Christmas Cover-Up

by Eason, Lynette

  Her father’s fifty-six-year-old face had aged a bit since she’d seen him last week. How was it possible to think he had a few more lines around his mouth, a bit more gray in his hair? “Hey, Dad. I’m all right.”

  He walked over to stand next to her. “Erica called us.”

  “Us?” She couldn’t help it. She looked behind him, but knew her mother wouldn’t be there. Katie’s mother couldn’t be bothered with the daughter who’d let her youngest child be taken. It didn’t matter that Katie had been only fourteen years old. It didn’t matter that she’d been asked by an adult to help carry groceries into the house. What her mother couldn’t get over was the fact that Katie simply hadn’t made Lucy go with her. That Katie had taken her eyes off her sister for approximately ten minutes and the girl had vanished while on Katie’s watch.

  Her father cleared his throat. “Me. Your mother wasn’t feeling very well and—”

  “You don’t have to make excuses for her, Dad. I get it.”

  He flushed and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. “Yeah. I guess you do.”

  And that was all that would be said about it. She sighed as fresh pain ripped through her. Would her mother never forgive her? “I sent her some chocolates for her birthday. Did she get them?”

  “She did. And ate every one of them.” He smiled and Katie thought it looked a little forced. “We enjoyed the meal you sent over, too. Not necessary, but she appreciated it.”

  “I just wanted to do something for her. And you.” Only she was getting the feeling no matter what she did, it would never be enough. She swallowed hard and motioned to Jordan. “This is Jordan Gray. He’s with Finding the Lost. Jordan, this is Bryce Randall, my father.”

  The two men shook hands.

  “Glad to meet you,” Jordan said. He looked from her father to her, his curious, watchful gaze making her want to squirm. If it wouldn’t hurt her shoulder too much.

  “Thanks for coming, Dad. Hopefully, I’ll be out of here pretty soon.”

  “Does this have to do with a case you’re working?”

  Her gaze met Jordan’s. She wasn’t ready to tell her father anything yet. “We don’t know for sure. We haven’t really had time to figure that out.”

  He looked at Jordan. “Do you mind if I have a moment alone with Katie?”

  “Of course.” Jordan moved toward the door, and Katie wanted to protest, grab him back and make him stay right beside her. The panicked need for his presence, his protection, stunned her. This was her dad. She could talk to him. And she certainly didn’t need Jordan’s protection.

  Once Jordan let the door close behind him, her father turned to her and swallowed hard. “Are you still looking for Lucy?”

  Katie jerked at her sister’s name. It had been so long since she’d heard either parent say it. She gave a short nod. She wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up, but she wouldn’t lie about it either. “Of course I am.”

  He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I thought so.”

  Katie fidgeted with the blanket. “Is that a problem?” She couldn’t help the challenge in her tone.

  “It could be.” He paused and gripped her hand. “Maybe you should just...let her go.”

  Her head snapped up. “Like you and Mom have let her go?”

  He flinched and she wished the words back. And yet she didn’t. His jaw firmed and his eyes narrowed. “Katie, I’m serious. She’s been gone for fourteen years. She’s probably...d-d-dead.” Tears appeared and he blinked them back before they could fall. He took a deep breath. “Just...let her go, get a life. Find a man who loves you and give your mom and me some grandkids.” He gave her a faint smile. “I think that would go a long way toward your mother’s healing.”

  I don’t deserve to get married, have a child. Be happy. She bit her lip on the words, shocked at how loudly they rang in her mind. She’d tried falling in love once and he’d died. The whole thing with her fiancé had just reinforced the fact that her purpose here on earth was to find Lucy. Then she could be happy. Maybe even be forgiven. “I can’t do that, Dad,” she whispered.

  His hand reached out and grasped her shoulder. “You have to.”

  She cried out, the harsh tone and his hard grip on her injured shoulder so out of character. She stared at him through the fog of pain and medication. He jerked back at her cry, the stricken look on his face apology enough.

  “Dad, please. Stop. You’re scaring me.” Not really physically, but she didn’t recognize this man. He was usually a man who abhorred violence of any kind, but now he curled his fingers into a fist and punched it into his other palm. Sorrow—and fear?—filled his gaze, and he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Another shock to her system. He hadn’t displayed much affection toward her in the last fourteen years. Maybe because you haven’t let him. She ignored the taunting voice and pulled back to look up at him. “What is it, Dad? What else is going on? You’re not telling me something.”

  His face paled. “Nothing. I just want to see you happy, Katie. Believe it or not, that’s all I want. Let Lucy go.”

  And then he was gone.

  SEVEN

  Jordan leaned his forehead against the smooth wall and took a deep breath. He needed to go jogging or put in a good workout in the gym. But Katie came first. It was obvious to him that someone didn’t want her—or him—nosing around asking about a fourteen-year-old kidnapping.

  Why? And who?

  The why was easy to figure out. The who was a little more difficult. Was it the kidnapper himself, afraid of what they might find? Or someone who knew who’d taken Lucy and was protecting the kidnapper?

  He slowed and considered the two questions. If it was the kidnapper, how did he even know they were investigating again? The answer to that was the person was someone Katie interacted with on a regular basis. Or was it someone he’d interviewed from the neighborhood?

  One thing gave him hope—and scared him to death. If any of the above were true, that meant the kidnapper was still around. Somewhere close. On the one hand, that was good. On the other, it could mean Lucy was dead and the kidnapper was afraid their digging would bring evidence to light as to his identity.

  Jordan paced the length of the hallway in front of Katie’s room. The door opened and her father stepped into the hall, nodded to Jordan and turned to walk away. He stopped midstride and spun back to meet Jordan’s gaze.

  Jordan lifted a brow. “Everything all right?”

  A sigh filtered between Bryce Randall’s lips as he walked toward Jordan. “No. Not really.”

  “May I help in some way?”

  Mr. Randall rubbed his palms against his khaki-clad thighs. “How close are you to Katie? How much influence do you have with her?”

  Jordan grunted. “Not much, I’m afraid.”

  The man’s face fell. “Oh.”

  “Why?”

  He blew out a sigh and blinked as though holding back tears. “I want her to stop looking for Lucy.”

  Not what he’d expected to hear. “Again, why?”

  Mr. Randall rubbed a hand over his lips. His nails had been chewed to the quick and a fine tremble ran through his fingers. “Look, it’s been fourteen years. If Katie keeps letting this...obsession...control her life, pretty soon she’s not going to have a life. And I really don’t want to lose another daughter.”

  Jordan shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. I think I do. I don’t want her in danger any more than you do.”

  Bryce’s shrewd eyes narrowed. “You might not have a lot of influence with her, but she means something to you, doesn’t she?”

  “She’s...a friend. As well as a partner. Of sorts.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Jordan chan
ged the subject. “Where’s Katie’s mother? I would think she’d want to be with Katie at this time.”

  Bryce Randall winced. “Katie’s mother isn’t well. Hasn’t been since Lucy disappeared.” He swallowed hard. “In some ways I lost my wife that day, too.” He drew in a shuddering breath. “If I lose Katie, I won’t live through it and neither will her mother.”

  A debate raged in Jordan’s head. Should he say what he was thinking or keep quiet? His mouth made up his mind. “Katie really needs to hear that from you.”

  “I told her. Sort of.”

  “But more importantly, I think she needs to hear it from her mother.” Jordan debated whether to say anything more, then went for it. “She’s trying to win her mother’s love back. She thinks constantly doing for you and her mother is the way to get her to love her again.”

  Raw pain glittered from the man’s eyes. “I know. And that’s a topic for another day. For now, please, do your best to convince Katie it’s time to let Lucy go. To let her rest in peace.”

  “Then you think she’s dead?”

  Bryce’s sad eyes met his. “Don’t you?”

  * * *

  Katie wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed and shut the world out. Between Gregory and Jordan, they’d made sure she had ample security for her overnight stay at the hospital.

  Though she had been sure that Wednesday night would never end, Thursday morning had finally come. And so had the doctor, followed by the nurse bearing her discharge papers. Now she sat in the passenger seat of Jordan’s car and pulled the seat belt across her shoulder to click into place. “I could have gotten Erica to come get me.”

  “I know. She offered, but I told her I wanted to take you home.”

  Curious, she looked at him. “Why? You have something more about Lucy’s case?”

  “Maybe, but that’s not the only reason.”

  “What else?” Katie thought she saw a light shade of red bloom on Jordan’s cheeks and blinked, sure she must have imagined it. “What else?”

  He glanced at her. “Because I wanted to be with you.”

  Katie swallowed hard. “Oh.”

  He gave a restrained laugh. One without humor. “Come on, Katie, I know we’re working together, but you’ve got to admit there’s a certain...something...between us.” He pulled out of the parking lot, his eyes active, roaming between all the mirrors, and she knew he was worried about being followed.

  “A something?” she asked.

  “A something.”

  “Ooookay.”

  “Now, we can either address it. Or ignore it.”

  Katie chewed on her lip, flashes of the confrontation with his father at the morgue running through her mind. “I’m hungry.”

  Jordan gave a half laugh, half groan. “Okay. We’re going to ignore it, then?”

  “For now.”

  “Right. What are you in the mood for?”

  “A cheeseburger. A good one, not a frozen one.”

  “How about Randy’s?” Her stomach growled, and he shot her a smile. “I guess that was approval.”

  “Definitely.” His smile sent her heart pounding in a wild dance, her pulse skittering, the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Even though she was afraid to acknowledge the attraction to him, she couldn’t very well deny it to herself.

  But it scared her.

  And thrilled her all at the same time.

  But she wasn’t going to do anything about it yet. She still had to find Lucy and couldn’t let her feelings distract her.

  Besides, his parents hated her.

  He pulled into the parking lot at Randy’s and she climbed out of the car, moving slowly in order not to tear her stitches.

  “You were very lucky, you know.” He stared at her shoulder.

  “I’m not sure I attribute it to luck.” She touched the bandage. “Right now, I’m giving God the credit.”

  “Yeah.”

  They entered the restaurant with Jordan watching her back. Katie kept her eyes open for anything that made her uneasy. The smell of grilling burgers and fried potatoes greeted her, making her stomach growl once more. She licked her lips, ready to eat. She didn’t mind hospital food, but there was no way she was going to turn down Randy’s burgers.

  Once settled, she set the menu aside, already knowing her order. “What are you getting?”

  “I’ll get what I always get. Breakfast. Eggs, bacon, grits and sometimes a steak. But the grits are my favorite. I don’t know what Randy does to those grits, but I’ve yet to find anyone to match him for the flavor.”

  “You come here a lot?”

  “Weekly. Sometimes daily. And I always get the grits.”

  She laughed as the waitress approached with their water. She gave a flirtatious wink at Jordan. “It’s been a while since you’ve been in, Jordan. Good to see you haven’t forgotten us.” She turned to Katie and gave her a sweet smile. “What can I get you?”

  Once they’d given their order, Katie leaned back with a grimace.

  “Sore?” Jordan asked.

  “In spades.”

  His lips tightened. “I should have taken you home.”

  “And miss Randy’s? Not a chance.” She sipped her water. “I’m on medical leave for the next week,” she said softly.

  “Why do I get the feeling you have something other than resting and healing on your agenda?”

  She lifted a brow. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

  He smiled at her. Within a few minutes, their food was in front of them. Jordan paused like he might be waiting on her to say a blessing. Even as disappointed with God as she was, she found she couldn’t ignore Him. He still gave her hope and she found strength in leaning on His promises.

  So she still prayed, and she still wanted to say grace over her food. Katie bowed her head and Jordan followed her cue. His low voice reached her ears. “Lord, we thank You for this food and for Katie’s safety. Please guide us as we continue to search for Lucy. Let us bring her kidnapper to justice and give her family closure. Amen.”

  “Amen,” she whispered. “Thanks.”

  Katie dug into her burger. The first bite sent her taste buds dancing. They ate in silence until Jordan’s phone rang. He glanced at the number and set his fork down. “Hello?” He listened, the furrow between his brows easing as he nodded. “Great. Great. Thanks so much.” He hung up.

  “What was that all about?” Katie asked.

  “That was one of your former neighbors I’d managed to track down. She no longer lives in the neighborhood, but she’s still friends with Elaine Johnson. I’d left a message for her to call me if she knew anything about Mrs. Johnson. Apparently, Mrs. Johnson is now a resident of White Oak Manor’s assisted-living program.”

  “Oh, what a shame. I guess that means her health is failing.”

  “Look like that’s the case.”

  “But at least we know where she is now.”

  “Exactly. I suggest we get over to White Oak as soon as possible and see if she can tell you anything more.”

  Katie nodded but frowned. “I really don’t think there’s going to be anything for her to tell me, but I’m ready to give it another go.”

  “I’m assuming you haven’t heard anything back from your sketch artist?”

  She blinked and grabbed her phone. “In all the craziness, I forgot to call her back. I saw her number on my phone this morning.”

  Her phone buzzed, and she snagged it. “Hello, Gregory.”

  “Hey, just thought I’d let you know that we’ve got the guy who killed Wesley Wray.”

  “Who is it?”

  “An inmate by the name of Charlie West.”

  “Did he say why he killed Wesley?”

  “Just that W
ray was on his last nerve so he decided to get rid of him. Charlie’s in for the rest of his life. He had nothing to lose killing Wray.”

  “Someone paid him to do it. Will you check his family members’ bank accounts and see if we can find a money trail to follow?”

  “Already thought of that. West is married with kids. His wife just had five grand deposited into her account this morning.”

  “So that’s what a person’s life is worth these days,” Katie muttered.

  Gregory said, “I’ll keep you updated as I get information. I’m working on tracking the money.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  She hung up and brought Jordan up to date. He thought about it. “I guess we need to question Mr. West.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Then let’s—”

  His sharply indrawn breath snagged her attention from the phone. “What is it?”

  He shot her a look full of apology. “My parents. Heading this way.”

  Katie’s stomach dipped to her toes. The last time she’d seen Paul and Lisa Gray, they’d been staring down at the body of their dead son and blaming her for his death. She swallowed hard, suddenly having to fight to keep the hamburger down.

  * * *

  Jordan fought the knot of dread from in his gut. He shouldn’t have brought Katie here. Not when his parents ate here almost as often as he did. What had he been thinking?

  His father’s eyes lit up when he saw him and he and his mother made their way toward him. And Katie.

  His mother’s eyes landed on the back of Katie’s head and a smile lifted the corners of her lips because she didn’t know who Jordan was eating with. Yet. Jordan bit back a groan. He stood, desperate to cut them off.

  He stepped forward and held out his hand. His dad shook it while his mother tried to get a glimpse of the woman sharing her son’s table.

  His father asked, “You’re still planning on coming to dinner Sunday, right?”

  Jordan nodded. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “And who is this lovely—” Lisa’s shocked gasp could be heard around the restaurant. Jordan closed his eyes and said a quick prayer. His father frowned and stepped around his wife to see what had her pale and trembling.