But it wasn’t doing anyone any good. He needed to know the information held inside. More importantly, if it was bad news, so did Parker. If the paper inside revealed everything was fine, then his son would never even have any clue the question of his paternity had come up.
Yet it had. And here Nick sat in his office on his lunch break, staring at an envelope he knew by heart at this point.
Maybe this was a bad idea. Everything had been going just fine until Corrine brought up the fact that Parker’s paternity was questionable. Okay, things hadn’t been fine, but at least Nick had his family. The rest of the world had been crumbling, but at least he had his kids.
Technically, he still had them. With Corrine and Dave both in jail—and with Nick as Parker’s legal parent—custody wouldn’t change. Nick would remain Parker’s dad no matter what genetics said. He’d raised him, and he definitely loved him as much as his daughters, and no piece of paper could change that. Nothing could change the way he felt about his son.
His son. No matter what.
Nick drew in another deep breath. All these thoughts were nothing more than putting off the inevitable. He dug out his letter opener from the middle drawer of his desk.
The moment of truth.
The results wouldn’t change anything.
Or they could change everything.
Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
Nick dropped the envelope. It floated on top of a stack of papers on his desk. He set down the letter opener and pulled out his phone.
Genevieve. His whole body relaxed seeing her beautiful picture on the screen.
He cleared his throat as he accepted the call. “How are you?”
“Are you okay? You sound stressed.”
There was no hiding anything from his fiancée. “I was about to open the envelope.”
“Right now?” she exclaimed.
“Probably bad timing, huh? I should do this at home. On a weekend, when I have plenty of time to deal with the bad news.”
“If it is bad news. But there’ll never be a perfect time, and you’re only going to feel worse the longer you put it off. Do you want me to open it for you this evening? Then I can break it to you, whichever way it goes.”
“I appreciate it, G. Really, I do, but I need to do this myself.”
“If you want, I can take the kids for the night so you have the house to yourself.”
Nick stared at the envelope and sighed. “That’s sweet of you—it really is—but Parker has a study group and Ava’s going out with her friends. That just leaves Hanna.”
“And Tinsley would love to spend the evening with her. It’s perfect. I can pick up Hanna from your parents’ house after work. That’s where she’ll be after school, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“But nothing. It’s settled. Put the results out of your mind for now, okay? Tonight’s your night. If you want me there after, I’ll bring the girls over. We can play with them or just sit quietly while they’re outside.”
Nick’s heart warmed. “You make it hard to say no.”
“Everything’s going to be fine, Nicky. I promise.”
That was a nickname he typically hated, but there was something about the way it rolled off her tongue that made him smile. “I hope you’re right.”
“Genetics aren’t what make a parent. All the years and love you’ve invested in him, that’s what makes you his dad. If the genetics are there, all the better. But if not, you two will work through it.”
He tapped his finger on the desk. “Thanks, G.”
“Well, I’d better get back to work. I just wanted to hear your voice before I dig into my stack of paperwork.”
“Thanks for calling.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you.” He ended the call and glanced at the time.
Ten more minutes until his lunch break ended. He eyed the envelope. Ten minutes was more than he needed to break the seal and check the results.
His desk phone rang. Maybe it was a sign to forget about the envelope for the time being.
He picked up the receiver. “Fleshman.”
“Captain Fleshman, this is Sergeant Hoffman in Spokane.”
Nick wracked his mind, unable to think of a case clear across the state. Must be something new. “What can I do for you?”
“You have an Officer Alex Mercer on your force, don’t you?”
Nick’s stomach twisted. Alex was his best friend and one of the precinct’s newest officers. He’d gotten himself into a lot of trouble in the days before becoming an officer of the law but had done a complete one-eighty. The last thing they needed was an old problem derailing all his progress. “I do. How can I help?”
The Sergeant cleared his throat. “We have an unusual case involving a victimized child. She can’t remember anything about her ordeal, nor can she tell us who she is or who her family is, other than she has an Uncle Alex Mercer.”
“Uncle?” Nick scratched his head. At least Alex wasn’t in trouble, but this made no sense.
“That’s what the girl says. I looked him up and showed her a picture I found of him online. She confirmed your officer is her uncle.”
“Now I’m confused. His only sister has a baby boy, no other children.”
“I’m going to email over a picture of our girl. Can you ask Officer Mercer to have a look? They might know each other some other way. She’s highly traumatized, and like I said, can’t even tell us who she is.”
“He’s out on lunch. I’ll speak with him the moment he returns.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
They exchanged contact information, and almost as soon as the call ended, Sergeant Hoffman’s email came in.
Nick opened it, curious to see if he knew the girl. His stomach twisted at the sight of her picture. No matter how long he’d been on the force, it never got easier seeing a child hurting. The girl looked to be about twelve years old. She sat in a hospital bed covered in bandages, stitches, and bruises. Her lower lip and one eye were swollen.
One thing was certain—Nick didn’t recognize her. That left a burning question.
How did the traumatized girl across the state know Alex?
News
Alex Mercer sipped his peppermint mocha as he sat at his desk to start working on the always-growing pile of paperwork. For every moment of excitement the job held, it gave him twenty minutes of drudgery.
As he reached for the top file, a text came in. It was from Nick.
Nick: Need to see you now.
Alex’s stomach lurched. Was he in trouble? He thought over the events of the day and couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong.
He picked up his coffee and headed over to the captain’s office. Nick waved him in. At least he didn’t look upset. Maybe Alex had jumped to the wrong conclusion. He stepped inside and closed the door. “What’s going on?”
Nick gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk. Alex took the seat and sipped on the mocha.
“Long night?” Nick glanced at Alex’s drink.
Alex yawned. “The twins have colds, so they were up all night. Zoey tried to take care of them without waking me, but I couldn’t let her stay up all night.”
Nick nodded. “I hope they feel better soon.”
“Thanks. So, why did you call me in here?”
He leaned back in his chair. “Do you have a niece I don’t know about?”
Alex choked on the mocha. “What? No. Not unless Macy’s been holding out on me. Why?”
Nick tapped on his desk. “There’s a twelve-year-old girl in a hospital in Spokane who claims you’re her uncle.”
Alex gave him a double-take. “What’s her name?”
“Nobody knows. The social workers haven’t been able to get anything from her other than your name. She can’t remember what happened to her, or even who she is. But she thinks you’re her uncle. She named you specifically.”
>
Alex put his coffee cup on the desk. “I don’t know why. Did she see my name on the news recently? I had that interview about the car crash. Maybe that’s the only thing she can remember and somehow thinks I’m her uncle?”
Nick turned his computer monitor toward Alex. “This is what she looks like. Do you know her?”
He recoiled at the picture. The girl looked like she’d been severely beaten, and he definitely didn’t recognize her.
“Nothing?” Nick frowned.
Alex shook his head, but scooted closer and studied the girl’s features. There actually was something familiar about her.
“Do you know her?”
Alex squinted and tried to think of how he might’ve known the girl from Spokane. A friend of Ariana’s? She looked to be about the same age. Or someone he met on the job? Or—
Alex froze.
He did know her.
“What?” Nick leaned forward. “Who is she?”
Alex studied the image, his stomach tightening, before turning to his friend. “I’m not her uncle, but her cousin. Well, her mom is my cousin. I stayed with her family for a while when she was little.” Then a thought struck him like a slap to the face. “She called me Uncle Alex when I was there. I was messed up and surly, but she wasn’t put off by any of it. The kid adored me for some crazy reason.”
Nick’s eyes grew wider by the moment. “What’s her name? Who are her parents?”
“Ayla Stevens. Her parents are Robin and Brock Stevens. Robin’s my cousin. Where are they? Are they okay? They aren’t with her?” Alex’s heart thundered.
Nick shook his head. “I need you to write down all of their names to make sure we have the right spellings. I’m going to call Sergeant Hoffman so he can start looking into it immediately.”
Alex wrote the names and handed the paper to Nick. “I’m calling my parents. Maybe they know something.” He fumbled his way over to the couch and called his dad.
“Hey, Alex. I’m on the phone with my agent. Can I call you back?”
“Dad, this is important. Do you know where Robin and Brock are?”
“Robin and Brock? Why? Is something wrong?”
“Yes! Ayla’s in the hospital, and nobody knows where her family is.”
“Let me call around, and I’ll let you know what I find out.”
After his dad ended the call, Alex remembered he had numbers for both Robin and Brock in his contact list. He called both numbers, and as expected, got voicemails. He told them both to call him back but doubted they would. If their daughter was in the hospital and they were nowhere to be found, that could only mean something was wrong. Possibly deadly wrong.
He called a few more cousins, but nobody had heard from the family or had any clue that something could be amiss.
Nick waved him over to the desk. “Did you find anything?”
Alex shook his head, his mind spinning and his pulse drumming in his ears. “Nobody’s heard anything, but my relatives are calling others.”
“Officers are heading to their house now to assess the situation.”
Alex’s stomach lurched. What were they going to find there?
“There’s something else you should know.”
“It gets worse?” Alex clenched his fists.
“I don’t know about worse, but the hospital is close to discharging Ayla. If she doesn’t go to a family member, they will have to enter her into the foster care system.”
“And I’m the only person she can remember.”
Nick nodded. “If she spends time with you, it might help jog her memory. Are you willing to take her?”
“After her family took me in? Of course. Not to mention all it looks like she’s been through. I can’t make her go through more by going to strangers.”
“Okay, good. I’ll call over to Spokane and get the details, then we can head over.”
“We’re going there?”
“They won’t be flying her over. It’s a four-hour drive, if I remember correctly. You’d better call Zoey and fill her in.”
“And make sure she’s okay with this.” Alex rose and pulled out his phone. “Wait just a minute before calling.”
“Sure thing.”
For privacy from the rest of the squad, Alex called her while he was still in Nick’s office then filled her in on everything he knew. “Is it okay with you if we take Ayla in? Nick and I would drive over there to get her, and we’d get back pretty late. After eight or nine. You going to be okay with the twins that long?”
“Do what you need to for that poor girl, Alex. We can either pull our couch into a bed or I’m sure my parents will let her stay in the guest room upstairs.”
“My parents might be willing to help out, too. I’ll have to talk with them. My dad’s calling around right now to see if anyone knows where her parents are.”
“I love that you want to help her. Do what you need to. We’ll make it work. I’ll let my parents know what’s going on.”
“Thanks, Zo. I’m not sure why I’m the only one she remembers, but I want to be there for her.”
“Zander just started crying. I’ll call you later. Love you.”
“You too.” He ended the call and went over to Nick’s desk. “It’s a go.”
Nick set his phone down. “Glad to hear it. I just got word that the girl’s house has been empty for a while. Newspapers are strewn around their yard and the mail is falling out of the mailbox.”
Alex’s stomach knotted. “That can’t be good. We’d better leave.”
“We’ll take my car. I’ve got one thing to do real quick, then I’ll meet you in the lot.”
“Okay.” Alex picked up his coffee, his mind now too wired to drink any more of it.
What had his cousin been through? And were her parents still in danger?
Hesitate
Alex’s stomach rumbled.
Nick chuckled and glanced over at him. “Maybe we should stop off for some dinner. It’s possible the traffic will thin out by then.”
Alex looked over at the road sign. “We’re not that far from Spokane. We should get to the hospital and pick up Ayla.”
“That’s going to take time. Think about the paperwork and dealing with the social workers. Plus, they’re going to want to see if she’ll open up to you about the ordeal. You’ll need a full stomach, or at least shouldn’t be running on fumes.”
“Can’t argue with that logic.” Alex’s stomach growled again, and he couldn’t deny feeling a little lightheaded. He really should’ve had more for lunch.
Nick turned on the blinker and made his way to the offramp. “How long has it been since you’ve seen Ayla?”
“Years. I’m not sure she was even in kindergarten then. Honestly, I’m surprised she remembers me—much less over anyone else.”
“You must’ve made an impact on her.”
“I’m not sure how. I was a mess back then. Wasn’t even involved with my own daughter at that point.” Guilt stung thinking about how much of Ariana’s early life he’d missed. But the important thing was that he was there now. Had been for more than two years.
Nick pulled off the freeway then drove down a two-lane road until they came to a few places to eat. “What sounds good? A greasy-looking diner or a greasier-looking diner?”
Alex snickered and checked out their two choices. “How about the one with more cars out front? It must have the better food.”
“Good point.” Nick pulled into the parking lot, and once they were out, he clicked the alarm on his prized Mustang twice.
“Don’t trust the area?” Alex teased.
“Not really.”
They walked up the creaky steps to the diner that looked like it had at one time been a mobile home. One of the steps felt like it would give out any moment.
Alex glanced at Nick. “Sure you don’t want to head up the freeway and find something a little more… familiar?”
“Nah. I’m sure this place is fine.” He pulled open the door, which squea
ked like it was dying.
“Right.”
They stepped inside, and it was better than he had pictured. It was no Four Seasons, but it wasn’t too bad. There was some peeling paint on a few walls and the floor needed to be swept, but otherwise it looked like a place where people could eat food and survive. And the aromas made Alex’s mouth water.
A lady behind the counter—in her sixties with blonde hair and a pink-striped apron—greeted them with a tired smile. “Welcome. Have a seat wherever you’d like. I’ll be with you in a few.”
“We appreciate it.” Nick nodded, then headed to a table by the window with a perfect view of his Mustang.
Alex sat across from him. They picked up the menus and looked through them, which only made Alex hungrier.
“You ready, officers?” The waitress set glasses of lemon water in front of them.
Nick put his menu down and ordered a chicken salad.
Alex lifted a brow. “Salad?”
He rubbed his midsection. “Gotta fit into that tux.”
“And for you?” The waitress turned to Alex.
He ordered a double cheeseburger. “I’ll work out longer tomorrow.”
Nick chuckled. “The best man has to wear a suit, as well.”
“I’m too hungry to think about that right now. Besides, everyone will be looking at you and Genevieve.”
“Mostly her, I’m sure.”
They made small talk as they waited for the food, until Nick cleared his throat. “I still haven’t checked the results.”
“I was wondering about that.”
Nick drew in a deep breath. “I almost did today while on lunch.”
“But?”
“Phone rang. Had to answer it. Turned out to be about Ayla, so it’s a good thing I took it.”
“When are you going to check?” Alex asked. “It’s going to drive you crazy until you do. I’m dying of curiosity, and they’re not even my results.”
Nick sipped his water. “I want to know, but at the same time, I don’t.”
“If anyone can relate, it’s me.” Alex thought back to discovering that one of the twins wasn’t his—thanks to Zoey’s abduction. Dave, the same man who might be Parker’s dad, was the biological father of Alex’s infant son. “But the good news is, that psycho’s never getting out of prison. Not after everything he’s done.”
Take On Me Page 2