Читать книгу Stockyard Snatching - Barb Han - Страница 10

Chapter Four

“I’d say that’s a strange coincidence, but I know Safe Haven is the biggest agency in the area, so I guess I’m not too surprised to hear their name again,” Tommy said. “And just because Susan had a baby doesn’t mean it’s yours.”

“That kid in there is around the age Susan’s baby would be,” Dallas supplied.

“Doesn’t mean he’s Susan’s,” Tommy said. “Odds are against it.”

“I know.” Dallas nodded, still trying to digest the news. His plans to help Kate Williams get settled with the sheriff and then head back to the ranch to start a busy day exploded. They had a record number of bred heifers and there’d be a calf-boom early next year that everyone was preparing for. But nothing was more important than this investigation.

“In fact, I’m inclined to think that’s the closest thing we have to proof that the baby isn’t yours.”

Dallas made a move to speak, but his friend raised his hand to stop him. “Hear me out. If Susan was telling the truth and the baby was yours, she would stick around for a DNA test. If she couldn’t have your last name, then at least her son would, and he’d have everything that comes with being an O’Brien, which is what we all know she’s always wanted anyway.”

Dallas thought about those words for a long moment. “I see your point.”

“And I’m right.”

“Either way, if she used Safe Haven, then everything should be legit, right?” Dallas asked, hoping he’d be able to gain traction and get answers now that a child had been confirmed and he had the name of an adoption agency. His investigator was making good progress.

“They’ve been investigated before and came up clean.” Tommy took another sip of his coffee. “That doesn’t mean they are. They could be running an off-the-books program for nontraditional families. Kate’s case gives me reason to dig into their records. I’ll make a request for access to their files and see how willing they are to cooperate.”

“Will you keep me posted on your progress?” Dallas asked, knowing he was asking a lot of his friend.

Tommy nodded. “I’ll give you as much information as I legally can.”

“As far as Susan goes, you’re the only one who knows, and I’d appreciate keeping it between us for now.”

“You haven’t told anyone in the family?” Tommy asked in surprise.

“Everyone’s had enough to deal with since Mom and Pop...” Dallas didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t have to. Tommy knew.

“If you have a child, and I’d bet my life you don’t, we’ll find him,” Tommy said, and his words were meant to be reassuring.

He was the only person apart from Dallas’s brothers who would know just how much the prospect would gnaw at him. And if his brothers knew, they’d all want to be involved, but Dallas didn’t want to sound the alarm just yet. There might not be anything to discuss, and he didn’t like getting everyone riled up without cause.

Another text came through on his phone.

“Looks like my guy left to investigate Safe Haven last night and hasn’t checked in for work this morning,” Dallas murmured. “His assistant said he’s always the first one in the office. She’s been texting and calling him and he isn’t responding.”

“We need to talk to her,” Tommy said. “You know I’m going to offer my help investigating Susan’s disappearance. She’s originally from here and that makes her my business.”

“And I’ll take it,” Dallas declared. He wouldn’t rely solely on Tommy, because his friend was bound by laws. Dallas saw them more as guidelines when it came to finding out the truth. “We can work both cases and share information. As far as Kate’s goes, I’m not sure I like Allen Lentz.”

The sheriff leaned against the counter with a questioning look on his face.

“He sounded possessive of her when she called him this morning, and I got the impression he sees the kid as an obstacle to dating her,” Dallas explained. The news that Susan had had a boy was still spinning around in the back of his mind.

“I’ll have one of my deputies bring him in for questioning this morning,” Tommy said. “See if I can get a feel for the guy.”

“I’d be interested to hear your take on him,” Dallas stated. “I told her not to clue him in to what had happened this morning when she phoned him to open the kitchen for her. And I asked her to put him on speaker so I could hear his voice.”

“What was your impression of how he sounded?”

“I didn’t like the guy one bit.” Dallas would keep the part about feeling a twinge of jealousy to himself.

“Wanting the kid out of the way would give him motive,” Tommy said. “I’ll run a background check on him when I bring him in. See if there’s anything there.”

Tommy’s phone buzzed. “This is my deputy,” he said, after glancing at the screen.

Dallas motioned for them to return to Kate as his friend answered the call.

She was cradling the baby and Dallas got another glimpse of the little boy’s black curly hair—hair that looked a lot like his own—as they walked into the office. Dallas wasn’t quite ready to accept that possibility completely as he moved closer to get a better look at Jackson. There was no way that Kate’s son could be Susan’s baby.

Right?

Tommy was right. All of this would be way too much of a coincidence. The adoption agency was large and there had to be dozens of dark-haired baby boys who had been adopted around the same time. Not that logic mattered at a time like this.

Plus, Dallas hadn’t considered the fact that if Susan had had his baby, then wouldn’t she sue him for support? Or blackmail him to keep the news out of the press?

Until he could be certain, would Dallas look at every boy around Jackson’s age with the same question: Could the child be his?

Not knowing would be mental torture at its worst. Every dark-haired boy he came across would get Dallas’s mind spinning with possibilities. What-ifs. Was he getting a glimpse of the torment he’d endure for the rest of his life if he couldn’t find Susan?

Morton had confirmed there’d been a child, which didn’t necessarily mean Dallas was a father. And Morton had been able to link Susan to Safe Haven Adoption Agency. Dallas had every reason to believe that his PI would figure out the rest and Dallas would get his answers very soon. Being in limbo, not knowing, would eat what was left of his stomach lining.

Kate was watching him with a keen eye as Tommy entered the room.

“Can I go home now?” she asked, cradling Jackson tighter.

“This might sound like an odd question, but do you close and lock your doors when you leave your house?” Tommy asked.

“Yes. Of course. I’m a single woman who lives alone with a baby, and I wouldn’t dream of leaving myself vulnerable like that,” she said, and her cheeks flushed.

Embarrassment?

Dallas noted the emotion as his friend moved on. “Well, then, your place has been broken into,” Tommy said.

“What happened?” Kate’s face paled.

Dallas’s first thought was Allen. But wouldn’t he already have access to her house?

Not if she never let him inside. Maybe the date bit was a ruse to get into her home.

“The back door was ajar and the lock had been tampered with. My deputy on the scene said that nothing obvious is missing inside. All the pictures are on the walls and the place is neat.” Tommy listened and then said a few “uh-huh”s into the phone.

“Do you have a home computer?” he asked Kate.

“A laptop on my desk,” she answered.

Tommy repeated the information to his deputy and then frowned.

So, someone took her laptop?

“Are you sure it was on your desk the last time you saw it?” Tommy asked.

“Certain. Why? Is it gone?”

He nodded. “The cable is still there.”

That same look of fear and disbelief filled her blue eyes.

“Can you think of anything on your hard drive someone would want?” Tommy asked. He also asked about work files, but Dallas figured whoever broke into her house wasn’t going after those. This had to be personal, especially after the failed kidnapping attempt.

If someone was trying to scare her, then he was doing a great job of it, based on her expression.

“No. Nothing. I keep all my work stuff at the office. I vowed not to work at home ever again once I left the corporate scene. I have a manila file folder in the drawer, right-hand side, about Jackson’s adoption,” she added, holding tighter to her baby. “Is it missing?”

Once again Tommy relayed the information and then waited. “There’s nothing labeled Safe Haven or Adoption,” he said at last.

“Then that’s it,” she murmured, almost too quietly to hear.

Tommy thanked his deputy and ended the call. “How did you get connected with Safe Haven?”

“Through my lawyer. He was the one who arranged everything,” she said, and based on her expression, Dallas figured her brain was most likely clicking through possibilities.

He made a mental note that they needed to speak to her brother, and the rest of her family, as well. Dallas didn’t like to think that her family wouldn’t be 100 percent supportive of her choices, but he wasn’t stupid. He couldn’t fathom it, but if her mother was really against the adoption, then she could be trying to interfere by shaking Kate up. Maybe even hoping that she’d realize she’d made a mistake.

If that were true, then Kate’s mother hadn’t seen the woman holding Jackson.

A family intervention, albeit misguided, would be so much better than the other options Kate faced. Such as an employee’s fixation or the fact that this could’ve been a shady adoption gone bad for Safe Haven.

* * *

KATE HELD ON to Jackson as if he’d drop off a canyon wall if she let go. She’d walked away from the only life she’d ever known to have a chance at a family. Her husband, Robert Bass, had filed for divorce within weeks of learning that she had a 4 percent chance of ever getting pregnant. Four percent.

Half the reason she’d worked so hard at the start-up was so she could sell her interests when she became pregnant and be home with the baby. And then suddenly that wasn’t going to be an option, ever.

At thirty-three, she’d had everything she thought she wanted, a nice house, a Suburban and a husband. She’d believed she was on the track to happiness, and it was easy to ignore shortcomings in her marriage to Robert considering how much time she spent at the office. He worked all the time, too.

Within weeks of learning the devastating news, her entire life had turned upside down, and all she could do was kick herself for not seeing it coming earlier. All those times Robert had decided to stay late at the office even when she’d made special arrangements to leave early... And she’d been too busy to really notice how frequent his ski trips had become—ski trips she later realized hadn’t been with his best friend, but with his coworker Olivia Gail.

In fact, he’d been on the road more than he was home and Kate felt like an idiot for thinking he was working hard to secure a future for their family, too.

Whatever love had been between them had died long before she’d been willing to acknowledge it. Or had she kept herself too busy to notice? Too busy to face the reality of the loneliness that had become her life?

She’d been trapped with a husband who cared for her but didn’t love her. And the worst part was that she’d kept convincing herself that they’d be able to get back what they’d had in the early days of their relationship as soon as she had more time or had a baby. How crazy was it to think a child would somehow make things better, make them a family?

To make matters worse, Kate Williams didn’t give up. Hard work and staying the course had made her business a success. It had gotten her through a difficult childhood with a mother who was bent on controlling her. Was her mother’s lack of real love the reason Kate had fallen for Robert in the first place? Was she seeking approval from someone who would never give it?

Robert had been all about keeping his tee time and staying on track with his future career plans. He even seemed content to have a family with Kate though he no longer loved her.

And then when the disappointing news had come that having a baby would be next to impossible, he’d started traveling even more. He’d lost interest in her sexually.

Kate had reasoned that he needed time to process the news, as she did. It was a bomb she’d never expected to be dropped on her, especially not when her biological clock wouldn’t expire for years.

Robert’s decision to give up on the marriage shouldn’t have come as a complete shock. Except that she’d ignored or made excuses for every single one of the signs that it was coming.

Given the amount of time he had spent calculating return on investment with his stock portfolio, she should’ve realized he’d cut his losses with her when she was no longer a good deal. Apparently, she hadn’t been worth the risk. It had taken Robert about six weeks to divest himself of her.

Kate had signed the divorce papers and then made a life-changing decision.

She was going to have a family anyway.

When she’d told Carter, her brother, he’d scoffed at the idea, initially telling her to take a long vacation instead. Then he’d reminded her how much she’d be hurting their mother, as if Charlotte Williams hadn’t already made her position clear throughout the whole divorce. Chip and Charlotte had been the perfect parents, to hear her mother talk about their life.

Kate had been clear on what she wanted, and being a mother had more to do with love than DNA, so she’d decided to adopt.

Carter came to his senses, apologized and then located the best adoption attorney he could find.

Not long after, Kate had sold her interests in the company and moved to Bluff.

Life might have thrown her a twist, but that didn’t mean she had to roll over and take it.

The move had given her a new lease on life. Becoming Jackson’s mother was the greatest joy she’d experienced. And, dammit, no one would take that or him away from her.

A voice she immediately recognized as Allen’s boomed from the other room.

Kate popped to her feet. “Why’s he here?” she asked, glancing from Tommy to Dallas.

“I’ll be interviewing everyone on your staff,” the sheriff said, drawing her gaze back to him. “Would your family members be willing to come down and speak to us, as well?”

“My family?” she echoed, as Allen walked into the office.

“What’s going on?” he asked, concern widening his eyes as he zeroed in on Kate and the baby.

Dallas stepped in front of her, blocking his path.

“Did something happen?” Allen shouted over him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now,” she said, hating that her employees would be worried.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Allen begged, and there was desperation in his voice as he was being hauled away.

* * *

DALLAS POSITIONED HIMSELF near the two-way mirror on the other side of the interview room. His cup of coffee had long ago gone cold, but holding on to it gave him something to do with his hands.

“Miss Williams authorized my department to take a look at your computer,” Tommy said to Allen.

“So what?” The confusion on the guy’s face was either an award-worthy acting job or he really didn’t have a clue.

“Would you agree to give one of my deputies access to your house?” Tommy asked. He knew full well that an innocent guy would have nothing to hide.

“Not until you tell me what this is about,” Allen retorted.

Fair enough.

“We’re looking for information that will aid an ongoing investigation,” Tommy hedged.

“One that involves my boss.” It wasn’t a question.

The lawman nodded.

“Look, I would do anything to help Kate. She’s like family to me,” Allen said. “But I have no idea what’s going on.”

So asking out a family member was okay in Allen’s book? Dallas covered up his cough.

“And I’m not sure how invading my privacy will accomplish your mission, so I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me a little bit more about what you think you’ll find,” Allen added.

Dallas had been sure this guy was guilty as sin, but something was gnawing at him and he couldn’t figure out what. He might be covering for a crush he had on his boss and didn’t want to be embarrassed any further.

Based on his actions so far, Allen was coming across as a concerned friend. But then, he might just be that good at acting.

Dallas returned to Tommy’s office, where Kate waited.

“How long has Allen worked for you?” he asked.

“He was my first hire,” she said, looking as if she was about to be sick. “So, about six months now.”

“Do want water or something else to drink?” Dallas asked.

She shook her head and mumbled that she was fine.

Tommy walked in.

“How would you characterize your relationship with Allen Lentz?” he asked Kate.

“Professional,” she retorted.

“I had to ask.” Tommy brought his hand up defensively.

“But he wasn’t kidding about our office being like a family. Do you really think he broke into my house and stole my laptop and adoption files?” she asked Tommy, looking as if she was trying to let that possibility sink in.

“Not completely, no,” he answered. “It doesn’t mean he’s not involved, though. The kidnapping attempt could’ve been a distraction while the burglar got what he really wanted.”

Kate pinched the bridge of her nose as though staving off a headache.

Tommy’s cell buzzed. He glanced at the screen. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Kate nodded as Tommy hurried out of the room.

Dallas didn’t say that none of this added up quite in the way he wanted it to. All her employees would know that she was already at the soup kitchen. If someone wanted her laptop and adoption files, all he had to do was break in while she was gone. But it was clear that her adoption was at the center of the kidnapping attempt. Could someone be trying to erase the paperwork trail? “Do you ever go back to your place after leaving for work?”