Chapter 18 #2
He spun to exit. She followed him but veered off to her bedroom. She quickly put on one of her usual work suits and tamed her hair into a bun. Not hearing Gabe in the other room, she even took a moment to brush her teeth.
Back in her living room, her phone rang right as Gabe returned.
She held it up. “It’s Sierra. And if she’s calling at this time of day, it has to be important.” She connected the call. “Sierra. Gabe’s here, and I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Good, “she said. “The results came in for the fetal tissue sample. I thought with Lucy missing you’d be working and want to know right away.”
Gabe stepped closer to the phone. “You have a match in the database?”
“Not exactly,” Sierra said.
“Then what?” Gabe’s urgent tone seemed as if he were trying to push her along.
“First, you should know it was a boy.”
Learning the gender of the baby made the loss more real. El watched Gabe to see how he handled it.
His shoulders slumped, and he stared blankly at the wall.
“Second, the sample matched two men in the database.” She paused, and El heard her draw in a long breath.
The suspense was killing El, but after Gabe’s reaction to the baby’s gender, she wouldn’t push Sierra along, but would be patient for her to reveal the name. Still, she gripped the edges of the table as she waited.
“I’ll send a report with both of the names,” she said, “but I think the one you’ll want to know about, is you, Gabe. It’s a familial match to you.”
All blood drained from Gabe’s head and the world spun in circles. He might pass out. He grabbed the phone from El’s hand as if that would make a difference. “What do you mean a match to me?”
“The findings are consistent with a first-degree relative,” Sierra said. “A parent, child or full sibling. We refined it using gender. Male. Your dad’s in the system too, and it’s a match to him as well.”
“Then why focus on me?” Gabe asked even though the real question he should be thinking is why would one of his family members be involved with Kenna?
“Because we refined it further using age. Even if the DNA sample didn’t give us an approximate age of thirty-three, your father isn’t likely capable of having more children. This left the only other male relative in our database.”
“Me,” Gabe said. “But I can assure you, I’m not the father of the child.”
“Do you have another male relative in this age range who doesn’t have a criminal record?” Sierra asked.
Gabe’s mind whirled with the news, but though he could hardly believe it, he immediately knew the answer. “My brother, Brad.”
“Is he your only male sibling?” Sierra asked.
“Yes.” Gabe’s hand shook so badly he set the phone on the table before he dropped it.
“Then it looks like your brother is the father of Kenna’s child,” Sierra said matter-of-factly. It sounded like she’d put a megaphone to her phone, and her statement roared through Gabe’s brain.
He took a moment to catch his breath and come to grips with what she was saying.
His brother, Brad. A relationship with Kenna. Father of her baby.
No. He couldn’t believe it.
“This can’t possibly be.” Gabe pulled out a chair and sank onto it, leaning his elbows on his knees and taking in more oxygen. “Kenna detested my family’s criminal behavior as much as I did. There’s no way she’d be in a relationship with Brad.”
“I apologize if this offends you,” Sierra said, “but it might not have been a consensual relationship.”
“That could make some sense,” El said. “Perhaps the voicemail she left you was that she was afraid of him, and he used the baby to get her to stop at the lake to talk to him.”
“And he killed her? My brother killed my best friend?” Gabe shoved a hand into his hair. “No. No. Don’t tell me that. I couldn’t possibly live with that.”
“I’m sorry, Gabe,” Sierra said. “But just because he’s the father of the baby doesn’t mean he killed Kenna. Whether you like it or not, they could’ve been in a relationship.”
“She’s right.” El looked at him, concern flooding her expression. “Is there anything else, Sierra?”
“No. Looks like I’ve done enough damage for the day. I’ll get back to you as soon as other results come in.”
The phone went dark, matching the color of Gabe’s heart right now. He didn’t know what to do. What to think. Other than that he wanted to hurt his brother in the worst way.
He jumped to his feet and grabbed his keys from the counter.
“Where are you going?” El asked.
“To see my brother.”
“With the mood you’re in, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not to mention, it’s the middle of the night.” She pushed in front of him, blocking his way.
Didn’t matter. He could simply step around her, or with his strength, easily force her out of the way.
“I’m sorry, but I have to. There’s no other choice.” He sidestepped her and charged toward the door.
“What about this?” she called after him. “What about the break-in? The violation of my private space?”
The anguish in her voice stopped his feet, his hand on the door handle. What was he doing? Bailing on the woman he’d come to love, just for a little revenge? Something the Bible warned against, and it wouldn’t bring Kenna back. Bring any peace.
Or help find Lucy.
And he certainly couldn’t leave El here on her own.
Not after the break-in. Sure, she was a law enforcement officer and had proved tonight that she could handle herself, but this could’ve gone the opposite way in a flash.
His time as a state trooper told him that.
Bullets were fast and deadly, and stoppable only when wearing a protective vest, and that wasn’t even a certainty.
He rested his head on the cool metal door.
Please help me give up this desire for revenge. You see the big picture. I only see the little piece in front of me, and I can be prone to jump to conclusions. As if this is news to You. Let me respect El enough to wait until the time she decides we should talk to my brother.
Calmer now, he pushed off the door and strode back to her. She remained in the same place, and he rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry I let my selfish need for revenge take over. How could I even have considered leaving you? Can you forgive me?”
“Already done and forgotten.” She beamed a smile at him.
His heart took a tumble. “Not only do I want to be here for you, but I’d like you to bunk in the guest room at the inn until we catch the intruder. In fact, it would be a good idea to stay with us until we find the killer. Maybe even Lucy.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “I appreciate your offer, but I’ll be fine here.”
He must’ve frowned because she gently pressed the muscles on the sides of his mouth. “You really want me to stay there, don’t you?”
“I do, but I’ll respect your decision.”
“That means a lot to me.” She studied his face. “Since it’s important to you, I’ll stay at the inn.”
His turn to send a smile her way, but then he swept her up in a hug and held on tightly. “You and Lucy are the most important people in my life. I need to keep you safe and find Lucy.”
“Detective Lyons.” A deep male voice called out from the doorway.
“That’ll be Price.” She broke away from Gabe, her gaze shifting to the door. “In here, Price. Come in.”
He stormed their way as if intending to arrest them and stopped in front of her, his hands resting on his duty belt.
His mannerisms reminded Gabe of Barney Fife from the old Andy Griffith Show that he used to watch with his mom when he was little.
But if he was a bumbling deputy like Fife, El didn’t let on.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he said, his southern drawl stronger on the word ma’am. “Suspect’s in the wind. Got a partial on his plates and dispatch is running it now along with the make and model of the vehicle.”
“Text me the details,” El said before Gabe could ask for it. “My number’s correct on the department roster.”
“Roger that.” Price rubbed the back of his neck. “Would now be a good time to take your statement?”
Was it? Not by the looks of El’s troubled expression, but then she straightened her shoulders and nodded. “I’ll make a pot of strong coffee. Have a seat at the table, and I’ll bring it in when it’s ready.”
She started for her kitchen, open to the family room.
She was putting on a good front for the deputy. The only thing Gabe wanted her to do right now was to climb in bed at the inn and get some sleep. But it didn’t matter what he wanted. He couldn’t postpone the statement. He could help her make the coffee, though.
He trailed her into the kitchen with walnut cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Her back to him, she was grinding fresh coffee beans, the nutty smell already saturating the air.
He glanced back to make sure Price wasn’t watching them and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Remember, I’m here if you need or want support.”
She smiled at him, this time, a genuine, glorious smile, and he could imagine a lifetime of moments together in a kitchen like this, making coffee. Not with the underlying turmoil and strife of the night, but as they went through their lives with Lucy in a house like this one.
Oh man, he’d never asked her if she would want to be a ready-made mother. That could most certainly stand in the way of their getting together. Now wasn’t the time to discuss it, but they would soon need to have that conversation.
He released her shoulders and grabbed the carafe to insert under running water.
As it filled, his mind drifted to his brother.
To his family. To how dysfunctional they were.
In many ways, he’d had a good childhood.
At least until he’d discovered their so-called occupation.
That hadn’t taken long. Not that they’d told him, but elementary school classmates had been more than happy to tease him about it.
That wasn’t the kind of life he wanted for Lucy, but she would benefit greatly from having grandparents. Not his dad, for sure, but his mother was awesome. Her only downfall was enabling the family’s criminal activities and expecting him to join in.
“You filling the carafe or starting a fountain?” El gave a pointed look at his hand.
He glanced down to discover water flowing over the top.
“Sorry.” He turned the handle. “Lost in thought.”
She rested a hip against the counter, her expression perking up. “About?”
“Nothing important.”
“Is that true or do you not want to share it with me?”
“I do want to share it with you, and I will, but now isn’t the right time.” He tipped his head toward the living area. “Especially not with a deputy waiting for you.”
Gabe looked in Price’s direction. He was lost in his phone, the screen reflecting off his face.
She squeezed Gabe’s hand. “I know things aren’t good tonight, but I feel like it’s set my priorities and brought us closer together.”
“Agreed.” He clung to her hand, but needed to clear his brother’s name before this could go any further. “I’m not trying to pressure you, but how soon before we can interview Brad?”
She arched an eyebrow, but didn’t speak.
“Honestly, I respect your skills and experience, and I’m good to do whatever you say.”
“You said you suspect him of killing Kenna, but when you think about it now, do you really believe he did?”
“He’s been a criminal all his life,” Gabe said. “But I’d like to think murder wasn’t part of his ethos.”
“And if you believe what Jude had to say, then we would think if a boyfriend killed her, it would be an unplanned rage-filled incident. Sure, the strangulation could’ve been anger-induced, but everything else points to a more controlled incident.”
He nodded as he was starting to believe she was right. But was he buying into it because he didn’t want to believe his brother was a killer or because he really believed in his innocence?
How could he know? How could he separate family from his work even though he was no longer part of their lives?
The very reason he needed El to make the decision on how and when to approach Brad.
“Do you think he’s holding Lucy?” she asked.
“Again, I don’t think kidnapping is in his wheelhouse. I know criminals escalate, but they don’t usually go from petty burglary to murder and kidnapping without something in between.”
“True, but if he did kill Kenna, and if Lucy saw him do it, then he couldn’t let her go.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Get a warrant to search his place before we talk to him and tip him off that we know about his involvement. We don’t want him disposing of any evidence.
Until then, we hang back. He doesn’t know we’re on to him, so I doubt he’ll flee.
Means there’s no need to track him down in the middle of the night. ”
“Sounds like a plan,” he said as the coffeemaker gurgled its readiness.
He respected her strategy, and he would abide by it, but there was no way his brain would quiet down and let him sleep tonight. Not only because of his brother, but because he wanted to be sure no one broke in to hurt El.
He certainly hadn’t backburnered finding Lucy, though. Time was ticking down, and his drive to locate her pressed harder on him than ever.
Even if it meant accusing his own brother of murder and kidnapping.