On a kidnapper’s trail...

Lone Star Justice never fails

Minutes after his baby nephew is kidnapped, Texas Ranger Dallas Sanders traces the crime to a child trafficking ring hiding in plain sight. As he and local sheriff Rachel Young race to expose the sinister conspiracy, they’re determined to keep their relationship professional. But when Rachel’s infant daughter is also abducted, can she and Dallas rescue the children in time…and survive to have a future together?

MARGARET DALEY, an award-winning author of ninety books (five million sold worldwide), has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread, and corralling her three cats, who think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret, visit her website at margaretdaley.com.

Also by Margaret Daley

Lone Star Justice

Covert Operatives

High-Risk Reunion

Lone Star Christmas Rescue

Texas Ranger Showdown

Texas Baby Pursuit

Alaskan Search and Rescue

The Yuletide Rescue

To Save Her Child

The Protector’s Mission

Standoff at Christmas

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Texas Baby Pursuit

Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08558-8

TEXAS BABY PURSUIT

© 2018 Margaret Daley

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“Rachel, what did the kidnapper say?”

In a whisper, Rachel replied, “‘You can save your daughter if you mess up this kidnapping case. If you come after me, I will kill her.’”

“I recommend you back away from the investigation,” Dallas said quietly.

Her head jerked up. “I can’t. At least there’s a better chance of finding her if I help.” Her eyes glistened. “Do you have any idea what I’m going through? My daughter is in danger because of me.”

Dallas grasped her shoulders. “No. She’s in danger because there are evil people in this world.”

“She’s probably crying right now. She won’t understand what’s happening to her.” One wet track after another coursed down Rachel’s face.

Dallas wrapped his arms around her and brought her against him, sheltering her the best he could. He wasn’t even sure if he should be on the case anymore because he had a score to settle with the people responsible. But Rachel needed his help to find Katie.

There was no way he would walk away...

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up the fourth book in my Texas Rangers miniseries. It’s been my joy to feature these amazing lawmen working on different types of cases, to watch them at work.

The worst nightmare for a parent is a child’s kidnapping. In this book, I wanted to show the heartache and devastation when a child is abducted from various viewpoints—from the family directly affected, from friends and family members, and from the people who work to bring the child home safely.

Being a law enforcement officer isn’t an easy job, but it’s especially difficult when a case involves babies and children. I want to thank all police everywhere who work tirelessly to bring to justice those people who think they can take advantage of the helpless.

I love hearing from readers. You can contact me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. You can also learn more about my books at www.margaretdaley.com. Sign up for my newsletter and get all the details about my current and upcoming projects every month.

Margaret Daley

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

—Psalms 27:1

To my two granddaughters, Abbey and Aubrey

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

Texas Ranger Dallas Sanders parked in the back of the sheriff’s station in Cimarron Trail, his home for the past few years. Although he worked out of the Texas Rangers’ office in San Antonio, he loved returning to the smaller town northwest of the city at the end of a long day at work. Now that he’d wrapped up an intense case involving a turf war between two rival gangs that had lasted six months, it was time he introduced himself to the new sheriff, and then all he wanted to do was go to his ranch and spend quality time with his daughter, Michelle.

When he slid from his SUV and started for the building, his cell phone’s ringtone played “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” He smiled when he saw who was calling him. “Hi, princess. I should be home in half an hour.”

“Dad, I’m not at the ranch. I’m babysitting for Aunt Lenora. Grandma drove me here, and Aunt Lenora will bring me home in a couple of hours.”

His thirteen-year-old daughter was the reason he’d bought a small ranch right outside of Cimarron Trail rather than living in San Antonio. Yes, it added an hour to his commute to and from work, but it was worth it. Some of his relatives lived nearby, and after his wife had walked out on their marriage, his daughter needed family around her for support. “How about dinner?” he asked as he opened the rear door into the sheriff’s station.

“I’ll let you know. Aunt Lenora has a committee meeting that might run over. If I get hungry, she has stuff to eat here. The reason I’m calling is that the store where I want to buy my electronic keyboard is open until nine, and I’ll have enough money after Aunt Lenora pays me. Can you take me later when I come home?”

He glanced at his watch. Three o’clock. All he had thought about on his drive home was relaxing and spending some quality time with Michelle now that he didn’t have to put in fourteen-hour days.

“Dad, please.”

He released a long breath. “Sure, if we have time. If not, we can go tomorrow. I’m taking a few days off.”

“I think I called the wrong number. Are you sure you’re Dallas Sanders?”

He laughed. “I know, princess. I’ve been working way too much, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“I’m holding you to it. Gotta go. Brady’s crying.”

When he disconnected the call, he slid his phone back into his pocket. He smiled as he scanned the large room where most of the deputies worked. Michelle was his life. When Patricia left him a few years ago for another man, he’d spiraled into a depression that he’d had to fight his way out for the sake of his daughter. Without Michelle, he might have wallowed in his misery for years.

Dallas approached Deputy Carson, a member of his church. “Mark, is the new sheriff here?”

The young man gestured toward a closed door off the main room. “I know you don’t work this county, but I was expecting you last week.”

“I was working a big case that rapidly blew up. The good thing is we have the main perpetrators safely in jail now. My life will get back to normal.”

Mark chuckled. “But for how long?”

“Please don’t say that. I want only positive thoughts.” Dallas strolled to the closed door and knocked.

“Come in,” a female voice said.

He entered the office and found a woman dressed in a brown uniform with her head bent over a paper she was writing on. His gaze latched onto her shoulder-length auburn hair, which fell forward, framing her face as she looked up at him. Crystal-clear green eyes locked on his face for a few seconds before she noticed the Texas Ranger star pinned to his white shirt over his heart.

She rose, came around her desk and extended her hand. “I’m Sheriff Rachel Young. Since you aren’t the Texas Ranger who covers my county—because he’s on vacation—I’m assuming you’re here on one of your cases. How can I help you?”

He shook her hand. “I’m Dallas Sanders, and no, I’m not here on a case. I live right outside of Cimarron Trail and wanted to welcome you to the area as well as let you know if you ever need extra help, I live at the Five Star Ranch. I understand you were a sergeant for the Austin Police Department before becoming sheriff.”

Her smile lit up her whole face and made him feel at ease. “When my father retired, I jumped at the chance to fill his position and run for sheriff. I grew up in Cimarron Trail.”

“I dealt with your dad a couple of times when a case I was on involved this county, too. I didn’t think he would retire for years.”

“He finally decided to become a rancher. It was a childhood dream besides being a police officer. His place is northeast of Cimarron Trail. The Safe Haven Ranch, which is really a refuge for abandoned animals, is three hundred acres, small by Texas standards.” She gestured toward a chair in front of her desk. “If you have time, take a seat. I’d like your view of what’s happening in the area. I want to be proactive rather than reactive. My first ten days have been quiet. Too quiet. I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Dallas sat while the sheriff took another chair nearby. “I assume your father filled you in.”

“About the county, yes. But what I mean by the area is the other counties nearby, including Bexar County.”

“I just wrapped up a case involving a turf war between two gangs. At least for the moment it’s quiet between them, although I’m not naive enough to think that will last. There has also been smuggling activities up and down I-35.”

His cell phone sounded, and he slipped it from his pocket to see who was calling. Michelle. Again? Maybe her plans watching Brady had changed. She usually texted him while he was working, but a call twice in fifteen minutes was most unusual. “I need to answer this.”

He tapped the on button. “Michelle—”

“Help! They’re taking Brady!”

Her frantic words, followed by a scream, urged Dallas to his feet. “Michelle, what’s going on?”

Then it sounded like she dropped the phone, sending chills down his spine. “No! Don’t,” she cried out.

“Michelle!” Everything went silent.

He rushed out into the main room, aware the sheriff had followed him. He glanced back. “Something’s happened at my sister’s house. Can you follow me?”

With her keys in her hand, the sheriff nodded and said to a deputy, “Follow, too.”

As Dallas hurried toward his SUV, he kept repeating his daughter’s name into his cell phone, but there was only silence. The phone was dead. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he started his car. His sister’s house wasn’t far from the sheriff’s station, but every scenario involving kids that he’d encountered as a law enforcement officer raced through his thoughts. He recalled the semi truck full of human beings smuggled into the United States—children included—discovered just this month in a parking lot during the heat of summer in a suburb of San Antonio.

After he slammed to a stop in his sister’s driveway, he ran toward the front door, trying not to think about the smuggling rings bringing people in and out of this country. He couldn’t rid his mind of it. Fear spurred him to go faster.

When he spied the front door wide open he drew his gun, and his professional facade fell into place. Whatever had gone down, the perpetrator could still be inside—with his daughter.

Sheriff Young and her deputy entered the house right behind him. Dallas motioned for them to go right while he went left toward the bedrooms. His heartbeat drowned out other sounds as he moved down the hall, checking the rooms. When he stepped into Brady’s, its emptiness mocked him. Brady is gone. Where is Michelle?

* * *

As Rachel moved into the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was that the back door—just like the front door—was wide open. She gestured for her deputy to circle the room while she headed to the exit, leading to a screened-in porch.

Lying on a blanket on the wood floor was a young teenage girl, her arm stretched out toward a smashed cell phone, blood pooling onto the coverlet. “Call 911,” Rachel yelled to her deputy as she rushed to the child and knelt next to her.

The girl’s eyes fluttered, opened for a few seconds, then closed.

“Michelle. I’m here to help. Your dad is, too.” Rachel felt the teenager’s pulse on the side of her neck. Her fast heart rate might indicate a concussion. She examined the injury on the side of the girl’s head, blood still flowing from it, but she couldn’t tell how deep the wound was. “Michelle.”

The young teen moaned and lifted her eyelids as she tried to sit up.

Rachel gently restrained her. “Don’t get up yet.” She spied a white hand towel on the blanket and snatched it up, then pressed it against the girl’s wound to try and stop the bleeding.

The child’s brown eyes grew wide as she stared over Rachel’s shoulder. “Dad.”

Rachel had been so absorbed in the teenager she hadn’t heard Dallas coming out onto the porch. She looked over her shoulder at Texas Ranger Dallas Sanders, over six feet tall. His stiff posture and clenched jaw warred with the smile flirting at the edges of his mouth as he looked at his daughter.

A half grin won out. “I’m here, honey. You’ll be okay. I promise.”

Rachel was amazed at the calmness in his voice. Now she understood why her father had mentioned Dallas when discussing potential allies for her in the area. He kept his composure in a situation that would throw most into a panic.

Dallas squatted on the other side of Michelle and took over putting pressure on the injury to stem the blood flow. “What happened?” he asked in a soft, soothing voice.

“Brady.” Michelle turned her head to the side—the movement causing her to wince and displace the cloth on her wound. “They...took him, Daddy.” She waved her hand toward an area with scattered toys on the blanket. Tears ran down her face.

Again the teen tried to rise, but this time Dallas clasped one of her shoulders. “Don’t move until you’re checked out.” He re-covered the injury with the cloth. Worry engraved deeper lines on his face.

“Your dad’s right,” Rachel said. “An ambulance is on its way. You’re in good hands.”

“But Brady...” Michelle’s eyelids half closed “...is gone...” Tears drenched her cheeks, her eyes dulling.

Rachel glanced at Dallas. Their gazes locking for a few seconds gave her a brief glimpse into the suppressed fear in his eyes, so dark they were almost black. “Michelle, I’m Sheriff Young. I’m here to look for Brady. You don’t need to worry. I’ll take care of him.”

While Dallas hovered over his daughter, trying to reassure her everything was being taken care of, Rachel rose and covered the distance to Deputy Jones, who was one of her investigative officers. “Call for backup. A baby was taken. We need help looking for Brady.” She started for the screen door that led to the yard. “I’ll be out here canvassing the yard. Let me know when more help arrives.”

“Yes, ma’am,” her deputy said with a nod.

Rachel started for the exit, glancing back at Dallas and his daughter.

“I’ll be right back, princess.”

Michelle clutched her father’s arm. “Don’t leave me, Daddy.”

“I’m not. I need to talk to the sheriff for a moment.”

The teen slipped her hand away and held the cloth over her injury, her arm shaking. Dallas rose and quickly bridged the short distance between himself and Rachel. “I’ll get what information I can from Michelle and contact my sister and mother.”

“I’ll need a description of Brady and what he was wearing, and if possible, a recent picture. It’ll help with the Amber Alert. How old is he?”

“He’s eight months old and crawling. Not walking yet. He has dark hair and blue eyes.”

Rachel nodded, then turned toward the door as the EMTs came onto the porch. The screen door was slightly open. The kidnapper came in this way or left out the back. She descended the steps but paused a moment and again looked at Dallas, standing back from his daughter, running his fingers through his short brown hair. A tic twitched in his jaw while one of the paramedics stooped to check Michelle.

Rachel’s throat thickened. She had a daughter who would turn one in a month. All she wanted to do was drive out to her parents’ house, pick up Katie and hug her. Never let her go. The only good thing that had come out of her marriage was Katie.

This case would be hard for her. She’d only been sheriff for a couple of weeks and had dealt with minor crimes so far. The honeymoon was over.

She scanned the area—open with few fences except one along the back where a dirt road ran behind the houses on the street. The kidnapper could have parked on that road by the southern border of the Fowlers’ ranch and easily climbed the rear fence. But then, if that were case, why was the front door open?

As she walked toward the rear of the property, using the most direct path, her gaze swept the ground around her. About ten feet away, she spotted a binky on the grass. She took out her phone and snapped a picture. After putting on a pair of gloves, she leaned over, picked up the blue pacifier and put it into an evidence bag. From the looks of it, it hadn’t been outside long. Possibly dropped by Brady, which meant the kidnappers had left by the back door and headed for the road behind the house. She’d need to know from Michelle how the kidnappers got into the house, since both entrances were wide open.

Most likely the perpetrators entered through the front door, because it had been wide open when Michelle and Dallas arrived. Maybe they fled out the nearest exit. And ran around to the front to leave? She hoped a neighbor had seen something—the kidnappers or the getaway car with a license plate number.

It was even possible they’d come into the place through the back screen door and gone out the front because their car was on the street. But wouldn’t Michelle have seen them approaching from the rear? Only the top half of the porch was screened. Rachel shook her head and looked back at the house.

Her stomach tightened into a hard ball, and she held up the evidence bag with the binky in it. Or they’d come in the front and gone out the back, their car parked on the dirt road behind the property. She had to check everything out. Timing was important in cases like kidnapping.

She climbed the fence rails and paused above the ground and road, staring at several sets of different tire tracks. She knew they were freshly made because the day before it had rained hard. She would have casts made of all of them. Maybe one would give them a lead. She inspected the barren earth that had only a few weeds sticking up. Two pairs of boot prints crisscrossed the tire tracks. Michelle had said “they.” Were there two intruders or more, having something to do with one of the back ways into the Fowlers’ ranch?

She would have this area blocked off and processed, but she would also need to pay Houston Fowler a visit to find out which of his employees had used this road in the past twenty-four hours. Even if no one had, maybe one of them saw something.

As she hopped down and started back toward the house, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and punched the on button. “Is everything all right, Dad?”

“I’ve got a call there’s been a kidnapping.”

“An eight-month-old baby.”

“Whose?”

“Lenora and Paul Howard’s. How’s Katie?”

“She’s fine. Your mother is feeding her. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to my granddaughter.”

Her dad knew her well. Rachel reached the porch. “I need to go.”

“I don’t want to butt in, but I’ll help in any way you need.”

“Thanks, Dad. Right now, just keep Katie safe.” Rachel disconnected the call and opened the screen door to the porch, then entered.

Deputy Jones finished taking photos of the area. “Texas Ranger Sanders went with his daughter to the regional hospital.”

Thinking of the nasty bleeding gash on the side of Michelle’s head, Rachel asked, “Was she still responsive when she left?”

“Yes. He called his sister and brother-in-law. They should be here soon. Also, the word’s getting out and already a couple of reporters have arrived.”

“But not on the property?”

“No. Standing in the street along with some of the neighbors.”

“I’ll go around front and meet the parents. Send a deputy out to make castings of the tire tracks along the dirt road behind here as well as the two sets of boot prints.”

Instead of going through the house, Rachel headed around the side of the building and came upon a large, muscular man wearing a hoodie standing behind a group of tall bushes, peeking in a window. When he spied her, he whirled around, plunged through the thick vegetation and raced across the Howards’ neighbor’s back lawn.

Rachel took out after him. Her heart pounded as quickly as her feet against the ground. The suspicious man disappeared around the corner of a home two away from the Howards’. As she chased him, she pressed her mic and said, “I’m in pursuit of a guy at the Howards’. I’m two houses away heading west. I need backup.”

Who was this guy? Why was he there? What was he looking for?

Rachel chased the man around the side of the neighbor’s place, colliding into the solid wall of his body, his head down, hood masking his face. She stumbled back, fighting to stay on her feet. As she regained her footing, she raised her head just as a fist plowed into her jaw, then her eye. The world swirled, and she collapsed.

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.

Across the room Dallas looked at her, their eyes bound together for a few seconds. He broke visual contact first and sauntered in the direction of the door that led to the porch.

“I found something in the dining room.”

He stopped and peered back at her, one brow raised.

She covered the distance between them and withdrew the small evidence bag from her pocket. “It’s a bracelet with a heart charm that has DN engraved on it. Does this look familiar to you?”

He held it up and examined it closely. “No. I’ve never seen Lenora with it or my mother or even Michelle. She spends a lot of time here.”

“Then this could be what the guy who hit me came back for.”

“Possibly. We need to show it to Lenora and Paul. It could belong to one of their friends I’m not familiar with.”

“I will.”

At the rear exit, Rachel stood in the doorway and slowly swept her gaze around the porch. Three walls were half screened on the top while the bottom was brick. The area had been childproofed and had a baby swing in a corner. When she focused on the coverlet on the wooden floor, her throat tightened at the sight of the blood on it and the cell phone Michelle used to call Dallas.

“I asked Deputy Jones to process for latent prints and search for any evidence but to leave the room as it is. I wanted you to see it when you weren’t concentrating on getting your daughter to the hospital.”

“Thanks. You’re right. I wasn’t paying much attention once I saw Michelle.”

Deputy Jones appeared at the back door and came into the room. “You’re gonna have one nice shiner there, sheriff.”

“That’s because the Peeping Tom clocked me with a one-two punch.” She waved her hand at her jaw then her eye.

“I don’t even have to look in a mirror to remind me that the guy got in two packed punches. Except for taking up the blanket and phone, are you finished in here?”

“Yes, ma’am. The area along the dirt road has been searched, but other than the tire tracks and boot prints, that’s all we found. I had a couple of deputies comb the back and front yards, but they didn’t find anything. Another deputy went to talk to Houston Fowler.”

“Good. Let me know if Fowler has any information that will help this case. I want to show Dallas where I think they got away.” Rachel swung her attention to Dallas, who stared at the blood, his jaws clenched so tightly a muscle twitched. “Do you want to go out back?”

He lifted his head, his eyes full of anger. While he battled for control, he marched to the outside door and left the porch.

“Bag the blanket and phone and take them to headquarters. Did we get good latent prints?” Rachel asked her deputy while watching Dallas scope out the yard.

“Yes. There were tons. I’m in the process of getting fingerprints from family members or friends who’ve been here recently to rule them out.”

“Thanks. We’ll be back.”

Rachel joined Dallas, still seeing a struggle between anger and determination. She again felt a connection with him that surprised her. They were both single parents and had daughters, but the two girls were years apart in age. Where was Michelle’s mother? It wasn’t easy raising a child alone, as Rachel was finding out.

With his hands fisted at his sides, Dallas closed his eyes. He spread his fingers wide and shook them. The tense set of his face relaxed, and when he twisted toward her and looked at her, a calm, professional demeanor fell into place. “I have to work this case. I can’t let my emotions take over.”

“I know. If my daughter were kidnapped, no matter what, I would be out there looking for her.”

“It won’t be easy to remain objective, but with the Lord’s help, I’ll find out who kidnapped Brady.”

“Good. We need all the help we can get.” Rachel began walking across the yard.

“The castings were taken for the tire tracks and boot prints on the other side of the back fence?”

“Yes.”

“Did you notice what kind of shoes the guy who hit you was wearing?”

Rachel stopped and closed her eyes, trying to picture the man running away from her. She remembered watching his hoodie, hoping it would slip from his head. When he turned the corner of the neighbor’s house, had she caught sight of his shoes? “I think he was wearing black hiking boots. One of my deputies made a casting of the prints by the dining room window. I haven’t had a chance yet to compare them.”

Dallas climbed the fence, straddled the top and stretched out his arm to help her. She clasped his palm, his large hand swallowing her smaller one. His warm touch engulfed her in a wave of awareness that startled her. He hoisted her up. Their gazes met and held for a long moment. Finally she looked away, afraid that her cheeks were red.

When they both descended to the ground near the dirt road, she put a few feet between them, not sure what had just happened. She strolled to the boot prints. “The smaller set with the larger one fits the scenario that a man and woman took Brady. Her shoe size is about a six.”

Dallas put his cowboy boot alongside the other set. “And he wears a twelve.”

“Now all we have to do is find a couple who wear a shoe sizes of six and twelve.”

“Just one of many clues I hope we’ll find.” Dallas made his way to the tire imprints. “They drove a small compact car.” He took several steps between the tracks and knelt, using a pencil to move the grass. “This vehicle was leaking oil.” He took out his cell phone and took a picture. “A lot. That might help us. Make sure your deputy got a sample of this oil in case we find a car leaking oil.”

Dusk settled over the landscape as Dallas walked up the road toward the Fowlers’ property, then came back and went in the other direction. When he returned, he said, “They turned around about a hundred yards that way.” He pointed toward the ranch. “Let’s go talk to Lenora and Paul. There isn’t much else we can do here, and I need to return to the hospital and relieve Mom.”

As they headed back to the house, Dallas received a call. He stopped and listened, the lines in his forehead getting deeper the longer the other person talked.

“How many babies were stolen?” Dallas turned his back on Rachel and lowered his voice.

More babies taken? When he ended the conversation, Rachel stiffened, preparing herself for the worst.

THREE

As Dallas neared Lenora’s porch, he clutched his cell phone. “That was the Texas Ranger office in San Antonio on the phone. There’s been a series of baby snatchings north of Dallas.”

“How many have there been?” Rachel asked as she moved into the house.

“Three babies were kidnapped by strangers, but that’s not all. They checked throughout Texas, and one other area has reported the same crime pattern in the past year. There was a cluster of kidnappings in El Paso. I don’t think this is just a couple looking for a baby.”

“Which means we’ll have two more before they move on, if they hold to the pattern.”

He grasped her arm and stopped her before she entered the kitchen. “Sounds like a systematic organization kidnapping babies to sell. They only stay a few weeks in one area, then they move on. I’ll be checking to see if this is happening in other states.”

Rachel frowned. “We have to stop them.”

“I’ve already asked headquarters to expand to the surrounding states. To see if there are cases like this there. In the meantime, I’ll get what information I can about the other abductions. Maybe there’s a pattern forming where others were taken from their homes. If not, we need to establish if there’s one—or if the kidnappings are random with nothing in common between them.”

“This is going to send this area into a panic, but it might help. People will be more vigilant. That might be a good thing.”

“So long as they don’t overreact.” He paused in the kitchen. “When will you hold a press conference?”

“I’m releasing information tomorrow morning at eight. I want to see if your sister and brother-in-law would like to address the reporters. Right now, there are only a few outside, but by tomorrow that number will grow.”

“Do you want me to be there?”

“Yes. I want whoever took Brady to know who’s coming after them.”

“They picked the wrong family to mess with.” His words were quiet but lethal sounding.

Rachel was glad to have his assistance. The county sheriff election had been contentious and even ugly, especially toward the end when it appeared she would win. She became sheriff because of her father’s good reputation and the many years he’d been in office, but the only way she would remain in the position was to do a good job, like he’d done. She couldn’t let her dad down.

Rachel continued toward the living room with Dallas right behind her. Lenora sat on the couch, her head down, her hands clutching a blue knitted blanket that had been on a chair in the living room when she’d first walked through the house. All Rachel wanted to do was hug Lenora. The pain she was going through wove its way through Rachel. Katie was the most important person in her life.

Paul entered from the foyer, a scowl etching deep lines in his face. “I took the phone off the hook. It’s been ringing for the past few hours, and I can’t deal with it anymore.” His voice rough with emotion, he took a place next to his wife and slipped his arm along her shoulders.

Rachel sank into the wingback chair across from Lenora while Dallas eased down next to his sister on her other side. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I promise I won’t rest until we track down these kidnappers and find Brady. Have you noticed anything unusual lately—like a person you didn’t know following or watching you more than once?”

Never looking up, Lenora shook her head.

“Has someone called and hung up when you picked up the phone?”

“No.”

“Did the woman who was supposed to pick something up ever come?” Rachel pulled the evidence bag from her pocket.

Lenora’s glistening eyes lifted to Rachel’s face. “No, but she called me to let me know she wasn’t while I was in the meeting. I should have told Michelle, but I didn’t get a chance.”

“Who is the friend?” Rachel would need to check out the woman.

“Mary Jane Martin. I’ve known her for years.” One tear ran down Lenora’s face, then another. “If I had let Michelle know she wasn’t coming right away, this might not have happened. It’s all my fault.”

Dallas covered his sister’s hands. “You aren’t to blame. The kidnappers are. It’s very likely you and Brady were targeted.”

“How? Why?” Paul asked Dallas. “We don’t have much money to pay a ransom, but we’ll find a way.” Paul dropped his chin against his chest. “If they ever contact us.” He jerked his head up. “I guess I have to put the phone back on.”

“Why don’t you get one of our relatives to answer the phone for the next couple of days?” Dallas asked.

Paul frowned. “I guess I can ask my uncle. I don’t think either of us can deal with the calls right now, but what if the kidnapper does call?”

“We’ll trace your calls. If that’s okay with you.” Rachel shifted her attention from Lenora to her husband. She was worried about Dallas’s sister.

“Yes, anything to bring Brady back,” Lenora murmured, her words so low it was hard to understand her at first.

“Then I’ll set it up, and I’ll have a deputy answer the phone. Excuse me.” Rachel left the room to find Deputy Jones. She wanted to give Dallas a moment to talk with his family alone. When Rachel located her deputy on the back porch, she told him about answering the phone and tracing any calls, then returned to the living room.

“Why is this happening to us?” she heard Lenora wail.

Dallas’s face paled. “There are several common reasons why someone abducts a child. A familiar person like a divorced mother or father. An individual or couple who have lost a child and want to replace theirs. And people who sell babies on the black market.”

And it was easier to track down a kidnapper who fit the first two motives, but she kept that observation to herself. Rachel didn’t think that was the case here, which meant time wasn’t on their side.

Lenora turned toward her brother. “No. This doesn’t happen in Cimarron Trail. This is a safe town.” Sobs tore from her, filling the air with the sound of agony.

Dallas drew her against him, his arms enveloping his sister. “I’ll find Brady. I promise.”

With all color bled from his face, Paul stood, opening and closing his hands. “I need to turn the phone back on. They may be calling right now with a ransom demand.”

“Everything has been arranged,” Rachel said while Paul charged into the kitchen.

Dallas looked at Rachel, his brown eyes darkening even more. Pain etched his expression, the hard planes of his face tearing at Rachel’s composure.

Lenora leaned back and switched her attention between Rachel and Dallas while swiping her tears from her cheeks. “Y’all think he was taken to be sold.”

Dallas nodded.

Rachel’s chest constricted. Why, Lord? Why this baby? For the last two years of her marriage, she’d struggled to keep it together and prayed to God for an answer. The Lord never answered her call for help. She hoped He would for Lenora.

Rachel inhaled a composing breath. “Lenora, where did you go while Michelle was babysitting?”

“I went to church for a meeting about the building expansion. I’m on the committee. Then, afterwards, I’d planned to go to the grocery store before coming home. The meeting was just ending when I got the call about Brady.”

“I need a list of the people on the committee.”

“None of them would take my son!”

Dallas patted Lenora’s hand. “We have to check every lead possible. We aren’t accusing anyone, but we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t consider who knew you would be away from the house.”

“Pastor John Wiggins, Carl Stevens, Marvin Compton and Sue Palmer.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “They would never do something like this.”

“I can’t see they would either.” Not even Marvin Compton, who’d run against Rachel for county sheriff.

“Please do it quietly.” Lenora swiped her hand across her cheek. “I’ve known them for years.”

“We found something I’d like you to look at.” Rachel rose and closed the space between Lenora and her. She held up the bracelet in the plastic bag, making sure the heart with the initials was visible. “Do you know who this belongs to?”

Lenora’s eyes grew wide. “Where did you find it?”

“In your dining room by a chair under the table.”

“It’s mine. Mom gave it to me a few months ago. It used to be hers, and I would play with it when I was a child. She doesn’t wear it anymore, so she thought I would enjoy it.”

“The initials are DN?” Rachel asked.

“Mom’s maiden name was Dorothy Nash. I didn’t think of that.” Dallas twisted his mouth into a wry look.

Rachel took the evidence bag from Lenora and returned to the wingback. “I thought this might have been left by the kidnappers.”

“It could have been.” Lenora straightened. “I lost it last week when I was shopping with Brady. I looked everywhere when I realized it was gone, but I never found it.”

As Paul returned to the living room after taking the portable phone out to the deputy, Rachel withdrew a pad and pen. “Where did you go that day?”

“What’s going on?” Paul took his place next to his wife.

“Remember when I lost my bracelet? Rachel found it in the dining room, but it couldn’t have been there. I remember having it when I left the house last week, and at the drugstore, but when I was through shopping and heading back to the car, it was gone. I retraced my steps to the last store I visited. I couldn’t find it in Knit n’ Pearl. Brady was so fussy I didn’t go to the other two shops. I called each one and left my contact information, but no one had turned it in.”

So how did it end up back at their house? Rachel had planned on showing the bracelet at the news conference tomorrow morning and asking for leads to whoever owned it. She couldn’t do that now, but it was possible the woman kidnapper had found it and lost it in the dining room today. Rachel would have any prints on the piece of jewelry run through the system. “Besides Knit n’ Pearl, what other places did you go to?”

“I went to two other stores in the Chesterfield Shopping Center on this side of San Antonio—Chesterfield Drug Store and Baby and Things. I normally go to the pharmacy in town, but I frequent the Chesterfield one when I shop at Knit n’ Pearl and Baby and Things. We don’t have anything quite like those places in Cimarron Trail.”

Rachel wrote down their names. “Are the people at those stores familiar with you?”

“Knit n’ Pearl, yes. I’m not sure about Baby and Things because I’ve only been going there for six months, after a friend told me about the store. It’s a great place to buy baby clothes at a reasonable price. I doubt the cashier where I checked out in the drug store would remember me being in there.” Lenora scrunched her forehead. “I don’t understand. How can this help you?”

“It’s possible the woman kidnapper had been following you, and when you lost your bracelet, she picked it up. I’ll be interviewing the people working at those stores, and if they have any security video cameras, she might be on one of the tapes.” It was the best lead they had, and after the news conference tomorrow, Rachel would go to the shopping center. “Which day and time last week did you go to the shops?”

“Friday in the morning. I left here at nine when the commuter traffic was less. It’s about twenty-five minutes away.”

Rachel glanced at Dallas. “Is there anything else you can think of?”

“No, not at the moment.” He rose. “I wish I could stay, but I need to get back to the hospital. I still hope that Michelle will eventually remember more about what happened. There’s a lot she can’t recall.”

Tears still in her eyes, Lenora looked up at her brother. “Please tell Michelle I don’t blame her for any of this. She’s a victim, too.” She struggled to her feet, nearly collapsing back onto the couch.

Dallas steadied her at the same time Paul did. “I will.” He enveloped his sister in a hug. “If you remember anything that might help the investigation, call me at any time of day.”

Lenora nodded and eased back down onto the sofa.

“Will it be all right if the deputy stays in the house tonight? He can continue to screen your calls. If there’s a ransom demand, he’ll get in touch with Dallas and me right away.” Although Rachel didn’t think there would be a ransom demand, she was still concerned the guy in the hoodie might come back, possibly looking for the bracelet his partner wore. She was almost positive he was the male kidnapper. If the boot prints under the window and on the dirt road matched, she’d know for sure.

“Yes,” Paul said.

“We’ll let ourselves out.” Dallas waved for Rachel to go first as they left the house. “I wish I could stay the night, but Michelle needs me.”

“Not to worry. Later Deputy Owens will be relieving Ellis. He’s very good at his job. Tell Michelle I hope she gets better soon.” Rachel paused next to her deputy on the porch to tell him to be on the lookout for anyone hanging around the house.

“I will.” Dallas descended the steps and walked toward his car. He was immediately surrounded by the five reporters waiting on the sidewalk for any tidbit of news.

Again, Rachel saw his professional facade fall into place as he dealt with the press. After Dallas’s departure, she talked with Deputy Carson, then made her own way toward her vehicle, stiffening when the reporters flocked to her.

One of them stuck a microphone in her face. “Sheriff Young, what do you say to Marvin Compton’s concerns about your competence to lead this investigation?”

Rachel gritted her teeth and continued toward her vehicle. She opened the driver’s side door. “No comment.”

* * *

Dallas entered the dimly lit hospital room to find his mother sitting next to the bed in a lounge chair that she’d moved closer to Michelle. His daughter slept.

“How’re Lenora and Paul doing?” his mother whispered.

“As well as to be expected. Lenora needs you. I’m afraid she’ll start blaming herself because she wasn’t home when Brady was taken.”

His mother pushed herself to her feet. “When Michelle was awake about an hour ago, she was doing the same. She’s going to need us, too.”

“Did she say anything else about the abduction?”

“No. The nurse came in to check on her, then changed her IV fluid with a new bag. After she left, Michelle and I talked a little, but every time the kidnapping came up, she started crying. I steered the conversation away from it. I could tell her head hurt, but she was trying not to say anything about it. She’s always been a tough little girl.”

“She’s not that little anymore, Mom. She’ll be fourteen soon, and before we know it, she’ll be graduating from high school.”

His mother gathered her purse and walked over to where he was standing. “You’ve been a good parent to her—both father and mother since Patricia left.”

“I’m just thankful that I have you for Michelle to talk to about girl things.”

“Anytime.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be at Lenora’s if you need anything tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He hugged her.

After she left, he took her seat next to Michelle’s bed. He sighed as he tried to relax. Tomorrow would be a long day. He had to find the kidnappers before they sold Brady. And his daughter would never be safe if they were still out there, especially if they thought Michelle could ID them. He could never rest until they were found.

He closed his eyes. He didn’t think he could sleep, but he’d try. He needed to, but he’d gone without much sleep while working cases before. But he didn’t want to miss an important lead because he was exhausted.

As he reclined in the lounge chair, his thoughts drifted to the new sheriff. She’d grown up in Cimarron Trail, whereas he’d moved here right after Patricia left him because Lenora and Paul had settled here years before and had raved about the town. He’d wanted his daughter to have people she could turn to, especially women, and he couldn’t think of anyone better than his mother and sister.

For the past three years, he’d either thrown himself into his job or spent time with his family. He hadn’t had time for anything else—and certainly not another woman. In spite of his declaration, the image of Rachel Young came unbidden into his mind. Medium height with auburn hair and green eyes, there was something about her that made a man look twice. If he were totally truthful with himself, she was stunning, which immediately put him on the defensive. Patricia had been gorgeous. Men had fallen all over themselves trying to get her attention, and she’d loved it. That should have been a red flag.

In the little he’d seen of Rachel, she didn’t seem like Patricia, but he didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. Better to remain single and focus his life on his family and job.

As a sheriff, she appeared competent and caring. That would make working with her easier, especially if she was anything like her father. He was a good man. No wonder the county had voted for her rather than Marvin Compton, a retired police officer from Fort Worth.

“Daddy!”

Wrenched from his thoughts, Dallas shot to his feet, preparing to battle what had frightened his daughter. His eyes panned the room. No one else was there.

“Daddy, help!”

He looked toward the bed as Michelle’s eyes popped open wide. Fear stared at him. “I’m right here, honey. You’re okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Tears coursed down her cheeks. “Brady is gone.”

He sat on the bed and cuddled her against himself. “I know, princess. We’re looking for him.”

As Michelle buried her face against him, sobs racked her body, tearing his heart into pieces. Overwhelmed with helplessness, his own eyes glistened with his sorrow.

Sucking in shaky breaths, Michelle leaned back. “You’ve got to find Brady, Dad. You’ve got to.”

“I will.”

She looked long and hard at him, as though measuring the truth behind his words. “I know you will.” Then she laid her head against his chest.

How could he ever face his daughter if he couldn’t find Brady?

* * *

Rachel carried little Katie toward the kitchen, her parents’ voices drawing her to the warm, large room. Her daughter played with Rachel’s hair. She laughed. “When I show up for the press conference, the reporters are going to think I didn’t brush my hair, sweetie.”

Katie babbled as though she were telling Rachel something important. Mama and Nana were the only words she could understand.

“I’m running late. Nana will feed you this morning, sweet pea. You be good for her and Papa.” Rachel entered the kitchen with Katie continuing to chatter nonsense.

“Do you have time to sit and have breakfast?” Rachel’s mother asked as she took Katie and put her in the high chair.

“No, not with the press conference in half an hour. Coffee is all I want now. I’ll eat later, I promise.” Rachel kissed the top of Katie’s head. “Love you. I’ll see you later.”

“Make sure you do eat. You have to take care of yourself or you’ll be no help in finding Brady.”

“I know, Mom.” Rachel poured coffee into a travel mug.

“You do? You were up half the night.”

“How do you know?”

“I heard you pacing.”

“Going over what we have right now. Like Dad knows, I’m the one in charge of this investigation.” Rachel peered at her father who rose from sitting at the table.

“I’ll walk out with you,” her dad said and strolled toward the back door, opening it and waiting for her to go out first.

Outside, she whirled around and faced him. “I’ve been in charge of cases before, but this one has implications of a baby snatching ring working in Texas and maybe even other states.”

“Are you contacting the FBI?”

“Not yet. I’m working with Texas Ranger Sanders. His office has discovered other places in the state where something like this has happened in the past year. He’s talking to another Texas Ranger who worked a couple of similar kidnappings in the El Paso area.” Dallas had texted her this morning that Abbey Rockford would be sending him information about what they’d found in El Paso. “I also discovered that the boot prints where the escape car was parked were the same as the man who attacked me at the side of the Howards’ house.”

“That might help when you find the man. It’s good to have a piece of evidence to place him at the scene of the crime.”

“And it confirms the importance of the bracelet I found in the dining room, since the man risked coming back for it. The bracelet is the best clue we have right now.”

“Good.” Her dad opened the door of her vehicle. “If you need any help, let me know, but Dallas is a top-notch Texas Ranger. Listen to his instincts and advice.” He hugged her. “Katie will be fine.”

She gave him a smile, then slipped behind the steering wheel and left the small ranch in the foothills north of San Antonio. As she drove toward Cimarron Trail, she went over in her head what she needed to do after the press conference. A trip to Chesterfield Shopping Center. She needed a clue that led her to the couple, and if it wasn’t Lenora’s trip last Friday, then maybe the prints taken from the bracelet would match someone in the database.

As she reached the winding part of the two-lane highway to town, she wondered how Michelle and Dallas did last night. She doubted he got much sleep in his daughter’s hospital room. She realized that she would need to talk to Michelle today, too.

She took a sharp turn, spied a spiked chain across the road and slammed on the brakes—too late. Her car rolled over the spikes and headed toward the drop off.

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