Reckless Whisper

by Barbara Freethy

  Grace blinked and looked at her mom. "She knew you when you were my age, Mommy?"

  "Yes," Josie said. "Bree is a—friend—from a long time ago. And like I said, she has a couple of questions to ask you."

  "Why don't we all sit down?" Bree suggested, taking a seat on the couch.

  Grace and Josie sat down on the sofa facing her, while Nathan took up a protective position by the entryway, his arms folded across his chest.

  "I heard you're a really good ballet dancer," she said to Grace, giving the little girl a warm smile. "I always wanted to take ballet, but I never had the chance."

  "I'm not as good as Hayley," Grace said solemnly. "Do you know where she is?"

  "No. But I'm looking for her. You told the police that you saw Hayley leave through the stage door with someone."

  Grace nodded and looked at her mom.

  "Just tell her what you remember." Josie put her arm around Grace's shoulder.

  "You went to the bathroom with Hayley," Bree encouraged. "What happened after that?"

  "Hayley was taking too long. She was really nervous. The bathroom smelled bad, so I left. I went over to our group. Our teacher, Miss Delancey, told us to stay close, because it was almost our turn. When it was time to go on, Hayley wasn't there. I was at the back of the line, so I went to find her, and I saw her going through the door. I thought she decided not to dance. She was scared about forgetting the steps. Then Miss Delancey called me, and I went on the stage. I didn't know someone took her until after our dance."

  Grace was a smart, articulate girl. Now, if she could just get her to remember a few more details. "You said the person was wearing a puffy black coat and a blue beanie, is that right?"

  Grace nodded.

  "You couldn't see their hair?"

  The little girl shook her head.

  "Do you remember if there were any words on their clothes? Like for a sports team or something?"

  "I didn't see any."

  "And you couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman?"

  "I think it was a man, because he was so tall, but I don't know for sure."

  "Do you remember what kind of shoes he was wearing? Tennis shoes? Boots? Work shoes?"

  Grace thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know."

  "Was he holding Hayley's hand?"

  "No, he had his arm around her. Is Hayley going to be all right?"

  "I hope so. You're doing really good, Grace. You're being very helpful."

  "Hayley is scared of the dark. Do you think she's in the dark?" Grace asked, fear in her eyes.

  Bree could hear the terror in the little girl's voice, and she wanted to reassure her, but she also didn't want to lie to her. "Is there anything else you remember, Grace? Did you see a car through the open stage door?"

  "There were lights outside. They were bright. I think they came from a car."

  "Was Hayley yelling or kicking her feet or trying to pull away from the person?"

  Grace's mouth turned down in a frown, and then she slowly shook her head. "She wasn't doing anything."

  Was that because Hayley knew the person who had come into the backstage area of a school concert? Was the kidnapper someone who was familiar to people at the school so that they wouldn't be questioned?

  The police were already looking into the janitorial staff and everyone else at the school, but it wouldn't hurt to keep what Grace had just told her in mind. "Did Hayley ever talk about anyone bothering her? Was she mad or upset with anyone?"

  "She said her dad was mad at her for not cleaning up her room, and she might not be able to go to the park with me this weekend."

  "Anyone else?"

  "Carter told her she was clumsy, and she was going to fall during our show," Grace added. "I told him not to be mean and that Hayley wasn't going to fall."

  "Who is Carter?"

  "He's a boy in our class. He always says rude things."

  She didn't think this Carter had anything to do with Hayley's disappearance, but the more Grace talked, the more she might remember.

  "I want Hayley to come home," Grace said, her bottom lip starting to waver.

  "I think that's enough," Josie interrupted, obviously disturbed by her daughter's distress.

  "You did good, Grace," she told the little girl.

  Grace sniffed. "I should have run after Hayley. I should have saved her."

  "No. That wouldn't have helped. And you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing now. You're telling us what you remember."

  "Why don't you go upstairs and finish watching your show?" Josie said. "I'll bring up lunch in a few minutes."

  Grace slid off the couch, then paused, something odd in her eyes as she looked back at them. "There was something shiny on the man's hand. The hand that was on Hayley's back. Like Daddy's big ring."

  "Your daddy's wedding ring?" she probed.

  "No, the baseball ring."

  "My husband has a ring from the Chicago Cubs when they won the World Series," Josie put in.

  "Really? What does he do for the Cubs?"

  "He doesn't work directly for the team. He's a real-estate developer, and he has been working with the organization to buy up some of the properties adjacent to the ballfield for additional expansion of outfield seating. You know how small Wrigley Field is, how close the apartment buildings are."

  "Part of its charm," she muttered.

  "At any rate, since the team hadn't won a world series since 1908, they gave out 1908 rings to staff and employees," Josie continued. "Basically, anyone who had anything to do with the team got one. They're not as nice as what the players got, of course."

  Was there defensiveness in Josie's voice? Had Josie just picked up on the fact that her daughter had identified the kidnapper as having a ring similar to the one her father wore?

  "Was your husband with you at the concert last night?" she asked.

  "No, he had to work late. Are we done here?"

  She could see that Josie was finished talking, and she'd probably gotten all she could from Grace. "That's all for now."

  "Go on upstairs, honey," Josie told Grace.

  Grace paused by her uncle on her way out of the room. "Do you want to watch a movie with me, Uncle Nathan?"

  "I'll be up in a bit," he told her, giving her a smile.

  As Bree saw Nathan's lips curve up in kindness and affection, she was reminded of a much younger Nathan—the kid who'd once been her friend, who'd given her the last bite of a shared candy bar, who'd dreamed with her about a better life, a pretty house by the sea.

  But that kid had disappeared long before she'd left Chicago.

  Josie stood up. "I need to get Grace her lunch."

  "Thanks for letting me speak with her," she said, getting to her feet.

  "I really hope you can find Hayley. She's a sweet little girl who doesn't deserve this," Josie said.

  "I'm going to do my best."

  As Josie left the room, Nathan moved from his post by the entry to block her way.

  "What are you thinking?" he challenged.

  She shrugged. "I don't know. Just taking it all in."

  "Really? You're not wondering if Kyle had something to do with this, because Grace thought the person was wearing a ring like her father's?"

  "As Josie said, a lot of people have that ring."

  "Exactly."

  "What is Josie's husband like?"

  "He's…fine."

  The slight hesitation told her a lot. Nathan didn't like his brother-in-law. But then Nathan had always been protective of Josie. Maybe no man would be good enough for his sister.

  "Kyle takes care of Josie and Grace. He provides well for them," Nathan continued. "He works for a large real-estate development company. He makes a good living. Josie gets to live in this nice house, and Grace gets to go to a good school. That's what's important."

  "Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself."

  "Kyle had nothing to do with this, Bree."

  "I
didn't say he did. And I don't jump to conclusions."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You don't jump to conclusions?"

  She hesitated for a split second. "Not anymore."

  "I still can't believe you're a fed. Do they know all the shit you were involved in? Do they know about Johnny?"

  She stared back at him. "Why are you so angry, Nathan? Weren't we friends once?"

  Her direct question seemed to take him aback. "Now you remember that we were friends? Because it seemed like you forgot that a long time ago. You got on a bus and never looked back. But even before that, you changed."

  "So did you," she reminded him.

  "I don't like you being back here," he muttered. "My life is different now. I don't need a reminder of how things used to be. I don't need to get back in that mud pit."

  "Believe it or not, I feel exactly the same way. My life is different now, too. And I'm not thrilled to be back in Chicago, but it's only until we find Hayley. Then I'll return to New York, where I live."

  "New York, huh?"

  "Yes."

  His tension seemed to ease with the reminder that she was only in town temporarily.

  "When did you get to New York?" he asked.

  "Last year."

  "And before that?"

  "Lots of places," she said vaguely. "What about you, Nathan? I thought you wanted to leave this city."

  "I did, but Josie met Kyle and got pregnant…" He shrugged. "My family is here. I had to stay."

  "What do you do for a living?"

  "I'm a contractor."

  His words made her smile. "You always wanted to tear down the bad buildings and build new ones. And now you're doing it. That's cool. You and your brother-in-law must have a lot in common, if he's a real-estate developer."

  "Actually, we're usually on opposite sides when it comes to development. He's in it purely for the money. The bigger the project, the better—never mind how many neighborhoods get displaced or ripped apart in the process."

  "I knew you didn't like him, Nathan."

  "I never said that."

  "You didn't have to. I can hear it in your voice."

  "Look, he's a blowhard, and he's greedy, but he's harmless." Nathan cleared his throat. "Do you think Hayley was kidnapped for money? I know Mark has a very good job."

  "You know Mark Jansen?"

  "We run together. We did a triathlon last year. I can't imagine what he's going through. He adores Hayley and his other kids. He's a real family man."

  "You still run," she mused, thinking of the times Nathan had tried to convince her to go on a run with him, but she had almost always refused.

  "My go-to sport," he acknowledged.

  "If you run fast enough, the pain, the sadness, and the fear can't catch you," she said softly, remembering the words he'd spoken to her on more than one occasion.

  His gaze darkened. "Still holds true—most of the time."

  "I—I need to get back to work," she said, realizing she was getting lost in the past.

  Nathan stepped aside but dogged her heels on the way to the front door. Then he barred her way once again. "I don't want Josie's life messed up again, Bree. She's good now, and Grace needs her mom to be good, if you know what I mean."

  She knew exactly what he meant. Josie had had issues with drugs when she was a young girl. "I only wish Josie the best."

  "If that's true, don't go after her husband."

  "I'm going to follow every lead, Nathan, no matter where it goes. Hayley deserves that."

  "I get that. I want you to find Hayley. I just don't want you to hurt Josie in the process. Kyle can't be a suspect. He's not that kind of guy."

  "Right now, everyone is a suspect. Are you going to let me out?"

  He opened the door for her, then said, "Bree…"

  She stepped onto the porch and looked back at him. "What?"

  He seemed to have some debate going on in his head and then he said, "I'm glad you made it."

  She was surprised by his words and felt a wave of unexpected emotion. "I'm glad you made it, too."

  "Let's try not to mess up each other's lives."

  "That's the last thing I want to do." She walked away, feeling Nathan's gaze on her back until she turned the corner.

  Nathan Bishop was an unexpected complication, but she'd handled it.

  Hopefully, that would be her one and only encounter with the past.

  Three

  "Is Bree gone?" Josie asked, as he entered the kitchen.

  "Yes."

  His sister let out a sigh. "Good. Because you've got that look in your eyes again, Nathan. And you should not go there."

  "I'm not going anywhere."

  "You always had a thing for Bree—even when she was with Johnny."

  He would have liked to deny his sister's words, but it would be pointless. "We don't need to talk about her."

  "Of course we need to talk about her. She's back. She's in our lives."

  "Not for long. As soon as Hayley is found, she'll return to New York."

  "I hope so, because I like seeing you happy, and you were rarely happy when we were younger."

  "That wasn't because of Bree."

  "Sometimes it was. I may have been out of my mind a few of those years, but I didn't miss everything. You did things you wouldn't have normally done, and I've always thought they had something to do with Bree. It's like she's your kryptonite."

  He shook his head at the worry in her eyes. "Bree is not my anything. She never has been, and she never will be."

  "If you say so," Josie said, as she wiped down the counter.

  "I do." He took a breath, knowing his next question was going to get her worked up even more, but he had to ask. "How could Kyle miss the concert? Grace was so excited about performing. He really couldn't get away?"

  "No, he couldn't," she snapped. "He was supposed to be there, but something came up. It happens. I wasn't thrilled, and I know Grace was disappointed, not that she's had much time to think about that. But what can I say? Kyle works hard to support us. Complaining is being ungrateful."

  "Is that what he tells you?"

  "He doesn't have to tell me. After the way we grew up, Nathan, I appreciate everything Kyle does for us. He is a great provider, and I get to stay home with my daughter. I have everything I ever wanted. Don't try to poke holes in my happiness."

  "I'm not doing that. I'm just concerned."

  "About what?"

  "About where Kyle was last night when Hayley disappeared. When did he show up? Did he come to the school? To the police station?"

  "I called him when the police arrived at the school. They wouldn't let anyone leave until they had searched the area. It took him a little time to get my message. He ended up meeting us at the police station."

  "Was he working with a group last night? Was he on his own?"

  "I don't know. Why are you asking me all these questions?"

  "Because Grace said she saw a ring similar to the one her dad wears on the kidnapper's hand, and Bree asked me about Kyle after you left."

  "What did you say?"

  "That he had nothing to do with this."

  "Of course, he didn't. I mean, my God, how could anyone think he would kidnap a child—and Grace's best friend at that?" Angry tears spilled out of her eyes. "He's a good man. He works too much, but that's his only fault."

  He didn't think that was Kyle's only fault by a long shot, but he kept that thought to himself. "It's going to be okay, Josie. Don't cry. I'll talk to Kyle. I'll let him know that Bree might be heading his way."

  "I didn't say where he worked."

  "She's FBI. She can probably find him in less than two seconds."

  "And she probably still has a grudge against me for what I did to her. Maybe I was wrong to tell you to stay away from her. Maybe she needs to see us as friends again."

  "No. You were right. We should both stay away from her. Hopefully, Hayley will be found soon, and Bree will be gone from our lives."
<
br />   "And we'll get back to normal," Josie said, meeting his gaze.

  "Normal," he agreed, not even sure what that was.

  * * *

  Bree felt even more tightly wound after seeing Nathan and Josie again. She'd thought she wouldn’t run into anyone from her past if she stayed away from the old neighborhoods, but that had been a foolish idea. No one stayed in one place. She'd moved on, and so had they.

  Josie was married to a successful man. She had a beautiful home, a sweet daughter, and a brother who still watched out for her. Nathan had also made himself into the man he'd always wanted to be. And she'd turned her life around, too.

  It was all good, so why did it feel like everything was about to crash?

  Shaking her head, she called for a car and while she was waiting for her ride, she punched in Dan's number.

  "Fagan," he said crisply.

  "It's me."

  "How's it going in Chicago?"

  "The usual full-court press—all-hands-on deck. I may have discovered a small clue. The young witness thought she saw a replica of the Cubs World Series ring on the kidnapper's hand."

  "That might be more than a little clue."

  "Apparently over a thousand rings were handed out, but it's something. I'll get the team looking for those rings as soon as I get into the office."

  "The girl in Philly said the man didn't wear any rings. That's different."

  "I know. And I'm also thinking that anyone wearing a Cubs ring would probably be from Chicago. The other three kidnappings were states away. I feel like something is off, Dan."

  "He's on the move. He's changing up the game."

  "Yes. I got another threatening call, too."

  "What was said this time?"

  "He told me he and I were going to get close, that he wanted a worthy competitor. He added that he likes it better when I wear my hair down, implying that he had eyes on me. Did Oscar ever turn up anything on the first call to my phone?"

  "Unfortunately, no. Whoever is calling you knows what he's doing."

  "It's weird that he hasn't mentioned Hayley specifically. Why wait? If he's ready to play the game, why not let me know the stakes—remind me that a little girl's life is in jeopardy?"

  "Good questions. I wish I had some answers."

  "So do I."

  "Have you read the Chicago team in on the calls?"