A Wanted Man (Cold Case Detectives Book 1)

by Jennifer Morey

  “In the morning.”

  The way he looked, so apprehensive, stirred her anxiety. A smart detective such as himself would be able to figure this out. Perhaps he already had done so.

  Suddenly she couldn’t meet his eyes. He would not be happy to learn her news.

  “Penny...”

  Why did she have to feel cowed? He’d gotten her pregnant. Turning, she leaned against the bathroom counter.

  “Please tell me you aren’t—”

  Planting her hands on his chest, she shoved him back and marched out of the bathroom. In the kitchen, she searched for something to calm her stomach, which had renewed its roiling.

  “Penny...are you...”

  She poured herself a glass of orange juice, stalling. She sipped some juice and set the glass down on the snack bar.

  Kadin flattened his hands there and leaned toward her. “Are you?”

  She took in his fierce gray eyes and the twitch of muscles as he ground his teeth. “Uh...”

  He slapped the counter with one hand. “You are? How long have you known?”

  “I...uh...” She couldn’t find her tongue. How to tell him, a man so tortured by loss? She felt empathy and also resentment that she should have to carry this burden alone.

  “When were you planning on telling me? Or were you?”

  “Kadin—”

  He pushed off the counter and straightened, stark-faced with apprehension, his worst nightmare coming true. Penny couldn’t bear the sight and in that instant realized she secretly didn’t disagree to having a baby with him. The lack of planning made for bad timing, sure, but the idea of something so intimate with him warmed rather than chilled. That he felt the opposite punched her soul, leaving her completely unprepared. “I thought... I assumed...” he stammered.

  Kadin at a loss for words hammered down just how disagreeable he regarded having a baby. With her. With anyone. She could be any other woman on the planet right now. The threat came in the form of a child. A family. She could see instant replays of his life with the family he lost flash through the stark gleam in his eyes.

  “I normally rely on condoms.” To her own ears she sounded matter-of-fact, contradicting the obliteration going on inside, where he couldn’t see. Both pride and a sensitivity for his past kept her together.

  “You could have said something.” He raked his fingers through his hair.

  “When?” When had there been an appropriate time to bring that up? The first time they’d slept together hadn’t been planned. No romantic dinner. No official date to precede such a responsible conversation. Their night of passion had nothing to do with responsibility.

  None of the starkness left his gaze as he searched hers for something, and Penny wondered what he looked for. An answer to this problem? A solution. Way out. Escape. Place to run. She saw and felt his wild, desperate energy.

  “I’m not getting an abortion,” she said.

  “I wasn’t...” He lifted his arms, hands open as he faltered with what to say and how to say it, a man riddled with confusion.

  “No?” Even in a state of chaos, she wouldn’t have expected him to go there, to that extreme in order to spare himself the agony of making another family, of risking another terrible heartache.

  “The thought crossed my mind, but I’d never ask you to do that. I’m against abortion.”

  Except in this situation? Penny felt something slip into place, a defensive wall. If he could even contemplate abortion, she lost a giant chunk of respect for him.

  “I am,” he insisted, seeing her reaction. The haunted wildness eased from him. “I just... I wasn’t prepared for this. I didn’t see it coming.”

  “You should have.”

  “Did you?”

  Folding her arms, she walked to the big, white-framed casement window in her living room, not really seeing the view. There had been too much going on to pay attention to the potential consequences of sleeping together. Neither of them had.

  This resembled what her mother had gone through. Her mother had been young, but the result would be the same. The man couldn’t handle having a baby. He didn’t feel enough for the mother and couldn’t take on the responsibility, couldn’t allow this to alter his course...his mission in life. Her father had college as his excuse. Kadin had saving the world from predators like the one that had taken his daughter. And, eventually, his wife.

  “I’m not going to end up like my mother,” she said aloud.

  Turning, she saw Kadin standing across the room, with his hands in his pockets.

  Whether with him or someone else, she refused to raise a child fatherless. But she’d be careful who she chose. She didn’t have to love a man for him to be a good father. This had become a business deal the moment she realized Kadin would not be there for her.

  Because she loved Kadin. Finding that kind of love now, with a baby on the way, reduced her options. She wouldn’t wait the way her mother had. Wait until too much time passed, until she convinced herself no other man would give her love. That only Kadin could. Deep in her heart, she felt truth in that, an awful truth. She might never feel for another man the way she felt for Kadin. Her mother had faced the same truth, except she’d grown to believe her love had come and gone forever and had chosen a life without any man, believing she’d settle.

  Penny wouldn’t settle, but neither would she stop searching for a good father for her baby. She would not be alone. She would have a family.

  “I need some time to think about this,” Kadin finally said.

  “Take all the time you need. Just do it away from me.” She would not be tortured by his presence, his lack of joy over the news that Penny would have his baby. That came as another jolting revelation, that he lacked joy. Whereas she had tremendous joy. She hadn’t recognized that sentiment until now.

  “I can’t leave until the killer is caught,” he gritted out.

  The tigress businesswoman in her emerged, her trusted strength. “Oh yes, you can. And you will. I don’t want you in my house anymore.”

  Removing his hands from his pockets, he began to approach. “Penny...”

  She unfolded her arms and held her hand up. “I understand why you’re so repulsed. But you need to understand how I feel.”

  “I’m not repulsed.”

  “You’re not happy.”

  He stopped a few feet from her, just when she would have moved away. “Are you happy? About...this?” He indicated her stomach with his hand.

  She put her hand protectively over her stomach. “Yes.”

  “Then...why didn’t you tell me as soon as you knew?”

  “Why, indeed.” She stomped over to the door. “Get your things and leave.”

  He didn’t move. “It’s dangerous for me to leave. You’ll be in danger.”

  “I don’t need you. I’m sorry for all you’ve been through, Kadin, but I have to think of myself right now. So, please. Get your things and leave.”

  Her tone must have told him she meant business. Without further argument, he went into the guest room. Her heart shattered with each second she waited for him. He would actually walk away. Just like her father. When he appeared with his bag, she opened her apartment door.

  He stopped there.

  Penny held on to the threads of her resolve. She did this for herself. For self-respect. And to let Kadin know that even though he had a terrible burden to overcome, he had to make a decision.

  * * *

  That night, Penny drove to meet Jax at the address he’d provided, downtrodden with thoughts of Kadin. That he’d walked away. That he hadn’t been happy. But most of all, that he robbed her of her own happiness. The two of them had potential. Didn’t he see that? The timing wasn’t ideal, but news of a baby should be joyous. A time for celebration.

  S
he supposed that only worked when both parents loved each other. Kadin didn’t love her. He probably couldn’t love anyone.

  Turning onto the road Jax had given her in his directions, Penny realized she’d been here before. The dirt driveway ended at a Victorian-style home with a barn and corral that resembled his boarded-up house and barn. She stopped the car and debated whether to turn around. This had to be the reason Dane had driven up Highway 190.

  She checked her cell phone. No service.

  When she looked up, Jax had emerged from the house, his son behind him. That relaxed her a bit. He’d brought Quinten with him. But...

  She looked toward the house and barn. Why hadn’t he told her about this property?

  Jax leaned down with a smile. Penny had the window down on this warm, pretty summer day.

  “You going to come in?” he asked.

  Penny felt she didn’t have much choice. Taking her purse and dropping her cell inside, she turned off her car and got out.

  “What is this place?”

  “Dane’s,” Jax said.

  Dane’s. Penny looked at the house again. Of course. She’d seen this in Jax’s digital picture display.

  “What happened to Dane?” she asked before they reached the front steps.

  “That’s what I asked you here to tell you.”

  She was glad when he stopped on the front porch. She didn’t want to go inside.

  “Dane killed that girl.”

  “Sara Wolfe?”

  “Yes. I found rope at his house. And I found clothing that belonged to her, at least we think it belonged to her. I tried to confront him, but he fought me and then ran. I chased him up the highway and he lost control of his car and wrecked. I’m sure you’ve heard by now?”

  Penny nodded. “Did you call the police so they can process the evidence?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to tell you first.”

  Why her? Penny’s bad feeling began to expand. She looked at Quinten and noticed the shirt he wore. Pieces of that photo from Jax’s digital display popped out at her. Quinten had worn the same exact shirt. He’d stood in front of this mountain home. And, most disturbing, there had been a white pickup truck there in the background. For the first time, she noticed his blank eyes. They watched her like a predator’s.

  He opened the front door.

  Jax put his hand on her lower back. “Let’s go inside.”

  Penny resisted. “No.” She jerked her arm free and spun to run down the steps.

  Jax caught her arm again and yanked her back around. Quinten had drawn a gun.

  Penny looked from Quinten to Jax, who still maintained that innocent face she’d seen him put on for her.

  “We’ll go inside and talk this through,” he said.

  Talk?

  How much talking would he do before he let his son kill her? Jax guided her firmly into the house, Quinten taking up the rear, his wordless, triumphant look the last she saw before facing the richly appointed house. Her gaze landed on a familiar sweatshirt draped over a kitchen chair.

  Dane must have figured out what he’d done and tried to intervene, just like Jax. Only Jax had tried to cover up for his son.

  Quinten had met his father in Park City the night Sara Wolfe had disappeared. He would have had ample time to kidnap her and take her here and then drive the back way to his dad’s house on Highway 190. He’d been at his dad’s mountain home the morning she went there and she and Jax had walked to the burned barn, the day she fell through the trapdoor. He hadn’t left. He’d stayed long enough to try to capture her. Jax had coaxed her inside. What would he have done if Kadin hadn’t been there to rescue her?

  What he’d do now that he’d lured her here...

  Penny turned to Jax. “You knew.”

  He looked confused. “What? Knew what?”

  “You’ve been protecting him.”

  “Dane kidnapped those girls. I was afraid you’d react this way, what with my pickup truck and rope found on my property. My brother hated me. He set me up.”

  “So...you asked me here to convince me?”

  “Yes.” He took both her hands and held them like a lover about to propose, making her sick. “Penny, I want us to be together. That can’t happen if you keep thinking I had anything to do with Sara Wolfe’s kidnapping and death. I didn’t do it. Dane did.”

  Did he not know about the others? “When did you realize your son was a pedophile?”

  Quinten scoffed. “Pedophile. Shut her up.”

  “You’re not listening,” Jax said. “It was Dane.” His brow lowered and he took on a desperate frown. “Penny, we can be together. We can have a great life. I run Ballard’s now. We can finish the ad campaign. Get married. Have kids. It will be wonderful.”

  Oh dear God, the man had gone off into la-la land. Delusional. Insane.

  “There are other girls who’ve gone missing, Jax. Do you know about them?”

  He flinched before he recovered, glancing over at an aloof Quinten. “Can the police prove Dane kidnapped them?”

  “Don’t you mean Quinten?”

  “Quinten didn’t do it.” Denial based on blind love drove Jax. He did not want to believe his son could do such a thing. “Dane planted the rope.”

  Penny saw how smug Quinten looked. “What about the DNA? It won’t match Dane’s.” And she’d also received that threatening text after Dane had been driven off the road.

  “He planted that, too, then. Penny, it was Dane, not my son.”

  What was the matter with him? Why did he protect his son this way? He loved Quinten, and quite possibly would do anything to protect him...including from charges of murder.

  “No, Jax, Quinten kidnapped Sara Wolfe and now Makayla Moore.” He had to know that by now. “It may not be too late for her.” She searched the house. “Is she here?” Walking past them, she came to a closed door and would have opened it if Quinten didn’t grab her arm and pull her back so hard she stumbled and fell onto her rear.

  “We have to kill her, Dad.”

  Moving to stand in front of Penny, Jax held up his hands. “No, son. We don’t have to.”

  “Yes, we do. Bring her downstairs and you’ll see why.”

  Jax stood fixed for seconds, staring in disbelief at his son. “You didn’t. It isn’t true. What Penny said. You didn’t take another girl.”

  “Bring her, or I’ll shoot you both.” Quinten wagged his gun impatiently. “She’ll lure that hero cop here and once they’re both gone, Detective Cohen will believe our story. Dane did everything.”

  “Dane can’t kill her and Kadin,” Jax said. “Dane is dead, remember? The detective will know one of us killed them.”

  “Then I’ll tell them you did.”

  “You’d—” Jax stammered and couldn’t find words fast enough. “I’m your father.”

  Penny realized how all this fell into place. “But he’s not, is he?” When she had both men’s attention, she said, “He isn’t your real father.” The DNA found on Sara Wolfe would have been a closer match to Jax’s. That would have raised a big red flag and changed the course of the investigation.

  “I adopted him after his mother left.” Jax sounded near defeat.

  He was her only way out of this. Jax wanted a life with her, even though somewhere in a rational part of his mind he had to know the police would figure out Dane hadn’t done any of this. He’d tried to stop them both, and for that had lost his life. Dane, protector of his best friend, Mark, had even wanted to save his brother. Because Dane hadn’t put the rope in Jax’s closet. He also hadn’t put the truck in the barn. Quinten had. Hoodie Man.

  “Son...” Jax sounded pleading. Not a good sign.

  The sign of weakness only gave Quinten more power. “You were never around for me,” he said, s
neering. “You cared more about Dane and that business than me. You were always trying to win his approval.”

  “That isn’t true. I’ve protected you. Through all of this.”

  “I don’t need protection.”

  He needed to go to prison, that was what he needed. Penny searched for a weapon. She still had her purse over her shoulder.

  “I found out who my real father was. He died in Iraq. My mother was a piece of garbage and he was killed. You were never my dad. You could never be a hero like my real dad.”

  “Jax, don’t let him do this,” Penny said. “Quinten kidnapped and killed Sara Wolfe and the other girls. He also kidnapped Makayla Moore, and she’s here.”

  “Take her downstairs,” Quinten said.

  Jax looked at the gun and then Penny.

  She stood up and went to him. “We have to free that girl, Jax. You have to turn Quinten in to the police. And you have to tell them everything.” When he only stared into her eyes with indecision, she said, “You have to realize your plan won’t work. The evidence won’t point to Dane. They have DNA from Sara and the other girl. Who do you think is going to be found guilty? Not Dane. Quinten will. And you’ll go to prison for conspiring to help him. For hiding evidence.”

  “Dane planted the evidence.”

  Penny shook her head. “You know that isn’t true.” She put her hand on his upper arm. “I’m sorry, Jax.”

  “I burned the barn because Dane used my truck to kidnap Sara Wolfe.”

  That was what Quinten had told him. “Quinten stole your truck. Quinten put the rope in your closet. Think, Jax. He’s your son, I understand that. But you have to face the truth now.”

  “Take her downstairs,” Quinten demanded. “Shut her up.”

  Penny went to him and, with Jax watching, pressed Quinten’s shoulder where the Hoodie Man had been shot.

  Quinten winced and stepped back. “Get downstairs or I’ll shoot you.”

  Seeing blood soak through Quinten’s T-shirt, she faced Jax. “He chased us after we followed Dane up here. Kadin shot him.”