RENEGADE GUARDIAN (5 page)

Evan stopped whimpering and turned his head toward Slade. Her baby studied the dark and brooding man who’d deemed himself their guardian-protector.

“DNA?” Maya shook her head. “You didn’t answer my question earlier when I asked about it. You don’t think I had something to do with the kidnappings?”

“It’s for the baby. For Evan.” He paused, kept touching Evan. “You’ll need to swab the inside of his mouth so we can see if there’s some kind of genetic connection to any of our suspects. Or someone else in the criminal database. It could give us answers as to who the kidnapper is.”

Oh.

She took a moment to let that settle in, and it didn’t settle in well. A chill went through her, and Maya turned her body so that Slade’s fingers were no longer on Evan’s cheek.

“We already have the DNA from one of the missing babies—the second one taken. The lab got it from the baby’s pacifier. Now we’re working on getting samples for the first baby, his parents and from Evan’s birth mother and father.”

Again Maya had to shake her head. “The birth mother didn’t want her identity known. And my adoption attorney said the mother couldn’t name the father. She apparently had multiple partners and wasn’t even sure who the father was.”

“The DNA might tell us that,” Declan volunteered. “And if the birth father has a criminal history. It’s possible that he heard about the baby and is now trying to find his son.”

That chill in her body turned to ice, and because she was afraid her legs might give way, Maya hugged Evan closer to her and sank back down into the chair. As bad as that scenario was, maybe it meant the other babies were safe, that the kidnapper would release them as soon as he learned they weren’t his child.

But what would he do with the child that was his?

Maya hugged Evan even tighter.

Declan looked down at some notes he was holding. “I went through hospital records, and Evan’s birth mother is Crystal Hanson. We’re searching for her so she can give us a sample, but she has a do-not-contact order regarding anything about the baby. We’re also hoping that someone who knew her will be able to tell us the identity of the father.” He looked up from the notes and at her. “You never met Ms. Hanson?”

“Never. Evan was actually supposed to go to another family, but they had to back out at the last minute. I was the next one on the list at the adoption agency, so two days after he was born, I got the call.”

The best call of her life. Of course, now the danger and fear of the unknown were overshadowing her happiness. Maya resented it, too. Yes, it seemed a small complaint in the grand scheme of things, but she wanted to be able to enjoy every precious moment with her son, and this kidnapper was taking that away from her and from Evan.

Slade opened the test kit and handed her the swab. Part of her wanted to refuse the test and bury her head in the sand, but that wouldn’t make the danger go away. And besides, this might just be the first step into stopping the danger so they could get on with their lives.

“Just rub it on the sides of his mouth,” Slade instructed.

Maya did it as quickly as she could and handed it back to Slade, who put it back into the plastic bag before he gave it to Declan. “I want preliminary results back ASAP.”

Declan nodded and opened his mouth to say something. However, the knock at the door stopped him. Again Slade stepped protectively in front of her, and she had to peer around him to see who was in the doorway when Declan opened it.

Sheriff Monroe.

The sheriff looked at Slade. “You know that missing nanny—Andrea Culberson?”

Slade nodded. “Yeah. The one who might be the kidnapper. What about her?”

Sheriff Monroe hitched his thumb in the direction of the dispatch-reception area. “Well, she just walked in.”

“She’s here?” Maya couldn’t believe it. According to Slade, every law enforcement agency in the state was looking for her and even thought that she might be dead.

“She’s here,” the sheriff verified, then turned to Maya. “And she’s asking to see the marshal and you.”

Chapter Six

Slade groaned.

Yeah, he wanted this meeting with Andrea Culberson, especially if she could tell him what the heck was going on with these kidnappings. But he hadn’t wanted this to happen until he’d had Maya and the baby tucked away someplace safe. Meeting face-to-face with a suspect didn’t qualify in any way as
safe.

“I’ll take Ms. Culberson in the interview room,” the sheriff said as he left.

Declan paused a moment, no doubt silently asking Slade if he should hang around. “Get those results to the lab,” Slade insisted. “And as soon as you can, I need all you can find out about our visitor, her employers and their missing baby.”

His brother didn’t question any of that. Declan hurried out. Maya might have hurried out, too, probably so she could confront Andrea, but Slade stepped in front of her and shut the door.

She stopped but not before brushing against him. Not exactly body-to-body contact, but it was enough for him to feel the heat knife right through him. Heat he darn sure shouldn’t be feeling, at least not until he’d settled some things with her.

Like the paternity of the child in her arms.

If that was his son, he would challenge her for custody. And he’d win because he had the law on his side. Best not to allow something stupid like attraction to get in the way of that. Besides, once Maya learned that he was hiding the possible paternity from her, any and all heat between them would vanish in a heartbeat.

“I want to talk to Andrea,” Maya said, but then she stepped back, swallowed hard.

“Do you really want Evan in the same room with a possible kidnapper? Because I don’t,” Slade added before she could answer.

Maya looked ready to start a big-time argument about that, but he saw the fight leave her eyes. “I just want this to be over.” Her words were mostly breath, and the weary sigh turned to a slight tremble of her bottom lip. Heck, her eyes even watered.

She’d been strong so far. A real fighter. But this had to be getting to her.

Slade did the exact opposite of what he’d told himself to do. He didn’t stay away from her. He slipped his arm around Maya’s waist. “Let me question her, and I promise I’ll tell you everything she says.”

She looked up at him, maybe to see if there was something he wasn’t telling her. Or maybe she was just looking, but either way, Slade was glad she had Evan in her arms or he might have been tempted to ease her closer.

Correction.

He would have been tempted to kiss her, and he wasn’t a man who was easily tempted. Still, Maya seemed to have his number when it came to reactions he’d rather not have.

Slade moved her back across the room and eased her into the chair. “Wait here, and I’ll make sure a deputy or someone is guarding the door. As soon as I’m done, I’ll get you to the safe house so you can get some rest.”

Again, she didn’t argue, though that might come later, when she’d gotten a second wind. Maybe the safe house wouldn’t even be necessary if he got a confession from Andrea and located the missing babies. Of course, that would only be the start of it for Slade.

The results of that DNA test would be critical.

Slade had no proof that Evan was actually his even if he had felt that connection to him. He only knew that he had
a
son out there somewhere, a baby who had likely been stolen from his ex. If Evan wasn’t his, then maybe one of the others would be, but he had to wonder how Maya would deal with the tests results if they confirmed that he was indeed Evan’s father.

That was the thought he had on his mind when he leaned down and brushed a kiss on Evan’s head. Bad idea. Real bad. Because something flashed through Maya’s eyes, and it wasn’t tears.

It was suspicion.

“Stay put,” he warned her. And because of that suspicion, the moment Slade walked out and shut the door, he didn’t head to the interview room but rather to the dispatch desk, where he found Sheriff Monroe.

“I need someone to watch Maya and the baby,” Slade explained. He didn’t want to get into a lengthy explanation about suspicious eyes, so Slade went with something faster. “She’s on the verge of panicking and might think she’d be better off on her own. She won’t be. If Andrea isn’t the kidnapper, then Maya could be taking the baby right into the path of danger.”

No suspicion in the sheriff’s eyes. Just concern. He nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

With that box ticked, Slade went back down the hall. Andrea was already in the interview room, clearly waiting for him. And pacing. He instantly recognized the tall, thin blonde because he’d studied her photo. Even dressed in jeans and a simple gray jacket, she looked more like the person who’d hire a nanny than someone who’d be one. Probably because she came from rich roots and had only taken the nanny job after being disinherited by her wealthy folks.

“Marshal Becker?” she asked, her eyes wide. She was also nibbling on her bottom lip.

He nodded. “You asked to see me.”

“And the woman whose baby was nearly kidnapped.” Andrea’s words came out so fast that they practically ran together. “I need you to understand I’m not guilty, that I didn’t take Will.”

Will, short for William Chase Collier, the adopted baby boy who’d been in her care when both the baby and she had disappeared two days ago.

“Where’s Will?” Slade asked, and he didn’t bother to sound friendly. In his experience, a badass attitude made things move a lot faster.

“I don’t know.” Her voice broke, and she caught onto the side of the table as if to steady herself. The tears came. Man, did they. They started streaking down her cheeks, and while they looked genuine, Slade knew that sort of thing could be faked.

“Start from the beginning. Give me your version of what happened, because your employers, Nadine and Chase Collier, insist you kidnapped their child. And for the record, that makes you a suspect in a subsequent kidnapping and another attempt that happened just a short while ago.”

She didn’t seem surprised about that, only more distressed. Her chest began to pump for air, and Slade was thankful that she sat down because she looked ready to fall.

“It started two days ago.” Her words no longer came out at breakneck pace. She spoke in a ragged whisper. “I put Will down for a nap after his afternoon bottle and then went to grab something to eat from the kitchen. I had the baby monitor with me and was gone a half hour, tops. When I got back, Will wasn’t in his crib.”

“You didn’t hear anyone?” Slade asked.

She shook her head and shoved her hair from her face. “It’s a big house. Twenty rooms, and it was also cleaning day. Three maids were coming and going. A crew of handymen, too. None of them saw anything, either.”

“There’s been no ransom demand,” Slade reminded her.

“I know.” Her teary gaze came to his. “The kidnapper planned it that way so I’d look guilty.” She reached in her pocket, took out her phone and scrolled through the numbers. “He called me just seconds after I realized Will was missing. The number isn’t working now. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

The kidnapper had probably used a prepaid cell. Or Andrea could have used one to call herself. Still, if she’d planned this kidnapping, then why was she here? She had to know that she’d be a suspect. Better yet, where was the baby?

“What’d the kidnapper say to you?” And Slade didn’t bother to take the skepticism out of his voice.

What little color Andrea had drained from her face. “He said to meet him at the park and to bring money, and if I called the cops, the baby would die.” She paused, mumbled a string of
oh, Gods.
“He insisted he had the place bugged, and he’d know if I called anyone.”

That wasn’t a new ploy. Slade had heard of other kidnappers doing the same. Maybe it was true, maybe not. One of the maids or someone on the work crew could have planted a bug and then even set the fire.

“I told him I didn’t have much cash,” Andrea went on, “and he said for me to bring him some of Nadine’s jewelry. He gave me thirty minutes to get there.” She shook her head. “I had to drive like crazy to make it, and I was terrified. I love that baby like he is my own.”

Slade got an uneasy feeling of how he would have reacted if it’d been his child being held hostage. Not a good time for that. And he forced his mind back on the interview. “What happened when you arrived at the park?”

“The kidnapper wasn’t there, but he called me again.” She showed him the second number on her phone. “He said the cops had been alerted that I’d kidnapped Will. I didn’t tell them,” Andrea insisted.

Slade lifted his shoulder. “If you’re innocent, why’d you run?”

“Because the kidnapper threatened to hurt Will again. He said for me to leave, to get far away from the Colliers’ estate and that he’d contact me soon. But he hasn’t.” She pressed her hand to her mouth. “And I heard someone burned the place down right after Will was taken. I couldn’t stay in hiding even if I figured I looked guilty. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Slade caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned to find the sheriff motioning for him to step out of the room.

“Stay put,” Slade warned Andrea first, and he went back into the hall, where he would have asked what Sheriff Monroe wanted if he hadn’t seen the open door. Not just any door, but the one to the office where he’d left Maya and the baby. And clearly no one was guarding it.

Slade practically pushed the sheriff aside so he could get to the room and see what was going on.

No Maya.

No baby.

“They’re in the break room,” the sheriff explained, pointing toward the back of the building. He also handed Slade a grocery bag. “It’s formula and diapers. I had my wife run to the store and get it.”

Slade mumbled a thanks and started to move again, but the sheriff stopped him. “You should know that Maya’s upset,” the sheriff said. “She got a phone call that seemed to shake her up, and she said she needed to stretch her legs.” Maybe because Slade was cursing a blue streak, Monroe added, “There’s no exit off the break room, just some windows.”

Windows could easily turn into an exit for someone desperate. He ran, practically knocking into one of the deputies, and he skidded to a stop in front of the door. It took him a moment—a bad, heart-stopping moment—to pick through the furniture and appliances cluttering the room and locate Maya on the sofa. She had Evan in the crook on her arm and a death grip on her phone.

She looked up, her gaze connecting with Slade’s, and he immediately saw the tears. Unlike Andrea’s tears, these punched him hard in the gut.

“He said he’d kill us,” Maya whispered.

That was another punch. “Who said that?” Slade went to her, set down the bag of supplies and looked at her phone when she held it up for him to see the number of the person who’d called fewer than five minutes earlier.

“He didn’t tell me his name.” Her voice was shaking as much as she was. “Only that if I didn’t hand over Evan, he’d kill all of us, including you. He also said he’d kill us if I told the sheriff, that he’d shoot up the place and he’d know if I’d told him.”

Hell.

Things were escalating faster than he could keep up. And it was having a bad effect on Maya. Thankfully, not Evan. The baby had fallen back to sleep.

Slade wasn’t good at providing a shoulder to lean on, but he figured Maya needed something. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her to him.

It felt better than it should have.

Far better.

“Think hard.” He tried to keep his voice level. Hard to do with the emotions and anger firing on all cylinders. “What else did he say?”

“That I was to sneak out of the sheriff’s office and meet him at an abandoned gas station at the edge of town. That’s when he said he’d kill us all if I didn’t come.”

He’d probably try to kill them all if they did show up at the gas station. A Catch-22. Whoever was behind this was getting desperate. Or maybe the guy was just stupid. Either way, Maya and Evan weren’t getting close to that gas station.

Too bad Slade couldn’t, either.

He wanted to meet this SOB face-to-face, but it was too big of a risk to take because this could be some kind of ploy to lure him away from Maya.

But why?

The kidnapper had to know that Slade wouldn’t leave them unprotected. But there was the other possibility. A bad one. That maybe the guy had some contact inside the sheriff’s office and would indeed know that Maya had told him about the call.

“Come on,” Slade said, and he helped her to her feet so he could lead her to the far side of the room, where there were no windows. He also shut the break room door. There was no lock, but at least it would stop someone from walking right in on them.

“What should I do?” Maya asked.

“Nothing. I’ll handle this.” He moved the car seat and supplies closer to them, too, in case they had to make a quick exit, and he called his brother Harlan at the marshals’ office in Maverick Springs.

“Declan just filled me in,” Harlan greeted him. “I’ve been working on those background checks you wanted.”

Good. He’d need that information later, after he’d taken some other measures. “Maya got a call from the possible kidnapper.” Slade took her phone and read off the number.

Almost immediately, he heard Harlan’s fingers clicking on the computer keyboard. “It’s a burner,” Harlan said several moments later.

“A burner?” Maya asked.

Slade hadn’t realized she could hear the conversation, but then, he had her plastered right against him. She was no doubt as desperate for answers as Slade was, and that was the reason he clicked the speaker button.

“A burner is a prepaid cell. Can’t be traced,” Slade explained. Then he added, “Harlan, Maya’s listening in now, but the person who called from the burner threatened to kill her if she didn’t meet him at an abandoned gas station here in Spring Hill. He wants her to turn over the baby to him.”

“I’m not doing that,” she insisted, the tears spilling down her cheeks again.

There was the sound of more keyboard clicks. “The name of the gas station is Jasper’s. It’s been closed for nearly a year now. You want me to get someone out there?”

Slade knew this would alarm her, but he had to say it. “Yeah. But not the locals. Judging from the threat this guy made, he could have a
friend
in the sheriff’s office. It’s just a precaution,” Slade added when her eyes widened, and she stared at him.