by Laura Scott
Revolutionizing the artificial intelligence industry.
The phone rang, startling her so badly that she dropped the papers she’d been reading.
Miles rose to his feet with a frown and crossed over to the landline. “Hello?”
Paige held her breath, watching the big, handsome detective, fearing the worst. But when his expression cleared, she let out a heavy sigh.
“Wait a minute. Back up, Mike. What do you mean, followed?” Miles looked over at Paige, his brow furrowed as he listened to his brother.
“Dark red jeep? I can’t say that I remember seeing it, but let me check with Paige.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I haven’t seen one.”
“When did you see it?” Miles demanded, returning to the phone conversation. “Is this place compromised?”
There was a pause, then Miles nodded. “Good. Okay, then...listen, you need to be careful. Maybe you should take the entire family on a vacation to keep them safe.”
Paige shivered, hating the thought that the entire Callahan family might be in danger because Miles had agreed to help her.
And if anything happened to his family, it would be all her fault.
ELEVEN
“Yeah, right,” Mike said with a snort. “You must be crazy if you think I could manage to pull that off. Maybe I could come up with a way to get Mom and Nan out of the house, but the entire family? Dream on.”
Miles gripped the receiver so tightly he feared it might crack. “You have to do this for me, Mike. I need to know that the family is safe. The fact that you picked up the tail proves they know who you are and where you live. Which means they know where Mom and Nan live, too. And now that Dad’s gone...” He didn’t have to finish.
There was a brief silence as Mike considered his options. “I’ll talk to the guys. I’m pretty sure I can convince them that we need to take turns staying at Mom’s house. Although, you know, Mom is going to ask questions about why we’re suddenly spending the night. What do you want me to tell her?”
Miles didn’t want to lie to his mother and grandmother, but he also didn’t want them to know the entire truth, either. They both worried about the six of them enough; he didn’t want to add to their burden. “Tell her that I’m investigating a homicide and that you, Mitch and Matthew are going to take turns staying over. I don’t want her to know any details, understand?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Mike sounded grumpy. “Anything else?”
“Not right now, but thanks.” Miles cleared his throat. “Stay safe, Mike. I’ll call you if I need you.”
“Back at you.” His brother hung up.
Miles replaced the receiver and stared blindly down at the phone. He wasn’t at all happy that his brother had been followed. And why on earth would someone use a dark red Jeep to tail someone in the first place? Most crooks tried to blend in by using nondescript cars, not ostentatious ones.
He pressed his fingers to his temples in an attempt to ease the throbbing. The lack of sleep was wearing on him. Nothing about this case made sense.
Because he was missing something. A link that would tie everything together.
If only he could find it.
Turning away from the phone, he glanced at Abby curled in the corner of the sofa, sucking her thumb. Her wide gaze was locked on the cartoon movie she was watching and he knew he couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
He needed to talk to Paige’s daughter about what had frightened her so badly the night she’d dropped the tablet.
Now. Before anyone else was harmed.
He took a step toward Abby, but something in his expression must have tipped Paige off to his intent, because she jumped up from her seat and planted herself firmly in his path.
“What are you doing?” Her voice was soft yet fierce, a momma bear protecting her baby.
He searched her green-gold gaze. “You know I have to talk to her, Paige.”
“We agreed to wait.”
“No, we agreed to see how the day progressed,” he corrected, holding on to his temper by a thread. He understood her concern, but she had to know by now that he had Abby’s best interests at heart. “And now my family is in danger, too. We’re running out of time.”
Her eyes beseeched him not to do anything to upset her daughter, making him feel lower than a snake slithering along in the grass. “Please don’t do this,” she whispered.
“I have to try.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, staring him down, but he didn’t budge. Hardening his heart, he brushed past her toward the sofa. As he approached, he could see the cartoon show had just ended, so he scooped up the remote and quickly shut off the television.
Abby looked at him with a pout. She gestured toward the television, wordlessly indicating she wanted it turned back on.
He sat beside her on the sofa, leaving a bit of space between them so she wouldn’t feel crowded. “Sweetheart, I need to ask you a few questions before I turn the television back on, okay?”
Abby shook her head and tried to reach past him for the remote.
“No, Abby. Questions first, then television.” Gently but firmly, Miles eased the little girl back into her spot on the sofa.
Abby sulked, but her mood didn’t last long. She picked up her elephant and tipped her head to the side, looking up at him, obviously waiting for him to start.
Paige came over and perched on the edge of the sofa next to her daughter, obviously intending to intervene if things didn’t go well. He swallowed a flash of annoyance. He’d never hurt a child in his life, and didn’t plan to start now. But he couldn’t deny that his questions might cause the little girl to become distressed, so he forced himself to relax his features and kept his gaze soft.
“Abby, we need to find out what happened to your daddy.”
The little girl frowned and pulled the elephant closer. Her thumb slipped back into her mouth and she was so adorable, his heart squeezed painfully in his chest.
“I’m going to ask you some questions about the night you saw your daddy on the ChatTime link, okay?”
Abby’s wide gaze clung to his and he expected her to shake her head, but she surprised him by nodding in agreement.
Encouraged, he smiled. “Good girl. So...did your daddy talk to you that night you got scared and hid under the bed?”
Abby gave a jerky nod.
“When he first called, did he want to talk to you? Or to your mom?”
Abby reached up and patted her mom’s arm. Paige looked surprised by the news.
Miles lifted a brow, glancing at Paige. “Did Travis often talk to you via the link, too?” he asked Paige.
“No. The ChatTime link was mostly for Abby.”
He wondered why Travis had changed his routine that night. “Your phone was in the kitchen, right?”
“Yes.” Paige frowned. “Why?”
“Was it turned on? With a full battery?”
Her brow furrowed. “I think so, but to be honest, the ringer was probably off. I was getting calls by mistake in the middle of the night, so I powered it off. I’m not sure I remembered to turn it back on.”
So it was possible that Travis had tried to call Paige, and when she hadn’t picked up, he’d used the ChatTime link to connect with his daughter. Imagining how the scenario might have played out made him feel better.
“Okay, Abby, your dad used the ChatTime link because he wanted to talk to your mom. Is that right?”
The little girl nodded again.
Here’s where things got a little dicey. Miles knew he had to tread carefully, because if he upset Abby too much, Paige would intervene, abruptly ending the conversation. “Did something happen before you could bring the tablet over to your mom?” he asked gently.
Abby’s ey
es clung to his, reflecting her inner turmoil as she nodded again.
“It’s okay, honey,” Paige said, reaching out to smooth Abby’s hair away from her forehead. “No one can hurt you. We’re safe here.”
“Your mom is right, Abby,” he said in a calm, soothing voice. “I will protect you and your mom no matter what. Okay?” The child nodded again, edging closer to her mother’s side.
He tried to think of the best way to broach his next few questions. “Did you see anyone on the screen besides your daddy?”
Abby nodded, then turned and hid her face against her mother as if she didn’t want to think about what she’d witnessed.
“I’m here, Abby,” Paige whispered, bending over to gather her daughter into her arms. “I love you.”
Miles watched Paige cuddle the little girl, his heart wrenching in his chest. Pushing the child to remember something that had frightened her speechless did not sit well with him. But what other choice did he have? The gunmen had proved they weren’t going to stop coming after them, and he feared they’d use his family as bait to get to him if needed.
Abby was the key. He desperately needed to know what the child had seen that night. And so far, all he knew for sure was that she’d seen someone other than her father through the ChatTime link.
“Abby, did your daddy tell you he was in danger?”
The little girl nodded, then pressed her face more firmly against her mother. Paige sent him a sharp look. “I think that’s enough, Miles. She’s too upset.”
“I’m sorry she’s upset. Truly I am. But just a couple more questions, can you do that for me, sweetheart? Please?”
There was a long pause before Abby turned her head to look at him. Her damp, reddened eyes twisted his gut. She sniffled loudly, then nodded.
He gave her another encouraging smile. “Was the person you saw with your daddy a man?”
There was a flicker of uncertainty but then her head bobbed up and down. Yes.
Miles thought back to the photograph he’d seen of Aaron Eastham. “Did he have a lot of hair on his head?”
Abby looked confused then shook her head.
“So he was bald? Hardly any hair on his head?”
She frowned and shook her head. Abby’s expression was one of frustration, as if he wasn’t asking the right question. She reached up and patted her head.
It took him a moment to realize what she might be trying to tell him. “Was he wearing a hat?”
This time she nodded and put her hand over her nose and mouth.
A ski mask.
His hopes plummeted to the soles of his feet. The man who’d attacked Travis Olson had worn a mask.
Which meant Abby couldn’t identify him. They were no closer to figuring out who was coming after them.
* * *
Cradling Abby close, Paige watched a myriad of emotions playing across Miles’s ruggedly handsome face. She understood he was worried about his family, but her first priority was her daughter.
“You’ve been a big help, sweetie,” she crooned softly, against Abby’s soft brown hair. “Thanks for answering our questions. Do you want to watch another movie now?”
Abby nodded, but didn’t attempt to move away. Her face was turned toward Miles. Paige couldn’t easily tell if her daughter was still looking at Miles or not.
As before, she had the distinct impression that Abby wanted the detective to guess what happened. That she wanted to tell them, but couldn’t say the words.
Was the horror of what she’d witnessed keeping her silent? Or something else? Had the masked man threatened her daughter, making her drop the tablet?
“Yes, thank you, Abby,” Miles said in a low, husky voice. He reached out and smoothed his hand tenderly down Abby’s back. “You’re a good girl.”
Abby reached out and put her tiny hand on Miles’s arm, almost as if she was trying to comfort him. Miles bent his head and kissed her hand, before moving away.
Tears pricked Paige’s eyes at the way Miles treated her daughter. She was struck once again at how great he was with kids and what a wonderful father he’d be one day.
But she knew better than to speak her thoughts out loud.
Her heart ached for Abby. Now that Travis was dead, her little girl would grow up without a father.
Unless she remarried...
As soon as the thought formed in her mind, she shoved it away. Not an option, she told herself firmly. When it came to men, her instincts couldn’t be trusted. She’d believed Travis’s lies, and ended up brokenhearted and alone. No way was she ready to trust another man.
Although, if she was going to ever let another man into her heart, she could easily imagine him being someone like Miles Callahan.
But not now. Not when her daughter needed a steady, stable home environment. If things didn’t work out, Abby would be crushed.
“Thanks, Paige,” Miles said, interrupting her tumultuous thoughts.
She couldn’t manage a smile. “You’re welcome.”
He stood and returned to the kitchen table where the information Jason had sent him remained scattered about. After a few minutes, Abby lifted her head, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Then her daughter scrambled over the sofa cushions to retrieve the television remote control, turning and handing it to Paige.
She took the remote and found the kids’ channel again. This time, the movie wasn’t animated, but Abby didn’t seem to mind. Her daughter picked up Ellie, cuddling the toy close, her thumb making its way back into her mouth.
Realizing how much her daughter had regressed in the past few days was troubling. Paige told herself it could be worse, but somehow that didn’t make her feel any better.
Once she was sure that Abby would be okay, Paige joined Miles. “I’m not sure going through this information is helping,” she said, dropping into a chair with a weary sigh. “We haven’t found anything useful yet.”
Miles grimaced and sat back in his seat. “I hate feeling helpless. If anything happens to the two of you. Or my family...” His voice trailed off.
“I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to your loved ones, either,” she said softly. “Trust me, I know very well that you’re only in this mess because of me.”
“Not true. I was at your house looking for Travis because of Jason’s murder.” He shoved the paperwork out of the way in a rare flash of anger. “And I’m in danger because Jason sent me all of this. Too bad it’s all scientific gobbledygook.”
The comment struck her as funny. Miles was smart, but apparently he didn’t speak science. “How long were you and Jason friends?” she asked curiously.
“We were roommates in the dorm our freshman year.” A hint of a smile twitched at his mouth. “We were complete opposites—I was outgoing and loved sports, and he was a shy science geek.” The smile faded. “Jason introduced me to Dawn and Shelly, two girls in his microbiology class. The four of us became friends. Once we didn’t have to live in the dorm anymore, Jason and I shared an apartment not far off campus.”
“What about Dawn and Shelly? Did they live with you guys, too?”
“No. By the end of our freshman year, we’d paired up. Jason and Shelly were a couple, and Dawn and I started going out together, too. Dawn wanted to become a registered nurse.”
The sadness in his eyes tugged at her heart. “Wanted to be? What happened?”
“She was diagnosed with leukemia right before graduation.” His lips tightened in a thin line. “She fought hard and did her best to live her life to the fullest. I helped any way I could, especially in providing new experiences for her.”
He fell silent, but she sensed he needed to talk this out. “Like what?”
“We hiked the Pacific Trail, did some parasailing and rode in a hot air balloon. She wanted to go hang gliding, t
oo, but there wasn’t time. Ten months after her first dose of chemotherapy, she was gone.”
“Oh, Miles, I’m so sorry.” She pulled her chair closer and reached for his hand, cradling it between hers. “That must have been terrible for you.”
“Terrible for her,” he corrected in a grim tone. “She died a week after her twenty-fifth birthday. Too young. Far too young.”
Paige didn’t know what to say to make him feel better. “She’s in a better place now,” she reminded him softly.
His expression turned stony. “Oh, yeah?” There was a definite challenge in his tone that basically said, prove it.
Too bad, she couldn’t. Instead, she regarded him steadily for a long moment. “Miles, I know it’s not always easy for us to understand God’s plan. When Travis kept cheating on me, I wondered why God had let me make such a huge mistake. Then I realized that He’d given me Abby. When you told me that Travis was gone, I couldn’t see why God would take Abby’s father away. Why he’d expose my little girl to danger.” She dropped her gaze to Miles’s tanned, muscular forearm. “I still don’t understand, to be perfectly honest. We’ve been running from the gunmen for three days now, yet when I think about how terrible that is, I also realize that God is the one keeping us safe.”
She paused and shrugged. “All I can do is to continue praying for safety and guidance. It’s not up to us to question God’s plan. It is what it is.”
Miles let out a long breath and curled his large fingers around her much smaller ones. “You may be right. The foundation of my faith was shaken by Dawn’s death. But I have to admit that I’ve started praying again. Since the night I met you, Paige. Watching you pray with your daughter reminded me how important it is to stay connected with God. It was easier to pray for you and for Abby than to pray for myself.”
She was touched by his revelation. “I’m glad.” She rubbed her thumb over his. “I’m sure Dawn’s glad you found your way back to your faith, too.”
His gaze was thoughtful and a muscle ticked in his jaw, but he didn’t say anything. She wondered if maybe Dawn’s faith had fallen by the wayside, as well.
