Love Inspired Suspense May 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Trail of Evidence\Gone Missing\Lethal Exposure (7 page)

EIGHT

A
s soon as Brooke climbed into her car, Jonas's phone rang. His heart dipped when he saw the number. “Hello?”

“Dr. Parker, this is Grace Hale with Falls Church Middle School.”

Grace Hale, principal and disciplinarian. “Hello, Dr. Hale.” He couldn't help the resignation in his voice. “What's Felix done now?”

“We caught him skipping class.”

“Skip—” Jonas closed his eyes. “All right. I guess you're going to suspend him?”

“No, I think it would be best if we didn't. His grades are suffering enough. Suspension isn't going to do anything positive for him.” A principal who cared. Jonas sent up a silent thank-you. “He's going to have two days of in-school suspension where he will be closely supervised while he works on material that will get him caught up.” A slight pause as though Dr. Hale were weighing her next words. “I'm also going to recommend he talk to one of our counselors here.”

“I see. His mother left him—us—when he was young. He's never given up hope that she would come back. Lately I think his hope is gone and that's why the surly attitude and acting out. I think he's finally come to understand that she's not coming back. You understand?”

“I do.” The woman kept her tone soft, without accusation or contention. Jonas appreciated that.

“Would you trust your child's emotional well-being with the counselor you want him to talk to?” he asked.

A slight pause. “One of them, yes.”

“Then that's the one he can talk to.”

“Thank you, Dr. Parker.”

“Dr. Hale?”

“Yes?”

Jonas cleared his throat. “Thank you for not suspending him.”

“He wasn't doing anything, just sitting in the bathroom on the floor staring at the wall. I think he's hurting.”

“I think he is, too.” His heart ached for his son, but he just didn't know what to do for him. Maybe the counselor would help. He cleared his throat. “At least he wasn't fighting.”

“Indeed.” Another pause. “I heard Felix was there when someone shot at the restaurant.”

Jonas flexed his arm at the reminder. It still hurt when he moved wrong. “Yes, but we talked and he seemed to bounce back.”

“Sometimes appearances can be deceiving.”

Very true. “All right, he can talk to your counselor, and I'll talk to him when I see him this afternoon.”

He hung up with the principal and called Claire, who agreed to pick him up. He had a caseload that he needed to focus on. And he had to figure out what to say to his son. His phone rang as he was slipping it back into his pocket. A glance at the caller ID had his black mood lifting. “Hi.”

“Hey, I forgot to ask you one thing,” Brooke said.

“What's that?”

“Do you think after Felix gets out of school, you and he could go with me to the cliffs and he could show us where he found the phone?”

“Ah, yes, we can do that.”

She paused. “You okay?”

“Not really.” He told her what happened with Felix skipping class and the principal's recommendation for a counselor.

She was silent for a brief moment. “I'm here and I need to go in, but I'll just say a counselor can help. A good one anyway.”

“I know. Thanks, Brooke.”

“Sure thing. Talk to you soon.”

He hung up. His son needed to see a counselor. Again. Jonas sighed. He'd thought Felix had been doing better. They'd been talking and hanging out and then Christmas had come and gone and Felix had started shutting him out once again. He shook his head and as Claire pulled to the curb, Jonas decided he needed to take a serious look at praying again. He had a lot to talk to God about if God was interested in hearing about it. Jonas decided it was time to find out.

* * *

Brooke stepped out of her vehicle and told Mercy to stay put. The dog gave her a mournful look, but settled down in her kennel with a sigh. The day wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold either. She left the rear windows down and the screens up with the fans blowing so Mercy would be comfortable during her wait.

Nicholas climbed out of his matching K-9 vehicle and did the same for Max. “Did you tell him what you wanted to talk to him about?”

“No, I didn't want to give him a reason to refuse to see us.”

The congressman had agreed to meet them at his house. She supposed he didn't want to have to answer questions about their presence at the Congressional Office building, although most would probably just think they were working his son's murder.

Nicholas rapped on the door and Brooke took a good look around. The house had a classy, stately air about it. The door opened.

A young woman smiled up at them. “You must be the officers who wanted to speak to the congressman.”

“Yes ma'am. Is he here?”

“I'm afraid not. He had to leave suddenly. Something about a forgotten doctor's appointment. He asked me to let you know.”

Brooke sighed, frustration zipping through her. “Guess we could show up at his doctor's office.”

Nicholas shook his head. “It's all right. Thank you very much.”

“Of course.” She shut the door and Brooke turned around to stare out across the estate. “You think he's avoiding us?”

“I don't know. We'll catch up to him eventually.”

She shoved a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “You'd think if he was as interested in solving his son's murder as he says he is, he'd make himself available.”

Annoyance stamped itself on her team member's handsome features and he nodded his agreement. “Do you have any other ideas?” he asked.

They headed toward their vehicles. “We've got the flyers going up, we're still examining the phone...” She shook her head. “Any luck on finding the aide?”

“Fiona thinks she may have tracked him down in Maryland working at a gas station slash convenience store. He changed his name, but did a sloppy job of running. He even used his credit card. She had a local officer snap a picture of him to verify, but warned him not to spook the guy.” He pulled the picture up on his phone and turned it so she could see the clean-cut young man in his late twenties. The next picture was of the same young man with longer, shaggy hair cleaning the glass door that led into the convenience store.

“He looks different, but it's definitely the same guy.”

“That's what I think.”

“That's quite a career change.”

“He didn't want to be found, but doesn't have the skills to stay hidden. Like I said, he used his credit card early this morning.”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

“Yes, are you up for a road trip tomorrow if I can clear it with Gavin?”

“Of course.” Her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. “Speaking of Gavin.”

His brow lifted. “Great. Maybe he's got something for us. Put it on speaker, will you?”

She did. “Hi, Gavin.”

“Brooke, I know you're with Harland, but this is pretty important.”

“Actually, the congressman wasn't here.”

“What?” She could hear the frown in his voice.

“He decided he had a doctor's appointment at the last minute. Guess he forgot about it.”

“He's been under a lot of stress, you know that.” Now reproval echoed back at her.

She pursed her lips. “I know.”

“He'll probably call you to reschedule.”

“I hope so.”

“So let me get to the reason I called. Cassie called me a few minutes ago. She said she may know which kid snuck out the night of the shooting.” Cassie Danvers, the director of the All Our Kids children's home. And also Gavin's fiancée.

“Who was it?”

“Tommy Benson. He's been waking up with nightmares about a tall man with a gun.”

“A tall man with a gun. Could be our shooter?”

“Could be. I think it'd be a good idea for you to go by there and talk to him.”

“We've talked to him before and gotten nowhere.”

“Be creative. You're a female. Maybe he'll feel more at ease talking to you since he's been living with Cassie and gotten pretty attached to her.”

“And you.”

“Yeah.”

She smiled at the sudden gruffness in his voice. He'd definitely fallen for the kid. “All right, I'll talk to Cassie and find a good time to come by and see Tommy.”

“Sounds like a plan. Keep me updated.”

“Of course. One more question before we hang up.”

“Yes?”

She explained the need to drive into Maryland to speak to the aide.

Gavin hesitated. “This has been a crazy case,” he finally said. “You go and take Nicholas with you. When do you need to leave?”

“First thing tomorrow morning?” She looked at Nicholas and he nodded. “It's just about an hour over the state line into Maryland.”

Gavin gave her the green light. “Keep me updated.”

She hung up and looked at Nicholas. “This is a step in the right direction. Talking to the aide and finding out who the blue mitten belongs to. That little mitten found at the scene has been bothering me since the beginning. We've suspected all along one of the children from the home snuck out and saw something. Now one of them is having nightmares about a tall man with a gun.”

“Sounds promising.”

“I hope so. I'm feeling slightly desperate. I'll take just about anything at this point.”

“Yeah. All right.” He paused, then gave a short nod. “You talk to Cassie and the kids again. I'll see what time we can leave in the morning and come by and pick you up.”

“Great.” She thought she might give Jonas a call and see if he had any furry friends that might like to accompany her to the children's home.

* * *

Jonas sat parked at the school, in line to pick up Felix. He'd called Claire and told her not to get Felix. Jonas wanted to pick him up himself. While he waited, he checked his email and made a few calls. In the midst of checking his messages on his home voice mail, Jonas's phone beeped at him indicating an incoming call. When he saw that it was Brooke, he switched over, his heart picking up a little bit of speed. “Hi there.”

“Jonas, do you have a moment?”

“Of course. I always have time for you, Brooke.” She went silent and he wondered if he was too forward. Probably, then decided he didn't care. “What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you could get your hands on a couple of puppies.”

“Mercy isn't enough?”

She gave a low chuckle. “I need to get a seven-year-old boy to trust me in record time.”

“Ah, I see. One puppy would probably do it. Two would cinch it.” He smiled. “I have a client whose German shepherd had a litter about five weeks ago. She's probably still got them. Want me to give her a call?”

“Absolutely. I know we were supposed to go out to the cliffs, but do you think you could get the puppies and Felix and meet me so I can take the puppies out to the foster home?”

He glanced at his watch, then at the school. “Sure. I can do that. Felix should be getting out pretty soon. Do you want me to meet you there?”

“Noooo.” She drew the word out and Jonas lifted a brow.

“Okay, what's the deal?”

“You can just give me the puppies. The foster home is in a safe house until the threat to the children and Cassie is over. The location of the safe house is secret right now.”

“I understand. I still want to go.”

“I could take you, but I'd have to blindfold you,” she joked.

“You don't trust me?”

“It's not that.” She sighed and turned serious. “It's just that these kids could still be in danger. If someone finds out where they are, it could be tragic. When this case broke a couple of months ago and it came out that one of the children possibly saw something at the congressman's house, someone was desperate enough to set fire to a foster home. A
foster
home, Jonas. We just can't take any chances with their lives.”

Jonas knew she was absolutely right. “I get it. So blindfold us.”

She didn't speak for a moment and Jonas figured he'd caught her off guard. “Really?” she finally asked.

“Sure. I'd love to have a hand in helping the kids. Their lives have been disrupted enough already. Let Felix and me come.” He cleared his throat. “It might do Felix some good, too. He hasn't exactly had a perfect life with his mom leaving, but regardless of what he thinks, he's got it pretty easy.” She didn't say anything for a moment. “I hope your silence means you're thinking about it.”

“Actually, I am. You just gave me an idea. Do you think Felix would be willing to help us?”

“What do you mean?”

“He's the same age as some of those kids in the home. If he comes in with the puppies, they'll swarm him. Little Tommy Benson might be more willing to talk to a thirteen-year-old than an adult.”

“Felix'll do it.”

“Are you sure?”

Jonas closed his eyes. Would Felix be willing or would he just have on his attitude? “No, but I'll ask him.”

“Okay. While you're doing that, I'll have to call my boss and tell him what we're thinking. I'm guessing he'll be all right with it, but I still need to get his input. I'll also have to let Cassie know what's going on and clear it with her, too.”

“Get permission and I'll work on Felix and the puppies.”

“Please tell me you're being careful, taking extra precautions.”

“I am. That's why I'm in the carpool line. No more riding the bus for Felix until this is all resolved. I think there's an officer keeping an eye on us, too.”

He heard her sigh. “I hate that it's necessary, but I'm concerned about Felix being a target.”

“I share that concern. I've asked the principal to keep a close eye on Felix and warned her that there might be trouble.”