Love Inspired Suspense January 2014

by Shirlee McCoy

  Annie had been found once. There was no reason to think she wouldn’t be found again.

  “I’ve got some work to do. If you need anything, let me know,” he said. He sounded cold and uncaring. He knew it. It wasn’t the way he meant to come off, but years of following the rules, of shoving his emotions down so that he could do his job effectively had taken their toll.

  Another good reason to not pursue the kind of relationship that led to love and marriage. A few dates a year with nice women who were as career-driven as he was had been enough for so many years he’d lost track.

  Somehow, though, every year when Christmas and the New Year rolled around, he started thinking about having more, about what his life would be like if he’d made different decisions and chosen a different path.

  Too much time with his sister Carrie and her family, that was the problem. She and her husband, Mitch, were happy, their four children thriving. During the holidays, their house was filled with the kind of joy that washed over everyone who entered.

  Yeah. It made him want more than the house he shared with coworker Burke Trier, but that didn’t mean he could have it. God would have to drop a very special woman into his life for things to change. He knew that from watching his parents. His father had been a trauma surgeon, his life devoted to his career. His mother had been sad, then frustrated, then, ultimately, resentful. No way did Hunter want to hurt a woman the way his father had unwittingly hurt his mother.

  He shrugged off the thought and walked down the hall. He could hear Sophia’s giggles and Annie’s low murmur as he logged in to the security system. They were more distracting than he wanted them to be. As a matter of fact, if he’d let himself, he could have happily gone back into the living room and spent a little time with the young widow and her child. The two had been through a lot, and they deserved to feel secure and cared for.

  His cell phone rang, and he answered.

  “Davis speaking.”

  “It’s Josh. I’m at the evidence lab. The technicians are finished with the box.”

  “What was in it?” He tensed, anxious to hear what had been discovered.

  “A doll.”

  “A doll?” He glanced at the doorway and saw that Annie was hovering there, Sophia in her arms.

  “One without a head. There was a note included. It was addressed to Sophia Delacorte. It said, ‘Don’t tell.’”

  “So, our safe house was compromised,” he muttered. He’d known it the moment he’d seen the shadow rise above the fence, but this proved it absolutely.

  “Looks that way. We brought in a dog to track the perpetrator but the K-9 team lost the trail a half mile from the safe house.”

  “He had a ride.” Had probably spent hours planning things. If he couldn’t get to Annie, he could try to scare her enough to get her to change her mind about testifying.

  Hunter gestured for Annie to enter the room as he said goodbye to Josh.

  “It’s bad news, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Just someone trying to scare you, Annie. But you don’t need to be afraid.”

  “Because you’re going to keep us safe?” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, but her eyes were sharp, her expression harder than he’d ever seen it.

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “The same way I have been. Keeping you in the safe house until the trial.”

  “It didn’t work that well the last time. What makes you think this time will be any different?”

  “It did work. You and Sophia were never in danger,” he tried to reassure her.

  “Then why did it feel like we were?” She sounded exasperated and scared.

  “This is all routine, Annie. My team is handling it.”

  She shrugged, and he could see the doubt in her eyes. She let it drop, though. “You said something about a doll. What were you talking about?”

  He explained briefly, watching as she paled. She had a few freckles on her cheeks and nose, and her eyes were deep sapphire-blue. The first time he’d seen her, he’d thought she was about sixteen, she’d looked so young.

  She was older than that by a decade, but she still gave off a young and innocent vibe, a naïveté that made him worry more than he probably should about what she would do and where she would go after she finished testifying.

  “Sophia’s doll was missing,” she said, her voice tight.

  Her comment chased every other thought away. “What doll? When did it go missing?”

  “Right after Joe died. I looked everywhere for it when I was packing things to take to Milwaukee. I thought maybe Joe had put it somewhere the night he was…” She shook her head.

  “What did the doll look like?”

  “It was a rag doll. Nothing expensive. Just all cloth with dark hair and dark eyes. Joe bought it for Sophia’s first birthday. I made a pink dress for it.”

  “Sophia was at a sitter’s house the night your husband was killed, wasn’t she?” he asked. He knew the facts, but sometimes revisiting them helped witnesses recall details that they hadn’t before. This was the first he’d heard about a doll, and he wanted to hear more.

  “Yes.”

  “Could the doll have been left there?”

  “The sitter said Sophia didn’t have it with her. I think Joe rushed while he was packing her bag and forgot it. Usually, I was the one…” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

  “How about you let me decide if that’s the case? You usually did what?”

  “Packed Sophia’s diaper bag. Joe wasn’t very good at remembering what she needed, but since she wasn’t supposed to be at the sitter’s that night, I didn’t bother.”

  “That’s right. You thought she was going to be at home, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” She frowned. “I’m glad she wasn’t, though. Things could have turned out even worse.”

  True. But was she glad she’d been lied to?

  Was she glad her husband, who was supposed to be caring for their child, had probably been planning to do a little gambling while his wife was away?

  A little?

  The guy had been knee-deep in debt with no way of getting out of it.

  Hunter didn’t mention that.

  It would have been like rubbing salt in an open wound.

  Besides, Annie was right—if Sophia had been home, she might have been hurt. Or worse. “You’re sure the doll didn’t go with her to the sitter? Maybe with all the trauma—”

  “Sophia was crying for it.” She cut him off, her eyes flashing with irritation. “The sitter left a message for Joe asking him to bring it. I didn’t know about the message until months later since the police confiscated our answering machine. There’s a transcript if you’re interested.”

  “You’re angry,” he pointed out, and she frowned.

  “No, I’m upset. I’m frustrated. I want my life back. I am not angry.”

  “Okay,” he agreed.

  He’d have been angry. He’d have wanted a little justice, too.

  “Sophia is tired.” She touched her daughter’s dark curls. “I’m going to tuck her in for the night.”

  She pivoted and walked away, her hair swaying, her body hidden by a layer of faded denim and an oversize Rams sweatshirt. Was it her husband’s?

  Not something that concerned Hunter, but he didn’t want to think that Annie was still mourning the man who’d lied to her, stolen from their family and caused her heartache on top of heartache.

  “Not your business,” he muttered as he turned back to the security monitor, grabbed his cell phone and dialed Joshua’s number.

  THREE

  Annie woke with a start, her heart racing, a scream dying in her throat.

  Darkness shadowed the furniture and lay deep and thick in the corners of the room. She sat up, her feet touching cool hardwood.

  It took a moment to know where she was.

  The safe house.

  Safe apartment.

  Not the kitchen of the
little St. Louis rental she and Joe had chosen after their wedding. Not standing with a gun pointed at her head while Joe moaned on the floor, blood seeping from his chest. Night after night, she dreamed of that moment. The split second when the gun had misfired and the man who’d been pointing it at her had run.

  Annie shuddered.

  The sun would rise in a couple of hours. She’d feel better then, the nightmare fading, her fear fading with it.

  She eased off the bed, trying not to disturb Sophia. She could hear her deep, even breathing, knew she was soundly asleep. Not hungry or scared or cold. She was a blessed little girl. Even under the circumstances. Even without a father’s love. Even with the moves and the disruptions, she had more than so many children did.

  Annie had tried to keep that in mind during the past year.

  She paced to the window, the old wood floor creaking under her feet. Icy rain splattered against the brick facade of the building, cold air drifting in through the single pane glass. She shivered, rubbing her arms, her stomach growling. She hadn’t eaten much the night before.

  She thought about going to the kitchen to search for something to eat, but she didn’t want to face Hunter. He’d brought her the baby supplies Serena had managed to buy, asked if she needed anything. She’d told him no, but she had needed something. She’d needed someone to talk to, someone who could take her mind off the nightmare she seemed to be living in.

  She hadn’t told him that, of course. She’d just said good-night and closed the door. Otherwise, she might have burst into tears and made a total fool of herself.

  Someone knocked on the door, the soft tap barely sounding above the splattering rain.

  She opened the door and found herself looking at Hunter’s chest. His very muscular chest.

  She blushed, looking up and meeting his dark eyes.

  “Did you get the photo of the doll?” She couldn’t think of any other reason for him to knock on her door at three in the morning.

  “About an hour ago. I didn’t think it was worth disturbing your sleep, but when I heard the floor creak, I figured you might have woken up.”

  “You were right.” She sidled past him and walked out into the hall, her pulse racing, her cheeks still blazing. She’d known Hunter for over a year. For the past month, she’d seen him almost every day. Somehow, she’d never noticed just how masculine he was. Or maybe she had, but she hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself.

  “You hungry?” Hunter asked, following her as she walked into the living room. “Serena scrounged up some groceries. I’m not sure what there is. We can look around, find something to eat.”

  “I’d rather just see the photo.” Although she had to admit, food sounded good.

  “There’s no reason why we can’t do both.”

  “Except that the sun isn’t even up yet.”

  “Should that matter?” he asked, walking into the galley kitchen and opening the refrigerator. He pulled out a package of American cheese and a carton of eggs.

  Her stomach growled, and he smiled. The second smile in twenty-four hours. She was sure that was a record.

  “I guess when my stomach is growling as loudly as it is, it shouldn’t,” she murmured.

  “I’m glad you agree, because I’m starving.”

  She laughed a little at that, some of her tension easing away. “You should have eaten.”

  “I didn’t want to make a bunch of noise in the kitchen while you were sleeping.”

  “You wouldn’t have bothered me.”

  “I wasn’t worried about bothering you. I was worried about waking you. Sophia is a deep sleeper. You don’t seem to sleep much at all. At least you don’t on any of the nights when I pull shift.” He cracked several eggs in a bowl and beat them.

  It was true. She hadn’t been sleeping much since returning to St. Louis, but she hadn’t realized that Hunter had noticed. As a matter of fact, she’d had the distinct impression that he didn’t pay much attention to anything she and Sophia did. Unless he thought they were going to break a rule. Like the week before Christmas, when he’d cautioned her a half a dozen times, telling her to make sure she didn’t give in to temptation and go shopping for gifts.

  She hadn’t actually been tempted. Celebrating Christmas without Joe had seemed too sad, too lonely. She’d been happy to give Hunter some money and a short list of gifts for Sophia.

  As far as Christmases went, the last one was the worst she’d ever had.

  Next year’s would be better, though.

  She’d promised herself that.

  “You’re deep in thought,” Hunter said as he poured the eggs into a hot pan and dropped cheese on top of them.

  “I’m just tired. Like you said, I haven’t been sleeping much since I came back to St. Louis.”

  “Nervous about the trial?”

  “Among other things.”

  “It’s good that you have a healthy sense of caution but try not to worry too much. It’s not good for you.” He folded the eggs into a fluffy omelet and took a plate from the cupboard. “Are you having nightmares, too? Is that what woke you tonight?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. Nine nights out of ten, she woke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding with fear. She hoped that would change once Joe’s murderers were in jail. Knowing both men were off the street for good would go a long way in giving her peace of mind.

  “That’s not surprising. You’ve been through some tough times. It’s going to take a while to get over it,” he said as he slid the omelet onto a plate and placed it in front of her. “Not that that makes the nightmares easier to deal with. Go ahead and eat while I make mine. Then I’ll show you the photo of the doll.”

  “Okay.” She stabbed at the omelet, surprised by Hunter’s words. That was the most he’d ever said to her. At least, the most that he’d said that didn’t have something to do with the case and her safety.

  She hadn’t thought he had it in him to care much about anything. Maybe she’d been wrong.

  She took a bite of egg. No salt or pepper. No onions or green peppers, but it tasted good, and she really was hungry.

  Hunter sat down across from her, a pile of scrambled eggs on his plate. He’d taken a lot more time with her food than with his own.

  “Good?” he asked.

  “Very. Thank you.”

  “No need to thank me. I’m just doing my job.”

  “Your job is to protect me. Not feed me.”

  He eyed her for a moment, his brow furrowed. “My job is to keep you healthy and safe until the trial. ‘Healthy’ means that you eat regular meals so that you don’t fade away to nothing.”

  “I don’t think you can call this a regular meal. It’s not breakfast, lunch or dinner,” she pointed out.

  “It’s food, and you need it. You didn’t eat breakfast or dinner yesterday.”

  “Did you have cameras set up in the safe house?” She sounded as horrified as she felt.

  “No,” he said. “I checked in a couple of times yesterday, remember? One bowl in the sink after breakfast. Two plates at lunch. Sophia’s little pink plate in the sink after dinner.”

  “I snacked. Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Sure it is. Like I said, I have to—”

  “Keep me healthy and safe until the trial. I know,” she sighed. “Let’s change the subject, okay?”

  He raised one dark brow. “Why?”

  “Because I’d rather talk about the doll.” And because thinking about Hunter noticing all the things about her that he’d noticed made her uncomfortable. Even if he had just noticed because it was his job.

  His dark eyes speared into hers, and, for a moment, she thought that he was going to press for more.

  Finally, he stood. “I printed out a photograph. I’ll get it.”

  She didn’t follow him from the room. She needed a couple of minutes to gather her thoughts. She wanted to see the photo, but she didn’t. If it was Sophia’s doll, the men who’d murdered Joe had picked it up.
She didn’t remember seeing it in either of their hands, but then, she’d only caught a glimpse of John Fiske. He’d already been heading out the back door as she’d walked into the kitchen. He’d glanced over his shoulder to say something to his partner and had seen her.

  Annie had been within seconds of dying that day. If the gun Luke Saunders had been carrying hadn’t malfunctioned, she’d be dead. If Sophia had been home, she’d have been dead, too.

  She shuddered, washing Hunter’s empty plate and her own. Anything to keep the memories at bay. They were a heavy burden. One she didn’t think she’d ever be able to lay down. She’d wanted so badly to save Joe. She’d pressed dishcloths to the wound in his chest, trying to sop up the blood. She’d held his hand and touched his cheek and told him he was going to be all right. She hadn’t believed it. He hadn’t, either.

  Don’t let anything happen to the baby.

  His last words to her, and she’d promised that she wouldn’t.

  “Please, Lord, help me keep that promise. For him and for me,” she whispered as she dried the plates and put them away.

  The apartment floor creaked, and she knew Hunter was returning. She settled back into a chair, the eggs sitting like lead in the pit of her stomach.

  Hunter took the seat across from her, sliding a folder across the table. “Are you sure you want to do this tonight?”

  “It’s morning, and I’m sure.”

  She might be sure, but her hands were trembling. Hunter noticed that and her pallor. She was ashen, her eyes bright blue in her pale face.

  Any other time, any other witness, and Hunter would have been impatient for her to do what needed to be done. He was impatient. He needed her to look at the picture. If the doll had been taken from the Delacorte house, it would be a lot easier to connect the guy who’d used it to intimidate Annie to Saunders and Fiske. One more nail in the guys’ coffins.

  Once they found the person responsible.

  Yeah. He was impatient, but this was Annie, and she had a softer heart than other witnesses he’d protected. So many of the people Hunter had ushered into witness protection had been criminals hiding from criminals. He hadn’t felt sorry for their troubles because they’d brought them on themselves. Annie was different. Her husband had brought trouble into her life. Her only crime had been in loving a guy who’d borrowed money from the wrong people to feed his gambling addiction.