Margaret Daley - Texas Baby Pursuit

“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?”