Chapter Thirty-Eight
Elise
There was a nip of frost in the air. Fall in Hambleton was beautiful. The colors were spectacular, and the cooler temperatures were a relief after the burning heat of summer.
I pulled the lapels of my coat closed, smiling as I watched RJ whizz around on his new bike from where I sat. Our Labrador puppy, George, yapped after him, prancing around like a tiny show pony.
A shadow fell over me, and a man, around his mid-thirties, dressed in a suit, pointed to the empty bench beside me. “May I?”
“Certainly.” I smiled.
He nodded toward RJ. “Your son?”
“Yes.”
“How old is he?” the man asked.
“Twelve,” I replied, turning to face him. “Have you got children?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m an FBI agent. I’m married to my career.” He held his hand out. “I’m Special Agent David Sears.”
My chest jolted as I took his hand and shook it.
FBI? What the hell was an FBI agent doing in Hambleton?
“I’m actually investigating the disappearance of my sister,” he went on, going into his inside pocket and pulling out a picture. “This is Mary.”
I took the tiny image and stared at the blonde girl smiling up at me. “She’s pretty,” I murmured. “Is she okay?”
The man shrugged. “I don’t know. The last reported sighting was over in Mapletree six months ago. My leads have dried up, and I wondered if you could help me.”
My eyes widened.
He knew.
The problem was that I knew Robert had FBI and law enforcement in his crony group, so I didn’t know how much I could trust this man. It wouldn’t have shocked me if he was a plant sent by my husband to flush me out. I had to tread very carefully.
“What can I do for you, Special Agent Sears?” I asked.
“Call me Dave,” he told me.
“Dave.” I dipped my chin in assent. “I’m Elise.”
“I know, Elise. Without wanting to appear like a stalker, I’ve been watching you, asking around, and getting the lay of the land. It appears you’re a decent woman who’s caught up in a situation you have no idea about. Your husband is involved with some very dangerous characters and doing some very nefarious work. I could beat around the bush by getting to know you and then try to recruit you to help me, but I haven’t got time. My sister’s missing, and I need to find her. For that, I need your help.”
My stare went to RJ, and my heart wept.
Constance was almost the same age, growing up fast, and I’d missed everything. Her first word, steps, her giggle, her scent. Did she love dancing and singing? What was her favorite toy or TV show? How did she sleep? Was she happy? Was she content?
The pictures Robert gave me showed a beautiful, tiny, doll-like girl who smiled and lit up the entire universe. I’d missed everything, and damnit, I was determined I wouldn’t miss anymore.
“Dave,” I murmured. “My husband is a monster. Years ago, he took something of mine and kept me compliant by threatening to harm her. I’m with him because I need to find her and get her safe. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, but I need your promise that you’ll do everything you can to help me if I promise the same. I’ve been watching, learning, eavesdropping, taking photographs, and I’ll be honest, I don’t think your sister will be found again. But even if she’s gone, we can stop him and those other bastards from hurting somebody else’s daughter or sister. I’m not a spy, but if you teach me, I’ll do everything I can to help you and Mary if you could do the same for me and my daughter.”
I heard Dave take a sharp breath. “He took your daughter?”
“Yes,” I breathed. “I’ve never even held her.”
He paused for a minute while he thought about my proposition. “I’m working solo on this. The Bureau isn’t involved, but I have friends and resources. I’ll do my best for you.”
My heart soared.
At last, a breakthrough.
“Thank you, Dave,” I whispered, holding out my hand for him to shake. “You’ve got a deal.”