by Wade, Maddie
“Can you tell me your connections to Miss Mitchell please?” Detective English asked, oh so politely.
“I’m Skye’s boyfriend and as I said these are my colleagues and friends.” Nate repeated.
“Can you tell me where you all were tonight?” the Detective asked. Nate started to answer when Detective Herbert’s phone rang. She answered it quietly and he could see her expression go serious and her stance stiffen.
“Sir,” she interrupted. “It’s the Commissioner on the phone for you,” she said handing him the phone like it was a rabid rat. Detective English swallowed loudly.
“Hello … Yes, Commissioner, of course. Yes, yes I will.” He passed the phone back to Herbert after ending the call. Nate could see him trying to lock down his anger about whatever he had just been told.
“The Commissioner has vouched for you and your team. We would be grateful,” he said through gritted teeth, “if you would offer your assistance in this matter.” Zack inclined his head graciously.
“Miss Mitchel is one of ours and so is her son, we will do anything to see her son safely returned to her.”
“Anything legal, I assume you mean,” Detective Herbert stated, giving Zack a challenging stare. She obviously didn’t like the idea of being side-lined.
“Indeed, Detective,” Zack said charmingly, inclining his head and offering the detective a killer smile. Even hot-shot detectives weren’t immune because she blushed and looked at her feet, her challenge clearly not strong enough to handle Zack’s brand of charisma. It almost made Nate chuckle.
“My team will take a look around the property and in Noah’s bedroom while you interview Miss Mitchell,” Zack said, turning his attention back to Detective English. The Detective must have decided to play nice, or at least knew when to pick his battles.
“Fine.”
Nate spared a look at Skye, who had some colour coming back. He could see how shaken she was by the way her hands twisted the hem of her dress. He went over and knelt down in front of her, cupping her cheek, putting his other hand over her cold ones. She leaned into his hand, slightly, seeing the comfort he offered.
“I’m going to take a look round, corazón. Detective English wants to ask you some questions. Is that okay or would you like me to stay?”
“No, you go I’ll be fine. Thank you, Nate, for being here for me.” He looked into her eyes and then straightened and kissed the top of her head.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, mi cielo. You and Noah are everything to me.” She gave him a watery smile as he stood and followed Zack towards Noah`s room.
~~~
Skye felt numb inside–someone had her baby. Someone had taken him out of his bed and out into the cold, dark night. Why? Why would anyone do that? He needed his medication or he’d get sick. Was he scared, had he called for her? Did they know he was prone to picking up infection from all the chemo he’d had?
All these thoughts went round and round in Skye’s head as she sat with Joanne, listening to her cry. It was starting to grate on Skye’s nerves. She needed to do something, not just sit here. She could barely take it in. If she thought about what might be happening to him she was sure she would fall apart.
Her nerves were hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Her eyes kept following Nate as he moved with Zack towards Noah’s room. She was so glad he was here. He and Zack had taken over and she felt reassured. She had more faith in them than the police. She had seen how good they were when Lauren was kidnapped.
“Miss Mitchel?” the male detective asked, “can I ask you some questions, please?” He seemed nice and Skye nodded. “Can you tell me a bit about your daily life?”
“Um, well, it’s either hospital visits or school for me and Noah. I work from home as a cake maker so that I can be flexible for Noah. He has Acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia and is due a bone marrow transplant next week.” She felt her voice break as tears burned her throat. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Skye. Can I call you Skye?” She nodded her assent. “Has anything unusual happened in the last few weeks? A falling out with anyone, any new friendships? Have you seen anyone hanging around that you don’t recognise?”
“No, nothing.” She shook her head as she tried to think of anything that had seemed off, but there was nothing. She wasn’t going to tell them about Noah’s dreams, they wouldn’t understand. And, he hadn’t mentioned anything like this.
“What about Noah’s father?”
“Ha, that’s a joke. He’s never been part of Noah’s life.” Skye absent-mindedly watched as Joanne suddenly stood and went into the kitchen, she busied herself making a pot of tea. “He only met Noah once, when he was born. He didn’t even care when I told him about Noah being sick and needing a bone marrow transplant.”
“Can I have his name for our records please?”
“Yes, it’s Earl Hugo Lockwood.” Skye wasn’t shocked by the reaction of the detective. Although he masked it very quickly, she could see he was surprised to find that the infamous playboy Earl Lockwood was the father of her child.
“I’m sure you know where to find him,” she said dismissively. She wondered now why she had never mentioned it to Nate, but Hugo wasn’t in any part of their lives anymore and she was both mother and father to Noah. Nate hadn’t asked either – not that he would care – he was too good a man to care about things like that. In fact, she was sure if Nate ever met Hugo, he would have a few choice words for him about his treatment of Noah.
She watched distractedly as he and the team walked from Noah’s room. He was so handsome with his dark, Spanish colouring and his huge, formidable size and strength, and yet, she had never known a man with kinder eyes or a sweeter personality. He epitomised the saying, gentle giant.
He was also very intelligent, with a degree in civil engineering. They could talk for hours about anything from music to politics. They didn’t always agree, and that was okay, too, because he respected her opinions.
She really enjoyed getting to know Nate slowly and becoming friends, even if they both felt the undercurrent of desire simmering between them. He made her feel safe, like he could take on the world for her and win.
Skye felt sure that if anyone could get Noah back, Nate and his team could. God, the alternative didn’t bear thinking. She wished, not for the first time, that he could have been Noah’s father. He would be a wonderful father. Maybe one day, when all this was over, they could talk about a future. The detective disturbed her from her musings.
“Okay, I think we have all we need for now. Forensics is dusting for prints and we’re going to get a tap put on the phone in case the kidnapper calls. Mr. Cunningham and his team will be helping with the investigation and have offered to stay here with you. But if you need anything, you just call, okay.” He handed her his card and she stood on wobbly legs to thank him.
Skye watched as Zack and Nate they came back over to Detective English. Then slowly walked to the kitchen to help Joanne with the tea.
The men walked further into the hallway to talk. They all knew Skye didn’t need all the details.
“Did you find anything?” Detective English asked quietly so as not to upset Skye.
“The security lights have been loosened but not damaged, but other than that, nothing at all. I’d say this is a professional job,” Zack answered the detective.
“Okay, forensics is going to start dusting for prints and we have everything we need from Skye.” Nate stiffened at the familiar use of her name and looked at the Detective with a warning glare.
~~~
Zack saw the detectives out as Nate went to Skye in the kitchen. He had a very bad feeling about this entire situation. It had gone down within a couple of hours of the phone call from Kanan. Zack had a horrible feeling this was the thing he had been talking about when he said he had to do something Zack wouldn’t like. He hoped he wasn’t to blame, because despite the history between them, if he had taken the boy and put him any danger, Zack would take him down, history
or not.
They’d found nothing to suggest anyone had forced entry and there were no footprints or signs of disturbance outside, which suggested to that this person was highly trained. Detective English would cover talking to the neighbours and he and his team would run background checks on everyone in Skye and Noah’s lives, starting with the overwrought babysitter.
Zack wanted to get back to Fortis to see where the team was in terms of CCTV and if there was any vehicle movement in the area. Hopefully Zin and Drew had picked up something from their look around outside.
“I’m going to head back to Fortis,” Zack said to Nate and Skye as he joined them in the kitchen. “Nate, if you can, stay with Skye. I want someone with her at all times, just as a precaution. You’re the best choice given your relationship. If you feel that you are too close to this I trust you to tell me.”
Nate nodded, “Of course, and I’ll be fine. I’m invested, but my ability to do my job is not affected.”
“Fine, stay in touch and if anything happens let me know.” Zack motioned with a nod of his head for Zin and Drew to follow him out. Zack was pleased to see Drew keeping his cool and watching Zin’s every move. The kid would learn a lot from him.
~~~
It was 3am before the crime scene techs left and Nate had finally persuaded Joanne to leave. She had been hovering over Skye the whole time and he could tell it had started to grate on her nerves
She’d changed from her stunning, black dress into old skinny jeans and a large Arran jumper with thick, woolly socks. She was now sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked underneath her, looking into space.
Nate had also changed into old jeans, a navy blue long sleeve t-shirt, and work boots. He was glad to get out of the dress shirt and trousers. He felt more himself like this. The spare gym bag he left in his boot was a god-send sometimes.
Nate crossed to Skye and sat noiselessly down beside her. She immediately leaned into him and snuggled under his arm. He wrapped his large arm around her and held her.
“I wish I could do something,” she stated, “I feel like I’m totally useless just sitting here. Isn’t there something I should be doing?”
Nate shook his head as she tilted her head back and looked up at him. “There is nothing you can do. Fortis is running all the background checks and looking at CCTV. The local police have checked for prints and have spoken with the closest neighbours. There really is nothing else we can do until we get a lead or they make contact.” He ran his fingers through her soft hair. It had been up earlier but she’d let it down and it cascaded over her shoulders in a thick, shiny wave of silk. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, mi cielo.”
“What does that mean?” she asked as she leaned into him.
“It means my sky or heaven,” he said softly.
“It’s nice, I like it,” she said simply.
They sat silently for a while before Nate said, “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”
“I can’t. I feel totally wired and, anyway, every time I close my eyes, I see my boy’s face.” She laid her head on his chest and he loved the feel of holding her in his arms, even if the circumstances were the worst imaginable. She felt so right, despite the anguish he knew she must be feeling. He felt his body stir at the contact. He felt like a douchebag. He turned his mind to the detective.
“What did the detective ask you?”
“Just about our routine and if anything had changed, or if we had had anyone new in our lives. I told him everything I could, which wasn’t much. He asked about Noah’s father and I told him. I guess they will contact him, not that there’s any point. He couldn’t give a shit about Noah.” She went silent then for a bit and then she sat up quickly almost head butting him.
“OH MY GOD, the card. I forgot the card!”
“What are you talking about?” Nate asked, sensing this was important.
“When Joanne called earlier, she said the person who took Noah had left a card with a number on it. I totally forgot. Maybe that’s something?”
“Did she give it to the police?” Nate asked.
“I don’t know, not that I saw.”
“Okay, I need to call Zack and see if he knows about the card.” Nate quickly called Zack’s mobile. He kept her in the circle of his arms as he did.
“Yes,” said a terse Zack.
“Did the police mention a card to you?” Nate asked, feeling like this was big somehow.
“No, nothing. Why?”
“Skye just remembered that Joanne mentioned a card when she called the first time and doesn’t remember it being mentioned after.”
“Okay. I’ll call Detective English and find out. Hang tight. I’ll call you in few.”
Nate held Skye close while they waited for Zack to call back.
“Do you think it’s important?” Skye asked, looking more animated than she had all night.
“Maybe? It’s the only lead we have.” He snatched up his phone as it rang.
“Yes.” he barked.
“Joanne didn’t tell them about a card, and now they are getting their knickers in a twist over it. I`ve told them we will keep them in the loop if we find it. I’m sending Zin and Drew over to Joanne`s now to talk to her. There’s also some things in her background check that are making me as nervous a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
“I want to be there when you question her,” Nate said. Zack was silent and then he heard him talking to someone in the background. “Fine I’m sending Dane and Lauren over to stay with Skye. I’ll send you the address, meet Zin and Drew there in thirty minutes.” Nate and Zack hung up then and he turned to Skye.
“We’re going to go and question Joanne about the card. Dane and Lauren are coming over to stay with you.”
Skye looked like she might object, but after a few seconds relented and sighed.
“Fine. Will you call me as soon as you know anything, please?”
“Of course, mi cielo,” he said, pulling her onto his lap and burying his head in her hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes him enjoying the feel of her in his arms and her taking strength from him.
“Try and get some rest while I’m gone. You're no good to Noah if you collapse.”
“I’ll try,” she said unconvincingly.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Nate got up to answer it. He kept his hand on the ever-present handgun that he carried in a pancake holster at all times since the threat of The Divine Watchers had been identified.
Opening the door, he was relieved to see Dane and Lauren. Nate closed and locked the door behind them and Lauren quickly rushed past him and down the hallway in search of Skye.
“Any updates?” Nate asked, hating being away from the hub of the action but not wanting to be away from Skye, either.
“Only that this Joanne has received lots of calls from a burner phone and has a history of making bad choices with men. A few of her ex-boyfriends have criminal records and she has a warning on her work record about her private life interfering with her job. Also, did you know who Noah’s father was?” The way Dane asked that question made Nate pause.
“No, should I?”
“It’s Earl Hugo Lockwood,” Dane said as if Nate should know the name.
Nate recognised the name but had no idea who the guy was or what he looked like. “Isn’t he the one that’s a bit of a playboy and was in trouble last year for suspected embezzlement?”
“Yeah, one and the same.”
“Shit. Skye said he was a low-life scum but not that he was a titled, posh, low-life piece of scum. He’s never had anything to do with Noah, even when Skye told him he was sick. He didn’t want to know. Makes me want to rip his face off. Some people don’t deserve to be parents,” Nate said vehemently. Dane nodded in agreement.
“Well, I’m going to get going. Look after her for me,” Nate said as he turned to say goodbye to Skye.
“Of course, man,” after everything you did for Lauren and me, I am
forever in your debt, and I’ll always have your back,” Dane said, patting Nate on the shoulder.
Nate walked across the cheery, yellow and white kitchen where Skye was brewing tea for her and Lauren. Nate put his hand on Skye’s neck under her hair and ran his thumb across her cheekbone gently.
“I’m off now. Call me if you hear anything and let Lauren and Dane look after you.”
“I’m not helpless, Nate, I don’t need a babysitter,” she said, looking at him tiredly and leaning her face into his hand. It was a token protest. He had a feeling that she really didn’t want to be alone right now.
“I know you don’t,” he said pulling her into his arms, “but we don’t know who did this and I’m not taking chances with your safety, and plus, I think Lauren wants to look after you. You have a lot of friends who love you and they want to help, so let them.”
“Okay,” she whispered and kissed his chest just over his heart. He could feel the fatigue in her body as she leaned into him but also the comfort she was trying to give him in that one, simple kiss. His heart soared at the tender gift she bestowed upon him.
“Good girl,” he replied, and kissed her on her head lovingly. “I’m going to get him back Skye, he stated determinedly. Skye didn’t reply, but he felt her chin wobble against his chest and held her tighter.
As Nate walked away, he hoped to God he was telling the truth and he could get Noah back safely. If he didn’t, he didn’t think she would survive it.
Chapter Three
Kanan drove up to the security gates and navigated the long gravel driveway of Lockwood Manor. The Manor was an hour from Hereford and set just outside the town of Cwmbran South Wales.
He’d been surprised to be given instructions to come here and wondered what the connection was between the boy and the Lockwoods. He’d met Hugo Lockwood a few times and found him to be an annoying, self-centred, egotistical sociopath.
He didn’t understand why women flocked to him. It was probably the money and his pretty boy looks. All his years of training allowed him to see through the veneer Hugo presented or maybe he was just feeling jaded.