“You only said what everyone is probably thinking. This is my fault.”
“Anyone who knows you understands how much that little boy means to you.”
He did pull her into his arms now, drawing her closer and pressing her against him. After a moment, she burrowed her head into his chest and he was glad he could at least offer her a shoulder on which to cry. But he didn’t expect the dizzying way the scent of her shampoo or the feel of her soft, smooth skin made him feel.
“I just want him back,” she whispered and the torment in her voice made his heart constrict. She stared up into his eyes, but something about her expression told him she wasn’t seeing him right at that moment. She reached up and touched his face. “Jacob has your eyes.” Tears pooled in hers.
He caressed her cheek and found her leaning into his hand. His eyes fell on her lips and he remembered the sweet taste of them that had never strayed far from his memory. How many nights had he dreamed about holding her again? Now she was here, in his arms, needing his comfort. Her chin lifted again and this time it wasn’t out of defiance. Her lips were close to his and he breathed in the heady scent of her. Even after a day of car bombs and running for her life, she smelled sweet, like cucumber. He wanted so much to kiss her, to rekindle the spark that had once been between them.
But he didn’t.
He pulled himself away emotionally and then physically before he crossed a line and enveloped her lips with his. He shouldn’t get to go on with his life when others didn’t. Marcus would never kiss his wife again. Why shouldn’t Garrett face similar consequences?
His phone rang and he gave a deep, relieved sigh. Seeing it was Vince, he put some distance between Ashlynn and himself as he pressed the answer key and placed the call on speaker.
“Hey, Vince. Any news?”
“Some. We’ve scheduled a press conference for eleven a.m. It’s time we address the public. I’d like Ashlynn to say a few words if she’s up to it.”
Ashlynn nodded. “Of course I will.”
“Good. I’ll see you both at the precinct.”
Garrett pressed the button to end the call. Narrowing his eyes, he gave Ashlynn a quizzical look. “Are you sure you’re up for a press conference?”
But she batted away tears and straightened her shoulders in steady determination. “It won’t be easy, but I’ll do whatever I need to do to bring home Jacob.”
“Well, you won’t have to do it alone.” He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t much after how close he’d come to kissing her, but it was the best he could offer. “I’ll be right there beside you.”
* * *
What had almost happened back there?
Ashlynn shook her head as she followed Garrett out to the car. She’d taken the time to shower and change, but she still couldn’t push past that scene in the kitchen. He’d almost kissed her. She was certain he’d wanted to. But the real surprise had been her reaction. She hadn’t pushed him away. She hadn’t even told him no. In fact, she was quite certain that she’d encouraged him. Her face warmed at the idea that she’d practically thrown herself at him...and he’d rejected her. Again. Would she never learn her lesson? They were together in this only because they shared a son. No need to relive a relationship that had left her devastated. No, she wouldn’t go down that path again. Her heart couldn’t stand it.
They were both quiet as Garrett drove, and she was thankful for that. Other people might have believed they had to keep her talking and upbeat, but Garrett seemed to respect that she needed quiet to regroup. She’d never been one for chitchat and she didn’t find comfort in having groups of people around her. She much preferred solitude and was glad Garrett remembered to give her that space.
He took the exit from the interstate into downtown Jackson then parked in the garage attached to the police station. He walked beside her, his hand reassuringly on her back as they entered the building.
Vince looked weary as he led them into the room they’d designated as a command center for her case. There was a large whiteboard up front where they posted photos and evidence relevant to the case. She saw her own photo along with the one of Jacob they’d used for the Amber Alert.
“Have there been any hits on the Amber Alert since we left last night?” she asked Vince.
Vince nodded. “We’re continuing to follow up on them all but so far nothing solid. We were able to obtain video footage from several of your neighbors’ security cameras that showed a suspicious white van in the area. We ran the tag and discovered it was stolen from a dry cleaner’s two days ago. Someone removed the decals but it’s the same van. We added that description to the Amber Alert and several people have reported seeing it, but unfortunately that type of van is very popular with businesses.”
She stared at the crime scene photos of Stephen and Mira. Their deaths seemed so brutal and so unnecessary. But, then again, was murder ever necessary? Ashlynn knew they were dealing with someone with no respect for human life, and that frightened her because this was also the person who had her son. She closed her eyes as a wave of sorrow washed over her. Had Jacob witnessed Mira’s death? How scared he would have been. A motherly ache pulsed through her and her arms yearned to hold him and reassure him that everything was going to be fine.
Garrett’s hand touched her back again and she found it comforting to have him so close. It was just the strength she needed to push through her maternal emotions and look at this case with a prosecutor’s eye.
“Has forensics found anything from the crime scenes that might be helpful?”
Vince obviously noticed her change and he perked up, too, and went into total business mode. “According to the medical examiner’s preliminary notes, the attacker slashed Mira’s throat from behind. Based on the angle of the incision, he would have to be right-handed and at least six feet tall. He also found material beneath her nails, so it looks like Mira scratched the perpetrator during the struggle. He’s running it for DNA. Hopefully, we’ll get a hit but that will take a while. We’re still waiting on fingerprints and fibers found at the scene.
“Also, we’ve been looking into Mira’s background, but so far we haven’t identified any risks in her life that could have made her a target. We haven’t found any prior drug use or connections to criminal elements. According to family and friends we’ve interviewed, she didn’t have any romantic attachments and no one knew of anyone who might want her dead. As of right now, unless we receive any new information, we’re going to operate under the assumption that her death was collateral damage in the attack on you and your family. I’ve got detectives following up on recently released prisoners with either a connection to you or a history of crimes against children.”
She nodded, thinking the police were doing all they could to put a good case together for prosecution. But it didn’t help get them any closer to finding her son. She stared at the board. Mira’s leads had fallen through and the Amber Alert tips hadn’t yet produced any viable leads.
“What about the bomb in my car?”
Vince grimaced. “So far, not much. No witnesses saw anyone suspicious around your car yesterday. However the fire marshal does believe military-type explosives were used to detonate the bomb. It wasn’t the make-it-in-your-basement type.”
“So we’re dealing with someone who has access to automatic weapons and explosives,” Garrett stated wryly. “Terrific.”
“What can I do?” Ashlynn asked Vince. “I need to do something.”
“Going through your case files is the best thing you can do right now. You know those cases better than anyone else. You’ll be more likely to notice something that stands out. And hopefully this press conference will elicit some other leads for us to follow up on.”
She felt her insides begin to quiver. Jacob was out there somewhere, possibly hurt and definitely frightened, and they were no c
loser to bringing him home than they had been the moment he’d been taken. She folded her arms across her chest to try to maintain her composure and scanned the room. These men were doing all they could to find Jacob, but even she knew their abilities were limited. They could follow leads but once those leads went cold, the chances of finding Jacob diminished. She knew the statistics. Kids who weren’t recovered in the first forty-eight hours were unlikely to be found alive...and time was ticking down for finding Jacob. But without God on her side, she wasn’t sure that was going to happen.
* * *
Ashlynn braced herself as she and Garrett crossed the street and entered the building that housed the offices of the district attorney. Her coworkers, with their pitying glances and sorrowful expressions, were the worst. She didn’t want to be here where all this emotion might make her totter over the edge, but she needed to do something to occupy her mind or else she wouldn’t have to worry about other people’s sympathies pushing her over the edge of reason. She would slide there all on her own.
Again, Garrett’s hand on her back was a comforting support. Her gratitude at having him beside her outweighed her desire to flee from him and wallow in her anger and bitterness at how he’d rejected her again this morning. Each time the thought popped into her head, she pushed it back, reminding herself that she’d been emotional and she had a history of making bad choices out of emotion instead of reason. She couldn’t be that person any longer. Jacob was depending on her to be logical. She needed Garrett to bring Jacob home and that angered her. She shouldn’t need his help. He didn’t deserve to be able to abandon them and then swoop in and be needed. It wasn’t right. But then nothing about this situation was fair.
She headed for her office and Garrett closed the door behind them. Walking to her desk, she slid into her chair, basking in the familiar comfort of it. Being a prosecutor had been her dream for a long time, ever since she’d found herself testifying against her foster mother and becoming friends with Judge Warren. Then only an ADA, he had walked her through the process, then taken her under his wing, mentoring her throughout college and law school. He admired her tenacity and determination, he’d told her. He’d been a wonderful support for her and she wasn’t sure she would have made it to the position she was in without him. Now this was her office and she was good at her job. But she would gladly give it all up to have her son back.
Garrett’s phone buzzed at his side. He glanced at the screen. “They need me across the street. I’d rather you not leave the office. I’ll come get you when they’re ready for the press conference.”
She nodded. “I always keep a spare makeup bag in my desk. I’ll try to look my best.”
Bridgette Myers, her assistant, rushed into the office. She stared after Garrett as he left, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise, and Ashlynn saw her mouth the word wow as she approached Ashlynn and enveloped her in a hug.
“How are you holding up?” Bridgette asked. “I cannot believe this is happening to you. A car bomb? Being shot at? Your son kidnapped and your ex-husband murdered?” She listed the previous day’s events as if Ashlynn hadn’t lived through them. “I just cannot believe someone I know has this happening to her.” She handed over a cup of coffee and Ashlynn thanked her once she stopped talking long enough to take a breath.
“I won’t be here long,” Ashlynn said. “I’m going to be part of a press conference about Jacob’s abduction—”
“I heard about that,” Bridgette interrupted. “I can’t believe it’s come to that.”
“I just stopped by for my extra jacket and makeup bag that I keep in my desk.”
“Sure, the one you use before court.”
“That’s right. The police also want me to look through my case files for the last several months. Could you gather those together and have them ready for me to take with me after the press conference?”
“Sure. No problem. Can I do anything else for you, Ashlynn?”
“No, not really, although I don’t believe I’ll be very productive on my current cases. I wonder if I can get Roger to reassign them until Jacob is found.” Roger was the ADA in charge of case assignments.
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t. I’ve heard people talking already this morning and everyone is willing to help out however they can. I’ll take care of it.”
Her door swung open and Ken stepped inside. “Ashlynn!” He pulled her into a hug and he was like a big papa bear. She and Ken had become close over the past six months since he’d joined their staff. Although he worked for the entire office, Ashlynn noticed he volunteered to take on a lot of her cases.
“I know you have other cases to work on,” she told Ken, “so I appreciate you taking the time to help with finding Jacob.”
He waved away her thanks. “Whatever I can do to help, I will. I want to be involved with this, Ashlynn. He’s a cute little fella and I don’t want to see anything happen to him. Whatever you need, I want you to call me.”
She nodded. “I will.” She glanced from Ken to Bridgette and felt a rush of tears burn her eyes. It meant so much to her to have friends like these during this difficult time. “I want to thank both of you for being here for me. It means a lot.” She gulped back emotion. She didn’t have many friends, and that was by choice. She’d learned at a young age that letting people into your life generally meant letting them hurt you, and that instinct to keep people at arm’s length had only been confirmed by Garrett’s desertion. But these were two people she worked closely with and she considered them both much more than mere coworkers. Bridgette’s eagerness to help in any way and Ken’s experience-filled encouragement had garnered her trust in them both.
Bridgette’s eyes filled with tears and she dabbed them away. “I’ll go start gathering those files for you,” she said, then hurried out.
“Files?” Ken asked. “What files?”
“My case files. Garrett and Vince are convinced Jacob’s abduction might have something to do with one of my cases, so I said I would go through them and see if anything stood out.”
“Ashlynn, I’m taking care of that. I’ve already started searching through them. I haven’t come across anything suspicious so far, but I’m making progress.”
“I know, but a second pair of eyes never hurt. Besides, I need something to do besides sitting around making myself crazy wondering if Jacob is safe.”
He nodded as if that notion hadn’t occurred to him. “Of course. I’ll help Bridgette gather those files and bring them over to the police station so you’ll have them after the press conference.”
She thanked him and watched him walk out. She went back to her desk and pulled out her makeup bag, knowing she would need a ton of concealer to hide the bags under her eyes this morning. She pushed it away. It didn’t matter what she looked like. Today, she wasn’t a professional prosecutor. She was just a mother whose child had been snatched from her. No one would care how she looked.
She picked up a stack of mail on her desk and sorted through it, instead. She tore one envelope open and pulled out a sheet of paper. A photo fell to the desk. She picked it up and saw it was a snapshot of Mira with Jacob at the playground. She turned it over and her heart stopped as she read the scrawled words across the back.
What kind of mother leaves raising her child to someone else? You don’t deserve to be a mother.
* * *
Ken walked Ashlynn across the street to the police station. Garrett met them at the door and once she was safely inside, he loaded the box of files Ken carried into his truck. The police had retrieved it from Stephen’s house during their investigation into his murder, and he’d been glad to trade in the BMW for his own vehicle. “Thank you for doing this for Ashlynn,” Garrett said.
“Absolutely,” Ken said. “I never had kids of my own so I consider Ashlynn to be like a daughter—or maybe a kid sister since we’re not that
far apart in age. That little lady holds a special place in my heart even though I’ve only known her a few months.” He glanced at Garrett. “Do you have any kids?”
Garrett’s heart skipped a beat. If Ken had asked him that question yesterday, the answer would have been different. But he was in no mood to explain all that to anyone. Ashlynn could share that story if she chose to. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that he was a dad. It still seemed unreal.
“I’m glad she’s got someone else watching her back,” Garrett told him instead then shook the man’s hand.
“Take care of her,” Ken said, then he marched across the street to the DA’s offices.
Garrett headed back into the police station. He poured two cups of coffee and handed Ashlynn one of them. Her hands were shaking, and he knew it wasn’t because she was chilly. She tightened her fingers around the cup and breathed in the coffee vapor.
Dressed in smart slacks and a blouse, she looked beautiful but sad. She was wearing that expression he knew so well, the one that was full of utter despair and hopelessness. He’d seen it before and he hated it even more now. She couldn’t lose hope. He would find her son...his son...their son. He sighed. His brain was still trying to comprehend what he’d learned last night and he was more determined than ever to find Jacob and bring him home. He’d made a promise to Ashlynn and he meant to keep it.
The press conference was a good idea, although he still wasn’t sure Ashlynn was up for it. But she had to be, and he wasn’t leaving her side until it was over. He sat beside her and tried to find words that would reassure her. “We’ll find him, Ashlynn. We’ll bring him home.”
Her chin quivered and tears pooled in her eyes. “This is my fault.”
He sighed wearily. They’d already been through this. “No, it absolutely is not. I had no right to suggest it was. I was wrong and I’m sorry.”
Mistletoe Reunion Threat Page 6