Texas Baby Pursuit

TWO

Rachel slammed against the ground, pain radiating through her face where she’d been hit. The air rushed from her lungs. Dragging in shallow breaths, she hurriedly tried to stand, but her ears rang and dizziness swirled her vision, one eye watering where her assailant had struck her. Punching the button on her mic, she said, “I need help,” a few seconds before Deputy Jones rounded the corner of the house and rushed to her.

“Are you okay?” The deputy made a quick scan of the area then squatted next to her.

Rachel gently felt the left side of her jaw and winced. “The suspect I was chasing had a strong right hook.”

“Which way did he go?” Jones stood.

“He’s long gone by now.” Again, she attempted to stand, this time using Deputy Jones’s offered hand, and managed to remain upright although it felt like a bell was continuously clanging in her head. She filled him in on why she was chasing the guy who had assaulted her. “I need to check the area under that window. I found boot prints on the dirt road behind the Howards’ house. This guy had boots on.” Had she encountered one of the kidnappers? He’d taken her by surprise. She hadn’t expected anyone looking in a window at the crime scene not long after the crime had happened and with the police on-site. When she increased her pace, her world spun. She stumbled, would have gone down if her deputy hadn’t grabbed her.

“Ma’am, I’m taking you to the hospital. You need to be checked out. I’ll let Deputy Carson know about the intruder and where he was. He’ll look into it.”

She started to protest. She had an investigation to oversee. A crime to solve—quickly. But her stomach roiled, and she leaned against Deputy Jones, closing her eyes. “Okay.” She hadn’t wanted to show any weakness in the first month of being the sheriff. She’d overheard a couple of her deputies recently saying that the only reason she’d won the election was because her father had been sheriff. She was determined to prove she was a better person for the job than the guy who’d run against her, Marvin Compton.

* * *

Hours later, Dallas paced the Cimarron Trail Regional Hospital room while his daughter finally went to sleep—although Michelle wouldn’t be getting much rest overnight here. He wanted to be out there hunting down the people who had done this to Michelle. Clenching his fists, he tried to work the rage and tension from himself. He needed to be focused and was determined to find out who took his nephew and left his daughter to possibly bleed out.

The door opened slowly. It was too soon for the nurse to be checking on Michelle again. While he swung around to see who it was, every muscle in his body constricted, preparing to protect her.

When Sheriff Rachel Young poked her head into the room relief drove the tightness from his stance. His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the bed, taking in the reddening skin around her eye and swelling on the left side of her jaw. “What happened?”

“I ran into a fist.”

“One of the kidnappers?”

“Don’t know. He got away, but the doc who checked me out earlier said I’ll look like a chipmunk trying to store food for the winter, not to mention my shiner.” She glanced at Michelle, sleeping, her head bandaged. “You called Deputy Jones and told him what your daughter said about the abduction. I want to make sure we have the correct information before I move forward with the investigation. Is this a good time to talk?”

He slanted a look at Michelle. “This is fine.” He gestured toward the loveseat and chair in the hospital room.

When Rachel took a seat in the chair, he sat on the couch catty-corner from her. “It’s not much. She’ll probably remember more later. She said there were two people—a woman and a man.”

“What did they look like?”

“She couldn’t tell me much. All she could say was the woman had large dark sunglasses and big blond hair. The man had a mask on.”

“What kind?”

“A black ski mask.”

“Did she see what color his eyes were? How tall he was?”

Dallas remembered Michelle crying as she talked about the kidnappers. “All she said about him was that he was taller than her and the woman with him.”

“How did they get into the house?”

“She blames herself. She opened the front door to the woman. Then the woman barged into the house and Michelle ran toward where she’d left Brady sleeping on the blanket. The first time she saw the guy was on the screened-in porch. He’d kicked the door in and was standing over my nephew. After that, she doesn’t remember much.”

“Why did she open the door to the woman?”

Dallas let out a long breath. “Normally she wouldn’t open the door, but my sister told her that a lady was bringing over a file she needed for the committee Lenora is on. Michelle thought she was that woman. Have you talked to my sister yet?”

“Briefly, right before I came back to the hospital to talk to you and Michelle. Lenora kept asking for you. Your brother-in-law called her doctor, who came over and gave her a sedative. She’d barely been able to answer even simple questions, like when she left the house. I’d like you to be there when I talk to her the next time. Paul’s supposed to let me know when she wakes up.”

“When did Paul arrive home?”

“Fifteen minutes after your sister. She kept asking where you and your mother were.”

“I’ve been trying to get hold of Mom. She has a tendency of silencing her cell phone. She only has one for times she wants to get hold of someone or for emergencies. I left her a voice message and texted her. Hopefully she’ll use the phone and notice them.”

“Where is she?”

“This is her day to run errands so she could be many places. Once a month she goes to San Antonio. I don’t know if that’s today or not. Has the Amber Alert gone out?”

“Yes. Paul gave me a current photo of Brady, and Lenora told me what he was wearing.”

Exhausted from the past months of working a tough case, Dallas glanced at Michelle. He had to pull himself together. He couldn’t rest until he found the kidnappers. What if they came back after Michelle? Her head injury was serious, and she’d lost quite a lot of blood. They’d left her to die, and she could have if he and Rachel hadn’t gotten there in time. When the kidnappers discovered she hadn’t, they might come after her again. “Michelle saw the woman and might be able to pick her out in a lineup.”

“Wearing sunglasses and possibly a wig?”

“Yeah. Michelle loves to draw and is quite good at it. She might be able to sketch a picture of her. She remembers things like that. She told me once she looked at the world through an artist’s eyes.”

Rachel checked her watch. “Deputy Jones dropped me off and took the evidence in to the station. We need to process what little we have as quickly as possible. I told him I’d be in here with you, and I’d call him to pick me up after I talked to you. I’m officially asking you to help with the case. I know you’ve got a personal stake in this, but if I were you, I’d be investigating—whether or not I’d been asked to assist. This way we can coordinate with each other.”

“What do you know so far?”

“Paul couldn’t think of a reason for anyone to take Brady. Most likely, the kidnappers had left out the rear screen door, crossed the yard and climbed the fence. After the recent rain, there were only one set of unique tire tracks and two different sets of boot prints, one much larger than the other, which supports what Michelle told you that there’s a woman and a man involved. Possibly a couple who wanted a baby?”

Dallas frowned. “Coming into a house is risky, but then, maybe they knew my sister left Brady with Michelle. I have a call in to Texas Ranger headquarters. I want to know if other babies have been taken in recent months in the area, especially snatched from their homes. This could also be part of a baby smuggling ring or people brokering illegal adoptions.”

Rachel massaged her temples. “I know. I’ve been considering that aspect, too. I called the FBI to see if they know anything about a ring operating in this part of Texas.”

Dallas received a call and quickly answered it. “Mom, I’m glad you called. Have you talked with Lenora yet?”

“No, I got a call from Paul and was going to talk to him after you. What’s going on?”

“Are you driving?”

“I’m at a gas station about ten miles from Cimarron Trail.”

“Are you sitting down?”

“Son, you’re scaring me. What happened?”

Dallas wished he didn’t have to tell her over the phone. “A couple of hours ago Brady was kidnapped while Michelle was babysitting him. She was attacked and now she’s in the hospital with a severe concussion. She has ten stitches on the side of her head.” When his mother didn’t say anything for a long moment, he asked, “Mom, are you all right?”

“No,” she replied with a sob. “How could this happen? Cimarron Trail is a quiet town.”

“I wish I had an answer for you, but I promise you and Lenora I’ll work on this case until it’s solved. No one hurts my family.” The hand clutching the cell phone ached from his tight hold. “They left Michelle there bleeding and...” His words jammed in his throat.

“Are you at the regional hospital with her?”

“Yes. She’s sleeping.”

“I’m headed straight there. I’ll sit with her. You need to find Brady. I’ll call Paul and let him know what I’m doing.”

Before Dallas could say anything else, his mother disconnected. He dropped his arm to his side while he stared at the bed where Michelle lay sleeping.

A hand touched him. “What’s wrong?”

Rachel’s soft words brought him out of his trance. He blinked then swung his attention to the sheriff. “My mother’s coming here. She wants to sit with Michelle while I search for Brady, but I can’t leave her unprotected. And yet my sister needs to know I won’t give up until her son is found.”

“Of course, you won’t. She knows that.” Their gazes connected. The comfort in Rachel’s eyes pulled him in, and for a few seconds nothing else existed.

“I’ll have one of my deputies stand guard outside the room. Michelle is the only witness we have. She’ll be safe.”

“The only way my daughter will be safe is when I bring in the two people who hurt her and took Brady.”

“Daddy...”

The whispered word twisted his heart. Michelle had stopped calling him daddy years ago. He rushed over to the bed. “You’re supposed to be resting, princess.”

“I can’t—” she ran her tongue over her lips “—with Brady gone.”

“Do you want water?”

“Yes,” Michelle said, her eyelids slowly closing.

Dallas snatched up the pitcher and quickly filled a plastic cup that held a straw. When he swiveled his attention back to her, her eyes eased open again. He helped her to sit up, then held the cup while she slowly sipped through the straw.

After he carefully laid her back against the bed, she said, “Find him. Please...for me.” Then she surrendered to sleep again.

Still holding the plastic cup, he dropped his head, torn, wishing he could be in two places at once.

* * *

Rachel was moved at the exchange between Dallas and Michelle. With her head still pounding from the punches she’d taken, she rose slowly, crossed the hospital room and stood next to him, her hand brushing against his. “I’m so sorry this happened to your daughter.”

Lines creased his forehead as he looked down at her. Sadness shadowed his eyes. “Call a deputy. When my mom gets here, I’ll go with you to help, at least with Lenora. I’m really worried about her. She lost two babies before Brady and was on bed rest the last month of her pregnancy with him. The doctor hasn’t encouraged her to have another child.”

She could only imagine the grief and pain Lenora was going through right now. “I’ll make a call.” She pulled out her cell phone, walking away a few feet. Although Michelle was asleep, Rachel didn’t want the teen to hear about placing a deputy outside her room.

When Rachel reached the dispatcher, she lowered her voice. “Maddy, send a deputy to the regional hospital to room 208. Have him knock on the door.”

“Will do. Deputy Ellis just came in.”

“Thanks. Any calls concerning the kidnapping?”

“Yeah, I’m keeping a log. Most are wondering what’s going on. I told them what you said about having a press conference tomorrow morning.”

“Great, Maddy. Thanks.”

Rachel hit the off button and turned toward Dallas at the same time the door flew open and a petite, dark-haired woman made a beeline for the hospital bed and him.

His mother’s hand covered her mouth while she shook her head. “She looks so lost in that bed.” The older woman stood next to Dallas. “What’s wrong with the world that someone would do this?”

“I wish I could answer that.” His gaze connected with Rachel’s while he held his mother against him. “I feel so much better having you here. Your nurse’s training will come in handy.”

His mother leaned back. “I may be retired, but I still know what I’m doing. You have nothing to worry about. I talked with Paul. Lenora was still sleeping.” She glanced over her shoulder and slipped from her son’s loose embrace. “I’m Dottie Sanders. You must be Bill’s daughter. I voted for you.”

“Thanks for the vote, Mrs. Sanders. I have Deputy Ellis coming to stand guard outside the door. If you need anything, let him know.”

“I will. But we’ll be perfectly fine. Just find my grandson,” she pleaded.

As Rachel nodded, a light knock at the door sounded. “That’s probably him. I’ll be out in the hall when you’re ready, Dallas.”

In the corridor, Rachel filled Deputy Ellis in on what she wanted him to do. “The teen who was hurt is our only witness to the two people who stole the baby. Keep her safe.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Dallas joined them in the hallway, shaking hands with Deputy Ellis. “I appreciate you guarding my daughter. My mom—Dottie Sanders—is in there with her.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Rachel made her way to the stairs with Dallas right next to her. Her head still hurt, but the ringing in her ears and the dizziness had faded. “I have a favor to ask. Deputy Jones brought me to the hospital, but I had him go back to your sister’s house after taking the evidence to headquarters. I told him I’d call him when I needed a ride, and I wondered if you—”

He chuckled. “If this is your roundabout way of asking for a ride, then yes, I can give you one to my sister’s. Is that where your car is?”

She nodded. “My ears were ringing after I was punched. Deputy Jones didn’t think I should drive myself, and I can’t argue with one of my dad’s friends.”

“I have a lot of respect for your father. I worked a case with him about eight months ago that extended over several counties.” Dallas held the door open for Rachel.

“I was surprised he retired. He’d been sheriff for twenty-five years, and it was his life. Now he and my mom watch my daughter. Actually, she has to fight him to get her chance to take care of Katie. He’s always busy around the property, and Katie, who is nearly one, is getting a good lesson in how to run a ranch. Or, at least, Dad’s trying to teach her.”

“How does your husband feel about you being the sheriff?” Again Dallas opened a door for her.

“I’m a widow. My husband died over fifteen months ago.” She slid into the front passenger seat.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

She had no words to reply, so she nodded.

As Dallas rounded the front of his SUV, memories inundated Rachel. How could she forgive Justin for having an affair that she didn’t even know about until after he had died in a motorcycle race? The man she married wasn’t who she’d thought he was. He’d said he wanted a child, and yet, in a text to his mistress that she discovered on his phone, he had said otherwise. And there she’d been, nearly two months pregnant with no husband. Never again. She wouldn’t let herself be fooled like that again.

When Dallas climbed behind the steering wheel and started the car, a heavy silence fell between them, which was fine with Rachel because she didn’t want to talk about her deceased husband. All her focus needed to be on the case.

“Tell me a little about your sister. Even though Paul assured me otherwise, could someone be after your sister or her husband—someone who would kidnap their baby to get back at them?”

“Lenora volunteers at church and through a woman’s club. Paul is a CPA who works for Remington Industries in San Antonio. I don’t think so.”

“An accountant with possible access to financial records?”

Dallas stopped at the red light. “The work he does is routine. He’s only been working for the company for two years. He says he’s low on the totem pole. They’ve never indicated having a problem with anyone. They get along with their neighbors, but I don’t know about everything they do during the day. My gut tells me it isn’t that.”

“You go by your gut a lot?”

“I never dismiss hunches. I understand you were a police sergeant for the Austin Police Department. Did you ever go on a hunch?”

“Sure.”

“It’s the same thing. The more we can read people, the better we are about figuring out a clue, motive or case. Take the fact a guy in a hoodie fled from the crime scene and punched you out. What was he doing there? Was he tied to the kidnappers or my sister and Paul?” The light turned green, and Dallas drove across the intersection.

“I caught him looking in the window.”

“Yes, I know, but why was he doing that? Was he a reporter? Talk about fast on the scene and bold.” Dallas shrugged.

“Why would a reporter punch me? Maybe he’s a snooping neighbor checking out what was going on?”

“Why take the risk when he would find out soon enough on the news?”

Her first instinct was that the Peeping Tom was tied to the kidnappers, and that was still the best possibility. “He may have risked coming back if there was something left behind at the crime scene that could connect him to the kidnapping.”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve been thinking because he punched you. A neighbor or reporter wouldn’t have gone to that extreme and risk being arrested.”

“Deputy Jones handled the crime scene. As far as I know, nothing was found other than the footprints and tire tracks, and the pacifier I discovered in the backyard.”

Dallas parked behind her sheriff’s car in his sister’s driveway. “It wouldn’t hurt to look around again while we’re here. Which window was the guy looking in?”

“I think the dining room. Everything happened so fast.” Rachel scanned the crowd of people hanging around. There were two camera crews from different television stations in San Antonio as well as local folks she recognized.

“We need to recheck for anything out of the ordinary, especially with Lenora and Paul here now.”

“I agree.” Rachel stepped down from the SUV and headed toward the Howards’ house. Working with Dallas seemed to come so naturally. She was glad he was here to help because this would be her first big test as the county sheriff.

One of her deputies stood on the front porch and another one should be at the back door. She’d hated taking time away from the investigation to go to the hospital, but at least she’d had a chance to see what else Michelle could remember and make sure she would recover. “Did Michelle say anything about the kidnappers having a gun?”

“No. She was drowsy. I was happy to get what I could out of her. But I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both had a gun. Did the guy that hit you have one?”

“I didn’t see one, but when I was trying to stem the flow of blood from her wound, it looked like the kind of damage a handle of a revolver could have done.”

His tanned complexion whitened. “Not that I’m complaining, but if he had a gun, why didn’t he shoot her rather than hit her?”

“The noise. They still had to get away without anyone seeing them.” Rachel entered his sister’s house first and strode into the living area that connected with the dining room and kitchen, checking the placement of the windows on the side of the house where she’d seen the Peeping Tom and deciding she was right. The dining room was where the man had been looking inside.

Dallas came up behind and leaned toward her. “Which window was he peeking into?”

She pointed at the one on the left in the dining room. “There.” She glanced over her shoulder, his face close to hers. A whiff of lime wafted to her. “Which doesn’t surprise me. If the couple charged into your sister’s home, the fastest way to nab Brady was through the living and dining room into the kitchen and out onto the back porch. From what you said earlier I got the impression that Brady wasn’t with her when she went to the front door.”

“Right. He was asleep on the pallet on the screened-in porch.”

“The getaway car was most likely parked behind the property on the dirt road. Why didn’t Michelle see them walking across the backyard?”

“I’m not sure. Possibly because she might have been on the floor with Brady, and the screened part is only the top half. They might not have seen her, either. Or one went to the front to distract Michelle while the other snatched Brady.” He looked toward the hallway to the bedrooms, spying his brother-in-law making his way toward them. “Paul, is Lenora awake and able to talk to us?”

She hadn’t even heard Paul coming down the corridor. Her total attention had centered on Dallas. The pain in his gaze drew her to him. The thought of losing her baby pierced through her heart like a red-hot lance. Paul and Lenora were living a parent’s worst nightmare.

“I’m getting her a glass of water. She should be able to talk after that.” The defeat in Paul’s voice filled the silence.

“We’ll be out on the porch,” Rachel said.

Paul nodded. “That’s where Deputy Jones is.” He walked past them toward the kitchen. “Dottie called and told me how Michelle was doing. I’m glad she’ll be all right.”

“Thanks.” Dallas followed his brother-in-law into the kitchen, asking what his mother said concerning his daughter.

Rachel paused in the dining room and panned the area that held a table and six chairs and a display cabinet between the two windows. Thick, brown carpeting covered the floor. The only thing on the table was an artificial flower arrangement. She moved from one chair to the next, pulling it out and seeing if anything was on the seat. Nothing. Then she knelt and looked under the cabinet and table. A glint caught her attention near a chair. She crawled to it and saw a short gold chain with a heart charm on it buried in the long fibers of the rug.

She quickly put on gloves and picked up the bracelet. On the heart were the initials DN. Was it Lenora’s? The letters didn’t match her name. Until she found out, it would remain in the evidence bag she dropped it into. Usable latent prints might be on it. She hoped it was a clue that would lead them to Brady. Was the bracelet the reason the guy had been peeping in the dining room window? She wanted it to be a clue, but it was still possible the man might have nothing to do with the case.

Rachel quickly pushed to her feet, a few seconds of light-headedness hitting her. She had a mild concussion, nothing like Michelle’s, but she needed to watch for any signs her concussion was worsening. She strolled into the kitchen as Paul was leaving.