Читать книгу The Texas Ranger's Nanny - Rebecca Winters - Страница 9
ОглавлениеAfter hearing from Vic, Claire hung up and started to fix dinner. She was so horrified over Jeremy’s disappearance that she’d lost her appetite. As for his poor father, she knew Vic wouldn’t be able to eat, but he needed food in order to keep going. That meant making something light.
Taking stock of the groceries they had, she put together some dinner rolls with ham and cheese. Accompanied by fruit and hot coffee, they would hopefully tempt him. While she listened for Vic’s car in the driveway, her mom phoned again to hear if there’d been any word on Jeremy.
“Not yet. Oh, Mom—” Claire broke down in tears. “I couldn’t bear if anything happened to him.”
“We’re all praying he’s found soon. Barbara and Kaye have offered to help any way they can.”
She loved her sisters. “Tell them thank you.”
“You have to have faith that Ranger Malone will find him.”
“I do. You don’t know how much I love that boy.”
“I’ve known that for a long time.”
Of course she did. Claire never stopped talking about him. “This is a nightmare, Mom. Oh—I think I hear Vic now. I’ll call you later.”
She clicked Off and dashed across the living room to the front door. When she opened it, Vic had just reached the porch. Before walking through the door, he flashed her a look that revealed his terror.
Claire followed him through the house to the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”
He’d gone over to the sink and was drinking water from the tap. The poor man had been gutted. Claire had never felt so helpless. Once he’d washed his hands, he turned to her while he wiped them with a towel. “How are you holding up? I haven’t even thanked you for phoning me the moment you knew he’d disappeared.”
“I’m all right,” she lied. “After all the times we talked about what we should do in situations like this...” She fought the tears stinging her eyelids. “I just never thought...”
“That one would become reality?” he said.
“No.”
“Neither did I,” he ground out.
She took a deep breath. “Now that it has, I’m here to do anything you need.”
“I’ve got dozens of phone calls to make while I wait to hear from Kit. We’ve put out an Amber Alert on Jeremy naming Leroy Bennett as his abductor.”
“Who is he?”
In the next breath Vic told her all that had happened since he’d driven ninety miles an hour to the school, breaking every law in the process. “He could be anywhere, Claire. As for Jeremy...”
“Come and sit down,” she urged him. “I’ll help you make those calls while we eat.” She took the things she’d prepared out of the fridge and put the food on the kitchen table. The coffee was ready. She poured a cup for both of them.
To her relief, he sat down and pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. “This is the list of the school staff. Someone who works there has to have information that could help us figure out where Leroy might have gone.”
“Or know some of his habits,” she murmured. “I agree. Why don’t you call the names from A to M and I’ll take N to Z? Just a second. I’ll get some paper for us to take notes.”
She ran to his office and pulled some sheets from the printer tray. After plucking two pens from his mug that said World’s Greatest Dad—the mug she and Jeremy had bought for Vic’s Christmas present—she returned and gave him the materials. He was already on the phone.
Claire pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and got started on her section of the list. As they worked through the list of names, she noted with satisfaction that he automatically reached for a roll. Before long, three of the rolls had disappeared and he’d started on the grapes. She topped up his coffee and finished her section of the list.
But her spirits plummeted when it became clear that no matter how many calls they made, they weren’t going to get any pertinent information on Leroy. Everyone said he was a loner. The gym teacher said Leroy had serious social problems, which corroborated what the woman at the apartment building had told Vic.
While Vic was still on the phone, Claire got an idea and phoned Nate’s mom. “Sorry to bother you, Ann.”
“Not at all. Did you find Jeremy?”
Claire struggled not to break down. “Not yet. We’re still looking for him.”
“Oh, no...what can I do to help?”
“Would you mind putting Nate on the phone? He and Jeremy are best friends. I’d just like to ask him a few questions without worrying him.”
“Of course. I’ll get him.”
After a few seconds, Nate came on the line. “Hi, Claire.” The boy sounded croupier than when she’d spoken with him earlier.
“How are you doing, bud?”
“Not very good.”
“I’m sorry. Listen, Nate. I’ve got something really, really important to ask you. Do you know the custodian who cleans your room at school?”
“Is he the one with the big green eye on his arm?”
Claire swallowed hard. “I didn’t know that. Has he ever talked to you?”
“Last Friday he was in the closet in the hall after class. He called out to me and Jeremy.”
The admission filled her with alarm. “What did he want?”
“He said he had some neat tattoos to show us.”
Her eyes closed tightly. “Had he ever talked to you two before?”
“No.”
“What did you say?”
“We both kept walking.”
“Good for you. That was exactly the right thing to do. Did you tell your mother?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I forgot.”
Good grief. Jeremy hadn’t said anything to Claire or Vic either. She guessed the incident hadn’t frightened them. “Thanks for telling me, Nate. I hope you get well soon. May I speak to your mom again?”
“Sure.”
While she waited, she looked at Vic, who’d just gotten off the phone. “Nate’s mom doesn’t know everything that’s happened. I think you need to talk to her. Nate just told me something scary. It happened last Friday.”
When she related what Nate had told her, Vic reached for the phone and talked to Nate’s mom while Claire took the dishes to the sink. After he hung up, he walked over to the stove to pour himself another cup of coffee.
“What made you think to call Nate?”
She turned to him. “Nobody at the school could give me any information. The custodians don’t eat in the cafeteria and they don’t attend the staff meetings. Leroy was invisible to the teachers I phoned on the list. But none of them had complaints about his work. At that point I figured maybe one of the kids might know something.”
He studied her features for a moment. “Since you’re a chemist, I shouldn’t be surprised you’re a natural born detective. I think you’re looking for work in the wrong field.”
Claire smiled but let the remark pass.
“That bit of information from Nate about his wanting to show them his tattoos proves that Leroy was getting ready to set things up and had been waiting for the right moment to kidnap Jeremy.”
“It was perfect timing. Nate was sick and didn’t go to school today. The janitor saw Jeremy was alone and grabbed him. I’m sure that’s exactly what happened.”
“The kidnapping was no random act. It proves my theory that it was in retaliation for cracking down on the illegal gambling taking place at the Indian gaming casinos.”
Claire was certain of it. “Nate says the janitor has a tattoo with a green eye.”
“According to the rap sheet on him, he has snake tattoos running down his chest, too.”
She shook her head in revulsion. “I take it you didn’t learn any helpful information.”
“No. So far you’re the only person who’s given me some clues to work with. If you weren’t such a great nanny, you wouldn’t have even known where he keeps those little magnets, let alone know the names of them. I’m indebted to you, Claire.” His voice throbbed, revealing the depth of his pain.
“It’s so little to work with.”
“But every tiny scrap of evidence starts to form a pattern.” His black eyes took on a savage look as he stared into space. “Frightening, isn’t it, that people like Leroy get into our school system when they have a prison record?”
She let out a gasp. “He was in prison?”
“On an involuntary manslaughter charge. It usually carries a sentence from ten to sixteen months. But he was let out after only serving three. Someone fixed it for him to be released early.”
“How could he have gotten a job at the school?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Normally he couldn’t, but someone high up the chain who has a vendetta against me made sure his record was expunged so he could be hired.”
“Do you have an idea who it could be?”
“I’ve got a hunch, but it’s a big one. Actually, several people come to mind.” Politics was a dirty business. He could think of a few names, but they weren’t for her ears.
Vic’s phone buzzed and he grabbed for it. When he’d hung up, he turned to Claire and said, “Good old TJ. The Amber Alert has gone out with all the information on Jeremy and Leroy, including pictures.”
“It’s going to work, Vic. Whenever I get an alert on my phone, I’m extra vigilant. Someone out there is going to recognize one of them and call it in to the police.”
In profile he looked as stiff as a block of wood. Heartsick, Claire started when her phone rang, too. She clicked On. “Dad?”
“Sweetheart. We were watching TV when the Amber Alert flashed across the screen.”
“I know. It’s out all over. Keep praying someone’s going to have information.”
“We’re doing that. Are you okay?”
“I will be when Jeremy is home.”
“You need to be extra careful.”
“I know, but Vic has provided protection for me. Thanks for calling. I’ll keep in touch with you. Love you.”
She clicked Off and glanced at Vic, who took one phone call after another. He belonged to that special Ranger brotherhood known as the Sons of the Forty. No doubt they were calling Vic to give him hope and offer their services. Her heart ached for this courageous man who protected everyone else. Now it was time everyone came to his rescue. Inwardly, Claire was leading the charge.
While he was occupied, she went out back to the barn to check on the horses and make sure they had enough food and water. She moved to Comet’s stall. “Hey, Comet.” She patted his neck. “I know you’ve been looking for Jeremy. Sorry you didn’t get your exercise today. We’ve all been looking for him.” In a flood of emotion she rested her head against him. “He has to come home. He has to, or I don’t know what I’ll do.”
While she hung on to Comet, she felt a hand cup her shoulder. She didn’t realize Vic had come out to the barn. He’d probably heard her talking to the pony. His touch triggered her tears. She started sobbing and before she realized it, he’d pulled her into his arms. They clung to each other, seeking comfort while the tears gushed down her face, wetting his Western shirt.
As his body heaved with unshed tears, tearing her apart, she was aware of the warm smell of the horses combined with the soap he used in the shower. The heady combination plus the feel of his hard body reminded her he was a man as well as her employer. A beautiful man. A loving father. The ultimate protector. One who was utterly desirable and had been utterly devastated.
Shaken by the feelings coming from deep inside her while he was suffering unimaginable pain, she slowly eased herself out of his arms and stepped away. Since she’d been hired, she’d experienced too many emotions toward Jeremy and his father, and her emotions were now taking over. Consuming her. Tonight it was impossible to separate her feelings for Jeremy from the man who’d fathered him.
“Thank you for looking after the horses, Claire. Let’s go back inside.” He closed the barn doors behind them and they walked toward the house. Night had fallen. She shuddered to think of Jeremy out there somewhere, alone and terrified. Her mind wouldn’t let her entertain the possibility that he wasn’t alive. She could only imagine Vic’s thoughts right now.
“What else can we do? Give me a job, any job, and I’ll do it.”
“It’s a waiting game at the moment,” Vic said as they went into the den, where he kept his computer. “Kit phoned back to let me know that no school district trucks were missing. It has to mean Leroy hid my son in the back of his truck, but where he took him is anyone’s guess. If—”
“Don’t say it, Vic. You’ll find him alive. I know you will.”
“You’re right. I’m expecting a phone call from headquarters to keep me briefed on any results from the Amber Alert. And before long, I should hear from Kit, who’s getting a warrant from the judge to search Bennett’s apartment.”
“Do you want me to keep you company, or would you rather be alone?”
His eyes swerved to her. “I’m thankful you’re here.”
Secretly glad he didn’t mind her presence, she sat down in one of the leather chairs. “Have you told your sister-in-law?”
“No.”
“What about Clint?” He was close to his second cousin.
He sat in the chair at his desk. “I’ll give them both a call right now. The Amber Alert will shock them if they see it first. Thank you for—”
Just then his phone rang again. He wasn’t on for long before he clicked off and jumped to his feet. “I’m heading over to Leroy’s apartment. Kit got the warrant. Don’t worry about your safety. The surveillance team will be watching you on a constant basis. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Take care, Claire.”
She got up and walked him to the front door. “I’m sure you’ll find something that will help.”
“We’ve got to!” he called over his shoulder on the way to his car.
Her heart ached for him. His baby boy was missing. No parent was ever prepared for news like that, but if anyone could solve this case, Vic could. He was Jeremy’s superhero.
Once Vic’s car disappeared from view, she went to her bedroom to check her email. Claire had been on several job interviews already, but didn’t think she would hear back from anyone this soon. But she needed something—anything—to do to keep busy until she heard from Vic.
He’d set up a desk for her in her bedroom, where she could study on her laptop. Since the day he’d hired her, no one could have been more thoughtful and considerate than Vic. The single-floor ranch style house was spacious with four bedrooms, a large kitchen, dining room and a den, where Vic kept an office. A family room off the vaulted living room contained an entertainment center with comfy couches and chairs. She’d fallen in love with the house, but tonight there was no Jeremy inside, and the place felt like a tomb.
Through bleary eyes she checked her inbox for new messages. To her surprise, two of the companies she’d applied to had responded to her. She opened the first one.
Dear Ms. Ames:
We would like you to come in for a second interview for the toxicologist/analytical chemist position at the new reference lab in the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown area. As explained to you earlier, the lab is seeking a candidate for the day shift with experience in developing methods for urine toxicology drug testing on a wide menu of analytes. We have set up an interview with you on Friday, May 27, at 1:00 p.m. with the head of the new lab. The salary range of $75,000–$110,000 is negotiable based on experience. Please respond ASAP.
She closed it and scrolled down to the email from Landry Scientific in Houston.
Dear Ms. Ames:
A staff member from Landry Scientific will be meeting with you on Thursday, May 26, at 11:00 a.m. for your second interview. The thrust of your work will be to conduct research, analysis, synthesis and experimentation on polymeric substances, for such purposes as product and process development and application, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and improvement of analytical methodologies. We are offering further incentives in terms of paying for additional schooling. The salary of $70,000 is negotiable based on experience and education. Please let us know if the meeting date and time are not convenient for you.
Claire buried her face in her hands. Pleased as she was at receiving this news, with Jeremy missing she couldn’t think about more interviews right now. She could hardly breathe for the pain.
Too distraught to focus on anything, she closed her email and got ready for bed. While Vic was out actively pursuing the criminal who was responsible for Jeremy’s disappearance, she was home, dying inside and unable to help.
Vic expected her to stay here. What if, by some miracle, the lowlife dropped Jeremy off somewhere and he was able to contact her? She had to stay put, but it was going to be the longest, most agonizing night of her life.
* * *
WITH KIT HELPING VIC, they scoured Leroy’s empty apartment for clues, but there was nothing, not even a waste basket. After seeing the warrant, the manager had let them in.
“Does Bennett owe you money?” Vic asked.
“No, sir. He paid me cash up front for two months.”
Vic exchanged glances with his partner. “So you knew he was leaving today?”
“That’s right.”
“Did you require a cleaning deposit?”
“Yes. He covered that, too.”
“You knew he’d been in prison?”
“A lot of guys have served time. He said he had a job at a school as a custodian. As long as they pay me, I don’t care.”
“Did he tell you anything about where he might be going?”
“I asked, but he said it was none of my damn business.”
“The woman across the hall said he drove an older blue pickup truck.”
“Yeah.”
“Anything you noticed about it besides the dents?
“Like what?”
“Anything that would make it different from another truck just like it.”
“Um, I do remember one thing. There was an oval decal on the back window with a crazy word like duda printed on it. Are you through with me? I’ve got to get back to my apartment. I’ve got dinner on the stove.”
“Go ahead.”
The second he walked away, Vic phoned headquarters to report the decal. After he hung up, Kit said, “I’ve learned that Jamison Lowell was the person who hired Leroy. He’s no longer working for the school district office, but I have the guy’s address.”
Vic clenched his jaw. “Let’s go find him.”
Kit followed him to East Austin and they pulled up in front of a rambler home with a tidy yard. After walking to the front door, Vic rang the bell and they waited. When no one answered, he rang it again. This was like déjà vu.
“Stay there and keep trying. I’ll run next door to the neighbor’s house and find out what I can.” Kit took off. Vic walked around the house and used his flashlight to look in the windows. The place was empty.
When he could hear voices from next door, he hurried over to join Kit, who introduced him to an older couple.
“These people here say that the Lowells moved last week. They don’t know where, but figure they wanted to be near their only daughter, who’s married and lives in Colorado.”
“Do you know where in Colorado?” Vic pressed.
The woman pondered the question. “I’m pretty sure the daughter and her husband live in Vail. They do a lot of skiing.”
“Do you know their last name?”
“I think it might be Preston,” the husband said.
“Do you know what kind of car the Prestons have? Maybe from when they visited the Lowells?”
“A blue, four-door Passat.”
“Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”
“I hope the Lowells aren’t in any trouble. They’re such nice people. He worked with the school district you know. We hated to see them move.”
“Sudden, was it?” Vic stared at both of them.
The man nodded. “Yes, but then we didn’t know that much about their family.”
“I don’t see a for sale sign on the lawn.”
“Not yet.”
Vic reached for his wallet and handed them his business card. “Please call my office when you find out the name of the Realtor selling the house.”
“We will. Good night.”
Once they were back at their cars, Vic pounded his fist against his windshield. “This has been organized for several months, Kit. I never saw this coming. Jeremy could be anywhere. He—”
“We’ll find him,” Kit broke in. “I’ll follow you home and contact the Vail police. They’ll do a search for a family with the last name Preston. We’ve got the make of the car. As for you, you need to get some rest. When we get to your place we’ll talk strategy until you’re too tired to think and can sleep.”
“I’ll never be able to sleep, not while my son is missing.”
“Then take a sleeping pill—otherwise you won’t be good for anything. Take a shower first. It’ll help you relax.”
Once at Vic’s house, Vic told Kit to help himself to some coffee and started down the hall. He stopped at Jeremy’s bedroom. It was unearthly still. Jeremy was gone. Pain attacked Vic’s whole body. He sagged against the doorjamb for a minute and let out the sobs that kept coming.
God in heaven, preserve his life. Help me find him.
Brushing a hand across his face, he straightened and began to walk toward his room at the end of the hall. As he passed Claire’s room, he noticed that she’d left the door open and her bedside lamp was on.
“Claire?”
“I’m here.” She opened the door wider. “I heard you come in.”
Her feminine silhouette was framed by the soft light. The gold strands in her hair gleamed among the copper. She wore the same kind of pajamas Jeremy wore with superheroes on them. A fragrance like peaches wafted past him. She must have washed her hair while he’d been gone. Jeremy loved this woman.
He cleared his throat. “Kit came home with me. I’m going to shower, and then we’re going to work out a plan to find Jeremy.”
“I’m glad Kit is with you. I’ll make you both something to eat.”
Grateful she was here, he headed for his bedroom. When he emerged ten minutes later, he found her in the kitchen wearing a navy blue bathrobe over her pajamas. She’d made waffles and sausage. Kit was putting food away like he’d never had a meal before.
Vic walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. “I owe you big time, Kit.”
He looked up. “I’m still trying to pay you back for all the times you had my back. Your nanny is taking great care of me. These waffles are the best. Don’t tell me you can’t eat. You have to eat. Jeremy needs you.”
“He does,” Claire’s voice echoed. Vic raised his eyes to hers. She was a beautiful woman even without makeup. Those gray eyes of hers begged him to eat and take care of himself.
Making up his mind he said, “I’ll take whatever Kit is having.”
A smile broke out on her face. “Coming right up.” They ate every waffle she put on their plates. “If you’re full, why not go in the living room so you can lie down on the couch.”
Claire smiled at Kit, who got up first and urged Vic to follow him. He’d refused to take a sleeping pill. She was hoping that with some good food inside him, fatigue would take over and he’d fall asleep.
“I’m going to stretch out, too.” Kit sat down in one of the fat leather chairs and put his feet up on the ottoman.
Vic had come to the table barefoot. She could see his eyelids drooping when he lay down on the couch wearing sweats and a T-shirt. He had to be exhausted.
Before long, both men were asleep. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture of them. If she had it blown up and framed, the plaque beneath would say “Two of the Famous Four Texas Rangers at rest.”
When Jeremy was found—and he would be found, Claire had made up her mind about that—she’d present this precious gift for him to treasure. She’d tell him this was the shape his father was in after searching for him nonstop all day and night. That was how much he loved him.
Claire sat in the chair matching the one Kit occupied and looped her arms around her raised knees to watch over them. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but the ringing of someone’s cell phone woke her up. Her watch said ten after six in the morning.
Vic jackknifed into a sitting position and answered his phone. At this point Kit had awakened and stood up. She overheard Vic say the name TJ. He was talking to the head of the Rangers.
When he disconnected, he sprang to his feet. “The police caught up with Leroy at an all-night bar in Buda.”
“Buda? It’s not that far away. Thank heaven!” she cried.
“Amen to that. Leroy’s truck was parked outside. The logo the apartment building manager told us about helped find him fast. That clue saved the day. He thought it said ‘duda’ or something close. The officers have taken him into custody at the jail downtown. Guess who was with him?”
“The two guys who got in the fight with him at the park.”
“You’re right on the money, Kit. They were hauled in for questioning, too. Let’s go. I’ll get changed and meet you outside.”
After he disappeared, Claire turned to Kit. “Can I come with you?”
“I know how much you love Jeremy, but this is a police matter.”
“But I feel responsible.”
“In what way?”
“The second I didn’t see Jeremy, I should have run right in the school instead of waiting in the car for a few more minutes.”
“That wouldn’t have made any difference, Claire. This kidnapping was planned down to the second. You shouldn’t feel any guilt, but I guess it’s human nature.”
“It is,” she said. “I can’t stay here and just wait and wait.”
He studied her for a moment. “Maybe you can’t come with us, but if you drive down to the city jail, I’ll tell them to let you in. You can talk to Vic after he’s through vetting Leroy.”
“Thank you, Kit.” She smiled at him gratefully and raced to her bedroom to get dressed.
It took her only a minute to pull on some jeans and a knit top. She slipped on her walking sandals. After brushing her hair, she grabbed her purse and ran through the house to the door behind the kitchen. It led to the garage.
After she’d activated the remote, she backed out and took off for downtown Austin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a van parked a few houses away and knew it was the surveillance team. Before long she realized they were following her. Those were Vic’s instructions.
I love him. I love his son.
She knew where to find the jail. One day several months ago, she’d humored Jeremy by driving him to see it. Claire had so many memories of him.
After making sure her car door was locked, she walked to the entrance, where an officer met her.
“Can I see some ID?”
She pulled her license from her wallet and showed it to him.
“You’re Ms. Ames. Ranger Saunders said to let you in. You can sit in the lounge to wait for him.” He checked the contents of her purse and gave it back to her.
“Thank you.”
When she opened the door, the cold blast of A/C was welcome. Vic probably wouldn’t like it that she’d come, but she couldn’t stand to sit in the house and do nothing. Kit understood that. A dozen or so others were also waiting in the lounge. But they were here to visit inmates and had to wait until it was their turn.
It was a whole other world down here. Claire shuddered. This was the dark side of life Vic had to deal with day in and day out. But to face the man who’d kidnapped Jeremy had to be something else altogether. She’d never seen Vic’s dark side. She didn’t believe he had one. But this morning he was going to be tested.
Claire decided it was a good thing she wasn’t the one in that jail cell with Leroy. The urge to strangle that monster with her bare hands was so strong she wasn’t sure she’d be able to contain it.
