Her Lost and Found Baby (The Daycare Chronicles 1)

“He’s not at work. He’s usually in by seven,” Johnny told her, something she hadn’t known. “Mallory opens up at six and Jason is one of the first kids there every morning.”

Something else she hadn’t known.

Oh, God. Jackson...

“He found out he was being watched,” she said, feeling light-headed.

“We don’t know that yet.” Johnny’s voice was close, reassuring. His arm came around her, and he led her to the couch.

She needed to know. And had to pull it together. She wasn’t some weak-kneed woman who couldn’t be there for her son.

Except that she hadn’t been. She’d dropped him off and driven away, leaving Mark to pack him up and run...

She looked at Johnny. Focused on the encouragement in his blue eyes. He seemed to be promising her something. Panic receded for a second, and she tried to rally her thoughts. Control them. Think.

“What day is it today?”

He said the date and, hearing it aloud, it hit her.

She should’ve known. “It’s the anniversary of his mother’s death,” she said. The police had given her the date when they’d figured it for the trigger that had set Mark in motion.

“What if he’s going to the cemetery?” she said, staring at Johnny. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he hit a button and was speaking almost immediately. He gave instructions for Alistair to go to the cemetery in Mission Viejo and then had her call Detective Bentley, who said that while they’d kept watch on the grave over the year, they, of course, couldn’t have someone there twenty-four/seven. He told her not to get her hopes up, but that they’d send someone over to keep an eye on Mark’s mother’s plot. They didn’t really expect him to just walk up to it right out in the open, though. Not while being on the run.

“If Matt’s not Mark, why would he go to the trouble of leaving his home covertly, taking a bus instead of just getting in his van and going about his day?”

“Could be they were taking a bus downtown to the zoo.”

Could be.

“Or to the airport. Maybe he didn’t want to pay for parking.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, she asked, “You think they’re running?”

“Or going on a planned vacation. We need to think positive and let Montgomery’s team do their jobs.”

“What if he realized he was being watched? What if he’s run again?”

“Positive thoughts, Tabitha.”

She nodded. Had to get over to Mark/Matt’s house. To be among Jackson/Jason’s things. And knew she couldn’t. She had no right to be anywhere near the man. Or his son.

Tabi

tha’s color returned when Johnny got Braden Harris on the phone. Montgomery had visited Harris’s professional building. He’d seen that Matt’s gym was closed. He’d introduced himself to Mallory and asked if Jason was absent that morning. But Johnny wanted more. Braden trained with Matt several times a week. At the very least, he would know whether or not his personal training sessions had been canceled. And if so, Johnny wanted the reason Braden had been given.

Montgomery could’ve done that, too, but Johnny needed to do something. And he figured Braden Harris would be more likely to talk to him. The man was all about loyalty, and while he and Johnny weren’t buds by any means, they’d established a respect for each other.

“Yeah, I knew he was going to be gone today,” Braden said, as soon as Johnny explained the reason for his call. “We rescheduled my morning session.”

“When did he reschedule?” If it had been this morning... If the change in plan was that sudden...

“At the end of Tuesday’s workout. He said he wouldn’t be in on Thursday.” So the absence was planned. “We’re doing an extra session on Monday to make up for it.” And now they knew Matt planned to be back.

“Did he say why he was taking the day off?”

Johnny noted Braden’s hesitation. Looked at Tabitha on the couch, watching him, and schooled his features as he’d learned to do in moot court during law school.

“Repeating information that was given to you regarding your own schedule will in no way implicate you in anything.”