The Tempted

by Amanda Stevens

  “At least this one doesn’t have one foot in the grave,” someone else piped in. “And he looks like he’s got money to boot. That your Jaguar parked out in the driveway?”

  The first cop whistled. “Jaguar, huh? Burke’s not going to like that competition.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Sergeant Cross snapped. “Sam Burke could teach you all a thing or two.”

  “I’ll bet he’s taught you a thing or two!”

  She spared Jared a killing look, as if to chide him for what he’d started. “As you can see, I’m busy at the moment. If you want to wait outside, I’ll come look for you when I’m finished.”

  “It’ll only take a minute. Please,” he added in a barely conciliatory tone.

  She shoved her hair behind her ears and moved past him. Someone made another joke as she walked away, and Jared could see that she was clearly annoyed.

  “You always have to put up with that kind of attitude?” he asked her.

  She shrugged. “Goes with the territory. Now, what is it I can do for you, Mr. Spencer? And make it fast. You shouldn’t even be in here. This is a police investigation.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m here. I just left Tess outside. She’s a wreck.” He glanced down the hall to where yet another cop was dusting for fingerprints on a brass doorknob. “She said someone broke in here tonight. She thinks it was Emily’s kidnapper.”

  Sergeant Cross’s lips thinned. “She could have been seriously hurt, but she got lucky—”

  A cold chill shot through Jared. “Wait a minute. Are you saying she was attacked?”

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  He swore viciously, then, catching himself, mumbled an apology.

  Sergeant Cross shrugged. “I’ve heard worse, believe me. Look, I shouldn’t even be talking to you about this, but you said you were a friend of Tess’s, and I think she could use one right now. According to Tess, she got home around nine tonight and went straight back to her daughter’s bedroom. About the same time she noticed a teddy bear missing from the bed she heard a strange noise somewhere in the house. When she went to investigate, she found a ribbon on the floor that had fallen off the bear. She thought Emily had come home. She went tearing off outside to find her.”

  Jared could picture the scene all too clearly. Tess searching frantically through the house. Calling to Emily. Wanting desperately to believe a miracle had happened, but knowing, deep down inside, that miracles rarely happened.

  “When she got outside,” Sergeant Cross continued, “she noticed that the side door of the garage was open. She couldn’t turn on the light in the garage, though, because the bulb was burned out. So she propped open the door and—”

  “He was in there.” Jared’s hand clenched into fists at his sides.

  Sergeant Cross’s gaze met his and she nodded. “She saw something move. A shadow, she says. So she armed herself with a hammer and went after him.”

  “Damn.” Jared plowed his fingers through his hair as images strobed through his head. “She could have been killed.”

  “Like I said, she got lucky. The suspect pushed over a heavy metal rack that held some paint cans and solvents, but Tess managed to jump out of the way in time. She could have been crushed.”

  Jared exhaled slowly, trying to control a sudden, wild surge of anger. “Who was it?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

  “Do you think it was Emily’s kidnapper?”

  Sergeant Cross hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  Jared frowned. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Who else could it have been?”

  She shrugged. “We’re just going to have to wait and see where the evidence takes us.”

  “Wait?” Jared said angrily. “Seems to me there’s been enough of that. Why the hell aren’t you out trying to find this guy?”

  She bristled slightly under his attack, but, except for a faint red bloom on her cheeks, she held her cool. “We’re doing everything we can. We’ve got deputies out right now, canvassing the area, talking to the nearest neighbors to see if anyone might have seen something suspicious around here tonight, but given the isolation of this place, it’s doubtful we’ll find any witnesses.”

  It didn’t surprise Jared that Tess had chosen a place so remote. She’d always been something of a loner. He thought about what she’d said earlier, when he’d told her he would help her look for Emily. “You’re only doing it to humor me. But I don’t care. I don’t want to be alone. Not tonight.” Had she changed in six years?

  His gaze went back to Sergeant Cross. “I’m sure you’re going through the motions,” he said. “But I have to wonder if your heart is really in it. Tess says you think Emily is already dead.”

  The flush on Sergeant Cross’s cheeks deepened, and her dark eyes glittered with anger. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told Tess. Emily is alive to me, to all of us, until we find out differently. That’s how we’ve proceeded with this investigation from the first, and that’s how we’ll continue to operate. You understand?”

  “I understand that Tess is in a lot of pain right now,” he said harshly. “And there doesn’t seem to be anything anyone can do about it.”

  “We’re all in a lot of pain, Mr. Spencer. This isn’t just Tess’s loss. Emily is one of Eden’s children. Everyone in this town takes her disappearance personally. If you think differently, then you don’t know much about us.” There was a faint note of challenge in Sergeant Cross’s voice. She wasn’t a large woman, only about five-six or so, slender, attractive. Very feminine in spite of the badge clipped to her jeans and the shoulder holster she wore underneath her jacket.

  At six-two, Jared towered over her, and he wasn’t above using his size, his gender, or even his connections to bully her. He wasn’t above bringing the full weight of the Spencer name to bear against her if he thought it would do any good. He’d made enemies in the last six years, and he’d make another one in a heartbeat if he had to. But with Abby Cross he held back. Something in her eyes, a terrible wisdom, made him realize that her words were not just a hollow sentiment. Her job hadn’t anesthetized her to pain and compassion. She felt for Tess. And for Emily.

  “We’ve done everything we can to find Emily,” she said again. “Most of us on this case have been working fifteen and sixteen hours a day. We’ve examined every lead, conducted countless interviews, studied what little evidence we’ve been able to gather from every conceivable angle. We’ve left no stone unturned, Mr. Spencer, which is why I’m going to ask you this—What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Tess Campbell?”

  Suddenly the compassion fled, replaced by a cold, calculating scrutiny. The dark eyes narrowed on him, and Jared felt a flare of anger, a faint sense of betrayal. She was good, he thought. He hadn’t even seen her ambush coming.

  “I told you. We’re friends.”

  “Friendship encompasses a range of relationships. Could you be a little more specific?”

  “We were lovers once,” he said flatly. “Is that specific enough for you?”

  She seemed unfazed by the revelation. “When was this?”

  “Six years ago.”

  “The relationship was serious?”

  Jared shrugged. “For me it was.”

  “And Tess?”

  “You’d have to ask her.”

  “I may just do that,” Sergeant Cross said. “I wonder why she never mentioned you when we questioned her about relationships past or present.”

  “Maybe she didn’t think it was important enough,” Jared said. “It was a long time ago. Maybe she forgot.”

  Sergeant Cross’s dark gaze flickered over him, then moved back up to his face. “Somehow I doubt that,” she murmured. “Who broke off the relationship?”

  “She did.”

  “Do you mind telling me what happened?”

  Yes, Jared thought. I mind a great deal. “She said we were too different. We weren’t meant to be together. It never would have worked out.”
r />   “Did you agree with her?”

  “Eventually.” But it had taken a long time. And even now, seeing Tess again, had raised some of the old questions. Some of the old emotions. And yes, even some of the old resentment. He’d loved Tess unconditionally. He’d wanted to marry her and live happily ever after with her, but she’d wanted a relationship only on her terms. She hadn’t wanted him for who he was, but in spite of it.

  “You sound a little bitter,” Sergeant Cross observed.

  Jared tried to keep his expression neutral as he gazed down at her. “If I were bitter, I wouldn’t be here trying to help her, would I?”

  “That all depends, I guess.”

  Uneasy fingers crept up Jared’s spine. “Wait a minute.” He started to take her arm, then thought better of it. “You don’t think I’m the one who broke into Tess’s house tonight? You don’t think I had anything to do with her daughter’s disappearance?”

  Something flickered in Sergeant Cross’s brown eyes. “It’s like I said, we’re leaving no stone unturned.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Jared raged. “You’ve got some psycho breaking into Tess’s house, taking one of her daughter’s toys, maybe coming after Tess next. And what are you doing about it? You stand here questioning me.”

  “Take it easy, Mr. Spencer. These questions are routine. Don’t take it personally.”

  “It’s hard not to.” Her calm, slightly disapproving voice made Jared feel like an idiot for his outburst. Made him feel guilty for something he hadn’t even done. Oh, she was good all right. Very damn good.

  “Just a couple more questions,” she said. “Do you know of anyone who might carry a grudge against Tess? Who might want to hurt her? And I’m not talking about physically. I’m talking emotionally.”

  The worst kind of torture, Jared thought. Taking a woman’s child. Someone who would do that had a truly twisted mind. He had an urgent need, suddenly, to rush outside and make sure Tess was still there. Make sure she was okay. “Like I said, we knew each other six years ago, but even then I didn’t really know any of her friends or acquaintances. We kept pretty much to ourselves.”

  “Why was that?”

  “It was the way Tess wanted it.”

  “What about now? Do you know of anyone who might have it in for her?”

  Jared shook his head. “That I couldn’t tell you. Until yesterday, I hadn’t seen her in six years.”

  Sergeant Cross’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Really? Because you seem awfully concerned for Tess’s welfare for someone who hasn’t seen her in so long.”

  “Her daughter is missing, Sergeant Cross. I’d have to be pretty hard-hearted not to be concerned.”

  She looked as if she wanted to challenge his assertion, but instead she shrugged. “Well, thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Spencer. If anything else comes up, where can I get in touch with you?”

  He fished a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. She studied it for a moment, then glanced up. “You’re that Spencer? The Spencer Hotels Spencer? I had no idea.”

  “Didn’t I tell you that earlier?” Jared asked.

  “You didn’t mention it, no, except to threaten to bring in the governor. Now that I know who you are, that threat seems a little less amusing,” she said dryly.

  “It wasn’t an idle threat,” Jared said. “Governor Denton is my godfather. If I thought this case was being mishandled, I wouldn’t hesitate to call him.”

  Sergeant Cross folded her arms. “Do yourself a favor, Mr. Spencer, and stay out of this investigation. Don’t call the governor.”

  “Don’t give me cause to.”

  They stared at each other for a moment longer before Jared turned to leave.

  “Mr. Spencer?”

  He stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder.

  “One last thing. Where were you at nine o’clock tonight?”

  Chapter Nine

  Tess turned with an anxious glance when Jared stepped outside. She stood at the porch railing, one hand clutching a newel post for support. Jared didn’t think she’d moved a muscle since he’d left her a few minutes earlier.

  “What did you find out?”

  “Nothing more than you’d already told me.” He glanced back at the house. “I think they’re almost finished. If you still want to go out to search for Emily, I’ll take you.”

  She hugged her arms to herself, looking exhausted in the dim illumination from the window. “I know you probably think I’m crazy, but I have to do something. I can’t stay here all tonight, pacing the floor. Thinking…what I know I’ll be thinking. I can’t be here safe and comfortable while she’s out there somewhere.”

  His heart turned over at the look on her face. “I understand.”

  As if overcome by weariness, she turned and leaned her head against the post, gazing out across the yard. “Sometimes I still can’t believe this is happening.”

  Jared came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. For a split second she tensed, but then, unexpectedly, she relaxed against him. He closed his eyes, wanting to pull her close but knowing that he shouldn’t. That he didn’t dare. The instinct to protect her had never been stronger in him, but there was danger in trying to rescue Tess. She’d rejected him once, broken his heart, and it had taken him a long time to get over it. He would be a fool to think that, in six years, anything had changed between them.

  But something had changed. Her daughter was missing, and somehow Tess’s tragedy, her loss, had diminished the past, made the differences that still existed between them insignificant. Emily’s disappearance put so many things into perspective, at least for Jared.

  Almost against his will, he leaned slightly into Tess, skimming his lips across her hair so softly he didn’t think she’d be able to feel his touch. “I’m sorry you’re having to go through this.”

  She drew a ragged breath. “It’s not about me. It’s about Emily. What she’s having to go through. I just keep seeing her…”

  She didn’t finish the thought, but Jared knew what she meant. The same images had been flitting through his head all evening. That innocent face he’d seen in the paper, that precious child so still and silent. Those dark eyes closed forever.

  “Did you mean what you said earlier?” he asked in a soft, fierce voice. “That you’d know if Emily were dead? You’d feel it?”

  She turned and gazed up at him, her eyes flooding with tears. “Yes.”

  His grasp tightened on her arms. “Then that’s what you have to hang on to. That’s what you have to believe.”

  “Jared—” Something swept across her face, an emotion so raw it took his breath away. It was almost as if she was reaching out to him, trying to connect with him in a way only the two of them could share.

  But it was a fleeting feeling, because the front door opened, jarring the moment, and they both turned as Sergeant Cross came outside. Jared dropped his hands from Tess’s arms and took a slight step away from her.

  The move was not lost on Sergeant Cross. Her dark gaze flickered over him. “Lieutenant Conyers is posting a deputy outside here for the rest of the night.” She put a hand on Tess’s arm. “But maybe you should think about spending the night at your mother’s house anyway. Even with a deputy out here, this place is pretty isolated.”

  “I’ll be all right.” But Tess didn’t look all right. Her features were pale and fragile in the filtered light, and Jared had that urge again, that almost overpowering need to take care of her, to make things right for her. He was a Spencer. He should be able to fix this. But how could he? Her child was missing, and if Emily wasn’t found soon, no amount of money or power in the world would ever make things right for her again.

  “I’ll be in touch if there’s any news,” Sergeant Cross told them as she hurried down the porch steps. At the bottom, she turned to gaze up at them. “Tess, do you remember the profiler who worked on the Sara Beth Brodie case?” When Tess nodded, she said, “He’ll be back in town in a day or
two. Would you be willing to talk to him again?”

  “If you think it would help.”

  “I think it might. At any rate, I’d like to get his input.” She glanced at Jared. “I guess I’ll see you around, Mr. Spencer.”

  He gave her a brief nod. “Good night, Sergeant Cross.”

  Several minutes later, the rest of the police personnel had cleared out, too. In the silence that followed their departure, a strange uneasiness settled over the porch, as if alone, Tess and Jared didn’t quite know what to say to each other. How to react to one another. They remained on the porch for several more minutes, while across the street a deputy sat watching them from his patrol car. Had Sergeant Cross briefed him on her earlier conversation with Jared?

  “Where were you at nine o’clock tonight?”

  “On the road. I left Jackson around seven-thirty.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yes, alone.”

  Which meant, of course, that he couldn’t prove his whereabouts.

  It was disturbing, to say the least, that in wandering back into Tess’s life, he’d suddenly become a suspect in the worst kind of crime.

  “I should lock up the house before we go,” Tess murmured. Her gaze slid to the door, and in the murky light, Jared saw her shiver.

  “I can do it,” he said. “Just tell me where your keys are.”

  “At least let me come inside with you,” he said when she hesitated.

  She nodded, and they entered the house together. Jared watched her as she moved around the room, running her hand across the back of the sofa, the surface of a table, as if she was trying to reacquaint herself with a place that she’d once been familiar with. A place that had once been her home. Now she seemed strangely out of place here, even to Jared.

  She left the living room to check the back door, and while she was gone, Jared glanced around, taking in the details of the room that he’d missed earlier. The soft, earthy shades, the polished floors, the framed pictures of Emily almost everywhere he looked. It was a nice home, he thought. Cheerful. Comfortable. Under different circumstances, the muted color scheme might even have been peaceful. But the subdued decor struck him as a little off kilter now, maybe because it didn’t reflect the upheaval in Tess’s life, the tragedy that had made her one of the walking wounded.