Mistletoe Reunion Threat

by Virginia Vaughan

  “Wh-where did you get that? That’s Jacob’s bunny.”

  “It was inside the van.”

  She took it from his outstretched hand and hugged it to her chest. When she looked at him, her eyes were knowing and determined.

  “He was inside that van.”

  Garrett nodded, then pulled her into his arms as tears slipped down her face. His own emotions were threatening to burst through him. “We’ll find him,” he told her, doing his best to reassure them both.

  * * *

  They turned around and drove back to watch the warehouse to make certain the men inside didn’t move the van before Vince and his team showed up. She shouldn’t have been so hard on him. Ashlynn knew that, but she was still angry that he’d left her behind. He’d promised to come right back, but he’d broken that promise and gone into the compound alone. Yes, she knew it had been reckless to follow him, but she’d just been so mad. But when she remembered the man’s surprised expression when he’d stepped outside and the fear that had gushed through her, she knew she’d truly messed up. If Garrett hadn’t been there, this man could have hurt her and she would never find out what had happened to Jacob. She was thankful for Garrett’s intervention, but it still burned her that he’d broken his word to her...again.

  The police finally arrived and stormed inside. The group had obviously been alerted by the man who’d discovered her that they were in trouble, because they looked as if they were preparing to clear out. They were boxing up car parts for shipping and stripping the remaining cars inside. Several of the men tried to run but were quickly caught and returned.

  Once the shop was secured, Ashlynn walked with Vince and Garrett to the van outside. Vince pulled open the door and peered inside before shutting it and turning back to them. “I’ve got a team waiting to tow this van back to the station for processing.” His eyes blazed with excitement. His team had just taken a chunk out of the car theft ring plaguing the city and he was one step closer to finding a kidnapped child. It was a good night for him in a professional sense.

  As the police secured the scene, Ashlynn noticed Garrett looking around. He appeared agitated and angry. Finally she walked to him and placed her hand on his arm.

  “You okay?”

  He nodded but sighed wearily. “I was just thinking about that guy who walked out of the shop. That was me once upon a time. I look around at all of this and I realize how amazing it is that I made it. I found a way out of here, but most of those kids I grew up in foster care with never did. What kind of future does Adam have with a drug-addicted mother who has him already buying her drugs for him?”

  “He has you,” she said admiringly. “He could use a good role model.”

  He looked at her, his green eyes blazing through her. “You have to know this wasn’t the future I planned, Ashlynn. I would never have abandoned you and Jacob. I made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t be that kind of dad. I never wanted my son to live without his father.”

  She nodded. “I understand that, but it happened and I can’t forget that. Judge Warren used to tell me that you can tell a person by his actions, not by his words. That’s how I try to live my life now. I’ve opened up my heart too many times and had it broken. I won’t take that risk again, especially not with Jacob’s heart.”

  He pushed back a strand of hair from her face and pressed it behind her ear. “I’ve thought about you every day since that night I left you. You never left my thoughts no matter how hard I tried to push you out of them.” He shrugged. “I was dumb and I made a mistake that I can’t undo. But I want you to know how sorry I am, Ash. I let you down and I hate that I’m one of those people you place in that category.”

  She struggled to hold back the tears as they walked to his truck and got inside. She hated it, too, and wished more than anything she could learn to trust him again.

  * * *

  While the van was being processed, Garrett and Ashlynn returned to the police station so Garrett could use the police database to look up the name the guy they’d encountered had given him—Randy Meeks.

  It didn’t take him long to find a file under that name. “Looks like Meeks is no stranger to the criminal justice system. He’s been arrested for business burglary, assault and robbery.”

  “And soon to be added—kidnapping,” Ashlynn said as she looked over Garrett’s shoulder at the extensive list. His mug shot revealed a small-statured man with beady, dark eyes.

  “Do you recognize him?” Garrett asked.

  She shook her head. She’d never seen him before.

  “Well, he can’t be the man who attacked you. He’s only five foot six. But he could be working with him.”

  “I’ve been through my files. I’ve never prosecuted this man.”

  Garrett scrolled through the file onscreen to the last known address then frowned. “The only address on file for him is listed as invalid.” He slammed his hand on the desk in frustration. “This guy is the key. I know he is.”

  “I’ll phone Ken,” Ashlynn said. “He has a knack for locating people who don’t want to be found.”

  When he answered, she passed along the information they had and asked him to do what he could.

  “Where did you say you got this guy’s name?”

  “A chop shop in the west part of town where we found the van that might have been used in Jacob’s kidnapping. One of the men working there told Garrett a guy named Randy Meeks had brought it in. We have to track him down. He could be the key to finding Jacob.”

  “Ashlynn, he could have been lying about the guy who brought in the van.”

  “Maybe, but he gave us a name and that name belongs to a real person. Just do what you can, Ken.”

  “All right. Let me do some research on this guy,” Ken said. “I’ll get back to you when I know something.”

  She clicked off the call and looked at Garrett. “He doesn’t seem very hopeful about finding him.”

  “He will,” Garrett assured her. “And if he doesn’t then we’ll find another lead to the kidnappers. We’re not giving up, Ashlynn. We will find Jacob and bring him home.”

  She was grateful once again for his strength and assuredness. It was the only thing getting her through this nightmare. And no matter how she tried to fight it, she found herself believing in him, trusting him. She was still a long way away from allowing him to become a permanent part of their lives, but it was nice start.

  * * *

  Early the next morning, Garrett received a call from Vince with the preliminary lab results on the brownies. He listened, then hung up and turned to her.

  Ashlynn held her breath, waiting to hear. These results could mean she’d been betrayed by her own mentor and someone she considered a dear friend.

  Garrett looked at her. “Preliminary results found no drugs in the brownies.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief and only then realized how nervous she’d been, believing the judge could have been involved. Then she remembered Ken’s words about how hurt Judge Warren had been at the accusation.

  “I should go apologize to him,” she said. “I shouldn’t have doubted him.”

  Garrett nodded. “We’ll go, but this doesn’t completely exonerate him, Ashlynn. These are only preliminary results. We still need to be careful who we trust.”

  Garrett drove, and as they approached the house of Judge Warren, Ashlynn tensed. This man was her mentor and her long-time friend. But the closer she came to facing him, the more she remembered Garrett’s warning that the killer had to be someone close to her. She was glad Garrett was beside her as they walked up the front steps and rang the bell, even though she knew he had different reasons for wanting to come. As he had with Stephen, he wanted to look the man in the eye to ascertain for himself whether or not he was involved.

  Judge Warren opened the door. His usual
cheerful smile vanished when he saw her and she hated to see that change.

  “Ashlynn, I see you brought your bodyguard with you,” he said, glancing behind her to Garrett. “What can I do for you?” She cringed at his icy tone.

  “I was hoping we could talk,” she said.

  He opened the door wider and motioned them inside, then led them into a den and offered them both a seat. “I would offer you something to eat or drink, but...” He trailed off, his point made.

  Ashlynn felt her face warm at his hurt tone. She’d known him too long to believe him capable of any kind of deceit, much less kidnapping and murder. However, her son’s life was at stake and she couldn’t rely on her feelings to guide her even in this matter.

  “A wise man once told me that a good prosecutor couldn’t allow emotion to guide her thinking. It was good advice. And even though my regard for you tells me absolutely that you weren’t involved in this, I still had to consider the possibility.” She hoped he could see the pleading look in her eye and hear the apologetic tone of her voice. She didn’t want to accuse him.

  He sighed knowingly and nodded. “You’re right. I’m just a silly old man wearing my feelings on my sleeve. Of course, I had nothing to do with drugging you, Ashlynn. I brought those brownies to your office for the same reason I’ve brought them many times before, just to be friendly.” He glanced toward the kitchen where she assumed his wife was. “Also, because ever since my wife retired from teaching, she bakes all day long and if I ate everything she made, I’d be as big as the side of a house. That’s why I started sharing her goodies with friends.”

  Ashlynn nodded, relieved by the honesty she saw in him. “My assistant ate one of your brownies, too, and nothing happened to her so we had pretty much discounted the fact that the drugs were in the brownies. This morning we learned lab results appear to corroborate that.”

  “But you still had to investigate the possibility. I confess, I wasn’t thrilled to be interrogated by the police. I’m too used to being on the other side of the table.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “But I do understand.”

  Mrs. Warren appeared at the doorway wiping her hands on her apron. “Charles, I wasn’t aware we had company. You should have come and told me. Hello, Ashlynn.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Warren. How are you?”

  “I’m doing well.” She approached Garrett and held out her hand. “Alicia Warren.”

  He shook her outstretched hand. “Garrett Lewis.”

  “Ashlynn is here asking about an incident that happened at her office and Mr. Lewis accompanied her.”

  Mrs. Warren gave a sympathetic look. “Yes, I heard about your son, Ashlynn. I’m so sorry. Have there been any leads?”

  “We’re following up on several,” Garrett commented, “but nothing concrete yet.”

  “That’s terrible. Can I get either of you something to drink or eat?”

  Ashlynn saw Judge Warren’s eyes widen. He obviously hadn’t told his wife about the police’s accusations about her brownies. Ashlynn figured he’d wanted to spare her feelings. But there was no way she would ever eat another brownie again.

  “Thank you for the offer,” Garrett said, “but we’ve got to be going.”

  She was grateful for his tactful response.

  They said their goodbyes and Judge Warren walked them to the front door.

  “I do hope the police find your son, Ashlynn.”

  She smiled at his sincerity and thanked him.

  As they walked to the car, Garrett glanced her way. “What did you think?”

  “I hate hurting him. He was always so good to me. He was my mentor, Garrett. I find it difficult to believe he had a hand in this.”

  Garrett shrugged. “Vince’s interview with him didn’t raise any flags and given the lab results, I think it’s safe to say he wasn’t involved.”

  “I hope you’re right. I would hate to think someone so close to me would do something so terrible.”

  But if Judge Warren wasn’t responsible for Jacob’s kidnapping, then who had her son?

  * * *

  By that afternoon, Ken managed to track down an address for Randy Meeks and Ashlynn was thankful he was on their side. Even Garrett confessed that he was impressed with Ken’s abilities. He drove to the address Ken had given them. It was a run-down apartment building on the west side of town. Ashlynn was glad Garrett was by her side. They took the steps to the second floor and Garrett pulled his gun. He pounded on the door and called for Meeks to open up.

  When no one answered, he kicked in the door and burst inside. This was no time for niceties, not while a child was missing. The place was a mess, with clothes and food and garbage littering the floor. Ashlynn glanced around, part of her hoping Jacob wasn’t being kept in such dirty conditions but also hoping he was here and she could take him home.

  Garrett checked the rooms then holstered his gun. “No one is here.”

  Ashlynn pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll have Ken run his financials to see if there’s been any hits on credit cards. I also want to get a warrant for his cell phone records.”

  Garrett nodded his agreement. “I saw a group of kids in the parking lot. I think I’ll go talk to them and see what they know about their neighbor Meeks. Maybe they have an idea where he might be.”

  She nodded and watched him walk out. As she waited for Ken to answer or his voicemail to pick up, she scanned the apartment, disgusted by the way in which Meeks lived. It took her back to her childhood days when she’d still lived with her father. His drinking binges had often left their home looking like this, although even then Ashlynn had done her best to try to tidy up. But she’d quickly learned to steer clear of him when he was drinking or face the brunt of his alcohol-fueled abuse. Cleanliness had taken a backseat to safety.

  Ken’s voicemail finally picked up and she left him a brief message explaining what she needed. She put away her phone and picked up a framed photograph from its spot on an end table. There was something familiar about the faces in the group photo.

  Suddenly, the door slammed behind her. She turned and gasped as a man she recognized from his photo as Meeks lurched at her, clamping a sweaty hand over her mouth and a knife’s blade to her throat.

  SEVEN

  The photo fell from her hand as Meeks pressed the knife deeper into her neck.

  “Stop struggling,” he commanded, pulling his arm tighter around her. His breath on her face was hot and menacing as he spoke. “You’re looking for your little boy?” he hissed. “Well he’s gone.”

  Panic gripped her. No, he couldn’t be gone. This man was only trying to frighten and upset her. Couldn’t he see the pleading in her eyes? Could he see how much she needed her baby back in her arms? He had to have some notion of a conscience, didn’t he?

  Garrett opened the door. Surprise when he saw them quickly turned to steely determination. He drew his gun as Meeks spotted him and pulled her closer, using Ashlynn as a shield.

  “Drop it or I snap her neck,” he hollered.

  Ashlynn saw the result of all Garrett’s years of training. He didn’t flinch. He braced his arm, aiming his gun and moving inside the apartment. His jaw was set and his hands steady. “Let her go.”

  “I said drop it,” Meeks demanded again, his snarl high pitched and uncertain compared to Garrett’s calm, cool response.

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  Meeks tightened his grip, causing Ashlynn to cry out in pain as the knife dug into her neck.

  “Okay, okay,” Garrett said. He carefully placed his gun on the floor, his eyes never leaving Meeks. “There. I’m unarmed. Now, let her go.”

  “Why are you in my house?”

  “We’re looking for a child that was kidnapped yesterday afternoon. He was in the van you returned to Mike Webb’s place.
”

  “I didn’t take no kid,” Meeks insisted. “I just returned the van for a friend.”

  “That’s a lie,” Ashlynn cried. “You just told me he was gone.”

  “Shut up!” Meeks hollered, digging the knife in again and causing Ashlynn to cry out in pain.

  But Garrett didn’t react to her cry. He stood calmly, nodding, his hand on his hip. “I believe you. What’s the name of the friend?”

  “I’m not a snitch like those guys Webb has working for him. I don’t inform on my friends.”

  “I admire your loyalty. But you see we have a problem because that’s my friend you’re threatening with a knife, and I’m also extremely loyal to my friends. We need to work something out here before anyone gets hurt.”

  He took another step into the room, but his voice never wavered. Ashlynn noticed the hand on his hip slowly moving toward his belt, then she spotted a flash of metal as Garrett slung something at Meeks.

  He groaned and released her, grabbing his thigh and screaming out in pain. Ashlynn slipped through his grasp and out of the way as Garrett retrieved his gun from the floor and had Meeks in custody in what seemed like one fast movement.

  Her heart was pounding and a lump of gratitude rose in her throat. Garrett hadn’t allowed her to be hurt. He’d protected her, just as she’d instinctively known he would. A wave of thankfulness and grief overwhelmed her and she buried her face in her hands, unable to hold back the rush of emotion that enveloped her.

  Garrett placed a hand on her shoulder and his voice was full of worry as he knelt beside her. “Are you okay?” She thought she heard a slight quiver in his voice but she dismissed it. Surely she’d imagined it. Based on what she’d just witnessed, nothing could frighten this man.

  “I’m fine,” she assured him, then took a deep breath and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She looked and saw Meeks tied up with what appeared to be the cords from the window blinds.