“I guess.”
“Why don’t you write the note, Kip? Tell her I made us leave because I was afraid the men would come back.”
His eyes widened.
“I don’t think it’s likely, but they could. We’ll write down Mrs. O’Shay’s address and phone number so your mom will know how to reach us.”
He shook his head. “If the men come back, they might see it.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
“Good point. We’ll just tell your Mom you’re with me. She knows my cell phone number, so we won’t have to write that down.” She patted his knee. “I need you, Kip. You’re the man of the family right now. Maggie and Brian may get scared if we don’t come home tonight. You have to be with me to keep them calm. They trust you, but they hardly know me. Will you help?”
He thought about it for long seconds. “I guess.”
“Thanks. We’ll start packing what you need for a couple of days. Hopefully by then the police will have found your mom.”
“Maggie will want her bear dresses.”
“Bear dresses?”
“She likes to dress Bear in different outfits. She never goes anywhere without Bear.”
Kyra relaxed. It was going to be okay. “See, this is why I need you. Does the bear have a name?”
“Just Bear. Can I take my gamer?”
“Absolutely.” Having spent hours in the toy store choosing the gifts she’d brought, she knew the handheld game device was the current rage for the preteen set.
She was stuffing the last of Maggie’s bear costumes into the pillowcase she was using for a suitcase when she tripped on a toy and banged her ankle on the edge of the metal bed frame. Hissing in pain, she swore under her breath and grimaced, closing her eyes. She could feel her ankle throb beneath the soft leather of her boot. When she opened her eyes again, Kip was standing there holding his own pillowcase with a frightened expression on his small face.
“It’s okay, Kip. I just bumped my ankle. I’m fine.” She rubbed the appendage, finding torn leather where she’d hit.
“Aunt Kyra, are the police going to put me in jail?”
All thoughts of her bruised ankle and her sister fled. “No. Of course not.”
“Even if I did something bad?”
Fear tickled her stomach. “Not even then. I’m a lawyer, you know.”
“For real?”
“For real. Are you worried because of the money?”
He nodded and wouldn’t meet her eyes. “That man wants to know where I got it.”
Kyra saw “that man” standing in the doorway behind Kip. Freshly shaven, Lucan wore a dark suit that emphasized the breadth of his wide shoulders. He’d gone home at some point, showered, shaved and changed clothes. He wore a long, heavy coat, unbuttoned. The temperature outside must have dropped.
Kyra didn’t think Kip knew Lucan was there, so she tried not to look directly at him. Hunkering down, she put herself at the boy’s level and took his hand.
“If I’m going to be your lawyer, Kip, you need to tell me everything. I won’t let anyone arrest you no matter where you got the money. I promise.”
“I can’t pay it back.”
“That’s okay. I can if we need to.”
His dark, troubled eyes stared into hers. He nodded, set his pillowcase down and turned toward the closet. Kyra shared a quick glance with Lucan who nodded encouragingly. She limped after Kip. The boy tugged aside the nest of smelly blankets until the carpeted floor showed.
Kyra watched as he used a toy figurine to pry back the baseboard. Shoving his hand into the surprisingly long gap he exposed, he pulled out a plastic bag. Even before he held it out to her, she saw what appeared to be more money inside.
“I took it from here,” he told her.
“Oh.” The word escaped on a breath of surprise. The bills were all one-hundred-dollar denomination. And there were a lot of them.
“Kip, how did this money get here?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Brian found it when his toy got stuck in that board. All the food was messed up downstairs and Mom only had a little money in her purse, so I had to take some of this so I could go to the store. We were hungry.”
Kyra pulled him against her in a hug. “You did exactly right,” she told him fiercely, thinking how frightened they must have been. “You had to take care of your brother and sister.”
“But the police will arrest me ’cause I stole the money.”
“No. We won’t, Kip.”
Startled, they both turned at the sound of Lucan’s deep soothing voice.
“Your aunt is right. You did what you had to do. You’re a brave guy. I’m not sure I would have been half as brave at your age. Do you know where this money came from?”
Kip shook his head.
“Is it okay if I take the rest? I’ll count the money and give your aunt a receipt like I did with the money from your backpack. We have to see if we can find out who it belongs to.”
It was as if a weight had been lifted from Kip’s fragile shoulders. “Okay. She’s my lawyer. I can trust her.”
Lucan’s eyes crinkled with humor. “You’re right. She’s a fierce lawyer. Why don’t you take your pillowcase downstairs while I talk to your aunt?”
“Okay.”
Lucan turned to her as soon as the boy left the room. “Why are you limping?”
“The bed frame and my ankle had a disagreement. I lost.”
“You should take those sexy boots off.”
He thought her boots were sexy?
“Do you want me to look at it?”
She pictured his large warm hands caressing her ankle and a quiver went through her.
“It’s fine,” she told him hurriedly. “We should count the money.”
“Kyra. Let’s see the foot first. You don’t want it to swell inside that leather. Sit down over here and let me take it off. Don’t be a wimp.”
Her chin came up. “I am not a wimp.”
“Then let me have a look.”
Seeing no graceful way out of it, she perched on the edge of the baby’s bed. “I can take it off,” she told him as he reached for her leg, gently extending it.
“Let me.”
It was only a boot, she told herself. There was nothing romantic in a man holding her leg and peeling her out of a boot. So why did the feel of his hand seem so erotic? The zipper was unnaturally loud as he parted it with almost sensual care.
“You’re enjoying this,” she charged.
“Of course I am. I’ve always had a foot fetish,” he deadpanned.
At least, she thought he was teasing. “You are kidding, right?”
He winked and slid the boot slowly from her foot. She tried not to squirm as he set it aside and began to peel her long sock down her skin. She was embarrassed and achingly aware of how sexy Lucan was.
Lucan was being incredibly gentle so he didn’t hurt her. Any and all sexual vibes were strictly coming from her imagination.
Weren’t they?
The sock came free. He set it on the bed, cupping her heel in one warm palm while he probed the swollen appendage gently with the fingers of his other hand.
“It doesn’t feel like you broke anything, but I hope you brought along a pair of flat shoes.”
Her cheeks were hot as he stroked the swollen skin. “I have running shoes in my bag.”
“You’re a runner?”
“Yes.”
“So am I.” He looked inordinately pleased and turned his attention back to her ankle. “It may bruise.” His thumb rubbed the side of her foot and her breathing caught. She’d never realized how sensitive her feet were before. His face was so close, and she watched his eyes darken to a deep, sensual gray. The scent of his light spicy cologne was heady.
Was he going to kiss her?
Was she going to let him?
“Ach, no. You canna be taking your entire room along with you, young Brian.”
At the sound of his mother’s vo
ice, Lucan released her foot and stood, breaking whatever spell had held them in thrall. “Stay there while we count out this money.”
Her imagination must be on overdrive. Good thing he couldn’t read her crazy thoughts. He dumped the bills on the torn bed and began to count them out.
“Nearly eighteen thousand dollars?” She stared at him, appalled.
“Plus what Kip already took out. There may be more in the wall. I’m going to have to have a team in here taking a thorough look.”
She could barely speak. “This has to belong to Jordan. Casey never had this kind of money.”
“Brian says Fillmont called Casey when they got home on Sunday after dinner. The power went out, and she made them all go upstairs and get in the closet. That must be when the phone line was cut. We checked with the Oak Forest Country Club. No one has seen Fillmont since Saturday afternoon. He had Sunday off, but he didn’t show up for work on Monday.”
“He’s missing, too?”
“Looks that way. Why don’t you find another pair of shoes while I go talk to my office.”
“Fine.”
“Oh, and Kyra? Has anyone ever told you that you have very sexy feet?”
He was out the door with a little-boy grin before she could think of a thing to say. Kyra removed her other boot and sock with fingers that shook. She was so going to pay him back for that.
By the time she took a quick shower and changed clothes, Lucan was gone. Several other officers had arrived. She spoke with Maureen, cleared it with the officer in charge and headed to her car accompanied by Kip.
Maureen had decided to take the younger two with her to the grocery store. Kip opted to go to the mall with Kyra instead. They were leaving the house to the police.
Kyra noticed a car down the street pull away from the curb when she left the driveway. So Lucan had decided she needed a babysitter. She should have been annoyed, but the gesture was actually reassuring. Hopefully he had someone watching his mom and the other children as well. The driver maintained enough distance that he was an indistinct shape.
Glancing over at Kip, she wondered if it was Kip they were watching. Lucan probably didn’t trust her nephew not to run away again. But he wouldn’t. She was sure of it. He was more relaxed now that he knew he wasn’t going to be arrested. He sat beside her, fascinated by the GPS system leading them to the nearest mall. She really needed more clothes than she’d brought with her, including another pair of boots.
The parking lot was packed, but she lucked into a front-row space near Macy’s. The police officer, she decided, was on his own. She wasn’t waiting for him. Kip waited patiently as she made short work of her purchases.
“I didn’t know you had a gamer system,” she told her nephew, “but I think you more than earned a new game for taking such good care of your siblings. Want to pick one up while we’re here?”
His expression brightened and just as quickly clouded. “No. That’s okay.”
Sensing where his thoughts had gone she held his gaze. “It’s okay, Kip. Your mom wouldn’t want you to sit around and brood until Lucan finds her. Help me pick out something for your brother and sister as well.”
“Okay. Maggie’s easy. She likes clothes and stuff for Bear.”
Kip had no problem pointing out things for Brian as well. Kyra was paying for the items when Kip tugged on her arm. He lowered his voice, looking scared. She had to bend down to hear him.
“Aunt Kyra, there’s a man staring at us.”
Following his gaze, she saw a tall man turn abruptly away from the front window of the store. Something in his furtive movement sent a chill straight down her spine. Her hand shook as she signed the credit slip the clerk handed her.
“Excuse me, but do you have a bathroom I could use?”
“There’s public restrooms down—”
She shook her head at the teenager’s implacable expression. “Never mind.”
She nudged Kip. “I forgot something. Come with me.”
He followed as she hurried to the back of the crowded store. There was an Employees Only door and she pushed it open, striding inside a dark stockroom area.
“What are you doing, Aunt Kyra?”
“We’re going to find the back way out of here. Come on.” She prayed an alarm wouldn’t sound as she hurried through the cluttered room to the door at the far end.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here, Aunt Kyra.”
“I know. Hurry, Kip.”
Nothing sounded as she pushed that door open. A dimly lit corridor extended in two directions with exit doors at either end. Kyra turned left. She figured the right passage would lead back into the mall and was rewarded when her choice opened onto an asphalt loading area and the store’s trash bins.
“Where are we going?” Fear pitched his voice high and reedy.
“It’s okay, Kip.” Beyond the loading area was the parking lot, but they were nowhere near where they had parked. “We’re going over there.”
“Over there” was another mall entrance. The sight of people coming and going and milling about was reassuring. All they had to do was locate mall security and call Lucan. If she was overreacting and the man had been a cop, she’d give Lucan a dressing down he wouldn’t soon forget for scaring them.
She rushed Kip across the tarmac, ignoring a twinge from her sore ankle. The child had to run to keep up with her, but she knew the man outside the toy store wouldn’t be stopped by her ploy for long. And if he wasn’t one of Lucan’s people…
A gust of cold air swept over them. Kyra didn’t look back until they reached the mall entrance. When she did, she was in time to see the man emerge from the loading area and scan the parking lot. She knew the minute he spotted them. Her view was instantly cut off by a passing crowd but it was enough. She wasn’t overreacting. That guy was no cop.
There was a movie theater on their right as they stepped back inside the mall. A crowd of young teenagers nearly filled the wide mall corridor. The aroma of popcorn wafted on the air. A long line of mostly teens waited to purchase tickets.
“In here, Kip.”
“We’re going to a movie?” His voice shook. She was scaring him.
“No, we’re going to call Detective O’Shay.”
“Is that man following us?”
She wished she could lie. He was so young and so scared. “I think so. Stay with me. Don’t get separated, okay?”
“Okay.” He gripped the bag he was carrying more tightly.
She bypassed the line and opened the door, pausing in front of the young ticket collector. “I need your manager,” she told the girl in her most officious tone. “It’s an emergency.”
“Uh…”
“Where’s his office?”
“Behind the concession stand. But you need a ticket.”
Kyra leveled a hard stare at the girl. “No, I don’t.” She pushed past and wove her way to the concession stand. A six-foot poster for an upcoming movie put them out of direct line of sight of the door.
The concession stand was doing a brisk business. Kyra hesitated long enough to spot the opening in the counter. She hurried over to it. The moment she lifted the hinged top a scrawny youth looked up. “Hey, you can’t come back here.”
“I need to see the manager.”
“He’s not here.”
Unlike the ticket collector, this boy planned to stand his ground. He stepped in front of her with determination.
“I’ll get the assistant manager for you. Wait there.”
Kyra would have argued, but the boy crossed to the door at his back and opened it. Without taking his gaze from her he called out. “Mr. Garber, a lady out here wants to see you.”
A skinny, balding man hurried forward, looking annoyed. The tiny sign on his shirt designated him as the assistant manager.
“May I help you?”
Kyra lowered her voice. “We need security right away. There’s a man following us. He may be armed.”
That got the officio
us little twerp’s attention. His eyes widened. He looked behind her. Kyra elbowed her way past him into what passed for an office.
“Shut the door,” she ordered, dropping her packages and fishing in her purse for her cell phone and Lucan’s card.
“You can’t be back here,” the man squeaked.
Kip closed the door, but not before Kyra glimpsed their pursuer pushing his way past the ticket taker and inside the theater lobby. She didn’t think he had seen them.
“What do you think you’re doing? I’m calling security.”
“Good. I’m calling the police.”
His mouth snapped shut. He scurried behind a cluttered desk where the remains of a fast-food hamburger and French fries told her she’d interrupted his lunch. He lifted a phone. Kyra ignored him, punching in Lucan’s number. She couldn’t control the erratic beat of her heart, but she did try to control her panicked breathing. One ring. Two. Three.
She swore softly, ignoring the sound of the assistant manager’s voice squeaking into the phone.
“Pick up!” she demanded of Lucan.
“Lucan O’Shay.”
Kyra let go a gust of relief. “It’s Kyra.”
His tone sharpened. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you have police officers following us to the mall?”
“No.” His voice turned to gravel. “Where are you?”
“In the manager’s office at the movie theater. He’s calling security.”
“Is Kip with you?”
“Yes. Kip saw a man watching us in the toy store. The man followed us inside the lobby of the theater.”
“Okay, stay there. See if you can lock the door. I’ll have uniformed officers there in a minute. I’m on my way.”
He disconnected and she closed the phone. Funny how reassured his last words made her feel.
The assistant manager watched her with growing excitement. It changed to fear as she clicked the lock into place despite the fact that the feeble thing wouldn’t keep out a ten-year-old.
“Security’s on the way.” His strained voice betrayed his growing panic.
“Good. So are the police. Is there another way out of here?”
“No.” He swallowed convulsively.
Under the permeating scent of popcorn, Kyra could smell the greasy odor emanating from his food.
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