Chain of Custody (Holding The Line Book 2)

by Carol Ericson

  “Hands on the car, legs apart. Do you have any weapons on you?”

  “C’mon, Nash. I’m not kidnapping Wyatt.” Well, technically she was kidnapping Wyatt, but it was for a greater good. She’d make Nash see that once he stopped this tough-cop routine.

  He nudged her leg to the side with his boot and patted her down—not exactly how she’d imagined their first physical contact to go.

  “Any weapons in the car?” His voice dismissed any familiarity or...fondness between them.

  “In the side pocket of my purse on the passenger seat—a .22 Smith & Wesson.”

  He sucked in a breath behind her and slammed the driver’s-side door shut. “Now you’re gonna tell me what the hell you want with Jaycee Lemoin’s baby. Then I’m gonna call the police to pick you up for attempted kidnapping.”

  “Like this?” She lifted one hand from the car. “Can we talk like reasonable people?”

  “Are you a reasonable person, Emily? Do reasonable people lie about who they are to get close to...a baby and then take off with that baby? Do reasonable people create identities and references and fake lives?”

  “Private investigators do when they’re working a case.”

  “A case? Wyatt is a case?”

  “Yes, he is. I’m working for his father. I’m trying to keep him safe because he is in danger, and not just from his flighty mother, whom you seem to have a soft spot for to the extent of protecting her when she doesn’t deserve it. Jaycee abandoned her baby, and you know it.”

  A car sped by in the other direction and honked. Emily jumped. The longer she stood exposed out here with Wyatt in the car, the better the chance the real criminals would move in on them.

  “You’re working for Wyatt’s father?” He prodded her in the back with his knuckle. “Turn around.”

  With her hands out to her sides, she rolled on the car to face him. “Wyatt’s father hired me to keep an eye on Wyatt until he can get his results back from a DNA test and make a move for custody.”

  “You can drop your hands.”

  Nash pushed his sunglasses on top of his head, and Emily let out a breath when she finally got to look into those blue eyes. She could make him understand better when he was the Nash she knew instead of the law.

  “Is that his story, or are you lying to me...again?”

  “Story? It’s not anybody’s story. A client hired me in Phoenix to follow Jaycee and the baby. When Jaycee split off from the baby, my orders were to stay with Wyatt, which I did.”

  “Stay with Wyatt until you could kidnap him? What kind of father would do that to the mother of his child?”

  “No.” She shook her head, and a gust of wind from a passing car whipped her hair across her face. She pushed it out of the way and held it in a ponytail. “The kidnapping was my idea.”

  Nash’s jaw formed a hard line, and one hand clenched into a fist. “At least you’re starting to tell the truth now.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” She waved her hand as if she could dispel all the tension between them—only, it wasn’t the sexual kind this time. “Wyatt is in real danger and not from me or his father.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Jaycee is an unfit mother.”

  “I’m not even talking about Jaycee.” Another car roared past, and a shower of dust peppered her face. “Can we please sit in the car and finish this discussion?”

  “With your gun?”

  She smacked her palm against her forehead. “Take the damned thing. I told you. It’s in my purse. You can even point it at me if it would make you feel better. Wyatt needs the AC.”

  Nash opened the driver’s-side door and motioned her to the back. “Get in the passenger side. I’ll take your purse. Do not try anything.”

  “With Wyatt in the car?” She stalked around the back of the car and dropped into the passenger seat.

  Nash had her gun in his hand and was unloading it. He poured the bullets from his palm into the cup holder. Stroking one finger along the barrel, he said, “Nice piece.”

  “Thank you.” She cranked her head around and wiggled her fingers at Wyatt. “Do you even know why Jaycee dropped off Wyatt with you? Did you even ask?”

  “I didn’t talk to her.”

  “What?” Her voice squeaked, and she cleared her throat. “Did she just hand off the baby and you took him with no words exchanged?”

  “Jaycee left Wyatt on my porch when I wasn’t home.”

  “Oh, that’s rich.” Emily slapped the dashboard. “She abandoned her baby on your front porch?”

  “She knew I was in town. She knew when I was coming home from work, and she timed it perfectly.”

  “Oh, that makes all the difference in the world. Do you see why his father might be concerned?”

  “Do you know why she left Wyatt with me?”

  “I do. Two men...thugs, paid Jaycee a visit in Phoenix. They were looking for her boyfriend, Brett Fillmore. Do you know him?”

  “The name sounds vaguely familiar, but there are a lot of men in Jaycee’s orbit.”

  Was Nash one of them?

  Wyatt started fussing in the back seat, and Emily reached over and turned on the engine. “He needs the air-conditioning.”

  “He needs his toy.” Nash reached onto the floor behind him and plucked up a multicolored stuffed caterpillar. He waved it in Wyatt’s face and allowed the baby to grab it from his hand.

  “Why were these guys looking for Brett, and what makes you think they were criminals?”

  Cocking her head, Emily pursed her lips. “You know I was a cop. Give me a little credit here.”

  “Okay, why Brett?”

  “Brett is involved in drugs—taking and selling. He must’ve crossed these guys or something and then disappeared. They were sniffing around Jaycee to see if they could get a bead on Brett, and they saw the baby.”

  A muscle twitched in Nash’s jaw. “What did Jaycee tell them about Wyatt?”

  “That he belonged to her roommate. Your friend might be a flake, but she’s street savvy. She knew why they were asking about the baby.”

  “But if the baby’s father is...your client and not Brett, why didn’t Jaycee just tell these guys? Get them off the baby’s case.”

  “Probably for the same reason I didn’t tell them. If she admits Wyatt is hers, they take him and maybe her, too, to force Brett’s hand. Also, Jaycee was a side piece. My client has not admitted his paternity yet, and he’s a married man.”

  “Sounds like a prince.” Nash ran a hand across his mouth. “Wait, for the same reason you didn’t tell them? You’ve met these guys? These drug dealers?”

  “I’ve met one of them. He’s here in Paradiso...and last night he threatened me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Nash’s blood thrummed in his ears. This situation just kept getting worse and worse.

  “Threatened you? Where?”

  “When I got to my motel last night.” Emily rubbed her midsection. “Shoved a gun in my ribs, punched me in the kidney, and told me if I didn’t turn over Wyatt today at about one o’clock, he’d kill me, you and Denali.”

  Nash ground his back teeth together. “He knows where I live? He knows who you are?”

  “This is what I figured.” Emily held up her hand and ticked off her fingers with each theory. “They followed Jaycee here to Paradiso and your house, just like I did. They were watching the house but didn’t want to make a move because they found out you were Border Patrol, and they saw me coming in and out with Wyatt. They put a GPS tracker on my car and followed me to my motel, where the one guy accosted me.”

  “You’re telling me there’s a GPS tracker on this car right now?” Nash glanced at the side mirror and the time on the dashboard. They’d be expecting her and Wyatt in just over an hour, unless they saw that she was on the move.

  “I took it of
f and dropped it in your driveway. As far as they know, I’m sitting at your place getting ready to turn over Wyatt.”

  Nash studied Emily’s face, a slight crease between her eyebrows but calm. No wonder she came across as Mary Poppins. The woman had things under control—or thought she did.

  “So, you see why I took Wyatt? I was trying to protect him.” She folded her hands in her lap and twisted her fingers. “I—I left you a note on the counter explaining things. I wouldn’t have just taken off without giving you some kind of...goodbye.”

  Nash squeezed his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re not protecting Wyatt, Emily.”

  “Of course I am. Even though my client isn’t expecting me to bring Wyatt to him, once I do, he can keep his son safe.” She flicked her fingers in the air. “I’m sure he’ll work out some sort of custody arrangement with Jaycee. He’s not going to cut her out of Wyatt’s life completely.”

  “Why isn’t your client aware of the situation? Why doesn’t he know that you’re bringing his son to him?” Nash twisted his head to the side and pinned her with a stare.

  “He hasn’t responded to my texts yet. He’s a busy guy, and I’m sure he trusts me to make the right decisions.”

  She at least had the self-awareness to blush. The reasoning that had been going through her head for the past few days must’ve sounded even more absurd when she said it out loud in the small confines of the car.

  “So, a man who’s paying you big money, tens of thousands of dollars, to follow his son and keep him safe is not monitoring or answering texts from you?” He snorted, a restrained sort of sound compared to the screaming in his head. He’d been so impressed with her detective skills up to this point.

  “You don’t know this guy...” Her voice wavered. “How do you know what he’s paying me?”

  “I do know this guy, Emily. I just spent quite a bit of time with his finances this morning.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “How do you think I discovered your real identity? You did a hell of a cover-up job—employment history, references, driver’s license, a little social media. Helluva job, Officer Lang.”

  “Stop—” she held up one hand “—calling me that. You can’t possibly believe Marcus Lanier is involved in the drug trade.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You do know what I’m talking about.”

  “Okay, look. I hacked into your personal email account and I saw his name listed on some spreadsheet, but I thought maybe he was a donor or something.”

  “I guess he is—a money donor to you and a sperm donor to Jaycee.” He hit his fist on his knee. “That’s really what you thought, or is that what you wanted to believe as long as he’s throwing the money your way?”

  “I had no idea, and I still don’t believe it.” She plowed her fingers through her hair. “He’s an important figure in Phoenix. His wife is on all the charity boards. They’re movers and shakers.”

  “His wife, Ming Lee Hong, is from a criminal family in China. She’s no angel.”

  “Wait, wait. Even if Lanier is involved in the drug trade, and I’m not convinced, how does that cancel out his concern for his son?” Lifting her shoulders, she spread her hands. “Bad guys are fathers, too, concerned fathers.”

  Nash tapped his head. “You’re not connecting the dots, but you weren’t a cop long enough to make detective, were you?”

  She tossed her hair and shot him a glance from her green eyes that looked almost...predatory. “What dots?”

  “Let’s for the sake of argument agree that Lanier is involved with the cartels. You don’t think it’s coincidental that he’s following a baby that one of the cartels is following? That his so-called mistress, Jaycee, also happens to be involved with a man, Brett, who has drug associations?”

  “Are you saying that Lanier sent me and those two thugs after Wyatt? For what? Insurance?”

  “I don’t know, yet, Emily, but think about it. It’s too coincidental. If I didn’t know what I do about Marcus Lanier and his connections, your story might make sense.” Nash wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel. “I could understand a man wanting to keep tabs on his son if he felt the mother was unreliable or negligent and even waiting to get paternity results before making a move, but Lanier?”

  “What possible reason could Marcus Lanier have for hiring a PI to follow a baby that’s not even his?” She pressed her fingers to her temples.

  “Same reason two members of a drug cartel are after him.”

  “To get to Brett?” Her eyes popped open, and she took a quick glance at Wyatt in the back seat, gnawing on the corner of his caterpillar. “But why use me to do it if you’ve got a couple of violent gofers ready to do the deed?”

  “For the same reason those violent gofers, which has me picturing rabid, bucktoothed animals, didn’t strong-arm their way into my house. How much more civilized and less upsetting for a pretty, young nanny to abscond with the baby. It’s still a crime, but not a crime that can be attached to him.”

  “Until I tell the authorities I was working for Marcus Lanier.”

  Nash met her wide eyes and then dropped his gaze.

  “What?” She grabbed his arm. “What’s that look?”

  “If Marcus Lanier is who we think he is, he’s a very dangerous man. He could be setting you up. He could have plans for you.”

  She crossed her arms, rubbing her skin. “You’re freaking me out.”

  “We have to get Wyatt to safety.” Nash tapped the clock display on the dashboard. “It’s almost your meeting time. Your buddy is going to come after you when you don’t show up at the appointed time.”

  “I could’ve been more than halfway to Phoenix by now.”

  “Halfway to Marcus Lanier.” Nash reached around and tugged on Wyatt’s bare foot. “Let’s get him out of here. The AC isn’t even cold anymore.”

  “Your truck?” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

  “Can I trust you not to go speeding off to Phoenix?”

  “You can trust me.” She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  “Let’s get back to my place. We can leave your car there and we’ll take my truck out of town, just to get some breathing room.” He snapped his fingers. “Better yet, we can pick up that GPS tracker in my driveway and attach it back to your car. I can have my buddy drive the car somewhere, down to the border, to buy us some time.”

  “What about Denali?”

  “I’ll ask him to take Denali, too. His girlfriend has looked after him before, so the dog will be fine with them.”

  “Would your friend do all that for you?”

  “He owes me a couple of favors.” Nash grabbed her purse and pinned it between his arm and body. “I’ll take this. Follow me back to my place—and don’t even think about ditching me.”

  “I won’t. I think this plan will work...for now.”

  Leaving the keys in the ignition, Nash exited Emily’s vehicle and strode back to his truck. He made a U-turn and watched in his rearview mirror as Emily followed suit.

  Did she really not know Lanier’s character? Why would she? Nobody else in Phoenix did. He was friendly to law enforcement and donated to fund-raisers and other causes. He had all the trappings of a smooth, sophisticated SOB. Emily couldn’t see past that? Nash shook his head. She didn’t want to see past it.

  She’d been fired from her job with the PD and had moved out west to start fresh. Getting your foothold in as a private investigator in a new city couldn’t be easy, and doing a job for Marcus Lanier would look good on her résumé. She’d been willfully blind.

  He put on his left turn signal just to make sure she remembered the way to his house. As he made the turn, she followed and he blew out a breath.

  He pulled his truck just inside the gate, but not too far, as he didn’t want to crush the GPS in the driveway.

>   Emily parked behind him and went around to the passenger side to collect Wyatt. As she approached him, she held out the baby, legs dangling beneath him. “Take Wyatt. I’ll get the tracker.”

  Wyatt whined in his arms, and Nash patted his back. “I know, buddy, but she’s all we got right now.”

  Emily returned with her hand held out and a black device in the center of her palm. “Here it is. We’re putting it back on my car?”

  “Let’s make a trade.” He peeled Wyatt from his shoulder. “Get this one a bottle, and I’ll secure the GPS to your rental and call my friend. Then I’ll throw a few things in a bag and we’ll hit the road.”

  Emily scurried into the house with Wyatt, and Nash got busy. His friend Kyle, who was in security, was more than happy to take Emily’s car out to the desert. He was going to have his girlfriend, Meg, follow him in her car, and they’d abandon Emily’s rental near the border.

  By the time Emily returned with Wyatt clutching a bottle, Nash had settled everything. “We’re good to go. Let me just pack an overnight bag.”

  He threw some things together, his only thought to get away from Paradiso for a day and make a plan. If Jaycee came back here and he was gone, it would serve her right. If she ever turned her phone back on, he could leave her a voice mail. She had to know these guys were after her, or that someone was after her. She wouldn’t have dropped Wyatt on him, literally, if she hadn’t known. Did she go off in search of Brett? Was Brett Wyatt’s father? Was Lanier? Had Jaycee even had an affair with Lanier? Too many questions, no answers.

  He burst from the house, holding his breath until he saw his truck idling at the foot of his driveway, Wyatt strapped in the back. He still didn’t completely trust Emily.

  He rapped on the window of the driver’s side and she powered it down. “Let me drive. I know this area better than you, and I have an idea.”

  She scrambled from the truck and went around to the passenger side with no argument, and he slid behind the wheel and repositioned the seat. “How’s our guy doing back there?”

  “Happy with his bottle. I think he’s sleepy and probably confused.”