“Is Juliette there by chance?”
“She isn’t.”
He paused a moment. “Have you ... uhh ... heard from her today? And if you have, do you know where she is? I really need to talk to her.”
“Sorry, I don’t know where she is.”
It was the truth. At the moment, I didn’t.
“I think ... well, I’m not sure, but I think she left me this morning.”
I considered saying, “I know it’s over between you two,” but didn’t. “I’m sorry, Seth. What happened?”
“You know something? I don’t know.”
“How can you be sure she left you then?”
“When I woke up this morning, I found a note.”
“Oh? What did it say?”
“She said she didn’t want to stay married anymore. She said it was for the best, and she didn’t want me to go after her. She said she’d contact me, but I don’t know when. I know she’s your sister, but do you know anything? I’m at a loss here. Everything seemed fine between us. I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but I never thought she’d leave, not like this. Not without at least talking to me about it first.”
“This is shocking, Seth. I don’t know anything.”
I winced. I hated lying.
I liked Seth. I liked him a lot. But he was oblivious. He’d always been a decent guy. A good husband. A good father. But he was blah. There was nothing to him. No grit. No fire. Like straight vanilla ice cream minus the toppings.
I thought about what I should say, but I didn’t know how to respond. The line went silent for a long moment. Finally, I asked, “Seth, are you still there?”
“Yeah. I was just ... sorry. I’m not myself this morning. I don’t get it. All her stuff is still here. Why would she leave without her clothes and everything?”
“She didn’t take anything with her? Are you sure?”
“Her purse is gone, her car is gone, and Nora’s gone. Can you believe it? She took our daughter—my daughter. How could she do that?”
“I ... I don’t know.”
“All of her clothes are still in the closet, and her suitcases are here. Even if she’s serious about getting a divorce, she wouldn’t leave without discussing Nora with me, would she? I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone.”
I knew Juliette had left in a hurry, not wanting to wake Seth and confront him in the process ... but not packing her clothes? That seemed odd to me. If she was leaving him like she said, why not take her things? “Let me see what I can find out, Seth. I’ll call you back when I know something, okay?”
“I’m not waiting around.”
“What do you mean?”
“She kidnapped our daughter.”
Kidnapped.
I supposed he was right.
Juliette had left with Nora, but Nora was her daughter too. Still, I understood his frustration, and I was disappointed in my sister for taking the coward’s way out. He was right. She should have talked to him. There were better ways of handling it than the way she had. “I understand why you’re angry, Seth. She left without much of an explanation. I’m sure one of us will hear from her soon.”
The more lies I piled on, the worse I felt. I didn’t like secrets, even though they were secrets I was keeping for my sister.
“Like I said, I’m not waiting around.”
I didn’t know what he meant by that, so I asked.
“I’m calling the cops,” he said.
“There’s not much they can do at this point. She hasn’t been gone very long yet.”
“I don’t care. I can give them information on her car. They can put out one of those APCs or something.”
“APBs.”
“Whatever. They can start looking. If you talk to her, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Tell her I’ll do whatever she wants. I don’t want us to split up, but if she’s set on getting a divorce and moving away from here, fine. She can come back, take her stuff—whatever she needs to do. I just want my daughter back. She’s not keeping her.”
“Seth, can you do something for me?”
“Like what?”
“Can you hold off on calling the police? Not for long, just for a few minutes. Give me some time to see what I can find out. Okay? I promise I’ll call you whether I hear from her again or not.”
There it was—the slip of the tongue. I’d said the word again, alluding to the fact that Juliette and I had already spoken. It was the exact reason I hated lying. The question was, had he noticed?
“I give you one hour, then I’m calling. I’m going to head out, start looking.”
He hadn’t noticed the slip. A rush of relief ran through me. An hour wasn’t much, but it was something.
“I think she’s just taking some time to herself right now. Juliette wouldn’t keep you from seeing your daughter.”
“Wouldn’t she?” He paused. “Do you know why she left me? If you know what’s going on, if she’s called you, I wish you’d just tell me.”
I felt for the guy. He was hurting, and I didn’t blame him. I supported my sister, but he deserved more than a simple note left on a bedside table. “Like I said, if I hear from her, I’ll let you know. Even if I don’t, I’ll call you back.”
I ended the call, grabbed my keys, and slung my bag over my shoulder. Juliette was out there somewhere. I needed to find her.
CHAPTER 9
“I’m not a daycare service. You can’t just show up here with a kid, hand her to me, and expect me to take her without explaining who she is or why you brought her here.”
Jonas Parr paced the kitchen floor, trying to shut out Kim’s shrill, lecturing voice. Since arriving at her house with Nora ten minutes earlier, she hadn’t stopped grilling him. He needed to think, but right now, any brain function he had was being blocked by her incessant yacking.
“Hello?” Kim said. “Are you listening to me, Jonas? Did you hear what I just said? You can’t leave her here.”
He dismissed her with a flick of his hand. “Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Keep your voice down, okay?”
“I would keep my voice down if you were communicating with me. You’re not. This is a one-sided conversation.”
“I have heard every word you’ve said.”
Jonas had done what he was asked. He had Nora. And he had been on his way to deliver the child when he had a crisis of conscience, maybe the first crisis of conscience he’d ever had in his life. He’d done a lot of things. Things he wasn’t proud of doing. But he couldn’t do this. It was too much. What did his boss want with her anyway? She was just a kid. The last thing Max needed was a kid in his life. And when Jonas had asked why he wanted her, Max replied by saying it was none of his business. Jonas disagreed.
“What’s with the blindfold on her face?” Kim asked. “I mean, really? What the hell?”
“You can take it off when I leave.”
“Why is she wearing it in the first place, and why does your voice sound funny? It’s lower than usual and you’re whispering. What’s going on?”
In his frequent arguments with Kim he’d learned how easy it was for her temper to escalate to one level past crazy. No matter how frustrated he was, now wasn’t the time to allow her to unravel. He needed to defuse the drama. “I can’t give you the answers you need right now. I just can’t, and it would really help me if you could calm down and do what I ask.”
“I’m sure it would help you. But I’m the one who’s expected to babysit, and I have plans. Whose flipping kid is this, anyway? Why is she with you?”
“The details don’t matter right now. I just need you to keep her until I figure some things out.”
“Figure what things—” Kim jerked her head back, looked into the living room, and paused. Then she pointed toward Nora. “Umm, you might want to take a look out here.”
Jonas peered around the corner. Nora had pulled the blindfold down enough to see everything around her. She took one look at him, her eyes widened,
and she burst into tears. His heart sank. She used to look at him like he was her favorite person. Now she was wary and afraid. And no thanks to Kim, she’d seen him.
There was a moment in the car, right after they’d driven away from Juliette, when Victor dropped Jonas and Nora off on the side of the road while he left to do the dirty work. As they waited, Jonas had pulled up his mask partway for a smoke and noticed Nora staring up at him. He didn’t think she’d recognized him in the dark with his face mostly covered. But she recognized him now for sure.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetie,” he said. “I’m your friend. Your Uncle Jonas. Everything is going to be all right.”
“Uncle Jonas?” Kim said. “What are you talking about? Are you related?”
Nora ran to Kim and threw her arms in the air, begging to be picked up. Kim reached down and grabbed her. Nora buried her face in Kim’s shirt, her eyes brimming with tears. “I want my mommy.”
Kim walked over to the sofa and set Nora down. “Sorry, kid. I can’t hold you right now. You’re getting my shirt all wet. I’ll turn on some cartoons for you in a minute. Okay?”
Hands on hips, Kim faced Jonas. For a moment, his troubles faded, his eyes focusing on the way Kim’s jeans hugged her curves so tight it was like they’d been painted on her body. She smoothed a hand down the sides of her white V-neck tank top. It plunged so low it only partially covered her breasts. She was such a tease, but then, he’d come to expect no less. Her flirty, chest-baring attire was what had attracted him to her in the first place.
“Does the kid have a name?”
He nodded. “Nora.”
Kim patted Nora’s leg. “Nora, honey. If you stop crying, I’ll give you a cookie after I finish talking to your uncle Jonas. Would you like that?”
Nora stuck her thumb in her mouth and shook her head, repeating, “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.”
“If you don’t stop crying, there will be no cookie, and I’ll put you down for a nap,” Kim said.
“Be nice to her, Kim. She’s been through a lot.”
She smirked. “I wouldn’t know. You won’t tell me anything.”
He paused. “Come on. Let’s go finish our conversation. I can’t stay long.”
They walked back into the kitchen.
Kim crossed her arms in front of her. “All right. I’m listening.”
“Nora’s mom died this morning.”
Kim slapped a hand over her mouth. She glanced in the direction of the living room, her eyes suddenly wide and sad. “What do you mean? How?”
“It’s a long story. I can’t get into the details right now.”
“I suggest you start answering my questions, Jonas. Or you can leave, and take the kid with you.”
“Nora’s mother got involved in something she shouldn’t have.”
“What do you mean? Is she a drug addict?”
“No, it’s nothing like—it doesn’t matter what happened to her. She’s just dead, okay?”
“Great. We’re back to you not answering my questions. So the mother’s dead. Doesn’t the kid have a father or grandparents? Does she have any family who can take care of her?”
“I don’t know.”
Kim’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying to me, Jonas.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Your right eye is twitching. It always twitches when you don’t tell the truth.”
“Come on, Kim. I’m not asking you to keep her forever. This is just temporary.”
“How temporary?”
“I don’t know. A couple of days, maybe less. I need to figure some things out.”
“Figure what out?”
“Look, I wasn’t lying about Nora’s mother. She really is dead. I don’t know much about who her relatives are or where they all live. She has a father, but he’s not an option, either.”
“Why did you bring her to me? I’m only twenty-five. I don’t know anything about taking care of kids.”
Jonas threw his hands in the air. “Didn’t you ever babysit when you were younger?”
“Umm, no. You know I’m an only child. I had no interest in watching other people’s kid nuggets. I don’t do babies.”
“She’s not a baby. She’s a toddler. And she’s well behaved. You shouldn’t have any problems.”
Kim shrugged. “Toddlers are almost the same thing as babies. They’re still a lot of work.”
“Give her some food, a few treats, put on some cartoons, and have her sleep in the spare bedroom. It’s not hard.”
“If it’s not hard, why don’t you keep her?”
“There’s no way I can keep ... I can’t.”
“Why, because your wife wouldn’t approve? So what you’re saying is you won’t take her to your wife, but you have no problem dropping her with me.”
Jonas didn’t know how other guys did it. A wife at home. A mistress on the side. It was a lot of work. And not just work. It was damn expensive too. Kim was the logical choice to take Nora for now. She was also the safest. He’d taken every precaution to ensure no one in his life knew about Kim.
He’d had less than two hours sleep, and his patience was waning. Kim had to take Nora. There was no other choice. “I pay for this place, don’t I? I pay for the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the car you drive. Everything you have comes from me, and you want for nothing. If I ask for a favor, any favor, I expect you to accommodate me. If it’s too hard for you, maybe it’s time we have a serious talk about the future of our relationship.”
Kim’s mouth dropped open and then snapped shut as she considered what he’d just said. She sat on a chair at the table, patting the empty seat next to her. “I’m sorry. Don’t get mad at me, baby. Come sit down. You’re so tense today. Let me give you a back rub. I shouldn’t have been so cross. You know my temper. I can’t help it sometimes. I’ll keep her. I’ll do whatever you want. Tell me what I have to do.”
Of course she would keep her. If she didn’t want to find herself curbside, what choice did she have? At least he was getting through to her now.
Jonas sat down. “There’s something really important. Something you must do. No one can see Nora, and no one can know she’s here. I mean it. No one.”
“Why not? What’s with the secrecy?”
He raised a brow, and she backed off, doing air quotes with her fingers. “Can’t tell me? Okay, fine. I get it.”
“I mean it, Kim. You can’t go out, and you can’t have anyone at the house right now, either, not until she’s gone. No one can know she was ever here.”
Kim ran a hand down Jonas’s hair, massaging the back of his head with her fingernails. “I mean, I get what you’re asking, but, baby, I’m having a few friends over tomorrow night for a dinner party. If she’s still here, why can’t I just say she’s my friend’s kid? I can even tell her we’re playing a fun game and call her something else.”
Jonas shook his head. “Cancel the party.”
“Why can’t I—”
“Cancel it, Kim.”
“All right. All right. I’ll reschedule.” She stood behind him, ran a hand down the front of his chest, her long, black hair cascading over his face as she leaned over him. “Is there anything I can do for you while you’re here? I haven’t seen you for several days. You wanna go upstairs before you leave?”
He glanced at his wristwatch and stood. He’d already stayed longer than planned. “I can’t. Next time.”
She placed a hand on her waist and sighed. “Bummer. My bed is lonely without you in it.”
“I’ll check in tonight or tomorrow when I can.”
She was silent for a moment and then said, “Jonas, is there any reason for me to worry?”
“About what?”
“Having Nora here. You come in with a blindfold on this kid’s face. You won’t tell me what’s going on. You’re freaking me out. You aren’t putting me in danger, are you?”
He loved how naïve she could be and how much she trusted him. He brushed his lips across hers, and wh
en he backed away, she grabbed him, pulling him close. “I miss you. You haven’t been here much lately. I don’t like always being by myself.”
“I know. I miss you too.”
He walked into the living room and tried to kiss Nora on the forehead. The little girl recoiled, pulling away from him. He nodded and said, “It’s okay, sweetie. I’ll see you soon. Okay?”
He headed to the door, pausing to glance back at Kim before walking out. “Everything’s going to be fine. You’re safe here. Just remember what I said, and you won’t have anything to worry about.”
CHAPTER 10
Fifteen minutes outside of St. George, I realized I hadn’t seen another vehicle driving in the opposite direction for several miles. It was like all the cars on the other side of the road had vanished, the highway turning into the road less traveled. I craned my neck, scanning the road for any upcoming motorists. I saw nothing and no one.
Strange.
A few miles later, I passed several highway patrol cars, an ambulance, a tow truck, and a fire truck. All were lined up on the opposite side of the road. I saw no sign of a car wreck. Even more curious was a helicopter flying overhead, dangling a long, thick cable from an opening in the belly of the aircraft.
Two additional highway patrol cars blocked both lanes. Three officers stood in the road. A sea of cars stretched into the distance. The entire road was at a standstill.
My hands felt clammy. I didn’t know why. Maybe nervous anticipation. Or maybe because I assumed the worst. I wiped them on my jeans, which did nothing. The more I wiped, the more they perspired. My mind was in overdrive again, and no amount of rationalization could stop me from worrying. I tried to reassure myself that my sister was probably somewhere in the sea of cars behind the roadblock and had nothing to do with whatever was going on. Still, I had to know for sure.
I jerked the steering wheel off the road, parked in the dirt, and sprinted toward the area where the helicopter hovered. A concrete median separated the northbound lane from the south. I jumped over it like an Olympic hurdler. A male leaning against a squad car watched me, his arms crossed in front of him, eyes wide like he thought I was several brain cells short of intelligent for approaching the area when it was obvious they were trying to keep everyone out. The moment my feet touched the ground on the other side, he cupped a hand over the gun strapped in a holster at his waist and charged at me like he was pursuing a hardened criminal. “Excuse me, ma’am, what do you think you’re doing?”
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