Primary Suspect

by Laura Scott

  But what?

  “Mike, I need you to take Dana to Mom’s,” Mitch said. “Maybe stop and get her something to eat along the way.”

  “What about you?” she asked.

  There was a long pause before Mitch met her gaze. “I’m letting Miles take me in.”

  “Why?” The minute she asked the question, she knew he was cooperating with Miles to protect her and his family.

  “Take care of her,” Mitch said, then abruptly turned away. “Let’s go, Miles.”

  “Hold on,” Miles said. “It’s almost eight o’clock on a Saturday night. If you go in now, you’ll sit in jail all weekend. I’ll call my boss, promise to bring you in first thing Monday morning. He owes me a favor, and once I explain about the drug bust and the potential link to the murders, I’m sure he’ll agree.”

  Dana’s heart swelled in relief. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Here, take the rented SUV. I left it on the ground floor of the parking structure. I’ll hitch a ride with Miles to pick up Hawk’s SUV and the weapon Dana took from Pitrowski. We’ll meet you at Mom and Nan’s.”

  Dana gingerly sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her soaked blouse and jeans were uncomfortable, but she noticed a fresh pair of scrubs sitting on the chair. She slid to her feet, held on to the bed rail for a moment to make sure she wouldn’t fall, then took the scrubs and excused herself to go to the bathroom to change.

  Wearing dry clothes felt wonderful. She joined Mitch, who reached out to take her hand in his. “Dr. Robertson said you were free to go. And he was nice enough to give me additional antibiotics since we left them behind.”

  “Good.” She led the way through the ER, out the main entrance toward the parking structure. The sky was still overcast with dark clouds, but the rain had stopped, leaving the air cool and clear.

  There weren’t many people around, a little surprising for a Saturday night at the only level-one trauma center in the city. Several of the overhead parking structure lights were out, too, which was also odd.

  As they neared the rented SUV, two people moved out of the shadows. “Put your hands up and be quiet or I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”

  Dana froze and recognized Alice Petrie and another guy who was about the same age as Mitch. He didn’t look like Pitrowski, and her worst fears were confirmed when Mitch spoke.

  “Paul Roscoe? But why? Was this your plan all along? To get the job as fire investigator so you could take over where Walker left off?”

  Dana sucked in a breath, remembering the picture of Roscoe standing beside Simon. This was the connection they’d missed.

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re both coming with us,” the man named Roscoe said.

  “Alice? Why?”

  “You never appreciated how good you had it, did you, Dana?” Alice asked in a snide tone. “You weren’t good enough for my son. He became a firefighter for you, and died because of it. You stole my son from me. You!”

  The woman was crazy. She hadn’t forced Kent to be a firefighter—that had been his own idea. And Shelton Inc. had been likely responsible for his death. And suddenly, Dana couldn’t stand the idea of being in danger again. She knew there were cameras in the structure, but they were mostly on the main thoroughfares, and Roscoe and Alice were standing close enough in the shadow that she didn’t think they’d be seen.

  There were panic buttons, too. And if her memory served correctly, there was one about five yards behind her.

  Without warning, she spun around and lunged for the panic button. She heard a shout from behind her as her palm hit the alarm, and instantly strobe lights flashed and sirens blared.

  When she turned back around, she saw that Mitch was fighting with the man named Roscoe while Alice was attempting to escape. She ran toward Kent’s mother, all the anger and frustration coming out as she screamed, “No!”

  Alice was half in and half out of an expensive black car, similar to the one Oliver had used earlier, so Dana slammed against the door, pinning her where she was. Mitch had Roscoe on the ground, kicking the gun out of his reach.

  Several hospital security guards and a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy came running over to assist.

  And then it was over. Roscoe and Alice were arrested and hauled away. Mitch pulled Dana into his arms, then glanced over at his two brothers who had come out to join them.

  “Roscoe was the missing link,” he said. “From the beginning I suspected Simon because he was a firefighter, but when he turned up dead, I never considered there might be another firefighter involved. And Roscoe knew all about me and my relationship with Janice. I should have considered him a suspect earlier. Especially since he wanted to take over Walker’s job.”

  “Why would you? This was good work, bro,” Miles said with a grin. “Guess you’ve solved the case after all. Come on. Me and Mike will drive you home.”

  Dana wasn’t sure she wanted to meet Mitch’s family under these circumstances, but she didn’t want to go back to the home Alice and Edward Shelton had purchased for her and Kent, either.

  For now, she would have to accept the Callahans’ hospitality. And maybe there would be some time for her and Mitch to talk about the future once they were alone.

  * * *

  Mitch loved his family, but hadn’t anticipated the crowd waiting for them at his mom and Nan’s house. Several cars lined the driveway, so he wasn’t surprised to see that all of his siblings were there; even the newlyweds, Matt and Lacy, had returned from their honeymoon. Duchess, Matt’s K-9 partner, wove between the family members, her wagging tail beating against them in greeting.

  “Mitch!” His mother enveloped him in a warm embrace, then she turned and smiled at Dana. “Hi, I’m Margaret Callahan.”

  “Dana Petrie,” she said in a faint tone.

  “Everyone? Meet Dana Petrie.” Mitch looked at the crowd of people in the kitchen. “Dana, this is my entire family. My mother and grandmother, Nan, live here. The rest are party crashers.”

  “Welcome to the madness,” Mike said in a low tone.

  Mitch ignored him. “I don’t expect you to remember all their names, but the guy near the fridge is my oldest brother, Marc, and his wife, Kari, and their two kids, Max and baby Maggie. Then you have Miles’s wife, Paige, and their daughter, Abby, and their new baby, Adam. He was born about a week after Maggie. You already met Noah, and he’s standing next to his wife and my sister, Maddy. Matt is Maddy’s twin and he’s married to Lacy, and that’s their son, Rory. Oh, and Duchess is Matt’s K-9 partner.” He glanced around the room. “I think that’s it.”

  “It’s nice to meet everyone,” Dana said softly.

  He glanced at her in concern. She looked pale and uncomfortable, as if this was all too much to handle after everything they’d been through.

  “Hey, are you all right? Maybe you need something to eat,” he said.

  “No, please, I couldn’t,” Dana protested. “Um, please excuse me for a moment.” Before he could figure out what was going on, she turned and ducked outside, the door shutting behind her with a loud click.

  “Something we said?” Marc asked wryly.

  Kari rolled her eyes and shifted Maggie to her other arm. “More likely she’s simply overwhelmed from meeting us all at the same time. Not everyone is used to being around a large family.”

  “You managed to get used to it,” Marc said, bending down to kiss her.

  “I better check on her,” Mitch said. “Excuse me.” He headed outside, disturbed to find Dana walking down the driveway as if she intended to walk all the way back to her place.

  “Dana, wait!” He jogged to catch up to her, appalled to see streaks of tears down her cheeks. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  She swiped at her face. “So many babies,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can stay here.”

  Bab
ies? He didn’t understand. “They’ll all head home soon. Only you and I are staying overnight.”

  “No, you don’t get it. Your family is full of babies!” She drew a deep breath and turned to face him. “I suffered a miscarriage three years ago, on the day of Kent’s funeral.”

  Now it all made sense. No wonder she’d locked her feelings away. She hadn’t just lost a husband, she’d lost a family. “Oh, Dana, I’m so sorry.” He pulled her into his arms, cradling her close. “I can’t imagine how terrible that must have been, losing your child right after your husband’s death. I’m sure the Petries were supportive.”

  Dana shook her head from side to side, her voice muffled against his chest. “I didn’t tell them. I didn’t tell anyone, ever. Until now.”

  “Sweetheart.” He was humbled that she’d told him, but wasn’t sure what to say to make her feel better.

  “Those babies reminded me of what I’ve lost. I know it’s not their fault, but it felt like a kick in the face seeing them so happy and healthy...” Her voice trailed off.

  “I’m here for you, no matter what. Don’t you understand? I love you. Please don’t leave, not like this.”

  “Love?” She raised her head and looked up at him. “It’s only been a few days.”

  “I know, and I’ll give you all the time you need, but I love you, Dana. You’re beautiful, smart and brave. You saved our lives back there going for the panic button. I’ll give you space, but won’t you consider giving a relationship with me a chance?”

  “Oh, Mitch.” The sorrow on her face sent a dagger to his heart. “You deserve someone better than me. Someone who doesn’t freak out at seeing happy babies.”

  “If I had known, I would have had my family leave before we arrived,” he said. “You’re what’s important to me, Dana. I know my family can be overwhelming, but there’s no rush. You’ll have plenty of time to get used to them. Don’t walk away from me, from us.” He paused, then added, “From our future.”

  She didn’t say anything for a long moment, then she lifted up on her tippy-toes and kissed him. He reveled in her kiss, cuddling her close while showing her without words how he truly felt about her. How much he hoped and prayed she’d give their love a chance to nurture and grow.

  “Wow,” she whispered, breaking off from their kiss and gasping for breath. “You sure make it difficult to think clearly.”

  “Thinking is overrated,” he chided playfully.

  She tipped her head to the side, regarding him thoughtfully. “Mitch, I need to be honest with you. It’s not just the fact that I lost a baby. It’s that I don’t know why it happened. Stress? Could be, but I never bothered to get additional testing to see what the cause might have been.” She hesitated, then added, “Maybe we should wait until I know more before we commit to anything further.”

  “No.” He tightened his grip around her. “Dana, if you don’t love me, that’s one issue. But I love you and I want you no matter what medical problems you do or don’t have.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely positive,” he said without hesitation.

  She smiled. “I’m glad. Because I love you, too, Mitch. Thanks for bringing me back to life and back to my faith.”

  “I’m the one who should be thanking you.” He kissed her again, relieved to know that she was willing to take a chance.

  With him.

  EPILOGUE

  Six weeks later...

  Dana was running late, partially because they’d gotten a critically ill patient in just as her four-hour shift was about to end, then also because she’d taken the time to shower and change out of her scrubs in the woman’s locker room.

  She didn’t like missing church services, but unfortunately weekend shifts were part of the job. And she was grateful that she was scheduled for only a half shift, which meant she was still able to join the family brunch.

  The drive to the Callahans didn’t take too long, although the driveway was already lined with cars. No doubt she was the last to arrive. She hurried into the kitchen, where a few of the wives were gathered. She greeted Mitch’s mom with an apologetic smile. “Sorry I’m late. Is there something I can do to help?”

  “Hi, dear.” Mitch’s mother gave her a quick hug. Dana had learned the woman hugged everyone, and secretly loved being included. Margaret Callahan’s warmth reminded her of her grandmother. “I think we’re about ready.”

  “Dana, can you take Maggie for a minute?” Kari thrust the squirmy pink bundle into Dana’s arms. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Um, sure.” Nonplussed, she looked down into the wide blue eyes of the little girl. Maggie smiled and waved her arms as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t.

  It was the first time she’d held any of the Callahan babies, and at this moment, she realized how foolish she’d been to avoid it for so long.

  Her baby was gone, but that didn’t mean life didn’t go on. The Callahan clan was proof of that. And how could anyone resist the smallest members of the family? One of Maggie’s hands lightly batted her cheek, making her smile.

  “You have to save that move for when a little boy gets too close, right?”

  Maggie smiled as if understanding her words.

  “Thanks,” Kari said, returning to pluck the baby out of Dana’s arms. “Mitch said to send you into the living room.”

  “If you’re sure you don’t need any help.” Dana looked at Mitch’s mom for confirmation.

  “Go ahead, tell everyone brunch is ready.”

  “Dana!” Mitch looked delighted to see her. He leaped from his seat and came over to give her a hug and a kiss. “Glad you made it.”

  “Of course.” She blushed, still not accustomed to Mitch’s displays of affection in front of his family. Not that anyone seemed to notice. “Your mom said brunch is ready.”

  “Best not to keep Mom waiting,” Miles said, easing past her.

  “Mitch, the DA’s office is bringing the case against Alice Petrie, Oliver Shelton, Paul Roscoe and Tyler Pitrowski—his prints were officially identified on the gun used to try to kill you—to the grand jury next week,” Maddy said, squeezing in beside Noah. “We think it’s just a matter of time before they start turning against each other in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.”

  Dana was glad to know Mitch’s name had been cleared once and for all. And given Alice’s impending indictment, and Edward’s involvement in the deals as well, she had decided to sell the house and to donate most of the proceeds to a new drug addiction rehab facility.

  It was the least she could do make amends for the horrible drug manufacturing her former husband’s family had been secretly supporting.

  The meal was noisy, fun and wonderful. Afterward, she jumped up to help clear away the dirty dishes, since she hadn’t been there to help cook, but Margaret Callahan and Nan shooed her away.

  “Dana, will you come outside and take a walk with me?” Mitch asked.

  “Sure.” She should have insisted on staying to help, but she took Mitch’s hand and followed him out into the sunny summer day. He headed out into the backyard, where there was a swing beneath the trees, wide enough for two.

  She sat and scooted over so he could sit next to her, but he didn’t. Instead, he dropped to one knee and took her hands in his.

  “Dana, over these past six weeks, I’ve learned to love you more than ever. The way you stood beside me while I cleared my name makes me realize I can’t live without you. Will you please marry me?”

  Her eyes filled with tears that she tried to blink away. “Oh, Mitch, I love you, too. And I don’t want to think about what my life would be like without you, so yes. Yes, I’d be honored to marry you.”

  He pulled out a ring, but her vision was too blurry to see it clearly and she didn’t really care. Whatever he’d gotten for her, she’d love and wear the rest of her
life.

  “I love you, Dana.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I don’t need a family if that’s too much for you. All I need is you.”

  He kissed her, and after several minutes she pulled away to breathe and to look up into his handsome face. “Mitch, I love you, too, and I want to have a family with you. If it’s part of God’s plan.”

  “There’s no rush, Dana,” he said, concern darkening his blue eyes. “I want you to be sure. I’ll be happy enough with you.”

  That was the sweetest thing he could have said, but she knew her own heart and understood that his family was important to him. And to her. “I am sure. Very sure.” She reached up to kiss him again, knowing he was the one she was destined to spend the rest of her life with.

  Mitch and the rest of the Callahan family.

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, look for the other books in the CALLAHAN CONFIDENTIAL series:

  SHIELDING HIS CHRISTMAS WITNESS

  THE ONLY WITNESS

  CHRISTMAS AMNESIA

  SHATTERED LULLABY

  And pick up these other exciting stories from Laura Scott:

  WRONGLY ACCUSED

  DOWN TO THE WIRE

  UNDER THE LAWMAN’S PROTECTION

  FORGOTTEN MEMORIES

  HOLIDAY ON THE RUN

  MIRROR IMAGE

  Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from RODEO STANDOFF by Susan Sleeman.

  Dear Reader,

  Primary Suspect is the fifth book in my Callahan Confidential series. I’m happy to hear so many of you are enjoying this incredible family. This book focuses on Fire Investigator Mitch Callahan.

  When Mitch is assaulted and framed for murder, he isn’t sure who he can trust. And he regrets how ER nurse Dana Petrie is unavoidably dragged into the situation with him. Dana hasn’t recovered from losing her husband and unborn child three years ago, until she’s forced to go on the run with Mitch. As they flee the men chasing them, Dana feels alive for the first time in years. Can she and Mitch recover from their wounded pasts long enough to look forward to the future?