The temptation to kiss her overwhelmed him, and he lowered his mouth and brushed her lips with his.

She felt so dainty in his arms, so tender, and his own hunger rippled through him.

But her startled gasp made him pull back, and he cursed himself.

He was a selfish bastard. The kiss hadn’t been for her, but for him. Hearing the despair in her voice had done something to him, stirring up feelings he didn’t want to feel, especially for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice as he backed toward the door. He couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that he had frightened her with his kiss.

Need, hunger, the desire to soothe her—to make love to her—churned through him. Needs he couldn’t pursue.

Silent Night Sanctuary
Rita Herron

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling for kids for romance, and writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers so please write her at P.O. Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, or visit her Web site at www.ritaherron.com.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Leah Holden —A woman desperate to find her missing sister and protect the past….

Gage McDermont —A detective determined to solve the case, even if he has to expose Leah’s secrets.

Ruby Holden —An innocent seven-year-old caught in a web of lies.

Carmel Foster —She lost her child. Has she taken Ruby as a replacement?

Amos Trevett —He has a record as a child predator but claims he’s innocent. Is he lying?

Jerry McDermont —Gage’s adopted brother resented Gage. Did he hurt Leah as revenge?

Dr. Donnie Burkham —He was furious at Leah for implying he abused his son. Has he done something to Ruby to get back at Leah?

Warren Cox —A mentally challenged young man who befriends little girls. Did he kidnap Ruby?

Charlie Driscill —The deputy will do anything to enforce the bond of silence the teenagers entered into, and to keep the past forgotten.

Harry Wiggins —He was Leah’s friend. But did he protect her when he should have?

Jameson Mansfield —The town lawyer who wants to keep the past quiet—how far would he go to keep the others from talking?

Evan Rutherford —The high school football coach was a football legend in high school. Did he hurt Leah and cover it up?

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter One

The wind whipping through the paper-thin walls of Leah Holden’s North Carolina mountain cabin whistled, shrill and violent, jarring her from a deep sleep. Or had the sound been a scream?

A child’s scream…

Ruby?

Leah vaulted from her bed and raced to her seven-year-old sister’s room, praying she’d been wrong. Through the half-open door, Christmas lights from the tiny tree inside sparkled red and gold and silver.

But when she rushed inside, Ruby’s bed was empty.

“Ruby!” Her heart pounded as she scanned the interior, the dark shadows, the rumpled bedding, the closet where her sister had made a playhouse for her dolls.

No Ruby.

The curtains flapped wildly, the chill in the room sending icy fear through her.

The window was open. It had been shut when Leah had gone to bed.

Frantic, she flipped on the overhead light, her gaze landing on the teddy bear that had been slashed to pieces on Ruby’s bed. A note lay in the midst of the cotton stuffing, and nausea lurched in her stomach.

CALL THE POLICE AND THE CHILD DIES.

She screamed in terror, panic clenching her chest as a dozen horrific scenarios assaulted her. Ruby, kidnapped. Being tortured. Abused. Molested. Murdered.

The room swirled in a blinding sea of white and she gripped the edge of the brass bed, struggling not to pass out. This couldn’t be happening.

Sanctuary was supposed to be a safe little town. A haven for families—a close-knit community.

But a cold emptiness filled Ruby’s room. The sight of her Pippi Longstocking doll brought tears to Leah’s eyes. Ruby loved her Pippi doll just as Leah had loved the colorful character when she was a child. After her mother had died, Leah had moved back home to take care of Ruby, and they’d started reading the Pippi books together.

Leah’s hand trembled as she ran to the den for the phone. The message on the note echoed in her head and she hesitated. Every horrific TV-show scenario flashed through her mind.

Maybe she shouldn’t call the police.

But time was important. And how could she handle this alone?

She needed the police to issue an AMBER Alert, start searching, set up road blocks, put Ruby’s picture on the news, call the FBI…She needed them to find Ruby.

Terrified, she punched in the number. Ruby was all the family she had left. She had to find her.

THE IMAGE OF THE dead boy’s face would haunt Detective Gage McDermont for the rest of his life.

Thirteen years old and he’d been murdered on the sidewalk by a man who should have still been in jail.

All because the kid had tried to do what was right: testify against a lowlife scumbag for beating his mother to a bloody pulp.

In the end, she had died. And Rodney Kemple had walked on a damn technicality and shot the kid in the chest.

Guilt pressed against Gage’s lungs, making it impossible to breathe. He had promised Tommy Beringer that he’d protect him.

And he had failed.

So had the system Gage had sworn to uphold.

He balled his hands into fists as he waited in the chief’s office, wanting to pound something again, just like he’d pounded Kemple’s face when he’d finally caught up with him. He’d have finished the guy off if his partner hadn’t interceded and dragged him away.

The chief walked in, his granitelike face showing a mixture of anger and disdain. Gage had worked for the Raleigh Police Department for eight years, and he and Drew Hardy had almost come to blows before, but the past year things had grown even more strained. The chief seemed to be more interested in politics than catching perps, and Gage had told him so more than once.

Hadn’t gone over well with the chief.

“What in the hell were you thinking, McDermont?” A vein bulged in Hardy’s wide throat. “You nearly beat Kemple to death.”

“He deserved far worse than he got, and you know it, Chief.” Gage pushed to his feet, anger rolling off him. “He put a bullet in that kid’s chest.”

“You had him under arrest,” the chief barked. “Now we have police brutality charges to deal with and IA on our butts. Are you trying to make this department look bad?”

“You’re worried about the damn department?” Fury turned Gage’s voice to ice. “What about that poor kid? The one we promised to protect?” He struggled with the hate churning in his gut. “What about justice? When did our jobs stop being about that?”

The chief leveled him with a lethal stare. “I’m trying to see that justice is done,” he growled. “Within the law. And your actions may just enable this guy to walk.”

“He won’t walk,” Gage snapped. “We’ve got the gun with his prints on it, and Beringer’s shirt.”

Chief Hardy slammed his hand on the desk. “You’ve been walking the line for months, McDermont. But this time you went too far.”

Gage crossed his arms. “If you want an apology from me, you’re wasting your time.”

The chief’s furious stare met his. “In that case, I’m ordering you to take a voluntary leave of absence. Take some time off, get your head back on straight,” he hissed. “Hell, if you need to see a counselor, the department can set you up.”

“And if I don’t?”

His voice dropped and he leaned forward. “Then I’ll be forced to suspend you.”

Rage, frustration and disbelief rallied inside Gage like a storm ready to unfold.

His job was his life.

But he was fed up with gangs, street thugs and having to adhere to the bureaucratic BS that protected criminals’ rights and left the victims vulnerable and without justice.

And if he had it to do over again, he’d beat Kemple even worse.

“What’s it going to be, McDermont?”

Gage removed his badge from inside his leather jacket, ripped off his shoulder holster, put them both on the desk and then walked out.

All he’d ever wanted to do was be a cop.

But there were other ways to get justice. Maybe it was time he went out on his own.

RUBY HAD BEEN missing for seven days now.

Seven days of pure torture.

Tears blurred Leah’s eyes as she stared at the gifts stacked beneath the glittering tree. Christmas was three days away.

Ruby had to be home by then. The house was so empty, the silence deafening.

When she got back, they’d make sugar cookies and hot chocolate, and Ruby would squeal with delight when she discovered the games and craft sets under the tree.

And Santa was supposed to bring a kitten. Not that Ruby completely believed in Santa, but she still pretended.

Leah’s breath caught. Today the locals had called off the search teams that had combed the woods. Had essentially given Ruby up for dead.

Leah paced to the window and studied the empty backyard swing dangling in the wind. Ruby loved that swing.

But she might never sit in it again. Might never run across the yard or skip rope or climb the ancient oak to the tree house they had built together last summer.

Thunder rumbled across the gray sky, her mood as dark as the threatening storm. It was too cold for a child to survive out in those woods. Too dangerous.

Coyotes roamed the mountains, along with bears and mountain lions. And there were tales of mountain men who lived in the wild—who’d never been civilized. Strange things had happened along the Appalachian trail and in the deep recesses of the forests. People had gone missing and never been found.

Stories of cults and gypsy clans who performed strange rituals circulated. There were also rumors of ghosts haunting the area, the agonized souls of people who were killed in the battles between Native Americans and those who’d driven them from their homes during the Trail of Tears.

What if one of the animals had gotten Ruby? Or one of the mountain men? What would he do to her?

What had he already done?

Was Ruby lost somewhere, terrified and alone? Hurting or locked up in some scary place?

Was she…

No, Leah wouldn’t give up hope. She couldn’t.

But the local police hadn’t been able to find her. Not that she trusted them, especially with Charlie Driscill, a guy from her old high school, as the deputy and acting sheriff. He was following in his father’s footsteps, preparing to take over as sheriff when his dad retired soon.

She’d considered the fact that her own secrets might have played a part in Ruby’s kidnapping, that the kidnapper was someone from her past—someone from that terrible night eight years ago—but everyone in town had been questioned and supposedly had alibis.

She’d even wondered if Ruby’s father had taken her. But that was impossible. Ruby’s father didn’t even know she existed.

Had she made a mistake in calling the police? Would the kidnapper have contacted her if she hadn’t?

A sob choked her. She’d been second-guessing herself for days now, praying for a phone call or a message that someone had seen her sister. But that phone call had never come.

GAGE STARED AT THE NEWS broadcast of the update on Ruby Holden’s kidnapping, emotions rising to the surface. He still couldn’t believe there had been a kidnapping in his hometown. Not in Sanctuary.

The news clip summarized the past few days of the search and then showed the deputy sheriff, Charlie Driscill, approaching Leah Holden. He’d said, “I’m sorry, but we’re calling off the search team.” Then Leah collapsed in a fit of tears.

Seven days missing—he understood the reasoning behind calling off the search. By now, the kidnapper would have left the area.

Or the child was dead.

Every hour a child was missing lessened the chances that she would be found alive.

He watched as neighbors surrounded Leah, supporting her, and frowned.

There had been no ransom call. No word. No physical evidence except that shredded teddy bear and the note warning Leah not to call the police.

So what was the kidnapper’s motive? Was he a pedophile? Someone who’d lost a child and wanted to replace it with another? A crazy lunatic who simply saw an opportunity?

He glanced at the screen again. Leah looked so lost, so devastated….

He had to do something.

Not that he wanted to see her again after all these years, but she needed help. And a child was in danger.

The past week he’d decided to start his own private investigative firm specializing in children’s cases. In memory of Ramona Samples, the woman who’d helped him find a home with the McDermonts, he’d decided to call his agency Guardian Angel Investigations. He planned to hire other detectives to work for him, ex-cops or military men, as well as security and computer specialists. GAI would step in when the police or feds failed.

Or when a client chose not to call the police.

And he’d jump-start his agency by finding Leah’s sister.

Leah had called in the locals, but after seeing her plea on the news, he sensed she was hiding something. If she’d done something to her sister, he’d nail her ass to the wall.

But memories of Leah in high school returned and he couldn’t believe she’d hurt anyone. He’d harbored a crush on her in high school and had planned to meet her at a party once, but then she’d hooked up with his brother.

He’d never spoken to her after that day. And it had caused a rift between him and Jerry.

Maybe moving back home for a while would enable him to mend fences with Jerry. After all, Jerry had probably changed. He owned a construction company and had built neighborhoods all around Sanctuary.

Gage turned off the TV, tucked the newspaper photo of Ruby inside his bomber jacket, climbed in his Explorer and headed toward Sanctuary.

He’d find out what happened to this little girl and make the person who’d abducted her pay.

HE WATCHED Leah Holden’s house from the top of the ridge with his telephoto lens, the frigid December air biting at his neck and hands. His skin was raw, dry and chafed, but he barely noticed. Rage heated his bloodstream, making it flow thick and hot through his system.

Leah shouldn’t have called the police. He’d never expected her to, counting on her fear and cowardice to keep her quiet.

The bitch should have heeded the warning. If she had, she’d have the kid back by now, and life could go on as normal.

But no, she’d called the damn cops.

She’d be sorry she ever came back to town. Ever messed with their lives. Ever lived.

Because of her, Ruby might have to die.

Chapter Two

Shoulders tight with tension, Gage left the beltway for the curvy roads to the Blue Ridge Mountains. He’d thought he’d never return to Sanctuary—but the moment he’d seen Leah Holden in trouble, he knew he had no choice.

The roads grew more narrow and winding as the hills and ridges encroached. Thick, tall pines and evergreens covered the sloping hills, the deep recesses, the cliffs—perfect hiding places for moonshiners, meth labs, domestic violence and possible criminals. Fishers, hikers, campers and vacationers as well as locals came and went. Anyone could have been a possible suspect in a child abduction.

He wound through the heart of Sanctuary, past the town square with the park, and the local storefronts decorated for the holidays with bows, lights and wreaths. He recognized Delilah’s Diner, the drugstore which still boasted an old-fashioned soda fountain, and of course Magnolia Manor, where he’d lived for a while.

Remembering how it felt to be a lost, lonely little kid, he wondered how Ruby was holding up.

And if she was still alive.

Leaving the small downtown area, he drove past signs pointing to several rental cabins and the creek gurgling along the ridges, then turned into the entrance to the small rural development where Leah’s family had lived. It was an older subdivision which, judging from the yards filled with toys and bikes, was still home to many families.

He’d read the reports—Leah had a degree in education, and had been teaching at Sanctuary Elementary. She made a modest teacher’s salary but had no money to speak of.

Could explain why there had been no ransom request. The kidnapper hadn’t wanted money. He’d wanted Ruby.

Not a place he wanted to go…but he had to.

In spite of the fact that winter had descended, pansies bloomed around Leah’s mailbox, and a bird feeder was perched in the front yard, making the place look homey and well kept.

Holiday lights dangled from the roof with a Santa and sleigh next to the chimney, and a Christmas tree glowed through the front window.

A bicycle with a purple basket leaned against the open carport—the lack of a garage was a reminder that the home had been built forty years earlier. Hot-pink roller skates had been left in front of the bike as if the little girl had kicked them off before running inside. He parked in the drive, noticed Leah drove a small minivan, and frowned. Everything here reeked of family—a loving family.

One he’d never had. One a kid deserved.

Bracing himself to see Leah again, he strode up to the front porch and rang the bell.

A minute later, a fragile voice came from the other side of the door. “Who is it?”

“Gage McDermont, Leah. I’m here about your sister.”

The sound of locks being turned echoed from inside, and she opened the door, her eyes wide.

“Gage McDermont?” she gaped at him, obviously surprised to find him on her doorstep. “Do you know something about Ruby?”

The sight of her red-rimmed, swollen eyes and her trembling, petite frame made his stomach knot. She’d been pretty as a young girl, but she’d matured and her beauty sucker punched him.

He forced himself to refrain from pulling her into his arms to comfort her.

He’d find out what happened to her sister. But he wouldn’t get involved with Leah personally. She’d broken his heart once.

He wouldn’t let her do it again.

LEAH CLUTCHED THE TISSUE in her hands and tried to control her trembling as she stared at the man on her porch.

A man she’d thought she was in love with at age sixteen. A man who’d ditched her the night she’d gone to a party to see him.

The last man she wanted to see—or accept help from—now.

“I thought you were on the Raleigh police force,” she said, her voice shaking.

“I was.” The wind tossed his dark, curly hair across his forehead, his brown eyes so intense that something flamed low in her belly, reminding her that he’d always caused a heated reaction within her. No other man ever had.

But she wouldn’t go there again.

“I’m starting my own private detective agency.” He pointed to the foyer. “Mind if I come in?”

She swayed, dizzy with fatigue and the sudden jolt of his masculine scent invading her house. He’d been tall in high school, but now he easily cleared six feet. His shoulders had broadened and his face had filled out, dark with a five-o’clock shadow.

“Leah, I really am here to help.”

She clutched her bathrobe around her and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. Although she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why he’d offered to help her. They hadn’t spoken in years. “I’ll make some coffee.”

“Thanks. I could use some.”

Needing to escape and compose herself, she rushed to the kitchen but he followed her, his gaze tracking her as she measured coffee into the filter and filled the pot with water. “There’s food, too,” she said inanely. “Everyone in town has brought casseroles by, but I haven’t been hungry.”

“No, thanks. Coffee’s fine.”

She nodded. “I didn’t know you were back in town,” she said as she reached for two mugs. Did his brother know he was back?

“I just drove in.”

His husky voice sounded even deeper with age—sexier, if possible. And more dangerous.

He would ask questions just as the police had. Questions she didn’t want to answer. Questions she’d avoided for years.

But the past had nothing to do with Ruby’s kidnapping so why should she open up that wound?

Answering those questions would mean breaking the bond of silence she’d entered into almost a decade ago. A bond she’d agreed to against her will, but one she had accepted in order to protect her family, herself and Ruby.

She filled their mugs and offered him cream and sugar, but he took his black. Warming her hands with the cup, she led him into the den. The Christmas tree lights twinkled, the unopened gifts reminding her how empty the house was without Ruby, how desolate Christmas would be if her sister didn’t come home.

Wind ripped harshly through the eaves of the old house, rattling windowpanes and shutters, adding to her chill. She motioned for him to sit down.

“I read about Ruby’s disappearance,” Gage said. “And I wanted to offer my services.”

“I don’t have much money,” Leah said, lowering her gaze to stare into her mug. “You know Dad died when I was sixteen. He worked as a landscape artist but had no savings to speak of. And Mom was a receptionist at a local insurance company. What little insurance money there was had to go to Mom’s hospital bills.”

“I was sorry to hear about her death,” Gage said, although he hadn’t known Leah’s family very well. “Don’t worry about the money. Solving your case and finding your sister will be good publicity for my firm.”

Anger seeped through her. “This is not about publicity,” she said. “It’s about finding Ruby, Gage.”

His jaw tightened, those dark fathomless eyes raking over her. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that money is not an issue here. Finding your sister will be my priority.”

She searched his face. “Why should you care? You haven’t lived in Sanctuary for years.”

He took a sip of coffee. “I had my reasons for staying away.”

She glanced up and saw the strain on his face. She knew he and his brother had had issues and that he hadn’t had a happy home life. The McDermont family had taken him in and Jerry had resented him.

But all the girls in high school had been in love with Gage. He was brooding, the kind of bad boy that every girl wanted. The kind who stood up for the kids who were bullied because he had no fear for himself.

“I still don’t understand why you came back,” Leah said.

He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, studying her. “Did you read about the thirteen-year-old boy who got killed last week in Raleigh?”

She nodded.

“That was my case.” His voice dropped an octave. “He died on my watch, and I lashed out at the guy who did it. He deserved it but the chief suggested I take some time off.”

She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry. That poor boy.”

He gave a clipped nod. “That’s why I decided to start my own agency, Guardian Angel Investigations. I get to play by my own rules. If you let me, I’ll do everything I can to find your sister. And I’ll see that whoever kidnapped her pays.”

She bit her lip, so tempted. She needed help.

But Gage? Why him?

“Is there some reason you don’t want me investigating, Leah?” Gage asked. “Is there something you’re trying to hide?”

Leah stiffened. Why would he ask her such a thing?

“Leah?”

“Of course not,” she said. “What are you implying?”

“I just want you to be honest with me. There may be something you haven’t shared that might lead us to your sister.”

“I told the police everything. But maybe I shouldn’t have called them.” She stood and crossed to the Christmas tree, toying with a reindeer Ruby had made out of clothespins. “The note warned me not to.” Emotion choked her voice. “If Ruby gets hurt or…worse, it will be my fault.”

RUBY HUGGED HER Matilda doll to her chest, tears trickling down her cheeks. She wanted to go home, back to her mama’s house, back to Leah.

But the man with the mask said that Leah didn’t want her anymore.

A sob wrenched her throat and she rolled to her side on the hard cot, coughing at the musky smell. It was dark and cold way up here in the attic. The man had brought her here and left her all alone.

There weren’t any kids to play with, no toys, no swing set, no tree house or bicycles.

No Christmas tree….

Just a few crayons and paper, and she’d almost used them all up.

She looked into the doll’s eyes, her chest hurting as she thought of home and how far away it seemed. Would she ever see her four-poster bed again? The unicorn spread? The pillow her mommy had made for her?

Her sister?

Would she be home for Christmas? How would Santa ever find her here?

Chapter Three

Gage scrutinized Leah, from her facial expressions and body language to the intonations of her voice, looking for a clue to indicate she was lying.

But her tears and those luminous, sad green eyes instantly tied him in knots. So did the smell of freshly baked cookies, as if she had made a batch to welcome her sister home.

He understood her terror as well as her guilt.

And even with anguish lining her features, she was the most beautiful woman he’d seen in a long time.

But he couldn’t allow himself to focus on that. This was just a case and Leah meant nothing to him.

Besides, he’d detected her moment of hesitation when he’d asked her if she was hiding something.

A moment that had confirmed his fear.

Whether or not it had anything to do with Ruby’s disappearance was another story.

But he suddenly wanted to unravel the secrets she had—especially why she didn’t want him here.

And why she’d avoided him in high school after she’d blown him off and hooked up with his brother.

“Leah, you can’t blame yourself. Most of the time it’s best for families to contact the police.”

“But what if this man hurts Ruby because of me?”

“It won’t do any good to second-guess yourself now. Why don’t you go over everything with me and we’ll see if the police might have missed something?”

She blinked back tears and nodded. “All right. If you think you can help. I’ll do anything to find her, Gage.”

If he’d thought she had anything to do with Ruby’s disappearance, he didn’t think so now. Her pain was too raw.

“I’d like to review all the information about the investigation. But first, why don’t you show me Ruby’s room.”

Again, guilt and worry strained her face, but she moved as if on autopilot to Ruby’s bedroom.

“She’s in my old room,” Leah said, gesturing at the lavender walls and stuffed animals covering the white, four-poster canopied bed.

He noted the unicorn bedspread, the pillowcase hand-embroidered with Ruby’s name. A pair of discarded sneakers lay by the closet door, a lime-green backpack beside them. A hot-pink jacket, fuzzy gloves and hat sat near a toy box overflowing with games and dolls.

Instincts honed from years on the force kicked in, and he knew he had to remain objective and push Leah. There had to be something the police had overlooked.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

She averted her gaze, walked to the window and looked out as if seeking answers. “I woke up early that morning—it was still dark. The wind was howling but I thought I heard a scream. Maybe it was Ruby…crying out for me to save her.” Her hands rose to her cheeks, wiping at tears. “But I was too late. If only I’d woken up a few minutes earlier.”

“Was her bed still warm when you came in?”

She turned to him, angling her head as if in thought. “I…don’t remember feeling it. I panicked, then called for help. I kept thinking that if the kidnapper was trying to leave town the police could find him before he got too far away.”

“There was no ransom note?”

She shook her head. “Just the note on the bed by the shredded teddy bear warning me not to call the police.”

“And you haven’t received any other calls or messages since?” “No.”

“Do you have any major investments, money tucked away that someone might know about?”

“No, nothing like that.” She gestured at the room. “As you can see, my house is modest.”

He folded his arms. “Can you think of anyone who’d want to hurt you or Ruby?”

“No, no one specific.” She sighed and dragged a hand through her hair. “I’ve already told the police all this.”

“I know, but humor me. Like I said, maybe they missed something. Think about the school where you teach. Any parents—fathers perhaps—that you’ve pissed off?”

Her mouth twisted. “There was a man, a single dad, who got angry with me last month.”

“What happened?”

“His son had some bruises on his chest and legs and I asked him about them, but I think the police questioned him already.”

“What did the man have to say about his son’s bruises?”

“That his little boy is clumsy and accident-prone.”

Gage grimaced. He’d heard that before.

He moved inside the room, examining the space without touching anything. Everything indicated that a happy, normal child lived within these walls but appearances could be deceiving. “Your bedroom is on the opposite side of the house?”

“Yes. But I don’t know how someone got in and took her without me hearing. It’s not a big house. I mean, I thought I heard a scream, but…”

“Well, you said the wind was howling, right? Maybe it covered the noise. Or maybe she knew him.” He gestured at the window. “The window lock was jimmied. That’s how he got in?”

She nodded, pain darkening her eyes. “It was locked when I went to bed, but when I came in, it was open.”

“And the police didn’t find any DNA or fingerprints?”

“They said they didn’t.”

Her wording roused his suspicions “What do you mean, they said they didn’t? Do you have reason to believe the police might be lying?”

She jerked her head up, her eyes wide as if she’d just realized what she’d said. Oftentimes people gave the truth away innocuously.

“Leah? Is there some reason you don’t trust the police or think they didn’t do their jobs?”

She chewed her bottom lip before answering. “Not exactly….”

“What?”

“It’s just that Charlie is the deputy now, and his father always ran everything.” She shrugged. “They don’t tell you much.”

He’d never liked Charlie Driscill himself. Had Charlie run a shoddy investigation?

He studied the child’s room, debating how much to prod Leah. A small table and chairs held a sketch pad and crayons, dolls crowded a baker’s rack and books and puzzles overflowed a bookshelf. “Does your sister have a computer?”

“No, it was a sore subject between us, because she wanted her own laptop in her room, and I wouldn’t allow it.” Her chest rose up and down with a shaky breath. “I know how dangerous it is for kids on the Internet, so I let her use mine but only with supervision.”

She had the right answers and appeared to be caring and protective. “The feds looked at my computer and found nothing,” Leah added.

“Was anything else missing? Any clothes, toys?”

Her eyes darted around nervously. “Her Matilda doll is gone. She might have it with her.”

So the kidnapper hadn’t packed a bag to take with them. “Good. That might prove to be helpful somehow.” At least in tracing her, or, if they found a body, in identifying her. But he refrained from relaying that thought.

She paced, wringing her hands together, then paused and traced her finger over a drawing Ruby had done. It was a childish sketch of a girl and a woman smiling, hands outstretched to each other in a meadow of wildflowers.

The sight of the room was obviously torturing her, so he moved toward the hall. “Let’s go downstairs.”

Relief softened the lines on her face. She was so petite, and fragile looking. Creamy skin, golden hair that fell in soft waves around her heart-shaped face, eyes the palest green he’d ever seen.

But the photo of the little girl burned in his pocket, reminding him to keep this strictly business. Every second counted. He didn’t want another child to end up dead on his watch.

And her comment about the police bugged him. If there was some reason she didn’t trust them, he needed to know what it was. It might prove to be the lead they needed to find Ruby.

LEAH STARED AT Gage’s folded hands as he sat in the club chair in the den.

His hands were large, masculine, callused. A jagged scar crisscrossed his right one, disappearing into the sleeve of his shirt.

She claimed the love seat and held Ruby’s Pippi doll, gently running a finger over its long red braids. The yarn hair was coarse, not like Ruby’s soft red curls.

Where was she right now? What was happening to her?

“All right, Leah. Give me a blow-by-blow of the events leading up to Ruby’s abduction.”

She took a deep breath. “The night before she disappeared I took Ruby to the park. They had a mini-fair with a merry-go-round and cotton candy and games.”

“Did you notice anyone following or watching you and Ruby?”

She bit down on her lip and struggled to think, but she’d been caught up in Ruby’s laughter and chatter, and hadn’t noticed anyone. “No, I…Maybe I should have but I didn’t see anything strange. There were a lot of families there—teenagers, kids laughing, running around, all excited.”

“Did you lose sight of your sister at any time?”

“No, I never left her side. We played some games and rode a few rides.” She paused. “I understand how important it is to watch children closely, and how quickly they can slip away.”

He nodded. “Go on. What did you do then?”

“Ruby wanted a corn dog and cotton candy, and then an ice cream sundae.” She remembered Ruby’s shriek of joy when Leah had finally given in and allowed her the sweets. “Normally I don’t let her have so much junk food, but it was our ‘Fun Friday,’ that’s what we call it, and I caved.” She shrugged helplessly, wondering if they’d ever share another Fun Friday again. Knotting her hands to compose herself, she pressed on. “Unfortunately she got an upset stomach, and went to bed as soon as we arrived home.”

He narrowed his eyes and her heart pounded. “What?” she asked.

“I was just wondering if a stranger could have slipped something in her food at the fair.”

A bead of perspiration trickled down the back of her neck. “I…don’t know. I didn’t see anyone near her food except the vendors.”

He nodded but she had to wonder. If someone had followed them, was it possible? The place had been packed. They’d stopped to play dart balloons and others had squeezed beside Ruby while she’d hung back and given them space. Although she’d kept an eye on Ruby, she could have missed something.

“Leah,” Gage said in a deep voice. “I understand this is difficult, but I need you to finish. Did you go to bed when Ruby did?”

She hesitated, driving her fingers through her hair. “Not right away. I locked up the house and read for a while, then turned in.”

“Did you check on Ruby?”

Her gaze shot to his. “Yes, I always do. She was sleeping peacefully, but she’d kicked off the comforter. I went in and covered her.”

“And the window was closed?”

“Yes.”

“Did you sleep all night?” he asked. “You didn’t hear anything?”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “No, not until the morning.” Her gaze lifted to his. “How could I sleep while someone was breaking in and taking her?”

“It happens, Leah.” His expression softened slightly, and she decided maybe he did have a heart.

“What time did you notice she was missing?”

“I woke up right before dawn when I heard the wind screaming, and I had a bad feeling.” She pressed a hand to her aching chest, drawing in a tortured breath. “I got up and ran to check on Ruby. I wanted to make sure she was tucked in, not freezing.”

“And you saw the open window then?”

She nodded. “Then I saw that Ruby wasn’t in her bed.” Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she brushed them away. “I called her name but she didn’t answer, and I panicked and flipped on the light. Then I saw the bear and the note.”

And sheer terror had ripped through her.

“The police questioned the staff and vendors at the fair, didn’t they?”

She nodded. “No one saw anything.”

And the feds hadn’t turned up anything suspicious on them. They speculated that a vacationer or someone traveling through might have seen her, followed her home and absconded with her in the night. Obviously, whoever had kidnapped her hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention.

“Did you have a gardener or any workers—repairmen, cable guys, anybody like that—in before the kidnapping?”

She massaged her temple. “No. I mow my own lawn, and I don’t remember any strange workers being in the neighborhood. I certainly hadn’t hired any.”

“I know the police already questioned the neighbors, but I’d like to do that myself.” He looked at her, hard. “But first, I have to ask you, Leah. Can you think of anyone else who’d kidnap Ruby? Her father—”

“Our father died before she was born,” Leah said, cutting him off. “You know that, Gage.”

He stared at her for so long that she started to fidget in her seat. “I just thought that maybe your mother had met someone else….”

“Heavens, no. My mother was always faithful to my dad.”

But Leah’s dad wasn’t Ruby’s. Had Gage somehow discovered their secret?

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU been back in Sanctuary?” Gage asked.

She fisted her hands in her lap. “Since my mother died three months ago.”

“Where did you live before that?”

“In a condo in Atlanta. I was teaching there, but decided to move back to my mom’s house. I thought that would make the transition easier for Ruby.”

“How did you feel about giving up your job and moving?”

Anger flared in her eyes. “What are you implying? That I didn’t want Ruby?”

“I’m just asking,” he said brusquely. “You were on a career path, a good-looking single woman, and now your plans are ruined, and you’re saddled with a child to raise.”

She lurched up, eyes blazing with rage. But anguish darkened the depths, as well. “I’m not ‘saddled with a child,’” she said vehemently. “I would do anything for Ruby. I love her with all my heart.”

He wanted to reach out and touch her, calm her. She was trembling so badly that tears spilled down her face again.

“Then come on, Leah.” His voice was razor sharp cutting through her, dredging up the guilt. “I know you’re hiding something. Do you have any enemies? Maybe an old boyfriend or lover who’d want to hurt you by kidnapping your sister?”

LEAH ALMOST LAUGHED out loud. She hadn’t had a boyfriend since high school. And she certainly hadn’t had a lover.

Too much guilt and shame from the past had haunted her. And trust didn’t come easy. Not after what had happened the night of that horrible party eight years ago.

The party she’d attended in hopes of being with Gage. Only he hadn’t shown.

But she didn’t intend to tell Gage about that night. It was the deepest, most painful, humiliating, well-guarded secret of her life. Besides, it had nothing to do with Ruby’s disappearance.

It was in the past and it had to stay there.

Ruby was all that mattered now. She had to get her back safely. And then she’d never let her out of her sight again.

“Leah?” His voice startled her back to the present. “Is there an old boyfriend or lover who might want to hurt you?”

“No, no one.”

“You know something, don’t you?”

She lifted her gaze to his. If she discovered a connection, something concrete to make her believe the past was related to Ruby’s disappearance, she’d break her promise and tell him. But she’d confronted Charlie when Ruby first went missing and he’d assured her no one would gamble with their futures when she’d kept her vow of silence.

“I told you everything I know,” she said, fear making her voice wobble.

A heartbeat of tension passed between them, and her insides churned with worry as he studied her. Then he gave a clipped nod. “The feds put a tap on your phone?”

“Yes, but the kidnapper never called.”

“I’m going to hook into your phone, too, just in case. Then I want to talk to your neighbors.” He hesitated. “Meanwhile, I want you to take a stab at making a list of anyone you can think of that might have a grudge against you. Anyone with a motive to hurt you or Ruby. Think about your school and the locals—maybe a parent or teacher who paid special attention to Ruby—and even people in Atlanta.”

Leah’s heart sank. “But I’ve already been through all this.”

“I know, but you might remember something new, even a small detail that might not have seemed significant at the time. How about a woman or man who’d lost a child recently?”

She felt a rush of adrenaline. “There is a woman who lost her daughter a few months ago, a runaway teen.” Her gaze swung to his, panicked but hopeful. If this woman had Ruby, she wouldn’t harm her. “She always said that Ruby reminded her of her little girl. I didn’t think of it before—I felt sorry for her.”

“Write down her contact information,” Gage said. “I’ll check her out along with that father you mentioned earlier.”

She nodded, anxious for him to take action. How strange, after all this time, that Gage would come to help her. If he brought Ruby back, she’d more than forgive him for abandoning her that night to her awful fate. She’d forgive everything if it meant having Ruby back, safe and sound.

Chapter Four

Gage looked at the names he’d written down. Dr. Donnie Burkham, the man whose son was bruised, and Carmel Foster, the woman whose daughter had run away.

He’d visit them after he canvassed the neighborhood and stopped by the police station to see just how hard Driscill had searched for Ruby. And to find out if there were any registered sex offenders in the area.

He had to consider all possibilities.

Since it was Saturday, he found most of the ten residents on Leah’s street at home. Many of the homeowners were older, empty nesters, and three of the houses were rentals. A Hispanic family occupied one, and a Russian woman with three small children who’d just moved to the area and spoke very little English was renting another one.

The last rental house was empty. The yard was overgrown, the house shrouded in trees. The trash can in back was full, overflowing with pizza boxes and beer cans.

The house backed up to Leah’s property Had someone lived there recently or moved out in a hurry?

He jotted down the rental agency. He’d find out who owned the house, who the last renter was and when he moved out. And whether Driscill had bothered to check it out.

He drove into town, passing the Christmas tree lot sponsored by the local Boy Scout troop, noting the sparkling Christmas lights and decorations in the square. The carriage rides offered a quaint tour, past the stores alight with candles and promises of last-minute holiday gift ideas, and carolers serenading children beside the coffee-house.

On the edge of town, he parked in the gravel lot at the police station, a small, weathered stone building, nearly overrun by untended bushes. Yanking his collar up to ward off the blustery wind, he strode to the door. Brittle grass and pebbles crunched beneath his boots, tree branches swaying violently over his head.

When he opened the door, the scent of strong coffee and stale pastries hit him. He spotted a medium-size paneled room with three desks, one for a receptionist. The other two he assumed were shared by officers.

A pudgy woman with slightly pink hair teased into a bird’s nest on top of her head looked up and smiled. “What can I do for you, mister?”

“My name is Gage McDermont. I need to speak to the sheriff.”

“McDermont?” She popped her gum. “You related to Jerry McDermont?”

He nodded.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” She grinned and extended her hand, bloodred fingernails glittering with yellow stars painted on them. How festive.

“My name’s Carina Burton. I was two years behind you in school, but I remember watching you on the football field. You were the best kicker Sanctuary High ever had.”

He didn’t remember her. Then again, he’d only had eyes for Leah.

And if Jerry had been with her, I wouldn’t have touched her. We definitely had different tastes in women.

Except for Leah.

Damn. He really thought he’d put that behind him.

“Sheriff’s been under the weather,” Carina said, “but Charlie’s here. He’s been in charge about a month now. Running for sheriff in the next election.”

Son of a bitch. Just what the town needed, a Driscill monopoly. He’d tangled with Charlie on the football field and off. The guy played to win and didn’t care if it was a fair fight or not.

In some ways, Gage was just like him.

But he did what he did to seek justice. Driscill just flat out liked to give a beating. And it didn’t matter whether the person deserved it—just depended on Driscill’s mood.

Carina gestured for him to follow her down the narrow hallway to another office.

Driscill glanced up from his desk, a look of wary surprise crossing his face. He’d beefed up some since high school, and his hair was shorter now, receding slightly, but Gage would have recognized his tree-trunk neck and crooked nose anywhere. A mean look still glittered in his eyes.

“Gage McDermont, what in the hell are you doing back in Sanctuary? We having a class reunion someone forgot to tell me about?”

Gage forced a chuckle. “Hardly.” He shot a look across the office. “I have a feeling you know everything that’s going on in this town.”

A cocky grin slid across Driscill’s face. “It’s my job to know.” He patted his gun. “And I take my job seriously. What are you doing here, McDermont? I thought you were some hotshot detective in Raleigh.”

Gage gritted his teeth. He didn’t intend to share the circumstances of his departure from the police department with this moron from his past. “I got tired of playing by the rules and decided to strike out on my own.”

Charlie raked a hand over his thinning hair. “You got tired of the rules? Now that’s funny. You were always the goody-two-shoes in high school.”

He had tried to be the nice guy. But nice guys finished last. “I’ve changed.”

Charlie grinned. “Is that so?”

Gage nodded. “Yeah, I have a private investigation agency. I’m here about Ruby Holden’s disappearance.”

Driscill’s olive skin paled slightly, although he masked his reaction quickly. “You’re a P.I. for kids?”

“I’m working for Leah Holden.”

Driscill stood, boots hitting the cement floor. “She called you in?”

He shook his head. “I read about the case and heard you’d called off the search, so I offered my assistance. Fill me in. Where are you on the investigation? Do you have any leads?”

Driscill scowled. “If you’ve followed the news, you know we did everything we could. Organized search parties, questioned everyone in town. Even consulted the feds. But no leads yet.”

“Why didn’t you immediately call in the bureau?”

“We thought we could handle it ourselves,” Driscill said. “Thought the kid just snuck out and got lost or something.”

Gage arched a brow. “And the child left that cryptic note?”

A muscle twitched in Driscill’s jaw. “We did everything possible to find that little girl. Hell, the whole town was looking for her for days.”

“Did you have any viable suspects?” Gage asked.

“No. You know as well as I do that if someone kidnapped her, they’re probably long gone by now.” He cracked his knuckles. “The feds have issued alerts and have her listed on the database for missing and exploited children. They’ll let us know if they get a tip.”

“Did you look into that rental house that backs up to Leah’s property?” Gage asked.

Charlie frowned. “No. Didn’t see a need to.”

“The kidnapper could have hid out there.”

“Maybe.”

“Are there any registered child offenders in the area?”

“Daryl Trevett. I questioned him already and he was working at the plastic factory all night.” Charlie lowered his voice. “The problem may be Leah Holden herself.”

“What do you mean?”

He cut his eyes toward the door as if debating how much to share, then cleared his throat. “She’s had emotional problems. Had a breakdown when her daddy died. That’s the reason her mama sent her away her senior year.” Driscill narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t you know?”

He’d heard rumors.

Driscill shrugged. “Maybe she lost it again when her mama died, and she couldn’t handle being a parent.”

Gage hid any reaction. He wanted the facts. “You have anything to support that theory?”

“All I know is that she’s been seeing a shrink.” He jammed a toothpick between his teeth and chewed on it. “And since she moved back, she’s kept to herself. Don’t want anything to do with her old friends or the town. Except for Jerry, that is. Apparently Jerry thought she wanted to rekindle their relationship.”

Jealousy left a bitter taste in Gage’s mouth.

Had Leah really tried to get back together with his brother?

HE SWALLOWED THE pill, chasing it with a stiff whiskey, and paced the bottom floor of the old house. The mountains were full of rotting shanties and abandoned houses like this, places he’d discovered on his secret hikes into the woods.

Places no one would think to look because they probably didn’t even know about them.

The rooms smelled musty and dank, and he wheezed a labored breath, then removed his inhaler and pressed it over his mouth and nose. Dammit, he was allergic to dust and half the trees in the woods.

Upstairs in the attic room, he heard footsteps. Then the little girl began screaming for help and beating the walls.

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. Poor kid, didn’t she know it was futile? They were miles and miles from the town, deep in the ridges.

She could scream her lungs out and no one would hear her.

Sick of her whining, he strode outside to escape the sound. He didn’t know what he was going to do with the kid yet.

But Leah Holden had called in the cops, so he couldn’t give her back.

Still, he wasn’t ready to kill her. Not yet.

If it came down to it, he’d do it. He could bury her out in the hills and no would ever find her or link him to her kidnapping and death.

Then his peaceful life in Sanctuary could go back to normal.

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