A Cop in Her Stocking

by Ann Voss Peterson

  “I lied.” Megan’s voice sounded strong and clear, even though her skin shone pale as the snow outside. “Doug didn’t take Connor. Someone else did. My son has actually been kidnapped, and I have no idea where he is.”

  Ty leaned forward, balancing on the seat’s slick edge. “The kidnapper demanded Megan stay away from police.”

  Even through the steel bars between the seats, Ty could see that Leo kept his eyes on Megan, as if he hadn’t heard a word Ty said.

  “He said if I didn’t, I would never see my son again.”

  “He also demanded a ransom,” Ty added. He tried to read Leo, but his square features revealed nothing.

  Finally the lieutenant shook his head. “Let me get this straight. You lied about your ex-husband taking your son?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  Now it was Ty’s turn to be confused. It might not have been wise, but it certainly was possible. Even understandable. “She was afraid for her son’s life. The kidnapper was watching her apartment.”

  “I know it wasn’t smart to lie. When Ty found out, he tried to talk me into telling you the truth. I wouldn’t. I was afraid…afraid the kidnapper would hurt Connor. He said he would. Every time I talked to the police, he seemed to know.”

  “Hold on. Wait just a minute.” Leo held up both hands. He focused on Ty. “You know we have to follow up in cases like these. You don’t think I just took Doug Burke’s word that he had his son and the boy was okay, do you?”

  “Of course I wouldn’t think that. I figured the snow storm and the Ernst shooting must have slowed you down.”

  He shook his head again, as if he had water in his ears he was trying to clear. “But I have followed up.”

  “Then you know this already.”

  Megan flew forward, her nose almost hitting the steel grate. “Are you out looking for Connor?”

  “We don’t have to look for Connor. We found him.”

  “What?” Her eyes grew saucer wide.

  Leo’s brows turned down and he looked at her as if she was a bit crazy. “He’s with his father, just like you told me, Ms. Garvey.”

  “With his father?” Megan’s head snapped around and she stared at Ty. “Doug really does have Connor?”

  Ty didn’t know what to think. Could Connor really have been with his father all along? “Is Doug playing some kind of joke on you?”

  Megan shook her head. “I don’t… It wasn’t his voice on the phone. At least I don’t think so.”

  Leo glanced back and forth between Megan and Ty. “You said there was a ransom demand. What did the kidnapper ask for?”

  Megan teetered a little, looking as if she was about to fall over.

  Ty grasped her hand. “He wanted the security information for clients of Keating Security.”

  “I work for Brilliance Cleaning,” Megan explained. Her complexion was still ghostly, but she straightened her spine, as if willing the shock away. “Keating Security is one of the businesses I clean. And I have a background in computer work.”

  “So the alarm at Keating’s last night?”

  “I missed an extra layer of security in their system.”

  “Did you succeed in stealing the information?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have any reason to believe your ex-husband would hurt your son?”

  Megan shook her head. “No. No way.”

  “You said the voice on the phone wasn’t Doug. Are you sure he wasn’t just disguising his voice? Making you think it was someone else?”

  “I…I don’t know. But even if it is Doug, he’s pretending he’s a kidnapper. He’s asking for ransom. Isn’t that a crime?”

  “I have to be honest, Ms. Garvey, we will look into this, but there might not be a lot we can do. Your husband has his own son, and you gave him permission. He didn’t lie to the police. You did.”

  Ty opened his mouth.

  Leo held up a hand. “But if we can come up with some evidence of threats, of blackmail, maybe we can do something. But he could argue that you just changed your mind about him visiting with his son. Really, this is something that’s best to resolve between you and your ex-husband. Getting police involved in stuff like this can turn into a big mess where nobody wins. And there’s the Keating problem. That can’t just go away, whether you were successful or not.”

  The lieutenant was right. She’d fallen smack into whatever scheme Doug had planned. “Are you saying you can’t do anything?”

  He offered her an apologetic look. “One thing that might help is documentation of the calls. Do you have a record of the incoming phone number?”

  Megan rummaged in her bag until she located her cell. She flipped it open and brought up the number for the last incoming call and handed the phone to the lieutenant. “He told me the number was not traceable back to him.”

  “That doesn’t mean he was telling the truth. I don’t know if this will get us anything at all, but I can talk to him, see what he has to say for himself.” He glanced at Ty. “And of course, we’ll look into this Vickery woman. But from what we have now, I don’t see a conspiracy to commit anything.”

  Ty slid back in the seat. Could Leo be right? “How could all of these connections be coincidences? I don’t buy it.”

  “Maybe they aren’t coincidences. But we’re going to have to let the investigation determine that. If this Vickery woman is the body in the pool, we’ll turn her life upside down. If this is her house, you can be sure we’ll look into her pretty carefully. Believe me, if there’s something else there, we’ll find it. But whatever happens, except for writing some statements for me about how you came to discover this body in someone’s backyard, your role in this is over.”

  “Over,” Megan whispered. She tilted her eyes to the ceiling, scooped in a deep breath, then leveled her gaze back on Leo. “You said you saw him? Connor?”

  “Yesterday. I stopped at the hotel on the way home.”

  Ty couldn’t keep himself from lurching forward again. “They’re here? In Lake Hubbard?”

  “The motor lodge up by the interstate. The one with the pool.”

  “How was Connor?” Megan’s voice trembled. “Was he okay?”

  Leo’s face finally softened. “Seemed like a happy little kid having fun with his dad. I really didn’t think there was anything else to it. Figured Doug must have been jealous of Davis here, playing Santa Claus. Didn’t want another man winning over his son.”

  Megan nodded and slumped a little against the seat.

  “I’ll send Baker to get your statements and then you can go.” He opened the door.

  A wave of cold air rushed over them.

  He climbed out of the squad car, then leaned back into the open door. “And Ty? We’re extending your suspension a couple more days, but neither the chief nor I want you to think it reflects on you. I’d just rather keep you away from the media. They seem to be looking to blow this ‘Wannabe Santa’ thing into their latest feel-good scandal of the holiday season. Next time, go through the department for real, and don’t be paying for Shop with a Cop out of your own pocket.”

  Ty barely heard the car door slam. He was too busy focusing on Megan’s shocked stare.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Megan’s head spun. The past few minutes had flipped her life around completely. First finding a dead body. Then learning Doug had Connor this whole time. And now…“What did he say?”

  “I was going to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Ty looked miserable, and sheepish, and guilty as hell. “I just thought you and Connor deserved a nice Christmas.”

  “Connor and I…you told me that the police department had extra money. That they didn’t have enough kids in the program this year to use all the donations, but…but it was all you? The money came from you?”

  “I wanted to do something for you. I knew you wouldn’t accept it if you knew it was from me.”

  “Damn right, I wouldn
’t have accepted it. You lied to me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You kept this from me this whole time.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I feel like such an idiot.” She held up her hand. “If you say you’re sorry again, I’m going to punch you.”

  He pressed his lips into a hard line. “I don’t know what to say then. What is it you want to hear?”

  Her throat felt thick. The truth was, she didn’t know. Here she’d convinced herself she could trust Ty, that she could rely on him, accept his help. That it was okay to accept his help. But this wasn’t okay. “It’s like those gifts my father gave my mother.”

  He frowned and shook his head, not following.

  “He bought her gifts. Jewelry mostly. Every time he came back from what he was calling a business trip, he brought her something nice. A necklace. A pair of earrings. A bracelet. And the whole time, he wasn’t away on business at all. He was staying with his girlfriend.”

  “Now wait just a second—”

  “I know you’re not him. You haven’t done anything to hurt me. Ever. I know that up here.” She tapped her forehead. “But it feels the same.” She pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart slammed against her ribs, so hard it felt like it would smash through.

  She knew it was impossible to make Ty understand. She didn’t really understand herself. But she had to try. “The whole Shop with a Cop thing, it was…a manipulation. And I can’t live through that. Not again. Even if you were just trying to do something nice.”

  “I know you don’t want to hear me say I’m sorry again, but I am. I wasn’t trying to…” He looked down. “God, Meg, I didn’t really believe there was anything left between us, not when I called you about Shop with a Cop. I mean, I hoped for it. And I wanted an excuse to see you again. But I wasn’t trying to trick you into anything.”

  She let out a heavy breath and tangled her fingers in her lap. She wanted to believe him. She did believe him, but that didn’t change how betrayed she felt. How confused. She wanted, just once, to not have to worry about ulterior motives and nice gestures being manipulations in disguise. Just once she wanted things to be exactly as they seemed.

  “I didn’t mean for this to get so blown out of proportion. I really just wanted to make things better for you and Connor. I know it was a stupid way to do that. And God knows, it didn’t work out very well. But it’s what I wanted. It’s what you deserve.”

  She shook her head. “You keep saying that. That I deserve better. What I deserve, Ty, is the truth. I deserve to be able to trust that you’ll give it to me, no matter what.”

  She opened the door and climbed out into the cold. She couldn’t look at him a moment longer. Couldn’t listen to him say he was sorry one more time. She wanted to believe everything he said, to let it go, to fall into his arms and just pretend it all didn’t exist. But that was what her mother had done. She’d run away from the truth until she couldn’t run anymore. Until the only alternative was to try to poison herself with sleeping pills so she didn’t have to face her husband’s double life.

  She’d almost succeeded. And now she would likely live the rest of her days in a nursing home. Five years, and she still hadn’t recovered from the lack of oxygen to her brain.

  Megan turned into the wind starting to kick up over the lake. The chill slapped her face, tears freezing on her cheeks. She heard the squad door open behind her and started walking. She didn’t want him to catch up with her. She didn’t want to hear any more. “Please. I just need to be alone.”

  “Megan.”

  “No. I mean it. Give me some time. Please.”

  “Fine. Okay,” he yelled into the wind. “I’ll go see what’s happening at the pool.”

  She gave him a nod, anything, just so he’d go.

  “I’ll come back in a few minutes, and check how you’re feeling. Okay?”

  Feeling? What should she be feeling? Furious? Shaken? She didn’t know. Her insides were such a jumble of different emotions, all she felt was numb. But she did know that if Ty talked to her, listened to her, put his arm around her and pulled her close, that she wouldn’t be able to see anything straight. And she couldn’t let that happen. Before she was near him again, she needed to think. “Okay, fine.”

  His footsteps crunched on snow, moving away.

  She let out a breath.

  Mind still reeling, she walked to a rise between one mansion and the next. From here she could see the top of the garden labyrinth overlooking the lake. Police spotlights glowed from behind the mansion. The wind felt good against her cheeks, like a cold slap of reality. She let it buffet her, turning her fresh tears to ice.

  The bleat of her cell phone shattered the cold night.

  A hum of panic rose in Megan’s ears, overcoming the sound of the wind. She glanced back, looking for Ty, but he was already circling the house, heading for the glowing lights and the body at the bottom of the partially drained pool. She was on her own.

  She reached into her bag and pulled out the phone. She took a deep breath of frigid air, pushed the answer button and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

  “You have the files?”

  The voice shivered through her. It might sound a little like Doug. But even now, she wouldn’t have pegged it. Whatever he was doing to alter his voice, it had worked on her.

  She glanced back toward the house and the aurora of police lights glowing behind it. Lieutenant Wheeling was right. This was between her and her ex-husband. “Where’s Connor?”

  “You bring the files, you can have the boy.”

  The boy. Sounding tough. Sounding like Connor wasn’t his very own son. The bastard. “Where?”

  “Chicago. At the aquarium. Tomorrow.”

  She set her chin. She was tired of being manipulated. By Doug. By Ty. All of them. She’d had enough. She wanted Connor back now. It was time to take control. “Not tomorrow. Now.”

  “What?”

  “I want Connor back now. Bring him to my apartment, and I’ll give you the files.”

  “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “From now on, it does. I know this is you, Doug. And I know you have Connor. You showed him to a police lieutenant last night.” Her head spun. She couldn’t believe so much had happened in less than two days. So much worry. So much fear. So much of what she’d even wanted to think could be love. It was hard to sort through it all.

  At least she knew how to handle Doug. She had no illusions about him. She wondered if she ever had. “I’m done with this, Doug. No more threats. No more manipulation. If you want these damn security files, you’d better give Connor to me now. Otherwise, I’ll just hand them over to the police.”

  “You do that. Remember, you’re the one who has committed the crime here. I’ll bring Connor to prison to visit you.”

  Right. She’d been the one to break into Keating’s computers. And if she actually had gotten the files, she wouldn’t want anyone to know what she’d done. Even now, there might be repercussions when this shook out. After all the capers she and Ty had been involved in over the last hours, she still couldn’t think like a criminal. “Fine. I’ll throw it in the lake. Happy?”

  “Barisi Park, the Lake Street entrance. Be there in ten minutes. Alone.”

  She made the time calculation in her mind. She didn’t have her car. If she asked to borrow Ty’s, he would insist on coming along. She really wasn’t sure she could handle that right now. She wasn’t sure where to turn. “I can’t get there that quickly.”

  “If you think I’m going to delay this so you have time to get the police involved, you’re out of your mind. You said now. I’ll give you now.”

  “Give me twenty.”

  “Twenty, then. And come alone,” he repeated, as if she might have forgotten that part. “Totally alone.”

  “Or what, Doug? What are you going to do to me? You and I both know you aren’t going to hurt Connor.” Even though she felt like spitting on him for pretending to threaten
their son, she had to admit she was relieved that Connor had never been in any danger. “Things have changed, Doug. You’ve lost your power over me.”

  “Keating Security and the police will both get phone calls, and I’ll buy the boy a new suit to wear to your trial. How about that?”

  “Whatever.” She clapped the phone shut. Doug held no sway over her anymore, not that he had in a long while. Not when she’d known she was dealing with him.

  And while she still felt alone and confused walking away from Ty and back toward town, she felt stronger and more fearless than she had in what seemed like a long time.

  And maybe that was a trade-off she would have to accept.

  TY CIRCLED THE EDGE OF THE house, watching Megan’s silhouette against the moon’s glow on the lake. The last thing he’d wanted to do was leave her alone. But what could he do? He certainly couldn’t help this time. He’d never felt more useless in his life.

  He’d been stupid lying about the Shop with a Cop money. He’d been even more stupid not to tell Megan about it yesterday. But he knew she’d push him away if he had. And the thought of her dealing with Connor’s kidnapping alone…he really couldn’t live with that.

  Of course, the kidnapping had all been a lie, too.

  So what happened now?

  He had no answers. No idea what to do next. All he knew was that any feelings between them that had been revived were gone. Not on his part. Never on his part. But on hers. He doubted she’d be able to trust him after this.

  He rounded the corner of the house. Spotlights glared off snow, turning the paths, tiered gardens and pool area brighter than day. He blinked and willed his eyes to adjust.

  Lake Hubbard didn’t have a big police department, but it seemed as though almost everyone on the night shift was here. Sergeant Taylor stood at the edge of the drained pool. Baker held a camera, and a detective by the name of Johnson was documenting everything on video. Ty had noticed the deputy coroner arrive while he was talking to Megan, but he didn’t see the man milling at the scene. Leo stood away from the pool, a cell phone clapped to his ear.