Guarding His Secret Son, page 10
“Not a single one.” He grimaced. “And I would have expected it to be the highest-ranking post. It’s obvious the gunmen who took her body are hiding the truth about her death until they’ve eliminated Micah as a threat.”
She nodded slowly. That made sense. If a billionaire CEO had died of a gunshot wound, the news would make headlines across the country, not just here in the Midwest. “Maybe we should fake Micah’s death.”
Garrett spun around to face her. “That’s an interesting idea. But we’d need documentation, wouldn’t we?”
“Yes.” She held his gaze. “It also means giving up Micah’s inheritance.”
He waved an impatient hand. “I don’t care about that. That much money is the root of all evil. Too many people are desperate and greedy. It’s not worth it. Besides, I have no interest in running a huge company like that.”
She tipped her head, regarding him thoughtfully. She’d known from the beginning he was an honorable man, but he proved it again and again the more time they spent time together. “You’re one of the few people who would look at it that way.”
“I’d do anything to get the target off my son’s back.” His blue eyes were resolute.
“I have death certificates in my clinic, so we could head back to fill one out and file it with the state. We could use a different name for him but list Rebecca Woodward as the mother.” She hesitated, then added, “Then I’d need to create another birth certificate for him since I dropped the initial paperwork into the mailbox outside the police station. One that doesn’t list Rebecca’s name at all.” On one hand, she didn’t like to lie about something like this—yet, like Garrett, she was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep this little boy from being murdered.
“How do you feel about that?” She was touched by how he held her gaze. “I don’t want to get you in trouble, Liz. And we’d be filing false paperwork, which is a crime.”
“Yes, it’s a crime.” She forced a reassuring smile. “But if we don’t figure out who is behind these murder attempts soon, I don’t see that we have much choice.”
He considered her offer, his expression serious. “I’ve asked so much of you already. I hate putting you in such a difficult position. Wouldn’t doing that jeopardize your license?”
It would, so she looked away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her hesitation. “I’m willing to do that to keep Micah safe. A baby doesn’t deserve to be hunted and killed.”
He sighed. “Let’s give it a little more time. We have the name of the dead guy, which is more than we’ve had before.”
“That’s fine, if you want to wait.” She frowned. “For all we know, there’s still a gunman staked out at my clinic, waiting for us to show up.”
“I’m sure there is. If we go back, you and Micah will have to stay somewhere else while I go in for the documentation.”
Faking Micah’s death had been her idea, but she didn’t like this idea of returning to her clinic. Would the place ever be safe? Even after the person responsible for the murder scheme was put in prison?
For the first time since Willow’s death, she wasn’t eager to return to her clinic. Never had she been so tempted to walk away. Yet doing so was out of the question. She wouldn’t leave her patients in limbo without a safety net.
She’d do her best for her patients up until the moment she lost her nursing license. The thought of never practicing as a midwife was difficult to bear.
Still, this wasn’t the time to ruminate over her future. Not when danger still dogged them. Garret had taken precautions, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be found.
She cuddled Micah close, then reluctantly rose to place him back in his baby carrier.
“I’ve looked at all of Tyler Richardson’s known associates, but there’s nothing to link him to the Woodward family.” He stared morosely at the computer screen, then abruptly straightened. “Wait a minute—what if one of the family members has spent time in jail?”
“Why would they?” She returned to sit beside him, close to the computer. “There’s no reason to commit a crime if they’re already rich.”
“Not rich enough, if they’ve hired someone to kill Micah.” He typed on the keyboard. “And I’m thinking more along the lines of drug or alcohol abuse.”
“Start with the younger ones,” she suggested. “They’re more likely to have gotten in trouble with the law.”
“You’d be surprised,” he muttered, but he keyed in the name Jeremy Woodward. “One citation for driving under the influence, but no jail time, as it was a first offense.”
“Who’s his lawyer?”
He shot her a look of admiration. “Good idea. His lawyer is Jacob MacDonald of MacDonald & Associates.” He reached over to add that name to the notepad. “Let me check the other family members.”
They were on a roll. She had a good feeling that Garrett’s investigative skills would provide them a clue. “Looks like Elaine was caught with a small bag of marijuana during a routine traffic stop, but she didn’t do jail time, either. Her lawyer was also Jacob MacDonald.”
“I’m sensing a theme,” she murmured.
“No kidding,” he said in a dry tone. He continued working for several minutes, then sat back in the chair. “Nothing on Connie or Anita, though. Edward came up clean, too, although there was one reckless-driving ticket on his record from almost ten years ago. That could have been an OWI—Operating While Intoxicated—that was pled down.”
“Maybe Edward’s side of the family is responsible for hiring the gunmen. At the very least, Elaine must have gotten her drugs from someone.”
“Yeah, but Richardson wasn’t busted for having drugs, so there’s no way to know if they ever connected. And all of this isn’t proof of murder for hire.” His earlier excitement seemed to fade. “I hate to say it, but falsifying documents may be the only way out of this mess.”
She leaned over to rest her hand on his knee. “Don’t give up hope.”
He covered her hand with his. His gaze went from her eyes to her mouth, and when he leaned forward, she did the same, meeting him halfway.
His kiss was tentative at first, then grew deeper as he tugged her close. Their positions were awkward, but she didn’t care. Reveling in his kiss, the poignant moment was interrupted by the ringing of his disposable cell phone.
Garrett pulled back, fumbling for the device. The bit of confusion on his face made her wonder if he was already regretting their brief kiss.
Because she didn’t regret their embrace one bit.
* * *
“Liam? Hang on, I’m going to put this on speaker so Liz can hear, too.” He hoped his clumsy actions weren’t too noticeable as he fought to recover from the emotional and physical impact of Liz’s kiss. “Ah, okay. What’s up?”
“I received an interesting call about a missing woman by the name of Rebecca Woodward,” Liam said, getting straight to the point. “Apparently, she didn’t show up for work today, and her family is worried.”
“They were forced into reporting her missing since others were aware of her absence,” he mused.
“That’s what I’m thinking. This guy who called it in mentioned that she may have been traveling and ended up at a local hospital, as she was pregnant and relatively close to her due date. He’s calling all police jurisdictions to put us on notice.”
“Isn’t that kind of him.” Garrett knew better than to assume someone was guilty without proof, but he felt certain this guy was involved. “Did he give you a name?”
“Joel Abernathy. Have you heard of him?”
He glanced at Liz as the name clicked. “Yeah, in fact, I have. Rebecca mentioned he was the company’s new CFO. It’s possible they were dating.”
“Interesting. I’m still waiting to hear back from my Chicago PD contact,” Liam said. “I’m hoping he has more information on the Woodward family in general.”
“That would be nice. I’d like to talk to Joel myself. He may know why she was in danger. Oh, and I discovered both Elaine and Jeremy Woodward were arrested for misdemeanor offenses related to an OWI and marijuana possession. They didn’t do any jail time.”
“They got the weed from someone,” Liam said, echoing Liz’s thought. “But low-level drug dealers are a dime a dozen.”
“True. Connie and her daughter, Anita, are clean.” He thought again about the lawyer for both kids. “I’m going to reach out to the law offices of MacDonald & Associates. If I hint at having information on Rebecca, I might get through.”
“Can’t hurt to try.” Liam was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll text you Joel’s contact information. I also think you should head back to Green Lake. We can protect you easier if you’re close.”
“We’d only bring trouble your way,” he protested.
“Trouble that we can handle better with more resources at our disposal,” Liam said. “We want to be there for you and your son.”
“Thanks, I’ll take that into consideration. By the way, I may need a different vehicle. The gunman that got away likely has the license plate of this one.”
“Okay, let me work with Wyatt and Abby on that. Maybe you can meet up with them somewhere.”
“That works. And I appreciate your help.” He was grateful for Liam’s support. “Anything else?”
“No, I just wanted you to know that Rebecca has been officially listed as a missing person.”
But not a deceased one. “Thanks. Give Wyatt my new number and have him call me to set up a vehicle swap.”
“Will do. Be careful out there.”
Garrett ended the call, then turned to face Liz. “I have a bad feeling Rebecca’s body will show up soon. I don’t see how they can put a lid on her disappearance forever.”
“Maybe we should head back to Green Lake.” She bit her lower lip. “I like the idea of having your deputies close by.”
“Maybe, but we also need the paperwork from your clinic.” A trip he’d rather make with a replacement SUV than with the one they were currently using. “Let’s wait until I hear from Wyatt.”
“Okay.”
He sensed her trepidation. From the way she’d reacted earlier, he knew she was putting her nursing license on the line for him.
For Micah, too.
Yet he wanted to have the death forms handy in case they were forced to go that route—something he’d only do as a last resort.
“Then it’s probably best if we head to Liberty after we meet with Wyatt and Abby,” she said.
“Yeah, I think so, too.” Liam hadn’t sent the contact information yet for Joel, so he glanced around their connecting rooms. If he had a choice, he’d rather go to the clinic under the cover of darkness, but without night-vision goggles, he was at the same disadvantage as the gunmen. If there was still someone there watching the place. “It’s early enough that we should be able to get there and back without too much trouble. Hopefully, we can spend the night here.”
“Are we running low on cash? These rooms can’t be cheap.”
“Abby stashed extra in the computer bag. Wyatt should be able to bring more.” He had more than enough money saved in his bank account to repay the deputy. “It’s better we continue spending cash to stay off-grid. Food, shelter and supplies for Micah are bare necessities.”
“I agree. If I had any cash back at the clinic for you, I’d happily chip in.”
“No need.” His gaze dropped to Micah’s face. “I’m more than capable of providing for my son.”
“It’s nice to see you bonding with him.” She smiled gently. “He needs you, Garrett. Keep that in mind when you put your life on the line to head back to the clinic.”
Her comment brought him up short. Who would raise Micah if something happened to him? The baby wouldn’t survive being placed with the Woodward family. “Do you have any forms that I can fill out to make you Micah’s guardian if something happens to me?”
“What?” Her eyes rounded in surprise. “No, a lawyer has to do that. And wouldn’t you want Micah to go to your friends?”
“No, I’d want you to raise him.” He paused, then added, “If you’re willing.”
“I—uh, of course. But nothing is going to happen to you, Garrett. Don’t take any foolish risks, understand?”
“That’s the plan.” He didn’t intend to get shot, but he needed to have a way to make sure Micah would be raised with love and caring.
A woman like Liz could offer that and more.
Before he could turn back to his computer, his phone rang. He recognized Wyatt’s number and quickly answered. “Hey, how are things going?”
“Busy, but it’s under control,” Wyatt assured him. “I hear you need a new vehicle.”
“If you and Abby have time, I do.” He quickly explained about the gunman he’d shot and the second guy who’d gotten away.
“We can make time. We’re not scheduled until three o’clock. Can you meet us halfway?”
“Yes, we can meet at Montello. That’s closer to you. Give me an hour or so, okay?”
“Sure thing. We’ll rent a replacement, then meet you at the Montello park.”
“Thanks again.” He disconnected and rose. “I’ll get Micah, if you could grab the diaper bag.”
“Of course.” Liz gestured to the table. “Are you going to leave the computer behind?”
“No, better not.” He took a moment to shut it down and pack it away. “Coming back may not be possible.”
“That’s what I thought.” He didn’t like how easily she’d adapted to life on the run, being in danger just for delivering a baby. She took the computer case and the diaper bag. “Let’s go.”
He swept his gaze over their rooms, noticing how Liz had packed everything neatly in the diaper bag. Then he opened the door and peeked out, glancing around warily.
Seeing nothing alarming, he unlocked the SUV and quickly strode over to place Micah in the back seat. He deftly secured the carrier as Liz stored the bags on the floor in the back.
The trip to Montello took a solid hour, in part because he’d taken small highway roads to avoid a tail. Traffic was nonexistent, which helped. After they’d reached city limits, finding the park in the small town was easy enough.
When he pulled into the lot, two SUVs sat side by side in the far corner, away from other vehicles. Both had been backed in, for easy access out of there. He had to smile at Wyatt’s and Abby’s defensive tactics.
When he pulled up beside them, Wyatt emerged from behind the wheel. Abby quickly joined them, tossing Garrett the key to the second car.
“Thanks for coming.” He genuinely appreciated their support. He handed over his service weapon, knowing Liam had promised it to the Volver County Sheriff’s Department. Wyatt dropped it into an evidence bag.
“Brought you a replacement.” His deputy handed him another gun. “Abby and I think you should come back to Green Lake, where we can back you up easier.”
“I don’t want to bring danger your way.” He slid the gun in his holster, glad it was the same make and model as his own. Then he opened the back passenger door to remove Micah’s carrier.
“He’s adorable.” Abby’s smile faded as she glanced at him and Liz, then added, “Seriously, boss, you need to return to the Green Lake area. You know there’s a few places you can use to hide out for a while.”
The hopeful expression on Liz’s face made him feel guilty. Being safe didn’t seem like much to ask, yet he hadn’t been able to deliver on his promise. “You’re right, but there’s something we need to do first.”
Wyatt held his gaze, then nodded. “Just know we’re here to help.”
Movement caught his eye, and he turned in time to see a black SUV with tinted windows coming down the street toward the park.
“The gunman! Get the license plate!” He grabbed Liz and pulled her over to the SUV Abby had brought for them.
“I’ll go.” Wyatt jumped into the SUV he’d driven and peeled out of the parking spot, heading directly toward the approaching vehicle. The black SUV with tinted windows sped up, moving dangerously fast as they tried to escape.
“Get out of here, boss. I’ll follow Wyatt.” Abby jumped behind the wheel of the car he and Liz had come in. Thankfully, Wyatt was hot on the trail of the tinted-window SUV.
“Let’s go.” Garrett wished he could join the pursuit, but engaging in a high-speed car chase with Micah in the back seat didn’t seem smart.
Yet as he left the park, heading in the opposite direction that Wyatt and the black SUV had taken, he couldn’t help wondering how they’d been found.
The gunmen kept showing up, no matter what attempts they made to stay under the radar.
And he was very afraid they wouldn’t be able to escape so easily the next time.
TEN
How was it possible the black SUV with tinted windows had shown up in Montello? A wave of desolation hit hard. What did they have to do to shake off these gunmen?
“Did they follow Abby and Wyatt?” The question popped out of her mouth before she could consider how it might sound.
“Maybe.” Garrett’s expression was hard as stone. “They are seasoned cops who would have watched for a tail, but it could be that the gunman managed to stay far enough back to escape their notice.”
“You think these guys just assumed Wyatt and Abby were coming to meet with us?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
He shrugged, his gaze bouncing between the highway ahead and the rearview mirror. “Either that or they tracked our license plate.”
“How? It’s not like we have toll booths or anything.”
“I don’t know.” His voice was low, and she realized he was beating himself up over this. The situation was hardly his fault.
“I’m sorry. I’m not blaming you.” She put a hand on his arm. “It’s just frustrating.”
