well.”
She raised her face to meet his eyes. “I can’t see you sobbing your heart out on a stranger’s shoulder.”
“No, I probably would have wanted to hit something instead, but it’s the same principal. I’m not a stranger, Kyra. I’m your sister’s neighbor and I’m a cop. People cry on our shoulders all the time.”
Kyra managed a one-sided smile. He was glad to see the tension leave her features, even if only for an instant.
“All the same, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go back in the baby’s room and wait for Kip to come out.”
KYRA HADN’T EXPECTED TO like the big Irish cop so much, let alone feel this comfortable with him. Dealing in the business world she was always careful to maintain a professional distance with men she met. Simon had claimed it took him three months to get up the courage to ask her out.
She tried to picture Simon offering silent comfort as Lucan had and couldn’t. But then, Simon wasn’t a touchy-feely sort of guy. She wouldn’t have thought Lucan would be either based on their first meeting. That hard-cop exterior hid a surprising well of softer emotions.
And why was she comparing the two men? They were nothing alike. She was so tired that her mind was running in crazy circles.
Shivering, she wished she dared close her ey
es for a few more minutes. She jumped and stiffened automatically when Lucan slid his arm around her. He wasn’t coming on to her. He held her the way a friend would, offering comfort rather than intimacy. Sitting beside him on the edge of the bed with his broad shoulders pressed against the wall, Kyra realized she trusted Lucan.
She allowed herself to relax and settle back against him. Being touched and held this way was nice. She wondered if Lucan was married and if his wife would be upset if she saw him now. The lack of a wedding ring meant nothing. Many men didn’t wear them. But what had his wife thought when he left their bed in the middle of the night to be with another woman?
These were crazy thoughts. Lucan O’Shay was a cop and a nice man. His wife would be a warm, understanding person as well. And she knew thinking about Lucan and his possible wife was a way of keeping her mind from dwelling on what might have happened to Casey.
Her sister had felt so threatened that she’d built a panic room into a house she was renting. How had Kyra not known that?
Milt must have been threatening her again. Casey hadn’t said so, but Kyra had known something was wrong when Casey was willing to pull the kids out of school to take a sudden vacation right before Christmas. Casey had refused to explain, but she’d never invited Kyra to go anywhere with her before. When Kyra had asked if Jordan was coming too, Casey had said he couldn’t get away.
Maybe Jordan had threatened her, too. Maybe Lucan was right. Maybe Jordan was involved in drugs. Kyra knew little about the new man her sister had married. She should never have allowed her life to get so busy that she and her sister were virtual strangers to one another.
With her thoughts tumbling, at first Kyra didn’t realize how much easier it was becoming to see objects in the room. Pale shafts of daylight were filtering in through the closed shades on the windows. Lucan hadn’t moved. He gave the impression he would sit there like a stone all day if he had to.
What if they were wrong? What if Kip wasn’t hiding in the house? What if—
Abruptly, Lucan’s muscles tensed. Kyra sat up straight. There were faint rustling sounds and the murmur of a child’s querulous voice. Not just Kip! Could all of them be in there?
Lucan stood quietly. He motioned for her to stay put as he closed the door to the hall without a sound. The whispers grew louder, more urgent.
With a gentle snick, the bookcases suddenly parted outward. Kip’s eyes went wide with shock and fear when he saw her sitting there. Brian looked startled, but he shook off his brother’s hand with a frantic, “I gotta pee!”
Her heart threatened to pound its way through her chest wall, but she managed to keep her voice relaxed and even. “It’s okay, Brian. I’m your Aunt Kyra. Go ahead.”
He hesitated at the sight of Lucan standing between him and the door.
“That’s Lucan. He’s a friend.”
“Oh.”
That was all the confirmation Brian needed. Lucan opened the door and the child scurried out into the hall. Kip didn’t move.
Kyra crouched down. “Hi, Maggie. Come here, sweetheart.” A dirty tan bear dressed in a gaily colored skirt and vest was clutched to the young girl’s chest.
“Mom said not to open the door for anyone,” Kip announced belligerently. Fear rippled through his young frame.
Kyra kept her voice low and soothing. “I know. You did the right thing, Kip, but I’m here to help.”
“I don’t need help.”
Maggie looked uncertainly from her brother to Kyra and clutched the bear even tighter. She smelled like she’d had an accident and her bottom lip trembled as if she wasn’t sure whether to cry. Kip gripped her small shoulder protectively.
Kyra stood. Keeping her voice brisk and business-like she nodded at the boy, “You’ve done a fantastic job protecting your brother and sister, Kip. Your mom’s going to be very proud of you.”
Maggie’s lip trembled a bit harder. Tears welled in her eyes. “Mama?”
“I’m Aunt Kyra, Maggie. Everything’s going to be all right now.”
Kip stared defiance at her.
“I’ll bet you’re hungry. We have a lot of work to do if we don’t want your mom coming home to this messy house. But first, all of you need a bath and some clean clothes.”
“And breakfast?” Brian asked coming back in the room.
“Definitely breakfast,” Lucan announced drawing Kip’s angry gaze back to him. “Kyra, why don’t you see to their baths while I make a couple of calls?”
“All right. Kip, you can use your mom’s bathroom and I’ll take Brian and Maggie in the other one.”
“I don’t need a bath.”
Sympathy would only make him more truculent. “You like smelling like that?”
Brian laughed. “Maggie wet the bed again.”
“I can tell. It’s your choice, Kip. You’re old enough to decide. Come on, Brian. You can show me where things are, right? We’ll get cleaned up and go out for pancakes afterwards. How does that sound?”
“Good! Come on, Maggie.”
Lucan winked and left the room. Maggie toddled after Brian leaving Kip standing there alone. Kyra longed to hug the defiant child, but knew he would have to come to her on his own terms. She didn’t think he’d run away and leave his siblings, so it would be better to give him time to come to terms with her presence. Besides, Lucan was right. Where would he run to?
They were alive and safe. For now, that was enough. She shoved down the dread that filled her at the thought of her sister. Casey would never willingly have left her children alone like this.
Chapter Five
Kyra was nearly as wet as Maggie when she carried the towel-wrapped little girl back into the child’s bedroom for some clothes. Kip wasn’t there, but she heard water running in the master bathroom and breathed a sigh of relief.
Inside Maggie’s hidden closet the children had created what could only be called a nest using blankets, pillows, toys and the food Kip had purchased for them. Her heart ached for what they must have been going through for the past several days. Kyra hadn’t asked Brian any questions while she saw to his bath. There would be time enough for that after they were fed and relaxed.
She lightly tickled Maggie as she got her dressed, delighting in the sound of her childish giggles.
“Someone’s happy.” Lucan filled the doorway.
His smile caused a flutter inside her. “Yes. Would you check on Brian for me?” The words sounded slightly breathless. She hoped he’d put it down to her exertions with Maggie as the child squirmed while she tried to get a shirt over her head.
“I just sent Brian downstairs.”
Her head jerked up. “Alone?”
“Of course not. My mom’s in the kitchen.”
Kyra’s jaw dropped. “Your mother?” she parroted. “You called your mother?”
His lips twisted in a wry smile. “She lives nearby. I asked her to bring some supplies over.”
“What about your wife?” Kyra snapped her own lips closed too late to prevent the question.
With a slight shrug he turned toward the closet. “I’m divorced.”
She was still trying to get her mind around that when he pulled a large red handbag from the depths of the hidden closet. “Your sister’s purse?”
Her stomach plunged. Seeing the purse made her sister’s plight all the more dire. Horror filling her mind, she watched as Lucan fished out her sister’s wallet and confirmed what they both already suspected. There were nine one-dollar bills in the billfold.
Maggie squirmed. Kyra realized she was grasping the child too tightly. She turned her attention back to the little girl, trying to quell her terror.
“I called off the search.” He nodded meaningfully toward Maggie. “And I let Captain Walsh know what was happening. Where’s Kip?”
“In the master bathroom,” she pushed out.
Lucan nodded and returned to the closet. He lifted the battered green backpack and opened the flap. Kyra’s eyes widened when she saw the fistfu
l of bills he pulled out.
“I don’t understand.” But she shivered as more fear crawled down her spine. Had Casey been secreting money to run away?
“Kip dumped his change in the backpack and kept using the large bills I told you about.”
Kyra felt numb. “Why?”
“We’ll ask him later. To an eight-year-old, money is probably money. I’m guessing it didn’t occur to him to use the smaller bills. He wouldn’t realize how much attention a boy with a hundred-dollar bill would draw.”
“Casey doesn’t have that kind of money.” She was repeating herself.
Lucan’s gaze held sympathy. “Someone did.”
Her stomach lurched. “You think Kip stole the money?”
“Possibly.”
Maggie had stopped squirming. “Mommy says stealing is bad.”
She watched Lucan intently.
“Your mommy’s right.” He smiled at her. “Let’s save this conversation for later, Kyra. I’ll want you to count this out with me and sign a release, but I bet Maggie’s a hungry little cuddlebear, aren’t you sweetheart? I know I am.”
Abruptly Maggie’s features screwed up. Her head frantically swung around the room. “Bear!”
“We left Bear in the bathroom,” Kyra reassured the child. “Come on, let’s go find her.” Kyra needed to move out of sight of that closet and what it represented. “We’ll put your shoes on in there,” she soothed the child. Maggie accepted her hand.
Lucan watched them go with a heavy heart. Kyra was right to fear for her sister. He’d give odds that Casey Fillmont was dead. So where had Kip come by all that money? More and more it looked like Casey or her husband were involved in drugs or something else illegal.
He hefted the backpack and followed them from the room. Kip had left the door to the master bathroom open. The shower was running. He heard the boy moving around inside. On the long double vanity next to the door lay a folded, crumpled wad of hundred-dollar bills alongside a rumpled change of clothing.
Lifting the money, Lucan counted twenty-six one-hundred-dollar bills. He was a cop with a cop’s instincts. If this didn’t turn out to be drug money he was going to be surprised.
Police Protector Page 5
