by Laura Scott
While expected, the request didn’t make him feel any better. He gestured for a couple of the beat cops who’d arrived on the scene to escort the perp out to their car. “Read him his rights and get him his lawyer. I’ll meet you at the jail soon.”
The two beat cops nodded and escorted the cuffed kidnapper out of the apartment. Zach and his K-9, Eddie, were still searching the place for drugs. “Gallagher! In here,” Zach called, a hint of excitement in his tone.
Finn headed into the back bedroom. “Find something?”
“Eddie alerted here.” Zach gestured to the bedroom closet. “I want you as a witness before going inside.”
Finn nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Zach opened the closet door and Eddie alerted again. Finn leaned close and saw a sprinkle of white dust similar to what they’d found in the master bathroom at Pete’s house. Finn glanced at Zach. “We can bag it as evidence, but I was hoping for something more substantial.”
“Me, too.” Zach bagged the evidence, then they went on to search the rest of the closet. Finding nothing, Zach let out a sigh. “Guess that’s it, then.”
“I’d like the lab to compare the two samples you collected today, the one from the house and this one, to see if they share the exact same chemical makeup,” Finn said.
“Good idea.” Zach raised a brow. “And if they do?”
Finn shrugged. “It’s a connection. I’m not sure what it means yet, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“True.” Zach placed the evidence bag in his pocket. “Every bit of evidence counts. I’ll let you know what the lab says.”
“Thanks.” Finn returned to the main living area of the apartment. Eva and Mikey were exactly where he’d left them. Abernathy was hovering near Mikey, trying to lick his face. The obvious affection between Mikey and his K-9 was endearing.
“Eva? Are you and Mikey ready to get out of here?”
She looked up at him with a wan smile. “Yes, please.”
“I’ll drive you both back to Pete’s and have a cop stationed outside for protection, then I need to head back to headquarters to grill this guy. By then we should at least know who he is and maybe will get a lead on known associates.”
“He’s not the stinky guy,” Eva said. “He doesn’t smell right, have a Southern twang or scratches on his forearm. But I think he’s the raspy guy.”
She was right, and again he was impressed with how well she used her senses besides her eyesight. “Don’t worry,” Finn said reassuringly. “We’ll find him.”
Rising to her feet, she carried Mikey toward the broken apartment door. He and Abernathy followed close behind. There were dozens of nosy neighbors peeking out of their doorways as he escorted Eva and Mikey outside to his double-parked police-issued SUV. He put Abernathy in the back first, then came around to help Eva.
“I’m sorry,” he said, opening the back passenger door open for her. “I shouldn’t have yelled.”
“Yelling is bad,” Mikey said, having calmed down from his scare. “Mommy and Daddy aren’t supposed to yell, either. But sometimes they do.”
Eva’s gaze clashed with his and he gave a brief nod. “Do you know what they were fighting about, Mikey?”
“Mommy spends too much money.” Mikey yawned widely, his eyelids drooping as the events of the evening caught up with him. “Daddy said so.”
“It’s okay, Mikey,” Eva said. She buckled the boy into his car seat and then kissed him. “Grown-ups sometimes yell, but you should know that both your mommy and your daddy love you very much.”
“I love them, too.” Mikey yawned again, his eyelids fluttering closed. His head slid to one side as he appeared to fall asleep.
Eva closed the back passenger door and moved as if to brush past Finn. He stopped her by gently cupping her shoulders in his hands. “Eva, please don’t ever jump into danger like that again. My heart nearly stopped when you rushed in to grab Mikey. When I heard the gunshot, I feared the worst.”
She lifted her head to look up at him. “Don’t ask me to apologize for saving Mikey’s life.”
“I know, I get it. But your life is precious, too.” He knew those moments when she’d run into harm’s way would reverberate in his mind forever. “I can’t bear to lose you.”
She looked surprised by his admission and that made him grin. Unable to help himself, he pulled her close, his mouth hovering above hers. “I want to kiss you,” he whispered.
“I’d like that.” The words were barely out of her mouth when he covered her lips with his. Their kiss was soft, chaste at first, then grew intense as he allowed the passion he felt to come through.
“Finn? Oh, uh, sorry. I didn’t realize the Gallagher charm was striking again.”
The interruption was unwelcome, and he lifted his head regretfully. Reed Branson, one of the K-9 officers who’d gone out to look for Mikey was standing nearby. Finn narrowed his gaze, not happy that Reed had mentioned his so-called charm in front of Eva, and didn’t bother to hide the edge to his tone. “What?”
“I wanted to know if you still need me to watch over the Stallings’ house.” The cheeky grin on Reed’s face made Finn inwardly groan. This kiss was going to be talked about throughout the K-9 community, no doubt about it. The guys were merciless with their teasing, especially on the basketball court during their informal pickup games. At one time, he’d earned his reputation for dating women with a friendly, no-strings-attached approach. He didn’t want Eva to know that.
The feelings he had toward her were different. More intense. More—everything.
“Yes. I’m driving them home now, so if you’d follow us that would be great.” He opened the passenger door for Eva, who quickly slid inside.
“Just driving them home or sneaking another kiss?” Reed teased. Thankfully, Finn had already closed the door, so he hoped Eva hadn’t overheard his remark.
“Just follow us,” he said in an annoyed tone.
The ride back to Pete’s house didn’t take long, and Eva called Pete on the way to reassure him that they’d found Mikey safe and sound. Apparently, Pete hadn’t been able to get a flight out because of the storm but was still planning to come home early the following morning. Finn offered to carry Mikey inside, but Eva insisted. He escorted them both into the house, waiting until Eva carried Mikey up to bed.
“Everything okay?” Finn asked.
“Pete claims he doesn’t blame me, but I’m not sure I believe him,” she said with a sigh.
“Knowing Mikey is safe will be all that matters in the end.” Although he ached to hold her, he stayed where he was. “I need to go. If you need anything, Reed Branson will be outside. I want you to feel safe here, okay?”
“Will Reed stay all night?”
“Just till I get back. Since Pete’s flight was delayed, I, uh, plan to sleep on the sofa down here in the living room, if that’s okay with you.”
Eva nodded. “I would feel better having someone here all night, thanks.”
Finn wanted desperately to kiss her again but forced himself to leave. Interrogating their perp had to be his top priority.
Down at the local police station, the man they’d arrested for kidnapping Mikey sat in an interrogation room with his wrists handcuffed to the table, his expression defiant. When Finn walked toward the room, he was stopped by the officer who’d transported the man and handed him a folder of information.
“His name is Roger ‘Roach’ Talmadge,” the officer informed him. “Nice nickname, huh? He has a rap sheet mostly related to selling drugs, although there is an aggravated assault on file. More recently, he was a suspect in the airport drug-running operation that Zach investigated. Unfortunately, Roach slipped under the radar and disappeared. Until now. Zach said to go ahead and start the questioning without waiting for him.”
“Sounds good to me.” Finn took the folder into the in
terrogation room. “So, Roach, why don’t you tell me what’s in the package you’re so desperate to find?”
Roach stared at him with flat eyes.
Finn tapped the file folder with one finger. “You might want to consider cooperating with us because, with your history, you’re looking at hard time. One kidnapping and one attempted kidnaping, both felony convictions. Not to mention aggravated assault and dognapping. You can wait for your lawyer, or you can do yourself a favor and tell us what’s going on.”
“Not till I speak to my lawyer,” Roach said in his raspy voice.
Finn knew what the guy wanted, and that was to cut some sort of deal. The very thought of this jerk getting less prison time because of snitching on his pals made him sick to his stomach, but that was the way the criminal justice system worked. As much as he wanted to shake the truth out of the guy, he knew that there was nothing more they could do until he met with his lawyer.
Frustrated and exhausted, Finn called Zach to let him know Roach wasn’t talking, then left the police station to return to Pete’s house. Mikey was safe, which was the most important thing. Still, it galled him that they were still no closer to finding out the truth about what was really going on. Or finding Cocoa.
Although patience wasn’t one of his strengths, he had no choice but to practice it now. Leaning on God’s strength helped, but he wouldn’t be satisfied until they had some answers.
The stinky guy with the Southern twang in his voice was still out there somewhere. Finn needed to find him before he could believe Eva and Mikey were safe once and for all.
* * *
Eva collapsed on the sofa, her mind reeling with everything that had taken place over the past six hours. Losing Mikey, finding Mikey, calling Pete, kissing Finn.
She’d been caught off guard by Finn’s kiss, especially the sweet way he’d asked her permission. No man had ever done that before. What was even more shocking was that Finn had initiated their kiss despite knowing about her retinitis pigmentosa. She’d been honest with him when she’d informed him of what her diagnosis meant—that she’d be declared legally blind in a few years.
Didn’t he realize the impact it would have on her life?
Or was it possible the kiss didn’t mean as much to him as it had to her? Maybe this was how he treated all the women in his life. What had that other cop said? Something about the Gallagher charm striking again? It wasn’t a stretch to believe that Finn was a “date ’em and dump ’em” kind of guy.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she covered them with the palms of her hands. Finn might have initiated the kiss because he was accustomed to kissing women, but she’d been a willing participant, agreeing to the kiss and then losing herself in his embrace.
That it meant more to her than it likely had to him shouldn’t be a surprise. What man would willingly sign up for dating a woman who’d end up blind? Rafe, the man who’d claimed to love her, had quickly moved on after learning the truth.
Exhaustion weighed her down, but Eva knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until Finn was back. How was that for being messed up? The man she shouldn’t have kissed was the only man who made her feel safe. Reed Branson, who was keeping watch, was probably a fine cop, but she didn’t know him.
Not the way she knew Finn, and believed that the K-9 cop and his partner, Abernathy, would put their lives on the line for her and the little boy sleeping upstairs.
As if on cue, Mikey began to cry. “Mommy. Mommy!”
His shriek had her rushing upstairs. She’d left a night-light on for him and could see he was sitting upright in bed, tears streaking down his face. She knelt on the mattress and pulled him close. “Shh, Mikey, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here. We’re all safe.”
“The bad man is here.” He sobbed, a wild look in his eyes. “We have to hide. The bad man is here.”
The words were eerily similar to the day Mikey had been playing with the dinosaurs, claiming the bad man was real because his mommy said so.
Was this a nightmare from the recent events? Or something that had happened in the past?
“Mikey, I’m here, and I love you. You’re safe. Officer Finn will be here soon with Abernathy. You love Abe, don’t you?”
Mikey nodded, and he repeated, “We have to hide from the bad man. Hurry!”
Eva cuddled him close and chose her words carefully. “Why, Mikey? Because Mommy said so?”
The little boy nodded. “The bad man came to the door. She told me to hide, so I went into the closet. I’m scared. I don’t want the bad man to get me again.”
A chill snaked down her spine as the implication of his words sank deep. Mikey’s recent bad man might have been the same one her sister had told him to hide from in the past. Was that why the two events had been linked in the little boy’s mind?
It made sense that if Malina had stolen something from the men, they’d come to confront her. She wished she knew when this hiding incident had happened.
If it had happened at all.
“Mikey, Officer Finn has arrested the bad man who took you,” she said, rubbing her hand on his back. “We’re safe. The bad man is in jail and can’t hurt us anymore.”
Mikey buried close, his little body still trembling with fear. “I miss my mommy,” he whispered.
Tears filled her eyes. “I know, sweetie. I miss her, too.”
She held Mikey close until the little boy went lax against her, falling back asleep. She didn’t want to leave him, worried he’d be plagued by nightmares again.
When she heard noises coming from downstairs, she realized Finn was back. Moving carefully, she gently placed the child back onto the mattress and pulled the sheet up to cover his shoulders. She kissed the top of his head, then eased off the mattress, hoping to not wake him.
Finn waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, his gaze full of concern. “Everything all right?”
She shook her head slowly. “Mikey had a nightmare, and I think events from the past are mushed together in his mind with everything that happened tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
She repeated what Mikey had told her about hiding in the closet from the bad man because his mother told him to. “I’m thinking he meant the closet in the playroom,” she added. “It’s actually meant to be a third bedroom.” She hated the idea that her sister had exposed the little boy to danger. “I wish we could find that stupid package.”
“We searched that closet already,” Finn reminded her. “Eddie, Zach’s drug-sniffing K-9, didn’t alert in there.”
“I know.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Did you learn anything more?”
“Unfortunately, no. Perp’s name is Roger Talmadge, but he won’t deal until he’s talked to his lawyer.”
“Deal?” She stared at him in horror. “Surely he’ll pay for what he’s done.”
“Yes, he will.” Finn took her arm and drew her into the living room. “Trust me, he’ll go to jail. But we still need to find Cocoa. Not to mention Roach’s accomplice.”
“You’re right.” Her knees felt wobbly so she sank onto the sofa. “I understand, truly, but it’s just horrible the way Mikey is the one suffering in all of this.”
“And you, too,” Finn added, his gaze dark with concern. “Don’t forget, you were assaulted three times and almost kidnapped. You’re in danger, probably more than Mikey. Their next attempt will likely be on you.”
She wasn’t nearly as worried about herself as she was the innocent little boy sleeping upstairs. “Maybe, but that doesn’t matter.”
“Yes,” Finn said forcefully. “It does.”
Touched by his concern, she met his fierce gaze. The kiss they’d shared a short time ago shimmered in the air between them. When it looked as though he might kiss her again, she forced herself to stand, putting distance between them.
“What’s wrong?”
Finn asked.
“You. Me. This.” She waved an exasperated hand between them. “Us. Surely you understand there can’t be anything between us.”
“If this is about Reed Branson’s big mouth,” Finn began, but she cut him off.
“It’s not.” Well, maybe it was a little, but that wasn’t the point. “You don’t realize what my future holds, Finn, but I do. My eyesight is okay now, not great with my limited peripheral vision, yet I can still see. As the next few years go by, that will change dramatically. My vision will narrow further until I’ll only be able to see through a small pinhole, darkness and light, shadows and shapes, and nothing else.” She squared her shoulders, facing him. “I won’t be treated as an invalid. I train guide dogs for a living and plan to continue doing so even after I lose my eyesight. Don’t underestimate my determination to remain independent.”
“Okay, I won’t.” Finn took a step closer, drilling her with his intense gaze. “If you promise to do the same.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He came closer and stole a quick kiss before stepping back. “I won’t underestimate you if you don’t underestimate me.”
She gasped in surprise, not sure what to make of that. Finn didn’t move, so she finally turned away. “I need to get some sleep. Good night, Finn.”
“Good night.”
As she headed upstairs, Eva replayed their conversation in her mind. Was he serious? Was it possible that she could have the future she’d always dreamed of?
A husband and family of her own.
ELEVEN
Finn was able to catch a few hours of sleep, but woke early, anxious to continue working the case. After taking Abernathy outside and giving his K-9 partner fresh water and food, he sat down at the kitchen table to make notes. He’d already sent two samples of cocaine to the lab, and needed to check if Ilana Hawkins, their forensic lab tech, had any updates on the cocaine matching, the fingerprints from the paper-wrapped rock or the DNA from Eva’s keys, and finally, there was the interview with Roach. The last issue was the one where he had the greatest hope of getting something to crack this case. Guys like Roach were always willing to make a deal in exchange for a lighter sentence.