Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls) (20 page)

“Do you know Regan and Autumn’s parents?”

“I know who they are, but I’ve only spoken to them a couple of times.”

Grant reached over and put his hand on Ellie’s to still them. He wanted to fix everything for her. Frustration stirred in his chest, along with the desire to pull her onto his lap. “So maybe those skaters really are bullies?”

“The only thing I know for sure is that they hog the ice.” Her eyes met his, and the fear in them stirred his anger. “I feel so helpless. What do I do?”

“Do you have the Hamiltons’ phone number?”

“I do. I had to change one of Lee’s appointments with them. Let me sign in to my e-mail account.” She pulled her hands out from under his grip. He missed holding the contact immediately.

They went into the office. She sat down in front of Hannah’s laptop on the desk. “Here it is.”

Leaning over her shoulder, Grant inhaled the flowery scent of her hair and resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. “Call them and see if they’d be willing to meet with us.”

“OK.” Ellie dialed the number. A minute later, she covered the receiver with a hand. “Voice mail.” She left a message and hung up.

“Do you think they’ll call back?”

She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have shown no signs of giving up on their daughter’s case. They’re going to assume I’m calling them as a firm representative. Roger has been avoiding them since Lee died.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t want to deal with it, and without whatever evidence Lee discovered, the case won’t go anywhere.”

Grant scratched his chin. Beard scruff rasped under his fingers. “Who has the biggest stake in this case?”

“Regan and Autumn.” Ellie brushed hair off her face. “Regan’s dad, Corey, is a computer guy, which explains how his daughter would know to buy and use burner phones.”

“I’d think most kids would be able to figure that out with a basic Google search. But Lindsay’s phone was wiped out with a cell phone virus. That seems like more specific knowledge. Do you think Corey would have helped his daughter eliminate her cybertrail?”

“I’d hope not.” Ellie frowned. “He’s kind of an ass, but helping his daughter torment another teen seems extreme. But I suppose it’s possible.”

“What does Josh Winslow do for a living?”

“He used to be an administrator for the juvenile justice system. But he stepped down. The media coverage of the bullying case was brutal.”

“I thought the media isn’t allowed to name minors?”

Ellie sighed. “This is suburbia. Everyone knows who they are.”

“So everyone believed Lindsay?”

“No, but there was speculation that the girls were getting special consideration because Josh was a civil employee.”

“Is that wrong or right?” he asked. “His daughter wasn’t charged with anything. I don’t know whether to feel bad for him or not.”

“I know what you mean. I thought I had a good handle on Julia, but considering she sneaked out in the middle of the night, obviously I was wrong. I don’t know what to think of Josh. At least his wife is a surgeon, so financially, they’re going to be all right.”

Ellie had given him a lot to mull over: information on the case and a smoking hot kiss that rocked him to his soul. He hoped the Hamiltons would be able to shed more light on the case. He was on his own with the kiss and his needy soul.

The doorbell rang. Barking erupted in the hallway.

Grant walked to the window. “It’s the police.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

AnnaBelle went ballistic, barking and circling in the foyer of the Barretts’ house. Ellie followed Grant to the door. He opened it. “Please come in.”

Detective McNamara wiped his feet on the doormat and stepped inside. Hannah joined them. She quieted the dog with a hand on the retriever’s head.

“We have some pictures to show the kids.” McNamara lifted an eight-by-ten envelope in his hand.

The cop zeroed in on their handguns. “Do you have permits for those?”

Hannah crossed her arms, her eyes hardening. “Yes. Do you need to see them?”

“Not right now.” McNamara gave her a tight head shake. He obviously didn’t approve. “Can you shoot it?”

“Yes.” Her mouth pursed. Mutual irritation passed between them.

Grant cleared his throat. “What can we do for you, Detective?”

McNamara shook the envelope. “As I said before, I have some pictures we’d like to show to Julia and Carson. Are they still awake?”

“I think so. I’ll get them.” Ellie jogged up the stairs. Julia’s voice carried from the open doorway of Carson’s bedroom. Ellie peered in. Julia and Carson snuggled on the bed in their pajamas, relaxed. A copy of a Henry and Mudge chapter book lay open between them. Julia read a page, then tilted the book toward Carson. The words were slower, but he read well.

Sadness filled Ellie as she interrupted the peaceful scene. “Would you two come downstairs for a minute? Detective McNamara wants you to look at some pictures.”

Carson’s eyes went from relaxed to scared in a blink. Julia frowned and gave his shoulder a squeeze. She took him by the hand and led him down the hall.

Downstairs, the cop and Grant were sitting at the kitchen table. Mac, who’d finally returned Grant’s call and agreed to move in for a few days, walked by with a fussing Faith on one shoulder. On the other side of the kitchen, Hannah leaned backward against the cabinets. A coffee mug steamed in her hand. No relaxing for Grant’s sister. She caffeinated 24/7.

McNamara rubbed his face with both hands. Bags under his eyes attested to the hours he must be putting into the case.

“Can I get you some coffee?” Hannah offered.

“Please,” the detective said.

Hannah poured a mug. The detective waved off cream and sugar. He drank while Carson and Julia shuffled into the room.

“Hi, kids. Do you think you’re up to looking at a few photos for me?” McNamara opened the envelope. “We’ll do this one at a time, OK? Julia, would you wait in the hall?”

She nodded.

Carson pulled his hand out of Julia’s and hurried to Grant to climb on his lap. Grant folded his arms around the child and brushed blond bangs off his forehead. Ellie took her daughter’s hand and led her to the hallway. It had been a long time since Julia had allowed her mother to hold her hand, but tonight, she curled her fingers and hung on.

“Now that I’ve recovered from the sheer terror, I want to tell you how proud I am of the way you handled the situation today,” Ellie said.

“Proud enough to lift my sentence?” Julia’s attempt at humor told Ellie her daughter was all right.

“Not a chance.” She squeezed her daughter’s fingers.

“It was worth a try.” Julia shrugged.

“But maybe I haven’t given you enough credit.”

They heard papers shuffling, then Carson’s small voice. “This is him.”

“All right,” McNamara said. “Julia, your turn.”

Grant stood with Carson in his arms and walked out of the room. Ellie and Julia took their places at the table. McNamara spread six head shots across the table. The photos were all of young, rough-looking Caucasian men in their early twenties. None had tattoos.

Julia scanned the photos. Her eyes moving back and forth. She pointed to the third picture. “I think this is him.”

“Think?” the cop asked.

Julia’s face scrunched. “The closest he got to me was about thirty feet, and it was only for a few seconds before he ran away. I wasn’t even close enough to see the tattoos Carson was talking about. And I was pretty scared.”

Ellie wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. She was simultaneously proud and terrified that Julia had defended the children at her own risk.

McNamara called Grant and Carson back into the room. Carson was perched in Grant’s arms. His little blond head tilted to rest against his uncle’s broad shoulder.

“Can the kids go?” Grant asked.

“Yes.” McNamara nodded. “Thanks, both of you.”

Julia took Carson from Grant. Ellie’s stomach clenched. No doubt both kids would have nightmares tonight. At least she and Julia were sharing a room. Ellie would be there if Julia needed her.

“Well?” Grant eased into a chair.

“The kids both identified Donnie Ehrlich. Julia was hesitant, but Carson seemed sure. Donnie is a local. Twenty-one years old. He did eighteen months for ID theft and has an earlier assault charge he weaseled out of with community service. He’s been out for three months.”

“ID theft and assault? That’s a big stretch to murder and kidnapping,” Ellie said. “Does he have a juvenile record?”

“That would be sealed.” But McNamara’s pointed expression made her suspect Donnie had been in trouble in his younger years.

“The man in the picture doesn’t have the tattoos,” Ellie pointed out.

McNamara gathered the pictures and lined them up with a tap on the tabletop. He slid the neat pile back into the envelope. “The teardrop and the shamrock are tats he picked up during his incarceration. These mug shots are from his original arrest. We’re going to pick up Donnie and ask him some questions. I’ll call you in the morning to let you know if we have him.”

“Thanks.” Grant showed the cop out. After he left, Grant steered Ellie back to the office and closed the door. He perched on the edge of the desk. “Did the guy in the picture look familiar at all? Could it be the man who abducted you?”

Standing in front of him, she lifted a palm to the ceiling. “I can’t say. I didn’t see his face, but the body structure is about right.”

“What about his voice?” He scraped a hand across his unshaven jaw. “Would you recognize it if you heard him speak?”

She thought about the encounter in her car. “He whispered the whole time, so I doubt it.”

“What about an accent?”

“I didn’t hear an accent.” She put a hand on her head, where a mental clip of her abduction played in an endless loop. “What now?”

“We try to get some sleep.” Grant let out a short laugh. Exhaustion lined his face as he rubbed his temple. “As if that’s a possibility with Faith around.”

“There are four adults in this house tonight perfectly capable of walking that baby. I vote that you go to bed. You look like you haven’t slept since you came home.” Ellie put a hand on his forearm.

He didn’t deny her assumption. His head tilted. “She’s rough. Are you sure you want to take her on?”

Ellie lifted a shoulder. “She’s just a baby.”

“Was Julia a tough infant?”

“Not really, but I was only eighteen. I had no idea what I was doing. I had Nan, thank God, but she had to get up for work. She was still teaching then.”

“What happened to Julia’s father? You mentioned him earlier, so now I’m curious.”

She regretted her previous slip. “I got pregnant senior year in high school. My boyfriend wasn’t ready to be a father.”

“What about your parents?”

And now for the topic even more uncomfortable than teenage pregnancy. But what the hell? She was tired of pretending her disastrous high school years didn’t exist. Maybe Nan was right. It was time to make peace with her past. “They wanted me to give her up for adoption. When I refused, they kicked me out. I’m so glad I had Nan.”

Ellie didn’t like to think about what would have happened if she’d been younger and didn’t have a grandmother willing to tell off her own son. Ellie’s and Julia’s lives could have turned out much worse.

“What about Julia’s father? Is he alive?”

“I have no idea. I haven’t heard from him since she was a baby.”

“Really?” Grant sounded incredulous.

She shrugged. “He didn’t want any part of being a father. He voted with my parents for putting the baby up for adoption. When I wouldn’t do it, he said it was my problem. He went to college in Northern California, as far as he could get from me and still be in the continental United States.”

“You could have sued him for child support.”

Ellie gave her head an angry shake. “I didn’t want anything from him. For all I know, he could be dead or in prison or be married with two point five kids by now. It’s been a long time.” Unexpected bitterness welled in Ellie’s throat. She’d thought she was over his callous abandonment. “I wasn’t about to beg him for anything.”

“I can’t imagine knowing I had a child and not caring what happened to her.” Grief flashed in his eyes. Was he thinking of how much his brother would miss raising Carson and Faith? “How did you even end up with a guy like that?”

“I was a teenager and full of rebellion.” She stared at his strong forearm under her palm. “And he was hot.”

Grant laughed. “I thought guys were the only ones who thought like that.”

“If they were, girls wouldn’t get pregnant in high school.”

“Good point.”

But it suddenly occurred to Ellie that, while she encouraged Julia to be independent and educated, maybe she’d been too strict in other areas. Sure, Taylor was older, but Ellie hadn’t taken the time to get to know him before forbidding Julia to date him. Her daughter had a good head on her shoulders. This afternoon, she’d exhibited intelligence and courage. Ellie needed to allow her to make some of her own decisions. Within reason.

Ellie dropped into the chair.

Grant’s hand fell away. “Kate was estranged from her parents, too.”

“I know. It was one of the things we had in common.”

Grant heaved his frame off the desktop, pivoted, and paced toward the door. “Hannah called Kate’s parents. They’re coming here this week sometime.”

Ellie lifted her head. “I’m not sure that was a good idea.”

“But their daughter died. Don’t they have a right to know?” He stopped, his face creased with indecision.

“Maybe,” she conceded. “But Kate had no contact with them. Did you know they hadn’t spoken to her since she married Lee?”

Grant stopped, whirling to face her. “What? Why?”

“They have serious money. Kate said her mother was a Daughter of the American Revolution.” Ellie looked away. “They told her Lee was a gold digger.”

“That’s ridiculous.” His jaw clenched. “My father was a colonel in the army. He gave up his life for his country. It doesn’t get any more worthy than that. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were far from destitute.”

Ellie held a hand up. “I agree with you, and so did Kate. She wanted nothing to do with them.”

“Why are families full of so much conflict?” Grant massaged his forehead as if it ached. “Now I wish I didn’t have to invite anyone to the funeral. It’s going to be stressful enough without all the drama.”

“What are you planning?”

“I’m not sure. We can’t plan anything until the medical examiner gives the OK, but Ma
c is supposedly handling the preliminaries. I don’t even know how many people will come.”

Ellie did some quick mental math. “Between Lee’s firm and clients and the families from the skating club, you’ll have a hundred at minimum. I’d plan on more. They were both popular in the community.”

“I really wanted to keep it small for Carson’s sake.”

“Will you bring him?”

“The school counselor said
I should let him make the decision, but I’m not leaving him at home, not after that guy tried to grab him. If he doesn’t want to go, I’ll stay home. Or maybe we won’t have one.”

“People will expect a service of some kind.”

“I don’t really care what other people expect.” Grant resumed his pacing, his movement fueled by agitation. “Carson is all that matters. If he wants to go, a small, private service would be best for him.”

Ellie frowned. “You’re right, of course.”

“But?”

Muffled crying sounded through the door.

“No buts. Now, go to bed. I’ll handle Faith for a few hours. If I get tired, I’ll wake someone to relieve me. Earlier you said I didn’t have to handle the situation alone. Neither do you.” She took two steps and reached up to cup his jaw. The impulsive and sudden desire to touch him surprised her, but his willingness to shoulder everyone’s burdens made her want to lighten his load. “I know you aren’t staying in Scarlet Falls, but for now, we’re in this together.”

“We shouldn’t indulge ourselves. Whatever happens between us can’t be long-term. I’m career military, Ellie. An infantry officer. Wherever the army is fighting, that’s where I’m sent. The base in Afghanistan was bombed a dozen times. Snipers and suicide bombers are a constant threat. Even though I see less actual combat now that I’m a major, there’s still no guarantee I’m coming home alive or in one piece.”

“There are never any guarantees in life. Look at what happened to Lee and Kate.”

“I know. But we both know that the fact that Lee is dead instead of me is backward.” He paused and looked away for a few seconds. “Until he was disabled, I saw very little of my dad. It wasn’t just the military. It was his ambition that kept him from us. I don’t want to leave anyone behind because I’m too focused on my career.” He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth. Lifting his head, his gaze locked with hers. “But I can’t resist.”

Neither could she. His honesty and desire to do the right thing touched her.

Ellie placed her hand in the center of his chest. Under her palm, his heart beat steadily beneath muscles as hard as iron. “My eyes are wide-open. I don’t have any expectations that our relationship is permanent.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know, and I appreciate that.”

He kissed her again, his lips lingering on her mouth for one wistful breath. “Good night, Ellie.”

“Good night.” She watched him walk away. But even though she knew he’d be leaving in a few weeks, it was going to hurt to say good-bye.