I’ll see you soon? If Saplings was closing, would Holly be so nonchalant about school? Perhaps Liam misheard Holly’s conversation, or at least misunderstood what had happened.
“I’m sorry...for being late today.”
Holly sighed and shrugged. “It happens more often than you’d think. Don’t worry about it. Really.”
Liam had said he was sorry. Holly had accepted and told him not to worry. He’d set a good example for his daughter. Was that it? He looked down at Sophie. She stared back, and her big brown eyes held a look. Then he knew. In his daughter’s face, he’d seen expectation. She expected him to say more, to do more, to be more.
Or maybe, Liam needed to be more for himself.
The life he had lived—responsible only for his day, for himself—was over. He had to accept that. At RMJ, he was part of a team. At home, he was all Sophie had.
He sucked in a lungful of air. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard you on the phone.”
Holly’s gaze dropped to the ground and she worked her teeth over her bottom lip. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so forthright. Then again, the damage was done, and he forged ahead.
He continued, “Anyway, I heard you talking to your friend and about what had happened with the bank’s manager.” His gut clenched. “You missing that meeting is on me.”
She shrugged.
“Is it true? Is the school closing?”
“Saplings will be under new management—people with a little more business acumen than me.” Holly gave a mirthless laugh. “You won’t have to worry about it affecting your daughter’s care, though. I’m told the other company plans to take over right away. The transition should be seamless.”
“I wasn’t asking because of Sophie, although that’s reassuring to hear. I’m worried about you.” He inhaled. “What can I do to make it right?”
“Unless you have twenty thousand dollars you want to give me, then not much.”
Liam shook his head. “I can’t help you with any cash, but I wish I could.”
“Truly, thanks. It takes a lot of courage to apologize.” Bending down to Sophie’s level, she said, “I bet you already knew that your daddy was super brave.”
“I did,” she said, nodding her head.
After unbuckling Sophie from the car seat, Liam balanced his daughter on his hip.
“Will I see you tomorrow when I drop off Sophie?”
Holly shook her head. “I’ll be around, but busy with tying up some loose ends. So... I won’t be in the class.” She swallowed.
“Then I guess this is goodbye,” said Liam.
“Yeah,” said Holly. “I guess it is.”
For some reason, he viewed Holly’s loss personally. Was it because she was the only person he knew in Pleasant Pines, beyond his coworkers? Or was it something more, something he had yet to name? In the end, he decided that it didn’t matter. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Dinner? No, I was here to meet with the banker...” Her words trailed off and Liam’s jaw tightened. The meeting hadn’t gone well.
“Why don’t you join us?” he said. “I really can’t make up for what happened, but I can buy you a meal.”
Holly began to shake her head. Her lips parted, ready to refuse. Liam spoke again, before she could say anything. “I heard that the food’s good,” he said, repeating her earlier sentiments. “Especially the pie.”
She laughed. The sound lodged in his chest.
“I don’t know,” she began.
“Dr. Holly, please,” said Sophie. “You have to have dinner with us. Please. Please. Please.”
Holly gave him a wry smile. “How can I refuse you both?”
Sure, Liam had invited Holly out to dinner just to be polite. Why did excitement, like an electric charge, course through his veins? Was it just because he’d now be spending more time with Holly?
Chapter 7
Holly walked through the front door of Sally’s on Main with Liam and Sophie right behind her. The owner—Sally herself, a cheerful middle-aged woman—stood behind the counter and smiled as they entered. “There’s my girl, Holly. Welcome,” she said. “There’s a booth in the back, unless you want to start waiting tables again.”
Sally turned to a patron who sat at the counter. “Holly waited tables for me every summer. Started after her senior year of high school and stayed all the way through college. Best waitress ever.”
“Thanks, Sal,” said Holly, hoping that the offer for a job was only a joke—and not something she’d need to do in order to make ends meet.
The empty table was the same place where Holly had just received her life-altering news from Thomas. She took a minute to mull over the idea that the space was somehow cursed. Yet being there with Liam and Sophie didn’t seem so bad. After sliding into the seat, Holly handed Liam a menu from the metal stand at the end of the table.
“What do you think you’re going to get for dinner?” asked Holly.
The child answered, “Chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets.”
“Sounds to me like that’s your favorite food,” said Holly.
Liam grunted in agreement. “She’d eat them morning, noon and night if I let her.”
“It’s pretty typical for kids to have a strong preference for one food or another—oftentimes they’re very brand loyal, too. It’s good that you’re offering her other choices. It’ll help Sophie develop tastes for different foods.”
“I’m glad to hear that I’ve done something right,” he said.
A waitress stopped by the table. After delivering a coloring sheet and box of crayons to Sophie, she took everyone’s order. Chicken nuggets and apple sauce for Sophie. A Reuben sandwich and side salad for Liam. As it turned out, Holly was hungrier than she originally thought. She ordered a burger and fries.
Yet Liam’s words stayed with her. It seemed like he viewed himself as a bad parent. She could just let it go, but what if her reprimand at the school had played into his belief.
“Are you upset about what I said earlier when you picked up Sophie? Really, you aren’t the only parent to show up late. People have issues at work all the time. It happens. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It doesn’t mean you don’t love your child.”
Liam picked up a packet of sugar and flipped it end over end. “I’m never happy when I screw up,” he said. “Never. But it’s more than today. It’s just...” He shook his head.
Holly had gotten another glimpse of the man behind the wall. She sensed that he was about to retreat—possibly by saying something brusque. What was best? Wait for him to say something? Or charge ahead?
“I’m just used to working alone,” he said. “Being alone.”
“Sophie told me that she used to live with her mom, who is in the navy.”
“Oh, Sophie told you that? Did she?” He tickled his daughter’s side.
“Dad-dee...” she said through her giggles.
“What else did you tell Dr. Holly?”
“I love playing Candy Land. Which we was going to play, but you showed up.”
“See,” said Holly. “Sophie’s fine.”
Liam tapped the sugar packet on the table and looked up. He trapped Holly with his gaze. “Are you?” he asked, his voice deep and dark.
Her pulse began to race, as it did when she saw him for the first time. It was as if just being near Liam reminded Holly of what it meant to be a woman. God knew it had been a long time since she’d let anything—or anyone—make her feel that way. “I’m fine,” she said.
“I know this is forward of me to say, but I don’t believe you.”
He was right. Holly was agitated. Yet it had as much to do with Liam sitting across from her as it did her business problems.
She was saved from saying something more—something she might regret—by the appearance of the waitress.
“Here ya’ll go,” she said, setting plates in front of each person. “Chicken nuggets for the princess. A Reuben for Daddy. A burger for Mommy.”
“I’m not...” Holly began, ready to tell the server that she wasn’t Sophie’s mother.
Liam spoke up, his words stopping Holly. “Everything looks great. Thanks.”
“Why’d you do that?” she asked. “The server thinks I’m Sophie’s mom now.”
Liam was cutting Sophie’s chicken nuggets in half, blowing on the steam. He shrugged. “It just seemed easier to let her make the assumption than correct her.”
Holly picked up a fry and took a bite. It made sense, but all the same, it left her unnerved. Was it because Liam hadn’t been bothered by the server’s mistake? Or was it that in letting someone else believe that Holly was part of a family, they’d held up a mirror and shown Holly her longest-held dream?
* * *
Liam picked up his sandwich and took a bite. It was meaty and salty, with crisply toasted bread—exactly the way a Reuben should be prepared.
Before he could take a second bite, his cell phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID.
Marcus Jones.
His stomach roiled. Was this a call about Julia? And if it were, was the news good or bad?
Wiping his mouth with a paper napkin, Liam swiped to pick up the call. “Hello.”
Marcus said, “I hope I’m not interrupting. We have some news from the White Wind resort and need to strategize about what to do next.”
“Sure,” said Liam. “I’ll be in first thing tomorrow.”
“We actually need you here now.”
“I just sat down to dinner with my kid,” Liam began.
“This is an imposition, I understand. But the search for a killer doesn’t exactly happen during business hours.”
Liam smothered the need to curse.
Across the table, Holly held a crayon and wrote on the back of Sophie’s coloring sheet. She slid the paper across the table. There were five words written.
She can stay with me.
Liam shook his head, while Marcus continued to talk. The FBI and state police have questioned everyone at the White Wind. Nobody admitted to receiving a call from Darcy Owens.
Then again, Liam wondered, who would?
Holly pointed at the page again.
She can stay with me.
On some level, Liam had understood that his job at RMJ would come with inconsistent and long hours. He also knew that in order to be successful, he was going to have to build a community of trusted caregivers to help with Sophie. It was just that he never imagined needing someone on his first day.
Using another crayon, Liam scribbled a note of his own. You sure?
Holly nodded.
Then to Marcus, he said, “I’ll be there in five minutes,” and ended the call.
While writing down her address, Holly said, “Sophie will be just fine. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“Is that okay with you, Sophie? Would you like to spend some extra time with Dr. Holly?”
Sophie whispered, “Do you think we can play Candy Land?”
It was Holly who whispered back, “I’d love to play Candy Land. I even have the game at my house.”
Sophie smiled and ate a nugget. “I can be with Dr. Holly okay.”
“Thanks,” said Liam. “What do I owe you?”
“Late-night care will run you one burger and fries,” she said, teasing.
Liam left enough money on the table to cover the meal and a generous tip.
“I’ll have them wrap up your sandwich and bring it home with me,” she said.
“You think of everything,” said Liam. “What about Sophie’s car seat?”
Holly used her key fob and unlocked her car’s doors from her seat in the restaurant. “You can set it up in my car.”
Standing, he placed a kiss on the top of Sophie’s head. “You be good for Dr. Holly. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Holly, you’re a lifesaver. Really.”
“Hey, what’re friends for. Right?”
Was Holly his friend? Honestly, he liked the possibility. Liam strode down the street and used his key fob to unlock his car door. After moving Sophie’s car seat, he slipped behind the steering wheel of his own car and glanced back at the restaurant. Holly and Sophie were visible through the window. Holly held up a french fry, offering it to Sophie. With a laugh, the child accepted.
Liam couldn’t help but smile. As he drove away, he felt something that he hadn’t in many years. Hope.
* * *
It took Liam only minutes to drive to the building where RMJ was housed. He was let in by Wyatt, who said, “Martinez stayed at the hospital with Julia. She’s out of surgery and in recovery,” by way of greeting. “And Katarina is working on some new tech.”
“Marcus said there’s some news from the White Wind?” Liam asked, bringing up the bit of information that couldn’t wait.
Wyatt’s face was scanned, and the conference room lock disengaged with a click.
Marcus sat at the head of the table and looked up as Liam crossed the threshold. “We have an ID on the body you found in the glade.”
“How’d you get that so quickly? I mean, considering the damage.”
“It wasn’t easy,” said Marcus. “But his dental records were on file, and the CSI team managed to grab prints from surfaces in the bunker. He was William ‘Billy’ Dawson, wanted for tax evasion by the federal government, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The FBI thinks he’s been holed up in that bunker for years.”
“And he knew Darcy Owens from where?”
“There’s absolutely nothing from Darcy’s past that connects the two,” Wyatt said. “Best guess is that Billy Dawson was out hunting or fishing and found Darcy, who was wounded. He brought her to his bunker and she repaid his kindness by whacking off his head.”
Marcus picked up the story where Wyatt left off. “The phone was purchased at a gas station in Bozeman five years ago along with one thousand minutes. Dawson’s last known residence was in Bozeman. His prints were also all over the device, along with being on a solar charger found at the scene.”
“So, it’s Billy’s phone. Does that mean he’s the one who called the White Wind resort?”
Marcus shook his head. “Couldn’t have. The CSI team reckons that Billy died sometime last night. And the Feds were able to determine that the phone was used this morning.”
“It means that Darcy called the White Wind,” said Liam, filling in the ending to the story. “Who does she know at the resort?”
“That’s just it,” said Marcus, “the local police questioned everyone—staff and guests both. Several people claim to know Darcy personally—from years ago, though. She was a local girl, after all. That, or they know someone from her family. Or they remember when her father died.”
“So, who’d she talk to?”
Wyatt said, “Nobody knows anything about the call, or so they claim.”
“And you don’t believe that?” asked Liam, already knowing the answer, but not exactly what it meant.
“Not for a minute,” said Marcus.
“Which means what?” asked Liam. “That the police didn’t do a thorough job?”
“More likely, someone’s a good liar. She spoke to someone at that resort for four minutes, but we don’t know who—or why.”
Liam asked, “Is she at the resort now? Has it been searched?”
“The police did a thorough search—used K-9 units and everything.” With a shake of his head, Wyatt continued, “I doubt she’s there. It’s too public. It’s not safe for her.”
More than once, Liam had been called upon to find a criminal who tried to escape justice by hiding in the woods or out in the desert. There was always a clu
e—something in their past that led to their present.
Just like Liam ending up in Wyoming, the place where his family had lived for generations. The path for his life had circled back around.
But would it be true for Darcy Owens?
Liam’s pulse raced. Admittedly, he was intrigued by finding a notorious killer. He wanted to be the one to bring Darcy to justice for what she’d done to Julia McCloud. Who, if she survived the surgeries, might never be able to work active duty again.
His mind wandered to Sophie and Holly. He knew that his daughter was safe and happy with her new teacher. Moreover, he wished like hell that he could make up for ruining Holly’s meeting with the bank’s manager.
But what could he do, really?
He opened his phone’s internet browser and entered Holly’s name. There were thousands of hits about her and the book she had written.
Then it was there. The scent on the breeze. The broken branch that led to the trail. It was a clue worth following.
“I think I have something,” said Liam.
“What is it?” asked Marcus.
Liam placed his phone on the conference table, a book’s cover filling the screen.
“Childhood Trauma,” said Wyatt, reading the title aloud. He finished with the tagline. “‘The moments that define us all, by Dr. Holly Jacobs, PhD.’” He looked around at the group. “I remember when this book came out, but what does it have to do with finding Darcy Owens?”
“Don’t we have to know all there is to know about Darcy, including her childhood?” Liam asked. Maybe he should have taken the time to read Holly’s book.
“Absolutely,” said Wyatt. “But—”
Liam interrupted him. “It’d be good to talk to the author. Maybe let her look over the case file and have her consult.” Liam’s pulse had started to race. He’d followed trails his entire life and knew when he’d found the right track. “You might have to pay her, but it’d be worth it to get her professional opinion.”
“That’d be helpful, sure,” said Wyatt. “If we can find her.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say,” said Liam. “She happens to be Sophie’s preschool teacher.”
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