Midnight Abduction, page 17
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
“Vroom.” He slid the car up the rear passenger door and over the windows. He winced a bit at the scraping sound on the glass, then silently chided himself for caring about something so minor as scratched windows. He’d take that and more without complaint.
He’d nearly lost the son he hadn’t known about. There was nothing more important than the little boy’s happiness. Especially if playing with cars, Avengers action figures, and his Lucy dog helped keep the nightmares away.
His phone rang as they headed toward his condo. Seeing Marc’s name, he answered without hesitation. “Hey, Marc. I should have mentioned I’m heading home with Grace and Caleb.”
“Glad to hear it. I—uh, thought you should know the FBI team in Chicago put a set of fingerprints they took from Hall’s house into the AFIS system. They’re a match to our DB.”
“Thanks for the information.” Brady appreciated how Marc had very carefully used the DB for dead body knowing that both Grace and Caleb were listening in. “I figured as much, but it’s good to have solid confirmation.”
“I’m working a few angles but need to head home too,” Marc said. “Kari and the kids are waiting for me. I’ll call when we can talk more freely.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again for everything.” Brady owed his colleague a huge debt of gratitude.
“Later.” Marc ended the call.
“So it was him,” Grace said in a low voice.
He nodded but kept an eye on Caleb, who thankfully hadn’t paid much attention to the adult conversation. “I’ll need to conference with Marc at some point.”
“I know.” She rubbed her temple. “I thought I’d feel better by now.”
“You and Caleb will be safe with me.” He considered asking for time off work to help Grace and Caleb through the next few days. He was looking forward to bringing her and Caleb to the Finnegan homestead that weekend for Elly’s graduation party.
She nodded but didn’t say anything more. Brady decided he’d give her tonight to recuperate and to make sure Caleb was okay, too, but he would not wait much longer. First thing tomorrow morning, he would insist on telling Caleb the truth about how he was his father.
He pulled up in front of his condo and hit the garage door opener. He drove inside but didn’t close the door right away. The space was small, and he would need room to get their groceries and clothing items out of the back and into the house.
“Take Caleb inside,” he suggested. “I’ll grab this stuff. Make yourself comfortable in the guest room, there are extra toiletries in the closet.”
“Okay.” She hesitated, then asked, “You live alone?”
“Yes.” He frowned. “I would tell you if I was involved with someone, Grace. I’m not.”
She nodded and took Caleb’s hand to go inside. Before they could take a single step, he heard a female voice.
“FBI Agent Brady Finnegan?” A woman holding a microphone labeled with a popular news station seemed to come out of nowhere. “How does it feel to know you’ve helped to find your son?”
“What?” He stared at her in horror, then snapped, “Stop right there. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I do know what I’m talking about.” There was a smug look on her face. It took a minute for him to place her face with the news station she worked for. Her name was Desiree Marks, and he couldn’t help but wonder where in the world she was getting her information.
Her all too accurate information.
Desiree turned to look at Grace. “Ms. Ramsey, do you have anything to add? How does it feel to know that the father of your son was instrumental in getting him back from the kidnapper?”
“She has no comment! Take Caleb inside, I’ll be in shortly.” Brady took a step forward, putting himself between Grace and this nosy reporter. “I have no comment, Ms. Marks, and you’re trespassing. I’ll give you exactly thirty seconds to get off my property, or I’ll arrest you myself.”
“I’ll leave as soon as you give me an update. Our viewers deserve to know if there is a threat to other children.” This woman had the tenacity of a bulldog, which only annoyed him more. “You owe it to them to put their minds at ease.”
He didn’t owe her viewers squat but managed to control his temper with an effort. “There is no threat to any children. That is the end of my statement. Do not publish anything else, understand?”
“The information on the child being yours is already out there,” Desiree Marks said. “I’m just here to confirm our source.”
“No comment.” Brady put the bags back in the car and reached for his badge, flashing it in her face. Behind her, seeing a camera man videotaping the entire fiasco made his blood boil. “Leave! Now!”
Desiree stared at him for a long moment before turning away. He wrestled with his temper for another moment before understanding dawned.
They couldn’t stay here. Not after this. He had no doubt Desiree would blast the thirty seconds of their exchange on the news. If the mastermind behind the kidnapping was watching their local news, he’d know exactly where they were staying.
Stepping back, he slammed the hatch with more strength than needed. He hurried inside the house where Grace and Caleb were hovering in the kitchen.
“Sorry, we need to get back in the car.” He held the door between the garage and the house open for them. “We’re leaving right now.”
“And going where?” Grace asked.
“The Finnegan homestead,” he answered without thinking it through. “At least for tonight. We can find another place to stay tomorrow if needed.”
She looked as if she was about to argue, so he raised his hand. “We can’t stay, Grace. Not after this.”
“Fine.” She knelt beside Caleb. “We need to go for another ride, okay?”
“I don’t wanna,” Caleb protested. Brady understood, the kid had basically been stuck in a car most of the day.
“I know, but it’s a short ride this time, I promise.” Grace urged him toward the door. Her accusing gaze met his. As if he’d leaked the information about being Caleb’s biological father.
He hadn’t, but he wished he knew who was responsible. Not just for blasting the news to the world, but for putting his son’s life in danger all over again.
Chapter Fourteen
How had the reporters uncovered the truth about Caleb’s paternity? The question swirled through her mind as she helped Caleb get back into his booster seat. He squirmed, trying to get out, but she held him in place and quickly fastened the seat belt.
“Noo,” he fussed.
“Please, Caleb, it’s only a short ride.”
“I’m sick of riding in the car.” His lower lip trembled, making her feel awful. But she agreed with Brady, they couldn’t stay here. Not if the media had found them.
“Let’s sing songs!” She began to sing. “The wheels on the bus go round and round.”
To her surprise, Brady joined in too. As he backed the SUV out of his condo garage, closing the door behind him, they were all three singing together. Her voice faltered when she saw the news van and the same reporter standing at the end of the street. It appeared the woman was doing a live report.
On Caleb.
She glanced at Brady’s grim profile, understanding he wasn’t any happier about this turn of events than she was. Maybe he hadn’t leaked the information, but then, who had? She and Brady were the only ones who knew.
Wait a minute. So did the good Samaritan who’d rescued Caleb in the park. What was his name? Kent Morrison.
Kent must have been the source of the leak. And really, she couldn’t blame the guy, there’s no way he could have known to keep the news a secret. Besides, she was the one who’d given their son the middle name of Brady.
She continued singing, hoping to distract Caleb. Or maybe to keep herself preoccupied. Brady sang, too, but his gaze darted everywhere—right, left, to the rearview mirror, then back to the road. A chill snaked down her spine as she realized he was searching for the man who’d masterminded the kidnapping.
Brady broke off singing. “I need to make a quick call. Rhy needs to know we’re on our way.”
“Caleb, let’s take a break.” She twisted in her seat to look at him. “You have Lucy, Thor and your car, right?”
“Here.” Caleb held them all up for her to see.
“Good, just play for a few minutes, then.” She turned back to face forward.
“Rhy? It’s Brady. We’re on our way over and need to stay the night.”
“All three of you?” Rhy asked.
“Yes.” Brady hesitated, then added, “If there isn’t enough room, we can head to the American Lodge motel.”
“No need, there’s plenty of room,” Rhy assured him. “Tarin and Joy have their own place, and Alanna has moved out too. We only have Aiden and Elly; there are still plenty of bedrooms. You want to give me a hint as to what’s going on?”
“I’ll fill you in later. See you in fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“The whole family is going to know soon, aren’t they?” she asked in a low voice.
“Yes, they are.” He shrugged. “To be honest, Rhy recognized the resemblance between me and Caleb when he saw the Amber Alert. I have no doubt the entire family knows about Caleb by now.” He shot her an arched look. “The Finnegan family sticks together no matter what.”
She looked away, sensing the hidden meaning in his words. They way she’d kept Caleb a secret was the exact opposite of the family sticking together.
Thankfully, the trip to Brookland didn’t take too long. When Brady pulled up in front of the Finnegan homestead, as they referred to it, a wave of apprehension washed over her.
She had not seen Brady’s family in a very long time. Several months before the night they’d spent together prior to his leaving for Quantico.
She didn’t think they would be mean or nasty, that wasn’t their way. But angry and upset at her for keeping Caleb a secret? Yeah, no question about that.
Brady parked in the wide driveway in front of a three-car garage. The redbrick house was larger than she remembered. Or maybe it was just that her apartment had been so small that everything else seemed grandiose. He pushed out of the car, then came around to their side. “Ready?”
Not even close, she thought wearily. But she didn’t say anything. With a nod, she climbed out of the car while Brady unbuckled Caleb from his booster seat. The little boy didn’t seem to mind, he was happy enough to be finished with riding in the car.
“Do you live here?” Caleb asked.
“No, but my brothers and sisters live here.” Brady smiled. “You’ll like my family, Caleb. They’re all wonderful.”
Caleb hung back, looking up at her. She hastened to reassure him. “This will be a nice place for us to stay, Caleb. Let’s take our things inside, shall we? Don’t forget, you need to take a bath.”
Brady opened the back hatch and pulled out several bags. She took whatever was left and followed him inside.
Of course, Rhy was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for them. A pretty woman with long dark hair was beside him. They were huddled close, and when she saw their wedding rings, she realized they were married.
“Hey, Brady,” Rhy drawled. His eyes zeroed in on her, then dropped to Caleb. “It’s good to see you.”
“Rhy, Devon.” Brady set the bags of groceries on the counter. “This is Grace Ramsey and Caleb. Grace, you remember Rhy. Devon is his wife.”
“Nice to meet you.” She set her bags down too. Caleb hung close, as if unsure of the strangers in the room. “Caleb, say hi to Mr. Rhy and Ms. Devon.”
“Hi,” he mumbled, then hid his face against her.
The long look Rhy exchanged with Brady indicated they’d expected to be introduced as Uncle Rhy and Aunt Devon. She squashed a flash of guilt. This had been a long day for Caleb. He needed to feel safe and secure rather than being told about another life-changing event.
“Caleb is feeling shy. I’d like to get him cleaned up and changed into his pajamas,” she continued, ignoring the pointed looks between the Finnegan siblings. “Do you mind showing me to our room?”
Before Brady could answer, Elly came into the room. “Grace! Oh, and this must be our nephew, Caleb.” Elly beamed with enthusiasm. “I’m so happy to meet you.”
“Hi, Elly.” Grace looked past the youngest Finnegan, half expecting to see Aiden behind her. “I was just explaining that Caleb is feeling shy and has had a long day. I’d like to give him a bath and get him changed.”
“Sure thing. I just finished sprucing up the bedrooms.” Elly glanced at Brady. “I can take Grace and Caleb up if you’d like.”
“Thanks, Elly.” Brady was putting the groceries away. “I’ll bring up the rest of the items from the store shortly.”
“Thanks.” Grace nodded at Devon and Rhy. “We appreciate you allowing us to stay.”
“Anytime,” Rhy said. “You and Caleb are always welcome.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of that comment, so she simply smiled and turned away. “Come, Caleb. Let’s go see our rooms.”
Elly led the way upstairs. “It’s so great to meet Caleb. I love the idea of having young kids playing here.” She went down the hall and opened the door to one bedroom, then the one right next to it. “You and Caleb can use these rooms next to mine. Rhy and Devon are in the master suite, and Aiden is in the room at the other end of the hall.”
“What about Brady?” she asked.
“Oh, there are six bedrooms, so he can use the guest room,” Elly assured her. “I’m giving you Alanna’s old room. These rooms have been empty for a while now since Tarin and Joy got married and bought a place of their own, and Alanna moved out.”
“What about the others? Quinn and Colin?”
“They haven’t been here for a few years. Quinn in particular is off with the Coast Guard for extensive periods of time. Aiden gets deployed often, too, but he hasn’t bothered to move out yet. Colin got a place closer to the fire department where he works.” Elly paused, then added, “You should know we’re really happy to hear about Caleb.”
Grace flushed. “You’re not angry?”
Elly hesitated and shrugged. “I won’t lie to you, Grace. We all were a bit angry at first. Only because we missed the fun baby years. But honestly, we’re thrilled to have the chance to know Caleb now.” She turned and gestured to the bathroom. “Feel free to use whatever you need in here.” Elly dropped to her knees beside the little boy. “Caleb, I hope you enjoy your bath.”
“Thank you.” Grace thought if she had to keep smiling, her face would crack into thousands of pieces. This wasn’t at all how she imagined introducing Caleb to the Finnegans. And their warm welcome only confirmed some of her deepest fears.
Caleb would be swallowed up into the Finnegan family, leaving her standing on the outside, looking in.
“Hey, how are you holding up?” Rhy asked, his gaze full of concern.
He’d brought in the rest of the items from the SUV and had moved vehicles around so that he could park in the garage, hiding it from the prying eyes of the reporters. He turned to face his brother, leaning against the kitchen counter. “This has been the best day and the worst day of my life.”
“A shock in more ways than one,” Rhy drawled. “I gave the siblings the forgiveness lecture, so don’t worry about Grace. They won’t say anything bad to her.”
“I said more than enough,” Brady admitted. “I’m glad she came to me when she needed help, but if the kidnapping hadn’t happened? I would probably still be clueless about Caleb. And that makes me really mad and glad at the same time.”
“Let’s focus on the glad part, okay?” Rhy grinned. “At least we know the Finnegan name will continue on. I’m sure our parents are up in heaven beaming with pride as we speak.”
He chuckled. “If you only knew how many times I thought of them today. Despite everything, I’m sure they would have welcomed Caleb with open arms too.”
“Of course they would, after giving you a lecture about being irresponsible.” Rhy’s grin faded as he tipped his head. “Seriously, Brady, it’s wonderful you found Caleb, but what I really want to know is what made you decide to come here tonight?”
“A news reporter showed up at my condo.” He dropped into a chair across from Rhy and Devon. “Somehow they learned that I’m Caleb’s father.”
Rhy let out a low whistle. “How did that intel get out?”
He waved a hand. “Possibly the rescuer, Kent Morrison, spilled the beans. But that part doesn’t matter. After that reporter Desiree Marks showed up at my condo, I didn’t dare stick around. Not when we still have no idea who is behind the kidnapping.”
“I thought Parker Hall was the kidnapper?” Devon asked.
“Yeah, but he’s been murdered. The police pulled his body out of the pond at Fall River Park with a gunshot wound to the chest. My theory is that whoever hired him got rid of him for messing up the kidnapping plan.” Brady sighed. “We’re pretty much back to square one in the investigation.”
“Not good,” Rhy said. “I’m glad you came; we’ll keep Caleb safe with us.”
“I feel guilty for bringing danger to the homestead. But I had to get out of there, and Caleb was getting antsy.” He held Rhy’s gaze. “My offer to head over to the American Lodge is still open.”
“No, you should stay,” Devon said. “Right, Rhy? You brought me here back in January, and keeping a little boy safe is even more important.”
“I’m not arguing, Devon. They should stay, but keep in mind, it’s not as if the Finnegan name isn’t well known in Brookland.” Rhy spread his hands. “I hate to point out that the reporters can find you here just as easily.”
“I know, but I feel better knowing there’s more people around here.” Brady rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m at the point where I’m not seeing clearly, my lack of sleep is catching up to me. I’d like to stay here for tonight. We can move on tomorrow if needed.”
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.” Rhy glanced at Devon. “We will do whatever is necessary to protect Caleb.”
