by Jane Godman
Happiness flowed through him, warming his skin like the rays of the early morning sun. His usual cautious smile had been replaced by a grin so wide it was in danger of splitting his face in two. He would never fear love again, because he had found it. And, after all his years of angst, it had been the most natural, wonderful thing in the world.
Now, we just have to defeat the bad guys, get Maya’s adoption back on track, and get on with our lives.
With that in mind, he had checked in with Emmanuel about Jenna’s message to Abigail. The detective wasn’t hopeful about tracing her from it.
“She’s using a burner phone. The likelihood is she’ll discard that one and buy another to send the next message. The chances of tracking her down that way are slim, if not nonexistent.”
It was frustrating but not unexpected. Emmanuel had continued to assure him that they were doing all they could to find Jenna.
Now, still on the subject of bad guys, the CI team was gathered for another meeting. This time, the focus was on Capital X, the anonymous, underground loan company.
CI had been determined to break open Capital X. But, no matter how hard they tried to get details on the group, it was intricate and underground. Operating out of the dark web, it was as devious as it was dangerous.
The team was joined by Ashanti Silver, their brilliant technical expert.
Occasionally, a burst of laughter from the kitchen reached them and lightened the mood. Charlize was preparing dinner and Abigail had joined her, since she knew nothing about Capital X. Maya was with them and was clearly proving to be a source of entertainment. Griffin was pleased that the two women got along so well and that Maya would soon have someone in the family to play with.
“I don’t have any more news for you guys about Capital X,” Ashanti said. “Because they use the dark web, they are able to hide their activities well. It’s a haven for bad guys.”
“Explain to us again how that works,” Kiely said.
“Putting it simply, imagine that the internet is a forest and within it there are well-worn paths, the ones that most people use. Those paths are the popular search engines. Away from these paths—or search engines—the trees will mask your vision. Then it becomes almost impossible to find anything, unless you know what you’re looking for. This is how the dark web works, and it is essentially the name given to all the hidden places on the internet.”
“So you stumble around and get lost?” Sadie said.
“Yes.” Ashanti nodded. “Or you need a guide. Just like the forest, the dark web hides things well. It hides actions and it hides identities. The dark web also prevents people from knowing who you are, what you are doing and where you are doing it.”
“How do you ever find your way?” Vikki asked.
Ashanti gave a confident grin. “You have to understand the forest better than everyone else.”
“If the only way to communicate with Capital X is via the dark web, we have to send them a message that will make them take notice,” Pippa said.
She had a reckless look about her that worried Griffin. “What do you have in mind?”
She leaned forward. “Let’s take this fight to them. I think one of us should infiltrate Capital X by pretending to be looking for a big loan. They won’t be able resist getting hold of another victim.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Riley shook his head. “These guys are ruthless.”
“Who are you suggesting should be the one to go undercover and get inside Capital X?” Griffin asked. He had a feeling he already knew the answer.
“I’ll do it.” Pippa tossed her head. “It’s my plan, I’ll be the one to see it through.”
There was a general chorus of dissent, with none of the siblings approving of her suggestion. Each of Pippa’s brothers and sisters had their own forceful argument to put forward for why it would be too dangerous. Pippa remained calm in the face of their opposition.
“Putting my neck out is my job. This is what I do,” she insisted, when everyone was all talked out. “These low-lifes will take one look at me and think they’ve got their claws into another vulnerable person. They won’t know I can handle myself.”
“We can’t let you do this,” Griffin insisted. “Look at what’s happened to Brody. That has to be a warning to anyone thinking of tangling with Capital X and their thugs.”
She sighed. “At least let me do some more research before you try and stop me. Then I’ll come back to you with a detailed plan. Ashanti, we can work together and use the dark web to find out more, right?”
Ashanti nodded. “Yeah. But stick with me. Your team are right to be nervous. These guys don’t mess around.”
Pippa grinned. “Nor do I.”
* * *
Once the meeting was finished, Charlize served dinner to the team. Ashanti had left, having explained that she was going on a date with the love of her life, her math teacher husband, Jeffrey.
“That’s so sweet.” Sadie placed a hand over her heart after Ashanti had gone. “I hope Tate and I are still like that after a few years of marriage.”
Abigail had noticed before how a curious silence descended whenever Sadie mentioned her fiancé, Tate Greer. It happened again now. No one responded to the comment, and the other siblings suddenly became engrossed in passing around the food and handing out drinks.
Sadie tossed her head. “Since we’re all together, it seems like a good time to let you know that Tate and I have decided on a Christmas wedding.”
None of the usual outpouring of congratulations followed the announcement. Abigail caught a glimpse of tears in Sadie’s eyes and felt sorry for her. She didn’t understand what was going on. The Coltons were such a close, caring family. How could they ignore something so important to their sister?
“Could you pass the potatoes, please?” Vikki asked Kiely.
“Don’t all rush to congratulate me, will you?” Sadie’s lower lip trembled as she looked around at her brothers and sisters.
“All we want is for you to be happy.” Griffin reached over and pressed his sister’s hand.
“But you don’t think that will happen if I marry Tate.” Sadie was clearly upset. Getting to her feet, she snatched up her purse with a trembling hand. “I’m sorry, Charlize. I know you’ve gone to a lot of trouble, but I’m just not hungry.”
Pushing back her chair, she ran from the room. Her heels clattered on the kitchen floor and they heard the rear door slam behind her.
“I’ll go after her.” Riley followed her from the room.
“Why can’t she see through this guy instead of getting upset with us?” Griffin asked his other sisters.
“She thinks we have an irrational dislike of him.” Vikki, Sadie’s twin, shrugged. “She can’t see past her own feelings and understand why we’re so worried about her.”
“You can tell me it’s none of my business,” Abigail said. “But what is it about this guy that troubles you so much?”
“Firstly, it is your business.” Kiely smiled at her. “You and Charlize are part of the family.”
“And secondly, Tate Greer is a slick, expensive-suit-wearing businessman who throws his cash around. He claims to be in imports/exports but he has no visible means of making money,” Griffin said.
“We’ve checked him out off the record, and he has no criminal record,” Pippa said. “But there’s just something about him...”
“I worry that the guy is really a gang boss,” Griffin confessed. “Or that he’s involved in some other dirty business.”
“Is that really possible?” Abigail asked. “Sadie is a CSI for the Grand Rapids PD. Wouldn’t she recognize a criminal if she saw one? Particularly if she got to know him well?”
“Sadie is dazzled by him,” Vikki said. “She was a late bloomer. Tate is the good-looking bad guy with his tattoos and his Harley. He’s swept her of
f her feet and I don’t think she could ever see anything bad in him.”
“You know her better than any of us,” Griffin said. “Has Sadie ever confided that she has any hesitations or suspicions about Tate?”
Vikki shook her head. “Not to me. The only times she talks about him are to say how much she loves him. I’ve met him a few more times than the rest of you. He’s a charmer but I didn’t like him even though I can’t say why. There is one thing that strikes me as odd, though.”
“What’s that?” Griffin asked.
“Why does he want to marry Sadie?” Vikki shrugged. “I mean, we all love her and think she’s gorgeous. But I do wonder what a guy like Tate would see in our good-girl sister.”
They were quietly pondering the question when Riley returned. “She’s calmed down, but she wants to go home.” He rubbed a hand along his jawline. “We need to be careful. We can’t let our dislike of Tate cause a rift between us an Sadie.”
“That won’t happen.” Griffin’s voice was firm. “We won’t let it.”
“Even so, we should try to lighten up and look like we are accepting him into the family—” Riley held up a hand. “I know. I know. I feel the same way as the rest of you. At the same time, we can keep investigating him without letting Sadie know what we’re doing.”
“We could find out that Tate is just an obnoxious guy but that there is no harm in him,” Pippa said.
“If that’s the case, we’ll have to welcome him into the family for Sadie’s sake.” Griffin’s gloomy expression was reflected around the table.
“That won’t happen,” Riley assured him. “Our instincts will be proved right. He’s a bad guy and it’s just a matter of time before we find out what that means.”
“Meanwhile, we have to wait for him to hurt our sister.” Glumly, Kiely speared a carrot and glared at it as though she hated it.
“If he does that, he’ll regret it.” Griffin’s words were greeted by nods from his siblings. “Now, can we forget Tate Greer while we finish this delicious meal?”
* * *
Abigail was sure that the improvement in her physical health had a lot to do with her emotional well-being. She was happier now than she’d ever been. Not even the threat of Jenna lurking in the background could destroy her newfound joy. Over the following few days, as she basked in the knowledge that Griffin loved her, she grew stronger. At the same time, her worries about getting Maya’s adoption back on track remained. Until Jenna was caught, and the true story came out, Abigail’s status as a mom was still in doubt.
When the nurse came for her visit, she nodded approvingly. “This wound is healing really well.”
“When can I stop wearing the sling?” Abigail asked. It felt like a big step on the road to recovery. Having two arms again instead of one would make a huge difference, especially when it came to caring for Maya.
“You can take it off for short periods each day,” the nurse said. “But if your arm aches, or feels tired, you must start to wear it again. I’ll speak to Dr. Reynolds and ask her to arrange your physiotherapy.”
“Thank you.”
After walking the nurse to the door, Abigail went in search of Griffin. She found him drinking coffee in the kitchen with Emmanuel Iglesias.
“Where’s Maya?” she asked.
“Sleeping.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the baby monitor. “She finished her lunch while you were with the nurse, then got a bit cranky, so I took her for a nap.”
“Oh, that’s good.” She smiled. “Dealing with a tired baby when I only have one working arm. Well, it’s something I’d rather not do.”
“Emmanuel is here to give us an update about Jenna,” Griffin said.
Abigail turned hopefully to the detective. “Really?”
He held up a hand. “Please don’t get your hopes up. I came to see you because I thought you deserved to know where the investigation was. But that doesn’t mean I have anything new to tell you.”
Abigail’s shoulders slumped. “So you still have no idea where she is?”
“I’m sorry,” Emmanuel said. “I do have some news for you. I put out an alert to all medical facilities in the Grand Rapids area to inform me if a woman sought help for an animal bite to the left wrist. Two days ago, a woman matching Jenna’s description attended a private clinic and asked for antibiotics because of an infected injury. The doctor who attended her believed the wound could have been caused by an animal bite. When we showed him pictures, he identified his patient as Jenna Avery.”
“Where was this clinic?” Griffin asked.
“In the Roosevelt Park area but the address she gave was a false one.”
“Of course it was.” Abigail rolled her eyes.
“We’ve concentrated our search in that general location and the clinic visit tells us two things. One is that Jenna is still in the Grand Rapids area. The second is that she is badly injured. The doctor said the wound was deep and the infection was serious. He told her to come back and see him the following day because she might need hospitalization. She didn’t return.”
“Do either of those things bring you closer to catching her?” Abigail asked. She knew there was a sharp note in her voice. She also knew the police were doing their best. But their best wasn’t good enough right now. She wouldn’t feel safe until Jenna was behind bars and that wasn’t happening.
“I know it may not look like we’re making any progress,” Emmanuel said. “But we are doing everything we can to find her. And the injury that your ferret inflicted might just be what brings her in. If she is as ill as the doctor who saw her recently believes, she won’t be able to manage much longer without help.”
At that precise moment, Abigail’s cell pinged with an incoming message. Once again, the number wasn’t in her list of contacts.
Hey. How about I shoot Griffin in the head while he’s out running? I’d enjoy sharing that video on social media.
Feeling slightly nauseated, she passed her phone to Emmanuel. “Jenna seems to be managing just fine.”
The detective’s lips tightened as he read the message. “Have you been out running since Abigail was stabbed?” he asked Griffin.
“No. But surely that’s not the point?” Griffin frowned as he read the text over Emmanuel’s shoulder. “Despite your efforts, Jenna is still out there, and she is feeling confident enough to send harassing messages to Abigail.”
“It’s not just her confidence in sending messages that worries me. It’s her willingness to put her plans into action.” Abigail moved her left arm slightly, feeling the pull of her injury. “She stabbed me in a public place. I’m scared that she won’t hesitate to come after me and Maya even though we are living here in Riley and Charlize’s home.”
“I can only stress again that you have to be vigilant and let us do our job,” Emmanuel said. “We will catch her.”
“But will you be in time?” Abigail asked as he gave her back her phone.
“That’s the plan.” Emmanuel got to his feet as he spoke.
She watched him as he and Griffin walked to the door. Those words weren’t confident enough for her liking. Not when her own, and her little girl’s, lives depended on them.
* * *
An hour later, Abigail picked up the baby monitor and checked the battery warning light. It seemed to be in working order.
“Is something wrong?” Griffin asked.
She returned to the sofa in the den, where they had been snuggled up together enjoying an old movie. “No.”
After a few minutes, she sat up straight. “Maya has been awfully quiet. Usually we hear grunts and snuffles but there’s been nothing.”
He grinned at her. “Just relax and enjoy it.”
“I know I should.” She returned the smile. “But I think I’ll go check on her.”
He picked up the remote and paused the movie.
“Want me to go?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. Back in two minutes.”
It was foolish she knew, but the situation with Jenna was making her nervous. Of course Maya was fine but she needed to see that for herself.
“Is everything okay?” Charlize was coming out of the kitchen as Abigail headed toward the stairs.
“Yes. I’m just going to Griffin’s room to check on Maya.”
“But...” Charlize looked confused. “Isn’t she with you?”
A tiny slither of dread trickled down Abigail’s spine like a raindrop down a windowpane. “No. Griffin put her down for a nap over an hour ago.”
“Yes, but then the nurse came to get her. She said you asked her to take Maya to you.”
Letting out a cry, Abigail started to run up the stairs. “Get Griffin,” she called over her shoulder.
Although she already knew what to expect, her heart dropped to her feet when she saw the empty crib. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling. Before she hit the floor, a pair of strong arms caught hold of her and pulled her upright.
“What happened?” Griffin held her against his chest. “Where’s Maya?”
“I’m sorry.” Charlize was in tears as she stood in the doorway. “She told me she was the nurse.”
Griffin already had his cell phone in his hand and, within seconds, was telling Emmanuel what had happened.
“What did she look like?” Abigail asked Charlize.
“Small and dark. She was wearing a nurse’s uniform, of course.”
Abigail shook her head. “The real nurse was tall and fair. I walked her to the door when our appointment was over.”
Griffin ended his call. “Emmanuel is on his way over, but he already has an alert out for Jenna and Maya. I don’t understand how, if she’s injured, she could have carried the baby down the stairs?”
Charlize hung her head. “She asked me to carry Maya for her. She had a bag in her left hand and she explained that she couldn’t hold the baby as well. It was only when we reached the bottom of the stairs that she took Maya from me.” She started to cry again. “I asked if she wanted help carrying her to your room, but she said she’d be fine. And now I think about it, I briefly held her bag as she took Maya from me and it felt like it was empty.”