Agent by Her Side

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “If I didn’t like you, I would never have asked you to take responsibility for my son.”

  The look he gave her was suddenly unsettling, so Kiely changed the subject. “So, did the doctors say when you can go home?” she asked.

  “Not yet, but I’m hoping we’ll be out of here by this afternoon.”

  Before Kiely could respond, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She gestured for Cooper to give her a minute, shifting Alfie against her hip as she answered the call. Holding the child was so natural that it barely registered on her radar that she was maneuvering him and her phone at the same time. It was as easy as walking and chewing gum.

  “Hello?”

  * * *

  Cooper swallowed hard, his stomach doing a slight flip as he watched Kiely standing there with his son in her arms. The boy was clearly comfortable with her and he had never before seen Alfie respond to any woman so affectionately. Not that he had introduced many women into his son’s life. He had not made time or effort for any relationship since Sara’s death. Cooper truly didn’t believe that he would ever again love another woman as much as he had loved his late wife. He had convinced himself that it would only be him and Alfie together until Alfie left to go find his way in the world.

  The conversation was quick and when he heard Kiely express her gratitude to Lieutenant McKellar, he shook himself from the reverie he’d fallen into, shifting his gaze back to her face.

  “Thank you,” Kiely was saying. “We appreciate that.” As she disconnected the call Alfie pulled her cell phone from her hands, then kicked his legs to be put down.

  Kiely laughed. “Where are you going with my phone, buddy?”

  Cooper shook his head. “He loves a telephone. Doesn’t have a clue how to use one, but he loves to play with it.”

  “He’s really a good baby,” she said. “Not that I have a lot of experience with them. But he’s quiet and he doesn’t cry a lot.”

  “Trust me.” Cooper laughed. “He has his moments.”

  Kiely shifted the conversation a second time. “That was McKellar on the phone. He’s on his way here to update us. I told him we’d be here in Alfie’s room. I hope that’s okay?”

  “That’s fine. Let’s hope he has some good news for us.”

  An awkward silence descended upon the room as they both sat watching Alfie. He was pushing buttons on Kiely’s smartphone, enamored each time the screen changed. As they watched Alfie, he realized they were also watching each other, stealing glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking. Pancakes arrived minutes later and Kiely helped feed the little boy as Cooper sat and watched. The child’s excitement over his pancake and syrup made her laugh. He ate with gusto, then polished off a handful of grapes and drank a container of milk.

  “Does he always eat like this?” Kiely questioned.

  Cooper laughed heartily. “He inherited my appetite.”

  The knock on the door pulled them both from the moment.

  “Come in,” Cooper said.

  Tripp poked his head into the room, looking from one to the other. “Good morning! I hope I’m not interrupting?”

  “Not at all. Come on in.” Cooper gestured for the man to enter. He reached out his arm to shake Tripp’s hand.

  “You definitely look better than you did yesterday. How are you feeling?” Tripp asked.

  Cooper nodded. “Like I was hit by a bus.”

  “Three direct hits from a .45, I imagine you would. Thank God you were wearing your vest!”

  “We get any leads?”

  “Nothing. My guys lost the driver almost immediately. That road she took through the woods became too narrow for the chase car about five miles in. We’re searching traffic cameras now to see if we can figure out where she came out and where she went from there.”

  “What about the house?” Cooper asked.

  “We swept the entire cabin and came up empty. A few partial fingerprints that came back with nothing. But what I can tell you is that Wes Matthews is the legal owner of the property. He purchased the house last year through one of the shell companies that the FBI had tied back to him previously. The neighbors say no one has ever lived there.”

  Kiely summarized the timeline that they did know. “So, we get an anonymous tip telling us where we might find Matthews hiding out. As that call is coming in someone snatches Alfie, then they contact you to insist you stop looking for Matthews. We discover Alfie and one of his kidnappers at the location we were told we’d find Matthews. And Matthews is still out there in the wind somewhere.”

  Kiely and Cooper exchanged a look, their gazes lingering for a brief moment.

  “We still have more questions than answers,” Cooper finally said.

  “My men are still on it and I’ll update you as soon as we get something,” Tripp added.

  “Thank you.”

  “Under the circumstances, we’re going to keep you under surveillance for a few days. Until we can figure out who took your son, we can’t be certain you’re safe. We’ve posted an officer outside your door and there’ll be a car in front of your home.”

  “I appreciate that,” Cooper said with a nod, “but it really isn’t necessary. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  “The city of Grand Rapids insists,” Tripp concluded.

  For a moment Cooper thought to argue and then he looked at Alfie who had eased next to Kiely, holding onto her arm with a tight grip. His eyes were wide, something like fear shimmering in the blue orbs. His son was vulnerable and his kidnapping yesterday proved Cooper couldn’t always protect him. There were going to be times he needed help. This might very well be one of those times, he thought as he pondered the ramifications of every bad thing that could possibly happen. He took a deep breath before responding. “Thank you,” he said finally.

  Tripp gave him an understanding nod. “Let me know if we can do anything else to help.”

  “Just stay on the case,” Cooper concluded. “I really want to get this guy!”

  Tripp shook his hand one last time. He winked an eye at Kiely who gave him a wave and then he made his exit.

  Cooper looked from her to the door and back. Was Tripp flirting with her, he wondered. Was she enjoying the attention from the other man? And why was it suddenly bothering him? He shook the thoughts away, turning back as Kiely wiped syrup from Alfie’s face and hands.

  Another knock on the door turned all three heads. Doctors Mara Finley and Joshua Camp entered together.

  “They told me I’d find you here,” Dr. Camp said. He extended his hand to shake Cooper’s, then introduced himself to Kiely. He was a small man with a very large mustache and a bald head. He had a booming voice that seemed to fill the room. “This must be Alfie!” he said as he leaned down to the little boy’s level and gave him a high five.

  “I should probably step out,” Kiely said, her voice dropping as she gave Cooper a look.

  He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’d like you to stay. Please.”

  Dr. Finley had moved to Alfie’s side. She ran a hand across his brow. “I think Alfie’s ready to go home. All his tests came back fine. He slept well through the night and from this empty plate, I see he’s eating well.”

  “He’s definitely eating well.” Kiely chuckled.

  “How’s Dad feeling?” Dr. Camp questioned. He was pressing a stethoscope to Cooper’s back and chest, listening to his breath sounds.

  “Ready to go home, too!”

  “And we can make that happen but I need you to understand that home is where you’re going to need to stay. It’s going to be at least six weeks before you can go back to work.”

  “Six weeks!” Cooper’s eyes widened, his mind beginning to race as he considered how he could make that work. He still had a case to solve and his son to care for. Recuperating would come with some challenges he wasn’t quite prepared fo
r.

  The doctor nodded. “A minimum of six weeks and that’s if you do everything I tell you to do to the letter. Do you have family close who can help?”

  Cooper shook his head. “It’s just me and Alfie. My dad lives in Boca Raton with his sister. If I need him to come he will, but I’ll be able to work it out.”

  The doctor looked toward Kiely for a split second as he continued to talk. “Your treatment is going to be a combination of rest, pain management and breathing exercises. Rest being crucial which is why I asked about help. Not only will it reduce the pain, but it’ll allow your body to navigate the healing process. You should get up and walk around but don’t push yourself. No lifting anything over ten pounds. No contact sports. No high-impact activities. And no golf.”

  “No golf!”

  “Your swinging will cause you excruciating pain.”

  “Do you play golf?” Kiely questioned.

  Cooper shook his head and laughed. “No.”

  She smiled. “So, what can he do?”

  “Starting next week, and let me repeat that, next week, you can return to low-impact activities. Light housework, and simple errands, but nothing that involves any heavy lifting or physical exertion. So that means you can sit at your desk but you definitely can’t go out in the field.”

  “Anything else, Doctor?” Cooper asked.

  “You can also resume sexual activity. Just remember to take it easy. No swinging from the chandeliers or anything too strenuous.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” Cooper muttered.

  Cooper saw Kiely blush, and knew his face was as red as hers. Neither doctor seemed to notice as he focused his attention on Alfie.

  “Then, sir, I think we should be able to release you this afternoon. Someone from respiratory therapy will be up to show you some breathing exercises. Deep breathing is important but it’s going to be painful for a while. We don’t want to risk you getting pneumonia or any other respiratory illness right now.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Cooper said.

  Dr. Finley gave Kiely a light pat on the back. “Make sure he continues to eat well. And in two weeks schedule an appointment with his pediatrician just to follow up. But I don’t think you’re going to have any problems with this little guy. He’s healthy and he’s happy.”

  When both physicians were gone Cooper turned his attention to Kiely. “I’d like to enlist your services.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “If anything happens, there’s not much I’m going to be able to do. I need security for Alfie. And I’m going to need someone to help me with him. He likes you so it just makes sense.”

  “So, you want to hire me?”

  “Or you could volunteer your services.”

  Kiely repeated herself. “So, you want to hire me?”

  Cooper laughed. “If you’re available? And we can continue to work on the case together remotely from my home. It would be a win-win situation for both of us.”

  Alfie suddenly squealed, something on the television evidently tickling his funny bone. His laugh was infectious, feeling like a thick explosion of happy billowing through the room. Without giving it a second thought, Kiely nodded her head. “Yes,” she said. “I can do that!”

  Chapter 4

  “I am so confused!” Pippa Colton exclaimed. “So, now you’re going to be a nanny?”

  Kiely rolled her eyes skyward, throwing a pile of sweaters into the oversized suitcase she was packing. Once Alfie had fallen asleep for a nap, Cooper curled up in the hospital bed beside him, she’d come home to take a quick shower and pack a week’s worth of clothes. She had a good hour before she had to be back at the hospital to pick up the two to take them home. She had more than enough time to go through her mail, set the DVR to record her favorite reality show, and drop her cat off at her sister’s house. The long-haired Birman named Jim Morrison brushed against her leg as if he knew he was going on a trip and he was ready to leave.

  “Keep up, Pip! I’m working with the FBI agent handling the RevitaYou case. He was injured, his son was kidnapped and rescued and now he needs someone to help him out to keep the kid safe.”

  “You hate kids, Kiely. How is that going to work?”

  “I don’t hate kids. I just don’t like them much. But this one’s sweet.”

  “I don’t know about that. I don’t know if I’d trust you with any kid of mine.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence!”

  Pippa laughed. “Seriously! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with anyone’s kid. I don’t know if you’d be any good at it. Is this one walking and talking so he can at least scream for help in case you do something wrong?”

  “I don’t know why I called you.”

  “I’m sure you just wanted my sage advice. So how long is this gig?”

  “Just a few weeks. I’m going to be staying at his house while he recovers.”

  “His house? What about his wife?”

  “He doesn’t have a wife. Little Alfie’s mother died in childbirth.”

  “Oh, my goodness! That’s so sad!”

  “It really is,” Kiely said dropping down against the side of her bed. She reached for her cell phone and took it off speaker, pulling the device to her ear. “I almost cried when he told me what happened.”

  “So, he’s single?”

  Kiely didn’t bother to answer her twin. Instead, she changed the subject. “I saw Emmanuel yesterday. We worked a raid together.”

  “He told me. He said you almost got yourself killed.”

  “I didn’t get shot. The FBI agent did.”

  “That’s so not cool. That could’ve been you. This entire case is wreaking havoc on my nerves.”

  “Speaking of, have you heard anything more from Brody?” Kiely knew that if anyone would hear from their foster brother it would be Pippa. The two were close and Brody trusted her more than anyone else.

  “No, and it’s driving me crazy. I’m worried to death that he might be out there hurt, with no one to help him.”

  “He’ll be okay,” Kiely said, her tone consoling.

  Pippa blew a heavy sigh. “I hope you’re right.”

  Kiely changed the subject again, hoping to shift the mood. “How are your wedding plans coming along? Have you and Emmanuel set a date?”

  “They’re coming. I think I want all my bridesmaids to wear pink.”

  “I’m not wearing pink, Pippa! Oh, hell no!”

  “You’ll wear pink for me.”

  Kiely groaned. “Only because we shared a womb. I wouldn’t do it for anyone else.”

  * * *

  Kiely hadn’t been sure what to expect, but she was surprised by the sizable twenty-four-hundred square foot home in East Grand Rapids. The location was one of the most desired in the East Grand Rapids school system and proximity to downtown Gaslight Village. She imagined that it must have cost him a mint. He seemed to read her mind.

  “We had two incomes when Sara and I purchased this house. It was her dream come true. We moved in just weeks before Alfie was born. I thought about moving after she died but I knew she wanted to raise our son here. The insurance money paid off the mortgage, so it only made sense to stay. I’ve been able to maintain it on my own since then.”

  Inside, the open floor design featured a large kitchen with a granite center island, slate appliances, a main floor master suite and bath, three additional extremely spacious bedrooms and an attached three-car garage. There was an expansive bonus room on the second floor and the home also had a full, finished basement with a private exit to the outside. The entire yard was fenced, there was a private back patio with a bricked-in grill and a meticulously landscaped lawn.

  The decor was sparse and very masculine. The furniture was dark leather and except for the multitude of toys splayed around the rooms, there was little color. A
lfie’s room was the brightest spot in the home. The walls had been painted a lovely shade of mint green and white built-in bookcases and a desk decorated the space.

  “Excuse the mess,” Cooper said. “I wasn’t expecting company, so I didn’t clean up.”

  “It’s fine,” Kiely responded.

  “I usually do make an effort to pick up the toys.”

  Kiely smiled. Alfie was toddling around the room, excited to be back in familiar space.

  Cooper pointed to the Jack and Jill bathroom and the bedroom on the opposite side. “You’re welcome to take the adjoining room there, or if you want, you can stay down in the basement. It’s more private and has its own little kitchenette. The baby monitor is wired into the sound system through the whole house so you’d still be able to hear Alfie if he were up here and you were down there. You’d just have farther to walk.”

  “This will be fine,” Kiely said as she moved through the bathroom and into the second bedroom. It was a very pretty space with a simple crocheted bedspread and matching pillows.

  “I’ll need to find the extra bedsheets and make up the bed,” he said.

  “You need to go lay down.” Kiely shook her index finger at him. “The doctors told you to rest. With your permission, I’m sure I’ll be able to find everything I need.”

  “I am tired,” Cooper said. “And please, feel free to help yourself to anything that will make this easy for you.”

  “Thank you. Now go take a nap. Alfie and I will be fine. He and I are going to make dinner.”

  “He can be a handful,” Cooper said. “I just want to warn you.”

  Kiely laughed. “So can I!”

  * * *

  Cooper tossed and turned for almost thirty minutes. The pain pill he’d taken had relieved much of the hurt he’d been feeling but he couldn’t turn his brain off long enough to relax and drift off to sleep. For the first fifteen minutes he’d listened to the baby monitor in the family room, eavesdropping on Kiely’s conversation with his son.