The marshal paused. “You really haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?” Maya snapped, though her sharp tone was more from fear than temper.
Another pause, longer than the other. “Marshal Becker will fill you in.” And with that, Warner hung up.
She would have huffed if her breath hadn’t been stalled in her lungs. “Your boss said you’d tell me what’s going on,” Maya relayed, hitting the end-call button.
He looked around. Another lawman’s glance. “We should sit inside your car while I explain. Best not to spend any more time out in the open.”
The hairs on the back of her neck started to tingle. But Maya didn’t budge and she didn’t fall back on a polite response grilled into her with her Southern upbringing. “I’m not getting in a car with you. In fact, I think it’s time to call the sheriff.”
Slade shrugged. “I’m sure Sheriff Monroe already knows what’s going on, but he might not have figured it all out yet. The FBI phoned him a little while ago and faxed him my photo, my file and a copy of the police reports on the kidnappings.”
“Figured out what?” Her voice was so loud that it woke up Evan, and he stirred in the carrier. Maya wanted to throw her hands in the air but that would have meant putting down Evan again. She wasn’t letting go of her baby.
Slade made another glance around. His attention landed and stayed on the car and truck that were stopped at the traffic light just up the block from where they stood. “Two baby boys have been kidnapped in the past couple of days. Both were from the San Antonio area.”
Maya swallowed hard. “I’m very sorry for the families.” They had to be suffering. She would be completely distraught if she were to lose Evan. Even though she’d only had him a week, she couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without him.
“Yeah” was all Slade said.
The one-word response was laced with a ton of emotion, but it was short-lived. His shoulders went back. His chin came up. And anything that he’d been feeling was once again concealed behind that lawman’s facade.
“Neither of the babies has been recovered,” he continued a moment later. “Yet. Now we have to stop any others from being taken.”
There it was again. A threat. Not from him, of course. Despite her earlier thoughts of his dangerous and dark air, he probably wasn’t a kidnapper. Probably. Unless he wasn’t really a marshal and this was some kind of ruse to get her to go with him.
Yes, she really did have to speak to the sheriff.
“I have to get home,” she insisted. And run by the sheriff’s office so she could have a look at this man’s file and those police reports.
Maya walked right up to Slade, looked him in the eye and waited for him to back away. He did. Finally. She shoved her phone back into her shoulder bag and used the keypad on the door to unlock the car.
“You’re sure you want to go home? Alone?” he added.
Maya huffed and threw open the back door so she could set the carrier in the specially designed car-seat holder. It made strapping in Evan a cinch, which she needed right now because her hands were shaking. Also, thankfully, her son had gone back to sleep. With luck she’d be home before he started to demand his two o’clock bottle. She had some formula with her, but she preferred to feed Evan at home.
Away from Slade Becker.
“I have a security system,” Maya let Slade know. “And a gun.”
That last part was a lie, plain and simple, but she made a mental note to consider buying one. She tossed the grocery sack on the floor of the backseat and started to close the door so she could then get inside and leave.
“The other families had security systems,” Slade informed her.
That did it. Maya had had more than enough. With her hand still on the back door, she whirled around to face the doom-and-gloom marshal. “Look, those kidnappings have obviously concerned you, but I don’t live in San Antonio any longer.”
“No, but your son was born there.” His words were slow and deliberate, as if he was emphasizing each one.
“So? Lots of babies have been born in San Antonio,” she pointed out.
He nodded. “About twenty-five thousand each year. Your son was born September 16, a light day for deliveries because on that day only sixty-two babies were born. Twenty-eight were girls, thirty-four were boys. Of those thirty-four boys, twelve weren’t Caucasian. So that brings the final figure of possible victims to twenty-two, and two of them are already missing.”
“Victims,” Maya repeated. The blood rushed to her head. “What are you saying—that someone might want to kidnap my baby?”
“Yeah.” He let that hang in the air for several seconds. “Both of the kidnapped babies were Caucasian males born on the same day as your son.”
Oh, God.
She heard her own sharp intake of breath but tried to tamp down her reaction. This didn’t make any sense. “Why would anyone want to kidnap Evan? Or either of those children who share his birthday?”
Slade took his time shaking his head. “We hoped you’d be able to tell us.”
“I have no idea why!”
Again her voice was too loud, and it caused Evan to stir. He whimpered, and his mouth pursed as if he was about to cry. Maya caught onto the car seat and jiggled it gently, rocking him.
“But if you’re right, if your numbers really add up, there are twenty babies.” She made sure her voice stayed calmer. Hard to do. “Twenty. So why would you think someone would come after my child? Why not offer your services to the other nineteen?”
Slade studied a dark green SUV that was slowly making its way past the parking lot. Not a newer-model vehicle but a big sturdy gas-guzzler.
“Because of the sixty-two babies born that day, only four were placed up for adoption,” he said. “One girl. Three boys.”
Her heart went to her knees. She didn’t want Slade to confirm anything else, but she couldn’t stop him. Maya could only stand there and try to brace herself for the worst.
The worst came.
“The adopted boys are the ones who’ve been kidnapped,” Slade said, his words echoing through the thick pulse that was now pounding in her ears. “And your son, Evan, is the final one on the list.”
Copyright © 2013 by Delores Fossen
ISBN-13: 9781460321676
CATCH, RELEASE
Copyright © 2013 by Carol Ericson
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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www.Harlequin.com
A mysterious disappearance will force an FBI profiler to protect a beautiful blonde who could be the next person to go missing
There’s an alarming vacancy at Bachelor Moon Bed-and-Breakfast. Now it’s up to FBI profiler Gabriel Blankenship to investigate the sudden disappearance of the owner’s entire family. But the steely agent finds it hard to do his job w
hen distracted by the B and B’s gorgeous blonde manager Marlena Meyers.
Their instant attraction is powerful yet problematic—when it comes to love, Marlena wants forever and a white picket fence; Gabriel, damaged by his past, has never loved and never wants to. But once Marlena’s life is threatened, Gabriel is forced to reconsider his case and his emotions.
Once again she found them standing too close, facing each other in what felt like a void of time, of space. She knew she should say good-night and move away, but she was frozen in place, unable to speak, unable to move. His close proximity to her made her feel trapped, unable to escape even if she’d wanted to.
Her heart thundered as he took a step closer to her. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you.”
Before she could draw a breath or prepare in any way for what she knew was about to happen, his mouth covered hers in a fiery kiss that was directly at odds with the dispassionate man she’d thought him to be.
He tasted of sweetened tea and hot desire, and she opened her mouth to him as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.
A little voice inside her head told her this shouldn’t be happening, but it was happening and it was wonderful.
SCENE OF
THE CRIME:
RETURN TO
BACHELOR
MOON
Carla Cassidy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carla Cassidy is an award-winning author who has written more than fifty novels for Harlequin. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she also won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews.
Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write. She’s looking forward to writing many more books and bringing hours of pleasure to readers.
Books by Carla Cassidy
HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
1077—THE SHERIFF’S SECRETARY
1114—PROFILE DURANGO
1134—INTERROGATING THE BRIDE*
1140—HEIRESS RECON*
1146—PREGNESIA*
1175—SCENE OF THE CRIME: BRIDGEWATER, TEXAS
1199—ENIGMA
1221—SCENE OF THE CRIME: BRIDGEWATER, TEXAS
1258—SCENE OF THE CRIME: BACHELOR MOON
1287—BY ORDER OF THE PRINCE
1301—SCENE OF THE CRIME: WIDOW CREEK
1330—SCENE OF THE CRIME: MYSTIC LAKE
1374—SCENE OF THE CRIME: BLACK CREEK
1414—SCENE OF THE CRIME: DEADMAN’S BLUFF
1460—SCENE OF THE CRIME: RETURN TO BACHELOR MOON
*The Recovery Men
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Marlena Meyers—She never dreamed she’d be at the center of not one but two crimes and fighting a desire for a man she knows is wrong for her on every level.
Gabriel Blankenship—FBI profiler sent to Bachelor Moon to discover the mystery of the disappearance of the entire Connelly family. He’s a lone wolf, damaged by life yet drawn to Marlena, who might be the key to solving the crime.
Pamela Winters—A maid at the bed-and-breakfast who took an instant dislike to Marlena when she returned to Bachelor Moon and made a valued place for herself with the family who owned the B and B.
John Jeffries—The gardener at the bed-and-breakfast and a man willing to go to any lengths to hide his secrets.
Thomas Brady—A local carpenter who has a romantic interest in Marlena. Has he decided if he can’t have her then nobody will?
Brian Walker—The ex-mayor of Bachelor Moon. His daughter, Samantha Walker, was murdered by a man obsessed with Daniella Connelly. Is he looking for payback?
Ryan Sherman—An ex-con who’s had several run-ins with Sam Connelly. Has Ryan’s explosive temper caused him to harm Sam, his wife and child?
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Excerpt
Chapter One
“Tell me again what we’re doing checking out the whereabouts of an ex-FBI agent from the Kansas City field office?” FBI agent Andrew Barkin asked from the backseat of the car.
FBI special agent Gabriel Blankenship slowed the car as they approached the city limits of the small town of Bachelor Moon, Louisiana. “We’re doing this as a professional courtesy, because the Kansas City office asked us to.”
“A little over two years ago Sam Connelly was a respected FBI profiler before he came out here for a two-week vacation and fell in love with Daniella Butler, who owns the Bachelor Moon Bed-and-Breakfast,” Jackson Revannaugh drawled from the passenger seat. “Apparently true love won out over career climbing. Sam quit the agency, moved here and he and Daniella got married.”
“Sam not only became a husband but also stepfather to Daniella’s daughter, Macy. And this morning we received a call from the manager of the bed-and-breakfast that all three of them are missing,” Gabriel said.
“Unusual that we’d be sent out, since it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours,” Jackson observed.
“According to the manager, they’ve been missing since last night.” Gabriel kept his gaze focused on the road ahead, knowing that the bed-and-breakfast was ten miles outside of the small town.
His gut feeling was that this was all a wild goose chase, some sort of misunderstanding between the manager and the family she worked for. It was an hour and a half drive from their field office in Baton Rouge, and they hadn’t been dispatched to leave until past three that afternoon.
Hopefully they could get this sorted out and he would be in his own bed, back in his comfortable ranch house in Baton Rouge, before midnight.
He’d been surprised when Director Jason Miller had assigned two men to travel with him to check out this supposed disappearance, yet he had been grateful for the company of the men, who were not only good agents adept at processing crime scenes and sniffing out bad guys but were friends, as well.
“There.” Andrew pointed ahead to a sign that indicated to turn right for the Bachelor Moon Bed-and-Breakfast.
Gabriel made the turn, squinting against the bright hot sun. He drove on for three more miles and then turned again, following another sign leading into a lane that took them to their destination.
“Nice,” Jackson said as a huge two-story house with a sweeping veranda surrounded by large trees came into view. On one side of the B and B, a big pond glittered in the overhead sun, and on the other side, a giant carriage house looked inviting with large pots of multicolored flowers along its perimeter.
The employees must park in another area, and there must be no guests, Gabriel thought, for the parking lot in front of the house was empty. He pulled the car to a halt and shut off the engine. At the same time, the front door opened and a woman stepped out on the porch.
With the sun sparkling off her short, curly blond hair, creating a halo effect, she looked like a slender angel. Her long bare legs exposed by a pair of white shorts and her shoulders by a pink tank top, she looked like a very hot angel.
“Sweet,” Jackson muttered from the backseat.
“On the job, not on the prowl,” Gabriel reminded his fellow agent, who had a reputation around the office as a ladies’ man. Still, he was shocked by the quick, visceral warmth that swept through him at the sight of her. Her eyes h
ad to be blue, he thought.
She started down the steps as if unable to wait for them to join her on the porch. As she drew closer, the men exited the vehicle.
Two things occurred at the same time: Gabriel flashed his official identification and noted that her eyes weren’t blue, as he’d expected, but rather an electric green. She was more than pretty with her slender face, wide eyes, straight nose and generous mouth, but at the moment all of her features were radiating an emotion somewhere between panic and unadulterated fear.
“Thank God you’re here,” she said after Gabriel had introduced himself and his two men. “I’m Marlena Meyers, the manager here, and I’m the one who sounded the alarm this morning. I called the sheriff first, but he was afraid to get involved in what might be federal business, so he said I should contact the FBI. I found Sam’s contact list in his bedroom and called his former director with the Kansas City field office.”
“And Assistant Director Forbes contacted our field office in Baton Rouge and here we are,” Gabriel replied. Despite the fact that the sun was slowly sinking in the west, the mid-July heat and humidity made it difficult to breathe. “Can we go inside?”
“Oh, of course.” She whirled on the heels of her white sandals to lead them back to the house. Gabriel couldn’t help but notice the shapeliness of her butt in the tight shorts as she walked ahead of him—and that irritated him.
It had been a long time since a woman had attracted his attention in any way, and the last thing he needed was to be distracted by this blonde bombshell. He just wanted to get inside, figure things out and get back home as soon as possible.
She led them into a great room, obviously a place decorated for guests to hang out. Besides a couple of couches and chairs, there was a flat-screen television and a bookcase full of paperbacks and puzzles.
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