Second Chance (33 page)

“We will, sweetheart. I promise. Tell me where you’re hurt.”

“Just my head, I think.”

Cole examined the lump on her head, then noted the dark bruises already forming around her neck.

“Let’s get you to the car.”

Her eyes glazed with pain, she shook her head. “But we have to—”

“And we will, Keeley, but you’re in no shape to do anything right now. Let me get you to the hospital and then we’ll—”

“No hospital.” She swallowed and grabbed his arm. “Take me home. I need to think … we need to find him.”

Lifting her in his arms, he turned to Ethan. “Call Honor and let her know we found her. See if she’ll give you an address on a Wesley Tuttle.” He glanced around at the dump of a cabin. “See if you can get any intel from this place; call when you’re through. We’re going after the bastard.”

Ethan nodded.

Holding her as close as he dared, afraid he’d hurt her if he touched the wrong spot, Cole stalked out of the cabin and put Keeley in the backseat.

“I can sit up front.”

Close to explosion from the churning emotions inside him, Cole cupped her face in his hands. “Let me take care of you for now. You can argue about how well you feel later.”

Apparently seeing the need and fear in his eyes, she pressed her palm against his face. “I’m okay, Cole.” Her hand caressed his jaw. “Thank you for finding me.”

Cole gave her a soft kiss and pulled away. Jumping into the driver’s side, he started up the engine. First order of business was taking care of Keeley. Then he would hunt down Wesley Tuttle and beat him within an inch of death.

   Shea met them at the door, her eyes swimming with tears. If there was anyone who knew how Keeley felt, it would be Shea.

“How is she?”

Cole carried Keeley through the doorway. She’d started shivering in shock halfway home. He had pulled over and covered her with a blanket he found in the trunk.

“Bruised, exhausted, terrified.” He swallowed hard and added, “Alive.”

Shea stroked Keeley’s hair. “Ethan called and told me you were coming. I went ahead and ran a bath for her, but …” She swallowed hard and said, “Keeley, I know this is hard to face, but you need to go to the hospital. They need to examine you … to be able to press charges. Then, you can get clean.”

Keeley raised her head, her eyes searching. “Where’s Hannah? I don’t want her to see me like this.”

“She’s in her playroom watching a movie. But you really need to go to a hospital for an exam, Keeley.”

“No … I’m fine … he didn’t rape me.” Keeley raised her head and took in both Shea’s and Cole’s gazes. “I just want to clean up and then we need to talk.”

If her teeth weren’t chattering so hard it was difficult to understand her, Cole would have been more convinced. He headed up the stairway.

Shea called out, “Do you need help?”

Keeley shook her head and tightened her arm around Cole’s neck. “Thanks, but Cole can help.”

Cole took the stairs two at a time. Keeley’s shivering was tearing him apart. He needed to get her into some warm water and then warm clothes. He pushed open the door to her bedroom and went straight to her bathroom. The tub was steaming and a floral scent filled the air.

After sitting her down on the chair beside the tub, he dropped to his knees and started to untie her shoes. He looked up to see that she was just staring into space, in a daze. Should he have taken her to the hospital after all?

“Keeley?”

Her eyes refocused as she turned to him. “I’m fine, really. Just so exhausted.” She shuddered. “And cold.”

“I know, sweetheart. We’re going to get you warm soon.” He lifted her slightly and pulled her pants off. Scooping her into his arms, he lowered her into the hot water.

She leaned her head against the back of the tub. “He knows where Hailey is. He’s the one who took the girls.”

Smoothing the hair away from her face, Cole checked the lump on her forehead, examined her eyes. No signs of a concussion but they’d need to keep an eye on her. Wake her every hour or so … check vital signs. He’d get Shea to watch her. Make her some tea, maybe some toast.

“Cole, did you hear me? He knows where Hailey is.”

He took the sponge from the side of the tub and proceeded to bathe her.

“Cole? Talk to me.”

“Keeley, I’m doing everything I can do to not lose control. Ethan’s getting an address, gathering evidence. As soon as you get out of the tub, we’ll talk. But for right now, just for five minutes, take care of yourself. Then we’ll talk.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Tears seeped from her closed eyes as Cole tenderly bathed her; he muttered soothing little sounds when he reached a particular painful spot and she whimpered.

A few minutes later, he was through and Keeley looked more peaceful. And Cole had to admit, the bubbling rage inside him had lowered to a slow simmer. Once they talked and he put Keeley to bed, then he’d go back into explosion mode.

“Okay, sweetheart. You ready to get out?”

She nodded and stood. Cole wrapped a towel around her and lifted her from the tub. He dried her gently, trying to ignore not only the bruises now forming all over her body, but also how her body always made his react.

Turning away, Cole grabbed her robe hanging from the door. “Let’s get you settled in bed, then Shea’s going to come in and you’re going to give us a full description. Okay?”

Relief flickered on her face. She allowed him to help her put the robe on, and then he picked her up, carried her into the bedroom, and settled her on the bed.

“Where’s Hannah?” Keeley asked.

Cole turned to find an anxious Shea holding her sketchpad and pencil, along with a steaming cup of liquid. “She’s having a snack in the kitchen with Mrs. Thompkins. She’s fine, doesn’t suspect a thing.” Handing the cup to Keeley, she said, “Hot tea with loads of sugar; it’ll help with the shock.”

Flashing her a grateful look, Keeley took the tea and sipped.

Shea sat on the chair beside the bed, flipped open the pad, and said, “Describe him.”

As Keeley gave a full and vivid description of Wesley Tuttle, Cole took his phone out and called Ethan. “You finished?”

“Yeah. Honor’s got a team headed this way. She gave
me his address but I had to promise her he’d be alive when they got there.”

Cole didn’t argue. He wouldn’t kill the bastard, but he’d damn well do enough damage to make him pray for death.

“You get any evidence from the cabin?”

“Nothing helpful. Don’t think the guy lives here. There’re only a few clothes, a couple of cans of food … nothing else. Found plenty of blood leading out the door to the front of the cabin. Keeley managed to do some damage.”

“Yeah, but why’d he leave?”

“Guess we can ask him when we find him. You ready to go get him?”

“I’m headed to pick you up right now.” Cole hung up the phone and listened as Keeley finished giving a description. He stood over Shea as she finished the sketch. The man didn’t look familiar. The guy who’d tried to kill him had long, black stringy hair … but that could’ve been a wig.

As Shea added final strokes, he sat on the edge of the bed beside Keeley. “What else do you know about him other than his name?”

“I went to school with him. Didn’t know him very well. He only attended occasionally. He used to come into the diner I worked at during college. He asked me out a couple of times. I said no and that was that. I haven’t seen him in years. Not since Stephen and I were married.”

“And he said he took the girls?”

“Yes.”

“You believe him?”

“He knew where we found Hannah … said he sold her for fifteen thousand dollars. Remember, that’s the amount Robert Oates said they paid? The FBI didn’t release the amount to the press. He laughed when I
asked him about the cameras in the house … told me I put on a good show when I’m alone. He also admitted that he tried to kill you. And he has a scar on his hand, like Hannah said … and he has blond hair … the way she described him.” She paused and added, “He said that Hailey was alive … and was in another country. He wouldn’t tell me which one. I’m not even sure he knows.”

“Did he say why he did it?”

“For money … I told him I would have paid him, but he said that money was only one of the reasons.” Tears filled her eyes. “He said if I had cooperated and gone with him that day, he would have let the girls go.”

Shea stopped sketching for a moment. “Don’t buy into that, Keeley. You did the right thing by fighting him.”

“You’re right, I know,” Keeley said.

“We’ve got his address. I’m going to pick Ethan up and then we’ll find Tuttle.”

“I know this is a stupid question,” Keeley said. “But should we call the sheriff?”

Cole shrugged. “Not stupid if you lived anywhere other than Fairview. The sheriff has made it too damn clear he’s not going to help you with anything. Honor is headed here with her team. Ethan and I will hold him till she gets to us.”

Leaning down, he kissed her softly. “I’ll call you as soon as we find him. In the meantime, if you remember anything else, tell Shea. She’ll call me if there’s something she thinks I need to know.”

Keeley grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “Please be careful.”

Cole caressed her cheek gently and pulled away. “Get some rest. I’ll call you soon.”

Taking the finished sketch from Shea, he turned and
stalked away. The fury reemerged full force, lighting a fire that wouldn’t diminish until Wesley Tuttle paid.

   Four hours later, weariness dragged at him, but anger continued to boil within him. Wesley Tuttle had disappeared. The little apartment he’d occupied had been cleared out except for the empty beer cans and candy wrappers left on the floor. They’d searched everything, but could find no evidence to lead them to Hailey or to Tuttle’s current whereabouts.

A bulletin had been issued with the sketch Shea had made, and Honor had brought several other agents with her to aid in the search. Soon Tuttle wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without being recognized.

Cole pushed open Keeley’s bedroom door; she was sleeping. Her face was still too pale, making the hideous bruises on her forehead, cheek, and neck stand out all the more. Rage bubbled; Cole reined it in. She didn’t need his anger; she needed his support.

Her eyes flickered open. “Did you find him?”

“Not yet.” He sat beside her on the bed and took her hand. “We went to his apartment. Looks like he hadn’t planned on returning. He left nothing behind.”

Tears seeped from her eyes, rolled down her pale face.

“We’ll find him, Keeley. There’s a bulletin out for his arrest and Honor has some extra people working with her. He won’t get away.”

“What if he’s already left town?”

“With that bulletin and our contacts, the man won’t get far.”

“I was so close. I should have figured out a way to make him talk.”

“No. You did exactly what you should have done. You knocked him out and survived. That’s the most important thing.”

“Do you think he was telling the truth? About Hailey being in another country?”

“Yes. That’s not something we haven’t already discussed. We’ve got people in every major city in the world. That’s one of the many advantages of LCR. No one can hide from us long. Photographs of Hailey are in every corner of the globe. We’ll find her. You just have to believe that.”

“I believe in you, Cole.”

More than aware that when she learned the truth, she would most likely change her mind, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender oblong box.

“This is something I want you to wear and promise to never take off.”

“What is it?”

He opened the box and showed her.

She frowned her confusion. “It’s a watch.”

“Yes, it’s a watch, but also a cellphone. I ordered it a few weeks ago from an electronics developer in Germany that LCR works closely with. Timing sucks, since it was delivered today.” He took the watch from the box. It was an innocuous-looking white-gold watch with a stretch band. It was also state-of-the-art. LCR was one of the premier testers for new electronics for the German manufacturer. This little watch had proven to be one of their best new inventions. Cole showed her the little hidden button on the side. “Stays on all the time, doesn’t need recharging. If you ever need me, all you have to do is touch this button once.” He pressed the button and a jingling sound came from his pocket. He took his cellphone out and showed her the screen display that said
Keeley
.

Her mouth curved up. “Cool.”

“It’s waterproof and tough as nails. One push … no matter where I am, you can get me. You don’t have to hold it to your ear or mouth like a regular phone. And
it has the most up-to-date GPS device available. I can track you anywhere.”

Throwing her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear, “You’re the best man I’ve ever known.”

Dread growing inside him, Cole held her tight.

   Wesley pressed a cold compress to his sore jaw. Bitch had broken two teeth, split his mouth open, and maybe even cracked his jawbone. How he wished he could have stayed and given her what she deserved. But he couldn’t. Those LCR people would have found him. Dammit, why hadn’t he thought to take her cellphone and throw it in the river?

Now he was holed up in this shitty motel until he could think straight. Even though he was out of Fairview, he wouldn’t be able to stay here long. He’d seen the news reports already. That sketch they’d done of him was too damn close for comfort. Just a few hours’ rest, and then he’d have to hightail up to his hideout.

“You all right?”

Wesley turned, startled to realize he wasn’t alone. “How the hell did you get in?”

She grinned. “I’m good with a lock pick.” She flung the hair of her blond wig over her shoulders and batted her eyes dramatically. “One of my many talents.”

“Get out of here. I got nothing to say to you.”

“Now, don’t be mad; I know your head hurts.” She held up a grocery sack. “Look, I even brought you some things to tide you over.”

Wesley grabbed the bag and pawed through it. Beer, aspirin, potato chips, sardines, hot sauce, and condoms. “This’ll help a little. I need to get as far away from Fairview as I can, but my brain feels like it’s about to explode out of my skull.”