Harlequin Romantic Suspense January 2021

by Marie Ferrarella, Regan Black, Karen Whiddon

  “I get the feeling that Maya would be asking for Mommy if that were the case. I’m guessing that Mommy either left or is dead,” January speculated.

  “You’re probably right,” Sean agreed, “but until we have confirmation one way or another, let’s just assume that she is somewhere out there.”

  “Fine by me,” January agreed. She wanted to move this along. “For now, why don’t you focus on getting that DNA sample from Maya so the lab can run the test on it? You’ll tell them to put a rush on it, right?”

  He surprised her by laughing. “You obviously haven’t had all that much contact with police labs, have you? I’ll make it easy for you,” Sean told her. “The lab techs all plead overwork.”

  “You can’t flex your muscles or bat your lashes or whatever it takes to get the tech to respond and put you at the head of the list?” she asked.

  Her inexperience in this matter really amused Sean. “Well, it’s obvious that someone’s been watching way too many TV crime procedurals.”

  “I don’t have time to watch procedurals,” she informed him with a touch of indignation. “I’m way too busy dealing with the real world and kids who have been abandoned or abused by people who were supposed to love and care for them. And, if you must know, I also think that you have a way about you that gets people to do whatever you want them to. I’m just telling you to use your ‘special power’ so that if Maya’s father or mother is alive, we get to unite them as quickly as possible.”

  Intrigued and more than a little fascinated, Sean cocked his head and asked whimsically, “Anything else you’d like me to do while you’re making requests?”

  An answer rose to her lips, but she wasn’t about to make the mistake of actually giving voice to it. Although, admittedly, there was a part of her that would have loved to find out what Sean’s mouth would feel like pressed against hers.

  Given that there was a child in the room, not to mention that giving in to the impulse would create a host of other complications, she couldn’t actually say that to the detective—or even have him suspect it.

  So, instead, January merely said, “No, that’ll do for now.”

  “Okay, then, why don’t we go somewhere comfortable so I can get that sample we need from this little princess?” he asked, smiling at Maya.

  “Or we could just do it in the kitchen,” January suggested.

  “Sounds good. Tell Maya for me,” he requested, turning his attention back to the little girl.

  January did as he asked, signing to the little girl exactly what the detective was going to do.

  After looking uncertain at first, Maya finally sat back down at the table and opened her small mouth.

  CHAPTER 9

  When Sean took the long cheek swab out of its plastic wrapper, Maya’s eyes grew huge and she scooted back on her chair, clutching at the seat, as if that was enough to get her out of the detective’s reach. She also closed her mouth—tight.

  January immediately signed, telling the little girl that it was all right.

  Maya shook her head. “No, it’s not,” Maya signed back. “I will choke on the stick if he pushes it into my throat.”

  Before January could explain that all the detective was going to do was rub the swab against the inside of her cheek, Sean had taken out a second swab. He had brought the swab with him just in case something happened to the first one.

  Getting Maya’s attention, Sean elaborately unwrapped the swab, then went on to use it on himself to demonstrate to the little girl just how quick, painless and harmless the whole process was. He rubbed the swab on the inside of his cheek, took the stick out and proceeded to hold it up for her inspection.

  Glancing at January, he asked, “How do you sign done?”

  Raising both hands, January moved them from the area at the top of her shoulders down midway to her waist as if she was trying to brush off sparkles.

  Flashing him a smile, she declared, “Done.”

  “Okay.” Mimicking the movement, he looked at Maya as he did it, then said, “Done.”

  Very slowly, a small, shy smile bloomed on Maya’s heart-shaped face. The next moment, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth. Everything about her body language told the detective she was ready for this to happen.

  “Very brave,” he told Maya, his eyes shining with approval.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw January sign his spoken sentiment to the little girl.

  Sean swabbed the inside of her right cheek quickly, then held up the long stick he had used for her inspection. When she nodded her head, satisfied, he felt it was safe to proceed.

  With the same sort of elaborate movements he had used with his own swab, Sean took the swab he had just used on Maya and placed in the plastic bag, pressed the edges on either side together, locking the bag, and then put that in a paper bag.

  January had watched the whole thing without saying a word. She was very impressed, not just with his patience, but with the amount and degree of empathy that the detective had displayed.

  “They teach you that at the police station?” she asked him when he had finished taking the sample.

  “Some things can’t be taught,” he told her with a simple smile.

  “You mean like putting pressure on tab techs?” she asked him.

  He snorted, shaking his head. “You just don’t stop, do you?”

  She held up her hands. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she answered, giving him an innocent look. And then she gave credit where it was due. “But you’re very good with her. You put her at ease.”

  His eyes met January’s, and just for the briefest second, he caught himself entertaining thoughts that had no business being in his head.

  “Too bad I can’t seem to do that with her handler,” Sean responded, just as he banished the thought from his head.

  “There’s no need to put me at ease,” she told him. “I work best when I’m on the edge.” She cleared her throat before he could draw her in any further with those magnetic bright-green eyes of his. “Now, if you’ve finished that coffee I poured for you, my suggestion is that you get yourself to that lab posthaste,” she told him, pointing at the bag with the swab in it.

  “What about my offer?” Sean asked. When January looked at him quizzically, he elaborated. “You know, the offer to go grocery shopping for you and fill your refrigerator.”

  Hadn’t he paid attention to what she had said to him? “How long have you had this problem retaining things?” she asked. Before he could ask her what she was talking about, January told him. “I said that Maya and I were going to make a day of it, going food shopping and just doing something normal. I thought it would be good for her.”

  He wasn’t keen on her being out there with Maya, even in broad daylight. He would definitely feel better if he—or at least a patrol officer—was with her.

  “And if I asked you to wait until I got back and could go with you?” he asked.

  She didn’t like being viewed as helpless. “Sorry, Stafford. No can do.”

  Two could play this stubborn game, he thought. “All right, then I’m attaching a plainclothes officer to follow you.”

  She frowned, but she supposed she could see his reasoning. “All right, as long as he puts enough distance between him and us not to spook Maya. She’s been through enough,” January stressed.

  “No argument, but I don’t want her possibly having to go through even more,” Sean pointed out, “which means keeping her safe.”

  January rolled what he said over in her head. The way January saw it, her choices were between bad and worse. She pressed her lips together, looking at the detective. Sean represented the lesser of two evils and, happily, he didn’t scare Maya. She actually responded to him.

  “All right,” January said with a sigh, surrendering. “You win.”

  The c
orners of his mouth curved. “And what is it that I win?” he asked, taking the DNA sample with him to the door.

  He was really going to make her say it, she thought, surprised.

  Looking at his expression, she realized that he was. With another sigh, she said through clenched teeth, “Maya and I will wait until you get back before going grocery shopping.”

  Sean nodded his head. “I take it back,” he told her.

  January stared at him, confused. She didn’t understand. “Take what back?”

  Sean’s smile widened. “What I was thinking about you.”

  Which meant, she thought, that initially it had been something less than flattering. “Careful, Detective. I’m not as harmless as I look,” January warned, making a fist at her side for emphasis.

  They were back, those thoughts about her that he had absolutely no business entertaining in the present atmosphere.

  With effort, Sean managed to shut them down.

  Again.

  He looked at her intently. “Oh, I know you’re not,” he quietly agreed.

  January had no idea what he meant by that, but his tone was way too sexy to be construed as being harmless. It took her a moment to find her tongue. Her mouth felt far too dry.

  “You’d better get going,” she told Sean. Belatedly, she began to walk him to the door.

  Maya was directly behind them, shadowing their every move.

  “If you’re going to be any use to us, you need to hurry back as soon as possible,” January told him.

  “You got it. Be back as soon as I can,” Sean said, opening the door. But he paused just before he pulled it shut behind him. “You are going to stay put, right?”

  “Absolutely.” She gave him a quick salute. “Scout’s honor.”

  Sean turned to look at her dubiously. “You were a Girl Scout?” he asked.

  The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him, Sean didn’t know if she was being serious or pulling his leg.

  “I’ve got the merit badges to prove it,” she responded cheerfully.

  He decided that, for the sake of expediency, he had no choice but to believe her. “All right, I’ll take you at your word.” He paused to wave goodbye to Maya and then he was gone.

  The little girl looked up at January, then signed a question.

  “Yes,” January assured her, signing. “He’s coming back.”

  Her statement drew a huge smile in response. It didn’t take much to figure out what was going on in Maya’s head. “You, little girl, have a serious case of hero worship going on,” January murmured under her breath.

  January happened to glance down at her clothes and realized that she still hadn’t changed them, not since yesterday morning. Well, if nothing else, she could use this down time to put on a fresh outfit, she consoled herself.

  “Come with me,” she signed to Maya.

  “To where?” the little girl signed back, cocking her head.

  “Definitely not a trusting soul,” the social worker in her decided. Maybe that was a good thing.

  “To my room,” she signed, then smiled as she added, “So I can put on something that doesn’t look as if I slept in it.”

  “But you did,” Maya signed.

  January laughed, then pointed to the stairs, raising her hand from the bottom step to the top of the landing.

  Maya lost no time in running up the stairs, as if she thought it was a race of some sort.

  With that in mind, January took her time going up, sensing that winning something as insignificant as getting to the top of the stairs first was somehow important to Maya. She had a feeling that gratification was not something that happened often for the little girl.

  So, when January did reach the top of the stairs, she inclined her head toward Maya, as if she was conceding the race.

  “You win,” she signed. “I’ll win next time.”

  Maya signed back, “Maybe,” and smiled from ear to ear.

  There was a touch of humbleness about Maya, January thought, warmed.

  She put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and guided Maya into her bedroom so January could pick out something to wear for this proposed grocery shopping field trip.

  A couple of minutes passed before she realized that she was looking over the outfits hanging in her closet with a critical eye. The clothes were all very serviceable, of course. She had worn all of them to work at one time or another. But even so, for some reason, January caught herself dismissing each and every one.

  What was she doing? This isn’t a date, January silently insisted, annoyed with herself and where her thoughts were. She was just picking out something to wear while she was grocery shopping, for heaven’s sake. Any one of the outfits she had looked at would do as long as it covered all the essential parts. And they all did.

  With that in mind, she took out a pair of gray slacks and a turquoise, long-sleeved V-neck pullover. Because Maya was there on the bed, watching her intently, January held up her choice for the little girl to view, wanting Maya to feel as if she was an active part of this whole process.

  Maya beamed and nodded her approval.

  “Okay, I’ll just go and put this on,” January signed, stepping into the bathroom.

  But before she could close the door so she could change out of what she was wearing and put on the slacks and top, Maya had squeezed herself into the room right behind her. The little girl proceeded to sit down, cross-legged, on the tile floor.

  And then she looked up, waiting.

  January’s natural inclination was to tell the girl to wait for her in the bedroom until she had finished changing. But again she sensed that Maya felt better if she stayed close to her.

  For better or worse, it seemed that the girl had formed an attachment to her as well as to the detective—or maybe she was being substituted for Detective Stafford until he could return. Either way, January wasn’t about to make Maya feel as if she was being abandoned or rejected. Not even if the gesture was perpetuated by something as small and insignificant as closing the bathroom door to separate them.

  So, with Maya sitting right there on the floor, January hurried out of the outfit she had been wearing since the previous morning and put on the slacks and top that she had picked out today. The available space in the bathroom made the change of clothing tricky for her, but January managed.

  After pulling a hairbrush through her long blond hair so it didn’t look like something the wind had just blown in, January put on some lipstick and turned toward Maya.

  “All ready. Let’s go,” she signed to Maya as she put a hand out to her.

  There was a look of utter gratitude on the small, angelic face that January couldn’t begin to describe.

  Maya curled her small hand around hers. The warmth pulsating in January’s chest spread out soft, tender fingers that reached throughout every part of her.

  It was becoming a very familiar feeling for her.

  “Okay,” January said to herself once they reached the bottom of the stairs again. “Now all we have to do is wait for Detective Stafford to show up here. But he better hurry,” she murmured, “or you and I are going to fly the coop.”

  Maya looked at her and shook her head, indicating that she didn’t understand. She had been trying very hard to read lips, January realized, but her efforts weren’t proving all that fruitful.

  “Sorry,” January signed, then went on to sign to Maya roughly what she had murmured to herself.

  With a nod of her head to indicate that she understood, Maya surprised January by walking up to the front door. She positioned herself by one of the windows that framed the upper portion of the door. For all intents and purposes, she looked as if she was standing guard there.

  “Looks like you have got yourself a groupie, Stafford,” January said under her breath to the absent homicide detective.
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br />   Maya’s sweet, unassuming behavior made January think about the girl’s parents again, or at least about the daddy she kept asking after.

  Why weren’t those people combing the streets, looking for her? Or more to the point, why hadn’t there been a missing person report filed on Maya, offering a reward and searching for her whereabouts the moment they realized she was gone?

  “If you were my little girl, Maya,” she said to the child’s back, “I would be out there, searching and leaving no stone unturned until I found you.”

  She saw Maya’s back suddenly grow rigid and the little girl all but stood at attention.

  “What do you see?” January asked as she made a beeline for the door. And then she remembered that Maya had been watching through the glass that framed either side of the door. That way, she would have been able to see Stafford coming up the front walk.

  The next moment, as she heard the doorbell, January knew her conjecture had to be right.

  “Speak of the devil,” she said as she opened the front door.

  “Oh, were you speaking of the devil?” Sean asked, walking in.

  “No, but you’re the next best thing,” January said, even as Maya threw her arms around him.

  Sean laughed as he scooped the little girl up and gave her a quick, warm hug. “Hi, princess, did you miss me?”

  Maya seemed to get the general gist of what he was asking without having January sign what Sean had said.

  Setting the girl back down on the ground, the detective looked at January. “Ready to go?”

  “We’ve been ready since you left,” she told him.

  He didn’t know if she was being sarcastic or critical, but he let it go. Glancing at January’s new attire as he held the door open for her and Maya, he said, “Nice outfit,” then closed the door behind them.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Was that sarcasm?” January asked as she walked out holding Maya’s hand.

  “No. Why?” he asked. “Haven’t you ever been on the receiving end of a compliment before?”

  “Yes, of course. But when it comes to you, I’m not exactly sure if you’re being on the level or putting me on.”