FITZGERALD FAMILY SECRET

As the eldest of six siblings and deputy chief of the Fitzgerald Bay police department, Ryan Fitzgerald is a protector. Of his family. Of his community. But staying in control means keeping his distance...until Meghan Henry comes to town. Seeking justice for her murdered cousin, and safety for an orphaned—and missing—child, the daring journalist is not afraid to face danger head-on. And when she uncovers a dark Fitzgerald secret, Ryan’s left with a devastating choice. Which will he protect—his family, or the woman he’s started to love?

Fitzgerald Bay: Law enforcement siblings fight for justice and family.

Enjoy a special 15th anniversary bonus story from Love Inspired Historical, An Enduring Love by Jillian Hart

The wistful, almost yearning expression on Ryan’s handsome face as she’d held baby Georgina had confused her.

Then it was back to the coldness in his blue eyes and the hard set to his jaw that she’d grown used to over the past six months as she’d pressed for more to be done in bringing her cousin’s murderer to justice.

“If you hadn’t been here, Meghan, I would have been able to control the situation.”

His saying the words aloud felt like a physical blow. Little Georgina’s life hung in the balance. Because of her. She squeezed her eyes tight. “Please, dear Lord, keep baby Georgina safe. Please let us find her.”

When she opened her eyes, she found Ryan staring at her with an arrested look on his face.

“Why is the missing baby so important to you?” Ryan asked.

An ambulance roared to a halt a few feet away, saving her from answering.

But soon she’d have to tell him.

FITZGERALD BAY: Law enforcement siblings fight for justice and family

TERRI REED

At an early age Terri Reed discovered the wonderful world of fiction and declared she would one day write a book. Now she is fulfilling that dream and enjoys writing for Love Inspired Books. Her second book, A Sheltering Love, was a 2006 RITA® Award finalist and a 2005 National Readers’ Choice Award finalist. Her book Strictly Confidential, book five in the Faith at the Crossroads continuity series, took third place in the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award, and Her Christmas Protector took third place in 2008. She is an active member of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband, two wonderful children and an array of critters. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening and playing with her dogs.

You can write to Terri at P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97280. Visit her on the web at www.loveinspiredauthors.com, leave comments on her blog, www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com, or email her at terrireed@sterling.net.

The Deputy’s Duty

Terri Reed

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Dear Reader,

In 2012 Love Inspired Books is proudly celebrating fifteen years of heartwarming inspirational romance! In honor of this special occasion, we’re spotlighting the Love Inspired Suspense series this month.

If you haven’t read a Love Inspired Suspense book before, now is a wonderful time to discover them.Love Inspired Suspense offers gripping suspense, compelling romance and an inspirational message—all within one series. These edge-of-the-seat, contemporary romantic suspense stories feature Christian characters facing challenges to their faith…and to their lives!

We’re excited about our author line-up this month. Look for Threat of Darkness by Valerie Hansen, the latest book in her exciting miniseries, The Defenders. Terri Reed delivers the dramatic finale to Love Inspired Suspense’s continuity series, Fitzgerald Bay, with The Deputy’s Duty. Rachelle McCalla’s Reclaiming the Crown miniseries continues with Prince Incognito. Susan Sleeman rounds out the month with Double Exposure, the first book in her new miniseries, The Justice Agency.And enjoy a fifteenth anniversary bonus story at the end of each book.

I hope you enjoy each and every story. Look for four new Love Inspired Suspense books every month for the perfect combination of riveting suspense and inspirational romance!

Sincerely,

Tina James

Senior Editor

Writing a continuity series involves the collaborated efforts of the other authors and the editors. It was a joy to work with my fellow authors: Shirlee McCoy, Valerie Hansen, Rachelle McCalla, Stephanie Newton and Lynette Eason. I’d like to thank my editors Emily Rodmell and Tina James for your patience, for the time and energy you put into making all our books the best they can be.

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Terri Reed for her contribution to the Fitzgerald Bay miniseries.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

—Colossians 3:13

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

An Enduring Love

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

ONE

“The house is the second one on the right.”

Deputy Chief Ryan Fitzgerald nodded to the officer sitting next to him and tightened his grip on the steering wheel of the official Fitzgerald Bay vehicle. He pulled to the curb in front of a boxy house with a front brick facade and white siding. The paved driveway was empty. He doubted this trip to the town of Revere would pay off, but it was the only lead he had to a murder suspect and a missing eighteen-month-old little girl.

He glanced around, taking stock of the neighborhood. Quiet, tree-lined street. No one was out and about on this blistering June day. Better indoors, out of the sun and the humidity. The lucky ones with air conditioners, blowing out cool air.

His gaze snagged on a burgundy Subaru parked across the street. His gut clenched.

Meghan Henry’s car.

What was the nosy reporter doing here? Ever since she had arrived in Fitzgerald Bay six months ago, she’d been hounding him for answers in her cousin Olivia Henry’s murder. He didn’t blame her for wanting to see justice done. Olivia’s death had rocked the community of Fitzgerald Bay and the Fitzgerald family. She’d been his brother Charles’s nanny for his twins at the time of her death. Everyone who knew her had said she was a sweet woman. No one could understand why someone would kill her.

Her body had been discovered at the base of the lighthouse cliffs. A life cut too short.

So yes, Ryan understood Meghan’s desire to see the culprit arrested and put away, but not at the expense of his family.

With everyone in town believing Charles was capable of killing Olivia Henry, all of the Fitzgerald Bay police force had worked overtime to clear his name. Meghan Henry’s constant questions and snooping had hindered the investigation and inflamed the citizens of Fitzgerald Bay with suspicion.

And now here she was, poking around at the one lead he had to go on in another recent murder case.

Burke Hennessy, a prominent lawyer in town, had been found dead in his home by his wife, Christina. At first glance the death appeared accidental or possible suicide. But the M.E. discovered evidence to suggest murder. And his wife was the prime suspect.

Burke had been running for the mayoral seat until his untimely death. The medical examiner found Burke had ingested a potent combination of drugs, enough to incapacitate him while the murderer suffocated him with a down pillow. Feathers had been found in his nose and throat and the official cause of death had been ruled asphyxiation. They found the pillow that had been used hidden in a closet in the Hennessy home. Christina’s fingerprints were all over it. The D.A. thought he had a good case for murder. Now all Ryan had to do was find Christina and bring her into custody.

If Meghan hadn’t already spooked Christina and sent her fleeing again.

Ryan was going to arrest Meghan for obstructing justice the second he saw her. He could imagine her wrinkling up her pert nose and daring him with her green-hued hazel eyes. The woman possessed a fiery spirit, for sure. A testament to her Irish heritage.

Like his sisters and mother.

“Stay with the car,” Ryan said to the rookie in the passenger seat as he exited the vehicle. “Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

Officer Jackson nodded and climbed out to rest his lanky frame against the fender. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Ryan marched up the concrete steps and rapped his knuckles on the heavy-duty metal screen door. From somewhere inside a woman sang a lullaby, the sound melodic and pleasing. And familiar. He paused, searching his brain for recollection.

A second later a woman, mid-forties with frosted hair and an ample girth, appeared at the door. Since the Hennessys lived a few doors down from Ryan’s family home, he recognized Helen Yorke, the Hennessys’ former housekeeper.

Helen wiped her hands on an apron covered with red cherries as her brown eyes widened with surprise. She pushed open the screen door. “Deputy Chief Fitzgerald?”

“Hello, Helen,” Ryan responded, trying to peer into the house over the woman’s shoulder. “Is Christina Hennessy here?”

She shook her head. “Not at the moment. Why?”

Not a wild-goose chase after all. Things were looking up. When his youngest sister, Keira, a rookie officer with the FBPD, had suggested contacting the Hennessys’ ex-housekeeper, Ryan had been dubious. He couldn’t see Christina seeking refuge with a former employee. Looked like he owed Keira an apology for doubting her. And a chocolate sundae. His baby sis had a penchant for chocolate.

“Do you know where Mrs. Hennessy went? Did she have Georgina with her?” Ryan asked, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of deception in the woman’s face and demeanor.

“Christina showed up on my doorstep yesterday asking if I could keep little Georgina for a few days while she dealt with some personal business. She was so distraught over the death of poor Burke I could hardly refuse. What is this about, Deputy?”

Distraught, my eye, Ryan thought, but refrained from commenting. “Georgina is here, then.” This, at least, was good news. The child was safe. When Christina had disappeared with her adoptive daughter, Ryan had feared for the little girl’s safety.

Helen tucked in her chin. “She’s in the other room. We were putting her down for a nap.”

We. Meghan. Anger churned in Ryan’s gut.

“Meghan Henry is here, then.” He needed the confirmation. At Helen’s nod, he asked, “How do you know Miss Henry?”

“We became friendly last January when she arrived in Fitzgerald Bay after her poor cousin was murdered. She’d been very supportive when I had to leave the Hennessys’ employ to take care of my mother. Meghan stopped by today to see how I was doing. Wasn’t that sweet of her?”

“Yes, very,” Ryan agreed, because he’d been raised to be polite. Sweet had nothing to do with it. Meghan was chasing a story. Burke Hennessy’s death was big news. The fact that he’d been murdered hadn’t been released to the public yet. So how had she heard that Christina was the prime suspect so quickly? “Excuse me a moment.”

Ryan jogged back to Jackson. “Call Dispatch. Tell them we have a bead on Christina Hennessy and need to stake out this address. Also, notify Child Protective Services that we are removing Georgina Hennessy from her current location.”

Jackson nodded and moved to do as asked. Ryan returned to the front door of Helen Yorke’s house.

Helen frowned, her gaze going to Jackson by the Fitzgerald Bay police vehicle. “What’s going on, Deputy?”

He glanced up and down the deserted street. When would Christina return? Better to remove the child before any confrontation. “I am taking Georgina Hennessy into protective custody.”

Helen’s gaze snapped back to him and widened. “Custody?”

“May I come in?”

The woman blinked. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

Appreciating her protectiveness of Georgina, Ryan said, “It would be better if I explained to you inside.”

She hesitated then stepped back. “Excuse the mess. My mother passed on and I’ve been trying to box up her things to get the house ready to sell.”

Entering the home, Ryan mentally catalogued the interior. Taped boxes stacked in the corner. Half-full boxes littered the area rug over scarred hardwood floors. Three arched doorways led to other rooms and a hall opened to the left.

However, Meghan Henry was not in view. She must be with the child.

Helen set her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look.

“Mrs. Hennessy is a suspect in her husband’s murder,” Ryan stated.

Shock flooded the older woman’s expression. “What?” Helen shook her head. “No. Christina loved Burke.”

“We have evidence implicating her. But for now I’m taking Georgina into custody,” Ryan explained. “To protect her.”

Doubt clouded Helen eyes. “You’re sure of this?”

“It’s still early in the investigation.” He played on her maternal instincts. “The child’s safety must be a priority. If Christina is innocent, she’ll regain custody of her daughter quickly enough.”

Placing her hand over her heart, Helen said, “Poor Georgina. Follow me.”

Ryan made a quick walk-through of the kitchen, dining room and a bedroom, verifying Christina wasn’t on the premises before joining Helen outside a room at the end of the hall.

As Ryan approached, she said, “I’ll pack a couple of bottles and some finger food. She’ll be hungry soon.”

He allowed her to pass. When he entered the small bedroom, he halted abruptly. Meghan Henry cradled the sleepy toddler in her arms as she sang. The sound of her voice and the sight of her cuddling the child wrapped around Ryan’s senses. His chest tightened.

Meghan bent close to coo as she bounced the sleepy little one in her arms. The red dress she wore heightened the color of her cheeks. Tenderness softened the brackets that had pinched the corners of her mouth the last time he’d seen her—when she’d stormed into his office demanding to know what he was doing to solve her cousin’s murder. The love shining in Meghan’s hazel eyes was unmistakable. And curious.

The sight unexpectedly touched something deep inside Ryan.

Seeing this softer, calmer side of Meghan appealed to him on an elemental level—which set his teeth on edge. He didn’t understand why the sight of her holding a baby would make his insides melt and his heart ache.

He’d been there in the hospital when his nephew Sean was born. Watched his sister Fiona care for her newborn boy, heard her make the identical cooing sounds that were now emanating from Meghan. He’d witnessed plenty of women attending to children of various ages. But he hadn’t felt this same strange expanding pressure building in his chest.

He softly cleared his throat to announce his presence as much as to release the tension knotting his shoulders.

Meghan glanced up. There was no surprise or repentance in her tear-filled eyes. The gentle smile curving her lips hit him in the solar plexus like the business end of a nightstick.

His mouth went dry. Whoa, buster. Don’t go losing perspective because of this woman.

He drew in air and forced himself to push back the warmth burrowing deep inside him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, careful to keep his voice low so as not to upset the toddler who stared at him with bright blue eyes.

“Following a lead the same as you,” Meghan replied in a soft tone.

Frustration roped a knot in his chest. “You’re interfering in my investigation. If you had a lead, you should have come to me.”

She arched an eyebrow. Distrust oozed off her in waves.

That rankled. “What do you know?”

“I know Christina and Burke Hennessy weren’t the upstanding citizens everyone believed them to be,” she said.

He frowned. It was no secret that there was little love lost between the Hennessys and the Fitzgeralds. Burke Hennessy had been a prideful bully but there’d never been any hint of illegal activity associated with the lawyer and his socialite wife. So what would have led Meghan to make such a judgment? Had she uncovered information critical to his case? “If you know something that will help in my investigation into Burke Hennessy’s death, you’d better tell me.”

“Keep your voice down,” she instructed with a pointed look at the toddler in her arms now squirming to be set free.

Reining in his frustration, he forced himself to let the questions go. There would be time enough for that later. “I’m taking Georgina into protective custody.”

In a low voice, she asked, “So you do think Christina’s responsible for her husband’s death?”

“I do.”

She nodded as if satisfied with his answer. “Do you have a car seat?”

His stomach sank. He hadn’t expected to find Christina much less the toddler. “No.”

“I do. So I guess we’ll be taking my car.”

She’d come prepared. Why? The question hovered on the tip of his tongue, but a strange sense of urgency tingled at the base of Ryan’s neck. Pushing back his need for answers, he said, “We need to go.”

“No one’s going anywhere!” A woman’s nasal voice invaded the room.

Meghan let out a gasp of alarm.

Ryan whipped around and found Christina Hennessy filling the doorway. The once-polished socialite now looked harried—her usually perfect blond hair mussed and her slacks and blouse wrinkled as if she hadn’t changed clothes in several days. An almost wild fervor glittered in her green eyes setting off alarm bells in Ryan’s head.

But the .38 revolver she held aimed at Meghan froze his blood.

A woman on the edge with a gun. A bad combination.

Beside her stood a muscle-bound thug with a nasty-looking scar running down the side of his face.

Anger directed mostly at himself shuddered through Ryan. He’d been so distracted by Meghan and the ridiculous soft emotions she had inspired that he’d let his guard down. He hadn’t heard danger approaching. His instincts had kicked in too late.

His skills were rusty. Too much time spent at a desk and not out in the field.

Where was Jackson? Ryan could only hope the rookie wasn’t lying dead outside.

Time to take control. Rapidly assessing the situation, he decided the best option was to keep everyone calm and his service weapon holstered. The quarters were too tight, the chances of someone getting hurt too great. He’d have a better opportunity of disarming Christina and dealing with her thug outside.

He slowly raised his hands in entreaty as he stepped in Christina’s line of sight. Hopefully, he provided an effective shield for Meghan and the toddler. “Let’s stay calm and talk about this.”

“Give me the kid!” Christina demanded, gesturing the gun with jerky movements.

“No one’s giving anyone anything.” Except for when you give me that gun.

Ryan’s heart hammered in his chest. Fear that she might accidently shoot one of them squeezed his lungs. He forced himself to remain calm, to sound composed. “Put down the gun, Mrs. Hennessy.”

Her lips drew back, baring sharp white teeth. “You’re a Fitzgerald. What are you doing here?”

“We were worried about Georgina.” Ryan eased forward a step.

Christina stepped to the side. “She’s fine. We’re all fine.”

Ryan mirrored her move. “Mrs. Hennessy, we need you to come in to the station house. We have some questions to ask you about Burke’s death.”

She frowned. “I’ve answered all your questions. I’m the one who found him.”

There was something decidedly off about this woman. Ryan knew he wasn’t dealing with a rational person. Best to appease her and keep this from turning into a deadly situation. “Yes, you did. We have just a few more things to clear up. Then you and Georgina can be reunited.”

Christina jerked slightly. “Move out of the way,” she cried. “I want the baby.”

Odd how she kept referring to Georgina in such a distant manner. Not sure what to make of it, Ryan glanced at Meghan holding the now fussy toddler.

“Fine,” Ryan said, keeping his voice low and composed. “We can all move into the living room, okay? It’s a little cramped in here.”

Instead of retreating, Christina moved fully into the small bedroom. The thug hovered near the door, blocking them in.

“Out,” Christina said, motioning wildly with the gun.

A fresh wave of alarm that she’d discharge a stray shot rammed through him. He had to get Meghan and the toddler out safely. Keeping his arms wide and moving slowly, he reached his hand back. “Meghan, come here.”

Shifting the eighteen-month-old onto her hip, she eased toward him, slipped her hand into his and held on tight. Making sure he stayed consistently between Meghan clutching the baby and the madwoman with the gun, he moved them toward the door.

“Tell Muscles here to get out of the way,” he instructed.

The thug made a threatening growl low in his throat.

Christina snorted. “Go on, Jay. Lead them out.”

With a scowl, Jay led them back down the hall. Ryan positioned Meghan and Georgina in front of him and hustled them toward the living room. Christina filed in behind Ryan, ramming the muzzle of the gun sharply into his kidneys.

For a second he contemplated disarming the woman now, but if she got off a shot and missed him, the bullet could hit Meghan or the baby. A risk he wasn’t willing to take. He had to be patient. There would be a moment to strike.

He leaned in close to Meghan and whispered, “Be ready. Protect the baby.”

Her honey-blond hair tickled his cheek as she nodded.

In the living room, Jay barred the exit with his massive frame.

Helen Yorke lay in an unconscious heap on the floor. Horror shot through him. He sent up a silent plea, praying she wasn’t dead. He didn’t want anyone’s death on his conscience.

Georgina let out an unhappy wail.

Meghan made a distressed sound at the sight of Helen. “What did you do to her?”

Christina cackled, an unhinged sound that raised the fine hairs at the back of Ryan’s neck.

“She’ll be fine. Jay has his uses.” Christina attempted to step around Ryan toward Meghan, and Ryan could see Helen begin to stir. “Give me the child.”

Noting that Christina’s finger wasn’t on the trigger, Ryan seized the opportunity. He grabbed hold of the gun but also Christina’s hand and swung her away from Meghan.

Christina’s hold on the gun slipped. The revolver clattered to the floor and slid across the hardwood out of sight beneath the aged leather couch.

“Owwww,” Christina screamed in fury. “Jay!”

A roar echoed in the small house, arising from Jay’s barreled chest.

Meghan cried out a warning. “Ryan, watch out.”

Ryan pivoted. Too late. Jay jumped on Ryan’s back before he could get to his own holstered weapon.

Jay’s bulk drove Ryan forward. Pain shot up Ryan’s leg as his left ankle buckled. He hit the floor with a smack to his knees and nearly collapsed beneath Jay’s gorilla-size weight.

His injuries making him want to do a little roaring of his own, Ryan instead gritted his teeth and grappled with the thug, trying to gain the advantage. Ryan drove his head back into Jay’s pectoral muscle and thrust his hip up, creating an angle. Jay’s beefy fists cracked across Ryan’s ribs with painful impact. Ignoring the jarring hits, Ryan continued with the move, driving his hips across Jay and flipping him over.

Ryan wrapped his legs around Jay and yanked him down while hooking his forearms around Jay’s neck and squeezing.

Just as he’d thought. Gym muscles. All show, no go. It took a lifetime of grappling with three brothers to make a man a real fighter.

Georgina’s frantic cries bounced off the walls.

From his peripheral vision, Ryan saw Christina scrambling to recover her weapon from beneath the couch.

“Meghan, run!” he yelled.

Disregarding his directive, Meghan handed the screaming toddler to a now conscious Helen. Meghan launched herself at Christina and knocked her aside. The woman went flying on her backside and slid to a stop. Her beige slacks hitched to her knees. A cream-colored sock sagged at her ankles. Her brown loafers had dirt on the bottom.

In her hands, she held the gun. “Not another step!” she screamed at Meghan.

Meghan halted, skidding in her heeled sandals on the hardwood.

Christina jumped to her feet and yanked Georgina from Helen’s arms.

Keeping the revolver aimed at Meghan, Christina said, “Deputy Fitzgerald, let Jay go or your friend here dies.”

“Christina, no,” Helen pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

“Shut up!” Christina swung the gun in Helen’s direction.

Helen cowered away.

Ryan’s gaze locked with Meghan. The panic in her eyes seared him. The situation had gone horribly out of his control. And it was his fault. Frustration clawed like a hungry lion through his veins. For a second he tightened his hold on Jay, wanting nothing more than to finish what he’d started.

But doing so jeopardized everyone in the room.

Abruptly Ryan released him.

The big man scuttled to his feet and then landed a vicious kick to Ryan’s side. Pain zinged through him.

With helpless rage, he watched Christina Hennessy and her henchman head out the door with Georgina. He yanked out his phone and dialed 9–1–1.

Meghan launched herself at Christina with a ferocious yell. “You can’t take her!”

Jay backhanded Meghan, sending her flying to the floor.

Fury propelled Ryan to his feet. His ankle gave out and he stumbled. The phone flew from his hand and landed with a clatter against the floor. Jay took off.

Meghan scrambled for the phone. She found it and then rushed to Ryan’s side as he painfully hauled himself to his knees. She offered her shoulder as support, wrapping her arm around his waist and helped him to his feet. His torso was on fire. Most likely a cracked rib.

A dark bruise marred Meghan’s fear-filled face, making him feel worse than the blows he’d suffered.

“Stay here!” Untangling himself from her, he hobbled out the door.

A black sedan disappeared around the corner with tires squealing. Automatically, he noted the license plate number.

At the curb an unconscious Jackson lay crumpled on the ground beside the front wheel well of his vehicle, blood covering his face. Fearing for the young officer, Ryan limped to his side and bent to check his pulse. He was alive. Unsure of the extent of Jackson’s injuries, Ryan didn’t want to do any more damage by attempting to move him.

He hobbled to the back of the vehicle, noting that all of the tires had been slashed, and grabbed the first-aid kit.

Rage pounded at Ryan’s temples in rhythm to the throbbing in his ankle and side. He pressed a wad of gauze to Jackson’s wound.

Self-recriminations swamped Ryan. He’d made an utter mess of things. Christina had escaped with Georgina. Jackson was down. The car was useless.

He was a cop, knew the importance of being proactive and vigilant. And had always lived up to that responsibility, regardless of the cost. He’d sacrificed a friendship to protect an innocent person. He’d done the right thing.

He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to the little girl because he’d failed to stop Christina and her thug, thus putting Georgina in danger.

Meghan came hurrying out, his phone pressed to her ear. She skidded to a halt, her heeled sandals sliding on the sidewalk. She handed him the phone. “Nine-one-one.”

After identifying himself, he explained the situation and gave the license plate number of Christina’s getaway car. The dispatcher assured him the local patrol officers would respond immediately and an ambulance was on its way.

“We’ll need two,” he said before hanging up.

Helen staggered out of the house. Despite her own knock to the head, when she spotted Jackson, her mothering instincts sent her straight to him. Leaving Ryan leaning against the side of his vehicle, Meghan rushed to help Helen to sit on the curb next to Jackson.

Ryan slammed his palm against the hood of his vehicle then wobbled. Every second he stood there Christina and her goon were getting farther away. His gaze grazed over Meghan’s car and the temptation to pursue the perps grabbed ahold of him and squeezed. He fought the instinct; the last thing he needed to do was leave the scene of a crime. He had an officer down and a civilian hurt.

His duty was to stay put.

So he would. For now. But this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

TWO

Seeing Ryan faltering on his feet unsettled Meghan. He was usually so in control. She hurried back to his side. “You need to sit,” she insisted and helped him to the curb next to Helen.

Tall, broad shouldered. Lean and muscled in his uniform, the man was ruggedly handsome with no hint of weakness behind the stony wall he put up every time she came near.

“This is unbelievable!” Ryan pounded one fist on his thigh.

Meghan drew away at the explosive wrath. Old fears spurted to life bringing back horrifying memories of her previous existence. Her ex-husband had had an explosive temper. And a mean streak as wide as the ocean. She had the scars to prove it. Her danger barometer rang a resounding alarm. The last thing she needed in her life was a man who couldn’t control his anger.

Needing space, Meghan paced as she battled to maintain her composure as well as her peace of mind.

She could feel Ryan’s gaze like a touch as he traced her path. He was angry. Well, so was she. At the situation, at him. So much for her composure. She’d had Georgina in her grasp. Ryan was supposed to have protected them. She glared at him. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

He met her gaze, his icy-blue eyes dark with fury. “No, it shouldn’t have.” He shook his head, his face filled with self-loathing. “I let myself be distracted.”

She frowned. “Distracted? By what?”

His gaze cut over her before he looked away. The muscle at the side of his jaw visibly pulsed. For a long moment she stared at his profile, at the angular lines of his cheekbones and straight nose, until something clicked in her mind. Did he mean he’d been distracted by her?

Her pulse tripped over itself. Her thoughts rewound to the moment inside the house when she’d been holding Georgina. Meghan had looked up to find Ryan in the doorway. She’d heard his voice long before he had appeared, so seeing him wasn’t a surprise. But the look on his face…that had left her reeling.

She’d known from the get-go that this man was dangerous, on so many levels. It didn’t help that every time she saw him she felt a flutter of feminine excitement.

Men in uniform could do that to a girl. And admittedly, Ryan filled out his blue uniform in a very eye-catching way that any woman with blood in her veins would notice.

But that didn’t mean Meghan would repeat her past mistakes. She’d gone down the hunky-guy road before with disastrous results.

Not going there again. Especially not with a Fitzgerald. She didn’t trust him. Couldn’t even say she liked him.

Though admittedly, the wistful, almost yearning expression on Ryan’s handsome face as he had watched her holding Georgina had both confused her and sent her pulse skittering.

Then he’d opened his mouth and all she’d registered at the time were the cold blue eyes and the hard set to his jaw that she’d grown used to seeing over the past six months in her campaign for more to be done in bringing her cousin’s murderer to justice.

“Have you given any consideration to what could have happened had Christina and her thug returned before I got here?” Ryan asked, his blue gaze drilling through her.

She lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “But she didn’t.”

“Dumb luck.”

Her gaze narrowed. “I don’t believe in luck, Deputy Chief. I wouldn’t have thought you did, either, considering you’re a churchgoing man.”

“My faith isn’t the issue here. What concerns me is your lack of regard for your safety. For the safety of little Georgina.”

His words drilled a hole through her anger. Guilt wormed its way to the surface. She probably had been too rash in coming here alone. “I should have called you,” she conceded.

“You think?” he muttered. “If you hadn’t been here, I would have been able to control the situation.”

The censure in his tone dug at her, setting her defenses firing. “You don’t know that. Christina Hennessy’s crazy. You saw proof of that. You believe she killed her husband.”

Saying the words aloud felt like stepping into rush-hour traffic. She and Ryan had no control; they didn’t know when they’d be hit. Little Georgina’s life hung in the balance at the hands of an unhinged gun-toting woman and a muscle-bound criminal with no aversion to pounding on people.

Christina Hennessy may not have only killed her husband, but Olivia, too.

Meghan had to keep pushing for justice. Olivia deserved nothing less. And baby Georgina deserved to be protected, cared for.

She squeezed her eyes tight. Tears leaked from the corners. “Please, dear Lord, keep Georgina safe. Please let us find her.”

When she opened her eyes, she found Ryan staring at her with an arrested look on his face.

Not one to usually pray aloud in public, the heat of a blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. But she wouldn’t apologize. She’d worked hard to reclaim her faith after having spent too many years feeling lost and abandoned by God.

“Why is Georgina so important to you?” Ryan asked. “It’s more than just chasing a story about Burke’s death. So what gives?”

The squall of sirens filled the air and an ambulance roared to a halt a few feet away, followed by a Revere police cruiser, saving her from answering.

She was chasing a story, that much was true. Working freelance meant pitching ideas to various news sources and hoping something stuck. The editor at the Boston City News had been enthused by the hooks she’d dangled: murder, small-town police corruption, a baby without a home.

But there was more, much more to this tale.

Georgina Hennessy was Olivia’s biological child.

And soon she’d have to tell Ryan that Olivia was his half sister. His father, Aiden Fitzgerald, had had an affair with Meghan’s aunt Tara.

Not a conversation she was looking forward to, however necessary. She wasn’t sure how the deputy chief would take the news.

Ryan struggled to stand. Meghan helped him, taking on some of his weight. The heat of his body engulfed her. He was still sweating from the fight. Being so close to him sent awareness skating over her. She forced herself to ignore the attractive draw of Deputy Chief Ryan Fitzgerald.

He was not her friend nor was he someone she could trust with her life or her heart.

* * *

Ryan winced as one of the paramedics wound tape about his midsection. The other paramedic probed at his ankle, setting Ryan’s teeth on edge. He sat on the back bumper of an ambulance, having refused to be loaded on a gurney. He wasn’t that hurt. He had work to do.

He still had to call in a report to the FB police station. Though he figured they’d probably already heard from the Revere Police Department about the injured Fitzgerald Bay officers. Ryan’s gut churned.

Helen Yorke and Officer Jackson had already been transported to the hospital by the first ambulance to arrive. Both had probable concussions. By the time the paramedics had Jackson strapped to a gurney he’d regained consciousness. He needed stitches to his head and had a broken wrist. Apparently Christina had distracted Jackson while Jay snuck up behind him and clocked him good after a brief struggle.

Guilt for the rookie’s injuries piled on top of the guilt Ryan already felt for allowing Christina and her henchman to escape with Georgina. His body hurt, but his injuries didn’t ache nearly as bad as his heart.

It had to be the letdown of adrenaline from his brawl with the muscle-bound Jay and the helpless rage at having Christina take off with Georgina that had him all bound tight inside. Regardless, he couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to where Meghan stood a few feet away, giving her statement to a female Revere patrol officer.

Meghan talked with her hands, expressing her mounting panic. So different than the soothing way she’d held little Georgina. The contrast fascinated Ryan. Now she seemed to be in constant motion. Under all that nervous energy hid a spine of steel. Thankfully she hadn’t gone into hysterics during the scuffle with Christina and muscle boy. Meghan had done her best to protect the child.

Grudging respect for her crowded his chest.

He forced his gaze away from Meghan.

“Has Mrs. Hennessy been apprehended yet?” Ryan called to the Revere officer who’d completed taking his statement a few moments ago.

Officer Garrett had been talking on his radio and now walked over. “The sedan was spotted going north on Highway 95.”

Frustration knotted Ryan’s stomach muscles. He wanted to go after them.

“Sir, you need to hold still,” the young paramedic advised. “You’ve got at least two cracked ribs. And your ankle is badly sprained. You’ll need X-rays. You could have a hairline fracture.”

Great. A hobbled failure. “Just tape it up. I’ll be fine.”

Meghan finished giving her account of the events and walked quickly toward Ryan. His insides twisted at the dark bruise developing on her right cheek. Her face must hurt. “She could use some ice,” he said to the second EMT.

The paramedic finished with his ribs, helped him with his T-shirt, then turned his attention to Meghan. Ryan gingerly shrugged back into his uniform shirt. His ribs hurt worse than when he’d come between his brother’s baseball bat and his mom’s front picture window.

Officer Garrett’s radio crackled. He moved away to answer. Ryan could see from his expression that something was happening. He tried to stand, but the paramedic taping his ankle pressed him back down.

Officer Garrett approached. “They found the car and arrested the driver.”

Ryan’s nerves jumped. His jaw tightened. “Where?”

“Georgina?” Meghan asked, pushing past the paramedic who was tending to her bruised face to step closer, her wide eyes filled with hope and concern.

Officer Garrett shook his head. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Hennessy and the little girl were not with the man when the Portsmouth police picked him up.”

Ryan tensed even more, sending pain shooting through his ribs. “How close was he to the Portsmouth International Airport?”

“A couple miles,” Officer Garrett stated.

“At least they hadn’t made it that far.” Ryan hated the idea that Christina could have jetted off with Georgina before they could arrest her. “Still, have airport security keep a vigilant eye out.”

The officer nodded and quickly relayed the message into his radio. Then he said, “The guy’s not talking. He’s being taken to the Portsmouth Police station.”

The sound of heels clacking against pavement jerked Ryan’s gaze around. Meghan was hurrying toward her Subaru.

He gripped his ribs and jumped up, keeping all his weight on his right leg. A spasm of pain washed over him. For a moment the world spun. He pushed through the hurt and the dizziness. “Meghan, wait!”

“Sir, you shouldn’t walk yet,” admonished the EMT with concern in his voice.

Meghan ignored Ryan’s cry and climbed inside her burgundy car.

Disregarding the paramedic’s reprimand, Ryan hustled as fast as he could to the side of Meghan’s small SUV, each step agony in his left foot. He rapped his knuckles on the driver’s window. She turned the key in the ignition and powered down the window.

“You’re not going to Portsmouth,” Ryan said before the window was completely down. “You’ve meddled enough.”

“You’re not in charge of me,” she snapped, her hazel eyes sparking with defiance. “Either you’re coming with me or you’re stepping back.”

Ryan reached in and grabbed her wrist. “Do you want me to arrest you?”

When she tried to twist out of his grasp, he held firm.

“Get your hand off me,” she said between clenched teeth.

“You are not going to Portsmouth.”

“I don’t believe you’d arrest me.” Her sharp gaze sliced into him, but he was prepared to suffer whatever additional damage he had to endure to stop her. “You’re going to sit here while my…while that little girl is in danger? While Christina gets away? What kind of cop are you? That man they have in custody may know something useful. Something that will lead us to Christina and Georgina. Christina needs to be punished for her crimes. And that little girl needs to be protected.”

Furious at her for questioning him and even madder that what she said was true, Ryan released his hold on her wrist and yanked on the door handle. Locked. “Unlock the door.”

She shook her head, her blond hair sliding over her shoulder. “No. You get in.”

Barely holding on to his temper, he forced himself to breathe. Arresting her would only be a temporary fix. The charges wouldn’t hold. She’d be back out causing him problems before he could get new tires put on his vehicle.

Waiting for one of his brothers to come pick him up would take time. Time was not his friend here. Every second wasted meant Christina was getting farther away with Georgina. If the police didn’t find her at the airport… The only person with any idea of where Christina and the child were going was the thug, Jay. Ryan needed to find out what he knew. Sooner rather than later.

“Scoot over. I’m driving,” he ground out.

She scoffed. “Not on your life, buddy. You may need to be in control a hundred percent of the time, but this is my car, my rules. And I’m driving. Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re hurt.”

His fingers curled. A flash of fear crossed her face as quick as lightning, leaving Ryan momentarily disoriented. That was the second time he’d seen distress that had no basis. The woman was a paradox. Bold and brash, ready for a clash of wills at every moment, yet… He gave a dismissive shake of his head. Puzzling over her wasn’t going to get Georgina back or put Christina behind bars.

“Fine.” He hobbled around the front of the car, keeping his hand on the hood, forcing her to stay put or run him over. He wouldn’t have been too surprised if she tried running him down.

He’d barely settled himself in the passenger seat when she hit the gas and barreled down the street. He slanted her a glance. She couldn’t seem to keep still in her seat. Her shoulders were hiked up to her ears.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called his brother Douglas.

“Where are you?” Douglas asked the moment he picked up. As the closest siblings in age, only thirteen months apart, Douglas and Ryan shared a bond of brotherhood and friendship as close as twins shared.

“Leaving Revere,” Ryan answered. “We’re headed to Portsmouth.”

“Who’s we?”

Ryan hesitated, then gave a mental shrug. Douglas would find out soon enough. “I’m with Meghan Henry.”

“You took a civilian out in the field? What were you thinking?”

“I didn’t take her anywhere,” Ryan answered, his tone infused with the irritation coursing through his veins.

“We heard there were injuries.”

“Jackson went to the hospital.”

“And you?”

His rib pinched him, his ankle throbbed in time with his heartbeat. “Minor.”

His brother snorted. “Nice try. Cracked ribs and a nasty sprained ankle aren’t exactly minor.”

Ryan tightened his grip on the phone. “I’m fine.”

“Ryan?”

The concern in his brother’s tone lanced through Ryan. “Hey, look, this is the deal. I’m following a lead on Christina Hennessy. I’ll call again when I have something worth sharing.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re following a lead with Meghan Henry, a civilian, a reporter, while you’re injured.” Douglas paused. “Dude, the woman is Olivia Henry’s cousin. She’s totally biased and emotionally involved.”

“You don’t think I know this?” Ryan shifted away from Meghan and dropped his voice. “Better to keep her close so I can control the situation.”

“Does Dad know?”

“He knows I’m following a lead on Christina Hennessy.” As chief of police, Aiden Fitzgerald kept a firm and fair grip on the department. Just as Ryan would do when he took over as chief after his father won the upcoming mayoral election.

“Be careful, brother.”

His gaze shot to Meghan. He’d allowed himself to be distracted by her once. There wouldn’t be a repeat. “I plan to.”

He hung up. Then made the necessary calls to Portsmouth, alerting them he was coming. When he finished his calls, he turned to Meghan. “They’ll contact me if there are any new developments.”

Leaning back into the seat, his aches clamored for dominance in his consciousness. He tried taking a decent breath. Sharp pain was his reward. A glance at the dashboard clock told him they were making good time. Meghan had a lead foot. If he wasn’t so anxious to get to Portsmouth, he’d point out she was pushing the speed limit.

Her nails drummed on the steering wheel as she maneuvered the Subaru through traffic. Pink nail polish on neatly filed fingernails. Long, tapered fingers.

He could imagine Meghan running her fingers through his hair, over his shoulders… .

Needing to keep his mind from rabbiting down a hole that he had no business exploring, he redirected his thoughts to the situation. “What sent you to Helen Yorke’s house?”

“I heard that the charm found near Olivia’s body belonged to Christina Hennessy. When I went to the Hennessys’ house, Christina and Georgina were gone. I figured her ex-housekeeper might have an idea where Christina would disappear to. They’d seemed close before Helen left town.”

A cold finger of dread ran down his back. “Who told you about the charm?”

A leaky police department drowned a lot of good people over time. That information was supposed to be quiet until they could bring Christina in. They’d only recently released the image of the silver dolphin charm that had been discovered at the crime scene of Olivia Henry’s murder. A reliable tip had pointed them in Christina’s direction. Topping that off with the evidence linking Christina to Burke’s death…

“Sorry. A good reporter never reveals a source.”

Irritation flared. His jaw tightened. “Well, you found her didn’t you?”

Meghan remained silent, letting the sarcasm of his words fill the car. “The paper said Burke died of a heart attack, but I’d heard it was a prescription overdose. Some say on purpose.” She glanced at him.

He didn’t think keeping the information from her would serve much purpose. It would become public knowledge soon enough. “No. No heart attack, no overdose, at least not on purpose. Asphyxiation was the official cause of death.”

Ryan had never bought the theory that Burke offed himself. The socially ambitious lawyer had been too set on usurping any Fitzgerald claim to the mayor’s seat to be suicidal. He’d been one of two men who thought Fitzgerald Bay needed new blood in the town government. “There’s evidence of foul play. Fibers found in his nostrils and throat suggested he’d also been smothered with a pillow, finishing off what the drugs had started.”

“That’s horrible.”

Ryan ran a hand through his hair. “You never answered my question. Why is Georgina so important to you?”

She pressed her lips tightly together, the corners pinching slightly. After a moment, she said, “I received a letter earlier today.”

“And that has to do with Georgina how?”

Looking suddenly uncertain, she hesitated. Seeming to debate with herself, she nodded once, straightened her shoulders and briefly met his gaze. “It was from Olivia, postmarked before her death.”

He drew back in surprise. “You just now got it?”

A flash of impatience sparked in her hazel eyes as she slanted him a sharp glance. “Yes. When I left Boston, I didn’t have a forwarding address, so the super of my building held my mail. He finally got around to sending it all to me.”

“Do you have the letter with you?”

“No. It’s in a safe place.” She inhaled and then released a breath before saying, “How did you find out Olivia had a child?”

“I should be asking you that question.” But he figured she wouldn’t tell him anyway. That leak needed to be plugged. “The autopsy revealed she’d given birth.” Confirming what they’d already suspected. He hesitated a moment, then decided to tell her what else they’d discovered, though she probably already knew. Why did he feel like he was being tested? “A box, postmarked from Fitzgerald Bay, arrived at the police station.”

Perking up with curiosity, she prompted, “What was in it?”

“A pink baby blanket, a baby bracelet from a hospital in Ireland with the words Henry Baby Girl and the name of a doctor and a date, and an uncashed check for ten thousand dollars made out to Olivia Henry. None of which has helped to find Olivia’s killer or identify the person who mailed the box.”

She glanced at him. “But surely the doctor or the hospital had some useful information on what happened to the baby.”

“The hospital had a break-in not long after Olivia gave birth. Her records are missing. The doctor didn’t have any useful information other than confirming she’d delivered Olivia’s baby girl.”

Seeming to weigh his words, she adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“It was privileged information in an ongoing investigation,” he stated.

She made a little frustrated noise low in her throat. “Apparently Olivia had given her child up for adoption. But then regretted her decision and wanted her baby back.”

“Is that what she wrote in her letter?”

“Yes.”

Empathy twisted in his chest. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to confirm that supposition.”

She adjusted her grip on the wheel. “Yes, there is. The adoption was illegal and Olivia had been tricked into signing away her rights. Olivia tracked down her baby girl and found her in Fitzgerald Bay. That was why she’d moved from Ireland to the U.S. She wanted her baby back. Olivia wanted her baby girl to be with me if anything happened to her. She apparently didn’t feel safe in Fitzgerald Bay.”

Something niggled at the back of Ryan’s brain. “And she knew who had adopted her child?”

Meghan nodded. “Christina and Burke Hennessy.”

He stilled. “Georgina is Olivia’s child?”

He pictured the little girl with her blond curls and bright blue eyes safe in Meghan’s arms. No wonder Meghan had held the child so tenderly with so much love. She believed the toddler to be her cousin’s daughter.

He remembered when the Hennessys brought the baby home, claiming they’d adopted her, thus rescuing her from a drug addict in New York City. The Hennessys must have known the adoption was illegal and could be challenged if they were tracked down as the adoptive parents by the birth mother. No one had questioned them. There hadn’t been any reason to.

“Maybe Olivia confronted Christina and Christina killed Olivia to keep Georgina,” Meghan reasoned.

“It’s a good theory. There’s evidence that could link her to the crime.” If so, he had the motive they’d been searching for in Olivia’s murder. “But why would Christina kill Burke if they were in this together?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he found out Christina killed Olivia and threatened to turn her in or said they’d have to come clean about the illegal adoption, give the baby to the authorities.”

“Maybe,” he said. What a complicated mess.

“You believe me, then?” Meghan asked, her voice tense. “Or rather, Olivia?”

This woman was related to the deceased and to the baby that may have been the catalyst for Olivia’s murder. “I don’t know why you’d lie.”

“I wouldn’t. I don’t lie.”

He could only take her word on that.

Meghan flipped on her blinker and took the exit ramp for Portsmouth. “Do you know how to get to the police station?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Do you always start driving without knowing where you’re going?”

Her mouth tightened. “I figured I’d ask for directions when I arrived. But since you’re with me, I’d hoped you’d know where to go.”

Shaking his head, he searched for the address on his smartphone and directed her. A few minutes later they pulled up to the square redbrick building of the Portsmouth police headquarters.

Large green, manicured hedges framed the walkway. Summer sun reflected off the paved sidewalk in hot waves, but a slight breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean a few miles away kept the heat bearable.

Ryan hobbled to the glass front door in Meghan’s wake. She held open the door for him then herded him to the desk sergeant.

Ryan glared at her. He wasn’t limping that badly. He identified himself to the sergeant.

A moment later, a man wearing the navy uniform of the Portsmouth Police Department approached. The stars on the collar of his uniform alerted Ryan to the man’s rank even before he spoke.

“Deputy Chief Fitzgerald, I’ve been expecting you.” They shook hands. “I’m Chief Danhoff. We’ve got the suspect in a room. We’ve read him his rights and he’s declined a lawyer. I was waiting for you before questioning him.”

Chief Danhoff assessed Meghan. “And you are?”

“This is Meghan Henry. She’s a blood relative of the missing child.”

“Ah. You’ll want to observe then.” Motioning for them to follow, Chief Danhoff led the way. He opened a door. “Miss Henry you can watch from in here.”

Meghan disappeared inside.

Ryan followed Danhoff into the interrogation room. He was determined to bring down Christina Hennessy and find the little girl.

THREE

Meghan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Nope, didn’t calm her nerves any. Gathering her courage like a shield, she stepped inside the Portsmouth observation room and watched Ryan enter the interrogation room. The small space seemed even more cramped with the big, muscle-bound Jay sitting at a metal table. She couldn’t see his hands. She assumed they were handcuffed to his chair or something.

Surprise flickered in Jay’s dark eyes when he saw Ryan. “What are you doing here?”

“I need answers and you’re going to give them to me,” Ryan said, bracing his hands on the table and leaning into Jay’s face.

“Fat chance, pretty boy,” Jay spat out, testing the strength of the cuffs holding his arms at his sides.

“Did you help Christina Hennessy kill her husband?”

Jay drew back. “I don’t know nothing about no husband and no death. Wasn’t me.”

“Mrs. Hennessy didn’t tell you about murdering her husband?”

Jay frowned. “Naw. She just needed some brawn for the day.”

A muscle ticked in Ryan’s jaw. “What rock did she find you under?”

When Jay didn’t respond, Ryan slapped a hand on the table, the crack echoed off the walls. Meghan felt the impact through the glass. Her heart jolted.

“You’re going down, Jay. Assault on a police officer, kidnapping—”

“I didn’t kidnap anyone!” Jay protested.

“And you’ll be charged as an accomplice in Burke Hennessy’s murder.”

“I’m telling you I don’t know this Burke guy, and I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Then tell me how you hooked up with Christina,” Ryan said, his tone intense.

With a sullen pout, Jay said, “She came into the Last Stand bar asking if anyone wanted to make a quick grand.”

“When was this?”

Jay shrugged. “Just this morning.”

“She gave you a thousand dollars to do what?”

“Oh, I got more than a measly thou,” Jay said, pride puffing up his chest. “Since I was the only one in the bar, she didn’t have much choice. I wanted five grand.”

Surprise washed over Meghan.

“She had that much cash on her?” Ryan voiced the question rising inside Meghan.

“Yeah. I could tell she was rich. Liked to look down her nose at others. I know the type.”

Christina had obviously been planning her escape to have so much cash at the ready.

“What did she want you to do?”

He shrugged. “To go with her to get the kid and make sure they got to the airport safely.”

“Do you know where they were planning to fly to?”

He shook his head. “Naw. She thought I was just a big dumb guy she could boss around. For five grand, I let her.”

“Which airline did you drop her off at?”

Jay shook his head. “Didn’t. She changed her mind.”

Ryan pinned him with a look. “Then where is Christina and the toddler now?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Meghan pressed her hands against the glass willing the man to talk.

“Where did you leave them?” Ryan’s tone echoed with irritation.

“She wanted to be dropped off at the mall.”

Meghan’s stomach sank.

“Mall? Where? Which one?” Ryan asked sharply. His gaze strayed to the mirrored wall and bounced away.

“The fancy one, near the expressway.”

“Did she talk to anyone?” Ryan pressed. “Was she meeting someone there?”

Jay shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone. But she could have been meeting someone. She made a call on her cell.”

Meghan’s pulse sped up. She strained forward.

“Did you hear a name?”

“Naw. She was talking real low. Couldn’t hear anything. She sat in the back like I was her chauffeur or something.”

“You didn’t hear anything to let you know where she was headed or what her plans were?” Doubt infused Ryan’s tone.

“Naw, man. That’s all I know.”

Ryan straightened and nodded to the chief who’d hung back without saying a word. The men exited the room.

Meghan met Ryan in the hall. Chief Danhoff headed away. “We have to get back to Revere. To the Northgate Shopping Center, it’s right off the Northeast Expressway.”

“Chief’s already making contact with Revere P.D.”

“Let’s go!” She turned toward the door.

Ryan snagged her elbow and held on. “We’re going to let the Revere P.D. handle this. You’ve done enough.”

She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “You can stay here. But I’m going to the mall.”

His frustrated growl sent a shiver down her back as she rushed for the front door.

“Hold up.” Ryan’s agitated voice halted her as she pushed open the glass doors. He limped as fast as he could toward her, each step bringing a wince of pain. Empathy rose. She knew what it was like to have to function while hurt. The abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her ex-husband had made some days nearly unbearable.

He reached her side. “Can we at least wait to see if the mall security can locate them? We don’t know whether or not she had another car already waiting to whisk them away.”

“But we have to do something!”

“You’re right. But us driving all over the place chasing our tails is not going to bring Georgina back. We need to be patient.”

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered.

He looked her in the eye. “No, actually, it’s not.”

She believed him. He was a man of action, used to being in control. He was a Fitzgerald, after all. He was probably accustomed to snapping his fingers and having the world jump to attention. Even as the uncharitable thought formed she dismissed it. Ryan may be many things but pompous wasn’t one of them.

Chief Danhoff halted beside Ryan. “Mall security has locked down the mall and the Revere P.D. is on the scene. We’ll know something shortly.”

“Good.” Ryan looked at Meghan expectantly.

Conflicted, she hesitated. She wanted to jump in the car and hightail it back to Revere, but if Christina and Georgina weren’t at the mall, then the trip would be wasted. Better to stay put and be ready to move when they were found. She acquiesced and released her hold on the door.

The seconds ticked by. Meghan tapped one foot in a rhythmic cadence. Ryan placed a hand on her arm. The light contact stilled her nerves in a way she’d never experienced before. The tapping stopped. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, yet it left her feeling vulnerable. She frowned and moved away from his touch. Instantly her nerves jumped to life. She paced the length of the entryway.

“Chief,” called the desk sergeant, holding up a phone. “It’s the Revere P.D.”

Anticipation grabbed hold of Meghan as she and Ryan followed Danhoff toward the phone. Danhoff took the call, listened for a moment then thanked the officer on the other end. His grim expression turned Meghan’s blood cold.

“The Revere police did a thorough search. Mrs. Hennessy and her daughter are nowhere to be found.”

Meghan fought back tears. She’d had Georgina in her arms. Anxiety fisted in her chest, creating a deep ache that nearly drove her to her knees. Her last remaining relative was in danger.

“What about security cameras?” Ryan asked.

Danhoff shook his head. “They have them entering through the south entrance of the mall and going inside one of the big department stores. They lost them in the women’s restroom. They never came out.”

“How can that be?” Meghan questioned, her voice rising with disbelief. “Someone had to have seen them.”

“Christina was prepared. She most likely had a disguise ready and changed her and Georgina’s appearance in the bathroom.” Ryan ran a hand through his short-cropped dark hair. “I can’t believe this.”

Meghan couldn’t, either. The trail had gone ice cold. Despair and fear clawed at her throat. Tears stung her eyes.

Now what?

* * *

Traffic on the way back to Fitzgerald Bay added to Meghan’s frustration. Not only had they lost Georgina, they had no idea where to look for her. Christina could have taken her anywhere.

Heart aching, Meghan sent up a silent prayer of protection for Georgina.

In the passenger seat Ryan shifted, again. From the moment they’d left the Portsmouth Police Department, he’d been restless and kept looking in the side-view mirror.

“What are you doing?” she finally asked after he turned in his seat with a groan, because of his hurt ribs, to stare out the back window for the umpteenth time.

“We have a tail,” he stated, facing forward again.

She frowned. “A tail? Like in being followed?”

“Yeah, exactly like.”

She glanced through the rearview mirror at the multitude of cars dotting the highway behind them. “There’s so much traffic. How can you tell?”

“There’s a silver van about five cars back. I saw it at the police station. It’s been keeping the same distance for the past ten miles.”

“Coincidence?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He gestured ahead. “Take the next exit.”

She signaled and moved over to the far-right lane. In the rearview mirror she noticed the van did the same. Her heart pounded in her chest as she took the exit ramp. The van sped up and barreled down the ramp behind them.

“Ryan?” The light at the end of the ramp turned red. She pressed on the brakes, the car skidding to a halt. The van pulled up alongside the car. The back panel door slid open. Masked men aimed big black guns at them.

“Get down!” Ryan yelled.

Meghan screamed and ducked as a spray of gunfire pelted the car. The side window shattered. She felt a stinging sensation in her shoulder.

Reflexively, she stomped on the gas to get away from the flying bullets. The Subaru jolted forward through the red light. Horns blared. Tires squealed on pavement as cars swerved to avoid hitting them. She yanked on the steering wheel to prevent them from ramming into a streetlight. The back window exploded into a million pieces.

“Keep driving!” Ryan shouted.

She didn’t have to be told twice. She kept her foot pressed on the gas and swerved around a car.

This couldn’t be happening.

The whole event seemed surreal, like she’d stepped into some action movie by mistake.

She turned down a side street and another and another until she had no sense of where they were or what direction they were headed. The van wasn’t following them now, but that didn’t lessen her panic. Her shoulder throbbed, her arm and hand numb. Ryan spoke to her. His phone in his hand, she could see his lips moving when she glanced his way, but only heard the rush of adrenaline in her ears.

He placed a hand over hers on the steering wheel. His touch grounded her. Through a foggy haze she heard his voice.

“Meghan, come on, Meghan, I need you to hold it together. Slow the car down.”

She eased her foot from the gas. The car’s acceleration dropped.

“Put your foot on the brake,” Ryan instructed.

She did as asked. Allowing him to guide her hands, she pulled the car to the curb, halting at an odd angle. Smoke curled from under the Subaru’s hood. She began to shake.

“You’re bleeding!” Ryan quickly undid his seat belt and bolted from the car.

He limped around to her side of the car and yanked open the driver’s door. Carefully, he eased her out of the seat. The world swam and she clung to him for support. He helped her to sit on the curb.

Her dress was covered in brown sticky stuff. She frowned. Her left hand was covered in it, too.

Blood.

The thought slammed into her mind, sending waves of shock through her system. She was bleeding. Nausea churned, she clamped her mouth tight. She would not throw up on him.

Ryan took off his blue uniform shirt and then his white T-shirt, revealing the nasty bruises peeking out from under the bandage wrapped around his torso. He bunched the T-shirt into a ball and pressed it to her shoulder. Pain zinged at the point of contact.

Her mind grappled to make sense of why he was doing that.

Reality crashed in. She’d been shot. She swayed.

“Put your head between your knees,” Ryan said, pushing her head down with gentle pressure.

After a moment the world stopped spinning. The sounds of sirens sent a tremor coursing over her flesh. Twice in one day they were waiting for an ambulance.

Thank You, Lord, for Your protection.

“Who were those men?” she asked Ryan when she felt steady enough to raise her head.

His mouth pressed into a grim line. “I don’t know.”

“Do you think this is connected to Christina?”

“Could be. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Are you working on another case? Someone who wants you dead?” she asked, reaching for some explanation.

“No.” He peered at her. “What about you? What are you working on?”

“Just my cousin’s murder.”

At the reminder, she shuddered. Her cousin had been murdered, and now someone had tried to kill her and Ryan. Was this attempt on their lives connected in some way to Olivia’s death? Had Christina orchestrated the masked gunmen?

“Is the dolphin charm the only evidence you have that Christina might be involved in Olivia’s murder?” she asked, hoping to piece the facts together.

“There was a second blood sample found on the rock used to kill Olivia. DNA testing finally eliminated my brother Charles as a suspect. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christina Hennessy’s DNA is all over that rock.”

She was glad his brother was no longer a suspect in Olivia’s death. Charles Fitzgerald had been Olivia’s employer. She’d been his twins’ nanny. Meghan knew Olivia had loved those kids.

“When the charm was identified as Christina’s,” he continued, “I wondered. Then she skipped town with Georgina, coupled with Burke’s death…leads me to believe she’s got a dark side. Now we know for sure she’s capable of violence. When we take Christina into custody, we’ll run her DNA. If it matches…”

“Then she was at least there when Olivia was killed. She could have been struck with the same rock, for all you know.”

“True. Unless she confesses, the evidence places her at the crime scene but doesn’t make her a murderer.”

Meghan’s reporter instincts were clamoring, sensing a bigger story than she’d originally anticipated. One worthy of catapulting her career forward. Just what the story entailed she had yet to determine. “But Ryan, if these masked gunmen are connected to Christina, then whatever she’s into, it’s bigger than my cousin’s or Burke Hennessy’s death.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. But I don’t have a clue what she’s gotten herself into or how big it is.”

Setting aside the lure of a big story for the moment, she put her hand on his. “Promise me, Ryan, the priority will be getting Georgina back safely.”

He covered her hand with his. “I promise.”

She swallowed a tide of unease. She could only hope once she told him the truth about Olivia’s parentage he’d be a man of his word and keep his promise.

* * *

The next morning, Ryan sat at his desk staring out the window of his office in the fishing village where he’d grown up. It was a beautiful June day, the sun was shining, a nice breeze blew in from the bay, and the townspeople were busy with their lives despite that fact that twice in the past six months there’d been a murder in their quiet haven. Two more than there’d been in the past several decades.

Frustration beat a steady tempo behind his eyes. The town and its people wouldn’t be safe until he got to the bottom of Olivia Henry’s and Burke Hennessy’s deaths.

But did those two murders have anything to do with the van that ambushed him and Meghan yesterday?

The van was nowhere to be found, Christina Hennessy and little Georgina were still missing, and Ryan’s father wanted to call in the FBI. Ryan knew they should. Their police department wasn’t equipped to do a full-scale investigation across state lines. But losing the case chafed.

A knock at his door brought up his gaze. Meghan Henry stood in the doorway. His breath caught in his chest. Her cheek still bore the mark from the hit she’d taken by Christina’s thug. But nothing could detract from the natural beauty she exuded. Today she wore white capris and a light purple flowing top. She looked like a fairy princess. All she needed was a crown of flowers.

He frowned. When did he become so whimsical? That wasn’t like him. “Morning, Meghan. How’s your shoulder?”

She briefly touched the place on her shoulder where a bullet had grazed her. The bandage covering the wound wasn’t visible beneath her top. “Doctor says it will hurt for a while, but will heal.” Dropping her hand, she asked, “How are your injuries?”

“Barely noticeable.” Except when he breathed real deep. But admitting to the vulnerability wasn’t going to happen.

She strode forward and stopped at the edge of his desk in a swirl of energy. “Has there been any news about Georgina?”

“No, I’m sorry, there hasn’t been. I’m about to call the FBI and hand over the case to them.”

She drew back. “No. You promised you’d find Georgina.”

“Meghan, this is bigger than this department can handle. Christina has crossed state lines. Though technically, she hasn’t kidnapped her child.”

Anger flashed in her hazel eyes. “But Georgina’s not hers!”

He understood her upset but he had to follow the law. “That’s for a judge to decide.”

“Georgina’s in danger. You saw Christina. She’s nuts. If nothing else, she held a cop at gunpoint. Surely that warrants you pursuing her.”

“We’re doing everything in our power to bring her in.”

“You maybe, but not your father. He’s as responsible for Olivia’s death as Christina.”

“My father?” The woman had obviously lost her mind. Maybe the blow to the head had loosened something. “What are you talking about?”

She waved a letter in the air. The letter from Olivia, he guessed.

“Your father knew that Olivia had come to Fitzgerald Bay looking for her baby girl, and he chose to ignore her pleas for help.”

He let out a scoff full of annoyance. “That is untrue. My father barely knew Olivia.”

“Really? Is that what he told you?” She shook her head. “I’m not going to let you all sweep this under the rug. If your father had done the right thing to begin with Olivia would never… Her life would have been different. Better. She wouldn’t be dead now.”

Fury swept over him at the implication in her words. “What are you saying?”

“Your father is also Olivia’s biological father. Olivia’s your half sister.”

No! Not possible. His father was the best man he knew, as solid a citizen as they came. A churchgoing man who loved the Lord. The role model Ryan could only hope to live up to. Dad would not have ever cheated on his wife. They’d had the best marriage, until Maureen Fitzgerald had passed away from cancer a few years ago. Her death had hit them all hard.

Now this reporter was disparaging his father. He’d see Meghan Henry locked behind bars before he’d let her destroy his family.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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