Tanner noticed how quiet Macy was as they headed down the road after a dinner of pot roast and potatoes. What exactly had she and Devin talked about? He wanted to ask, but they had more important matters at hand right now.
Tanner had gone through the proper steps to ensure they wouldn’t be followed. He’d switched out his FBI vehicle for one of Devin’s cars. He’d left his FBI-issued cell in the car and bought a burner phone instead. If there was a tracking device in any of their possessions, they should be clear of it now. He’d left both the car and the phone in a parking lot, which would make their current location harder to trace.
All of this could be enough to make Tanner lose his job. But he had to do whatever was necessary to help protect this child. As the stakes continued to rise, he couldn’t be complicit in a kidnapping—or a murder.
“Where are we going?” Macy asked, staring out her window and seeming especially melancholy.
He hated to think he had anything to do with her sadness. He’d known it would be hard for Macy to see Devin. His friend had always been a direct kind of guy.
“Devin’s family has a farmhouse. They said we could stay there for a while.”
She clasped her hands on her lap. “Do you think anyone will find us there?”
He readjusted his grip on the steering wheel, pushing aside the nudge of anxiety he felt. He’d been through a lot of situations during his career with law enforcement, but nothing like this.
“I hope not,” he finally said. “But we’ve got to be prepared in case they do.”
“I’m not cut out for this kind of thing, Tanner.” She rubbed her arms and broke her trance-like gaze out the window.
He saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. It was something he’d only caught quick glimpses of since they’d reconnected. She guarded herself a little too well sometimes. The last time he’d seen that look…they’d been engaged.
Against his better instincts, he reached out and squeezed her hand. “I think you’re holding up great.”
She swung her head back and forth, released his hand and rubbed her temples. “We still have no idea why my name was scribbled on some paper and placed in the baby’s diaper bag. That was the whole reason you came to me—to get my help. I don’t feel like I’m being much assistance at all. I’m just another complication.”
“You’ve been a huge help with Addie. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You would have managed.”
“I happen to think that everything happens for a purpose.”
She glanced up at him. “Even this?”
“Even this. In Ecclesiastes 3, it says, ‘Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. He sets the time for birth and the time for death…the time for killing and the time for healing.’”
“That’s a good reminder,” Macy said. “There is a time for everything. A right time and a wrong time.”
Tanner glanced behind him, trying to make sure no one was following them. Everything appeared clear.
Now he had to concentrate solely on keeping Addie and Macy safe.
* * *
After Addie was asleep, Macy crept downstairs. She’d hardly a chance to take in the farmhouse when they arrived.
Addie had been hungry and in need of a diaper change, and then Macy had set her down on a blanket for some tummy time. She hadn’t realized just how demanding a six-month-old could be. But every moment was worth it. Seeing Addie smile made all the sacrifices worth it.
Macy glanced around now. The two-story home had clapboard siding, wood floors and updated furniture. The place was surprisingly large and spacious and even had a porch swing. If circumstances were different, Macy would definitely be enjoying that. In fact, she’d had dreams of living in a place like this. Fixing it up with shiplap and shabby chic furniture. She wanted a slew of kids, a family dog or two, and maybe even a mini-farm.
From what she’d observed on the way in, it appeared to be located on a large piece of property. The terrain was mostly flat with a few trees on the perimeter. At least the wide-open spaces would afford them a chance to see anyone coming. Tanner had stowed the car away in the garage, and Macy herself had verified that no one had been behind them on the long country lane leading here.
Macy found Tanner sitting on the couch with a computer he’d picked up at a pawn shop. He offered a soft smile when he saw her and patted the space beside him. With a touch of hesitancy, she sat down.
At once, his familiar scent hit her again. She’d thought she was over her reaction to the man, but apparently she wasn’t. Because if she closed her eyes, she could let herself get lost in that leathery aroma.
“What are you doing?” She glanced at the computer and brought her thoughts back into focus.
Tanner frowned before saying softly, “I’m looking into the deaths of women of childbearing age in this area within the past four days.”
His words caused emotion to catch in Macy’s throat. “That’s…sobering.”
“I know. But it’s reality. Unfortunately.”
The thought hovered in her mind. What if Addie’s mom was dead? What would happen to Addie then? Would she go into the child welfare system?
The thought was unbearable. She couldn’t let herself dwell on it now though. She had other concerns to address first.
She shifted and pulled a pillow onto her lap. The action had been initially subconscious, though she realized exactly what she was doing. Creating a barrier between her and Tanner. Protecting herself. Putting up boundaries.
She licked her lips before asking, “You really think Addie’s mom is dead?”
“I think it’s a possibility we have to explore.”
She peered at the computer. “How’d you get those files?”
“Devin helped me. He’s sent over what he’s found so far, and I’ve been eliminating a majority of the victims. Most of these women have been identified.”
“Are there any who haven’t?”
“Just two right now,” Tanner said.
That seemed like a step in the right direction. “Do you have their photos?”
Tanner clicked on something. “Well, there’s this woman. She died of a drug overdose. From what I can tell, she shows no signs of having given birth over the past year.”
“The second one?”
“The second one is more complicated. She was killed in an auto accident. Hit-and-run. She’s…unrecognizable.”
Macy sucked in a quick breath. “What do they know about her?”
“She’s twenty-three. The car she was in was stolen, apparently.”
Macy let that sink in. “She could be our best possibility yet, Tanner.”
“I agree.”
“How will authorities identify her?”
“Usually in cases like this someone will come forward because a loved one is missing. Otherwise, the medical examiner will try to match fingerprints and dental records.”
“Do you know how soon they’ll know?”
“Any day now. So until then, we wait.”
“Waiting is so hard,” Macy muttered.
“Yes, it is.”
A moment of silence stretched between them. Macy looked at her fingers in her lap, trying to formulate her thoughts. There was no easy way to broach the subject that had been on her mind since her talk with Devin. But maybe it was time. She was a psychologist. She taught people how to come to terms with their pasts. Now she needed to listen to her own advice.
“Tanner, I’m sorry I left you nothing but a note to break up with you,” she started, her voice raw and scratchy with emotion. “It was a poor choice.”
His eyebrows flickered up. He closed the laptop and turned to face her. “I…uh…I wasn’t expecting you to say that. But thank you.”
She’d already dived in. She had to finish this now. “I knew if I tried to have a conversation with you face-to-face that I’d change my mind. So I did the cowardly thing instead. I left the note and got out of town.”
“I understand that you wanted to go to grad school to get your doctorate. And everything that happened…well, it gave you that chance.” His voice sounded just as tight as hers.
She shook her head, wishing he wasn’t making it this easy on her. “I didn’t really care about getting my doctorate in Oklahoma, Tanner.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes narrowed with thought.
Anxiety suddenly got the best of her, and all she wanted to do was get out of here. Now. She unfolded her legs from beneath her, ready to spring up. “You know what? Never mind. I shouldn’t have brought this up.”
Tanner gently laid a hand on her arm before she could flee “No, I want to know. Please.”
She eased herself back onto the couch and licked her lips. She’d dreaded this moment for a long time and had built it up to be insurmountable. She just needed to get this over with.
“Pruett talked to me,” she started, forcing her eyes to meet Tanner’s.
Confusion washed over his features. “Pruett? The guy who was in police academy with me?”
She nodded. “Yeah, he told me about your conversation with him. I didn’t want to stand in the way of your dreams, Tanner. That’s why—”
“Wait, wait, wait.” He raised a hand to halt the conversation. Tension, confusion and maybe a touch of anger tightened his face. “I don’t remember a conversation with Pruett. And what do you mean stand in the way of my dreams? How in the world were you doing that? You were my dream, Macy.”
Her cheeks warmed at the sincerity in his words. All her thoughts disappeared for a moment. But she couldn’t get tangled up in all her emotions. She needed to get this conversation over with.
“He told me why you proposed,” she finally said, her voice cracking. She didn’t want to relive that conversation. But she had to.
“And why was that?” He leaned forward, his elbows propped on his legs and intently watching her. Waiting for her response.
Her eyes met his. “Because I was pregnant.”