Texas Baby Pursuit

by Margaret Daley

  When Rachel noticed Annie hand Dallas something and he turned to leave, she gave Barbara her card. “If you remember anything else about that day, please let me know.”

  “Ready?” Dallas asked Rachel.

  “Yeah.” She headed for the exit and started to push the door open.

  Instead, Dallas leaned around her and thrust it wide. His soft touch at the small of her back shivered down her spine. She slanted a look at him, his lime-scented aftershave wafting in the air between them. For a long second, their gazes connected. Her breath caught while her pulse raced.

  Dallas cleared his throat and glanced away. “When we get in the car, I want you to use my computer to look at the footage from the Knit n’ Pearl.”

  His words brought her back to the moment. She blinked and quickly stepped outside into the hot summer day. What in the world had happened back there? Rachel tried to make sense of that brief interaction between them.

  As she settled into the front passenger seat, Dallas picked up his laptop and loaded the footage from the thumb drive onto it, then he passed it to Rachel.

  “I hope there’s something on the video because we don’t have many leads.” She focused her full attention on what was playing out on the screen.

  The sisters at the knitting shop didn’t have many security cameras, but what they had gave a clear view of almost the whole place. When she found something she wanted to explore more closely, she stopped the black and white video and zoomed in, especially when she glimpsed the bracelet was no longer around Lenora’s wrist. Rachel zoomed out wide but kept her gaze on the spot where the piece of jewelry sat on the floor near a large basket of multicolored skeins.

  As Lenora picked up a crying Brady and tried to comfort him, a young woman with long light-colored hair and wearing sunglasses stopped by the basket of yarns. When the lady stood, sliding her hand into her jeans pocket, Rachel fixed her gaze on the spot where the bracelet had been.

  Empty.

  “I found the woman!”

  Dallas swerved off the highway onto the shoulder and parked. “Let me see.”

  Rachel rewound the video, then gave the laptop to him. “The lady conveniently has her face turned away from the cameras. So does the man with her. That’s not a coincidence. I traced her from when she came in, and I can’t find one good shot of her face.”

  “Although the video is black and white, it appears her hair is light colored, likely blond. We need to get a good drawing of the lady at Lenora’s house. I’ll call Annie later and see if she’ll try to describe the woman for a sketch artist.”

  “How about Michelle? She might recognize her if she’s shown the illustration.”

  “First, I want her to try without any reference from the people at Knit n’ Pearl. If she can do a drawing, we can compare it with what the two sisters come up with.”

  Rachel took back the laptop as Dallas started the engine and pulled onto the highway to Cimarron Trail. “Lenora needs to see this footage. She may remember something about the woman and man.”

  At a four-way stop sign, Dallas called Knit n’ Pearl, then his office and had a sketch artist go to the knitting shop. “After that, have him call me, and I’ll meet him at my sister’s house.” After disconnecting, he crossed the intersection, only ten minutes away from Cimarron Trail.

  As he hit the outskirts of the town, a call came in from his mother. He pulled off the road to answer it. “I just returned from San Antonio. Is Michelle leaving the hospital soon?”

  Rachel couldn’t tell what his mother replied but thought the smile on his face must mean good news. She hoped so. She could imagine how she would feel if something happened to her daughter.

  When he ended the call, he continued toward the regional hospital and pulled into the parking lot. “Michelle has drawn a picture of the lady who forced herself into Lenora’s house yesterday.”

  “Great. Will she be able to leave the hospital?”

  “Yes. Mom said she was doing better in the past couple of hours.”

  Having been hit like Michelle by the Peeping Tom, although not as seriously hurt as the teenager, Rachel was relieved to hear she was improving. The whole affair was terrifying, especially for a young girl. Her heart went out to Michelle. “Not only do I think that Michelle should stay at my dad’s ranch while we’re investigating this case, I think she should stay there rather than going back and forth between your home and my father’s place. She needs to rest and relax. You both should stay there until this is all over. It’ll give us more time to work on the case in the evening.”

  He switched off his SUV and turned toward her. “I appreciate Bill offering to protect Michelle while we’re investigating, but—”

  “Dad’s house is large. Plenty of room for y’all. We should stick together. If Brady’s kidnapping is connected to the other ones in Texas recently, then we’re up against a well-organized group. Have you found out from your office about any similar kidnappings in other states?”

  “Not yet. I agree about us facing an organization that has deep pockets. Let’s go rescue Michelle from the hospital.”

  As Rachel hopped down from the SUV, she chuckled. “That’s how I would feel.”

  “Me, too.” Across the hood, Dallas’s look captured hers. “We’ll catch all of them. Don’t worry.”

  In that moment, she felt the total conviction behind each of his words. A real smile took over her face. “If I have anything to do with it, yes. I can’t let anything I do fuel Marvin’s rhetoric about me being the sheriff.”

  Dallas headed inside. “I support that one hundred percent.”

  As Rachel climbed the stairs to the second floor, despite the aches and pains she had from the car accident earlier, there was a lightness to her step. Dallas’s support meant a lot to her. She was a responsible law enforcement officer, but she could also recognize when she needed help with a case. Kidnapping babies from their parents was horrendous but selling them was even worse. And she was determined to stop this smuggling ring. No matter what.

  * * *

  Dallas emerged from Bill Young’s house onto the front porch just as the sun was disappearing behind the hills to the west. “It was nice to see you again, Rob.” Dallas shook the hand of Rob Woodward, a former deputy who now worked and lived at the ranch.

  “Anytime I can help y’all, just holler. I ain’t letting anyone hurt little Katie or Michelle.” Rob stuck his pinkie up. “Katie’s got me wrapped around her finger. One smile and I melt.”

  “I appreciate you offering to keep an eye out for anything unusual and to show Michelle around the ranch once the doctor says it’s okay for her to resume her activities. She loves horses.”

  “Speaking of horses, I need to check on Sunshine. She hasn’t been eating.” Rob descended the steps and tipped his cowboy hat, then sauntered in the direction of the barn.

  Dallas leaned into the wooden railing that surrounded the porch, taking in a deep breath of the grass-scented air. This was his favorite time of day, as the sun went down and darkness crept over the landscape. He’d hoped to have some time to spend with his daughter, but right after dinner she’d gone to bed early. He wasn’t surprised because there had been so many people coming and going from the hospital room that she’d hardly rested.

  The screen door opened, and he glanced over his shoulder—at Rachel. A smile curved her full lips and reached deep into her crystal-green eyes. She made him forget—for just a few moments—they weren’t in the middle of an abduction case involving his nephew with his daughter the only witness.

  “Did Katie go to bed?” Dallas turned and leaned against the railing.

  “Yes. Michelle wore her out. Katie put her head down and went right to sleep.”

  “My daughter loves children. Brady always responds...” The rest of what he was going to say caught in his throat. He’d promised his sister he would brin
g Brady home, and yet he knew the longer it took, the less likely it was that he would.

  “Is she still blaming herself?”

  “She won’t talk about it anymore. I thought Mom could get her to open up. But she couldn’t.” He crossed his legs and gripped the railing while Rachel stood right in front of him. “I’m worried. When my wife left us and signed over full custody to me, Michelle was silent. Even when I found her crying, she wouldn’t talk to me. Slowly she’s begun to open up, but now...” he shook his head “...I don’t know what to do.”

  Rachel reached out and clasped his arm. “It’s not easy being a teenage girl. She’s caught between being a child and an adult. She was—and is—scared. I tend to clam up when I’m afraid, too.”

  The vulnerability behind her last sentence touched his own. When you cared about someone, you left yourself open to be hurt. Patricia’s leaving him and Michelle had hurt him more than he’d thought possible. Somehow he’d missed the signs that she was unhappy. He’d been trained to read people and try to figure out what they were thinking. But Patricia had fooled him up until the day she’d walked out after serving him the divorce papers. He would never let that happen to him again.

  He stared at the darkening terrain, at the countless stars in the midst of the black sky. “We should go inside. No sense making it easy to get to us.”

  “You think you’re in danger, too?” She moved closer to him and scanned the yard.

  “Prepare for the worst. That way we won’t be surprised again, like what happened to you this morning.”

  “I’ll be creeping around that curve at five miles an hour from now on.”

  He looked down at her, the light of the porch was behind her, shadowing her features, but from the tone of her voice he imagined there was a twinkle in her eyes. “We should be extra vigilant.”

  “As you say, prepare for the worst. Good motto for any law enforcement officer.” Rachel walked to the door and went inside.

  Dallas took one last look at the ranch. He couldn’t shake the sensation that someone lurked out there in the darkness, watching. Other than his mother, he hadn’t told anyone that he and Michelle were staying here. He hoped it was his imagination or the result of his talk with Rachel, but he couldn’t dismiss the eerie feeling.

  Standing in the entry hall, he made sure the front door was locked. He’d already checked the windows, even the second floor ones. Rachel must have gone to the den where they had set up a laptop to go through any evidence they acquired concerning the case.

  As he passed the living room, Rachel’s mother, sitting next to her husband, said, “I made a pot of coffee for you and Rachel in case you need it.”

  Bill put down the book he was reading. “How about me? I’m going to be up part of the night.”

  Anita looked back and forth between her husband and Dallas. “You think they’ll come to the ranch?”

  “Hopefully not, but I don’t want to take a chance.” Bill patted her leg. “Rob’s coming back to take the early morning watch. We’re splitting it three ways, so we’ll all get some sleep.”

  Anita twisted her mouth into a frown. “You’re right. They tried to kill Rachel earlier. If you’re on duty later, you need to get some sleep right now. The people we love are in this house.”

  Bill gave his wife a quick kiss and rose. “Yes, ma’am.” As he passed Dallas, he added. “I’m setting my alarm for midnight. I want you to get enough rest so you can solve this crime quickly.”

  Dallas nodded, continuing toward the den. He leaned in through the doorway. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” he asked Rachel.

  Rachel shook her head. “I’m fine. We don’t have a lot of leads yet. I’ll probably call it a night soon. My aches and bruises are protesting. I’m not even sure I can get up,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Actually, we can do that tomorrow morning if you want, right before we go back to the Chesterfield Shopping Center. That may be a better time, anyway.” Dallas moved closer and held his hand out.

  She took it and allowed him to pull her up, her eyes trained on his. “Thanks.”

  “I’ve been in your shoes before. If you sit too long, you get stiff.” He should’ve stepped back, but her beautiful face transfixed him, demanding he move even closer.

  He wondered what it would feel like if he kissed her. Ever since Patricia had left him, he’d stayed focused on his job and family, not allowing anyone to distract him from those two things. But now, the urge to brush her mouth with his overwhelmed him. He bent his head toward hers.

  * * *

  Kiss me floated through her mind as Rachel stood frozen in front of Dallas. Would she shock him if she put her arms around his neck and drew him even closer? Her cheeks flushed. But before she could act on impulse, he hooked his arm around her waist and gently tugged her against him while his mouth settled on hers.

  For a few, brief seconds.

  Then he pulled back, his eyes fluttering open. Surprise flitted across his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Rachel said. “When I discovered that my husband had a mistress at the time of his death, my world was rocked. It made me doubt everything I believed in. He’d betrayed me, and yet I questioned myself, going over and over what I had done wrong, asking myself why he would do that to me.”

  “Was he a police officer?”

  “No, an accountant. He’d never asked me about my work, and I was okay about that. When I left work, I put the day’s activities behind me. I didn’t want to burden him with some of the things I saw on the job.”

  One corner of his mouth tilted up. “I did the very same thing, but because Patricia asked me not to share. So I kept it inside.”

  “Thankfully when I was really troubled, Dad was there to listen. We all need someone to talk to when we’re upset.”

  “I’m glad you have your father. I have a couple of buddies. We share war stories when we get together. One is Taylor Blackburn. He’s a Texas Ranger who works in the San Antonio office and I’ve asked him to help with the case. He’s great at digging up information online.” Dallas stepped back. “You need to get some rest. Today has been challenging. I’m surprised you didn’t go to your bedroom when Michelle did.”

  “My mistake was when I finally sat down in here a few minutes ago.”

  “I’ll take a look at the footage and write down anything that concerns me. Tomorrow morning we’ll see if we agree.”

  Tonight she’d gotten to know Dallas on a deeper level. She’d never talked about her marriage with anyone, especially someone she’d just met. She felt like she’d known him longer than a couple of days. “Make sure you get some rest, too.” As she strolled out of the den, she glanced back at him before he disappeared from view.

  The image of his head bowed and his shoulders hunched made her step falter. She reached out and put her hand on the hallway’s wall. Was he thinking about his ex-wife? She knew what it felt like to be devastated by betrayal. The urge to go back and make him realize Patricia walked out on him—not the other way around—was strong.

  Rachel stopped at the upstairs bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she was finished and heading down the corridor to her bedroom, she passed by Michelle’s room. The sound of a moan stopped Rachel in her tracks. Was something wrong? She moved closer to the door to listen.

  Suddenly a scream shrieked through the air.

  SIX

  Rachel burst into Michelle’s room, preparing herself to do battle with whoever was in there. The light from the hallway spotlighted the bed, where the young teen sat straight up, her hands clutching the sheet. Rachel hurried toward Michelle, who slowly looked in Rachel’s direction, the girl’s eyes round as full moons.

  As Rachel sat next to Michelle, the teen shivered. Rachel gathered her into her arms and drew Michelle against her. “Just a bad dre
am. You’re all right now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  “I saw her.” Michelle clung to Rachel as if she were drowning and was trying to stay above water.

  “Who?”

  The young girl mumbled something. The only words Rachel heard clearly were “the woman.”

  “What woman?” she asked Michelle.

  “The lady who took Brady.”

  At that moment, something blocked the light from the hallway. Rachel slanted a look toward the door and saw Dallas quickly enter the room.

  As he sat nearby on the bed, Rachel shifted her focus back to Michelle and said, “What about the lady?”

  “I knocked her sunglasses off.”

  Rachel exchanged a glance with Dallas. “Do you remember what she looked like without her glasses?”

  The teenager nodded. “She’d picked up Brady. I was trying to stop her.”

  “What happened next?” Dallas asked in a soft voice as he placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.

  She looked at her father. “I tried to get Brady away from her. That was when I was hit. I should have been able to save him. I should have...” Tears glistened in her eyes.

  “Honey, there was nothing you could have done.”

  The tightness in his voice battered at Rachel’s composure. She knew exactly what he was going through—he felt helpless to change what happened.

  “I shouldn’t have opened the door to her. If Brady dies...” Her sobs whisked away the rest of the sentence as she clung to her father.

  “He won’t. We’ll find him, I promise, honey.” Dallas’s gaze locked with Rachel’s.

  In his eyes, she glimpsed a father fighting desperately to reassure his child. But it was something he had no control over and he knew that. Hope was wonderful, but what would happen when he couldn’t fulfill his promise?

  “Let’s pray for Brady, princess.”

  Rachel frowned. Praying hadn’t helped her. If that was what he depended on, he might be disappointed. She’d prayed after Justin died to help her get through the pain, but instead she’d discovered he’d been having an affair for a year. The knowledge had left her devastated, with more questions and no hope of answers.