by Curry, Edna
“I thought Bart Lewis died in a car accident.”
The old man nodded and spit a stream of tobacco juice, this time into a flower pot full of dirt sitting on the cement floor. “That’s what they said, all right.”
Luke eyed Ben. Did he know something or was he just gossiping? “You don’t think that’s true?”
“I got my own ideas about it. But who listens to an old fart like me?” Ben shook his gray head and went back into the house.
Luke scratched his head, staring after him. Was Ben only an old fart making stuff up to suit his own ideas about a boy he hadn’t liked? Or was there something more?
Luke climbed the steps to his apartment. He’d flashed his FBI credentials to the phone company to get priority service earlier, so his phone and ISP were already working. He spent the rest of the day tracking down info on the internet for his partners. Much of detective work consisted of piecing together details until the information all fit together to spell out the story.
He’d set up his computer near enough to the window so he could keep an eye on Candi’s house, but far enough back into the room so she couldn’t see him. He could see her sitting at her computer, and with the binoculars, even see the baby’s playpen. She must have straightened up, since the room looked okay now.
He’d only been inside for a few minutes while Candi had been in the other rooms, wanting to check things out for himself, but leaving the investigation to the locals. The officers had told him most of the house was a mess although Candi hadn’t found anything missing yet.
He wondered what the burglars had been searching for. He didn’t believe in coincidences. If the perps had been George or some of his henchmen, what were they looking for besides Jolene or the baby? Since they’d searched the house after they knew neither was there, they obviously wanted something else. They’d opened drawers and dumped out stuff as though it were something small enough to be hidden in a drawer. Had Jolene taken some of the loot? But Jolene hadn’t gone inside this house, at least not when he’d been watching her. She could have sent something to Candi, though.
A dark blue sedan drove by slowly, partly blocking his view. Suddenly he realized that he’d seen that car several times today. He zeroed in on it, snapping a picture with his digital camera and writing down the license plate number. The car disappeared around the corner. He ran the plate number and found it belonged to a different make of car. Stolen. Someone didn’t want to be traced easily.
So, who was in the car? Why was he watching Candi? Downloading the photo to his computer, he enlarged it but now the image was distorted and grainy. The person wore dark glasses and a baseball cap, hiding his hair. Was it George or one of his cronies?
Since the person seemed fairly small, it could have been a woman, as well, he thought. Could it have been Jolene? If so, why would she drive by instead of visiting her sister and checking up on her baby?
***
Late that night, Luke tossed and turned. The weather had turned hot today and now his apartment was stifling. He’d closed the window when a rainstorm went through earlier. He went to open the window. Good, the moon shone and the rain had ended. He reached to raise the window to let in some fresh air, but froze when he saw a dark figure slink around Candi’s house.
Quickly Luke slipped on his pants and shoes, grabbed his gun and headed down the stairs. He eased the door open and, seeing no one, moved outside and across the street. The streetlight glowed yellow but didn’t cast its light very far. Whoever it was had disappeared. He stayed in the shadows of the fence and bushes as he hurried to the back of the house. The moonlight showed a man taking off a screen.
At the same moment, he heard a scream from inside the house. The man dropped the screen and raced off across the dark adjoining lawn.
Luke sped after him, gaining on him although it was hard to run on the slippery wet grass. He tripped over a tree root and landed face down in a bush.
“Damn,” he cursed, spitting dirt and leaves. By the time he’d regained his feet, the perp had disappeared around the next house. Luke raced after him. Moments later he heard a car start and roar away.
He headed back to check on Candi and the baby. He was pretty sure the man hadn’t gained entry, but she was probably frightened. Lights blazed all over the downstairs of her house. He smiled. She must be a person who fights fear with lights.
He rang the doorbell. Cautiously, she looked out, and opened the door when she saw him.
“You!” she scolded, stepping back.
Luke stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Yes, it’s me. Are you and Jessie okay?”
“Fine.” She turned and walked into the kitchen, dropping into a chair.
Luke followed her and sat at the table opposite her. “He didn’t get in, did he?”
“No,” she said, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “How did you know someone was here?”
“I saw him.” He flushed, realizing he’d given away he’d been nearby. God, she looked delicious, all tousled like she’d just awakened. She wore a pink, satiny robe with a tie belt that showed off her full breasts nicely. He swallowed and brought his gaze back to her face.
“Saw him from where? Are you still watching my house?”
He nodded, looking sheepish. “How did you guess?”
“You have the apartment across the street, don’t you?” At his nod, she added, “I thought I saw you pull into that garage after you left today.”
“Oh.” He’d tried to be careful. Obviously not careful enough if an amateur had spotted him. For the second time today. He hoped the other agents never heard about this or he’d never live it down.
“Why are you watching me?”
“It’s my job.” She frowned and he explained, “Jolene disappeared after she dropped Jessie off here. So our best chance of connecting with her again is to keep an eye on the baby. You do think she’ll return for her daughter, don’t you?”
“Of course she will. Though apparently not anytime soon.”
He nodded, swearing at himself for not stopping Jolene while he’d had her in his sight. He’d been too intent on discovering where she’d lead him to realize she might be in danger herself.
“We think she’ll come back for Jessie, too. Candi, your sister may be in danger. If she’s on the run from this gang, she’d be safer with us. We could put her and Jessie in protective custody until we get these guys under lock and key.”
Candi shook her head. “I doubt she’d want that. Jessie’s never liked the police. She got in trouble more than once as a teen. I bailed her out a few times.” She hesitated, then added, “If you’d seen Jolene’s scared, wide eyes when I picked her up from the local station a couple of times, you’d understand. Jolene wouldn’t like protective custody at all. She’d run instead.”
“I understand. Ever heard the saying, ‘you can run but you can’t hide?’”
Candi shivered and nodded making Luke feel mean for pushing her. “Candi, I think she may contact you again. Would you let me bug your phone so we can trace her calls when she does?”
Candi closed her eyes. “Jolene would think I’m turning her in.”
“Guilty or innocent, she’ll be safer with us than on the run.”
“I suppose.” She shuddered. “I hate the idea of someone chasing Jolene around the country.”
“Then let us help.”
“All right, you can try to trace her calls, if she does call again. She might not, though. Remember, the last time she left, I didn’t hear from her for two years.”
Luke sighed with relief at her agreement to the phone bugging. “True. Jolene might not call, or it might not work if she does. But at least we’ll have another option.”
She nodded, but cast him a doubtful look.
“And this time she has Jessie to think of. I thought someone else might show up here. Remember Jolene’s note saying, ‘don’t let George have the baby?’”
She blanched and pulled her robe tighter around her slim figu
re, hugging herself with her arms as though she was cold. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Do you mean the burglar might have been after Jessie?”
“Yes, it’s likely. I don’t want to upset you, but you need to know so you’ll be extra cautious.”
“Why would he want Jessie?”
He shrugged and shifted his feet uncomfortably. “Maybe he doesn’t.”
She frowned. “I don’t get it.”
Luke met her eyes. “Maybe he only wants to force Jolene or George to do something. Or give up something.”
“Like using her for blackmail?” she squeaked, her voice rising incredulously. “A tiny baby? What kind of person would do that?”
He wanted to laugh, except her being so naive wasn’t in the least bit funny. “There are a lot of unscrupulous people in the world.”
She shuddered. “I don’t want to know them.”
“Neither do I. Unfortunately, my job entails encountering a lot of them. And hopefully putting some of them behind bars where they can’t do more harm.”
She nodded and went to her bedroom and peeked in at Jessie as though to reassure herself the baby was safe.
Luke followed. “Is she still sleeping?”
She nodded, eased the door closed and glanced up at him. “Yes, though I doubt if I’ll get any more sleep tonight, after all this excitement.”
She looked so worried and vulnerable he wanted to take her in his arms and reassure her. Actually, he wanted a lot more.
Instead he swallowed and stepped back, away from her tempting body. “Would some hot cocoa help?”
“That’s a good idea. I think there’s a box of mix in the cupboard. Want some?”
“Sure,” he said, following her to the kitchen.
She heated two mugs of milk in the microwave and stirred in the cocoa mix. They sat at the table drinking it.
“Would you mind if I spent the rest of the night on your couch?”
Her forehead creased. “Why? Do you think he’ll be back?”
“Probably not tonight, but I can’t be sure. I’d feel better if I stayed here with you.”
She stared into her cup, sloshing the last bit of cocoa around and around. Finally she nodded. “All right.”
He gave her a relieved smile. “Thanks. The security in this old house badly needs updating.”
Nodding again, she said, “Yeah. Even the locks are old. I’ll call and order a security system in the morning. Grandma wouldn’t let me pay her any rent for staying here, so it’ll be my gift to her instead.”
“Good. That should help.”
“It wouldn’t stop someone from breaking in those single pane windows.”
“True. But the alarm might scare off an intruder. Or at least send help.”
With a nod she stood, picked up their mugs, rinsed them and put them into the dishwasher. She turned to him. “I’ll find you a blanket and pillow for the couch.” She went down the hall and returned with the items.
“Thanks.”
Luke took them from her and wrapped his arms around the blankets to keep those arms from reaching for her. “I can make up my own bed.”
“All right. Good night.” Her voice trembled a bit. So, she was nervous, too. Was she nervous about the idea the burglar might return, or about him staying here for the night? He hoped it was the latter. He liked the idea of unsettling her. She certainly unsettled him.
She hesitated a second, meeting his gaze. Her hazel eyes widened when he leaned toward her over the blankets in his arms. He touched his lips to hers. So sweet. She smelled faintly of baby powder along with warm woman. God, what a wonderful combination. Maybe sleeping under the same roof wasn’t such a good idea, after all. Someone might need to protect her from him.
She pulled away, flushing, and said a hasty, “Goodnight, Luke.”
His gaze followed her down the hall to her bedroom. With a sigh, he made up his bed and lay there for a long time, thinking about what else he’d have liked to add to that kiss.
Could she be in league with those jewelry thieves? It seemed impossible, yet he knew better than to write off that possibility. Yikes, he was losing it. He’d forgotten to bug the phone.
He slipped outside, went to his car and found a couple of tiny listening devices. Then he installed one in the phone and another under the table, all the while feeling like a heel for distrusting her. But his job came first, even when an attractive woman was involved.
He called Curt and arranged for him to monitor the devices. He also told him about the attempted break-in.
“Be careful,” Curt admonished. “If they didn’t find what they want earlier, they’ll be back. Jolene could have passed her some of the stuff along with the baby.”
“I don’t think so, but I suppose it’s possible.”
“She’s pretty. You get all the soft gigs.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell me about it.”
Curt laughed. “At least if Jolene or anyone else calls again, we’ll know what they really said, not just what Candi tells you.”
“Yeah. Except now Candi knows we’re listening, so she’ll be careful not to reveal anything she doesn’t want us to know.”
So would the bug be an advantage or not? Sometimes following the rules was not the best way to get the information they needed.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Candi awoke with a start. Jessie hadn’t eaten for hours. She sat up and glanced at the playpen. Empty! “Jessie, Luke,” she screamed. Throwing on a robe, she ran out of her bedroom.
In the hallway, she ran headlong into Luke’s arms. “Whoa!” he said, catching her. “What’s the matter?”
“Jessie’s gone from her playpen!” Panic tightened her chest so much her words came out in a hoarse croak.
“Oh.” He laughed, steadying her and dropping his arms. “No, she’s not gone. She’s with me, eating her breakfast.” He turned back to the kitchen.
Candi hurried after him, running her fingers through her tousled hair in a vain attempt to straighten it. Her heart raced at top speed and she felt lightheaded. Jessie was okay.
He glanced back at her and hid a smile. “I made coffee if you want some.”
She ignored his offer, even though coffee was usually her first concern in the morning. She shoved past him into the kitchen. Yes, Jessie lay in her carrier on the big wooden table, looking happy.
A wave of jealousy over Jessie’s acceptance of this stranger made Candi’s voice sharp. “You came into my bedroom and got her?” she asked. “Why?”
Luke sat down and picked up the baby spoon. He fed Jessie another mouthful of cereal. She wriggled, waved her arms and spit some of it back out, then grinned at her accomplishment.
Luke smiled back at Jessie, and then glanced up at Candi. “Because she was crying. I knocked, but you didn’t answer, so I came in to wake you. You looked pretty tired, so I thought I’d let you sleep a little longer. I just picked her up and tended her instead.”
Guilt knotted tight in Candi’s stomach. Jessie was crying and she hadn’t awakened? If Luke hadn’t been there, how long would Jessie have cried before she heard her?
Another thought struck her. He’d been in her bedroom and she hadn’t even heard him? Did she sleep that soundly? Yikes, he’d seen her in only her sheer lawn nightgown? Had the blanket covered her properly? A flush of embarrassment climbed her neck. She didn’t dare ask. “I suppose I was tired. I had trouble falling asleep last night.”
Giving in to the inviting aroma of freshly made coffee, she moved to the counter and poured herself a cup. She sat at the table to watch him feed Jessie. “You look like you’ve done that before.”
He glanced at her, and nodded, wiping Jessie’s face. “I have nieces and nephews.”
“Yeah?” Suddenly she wanted to know more about him. He’d evidently gone back to his apartment for a change of clothes and his razor. He was freshly shaved and wore a clean pair of blue jeans and a red knit shirt. If possible, he looked handsomer than he had unshaven la
st night.
“My sister Janice has twins, a boy and a girl. She needed help when they were small so the rest of us took turns giving her a hand.”
She shuddered in sympathy. “Twins. I’m not getting much else done with only one baby in the house.”
“They kept her busy all right. They’re in school now, so aren’t quite so much work.”
“Where do they live?”
“Pennsylvania.”
His smiled disappeared and his Adam’s apple bounced as he swallowed.
Candi asked, “Do you see them often?”
“A couple of times a year.”
“Why so seldom?”
He shrugged, refusing to meet her eyes. “Everyone’s busy, I guess.” Now his face had a closed expression. “I think Jessie’s had all she wants of the cereal. Want to give her the bottle?”
“Sure.”
He stood. “I’ll go check my messages.” She watched him walk off to the living room where he’d set up his laptop at a small table.
Obviously, he didn’t want to talk about his family. No problem. She didn’t tell people much about hers either. She rinsed the cereal bowl, washed the baby’s face and hands and took off Jessie’s bib.
Candi fed Jessie her formula, changed her diaper and, singing softly to her, put her back to bed. Jessica’s eyes closed almost immediately. She stuffed her thumb into her mouth and dozed off. Thank goodness tiny babies slept a lot.
After showering and dressing in jeans and a tee shirt, Candi brushed her hair and put on some lipstick before going back to the kitchen. She needed the confidence of looking good to face him after being embarrassed, she reasoned. It wasn’t because she was attracted to the man.
Luke stood at the stove, cooking eggs and bacon. He turned and gave her an appreciative once over.
Astonished, she blurted, “You cook, too?” She’d never known a man who cooked. All the men she’d known thought that’s what women and restaurants were for.
