by Lynn Shannon
Maybe Tara was right and he had turned his life around.
Dan lifted his hand in greeting to Tara and then squinted at the passenger side. She got out of the car, and Grady followed. His leg protested every step toward the porch.
“Hey, Dan.” She pointed to the cigarette in his hand. “I thought you were going to stop.”
“I tried. Didn’t take.” He rose to greet her with a smile. “Don’t start getting all doctory on me. Who’s your friend?”
“Grady West.” He stepped forward and stretched out his hand.
Dan didn’t move. “You’re a cop.”
“A Texas Ranger.”
His brows snapped together. “What’s going on? Where’s Maddy?” Dan looked back toward the car. His voice rose. “You’ve never come without Maddy.”
If Dan was acting he deserved an award. There was little doubt in Grady’s mind, the man cared deeply about his niece.
Of course, the kidnapper’s intentions likely weren’t to hurt Maddy. He’d shoved the stroller, yes, but it had gone into the street by accident and the kidnapper’s reaction had been out of panic when he realized Grady was getting too close. No, whoever was behind this probably loved—or thought he loved—the little girl.
“Maddy’s fine,” Tara said. “She’s absolutely fine.”
Dan let out a breath, but his shoulders didn’t lose their tension. “Something bad’s happened, huh? You wouldn’t bring a cop here if something bad hadn’t happened.”
“We do need to talk.”
She gently steered him to the lawn chair. Dan sat and the woven strings stretched under his weight.
“What is it?” He took a long drag of the cigarette before snuffing it out. Smoke blew from his nostrils.
Tara sat in the only other chair on the porch and Grady leaned against the railing. He was careful to put distance between himself and Dan, yet still be between the other man and Tara. He wanted to protect her, but he also had to be careful not to intrude. Dan would probably say more if he wasn’t hyperaware of Grady’s presence.
“Dan, I need to know who Maddy’s father is.”
He reared back in his chair. “Why? The adoption is finalized.”
“Some things have happened recently, and it’s become important. If you know who he is, you need to tell me.”
Dan’s gaze darted toward Grady. “What things?”
“Someone has attempted to kidnap Maddy twice.”
The other man’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
Dan’s fingers twitched. Against his pants. It was slight and something most people would miss. But Grady wasn’t most people. He’d worked undercover. His life had literally depended on being able to read people.
Dan had known about the kidnapping attempts.
“They haven’t been successful,” Grady interjected. “Your niece is fine.”
Dan ignored him, keeping his attention on Tara. “What happened?”
She relayed the events of the last week in measured and even tones, sharing only the information he would be able to glean from news reports. They’d already agreed to not mention the attacks were linked to Vikki’s murder. That fact would stay under wraps for as long as possible. The kidnapper was already desperate enough, no need to add fuel to the fire.
When she was done, Dan lit up a new cigarette. He took a long drag. “You think Maddy’s dad has something to do with this?”
“It’s the only reason I can think of for someone to take her.”
He let out the smoke in a long stream. “I’ve told you before, I don’t know who he is.”
“But you do suspect someone,” she pushed.
“I don’t want to get him in trouble. Especially when I ain’t sure if he’s the guy. It’s not right.”
Grady’s teeth ground together. Maddy had nearly been kidnapped. If there was ever a time to spill the beans, now was it. As a man, he wanted to rip the information from Dan’s mouth. As a professional, he understood it was better to let Tara convince him.
“Dan, this is Maddy we’re talking about.” She perched on the edge of her chair. The back of it rose. “I understand your reluctance, but there’s nothing more important than protecting her.”
Dan took another two puffs. His leg jittered. “Okay. But remember, this is my own suspicion. Vikki never told me.”
“I understand.”
“I always thought Maddy’s daddy was Travis Cobb.”
Grady recognized the name. Travis was known for two things: getting into trouble and fixing cars. As a youth, his name had been said by law enforcement with the same stress as a curse word. Lately, if rumors were to be believed, Travis had cleaned up his act. He was married and owned a small automotive shop on the far side of town.
“Travis Cobb?” Tara frowned. “Why Travis?”
“Vikki had a thing for him in high school. She used to follow him around like a puppy dog.” He crossed his leg over his knee. “Truth is, Vikki always had a thing for a bad boy. Even later. Anyway, around the time of…well, around the time she got pregnant with Maddy, I had seen her and Travis over at the bar on Jack Street.”
“The Saloon?”
“Yeah, that one. They looked pretty cozy. It made me think she’d finally gotten her chance with him.”
“Travis is married.”
“I know. I figured that’s why he never claimed Maddy as his own.”
She sat back. “Did you ever ask him about it?”
“Nope.” Dan took a final drag and snuffed the cigarette out on the dented metal table. “I figured if the man didn’t want to have anything to do with Maddy, who was I to interfere? Vikki made her choices. Truth be told, best one she ever made was to have you be Maddy’s guardian. Vikki and I…we were always kinda messed up. Even when Vikki cleaned up her life, there was the chance she’d go back to her old ways. With you, Maddy has a real shot at life.”
Interesting. Grady didn’t sense any deception in Dan’s body language. Whether he’d known about the kidnappings or not, it seemed he was being honest about wanting Tara to have the baby.
“Other than Travis Cobb, is there anyone else who could be Maddy’s father?”
“Nope.”
“What about the man she told me about? The soldier who was killed in Afghanistan?”
He waved her question away. “Ten to one, Vikki made that guy up.”
Tara rose from her chair. “Okay. Thanks, Dan.”
He also got up. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug that set Grady on edge. Something about the way Dan looked at her…he didn’t like it.
“You’ll bring Maddy by to see me soon?”
“Sure.” She backed away. “When all this stuff dies down, I’ll bring her over.”
Tara went down the porch steps, and Grady started to follow but paused. “Hey, Dan, one more thing. Where were you on Friday night around eight?”
His face hardened. “I’m a suspect?”
“Formality. I’m asking everyone.”
Dan crossed his arms over his chest. “Right. Formality.”
Grady waited him out. The man was on parole. He had to answer. Dan had been in the game long enough to know that.
“I was at Joe’s off the highway. Went after work and was there from six onwards.”
“And Saturday afternoon to evening?”
“Here.” He bared his teeth. “Alone.”
Grady gave a sharp nod. “Don’t leave town.”
“Was that necessary?” Tara demanded once they were back on the road. Darkness was starting to fall. She flipped on the headlights and angled her sedan toward the highway.
“What?”
She shot him a look. “You know what. Questioning him about where he was. Warning him not to leave town. The guy’s on parole, Grady. He can’t leave town, otherwise he’ll go back to prison. And now he’ll be less likely to give us information later.”
“First of all, I’m law enforcement. Questioning suspects is what I do. I didn’t grill the man, Tara, but it wo
uld be stupid of me to ignore the possibility that he’s the kidnapper. Second of all, yes, it was necessary to tell him not to leave town.”
“Why?”
He glanced at the side-view mirror. “Because he knew about the kidnapping attempts before you told him.”
Her stomach twisted. “How do you know that?”
“His body language.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Grady was a human lie detector. He’d worked undercover for decades. Of course, it made sense he would see things she hadn’t. But Dan? She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of him as the kidnapper.
“What’s your relationship with him?”
“He’s Maddy’s uncle. I take her to see him once a month for a couple of hours. I’m always there with them. That’s about it.” She sighed. “Maybe I’m a bit protective because I see he’s trying to get his life right. He started going to church. Got a job and kept it. I want him to be successful.”
“I get it.” His mouth twitched. “You’re a do-gooder. A defender of the underdog.”
She rolled her eyes. “Pot meet kettle.”
“If it makes you feel better, I think Dan was sincere when he said, with you, Maddy has a shot at a good life. You were right. He did want the adoption to go through. It doesn’t take him off my suspect list—hence the questions—but he isn’t at the top either.”
She exited the freeway and took the turn off for Sweetgrass. It was the back way, leading through the woods and farmland, but it was the fastest route to Grady’s ranch. She couldn’t wait to hold Maddy again.
He twisted in his seat and looked out the back window. “You weren’t overly surprised when Dan suggested Travis Cobb was Maddy’s father.”
“I’m surprised, but the name didn’t come out of the blue. Travis repaired her car. I know she was friendly with his wife.” She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. “But he’s never said more than two words to me. And he’s never acknowledged Maddy.”
“Sometimes that can be because a person is afraid of giving away too much.” Grady glanced in the side-view mirror again. He pulled out his cell phone. “I don’t want you to freak out.”
“Well, the whole situation is a bit freaky—”
“No, Tara. I mean right now. I don’t want you to freak out right this minute.”
She tensed. “What is it?”
“We’re being followed.”
She glanced in the rearview mirror but didn’t see anything. There were no street lights, and the road was pitch black. How did he know someone was back there?
“Just keep driving as you are,” Grady said. “We’re close to my ranch, so we’ll go straight there.”
She nodded, white knuckling the steering wheel.
Grady shot out orders on the phone. The roar of an engine came from behind. Headlights, blinding bright, suddenly illuminated the interior of the car. She saw spots as the glare struck off the rearview mirror straight into her eyes. The sedan jerked and Tara’s head whacked against the headrest, as the vehicle behind them rammed their bumper.
Grady twisted his head and squinted at the rear window. His gun was in his hand. But how could he shoot it through the vehicles?
Tara hit the gas, trying to put some space between them and the attacker. As the speedometer climbed, she blinked in an attempt to clear her vision. A roar behind her. A new rush of light. Tara tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
“Hold on,” Grady warned.
The bumper crunched and the sedan hurtled forward from the impact. Tara struggled with the wheel, forcing herself to concentrate on keeping the vehicle on the road, even as her head banged against the back of her seat. Beside her, Grady braced himself, his hand on the dash, right over the passenger-side airbag.
“Take your hand down. Take your hand down,” she yelled, knowing that if they crashed, his airbag would deploy.
She weaved and swerved, making the car a harder target to hit. The truck behind them clipped the bumper once more but failed to make full contact.
“We can’t outrun him,” Grady yelled. “Take the turn toward the lake.”
The lake on Grady’s ranch. She hadn’t been there in years. “I don’t remember where the road is.”
“Do you trust me?”
Tara yanked the wheel again, preventing the truck from being able to strike them. She briefly met Grady’s gaze. “Yes.”
“Then do exactly what I say.”
Swerve.
“Wait.”
Weave.
“Foot off the gas, Tara.”
Her vehicle barely slowed down before Grady yelled, “Now!”
Without warning, and at a ridiculously high speed, Tara took a sudden right turn toward the lake. The sedan bounced off the pavement and onto the dirt road, its tires tearing up the stones. Tara’s foot struggled to find the brake. Desperately clutching the steering wheel, she tried to maintain control of the vehicle as it careened into the woods.
Eight
Tara’s sedan looked pitiful and sad under the harsh fluorescent lights of the evidence shed. The bumper was crumpled, and tree branches had created ribbons of scratches in the paint on both sides.
But they’d survived.
She hugged her arms around herself. Grady finished talking with the evidence technician and ambled towards her.
“Well, you can add stunt car driver to your list of talents,” he joked.
A laugh bubbled up her throat. “No. Never again.”
After their dangerous turn into the woods, the vehicle following them sped off. They hadn’t been able to get a license plate, although Grady agreed with her. It was a truck.
“You did good, Tara.”
Her hand flattened against his chest. His heart beat against her palm. Solid. Steady. “I was so scared.”
“I know.”
She took a step forward and he pulled her close. His sports coat was soft against her cheek, and the scent of his aftershave surrounded her. For some inexplicable reason, being nestled in that cocoon unleashed the last week’s pent-up emotions. Tears swept down her cheeks in rivers.
Grady let her cry, saying nothing. He simply held her. After a few minutes, she pulled herself together.
“Sorry.” She sniffed, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair. There was nothing pretty about her complexion when she cried. She fumbled in her purse for a tissue. “It just all caught up with me.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You cry anytime you want. I’ll provide the shoulder.”
Her lips twitched. “Thanks.”
His phone beeped with an incoming text. “They’ve picked up Travis Cobb and are bringing him down to the station for an interview. We should go.”
They gave a wave to the technician photographing her car and started across the street to the police station.
“Here’s the deal. We’ll mark stunt driving off the bucket list. You don’t ever have to do it again.” He gently nudged her with his elbow. “There’s plenty of other things. Skydiving. Swimming with sharks.”
“Bungee jumping.”
“Nope. That’s where I draw the line. Tying myself to a rubber band and launching off a platform is insane.”
She laughed. “Like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is the smartest move ever.”
“Do you know how many parachutes they give you? There’s backups.” He held open the door to the station for her. “That bungee cord snaps and it’s all over.”
Tara shook her head and laughed again. The officer at the front desk waved them through, and they located Luke in the break room. A five o’clock shadow testified to his long day working on the case. The bristles outlined the scar near the corner of his mouth.
He greeted them with a lift of his Styrofoam cup. “Coffee’s good.”
Grady poured a cup and offered it to Tara before pouring his own. “What’s the latest?”
“Travis Cobb doesn’t know nothin’ about nothin’. He’s an upstanding citizen of the
community and we have no business dragging him down to the station. I mean, technically, we invited him.” Luke winked at Tara. “He can leave at any time but I made it clear, cooperation would go a long way.”
“Is flirting just a reflex with you?” Grady pinned him with a stare. “Or do you think we could stick to the case?”
It was supposed to be a joke. Or at least, Tara thought it was supposed to be a joke. But there was a hard edge to Grady’s voice that made it fall flat.
Luke grinned. “We can stick to the case. Travis claims he was at home all evening with his wife watching a movie. She confirms it. Travis drives a 2012 silver Ford F-150. There’s no damage on it.”
“That doesn’t mean much. His wife could be lying and he’s a car mechanic. He has access to other vehicles.”
“Agreed.” He pushed off the counter and led them out of the break room. “We asked for permission to look around his shop, and he refused.”
Grady grunted. “How surprising.”
They came to an office with several monitors. Only one was lit up. On-screen, Travis sat in a room with a couple of chairs and a table bolted to the floor. His shoulder-length hair was grungy, and tattoos decorated the skin beneath his T-shirt sleeves and along the collar line. An officer watching the screen nodded at them and Tara gave him a smile.
“As far as providing alibis for the other two attacks, he used the good old ‘I-don’t-remember’ trick.” Luke rolled his eyes.
“I-don’t-remember trick?” Tara asked.
“It’s purposefully ambiguous but also gives him wriggle room. Once he figures out exactly what crime we’re investigating him for, he will suddenly remember”—Luke used air quotes around remember—“where he was.”
“And conveniently, it will be far, far away from the crime scene.” Grady eyed the monitor. On-screen, Travis was drumming his fingers against the table. “He looks nervous enough.”
“This isn’t his first rodeo. He’s trying to figure out what we’ve dragged him down here for. Or how much we know.”
Grady nodded. He threw his cup in the trash. “Tara, you can stay here. That way you can see and hear the interview.”