Love Inspired Suspense March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Protection Detail\Hidden Agenda\Broken Silence (10 page)

She didn't want to concede, because she didn't want the kids traveling in different cars. Just like she'd told him, they were her kids, her responsibility, the only family she had.

Then again, she didn't want them hurt. Or worse.

“All right,” she said. “We'll go to the safe house. We'll take separate cars. But, I'll tell you one thing we're not going to do. We're not leaving Tommy's stuffed animal collection behind. He needs it to sleep, and since I don't want to spend an unspecified amount of time being sleepless with him, I need it too.”

Gavin blinked. Twice. “Sure. Why not?”

Maybe because the collection was a hundred stuffed animals and growing. And maybe because the stuffed animals didn't come from the store, they came from Dumpsters and piles of trash and often smelled like skunk mixed with cadaver until they'd been washed ten times.

Cassie didn't bother explaining.

She had a lot to do. Not just packing and getting kids moving, explaining why they had to leave, where they were going to go, that they'd all be together.

That was important to her kids. They might not be a conventional family, but they were all each other had.

NINE

O
bviously, Gavin should have said no when Cassie insisted that Tommy be allowed to bring all his stuffed animals to the safe house.

Obviously, she knew it.

She stood behind five overflowing boxes and smiled. “That's it. All one hundred of them.”

“You're sure about that?” he asked dryly, eying the boxes, the woman, the little boy who was standing at her side. The other kids were in the foyer, carrying backpacks and a pillowcase stuffed with belongings. Some had books or toys. Little Juan Gomez had a bottle in one hand and a fistful of Virginia's hair in the other.

Tommy had more.

Lots more.

He had a backpack, a duffle, a pillowcase and the boxes.

No wonder it had taken Cassie two hours to get everyone packed. She'd probably spent the majority of her time getting Tommy's things together.

“I don't know,” the young boy said. “Maybe there is one more. Maybe I left one under the bed. I think I did, Cassie. I think I did!” He darted back up the stairs, and Cassie sighed.

“Smooth move, Gavin. I'd finally convinced him that we had everything, and now we're back at the drawing board,” she said, hefting the closest two boxes. “We may as well get these into one of the cars while we're waiting. He may be a while.”

“He's checking under the bed. How long can that take?” He took the boxes, not because he thought she was too weak to carry them herself, but because Mrs. Simons would have had his head if she'd known he'd done anything else. Housemother at All Our Kids during the years Gavin was there, she'd had a kind heart and a will of steel. Aside from Harland, she'd influenced his life more than anyone.

“Not long, but then he'll have to check in the closet and in the dresser and in the tub. He'll probably check the entire second level before he comes down. He's a little OCD that way.” She lifted two of the remaining boxes, her ponytail sliding over her shoulder. She'd changed clothes, replacing the blood-stained shirt and skirt with a soft-looking T-shirt and well-worn jeans. She'd also washed the blood off her face and out of her hair. The bandages pulled at the skin of her forehead, highlighting the goose egg and bruise she was sporting.

“Maybe I should go up and help him look?” Virginia suggested. “I don't know about everyone else, but being in this house is making my skin crawl. I mean, think about it—”

“We'd all rather not.” Cassie cut her off. The statement was matter-of-fact rather than frustrated, and Virginia didn't seem at all fazed by it. She bounced Juan on her hip, murmuring something to him under her breath. The poor kid had been through a lot, and Virginia seemed bent on mothering him through it. She was good with all the children. That had to be the reason Cassie kept her around. It certainly wasn't for her ability to respond well during crises.

“I'm just saying, Cassie. The sooner we leave, the happier I'll be.”

“Then, let's start packing things into the cars.” Cassie reached for the doorknob as if she thought she could just walk outside, go about her life the way she had before one of her kids had snuck out and been seen by a murderer.

“Hold on.” Gavin nudged her hand away. Beside him, Glory shifted. She knew they were getting ready to head out, and she was anxious to go. “I'll pack everything in the cars.”

“How many cars?” Cassie asked, edging close to him as he opened the door. He could feel the heat of her body, the brush of her arm against his; he could smell a sweet flowery scent that reminded him of honeysuckle and spring rain.

“Three. All driven by K-9 team members. You, Tommy, Rachel and Destiny are coming with me.” He had a reason for that, and he was sure Cassie knew it. She eyed him for a moment, then shrugged.

“That's fine with me. If we ever get Tommy into the car.”

“I am not riding with Tommy!” Destiny protested. She had fewer belongings than the other kids. Just a backpack. No pillowcase stuffed with things. No extra books, dolls or toys. She looked to be twelve or thirteen, but her eyes were old, the wariness in them something Gavin had seen dozens of times on the streets of DC.

“Sorry, Destiny,” he said. “You don't have a choice.”

“I have choices,” she spat, glaring at him. “I can just...go somewhere else. I can run away. Then, I can do what I want.”

“True,” Cassie said easily. “But, I'd miss you terribly if you did. Now, how about we all just get ourselves together and get this done? I, for one, could use a hot cup of coffee and some homemade cookies. You want to help me make some, Destiny?”

“Is there going to be a kitchen in our new place?”

“A big one.” Gavin had made it very clear to Margaret that they needed more than the usual safe house. Not an apartment. Not a condo. Not a brownstone in the heart of DC. They needed space. Inside and out. She'd come through. Just like she always did.

“Then I guess I can ride with Tommy,” Destiny sighed.

“Great.” Gavin opened the door and stepped out into cool March air. There were DC police everywhere, K-9 teams combing the woods for evidence. He could see Brooke and Mercy crisscrossing a small area at the edge of the front yard. If they found something, he'd know it before anyone else.

Right now, his focus was on getting Cassie and the children to a safe location. Once he'd done that, he could return to the house and help process the scene.

He jogged down the porch stairs and opened the door of his SUV. He'd thought he'd have plenty of space for two adults, three kids and a dog, but the boxes were going to be challenging. He slid them onto the backseat floor, then grabbed the other two from Cassie's hands.

“What's the deal with these, anyway?” he asked as he shoved both into the hatchback next to Glory's kennel.

“What's the deal with any of the stuff any of the kids have.” She shrugged. “They don't have control of much in their lives, so they control their things.”

“He's got a lot of things.” He signaled for Glory to enter her kennel, and she jumped in, settling down for the ride.

“And a lot of baggage. You should understand that, Gavin.”

He did.

He just wasn't all that happy about dealing with it. Not when there was so much at stake. One man dead. Another injured. A woman missing.

And then there was Rosa Gomez.

Dead, too.

Under suspicious circumstances.

That's what the DC police were saying.

A car pulled into the driveway and slowly moved toward the house. Gavin stepped in front of Cassie. Not because he thought the perpetrator would be foolish enough to drive up and gun her down, but because he didn't believe in taking chances any more than he believed in coincidence.

“Who is it?” she whispered, leaning around him, her braid falling against his arm as she tried to get a look.

“I don't know.” Another police officer maybe. Or one of Gavin's team members.

The car pulled up behind his SUV—black sedan with government tags. He knew the car, was surprised to see it.

“Harland,” he murmured, taking Cassie's hand and tugging her to the vehicle as the back passenger door opened and Harland Jeffries got out. Arm in a sling, face haggard from grief and pain, he looked a decade older than he was, his gray hair nearly white in the sunlight.

“Gavin,” he said, his voice breaking. “Michael's gone.”

“I know. I can promise you I'm going to do everything in my power to bring his murderer to justice.”

Harland nodded, somehow weaker and frailer than Gavin had ever expected him to be. “I know you will. Margaret assured me the team is on the case.”

“How about we go inside, Harland?” Cassie wove her arm through the congressman's. “You need to sit down.”

“I need to find my son's killer,” he muttered, but he let himself be led up the porch steps.

“Heel!” Gavin commanded Glory. She jumped out of the kennel, taking her place beside him as he followed Cassie and Harland into the house.

The kids were still waiting in the foyer, and their eyes widened as the congressman walked in. Gavin had no doubt they knew Harland. He made it a habit of visiting All Our Kids, of being part of the lives of the kids who stayed there.

“Okay!” Virginia called from the top of the stairs. “We've got everything, and we're sure about it!”

She was halfway down the steps when she realized Harland was there. She stopped short, her cheeks going a bright shade of pink.

“Congressman Jeffries!” she breathed. “What an honor!”

Tommy didn't seem to think it was an honor. He stayed behind Virginia, his dark hair barely visible.

“It's an honor for me, Virginia. You know how much I care about these kids.” Harland smiled, moving into the living room and taking a seat on the sofa. “I heard you were going to be away for a while, so I thought I'd better come visit.”

Margaret must have told him about the move to a safe house. In typical Harland fashion, he was going to make sure the kids were okay before they left.

“That was really kind of you, Harland,” Cassie said. “But you should have stayed in the hospital. You're still recovering.”

“The doctor released me this morning. After Margaret's call, I thought I'd better stop here before I went home.” He met Gavin's eyes. “It looks like you have everything under control, but I thought it might help if I talked to the kids myself.”

“Sure.” Gavin was willing to try anything to get the kids to talk.

“Would you like some coffee?” Virginia offered, little Juan still in her arms. He looked at Harland. Reached for him.

“Mama!” he yelled, and Harland visibly flinched.

“Two deaths in two days.” He shook his head. “It's too much. The poor child. With no mother.”

And me with no son.

He didn't say that. Harland wasn't that kind of guy. But, Gavin thought he heard it, thought he saw it in the depth of Harland's eyes.

“I'm so sorry for your loss,” Cassie said, sitting down next to the aging congressman, putting her arm around his shoulder like he was one of her kids.

“Thank you, my dear. It's difficult.” Harland squeezed the bridge of his nose, and Gavin knew he was holding back tears. “I just wish that I'd seen...” He looked at the kids who were watching wide-eyed and maybe a little afraid. “Anyway, that isn't what I came to talk to you about. The thing is, I heard from the police that one of you children might have been on my property last night.”

“Of course that's why you're here,” Destiny snapped. “Adults never come around just because they care. They always come because—”

“Now is not the time, Destiny,” Cassie said, an edge of weariness to her voice.

“It's okay,” Harland said, patting Cassie's arm. “This is tough on the kids, I know that. But, I wanted to reiterate what Captain McCord and his team have been saying. If one of you was on my property last night, you're not in trouble. There will be no punishment. No ramifications.” He looked at each child one by one.

Gavin did the same, focusing on the two that he most suspected. Rachel had her thumb in her mouth, a childish and young gesture for a child her age. He thought it was a probably a hold-over habit, something she only did when she was under incredible stress.

Tommy stood beside Virginia, his eyes trained on the ground, his expression blank. He didn't look at Harland. He didn't look at any of the adults in the room.

Harland sighed into the silence, squeezing the bridge of his nose again. “We all make mistakes, and kids tend to make a few more than adults. If any of you were at my place last night, if any of you saw what happened to my son...” He stopped, cleared his throat. “It's okay to say so.”

Not a peep out of anyone.

Not that Gavin had expected there to be, but he felt a moment of disappointment, a moment of impatience. One of them had seen something. He knew it, but he couldn't force the truth out of their mouths.

Maybe being away from All Our Kids would loosen their tongues. The doughnuts and juice certainly hadn't.

Someone rapped on the front door, and an officer opened it. Brooke stepped in, Mercy on the lead beside her. “Congressman Harland,” she said, walking into the living room. “I thought that was your car.”

“I had my assistant bring me. She's waiting in the car.” He stood, wincing a little at the movement. “And, she's probably getting impatient. My discharge instructions didn't include stopping for visits.”

“I'm glad you stopped by,” Brooke said. “We wanted to clarify the description you gave to the first responding officer last night.”

They'd already verified it, but Gavin knew what Brooke was doing. It was possible details of the night had been lost to Harland's trauma and grief and that a little distance, a little time, might allow him to remember more.

“I'll walk you two out,” Gavin said.

“Me, too,” Cassie added.

“Sorry.” He put a hand on her arm before she could leave the living room. “We have some details of the case to discuss with the congressman. It's best if you wait here.”

“You're kidding, right?” She raised a dark red brow, her emerald eyes clear and bright despite a nearly sleepless night. She was pale, though, her bruises standing out against her makeup-less skin.

“Why would I be?”

“You rushed us, and now you want us to wait? With a toddler? And a five-year-old? And a bunch of overtired, overstimulated kids?”

“I'm sorry,” Gavin responded. He hadn't thought of that angle. But, then, he'd spent the past few years concentrating on his job. He'd devoted everything he had to Capitol K-9, because he owed it to Harland to make good on the opportunities he'd been given and because he'd been sure that was what God wanted him to do.

But, maybe, being so devoted to work had made him a little less understanding of other people's lives.