“I’m sure if you’ll explain to Mrs. Fairchild that this concerns her grandchildren, she’ll be more than happy to make an exception.”
At those words, she stiffened. Grandchildren? More like the slut’s children.
“As I have tried to explain to you, sir, Mrs. Fairchild isn’t even here.”
“Then we’ll come in and wait or you can tell me where she is and we’ll go see her there.”
Really. This man had the gall. How dare he!
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir.”
“Why not?”
“Because … well, because it wouldn’t be proper.”
Her hand tightened on the banister. Patrick wasn’t used to anyone being so forceful. Having someone ignore propriety and insist on seeing Elizabeth was unprecedented. The Fairchild name held far more power than that of any other South Carolinian family. And Elizabeth wielded that power with a strong and punishing hand.
The deep voice growled, “Since I’m not really too much into proper, I guess we’ll just come on in until she gets back.”
Of all the nerve. Huffing with displeasure, Elizabeth descended. She would get rid of this obnoxious man and his whorish companion on her own.
Keeley had stood beside Cole in wide-eyed awe as he argued with Patrick, a man who’d been the Fairchild butler for years. Not that Cole had needed to argue that much. With his height and intimidating scowl, a lesser man might have cried just looking at him. Patrick had done his best to scowl back, but it had done little good. Cole Mathison would not be deterred.
She told herself she was too old for hero worship, but she couldn’t deny that her feelings for Cole were nearing that state. Having him on her side was becoming increasingly important to her.
“Let them in, Patrick.”
The familiar autocratic voice of Elizabeth Fairchild caused Keeley to stiffen. No one could make her skin crawl quite like this woman.
His eyes showing more than a hint of desperation and fear, Patrick swallowed hard and backed away.
Cole gave a polite nod and went through the door; Keeley followed behind him. It had been years since she had been inside the mansion, and she braced herself for the unpleasantness that was sure to follow. She’d only been inside a handful of times when she and Stephen were married. Not once had she felt welcome.
“Mrs. Fairchild, thank you for seeing us. I apologize for the intrusion.”
Keeley jerked to attention at the charm exuding from the man beside her. Gone was the austere, grim-faced stranger demanding to see the lady of the house. In his place was a handsome Southern charmer. Had his Texas drawl gotten just a bit thicker?
She watched Elizabeth’s expression change. Even to Keeley’s jaded eyes, her former mother-in-law was a beautiful woman. She had to give her that. Thick blond hair just brushed her shoulders and glowed golden in the early-morning sunlight. Elizabeth’s delicate, feminine features were in direct contrast to the mean-spirited person Keeley knew her to be. And though she knew the woman had to be fifty or older, she could easily pass for thirty-five, even younger. Of course, with the Fairchild money at her disposal, the best spas and plastic surgeons were only an airplane flight away.
What caught Keeley’s attention today were Elizabeth’s eyes. They literally lit up when she looked at Cole. Good heavens, the woman was eyeing him as if she’d just found a three-carat diamond at the bottom of her cereal box.
Elizabeth gave a tinkling little laugh. “No apology is necessary, Mr….?”
“Mathison. Cole Mathison. But please, call me Cole.”
“How do you do, Cole?” She held out her hand and Keeley watched as he took her hand and held it. Maybe a little longer than was necessary?
“Feel free to call me Elizabeth.” Turning to Patrick, she said, “Bring us some coffee and perhaps a plate of Marvella’s delicious scones.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Patrick looked relieved to be escaping without a lecture. As Elizabeth linked her arm in Cole’s and led him to the sitting room, Keeley remained by the front door and grimly wondered if she was just supposed to stand in the foyer and wait. The woman had yet to even acknowledge her presence. She refused to follow like a puppy and would just damn well stand here.
Elizabeth stopped at the entrance to the parlor. Turning ever so slightly, her tone imperious and condescending as always, she said, “You might as well come, too.”
Resisting the temptation to tell her to go to hell, Keeley bit the inside of her check and walked into the room behind Elizabeth and Cole. She stalked over to a chair and sat down. Damned if she’d wait to be told to sit, too.
Elizabeth seated herself in the middle of an overstuffed antique sofa and patted it as if wanting to share it with Cole. Instead of obliging her, he sat in another sofa across from her. Her thin brows arched a bit; no doubt she was surprised someone had actually refused her. Apparently willing to overlook his refusal, she gave him a bright, inviting smile. “Tell me about yourself, Cole.”
“Be glad to, Elizabeth. But first, I’d like to ask you a few questions. If that’s okay.”
“But of course.”
Keeley swallowed a snort. Cole glanced at her as if he knew what she was thinking, and she saw his eyes for the first time since they’d arrived. There was amusement in them. He was enjoying playing Elizabeth and knew exactly why he was being treated so nicely.
Keeley bit her lip to control the smile twitching at her mouth.
“I’m with Last Chance Rescue.”
Elizabeth’s expression flickered for just an instant with distaste, but she quickly controlled it and said, “How rewarding that must be.”
Cole flashed another charming smile. “Few could understand that, but since you’ve known the despair of having your grandchildren abducted, as well as your son, you can identify so much better.”
“Well, yes … of course.”
“You know, it’s a strange twist of fate that both your son and his children were abducted. I was wondering, could there be someone perhaps who has a grudge against the Fairchilds?”
Managing to look tragic and offended at the same time was a feat, but Elizabeth handled it quite well. She raised a slender shoulder. “There’s no reason for anyone to hold anything against us. We’ve put hundreds of people to work in our factories and businesses. Without us, many families would starve.” Thin brows arched again as she cast a scathing glance at Keeley. “That doesn’t mean that other people don’t have enemies, though.”
“You mean Keeley?”
Another shift of her bony shoulder was Elizabeth’s answer.
It was all Keeley could do not to fly across the room and floor her. Her mother-in-law had worked like hell to make everyone believe she’d been responsible for Stephen’s abduction. But to have her insinuate she was responsible for her daughters being taken, too, was almost more than Keeley could stomach.
Since this was the woman who’d barely managed a tear at her own son’s funeral, Keeley knew she shouldn’t be surprised. No wonder Stephen had been cold in so many ways. Keeley slammed the door on that thought. Dwelling on how stupid she’d been in her marriage would not bring her children back to her. She had to concentrate on the here and now.
“We know so little about Keeley’s family.”
Every muscle in her body clenching with resentment, Keeley said, “I know about my family.”
As expected, Elizabeth ignored her comment and said, “My family goes back hundreds of years.”
“Everyone’s family goes back that far … thousands in fact. Ever heard of Adam and Eve? And just because someone has more money doesn’t make them any better.”
Both Cole and Elizabeth shot her a look. Elizabeth’s was her usual mixture of haughtiness and disgust. Cole’s was a warning of Let me handle this.
Keeley straightened and looked away. Fine, there was no point in pretending. Her mother-in-law’s opinion didn’t matter and hadn’t for years. What mattered was finding her girls.
; While Cole continued to charm Elizabeth, Keeley watched him … and felt her fascination grow. When she’d first met him, his grim, cold demeanor had bothered her. Last night had obliterated that misconception. Controlled? Yes. Focused? Absolutely. Cold? The exact opposite.
Cole Mathison had something that drew her to him, and it wasn’t just his extraordinary good looks. He had an air of stability and self-assuredness. This was a man who did what he had to do, no matter what others thought of him—an “I don’t give a damn” quality.
A distant buzzing sound caught her attention. Cole pulled his cellphone from his pocket. Holding it to his ear, he stood and said, “Excuse me, please.”
Her heartbeat skyrocketing, Keeley watched him anxiously. Had something happened?
She glanced over at Elizabeth, who was sipping her coffee and eyeing Cole, too … in an odd, predatory way. Her gaze roaming up and down his body said she liked what she saw.
Cole pocketed his phone and turned back to Elizabeth. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut our visit short. Would it be all right if I come back again sometime soon?”
Elizabeth beamed. “But of course. Perhaps for dinner one night?”
“That would be delightful. Thank you.” Turning to Keeley, he said, “Let’s go.”
Her heart thumping, she jumped up and almost ran from the room. Something had happened. Had her girls been found?
eleven
Cole could feel the anxiety bouncing from Keeley as they walked out together. The front door had barely shut behind them before she asked, “What is it?”
He gave a subtle shake of his head as he took her arm and guided her toward his Jeep. There was no telling who Elizabeth had listening all around her estate. Though based on what he’d learned in their brief visit, he doubted this new development would be of the slightest interest to her. A good thing, since it was none of her damn business.
He opened the vehicle’s passenger door for her, then came around and slid in beside her. Twisting round to face her, he considered how he was going to tell Keeley the news without getting her hopes up. In the next second, he knew there was no way. She was going to get her hopes up no matter what he said.
“Jordan got a tip this morning … a couple in Grantham, Georgia, have recently adopted a child. The couple isn’t known for their upright citizenship … been in and out of jail for various things. Somebody got to wondering who would be stupid enough to give them a child.”
His heart literally ached as he saw the joy and sadness on her face. Joy because this child could be hers. Sadness because it was only one child, not two.
His estimation of Keeley’s strength shot up as he watched her stiffen her spine, take a deep breath, and say, “Okay, let’s go.”
Cole stifled a laugh. If only it were that easy. He cranked up the engine and glanced over at her. “Jordan and Eden are already working a rescue scenario. We’ll head back to your house, pick them up, and head out.”
Her jaw clenched. She was clearly not crazy about the delay. Yeah, he could understand that. Most likely she wanted to go roaring over there, knock on the door, and demand her daughter back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be that simple.
“So what’s the plan? Is Honor taking over?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “No real need if this doesn’t pan out. Our tipster isn’t the most reliable source. If it is Hailey or Hannah, we’ll work something out with her.” He shot her another look. “Okay?”
It was a credit to the character of Keeley Fairchild that she asked, “Will this get you into trouble?”
“None we can’t handle. Don’t worry about it.”
A shudder ran through her and she wrapped her arms around herself. “There’s only one girl?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll never give up hope. No matter how long it takes, what I have to do … I’ll never give up looking for them.”
His eyes locked with hers as he gave her a promise. “Neither will I.”
Jordan and Eden were waiting in the living room when Keeley and Cole walked in. Eden looked determined and excited. For some reason, Jordan looked grim.
Unable to wait any longer, Keeley said, “What’s our plan?”
Eden put her arm around her and led her to the couch. Sitting beside Keeley, she took her hand. “Here’s what we know. A childless couple, known for their sordid and questionable lifestyle, was seen in their car with a little girl, about four or five years old. Our tipster said they were evasive when asked where she came from. Their explanation is that a distant relative passed away and left the child to them.”
Despite the desperate need for this child to be hers, she had to ask, “But that sounds plausible, doesn’t it?”
Jordan growled from across the room, “Plausible but oddly coincidental. Especially considering the timing, and the age and description of the little girl.”
Keeley closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Then she opened her eyes and asked, “What does she look like?”
“She has dark hair, light olive skin, and black eyes.”
Her heart almost pounded through her chest. Hannah! Oh God, please let it be Hannah. But where is my Hailey?
Eden squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
She took a long shuddering breath and nodded, determined to be strong and calm. “It sounds like Hannah.” Knowing it was useless because they would have told her if they had other news, she had to ask, “Your source had no knowledge of another child? Blond hair, fair complexion?”
Sympathy darkening her gray eyes, Eden shook her head. “Only one child was seen.”
Keeley took another breath. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”
Jordan’s voice grumbled across the room again. “We were just discussing that.”
Eden turned to her husband, her exasperation obvious. “Jordan, it’s the best way for us to get in. And you know I can take care of myself.”
Jordan’s grim expression didn’t change. “That doesn’t keep me from worrying.”
For the first time, Cole spoke up. “What are you thinking?”
Eden took in both Cole’s and Keeley’s gazes. “They live in a rural area. Not a lot of houses close by. I’m going to knock on their door, pretend I have a flat and that my cellphone can’t get a signal. I’ll ask to use their phone, go in and snoop.”
“And if you get caught, there’s no telling what they’ll do,” Jordan said.
“I’m not going to get caught.” Eden looked at Cole. “What do you think?”
Cole nodded. “Sounds like a good plan to me. We’ll wire you so we can monitor what’s happening. The instant you find the child, let us know if it’s Hannah. If it is, Jordan and I will come through the doors. If it isn’t, you can make a pretend call and then leave without them ever knowing what we suspected.”
Keeley couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. “Doesn’t it make more sense if I go in?” She looked at Eden. “You’ve only seen photos of Hannah. I could tell immediately and—”
“No,” Cole said. “What are you going to do if it is Hannah and she recognizes you? She could blow your cover and get both of you hurt. You willing to risk that?”
“I can’t just sit by and—”
“Yes, you can. Hannah needs her mother to be safe and Hailey needs you to keep looking for her.”
Cole was right … she knew he was, but now that there was some hope, she desperately needed to do something. And amazingly, he seemed to understand that.
“You’ll be in a car a few yards away. If it’s Hannah, the instant we grab her, we’ll pass her to you. She’ll be scared and will need her mother immediately.”
Keeley cast him a grateful look and nodded. “Okay, so when are we going?”
All three LCR operatives glanced at their watches and then in one simultaneous statement said, “One hour.”
Dark ominous clouds were rolling in as they started for Grantham, creating an even more somber, anx
ious feeling inside Keeley. Jordan and Eden were in the car ahead of them. Cole and Keeley followed behind in his SUV. It was a seven-hour drive to Grantham. They had discussed flying, but wanted to go under the radar as much as possible. Once there, Cole said he would give Honor a call.
Honor would likely be upset that she wasn’t notified sooner. Keeley couldn’t let that concern her. If this was Hannah, nothing else mattered. She didn’t care if they broke every law man had ever made. Saving her children was the only thing that mattered.
A shiver of excitement swept through her, followed quickly by a strong surge of hope. Could it be possible that in just a few hours, she could be holding one of her daughters? Her arms ached with the need to hold their soft warm bodies.
“You cold?” Cole’s voice sounded rough, gravelly with his concern.
“No, just excited and worried. I feel so torn. On one hand, I can’t wait to hold Hannah in my arms, but I can’t stop thinking about Hailey. Where could she be?”
“It makes sense they’re not together. For one thing, this case was too well publicized to keep them together. And secondly …” He glanced over at her as if concerned whether or not she could take what he was about to say.
“And secondly?”
“Since they were likely sold, most people would only be able to purchase one, not both.”
Keeley closed her eyes. Yes, that had been a theory all along. Selling her children for profit. What kind of monster would do that to a child? She fell silent, her mind bouncing with worry and the inability to fathom what had caused her entire family to be ripped away from her.
“Tell me about your husband.”
Surprised by the question, Keeley was grateful for anything to get her mind off her tortured thoughts. “He was a complex man.”
“In what way?”
Her mind envisioned Stephen when they’d first married. Golden hair, golden skin, and perfect smile. Charming. Witty. He’d seemed so uncomplicated and easygoing, so full of life.
Last Chance 05 - Second Chance Page 11
