Last Chance 05 - Second Chance

by Christy Reece

  Cole looked down at his notes. “But Miranda, her daughter, is also a single mother, isn’t she?”

  “Even though Miranda and Maggie live with Elizabeth, she barely acknowledges their existence.” She shrugged. “I’m not necessarily the only one Elizabeth ostracizes, I just happen to be her favorite target.”

  “Hailey and Hannah are her son’s children, too. Surely she feels some affection for them.”

  “Affection is an emotion for normal people. Elizabeth isn’t normal. To her, my girls are tainted with my blood.”

  Could Elizabeth Fairchild really be so cold and hate her daughter-in-law so much that she didn’t care that her own grandchildren had been abducted? She might hate the mother, but the children were her son’s—her own—flesh and blood.

  When he’d lost his daughter, Cassidy, his in-laws had grieved almost as much as he did. A grandparent with this kind of cold, uncaring attitude was foreign to him. If Elizabeth could hate that deeply and severely, what better way to destroy the woman she despised than to take her children from her?

  “The person who arranged your husband’s abduction was never found. And from all accounts, there are still no suspects. Correct?”

  Returning to her chair, Keeley nodded. “Yes. The final theory was that someone saw an opportunity to make some money and they knew we could pay the ransom. Though it’s my understanding from LCR that Stephen wasn’t supposed to die. Another kidnap victim inadvertently killed him.”

  Refusing to give himself an out by avoiding her gaze, Cole faced her and answered, “That’s true.”

  Keeley hadn’t thought Cole Mathison’s expression could get any grimmer, but for some reason, it had. Perhaps she was wrong about him. His questions were thorough and his demeanor gave every indication that he took this assignment very seriously. Something inside her began to ease.

  “I know you’re new to the case, but Eden, Jordan, and the FBI believe that the same person who had Stephen kidnapped could also be responsible for Hailey and Hannah’s disappearance. Do you agree?”

  “The person who paid for the abduction could well be the same person.” Cole Mathison’s eyes went icy cold as he continued, “Donald Rosemount, the man responsible for the actual abduction, is dead.”

  “Yes, I was told he was killed by one of his victims.”

  “That’s true, also.”

  “You seem to know a lot about Stephen’s case. You worked on it, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you think it’s possible it’s the same person?”

  “Abductions are rare enough in this country. To have two in the same family is too much of a coincidence.”

  “But if that’s the case … who? And why would they try to take me, too?”

  “I know you’ve been asked this before, but are you sure there’s no one in your past who could hold a grudge against you?”

  “I’m certainly not the most popular person in town, but other than Elizabeth hating me for marrying her son, I can’t think of anyone in my past who hates me.”

  “No old boyfriends?”

  “No. I didn’t date a lot. Stephen was my first serious relationship.”

  The man across from her leaned forward. They locked gazes, and she saw a flash of something intense as he said, “We will find your children, Keeley. I promise you that.”

  Behind that hard exterior, Keeley glimpsed not only determination but also compassion. That strange tension she’d felt on meeting him disappeared. Cole Mathison did indeed care. For some reason, he wanted to hide it, but she sensed his kindness and his resolve. He shared the same conviction that everyone else did.

  Without any concrete reason, Keeley felt more optimistic than she had in weeks. Somehow, just seeing the steady, resolute look in this man’s eyes, hearing his deep, masculine voice filled with purpose, reassured her. There were too many people working for the same goal for it not to come true.

  She was going to get her babies back. She was sure of it.

  A door slammed somewhere in the house. Elizabeth jerked, losing her concentration on the book in front of her. This time of night, no one should be up. It was probably Miranda coming in late as usual. She’d left her daughter, Maggie, in the care of one of the servants while she, no doubt, went slumming around again.

  Elizabeth couldn’t care less where she had been or what she did as long as she brought no more shame to the Fairchild name. She’d done enough for a lifetime.

  When Stephen lived at home, he had often come in this late, sometimes later, and had made no effort to be quiet. She had never been able to break him of that irritating habit, but he’d been so charming, she’d often overlooked his less desirable qualities.

  Melancholy hit her, as it often did, when she thought about her son. Why, oh why, couldn’t he have taken after her instead of his philandering father?

  Her husband, Baker, had been undisciplined, emotional and fiery, uncaring of his status in the community. She had saved his ass on numerous occasions, and saved him from destroying what his ancestors had worked so hard for. Without her, the Fairchild name would have been forever soiled.

  She’d never expected great things from Miranda. She’d been a whiny, irritating child; Elizabeth hadn’t seen much improvement in her as an adult. Though Miranda hadn’t seemed to be anything like her father, getting pregnant in the midst of her sophomore year of college by a man she refused to even name changed Elizabeth’s mind. And Maggie, no doubt, would grow up to be just like her. Another Fairchild failure.

  At one time she’d thought Stephen had inherited at least some of his mother’s qualities. She took pride in the family name and their stature in this world. She had thought Stephen did, too, but when he’d married that tramp, he had deeply disappointed her.

  She’d had such plans for Stephen. With the Fairchild money and influence behind him, the sky had been the limit. And as his devoted mother, she would have been at his back, pushing him gently toward a grand future. With his good looks and charm, he could have been anything she wanted … even possibly president someday.

  Instead his hormones and the weakness he inherited from his father had overruled any good qualities he’d inherited from her. His stunt of marrying the one woman he knew his mother would definitely not approve of had sealed her opinion of him. Though she could never admit it to anyone publicly, she had often thought that Stephen got what he deserved.

  Now the children he’d spawned with that slut were gone. Of course, being the lady that she was and with her status in the community, she had to show at least a modicum of concern.

  The damnable FBI and those humorless people from that do-good organization had questioned her repeatedly. Though she refused to hide her disgust for their mother—she wasn’t that good of an actress—showing outright antipathy toward the brats would have garnered suspicion. Something she couldn’t afford.

  A soft sound penetrated her thoughts. Elizabeth put her book aside and marched to the door. It was after eleven. No one should be about this time of night. Any servants would be immediately fired if she saw them.

  Opening the door, she peeked out. Saw no one. Perhaps it had been the wind. Elizabeth closed the door and, instead of going back to her reading chair, headed to the bathroom. It was time for her facial. Though weariness pulled at her, she was too disciplined not to complete her nightly ritual. Her appearance was an integral part of her persona. How many people had she heard comment that Elizabeth Fairchild looked at least twenty years younger than her real age? Society valued youth and beauty. With her looks and wealth, she would continue to control her part of the world and the people in it. After all, she was a Fairchild. It was not only her duty; it was her right.

  six

  As he sat reading at the small desk in his bedroom, Cole massaged his temples, where a headache had set up residence. He reviewed the pages of notes he’d taken in his interview with Keeley. From what he could tell, she was hiding nothing. Whatever he asked, she’d given him a straightforward an
d sometimes heartbreaking answer. Clearly her only desire was to find her children.

  He remembered being the same way when his wife and daughter were murdered. Stripping himself bare, he’d share even the most minute detail in an effort to find the bastards who’d destroyed his family and taken the two people who meant everything to him. Though they’d been identified and punished, he hadn’t felt any satisfaction. His family was gone and nothing could be done to bring them back. Another incentive to help Keeley. He could and would return her children to her … she would have the peace he’d been denied. He owed her that.

  A knock at the door jerked him from his grim thoughts. Jordan stuck his head in. “Ready?”

  Cole nodded.

  Jordan and Eden came into the room and settled onto the sofa across from him.

  “Who do you like?” Cole asked.

  Eden answered first. “I’m still going with the grandmother. There’s an aura of evilness around her.” She shrugged. “Can’t explain it other than I feel there’s something more there than just her hatred of Keeley.” She gave a sidelong glance at her husband. “Jordan’s got another theory.”

  Jordan shook his head. “I don’t deny the grandmother’s evil, but she just seems too obvious. Her hatred of Keeley is blatant. There’s not a soul in this county who doesn’t know about it. If she was behind it, I think she’d back off a little. She hasn’t.”

  “Who’s your pick then?” Cole asked.

  Jordan huffed a disgusted sigh. “Hell if I know. FBI profiler believes there’s someone out there who hates Keeley and seeing her suffer is their primary motive.”

  Cole gave a slow nod. “Based on what I’ve read and heard so far, I agree that Elizabeth Fairchild is evil. However, I also agree that she’s too obvious. Sounds like she’s perfectly capable of doing something like this, though.”

  “That’s what Keeley keeps saying,” Eden said. “She believes Elizabeth is vicious enough, but that she wouldn’t because of the publicity.”

  “What are your thoughts about the two abductions being tied together?” Cole asked.

  “Got to be related in some way,” Jordan said. “And it reinforces the idea that someone wants to see Keeley suffer.”

  “It was Elizabeth who wanted Keeley charged with Stephen’s abduction,” Eden reminded them.

  “True. But that could just be the woman being who she is. She’d want Keeley to pay whether she really believed she had anything to do with it or not,” Cole said.

  Flipping to a clean piece of paper, he jotted Elizabeth’s name down. “So who are the closest people to Keeley? We’ll put them on the short list for the time being.” He shot Eden a glance. “Elizabeth’s at the top. But who else?”

  “Mrs. Pickens … the housekeeper. She comes in once a week. Mary Thompkins, a woman who comes in three or four times a week to cook. Miranda Fairchild, Keeley’s sister-in-law. And Keeley’s friend Jenna Banks.”

  “What about the sister-in-law? Seems odd that Elizabeth hates Keeley but her daughter is one of Keeley’s closest friends.”

  “Won’t seem strange when you meet mother and daughter,” Eden said. “They’re polar opposites.”

  Cole grunted. From the sound of it, being the polar opposite of Elizabeth Fairchild would put a person in line for sainthood.

  “What do you think about her friend Jenna?”

  “Keeley and Jenna have been friends since grammar school,” Eden said. “It’s pretty obvious she adores Keeley and her daughters.”

  Cole glanced down at the meager list of suspects. “Anyone else?”

  “There’s the weekly yardman and the gardener. They’ve been questioned repeatedly, too.”

  Cole’s gaze darted between the two LCR operatives across from him. “So has Keeley angered one of them so much they arranged for her husband’s abduction? And then, when that didn’t destroy her, they took her children, too?”

  “FBI has questioned every one of them extensively, as have Eden and I. Elizabeth is openly hostile, but the others appear to be almost as devastated as Keeley.”

  “What about someone in town? Someone from her past?”

  Eden shook her head. “She keeps a very low profile, hardly ever goes into town. And if that woman has a past, it’s invisible. Other than going to Tahiti on her honeymoon, she’s rarely even been out of Fairview. Grew up here, went to the community college the next town over. Married the local golden boy. From what we can tell, this is all she’s ever known.”

  Cole stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Any other terrible events in her life besides the kidnapping of her husband and now her children?”

  “Nothing that would indicate someone has it in for her,” Eden said.

  “So the real problems started after she’d been married to Stephen for several years. I understand he had several affairs. What about those women? Anyone talked with them?”

  Jordan grimaced. “Yeah, I had the dubious pleasure of talking to the ones we know about. None of them live in Fairview, and from what I can tell, none of them had any real regret that Stephen Fairchild was dead. Sex was pretty much their only relationship.”

  Cole had to agree with that assessment. Rarely did sex, even good sex, create the kind of hatred and need for revenge this person seemed to have toward Keeley.

  He tapped his pen on the notepad as his mind searched for an answer. “It’s been over a year since Stephen was killed. Why would the children be taken now?”

  “I think the saddest part is that Keeley was finally getting her life back together,” Eden said. “She was even in the process of putting this house on the market.”

  Cole straightened in his chair. “She didn’t mention that.”

  “She’d talked to a realtor a few weeks before. She said she wanted to get out of Fairview before the children got much older.”

  His heart kicking up a beat, Cole stood and began to pace as he pieced his thoughts together. “So what if the knowledge that Keeley was thinking about leaving triggered this?”

  Eden leaned forward. “You mean having Keeley leave Fairview was something this person didn’t want to see happen?”

  “That,” Cole said. “Or seeing Keeley get her life back together wasn’t something this person could tolerate. Leaving Fairview meant she was getting on with her life. Maybe he or she is only happy when Keeley is unhappy.”

  “Now, that’s sick.”

  Jordan nodded. “It’s a definite possibility. If that’s the case, then it’s someone close to her. Only someone she would’ve shared her deepest thoughts with.” He eyed Cole. “What’s our strategy?”

  Not for the first time, Cole felt pride in working for an organization where being the lead dog didn’t mean shit. Egos were checked at the door when one became an LCR operative. The only thing that mattered was the mission. Getting credit never came into play.

  Jordan and Eden had been first on the case. If this were any other organization, heads would be butting to determine who should be in charge. Jordan was indicating that if Cole wanted the lead dog position, he and Eden would back off and let him take over. Having control of this case wasn’t an issue with Cole either. Like everyone else, finding these children was his only motivation.

  “Let’s proceed the way you and Eden have been going.” He looked at the slender blonde. “Eden, you stick with Keeley. Noah told me you’ve developed a good relationship with her. With her attempted abduction, we have to assume she’s still in danger.”

  Eden raised a brow. “There’s a twist we haven’t discussed. If we go with the theory that someone just wanted to see her suffer, having her abducted, too, wouldn’t have accomplished this.”

  “You’re right … that’s not consistent. Which means someone could want more than just seeing Keeley suffer emotionally. Let’s make sure she goes nowhere alone.” He eyed Jordan. “Sounds like you’ve made some good connections with our underground leads. Why don’t you continue with that?”

  Jordan nodded. “What are you goi
ng to do?”

  “I’m going to talk to the townspeople. This is a small town … everyone knows everyone’s business. Secrets are hard to keep. I’m betting someone out there is willing to tell us exactly who hates Keeley Fairchild so much and why.”

  Wes eased his way up the stairs to the second floor. Security system wasn’t worth a damn in this house. Imagine having all that money and not putting in a decent system. Damn rich were too damn arrogant. If he wanted to, he could kill the bitch and there’d be no one the wiser. How he wanted to do just that. She had betrayed him, and no one did that to Wes and got away with it.

  The vacation he had indulged in hadn’t been as much fun as he hoped. Not getting what he wanted usually did that to him. He’d driven into Mexico after making the drop-off in California. Found himself a nice little tourist town. The tequila had been free-flowing and the women wild and horny … more than willing to do whatever he wanted. Still, he couldn’t forget about the one who got away … and the one responsible for letting her get away.

  After several weeks, his dissatisfaction had grown and he’d left with only one thing on his mind—returning to Fairview and getting what had been denied him. It was time for the bitch to pay up.

  He pushed the bedroom door open and stood there, watching the skinny bitch get ready for bed. The thin nightgown she wore made her look a little meatier than she actually was. An idea popped into his head, causing a certain body part that he rarely denied to stand up. Maybe he’d just have a little more fun than he had originally planned.

  Why he was suddenly jonesing for the bitch he didn’t bother to question. When he wanted it, he wanted it … the reason didn’t matter. Maybe it was because he knew she wouldn’t give it up without a fight. Her kind only gave it up when they wanted something in return. But she made no secret that she enjoyed a little rough play. In a few minutes, she’d be begging for it. Hell, who didn’t like a little violence with their sex?