Silent Witness (21 page)

“What do you mean he took off?”

“He knew something was up, that I was terribly upset about something. He kept pushing me to try to find out what it was. When I didn’t budge, he must have put two and two together. I stepped into the ladies’ room to compose myself. When I came out, he was gone. Told Darlene he had someplace important he had to be.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“He didn’t give his location to the dispatcher. He didn’t take a patrol car so we couldn’t track his GPS.”

Adam’s brow furrowed. “There has to be another explanation, Liz. I’m a decent judge of character—make my living at it—and Sal’s is stellar.”

“No! Get back here. Rerun, no!”

At the sound of Charlie’s chastisement, followed by the thump, thump, thump of dog and people racing down the stairs, Adam and Liz rushed into the foyer. They got there just in time to see Charlie and Rerun in a tug-of-war for Jeremy’s teddy bear while Jeremy, a wide grin on his face, sat on the steps watching as if this was happening for his entertainment.

Charlie won. She shook her finger at Rerun. “I don’t get it. This is the one area I just can’t get this dog to obey. He won’t leave this bear alone. He keeps ripping it out of Jeremy’s hands.”

She smoothed her hand over the stuffed toy, wiping the wet, tousled fur on her clothes and gave the bear back to Jeremy. Charlie plopped down on the steps beside Jeremy. “So, where are we going this time?”

The moment of truth was at hand. Adam knew this wasn’t going to be easy for any of them. Goodbyes never were. What Liz didn’t realize yet, and he wasn’t looking forward to telling her, was that he had to leave, too.

He had no choice. He couldn’t just hand the boy over to federal marshals and hope for the best. It would traumatize Jeremy and undo the recovery process he’d set in motion.

Jeremy’s new family would need to be trained on how to deal not only with autism but any residual effects Jeremy might suffer from because of the trauma of the last few weeks.

Although Jeremy had just started talking about the “bad man,” he hadn’t been able to open up and talk about that night.

Yet.

But he would. Adam was sure of it.

He’d promised Liz that very first day that he would protect the child. When he’d moved the boy back into his home, he’d promised that he would be with Jeremy through the recovery process…and he was going to keep that promise.

Sometimes one-hour sessions twice a week weren’t enough.

Luke had taught both of them that painful lesson.

But leaving Liz—again. Would the tenuous relationship they had just started to rebuild survive? Would he?

Please, Lord, help her understand.

“I’ve arranged for Jeremy to be put into WITSEC.” Liz glanced at her watch. “We’re meeting the marshals in about ninety minutes.”

Charlie stood and stared at them. For the first time her mouth hung open and she appeared speechless. She stared at Jeremy, her eyes misting. Then her gaze darted between Adam and Liz.

“WITSEC? That means…”

Liz uncharacteristically wrapped her arms around Charlie and gave her a huge bear hug. “That means, my dear, dear friend, that you get to go home today.” When she released her, Liz’s eyes shimmered but, still holding on to her sheriff persona, she did not shed a tear. Her voice was stern, controlling. “You will call me…often.”

Charlie smiled her signature smile despite the tear that rolled down her cheek. “Try and stop me.”

“I’ve been told you train police dogs. I might be in the market for one.”

“Really? I have the perfect pup in mind.”

“Good. Next vacation, I’ll plan to come and see what a dog-training Montana ranch looks like.”

“You better.”

Liz glanced at her watch again. “Are you packed?”

“Yes. Keep an eye on Jeremy and I’ll run upstairs and get the bags.”

Adam tugged Liz’s hand. When he had her attention, he broke his news.

“You know that I have to go into WITSEC with Jeremy.” She blinked a couple of times. Her face scrunched up and she tilted her head to the side as if she wasn’t sure what she’d heard.

“Lizzie, he needs me. This is a crucial point in his recovery. He’s lost his parents, been in a horrendous car crash, had to adjust to a house full of strangers, been the victim of a failed abduction. All of this would be traumatic for any child but for one with communication difficulties…”

His let his words fade away while she processed the impact of them.

He tenderly ran his hand down her arm. “I know the timing of all of this stinks. But I can’t let him go through this alone. Truthfully, Lizzie, you wouldn’t want me to, would you?”

She had a shell-shocked look in her eyes. She glanced at Jeremy and when she looked back at Adam, her maternal instincts were front and center.

“Of course you must go. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself. I don’t want Jeremy to have to make this transition alone.”

Adam nodded. “I knew you’d understand.”

“How long do you think you’ll be gone?” Liz made a sweeping motion with her arm. “What about all of this? Your plans for the safe house?”

“It’s waited fifteen years. I’m praying it can wait a little longer.”

They stared into each other’s eyes and knew they weren’t just talking about the house.

Liz nodded. “It’s a strong house, built on a firm foundation. It will be here when you get back.”

Realizing that she would be saying goodbye to the three people in her life that had managed to penetrate that I-don’t-need-anyone protective armor she’d surrounded herself with for years, her emotions sprang to the surface and he could see she was having a difficult time keeping them at bay.

“Excuse me. I have to go and make a last-minute check to make sure we’re not leaving anything behind,” she whispered, barely able to make eye contact with him.

Just our shattered hearts.

He sighed and watched her race up the stairs. A little voice inside his head got louder and stronger.
Turn it over to God. Trust in the power and goodness of the Lord.
And he did.

FIFTEEN

L
iz closed the bathroom door and collapsed back against the wood. Could this day get any worse? She’d have to arrest Sal, once she found him. She had to say goodbye to the one true female friend she’d made since high school. She’d never see her precious, precious Jeremy again.

That thought alone plunged a knife right through her heart.

Now Adam was leaving—again.

She understood why. On a deeper level, she even admired him and respected him for his choice.

But to lose him again?

How many times can a heart break?

She knew the answer to that from firsthand experience—a heart can shatter a million times. People leave. Luke did. Her mother did. Adam did.

People disappoint you. People hurt you. But God never will.

Liz whispered a prayer of thanksgiving that Adam had helped her find her way back to the Lord…to depend on the Lord to see her through the storms. She whispered gratitude for the blessings He brought to each day. Even days like this God would use for the greater good. She knew that He would be by her side and give her the strength to let go of Jeremy…of Adam…of Charlie…of Sal, no matter how difficult it would be.

A warm inner peace filled her being. God had heard her prayers.

She dashed water on her face, plastered a Charlie-size smile on her lips, and went downstairs to finish the job she’d started.

She had reached the bottom step when she looked through a pane of glass in the front door and saw a vehicle engulfed in a dust cloud coming up the driveway at a high rate of speed. She motioned everyone into the living room, drew her Glock and took position behind the front door. Once the car screeched to a stop and she could identify the driver, she holstered her weapon and stepped outside.

“Tom. What are you doing here? I’m expecting Darlene and Paul any minute now but I didn’t call you.”

“They’re not coming.” He took long, determined strides toward her.

“I don’t understand.”

“Have you seen Sal?” He climbed the steps and stood beside her.

“No. He left before…” She scrunched her face and chewed on her lower lip. “I haven’t seen Sal. Why are you here?”

“You need more than a Barbie doll and a wuss to help you.”

Her face colored and she fought to control her temper against this Neanderthal.

“Paul is not—”

Tom placed a hand on her arm.

“Look, Sheriff, I don’t have time for you to start with your politically correct jargon. Now, get the boy and let’s get out of here.”

Adam stepped onto the porch, the Glock visible in his hand.

“Lizzie? Is there a problem out here?”

Tom instantly released his hold, stepped back and pushed his hat back on his head. “Hi, Doc. Didn’t see you standing there.”

“Tom.” Adam acknowledged the greeting but didn’t lower his weapon.

“What’s got into you?” Liz brushed her arm where Tom had grabbed it. “What are you doing here? Where are Darlene and Paul?”

“I told them to stay at the station.”

“What? Who gave you the right to—”

“Sal did.”

Liz stared at him as if he were crazy.

“We’re no match for Sal. None of us are and you know it. When I found out he was missing—”

“He’s not missing.”

“No? Then you know where he is? You have him locked up tight somewhere?”

When Liz didn’t immediately answer, Tom said, “That’s what I thought. Look, you can dock my pay, ream my butt, doggone it, you can even fire me when all this is over. I don’t care. But I need you to grab that kid, get in the car and get out of here before Sal shows up and you and the kid are the ones who are missing.”

“He’s right, Liz. We need to move.” Adam holstered his weapon at his side.

Liz stepped into Tom’s personal space and shot him her most intense glare. “You’ve stepped over the line, Officer Miller…again. Do it again and you’re fired.”

“Yes, Sheriff. I hear you. Now, can we please get out of here?”

“You get back in the car and scoot down. I don’t want Jeremy to spot your uniform. We can’t afford a meltdown right now. You can ride shotgun for us.”

Liz yelled into the house. “Charlie, I need you to get Jeremy and Rerun settled in the car. We’re leaving right now.” Her eyes caught Adam’s. “You and I will grab the bags and pack the SUV.”

Everyone scattered to do her bidding.

Minutes later the bags were loaded into the back of the SUV. Adam closed up the back and walked around to the driver’s side.

“I’ll lead,” Liz shouted, and ran back to her patrol car.

Tom blasted his horn to get her attention. Annoyed, she jogged over to see what he wanted now. He lowered the glass as she approached. She leaned her hands on the door and bent down to see him, face-to-face.

“What now?”

“You drive with them, Sheriff. Leave your car here. The team and I will make sure it gets back to the station.”

She opened her mouth to protest when he patted her hand in a fatherly way. “I know how much that boy has come to mean to you. Ride in with him. Take the time to say goodbye.”

Her heart clenched. She had such a tiny window of time and then Jeremy would be gone from her life forever. She smiled. “Thanks, Tom.”

Liz waved her hand for them to wait and she sprinted toward the vehicle. When she got there, chaos surrounded her. Charlie was wrestling with Rerun. The dog had Jeremy’s bear in his mouth and this time was not going to give it up. Jeremy had unlatched his safety belt, climbed out of his car seat and was tugging on the dog. Adam muttered a word she hadn’t ever heard him use before, pushed off from the steering wheel and got out of the car.

Liz opened the back door to help get Jeremy back in his car seat. Rerun didn’t hesitate. He saw a chance to escape and knocked her backward as he leaped out of the car. Charlie yelled at Rerun, got out the other passenger door and chased the dog through the field. Jeremy scooted across the seat and made his getaway, chasing Charlie and Rerun. Adam helped Liz to her feet and both of them joined the chase.

The whole ridiculous scenario couldn’t have taken more than sixty seconds.

But it was sixty seconds that saved their lives.

When the SUV exploded, the ground shook and a massive fireball shot into the sky. The force of the explosion lifted both Adam and Liz off their feet and slammed them to the ground. The impact stole her breath and froze her in place while pain radiated through each strand of hair and coursed down to her toes.

Liz raised her head in time to see Charlie, Rerun and Jeremy huddling together in the tall grass about fifty feet ahead. She turned her head to the left and saw Adam. He had propped himself up on his elbow and was shouting something at her. Her ears rang. His muffled voice sounded like she was underwater.

The heat was intense and seared her skin. Sparks, ash and pieces of metal fell from the sky like fireworks debris.

Adam jumped to his feet and helped her up. Then with his arm wrapped around her waist, they ran as far away from the flames as they could and joined the others. They sat in a huddled group on the ground and watched in shock and amazement.

Tom Miller jumped from his car and ran through the tall grass, too. When he reached them, Liz offered a silent prayer that they were all alive and unhurt.

Then she saw the gun in Tom’s hand—pointed right at her heart.

“I can’t believe it. You just won’t die, will you?”

Adam started to rise but stopped when he saw Tom release the safety on his weapon.

“That’s right, Doc. You just set yourself back down nice and easy, now.”

Rerun barked furiously and strained wildly at his leash. Charlie had her feet braced on the ground and was trying with all her strength to get the animal under control.

Jeremy didn’t cry. He simply stared at Tom. Then he pointed his finger. “Bad man shot Mommy. Bad man. Bad man.”

Liz’s sharp intake of breath made her shudder and tears sprang to her eyes. She looked from the boy to the man hovering over her…and to his gun pointed inches from her chest.

“Tom? It was you?”