Dancing with Detective Danger (18 page)

He was right. She would wait here for word and hold tight to her hope. “Stay with me?” she pleaded.

“I’ll stay.”

Michelle poked her head inside the door. “Are you all right, Lacey? I have a feeling something’s going on. Ben stormed out of here, and … I thought I heard you talking in here?” Michelle’s eyes darted around the room suspiciously.

Surprised by the intrusion, Lacey cleared her throat and shifted on the couch. “Yes, Michelle. I’m fine, but thanks for asking. I was just talking to myself. And Ben is concerned about Tyler and Sterling, but you know all about that.” It was so odd to be looking right at Nick sitting beside her, his warm eyes crinkling in the corners at her uneasiness, and yet he remained invisible to Michelle. “It’s late, why don’t you go home?”

“You’re sure you’re all right, then?” Michelle’s gaze continued to search the room. “I guess if there’s a problem, the officer outside the door could help you. But I could stay until we hear something, if you’d like the company.”

“That’s very sweet and I appreciate your offer, but I’ll be fine.” Lacey wiggled uncomfortably, wishing Michelle would take her leave. Lying was not one of her strong suits, but she couldn’t very well tell Michelle her dead husband was sitting beside her offering so much more than any degree of support anyone else could offer.

“Do you feel it?”

“Umm … feel what?” Reluctantly, Lacey crossed the room to stand at her desk and absently sort through some papers.

“There’s a definite presence here. Something incredibly nice. I feel it very strongly, but then, I have psychic senses, you know.”

Lacey’s heart nearly dropped into her stomach. She exchanged a sly glance with Nick, who just smiled. “Well, yes, you’ve mentioned that before. Um, I can’t explain it,” she managed to blurt out.

Michelle shrugged. “Well, whatever it is, it’s one of those inexplicable things. Nothing to worry about. It happens to me and I just accept it.” She laid a finger to her chin, puzzlement in her eyes. “I don’t know why I mentioned it. Anyway, good night, Lacey.”

Lacey stood silent for what seemed like eons until she heard Michelle close the outer office door and head home for the evening. “Why didn’t you warn me Michelle could see you?” she stormed.

“She couldn’t see me.” Nick stretched out on the couch, resting his head nonchalantly against the arm.

“Sorry … why didn’t you tell me she could sense you? If you’re going to make a fool of me at least do me the courtesy of warning me.” Tears breached the rims of Lacey’s eyes, but she wiped them away impatiently.

Nick was off the couch in a flash, scooping up Lacey in a soft embrace. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry, but I didn’t know she would sense my presence. It was a surprise to me, too. But no harm done.”

Lacey’s fear and sorrow shuddered through her uncontrollably as she clung to Nicholas. “I guess I’m not ready to share you,” she whimpered, barely managing all the panic rumbling in her heart.

“You don’t have to.”

• • •

Weaving in and out of traffic, Ben wished he could believe his parting promise to Lacey that he would find Sterling before it was too late. Luckily, the mass transit building was only minutes from the Aegars’ office, so at least he had a fighting chance.

Pulling into the parking lot, his breath snatched away. It was Sterling, flanked by not only the missing Rutherford, but also a known thug, walking toward a parked car.

Ben slammed the patrol car into park and slowly climbed out, determined to manage the situation without endangering Sterling’s life. Something like harnessing a rodeo bull, he thought wryly.

But the men had already spied him. Brusquely, they shoved Sterling aside and bolted into their vehicle.

“Wait!” Sterling screamed. “What are you doing?”

Closing the gap between them, Ben reached for Sterling’s arm and pulled her out of the path of the escaping car.

“Let me go!” Wide eyed, she started after the car. As it sped away, Sterling stopped, breathless, and slowly turned to face him. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

Baffled, Ben rubbed his chin. “I don’t know, maybe saved your life.”

“There’s no time for this. Give me your keys,” she demanded, palm outstretched.

“What do you mean?”

Sterling sprinted to his car. “I’ve got to get to Tyler’s school. Give me your keys!”

Ben’s throat tightened as realization instantly set in. Sterling was acting out of fear for Tyler’s life. “I’ll drive. You call the school. But Sterling, I sent a patrol officer to pick up Tyler.”

“I hope the officer gets there first.”

Behind the wheel again and speeding toward Tyler’s school, Ben could hardly contain the contempt wrenching his gut.
How do those guys get away with wreaking havoc in the lives of good people? It’s not right. God, it’s not right.

Hearing the desperation in Sterling’s voice as she talked to the school secretary over her cell phone, Ben made a promise to himself: This time, Sterling and Lacey would get their happy ending.

Sterling hung up the phone and ran her hand through her dark tresses. “The school said the officer already picked up Tyler.”

“Good. I’ll call in an alert and we’ll take over.” Ben reached for the radio, but Sterling’s hand stopped him.

“You can’t do that.”

“What are you saying?” Ben could guess what Sterling meant. Even if he didn’t know her thoughts, the accusing look in her eyes gave her away.

“Haven’t you already caused enough damage?”

Stiff in his seat, Ben tried to control emotions sweeping through him. “What were you doing back there, Sterling? Why can’t you accept that this is a police matter? You should have told me. You should never have been there alone with those men.”

“Don’t you get it?” she fumed. “They’ll kill Tyler if the police are involved. I want the officer to simply take him to Lacey. That’s it. Then I’ll wait for Rutherford’s next move.”

It was no use. Silently, Ben kept his eyes fixed on the road. Everything inside him longed to hold her, touch her, protect her. But as long as Sterling saw him as the enemy, they would remain worlds apart.

Blocks from the school, a patrol car parked oddly on the side of the road, its doors gaping open, caught Ben’s attention at the same moment Sterling saw it.

“No, no, no!” Sterling slammed her fists against the dash.

Ben pulled his vehicle to a quick stop beside the other vehicle and ran to the open door, Sterling on his heels.

His blood going cold in his veins, Ben checked the officer who lay slumped against the steering wheel. “He’s unconscious.”

Sterling stared blankly up at him. “This is Tyler’s backpack. We didn’t get here in time, Ben. He’s gone.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get on the radio. We’ll find those bastards.”

“How am I going to tell Lacey? I didn’t tell her the whole story. I was trying to spare her. I thought — ”

“Don’t do this to yourself.” Ben grasped her slim shoulders. The anguish in her face tore him open. “We’ll find Tyler.”

“No!” she shouted, wrenching away from his touch. “I have to do this. They’ll kill him if the police are involved. I can handle it. Just take me back to my car, please. I’ve got to tell Lacey.”

• • •

The trip back to her office had been eternal. Ben hung around the sisters’ office door as Sterling took a seat on the couch. She felt bitter ropes of helplessness tighten around her heart as she watched her sister sink into the couch beside her with the word of Tyler’s abduction.

“I know I should have told you about the threat, but I thought I was handling it, Lacey. I didn’t want you to worry.” The words, sounding so flat and empty, fell like lifeless petals from a dying rose.

“You had good intentions, sis. I don’t blame you. Everything will be okay.” Lacey pulled a spring jacket from Tyler’s backpack and drew it up close to her face.

Struggling with feelings of bringing this terrible thing to them, Sterling reached a comforting hand to Lacey. Although her sister seemed remarkably calm, Sterling sensed Lacey’s pain. The immense hurt surged inside Sterling like an enormous ocean wave, driving her to move to a place where she could contain it.
Take charge and make things right.
“Don’t worry, Lacey. I’ll get him back.”

“We’ll get him back,” Ben corrected. “This is still a police matter.”

“How can you suggest that after what’s happened?” Sterling charged, turning her face up to Ben. “If you hadn’t interfered, I could have handled the situation.”

Ben shook his head. “You’re something else, you know that? If you weren’t so hell-bent on doing everything yourself, maybe this could have been prevented. You interfered in an investigation.”

“I’m just trying to do my job.”

Ben stretched his hands out, imploring. “We’re on the same side, Sterling. And we’re wasting precious time. Let me call the department for help.”

Sterling felt her hold on her emotions slipping, and steeled herself to Ben’s frustration. Shaking and exhausted, she drew focus and stared out into the night. “No.”

“Lacey? Are you going along with this madness?”

Sterling couldn’t face her sister’s tear-weary face, but she heard her answer. “I believe in Sterling.”

“Well, I think you’re making a mistake. I can’t force you to let me help, but you can’t stop me from doing my job, either.” Walking toward the door, Ben added, “You know where to find me.”

Sterling choked back the urge to call out to him. Facing one of the hardest days of her life, she stood in the lonely abyss of longing to reach for help and fearing to need it.

In Ben’s wake, Michelle interrupted Sterling’s thoughts. “Sterling, a call for you on line one.”

Reaching for her phone, Sterling stared into Lacey’s sorrowful face and squared her shoulders.
No one is going to destroy my sister’s happiness. I’ll make sure of that.
“This is Sterling.”

“Ms. Aegar, this is Cummings. You’re going to get another chance to save your nephew’s life. But it’s up to you to cooperate. Do you intend to give me what I want?”

“Let me talk to Tyler.” Sterling stood in the trembling air and shared in her sister’s glimmering hope.

“Are you going to cooperate?” Sterling could see the man’s gritted teeth in the persistence that sharpened his voice.

“Let me talk to Tyler,” she insisted, her heart pumping like a jackhammer inside her chest. “You’re not getting anything unless I know he’s all right.”

Silence on the other end of the line echoed in her ears for what seemed like infinite forevers. Was she blowing her only chance to save dear little Tyler?

“Hello?” Tyler’s tiny voice tore at Sterling’s heart.

“Tyler, it’s going to be okay, sweetie.”

“That’s it.” Only Cumming’s gruffly snide voice came back to her. “Now listen to me. If you don’t do exactly as I say, without the help of that cop friend of yours, that’s the last time you’ll ever hear your nephew’s voice. Understand?”

“Completely.” Numbing fingers of ice gripped Sterling’s gut.

“At nine o’clock tomorrow morning, be at this phone. I’ll call with instructions.”

Sterling’s heart clinched. “Why wait? Let’s get on with it.”

“Nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”

The dial tone droned in her ear mercilessly. Hanging up the phone, Sterling glanced from her sister to the clock on the wall. Eight o’clock. Oceans of time stretched between her and the morning.

• • •

Still dressed in her work clothes, Lacey wrapped herself in a fleece throw and leaned against Nicholas on the couch. “So Tyler’s kidnapping is why you’re here.” She turned her fact to search his for answers, fearing the worst.

“Lacey, I told you I’m here because you need me and I want to be here, especially now.” Nicholas stroked her cheek and shook his head. “But I’m going to leave for a while.”

Lacey stiffened. “What? Where are you going?”

He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t say that very well. I’m here for you, but right now I’m going to go be with our son. I know this is hard. I can’t promise everything will be as you want it but I can promise he won’t be alone. And we have to trust that Sterling and Ben will do their best to bring him safely back to you.”

Tears slipped down her face and Nicholas bent to kiss her. A gentle touch to her lips that quieted the fears in her chest. “Thank you. I’ll be waiting. For Tyler and for you.”

“I know.”

After finally convincing Lacey the best thing for her son would be for her to try to get some sleep in her own bed, Sterling sat alone in the glow of the desk lamp, the rest of the office dark and still.

With nothing but time to keep her company, thoughts sifted through her nearly always present defenses, again stirring difficult emotions.

“I can’t do it, Dad.”

“You’re not giving up, Sterling, are you? Not my little girl.”

“But I’ve been working on this stupid back flip for hours, days, and I still can’t do it.”

“What are you afraid of? That’s what you need to figure out, sweetie. Then you’ll do the flip.”

“It’s just too hard.”

“Nothing is too hard for you, once you decide to do something. You can’t just give up. Come on, make me proud. What are you afraid of, Sterling?”

“I don’t want to do it anymore and you can’t make me. I’m sick of trying. I’m not your little girl. I’m twelve years old. If you can’t be proud of me even if I can’t do a stupid back flip, then I don’t love you anymore.”

Guilt prickled Sterling’s conscious and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She’d run away from her father that night. Hearing him calling to her to say goodbye as he went to work, she’d locked her bedroom door and refused to answer. How could she have known she’d never have another chance to tell him she loved him?

A tear drifted down her cheek and dropped onto the paper on her desk, leaving a small damp spot. The ache inside her heart grew, forcing her to make a choice: stay in the pain and ride it out or shut down.

“Mind if I come in?”

Startled, Sterling looked up to see Ben leaning casually against the doorframe. With deliberate effort, she shoved deep down the heartache echoing through her. “I didn’t hear you come in.”