Stockyard Snatching (17 page)

“This is to be continued later,” Dallas said, taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. He led her to his truck, which had been retrieved by a member of security last night, his gaze sweeping the area as they walked.

Ten minutes later, he parked in the lot at the sheriff’s office.

“I hope we didn’t miss anything,” she said.

“If I know Tommy, he’ll hold off the interview until we get inside.” Dallas surveyed the lot before ushering her into the office, a reminder of how dangerous their situation still was.

Tommy greeted them in the hall before leading them to his office. “I spoke to Mrs. Hanover last night.”

“What did Susan’s mother say?” Dallas asked.

“That the last time she heard from her daughter was three months ago,” Tommy said.

“What did she remember about their conversation?” Dallas perked up. He seemed very interested in what Tommy had to say and who could blame him?

“She told her mother that she was going out of the country for a while and not to worry about her,” he said. “Told her she’d get back in touch when she could.”

“That makes me think she planned to disappear,” Dallas said. “She knew that she was in trouble.”

“That’s my guess,” Tommy stated.

“This is the first positive sign we have so far that Susan could still be alive,” Dallas said.

“Would she just give up her baby and take off?” Kate asked. Those actions were inconceivable to someone like her, but Dallas didn’t seem surprised.

“If her child really had been mine, it seems out of character that she’d give up so easily on proving it to me,” Dallas said after a thoughtful pause.

“She would’ve had the paternity test done, the results made into a necklace, and then worn them on a chain around her neck,” Tommy stated.

Dallas nodded. “Gives me a lot to think about.”

“Sure does,” Tommy said. “Let’s see what Kate’s lawyer has to say.”

Tommy urged them into his office. Then he brought in the attorney.

“You already know Kate Williams,” Tommy began, “and this is Dallas O’Brien.”

Seaver barely acknowledged Kate. What was up with that?

He looked guilty about something, but Kate couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.

Her lawyer’s eyes widened when he heard the O’Brien name, a common reaction she’d noticed and figured was due to the status of Dallas’s family. Even she’d heard the name before she moved to Bluff, albeit briefly, and that was saying something.

“You represented Miss Williams in her adoption from the Safe Haven Adoption Agency, correct?” Tommy asked.

“Yes, I did.” Seaver’s eyebrows arched. “Why am I being asked about that? Miss Williams is right there and she can tell you everything.”

“We appreciate your patience with the question,” Tommy said, redirecting the conversation. Seaver was midfifties and wore a suit. His round stomach and ruddy cheeks didn’t exactly create the picture of health.

“Did you know that Miss Williams’s home was broken into yesterday?” Tommy pressed.

Seaver seemed genuinely shocked. “Why would I know that?” he asked, crossing his right leg over his left. “I don’t live around here, Sheriff. Have you looked at anyone locally?”

“Whoever did this walked straight to her desk. Isn’t that strange?” Tommy continued.

“I guess so. Maybe they were looking to steal her identity,” Seaver guessed but he seemed tense.

“People usually search the trash for that information,” Tommy said.

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Seaver asked.

“Nothing, I hope,” Tommy quipped. “But on that file, the stolen one, was her adoption records. Now, why would anyone want those?”

“Good question. And one that I don’t have an answer to,” Seaver said, but his eyes told a different story.

It struck Kate as odd because he was practiced at presenting his side of an argument and maintaining a blank face, having done so a million times in court. And yet he seemed unnerved.

“A man tried to abduct Miss Williams’s son yesterday, as well. Guess you don’t know anything about that, either,” Tommy murmured.

Pure shock and concern crossed Seaver’s features. His top button was undone and his tie was loose around his neck. He leaned forward. “Look, I never dealt with the guy, but this sounds like the work of Harold Matthews. I’ve heard rumors about him setting up adoptions and then staging abductions. He works for Safe Haven and that’s the reason I specifically requested Don Radcliffe. I don’t know if any of the rumors are true, mind you. But that’s where I’d look first.”

“Could Radcliffe and Matthews be working together?” Tommy asked.

Seaver took a second to mull it over. “It can’t be ruled out. I’ve placed a dozen babies through Radcliffe and this is the first time anything like this has happened.”

Tommy asked a few more routine-sounding questions before asking for the list of clients with whom he’d placed babies from Safe Haven.

“I can’t do that without a court order,” Seaver said, tiny beads of sweat forming at his hairline.

“I’m asking for your cooperation, Mr. Seaver,” Tommy countered.

“Look, I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m not about to expose clients who have requested and paid for private adoptions to anyone, not without a signed order from a judge,” he said, folding his arms and then leaning back in his chair. “And especially not for a failed abduction attempt and a break-in.”

“Then you must not have read today’s paper,” Tommy said.

Seaver blew out a frustrated breath. “Where is this going, Sheriff?”

“A man was murdered yesterday in connection with investigating Safe Haven Adoption Agency,” Tommy said matter-of-factly.

A startled look crossed Seaver’s features before he quickly regained his casual demeanor. “I’ve already told you everything I know. But for my money, I’d locate Harold Matthews.” The lawyer pushed himself to his feet. “And if there are no more questions, I have other appointments to attend to today.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Tommy said, also standing.

“I have no doubt you will, but you want to talk to Matthews, not me,” he said as he walked out the door.

“I think he’s lying,” Dallas said when he’d left.

“What makes you say that?” Kate asked.

Before Dallas could answer, Tommy called Abigail into the room. “See if we can get a subpoena for William Seaver’s client list as it relates to Safe Haven,” he said.

“The judge has been downright cranky lately,” she said. “I’ll do my best to convince him.”

Tommy thanked her. “Another thing before you go. I need everything you can get me on Harold Matthews. Search Don Radcliffe, too. If either one of those men have had so much as a parking ticket in the past year, I want to know about it.”

“Will do,” she said, before padding out the door and then disappearing down the hall.

“There’s another way to go about this,” Tommy said, turning to Dallas. “We need to step up our efforts on connecting the existing kidnappings to Seaver. It might take some time. If there’s a link, we’ll find it. Don’t leave until I get back.”

“I have a new theory,” Dallas said, stopping his friend at the door. “What if Seaver is the kidnapper? He was a little too quick to pass the blame and give names. And he sure as hell seemed nervous to me.”

Tommy leaned against the jamb, folding his arms. “I noticed that, as well.”

“Has he been to the soup kitchen?” Dallas asked Kate.

“Yes. That’s where we met right after the adoption,” she said, still stunned at the thought.

“Was Allen around?” Dallas asked and she immediately knew what he was thinking. Seaver might’ve set up Allen as cover. But why would the lawyer try to take Jackson?

“As a matter of fact, yes,” she responded. “But how would he know about Allen’s feelings for me?”

“It’s obvious to everyone,” Dallas said quickly, and there was a hint of something in his voice. Jealousy? “Seaver knew you and could have easily arranged to set up Allen with the pictures,” he added.

“I’m still missing motive,” Tommy said.

“He might not be the one pulling the strings,” Dallas said.

Tommy was already rocking his head. “If whoever was behind the kidnappings thinks Seaver arranged an adoption they didn’t want to happen, then they could be pressuring him to find the infant.”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Dallas said.

“Which would confirm our earlier thoughts that someone wants their son back and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to find him,” Kate said. An icy chill ran up her arms.

Deputy Lopez’s voice boomed from the hallway.

Tommy ushered him inside his office.

“Three more of the adoptions shared the same lawyer,” Lopez said.

“Let me guess… Seaver?” the sheriff asked.

Lopez nodded. “But here’s something you don’t know. Two of the babies were found today…”

Kate cringed, waiting to hear the next part as she prayed for good news.

“Both alive,” Lopez said.

“Where?” Tommy demanded, before anyone else could.

“One was left at a baby furniture store two towns over, in one of the cribs for sale. An employee discovered the sleeping infant an hour after she opened, and called local police, who were able to make the match,” the deputy stated.

“And what about the other one?” Tommy asked.

“He was left at a church, discovered before service began. Pastor said he’d been in the chapel half an hour before and there was no baby.”

“Neither boy was hurt?” Tommy asked, with what could only be described as a relieved sigh.

“Not a hair on their bald heads,” Lopez quipped with a smile.

“How long were they missing?” Tommy asked.

“A few days.”

“Enough time for a proper DNA test,” he mused.

This was good news for everyone except Kate. Some kidnapper was trying to find his own son and checking DNA of all the possibilities before giving them back. And that was fantastic for all the mothers of those babies, because it meant they were in the clear. Jackson, however, was still in question. There was a scrap of hope to hold on to, since the babies were being found alive. Extreme care was being taken to ensure that the infant boys were being located quickly.

Except what if Jackson was the one they were searching for…?

Kate closed her eyes, refusing to accept the possibility.

Tommy excused himself and the deputy followed.

“Seaver lied about not knowing the other family whose baby was abducted,” Kate said.

Dallas nodded. “I picked up on that, too.”

“What do we do now?” she asked. Dallas hadn’t told his friend about the keys from Stacy and Kate hadn’t expected him to, given that they’d received them in confidence.

“We have to wait for dark for our next move,” he stated, with a look that said he knew exactly what she was asking.

Which meant they’d spend at least another whole day together.

“It’s only a few weeks until Halloween. You have a party to help plan. I don’t want to get in the way of your family,” she said. All she had in the house was a three-foot fake ghost that said “Happy Halloween” and then giggled every time it detected movement. She’d nicknamed him Ghost Buddy and he was all she’d had time to put out. Even though she knew Jackson wouldn’t remember his first Halloween, she wanted to find a way to make it special. Ghost Buddy was her first real decoration and she figured that she could build her collection from there.

The thought of going home scared her because the more they dug into this case, the less she liked what they found and the more afraid she felt.

The only bright spot was that a couple more of the babies had turned up and they were fine.

Tommy returned a moment later. “I agree with you, by the way. I think Seaver’s lying.”

“Which means he’s either involved or covering for someone who is,” Dallas said.

“He gave us a name,” Kate offered.

“That might have been meant to throw us off the real trail, buy some time or take himself off the suspect list,” the sheriff said.

“Or dodge suspicion,” Dallas added. “He seemed awfully uncomfortable.”

“I noticed. I wanted to keep him here but he knew better than anyone that I had nothing to hold him on.” Tommy nodded. “At least we have a few leads to chase down now. In the meantime, I think it’s safer for the two of you on the ranch.”

“You have my word that we won’t leave unless we have to,” Dallas said. “What did you learn when you interviewed Stacy last night?”

“Not much,” Tommy said with a sigh. “She didn’t recognize the guys and couldn’t give much of a description other than what the gun looked like.”

“Sorry that we couldn’t help with that, either,” Dallas said. “Unfortunately, my back was turned for the few seconds we were in the room, and Stacy blocked my only view of their faces, brief as it was.”

“She’s going to be okay,” Kate interjected. “She’s strong.”

“I sent over security,” Dallas said. “Wasn’t sure if the guys would come back and I didn’t want to take any chances, just in case someone got worried she could testify against them.”

Tommy thanked him. “I’ll let you know if we get the subpoena or any hits on linked cases,” he added.

“What can you tell me about the murder scene yesterday?” Dallas asked.

“Nothing stood out. It will take time to process the site, but it looks like a standard forced-off-the-road-and-then-shot scenario.”

Kate winced. How could any of that be run-of-the-mill?

And then it dawned on her why the voice at Stacy’s office sounded familiar. “It was him. The other day at Morton’s office. The guy who tried to take Jackson.”

Dallas’s head was rocking. “I couldn’t put my finger on what was bugging me before. That’s it.”

Tommy added the notation to the file.

Dallas’s phone vibrated. He checked the screen and the brief flicker of panic on his face sent her pulse racing.

He muttered a few “uh-huh”s before saying they were on their way and clicking off.

She was already to her feet before he could make a move. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“There was a disturbance on the east side of the property. A motorcycle tried to run through the gate,” he said, quickly reassuring her that no one got through and everyone was just fine.