Secret Surrogate

by Delores Fossen

  “Now, would you care to make those accusations to my face?” he asked. He didn’t ask it in a friendly sort of way, either. “Oh, in case you don’t recognize me, I’m the lawyer you’ve been maligning—Isaac Dupont.”

  WELL, THIS AFTERNOON was just full of surprises.

  Bad ones.

  Lucas figured the man walking toward them would top the list of bad surprises.

  “Sheriff Creed, I presume,” Isaac Dupont said.

  Since it wasn’t exactly a question, Lucas didn’t answer. But he did glare. He couldn’t help himself. He disliked the man on sight. However, he had to admit his judgment might be clouded by the kidnapping attempt, the godawful experience in the parking lot of the birthing center and Tiffany Smith’s “car accident.” It was difficult to think highly of a man who might have been responsible for all those things.

  Lucas stepped in front of Kylie and hoped like the devil that she stayed put so he could give her some shred of protection.

  “I’ll make those accusations,” Lucas volunteered. “I’ll add a few more if you’d like. And I have no problem doing that to your face.”

  Kylie tapped him on the shoulder and shot him a warning glance.

  Which he ignored.

  “What are you doing here?” Lucas asked Dupont.

  “I heard the infamous journalist, Kylie Monroe, was in the building.” It sounded as if he’d rehearsed his answer, or at least had given it plenty of thought. “I decided I’d pay her a little visit.”

  “Heard?” Lucas questioned.

  Dupont bobbed his head. “Yes. It’s a past tense verb. But I don’t suppose a cowboy-cop like you from Hickville would recognize a grammatical part of speech when you hear it.”

  “You’d be surprised at what I know.” Lucas leaned in, violating his personal space. “And I don’t have any trouble recognizing a smart-ass suspect who’s trying to avoid answering a simple question. In my experience, the main reason suspects do that is because they’re guilty.”

  “So, now I’m a suspect?” If that bothered him in the least, Dupont didn’t show it.

  “Puh-leeeze,” Kylie interjected. “You didn’t know we were suspicious of you? Then, you’re either an idiot or a liar. Maybe both.”

  Lucas looked at Kylie and made sure he put a little badass spin on it. He wanted answers from Dupont, but he didn’t want Kylie’s antagonism to rile the man to the point of attempted murder. She must have gotten the point, finally, because she stepped back.

  One battle down.

  Another to go.

  “Why are you really here?” Lucas demanded of Dupont.

  “As I said, I came for a little visit. And a little warning. You can write your tabloid trash stories all you want, Ms. Monroe, but leave me out of them. I’m a respected attorney in this city, and I won’t have my name dragged through your own personal version of mud.”

  Lucas shrugged. “She never mentioned your name. Guilty conscience, perhaps?”

  Dupont met him eye to eye. “Let’s just say I’m intuitive.”

  “Or maybe you’re just paranoid,” Lucas offered. “I hear there are medications for that.”

  Oh. There it was. A flash of anger that went bone-deep. The cool facade stayed in place, for the most part, but Dupont couldn’t quite keep the emotion out of his gray-blue eyes.

  “Why don’t you explain what part you played in providing surrogates to Kendrick Windham’s clinic?” Lucas demanded. “I’m especially interested in those who are underage and medically unqualified.”

  “I don’t have to answer that. I don’t even have to be polite to you.” To Lucas, that sounded very much like a threat. “You have no jurisdiction here, cowboy.”

  “No,” Lucas enunciated the single word carefully while trying to put a choke hold on his temper. While he was at it, he caught Kylie’s arm and moved her back even farther away from Dupont.

  It didn’t stop her.

  “But FYI, Sheriff Creed does have lots of friends in SAPD,” Kylie pointed out. “Oh, and he also has a loaded .40-caliber Glock in the shoulder holster beneath his left arm.”

  Amused, or least trying to appear amused, Dupont flexed his eyebrows. “Am I being charged with something?”

  “Maybe loitering,” Lucas suggested. “Threatening a police officer? Being a general nuisance?”

  “You could never make those charges stick.”

  “No. But it could land you in lockup for a few hours while SAPD takes their time processing the paperwork.”

  Dupont exaggerated a noisy yawn. “Bored now. Good afternoon, Sheriff Creed, Ms. Monroe. I trust this isn’t the end of our dispute. I’ll be in touch. But remember what I said—keep my name and any reference to me out of your so-called articles.”

  He turned, and it was then that Lucas saw the other person approaching them. Not Dr. Morgan. The guy was dressed in drab gray sweats, a hoodie and running shoes. His salt-and-pepper hair was damp, as if he’d just finished a workout.

  And he wasn’t alone.

  He was walking side by side with Finn.

  Lucas automatically drew his weapon, holding it close to his thigh so that it wouldn’t be so conspicuous to the patients and staff but so he could use it if required.

  “Well, well. The gang’s all here,” Dupont said, stopping. He looked back at Lucas and grinned from ear to ear—especially when he noticed the unholstered Glock. “In case you don’t recognize your latest visitor, that’s—”

  “Kendrick Windham,” Kylie supplied. Because her arm was against his, Lucas felt her muscles tighten.

  “I finally made it here,” Finn announced. “And I ran into an old acquaintance in the parking lot.”

  “You know each other?” Lucas asked.

  “We attended the same conference a few years ago.” Finn looked at her. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I don’t have time for long stories,” Windham interjected. “My answering service called, said you left a message. Something about a former client who’s been hospitalized?”

  Unlike Dupont, Windham’s comment didn’t seem threatening. In fact, nothing about him seemed threatening.

  Well, except those eyes.

  “Why don’t you test the waters with him, Sheriff Creed?” Dupont suggested, adding a tsk-tsk. “An experiment of sorts. Accuse Kendrick Windham of a felony or two.” Dupont paused for a heartbeat and aimed another of those oily grins at Kylie, then at Lucas. “He’s not a forgiving kind of man, the way I am. It’d be interesting to see just how fast he kills you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Kylie had met Kendrick Windham for a few short moments nearly six months ago, but it’d been more than enough for her to form an unfavourable opinion of him. That opinion didn’t change as he stood in front of Lucas and her, seemingly sizing them up just as they were him.

  “See you later,” Dupont said, still smiling. Not exactly subtle like Windham. Dupont simply didn’t seem to care if anyone thought he was guilty of a crime. Probably because of his old money and business connections, he thought he was above the law. Maybe Lucas and she could use that arrogance to nail the guy.

  Well, if Dupont was guilty, that is.

  Suspect number two, Kendrick Windham, had just as much motive to silence her as Dupont had. Maybe more. Because, after all, she could directly link him to the clinic and to Tiffany Smith.

  “How is Ms. Smith?” Windham asked.

  “Alive,” Lucas answered, reholstering his Glock.

  Kylie watched Windham’s expression. If he was afraid that Tiffany might rat him out for illegal surrogacy or even kidnapping and attempted murder, he wasn’t showing it. Yep. Definitely slick. It made her think of pathological liars, serial killers and other unsavory sorts. Someone with that kind of personality could definitely try to kill anyone who threatened to expose his dirty dealings. And that’s exactly what she’d done in a roundabout way with that article.

  “Let me do some checking,” Finn volunteered
. “I’ll see if I can find out how Ms. Smith is doing.”

  The moment Finn stepped away, Windham checked the budget-draining gold watch that glimmered on his left wrist. “I can’t stay long. Appointments. And I obviously have to shower and change. I just popped by on my way home from the gym so I could wish Ms. Smith a speedy recovery.”

  “She’s not allowed visitors,” Kylie informed him.

  “Too bad. I might be able to cheer her up. The few times I saw her, we got along quite well.”

  “Did you now?” Lucas asked skeptically.

  Windham spared Lucas an inquisitive glance. “We got along well in the sense of a clinic director and a client. Definitely nothing to cross ethical boundaries. And certainly nothing personal.” Another check of his watch. “When she’s allowed visitors, perhaps you can give me a call. I’d like to let her know that I’m here for her.”

  His inflection didn’t change, but that sent a chill snaking down Kylie’s spine. If Tiffany did regain consciousness, there was no way Kylie would deliver what could easily be a veiled threat. In fact, Lucas and she would make sure SAPD had Tiffany’s room well guarded.

  “If you really want to help Tiffany, you could always offer to pay her medical bills,” Lucas suggested. “I’m sure she doesn’t have insurance, and her injuries have been complicated by an infection from poor medical care during her delivery.”

  “I’m afraid that’s out of the question, especially since her injuries resulted from a car accident. I phoned the hospital on the way over, asked a doctor friend who works here to give me an update on Ms. Smith’s condition,” he said in response to Kylie’s suspicious look. “Imagine if I reimbursed all or even a few of my clients for services not directly related to their surrogacy agreements. I’d be bankrupt. I’m not in business to go bankrupt.”

  “And the bottom line for you is money?” Kylie asked.

  “Of course.” He drew in an impatient breath and tossed a glance Lucas’s way. “Phone me if her condition changes. You obviously know the number.”

  With that, Kendrick Windham turned and briskly walked away.

  “What was the heck was that visit all about?” Kylie mumbled.

  “Marking his territory, I’d say.” Lucas paused. “You think Dupont and he orchestrated this tag team visit, or was it coincidence they showed up here at the hospital at almost the same time?”

  “Well, you don’t believe in coincidences, so I know where you stand on the issue. Still, I’m not so sure what’s going on with those two.”

  And that bugged her. A lot. Had they indeed arranged the simultaneous visits, or had someone else alerted both of them? After all, she hadn’t gotten a good look at either kidnapper. Neither Windham nor Dupont matched the sketchy physical descriptions of the would-be kidnappers, but maybe one or both of the suspects were here at the hospital. Watching Tiffany to make sure she didn’t say anything incriminating.

  That theory sent her gaze rifling around the nearby waiting room and the curtained examination stations. She studied each person, letting her anxiety nearly get the best of her. She pulled back and tried to see the hospital through normal eyes. Everything seemed, well, normal.

  But that didn’t mean it was.

  “Sheriff Knight won’t let anyone into Tiffany’s room who doesn’t belong there,” Lucas said.

  Her gaze came back to his, and she saw that he was examining her with those cop’s eyes. Not that she was difficult to read. Especially not for him. Lucas seemed to be very good at knowing her every emotion.

  “So, which one do you suspect?” Lucas asked. “Dupont or Windham?”

  “Both,” she answered honestly. “But I don’t think they’re partners.”

  He made a sound of agreement. “Neither of them are partner material. Too self-obsessed. But I’m willing to bet either could really be into criminal intent—especially when there’s money to be made.”

  Yes. But which one? Kylie hoped they learned that before the kidnappers decided to strike again.

  Finn rounded the corner of the hall, fast. Before he could reach them, Kylie knew from his dour expression that something was wrong.

  “What happened?” Kylie asked, dreading his answer.

  “Tiffany Smith regained consciousness—”

  “I need to see her,” Lucas insisted.

  When Lucas started to walk away, Finn caught his arm. “She was only awake a few seconds before she went into cardiac arrest.”

  The news sucked the breath from Kylie’s lungs. She dropped back, leaning against Lucas, allowing him to support her. “She’s dead?” Kylie mumbled.

  “Yes. Dr. Morgan did everything she could to save her,” Finn added solemnly. “But Ms. Smith’s injuries were just too severe for her to survive.”

  Lucas cursed, scrubbed his hands over his face and cursed some more. He pounded his fist against the wall. Kylie pulled him back before he could hurt himself.

  “Mind filling me in as to what this Attila the Hun reaction is all about?” Finn asked. “Because you didn’t tell me much when you called and asked me to come to the hospital.”

  Kylie tried to answer and realized she needed breath to do that. Hers hadn’t fully returned yet.

  Lucas didn’t answer right away either, though he seemed to be breathing. Angry, rough gusts of air came from his mouth. “Tiffany Smith was a surrogate at the same clinic that Kylie used. Kendrick Windham’s clinic. Tiffany might have had information about those men who tried to kidnap Kylie.”

  “Wait a minute!” Finn’s eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers. “She said something right before she died.”

  “What?” Kylie and Lucas asked in unison.

  “I didn’t hear. But I’m pretty sure Dr. Morgan did.”

  Lucas broke away from Kylie and Finn’s grip and practically sprinted down the hall.

  Kylie was right behind him.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lucas didn’t think he’d ever felt more exhausted, confused…or frustrated. Tiffany’s words kept replaying in his head. It had been relentless for nearly half an hour now, during the entire drive back to the ranch, and it just wouldn’t quit.

  One word at a time.

  Like jabs from a switchblade.

  They probably had that effect on him because they weren’t just words. But a warning. Tiffany had apparently used her dying breath to make sure she didn’t take that warning to the grave.

  They’ll do whatever it takes to stop Kylie Monroe and Sheriff Creed.

  Too bad Tiffany hadn’t identified who they were. Perhaps because she didn’t know. Maybe she, too, had been threatened by the two ski-mask-wearing kidnappers. Maybe she’d eluded them, temporarily, only to have them run her off the road and into that basin.

  They’ll do whatever it takes…

  Lucas hadn’t exactly needed Tiffany’s warning to tell him that. But it had been chilling to hear the doctor recount it verbatim. Because before Tiffany’s deathbed warning, he’d been able to hope that the men had merely wanted to kidnap Kylie. Of course, that in itself was a serious enough crime. Serious, but not necessarily fatal. But if Tiffany was right, the stakes were much higher now.

  Life and death.

  The slight popping sound drew Lucas out of his mental word war, and he glanced at Kylie. Seated next to him, one foot tucked beneath her, she’d just blown a bubble from her strawberry-scented chewing gum. That cheery scent had permeated the entire cab of the truck. And Lucas actually welcomed it.

  Actually, he welcomed her company.

  As bad as all of this was, it felt good to have someone to share it with. Even if he would have given his right arm to make sure Kylie and the baby stayed safe.

  He didn’t understand this change of heart he’d had toward her. And he didn’t want to question it either. Maybe the bone-weary fatigue was part of that. Lucas didn’t want to question that, either. He simply wanted to accept this truce, temporary or not, between them.

  Of course, there was the other thing that had se
ttled between them. And it wasn’t peaceful. It was fiery, turbulent and wrong. Yet, he didn’t think he had a snowball’s chance in hell of fighting it.

  For whatever reason, his body had decided that it wanted Kylie. And his brain was going right along with that decision.

  “They killed Tiffany because she learned something,” Kylie said. Another bubble. Another soft pop. “Or maybe she knew nothing, but they thought she did.”

  Lucas had already gone down that road, and it led him to yet more guilt and frustration. If the kidnappers had somehow heard about Tiffany’s plans to meet with Sheriff Knight and him, then that alone might have given the SOBs motive to kill her. It also might have given them a motive to kill Kylie and him, as well. Perhaps even Sheriff Knight, who would surely be watching his back.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Lucas said, because he knew what Kylie was thinking.

  “It is. Let’s face it. I should wear some kind of warning sign around my neck so people won’t get too close. I’m one of those crud magnets.”

  “No. You’re a journalist, apparently a very good one, who wrote an article that hit some nerves.”

  “And got a woman killed.”

  “Don’t go there, Kylie. You were a cop long enough to know that sometimes bad things just happen.”

  She glanced at him, as if she were trying to look into his heart.

  Were they talking about Marissa now or Tiffany?

  Lucas wasn’t sure of the answer. But he was certain that all this stress and worry couldn’t be good for Kylie or the baby.

  She shook her head. “But something about what happened to Tiffany doesn’t feel right,” Kylie added. “You know what I mean?”

  He was with her on that point, as well. Something just didn’t fit, but Lucas couldn’t quite put his finger on what that was. But then, lately a lot of things hadn’t fit.

  “A car accident’s risky,” Kylie continued. It didn’t surprise Lucas that she was voicing the same concerns that were inside his head. Kylie and he had always worked well together as sheriff and deputy. “Why not just wait until she got to her destination to kill her? It didn’t appear that she was driving in the direction of police headquarters. More in the direction of the interstate.