Karen Rose - Have You Seen Her?

Davies's smug smile faded. "No. I've asked every cop I know. But I know it's him."

Steven gritted his teeth. "We have a prime suspect and we can't touch him. Dammit. I think we all need to take a break from the case," he said. "I know there's someplace I'd rather be today. See everybody tomorrow morning." Everyone filed out, Davies bringing up the rear, fidgeting with the change in his pocket.

"I called Jenna this morning to make sure she was all right after last night," Davies said.

Steven's defenses went straight up. "What about last night?"

"You were pretty angry when you left the bar. I wanted to be sure she was all right. That nothing happened. But she wasn't home."

Steven felt a smug smile of his own curve his lips and watched Davies's black eyes flash with fury. "Whatever did or didn't happen is none of your business," Steven said, "but if you must know, she's not home because she took my boys fishing. Which is just where I'm planning to go myself." He'd made it to the door when Davies spoke. Bitterly.

"Did she take her fiance's ring off while you did it?"

Steven froze. She hadn't. He'd noticed. He'd also told himself she'd take off Adam's ring in her own time. Steven might be jealous of Davies, but he'd be pretty low to be jealous of a dead man. Making his feet move, he walked away without dignifying Davies with an answer.

He'd made it to the parking lot and was seconds from getting away when he heard someone clear his throat. He turned to find a holy man with a very worried expression on his face.

"Agent Thatcher? I'm Reverend Monsignor Brennan of the Raleigh Dioceses. I was wondering if you could take a few minutes to talk about Father Mike Leone."

Steven sighed. He'd figured this would be coming sooner or later. "Of course, Monsignor Brennan. Let's go up to my office." He didn't bother glancing at his watch. He figured it would be after noon before he got done clearing Mike's name. Fishing would have to wait.

Sunday, October 9, 8:25 P.M.

Weary beyond measure, Steven entered his house only to have Helen, Matt, and Brad lift their respective fingers to their lips and shush him. The three stood around the bottom of the steps and Helen pointed upward. "Jenna's putting Nicky to bed. Sshh."

"But I'm not tired," came Nicky's whine from upstairs and Steven's heart stuttered. Most parents hated that whining tone, but he hadn't heard it out of Nicky since before his abduction. His baby had obeyed automatically for so long that a whine about bedtime sounded like an angel's choir.

"Well, I am," Jenna was laughing. "You kept me busy, taking all those fish off your hook."

"I could have done it myself." Nicky sounded highly amused. "I'm good at that part."

"Well, now you tell me. Are you sure you want to sleep on that hard floor? It doesn't look very comfortable." There was a long pause and Steven met Helen's eyes and realized they were both praying for a minor miracle-for Nicky to sleep in his own bed for the first time in six months. "Well, suit yourself," Jenna said and Steven let out the breath he'd been holding. Rome wasn't built in a day, he thought. They'd get there with Nicky. They would. "Can I at least cover you up?" Jenna asked. There was quiet and then Nicky's voice.

"Could you sing?"

"Me?" Jenna's horrified response made them all smile. "You want me to sing to you ?"

"You don't hafta." Steven looked at Helen who smiled at Nicky's dramatically mournful tone.

"Well, since I don't hafta, I won't," Jenna replied and Matt snickered softly. "Besides," she added, "we weren't much for lullabies in my house. My dad had an old drinking song he would sing when my mother wasn't around, but I suspect your dad might have a problem with that."

"Yeah, he prob'ly would," Nicky agreed thoughtfully. "But he's not here right now," he added in a bright voice and Steven choked back a laugh.

"Good night, Nicky," Jenna said firmly.

"Will you be here when I wake up tomorrow?" Nicky asked, so softly they all had to strain to hear him and Steven swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed in his throat.

"No, sweetheart, I have to go home. I have school tomorrow and Jean-Luc will be missing Jim. I think I'll see you in a few days. Now, go to sleep."

Jenna appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in a pair of Steven's old sweats, her feet bare and her wet hair hanging down her back in a single braid. Steven felt his soul settle at the sight of her, even as she started in surprise. "I didn't know I had an audience," she said in a low voice when she got to the bottom where they waited. "Now I'm doubly glad I didn't sing."

"So are we," Matt said with a grin and she swatted him.

"Go get a shower, Matt. You're still covered in yck ."

Steven took a look at his middle boy whose grin had become a scowl. Matt's jeans were covered in black slime up to his mid-calf. "Yes, you are. What'd you fall into, Matthew?"

"You don't want to know." Jenna answered for him and it was Brad's turn to snicker as Matt skulked up the stairs. "Don't you start," she said, turning to Brad. "Besides, I understand that you have some homework to catch up on." She looked his oldest in the eye, silently issuing a challenge.

Brad met her gaze for a long minute in which everybody held their breaths, then he nodded. "I understand that there's this really nice chemistry teacher who gives after-school tutoring."

Jenna sucked in her cheeks, considering his request. "It'll cost you. Standard tutoring fees."

Brad shrugged. "It's okay. My dad's good for it."

Jenna shook her head quickly. "Uh-uh. Cash comes from you or no deal."

Brad's eyes widened when he realized she was very serious. "Dad!"

Steven held up his hands. "I'm not involved in this negotiation. Plus, I agree with her."

"You would," Brad said in a disgusted tone. "I've got no cash."

Jenna raised her brows. "Then you'd best get a job." She looked at Helen. "Was there any pot roast left from dinner?"

Helen's expression was serene. "I already made you a plate."

Steven looked from one to the other. "Why didn't you eat with the others?"

"You don't want to know!" Matt yelled from up the stairs.

Jenna chuckled. "No, you really don't. Let's just say I hope I left some hot water for Matt after getting all the yck cleaned off of me and Nicky."

"I'm sorry I missed the fun," Steven said, with a pang of regret.

Jenna patted his arm. "Next time you can come. We'll just choose a different fishing hole."

"Brad, come," Helen instructed. "I have work for you to do to pay for those tutoring lessons."

"But-" Brad protested and Helen cut him off with a look. "Okay," he muttered and followed Helen, leaving Steven alone with Jenna in the relative privacy of his open foyer.

"Sounds like you all had an adventure today," he murmured, sliding his hands under the sweatshirt she wore, touching the warm, firm flesh of her back. Wishing they were more alone so he could touch the warm, firm flesh of her front.

"That it was." She linked her hands around his neck. "What about you? Any progress?"

He thought about his four-hour "deposition" with the mon-signor. He thought of Mike's career and wondered once again if he'd ever fully repair the damage they'd done to a great man's name. He thought about the fact that Victor Lutz had finally detected the presence of the unmarked cars on his street and complained to the mayor and how Steven had to tell the mayor they were watching for school vandals because he wasn't supposed to know Rudy Lutz was really William Parker. He thought about how humiliating it had been to be scolded like a schoolboy for misuse of county resources. And how he'd defied orders and extended the patrol surveillance for one more day.