* * *
The knock on her hotel door was no surprise after Josh’s call. Elise braced herself and opened it to find a red-eyed Patti standing on the breezeway.
Patti stared at her for several moments before crossing the threshold and throwing her arms around Elise, hugging her tightly.
Elise was dumbfounded. She’d expected anger, tears and angry accusations. She hadn’t expected bear-hugging.
Finally, Patti broke the embrace and took her hands. “I honestly had no idea what I would say to you after Josh told me about your history with my husband.”
Elise rushed to defend herself. “Patti, I am so sorry about Max. If I could go back—”
“Hush,” Patti insisted. “We can’t change the past and I know you never intended any harm to come to Max. This world is full of evil, and our family knows firsthand. Max was always one to stand up for others, and even though I miss him terribly, I’m proud to know he died defending what he believed in.”
Elise wiped away the tears streaming down her face. “Then...then you’re not angry at me?”
“Angry at you? Elise, I’m thankful. If Max hadn’t intervened all those years ago, you wouldn’t be here today to search for our daughter. I’m so thankful that the Lord has us all in His hands and His plans. I just don’t know why Josh felt he had to keep this from me. It gives me hope. It gives me wonderful hope that my daughter will be returned to me safely.”
Elise grimaced at being considered a part of God’s plan. She was there for a reason, and it had nothing to do with God’s will. But she wasn’t going to argue with Patti over her faith. The lady needed something to grant her hope.
Elise squeezed her hand and made her a promise. “I will do everything in my power to bring Candace home.”
SIX
Josh received a call from Daniel the next afternoon letting him know the preliminary lab report from the blood collected from Josh’s knife was in. He swung by and picked up Elise then headed to the police station.
Elise looked over the results and compared them to the local file the police had on Taylor Johnson. “The preliminary reports show the same blood type. That along with the identification Josh gave us is enough to issue a warrant.”
Daniel leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to locate Johnson. And according to his landlady, he hasn’t been at his apartment in days. We’re unlikely to find anything by searching there.”
Despite that news, Elise was determined. “He’s the key. I know it. We’ve got to find him. Have you checked for credit-card usage?”
“He doesn’t have a credit card and there’s been no usage on his bank account. There’s also been no activity on his cell phone and his car hasn’t been located.”
“What about family members?” Josh asked. “Have they had any contact with him?”
“If they have, they’re not telling my officers.”
“Extend the range searching for his car. We should include all areas between here and New Orleans. And I have a way of determining where Taylor’s loyalties lie. I want to pull Peter Larkin’s phone records.”
Josh was intrigued. “What are you looking for?”
“If Taylor was basically a henchman working for whoever would hire him, I want to see if there is any indication that he’s had contact with Peter Larkin.”
Daniel shook his head, unconvinced. “If Larkin was involved in Candace’s disappearance, why would he hire anyone, much less Taylor, to do work for him? Someone who would turn on him in the blink of an eye?”
“Is it possible they’re working together? There was another person shooting at me,” Josh stated. “He covered Taylor’s getaway.”
“We can do a test to see if Larkin has fired a gun recently,” Elise said.
Daniel shook his head. “Not unless he agrees to it. We don’t have enough evidence to compel him.”
Elise grinned and headed for the door. “Then I’ll ask nicely.”
Josh followed after her. He knew her well enough by now to know that this was not going to go well.
* * *
Peter Larkin was in the teachers’ lounge when Josh and Elise arrived at the school to question him. He glared at them as they entered. “Agent Richardson, Josh, what do you want now?”
Elise stepped forward. “Perhaps you heard about what happened here at the school yesterday afternoon?”
“No, what happened?”
“Someone tried to abduct Agent Richardson,” Josh stated.
Elise stared at him then punctuated one word. “Tried.”
“I chased the guy through the woods.”
Larkin shook his head. “And you think it was me?”
“No, I saw the guy. It was a man named Taylor Johnson.”
“Then go arrest him.”
“We will when we can find him.”
Larkin got irritated. “Why are you here?”
“Taylor had an accomplice. He took a couple of shots at me.”
“Too bad he missed.”
Elise got right to the point. “We’d like to run a test to prove that you haven’t shot a gun recently.”
Larkin shook his head. “No.”
“I’m sure you’d like to prove that you were not involved in the attempted abduction of an FBI agent, Mr. Larkin. This test could point the spotlight away from you.”
He picked up his coffee mug and refilled it before heading for the door. “I said no. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to teach.”
“I can get a warrant and compel you to take this test,” Elise warned.
He stopped at the doorway. “Then come back when you have the warrant.” He walked out.
Josh moved toward her. “What do you think?”
“I think we still need to find Taylor.”
* * *
Josh was trying to catch up on his work later that afternoon when his cell phone rang.
He recognized Daniel’s number. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I need you to come to the school,” Daniel stated. “It’s Patti.”
Those words got his attention. Josh closed his computer and pushed it away, reaching for his keys. “What happened?”
“She attacked Larkin.”
Josh phoned Elise as he was jumping into the Jeep and she agreed to meet him at the school. He kicked himself. He should have known better than to leave Patti alone.
He rushed into the office and found Patti sitting on the sofa, her head resting on the back of the couch and a wet cloth over her forehead. She looked drained and defeated. Beside her, the school nurse was taking her blood pressure. Daniel stood a few inches away, taking down notes.
Josh sat on the other side of Patti and took her hand. “What happened?”
She removed the cloth and stared at him, her eyes full of regret. “I’m sorry, Josh,” she stated. “I just kept thinking this man knows something about my daughter. I only wanted to get him to tell me where she is.” She placed her hands over her face and sobbed.
Josh pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her, doing his best to comfort her. He glanced up and saw the sympathy of the school nurse and Daniel. And he spotted Elise standing in the doorway, her face drawn in a frown. He knew seeing Patti so distraught was upsetting to her as well, and he appreciated how she’d already come to care for his family. At the same time, he also noticed the determined lines of her face and worried when she turned and marched out of the office.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Patti, getting up to follow Elise out. He found her headed down the hall and knew she was heading toward Larkin’s classroom. He rushed to catch up with her. “Where are you going, Elise?”
“Where do you think?”
He grabbed her arm, spinning her to fac
e him. “Confronting him won’t do any good. Aren’t you the one who told me that?”
She folded her arms, stubbornly sticking to her decision. “I don’t care. I’m tired of the bad guys always winning. I can’t take it anymore. He won’t get away with this, Josh.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her, her shoulders shaking as she fought back sobs.
The door to the faculty lounge opened and Larkin stepped out, his face scratched and his eye blackened. Patti had done a job on him and Josh couldn’t help but be proud. At the same time, he felt Elise stiffen as she spotted him.
Larkin glared at them both. “I didn’t have anything to do with your niece’s disappearance,” he insisted, “and I’m tired of being accused. Keep your sister-in-law away from me,” he stated. “And you can let her know I will be filing a complaint not only with the police but also with the school board. She won’t be principal for much longer.”
* * *
It was already dark when Elise stopped by Patti’s house, anxious to see how she was doing after the incident at school. The other houses on her street were lit up with Christmas lights, but Patti’s lights hung limply from the house, unlit. Elise approached the house and raised her hand to knock on the door then stopped, spotting Patti and Josh through the recently replaced front window. Josh had his arms around her and had pulled her into a hug. The intimacy they seemed to share struck at her, reminding Elise of the mystery man Patti said she’d spoken to Candace about the morning of her disappearance. Hadn’t she said she’d known him for years?
Josh.
Shaken by the display and even more by the upsetting flow of jealousy pulsing through her, Elise backed away from the door. She couldn’t go in there now, not after seeing them that way, not after the intensity of jealousy that plagued her.
What was the matter with her? What difference did it make if Josh hugged his sister-in-law? There was nothing between her and Josh. There couldn’t be, not knowing her hand in Max’s death. She should be happy for them, finding one another after all these years. And once Candace was home, they would be one big happy family...just as they should have been before Max’s death.
She shuddered, realizing that if Max hadn’t died, he would be with Patti, and Josh would be free to love her. Ironically, her role in Max’s death had not only ruined one family, but had also ruined any future she might have had with Josh. She supposed she deserved it. This was just another consequence of that night all those years earlier.
She jumped, startled by the crunch of leaves behind her. She reached for her gun and stepped off the porch. A dark figure moved away from the house and Elise quickly moved toward it, her gun ready and drawn, her senses on high alert.
“FBI. Freeze!” she called out, but the person took off.
The light from the porch brightened up the night, causing her eyes to lose focus on the figure of a man running. Elise took off after him as Josh and Patti stepped out onto the porch.
Josh fell into step beside her. “What is it?”
“Someone was there.” She moved toward the neighbor’s house and hugged the brick outer wall as Josh joined her. Together, they moved to the side of the house, in perfect sync. Elise raised her weapon, ready to use if necessary.
A lone figure turned the corner then stopped when he saw the gun aimed at his head.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
Josh pushed Elise’s gun down. “It’s only Patti’s neighbor Mr. Franklin.” He turned to the startled man to explain. “We heard an intruder.”
“There’s no one here but me.”
“You didn’t see a dark figure moving around?” Elise demanded.
“I didn’t see anything except a gun pointed at my head.”
Despite Josh’s reassurance, Elise was hesitant to put her gun away. She’d seen someone lurking around. She was sure of it.
“It’s okay, Elise. Mr. Franklin has been Patti’s neighbor for ten years.” He apologized again then headed back to Patti’s. Elise followed him, scanning the area. “What did you see?”
“Just someone lurking around the house. I didn’t see who it was.”
He glanced at his sister-in-law standing on the porch looking anxious. “I’ll stay here tonight just in case.”
Elise stiffened at the reference. She hadn’t meant to hand him such a suggestion. Was this genuine concern for his sister-in-law, or was he jumping at the chance to spend more time with her? She tried to push off her frustration as she followed him back to the house.
Patti rushed off the porch and greeted her. “Elise, I’m so thankful you were here.”
She didn’t want this woman’s gratitude. In fact, she didn’t want anything from this woman, yet she couldn’t rationalize her feelings. She liked Patti, but because of her closeness to Josh, she didn’t want to like Patti.
It was all so confusing.
“I think I should spend the night,” Josh suggested.
“Oh, really?” Patti seemed hesitant at the choice.
“On the couch, of course,” Josh told her. When she still seemed hesitant, he questioned her. “What’s the problem, Patti? I’ve stayed over before.”
“I know. It’s just that was when Candace was here. It doesn’t seem right for us to spend the night in the house alone together. Maybe Elise would stay instead.”
Elise nearly choked at her words.
“I’ll be perfectly safe with Elise in the house with me.”
Elise quickly scanned her brain for reasons why that would not work, but the look of concern on Josh’s face and his pleading gaze changed her mind.
“I would feel better knowing she wasn’t alone.”
She felt like pounding her feet and throwing her arms and whining that she didn’t want to stay in the same house as Josh’s girlfriend, but she also knew how childish that sounded. It sounded silly even in her head. She couldn’t blame Patti for falling for this handsome former ranger. She only wished she didn’t have to be around to see it.
* * *
Elise bolted awake from her position on the couch. She reached for her weapon and jumped up at the sound of someone in the kitchen. She was surprised to find Patti preparing a glass of warm milk.
She felt foolish jumping to such conclusions. This entire case had her on edge, but she couldn’t be so trigger-happy. She had to somehow find her bearings.
Patti offered some milk to Elise. “I couldn’t sleep. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since Candace vanished.”
Elise joined her at the table. For the first time, she noticed the strain on Patti’s face, the deep lines punctuated by sadness and grief. She was used to seeing this woman so strong, so solid even in the face of her daughter’s abduction. Tears slipped down Patti’s cheeks as she looked at Elise and gave an apologetic smile. “I just want her to come home. Do you believe she ran away?”
Elise struggled with what to say. Running away meant her daughter had chosen to leave on her own. It was essentially a rejection of her mothering. But not running away implied something bad, possibly fatal, had happened to Candace. Elise understood the concern.
“No,” she stated honestly. “I don’t believe Candace ran away.”
She nodded. “No, neither do I. I know my little girl, Elise. She can be a hothead, just like her father was, like Josh is at times, but she cools off quickly. She wouldn’t have stayed away like this. Something has happened to her and it terrifies me to think about all the awful things it could be.”
Elise put her arms around Patti and hugged her tightly. “I will find her.”
She pushed Patti to return to bed and try to get some sleep, but Elise knew sleep would likely not come. She doubted she would return to sleep, either. Her head was killing her and Nurse Stringer would be burning up her phone in another few minutes anyway.
She searched the cabinet for painkillers then poured herself a glass of water and swallowed two Tylenol, knowing it wouldn’t make the pain go away, but hoping to dull it somewhat.
She heard a light tapping and saw Josh through the window standing at the back door. She unlocked it and let him inside.
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw the light on.”
“From where?”
“I was in the Jeep parked across the street.”
How had she not realized he was out there? That said more about her concussion than about his ranger training.
“I couldn’t leave not knowing you were safe.”
She wanted to find comfort in his words. Not knowing you were safe. He’d obviously meant that in a plural form of you, as in her and Patti, and meant, Elise was certain, without knowing Patti was safe. Her mind told her that was ridiculous. They were in the Deep South. If he’d really meant to imply them both, he would have said “y’all,” but she argued with herself that his military training and traveling all over the world had trained the y’all right out of him.
“I’m sure you’re worried about Patti.”
He snaked his hand gently up her arm. “I’m worried about both of you, Elise.”
She stiffened. “I can take care of myself.” Her insinuation might have had more meaning if he hadn’t saved her life more than once in less than a week. His hand remained on her arm, growing more and more heavy with every moment he failed to move it. She glanced down at his hand and then up at him, his blue eyes as intense on her as his hand was on her arm.
He moved his hand up her arm and touched her face. Oh, how she could lose herself in this man, in his strength, in his power and his gentleness. How could he be such extremes and how could she find them so appealing?
She knew he was about to kiss her, so she pulled away from him. “What about Patti?”
“What about her?”
“Are you sure you should be here with me in her kitchen? You two seemed pretty cozy earlier when I came by.”
Yuletide Abduction Page 10