Her Detective's Secret Intent

He filled the older man in on his conversation with Miranda the night before, ending with, “It was my impression that she might be blaming herself for the fact that you aren’t in their lives,” he said. Could be his theories were based on what he thought, not on what actually was. He was getting too close to Miranda to be just a detective.

“You think she could be ready...” the chief began.

“I do, sir.” With the man on vacation, the timing might be right. “If you want to fly out here, I can meet you if you’d like. Tell me how you want this to play out.” The man was on vacation. Now was the time to tell Tad, to let him know that he could fly out there that day. Tension filled him as he realized that he might not have any role in the reunion at all.

Or any chance to tell Miranda he hadn’t just been seeing her at her father’s behest. To tell her how his heart was open to her in a way it hadn’t been open in a very long time.

He hadn’t thought this part through well enough.

“I’m kind of involved at the moment,” the chief said. “Business I can’t leave unattended. And, frankly, I want to plan the reunion. So much is resting on it. I’ll go through some of her mother’s things. Take them to her. That way, even if she rejects me, she’ll have them. I don’t know when exactly I’ll go out there, but it’ll be soon. Very soon. For now, if you could continue as you are...”

There was nothing for him to say but, “Of course.”

In the shower, Tad was feeling rather glad the chief wasn’t rushing right out. Now that he’d realized he might not have a chance to explain himself to Miranda, he needed time to think about his own plan. To figure out if there was anything he could do, prior to her learning the truth. To let her know that his feelings for her were completely personal. And not likely to end.

Yes, he was glad, but a little uneasy, too.

The chief had said he was involved in business that couldn’t be left unattended. A fishing trip?

Surely his daughter and grandson meant more to him than catching fish.

Unless the “business that I can’t leave unattended” had to do with blackmail—someone trying to force him to provide large sums of money for Dana and Jeffrey’s safety.

In which case, he couldn’t afford to expose their whereabouts. Any traceable contact between the chief and Tad could do just that.

If that was the case, O’Connor should’ve told him. Eggs in different baskets or not. Tad understood the man was in an impossible position, but Tad couldn’t do his own job if he didn’t know what he was up against.

Not to disrespect the chief, but he wasn’t liking the guy all that much at the moment.

He couldn’t rest easy unless he knew for certain that Miranda and Ethan were safe.

Chapter 22

Miranda was cleaning bathrooms Saturday afternoon, with her son using the toilet brush to scrub his toilet and splashing water all over the rim and onto the floor, when the tone she’d set for High Risk Team notifications sounded.

Grabbing her phone out of the back pocket of her shorts, she clicked on the text.

Marie Williams and son Danny did not return home after T-ball practice and lunch as expected. Not answering cell. Devon not answering either. CF

CF. Chantel Fairbanks.

The notice went out to the full team, putting everyone on alert. And anyone who was available could join a search party to try to find them.

“Who’s that?” Ethan asked, peering up at her from behind his glasses. The unusually solemn expression on his face alerted her to the fact that she must look concerned.

She didn’t want him to know who it was. Didn’t want domestic violence to be a part of his life.

She had to help. As many vehicles on the road as they could get, as many eyes looking, would increase Marie’s chances that someone would spot something and be able to alert authorities in time to save her.

If indeed she was with Devon. They didn’t know for sure.

Which was why there wouldn’t be an Amber Alert.

It was up to them, the team and anyone the team could contact, to be the equivalent of Danny’s Amber Alert.

“You remember Danny, the boy you saw with Tad that day?”

“Yeeahh...” Ethan drew the word out as though hesitant about wanting to know more.