by Dana R. Lynn
“I tried to get her to leave so many times, but she seemed more scared of leaving than of staying. Then Mikey was born—that was when things finally changed. She had put up with the abuse when it was just aimed at her. When he started turning that anger toward their baby, she decided she’d had enough and kicked him out.”
Ryan grimaced. He’d seen this far too often in his work—women who put up with habitual abuse. He was glad that Elise’s sister had been strong enough to put a stop to things to protect her child.
“I think we both expected him to come back in a day or two, drunk and belligerent, so I went to stay with her for a while,” Elise continued. “She was scared to be at the house by herself. But he never came. After a few days, she tried tracking him down, but it was like he’d disappeared. She couldn’t find him...”
“I thought you said your brother-in-law was after you?”
Boy, did he get the stink eye for that one.
“If you’re through interrupting...” Her voice could freeze the air between them. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was amused. This woman was not easily intimidated, that was sure.
“Yeah. Sorry. Go on.”
A regal nod, and she continued. “As I was saying, he was missing for a while. Then the police came and said that he had apparently been killed. His car caught on fire after some kind of explosion and was totally destroyed. His body was never found. I was relieved for my sister that he was truly gone, but it bothered me that they didn’t find a corpse.”
“It’s not that unusual,” Ryan told her. “Especially if the fire was as bad as you said.”
“Yes, I know that—but even then, I wondered if there was more to it. After he’d left, Karalynne had found evidence that her husband was into something bad, like in a mob or something. I got worried because it seemed like something he would do—fake his death so that he could get away from the trouble he’d created for himself, not caring about the consequences to anyone else. My sister was terrified. She didn’t know what he was involved in, but if it was bad enough to get him killed then she worried that she might not be safe. She was waiting for whoever might have killed him to come after her next.”
Ryan scooted to the front of his seat. There was more to this tale, he could feel it coming. Elise had gone pale again, and her breathing was quicker. Her eyes skittered to the closed door. The woman was practically jumping out of her skin from nerves. Why?
“Elise.” He brought her eyes back to his. “You’re safe here.”
“I know. I know. I’m sorry.” She brushed her short wispy bangs back with her left hand. The sight of her bruised cheek infuriated him. “Karalynne had found some evidence, like I said.”
“What did she find?”
“A box hidden in their crawl space with cash...a lot of it. The box also had a couple of phones—the cheap, pay-as-you-go kind. And a gun.”
Her next words were almost a whisper. He had to strain to hear them.
“A few days later, I came home, and she was all agitated. She had gotten up her nerve and searched through his things more carefully. This time, she found something that terrified her. Hard evidence on an SD card. She wouldn’t tell me what was on it, said I was safer not knowing. I told her she had to go to the police. Because even if Hudson was dead, he’d probably been working with others and this evidence could help the authorities make a case, stop these people from being a threat to her and Mikey and anyone else.”
“Did she?”
Elise shrugged. “I never knew. I stayed with her for another week. When nothing happened, she settled down and told me to go home. I did, even though I was worried for her. Two weeks later, I got a call from the neighbor across the hall. Karalynne been mugged, the neighbor said, and was dead. If she’d been shot or stabbed, or even had fallen and hit her head or something, I might have believed it really was just a random mugging. Or maybe even Hudson’s associates coming after her, as she’d feared. But that wasn’t how she died.”
“How did she die?”
Elise’s hazel eyes stared straight into his as she answered. “Strangled. Hudson always did go for the neck.”
Ryan reared back. “You think he killed her?”
She slumped back against the pillows. “I know it seems crazy. I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I shared my suspicions with the police, but it was obvious they didn’t believe me. I told them about the box Elise had found, and the SD card, too, but they couldn’t find any of it in the house. Which meant they couldn’t do anything about Hudson or his associates. I got custody of Mikey and moved here.”
Oh, man. What a heartbreaking story. He frowned. “I get that the coincidence is weird. Your sister being attacked after finding evidence against her husband, and especially her being strangled. But it really could be a coincidence. Why are you so convinced he’s alive?”
Elise reached out and grabbed his hand. He winced. Although he doubted she was aware of it, her nails were digging into his skin. Ignoring the sensation, he kept his eyes trained on the lovely woman lying on the hospital bed.
“I saw him.”
“Who?”
Elise tightened her grip. “Today, when I went home. I saw him. Hudson. He was there in my house. I think he really was in the car accident—it wasn’t faked. But he survived. And now he’s after he. He hit me. And said he’d come for his son. He blamed me for Karalynne kicking him out. Promised to kill me. And he demanded that I tell him where to find Mikey and where it was.”
A punch in the gut would have been more pleasant than hearing about some monster gunning for this woman and a poor child.
“What does he think you have?”
He had a hunch, but didn’t want to put ideas into her head.
“Isn’t it obvious? He thinks I have the SD card. I don’t—she never gave it to me. She must have hidden it. If he can get rid of the evidence that links him to any crime, and of me, then what would stop him from coming back and starting over somewhere else?”
He tapped his chin. “He obviously wanted his son back, also, enough to risk coming back from the dead. Why take the chance to confront you?”
Anxiety washed over her face. “And every moment I’m in here, he could be getting closer to Mikey.”
Ryan leaned forward, letting her see his eyes, hoping to convince her of his sincerity. “Elise, we’ll do everything we can to find Mikey. I need to know about Leah. Does she have family nearby?”
Her brow furrowed in thought. “I think she lives with her cousin. Pretty sure her parents passed away. She’s sixteen.”
Sixteen and possibly being hunted by a killer. Oh, man. The department would have to work fast on this one. And she was Amish, so there would be no pictures of her.
“Can you give me a description of her?”
Elise squeezed her eyes shut. “She’s probably around five-two or -three. Her hair is light brown. It looks straight, but I can’t say for sure. Brown eyes. Slender, but not skinny. Sharp chin.”
He questioned her for another minute or so, trying to get any detail that he could share.
A few minutes later, he left Elise’s room, feeling the burden of holding so many lives in his hands.
* * *
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so cold. Like she’d never be warm again. And it wasn’t just temperature cold, either. Sitting in a sterile hospital room, with an IV hooked into her arm and monitors surrounding her, she felt she’d woken up in someone else’s nightmare. But it was all hers.
Did Sergeant Ryan Parker believe her? It was so hard to tell. He had finished questioning her and then left the room, supposedly to give a better description of Leah and Mikey to those searching. Fortunately, he’d been thoughtful enough to retrieve her purse from her car, and she had pictures of her adorable nephew on her phone. He had promised to return as soon as things were settled.
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She wasn’t sure if he bought the story about Hudson. It was all the truth, but how was he to know it? She’d been attacked, and he might conclude that the terror of it had her mind playing tricks on her, making her believe her attacker was her brother-in-law simply because he was the man in her past she feared the most. And as for the reasons she’d had to fear Hudson in the past, she hadn’t told anyone about her brother-in-law...not about his brutal temper, or his charismatic personality. Nothing. And now Diana was dead. In retrospect, she had been trying to wipe him from their lives.
Seeing him today had been a shock. Even knowing in her soul that he’d survived the car crash and that he was responsible for Karalynne’s death, still she hadn’t been prepared. How had such a cruel, malicious man tricked her sweet sister into falling in love with him? And then to father such a beautiful little boy like Mikey...
Where had Leah taken Mikey? Was he cold, too? Hungry?
Leah hadn’t known anything about the monster searching for her, but the girl had known the danger was real. The fear in her voice during that phone call had proved that much. Elise had to hold on to the belief that the Amish girl had taken her nephew somewhere safe. Worry rattled in her heart for Leah’s family. Ryan would protect them, wouldn’t he? But how much could he do?
What if Hudson had found them already? Leah couldn’t have gotten too far on foot, and Hudson was a very large man. It would have taken so little for him to overpower her and...
No, no, no! She was not going to give in to her fear and despair. She’d talked to the Amish girl enough times to take her measure. Leah was a hard worker and she was clever, and she knew the woods and roads around this town much better than Hudson ever would.
The door creaked open, Elise tensed. For a moment, all she could think was that he had found her again. She slumped back against the stiff pillow when Ryan’s headed popped around the door. After he observed that she was awake, he opened the door and let himself fully into the room. She allowed her eyes to skim his face, his posture, searching for any clue of doubt or skepticism. The masculine face above her gave nothing away. The bland expression could have meant anything. All too well she remembered the pitying looks she’d received from the Chicago police when she’d insisted that Karalynne had been murdered by her husband.
She remembered one officer saying, “No matter how much you didn’t like the man, miss, he’s dead. You need to accept that.”
Oh, how she had wanted to scream! They had no idea what that man was capable of, the lengths he would go to in order to deceive and get his way.
Not like the officer standing in front of her. Ryan was the antithesis of Hudson. Strong. Honest. And way too handsome for his own good. She shook her head. She didn’t have time for those thoughts. Plus, her experience with Brady had taught her caution. Even thinking of her ex-fiancé was painful, so she shoved those memories away.
Peeking under the fringe of her bangs, she watched the handsome sergeant. Well, he wasn’t giving off any condescending vibes, as if he thought she was too irrational to give an accurate report of what had happened.
None of this was important. Whether or not he believed her didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the safety of Mikey and Leah. Once again, she sent a prayer up for their safety. Part of her wondered if it did any good.
Sorry, God. After all He’d pulled her through, she wouldn’t allow herself to doubt Him now.
Ryan grabbed the chair closest to the bed and dragged it six inches closer before seating himself next to her. A flush rose in her cheeks at his intense scrutiny. She squirmed, uncomfortable. A snarky comment rose to her lips. She bit them to hold it in. Sarcasm was a natural defense for her, but it probably wouldn’t be wise to use it in the current situation.
Instead, she waited him out. Surely, he’d say something eventually. The wait just about gave her hives, but she forced herself to be patient.
“Okay,” he finally said. His voice was soft, with a firm edge to it. The kind of voice people instinctively quieted down to listen to. She realized she had leaned in his direction to catch his voice. Embarrassed, she made herself sit back. “I have an Amber Alert out for your nephew,” he said. “As Leah is Amish, I have no pictures to send out, but that can’t be helped. At least we have your description.”
Elise felt a frown work its way across her face.
“I wish we could get a picture out. I’m sure that Leah will protect Mikey, but I would feel a whole lot better if the police were able to find them before—” she stopped herself from mentioning Hudson’s name “—before my attacker does.”
A flicker of doubt crossed his lean face. Was he doubting her story? She braced herself to be shut down again.
“Elise, I talked with the police who dealt with your sister’s death. Are you positive your attacker today was Hudson Langor?”
Hot waves of anger started to swirl in her gut. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Ryan’s expression wasn’t one of disbelief. Would he give her a chance?
“Yes, it was Hudson. I’d recognize his voice anywhere. Even though he doesn’t look anything like the man I knew, his voice is the same. It’s a very distinctive voice. And the things he said... He blamed me for his problems with his wife, demanded that I turn over his son. Why would anyone other than Hudson say those things? He wants me dead. And the evidence he thinks I have against him. And his son. In that order.”
He placed his hands on his thighs and pushed to his feet. “If you’re sure, that’s good enough for me. I guess you’d know the man if you came face-to-face with him.”
“I would. You might not, though.”
“Huh?” His brow wrinkled quizzically.
“He’s changed. The face I saw earlier today was not the same as the one I had known. He’s been through a fire. I’m guessing it’s from the car accident that supposedly killed him. Or something worse. But his eyes and his voice, they were the same.”
“So you’re saying...?”
“I’m saying that you could have his picture right in front of you and still not recognize him.”
He rubbed his hand down his face. “Well, that adds a new level of complicated to this case. Hold on. I have an idea.”
Turning on his heel, Ryan went to the door and opened it, yanking his phone out of his pocket as he walked. She didn’t know whether to be amused or dismayed at his abrupt exit. The moment she heard the door click shut behind him, though, fear for her nephew swamped her again.
In a short time, it would be dark. Mikey was terrified of the dark. He had a special night-light and a specific stuffed animal at home to help him sleep. Now he had neither.
She couldn’t stay here! She had to go out and find him! The police had a vague idea what Leah looked like, but not a definitive image. And who knew how close Hudson was? That thought drove her on.
Sucking in her breath against the pain that flared with every movement, Elise pushed back the covers and twisted to move her legs over the edge of the bed, intent on escaping.
THREE
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
Ryan dashed back into the room, appalled to find Elise swaying beside her bed. He hadn’t meant to shout, but seeing her bloodless face and huge eyes starting to roll backward had shaken him to the core. He was amazed she wasn’t flat on her face.
The nurse rushed in after him, no doubt alerted by his shout. Her face puckered in disapproval. She made tsking sounds with her tongue, urgently moving to settle her patient back in bed. “Miss St. Clair! You are in no condition to be moving about! The doctor gave you some medication that will make you drowsy. You have to let it wear off.”
Elise did not return to bed quietly.
“I have to leave! My nephew is in trouble. He needs me.” Her voice was hoarse. Ryan could see that the effort of getting to her feet was already draining her energy. She sagged against the ed
ge of the bed and finally allowed the nurse to tuck her back under the covers. Just what he needed. Not only did he have a child and an Amish teenager to find, he had an overzealous aunt determined to risk her own health and safety. Even though she could barely walk. He had to admire her grit, though. Judging by the pallor of her skin, she was in considerable pain. If he’d been the doctor his father wanted him to be, maybe he could have helped her deal with that.
But God had wanted him to be a police officer. There was no going back on that decision.
“Elise, enough.” He strode closer until he was directly in front of her. “You need to let me do my job. I will find Mikey. But you need to remain in the hospital until the doctor releases you.”
“Which is not going to be tonight,” the nurse interjected.
Elise huffed out an annoyed breath. There was a storm brewing inside her, that was for certain. Hopefully, he could persuade her to accept his plan.
“Ryan, I’m the only one here who knows what Leah looks like. It makes sense for me to help.”
He couldn’t help it. The sarcastic snort left his mouth before he could stop it.
She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue. He didn’t know her that well, but he had already learned that she was bone stubborn. And since he was the one who was literally standing between her and what she wanted at the moment, that meant he was going to get the brunt of it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he waited for her argument. None came. Instead, her eyes widened as she caught sight of something over his shoulder.
Reflexes had him spinning to face whatever she had seen. He came face-to-face with the grinning countenance of his friend, Sergeant Miles Olsen. Miles was holding the hand of his pretty wife, Rebecca. Rebecca had grown up in an Amish family. She’d chosen to leave before being baptized, which meant that even though she didn’t live in the Amish community, she still had a relationship with her family. When Ryan had asked Miles about Leah Byler, he had responded that Rebecca had known her, although not well. Leah’s family wasn’t originally from the community where Rebecca’s family lived.
