“Which employee?”
“Casey Roberts.”
I nodded, remembering Casey. “He was assigned to the ranches in Texas for a few weeks. I don’t know him well, but Grady does.”
“That’s the other part I left out,” Kierson said as the plane smacked hard onto the runway.
“Son of a bitch,” I cursed as the tires locked up and screeched against the tarmac.
Kierson’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah. I was afraid you’d be pissed.”
I shot him a glare as I unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled my carry-on bag out of the upper cabinet.
“Welcome to North Dakota,” the flight attendant announced, opening the plane’s door.
I ignored her as I stomped down the portable metal stairs. I heard Kierson apologize for my rudeness and follow after me.
“Wait a minute!” Kierson yelled as I continued across the asphalt. “Fine. Storm off. But our rental is this way!”
As much as I wanted to continue stomping my anger against the tarmac, I had no clue where we were other than the state of North Dakota. I grimaced and turned to follow Kerson to the SUV waiting in the other direction. He didn’t look to see whether I was still behind him as he took the keys and loaded his bags in the back, leaving the hatch open for my bag. As I slid into the passenger seat, he pulled away from the curb, following the instructions on the GPS unit.
“Look, I get it. You needed some space. Whatever. But now a woman’s life is on the line, and everyone is counting on you to help. Grady’s not here to stalk you.”
“Every time I turn around, I’m pushed or pulled in another direction.”
“And you thought working with the FBI would be different?”
“I just needed a distraction.”
“Then find the missing woman, and we’ll jump on the next plane out.”
“I knew that plane was too nice for the Feds.”
“I’m no fool. Someone offers me a ride on a private jet, I’m taking it.”
I rolled my eyes, looking out the window. “Where are we going first?”
“Crime scene, then police station. Caleb Simmons is under police protection until they can find his mother or next of kin.”
~*~*~
It was a twenty-minute drive to reach the small town, and another five minutes before we parked in front of a cottage-style house at the end of a residential street. Grady, Casey, and two cops were standing in the driveway yelling at each other.
“Distract them for me,” I told Kierson as I pulled a pair of latex gloves out of my shoulder bag and slipped them on.
“I’m going to regret this,” Kierson mumbled as he slipped out of the SUV and joined the circus.
As Kierson got the officers to turn their backs to the house to talk to him, I slipped under the crime scene tape and inside. The front door opened to the kitchen. The sun was starting to set, casting shadows, but I didn’t dare turn on any of the lights. I carefully stepped over the fallen chair and glanced at the blood smear on the refrigerator. At the end of the short hallway was a bathroom. A bedroom door was on each side of the hall. I opened the door to the right and discovered the boy’s room. Other than a twin-size bed, the room was empty. No posters or pictures. No toys scattered about. I opened the closet, and as expected, I found two duffle bags with the zippers open showing stacks of boys’ clothes. Next to them was a trash bag filled with two days’ worth of dirty laundry.
I stepped out of the room and crossed over to the mother’s room, finding it much the same. The only difference was the gun with the scratched out serial number in the drawer of the nightstand. I stuffed the snub-nose revolver into the back of my jeans and pulled my jacket down to cover it. It was unlikely that the police had done a thorough inventory yet.
I moved over to the closet, opening the door and searching the duffle bags. At the bottom of one of the bags, I found an envelope with Casey’s name printed on the outside. I paused, considering my options. The right thing to do would be to give him the envelope, but I didn’t think she intended for him to see it until the next time she had to run. I shook off my guilt and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter.
I’m sorry. I can’t explain, but we had to leave. It was too dangerous for us to stay. Know that I care deeply for you and wish things were different. But I have to do what is right for my son—no matter the cost. Don’t look for us. Please.
Love, Laurie
“Shit,” I said to myself, stuffing the letter back into the envelope and sliding it into my pocket.
Walking back through the small house, I pulled the curtain back to see if the deputies were facing the house. Grady saw the movement and gave me a small nod before he shoved Kierson into one of the cops. The cops scurried to keep the two men separated as I slipped out of the house and back into the SUV. Once seated, I leaned out the door and whistled, gaining everyone’s attention.
“This is getting us nowhere. Agent Kierson, take me to the police station.”
“Fine,” Kierson said, glaring at Grady and storming over to the rental.
When we were turning on main street, Kierson smiled. “That was fun. Did you find anything?”
“Go bags. She was definitely on the run. She had a Dear John letter ready to leave behind for Casey when the time came to split.”
“Shit. He’s not very stable at the moment. I’m not sure how well he’ll handle that.”
“No worries. I pocketed the letter.”
“That’s evidence tampering.”
“Good thing you’re an accomplice. Saves me worrying about you turning me in.”
Kierson’s smile was long gone, and he punched the steering wheel. He squealed the tires as he pulled into the lot behind the police station and parked. I exited the vehicle, leaving him to deal with his hissy fit in his own way, and walked over to the truck Grady was getting out of.
“I need you to hide something for me.” I pulled the gun from the back of my jeans, handing it to him. “Didn’t figure the police or Kierson needed to know she had an unregistered gun.”
Grady palmed the gun and slid it under the rental truck’s seat as Casey got out of another truck and stormed our way.
“He’s going to lose it,” Grady whispered.
“Hey, Casey,” I said, greeting him.
Casey nodded, but his eyes were on fire with a whirlwind of emotions. “Thanks for coming, Kelsey. I’m not getting through to the local cops that Laurie’s not the type to run off and leave Caleb.”
“I believe you. But I need you to reel it in, because this next step is really going to suck. If you want my help to find Laurie, you’ll need to take a step back from the case and let me handle it.”
“You expect me to sit on my ass while the woman I love is missing?” His anger had every muscle in his body knotted and ready for a fight.
“If you go in there with me, Caleb is going to latch on to you, and I’m not going to be able to get a read on him. I need to see him first, away from you.”
“But he trusts me. He needs me!”
“I’m sure he does.” I placed a hand on his forearm, hoping to steady his emotions as I explained. “But Laurie and Caleb have been living on the run. And he knows his mom didn’t want you to know. That makes him less likely to tell you the truth. I’m a stranger, a woman, not a cop, but someone of authority. He might confide in me if you’re not around.”
“Shit,” Casey said, running a hand through his hair. “I knew something was off, but hiding? On the run? What the hell?”
“Give Kelsey a chance to go in first,” Grady said to him, lying a hand on his shoulder.
Casey gave a brief nod as he started to pace back and forth. I led Kierson into the police station, knowing I wouldn’t have long with the boy before Casey would charge inside. “Get me access to that kid,” I whispered, stepping aside for Kierson to flash his badge at the desk officer.
The scream of a child had me walking through the open doorway into a large room. The boy was huddled on the fl
oor in the corner and screamed again when one of the officers went to hand him a cup of cocoa. The officer stepped back, and the boy quit screaming. I took the cup and nodded for the officer to step away. He gladly did so but kept his eyes on us.
When I approached, the boy leaned to the side to watch everyone behind me. I sat on the floor next to him and handed him the cocoa. I sat there, not saying anything as he scanned each cop, jumping anytime someone entered the room.
“Hi, Caleb. I was at your house today,” I said, leaning against the wall to watch the room.
Caleb glanced at me before turning his attention back to the room.
“It reminded me of when my cousin was younger and lived with me. We had to be ready to leave if something happened. Our bags were always packed.” He turned to watch me, his eyes narrowing. “And we always had a plan. If something happened to me, there was someplace she was supposed to go or someone specific she was supposed to call.”
The boy nodded before quickly turning away.
“I’m going to find your mom, Caleb. But until I do, I need to know what the emergency plan is.”
He glanced up at me again, tears filling his big eyes. He set the cup of cocoa on the floor beside him before opening the zipper on his backpack. I took the piece of paper he handed me and read the note.
If anything happens to me, I give Casey Roberts full rights and guardianship over my son, Caleb Simmons. Signed: Laurie Simmons.
The note was notarized.
“Is there anything else? Are you supposed to tell Casey anything special?”
Caleb scanned the room again. “We need to run,” Caleb whispered.
“I’ll let Casey know. We’ll get you out of here. But first, I need your help. Is it your father? Is he the one your mom is scared of?”
His eyes widened, but he nodded yes.
“And is he like them? A cop?”
“Like him—” Caleb pointed.
I followed the direction that Caleb was pointing. Agent Kierson was standing at the end of the row of desks with a hand cocked up on his hip, exposing his gun and badge.
“Like him, how?” I asked Caleb. “The suit? Or the badge?”
“Both,” Caleb whispered back.
“Do you know where your father works?”
He shook his head no. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, but he was shutting down.
I pulled myself up and grabbed Caleb’s backpack before holding out a hand for him. He looked up at me for a long moment before standing and taking my hand. I led him across the room toward Kierson and the Chief of Police.
“Do you know Eleanor Vannet?” I asked the Chief.
“Sure,” he answered. “She’s our court clerk.”
“She notarized the note from Caleb’s mother giving Casey Roberts guardianship,” I said, holding the short note out for him to review.
“Kurt! Call Elly down at the courthouse and confirm she remembers witnessing this,” he said, passing the letter to another officer.
Caleb released my hand and wrapped both arms around my leg, cowering away from the officers as they moved past. I reached down and stroked his soft blond curls.
“It’s legit, Chief,” the deputy said, returning with the note.
I took the note before the Chief could. “Casey’s going to need this for his lawyer and the school. You understand, I’m sure.” I started leading Caleb out of the station with me.
“Where are you heading with him?”
“Casey’s in the parking lot,” I answered, not turning around.
As soon as Caleb saw Casey, he took off running and jumped into his arms. I motioned for Kierson and Grady to follow me over to the other side of the parking lot while the Chief talked to Casey.
“We’ve got a huge problem,” I said in a low voice.
“What else is new,” Grady said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“They were running from Caleb’s father.”
Kierson shrugged. “You already suspected parental kidnapping.”
“Yeah. But I never guessed the guy wears a gun, a badge, and a suit.”
“Shit,” Grady swore, turning to look toward Casey and Caleb.
“This piece of paper gives Casey temporary custody,” I said, handing him the notarized note. “They need to run. It’s what she told Caleb to tell Casey.”
A black SUV pulled into the lot and Grady waved an arm for them to stop. I recognized them as employees of Silver Aces Security. Donovan must have sent reinforcements. Grady said a few brief words to them. They nodded, staying in the vehicle. Grady walked over to Casey and pulled him by the arm away from the Chief. He talked to him in a low voice as he guided him over to the SUV, opened the door, and gently pushed them inside. When the door closed, the tinted windows rose, and the SUV left as quickly as it had arrived.
The Chief sputtered in shock as he watched it drive away before he started ranting at Grady. Kierson walked over to smooth the ruffled feathers. I called Genie and updated her to search for law enforcement officers. Then I called Tech and had him do the same.
The sun had set, and I was running out of energy. I didn’t have a choice but to keep going though. None of us did. Laurie was still out there. I didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if we didn’t find her in time.
Chapter Ten
Thirty minutes later, Kierson and Grady were still talking to the Chief. I walked over and pulled the keys Grady had hanging from his front pocket. He nodded and turned back to the Chief as I slid into the truck and left.
I followed the street lights back into town and found the diner where Laurie worked. I jumped out of the truck and walked inside, nodding at a few friendly faces as I approached the customer counter and took a seat.
“What can I get ya, hon?” the waitress asked as she walked by.
“Coffee, black, and whatever information you can provide on Laurie Simmons.”
She glanced at me for a second before she finished filling her tray with the waiting food, walking off to deliver it.
“You a cop?” one of the other customers asked.
“No. I used to be. I work as an investigator for Silver Aces Security in Michigan.”
“Ain’t that the company that Casey Roberts works for?” another customer asked.
“Yes, sir. Same one. Casey asked for my help to find Laurie.”
“Damn,” the waitress said, returning to pour a cup of coffee for me. “She’s really missing, then? Where’s Caleb?”
“He’s with Casey, but Laurie’s definitely missing. When was her last shift?”
“This mornin’. She opens for breakfast and only takes a break to walk Caleb down to the school.”
“What time did she leave today?”
“Near two o’clock, I’d say,” she answered, placing a fist on her hip.
“Not today,” one of the customers from a booth said. “She must have left early today. I was in town around one o’clock picking up supplies and saw her crossing the street to walk down her block. She seemed jumpy. I waved, but she didn’t wave back. She kept looking over her shoulder.”
“Did anyone else see her this afternoon?” I asked the other customers.
Everyone shook their head no.
“I need everyone to send text messages to everyone you know. Ask them if they were in the diner when Laurie left today. If they were, I need them to come in and talk to me or one of my coworkers.”
Everyone hurried to grab their phones and help. The waitress called the other employees who had worked the earlier shift and asked them to come in. As people started to arrive, Grady and Kierson showed up and helped interview everyone.
~*~*~
Two dozen interviews later, we had no new leads. The bells on the front door jingled and a middle-aged woman held the door open for a petite elderly woman with a cane.
“I knew he was no good!” the little old lady yelled, waving her cane in the air. “He had that look in his eyes!”
“Mom, what are you goi
ng on about?” the middle-aged woman asked. “And why are we at the diner near nine at night?”
I jumped up, pulling out a chair for the elderly woman. “Is this about Laurie, ma’am? You saw a man with her?”
“He looked shifty!” she barked, sliding into the chair. “I told Laurie to stay put, and I’d call the cops. But, nooo… She said she knew him and not to worry ’bout it.”
“Where was he when you saw him?” I asked as I slid back into my own chair across from her.
“Standing right on the other side of that-there winda’,” she said, pointing to the side window. “Just staring at her with that mean looking grin on his face. I’ve known me a few of those mean ones in my days. Best-ta steer clear of ’em. But Laurie wouldn’t listen. No, sirree. She took off her apron and headed out da back door.”
“What did the man look like?” Kierson asked, holding out a pen and a pad of paper.
“Real slick type,” she answered, driving the end of her cane against the floor a few times. “Like a used car salesman.” She turned to look over at the diner’s counter. “No offense, Fred.”
“Not the first time you’ve insulted me, Mable,” the customer at the counter said, shaking his head.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” Grady said, sliding smoothly into the chair next to Mable and pulling out his country-boy charm. He stretched an arm across the back of her chair as he winked at me. “By chance could you tell us what color his hair was? What he was wearing? How tall or old he was?”
“Well, aren’t you somethin’.” She smiled sweetly, turning to face him. “Well, let me think on it some. I’m not as quick as I used to be.” She leaned closer to him. “But I’m betting he was late thirties or early forties, not much older than that on account of he still had a full head of dark hair. Didn’t see a speck of grey in it. I couldn’t tell what he was wearing on account of the sign in the winda was blocking most of him exceptin’ his head.”
“So only his head was visible above the sign?” I asked.
“About right,” she said to Grady as if he’d asked the question. “Maybe an inch or two of his neck.”
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