“Not really. I think you’d be perfect for my friend, but she’d never buy it. I can’t get you to see it. So what good am I?” She stood up laughing. “I can see my work is done here.” Katie walked away smiling.
Matt grinned. He was glad Katie wasn’t looking in his direction now. She had busted him, and she knew it. Guarding his growing feeling for Jessie was getting harder to do. Maybe it was time to let it show.
Tom stood up to leave. “I need to get back for an early morning meeting. I’ll coordinate with you as soon as I have my team in place. I want you to be in on getting these perps even if they’re out of your jurisdiction. Give some thought to your theories. We’ll talk.” His eyes drifted toward Jessie. “Tell her I said goodbye.”
“Will do…” Matt walked Tom to his car. “I’ll let you know any information I get when I question the Davis girl.” They shook hands. “I want to find the one who beat Joshua Harris.”
“I have to tell you, Matt, I came down here thinking to maybe give it all up. I feel renewed after seeing Abigail’s rescue today. I want to find those kids in a bad way. When I get back to the office on Monday, I’ll be pushing to get this started. I’ll be in touch.” Tom got in his car.
“Okay.” Matt walked back toward the group. “Hey, Frank, I’ll be right back, and then we’ll head back to my place, okay?”
“I’ll be here. I’m too tired to move.” He rubbed his tender knee.
Matt walked over and stood beside Jessie as she finished her conversation with Katie. He grabbed her elbow. “Tom said to tell you goodbye. So I’m telling you.” He smiled at her. “I’ve come to walk you home and then take Frank back to my place. He’s tired.”
“You don’t need to walk me back—I can walk there myself.” She tried to shake his hand free from her arm.
“Yes, I do. I have something I need to tell you. Say goodnight, Jess.” She walked away from him toward home. Matt kept pace with her, glancing over at her from time to time. “Do you think you’ll hear any more thoughts like Abigail’s?” His hand grabbed her hand.
“I have no idea. I don’t know how any of this works.” She moved over a little on the path trying to pull her hand free.
“How come your hands are so soft?” He rubbed his thumb over hers.
“I’m a girl.”
“Believe me, I’ve noticed.” He gave her a crooked grin. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if anyone talks in your head again.” He grinned as he pulled her against his side, resting his arm over her shoulder.
When they got to her back door, he took the key out of her hand and unlocked the door, then held it open for her to walk in. “Goodnight,” she said and started to shut the door.
“Not so fast. I told you we were going to have a nice little talk.” He put his foot in the door. He pushed it open, walked in, and stood directly in front of her. He leaned down so he could look directly into her eyes. “I want to have a serious chat with you.” He moved closer still until his lips were within mere inches of hers. “If I remember correctly, I told you we were meant to be together. I’m getting a little impatient with you dragging your feet. I’ve made an important decision. Do you want to hear what it is?” He watched her begin to shake her head no. “Oh yes you do, sweetheart, because it definitely concerns you.”
“All right! I’ll bite. What’s this great decision?” She looked flustered.
“I think you’re purposely dragging your feet and ignoring me, thinking I’ll give up like all the other guys have over the years.” She shook her head no. “Yes,” he said. “But my mind is made up! I’m not waiting much longer, nor am I going to let you drag this out for months.” He grinned. “I’m going to turn on the charm and make it hard for you to say no. In the end you’re going to love it.” He leaned in closer and gave her a quick kiss. He chuckled at her expression, turned around, and walked away.
Matt felt her eyes boring into his back. He was still smiling when he got back to Frank. “You look awful pleased with yourself, Mr. Parker.” Katie eyed him.
“I’ve won another round with my sweet little adversary.” He grinned when Katie gave him a puzzled look. “Thanks for a great meal.” He tipped his head to her. “We’ll be seeing you around.” They walked to the car.
****
Jessie was dumbfounded as she watched him leave. She shut and locked the door. What was he up to now? She leaned against the wall. One thing for sure, she didn’t want the added stress of trying to figure him out now. If she was honest, she found it more than a little exciting. She fanned her over-heated face with a piece of paper. “Charm me…if you only knew just how you affect me already.” She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
Matt wasn’t teasing her. He was serious, and the look on his face convinced her of that fact. Something there might be nice to explore. Jessie went to her computer and wrote for a while trying to put the evening behind her.
A light tap at her back door got Jessie out of her chair to check.
“I see you’re still up.” Katie studied her as she opened the door.
“Yes, what’s up?”
“I could ask you the same thing? Matt came back to the Inn looking rather pleased. He had a grin a mile wide. What happened between you two? Fess up.”
“Nothing! He was in some strange mood, rambling on about who knows what.” Jessie gave her an innocent look.
“That’s odd. Matt said he had won another round. I wish you two would stop fighting. You have to work together on this case, and he needs to watch out for you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. So promise me not to fight. Okay?” Katie planted her fists on her hips.
“He’s won nothing!” Jessie frowned but changed what she was going to say when she saw the look on Katie’s face. “Please don’t worry, we’re friends now.” She bit her lip.
When Katie left, Jessie went to bed. Faces from Abigail’s dreams filled her dreams with faces and pictures of children. Nightmares really. What was happening to the other kids? She awakened knowing she still had a job to do. On standby was where Matt and his weird proposal would have to go for now.
Chapter 11
The look on Jessie’s face last night had been priceless. Matt smiled to himself. She had been surprised all right, but he felt like a million bucks. From the first day he had laid eyes on her, he had struggled with his instant attraction to her. He paused to pull his shirt over his head. Yeah, he had grumbled, lectured, and tried to push her away. He had put up a valiant fight.
I surrender! He threw up his hands and headed for the kitchen. He had stated his intention clearly. She would get used to the idea in time. He grinned. This might be fun after all, and it was worth the battle. He had almost lost her once, during their first case. Life was too short to wait for her to get around to it.
Matt walked into the kitchen to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He poured himself a cup. “Thanks, man…” He saluted Frank and pointed to his cup.
“I always get up early at home and start the coffee. It’s the least I could do to say thanks for your hospitality. This beats a motel any day for me and Radar.” Frank took a sip of the dark hot brew.
“The hospital gave us the okay to visit this morning. I want Jessie to have pictures to go with the story she’s writing.” Matt leaned his hip against the counter. “The sooner we get the information out there, the better. People tend to make mistakes when the pressure’s on.” He took a swig of his coffee and popped a bagel into the toaster. “Will that work for you?”
“Sure, Radar loves attention.” Frank smiled. “He plays the role of hero well, believe me.” Frank topped off his cup.
Matt’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the caller ID and took the call. “Good morning, Jess, how’d you sleep?” He laughed at her grumble. “That bad? I had a great night. I got a lot off my chest, and I slept better than I have in years.” He grabbed the toasted bagel, placed it on a plate, and handed it to Frank.
“Zip it, Matt. Are you trying to irritate me?” Her
voice sounded sharp on the phone.
“That would be affirmative.” He grinned. “Hey, we have the hospital’s approval to take Radar up to meet Abigail. I want you to come along so you can write the story. Marcy will take pictures.” Matt pushed the jam and cream cheese toward Frank.
“Sure, okay…” She sounded distracted. “I wanted to talk to you—” He cut her off.
“Just a minute, Jess.” He handed Frank a knife and then walked out of the kitchen. “I wanted to talk to you too, sweetheart.” Matt grinned as he imagined her expression.
“Would you please be serious?”
“I am very serious.”
“Let me try this again.” She exhaled a long breath. “Abigail was in my head again, and I saw lots of the kid’s faces. So I need to take a look at the book to pick out their photos.”
“Sure, I’ll bring it along with me. Why don’t you ride with us? I’d like to see if Abigail’s picks are the same as yours.” He sat down on the edge of the leather couch.
“When will you pick me up?”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.” He couldn’t resist and then laughed when she moaned. “I’ll be there at ten thirty. Talk to you later.” Matt hung up and made a couple of calls.
****
He couldn’t take his eyes off her when she walked out the door. She looked like spring in the midst of an otherwise gray autumn day. Her hair bounced softly with the sway of her hips, her blue eyes sparkled almost as much as her smile. He felt a catch in his throat. Focus, he told himself, but it wasn’t helping. He frowned. When it came to Jessie, all sense of discipline eluded him.
“Good morning.” She smiled at them as she slid into the backseat and closed the door. She looked over her shoulder to the crate in the back. “Hi, Radar, are you ready to be lavished with lots of praise today?” The hound’s head popped up, and he gazed at her with his soulful eyes.
“He’s always ready for attention.” Frank looked in his mirror at her.
Matt chuckled. “What male isn’t?”
“You’ll have to help me out with directions.” Frank approached the stop sign.
“You’ve got it, Frank. You’ll need to take a left when you get to the sign and head back toward town.” Matt looked over his shoulder at Jessie. “The book is on the seat. You can write the page number and child’s name on the notepad with it.” Matt turned back around.
Jessie marked the pages with the pictures of several of the kids including Lily, a boy named Austin, and the youngest child taken, Olivia. By the time she was through, they were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital.
Matt opened the door for her while Frank got the dog out. She handed him the book and pad. “It looks like you found quite a few.” He closed the door behind her.
“Which means Abigail will be able to identify several of the children and hopefully her abductors, as well.” She walked past him toward Frank and Radar at the back of the SUV. “Hey, fella…” She stroked the hound’s head. “Are you ready for this?” His tail wagged, slapping against her legs. With Radar’s harness in place, they all walked toward the hospital.
Marcy was waiting with her camera, clicking pictures the minute they entered the doors. Radar took it in stride—all the hands reaching out to stroke him, kids running up to him, and an elevator ride up to the fourth floor to the children’s waiting area. After a brief stop at the nurse’s desk and a promise to take Radar to see the other children, Sally, one of the young volunteers escorted them to Abigail’s room.
“Oh, Abby, you look so much better today.” Jessie walked over to where she was sitting. “Did you sleep well?” Abby shook her head no.
“I had a bad dream.” She frowned.
“I’m sorry, maybe you can take a little nap later.” Jessie touched her shoulder.
“The doctor told my mom I get to go home tomorrow.” She smiled up at Jessie.
“That’s good news, honey.” Jessie smiled back, sitting down in the chair next to hers.
“Is that the dog that found me?” She looked around Jessie and pointed to Radar.
“Yes, would you like to meet him?” Matt motioned Frank over with Radar.
At first, she was timid, but Radar pushed his head into her lap, and she hugged him. “Thank you, oh, thank you for finding me.” She giggled when he licked her face. Her small hands stroked his shiny red coat. She whispered what a fine dog he was. Matt noticed the moisture in Jessie’s eyes and handed her a tissue.
Marcy got several great shots and went back to the station to arrange them. Frank and a nurse took Radar around to some of the other children’s rooms. Abigail looked through the book. She picked out the same faces as Jessie had plus a few more. Jessie took a deep breath after hearing Abigail’s version of what happened to her.
“At least now I know I’m not completely weird.” She smiled at Matt.
“That has yet to be determined.” He grinned but didn’t let her see it. “I still don’t know how you managed to get all of those details in your mind.”
“If you figure it out, let me know. I’d love to know how it happens.” Jessie bent down and whispered in Abigail’s ear as Jared, a local artist, walked in the room. “I’ll be back in a little while. I’m going to go find Radar. Jared needs your help now.”
“How can I help?” Abby looked at her, puzzled.
“You can tell him about the men who took you, and he will draw a picture of them.” She patted Abby’s shoulder. “I know you can do it.”
“Jessie’s good with her.” Jared plopped down in a chair and opened his sketchpad. Matt nodded and watched Jessie until she left the room.
****
By the time Jessie and Frank got back to Abigail’s room, she was sound asleep. Her parents had gone home, and Matt was the only one left in the room.
“Hey, are you guys ready to leave?” Matt kept his voice low as they walked in the door.
Jessie nodded.
“How’d she do?” Frank inquired.
“She was a real trouper! She filled in many of the missing pieces. As you can see, we wore her out.” Matt stood and gathered up his files. “We have three composites we’ll be able to put out to local agencies and news outlets.” He held up one for them to see. “She gave us some detailed information that will help us compile the charges against them.”
“You look concerned. What are you thinking?” Jessie studied him.
“They’ll come after her. She knows too much.” He frowned. “They’re probably on their way back now. I have no clue what we’re up against.”
“Are you going to keep her in protective custody?” Jessie turned to look at the sleeping girl.
“We’ll keep her safe.” Matt motioned toward the door.
“I believe you will.” She smiled at him.
“Frank, would you mind being on call if you’re needed to come back again?”
“Sure thing. You call, tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Great…” He gave Jessie a playful push to get her moving toward the door. “By the way, Marcy said you can take a look at the pictures. They’re ready. We’ll stop at the station on our way back.”
“Keep her safe.” Jessie smiled at the police officer sitting outside the door.
He nodded. “We will.”
****
Jessie loved the photos and picked several to accompany her story. She chose one of Abby hugging Radar, a great single shot of her, and one with Frank, Radar, and Abby together.
“If it’s okay with you, Matt, I’d like to stop by your place first.” Frank spoke up as they left. “Radar has been confined for a while and needs to be fed.”
“It’s fine by me. Will that work for you, Jess?” Matt closed the door behind her.
“I don’t mind.” Jessie’s interest was piqued.
She had heard it said that a person’s place could tell you something about them, and Matt’s house spoke volumes. She was impressed and speechless, which didn’t happen to her often. I
t didn’t square with her perception of him. Each of the rooms he showed them he had meticulously planned. She could tell by listening to his descriptions that he was proud of his work. The quality was outstanding, and the window placement took advantage of a view that was breathtaking. The gourmet kitchen was a chef’s dream with its large professional gas range and deep sink. Who wouldn’t want to cook in a kitchen like this? Katie would go nuts.
Next, Matt showed her the gardens. Jessie could only imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer. “I’m sorry, Jess.” He reached for his phone. “I need to take this call. Continue to explore, you’ll enjoy it.”
Jessie found Frank sitting on a bench on the edge of the property. She sat down beside him, content to watch the sun reflecting its glorious colors over the cove.
“Hey, you two, I didn’t realize it was so late. Is anyone hungry besides me?” Matt’s voice startled her.
“I’m never one to turn down food.” Frank chuckled.
“How about you, Jess, are you up for it?” Matt touched her shoulder.
“Sure…” She stood and walked toward the car with them. “You must be very proud of all the work you’ve done on your house. It’s impressive.”
“Thanks, I am. It was my after-hours therapy sessions over the years. Since our last case I’ve started working on the master bedroom and bath.”
****
After dinner, Matt dropped Jessie off and she got back to work on Abigail’s story. It was late when she finished the final draft. She sent the final copy on to Max and Neil, with a note telling them they were free to print it. She had seen the composites and the AMBER Alert issued earlier with pictures of all the children. With any luck, the tips would start coming in.
Chapter 12
Jed walked away from the others to answer the call. He wiped the sweat dripping down his face on his sleeve, a scowl marring his otherwise handsome face. He clenched his left hand so tightly that it made marks where his fingernails dug into his skin.
“To say I’m not happy with you guys is a hell of an understatement.” He coughed. “Which one of you goons beat that kid?” He swore under his breath. “You’re a damn bunch of morons.”
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