Wife by Design

“He did try,” Detective Smith told Lynn and Grant quietly fifteen minutes later. Maddie and her parents had arrived and were in another corner of the room with Sara and a couple of other police officers.

Sara had given a whispered message to Lynn as she’d come in. Maria had agreed to press charges. And was filing for divorce.

“He said he figured if he couldn’t get to his wife’s kids to use them for leverage, someone else’s kid would do just as well. He figured the women who were keeping his wife hostage from him would release her to get one of their own kids back.”

Lynn’s stomach cramped. She didn’t have time to be sick but was afraid she might be anyway.

“You said he tried.” Grant’s voice was firm beside her. Strong where she felt weak. “Not that he succeeded.”

“That’s right. He said there was no way he was going down for kidnapping when he didn’t do it. He said he saw Kara come out, tried to grab her, but some big guy came out of another door from the locked area, hit him once, hard, grabbed the kid and ran.”

“Darin?” Grant asked. “What other man would have been in the locked area?” She could feel his renewed tension as he stiffened. They were sitting on a leather couch, having finally given in to Smith’s persuasions to do so, holding hands.

“Yes,” the detective said. “As soon as we knew that your brother exited via another gate, we had the team switch cameras and they saw him. It was just as Cleveland said. He seemingly comes out of nowhere, hits Cleveland, snatches Kara all with one hand and runs off camera.”

“Darin saved her life!” Lynn jumped up. “They’re together and he saved her life!”

Grant was beside her and she grabbed his hand again in both of hers. “They’re together, Grant.”

“And we have no idea where they are,” he reminded her. “Kara’s three and Darin’s got limited abilities,” he reminded her.

“I know.” She did, too. And she could see that Grant was heavy with the weight of responsibility for his handicapped brother. If Darin failed Kara, Grant would never forgive himself.

Which was crazy. No matter what happened, Darin had saved Kara’s life. It was on tape.

Her little girl was going to be all right.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ONCE GRANT KNEW for certain that Darin was outside The Lemonade Stand complex, he couldn’t wait any longer.

The fact that he had Kara Duncan in his care, a child caring for a child, nothing was going to stop him from going out to find them.

He wasn’t all that surprised when Lynn backed up his idea, saying that she was going to accompany him.

Smith didn’t like the idea.

“We’re free citizens,” Grant stated in no uncertain terms. “If Darin sees cops looking around, calling his name, he’s just as likely to hide as to come out,” he said, thinking clearly for the first time in more than two hours.

The fog had lifted. He had to help his brother.

“Lynn and I know all of the places he’s been in the area,” he continued. “And if Darin hears us call, he’ll respond, even if he’s hiding.”

“He lacks problem-solving skills,” Lynn said, as though she was Darin’s nurse, not a friend. “And has emotional lapses, as well. We stand a much better chance of finding them before dark if we’re out there looking for them.”

They’d waited for official word. It was time to act.

* * *

THEY CHECKED BOTH restaurants they’d been to on their dates, including bathrooms and alcoves. They’d shown Darin’s and Kara’s pictures around and were told officers had already been there looking for the pair.

Grant found corners and crevices, potential hiding places, everywhere.

“You really think he’d cram himself and Kara into a corner and just wait?” she asked him.

“I know he would if he felt threatened,” Grant said as they climbed back into his truck. A vehicle Darin would recognize if he saw it and be willing to approach. “He got scared one time when I told him to stand outside the grocery store while I wheeled the cart back inside the door. When I came out he was standing between a pillar and a trash receptacle. Once, on a job, I had him wait outside while I delivered a bill to a woman and when I turned around he was under a stairwell.”