Sienna pulled her arms across her chest as her heart raced out of control.
What was going on? Where was Devin? Was he okay?
She hardly knew the man, yet she felt like she did. The connection she felt with Devin…it was strange. Surprising. Exciting.
With every new turn in the road and clue that was revealed, Sienna found a new respect for the man.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s like crazy town,” the landlord said, still staring at the chase in bewilderment.
She tried to tune him out. All she cared about was knowing Devin was okay. That he hadn’t gotten hurt or even killed because of this crazy situation.
No one else needed to get hurt. No, there was too much of that already.
Finally, she spotted Devin walking back toward them. Based on the stoop of his shoulders, he wasn’t happy. He was also empty-handed.
What had happened out there? Her heart pitter-pattered with both anticipation and disappointment.
She’d so hoped he would catch this man and put an end to all their questions. But, as it had been from the start, whoever was responsible for these crimes was two steps ahead of them.
Sienna walked down the steps and met Devin on the lawn. Instinctively, she reached for him, grabbing his arm, needing to touch him and know he really was fine. He had a slight limp to his step, and she’d seen the car hit him. The driver had stayed around for several minutes, looking flabbergasted about what to do. Finally, he’d driven off.
“Are you okay?” Sienna asked, her voice thin with emotion.
Devin nodded, but he didn’t look okay, and he definitely didn’t act happy. “He got away.”
Sienna had figured that much. “Any idea who he was?”
“No idea. But he wanted something in that house.”
“How do you know he didn’t get it?” Was there hope that whatever the sought-after object was, that it could still be inside?
Devin rubbed his leg, his eyes squeezing together in discomfort. “I don’t know that. But he was empty-handed. I figure that’s a good sign.”
“Maybe there is a clue inside—something that will tell us what this is all about.” Hope rose inside Sienna. That had to be getting close. At least they were on the right trail.
“We’ll go inside and look. First, let me call the car in. Maybe a state trooper can stop it.”
Just as Devin pulled his phone out, Frank ended a phone call he’d been actively engaged in on the porch and rushed down the steps. He looked aghast at everything that had happened.
“I don’t want any part of this,” Frank rushed, waving his hand in the air dramatically. “I don’t like trouble.”
“We’ll be out of your hair soon,” Devin said. “As soon as we check out the inside.”
Devin stepped away and muttered something into the phone. As he did, Frank continued to ramble, just as he had been doing ever since the man in black had darted from the house. The problem was, he wasn’t saying anything new. No, just the same things over and over.
“Lisa seemed like a good girl, you know,” Frank repeated. “She was a reporter. Ambitious. You could see it in her eyes that once she got something in her mind, she wasn’t going to back down. Like this AC. That’s why I was surprised when she didn’t answer my calls.”
Sienna could remember seeing that look in Lisa’s gaze. The woman was determined and likable. She seemed like the kind of person you wanted to have on your side when things went south, because she would fight for you.
Who was Lisa fighting for now?
And, even more, who was fighting for her?
Sienna’s heart ached at the thought. The fact that no one had seen or heard from her in two days wasn’t a good sign.
Devin put his phone away and turned to Sienna. “The police will be on the lookout for the sedan. In the meantime, let’s go check things out.”
After walking through the front end of the house, they ventured back toward the bedrooms—Devin told her that was where the intruder had come from. Sienna’s gut told her that was where they’d find anything they were looking for.
The second room had been converted into an office and guest bedroom. Devin sat in the chair and began to go through the file drawers while Sienna riffled through the items atop the desk. She found nothing.
After several minutes, it was apparent that Devin hadn’t found anything, either. He turned back to the computer atop her desk and hit a key. The screen came to life.
Just what was on there? Did the secrets about her upcoming article hide within the interfaces and files within the electronics?
“I’m not going to be able to get on this,” Devin said. “It’s passcode protected. Maybe some of the guys at the bureau can.”
Just then, something caught Sienna’s eye—a fleck of pale yellow sticking out from behind the desk. She reached for the mystery object and slid a manila folder out. It looked like Lisa had been trying to conceal it.
“We may not have to get on the computer,” Sienna said, dread pooling in her stomach.
“Why’s that?”
She showed him the file that she opened. There, right on top, was a picture along with official text beneath it from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “It looks like Lisa was investigating a kidnapped baby.”
* * *
Devin’s gaze shot up to Sienna’s, and he reached for the file. “What?”
Sienna sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s true. This baby was only seventeen months old when he disappeared. It’s a boy named Liam Brighton.”
Devin studied Sienna a moment. He could hear the grief in her voice, and he understood it. The implications of this…they were horrible. “You think that boy—Liam—is Colby?”
Sienna’s gaze went to the picture, and she traced the image with her finger. “I really can’t tell based on the picture. I mean, babies change so quickly every day. He has the right skin color. He’s the right age.”
“Does Colby have any distinguishing marks or features that might help us identify him?”
She pressed her lips together. “He has a little birthmark on his leg, on his upper thigh. It’s about the size of a pea. Light brown. You wouldn’t know it was there unless you’ve changed his diaper.”
Devin studied the paper. There was no mention of a birthmark. “I could put in a call to find out. Then again, this could be a separate story.”
“It could be. But what if it’s not?”
“Let’s keep looking through her desk, just to be sure there’s nothing else. I’ll call about this lead, okay?”
Sienna nodded.
He stepped into the hall to make the request for more information. Then he took a picture of the boy on his phone. He needed to find out everything he could.
Because no one was safe until they had some answers.
He didn’t tell Sienna everything about the earlier chase. No, he didn’t tell her that the woman driving the car very well could have been Anita.
They continued to look through things at Lisa’s until Devin’s phone rang again twenty minutes later. It was his contact.
And yes, indeed, the kidnapped baby—Liam Brighton—had a birthmark.
* * *
Sienna leaned back into the leather seat of Devin’s SUV as they headed down the road and away from Lisa Daniel’s place. “I still can’t believe this. I can’t believe Colby could be this kidnapped child. Then that means…”
“It means Anita may have kidnapped him,” Devin finished quietly. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“Why leave Colby with me?” The questions had been taunting Sienna ever since she’d heard the update. She’d been trying and trying to make sense of each uncertainty, but she’d had zero success.
“I have no idea what Anita might have been thinking.” Devin gripped the steering wheel as they headed down the road. “Maybe she really did have to take care of her mom after surgery.”
“I’d think Anita would take Colby with her then. And who was the man who tried to snatch him? Is he connected with Anita? Or someone else?” The questions poured out of her, needing some place to go. If they stayed inside her, Sienna might lose her mind.
“What if the man who’s been trying to snatch Colby is his birth father? What if they tracked down Colby and think you took him?”
Sienna shrugged, considering the possibility. “I’m not ruling anything out, but it seems like a stretch. Still, people have done crazier things. This situation is a case in point.”
“I agree. But I’m just trying to think of this from every possible angle.”
“What are we going to do now?” Sienna turned toward him, anxious to hear his opinion on where they should go after learning this new development. They’d pulled out of town, but they hadn’t gotten to the interstate yet.
Devin stole a glance at her. “I say we go pay this couple, the Brightons, a visit.”
“Aren’t they four hours away?” Colby’s image flashed into Sienna’s mind. That was a long time to be away from him. How was he doing? Did he miss her? Did he sense something was wrong?
“They are about four hours away,” Devin said. “Can you handle it?”
She crossed her arms over her chest as she contemplated the question. “I do think we should talk to them. I think it’s important. But what about Colby?”
“I’ll call Rick and Trina and see if they can watch him longer—if you’re okay with it.”
Sienna twisted her lips. “He did look happy, didn’t he? I mean, he loves being around other kids.”
“I think he’ll be fine. We can be back tonight at the earliest or tomorrow morning at the latest.”
“I think I don’t have a choice. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this. In the long run, this is what’s best for Colby.”
“I agree.”
Sienna’s eyelids drooped as the miles continued past. She was so tired. Everything felt like it was catching up with her, and this was so far from over.
“Why don’t you get some rest?” Devin said, casting a concerned glance her way. “We have a long drive. I’ll stop in a few hours for some food. But until then, you should try and sleep.”
“I hate to make you stay awake the whole time. Are you sure I can’t help you drive?”
“I’m sure. But thank you.”
“Okay then.” Sienna closed her eyes and leaned her head against the seat back. Maybe some rest would be the best thing. She only hoped she could rest with all the anxiety-inducing thoughts going through her head.
* * *
Devin kept one eye on his rearview mirror. Was that car following them? He wasn’t sure.
But he knew it was a possibility that the man who’d been in Lisa’s house had waited for them to leave so he could figure out Sienna and Colby’s location. Devin was doing his best to get off the interstate and take back roads as he tried to lose the other car.
He wove in and out of traffic, slowing down and speeding up to see if any cars would match his pattern. None did. Finally, he was satisfied that no one was behind him.
After being on the road for two hours, he looked for a restaurant to eat. If they stopped now, then they should arrive at the Brightons’ house around five. It seemed like perfect timing.
As he pulled into the parking lot of a local diner and put the car in Park, he started to nudge Sienna but stopped himself.
She looked so peaceful as she lay there with her lips slightly apart. He almost hated to wake her.
Sienna had surprised him. The woman was selfless and kind. She was smart and caring.
Maybe Devin had known she was for a long time—and maybe that was why he’d stayed away. Maybe he’d known in his subconscious that Sienna would be too tempting.
And she was.
Devin squeezed his eyes shut.
Grace, why did you have to leave me so early? We had so much life left together. How do I navigate all of this with you gone?
Of course, there was no answer. But Devin pictured his beautiful wife’s face in his mind.
And she didn’t look happy.
No, she almost looked like she was ready to scold him. To tell him that it had been three years and he needed to move on. That it was okay.
No, that certainly couldn’t be correct. Grace was his one love. Devin wouldn’t ever find a love like that again. Not in this lifetime. They hadn’t been a perfect couple, but they had seemed perfect for each other. She understood his need to be alone to reflect when times felt overwhelming. She gave him space to do his job without making him feel guilty. She loved him despite his flaws, which were many.
And Devin had loved Grace despite her flaws, as well. Even though she tended to be messy. Even though she tended to worry and wanted to talk endlessly about all the bad possibilities. Even though she insisted chocolate and peanut better was the worst combination ever.
He smiled when he thought about their discussions on the topic.
Grace had been one in a million. But she was gone, and the rest of his life stretched before him.
Devin’s gaze came back into focus as Sienna began to stir.
She glanced over at him, and her cheeks flushed. She straightened and ran a hand through her hair, tousling her silky locks. “We’re here. You should have woken me.”
“I was just about to. I just pulled in and thought we could grab a bite to eat.”
Her shoulders seemed to relax. “That sounds good. I am a little hungry.”
He nodded toward Louise’s Kitchen. “Great. Let’s go.”