SILENT LITTLE WITNESS

Determined to question the ex-wife of a murder suspect, homicide detective Miles Callahan arrives just in time to save her and her daughter from a shooter. Leaving the scene of a crime goes against his training, but protecting Paige Olson and the little girl is more important than following the rules. But now, on the run with mother and child, Miles must figure out what happened to Paige’s ex-husband...and why young Abby won’t say a word. Her usually talkative child’s silence has Paige worried. Is it possible she witnessed something while video chatting with her dad? If only they can convince the little girl to talk, then they might just break the case wide-open...and stop the killer who’s stalking them at every turn.

“We can’t keep running forever, Paige. At some point, we’ll need to trust the authorities.”

“I think it’s best if we hold off calling your boss until we have a solid lead to act upon.”

“You may be right, although it could be that the information on this SIM card is enough to blow the case wide-open.”

“Please, not yet,” she begged. “Let’s make sure that we don’t tip anyone off as to where we are.”

Miles didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then he nodded. “All right, we’ll hold off. For now.”

Miles came up to stand beside her as she watched her daughter, and her heart betrayed her by skipping a beat. She didn’t want to respond to him, not when she was beyond annoyed with him.

“I’ll keep you safe,” he murmured softly.

“I know.”

He slid his arm around her waist and she leaned against him for a moment, drawing strength from his nearness.

Maybe he was right about calling the authorities. They couldn’t stay here indefinitely. Obviously the information on the SIM card was important.

Important enough to kill for.

Dear Reader,

The Only Witness is the second book in my Callahan Confidential series. I love writing series, and this particular one involving a large family has been especially fun. The Callahan family has a legacy of choosing careers that support and protect their community, but these jobs also put them in constant danger. This story revolves around homicide detective Miles Callahan, known as the fun-loving Callahan sibling. But deep down, Miles is suffering from the loss of his college sweetheart who died of cancer shortly after their graduation.

When Miles meets single mother Paige Olson and her adorable five-year-old daughter, Abby, he is determined to protect them. And it’s not long before Miles realizes young Abby may be the only witness to a horrible murder.

I hope you enjoy Miles and Paige’s story. I’m also hard at work on the next book in the Callahan Confidential series. I love hearing from my readers. If you’re interested in contacting me or signing up for my newsletter, please visit my website at www.laurascottbooks.com. I’m also on Facebook at Laura Scott Books, Author, and on Twitter @Laurascottbooks.

Yours in faith,

Laura Scott

LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance, reading faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published sixteen books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

The Only Witness

Laura Scott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

—Psalms 91:1

This book is dedicated to my cousin Carie Binger.

Thanks for all the great childhood memories, skiing and boating on the Wisconsin River. Love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

A loud crash from her five-year-old daughter’s room startled Paige Olson, causing her to drop the lasagna pan she’d been washing.

“Abby?” Grabbing the dishtowel on the counter, Paige quickly dried her hands, then tossed it aside to hurry over to the short hallway of her cozy two-bedroom house. Off the hallway was a bathroom, with her daughter’s room on one side and hers on the other. “Sweetie, are you all right?”

Stepping into her daughter’s bedroom, her gaze instantly found the source of the crash. Abby’s tablet was lying face down on the scuffed hardwood floor.

Paige had told her ex-husband that the tablet was too expensive for a five-year-old, but he hadn’t listened. Not that Travis ever cared about her opinions.

“Abby, where are you?” Paige noticed that Ellie, her little girl’s favorite stuffed elephant, wasn’t anywhere in sight, and quickly deduced that her daughter likely had the toy clutched in her arms under the bed. Abby often crawled beneath her bed during thunderstorms, too. Paige had just dropped to her knees to check when a loud crash, followed by a sharp report, rang through the house.

“What in the world?” Paige lifted her head over the edge of Abby’s bed, shocked to see that her daughter’s bedroom window was broken.

A second bang echoed sharply and it took Paige a moment to figure out that the noise was gunfire.

Someone was shooting at her house!

Heart thundering in her chest, she crouched beside the bed, trying to think. Her phone was in the kitchen, but she couldn’t leave Abby alone. She dropped down to all fours, peering beneath the bed frame. “Abby?” She kept her voice low. “We need to get out of here.”

Her daughter stared at her from under the bed with wide tear-stained eyes and shook her head.

Paige tried to smile reassuringly. “Come on, sweetie, someone broke your window. We need to go someplace safe.”

Abby stared at her for a moment longer, then crawled slowly across the floor, dragging Ellie the pink elephant along with her. Paige thought it was strange that Abby didn’t say anything, but right now she had bigger worries.

She had no idea why on earth anyone would shoot at her house. There must be some sort of crime in progress nearby and the gunfire had gone wide, hitting her house instead of the intended target. Nothing else made sense, and Paige desperately needed her phone to call for help.

When Abby was close enough, she reached for the little girl, gently pulling her into a warm hug. Abby buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, her entire body shaking with fear.

“Shh, it’s okay. We’re going to be fine, you’ll see.” Paige stayed on her hands and knees, awkwardly holding Abby up against her with one hand as she maneuvered across the hardwood floor toward the hallway.

As she reached the opening, she froze, wondering for the first time if she was heading into a trap. What if the gunfire was aimed at her house on purpose? What if there were bad guys making their way inside through the front door, waiting for her and Abby to head in that direction?

They had nothing worth stealing, but robbers wouldn’t know that. Violent crime in the city had recently been on the rise.

The bathroom was right next to Abby’s room, so she scuttled in that direction, practically diving inside. She quickly shut the door, locking it behind her. A frantic glance around the tiny space didn’t reveal much that could be used as a barrier against the door to prevent anyone from getting inside.

Rising to her feet, she rifled through the medicine cabinet, finding a can of hairspray that might be used as a weapon. Then she lifted Abby up and into the tub, pulling the shower curtain closed. She stretched out, so they were lying on the bottom of the ceramic tub, her body protectively covering her daughter’s.

Anyone trying to hurt them would have to get through her first.

Surely the neighbors would call the police. Mrs. Stevenson, known for being the area gossip, was probably alerting the authorities right now.

Paige snuggled Abby close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We’re safe now. I won’t leave you alone.”

Abby didn’t answer, and the silent tears coursing down her face ripped a hole in Paige’s heart.

Dear Lord, please don’t let anything happen to us!

* * *

Homicide Detective Miles Callahan pulled up in front of Paige Olson’s small rectangular house and shut off the engine. The hour wasn’t too late, just past seven thirty in the evening, but darkness had fallen, and there was a definite chill in the late-March air. Lights blazed from her windows, indicating Paige was home. Good. The sooner he could talk to her, the better.

He rubbed his burning eyes, knowing he couldn’t sleep until he discovered who’d killed his college roommate, Jason Whitfield. Jason worked at Sci-Tech, Inc., and had confided in Miles about the trouble he was having with his boss, Travis Olson. Unfortunately, Jason had been killed before he could give Miles the specifics. After spending hours searching for Travis, Miles had decided to visit the guy’s ex-wife to see if she knew where he was. If she did, he intended to keep pushing forward, working the case. If she didn’t, he might have to grab a few hours of shut-eye, since he’d been up since three o’clock in the morning.

Miles slid out from behind the wheel, closing the car door behind him. He’d only taken one step toward the small ranch home when the sound of gunfire burst through the night.

Instinctively, Miles pulled his weapon from his shoulder holster and dropped into a crouch behind his car, scanning the area around him. He didn’t see any sign of anyone lurking around, but that didn’t mean much. The first shot was quickly followed by another, and he estimated that the gunman must be stationed somewhere behind the house.

He quickly called for backup, but then couldn’t just sit there, waiting. Not when he knew that Travis Olson’s ex-wife and their young daughter were likely somewhere inside.

What if one of them had been hit? What if Travis Olson was inside, too, or he’d gone off the deep end, killing Jason and now attempting to eliminate everyone close to him? Jason had given Miles the impression that Travis was a man on the edge.

Miles kept his head down as he ran toward the front door. Plastering himself against the side of the gray-and-white structure, he held his gun pointing upward as he listened intently.

Silence.

All of his senses on alert, he tried the front door. The screen door wasn’t locked, but the inside door was. It was also solid and sturdy, so he quickly edged over to the large picture window. Miles kicked the window with his boot, shattering the glass. He was wearing a black leather jacket and used his elbow to brush away the broken shards that remained before throwing his leg over the sill and climbing inside.

“Mrs. Olson?” he called loudly, looking around. The living room was open to the kitchen, and there was no one in the immediate area. He could see splashes of water on the counter near a dishtowel. To the left of the living room/kitchen area was a short hallway leading to what he assumed were the bedrooms.

He could make out the glow of the light from the bedroom closest to the rear of the house. Miles kept his back to the wall as he edged closer.

“Mrs. Olson? This is Detective Callahan from the Milwaukee Police Department. I heard gunfire. Are you or your daughter hurt?”

Still nothing, and a sick feeling coiled low in his belly. What if he was too late? He made his way down the hall toward the bedroom, bracing himself for the worst.

Frilly pink curtains ruffled in the breeze coming in through a broken window. A tablet was lying upside down on the floor surrounded by bits of glass, but thankfully no blood and no injured people.

He took a moment to check under the bed and look in the closet before turning back the way he’d come. The hallway stretched toward the front of the house, and he could see there were two additional doors; the one farthest away was open, could be another bedroom, while the door in the middle was closed.

The bathroom?

He tested the door handle and found it locked. “Mrs. Olson, I’m a Milwaukee police detective and I have backup officers on the way. Are either of you hurt? There will be an ambulance, too, if needed.”

“We’re not hurt.” The woman’s voice sounded muffled and he couldn’t deny the feeling of relief.

“I’m glad. Why don’t you let me in? I’ll keep you safe from harm.”

“How do you know who I am?” Suspicion laced her tone and Miles had to give the woman credit. She might be scared to death, but she was thinking things through in a logical manner.

She had no reason to trust him.

“I came here to ask for help in locating your ex-husband.” Miles wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t there to hurt her.

“Why do you want to find Travis?”

“I’m working on a case and need to ask him a few questions, that’s all.”

Another gunshot boomed loudly and he dropped to his knees, a surge of adrenaline sending his heart thumping as he searched frantically for the source of the gunshot.

A scream echoed from inside the bathroom. Without hesitation, he slammed into the flimsy door with his shoulder, bursting inside. The bathroom window had a bullet hole and the shower curtain was closed over the tub.

He pushed the curtain aside, and found a slim woman he guessed to be in her late twenties, with glossy brown hair and green-gold eyes behind oval eyeglasses. She was clutching a small girl who looked just like her, sans glasses. “Why are they shooting at us?” Paige Olson asked hoarsely.

“I don’t know, but we need to get out of here.” Miles took her arm and helped her out of the tub, urging her out of the small bathroom to the kitchen and living room area.

“I don’t understand.” Her voice bordered on panic, not that he could blame her. “What’s going on?”

He had no idea what was happening, other than the strong possibility that the shooter outside might be related to Jason’s death.

“This way,” he said in a low voice, gesturing to the far side of the living room. There was a side window facing in the opposite direction from where he estimated the shooter was located. And it wasn’t far from where he’d left his car. They needed to get away from here as soon as possible.

He raised the window sash and pulled the screen out of the way.

“Maybe we should go into the basement,” Paige whispered.

“It’s better if we’re not trapped.” He wasn’t about to wait around a moment longer than necessary. When he had the window clear, he shrugged off his black leather jacket and held it out to her. “Put this on.”

She didn’t let go of her daughter, but managed to get her arms into the sleeves. When she was ready, he went outside first, then held out his hands. “It might be easier for me to hold your daughter.”

The child, who hadn’t spoken a word, shrank closer to her mother, clinging like a little monkey. He stepped back and held out a hand. “Never mind. Here, lean on me.”

Paige threw one leg over the sill, then ducked beneath the frame. She teetered there for a moment, so he quickly caught her in his arms and hauled her the rest of the way out of the window.

“See my car there along the curb?” He gestured to his navy blue sedan.

“Yes.”

“We’re getting out of here before anything else happens.”

She gave a terse nod, trusting him to keep them safe. He shielded them as best he could as they moved quickly across the snow-patched frozen ground to his car.

He didn’t have a booster seat for the child, but that wasn’t his top priority. Paige slid into the backseat with her daughter, leaving him to get behind the wheel. He quickly started the engine and put the car in gear.

Crack! Another gunshot echoed through the night, hitting the passenger side of his vehicle with a loud thud.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”

“We’re okay,” Paige said in a muffled tone.

The faint sound of police sirens reached his ears, but Miles didn’t hesitate. He stomped hard on the accelerator and pulled away from the curb, speeding down the street as fast as possible, putting badly needed distance between his car and the gunman.

Leaving the scene of a crime was against the rules, but at the moment he was more concerned with making sure that Paige Olson and her daughter were safe.

They were clearly in danger, but why? Who would shoot at a woman and a child? Deep in his gut, he sensed there had to be a link between the shooter who’d just hit Paige’s house and his buddy’s murder.

He needed to figure it out, before any more blood was shed.

* * *

Thirty minutes after they’d left her normally quiet and safe neighborhood behind, Paige still couldn’t relax. The sound of gunfire continued to echo in her mind, over and over again until she thought she might scream.

She knew she should be glad that the police detective had risked his life to save them, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d only come to see her in the first place because of Travis.

For a moment she squeezed her eyes shut in frustrated anger. Her ex-husband had cheated on her practically from the moment they’d gotten married, although she hadn’t found out about the other women he went out with until Abby was born and one of the women showed up at the hospital looking for Travis.

He’d apologized to Paige and promised to be faithful, but of course that hadn’t lasted more than a couple of months. She finally divorced him when Abby was two and she’d made it a point to do her best to get along with him, for their daughter’s sake.

But now it looked as if Travis was in trouble again. He’d called her a few weeks ago, asking if she’d keep Abby over the weekend he was supposed to take her. Of course she’d agreed, but she’d also sensed tension in his tone.

She’d asked what was wrong and he blamed his stress on work. As he was the director of research and development for Sci-Tech, she hadn’t thought too much about it.

But now she couldn’t help but wonder if there had been more to it than that.

Paige took several deep breaths, burying her face in the collar of the detective’s black leather jacket. The scent of leather, combined with his aftershave, was surprisingly calming. She turned her attention to her daughter. Abby was plastered against her, hanging on as if she’d never let go. She was glad to realize that Abby had managed to keep a firm grip on Ellie. Having her favorite toy with her should assist in keeping her calm.

“Hey, Abby, you can sit up if you like. We’re safe now. The nice policeman, Detective...” She frowned, forgetting the guy’s name.

“Miles,” he supplied in a low, masculine tone.

“Detective Miles helped us get away.”

Abby moved her head a bit, as if seeking a more comfortable angle, but didn’t say anything in response.

“Mrs. Olson?” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“You may as well call me Paige.” She forced a smile. The detective was wearing a long-sleeved light blue shirt and dark slacks, and she wondered if he was cold, since she still had his jacket. “Thanks for helping us.”

“You’re welcome. Please, call me Miles.” He cleared his throat. “Will you walk me through the events that happened before I arrived?”

She swallowed hard. “I was finishing up the dinner dishes while Abby was playing in her room. I heard a crash and hurried over to see she’d dropped her tablet. She must have been afraid that I’d yell at her, because she was hiding under the bed.”

“Go on,” he urged.

“When I bent down to check if she was under there, the window shattered. I heard a loud bang and realized that someone was shooting at the house. I was able to get Abby to come out and my plan was to hide in the bathroom until the police arrived.”

“Did you call them?”

“No.” She realized her phone was still on the kitchen counter. “I didn’t have my phone. I thought about going back to the kitchen, but then I wondered if it might be better to hide.” She didn’t want to say exactly what she’d thought, since she knew Abby was listening.

“I was outside the front of your house when I heard the gunshots,” he said.

Now that it was over, she was grateful for his impeccable timing. “I’m glad.”

“When was the last time you spoke to your ex-husband?” Miles asked.

She grimaced. “Last week. He was supposed to take Abby for the weekend, but he called to cancel again.”

“Again?”

“He’s supposed to take her every other weekend, but he’s canceled three times in a row. But I know he keeps in touch with Abby on ChatTime, right, Abby?”

Her daughter pressed her face more firmly against Paige’s neck but nodded her head.

“ChatTime?” Miles repeated. “They communicate face-to-face using the tablet?”

“Yes. It was Travis’s idea, even though I’ve tried to tell him that ChatTime isn’t the same as spending time together actually doing things.” Yet another bone of contention between them.

“Abby? Did you talk to your daddy tonight?” Miles asked.

Paige was surprised when every muscle in her daughter’s body went tense.

“Abby, honey, it’s okay,” she murmured, stroking the child’s hair, the exact same color as her own. “We’re safe now. I’m not mad at you for dropping the tablet. We can always get another one.”

Abby didn’t relax or lift her head, or indicate in any way that she’d heard either of them talking, even though Paige was certain she had.

“Abby, please say something.” Her motherly instincts were screaming at her that something was wrong with her daughter. But what?

“Are you sure she’s not hurt?” Miles asked in a concerned tone.

“I don’t know.” Paige ran her hands up and down Abby’s small body, feeling for anything abnormal.

When her daughter shook her head from side to side, she stopped. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

Another head shake.

“Are you upset about something?”

Definite head nod up and down.

“What’s wrong? Will you tell me why you’re upset?”

Another head shake no.

“Why won’t you talk to me?” Paige asked helplessly.

“She’s probably still scared from everything that’s happened,” Miles said, as if trying to reassure her. “Rather than taking you to the police station, we’ll stay at a motel for the rest of the night. Tomorrow you’ll need to give a statement. Maybe Abby will feel better by then, too.”

“Did you hear that, Abby? Detective Miles is taking us to a motel. Maybe they’ll have a swimming pool. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

No response.

Fear squeezed like a fist around her heart. Abby loved to swim. She was normally a bright, talkative little girl. In fact, her kindergarten teacher sent notes home on a weekly basis complaining about Abby being such a chatterbox.

Paige thought back to when she’d heard the tablet drop on the floor, the way her daughter had been hiding under the bed, clutching her stuffed elephant with teary eyes, moments before Paige heard the sound of gunfire.

And she knew something was terribly wrong. More than just the gunfire they’d experienced had caused such a drastic change in her daughter.

But what?

TWO

Miles kept an eye on the road behind him, making sure there wasn’t anyone following them as he drove through the night. The hour wasn’t that late, so there was more traffic than he would have liked, forcing him to make several turns, heading in a zigzag pattern to the Ravenswood Motel, a place he’d learned about a few months ago when his older brother, Marc, had hidden out there with a witness. A witness that he’d ended up marrying just a month ago.

As happy as he was for Marc, no way was he going down that same path. Serious relationships were not for him.

Pulling his thoughts back to the situation at hand, Miles tried to put the puzzle pieces of his case together. Jason’s body had been found in a Dumpster a few minutes before three o’clock in the morning, after succumbing to injuries from a gunshot wound to the chest. The only person Jason had seemed to have issues with was his boss, Travis Olson. Miles had gone to Sci-Tech first, but had been told that Travis wasn’t there. He’d gone to Olson’s condo, but he hadn’t been there, either. So he’d dug into Travis Olson’s background, finding out about his ex-wife, Paige, and their daughter, Abigail. So he’d headed over, only to find Travis’s ex caught in the middle of an ambush.

Coincidence? Not likely, although it would be nice to have ballistics prove a connection. Maybe the slugs they’d find in Paige’s house would match the type that had been used on Jason.

But why shoot at the woman and child in the first place? That was another link he couldn’t ignore.

He wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to an innocent woman and her child, so if that meant bypassing normal police procedures, then fine. Their safety had to come first.

“Miles?” Paige’s voice was soft, tentative.

“Yes?” He met her gaze in the rearview mirror.

“When do you think I’ll be able to take Abby home?”

He grimaced and shook his head. “Not anytime soon, unfortunately. Once the crime scene techs have finished gathering evidence, you can authorize the repairs to the windows, but that’s it. You can’t return until we know who’s after you and why.”

“Don’t you think it might be a mistake? That maybe some other house was the real target?” There was a thin thread of hope in her voice, one that he didn’t like having to destroy with the blunt truth.

“No, I don’t.” He wished there was something to say to make her feel better. “How much do you know about your husband’s work at Sci-Tech?”

“Ex-husband,” she corrected tersely. “Not a lot. I know he’s involved in artificial intelligence, but he didn’t confide in me about the specifics. In fact, he always made a point to remind me that his work is highly confidential.”

Highly confidential? That’s exactly what Jason Whitfield had told him when he’d asked about what he was working on. Was it possible Sci-Tech was doing classified work for the government?

“How long have you been divorced?”

“Three years.” He caught a glimpse of her pale hand as she smoothed her palm over her daughter’s back.

“A lot can change in three years. Do you think his work is still considered highly confidential?”

She nodded, her lips pressing together in a thin line. “The last time we spoke, he said things were stressful at work because they were trying to solve a technical glitch in some sort of software that could revolutionize the artificial intelligence used to create artificial limbs and other medically necessary devices.”

Interesting. So, what had gone wrong? Why had Jason been murdered? His friend had mentioned stress at work, too, but Miles thought he was speaking about his issues with his boss, not the actual work itself. Miles needed more information on Sci-Tech, but so far all his efforts to glean more had been in vain. He’d spent hours calling around the company, asking to speak to various team leaders, only to be completely stonewalled.

So far, Travis Olson and Sci-Tech were the only two links between Jason’s murder and the gunshots at Paige’s house.

“Why do you keep asking about my ex-husband?”

He swallowed hard, trying to think of how much to tell her. “Have you heard the name Jason Whitfield?”

Paige frowned. “It sounds familiar, but I can’t be sure.”

He wasn’t surprised. Since she’d been divorced from Travis for three years, he doubted they spoke about things related to his job anymore. “He worked for your ex-husband at Sci-Tech.”

“Worked?” She’d picked up on his use of past tense. “Did he quit?”

“Jason was found shot to death early this morning. I’m a homicide detective investigating his murder.”

She sucked in a harsh breath. “And you think the same gunman came to my house looking for Travis?”

He didn’t answer right away, because she had a point. Just because Travis and Jason hadn’t gotten along didn’t mean that Olson killed his buddy. Paige could have nailed the truth that someone else was after both Jason and Travis. Either way, something strange was obviously going on.

“I’m not sure,” he answered truthfully. “I was hoping your ex-husband would be able to give me more information. How’s Abby?” he asked, changing the subject. He turned right and caught a glimpse of the sign for the Ravenswood Motel.

“Sleeping.” Her brow furrowed. “I’m worried about her, though.”

He didn’t know anything about kids, had avoided serious entanglements after watching his girlfriend, Dawn Ebbe, die of leukemia right after college. She’d suffered for a long time, dying far too young. His heart had ached for her, wishing there was more he could do to help, but she’d slipped away in her sleep, leaving him feeling sad, frustrated, angry and alone.

From that moment on, he’d decided to live his life to the fullest, the way Dawn had tried to do before she became so sick and weak she couldn’t move around on her own. His goal was to enjoy life, without getting seriously involved.

His phone rang, and he used the hands-free function to answer it. “Callahan.”

“Miles? This is Detective Lisa Krantz.”

He tried to place her in his memory. Oh, yeah, he remembered now, she was a tall blonde, with a brand-new gold shield. “Detective, what’s up?”

“There’s been a break-in at your house. The place has been tossed, as if someone was looking for something.”

“When?”

“One of the neighbors called it in about fifteen minutes ago, and there happened to be a uniform in the area. I stopped by to take a look, but I have another call so I’m heading across town now. I figured you’d want to know.”

“I do, thanks. I’ll head over there now to see for myself.” He disconnected, his thoughts whirling.

Was this break-in related to Jason’s murder? Had the killer discovered they were friends? That Jason had called Miles several times in the past few weeks?

Or was the break-in related to something else entirely?

* * *

Paige frowned when Miles executed a sharp U-turn, heading back the way they’d come. “Do you think it’s smart to go there? What if there’s a gunman waiting for you, too?”

“There are officers on the scene, and I’ll protect you. Besides, we won’t stay long.”

She didn’t like being dependent on Miles, but what other choice did she have? Being left at a motel room with Abby and no vehicle to get away if needed didn’t sound like a good option, either.

It didn’t take Miles long to pull into the driveway of a small red-brick house with black shutters and white trim. Abby curled against her, still clinging to her neck as if she’d never let go.

“Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” Miles pushed open the driver’s door as a short, stocky uniformed officer came out to meet him.

The car seemed empty without his reassuring presence. She listened as the two of them spoke.

“Fair amount of damage,” the cop said. “Everything’s a mess. It’s obvious they were looking for something.”

“Check for fingerprints, maybe we’ll get a hit,” Miles told him. “I want to take a look. Will you stay out here and keep an eye on my passengers?”

The uniformed officer nodded. “Sure. No problem.”

“Hey, Abby,” Paige said in an effort to reassure her daughter. “There’s another policeman here, do you see him?” She wanted the little girl to know they were safe, but Abby didn’t lift her head to look around.

The sick feeling crept over her again, warning her that something was seriously wrong. Paige continued talking to Abby in soft, gentle tones, telling her that the policemen would put the bad men with guns away and keep them safe.

When that didn’t work, she offered a quick prayer.

“Dear Lord, please keep us safe and help Abby feel better, Amen.”

Normally her daughter would join in to say Amen, but not this time. Paige knew she couldn’t push, that Abby would speak when she was ready.

But the continued silence bothered her. A lot.

Miles returned a few minutes later, his expression grim. He carried a small duffel bag that he tossed into the trunk.

“Call me if you get a hit from any fingerprints,” he said to the officer.

“Will do.”

He slid behind the wheel and backed out of the driveway. He didn’t speak until they were back on the highway headed to the motel.

“Do you think the officer is right? That someone was looking for something inside your home?”

“Yeah, that’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said in a clipped tone.

“Something related to your case?”

“That’s exactly what I need to figure out.” He used his hands-free function to make another phone call. “Captain?” he said when a gruff voice answered. “This is Callahan.”

“I can’t believe you left the scene of the crime!” Captain O’Dell’s tone was hoarse, as if he’d been yelling all day long and was losing his voice.

“I need 24/7 protection for Paige Olson and her daughter. Will you free up a couple of uniforms?”

“With our budget cuts? No way. We’re already short-handed as it is. Find a safe place to stash her, then report in, understand?”

“Yeah. Got it.”

Paige swallowed hard and tried not to let her fear show. “Thanks for trying. I’m sure we’ll be fine at the motel. I’d just—feel better if I had a car, or a way to get to safety in case something happens.” She didn’t love Travis anymore, but he was still her daughter’s father and she was worried about him, as well.

Miles let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you at the motel alone.”

He wasn’t? “But your boss, your captain said...”

“I know what he said, but I’m not abandoning you. I’ll check in with him tomorrow.”

The wave of relief caught her off guard. Since when did she trust a man? Never in the years since her divorce.

Logically, she knew this was different. Miles wasn’t interested in her on a personal level. He was just being kind. And protective.

She told herself she was glad there was only a professional courtesy between them. Sure, he was handsome with his dark brown hair, chiseled features and big, muscular physique. And yes, maybe he smelled good, too. But after spending the last three years piecing her life back together, taking on an accounting job at a firm that allowed her to work at home so she could remain independent yet support her daughter, she finally felt as if she had her life back on track.

No way was she willing to risk changing anything now.

* * *

“Number twelve is our room.” Miles wasn’t happy that there hadn’t been connecting rooms available, but at least this one had two double beds.

Paige pursed her lips, but didn’t argue. “Okay.”

He parked the car in front of their Ravenswood Motel room and shut off the engine. “Do you need help with Abby?”

“No, I have her.” He came around to open her passenger-side door, grimacing at the bullet hole he found in the back fender. Any closer and the gunman might have taken out a tire, making escape impossible.

She took his outstretched hand, and a jolt of awareness tingled up his arm. He scowled, not liking his inadvertent response to her. Paige was the type of woman who had serious relationship written all over her.

Besides, he was responsible for her safety.

“Thanks,” she whispered, releasing his hand once she was out of the car and steady on her feet. Abby was still draped over her mother, but her limbs were lax as she slept.

He was glad the child was able to get some rest, and hoped she’d feel better in the morning.

After unlocking the door, he held it open so Paige could go through first. He turned on one lamp, casting a warm glow over the interior of the room.

Choosing the bed closest to the bathroom, Paige bent down and awkwardly pulled the polyester bedspread and blanket out of the way with one hand, so she could set Abby down on the mattress. The child squirmed a bit, before relaxing against the pillows.

Paige stared down at her daughter for a long moment before turning toward him. “I’ll share this bed with Abby, I want to be close by in case she has nightmares.”

“Understood.” Exhaustion weighed him down, but he shoved it away, trying to focus on what still needed to be done. After setting one of the room key cards on the table between the double beds, he tucked the other one into his pocket. “I’m going outside for a couple minutes to make a quick call. You’ll be okay?”

Paige nodded, then slipped out of his jacket. “Here you can have this back.”

He wanted to tell her to keep it, but since he had no idea how long he’d be outside, he decided he might need it to stay warm. However, it wasn’t easy to ignore her lemony scent clinging to the fabric as he drew on the jacket.

When he turned toward the door, she called out to him. “Miles?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“I accidentally left Abby’s stuffed elephant in the backseat. Will you bring it in with you?”

He hadn’t even noticed the child clutching a toy, but for some reason, the idea that she had something from her home to comfort her made him smile. “Sure, no problem.”

“Thanks.” The expression on her lovely face was strained, as if she was hanging on by a thread. Understandable, since it wasn’t every day that a woman was forced to flee from a gunman with her young daughter in tow.

The air outside seemed colder after the warm interior of the motel room. Hunching his shoulders against the brisk wind, he opened the back door and found the pink elephant. He took it around to the front seat so he wouldn’t forget to take it back inside with him.

Miles dialed his brother Mitch, who thankfully answered on the second ring. “Miles? What’s up?”

“Someone trashed my place.” Remembering the mess ticked him off all over again. “Do you have time to head over there, make sure things are locked up once they’re finished processing the evidence?”

Mitch whistled beneath his breath. “Is the break-in related to something you’re currently working on?”

“Maybe.” Either his current case, or a cold one. Miles didn’t want to mention the fact that he’d also been working on his father’s murder investigation in his spare time. Nine months ago, Max Callahan had been the Milwaukee chief of police. He’d gone out to the scene of an officer-involved shooting as a sign of support for his colleagues, when someone had gunned him down. The entire Callahan clan still mourned his passing, and Miles wanted nothing more than to find the perpetrator who’d killed their father.

He’d discovered that the bullet responsible for his father’s death had been retained in the evidence room, but now it was missing, which made him suspicious about what was going on related to his dad’s case.

But right now, he had more urgent issues to worry about. “I’d join you, but I need to keep watch over a victim and her daughter.”

“Yeah, okay. Anything else?”

Miles was grateful that he had his family to fall back on. He was the second oldest, behind Marc. Mitch was born two years after him. Michael was fourth in line and the twins, Matthew and Madison, Maddy for short, were the youngest.

“Nothing right now, but I’ll be in touch.”

“Keep your head down, bro, you hear?”

Miles placed a second call to the dispatch center, asking for the officers who’d been sent to the Olson residence. He was given the name and number of Bernie Nowak. Nowak picked up after several rings and sounded grumpy about it.

“What? I’m busy.”

“Hey, Bernie, this is Miles Callahan. What did you find so far?”

“Where are you?” Bernie demanded. He’d been on the force for twenty-four years and was literally counting the days till he could retire. “You weren’t supposed to leave the scene.”

“The shooter kept coming, even managed to nick my car with a bullet, so I decided saving lives was more important than waiting for you guys.”

Bernie grunted. “Yeah, well, we found two slugs, both from a twenty-two-caliber rifle. Not the weapon of choice for your average punk crook.”

Maybe not, but it was the same caliber bullet found at the scene of Jason’s murder. “Anything else?”

“Got several broken windows and a busted-up tablet in the kid’s room, but that’s about it. We won’t know if anything is missing until the owner comes in and does a walk-through.”

“I’ll pass that along, thanks.” Miles disconnected and stared thoughtfully out the window.

Robbery was not the motive here. The reason the shooter used a twenty-two rifle was so they could stay several yards back, shooting at Paige from a distance. Easier to kill people that way, than getting up close and personal with a handgun.

More accurate, too.

The twenty-two caliber bullet was one link between the two crimes, not counting the break-in at his place. But he still had more questions than answers. What did it all mean? Miles was glad he had his laptop with him, or the guys who’d tossed his house would have taken it. At least he could still work Jason’s case.

With a flick of his wrist, he started the car and drove away from their room, choosing to park around the corner of the building. With the stuffed elephant under his arm, he slid out from behind the wheel, then grabbed the computer case and his duffel out of the trunk.

After entering the motel room as quietly as possible, he wasn’t surprised to find that Paige was still awake, watching the doorway with wide eyes. She was stretched out beside her daughter, but didn’t look at all relaxed, her expression troubled.

“Are you all right?” he asked, closing the door softly behind him.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“I know it’s not easy, but you need to try and get some rest.” He was a fine one to talk, since he’d been up for eighteen hours straight. He set the computer and duffel bag down, then took the stuffed elephant over to her. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Paige tucked the elephant next to Abby, keeping the toy close at hand for when she woke up.

The little girl’s brow was furrowed, as if she was remembering bad things even in sleep. He stood for a moment, wishing there was something he could do to ease the child’s burden. It wasn’t right that an innocent little girl had to be caught in the middle of this mess.

“Every time I close my eyes, I hear gunshots.”

He slid his hands into his pockets, to prevent himself from offering comfort. “Try to think of something nice and soothing, like lying in a hammock or listening to the ocean.”

“Good advice. I’ll try praying.”

Miles lifted a brow, but didn’t comment. He and his siblings had been raised to have faith in God, but watching Dawn get sicker and sicker until she was nothing more than skin and bones had put a severe dent in his faith. Their church pastor had said it was part of God’s plan, but he didn’t understand that at all. Dawn was barely twenty-five years old, what was so important in God’s plan that she had to die? To never fall in love, get married, have children...

He abruptly pulled himself back from that train of thought and took a step back. Watching Paige interact with her daughter was bringing back memories better left buried. “Good idea.”

Miles stripped off his jacket and washed up in the bathroom. When he emerged, Paige’s eyes were closed, although he sensed she wasn’t asleep.

He left the light on in the bathroom for the child’s sake, but closed the door so it wouldn’t disturb them. Crossing over to the desk, he booted up the computer.

The sooner he found Travis Olson, the better. The man was either part of the reason Jason had died, or he was a target, as well.

So far Miles hadn’t found much to go on, but he was determined to keep trying. He wished he’d asked Jason more about what was bothering him at work, but then again, he hadn’t counted on his friend being murdered.

Miles had barely started his search when he heard the covers rustling on the bed.

Abby? Or Paige? He turned in his seat and saw that Abby was sitting bolt upright, staring at him as if he were some sort of monster.

Then she let out a shrill scream.

THREE

“Abby, I’m right here. Mommy is right here.” Paige cradled her daughter in her arms, trying to cut through the haze of Abby’s nightmare. “It’s okay, we’re safe. Shh...everything is okay.”

“Am I scaring her?” Miles asked softly. He shut the laptop and turned on the lamp so that Abby could see him more clearly.

Paige wasn’t sure what had set her daughter off, but Abby’s screaming abruptly stopped and she turned, burrowing her face against Paige’s chest, tears soaking through her shirt.

“It’s okay,” Paige repeated, feeling helpless as she stroked her hand down the child’s back. “We’re safe here. Miles will protect us from harm.”

“Maybe the glow of the computer made me look scary,” Miles offered in an apologetic tone.

“It was more likely a nightmare,” Paige whispered with a wan smile.

Abby abruptly shook her head, causing Paige to frown and look down at her.

“No? It wasn’t a nightmare?” she asked.

Head shake. No.

“Did you think Miles was a bad guy?” Paige asked, trying to understand what was going on in her daughter’s tortured mind.

Another head shake.

“What frightened you?” Paige looked around the room in confusion. It was your average motel room, nothing unique or strange about it.

“Was it the computer?” Miles asked. “Did the computer screen frighten you, Abby?”

Head nod.

Paige blinked, and lifted her gaze to meet his. “How did you know?”

“The tablet.”

Before Paige could say anything, Abby nodded again, then turned her head so that she could see Miles. Paige had the impression her daughter wanted Miles to figure out what was bothering her, that she was looking to him for help. But why wouldn’t Abby just tell them?

“You saw something scary on the tablet, didn’t you, Abby?” Miles’s voice was gentle. “That’s why you dropped it.”

Head nod, up and down.

“Oh, no,” Paige whispered. “Was it your daddy?”

Abby nodded, her face scrunching up as if she didn’t want to remember.

Paige’s stomach clenched with fear. “Why won’t you talk to me, Abby? Will you please tell us what you saw?”

Her daughter shook her head as two fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

“It’s all right, Abby,” Miles said in a soft, reassuring voice. “You’ve been a big help already. Don’t be scared. I’ll keep you and your mom safe.”

Paige swallowed past the hard lump in her throat, trying to imagine what her daughter might have seen. Obviously something through the ChatTime link that she’d had with her father, but what?

Or who?

A shiver ran down Paige’s spine, an icy coldness pooling in the small of her back. Was it possible Abby had seen something she shouldn’t have? Was that the reason gunmen had come to the house?

No, the timing between Abby dropping the tablet and the gunfire seemed too close for that.

“Paige? Are you sure you don’t have any idea where your ex-husband is? It’s really important that I find him.”

“The only places I know that he goes to are either work or his condo.” She lifted one shoulder, feeling helpless. “Did you check?”

“I couldn’t get past the front desk at Sci-Tech, but I did go to his condo. He didn’t answer the door and the neighbors claimed they hadn’t seen him in the past day or so.” Miles glanced at her hopefully. “Do you have a key to his place?”

She grimaced. Having a key meant risking walking in on Travis with one of his lady friends. No, thank you. “Never wanted one.”

“I’ll see if we can’t get a search warrant to get inside.” Miles’s gaze was thoughtful. “Although without much to go on, I’m not sure the judge will grant it.”

Paige didn’t say anything, sensing that Abby was still listening to their conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare her little girl any more than she clearly already was. Yet she didn’t think they’d find Travis in his condo. For one thing, there were people living on either side of him who would have called the police if they’d heard any kind of commotion going on.

Plus, if there was any connection between Travis being on ChatTime with Abby and the subsequent shooting, there hadn’t been enough time for anyone to get from Travis’s condo to her house. His condo was located a good thirty minutes away.

But what if Travis had been closer? Like, almost to her house when he’d connected with Abby? It didn’t seem likely that he’d bother talking with his daughter from his car, unless... A stab of fear hit hard.

Unless connecting to ChatTime had been an accident?

“There must be somewhere else that Travis might go,” Miles persisted, interrupting her thoughts. “He must have some sort of hobby.”

“Women.”

Miles blinked. “Excuse me?”

She pressed her lips together in a firm line. “The only hobby Travis has is going out with women. Fidelity isn’t his strong suit.”

Miles winced as he realized that explained their divorce. Paige deserved so much better than a man who would cheat on her. “Do you know who he’s seeing now?”

Paige let out a harsh laugh. “I caught a glimpse of a tall blonde the last time I saw him, but the way he goes through women, I wouldn’t bank on the possibility she’s still in the picture. He likes them pretty and brainless.”

“Abby?” Miles gave her daughter a gentle smile. “Do you know the name of your daddy’s girlfriend?”

The little girl shook her head and Paige let out a sigh of relief. She’d encouraged Travis not to introduce a string of women to Abby and it seemed like he might have actually honored her request for once.

Then again, he hadn’t been alone with Abby for the past six weeks. She frowned, thinking back to when she’d last seen Travis. Maybe three weeks ago? Yeah, that was it. She’d driven to Sci-Tech because his child support check had been late. Travis had come out to meet her in the parking lot to give her the payment and the tall, beautiful blonde had accompanied him. As soon as he’d given her the check, the two of them had headed to his car, obviously going out on a date.

Had he introduced them? She never paid much attention, unsure why Travis felt the need to show off his latest girlfriend. Each time he did that, she was reminded about how glad she was that he was no longer her husband. Yet he was still Abby’s father...

Then it came to her. “Sasha.” At the surprise in Miles’s eyes, she clarified, “The blonde’s name was Sasha. Sorry, but I don’t think he gave me a last name. Or if he did, I didn’t pay any attention.”

“Great. At least it gives us someplace to start.”

She brushed strands of damp hair away from Abby’s face, grateful to note that the little girl’s body had relaxed, the earlier fear of the computer seeming to have vanished. “Let’s get some sleep first, okay?”

Abby lifted her head and gestured to the bathroom. Paige understood and helped Abby down from the bed. Taking her hand, Paige helped her to use the bathroom then wash up. Abby drank a full cup of water before she turned and opened the bathroom door.

The lamp was still on in the corner, but Miles’s computer wasn’t anywhere to be found. He was sitting on the side of the bed, finishing up a phone call, as they emerged.

“Learn something new?” she asked when he glanced over at them.

“Not yet.”

She couldn’t help wondering if he’d tell her, even if he had a lead. From what she saw on TV, the police never wanted to talk much about their investigations. She tucked Abby into bed and sat down beside her.

“Let’s say our prayers, okay?”

Abby looked up at her and placed her hands together. But she didn’t speak, so Paige recited the bedtime prayer in a low voice. When she finished, Paige leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to Abby’s cheek.

“I love you.”

Abby didn’t say the words back, the way she normally would, but she did kiss her cheek. Paige’s eyes went misty as Abby grabbed Ellie beneath her arm and snuggled into the covers.

“Sweet dreams,” Paige murmured.

A faint smile flickered on her daughter’s face as her eyes drifted closed. Paige gazed at Abby’s face for several long minutes, amazed at the change in her demeanor since Miles had partially figured out what had frightened her so badly.

Maybe now that at least part of the secret was out, her little girl would be able to find a sense of peace.

And if Abby still wasn’t talking in the morning, she’d insist that Miles take her to see a child psychologist to get the help she needed. The detective seemed like a good guy, someone she could count on to do the right thing.

At least, she hoped so.

* * *

“Paige?” Miles kept his voice in a low whisper so he wouldn’t wake Abby. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

She looked up at him, then rose to her feet, edging around the bed to come over to his side of the room. There wasn’t a lot space, so he backed his chair against the door so she could sit in the chair beside him. She was so close, their knees touched.

“What?” Her eyes were wide behind her glasses. “You think Travis knows something that got that man killed and you’re worried about him?”

Yeah, he was, but not exactly the way she thought. Miles cleared his throat. “I hate to ask you this, but could you give me a list of all his girlfriends? At least, the ones you know about?”

She dropped her gaze to the floor, her mouth pressed into a tight line. “It’s a long list. I doubt I’d get a tenth of them right.”

He hated seeing the self-doubt in her eyes, and wanted to deck Travis Olson for making this gorgeous woman feel as if she hadn’t been good enough to keep him. “Anything you can remember would be great. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“Fine.” She picked up a pen and began writing on the motel stationery. After a few minutes she dropped the pen and pushed the note containing five women’s names toward him. “These are the only ones I remember.”

“Thanks.” He folded the note in half and placed it in his shirt pocket.

“Do you think Travis is all right?”

“I’m not sure.” He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep looking for him.”

“All right, but you’re not—leaving us alone to do that, are you?”

One corner of his mouth quirked up. “No, you’re stuck with me. Unless you have friends or relatives you’d like to stay with for a few days?”

“Not really. My parents are dead and I’m an only child. I have an elderly great-aunt who lives in Arizona, but she’s in one of those senior living apartments and they don’t allow kids to stay there.” She sighed. “Besides, what if whoever tried to shoot us comes back? I wouldn’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic. “Don’t stress, Paige. I’m here for you. We’ll figure out our next steps in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.” She twisted her hands together in her lap for a moment. “Miles?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for saving our lives tonight.”

The urge to pull her into his arms was strong and he didn’t like it. Why was this single mom getting to him like this? He wasn’t like Marc, looking to settle down with a wife and family.

Yet there was something about Paige’s strength and courage that reminded him a bit of Dawn’s battle with cancer. He couldn’t help but admire the way Paige cared for her daughter.

He reached out to put his hand over hers, giving a gentle squeeze. “You’re welcome. Now try to get some sleep.”

She held his hand for a long moment, then stood and made her way back to her daughter’s bedside. He switched off the lamp, staring blindly through the darkness.

Miles didn’t have a good feeling about Paige’s ex-husband and tried to think of where he might be. Hiding out somewhere? Or was it possible Abby had actually seen something bad happening to her father? It had seemed as if he was getting through to the little girl, and hoped to try again in the morning.

A few hours later, he woke up to a faint light peeking around the heavy curtains. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he swung his feet to the floor.

He quickly washed up in the bathroom, and when he came out, he noticed Paige was awake, as well.

“Do you think we could get something for breakfast?” she whispered. “Abby will be hungry when she wakes up.”

“Of course.” He walked over to where he’d charged up his phone, then moved the curtain aside to check out the parking lot. Everything looked quiet, just the way he liked it. “Let me know when you’re ready to go. I’m going to make a few calls.”

“All right.”

He took the laptop computer outside and stored it in the trunk of his car. Then he stood with his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the road. There wasn’t much traffic on the road yet, probably because it was barely six.

Miles called his captain first, but his boss didn’t answer. He left a quick message, then tried Detective Krantz’s number. Her phone went straight to voice mail, too.

Obviously it was too early for anyone to be up working. Which only frustrated him more.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and stared at the motel. Staying another night here wouldn’t be smart. Even though he knew they hadn’t been followed, the break-in at his house bothered him. Why was he suddenly a target, too? For now, it would be best for them to keep moving.

A restaurant serving breakfast that appeared to be family-friendly was located up the road a bit. They’d grab something to eat there, and then decide where to go next. Miles wanted to keep working the case, so he thought about calling his brothers for help in watching over Paige and Abby.

Satisfied to have a plan in place, he went back inside the motel room. Abby was coming out of the bathroom with her pink elephant tucked under her arm.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

The little girl’s eyes brightened and she nodded with enthusiasm.

He glanced at Paige, who shrugged and shook her head. “Abby still doesn’t feel like talking.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure she’ll talk when she’s ready.” At least, he hoped so. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure,” Paige replied, and took Abby’s hand. He held the door open, doing another sweep of the parking lot to be sure nothing had changed, before letting the door close behind him.

“I’m parked over here.” He led them around the corner to the spot where he’d left his car.

Driving to the restaurant didn’t take long, and since the place was totally empty they were seated immediately at a booth overlooking the parking lot.

He and Paige both ordered coffee. Their waitress filled their mugs, then brought a large glass of milk for Abby. Their breakfasts were served just five minutes later.

Paige took Abby’s hand and bowed her head. “Thank You, Lord, for this food we are about to eat. And thank You for keeping us safe in Your care, Amen.”

“Amen,” he echoed, thinking about how long it had been since he’d prayed. Oh, he always attended church with his family, followed by Sunday brunch at his mother’s house, but generally he went through the motions without thinking about it.

Yet here was Paige, praying as if she truly meant every word. The way he once had, before Dawn had died. Before he’d lost the woman he’d once loved.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, made worse by Abby’s muteness. He was glad to see that she was at least eating her French toast drowned in maple syrup and the side of bacon. Thankfully, whatever was keeping her silent wasn’t bad enough to interfere with her appetite.

“Where do we go from here?” Paige asked when she’d finished her meal.

“Another motel would be best.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Couldn’t we stop back at my house to pick up some things? Clothes, toiletries?”

He didn’t want to take her back there, but he understood she needed something more than just the clothes on their backs. He’d stashed a spare pair of sweats for her in his duffel, but he didn’t have anything for a child. “I’ll get you both settled in a motel closer to town and I’ll get one of my brothers to pick up some things for you, okay? You can give me a list.”

Their waitress set their bill on the table, and he took out enough cash to pay the tab and leave a tip. When he glanced up, a movement outside caught his attention.

A black sedan with tinted windows was rolling way too slowly past the restaurant.

The hairs on the back of his neck lifted in alarm. His navy blue car was parked next to a bright yellow Chevy truck, but it wasn’t as if his vehicle was hidden from view.

The black car stopped, then backed up about a foot as if to get a better angle to see the license plate.

Miles didn’t like it. “Come on, we need to go. Now.”

Paige followed his gaze outside, then paled. “What’s wrong? Do you recognize that car?”

“No.” Even as he spoke, two men slid out of the vehicle, wearing black from head to toe, their eyes covered by dark glasses. And he could tell by the bulk beneath their clothes, they both were carrying guns.

“This way, hurry!” He scooped Abby into his arms and tugged Paige’s hand. The waitress gaped at them, as he headed toward the kitchen.

“Hey, you can’t go back there!”

“Call the police,” he said tersely, brushing past the swinging doors to the kitchen. He knew there would be a back door leading outside, and he wanted to get as far away from the armed men as possible.

“Stop! You can’t be back here!” The cook, a large man with a receding hairline protested when Miles wove through the shiny metal tables and shelves.

Miles ignored him but the yelling obviously bothered Abby because she hid her face against his neck. He gave the little girl a brief, reassuring hug, then handed her over to Paige.

“I’m going outside first, you stay back until I tell you it’s clear.”

Paige nodded, her eyes frightened, but calm, as if she were just as determined as he was to get away.

There was a large Dumpster out back, and a few yards ahead were three evergreen trees. Using the Dumpster for cover, he peeked around the edge so he could see.

One of the two men was standing near his car, pointing toward the bullet hole. The other wasn’t in view, and Miles suspected they’d head inside the restaurant any moment.

“We have to move, now! Toward the trees.” Miles urged Paige to go first, so that he could provide cover. “Hurry.”

They made it to the cluster of trees but from there, wide-open fields stretched for what looked like a half mile. A white farmhouse in the distance provided the only possible source of cover.

“See that farmhouse?” he asked. Paige nodded. “We’ll have to make a run for it.”

“But it’s so open,” she protested.

She was right, but there was a small pile of rocks not far from the cluster of trees. Miles thought he could stretch out on the ground behind the rocks and provide cover, shooting at the men to keep them at bay, while Paige and Abby ran to safety.

But he didn’t have a chance to outline his plan because the back door of the restaurant burst open and shots rang out.

FOUR

With her heart pounding frantically, Paige clutched Abby to her chest, shielding her daughter as best she could as she hid behind the evergreen trees. Miles pushed her behind him, then squatted in front of her and returned fire.

The gunshots were excruciatingly loud, making her ears ring, and she knew they frightened Abby, too, by the way her daughter’s tears dampened her shirt. Paige had no idea why these guys were shooting at them and prayed the waitress had, indeed, called the police.

The sharp scent of cordite hung in the air. Miles fired twice more, and she caught a glimpse of two men lying on the ground in front of the door. She couldn’t tell if they were alive or dead. Then Miles was hauling her up to her feet. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”

She wasn’t about to argue. She wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

“Head for my car.” Miles urged her forward, indicating she should go first. She darted around the Dumpster, then sprinted as fast as she could across the parking lot to his car. Just like the night before, she yanked open the passenger door and quickly crawled into the back, unwilling to let Abby go.

Miles shut the passenger door behind her, then ran around to the driver’s seat. Before getting into the car, though, he went down to where the black sedan was parked to peer at the license plate. It only took a few seconds, but she found herself holding her breath until he joined them.

He slid behind the wheel, then floored the gas pedal, tires squealing as he drove away from the restaurant. The sound of sirens sounded faintly, as if the police were still far away.

“Who were those men?” She forced the words past the lump in the back of her throat. “Are they the same ones who shot at my house? And if so, how did they find us?”

“I don’t know.” His expression was grim as he met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “They had handguns, not a twenty-two rifle, so I can’t say for certain they’re the same ones who shot at your house. But one thing is for sure, the guy I watched obviously recognized my car. We need to get a new set of wheels, ASAP.”

Paige tried to rein in her scattered thoughts. “How would they recognize your car?”

Miles shook his head, keeping his gaze focused on the road. “Maybe from last night, when I drove away from your house. It’s possible they caught my license plate number. One of the gunmen pointed to the bullet hole in the rear fender.”

She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “So now they’ll kill you, too? Just to get to me and Abby?”

Miles didn’t say anything and she couldn’t blame him.

He was in grave danger now, too, because of her.

* * *

Miles mentally repeated the license plate number until it was embedded in his memory. The wailing sirens grew louder so he made a sharp left, hoping he was heading in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to stop long enough to talk to cops in a different jurisdiction, not when he knew that whoever was behind the attempts to kill Paige and Abby knew what car he was driving.

Did Sci-Tech have access to the DMV database? Maybe. He quickly called his brother, Mitch. “Yeah?” his brother sounded groggy, as if Miles had woken him up. Granted it was only seven thirty in the morning, but still.

“We were ambushed not far from the motel. I need your help getting a spare set of wheels.”

“Are you okay?” After Miles quickly filled him in, he went into typical Callahan problem-solving mode. “You want to borrow my buddy, Garrett’s, truck?” Mitch asked. “He’s still in Afghanistan.”

Miles hesitated, wondering if the connection was too close. A few months ago, his older brother, Marc, had borrowed Garrett’s truck, and the bad guys had still found him.

Then again, in Marc’s case the bad guy had been in law enforcement with easy access to information about Marc and the Callahan family, not part of some high-tech corporation.

“Yeah, that would work, at least for now,” he agreed. “But I also want new phones and another safe place to stay.”

“Where are you now?” Mitch asked. “I’ll come and meet you wherever you want.”

Miles squinted at the road sign. “Looks like I’m about fifteen minutes outside of Brookland. Why don’t we meet at the park-and-ride right off the interstate?”

“Sounds good. I’ll be there.” Mitch disconnected from the call.

“Who is Mitch?” Paige asked.

“One of my brothers.” He met her questioning gaze in the rearview mirror. “Mitch is an arson investigator, so he understands what it’s like to be in danger and why we need a different set of wheels.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

He sensed she was making small talk in an effort to calm her daughter. “Four brothers and a sister, there’s six of us altogether. Don’t worry, we can trust them.”

She nodded, her lips curving in a slight smile as she pressed a kiss against Abby’s head. “Having a large family sounds nice.”

He thought about the fighting and bickering they’d done as they were growing up, wondering how their parents had put up with them. Yet Paige was right. Looking back, he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’re safe now, Abby,” she said in a low, husky tone. “We’re going to get a different car and find a new place to stay.”

As usual, Abby didn’t respond, at least not verbally. Miles wished he could get the little girl to open up so he could find out what she had seen over the ChatTime link. Something about her father, but what? Had he called to talk to Paige, but been interrupted? Miles couldn’t imagine her father had attempted to give important information to a child.

He saw the glossy red truck waiting for them in the commuter parking lot and headed in that direction. Mitch eased out from behind the wheel when Miles approached.

“Hey,” his brother greeted him. “The disposable phones are in the passenger seat.”

“Thanks.” Miles pushed open the driver’s side door, then opened the passenger door for Paige and Abby. “Paige, this is my brother, Mitch Callahan. Mitch, this is Paige Olson and her daughter, Abby.”

“Nice to meet you.” Paige shifted Abby in her arms so that she could offer her hand.

“Same goes,” Mitch replied. He smiled at Abby. “Hi, Abby. How old are you?”

Abby hid her face against Paige’s neck and Miles scrubbed his hands over his face, knowing that exchanging gunfire with the two thugs behind the restaurant had no doubt shaken the little girl’s faith in his ability to keep them safe.

“It’s been a rough twenty-four hours for her,” Paige said softly.

“For you, too,” Miles added. “We barely managed to get away from the last pair of gunmen. I’m hoping that using the truck will cover our trail.”

Mitch nodded. “Yeah, no kidding. I went to your place last night. The damage wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. Whoever searched the place didn’t break stuff, but they sure looked in every nook and cranny. What do you think they were after?”

“I have no idea,” Miles replied, scrubbing a hand wearily over his face. He had been trying to figure that out for himself, too. The timing being so close to Jason’s death and the gunfire at Paige’s place made him think that everything was related, especially since he’d been working his father’s case for months and hadn’t even gotten any clues to go on.

“Work stuff?” Mitch asked.

“No. I don’t bring much of that home, and thankfully I had my computer.”

“Do you want us to clean the place up for you?” Mitch asked.

“No need to bother. I’ll take care of it, later.” He opened the passenger-side door for Paige, assuming that carrying Abby around must be exhausting. Her citrusy scent clouded his mind, making him want things he’d planned to avoid, like home and family. “Why don’t you sit down? We’ll leave in a minute or so.”

When Paige couldn’t seem to get up, he put his hands around her waist and lifted her, setting her on the seat. Then he went around to the trunk to grab the duffel bag and computer.

“There’s a hotel about five miles away, called the American Lodge. The owner is related to a firefighter I trained with and I already smoothed the way for you. They’ll take cash, no questions asked.”

“Great, thanks.” Miles slapped his brother on the back. “I owe you.”

“Nah, this is what family is for, right?”

Miles nodded, then tossed his brother the keys to his car. “Don’t use it for long, leave it at my place.”

“I will. Mike is going to pick me up there, after we take another look through, make sure there isn’t anything that was missed.”

Miles highly doubted that the people who’d searched his home left anything behind, but he understood his brother’s desire to help out. “Thanks, bro. I’ll be in touch.”

The ride to the American Lodge didn’t take long, and he was surprised to see there was a church located nearby. For the first time since Dawn’s death he found he was interested in actually attending a service.

But not until he knew for certain they’d be safe.

* * *

The motel room seemed larger to Paige than the one they’d stayed in the previous night, although having additional space didn’t matter much, not when Abby still clung to her, as if afraid to let go.

She eased down on the edge of the bed. “Look around, sweetie, isn’t it nice here?”

Abby didn’t answer, not even by shaking her head.

She lifted her troubled gaze to Miles. “She’s been through so much.”

“I know.” Regret shimmered in his blue eyes and she liked the way he seemed to care about her daughter’s well-being.

“I’d like to take her to a child psychologist, but it doesn’t seem like an option at the moment.”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t do that. Not yet.”

Although she hated it, she understood. “Would you like to watch a movie?” Paige nodded toward the television and Miles brought the remote over for her. But when she turned on the television and found the kid’s channel, Abby didn’t even look at the screen.

Paige swallowed hard, trying to figure out what to do to get through to her daughter. After turning off the television, she gently rubbed her hand down Abby’s back.

“Let’s pray, okay, Abby?”

“Good idea.” To her surprise, Miles came over and sat down beside her. He placed one hand at her waist and the other hand on Abby’s back. “Dear Lord, we thank You for protecting us today,” he said.

It took her a minute to pick up the thread of the prayer. “We ask You, Lord, to continue looking after us, keeping us safe from harm.”

“We ask this in Your name, Christ the Lord, Amen.”

“Amen,” Paige echoed, humbled by how willing Miles was to pray with her, even if only for Abby’s sake. Something Travis had refused to do.

When Abby turned her head and looked toward Miles, Paige hoped that she was finally ready to talk, but instead her daughter reached out and patted Miles on the arm, as if thanking him for being there.

Tears burned her eyes, and she quickly tried to blink them away before Miles could see them.

He picked up Abby’s hand and gave it a brief kiss. “I promise to protect you and your mom, okay?”

This time Abby nodded.

“Will you watch a movie with your mom?”

Abby nodded again, and Paige let out a little sigh of relief. Her daughter still wasn’t talking, but at least she was responding.

To Miles.

She turned the television back on and Abby finally relaxed her grip. Paige plumped up the pillows and eased Abby against them, making sure that Ellie was nearby.

Amazing that Ellie had made it this far, considering everything they’d been through.

“Do you want to make a list of things you need from your house?” Miles asked in a hushed voice. “As I mentioned before, I’ll ask one of my brothers to head over there to pick up whatever you need.”

While she wasn’t thrilled with the thought of some strange man going through her personal things, she desperately wanted a change of clothes and more toys for Abby. Keeping a child occupied in a hotel room wasn’t easy. “That would be nice, thanks.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Miles said with a frown. “I feel terrible that those guys managed to trace my car.”

“It’s not your fault,” she protested. Taking the paper and pen from the desk, she quickly wrote out a list of items that she’d love to have. “Here you go.”

Miles took the list. “As soon as the disposable phones are charged and ready to go, I’ll call my brother, Mike. He’s a private investigator, and I’m sure he’ll be able to get in and out of your place without anyone detecting him.”

“Speaking of phones, I’d like to call my boss,” Paige said. “I normally work from home, and he’ll wonder why I’m not logged in to my email.”

Miles lifted a brow. “What type of work?”

She straightened her glasses and suppressed a sigh. There was no getting around the fact that her job was dull and boring. “I’m an accountant.”

“Nice, I’m impressed,” Miles said, admiration clear in his tone. His smile of approval warmed her heart. “Numbers aren’t my strength.”

“Numbers make sense, at least most of the time.”

“What company? It’s nice that your boss lets you work from home.”

“I work for Larson and Avery, they’re a group that supports several small businesses.” She dragged her fingers through her hair, thinking about what to say to convince her boss to give her a few unplanned vacation days. “I like it a lot better there than Sci-Tech.”

“What?” Miles snapped his head around to stare at her in shock. “You used to work at Sci-Tech as an accountant?”

“Yes. Why?” she replied, confused by his reaction. “It was several years ago. I left shortly before my divorce, knowing I needed a more flexible schedule, and Sci-Tech made it clear that working from home wasn’t an option.”

“Did you have access to sensitive information while you were employed there?” Miles pressed. “Something that would cause them to come after you?”

It took a minute for her to figure out what he meant. “Not at all. I handled their purchasing and accounts receivables, nothing related to payroll or anything like that.” She couldn’t believe Miles would think that the gunmen had come after her because of her old job.

“What sort of supplies did they purchase?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Nothing exciting, trust me. Lots of computer parts, mostly, some robotics. I only handled the smaller accounts...my boss handled the bigger clients.”

“Do you know if Sci-Tech had any government contracts?”

“If they did, my old boss, Steve Kane, would have been the one who worked on them, not me.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“This,” she waved her hand in the air, “isn’t related to my work at Sci-Tech. Why would it be? I’ve been gone for a long time. There’s no reason for anyone there to worry about what I might have stumbled across, especially now.”

“You’re probably right,” Miles agreed. “I was just surprised to find out you once worked there.” He was silent for a moment before asking, “You’re sure you didn’t know Jason Whitfield?”

She slowly shook her head, thinking back to the time when she’d been employed at Sci-Tech. “I’m sure. I didn’t associate with the tech team who worked for Travis. Our marriage was rocky even back then, so I avoided contacting him at work. I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”

“It’s okay. I just needed to be sure.”

She nodded, wondering again about Travis. She wanted to ask Miles about her ex but hated to bring up the subject in front of Abby. Especially since her daughter was finally relaxed enough to watch a movie.

Was Travis still missing? Or was he simply off somewhere with his latest girlfriend? She hoped the latter, because Abby had been through enough and losing her father might send her over the edge.

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