Texas Kidnapping

by Barb Han

  The glass in the upstairs window was broken in a U shape around the lock. The perp seemed to know exactly where to go, giving Cash the impression that the intruder might have known the layout of the house. Had the place been cased ahead of time? Cash definitely wanted to interview the movers. He’d worked similar cases where the moving company picked up a day laborer in order to stay on schedule and the person turned out to be a criminal.

  “You said this was your first night here. Is that correct, ma’am?” Cash asked his shadow. He’d switched to being formal with her in order to keep himself in check. He shouldn’t allow himself to get too comfortable with a witness.

  “Yes. And, please, call me Renee. I hear ma’am and I look over my shoulder for my mother,” she stated.

  The wood flooring creaked underneath Cash’s weight. He was considered tall even by Texan standards. He kept in shape. And he was probably one of, if not the best shot at the US Marshals office, and that included his brother Blake.

  Based on the efficiency of this kidnapper, Cash guessed the person was familiar with the place.

  “I’ve seen all I need to. We can finish up the interview downstairs.” He turned to walk out of the bedroom and nearly crashed into Renee. He’d made a point of putting some distance between them to clear his head of her flowery clean scent.

  She apologized and smiled. His chest betrayed him by tightening.

  This close, Cash had to resist the urge to reach out to the redheaded beauty. He reminded himself why he was there in the first place. His role was investigator. She’d been through a traumatic event and that was most likely the reason he felt such a pull toward her. It was his protector mode kicking in, and nothing more.

  He followed her this time, and she led him back to the kitchen.

  “Do you mind if I pour another cup of coffee while we finish?” he asked.

  “Not at all,” she said quickly. Too quickly? Damn, the fear radiating from her. For a split second he mused that he wasn’t sure how much of that had to do with the possibility of the perp returning for round two, or if she was scared to be left alone with the child again.

  “What agency did you use to adopt your daughter?” Cash took a seat and sipped the fresh brew.

  “I used an attorney’s office. Branson and Michaels,” she supplied. “My lawyer was Kipp McGee.”

  Cash didn’t like hearing that. He jotted down the name. There’d been a lot of questions over the years of questionable adoptions coming out of that law office and with that lawyer in particular. “How’d you find them?”

  “Online. Why?” Her brow arched.

  “Some of the questions I have to ask might seem personal and I apologize in advance for that. I have to look at every angle and ask—”

  She put her hand up as if to say it was okay.

  “I understand. Someone broke into my house and tried to take—”

  She paused long enough to take in a sharp breath.

  “My daughter. Ask me whatever you need to in order to find the jerk who tried to take her away from me.” There was so much determination in her voice. Her chin jutted out. Her blue eyes stared at him in a dare.

  “You mentioned that you’re not married. Are you divorced?” He figured he’d better get the biggest ones out of the way.

  “No.”

  “Are you in a relationship?” Cash didn’t want to admit how much he wanted to know the answer to this question.

  “Not anymore.” There was a sharp edge to those words.

  “What happened?”

  “Do we really have to go into this right...” She looked up at him. “Never mind. I can see that we do and you prepared me for this exact thing. It’s just—I’m not really comfortable talking about the details of my personal life to a stranger.”

  “Again, I apologize,” he said and he meant it. Cash never enjoyed this part of an investigation. Serving felony warrants and tracking some of the worst criminals society had to offer were more up his alley, not interviewing witnesses who’d just had their lives turned upside down and sense of safety shaken to the core.

  “There’s no need. I’m a big girl and you have a job to do.” She held her baby close to her chest and he figured her arms must be tired by now. The look on her face said she had no plans to let go.

  “You were in a relationship?” he continued.

  “Yes. For too long.” Her cheeks flushed.

  “When did it end?” He took a sip of coffee.

  “A couple of months ago. It ended with my partner of seven years getting one of his co-workers pregnant.” She flashed angry eyes at Cash. “I know how that sounds and it’s worse. He stayed with me in order to save money for the baby they’re going to have in two months.”

  The man sounded like a real prize.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jamison King.” She gasped when Cash wrote it down.

  “You don’t think...it’s not possible that he...is it?”

  “Does he fit the description?”

  She shook her head. “It was hard to see, though. I’m practically blind without my glasses and he was across a dark room.”

  “Did you end your relationship in a fight, or did he threaten you in any way?” To Cash’s thinking, the man had no clue if he let Renee Smith slip away.

  She blew out a breath that almost sounded like a bark. “He said he didn’t want the relationship to end this way. But how else could it? We weren’t married. We weren’t even engaged. He would never discuss having a family.”

  “What was your reaction when he told you about the other woman and child?” The rim of Cash’s coffee mug became very interesting to him as he ran a thumb along it.

  “Relief.”

  * * *

  “THAT PROBABLY MAKES me sound like a jerk, but it’s true.” Talking about Renee’s past wasn’t as difficult as she thought it would be once she got over the initial shock. It was embarrassing more than anything. The word relief had come to her without thinking much about her response. It was weird because she wouldn’t have used it at the time but that didn’t make it any less true now.

  “Not in my book.” Cash O’Connor was six feet, four inches of solid muscle. The man practically towered over Renee. His size would be intimidating to most and she figured it came in handy in his line of work. He also had the most beautiful, intense steel-gray eyes and sandy-brown hair—a potent combination.

  “I was hurt, too. But I also realized that my feelings for Jamison had changed. I’d wanted to end the relationship last year but then he told me about his mother’s diagnosis. We’d been together six years at that point and I didn’t feel like I could abandon him or her. Then we found out she was terminal, and I couldn’t walk away in good conscience after that. So, I stuck around and played the fool instead. He was sleeping around at the office and I didn’t see what was right in front of me.”

  “Excuse me for saying so but your ex sounds like a class A jerk. Being deceived doesn’t make you a fool.” His words were low, soothing and provided more comfort than Renee knew how to handle.

  But then she was pretty sure anything the handsome marshal said would make her feel better. His voice was like amaretto over ice cream and she could imagine a trail of women a mile long waiting for a chance to hear it. His gorgeous steel-gray eyes were framed by thick black lashes that were masculine. He had that carved-from-granite jawline like the kind that melted resolves. There were so many hard planes and angles to his face. To make matters worse, one look from him sent her heart fluttering, like someone had released a thousand butterflies in her chest. Even though she knew her reaction to him was completely out of place and inappropriate, she couldn’t deny it was there.

  A guy as attractive as him most likely had someone at home waiting for him. And she was in no place in her life to care how attractive any man was. With a new baby and a new town, Re
nee’s hands were full. And even though she could admit that she hadn’t been in love with Jamison in a long time, being burned still hurt. It would be a long time before she could allow herself to trust again.

  “Back to your ex. Is it possible he’s holding a grudge?” Cash asked.

  “Why would he do that?” Jamison had been the one to break off the relationship, if not in words then in actions.

  “Jealousy, for one. You’ve moved on with your life,” he pointed out.

  “He has a baby on the way with a woman who isn’t me.” The argument seemed strong until she thought about the hurt look in his eyes when she’d told him there was no going back.

  “Believe me when I say that I’ve seen bigger turnarounds in people. He has a baby on the way but that doesn’t mean he wanted it. You said he never talked about having a family with you.” His logic made sense.

  “That’s right. I just assumed he didn’t want that with me.”

  “He might not want that at all. He could be planning to leave once the baby’s born. You said he stayed with you because he was saving money, right?”

  Where was he going with this?

  “I did.”

  “Have you considered the possibility that he stayed because he wanted to?” That question struck a nerve.

  “If he wanted to be with me he had a strange way of showing it,” she said quickly.

  “Did you tell him about the move?” Cash’s soothing voice softened the intrusive questions. Even if it didn’t, she would do anything to bring justice to a man who’d tried to kidnap Abby, even if it meant relaying personal details of her life to a complete stranger. Renee couldn’t think about the kidnapping attempt without involuntarily shivering.

  “Hell, no.”

  “You said the relationship had been over for you for a long time. Do you think it’s possible he figured out that you were planning to leave him?” Another good question.

  “I guess.”

  “That could’ve been the reason for the affair. He might’ve wanted to make you jealous with her,” he said.

  “I suppose it’s possible.” She couldn’t imagine anyone doing that to another human being let alone someone she was supposed to love, but when she really thought about it, Jamison hadn’t been himself in years. She figured he was slowly losing interest but there could be more to the story.

  “I can’t rule him out—”

  “He doesn’t know about my daughter.” Renee stared at Cash. “What I do with my life from the day we broke up is none of his business.”

  “When I speak to him, I’ll do my best not to give him any unnecessary details of your current situation,” Cash reassured with a look that said he meant every word. “Have you had a fight with anyone recently?”

  “Aside from Jamison? There was a co-worker who thought I was trying to sabotage her career when I got promoted instead of her. Her name is Chasity Radar. Oh, and there was a creepy guy at work who cornered me in an elevator recently. His name is Darion Figg and he’s a contractor. I told my boss, who immediately handled it.”

  “What’s your boss’s name and what’s your profession?”

  “Rikki Drake. I handle all the updates for my company’s website.” She supplied her contact number. Rikki needed a heads-up and she figured this wasn’t a quick email or text. She owed her a call if a US marshal would be contacting her boss.

  “What about your family? Do you have any family nearby?” he asked, and it was another painful question.

  “No. That was part of the appeal in moving here,” she admitted. “My parents used to live in Dallas.”

  He rocked his head as he took notes.

  “We didn’t see eye to eye on much, I’m afraid. But they’ve been gone a long time.” Renee wished she’d been on better terms with her parents. “They fought a lot while I was growing up. They died in a car crash.”

  “Shame,” he said almost under his breath. “I’m sorry for your loss and I’m sorry their relationship was strained.”

  “Why is that?” She cocked her head to one side, curious. He seemed genuinely sad for her and her nonexistent relationship with her folks. It was pretty much all she’d ever known, so it didn’t seem as strange to her as it appeared it did to him.

  “I grew up close to mine. My whole family is there for each other. Hard to imagine life any other way even though I see it every day in my line of work.” There was a sincerity to his steel eyes that pierced her armor and hit straight in the chest where it exploded. Renee had no idea what it was like for someone else to have her back. It had just been her for longer than she cared to remember. She’d been the only child of parents who thought shouting at each other and being violent should be a professional sport.

  “You have brothers and sisters?” she asked, curious about the mysterious marshal.

  “Five brothers.” An emotion flickered behind his eyes that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Then came, “We had a sister.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” Without thinking, she reached across the table and touched his arm. It was intended to reassure him but contact sent a fire bolt of electricity shooting up her arm.

  If he had the same reaction he didn’t show it. Instead, he nodded his appreciation for the sentiment and took another sip of coffee.

  “Any fights about money with your ex?” he continued.

  “No. He mainly didn’t seem thrilled that I kicked him out or wouldn’t take his calls, but I wouldn’t exactly say we had a fight. I guess a breakup in and of itself is never pleasant,” she said.

  “None I’ve ever been part of ended without someone’s feelings being hurt.” One corner of his mouth lifted when he spoke. She liked his face even more when he relaxed. “You mentioned the movers before. Did any friends drop by?”

  “A neighbor grabbed me to say hello, but I had my hands full with Abby so I didn’t invite her inside.” A shiver raced down her back at the thought that one of the people she’d hired could’ve been a criminal who was casing the place.

  “We can start with the movers, then.” He picked up his pen. “Do you have any documentation from the moving company?”

  “I have the receipt right here.” She sifted through a couple of papers on the table and located the pink slip for College Boy Movers. The slogan had been College Hunks Move Your Stuff. The guys who’d shown up wouldn’t exactly fall into the category of good-looking. Three slightly overweight men and a slightly smaller one in their late twenties had turned up at her Dallas apartment to get the job done. “They put together Abby’s crib, so one of the guys was in her room. It was part of the deal. They helped set the place up. They don’t unpack necessarily, but they were handy with a screwdriver and got my bed put back together.”

  They might not have been a good-looking crew but they got the job done well enough. Renee was in her new home.

  Cash took the slip and studied it.

  “Have you heard of them?” she asked.

  “No. And that’s a good thing from my perspective.” He glanced up. “Mind if I take a picture of this to file with my report?”

  The question was most likely professional courtesy. She shook her head and suppressed a yawn. He asked a few more routine-sounding questions before snapping a pic. His cell buzzed while still in his hand.

  He glanced at the screen. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

  “Go right ahead.” She glanced at the clock. It was getting late. Exhaustion wore her thin but she doubted she could go back to sleep, especially now that she realized the glass had been broken in her daughter’s room and there was no way to lock the window. Maybe she could pack an overnight bag and stay in a motel until she could have her new home secured. She needed a temporary fix tonight.

  Cash stood and walked over to the sink, looking out the window. “Hey, Colton. What’s the word?”

  She surmised the ca
ll must be from the sheriff. And then it dawned on her. Her neighbor had said the sheriff’s name was Colton O’Connor. He had the same last name as Cash, who’d said he had five brothers.

  Renee wouldn’t normally listen to someone’s conversation, but she figured this one had to do with her as she heard Cash update his brother on the case and tell him about the lighter he’d found.

  After saying a few uh-huhs into the phone and promising to run the evidence to his brother’s office, the conversation must’ve shifted to something more personal.

  “And no one’s seen him?” he asked, with concern in his voice.

  Suddenly, she felt like she was intruding. She stared down at her little girl and tried to block out the sound of his voice, which was difficult to do with the way it seemed to tickle her skin like the first cool breeze on a hot day.

  “Where was it found?” His voice went silent. “I see.”

  More silence.

  “And how’s Mother taking the news—don’t answer that. Stupid question.” He was silent for a couple of beats. “He wouldn’t part from his cell phone. The entire area has been checked? And nothing? It’s still dark outside. It’ll be difficult to find him now. He knows the area like the back of his hand. There’s no way he’s lost.” Cash gripped the sink with his free hand as though he was bracing himself. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “I need to finish boarding up the window at the victim’s home. Since you’re sending a deputy here to collect evidence, I’ll wait until he’s finished. After that, I’m on my way home.”

  Renee’s heart was in her throat. She was scared and too stubborn to admit her fears. Cash said goodbye before ending the call. Maybe strapping the baby in the car seat and getting a hotel room was a good idea after all. But where?

  An idea popped. She should ask the lawman for a recommendation. He’d know the area, and until the window was fixed there was no way she was staying at the farmhouse.

  “I didn’t mean to overhear—”

  “It’s fine. Our father’s missing.” He rubbed the scruff on his chin and for the first time looked tired.