Sometimes Dylan hated being right.
THIRTEEN
Monday morning, Paige blinked at the bright sunlight streaming through her office window. Disgust curled through her. So far, this case was coming up as one, big nothing. Charles had said the car the kidnapper drove was stolen. A forensics team from Asheville would go over it. When they had information for him, Paige would be the first to know.
On the plus side, yesterday she’d attended church with Dylan and Will and had been pleasantly surprised at the pastor’s message.
He reminded her of the couple in her neighborhood who’d led her to Christ. Gentle, yet firm, never wavering, always consistent.
Something she’d desperately needed at that age.
Only now it was Monday, and Dylan had dug into his memory and come up with one name he thought might have had more than a professional relationship with his sister here at the school. Jessica Stanton. The blonde teacher Paige had met in the lounge on her first day.
She really needed to dig deeper in Sandra’s connections here at the school. She’d discovered Sandra subbed in all three schools in the small town and was well-known, but not exactly well thought of. She’d been subbing at Will’s school the day of the fire.
A quick glance at the clock showed her it was one minute until ten o’clock. She’d already seen several children today and fortunately, none of them had serious issues. A fight with a sibling, a parent disappointed in a bad grade. Nothing she couldn’t handle.
Now, she popped up from her desk and headed down the hall toward Jessica’s classroom.
Paige arrived just in time to see the students lining up. Jessica spotted her and raised a brow. “Hi, can I do something for you?”
“Just thought I’d pop in and see if you’d like to grab a cup of coffee in the lounge.”
A friendly smile sparked in the teacher’s eyes, and she nodded to the kids. “Let me drop them off at the gym for PE, and I’ll meet you there.”
Three minutes later, Jessica entered the lounge, and Paige took a deep breath, getting into her role of concerned counselor. It wasn’t hard. She was concerned. After they’d prepared their coffee, Jessica sat opposite Paige.
Fortunately, they were the only two in the lounge for now. If her observations were correct, it would get a little busy in the next few minutes.
“I’ve taken quite an interest in little Will Price. He’s a cutie. I hear you were pretty close with his mother.”
Pain flashed in Jessica’s eyes. “Yes. She subbed here occasionally. Several times she was in the classroom next to mine, and we got to know each other. Even got together after school some days.”
“I’d heard something like that. It’s a horrible shame what happened to her.”
“I know. I couldn’t believe it. I was just … stunned. She was so happy, finally getting her life together and then … the fire.” Jessica swallowed hard and shook her head.
Paige frowned. “I’m going to talk to Will in just a little while. Is there anything you can think of that I can do to help him? He’s a tough one to read.” Jessica eyed her as though trying to figure out what she wanted to say, so Paige reassured her. “I already know about her drug issues. Dr. Seabrook told me when he asked me to work with Will.”
Lips pursed, Jessica nodded. “Yes, she definitely had issues but was working through them.”
Jessica went on to tell Paige almost exactly what Dylan had shared about Larry and Sandra’s newfound happiness. Then Jessica said, “But while she was happy, she also seemed nervous. Kind of like she was always looking over her shoulder. She even mentioned that she might send Will away for a while.”
Okay, that was new. “Send Will away? Why?”
“I’m not sure.” Jessica took a sip of her coffee. “I don’t think she was using again, but she was jumpy. You know she subbed here at the school the day she died.”
“No, really?” Paige pretended innocence.
“Yes. We ate lunch together and she was just … I don’t know how to explain it. Jumpy is the right word.” Her eyes narrowed, and she said with a thoughtful frown. “And I overheard her talking on the phone here in the teacher’s lounge. We were supposed to get together to talk about going shopping after school. When I walked in, I heard her say something about blackmail.”
“Blackmail?” More new information.
“Yes, it was weird.” Then Jessica forced a laugh. “So, why are we talking about this, anyway?”
Paige smiled and put on her compassionate-counselor face. “Because you seemed to need to talk. And the more I know about Sandra, the more I’ll be able to help Will.”
Jessica’s face cleared. “Well, I don’t know how that’ll help, but I hope they find out who killed her.”
“The fire was ruled arson, wasn’t it?”
Jessica nodded. “Yes. And murder.”
The door opened, and Dylan walked in, stopping short when he saw the two women. “Sorry, you look like you’re having a pretty deep conversation. I can come back later.”
The teacher stood and waved him in. “I was just leaving. My class will be back soon enough, and I need to get some lesson plans written.” She looked at Paige. “Thanks for the chat.”
Paige walked her to the door.
As the woman left, she nearly bumped into another teacher hurrying down the hall toward the office.
“Oh, sorry,” Jessica said.
The other staff member whirled back toward Jessica, the anger on her face making Paige pause. Then the woman said, “I’m getting so sick and tired of things going missing around here.”
“What do you mean?” Paige asked while Dylan watched silently.
“I mean, first my ID card grows legs, now a digital camera and a twenty-dollar bill from my desk. Honestly. At least I could replace the ID. But this I’m going to make a stink about. The camera belonged to the school, and the pictures on it were for the yearbook. We’ve got a thief in this school, and I’m going to report it.”
The two women left bemoaning the sorry state of some people who worked in the building.
As they walked off, Paige said to Dylan, “I’m surprised you let Will come to school today.”
“He wanted to.” Dylan pulled in a deep breath as he fixed a cup of coffee. “I thought about keeping him at home, but when I mentioned it, he went and got his book bag and stood by the door.” His eyes softened as he smiled at her. “And I knew I’d be here at the school today and could keep a close eye on him. Plus, Eli promised more security around the school, just in case.”
“I noticed the extra cops when I arrived this morning. A couple of Bryson City cars.”
Dylan frowned. “I called my secretary and told her I was taking a week off. When I was called to sub for the nurse again, I couldn’t pass the opportunity up.” He stirred a packet of sugar into the mixture and took a sip. “I was worried that Will being here might put the other kids in danger, but Eli assured me that no kidnapper would try to grab a kid from a class full of students. He said Will is probably safer here than at home. So …” He shrugged and rubbed a hand over his head. “I brought him, and he seemed to be glad to be here. I think he feels safe here.”
The door opened again, and the janitor, Sam Hobbs, entered, gave a nod and a smile and went about his business. Soon, he was in the room next door. The smell of bleach reached her nose.
Paige said to Dylan, “I’m going to try and talk to him when he gets finished with his math class.”
Gratitude stamped his face. “The more I think about it, the more I believe he saw something the night of the fire.”
“But he was unconscious when the firefighters got there, right?”
Dylan nodded. “But he was outside.” A shrug. “I just don’t know what happened. I don’t know why he was outside, why he wasn’t in bed. I just …”
His words trailed off and Paige felt her heart hurt for him. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Thanks.” He took a deep breath. “I think I’m goin
g to take him away.”
“What?”
“It’s too crazy around here.” He kept his voice low as his eyes darted to the door. Paige couldn’t believe no one had entered and interrupted them. He said, “I think he needs a change of scenery, a place to relax and forget about everything going on here. Saturday, I almost lost him physically. Mentally? Well, I’m sure there’s going to be some lasting effects of his attempted kidnapping. He doesn’t like to let me out of his sight and …” Dylan’s throat bobbed, and he ran a hand across his eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to him.”
Paige placed a hand on his arm. “I understand.” And she did. But she couldn’t help the shaft of pain that darted through her at the thought of them leaving.
She stepped back. Dylan closed the distance and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Paige.”
His strong arms felt like home as they squeezed her, and his light cologne teased her nose. Her heart thumped with the pleasure of being in his arms. Lifting her head, she blinked as she realized his lips were less than an inch from hers.
And she wanted him to close the distance.
But then she remembered that anyone could walk in and catch them. Not that kissing him would be wrong, it just wouldn’t be right … here.
A door shut and she jumped. Mr. Hobbs must have finished cleaning the room next door.
Clearing her throat, she stepped back, and his arms dropped. “You’re welcome.” Where she found the ability to speak, she’d never know.
A slight smile curled his lips, and the look in his eye said she hadn’t covered her reaction to him very well. She returned the smile. She didn’t care.
Because she knew he felt the same.
“All right,” she said, “I’ll go get Will and see what I can find out from him.”
The light in Dylan’s eyes dimmed, and he nodded. “Let me know.”
Five minutes later, Paige stood outside Will’s classroom door. From her position, she could see Will sitting in his little desk, his head bent over a paper.
Catching his teacher’s attention, she mouthed, “Will.”
The woman nodded. “Will? Could you go with Ms. Worth, please?”
Will’s head shot up, and his eyes landed on Paige. A smile curved his lips, and he clambered from his seat. Once in the hall, he slipped his hand into Paige’s, and together they walked to her office.
Once inside the room, Will planted himself on a chair at the small table and looked at her with expectant eyes.
She sat across from him. “Hey, guy. I was wondering if we could have a little talk.”
Wariness replaced his eagerness, and Paige gave an inward wince. But she wasn’t ready to stop. Pressing on, she said, “I know things have been kind of scary for you lately, huh?”
His head dropped a notch, but he didn’t take his eyes from hers. “Well, I understand that. This big, old world with the big people in it can be kind of scary sometimes. You have every right to be afraid. Especially with everything that’s happened to you lately.”
Will’s shoulders relaxed a fraction.
Paige took heart and kept talking. “You know, you and I have become buddies, haven’t we?”
He blinked.
“And I know that when your mom and Larry died in the fire, it was a very hard thing for you.”
The shoulders tensed again.
“A very bad person set that fire, Will, and I think your mom and Larry would want you to help find the person responsible for it.”
The little boy’s forehead creased and his lips tightened. “But if you can’t, then I understand that, too. And so would your mother.”
At first, Will just sat there and looked at her, his bright, blue eyes probing hers. Then he stood, turned and walked away from her. Defeat sucked the wind from her lungs as she watched him head for the door. Expecting him to keep going, she was surprised when he stopped, turned back to look at her, then seemed to make up his mind about something. Instead of leaving the room, he walked to the small table just to the right of the door and picked up one of the larger, little-boy dolls.
Curious, she watched him.
Clamping a hand over the doll’s mouth, Will bent and whispered something into the doll’s ear.
Paige stood and moved closer. Slowly, so as not to startle him, she leaned in and tried to make out what he was saying. Only by the time she got close enough, he was done.
Straightening, Will grabbed the doll by the arm and tossed it to the floor. Sweat stood out on his forehead, and his breath came in quick, shallow pants.
His hands shook and he gulped.
“Will?” She touched his back, and he jerked. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything else, all right?”
Will looked up at her, and she winced at the desperation flashing on his face.
Placing a hand on his arm, she gave him a gentle tug. He collapsed against her and shuddered. Murmuring phrases of comfort Paige rocked him even as her mind processed what he tried to tell her without words.
She had to let Dylan know. Maybe he would understand. For now, she just held the little boy. Once Will calmed down, she pressed him. “Is there anything else you need to tell me? Did you see his face?” He pulled away from her and walked to the door. His little hand twisted the knob and without a backward glance, he began his trek back to his classroom. She watched him walk down the hall, a deputy trailing unobtrusively behind. She waved at him, and he gave her a nod.
Feeling good that Eli was willing to use his deputies to beef up protection at the school, Paige stepped back into her office and wrote down everything Will had done. Each action, every nuance, the expressions on his face, everything she could remember.
A knock on her door snapped her head up. “Come in.”
Fiona Whitley. One of the women from the lounge stepped inside. “Hi.”
Paige smiled. “Hello.”
“We didn’t get a chance to talk much the other day. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, have a seat.”
Fiona collapsed into the nearest chair and groaned. “I’m so tired these days. Honestly, if my energy level gets any lower, I’m going to sink through the floor.”
Concerned, Paige thought the woman did look rather pale and washed out. “I’m sorry.”
Fiona waved aside Paige’s sympathy. “I’ll be fine.”
“Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes. Dylan is a good friend of mine. We don’t see him often enough lately, but I’ve seen a new sparkle in his eyes since you’ve come into the picture. In spite of all that’s happened to him lately.”
Paige lifted a brow, wondering where this was going.
Fiona blushed and said, “I guess what I’m trying to say is he’s had a rough time, and I don’t want to see him hurt. If you’re not …” She trailed off and bit her lip.
Paige’s heart swelled. “He’s lucky to have you for a friend.”
“My brother, Cal, is one of the deputies here in town. He’s the one who had to tell Dylan about his sister and her boyfriend.”
Paige grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
“Working in a small town like this, it’s not often a lot of really bad things happen. Well, that was a really bad thing and telling Dylan was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. And Will …” She shook her head. “I don’t know that he’ll ever recover.”
“He will,” Paige said softly. “Somehow, I really believe he will.”
Fiona’s face softened and a smile graced her pretty lips. “I think I like you, Paige Worth.”
Paige grinned. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Dylan popped his head in, his face grim. When he saw Fiona, he nodded to her but spoke to Paige. “I’ve got to run over to Bryson City to the hospital. Cheryl’s had a heart attack. Do you mind taking Will home and staying with him until I can get there?”
Concern for the woman who was like a mother to Dylan and a grandmother to Will flashed through her. The
thought of being responsible for the child sent terror flooding through her. “Dylan, I don’t know …”
“Please? He trusts you. I can’t leave him with anyone else. Not with everything that’s going on.”
From the corner of her eye, Paige saw Fiona’s brows shoot north. And while the woman didn’t say anything, she could almost hear her thinking, You could leave him with me, with friends you trust and have known for over two decades.
However, the look in Dylan’s eyes said he trusted her. And while part of her reveled in that, her mind mocked, What makes you think you can be trusted? What if something happens to him the way it did to Ben? “Sure, I can do that.” The words slipped through her lips before she could bite them off.
His relief was obvious. “I’m just going to pop in and make sure everything’s okay. I’ll be home before dark, I hope. Margaret has a spare key at the office.”
Paige eyed him. “And she’d just give it to me?”
“No,” Dylan replied. “I’ll let her know you’re coming.”
“Fine. And I have something I need to talk to you about.”
His brows creased. “Can it wait?”
Could it? “Yes. I’ll tell you tonight when you get home.”
“All right. I’ll call when I’m on my way.”
Dylan left and Fiona smiled. She said, “Be careful with his heart, Paige. I think you already have it in your possession.”
She left, and Paige replayed the conversation in her mind. Her stomach clenched when she realized they sounded almost like a married couple. No wonder Fiona’s brows lifted.
And then before she could stop the daydream, she wondered what it would be like to be married to Dylan. To fix his dinner, make plans with him … to be a mother to Will.
The last thought shot a surge of fear through her. She remembered the police outside her house when she got back from Mama Ida and Papa Stu’s home. She’d only been eight years old, but the police asked her about Ben, wanting to know the identity of the child who had died of pneumonia while her mother ignored his coughing and Paige had escaped to Mama Ida’s kind embrace.
Agent Undercover Page 12
