Cherished Secrets

by C. B. Clark

  She let out a discouraged breath. Thought of it? It was all she’d thought of since Declan’s threat to contact a lawyer. He’d want to be part of Bonnie’s life. He lived in Dallas; she and Bonnie lived in Seattle. Her stomach lurched. She’d have to share her daughter. Would Bonnie spend Christmases and summer vacations with him? Her head throbbed. “You’re a judge.”

  He nodded.

  “What do you think will happen?”

  He puffed on his pipe for several long minutes. “Family law isn’t my specialty.”

  “I know, but what would a judge decide?” She wrung her hands until they ached.

  “You’re getting ahead of yourself. From what I’ve seen, you and McAllister seem to be, shall we say, getting along better these days? Is there a possibility you two could get back together?”

  “No,” she burst out. “I was just helping him solve Skye’s murder. Besides, he hates me.”

  Leland’s gray eyebrows rose.

  “I’m telling you the truth. There’s nothing between us. There never will be, I—” She stopped, realizing she was protesting too much.

  His mouth quirked in a small, knowing smile. “And that’s why you didn’t come home last night?”

  Her cheeks heated. Last night she’d been locked in Declan’s arms, and today he detested her. What a difference a twist of fate and a few hours made.

  “You do realize having sex with him was a mistake.” He put his pipe in the glass ashtray on the table beside his chair and pinned her with a sharp look. “Surely you don’t believe Bonnie is best served by you and McAllister getting back together. I mean, especially if he’s convicted.”

  “He won’t be.” She shook her head. “He’s innocent.”

  He smirked. “If I had a dollar every time a felon said the same thing.”

  “Declan’s not a felon. He’ll prove his innocence, and in the process find out who killed Skye.” From my lips to God’s ears.

  “You’re not thinking clearly, my dear. This situation has an upside. If McAllister goes to jail for murdering Skye Lawrence, you won’t have to worry about custody of Bonnie. No judge would grant a convicted murderer visiting rights, let alone custody of a young child.”

  Her anger flared to life. “You’re really something, you know? I would have thought a judge would be more concerned with justice than putting an innocent man in jail.”

  “No one’s innocent, Carrie Ann.”

  She blinked, trying to make sense of his comment, but before she could dwell on what he’d said, he spoke again.

  “I had a long talk with Sheriff Atkins. They found the vehicle that struck your car last night.”

  “Really? That’s great. Who owns it?”

  “The SUV was found abandoned twenty miles from here near Hedron. The vehicle had been stolen two days ago from the same area. The police are checking it for fingerprints as we speak.”

  She sank back, deflated. “What do you think the chances are whoever stole the SUV and crashed into me was stupid enough to leave his fingerprints behind?”

  “Zero to none.”

  “I thought so.” Another dead-end. “They don’t have any idea who’s responsible?”

  “The sheriff and his men are still investigating.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her through the haze of pipe smoke. “Is there something you’re not telling me, my dear?”

  She squirmed under the intensity of his penetrating gaze and looked away. An image of the piece of scarf, the word Guilty scrawled across the silk, flashed before her, and she shuddered. When she’d called the Sheriff’s Office earlier this afternoon, she’d told the deputy she’d talked to about the crash, but she’d left out any mention of the torn piece of cloth. In spite of everything going on between her and Declan, she didn’t want him to go to jail.

  “Carrie Ann, what aren’t you telling me?” Leland’s voice was stern and authoritative, as if he were presiding over his courtroom.

  She jerked back and fixed an innocent expression on her face. “I’ve told you everything.”

  His gimlet-eyed stare didn’t waver, reminding her of the many years he’d spent as the town’s prosecutor, ferreting information from the most hardened of criminals. “Are you sure?”

  Her mouth tasted of ashes. “I’m sure.” Before he could call her a liar, she jumped up from the couch and walked over to the window, staring out at the weak sunlight glistening on the lush green lawn and manicured shrubs. When her heart slowed and her breathing eased, she turned back to him.

  He puffed on his pipe, his intense gaze raking over her, and she knew he didn’t believe her.

  “If I were to speculate, I’d say someone’s trying to frighten you. According to the sheriff, the damage to your vehicle wasn’t severe enough to cause you serious injury.”

  “That’s what Declan said.”

  His face tightened, his dislike of Declan clear. “McAllister is still the main suspect in Skye Lawrence’s murder. It’s best you don’t forget that.” He set down his pipe and stood. “Well, I need to go into the office for a few hours and catch up on some work. Don’t worry too much. Bonnie will come around. Give her time. She loves you.”

  Carrie Ann’s nervousness vanished, and her throat clogged. “Thank you.”

  “You’re a good mother, Carrie Ann. Bonnie’s lucky to have you.” He kissed her on her cheek and left.

  She shook her head. A good mother. She doubted Bonnie would agree. Not after what happened today. With a heavy sigh she picked up the empty mug. She needed some fresh air to clear her mind and help her figure out what to say to Bonnie. Her mouth twisted in a bitter smile. Cooper’s Ridge, hell, the entire planet didn’t have enough fresh air to prepare her for the coming confrontation with her daughter.

  ****

  The pungent aroma of roasting meat and simmering gravy filled the kitchen when Carrie Ann removed the pot roast from the oven. She turned to the microwave and took out a bowl of steaming corn. Pot roast, roasted potatoes and corn, all smothered in a lake of savory gravy. Bonnie’s favorite meal. She hadn’t seen her daughter since the scene this morning, but Vivian had taken a plate of sandwiches and cookies to her at lunch and said she was quiet, but okay.

  Carrie Ann hoped by making Bonnie’s favorite food, she could convince her to leave her room and come to the kitchen for dinner. After they’d eaten, she’d try and answer any questions Bonnie had. Her stomach clenched, and she pressed her hand against her belly to ease the sudden, sharp pain.

  She straightened her shoulders and headed down the hall and up the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on Bonnie’s door. Her heart raced and she was certain Bonnie could hear its fierce pounding through the closed door.

  No response.

  She knocked again, louder this time.

  Still no response.

  She opened the door. “Bonnie? It’s Mom. May I come in?”

  The room was dark, the curtains closed against the faint glow of the street light outside. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” She fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on, blinking against the sudden glare.

  It took her a second to realize what she saw, and another, longer second to make sense of what she was seeing. The room was deserted. “Bonnie?” She walked over to the closet and peered inside and then looked under the bed. Where was she? She spun around and hurried down the hall to the upstairs bathroom. The door was open, the room empty.

  She checked each of the bedrooms as an aching dread filled her. Running downstairs, she called Bonnie’s name, her voice more and more frantic. The basement was her last hope, but Bonnie wasn’t hiding in the dark, damp, cavernous space.

  She collapsed onto a kitchen chair. Bonnie’s dinner was cold, the gravy congealing into thick lumps. She couldn’t think against her rising panic. Had Vivian taken Bonnie with her? She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and called the boutique. The phone rang and rang without answer. Next, she tried Leland’s phone. Still no answer. She cursed and tossed the phone on the ta
ble. Vivian wouldn’t have taken Bonnie without telling her. Nor would Leland.

  Had Bonnie run away? Her heart stuttered. She was eleven years old. Where would she go? She didn’t know anyone in town. She sat bolt upright. Bonnie did know someone in Cooper’s Ridge. Picking up her cell phone with trembling fingers, she punched in numbers. When the call was answered, she said, “Where is she?”

  “What?” Declan’s voice was groggy as if he’d been asleep. “Carrie Ann? What’s wrong?”

  “Is she with you?”

  “Who? Bonnie? Why would she be here?”

  She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, hardly able to breathe. “I checked her room and searched the house. She’s not here.”

  The faint noise of a television program playing in his motel room was the only sound for several heartbeats. “Okay. Calm down.”

  “Calm down?” she shrieked. “She’s eleven years old.”

  “That’s my point. She’s eleven. How far could an eleven-year-old girl go at this time of night?”

  His steady voice helped calm her racing heart. “I have to find her before something happens.”

  “You don’t have to search for her on your own, Carrie Ann. I’m Bonnie’s father. I’ll help.”

  She choked back a sob. “I don’t know where to look. What if—”

  Declan cut in. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Wait for me.” He severed the connection.

  She sat alone in the brightly lit kitchen, the pungent aroma of the food she’d prepared a painful reminder of her missing daughter.

  ****

  Declan grabbed his coat and ran out of his motel room, leaving the door open behind him. He flew down the stairs two at a time and raced across the parking lot to his rental car. The second the motor started, he jammed his foot on the gas and squealed out of the parking lot. Keeping his hand pressed to the horn, he blasted through stop signs and red lights, going well above the speed limit until he took the turn to Winters Road on two wheels and screeched to a stop in front of Vivian’s house. He leaped out of the car and froze.

  Every light in the house was on. The front door was wide open, light streaming onto the porch. Carrie Ann, her hair a wild tangle around her pale face, her eyes dark hollows, hurried down the steps. “Thank God you’re here. I called the sheriff. He’s going to have a couple of deputies look for her in town.” She flew into his arms.

  He stumbled back a step, his body stiff and unyielding, his anger and bitterness too fresh and piercing. She’d lied and kept his child from him. But her anguished sobs knifed through him, and almost without realizing what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against his heart.

  The bitter weight of betrayal melted in the face of her anguished torment. This didn’t affect just them anymore. They were Bonnie’s parents. He had to put aside his resentment and work with Carrie Ann to find their daughter. Plenty of time for recriminations when Bonnie was safe.

  She blinked up at him, her luminous amber eyes bright with tears. “I’m so worried. We need to find her, Declan.”

  Swallowing back a lump in his throat, he asked, “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Vivian checked in on her at noon.”

  “And you haven’t seen her since?”

  “I wanted to give her time to calm down. I didn’t think she’d run away. She’s never run away before.”

  “She’s never had her world turned upside down.”

  “It’s my fault.” Her body shuddered with sobs. “If I’d told her the truth years ago, this would never have happened.”

  “Stop this.” He shook her gently. “Blaming yourself won’t help. Right now, we have to find her.”

  Wiping her face with her sleeve, she nodded. “You’re right. What should we do?”

  “She can’t have gone far. Cooper’s Ridge is a small town. If she’s run away, someone will have seen her.” He took her arm and turned her toward the house. “Show me her bedroom.”

  “Why? She’s not in her room. I told you. I searched the house.”

  He urged her up the steps and into the house, a chill of foreboding settling deep in his gut. He followed her up the stairs to Bonnie’s room.

  The bed was mussed. The pillow still held the small indent of her head. A book was open on the bed, and a half-empty glass of milk sat on the bedside table. A quilt lay in a heap on the floor, as well as a wrinkled pair of jeans and a purple sock. Nothing looked out of place, but what did he know? He’d only found out this morning he had a kid, and already she was gone. “Is anything missing?” He gestured around the room. “Did she take something with her?”

  “Like what?”

  He shrugged. “Clothes, a wallet, I don’t know.”

  “I don’t think so.” She walked over to the closet and peeked inside. “I think everything she had with her is here. She doesn’t have any money, unless Vivian or Leland gave her some.”

  “What about a coat? It’s cold outside. She’d need a jacket or something.”

  She riffled through the clothes hanging in the closet. “I don’t know. I think her pink hoodie is missing, but I don’t know. This is my fault.” Her voice was thick with tears.

  “Blaming yourself won’t bring back Bonnie.”

  He turned at the sound of Vivian’s no-nonsense voice. She and Sheriff Atkins stood in the doorway.

  “Have you found her? Have you found my daughter?” Carrie Ann asked. “Please tell me she’s all right.”

  “Sit down, Carrie Ann,” said Vivian.

  “Why?” Her gaze flew between the sheriff and Vivian. “What’s wrong?”

  Vivian shuffled over to Carrie Ann and steered her across the room.

  As if in a daze, Carrie Ann plopped onto the bed.

  Sheriff Atkins glared with a narrow-eyed, suspicious gaze at Declan, and then he turned to Carrie Ann. “One of my men found this.” He held out a green, stuffed frog, the fur matted and worn, one bulging, plastic eye missing. “Is this your daughter’s?”

  “Oh, my God,” choked Carrie Ann. She pointed at the stuffed frog. “That’s…” She swallowed with an obvious effort. “That’s Binky, Bonnie’s favorite stuffy. She was given the toy when she was a toddler and had to spend the night in the hospital because her tonsils were sore. She loves that toy. She wouldn’t run away without taking Binky.” Jumping up, she grabbed the stuffed animal from the sheriff and crushed it to her chest.

  The sliver of ice in Declan’s gut swelled into a solid block.

  “She had the toy when I brought her lunch this afternoon.” Vivian’s voice cracked as, on unsteady legs she stumbled over to a chair.

  “Where did you find it?” Carrie Ann looked at the sheriff.

  “One of my deputies found the toy on the trail across the road from here, the one leading along the river. It was under a bush.”

  Carrie Ann hugged the stuffed frog tighter, tears streaming down her face.

  Declan’s breath caught in his throat. He and Carrie Ann had taken the same path this morning before they’d told Bonnie he was her father. His gut tightened. “How would she know about the trail? She’s never been here before.”

  “I think I know the answer,” said Vivian. “I saw Bonnie watching you and Carrie Ann from the front window this morning. She saw you two take the path.”

  “Where did she think she was going?” Carrie Ann’s voice was strident.

  “Does it matter?” Declan ached to be doing something useful instead of standing here talking. “The point is she’s gone.” His heart raced so fast he couldn’t think. Had Bonnie taken her stuffed toy and gone for a walk to think things through? But why was the toy lying abandoned on the path? Where was she? He glanced out the window and shuddered. The sky was dark.

  “Can you think of any place she’d go if she were upset?” asked Sheriff Atkins.

  Carrie Ann shook her head. “She arrived here this morning. She doesn’t know Cooper’s Ridge at all.”

  “What about Leland?” Sheriff
Atkins asked. “Could she be with him?”

  A loud gasp filled the room.

  Declan stared at Vivian.

  The old woman’s face was white as a sheet.

  “What is it, Vivian?” he asked.

  “Where’s Leland?” Vivian asked. “Isn’t he here?”

  “I called his office, but he didn’t answer. She wouldn’t be with him, anyway. He’d have told me if he took her.” A sob burst from Carrie Ann. “We have to find her. She’s afraid of the dark. She’ll be terrified.”

  Declan’s stomach churned. Any child afraid of the dark would have come home by now. If she were able. The unthinkable words reared in his mind. His head throbbed as a band of steel tightened around his forehead.

  “I have my men searching by the river,” the sheriff said.

  “You don’t think she fell in the river?” Carrie Ann’s voice was a thin croak.

  As if drawn by some invisible force, Declan touched her arm, needing to connect with her, to share her anguish. “We’ll find her. I promise, we’ll find her.”

  She stared into his eyes, and he fought to keep his own fears at bay in the face of her desperate desire to believe him, to know he spoke the truth and Bonnie would be safe.

  He must have done a good job because after a heartbeat, she nodded. “We’ll find her,” she whispered.

  “I know we will.” He prayed he wasn’t speaking a lie.

  “I’m going to head out and check a few places. We’ll let you know as soon as we find anything.” The sheriff walked out of the room with a heavy tread. The thump of his boots was loud as he descended the stairs and slammed the front door.

  Declan glanced at Carrie Ann. “Stay here in case she comes back.” He headed toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I’m not sitting here waiting for the sheriff and his men to find her. She’s my daughter. I’m going to look for her.”

  “Not without me you’re not.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be quicker alone. Besides, someone needs to be here in case she comes back.”