Murphy stowed the chitchat. “Send me what you got.”
Alex sent the pictures he had taken while Kelsey slept. If nothing else, he wanted to know exactly who she was before he handed her over to the locals. He owed her that much for being a jerk.
The forest smelled extra good this morning after the nighttime rain. It was alive with the rowdy chatter of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. A Western Jay fluttered away in a flurry of deep indigo, squawking like the murderer it was, the pink kernel of another bird’s baby hanging from its beak. Alex watched the parent birds attack the fleeing predator, while it dodged branches to escape. As beautiful as life was, it was still cruel.
His phone rang on his hip holster. “Stewart.”
“Exactly how’d you run into this gal?” It was Murphy again, concern heavy behind his question. “You’ve only been gone four days, and three of them had to be on the road. What’d you do? Pick up a hitchhiker?”
“Special delivery, Murph. Found her on my porch last night. Why?”
“Well, I’ll tell you why, son. There’s a missing person report all right, but there’s an Amber Alert in the tri-state area for her two boys, too. I’m sending pictures to your phone now.”
“Already know that. Tell me what’s not on the Amber Alert.”
“She got the boys with her?”
“No.”
“She say where they are?” Murphy’s grandfatherly interrogation sparked Alex’s anger.
“For hell’s sake, look at the picture I sent. She can’t remember her own name.”
“Now hold on, son—”
“No. You hold on. I asked for information, not an inquisition.”
“You’re right. I’m just thinking of those little fellows.” Murphy calmed.
“And I’ve got a woman who can’t stand on her own two feet. I spent he whole night doctoring her. Now what else do you have?” Alex kicked the ground as he walked. He didn’t mean to come across harsh, but this vacation just kept getting better and better.
“Okay,” Murphy continued. “She’s got a sister, Louise Timpson, who lives in Pendleton, Oregon. She’s the one who filed the missing person reports on Kelsey and her boys.”
“What about her husband?” Alex already suspected the answer.
“Name’s Nick Durrant. I’m sending his photo now. You would have thought he would be the one to file the missing person report on his wife and kids now, wouldn’t you? Mother pulled a TV newscast from two days ago. Guess Durrant held a press conference and asked for help in locating his missing wife and kids. He said she wasn’t stable, that he was afraid for his boys’ safety. According to him, she suffers psychotic breaks and has threatened to kill them in the past.” Murphy’s voice filled with disgust. “You should’ve seen it. This guy’s lying through his teeth.”
Alex opened the picture of Nick Durrant. A weaselly looking man with greasy blond hair, a wispy excuse for a goatee, and thin lips stared back at him. “What else?”
“Well, okay, so Mother contacted Louise Timpson. According to her, Durrant is the dangerous one. She thinks he’s been beating Kelsey since they got married. Timpson said her sister hasn’t been the same since.”
“Why don’t women leave jerks like him? What else?”
“Mother located Durrant’s employment, financial, and police records. The man’s a two-bit thief. Hasn’t worked a steady job in his life. The one thing he does have is a healthy rap sheet, mostly car prowls, shoplifting, petty thievery, and stuff like that. Plus, I’ve got two reports of animal cruelty. Thought you’d want to know that. A couple neighbors claim he shot their dogs. Plus there’s a whole list of emergency room visits on her. She’s had a broken nose, broken fingers, broken left arm, as well as repeated spiral fractures.”
“Let me guess. She fell down the stairs?”
“You know what you’re looking at, don’t you?” Murphy was clearly concerned.
“Yeah. A bastard who beats his wife. She’s all of a hundred pounds soaking wet.”
“Never could figure out guys like that,” Murphy said quietly.
“Me either.” Frustration curled Alex’s fist as he walked. He couldn’t decide who he was angrier with, Kelsey or her deadbeat husband.
“This guy’s dangerous. Best thing for you to do is—”
“What else?” Alex didn’t want free advice.
“Okay, well, so she married this Durrant guy four years ago. She taught school before that. There’s only been one police complaint against him, and she didn’t file it. Guess one of her neighbors heard screaming one night. When the police investigated, Durrant opened the door with a crying baby in his arms. Said the little guy had an earache.”
“Was she there?”
“The police report didn’t indicate one way or the other.”
Alex trudged through the trees, absorbing the information. He had never experienced abuse himself, and he didn’t understand it. The solution seemed clear to him. If a bully hits you, hit them back. End of story. Of course, that might be harder for a little gal like Kelsey. He hiked, silently considering all the ways she could have defended herself. There had to be more to the story, a piece to this puzzle he wasn’t seeing.
“You still there?”
“Yes,” Alex muttered, his mind picturing Kelsey with an iron skillet in her hand, defending herself, maybe exacting a little domestic revenge, too.
“If those little boys aren’t with her, I’d say he’s already killed them,” Murphy said somberly.
“Got that same feeling.”
“Just so you know, Mother couldn’t find anything on those two little fellows besides their birth certificates and health department vaccinations. It’s like they disappeared. Neither of them went to the emergency room, not once. Just sent the pictures.”
Alex blew out a huge sigh as he opened Murphy’s text. It was a better picture than the Amber Alert photo. Two little boys smiled back at him, their hair cut with bangs across their foreheads. He noticed the similarity to their mother. They were miniatures of Kelsey, small-boned and brown-eyed. That old familiar pain stabbed at him with its irrational mantra. I should’ve been there.
“Listen, Murph. Contact the Washington State authorities. Let them know I’ve got her. The pictures I sent should be enough evidence to prove she’s not what Durrant claims. Maybe they can focus on finding those two boys. They’re welcome to come check on her if they want.”
“Okay. Will do.”
“But ask them to keep this quiet. The less Durrant knows about his wife’s location, the better off she’ll be. I’ll bring her in as soon as she’s able to travel. I’ll stay in touch.”
“She hurt bad?”
“Nothing broke, if that’s what you’re asking, but he’s a mean SOB.”
“What you gonna do?”
“Let her sleep. She’s not going anywhere.”
Murphy chuckled across the distance. “Never figured you for such a soft touch.”
“Me neither,” Alex grumped as he answered. “I should’ve stayed at work.”
“Before you hang up, Mother’s got Durrant’s GPS coordinates.”
“Where is he?”
“Look around. He’s right at your location.”
Alex snapped his phone shut. So. Durrant was out here in the woods. A GPS coordinate like that meant he was close, but Alex didn’t spot any movement in the immediate vicinity. Normally he would have tracked the man down, but his first thought was to get back to Kelsey. She was alone. As he hurried, he analyzed what Murphy had said. She might be in rough shape, but she was safe. The real problem now was where those two little boys were and why was Durrant out here? Alex’s gut clenched. There was only one conclusion. Kelsey was unfinished business. Durrant was hunting.
But Alex was mad at Kelsey, too. This was all her fault. She should’ve left the bastard—not waited until he killed her children. If more women did what they were supposed to do, there would be a lot less child abuse in the world today. The more Alex though
t about it, the angrier he got. Yes, there were always two sides to the story, but the black and white of it was pretty straightforward in his mind. He had learned that lesson early in life. No matter what, never lie down and take a beating from a bully. Always fight, even if you’re knocked down and have to crawl back up.
His self-righteous thoughts vanished the second he opened the cabin door. Kelsey was gone. So were the dogs. An icy chill slithered down his spine. He dropped his pack just inside the door, stepped back onto the porch, and whistled. Instantly, Smoke peered around the corner of the cabin, his head cocked and a curious look on his silver face.
“There you are.” Alex leaned over the rickety porch rail. There stood Kelsey against the cabin with both dogs at her feet. By the looks of her muddied knees, she had been down to the creek. Running away? Washing her hair? It didn’t matter. As soon as she saw him, she lowered her eyes. He figured he had startled her. She shook like a leaf. Again. Still. Whatever. He didn’t know if he cared anymore.
“Need a hand?” He suppressed his aggravation.
“No,” she said quickly.
“You’re going to fall if you keep standing there.” The words were no more out of his mouth than her knees buckled. Alex jumped the rail to catch her, but then the fight was on.
“Let me go!” She squirmed against his grip while he hoisted her over his shoulder. She kicked, landing her knee hard into his solar plexus, all the while twisting to escape his hands on her back and backside. “Don’t hurt me.”
“I’m not hurting you.” He cocked his head to avoid her flying elbow. Just as quickly, she yanked a handful of his hair so hard that it knocked him off balance. He staggered, trying to maintain a hold so they didn’t fall, but it was like holding a wild cat with all claws in attack mode. He fell backwards with her tight in his arms while he hit the floor, falling against his backpack.
Was this the same woman he hadn’t thought would make it through the night? She sure had enough fight in her now.
“Hey. Knock if off.” Wincing, he opened one eye, hoping to dodge another elbow in his face. She had landed square in his lap, for a moment the wind knocked out of her, too. The feel of her panting and out of breath in his arms heightened that annoying protective feeling he had been fighting. He leaned his cheek to her shoulder blade, as much to calm her and hopefully to avoid any more flying limbs.
“It’s okay,” he said softly, listening to her heart pound fast and hard. She stilled. He loosened his hold, but still kept her restrained on his lap.
She relaxed, blowing out big breaths through her open mouth. “I, I got, I got really scared.”
“I know,” he said quietly, “but you’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”
He felt the tension drain from her body. Her shoulders slumped.
“It’s okay,” he muttered over and over, smoothing his hands up and down her arms, hoping to settle her nerves while he calmed his own heart rate. The feel of her in his arms awakened his common sense. There was no way this woman could defend herself against an adult male. There wasn’t enough of her to pack a solid punch.
She tipped her head back against his shoulder, still breathing plenty hard. “Where am I?”
“You’re in my cabin,” he explained. “Do you remember how you got here?”
“No.” She shook her head, still trembling so much he didn’t want to let her go just yet. “All I remember is waking up. The dogs kept following me. Everywhere.”
He moved her into a sideways position on his lap. Once he had her turned, she burrowed into his neck like a frightened little girl, her hand clutching his collar while she panted beneath his chin.
“I’m lost,” she cried. “I don’t know where I am. I don’t know—who I am.”
“Shush now,” he whispered, rocking back and forth even as he recognized that crunching sound at his back. Eggs were no longer on the breakfast menu. “It’s okay now, baby.” That tender endearment came unbidden to his lips. For some reason it felt right. She made no effort to move. Neither did he.
“Thank you,” she whispered breathlessly.
He cupped her cheek, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, and still feeling her breath against his skin in fast, shallow huffs. Her wet hair smelled dirty, but he didn’t care. She needed a safe place, and for all his bluff and bluster, this was as good as any.
“I see you tried to wash your hair at the creek.”
She nodded against him. “I fell. The dogs scared me.”
“Who? These old mutts?” He snagged Whisper by the scruff of his neck. “They won’t hurt you. I think this one kinda likes you. Whisper, say hi.”
She nodded again, her hand outstretched to the dog’s eager nose. He licked her hand, then stepped a big paw onto her knee as he moved in to bless her with a sloppy kiss.
“Off,” Alex commanded softly. “Leave the lady alone.”
Kelsey relaxed. Her slender body mold to his as she gave up the fight, her gaunt backside noticeable against his hips.
“Are you going to be okay now?” he asked, peering down at her face.
“Yes,” she said softly, covering her black eye with her hand.
He scrambled off the floor, still keeping a grip on her in case she fell. As strong as she had seemed a minute ago, she swayed now, unsteady on her feet. It had to be the adrenaline that had lent her strength to fight back. Poor thing. It wasn’t much of a fight. He settled her onto the cot, pulling the blanket over her shoulders.
“Why don’t you catch your breath while I fix breakfast?” He calmed down, too. “I know you’re hungry.”
“No, I ….” She glanced around the room nervously. “I should go.”
“Where?”
Her lower jaw trembled. “I don’t know.”
He waved toward the door. “No one’s stopping you, but you’ll feel better if you eat first. Then you can decide.”
“Well.” She bit her lip in indecision, still watching the door. “Okay.”
Stooping, he snagged his backpack off the floor. “Bacon and toast okay? I think the eggs are already scrambled,” he teased.
A shadow flitted across her face. “I’m sorry.”
“No big deal.” He emptied the contents of the backpack on his kitchen counter, carefully separating the gooey, broken eggs from everything else. Fortunately, the clerk had bagged them separately, which contained the mess. He pulled the bacon and the mashed loaf of bread out along with everything else. Before long, coffee percolated on the stove while bacon sizzled on his old cast-iron griddle. The sun peaked through the curtain behind Kelsey. She seemed calmer. Watchful eyes stared at him around the curtain of her wet hair.
Alex stopped what he was doing to counter her stare. “Are you feeling any better?”
And just like that, she looked away.
“You’re going to have to talk to me sooner or later. It’s not like there’s a lot of room to avoid each other in this little shack.”
She seemed intent on trying.
“Okay, later’s fine. Well, just so you know what’s going on, I hiked out here with my dogs yesterday afternoon. I thought I was taking a break from work for awhile, that maybe I would get some fishing in or work on the roof of this old cabin. But when I got here, there’s this half-dead woman on my porch.” Alex smiled, hoping she would look his way. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you last night.” That’s putting it mildly.
“You were?” Her brows furrowed.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I guess you could say I have anger issues.” He grunted at his very obvious understatement. If she only knew ….
She took a deep breath and smiled. Just like that, the sun came out. He had to look twice. Beneath the shell of this battered woman glowed a definite light.
“Good morning.” He raised his cup of coffee to her.
“Hi.” Her voice was so soft he strained to listen.
“Breakfast is ready. Don’t get up. I’ll bring you a plate.” He buttered a slice of the s
eriously wrinkled toast and poured another cup of coffee. “Cream and sugar, ma’am?”
“Yes, please.” She smiled again when she took the coffee cup out of his hand, and again that warm feeling oozed into the room, like frosting on cinnamon rolls.
He moved the crate next to the cot for a makeshift table. “Hope you don’t mind just toast and bacon this morning. It isn’t much, but it’ll fill you up.”
She was a different person when she smiled. At least they were on talking terms, and maybe after breakfast, he could get her to talk. Relieved, he reached over her shoulder to pull the curtain aside.
“Don’t.” She jerked away from him. Her cup flew out of her hands. Coffee went everywhere.
Alex froze.
“I’m sorry. I’m ….” She clutched the blanket to her like it offered protection, her eyes on the floor.
“Hey, calm down.” He placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her, but terror shuddered off her. “I’m only opening the curtain. It’s okay.”
“But I’m sorry. I ….” she whined. “I didn’t mean to spill, to drop ….”
The level of her anguish far outdid the simple problem of spilled coffee on a plywood floor. Alex watched her curl her knees to her chest and hide beneath the blanket. This woman was scared to death, their brief encounter finished. He had hurt her feelings. Again.
Four
Alex
What the hell was I thinking?
Alex took a deep breath as he stood, slapped some bacon and toast together, and headed out the door. She didn’t want him around, and, to be honest, he didn’t want to be around her either. All that sympathy he had felt earlier was nothing but stupid imagination. Sleeping outside might just be better than having to deal with a crazy woman inside.
But after what Murphy had told him that morning, there was something else he needed to do. Alex fed and watered the dogs, then got down to business. He took Whisper back inside to guard Kelsey. He had hoped to tell her he would be hiking for a while, but she was already sound asleep, the blanket pulled up to her neck, tears glistening on her eyelashes. At least she had eaten her breakfast. Good. That’ll help.
Alex (In the Company of Snipers) Page 4
