All of Brad’s instincts kicked in. “Cracking witnesses is my strong suit.”
He hated that she stared at him as though she were evaluating a new acquaintance.
“This will be your test run.” Gillian passed him a piece of paper she’d pulled from her notes earlier. “Here’s the address of Mark Deerling’s sister-in-law, Valerie Donnelly.”
Brad held her gaze before dropping his eyes to scan the paper. “It’s not far.”
Gillian pushed at the hair that fell across her forehead. “Good.”
Following his directions, Gillian took only a few minutes to reach the woman’s house.
“She’s his alibi?” Brad guessed.
“Or lack of it.”
Valerie Donnelly opened her door, looking at them suspiciously. After introductions, she thawed. Patting her very pregnant abdomen, she led them into a toy-filled family room. “I’d apologize for the clutter. But I can’t see the floor anymore. My husband’s in charge of anything lying below eye level, but I’ve had him running around a lot lately.”
“It’s a very friendly room,” Gillian replied.
“Has to be. We have three kids. And I’m expecting my fourth in a month.” Valerie rolled her eyes. “Crazy thing is I’m excited about it.”
Gillian cleared her throat. “We appreciate your time today.”
“Of course. Not that I think I can tell you anything, but we’ve all been thinking about little Katie and her family nearly every moment since she disappeared. My brother-in-law, Mark—you’ve probably already talked to him—well, he’s absolutely shattered.”
“He was your sister’s husband?”
Valerie nodded. “They were a true love match. Everyone thought they’d be together forever.”
For a brief instant, instinct had Brad and Gillian looking at each other.
Gillian cleared her throat. “Your sister passed away?”
“Yes. Six years ago. A car accident. Thank God Mark wasn’t hurt or the girls would be orphans.” Valerie brushed at her eyes. “I’m sorry. It still hurts.” She tried to laugh. “And I’m positively brimming with hormones.” She reached for a tissue. “It was so hard for Mark. I thought we were going to bury him soon after.”
“But…” Gillian prompted her.
“He had to go on for the girls. He’s a remarkable man. He’s taken on the whole load—work, the kids, PTA, even the Scouts.” Valerie looked up at them. “Mark volunteered to take the girls’ troop because Linda would have done it if she were alive. And he couldn’t bear to know that the girls wouldn’t have the experience because she wasn’t there to keep it together.”
“That kind of schedule must keep him busy,” Brad observed.
“Yes. This may sound corny, but I think it actually helps him. Most men would have remarried by now, but Mark’s devoted to Linda’s memory.”
Again Brad and Gillian’s gazes met.
“I’m not sure what I can tell you about Katie Johnson,” Valerie continued. “I wasn’t able to participate in the searches Mark headed up.”
Brad studied the woman. “I thought the neighborhood watch organized the searches.”
Valerie nodded. “Yes. But Mark coordinated them. As soon as he heard about Katie, he volunteered.”
“That was quite an undertaking,” Gillian remarked.
“Yes,” Valerie agreed. “But that’s the kind of guy Mark is. Besides, he was so torn up, imagining if it had been one of his girls. They’re everything to him.”
“Understandable,” Brad replied.
“To your knowledge did any strangers volunteer to help with the search?” Gillian asked.
Valerie shook her head. “No.”
Brad watched her eyes, but saw nothing to indicate she was lying or hiding something. “Couldn’t a stranger go unnoticed?”
“It’s unusual these days, but we really know our neighbors. This is an older area, some homeowners are second generation. So a stranger really sticks out.”
“Yet no one noticed anyone the night Katie disappeared.”
Valerie nodded sadly. “And we’ve all questioned ourselves a million times about that.”
“Did you happen to see the troop that last meeting?” Gillian questioned casually.
“No. I’m sorry. I wish I knew something, anything that would help.”
Gillian glanced at her notepad. “One last thing, Mrs. Donnelly. Was Mark here Tuesday night?”
“Yes. His girls were having a sleepover with mine, so after the troop meeting Mark came over for dinner and videos.”
Videos that surely wouldn’t have lasted into the wee hours.
Brad reached for his sunglasses. “Do you know what time he left?”
Valerie scrunched her face in concentration. “Must have been after eleven. I’m wiped out by ten, so it was a late night for me.”
Brad and Gillian stood in unison. “You’ve been a great help, Mrs. Donnelly.”
Valerie started to rise.
“Please don’t get up. We can see ourselves out,” Gillian assured her.
Valerie looked greatly relieved. “If you’re sure…”
“We are,” Gillian replied.
Once outside, she and Brad headed toward the car.
“Gone by eleven, he had plenty of time to snatch Katie Johnson.”
Brad nodded. “And if Deerling coordinated the volunteer searches, he could make sure any special hiding spot he set aside wouldn’t be discovered.”
“I’m not sure I buy the Saint Mark theory,” Gillian agreed. “Scout leader, hasn’t remarried, spends a lot of time with children who aren’t his own. He was a little too quick with his answers yesterday. Everything seemed to fit too neatly.”
Brad checked the second address Gillian had given him. “His house is only a few blocks away.”
Deerling answered on the second ring and opened the door widely to allow them to enter. Leading them into a tidy living room, he gestured to some comfortable-looking wing chairs.
“Please, sit down. Would you like coffee?”
Gillian and Brad shook their heads in unison.
Brad noticed and stopped the motion. “Not for me, thanks.”
Deerling sat in a chair angled across from them. “Have you learned anything about Katie?”
“No,” Gillian answered. “Not yet.”
Brad studied the man as disappointment flashed across his face. Deerling was in the ideal position to have access to the girls in his troop. And Brad couldn’t help wondering why the man was working with the girls. The excuse of doing it as a memorial to his wife sounded too good to be true.
“Mr. Deerling, we appreciate your taking this time to speak with us again,” Gillian began.
Deerling waved away the words. “I’m going crazy over this. If there’s anything I can tell you that will help, you can call me anytime, twenty-four, seven.”
Gillian met Brad’s gaze then directed her words to Deerling. “Did Katie have any special friends in the group?”
“Everybody liked Katie. She’s a sweet, friendly kid.” He rubbed his forehead. “If I had to guess, I’d say maybe Karen Nichols. When we paired up for projects, they were usually together.”
Gillian scribbled the name in her notebook. “Any others?”
“Like I said, everyone liked Katie. The girls all go to the same school, so they see one another often.” He frowned, the shallow lines around his mouth deepening. “I wish I knew something more. Maybe the girls will. I know it’ll be difficult for them to talk about their friend, but they all want to help.”
Brad leaned forward. “Do you mind me asking, Mr. Deerling, why you’re the troop leader?”
“Instead of a woman, you mean? It’s no great mystery. All of the other girls’ mothers work and didn’t want to take on the responsibility.”
Brad wanted to compare Deerling’s version to that of his sister-in-law’s. “Yet you took it on, instead of your wife?”
Deerling’s lips tightened. “My wife died si
x years ago. So it was me or no Scout troop for my daughters. It may be unconventional, but the other parents favored a male leader over having their girls miss out on Scouting altogether.”
“It must be very difficult for you.”
Deerling shrugged. “You do what you have to do.”
Gillian looked up from her notes. “Do you have the list of the girls in the troop that I asked you for yesterday?”
Deerling reached for a paper on the side table. “I’ve listed phone numbers next to the names for you, too.”
“Thank you,” Gillian replied, accepting the paper. “You’ve been very thorough.”
Brad watched the man closely. “How have the neighborhood searches gone?”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t turned up anything. I’m afraid we’re dealing with a very clever individual.”
Maybe not. “Could you tell me again where you were when Katie was taken?”
Deerling glanced at Gillian. “I went over this yesterday.”
“Just double-checking.” Brad opened his notepad. “Sometimes even a remote fact becomes a clue.”
“Of course. As I told Agent Kramer, I spent the evening at my sister-in-law’s home.”
“All evening?”
“Until about midnight. I didn’t realize you knew exactly when Katie disappeared.”
Brad stared at the man. Hard. “Are you sure it was midnight?”
“I didn’t look at my watch, if that’s what you mean. But the late news was coming on as I left.”
Brad met Gillian’s sharp gaze. That didn’t jibe with Valerie Donnelly’s story of videos until eleven.
Gillian rose from her chair. “We appreciate your time, Mr. Deerling.”
“Please call if there’s anything else I can do.”
“We will,” Brad replied, walking to the front door.
Once outside, the fresh air was welcome.
Gillian reached for the car door. “So who’s going to say it?”
Brad shook his head. “The man should either be nominated for father of the year—”
“Or it’s the best cover I’ve ever seen.”
“And with all the neighborhood searches, if he did snatch her, then he has her hidden really well,” Brad mused.
Gillian’s expression was grim. “Or she’s completely out of the area. Which leaves about a thousand places to search.”
CHAPTER FOUR
THAT EVENING GILLIAN greedily drank her coffee, needing the caffeine pickup. It had been a long day. Dozens of interviews, as many dead ends. And the tension of working alongside Brad had manifested itself as a knot at the back of her neck.
She watched him now as he thanked the owner of the small grocery store where he’d left his car earlier in the day. The man had provided hot coffee to the police and searchers.
Gillian’s cell phone rang. Reaching into her bag, she flipped it open and answered without losing a drop of coffee—a habit perfected out of necessity. She relaxed when she heard Teri’s voice.
“What’s up?” Gillian asked, feeling the coffee kick in. She wondered if there was a candy machine anywhere close.
“Just calling to see what time you’re going to be at Mom and Dad’s.”
Gillian’s mind was blank. “Mom and Dad’s?”
“Gillian!” Teri’s normally cheerful voice had gone big-sister stern in seconds. “I can’t believe you forgot!”
Wincing, Gillian wondered if she dared ask what she’d forgotten.
Teri ended her dilemma. “I realize working with Brad has consumed most of your brain cells, but forgetting a family birthday!”
Her father’s birthday, Gillian realized with dismay. Luckily she’d bought his gift weeks earlier.
“From the silence, I’m guessing you figured out whose birthday,” Teri chided her. “Don’t tell me you have to work.”
“Couldn’t you have reminded me today?”
“I didn’t think I needed to.”
“Ouch.” Gillian studied Brad, biting down on her lip. “Would anyone care if I brought a straggler with me?”
Teri’s sigh resonated over the wireless connection. “What we care about is you. I don’t suppose I should hold out any hope that the straggler is someone new and exciting?”
Gillian rolled her eyes.
“And don’t roll your eyes,” Teri said at nearly the same instant. “I suppose you want me to give the family a heads-up on this one.”
“It wouldn’t hurt.” Gillian hesitated. “I have my reasons, you know.”
“There’s no talking you out of them, I’m sure.” Teri sighed. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“No one wishes that more than me,” Teri told her. “But you don’t know you like I do. You put your heart out there in the open, and it’s just too tempting. It gets whacked to pieces every time.”
“Now, that’s quite an image,” Gillian told her, hoping to lighten Teri’s mood.
“You’ll always be my little sister,” Teri replied. “So I’ll always worry about you. But if you want to bring Brad, that’s okay, too.”
“You won’t tell everyone to be cool toward him?” Gillian asked anxiously, envisioning her plan crumbling before it was even completely formed.
Teri made an impatient noise on the other end. “You really have used up all your gray cells. I haven’t lost sight of the fact that it’s Dad’s birthday. It’s supposed to be a fun celebration, not a game of frozen statues.”
Gillian felt a rush of relief. “Thanks, Teri. I know I sound like a maniac, but it’s important. Please just trust me.”
“As if I have a choice,” Teri muttered.
“I’ll try to be there by eight. And let Mom know we won’t be able to stay long.” Gillian saw that Brad had finished and was heading toward her. “I’ve got to run now.” She flipped the phone closed.
“A new lead?” Brad asked, watching as she clipped the phone back on her belt.
“Not exactly. Tonight’s a birthday dinner for my dad.”
Brad glanced at his watch. “So you want to knock off early? I can follow up on my own tonight.”
“That won’t work.”
He drew his brows together. “Why not?”
“Because you’re going with me to the birthday dinner.”
“Oh, no—” he began.
She held up her hand. “Before you say anything else—we’ll keep our appearance brief so we can get back to work. And remember? It’s part of our deal. I allow you to work the investigation. You come to family functions with me.”
“Tonight?”
“Just when were you planning to make good on that part of the deal? Next Christmas?”
“It’s too sudden,” Brad protested.
“Fine. You stay off the investigation until my family plans something else.”
Defeat warred with anger on his face.
And she experienced a sudden epiphany. “You didn’t think you’d have to go through with your part of the agreement!”
“We can’t just leave the investigation on hold.”
“There are four detectives and a squadron of officers working the case. And right now I’m waiting on reports from the neighborhood canvassing before I can follow up on anything else. Next excuse?”
Reluctance clouded his features. “I suppose a deal’s a deal.”
Gillian glanced down at her dusty loafers. “I should go home and grab a shower.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He hesitated, flipping his keys, the sound of clinking metal the only one between them.
The pause was so long Gillian shifted her position against the car. She suddenly felt as though she had time-warped back to high school when she’d just asked a guy to the Sadie Hawkins dance and he’d agreed to go only because he couldn’t get out of the invitation.
Brad pulled off his sunglasses. “What time are you supposed to be there?”
“Eight.”
He glanced at his watc
h. “It only takes ten minutes to get to your parents’ house….” He stopped himself. “Sorry. Forgot that was from our old place. I don’t know where you live now.”
“Not far from there,” she managed to say, wincing inwardly at the mention of the home they had shared. “Fifteen minutes away now.” To cover the reaction, she turned, scribbling her address and phone number on a sheet of paper, then ripping it free.
He accepted the note. “I’ll pick you up at seven forty-five.”
As she agreed, Gillian wondered if she’d made a very bad deal.
BRAD HADN’T BEEN BACK to this neighborhood since the divorce. Memories sprung from the most unlikely places. The park he and Gillian had gone for picnics wasn’t a surprising trigger. But as he passed the video store, Brad remembered a night they’d walked there to rent a movie. It had begun raining as they strolled home. Gillian loved the rain, and she’d lifted her face to let it run over her cheeks. Soaked by the time they reached the apartment, it hadn’t taken long for their wet bodies to come together, the video forgotten.
Theirs had been a mad, impulsive, passionate relationship. Optimistic and open, Gillian saw sunshine in the worst of days, light in the most difficult situation.
But Brad couldn’t think like Gillian. He couldn’t even imagine a life so textbook perfect. It was as though she and her family had remained untouched by sadness or mishap, certainly from any tragedy. And they all acted as though that were the norm. They didn’t understand the darker side of life, the pain many people had to endure.
Brad left the main arterial road and drove down a residential street, seeing it through new eyes. He had blocked out how appealing this neighborhood was. Older homes surrounded by ancient, moss-draped oaks and wide, deep lawns contributed to the charm.
Having memorized Gillian’s address, Brad searched for the apartment complex, thinking that one didn’t really belong in this cozy area.
Then he saw it, tucked far back on a large lot, next to a widespread ranch house. It was a small complex. White brick arched walls were lit by tall gas carriage lights. A black wrought-iron gate provided a discreet entrance.
The place instantly reminded Brad of New Orleans. Tall palm trees grew close together, creating a thick-leaved lattice overhead. Honeysuckle vines crept over the top of a brick fence, intertwining with bougainvillea and ivy.
Vanished (Harlequin Super Romance) Page 4