Texas Baby Pursuit Read online

  She nodded. “My ears were ringing after I was punched. Deputy Jones didn’t think I should drive myself, and I can’t argue with one of my dad’s friends.”

  “I have a lot of respect for your father. I worked a case with him about eight months ago that extended over several counties.” Dallas held the door open for Rachel.

  “I was surprised he retired. He’d been sheriff for twenty-five years, and it was his life. Now he and my mom watch my daughter. Actually, she has to fight him to get her chance to take care of Katie. He’s always busy around the property, and Katie, who is nearly one, is getting a good lesson in how to run a ranch. Or, at least, Dad’s trying to teach her.”

  “How does your husband feel about you being the sheriff?” Again Dallas opened a door for her.

  “I’m a widow. My husband died over fifteen months ago.” She slid into the front passenger seat.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  She had no words to reply, so she nodded.

  As Dallas rounded the front of his SUV, memories inundated Rachel. How could she forgive Justin for having an affair that she didn’t even know about until after he had died in a motorcycle race? The man she married wasn’t who she’d thought he was. He’d said he wanted a child, and yet, in a text to his mistress that she discovered on his phone, he had said otherwise. And there she’d been, nearly two months pregnant with no husband. Never again. She wouldn’t let herself be fooled like that again.

  When Dallas climbed behind the steering wheel and started the car, a heavy silence fell between them, which was fine with Rachel because she didn’t want to talk about her deceased husband. All her focus needed to be on the case.

  “Tell me a little about your sister. Even though Paul assured me otherwise, could someone be after your sister or her husband—someone who would kidnap their baby to get back at them?”

  “Lenora volunteers at church and through a woman’s club. Paul is a CPA who works for Remington Industries in San Antonio. I don’t think so.”

  “An accountant with possible access to financial records?”

  Dallas stopped at the red light. “The work he does is routine. He’s only been working for the company for two years. He says he’s low on the totem pole. They’ve never indicated having a problem with anyone. They get along with their neighbors, but I don’t know about everything they do during the day. My gut tells me it isn’t that.”

  “You go by your gut a lot?”

  “I never dismiss hunches. I understand you were a police sergeant for the Austin Police Department. Did you ever go on a hunch?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s the same thing. The more we can read people, the better we are about figuring out a clue, motive or case. Take the fact a guy in a hoodie fled from the crime scene and punched you out. What was he doing there? Was he tied to the kidnappers or my sister and Paul?” The light turned green, and Dallas drove across the intersection.

  “I caught him looking in the window.”

  “Yes, I know, but why was he doing that? Was he a reporter? Talk about fast on the scene and bold.” Dallas shrugged.

  “Why would a reporter punch me? Maybe he’s a snooping neighbor checking out what was going on?”

  “Why take the risk when he would find out soon enough on the news?”

  Her first instinct was that the Peeping Tom was tied to the kidnappers, and that was still the best possibility. “He may have risked coming back if there was something left behind at the crime scene that could connect him to the kidnapping.”

  “Yes, that’s what I’ve been thinking because he punched you. A neighbor or reporter wouldn’t have gone to that extreme and risk being arrested.”

  “Deputy Jones handled the crime scene. As far as I know, nothing was found other than the footprints and tire tracks, and the pacifier I discovered in the backyard.”

  Dallas parked behind her sheriff’s car in his sister’s driveway. “It wouldn’t hurt to look around again while we’re here. Which window was the guy looking in?”

  “I think the dining room. Everything happened so fast.” Rachel scanned the crowd of people hanging around. There were two camera crews from different television stations in San Antonio as well as local folks she recognized.

  “We need to recheck for anything out of the ordinary, especially with Lenora and Paul here now.”

  “I agree.” Rachel stepped down from the SUV and headed toward the Howards’ house. Working with Dallas seemed to come so naturally. She was glad he was here to help because this would be her first big test as the county sheriff.

  One of her deputies stood on the front porch and another one should be at the back door. She’d hated taking time away from the investigation to go to the hospital, but at least she’d had a chance to see what else Michelle could remember and make sure she would recover. “Did Michelle say anything about the kidnappers having a gun?”

  “No. She was drowsy. I was happy to get what I could out of her. But I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both had a gun. Did the guy that hit you have one?”

  “I didn’t see one, but when I was trying to stem the flow of blood from her wound, it looked like the kind of damage a handle of a revolver could have done.”

  His tanned complexion whitened. “Not that I’m complaining, but if he had a gun, why didn’t he shoot her rather than hit her?”

  “The noise. They still had to get away without anyone seeing them.” Rachel entered his sister’s house first and strode into the living area that connected with the dining room and kitchen, checking the placement of the windows on the side of the house where she’d seen the Peeping Tom and deciding she was right. The dining room was where the man had been looking inside.

  Dallas came up behind and leaned toward her. “Which window was he peeking into?”

  She pointed at the one on the left in the dining room. “There.” She glanced over her shoulder, his face close to hers. A whiff of lime wafted to her. “Which doesn’t surprise me. If the couple charged into your sister’s home, the fastest way to nab Brady was through the living and dining room into the kitchen and out onto the back porch. From what you said earlier I got the impression that Brady wasn’t with her when she went to the front door.”

  “Right. He was asleep on the pallet on the screened-in porch.”

  “The getaway car was most likely parked behind the property on the dirt road. Why didn’t Michelle see them walking across the backyard?”

  “I’m not sure. Possibly because she might have been on the floor with Brady, and the screened part is only the top half. They might not have seen her, either. Or one went to the front to distract Michelle while the other snatched Brady.” He looked toward the hallway to the bedrooms, spying his brother-in-law making his way toward them. “Paul, is Lenora awake and able to talk to us?”

  She hadn’t even heard Paul coming down the corridor. Her total attention had centered on Dallas. The pain in his gaze drew her to him. The thought of losing her baby pierced through her heart like a red-hot lance. Paul and Lenora were living a parent’s worst nightmare.

  “I’m getting her a glass of water. She should be able to talk after that.” The defeat in Paul’s voice filled the silence.

  “We’ll be out on the porch,” Rachel said.

  Paul nodded. “That’s where Deputy Jones is.” He walked past them toward the kitchen. “Dottie called and told me how Michelle was doing. I’m glad she’ll be all right.”

  “Thanks.” Dallas followed his brother-in-law into the kitchen, asking what his mother said concerning his daughter.

  Rachel paused in the dining room and panned the area that held a table and six chairs and a display cabinet between the two windows. Thick, brown carpeting covered the floor. The only thing on the table was an artificial flower arrangement. She moved from one chair to the next, pulling it out and seeing if
anything was on the seat. Nothing. Then she knelt and looked under the cabinet and table. A glint caught her attention near a chair. She crawled to it and saw a short gold chain with a heart charm on it buried in the long fibers of the rug.

  She quickly put on gloves and picked up the bracelet. On the heart were the initials DN. Was it Lenora’s? The letters didn’t match her name. Until she found out, it would remain in the evidence bag she dropped it into. Usable latent prints might be on it. She hoped it was a clue that would lead them to Brady. Was the bracelet the reason the guy had been peeping in the dining room window? She wanted it to be a clue, but it was still possible the man might have nothing to do with the case.

  Rachel quickly pushed to her feet, a few seconds of light-headedness hitting her. She had a mild concussion, nothing like Michelle’s, but she needed to watch for any signs her concussion was worsening. She strolled into the kitchen as Paul was leaving.

  Across the room Dallas looked at her, their eyes bound together for a few seconds. He broke visual contact first and sauntered in the direction of the door that led to the porch.

  “I found something in the dining room.”

  He stopped and peered back at her, one brow raised.

  She covered the distance between them and withdrew the small evidence bag from her pocket. “It’s a bracelet with a heart charm that has DN engraved on it. Does this look familiar to you?”

  He held it up and examined it closely. “No. I’ve never seen Lenora with it or my mother or even Michelle. She spends a lot of time here.”

  “Then this could be what the guy who hit me came back for.”

  “Possibly. We need to show it to Lenora and Paul. It could belong to one of their friends I’m not familiar with.”

  “I will.”

  At the rear exit, Rachel stood in the doorway and slowly swept her gaze around the porch. Three walls were half screened on the top while the bottom was brick. The area had been childproofed and had a baby swing in a corner. When she focused on the coverlet on the wooden floor, her throat tightened at the sight of the blood on it and the cell phone Michelle used to call Dallas.

  “I asked Deputy Jones to process for latent prints and search for any evidence but to leave the room as it is. I wanted you to see it when you weren’t concentrating on getting your daughter to the hospital.”

  “Thanks. You’re right. I wasn’t paying much attention once I saw Michelle.”

  Deputy Jones appeared at the back door and came into the room. “You’re gonna have one nice shiner there, sheriff.”

  “That’s because the Peeping Tom clocked me with a one-two punch.” She waved her hand at her jaw then her eye.

  “I don’t even have to look in a mirror to remind me that the guy got in two packed punches. Except for taking up the blanket and phone, are you finished in here?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The area along the dirt road has been searched, but other than the tire tracks and boot prints, that’s all we found. I had a couple of deputies comb the back and front yards, but they didn’t find anything. Another deputy went to talk to Houston Fowler.”

  “Good. Let me know if Fowler has any information that will help this case. I want to show Dallas where I think they got away.” Rachel swung her attention to Dallas, who stared at the blood, his jaws clenched so tightly a muscle twitched. “Do you want to go out back?”

  He lifted his head, his eyes full of anger. While he battled for control, he marched to the outside door and left the porch.

  “Bag the blanket and phone and take them to headquarters. Did we get good latent prints?” Rachel asked her deputy while watching Dallas scope out the yard.

  “Yes. There were tons. I’m in the process of getting fingerprints from family members or friends who’ve been here recently to rule them out.”

  “Thanks. We’ll be back.”

  Rachel joined Dallas, still seeing a struggle between anger and determination. She again felt a connection with him that surprised her. They were both single parents and had daughters, but the two girls were years apart in age. Where was Michelle’s mother? It wasn’t easy raising a child alone, as Rachel was finding out.

  With his hands fisted at his sides, Dallas closed his eyes. He spread his fingers wide and shook them. The tense set of his face relaxed, and when he twisted toward her and looked at her, a calm, professional demeanor fell into place. “I have to work this case. I can’t let my emotions take over.”

  “I know. If my daughter were kidnapped, no matter what, I would be out there looking for her.”

  “It won’t be easy to remain objective, but with the Lord’s help, I’ll find out who kidnapped Brady.”

  “Good. We need all the help we can get.” Rachel began walking across the yard.

  “The castings were taken for the tire tracks and boot prints on the other side of the back fence?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you notice what kind of shoes the guy who hit you was wearing?”

  Rachel stopped and closed her eyes, trying to picture the man running away from her. She remembered watching his hoodie, hoping it would slip from his head. When he turned the corner of the neighbor’s house, had she caught sight of his shoes? “I think he was wearing black hiking boots. One of my deputies made a casting of the prints by the dining room window. I haven’t had a chance yet to compare them.”

  Dallas climbed the fence, straddled the top and stretched out his arm to help her. She clasped his palm, his large hand swallowing her smaller one. His warm touch engulfed her in a wave of awareness that startled her. He hoisted her up. Their gazes met and held for a long moment. Finally she looked away, afraid that her cheeks were red.

  When they both descended to the ground near the dirt road, she put a few feet between them, not sure what had just happened. She strolled to the boot prints. “The smaller set with the larger one fits the scenario that a man and woman took Brady. Her shoe size is about a six.”

  Dallas put his cowboy boot alongside the other set. “And he wears a twelve.”

  “Now all we have to do is find a couple who wear a shoe sizes of six and twelve.”

  “Just one of many clues I hope we’ll find.” Dallas made his way to the tire imprints. “They drove a small compact car.” He took several steps between the tracks and knelt, using a pencil to move the grass. “This vehicle was leaking oil.” He took out his cell phone and took a picture. “A lot. That might help us. Make sure your deputy got a sample of this oil in case we find a car leaking oil.”

  Dusk settled over the landscape as Dallas walked up the road toward the Fowlers’ property, then came back and went in the other direction. When he returned, he said, “They turned around about a hundred yards that way.” He pointed toward the ranch. “Let’s go talk to Lenora and Paul. There isn’t much else we can do here, and I need to return to the hospital and relieve Mom.”

  As they headed back to the house, Dallas received a call. He stopped and listened, the lines in his forehead getting deeper the longer the other person talked.

  “How many babies were stolen?” Dallas turned his back on Rachel and lowered his voice.

  More babies taken? When he ended the conversation, Rachel stiffened, preparing herself for the worst.

  THREE

  As Dallas neared Lenora’s porch, he clutched his cell phone. “That was the Texas Ranger office in San Antonio on the phone. There’s been a series of baby snatchings north of Dallas.”

  “How many have there been?” Rachel asked as she moved into the house.

  “Three babies were kidnapped by strangers, but that’s not all. They checked throughout Texas, and one other area has reported the same crime pattern in the past year. There was a cluster of kidnappings in El Paso. I don’t think this is just a couple looking for a baby.”

  “Which means we’ll have two more before they move on, if they hold to the p
attern.”

  He grasped her arm and stopped her before she entered the kitchen. “Sounds like a systematic organization kidnapping babies to sell. They only stay a few weeks in one area, then they move on. I’ll be checking to see if this is happening in other states.”

  Rachel frowned. “We have to stop them.”

  “I’ve already asked headquarters to expand to the surrounding states. To see if there are cases like this there. In the meantime, I’ll get what information I can about the other abductions. Maybe there’s a pattern forming where others were taken from their homes. If not, we need to establish if there’s one—or if the kidnappings are random with nothing in common between them.”

  “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.