His Case, Her Baby

by Cassidy, Carla

  It was going to be a wonderful place for Lilly to grow up. There was nothing nicer than a real small town, with a café where everyone gathered and people who looked out for each other.

  By eight that evening she’d put Lilly down for the night and had broken down and taken one of her pain pills. Feeling a bit woozy, she settled on the sofa and turned on the television, comforted by the sound of a sitcom.

  Tom had called just after five to check in on her, and she’d assured him she was fine and didn’t need anything. He’d told her there was nothing new on the cases, and the call had been brief.

  As she stretched out on the sofa she felt as if her mind had fuzzy edges, thanks to the pill she’d taken. “You should just go to bed,” she said aloud. Maybe she’d feel better in the morning.

  Deciding to call it a night before she got too groggy, she got up from the sofa and turned off the television. She was headed down the hallway when the doorbell rang.

  Instantly her heart leapt in her chest. Maybe it was Tom. She hurried to the front door and peeked out, surprised to see Rick.

  “Rick, what a surprise,” she said as she opened the door to allow him in.

  “Sorry it’s so late, but court has been cancelled for tomorrow so I thought I’d drive out to see you and Lilly.” He smiled apologetically. “I know I should have called, but it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I was afraid you’d tell me to wait until tomorrow. And to be honest, I was worried about you.”

  How she wished she could love him. Everything would be so less complicated if she and Rick were in love. But she wasn’t in love with him. She was in love with Tom.

  “Lilly’s already down for the night,” she said. “And as you can see, I’m fine, although a little dopey because I took a pain pill.”

  He stepped into the foyer and closed the door behind him. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard what happened to you.” The warmth of his eyes faded. “I couldn’t believe I didn’t break all your ribs when I kicked you.”

  Peyton stared at him, for a moment wondering if the medication was tampering with her ability to understand. “What?”

  “Ah, Peyton, you’ve been a real pain in my ass. If India had done what she was supposed to, I wouldn’t have to be here now to finish the job.”

  Peyton took a step back from him and tried to make sense of what he was saying. “You knew India?” The question whispered out of her on a labored breath.

  “I met India at a bar one night after work. She was hanging around looking for a date, and by the end of the night she was crazy about me. She loved me enough to do anything for me. She moved here to get close to you and gain your trust.”

  He frowned with irritation. “But when it came right down to it, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t kill Lilly and she couldn’t kill you. But you know what I always say, if you want a job done right, you should do it yourself.”

  He pulled a length of rope from his pocket, and horror washed over Peyton as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

  Chapter 12

  It was nearly seven when Sam brought Tom a pile of papers he’d copied off the Internet. “That’s everything I could find about Rick Powell. He must like being in the news. I don’t think he misses a photo or interview opportunity.”

  “Thanks, Sam. And now you’d better get out of here. Loretta is going to have my head for keeping you so late.”

  Sam grinned. “You know Loretta’s bark is worse than her bite. Good night, boss,” he said as he walked out.

  Tom shuffled the papers together and stuck them into a manila envelope. He’d go over them at home. He left his office to see Caleb and Don Walker, another young deputy, ready to work the night shift.

  “Heading out?” Caleb asked.

  Tom nodded. “Going home.”

  “I see you’re taking work home with you,” Caleb said and pointed to the manila folder.

  “Yeah, I’m checking into Rick Powell. Aside from Buck and Cliff, he’s the only person in Peyton’s life. And speaking of Buck, go ahead and cut him loose. We’ve got no evidence to hold him, and I’m doubtful that anything will suddenly show up. He might as well sleep in his own bed tonight.”

  Don stood and grabbed the jail keys from the top drawer of the desk. “For a tough guy, he’s been doing a lot of whining since he got locked up.”

  Tom smiled. “You know the old saying—the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I’m out of here.”

  As he walked out into the hot night air he thought of Peyton. What was she doing right now? Was she curled up in bed reading a book? Was she parked in front of the sofa watching television? Was she missing him?

  The last thought made him slam his car door harder than necessary. It didn’t matter whether she missed his presence in her house or not. He didn’t belong there.

  By the time he got home, a weariness had invaded his soul. There was no question that he hadn’t slept well on Peyton’s sofa. He’d been haunted by memories of making love to her, angered by the vision of the angry bruises that darkened her skin and frustrated by the fact that he hadn’t already made an arrest.

  His house seemed big and empty as he walked through the door. The silence was deafening. He realized he’d grown accustomed to Peyton’s voice filling the quiet, to Lilly’s sweet coos adding music.

  Once again irritated by his own thoughts, he walked into the kitchen, put on a pot of coffee to brew and sat at the table and spread out the items Sam had printed off the Internet.

  Before he started looking at anything he poured himself a cup of coffee and called Brittany’s cell phone. As usual, it went directly to voice mail.

  He sipped his coffee and for a moment allowed himself to think about his missing sister. Even though he didn’t want to believe anything sinister had happened, his frame of mind was dark, and he couldn’t help but admit that he was worried about her; the worry was growing bigger and bigger with each hour that passed without contact from her.

  He told himself not to worry, that there was absolutely no evidence to show that his sister might be in any trouble. Besides, he had real crimes in front of him to solve, and until he knew something different about Brittany, that’s where he needed to focus.

  He began to sort through the information Sam had pulled up on Rick Powell. Sam wasn’t kidding: it seemed that Rick enjoyed having his mug in front of the cameras.

  There were social events, charity appearances and work-related stories. The first thing Tom did was separate it all into three piles. Once he had the items separated he started on the work-related items.

  It didn’t take long for Tom to realize Peyton was right—the man was definitely ambitious. Tough on crime, and with a winning smile, he was a perfect candidate for a future in politics, and there were several interviews where he told the reporter that’s where he intended to eventually land.

  In one interview given just after the date of Lilly’s birth, he was asked about his single status, and Rick hadn’t mentioned a word about Peyton or the baby.

  In fact, the interesting thing for Tom, as he perused through the social and charity piles, was that although many of the photos had been taken during the time when Peyton and Rick were a couple, she was in none of them. He was either photographed alone or with whoever was in charge of the function he was attending.

  Why wouldn’t he take Peyton with him? Why hadn’t he mentioned Peyton to his friends or family? The birth of a baby was something to celebrate. Perhaps Rick had never accepted Lilly’s presence.

  Tom frowned and shoved the paperwork aside, then poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and leaned back in his chair.

  His mind whirled with the information he had about India, about Tom and Buck. He felt as if he was missing an important link.

  Why had India taken Lilly? It didn’t ring true that she’d simply taken the baby to give to a second cousin in the next town, a woman who was capable of having her own children. Tom had decided not to arrest the young couple. He believed their story
, that they thought what they were participating in was a legal adoption of an unwanted baby. They had fully cooperated with him, and he believed their only crime was being young and uneducated.

  He sipped his coffee and stared out the window, working the pieces of the puzzle around and around in his head in an attempt to make sense of everything that had happened.

  Rick Powell was an assistant district attorney. India Richards had a record of petty crimes. Was it possible their paths had crossed at one time or another in Wichita?

  It was definitely possible.

  So why would Rick want to get rid of Lilly? Because he didn’t want to be a dad? Peyton had said he was upset when he’d found out she was pregnant but that he’d eventually come around.

  She had insisted that she’d told Rick he didn’t have to be a part of Lilly’s life, that he didn’t have to pay child support or do anything that he didn’t want to do.

  It still didn’t make sense, but he didn’t trust Rick Powell. He wasn’t convinced that the man was innocent in all of this. Maybe he had these feelings because there was no viable suspect left. Cliff Gunther had been cleared, and Tom’s instinct told him Buck was nothing but a loser whose only crime had been trying to hook up with a new young woman in town.

  It suddenly seemed important that he tell Peyton his concerns about Rick. Although Rick hadn’t been around much since the kidnapping and Tom knew that Peyton refused to consider that he might have anything to do with what had happened, Tom would feel better erring on the side of caution.

  As he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket he wondered if he was just manufacturing a reason to call her, to hear her voice before he went to bed.

  He opened his phone and got ready to dial, then clicked it shut once again. He’d talk to her in the morning, when his head was clear and exhaustion didn’t weigh so heavy on his shoulders.

  He got up from the table and shut off the coffeemaker then headed for his bedroom. Maybe everything would be clearer in the morning after a good night’s sleep.

  “What are you doing?” Peyton asked as Rick grabbed her by the arm and lead her into the kitchen. He forced her into a chair and began to tie her there.

  “I’m sorry to say that you and Lilly are going to be the victims of a terrible home invasion.” He tied her tightly into the chair. “But before I take care of you and Lilly, I need to set the stage—a broken window, some items taken out.” He flashed her a confident smile. “Believe me, I’ve prosecuted enough of these cases to know how to set a scene.”

  “I don’t understand,” Peyton said, her heart beating so fast she feared she might pass out. “Why, Rick? Why are you doing this?” She couldn’t believe this was the man she’d dated, the man who had stood next to her as she’d delivered their daughter.

  His smile faded, and for the first time since she’d known him anger blazed in his eyes. “I have dreams, Peyton. Big dreams, and you and that kid are in my way. I never signed on to be a father. You were just a girl I was dating for a while. Did you really think it could be anything more than that? You come from nothing. Your mother died in prison. Your mere existence in my life is a detriment to where I want to go, to who I want to be.”

  She stared at him, wondering how she’d missed the selfishness, the utter depravity he possessed. “You don’t have to be part of our lives,” she said frantically. “I told you I’d never expect anything from you where Lilly was concerned.”

  “That’s what you say now, but you would have changed your mind. You would have sucked the life out of me for the rest of Lilly’s life.”

  “That’s not true, Rick. Please, you have to believe that I want nothing from you. You can live whatever life you want, go after your dreams and we won’t bother you.” Tears blurred her vision as the reality of the situation penetrated through her foggy head.

  Danger hadn’t intruded into her home; instead she’d invited it in. She should have been wary when she saw him on the porch at this time of night, but she hadn’t been thinking clearly.

  “Rick, if you leave now I promise I won’t say anything about this. You’ll never hear from me again.” She was begging not for her own life, but for Lilly’s life. “At least leave Lilly alone.” She struggled against the rope that held her hands to the chair rungs behind her, but there was no give.

  “You don’t get it.” Wild rage rode in his eyes as he looked at her. “I’m going places, and in the world of politics an illegitimate child and the daughter of a convict are trouble. But a man who lost his daughter and his girlfriend to a violent crime is a figure of compassion. You’re worth far more to me dead than alive.”

  He backed away from her. “Now I’ve got to take care of some things. If you scream, I’ll kill Lilly right in front of you.”

  As he went into the living room, tears raced from Peyton’s eyes. She pulled on the ropes, trying to free herself from the chair, but it was no use.

  She heard the sound of the front door open and then close, and when there was no resulting alarm sounding she realized she hadn’t reset the alarm after she’d let him inside.

  A moment later she heard the tinkle of a window breaking in one of the rooms. Setting the scene. The police would assume that the killer had come in through the broken window. She guessed that he’d take her television and stereo, he’d steal what little jewelry she had and whatever else that would make it look as if she’d been the victim of a robbery gone bad.

  A clawing panic rose up in the back of her throat. Once he was finished setting the scene he would kill her, then he’d kill Lilly.

  She had to do something. She had to save her daughter, but how?

  She heard him re-enter the house, and every muscle in her body tensed. She wished she’d moved a million miles from Rick. She wished she had the strength to break the rope and get free to fight for Lilly’s life. Finally she wished she would have followed her heart and told Tom that she loved him.

  The ring of the phone cut through the air as Rick came back into the kitchen. He picked up the cordless and looked at the caller ID screen with a frown. “It’s Tom.”

  “If I don’t answer he’ll think something is wrong,” she said.

  “Get rid of him, and if you do anything stupid, Lilly will be dead before he can get here, and I promise you I’ll make her suffer.” He clicked the phone on and held it to her ear.

  “Tom,” she said. The scent of Rick’s cologne, the feel of his body heat so close to her, made her want to vomit.

  “Hi, Peyton. I just thought I’d give you a quick call to see how you’re doing.”

  “I was just on my way to bed. I’m exhausted and my ribs are sore. I took three of the pain pills the doctor gave me about a half an hour ago, so I really don’t feel like talking.”

  “Oh, then I guess I won’t keep you. I’ll come by in the morning—there are some things I want to discuss with you.”

  Peyton willed herself not to sob, not to scream. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning,” she replied. As Rick disconnected, the sob she’d been fighting against erupted out of her.

  She swallowed hard and looked up at Rick. “You murdered India, didn’t you?”

  He leaned with his slim hip against the counter. “She was a loose end. Talk about a stupid woman. She actually thought I was going to marry her, that we were going to live happily ever after.”

  “She was waiting for you at the motel. That’s why she didn’t run away after she took Lilly.” She wanted to keep him talking. As long as he was talking, Lilly remained safe.

  “I told her I’d come and get her, take her back to Wichita with me. She was in love with me. All I had to do was tell her that you and Lilly were ruining my life. Unfortunately, when it came to killing you and Lilly, she didn’t have the guts to follow through.”

  Crazy love, Peyton thought. That’s what India had felt for Rick. It had been the sick kind of obsession that really had nothing at all to do with real love.

  “This all would have been over if that old man ha
dn’t come running to your rescue in the park,” Rick continued. “You’d be dead, Lilly would be gone and that would have been the end of things.”

  “You’re going to be caught,” Peyton said. “You’re never going to get away with this. You’re going to be the first person Tom looks at when I’m gone.”

  “Ah, Peyton, do you really think I’d come out here to take care of you without having a solid alibi lined up for myself? India wasn’t the only woman in my life who would do anything for me. Right now there’s a woman in Wichita who will swear under oath that I was at her house this evening having dinner. I’m five steps ahead of Sheriff Tom Grayson. Now, it’s time for me to finish up my work here.”

  As he once again left the kitchen, an overwhelming sense of despair swept through Peyton. She had hoped that Tom would get the message and sense something in her voice, realize that she wouldn’t take that many pain pills while home alone and with Lilly in her care.

  Lilly! Her heart cried in anguish. Her sweet baby. Was he in there with her now? Placing a pillow over her face? Wrapping his fingers around her neck?

  As the minutes ticked by and death crept closer, for the first time in her life Peyton felt all hope seep away.

  Chapter 13

  He’d had no intention of calling her, but as Tom had undressed for bed, he couldn’t resist hearing the sound of her voice before going to sleep.

  As he got into bed, the brief phone call played in his head. She’d sounded fine, so why did an electric current of worry zing through him?

  She’d told him she’d taken three pain pills, but he’d had to fight with her to take two. She’d said she’d taken them a half an hour before he’d called, but when he’d given her the two pills, within a half an hour she’d been nearly comatose.

  Something wasn’t right. Had she been trying to tell him that something was wrong, that she was in trouble? He leapt out of bed as if the sheets were on fire.