WITNESS IN JEOPARDY

It’s a typical day at Rachael Long’s day-care center—until a masked gunman tries to abduct one of the children in her charge. First response commander Jake Marsh manages to defuse the situation before anyone is harmed...but not before Rachael unmasks the would-be kidnapper. Now Jake must lead a manhunt and protect Rachael from the criminal who’s turned his focus on her. But the case is reawakening painful memories for Jake, and Rachael’s treating emotional wounds of her own. And with danger mounting as Christmas nears, they must learn to let go of the past in order to outwit a killer...and find the peace that’s always eluded them both.

Lord, please. I know You decide who lives or dies, but please let Rachael live. Please.

Jake rushed across the room and stood over her. She blinked a few times and seemed almost lucid.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice sounding thick and heavy. Then her eyes widened. “Kelly!”

“She’s fine and right here.” Jake held the baby up for Rachael to see.

“Thank You, sweet Jesus,” Rachael whispered, her words slurred. “You were looking out for us.”

Her lips tipped in a sweet smile, and Jake’s heart leaped. Despite the medics standing by, he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from hers.

“We should get her and the baby transported,” the medic said, ruining the moment.

“We’re going with you.” Jake reluctantly pulled away and settled Kelly in her carrier, then glanced back at Rachael. He wasn’t sure if Kelly or Rachael looked more vulnerable.

Didn’t matter, now did it?

He wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to either of them. He’d make sure they were both protected until he was certain that neither of them remained in danger.

Dear Reader,

All good things come to an end, they say, and I hope that you have found the First Responders series a good thing. The series certainly has been a good thing in my life. I loved getting to know each of these characters and sharing their struggles with you as they searched for love in their lives, and I am sad to see the series end.

I am contented that all these special characters have found people to share their lives with, and that they’ve also found peace in their lives. If you’ve ever struggled for peace, I hope these stories have helped you see that God’s peace is right there waiting for you, and you just have to reach out and grab it.

If you’d like to learn more about my other books, please stop by my website at www.susansleeman.com. I also love hearing from readers, so please contact me via email, susan@susansleeman.com, or on my Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks, or write to me c/o Love Inspired, HarperCollins, 24th floor, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

Blessings,

Susan Sleeman

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling author of inspirational and clean-read romantic suspense books and mysteries. She received an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award for Thread of Suspicion. No Way Out and The Christmas Witness were finalists for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence. She’s had the pleasure of living in nine states and currently lives in Oregon. To learn more about Susan, visit her website at susansleeman.com.

Christmas Conspiracy

Susan Sleeman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

—Matthew 6:34

For the beautiful daughter I lost in miscarriage.

I know heaven smiled the day you arrived.

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

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Hot, ugly eyes stared at Rachael from black circles in the gunman’s mask. If he planned to kill her, he needed to do it quickly or she would fight him to the last breath. She’d rather die than see him hurt a child under her care.

She straightened her shoulders and checked on Kelly, asleep in her crib at Rachael’s child development center. Oblivious to the threat, the precious three-month-old pushed her fist under her chin, and soft breaths pursed her lips. She was helpless and depended on Rachael for protection.

The gunman took another step.

Rachael backed up and draped all five feet five inches of her body across the front of Kelly’s crib. “You’ll have to go through me to get to her. I might be small, but I’ll put up a fight.”

“Don’t be a fool.” He jerked his gun toward the wall with brightly painted cubbies holding the belongings of the six infants cared for in this room. “Step away from the baby. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.”

Rachael didn’t comply, but memorized his voice—the inflection, the slight rasp. If he got away and left her alive, she could help identity him. But first, she needed to make sure she and Kelly lived.

Rachael tightened her hands on the crib rail, connecting with the solid maple and holding on for dear life. “I’m not moving.”

His eyes narrowed. “Then we do this the hard way.”

“Or you could not do this at all,” she suggested, but he ignored her and took long steps across the room.

Dressed in black, he stood six feet tall and had an athletic build. He wore latex gloves and brandished the gun like he’d held one before. He stepped off and she waited, her eyes fixed on his weapon, expecting it to discharge.

Step by step, he moved across the brightly colored area rug with teddy bears and bunnies that she’d chosen when she’d opened the center three years ago. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected a masked man, intent on kidnapping a precious little baby, would cross this rug.

“Please, don’t do this,” Rachael begged.

He ignored her and kept coming, crossing the room. Thump. Thump. Thump. His hiking boots pounded on the gleaming linoleum, the gun still outstretched in his hands.

Her confidence wavered, and her palms grew moist, the solid rail becoming slick under her hands. Panic stole her breath, and she fought to draw in another one.

Stay calm. Kelly needs you.

The gunman slowed, then stopped in front of her and fixed those burning eyes on hers while pressing the barrel of his gun to her forehead. “Are you ready to cooperate now?”

Fear coursed through her chest, and her hands trembled, but she held her position. Another child’s life wouldn’t end on her watch. The guilt of losing another innocent baby would tear her apart.

She gave a small shake of her head, feeling the gun barrel cold against her skin.

“Fine.” He clamped his free hand on her forearm and spun her swiftly, then snaked his arm around her chest, pinning her arms at her sides and clutching her tight against his body.

The gun no longer at her head, Rachael arched her back and bucked.

His arm held like a vise, tightening, crushing down and bruising her flesh.

She cried out in pain and instantly hated that she’d let him know he’d hurt her.

“You wanted it this way.” He laid his gun on the mattress near Kelly’s sleeper-covered feet before using that hand to dig through his jacket pocket.

The sight of his gun lying so close to Kelly hit Rachael like a physical punch to her gut.

How had this happened? No—how had she let this happen?

As the center’s owner and director, she held the responsibility for Kelly while her mother, Pam, worked. Rachael had wanted to help Pam out today when she’d had to go to work early or risk losing her job, so Rachael had taken Kelly before the center opened. She’d thought it would be fine, but then the first teacher of the day got a flat tire, leaving Rachael alone. And now she’d failed Pam. Failed Kelly.

Rachael had to find a way to save the sweet baby.

But what could she do? She’d already tried everything she could think of. This man wanted Kelly, and he didn’t care what he had to do to get her.

Lord, please. Stop this now, she prayed. Don’t let him take Kelly.

She waited for a bit of calm, maybe peace, but none came. Nothing odd about that. She hadn’t felt true peace since she’d lost her husband and unborn child four years ago. Tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped to the crib, landing on the pastel teddy bears covering the mattress.

Kelly shifted, drawing her pudgy little legs up tighter under her body.

“I’m so sorry, Kelly,” Rachael whispered.

Her captor tightened his grip while continuing to fumble around behind her. She slowly leaned toward the crib and slid her fingers closer to the gun. Inch by inch she moved. Closer. Closer.

Almost there.

He jerked his hand free of his pocket and karate chopped her forearm. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Please don’t take Kelly,” Rachael begged as a raw ache radiated up her arm.

He ignored her again, shifted to the side, and a sharp pain pierced her arm.

What? He’d injected her with something.

“Don’t worry.” His minty fresh breath crept through her hair as he clamped his arms tighter around her. “When you wake up, I’ll be long gone. Of course, so will Kelly. Have a nice nap now.”

No! She had to get free.

She roared like a fierce mother bear with a threatened cub and put all of her strength into one last attempt. But his arms felt like bands of steel, and she couldn’t break free.

“Shh,” he said. “Just give it a few minutes and you won’t care anymore. The drug is a powerful anesthetic. Takes away all your worries and fears before you sleep. Peaceful, sweet sleep.”

Time seemed to stand still, but Rachael didn’t. She fought hard until the drug he’d put into her body sent waves of relaxation through her muscles.

She whimpered. “Please, I’ll do anything. Give you money. Anything. Don’t take Kelly.”

“Don’t fight the drug,” he said. “You’ll soon be asleep, and all of this will be over.”

Her body grew heavy, and it took effort just to keep her head up. He backed away from the crib. Her body flopped like a rag doll as he lowered her to the floor and rolled her onto her back. She had one last chance, one more to save Kelly.

Rachael dug deep, beyond the waves of comfort that were flowing through her body, and shot her arm up to jerk off his mask.

His mouth dropped open as he gaped at her in horror. He cursed, but she ignored his words and memorized every pore on his face. A wide jaw. Whiskered chin. Jet-black hair to go with his cold gray eyes. High cheekbones. A mole near his left ear. She’d never seen him before, but she’d be able to describe him to the police.

“I’ve seen you now,” she said, her words slurring. “You won’t get away with this.”

Her arm fell to the floor, and she dropped his mask.

Her mind clouded, and her strength receded. He retrieved his mask and put it back on, then continued to glare at her. Her eyes blinked closed. She forced them open. Dizziness swept in like a tidal wave. Her muscles liquefied. She felt as if her body floated toward the ceiling.

“I have no choice now,” he finally growled out. “I’ll have to kill you.”

Kill me? Okay. That was fine. Everything was fine. The peace she’d sought a moment ago descended in an ocean of joy.

Yes, this was better. Nothing was wrong. Nothing mattered.

Her head fell to the side. Her gaze caught on Kelly’s crib. Precious three-month-old Kelly. Asleep. Like the heaviness pulling Rachael down.

Kelly.

Rachael’s thoughts drifted.

Wasn’t there a reason she should be concerned about the baby?

Four years of denied sleep beckoned. Her eyelids drooped.

She lay on the floor. Blinking. Floating. Trying to remember what was happening.

As if he had all the time in the world, he sauntered toward her, his boots thumping on the floor.

Rachael tried to lift her hand. So heavy. She willed her eyes to remain open to see what he might be planning, but her eyelids closed like the lid on a casket, and soon, she knew nothing at all.

* * *

“It’s looking like the kidnapper’s really going to kill her.” Jake Marsh, commander of the First Response Squad, stared at the live video feed of director Rachael Long and the gunman in the Columbia Child Development Center.

Jake and two members of the FRS had been on their way to a tactical training session in their command truck when dispatch rerouted them to the center. Thankfully, many child care centers streamed live video so parents at work could see their children. As soon as the call came in, his team had easily accessed the feed, and they now watched the action from their command truck.

The kidnapper slipped the baby’s arms into a snowsuit then strapped her into the infant seat. Taking great care with the baby, he struggled with the straps. Jake had no children, but he knew it almost took a college degree these days to figure out how to properly use a car seat, buying the team time to intercept him.

“The director got a good look at his face before he put the mask back on, so there’s no way he’s going to let her live,” Jake said. “Too bad the camera angles aren’t giving us a look at his face, but I guess it doesn’t matter right now. We just need to get in there quickly.”

“If whatever he injected her with hasn’t already killed her.” Team sniper Brady Owens looked up from behind the video console, an ominous look on his face.

“We don’t have any time to lose,” Cash Dixon, their bomb expert, said.

Jake nodded. “We’ll proceed as if this is a hostage rescue. Cash, you remain here and monitor communications. Brady, let’s move!”

Jake charged out the door, wishing negotiators Skyler Hunter and Archer Reed were with them. As squad leader, Jake had needed to act as negotiator only twice in the six years he’d directed the team.

Well, today will be your third, and a baby’s and woman’s lives depend on you. No pressure.

He stifled his concerns and took a good look around. Not even 7:00 a.m., the sun hadn’t yet climbed into the sky. Warm light spilled from the center’s windows, sparkling off the recent snowfall, but Jake’s attention went to an empty patrol car sitting in the lot.

Brady stepped up behind him. “What’s a patrol car doing here?”

“My question exactly,” Jake replied.

“Likely some hotshot who ignored directives to stand down.”

Brady sucked in a breath. “The guy’s gonna get himself or the woman killed.”

“Just picked up the deputy on video,” Cash said over Jake’s earpiece. “He’s in the hallway outside the baby room.”

“Then negotiations are off the table, and we’re going in strong.” Jake mentally called up the center’s blueprint he’d viewed in the truck.

A main hall ran down the middle of the building. Doors for classrooms and a kitchen faced that hall. Each room had at least one exit leading to playgrounds behind the tall fence. The baby room was the second room on the south side of the building, with two exterior doors.

Jake shifted his steel-plated tactical vest. “Cash, keep us updated on any movements.”

“Roger that,” Cash said.

Jake started forward as sharp winds howled down the Columbia River, sending trees rustling. Directly ahead sat a fenced yard with two gates—and one of them stood open. Jake held up a hand and paused to check for any sign of danger.

Finding none, he peered at Brady. “I’ll intercept the deputy in the hallway. You hold at the side entrance to the baby room.”

“Affirmative,” Brady replied before moving swiftly toward the open gate.

Jake approached the front door. A fragrant pine wreath with a red Christmas bow caught his attention for but a moment. He turned the doorknob. Entered. Paused again.

Darkness obscured the hallway, but light escaped from under the baby room door and through the window. The wayward deputy stood looking through the window, but he hadn’t yet opened the door.

“Stand down,” Jake announced loud enough for the deputy to hear but, he hoped, not loud enough for his voice to carry into the baby room.

The deputy spun, his weapon raised. He hadn’t rotated fully when he fired.

Bam. Bam.

The bullets slammed into Jake’s vest. The crushing force felt like a baseball bat to the chest, pushing him back and knocking him to the floor while stealing his breath. His first instinct had his hand going to the Velcro to rip off his vest, gain a breath and ease the pain, but the kidnapper would have heard the shots and could open the door and fire off a few rounds.

“Oh, man,” the deputy cried out and ran to Jake. “Man, I didn’t... I mean you’re...”

“Shooter spooked by shots fired,” Brady announced over the comms.

“Roger that,” Jake managed to get out as he continued to fight for air. “Make entry now.”

“Affirmative,” Brady replied.

The deputy dropped down beside Jake. Jake glared at the guy and wanted to give him a piece of his mind, but he wouldn’t waste any more time on the deputy. Not when Brady counted on Jake for backup.

He struggled to his feet, his anger barely in check. He should have been the one to breach the perimeter. He was in charge. He was the best trained. He should have taken the risk. Thanks to the yo-yo staring at him, Jake had lost all control of this op. Losing control meant people died.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The shots sounded from a handgun inside the room. Brady carried a rifle, which meant the masked man had opened fire. Jake listened for Brady’s return fire.

Nothing.

The kidnapper could have taken Brady out, or maybe Brady took cover and didn’t have a shot. Either way, Jake had to get inside.

He eyed the deputy. “Go back to your car and don’t leave it until you’re told to do so. You got me?”

He nodded.

“Now!”

Jake waited for him to step off, then bolted for the door.

“Entering,” Jake said into his mic as he jerked open the door to find Brady, rifle raised, his concentration on the sight as he marched toward the back door.

“Got in just in time to draw the kidnapper’s fire,” he called out. “His shots went wide. Missed the director. He fired on me and took off with the baby. I had to take cover. Couldn’t get a clean shot without risking the baby’s life.”

Jake wished Brady could have taken the shot, but as an extremely capable deputy, if he said there hadn’t been a clean shot, then no shot existed.

Jake glanced at the director. She lay on her back, but she stirred, and her eyes blinked open. Her gaze met Jake’s for a moment before they closed again. He wanted to check on her, but the baby took priority right now.

At least he knew Brady had been wrong in the truck. They weren’t too late, and Ms. Long was alive.

Now Jake needed to make sure she stayed that way.

TWO

Jake charged to the door, his chest aching like crazy, but with lives on the line, his pain didn’t matter. Finding the baby was what mattered now. He moved forward, caution in his steps, and scanned the playground. Mulch crunched under his feet near the pint-size playground structure, and the gate ahead swung in the breeze.

He wanted to burst through the opening, but that would be foolhardy, so he paused and swept the area. A larger playground in the distance held a tall play structure with a thick layer of mulch in the fall zone. A six-foot fence surrounded the area and Brady, rifle slung over his shoulder, scaled the fence boards.

“Report,” Jake said into his mic.

Brady didn’t lose a beat at the command but hurled over the top. “Kidnapper went over the fence here. Couldn’t take the baby.”

Jake looked down and spotted the carrier sitting near the fence. The child squirmed and kicked her little feet. He let out a heavy sigh.

“Continue foot pursuit,” Jake commanded. “I’ve got the baby.”

He crossed the playground and directed his voice at his mic. “Cash, call in backup to track this guy, and get some uniforms on scene to set up a perimeter. We’ll need a detective dispatched. Skyler has the best closure rate of county detectives, and I suspect she’ll be assigned to the investigation, but give her a call so she has a heads-up and can ask to work the case.”

“Roger that,” Cash replied, and Jake knew he would immediately phone their teammate.

When not working as a negotiator on the FRS, Skyler served as a Special Investigations Unit detective, and since this case involved a young child, Jake wanted the best investigator on the job.

He crossed the yard and bent over to pick up the carrier. His chest screamed in agony. Of course. His adrenaline was subsiding, and the pain from the deputy’s shots would grow by the minute.

The baby blinked her lashes at him, her eyes wide and interested when he’d expected tears. Some babies were good-natured, and nothing riled them. His little sister had been like that. All giggles and smiles, all the time. That could be true of this child.

Her smile widened into a toothless grin, and his pain receded. His team had done a good thing today. They’d successfully stopped the abduction of this little princess. That felt good. Real good.

She suddenly frowned and narrowed her tiny blue eyes, then screwed up her face like a wrinkled prune and started to whimper.

“Shh.” He gently shook the carrier, mimicking motions he remembered from helping care for his brother and sister. “It’s okay. You’re safe, Kelly. At least that’s what the director said your name was.”

She didn’t settle but wailed in earnest, flailing her arms and legs in her pink snowsuit. Jake stopped and stared at her for a long moment.

What in the world was he supposed to do with a crying baby?

He commanded an emergency response team, leading them into some of the most volatile and dangerous situations law enforcement deputies could encounter, but a baby, let alone one whose cry gave emergency sirens a run for their money, brought more fear to his heart than the toughest spots he’d been in.

He hadn’t had any experience with babies since he’d lost both of his siblings when he was a mere kid himself, but he figured she wanted to be held. Or changed. Once they got inside, he’d hold her. But the other? No way. He wasn’t about to attempt that.

To comfort her, he gently swung the carrier as he walked, each swing like a knife to his chest, but the motion served to slow the crying to a whimper. Inside, he found the director still unconscious on the floor. He hurried over to her, set down the carrier and knelt next to her. He released the carrier to lay two fingers on her wrist. Her pulse beat hard but her breathing seemed shallow.

“So, Rachael Long,” he mumbled. “What did the guy inject you with?”

He wished Darcie Stevens, the team medic, had been with them. She possessed the training needed to enter a volatile situation and would already be tending to the director. Other medics didn’t have such skills. They were required to wait until the suspect no longer posed a threat to their safety before treating Ms. Long.

Jake adjusted his mic. “Are there medics standing by, Cash?”

“Affirmative.”

“Send them in as soon as you’re sure it’s safe.” Jake rocked the carrier as he looked at Rachael.

The heater kicked in, sending a whiff of her sweet perfume wrapping around him and temporarily overpowering the antiseptic odor of bleach permeating the air. About five-five, she was small compared to his six-foot-two frame. She appeared fit, had curling, shoulder-length hair and freckles peppered high cheeks. She seemed sweet, almost innocent. Exactly what he’d expect of a child care director.

She wore a wedding ring, but preliminary information gathered as the team raced toward the scene told him she’d lost her husband in a car crash about four years ago, and she hadn’t remarried.

Now she lay there. Near death? He wanted to do something to help.

He jumped to his feet and retrieved a few child-sized blankets from the cribs. He returned to cover her, then turned his attention to Kelly, whose cries had escalated. He ripped off his tactical gloves and took off his helmet, figuring it might be scaring her. Then he released her restraints and lifted her into his arms. The steel plates of his vest weren’t likely comfortable, so he lowered her and held her slightly away from his body while he rocked back and forth.

“Shh,” he whispered and listened to the chatter on his comms unit to keep updated on the chase.

The kidnapper had disappeared from Brady’s view, so Cash had called in a search dog. Jake didn’t get his hopes up, though. Since most properties were fenced in the city, and dogs often lost the scent at fence lines, odds were against them in locating the kidnapper.

Jake continued to listen while rocking the baby until she settled down and drifted to sleep. The front door opened, and the sound of gurney wheels finally echoed down the hallway.

Two men entered. The thin guy who stepped in first wore a Santa hat. The other guy was bald and tough-looking, and Jake suspected he’d never worn a Santa hat in his life.

Jake stepped back to give them access to Rachael. “You up to speed on the incident?”

The guy with the hat knelt on the floor next to Rachael. “The woman was injected with something and is unconscious but breathing.”

“Exactly,” Jake replied.

“Dog has lost the scent,” Brady said over Jake’s earbuds, then reported his exact location.

“Widen the perimeter and stand ready,” Jake replied. “We’ll have to hope 911 receives a call reporting the kidnapper’s movements.”

And hope he doesn’t harm anyone as he makes his escape.

“Roger that.” Disappointment lingered in Brady’s tone.

Suddenly weary beyond his thirty-five years, Jake ran a hand over tense muscles in his neck and watched the medics do their thing. Once they had an IV going, they loaded Rachael onto the gurney.

An overwhelming desire to protect her and Kelly from additional harm rose up and caught him off guard. He worked each callout with the thought that he would do everything he could so he didn’t have to live with regret, but he’d never taken a personal interest in the people he rescued.

Until right now. But why?

Could have to do with losing his infant sister and six-year-old brother, he supposed. When he’d just turned thirteen, they, and his parents, perished in a bombing, leaving him with a soft spot in his heart for children in danger and the special people who cared for them. And a burning desire to see anyone who threatened them pay for their actions.

He glanced at Ms. Long on the gurney as the medics strapped her in, and her eyelids fluttered.

Lord, please. I know you decide who lives or dies, but please let this woman live. Please.

Jake crossed the room and stood over her. She blinked a few times and seemed almost lucid.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice sounding thick and heavy. Then her eyes widened. “Kelly!”

“She’s fine and right here.” Jake held the baby up for Rachael to see.

“Thank you, sweet Jesus,” Rachael whispered, her words slurred. “You were looking out for us.”

Her lips tipped up in a sweet smile, and Jake’s heart hesitated. Despite the medics standing by, he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from hers.

“We should get her and the baby transported,” the medic said, ruining the moment.

“We’re going with you.” Jake reluctantly pulled away and settled Kelly in her carrier, then glanced back at Rachael. He wasn’t sure if Kelly or Rachael looked more vulnerable.

Didn’t matter, now, did it?

There was no way he’d let anything bad happen to either of them. He’d make sure they were both protected until he was certain that neither of them remained in danger.

* * *

Rachael saw the light flashing over her head before she opened her eyes. Bright fluorescent tubes wavered in and out of her view in squiggly lines. She concentrated harder and battled the residual fog from the drug.

She heard rushed, hurried voices in the distance. Smelled the antiseptic of the hospital, reminding her she lay in a hard bed in the ER. She’d woken thirty minutes ago and talked to the doctor, but the drug’s effects kept pulling her back under. She had to try harder to stay awake so she could talk to Pam and see Kelly.

She blinked hard and made an effort to clear her vision.

“She’s awake,” a deep male voice said from across the small room.

Did he mean her—and who was he, anyway?

She heard his footsteps as he came near, and she forced her head to turn toward the sound. The resulting wave of dizziness sent her stomach roiling. She blinked until she could focus on a large man wearing a black uniform now looking down on her.

“Ms. Long,” he said softly, his face so familiar—but she was sure she didn’t know him. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“I’m Deputy Sergeant Jake Marsh. I was one of the deputies who found you unconscious in the baby room.”

Ah, so that was who he was. She remembered him now. His kindness in the ambulance. Holding precious Kelly’s carrier for the ride, safe and secure in his hands. He’d said a neighbor noticed the masked man enter the playground and called 911. He arrived to help and had chased off the kidnapper.

“Deputy,” she said. “Yes. I remember you.”

“Call me Jake.”

“I’m Rachael.”

“It’s nice to see you’re awake, Rachael.” A dazzling smile broke across his face.

A little zip of awareness shot through her stomach, catching her off guard. She’d been only vaguely aware of him this far, as she hadn’t been fully awake when he’d ridden along in the ambulance. Then after the medics rushed her into the ER, the staff forced him to wait outside her door, and she hadn’t seen him since then.

He was a fine-looking man. Six foot two, maybe, muscled and brawny. Chocolate-brown eyes. Olive skin. Ebony hair. Yeah, he was a striking man, but why was she noticing? She’d been immune to men’s charms after she married Eli. Especially immune after he died in the car accident that was all her fault, so where was the reaction to this guy coming from all of a sudden?

She was probably confusing this interest in him with gratitude for his rescue and protection. After all, he’d saved her life. Or maybe the drugs had caused her to let down her guard. Either way, she wouldn’t waste time analyzing it when she doubted she’d ever see him again.

“Thank you for your help,” she said.

He gave a clipped nod. “It was a team effort, and we were just doing our jobs.”

His job. A dangerous and difficult job, she suspected. One she could never do, at least not if she hoped to sleep at night.

Scenes of the attempted kidnapping flooded her brain. Her fear. Her anger. Little Kelly, vulnerable. Everything came to her except details of the intruder’s face. That she couldn’t seem to call up from her memory. In the times she’d been awake, she’d tried to recall what he looked like, but only fuzzy images came to mind.

The doctor had told her that the police found an empty vial of ketamine on the floor at the center. Doctors and veterinarians used the drug for conscious sedation. He said as the drug left her system, she might remember the kidnapper in more detail, but the levels of drug in her blood meant she wouldn’t likely recall much of anything after the ketamine had taken hold.

She might not remember the kidnapper’s face, but she would never forget Kelly sleeping peacefully in her crib, danger lurking all around her.

“Is Kelly really okay?” She managed to get the words out through a mouth that felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

Jake smiled. “She’s fine. She’s with her mother.”

A woman stepped around the deputy and displayed a wallet that held a shiny badge. “I’m Detective Skyler Hunter. I’ll be handling this investigation, and if you’re up to it, I have a few questions for you.”

Rachael ran her gaze over the woman. She looked like she was an inch or so taller than Rachael, had red hair and wore khaki pants and a blue blazer. The lapel held a Christmas button that said Jesus Is the Reason for the Season.

Never having been questioned by the police, apprehension settled in Rachael’s stomach, but the concern in the detective’s expression seemed sincere and gave Rachael hope that the questioning wouldn’t be too bad.

“You’re the one who’ll catch this terrible man, then?” Rachael asked.

“I’ll do my very best, yes.”

Rachael eased herself up on her pillows until she reached a sitting position. The room swam, but she battled the dizziness and focused on the detective again. “Not to be rude, but how good is your best?”

“That’s not rude at all. In fact, I get asked that question all the time.” She sounded pleasant enough, but Rachael heard frustration in her voice. “I’ve been a deputy for twelve years and a detective for the last seven of them. My case closure rate is the highest on our team.”

“I’m confused,” Rachael said. “Are you a detective or a deputy?”

“Both, actually. All sworn staff except the sheriff himself are deputies, no matter the rank or position attained in the agency. So, for example, Jake is a sergeant in charge of the First Response Squad, but he’s still a deputy.”

“First Response Squad. That’s the team who came to my rescue.”

Jake nodded. “We’re a team of six and are dispatched on emergency callouts, especially those with a potential hostage situation.”

“Please thank the others on the team for me,” she said.

He nodded. “Detective Hunter serves as a negotiator on the team, but she is a well-qualified detective, too.”

For some reason Rachael trusted his opinion. “Okay, good. Then let’s get those questions out of the way. I want to visit Pam and Kelly, and I need to talk to my staff at the center and call all of my parents.”

“Slow down there.” The detective held up her hands. “Ms. Baldwin is off limits until I take her statement, and we can’t allow you to talk to her.”

Rachael met her gaze. “Why in the world not?”

“When people involved in incidents compare stories, they often alter their own stories to match.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“It’s not a conscious thing,” Jake offered. “But it happens.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll wait to talk to Pam, but I can still get my records from the center to call the parents and my staff.”

“In this age of technology, I’m surprised you don’t keep that information on your phone,” Jake said.

“Some directors may, but I don’t. I care for a hundred and twenty children, and I won’t risk having my phone stolen and the contact information for these families falling into the wrong hands. Besides that, for tax purposes, I keep my business and work activities separate whenever possible. I do keep the contact information on an iPad that I take home every day and use for center business only. Since I came by ambulance from the center, my iPad is still in my office.”

“I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to go to the center,” the detective said. “It’s a crime scene. Only official personnel are allowed inside, and it will remain closed during the initial investigation.”

“Closed?” Rachael asked. “For how long?”

“We won’t know for sure. I can give you a better estimate later in the day.”

“Then it’s even more important for me to get going and find a way to contact the parents. Many of them are low-income and can’t afford to miss even a day of work, and I need to help them find alternative care. I also have to notify my state licensing representative, who will need to complete her own investigation.” Rachael swung her legs over the edge of the bed and nearly tumbled to the floor.

Jake grabbed her arm to steady her. Warmth from his touch rushed up her arm. Shocked at her response, she pulled her arm free.

He met her gaze and held it. “It’s admirable to want to take care of these people, but it’s not wise to leave before the doctor releases you.”

“He’s already given the okay. I’m just waiting for the nurse to take out my IV and bring my papers.” She raised her chin to show her sincerity in helping her families. “The parents must be frantic over what’s happened. Can’t I at least pick up my iPad so I can call them?”

Jake turned to his fellow deputy. “What if, after Ms. Long answers your questions, I accompany her to the center and keep an eye on her while she gathers any information she needs?”

Detective Hunter arched a brow, watching Jake like a hawk. She didn’t look happy with him. “I’ll have to check with our forensic team, but if they’ve processed the office, then that should be fine.”

He turned his focus back to Rachael. “Our questions won’t take long.”

The detective leaned against the wall, appearing casual and at ease, but her eyes were sharp and direct. “You seem especially fond of Kelly. Do you have a connection to her other than as the center director?”

“Connection?” Rachael thought about it as she planted her feet on the floor to test her strength. “I’m fond of all the children at the center. In fact, I take care of some of them at my house when their parents have to work outside the normal center hours. I guess I care for Kelly more often than most, so I might be a bit more protective of her.”

Detective Hunter flashed a knowing look at Jake, who gave an almost imperceptible shrug.

“But today you chose to watch Kelly at the center,” the detective said.

“It just made more sense to have Pam bring Kelly to the center as they live nearby. She’d have to take several buses to get to my house. Plus Pam would have dropped Kelly at my house right when I’d have to leave to open the center.”

“Why don’t you tell us what happened this morning,” he said. “Every detail.”

Rachael would rather not have to rehash all of the details, but she had to do everything she could to make sure they caught this creep. “The day started out crazy. Pam has been late for work a few times because we don’t open until six thirty. So this week, I’ve been opening at six so she can get to work on time. I should mention that my center is licensed by the state, and I am required to operate within my posted hours. So by opening at six, I violated my licensing agreement.”

“And yet you did so,” Skyler said.

“Yes, for Pam,” Rachael said. “But you should also know if the schedule needed to continue beyond this week, I would have called my licensing rep and asked to change my hours. Also when my teacher was late and Pam needed to get to work, I should have made Pam wait, as licensing regulations require two staff members be on-site when children are present.”

Rachael paused and looked away. “You must think I’m a terrible person, but I strive to follow the rules, and I realize I made a mistake. It’s not an excuse, but I did it for Pam and Kelly. If Pam lost her job, she would have to apply for government subsidies and that could be endangered by her past drug use. She’s afraid she would lose custody of Kelly. That wouldn’t be good for either of them.”

“What will happen when licensing learns of your actions?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know. Since I’ve never had a violation before, I hope they’ll give me the benefit of the doubt.”

“Let’s hope so,” Jake said.

“So you took Kelly,” Skyler said, moving them back to the incident.

“Since she was sleeping, Pam laid her in the crib, and then she went to work.” At the thought of precious Kelly lying there oblivious to the masked man, Rachael’s voice caught, but she forced down the anguish, just as she did whenever she thought of the child she’d lost in a miscarriage.

Detective Hunter raised an eyebrow. “I don’t pretend to know anything about child care centers, but it seems odd to me that even if one teacher was late, there weren’t other teachers present.”

“That’s typical for us. Staffing is the largest expense in child care, and very few children arrive when the center opens. To save on staffing dollars we combine all age groups when we open, and ramp up the staffing as the morning progresses. My next teacher was due in at seven.”

“I’ll need to see your time cards to confirm this is the norm.”

Rachael couldn’t imagine why the detective had to confirm that, but she had nothing to hide. “I can get them for you once I’m allowed back in the center.”

The detective jotted down a few notes on a small notepad, then looked up. “So, you were alone in the room with Kelly. What happened next?”

“I was putting fresh sheets on the other mattresses when a masked man pried the door open and pointed a gun at me.”

“I noticed you have an alarm system at the center. Didn’t this set off an alarm?”

She shook her head. “During times when children are present, we turn off the burglar alarm for the building. The front door remains locked for safety reasons. During open hours, each parent has a code to enter on a keypad to gain access through the front door.”

“This keypad is only at the main entrance?”

“That’s right. When I arrive, the first thing I do is turn off the burglar alarm, and then, when I’m ready to open, I activate the parent controls at the front door.”

“Okay, the man is in the baby room and holding a gun on you,” the detective continued. “What does he do next?”

“He told me he was going to take Kelly, and he threatened to hurt me if I didn’t cooperate. I tried to protect her, but he overpowered me. He gave me that shot, and I fought him off. I don’t know what happened after the drug took effect.”

“You fought hard,” Jake added. “You should be proud of the way you stood up for Kelly.”

Her ribs ached from the man’s grip, and her arms were bruised from trying to escape, but only she and the intruder could possibly know that he had manhandled her.

She eyed Jake. “How do you know what happened?”

“We accessed your center’s closed-circuit video.”

“Oh, right. The video. I should have thought of that.”

“You have quite a system.” An accusation of some sort lingered in the detective’s tone.

“I installed it for parents to be able to check on their children any time of the day. They can all log in to view a live feed.” She shook her head. “Thankfully there wasn’t a reason for any of them to watch this morning.”

Jake pulled a chair up to her bed. A hint of his musky aftershave drifted over, and she peered at him. This close, she could see striations of black and gold in his eyes, and she couldn’t pull her gaze free.

“Forget I’m a deputy,” he said softly. “I’m just Jake. The guy who held your hand in the ambulance. I’m sorry we have to question you after all you’ve been through. It’s just routine. We’ll make this as quick and painless as possible. Then I’ll give you a ride to your center.”

Detective Hunter pointedly cleared her throat.

Rachael suspected Jake was breaking the rules of questioning, or maybe he didn’t care about the rules but truly wanted to help her through a difficult time. Either way, the detective didn’t seem to like it.

“We were unable to see the intruder’s face on the video,” he continued. “But I know you ripped off his mask. Can you describe him?”

“Other than getting to see Kelly and Pam and talking to my center families, I’ve thought of little else, but I can only call up a vague image of his face. It’s too fuzzy to see in detail. I do remember his eyes though...his eyes and his breath.”

“Go on,” Jake encouraged her.

“His eyes were mean and hard. Like he enjoyed hurting us. They were gray, almost black. His breath was minty fresh, like a man who takes good care of himself.” She paused to calm her nerves. “I know it’s a weird thing to remember, but I didn’t expect a kidnapper to have good hygiene.”

Detective Hunter pushed off the wall and stepped forward. “Since you’re the only one who can identify him, I need you to keep trying to picture his face.”

“What about one of the neighbors?” Rachael asked. “Or someone on the street, or the person who called 911? Maybe they saw him before he put on his mask.”

“Deputies are canvassing the neighborhood right now, but the woman who called this in didn’t see his face.”

“Go back earlier in your day,” Jake said, changing the subject. “On your way to work, or even in the last few days, did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”

“Like I said, I expected to see my teacher waiting for me in the parking lot, but she wasn’t there. She called to tell me she had a flat tire and had to take the bus.” Guilt crowded out other thoughts, and Rachael bit down on her lip.

“What is it?” Jake asked.

“If I’d waited for her to get there before letting Pam go, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If an armed man wanted Kelly,” Jake said, “he would’ve taken her even with two people present, and something bad could have happened to Ms. Baldwin or your teacher.”

“Unless, of course, Ms. Baldwin is involved in this somehow,” Detective Hunter said.

“Pam? Involved? But why? She has full custody of Kelly. She has no need to kidnap her.”

“You mentioned that she had a past drug problem. Maybe she started using again and needed money,” the detective said bluntly.

“No.” Rachael shook her head hard. The room spun, so she waited for it to still before continuing. “Pam is clean, and if you think she’d fake a kidnapping to sell Kelly to someone, you’re wrong. Pam loves Kelly, and she’s a good mother. She’d never hurt her child.”

The detective fixed her eyes on Rachael. “What about you?”

Rachael swiveled to face her directly. The room swam, but she grabbed the arm of Jake’s chair. “You think I’m involved in Kelly’s attempted kidnapping? That’s unbelievable. I would never do that. Never. Not in a million years.”

Jake stood. “I think this is enough for now.”

Rachael shot him a look. “You think I did this, too?”

“I—” Jake said, but the door opened and the nurse entered, taking his attention.

She didn’t seem to notice the tension in the room, but smiled and marched across the small space. “Let’s take that IV out so you can get going.” The nurse cocked an eyebrow at Jake and the detective. “If you’ll excuse us...”

“I’ll wait in the hall to give you a ride to the center,” Jake said.

Rachael nodded, but she wasn’t sure if she should be glad for his help or concerned about spending more time with him. Especially if he thought her capable of kidnapping an innocent little baby.

THREE

Jake hated leaving Rachael behind, but he stepped into the hallway anyway, the Christmas music playing overhead barely registering as Rachael lingered in his thoughts.

Skyler followed him from the room, grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the bustle of hospital staff scurrying down the hallway. They must have made a sight, the small, slender woman dragging him across the hall. People often took one glance at her stature and girl-next-door look, and then underestimated her skills as a law enforcement officer.

She planted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “What’re you doing? You want to sabotage this case before it begins?”

He’d expected her to pounce the minute they’d entered the hallway. She was fierce at her job and worked tirelessly to close her cases. He owed it to her to do a better job of containing his feelings and not getting in her way.

Still, he would voice his opinion. “I told you before. I’m not liking Rachael for this.”

“I’ll ignore the fact that you’re choosing to call her Rachael instead of Ms. Long, but physically holding her hand? That’s going a little far, isn’t it?” Skyler sharpened her gaze, and he felt like a suspect under her watchful eye in an interrogation room.

“She was worried, and I helped her through it,” Jake said to downplay his role that had gone beyond professional.

Law enforcement officers held victims’ hands all the time, but he knew in his heart that he didn’t take her hand for that reason. They had a connection and he wanted to offer her comfort.

His need to protect her had hit him the minute he’d seen her on the video when she’d bravely stood in front of a gunman, risking her life for a helpless baby. It took a strong woman to stand up to such a threat, and yet, at that moment and even later, he’d seen an extreme vulnerability in her eyes. He wanted to do whatever it took to help her.

Maybe when the medic asked if they could call anyone for her, and Jake had learned that she had no one, he’d wanted to make sure she had support. Or maybe he’d transferred his thing for protecting kids onto her. But as a law enforcement officer, especially a supervisor who should set an example for others, he had to step back, put up a professional wall and not let her distress get to him.

And, of course, Skyler picked up on that.

“You better make sure that’s all it is,” she continued. “Because despite what we think about Ms. Long, she has to remain a suspect. Especially since she admitted to a special bond with Kelly, and she often takes care of her. Maybe she thinks since her husband died, she’ll never have a child of her own. Maybe she thinks she’d be a better mother than Ms. Baldwin, that she’d be doing Kelly a favor by taking her.”

“If that’s the case, she wouldn’t go about it in such a violent way, and she certainly wouldn’t risk being drugged.”

“Maybe not, but unless you stop with the whole protective thing and allow me to question her thoroughly, we won’t get anywhere in this case.”

“Did you consider the fact that as a child care director, she couldn’t possibly have a sketchy past? Not with the way child care workers are vetted in Oregon.”

“Be that as it may, I need to do a thorough job, and you’re getting in my way of finding this creep.” The color in her face drained away, and she looked like she might be ill.

“Are you okay?”

She grabbed the wall and took long breaths as she ran a hand over her face. “I’m fine, and let’s not change the subject. I need your help, Jake. Not your interference.”

Jake leveled his gaze on her. “When the nurse is finished, we’ll talk to Rachael again.”

“No, I’ll talk to her.” Skyler raised her shoulders, which she often did to make herself seem bigger, but one hand lingered on the wall. “You may be my supervisor on the team, but you have no say in my detective duties, and you’ll stay out here.”

Jake smiled wryly at Skyler putting him in his place. “I’ll come with you, but you can do all the talking.”

“It’s best if I go in alone.”

He knew he should stand down. Take off. Leave Rachael behind as he did with victims on all other callouts, but he couldn’t make his feet head in the opposite direction. He could temper his actions, though, and move closer to toeing the official line.

“Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll find out where Rachael keeps her iPad, and then, while you question her, I’ll head over to the center to pick it up so she can make her calls. When you’re finished, I’ll escort her home and stay with her until we can assign a protection detail.”

Skyler’s gaze didn’t lighten up. “I know the kidnapper said he would kill her, but do you think he’ll keep coming after her?”

“It didn’t sound like an idle threat. As long as we aren’t showing up at his door to arrest him, he has to know we haven’t identified him, giving him a chance to stop her from doing so now or accusing him in a trial.”

“You’re right. She needs protection.”

He held out his hand. “Then we have a deal?”

“Deal.” She sounded reluctant but shook his hand.

“Let me just tell Rachael about the change in plans, and she’s all yours.”

As they stepped to the door, Skyler’s phone rang. “I need to take this, but I’ll make it quick.”

He pushed through the door and found Rachael lying back on the bed, her eyes closed. He studied her face, the high cheekbones and long eyelashes lying on them. Her face hadn’t regained much color, and her breathing still seemed shallow. He wished she would wake up so he could get a read on how well she was coping before Skyler came into the room.

The wish mimicked the one he’d made at the US embassy in Nairobi. A wish for his parents and his younger sister and brother.

Even in twenty-plus years, the incident hadn’t faded from his memory. He could still hear the earth-rending explosion, feel the ground rumbling under his feet and taste the dust filling the air. He’d been only thirteen, but in that instant, he knew his family was in trouble. He’d charged down the road only to learn the rubble trapped his family, and he could do nothing to help. He hadn’t been there when they’d needed him, and the bomb ensured they wouldn’t ever wake up again.

If he’d been at the embassy instead of slipping out to hang with friends his parents didn’t approve of, he could have helped. Sure, he was only a teenager, but he lived every day with the certainty that he could have done something to save their lives. At the funeral, he’d promised his parents that he’d make up for not being there for them, and he’d devoted his life to helping others in need.

An ache in his chest caught his attention. The deputy-inflicted bullets bruised his flesh, but the loss of his family overtook the pain. He’d managed to keep the familiar ache at bay for many years. Today, though, the sting raked through his body as intensely as the day they’d died.

“Why you, Rachael Long?” he whispered. “Why, after all these years, are you bringing out feelings I thought were long gone?”

“Did you say something?” Skyler asked, stepping up behind him.

“No!” Rachael suddenly cried out and jerked awake. Terror darkened her eyes as she shot a panicked look around the room. She’d probably relived the kidnapping attempt in her sleep.

Jake knew all about bad dreams. The bomb had rumbled through his sleep for years. He wanted to take her hand, but after his talk with Skyler, he shoved both of them in his pockets instead. At that moment, he hated his job.

Rachael would remain on Skyler’s suspect list, and after he’d gone, she’d question Rachael until she felt confident she’d gotten complete answers. Then she’d tear into Rachael’s background, dig deep and ferret out any secrets or past indiscretions that hinted at her involvement. Many of those would then be reviewed with Rachael so she could offer an explanation.

Not that Skyler would focus solely on Rachael. As a good detective, she would look for other leads and keep Rachael’s role in perspective. He could count on Skyler to be impartial, but he didn’t care about the other suspects at this point.

Rachael remained his focus. His only focus right now.

* * *

Sitting in a wheelchair held firmly by a hospital staff member, Rachael gazed out the window to avoid the odd looks cast her way by people stepping through the lobby entrance. Detective Hunter had ordered Rachael to surrender her clothing for the forensic staff to process in hopes of finding the intruder’s DNA. The hospital had given her two gowns to wear back-to-back to cover herself, and a lightweight robe for warmth. Though fully covered, she was essentially wearing pajamas in public.

“Joy to the World” played on the speakers above, and the woman holding on to her chair hummed along in a sharp pitch. If that wasn’t enough to remind Rachael Christmas was just a week away, large trees trimmed in reds and golds perfumed the air with a thick pine scent, and snow that was unusual for Portland dusted the ground outside.

A battered white truck pulled into the patient pickup area, and Jake jumped down from the vehicle. Before he’d left her hospital room, he’d told her he would use Detective Hunter’s car to go to the center for the iPad, and during that time, he would have someone retrieve his pickup from home and drop it at the hospital.

As he approached, she wanted to leap from the chair and take refuge from prying eyes inside his truck, but the bruises circling her body ensured she wouldn’t be leaping in her near future.

He opened the passenger door and gazed down on her, his tender expression one she’d seen several times today. He offered his hand—another kind gesture from this man she found so intriguing.

After what happened the last time they’d touched, she didn’t want any physical contact, but dizziness continued to plague her, and she also didn’t want to do a face-plant in the snow. And if she stumbled, the hospital employee might drag her back inside for another examination. Rachael wouldn’t stay at the hospital any longer. Not for any reason.

She placed her hand in his, letting the long fingers wrap around hers and gently move her into the pickup that looked like it had seen better days. She willed her mind not to dwell on the warmth and strength of his hand and to pay attention to getting into the truck without hitting the concrete.

Once she settled back, Jake started to close the door, but she stopped him and leaned out.

“Thank you,” she called to the woman who’d wheeled her outside.

“Yes, thank you,” Jake added and closed the door with a solid thump.

He said something else to the transport woman that elicited a broad smile on her chubby face. Maybe he was just a big flirt, and this connection between them was a common occurrence in his life. Even more reason to ignore her unwanted interest in him.

When he settled behind the wheel, his presence seemed to take up the entire space, and she wedged herself closer to the door, tugging her robe tighter around her. He’d set the heat on high, and the air rushing from the vents warmed her bare legs.

As he pointed the truck down the driveway, a hand-beaded ornament swung from his rearview mirror. The delicate star boasting golden points and a bright blue interior seemed in direct contrast to his tough exterior and the manly truck. Obviously a vintage item, she suspected he had a story behind the ornament, and she didn’t know what to make of it, of him. He was such an enigma. One minute kind and protective, the next all business. She hadn’t a clue which guy was the real Jake Marsh.

It didn’t much matter, though. Even if he’d struck some cord in her that had been dormant since Eli died, she’d fight the feelings. She would never expose herself to the searing loss that opening her heart again could bring.

Trouble was, when Jake had first taken the chair across from her and looked into her eyes, she’d seen something that resonated deep inside, like maybe he understood the pain and guilt that plagued her. Like maybe he would understand if she mentioned that after her husband died, grief consumed her and she hadn’t properly cared for herself. When she reached her fifth month of pregnancy, she’d miscarried. Maybe he’d even hold her and try to convince her that she shouldn’t blame herself.

Right, and people had wings and could fly, too.

Point-blank, her husband and child were gone, and this man could do nothing to assuage her guilt. After all, God hadn’t been able to erase it, so why would she think a man could?

She’d learned that nothing good came from brooding over the past, so she trained her gaze out the window until they turned onto her street.

“Almost there,” he said.

A sigh slipped out before she could stop it.

“If this is about all the questions we had to ask,” he said, “I’m sorry, but you fit the profile for an infant abductor.”

Surprised at his announcement, she swiveled. “What exactly is that profile?”

“Female. In your childbearing years. Same race as the child abducted. An overwhelming loss in your past. Your husband, I mean.”

“A zillion other women fit that description, too,” she responded, thinking it was only a matter of time before they learned of her miscarriage. Then her suspect potential would grow exponentially.

“But these other women didn’t have access to Kelly, nor were they her caregiver.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m not the only woman who has access to Kelly. Besides, what do you think I would do with her if I arranged the kidnapping? It’s not like I can show up to work holding a baby that everyone would recognize.”

“But you could close down the center and move out of town.”

“I’d never close my center. These parents need the service I provide, and it’s my way of...” She wouldn’t tell him her service helped her atone for her role in Eli’s and the baby’s deaths. “Never mind. If Detective Hunter keeps digging into my life, she’ll soon know I’m not behind this.”

He eyed her for a moment. “What about parents or staff members who might have recently lost a child? Like a miscarriage or a child dying. Has that happened to any of them?”

He’d clearly described her, sending her heart plummeting. “Why is that a concern?”

“Losing a child is one of the biggest reasons women abduct other children.”

So she’d been right on track thinking if she admitted her own miscarriage, that, along with the other items he mentioned earlier, would move her from suspect to prime suspect. Then the investigative focus would fall solely on her, which would not help them find the kidnapper.

“None of my staff or parents have lost a child,” she said without elaborating.

He nodded. “Then we’ll expand beyond the center to other people in Pam Baldwin’s life. Do you know if she has friends or any female family members who might fit this description?”

“In an effort to stay clean, she left all the people she did drugs with in the past, and I don’t think she’s had the time to make new friends. I suppose one of her coworkers could have lost a child. All I know about her family is that she’s not close to her parents.”

“Does she have a boyfriend?”

Rachael shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

“Okay, then our focus will likely remain on you and your staff members for the time being.”

“My staff members?”

He nodded. “They have access to Kelly, so Detective Hunter will be interviewing them, and they’ll remain under suspicion until we can rule them out.”

Great. Now they were going to grill her teachers, too. All of the caring, compassionate women who’d worked beside her for three years. Women who’d no sooner hurt Kelly than she would.

“They didn’t do this,” she said. “Pick on me all you want, but please don’t harass them.”

“We’re harassing you? Is that what you think?”

“What else can I think? I was attacked this morning, which should prove my innocence, but you don’t seem to care.” Her voice wobbled, and she hated that she came across as weak and whiny.

He slowed at a stop sign and fixed a steady gaze on her. “I care, Rachael, but our mission is to find this guy as quickly as possible before he hurts anyone else. If that means we have to keep you on our suspect list no matter what we think about your innocence, then that’s what we’ll do.”

She studied him carefully, looking for any hint of his real opinion of her. “So you don’t think I’m involved?”

He turned back to his driving and didn’t answer, which, she supposed, was an answer in itself and the end to their conversation. She peered out the window. The clouds had broken, and one of Oregon’s famous rainbows hung in the sky, the muted colors giving her hope that God had something good planned for her future.

She recommitted herself to staying strong, not for herself, but for the center’s parents and staff. She used her pain to make a difference in others’ lives, and that had been the only thing that had taken her out of her grief and allowed her to live again. She just needed to keep that in mind and be thankful for her opportunities.

She closed her eyes.

Thank you, Lord, for keeping Kelly safe. For Jake and his team. Continue to watch over her. Over all of us. And help them find the intruder.

She kept her eyes closed until she felt the car bump into the driveway of the house she’d purchased when she’d opened the center. Living in the home she and Eli had shared had been too painful, and when God finally showed her how to move on in life, she knew she couldn’t continue to live in the home that held so many memories.

“Deputy Keith Hill.” Jake nodded at the patrol car sitting in front of her bungalow. “He’s got this shift.”

“Thanks again for arranging for his protection. I feel much safer.”

Jake reached behind the seat and lifted out her iPad. “I found it in the drawer right where you said it would be.”

He handed it to her, and she clutched it to her chest like a lifeline. She might not be allowed back into the center where she’d pinned all of her hopes and dreams the last few years, but she had her connection to the families through this device.

He reached behind the seat again. “I also grabbed your purse. I figured you’d need keys and such.”

“Right, my keys. I didn’t even think of that.” She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He gave a quick, almost uncomfortable nod as though he didn’t like to have any attention drawn to his helpfulness. He’d acted the same way when she’d thanked him at the hospital, claiming his team had done all the work.

“We should get you inside.” He opened his door, the hinge groaning in protest. His vehicle had to be ten-plus years old, and it looked well used. Still, it seemed like the kind of vehicle he would own. Something serviceable, but not showy or pretentious.

After he came around the front of the truck, he opened her door and offered his hand again. She accepted his help, and once she’d found solid footing, his hand moved to the small of her back and urged her toward the home she’d painted a crisp white with blue trim.

She fished out her keys and unlocked the bright blue door, pushing it open before turning to bid Jake goodbye.

She suddenly wished he didn’t have to leave, and at the same time hoped he would. “Thank you for the ride. For everything, actually.”

“I’d like to have a look around your house just to be safe.”

Her heart fluttered. “You don’t think the intruder has come here, do you?”

“I doubt it,” he said, sounding sure of his opinion. “But I don’t want to take any chances.”

“I don’t, either.” Though she didn’t like the thought of being alone with him when she was emotional and vulnerable to his kindness, she stepped back.

“I’ll make it quick.” He brushed past her, and his sure steps took him straight into her house.

She closed and locked the door, then trailed him as he went through the main living areas of her house. At the back door, he rested his hand on his weapon, and it remained in place as he peered out the kitchen window into her backyard.

He spun. “If you’ll give me the key, I’ll check your garage.”

She lifted a key from a peg on the wall and handed it to him.

“It’s not a good idea to keep your keys hanging in plain sight,” he said. “There are bad people in this world. You experienced that today, and you don’t want to make things easier for them. If someone did break into your house, they’d have keys to your car and any other keys you keep hanging here.” He didn’t wait for a response from her but stepped out the door. She watched him cross her small backyard to the single-car garage.

She’d never really given a lot of thought to personal safety. At least not beyond knowing full well that people died in car crashes and that she should be extra-vigilant while driving, plus avoiding dangerous situations. She paid attention to her surroundings, but such things were probably on Jake’s mind most of the time.

How difficult it would be to live under those terms. She wished no one had to be constantly on guard. She was even more thankful for men and women like Jake and his team, who dedicated their lives to protecting people.

He secured the garage door, and when he returned, he put the keys in her hand instead of hanging them on the peg.

They toured the remainder of the house where he paid special attention to the closets and the space under the beds. She appreciated his thoroughness but hoped he didn’t find too many dust bunnies.

Back at the front door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “My cell is on here. Call me if you need anything. No matter what. No matter the time.” He kept his gaze glued to hers and looked torn about leaving, but stepped outside.

At the stairs, he paused to look back. His gaze connected with hers and held. He hid his emotions, but she could tell he wanted to stay.

“Thank you for everything,” she said to get him moving.

He gave a sharp nod then jogged down to the sidewalk. She watched him climb into his truck and back out of the driveway before she closed and locked the door. She set her purse on the hall table and added her iPad, too. The center parents and staff needed to hear from her, but she simply had to change out of the hospital gowns and shower off the creepy-crawly feeling from the intruder’s touch.

In her bathroom, she gingerly removed the gowns and looked at her stomach in the mirror. Two-inch-wide bruises already circled her body, the deep purple attesting to her struggle against the intruder’s iron grip. No wonder her pain had continued to grow after the ketamine had worn off.

She turned on the shower, cranked the knob to steaming hot and climbed under the spray. The water cascaded over her back and circled the drain. She grabbed a bar of soap. The slippery slice shot from her hands and pinged around the tile walls until it landed at her feet. Bending to retrieve it, dizziness assaulted her again. She planted her hands on her knees and held her position to let it clear. Thankfully, most of the drug had left her system and she could function, but she wished it would dissipate even faster.

Maybe then she wouldn’t be so emotional and weepy around Detective Hunter and Jake. She just couldn’t imagine that either of them truly believed she had participated in Kelly’s attempted kidnapping. Waking up at the center came to mind, the sight of Jake’s caring face, his smile and concern. Then he’d held Kelly out so she could see the baby was fine. Joy had nearly burst her heart and she’d thought him to be an ally.

And now?

Until the detective proved Rachael had no part in the attempted kidnapping, she would be alone in her defense—much like she was alone in life. For the first time since she’d come to grips with losing Eli and the baby, the loneliness nearly bothered her more than she could bear.

Tears threatened again, burning at the back of her eyes for release.

No. She wouldn’t let them take over. She didn’t want to be stuffed up for her phone calls. She could let herself cry after her families were taken care of.

She slowly stood and grabbed a washcloth to scrub the horrible attack from her body. As the cloth ran over her skin, she imagined his touch sliding away. By the time she finished and dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, the bruised areas were clean and aching even more, but she felt refreshed.

She headed to the foyer table to grab a few aspirin to take the edge off her pain.

She stepped into the family room and something red on the mirror above the fireplace caught her attention. She focused. Spotted big bold letters scribbled on the glass.

A message.

Talk and You Die.

She took a step back, clasped a hand over her mouth. He gaze shot around the room, looking for the intruder. She spotted her favorite lipstick laying open on the floor.

Terror stole her breath. Her throat closed down as if hands had come around her neck and squeezed.

She took another step back. Then another. And another.

She was aware of screams coming from somewhere.

They had to be from her, but she could barely breathe. How could she be the one screaming?

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