Rita Herron - Silent Night Sanctuary

“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.

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.