by Terri Reed
But this trip was about finding Erin Eagleton.
Lana couldn’t stop the shiver of dread chasing across her flesh. Poor Erin was being hunted, not only by the police but also by very nasty men with a penchant for violence.
Whatever Erin was involved in had put her life in danger. Lana prayed Erin would find safety. And someone to watch her back, as Lana had found. She glanced over at Adam, studying his strong profile, admiring the slope of his cheeks, the height of his forehead and the angle of his jaw.
She had to be honest with herself. She liked him. As a friend, as her protector. Anything more would be reckless. Her heart wasn’t ready for more. Even if she might want more.
“We’re making a stop,” he finally answered.
The cryptic reply sent a ribbon of wariness sliding through her. “Stopping where, exactly?”
He pressed his lips together as if debating his answer. “All Our Kids group foster home.”
She drew back, letting his words digest. “The place where Juan is staying?”
Adam’s gaze slanted toward her and then back to the road. “Yes. And before you protest let me say this isn’t all about you visiting your nephew, though you need to.”
Anger flared in her chest because he was compelling her to do something she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Had Lana decided to visit Juan by herself, she would have had to go through a process at the courthouse in order to be given permission. By Adam taking her, she was skipping that step. She should be grateful, but she was irritated that he didn’t ask her first.
Maybe because he knew she would have come up with some excuse not to visit?
The kernel of truth didn’t sit well. Her stomach churned with anxiety. What if Juan didn’t like her? Or worse yet, what if he did like her? What if she got her hopes up, Juan’s hopes up and the judge ruled against her? The psychologist had said she should meet Juan. No one thought waiting was a good idea. She pulled in a breath to calm her temper. No reason to be angry when he was doing her a kindness. “If this isn’t about Juan and me, then what?”
“Last month after Michael Jeffries’s murder, someone set the foster home on fire but the flames were extinguished before it could do a lot of damage.”
“I heard about that on the news. Thankfully none of the kids or staff were hurt. But I’d been told the foster kids had been moved to an undisclosed location after the fire.”
“Right. Well, what didn’t get reported to the news was that a child’s blue mitten was found at the Michael Jeffries murder scene.”
Her breath caught. “Do you think the child saw what happened to the congressmen and his son?”
“Maybe.”
Her heart bumped against her ribs. If only she knew if Juan had blue mittens. If only she knew Juan.
“That’s the only reason we can think of why someone would target the foster home.”
“Are the kids in danger?” A knot of fear lodged in her gut. “Is Juan in danger?”
“No. We’ve been careful to keep the location a secret,” he said. “And we have a guard on site 24/7.”
“That’s a relief.” Still, she couldn’t shake the sense of doom that snaked through her.
Danger and tragedies were stalking various aspects of her life, like specters in the dark. First her sister was murdered, then the place where her nephew lived was set on fire. The attack and theft at the museum, the shooter on the bridge and the sniper at the courthouse. None of it made sense. And where did the Jeffries murder and Erin’s disappearance fit in? Did they fit in?
“The foster home director indicated that one of the young boys has been acting strangely ever since the night of the Jeffries’ shootings. She thinks he might have seen the murder of Michael Jeffries. My captain asked if we could stop in so I could talk with the boy, see if he’d open up.”
Her breathing stalled. “Not Juan?”
“No, not Juan.”
The gentle understanding in his voice brought a lump to her throat. He’d been the right man to send. “Little boys need a male to talk to.” The thought put a crimp in her heart. “Who would be that male influence for Juan if—” She had to start thinking positively. “When I take custody of him?” She glanced at Adam and immediately looked away. She would not go there. He wouldn’t be that guy. “Maybe it would be better for Juan to be adopted by a married couple.”
“No way. He’s your nephew. Your blood.” His voice softened. “You’ll do fine. Have some faith in yourself. You might even marry again one day.”
She chewed her lip as his words bounced around her heart. Marrying again would require trusting a man again.
But she’d learned to trust Adam. Maybe…maybe someday God would bring another man into her life she could trust and love.
Too bad it wouldn’t be Adam.
A few minutes later Adam turned the SUV down a treed lane. At the tall gate, he punched in a code on the keypad. The metal gate opened, allowing them to pass. The road curved along a high wall of chain link marked with high-voltage signs. Clearly, they were taking the security of the kids seriously.
Finally the road ended at a wide circular drive in front of a two-story brick house. The side yard, filled with children playing, held a swing set, a smattering of balls in all shapes and sizes, and a playhouse.
A muscular man, clearly a guard, and a tall, thin woman supervising the kids turned to watch as Adam brought the vehicle to a stop. A Border collie raced to the man’s side. The children, ranging from toddler to pre-teen, noticed Lana and Adam and gathered on the porch, their faces wary, yet curious. The woman followed the kids and shooed them into the house and disappeared before Lana and Adam could climb out of the SUV. The man stalked toward them.
“They’re skittish after the incident,” Adam commented before popping open his door. He stepped out to shake the hand of the other man. They talked for a moment before the man walked away and disappeared around the side of the house.
Lana didn’t blame the kids for being suspicious of strangers. They had gone through a traumatic event, probably several if they’d ended up here. Her heart went out to the children. Her childhood had been idyllic in so many ways. She’d known unconditional love from her parents. They’d provided a stable and happy home for her and Rosa. She was grateful God had given her the time He had with her parents. She sent up a silent prayer for continued safety for the kids. And happiness.
She climbed out as Adam rounded the vehicle to open the kennel for Ace to hop out. The dog sniffed the air then sat waiting for Adam’s instructions.
The front door reopened and a petite woman with long red hair walked out. She smiled at them as they approached. Lana had met the foster home’s director briefly last month at the hospital when Cassie was recovering from a gunshot wound.
“Adam, it’s good to see you,” Cassie said. “Gavin called to say you’d be stopping by.”
“Cassie, you remember Lana Gomez, Juan’s aunt.”
Cassie nodded and smiled warmly. “Yes, I’m glad to see you again. Juan should be waking from a nap soon so this is a good time for you to visit.”
“Don’t wake him on my account,” Lana said quickly. “I’d love to watch him sleep.” Easier that way on her heart.
“Come in.” Cassie gestured for them to follow her inside.
“Is it okay for Ace to come along?” Adam asked at the threshold of the front door.
Cassie smiled. “Sure. The kids are used to Glory.” To Lana, Cassie said, “Glory is Captain Gavin McCord’s German shepherd. He’s a hero around here.”
They entered the living room, a wide-open space with colorful throw rugs over hardwood floors. Built-in bookshelves were sparsely filled with books ranging from Dr. Seuss to Gulliver’s Travels. A plasma television sat dark in a corner. Comfy couches and chairs made the room homey. Lana could imagine all the kids piled in to watch an animated movie or sitting quietly listening to a story.
“I’ll have Virginia, my assistant, take you up to see Juan,” Cassie said
before disappearing down the hall.
“This is nice,” Lana commented.
“We had to move the kids quickly so we pulled together what we could on short notice.”
She smiled at Adam, noting the rise of color in his face. She had a feeling he was partly responsible for the homey environment at the safe house. He really was a nice guy. Kind and compassionate. Thoughtful. If she wasn’t careful she could easily fall for him. But that wouldn’t be smart.
Once this case was over, he’d move on to other cases, protecting other people. And when his dream was realized he’d be doing so in Colorado. Far from DC, and her. A strange sadness welled. She pushed the sensation down and glanced away, afraid her confusing thoughts would show.
Cassie returned with a tall, thin woman in tow. “Lana, this is Virginia Johnson, my assistant and jack-of-all-trades. Virginia, Lana is Juan’s aunt.”
Virginia’s brown eyes were assessing as she nodded to Lana. “If you’ll follow me I’ll take you upstairs to where he’s sleeping.”
Lana’s heart rate kicked into overdrive. She was going to see her nephew. Rosa’s son. The only family she had left. She threw a panicked glance to Adam. He inclined his head in reassurance. With a nod to Adam, she allowed Virginia to lead her from the room.
She could do this. It was time she met her nephew.
*
Adam tracked Lana’s retreating figure and felt Ace’s nudge as if to say “we should go with her.” Adam wanted to. He didn’t like having her out of his sight. But she was safe here. And he had a job to do. Turning to Cassie, he said, “Gavin thought maybe if someone new spoke with Tommy…?”
Cassie nodded and lowered her voice. “I’d be grateful if you’d try. We’ve all tried talking to him but he clams up the moment that night is brought up.”
“Was the mitten we found his?”
She shook her head. “No. It belonged to one of the other boys, David. He was sick the night of the shootings. Virginia and I had taken turns caring for him so I know he didn’t sneak out. But Tommy…he says he didn’t sneak out.”
“Where is he now?”
“I sent the kids out back for Popsicles. Officer Morgan is with them.”
“What kinds of things is Tommy interested in?” Adam hoped to find some common ground with which to open a conversation.
“He has a huge stuffed animal collection.”
“I can work with that.”
“I’ll show you the way.” She headed out of the living room.
Adam, with Ace at his heels, walked down the hallway through the kitchen and out the back door. Stairs led to a cement patio cut into the lush green lawn. The eight kids were spread out on the back patio, some sitting on the ground, others on the wooden benches, enjoying their afternoon treat.
“Sir, does your dog bite?” a young boy of about six inquired, his light green eyes trained warily on Ace.
Adam pinned the boy with a direct look. “Only if you break a law.”
The boy nodded solemnly. “I won’t break any laws.”
“Good.” Adam smiled. “You may pet him. His name’s Ace and he loves kids.”
The boy held out a tentative hand. Ace held still, allowing the kid to run his small hand down his sleek neck. Soon other kids ventured closer.
“Tommy,” Cassie called to a slightly built boy with sandy-brown hair and wide blue eyes sitting by himself on the edge of the patio. “Would you like to come pet Ace?”
The boy shook his head and jerked his gaze away.
Adam met Cassie’s gaze. She nodded and then clapped her hands. “Okay, kids, everyone inside to wash up those sticky hands.”
Cassie and Officer Morgan ushered the kids inside. Adam and Ace stepped back to let the kids pass. When Tommy finally rose and shuffled toward the back door, Adam put a hand on his thin shoulder.
The boy stilled, his body going rigid. He didn’t look up at Adam but remained frozen with his gaze on the ground. Adam glanced up at Cassie, who stood near the door, concern clear on her face.
Adam moved so that he could sit on the stair at eye level with the boy. “I hear you collect stuffed animals.”
Tommy nodded and scuffed the toe of his shoe on the cement.
“Me, too. Mostly bears. I grew up in the mountains of Colorado. We had lots of black bears and grizzly bears.” Adam dipped his head to catch Tommy’s gaze. “Do you have any bears in your collection?”
The boy remained silent. Adam figured he’d have to try another tactic when Tommy finally answered in a reedy voice, “A panda.”
“Ohhh, I like those. They eat bamboo.” Adam chuckled. “I’m not sure I’d want to eat a tree. Have you seen the pandas at the National Zoo?”
Tommy lifted his gaze. “No. Have you?”
“I have. They’re awesome. You can even watch them on the internet.” That got the kid’s attention. “The Giant Panda Cams.”
“Really? That’s cool.”
“Yep. Pretty cool.” Adam noticed Tommy’s gaze stray to Ace. “Would you like to pet my dog?”
Tommy nodded again.
Adam nudged Ace closer and took the boy’s hand and guided it to the sweet spot behind Ace’s ear. “He loves a good rubbing here.”
Tommy’s finger barely moved. Ace leaned closer as if needing more. Gratified, Adam kept silent, letting the boy get more comfortable with Ace, with Adam there.
“Tommy, you know something bad happened at the congressman’s house, right?” Adam asked softly.
The kid froze and withdrew. He shook his head.
“Were you outside of the foster home that night? Did you see something that scared you?”
More vigorous shaking of his head.
“Do you know who left the blue mitten in the woods?”
Tommy kept shaking his head.
“You don’t have to be afraid to talk to me,” Adam coaxed. “You won’t get in trouble for anything you tell me.”
“I don’t know nothing,” Tommy insisted in a high-pitched whiny tone.
Oh, man, the kid was ready to bolt. He’d have to get past Adam first. “I need to know who was in the woods that night. Was that you?”
The kid’s head snapped up, his gaze going to Cassie. Adam saw terror flash in the boy’s eyes. “Miss Cassie, can I go in now?”
Adam leaned sideways to block the view of Cassie. “Tommy, listen to me. There is nothing for you to fear. You’re safe here. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
For the first time, Tommy met Adam’s gaze. “I wasn’t in the woods.”
But the kid knew who was or he was lying and he was in the woods. Adam could feel there was something wrong, something the kid refused to say. There was no doubt in Adam’s mind the boy was terrified of something. Or someone.
“Can I go now?” Tommy asked, his voice strangled.
Taking pity on the boy, Adam nodded and moved out of the way. The kid darted up the stairs into the house like a rocket.
So much for Adam’s powers of persuasion. Cassie sat down next to him.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” she promised. “One of these days, he’ll open up and tell us what he knows.”
“I hope so,” Adam replied. He hoped the boy would tell them what they needed to know to solve Michael Jeffries’s murder and bring Erin home safely.
Too much was at stake if Tommy didn’t open up.
TEN
Lana stood at the foot of Juan’s crib watching the two-year-old sleep curled on his side with a blanket pulled over him. His dark hair was messy and he had his little thumb stuck into his mouth, his cheeks moving as he sucked on the appendage. Tenderness welled from deep inside Lana.
The boy stirred, his body uncurling and stretching. His thumb came out of his mouth with a wet sound, like a cork coming out of a bottle. He rolled onto his back. His eyes fluttered open. The shape of his face, his eyes, reminded Lana of Rosa. She could see her sister in the little boy. Lana’s heart expanded until she thought it would burst from her chest. He blinked at
her. Her smile wavered as tears of grief and hope and sadness and unexpected love mingled together and rushed to the surface.
“Hi, little guy,” Lana whispered. The poor baby must be so confused and scared. But he was being well cared for. He was clean and fed and safe.
Juan rolled over and pushed himself onto all fours before reaching for the crib bars and pulling himself to his feet. He wobbled slightly. Lana jerked forward to put her hand on his back. His shirt was soaked along with his diaper. Spying the necessary items needed to change his diaper and clothes on the changing table in the corner, she gently lifted Juan and carried him to the table where she laid him down. He willingly went. His legs kicked up and his hands reached for her face. She laughed and quickly changed his diaper, marveling she knew what to do. Apparently she’d seen enough television babies being changed that she figured it out without any formal instruction. Or maybe it was instinctual. Something all women knew inherently.
Whatever the case, she was glad to be able to perform the task without calling Virginia back in. While Lana watched Juan sleep, the woman had hovered over her as though she was afraid Lana would hurt Juan. Finally, Cassie had asked Virginia to read to the kids. Lana had assured Cassie, and Virginia, that she was content to watch her nephew sleep. And until the child had awakened, Lana hadn’t known she was waiting for him to wake up. Now that he had, she was excited and scared to be with him.
She tugged the wet shirt off his little body. Taking a wet wipe from the container, she bathed his torso. She noticed a darker splotch of skin on his right shoulder blade. A birthmark. Oval in shape with scalloped edges. Neither she nor Rosa had a birthmark. Even though birthmarks weren’t always hereditary, some were and this one could have come from Juan’s father. The judge had asked about Juan’s father. But since there was no father listed on the birth certificate and Rosa never told anyone who fathered her child, Lana was Juan’s only relative.
One of the many things Lana hoped to discover when she was given permission to take possession of her sister’s town house was the name of Juan’s father. Rosa had to have something that would identify him. Though finding Juan’s father could mean he’d want to file for custody. A wave of anxiousness hit her. She lifted up a prayer of peace and settled herself with the knowledge her lawyer would work out the legal details.
