Broken Promises (8 page)

“How? I thought he was with Brad’s
sister.”

“Don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to
find out. Come on. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

She pulled at her half-dry top. “Give me a
second to change into some dry clothes. How long will we—” She
broke off and looked at the Sheltie.

“Bring her. Just keep her on the leash and
out of the way.”

“Out of
your
way, you mean.” In spite
of her snarky words, her mind raced ahead and reeled with the
possibilities. Jackie’s son was only six years old. “I’m sorry.
That was a really stupid thing for me to say. We’ve got to get over
there.”

Chapter Ten

By the time they reached the tree-lined
street where Brad’s sister lived with her family, the rain had let
up, and it looked like every squad car in Canandaigua was on the
scene. Alex parked the rental car as close as possible, almost a
block away. “Might as well walk the rest of the way.” He eyeballed
Bette and the Sheltie as they emerged from the passenger side. “I
doubt they’ll let us in with
her
.”

“I can’t leave Shadow in the car. It’s too
hot. I’ll wait outside. No problem.” There was grit and
determination in her tone. No doubt she would.

How someone could let a six-year-old boy get
taken, he’d never understand. Wasn’t it enough his sister was
missing? Did the fucker have to come back and take her kid too? All
his training told him this situation wasn’t going to end well. His
stomach cramped with the images that came to mind. He knew too
much. Had seen too much. Too much to sit back and let the locals
handle it.

“Hey, you there with the long legs, wait
up!”

He slowed his pace, turned, and saw Bette
puffing and running with the Sheltie on the leash. “Sorry,” he
muttered, unable to wrap his head around it all. Here he was, on
the verge of losing everyone he cared about. His nephew. His
sister. Dammit to hell, it
was
too much.

Bette’s arm slid around his waist, offering
him a measure of comfort. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly. Her eyes
shone with unshed tears. “I don’t know what else to say or do.”

He gazed down at her. “It helps. You
know—just—uh, that you’re here.” He swallowed the boulder-size knot
in his throat and realized he meant it. Having Bette here helped on
several levels.

But what he wouldn’t give to have his task
force team on site. Maybe now the locals would realize how
understaffed they were and call in the Bureau officially.

They reached the crime scene perimeter; he
showed his badge and ID. The young patrol officer on crowd control
nodded and allowed him through but not Bette. He nodded that he
understood. “I don’t like leaving you alone,” he told her,
finishing silently because he knew better than to say it out loud,
with only a skittish little dog for protection.

Surely, with all the uniforms swarming over
the area, she’d be okay. “Stay close,” he warned.

She nodded and appeared almost as skittish as
the dog. Her gaze flickered apprehensively over the crowd of
neighbors drawn by all the police activity. “Guess I’ll be okay
with all these men in blue around.” She chewed nervously on her
bottom lip.

“Just stay close.” It was doubtful the
kidnapper was in the crowd of lookie-loos. Hell, no, he was too
busy kidnapping Alex’s family members. Even though he was reluctant
to leave Bette behind, Alex walked up the brick walk and into the
bungalow. He stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder. She
was still in sight and talking to a patrol officer.

Opening the front door, he took a deep breath
and tried to relieve the tension that had his shoulders tied in
knots. He stepped into the living room. Brad’s sister Corrine—he
remembered her from high school—sat on the couch, bawling her eyes
out, while none other than good old Detective Spitz sat across from
her, asking questions and taking notes.

Not the best Canandaigua had to offer—or was
he?

Alex ran his hand through his hair and
clenched his jaw. No point in pissing the locals off any more than
he already had. “Detective.”

“Agent MacGregor.”

Corrine’s face brightened. “You called in the
FBI? Oh, thank you. Thank you.”

“I’m not here officially. I’m—uh, Jackie’s
brother.”

“Of course. I remember you now,” she said
with a sob. “But you can still help us, can’t you?”

“I’ll do what I can.” He turned to Spitz.
“Surely, now there’s a child missing…?” He took a deep breath
before continuing. “If you say the word, I can have a team here
from the Buffalo field office in a couple of hours.”

Spitz shook his head. “Way I see it is
this—we have an unfaithful husband and a pissed-off wife. She
pulled a disappearing act, and now she snuck in the backyard and
grabbed her kid. Abduction by a custodial parent. Not a case for
the Bureau.”

“Then why are you holding my
brother-in-law?”

“We aren’t. Released him as soon as I heard
about the kid being taken.”

“Then where is he?”

“I’m here, Alex.” His brother-in-law stood in
the doorway to the dining room. He was haggard, in need of a shave,
and his eyes were red from lack of sleep. “The police think
Jackie’s run off with someone,” Brad said. “Just goes to show the
husband’s always the last to know. She’s taken him somewhere, and
as soon as she tires of her boyfriend, she’ll drag her ass home and
bring him with her. Well, she’s got another think coming if she
thinks I’ll take her back after this. I’ll sue for custody. Screw
her!”

How could anyone be so blind to the truth?
Make it two blind men. “What about the man who showed up as she was
closing?”

Brad shrugged. “I agree with the police. That
dude was her boyfriend.”

Before Alex knew it, he closed the distance
between them and slammed his sister’s husband into the door. He
shoved his forearm against the lying bastard’s throat. “You son of
a bitch! You’re accusing
her
of screwing around? Just
because you are doesn’t mean she would.”

“Stop! You’ll kill him!” Corrine screamed,
then jumped up and tugged on Alex’s arm. “Detective, make him
stop!”

“Come on, Agent.” Spitz grabbed Alex by the
shoulders and pulled him off Brad. “Wouldn’t want to arrest you for
assault. Not that I really blame you.”

Alex tamped down the urge to finish the job,
released the chokehold, then took a step back.

Brad coughed and gagged, then said, “You’re a
crazy man. I didn’t do anything to your precious sister.” He sucked
in a deep breath, rubbed his throat, and glared at Alex. “Mark my
words,
she
took Cody. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s a
crime in this state. When you find my wife, I want her arrested.
Understand me, Detective. I want my son back, and I want her
charged with kidnapping.”

Alex clenched his fists and took a step
forward. “Shut your mouth. My sister and her son are missing.
That’s all we know.” He glared at Spitz. “Don’t care about your
theories. Two people are missing. Two people I care about.” He
turned back to his brother-in-law. “No matter what you think,
they’re in danger until proven otherwise.” His head pounded as if
it might explode. He gasped for breath. Never had he been mad
enough to kill someone, but Brad Stinnett had crossed the line and
pushed every button.

That’s what Alex got for staying away so
long. His sister never complained about her husband, but a deep
undercover assignment had kept Alex from coming home for their
wedding. He assumed if his sister thought enough of Brad to marry
him that he’d grown out of his hound dog ways. Guess not—once a
prick, always a prick.

Stinnett held up his hands and backed into
the wall. “Detective! Are you just going to stand there and let him
assault me?” When Spitz’s only response was a shrug, he said,
“That’s how it’s going to be, is it? All you law-enforcement types
stick together. All right. I don’t care who does it. Someone just
find my kid.”

Alex sucked in a deep breath and squared his
shoulders. “Why don’t you tell me what you did to Jackie? Where is
she?”

“And I already told you. I don’t
know
where she is!”

Alex leveled his gaze on the detective. “Are
you calling in the Bureau now or not?”

Spitz stood, shook his head, and stuffed his
hands into his pockets. “That’d be a no.”

“Then I’ll find them myself.” He clenched his
fists, mainly to keep from assaulting the useless detective.

“Don’t you go messing around. I’ll arrest
your federal ass if you interfere in my investigation.”

“From what I can see, you don’t have an
investigation. At best, all you have is a theory”
—
he turned to Brad’s sister
—
“and pardon me, ma’am, for saying so, it’s a
piss-poor one.”

With that, he stomped from the house. If he
didn’t try to find his sister and nephew, no one would. It was
readily apparent the local authorities weren’t up to the task.

~~*~~

Outside the yellow crime tape, Bette stood on
the sidewalk and relished the deep shade from the old trees lining
the street. Jackie’s sister-in-law lived in a lovely gray bungalow
trimmed in white with black shutters and a red front door. Two
spiral topiaries were positioned on each side of the front door. A
herringbone brick sidewalk led from the street to the front
entrance, as well as circling around the house. White rose bushes
lined the foundation, while a Japanese maple with delicate lacelike
leaves provided a punch of color.

Remembering she’d almost graduated from
interior design school in Nashville, she sighed. Once, she’d hoped
to have such a home. Small enough for one, but well-planned and
designed and decorated to her specs. But an annoying stalker in the
form of a PI had driven her from her home of the last eight years,
Nashville. Now, her basement apartment was more than
sufficient.

Meeting Alex that miserable New Year’s Eve
when she was on the run from a stalker had been a happy accident.
She’d checked into a low-rent motel on Murfreesboro Road and
snagged the last vacant room in a snow storm. The AC unit had
leaked and flooded her room. That had been the last straw. She’d
boo-hooed and basically pitched a hissy fit. A loud one. Enter one
super-agent, Alex MacGregor. He’d knocked on her door and invited
her to share his room. The rest was history.

All of which showed what a great guy he was.
He didn’t deserve all this pain. And having to stand out here on
the street was chafing her shorts. He needed someone at his
side.

He needed
her
.

She looked down at Shadow. This precious dog
was the best creature. Patient. Calmer than most Shelties. And, if
she wasn’t mistaken, in need of a walk.

She led Shadow down the street and waited
until the Sheltie found just the right spot.

Dammit. Who could’ve taken Cody? It was too
much to believe in coincidence. Bound to be the same person who’d
attacked her in Jackie’s kitchen. The same one who’d taken
Jackie.

Turning around, she led the Sheltie back to
the yellow tape in time to see Alex emerge from the bungalow. At
the sight of his long-legged figure, her heart sped up. He was
unbelievably handsome—tall and lean, tanned, with intelligent blue
eyes. Uh-oh. His never-failing smile—the one that warmed her all
the way to the pit of her belly—was missing. Not a good sign.

She watched him scan the crowd of onlookers,
presumably looking for her. She waved to get his attention. There
it was, a quick flash of his familiar smile.

A rush of heat made her insides twitch. Not
the best time to think about that. They were living in too-close
quarters to let her hormones run amok.

Yet running amok they were.

He hurried toward her, his long legs closing
the distance. His frown was back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as soon as he
ducked under the crime scene tape.

He took her by the arm. “The local LEOs are
useless. We’re getting the hell out of here.” With the Sheltie
trotting behind them, they strode down the sidewalk toward his
rental car while he filled her in on what had happened in the
bungalow.

Disbelief sank in and shook her badly enough
she had to latch on to the car to steady herself. Alex opened her
door, and she smiled at him gratefully but stopped long enough to
put Shadow in her crate in the backseat. She then eased onto the
front seat. Once Alex was seated, she said, “Brad’s no longer under
suspicion. Okay, I agree with that. I don’t care what he was up to
in the city. But they think Jackie took Cody?” She gave her head a
vigorous shake. “They’re worse than useless. So what’s our next
move?”

“Not a lot we
can
do. If you have to
know the truth, keeping an eye on you and that ankle biter sort of
hampers my investigation.”

“Well, too bad.” She wrinkled her nose.
“People often tell me I’m very observant. I have a good eye for
detail—it’s part of the design thing.”

“Oh, yeah?” He raised a single eyebrow. “Too
bad it wasn’t kicking in the other night at the clinic.”

“No fair,” she huffed. “It was getting dark.
I’m much better in daylight. You’ll see.” If it wasn’t such a dire
situation, she’d pop his shoulder with her fist like she did her
brother when his teasing hit home. While Alex might treat her and
tease her like a sister, her feelings for him weren’t sisterly at
all.

He jabbed the key in the ignition, and to
hide her flustered feelings, she reached back and stroked Shadow’s
head through the crate. “If you want to drop us back at the motel,
just say so.”

He cast a look of exasperation in her
direction. “Not leaving you alone. No matter what Detective Spitz
thinks, Jackie’s in trouble, and now so’s Cody.” He pulled out into
the light afternoon traffic and headed in the direction of Jackie’s
clinic. “We’ll check out the office and parking lot. See if they
missed anything.”