Missing. Lynette Eason

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СКАЧАТЬ fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “Catelyn has a new partner.”

      At the brooding look on his face, she knew. Swallowing the sudden surge of nausea, she asked, “Daniel Ackerman?”

      “Yes,” he clipped out, then blurted, “Is Bethany why you left town?”

      She froze. Did she want to get into this now?

      “Lacey?”

      His tight tone warned her this wasn’t going to be easy. She sighed and looked at him. At his strong hands curled around the steering wheel. What was easy was remembering how much she’d loved him.

      How it felt to have those fingers curled around hers, pulling her along behind him down by the lake where they used to sneak off to trade sweet kisses.

      How cherished she felt when he cupped her chin to bring her lips to his….

      She blinked against the rush of tears. “Yes. Mostly.” But also because she’d been forced into it by parents who were ashamed their only child had gotten pregnant, that she had become a statistic her father preached against with alarming regularity.

      So, yes, she’d left because of Bethany and Daniel and what Mason had believed her capable of. She’d also been devastated, crushed.

      And so lonely, she’d wanted to die. She’d missed him so much, especially in the first few years of Bethany’s life. But the fact that he’d dismissed her love so easily, had believed lies about her so readily, had nearly destroyed her.

      She clamped her lips together and looked out the window. Since being back in town, she’d managed to avoid running into Daniel. She’d had a couple of close calls, but each time had spotted him before he’d spotted her and she’d escaped undetected.

      Now, none of that mattered. None of it. Bethany was all that mattered and finding her was where she’d keep her focus.

      He simply grunted and much to her relief said nothing more.

      The drive to the station ended a tense silence. Lacey looked up at the building and prayed the people inside had the ability to find Bethany…alive.

      As she walked into the building, Lacey felt hope tremble inside her. Please, God, she silently prayed. Please use these people to lead us to Bethany.

      The air-conditioning was a blessed relief from the June heat, and she relished the coolness blowing across her skin.

      Then she felt guilty. Was Bethany hot? Sweating and dreaming of a glass of water? Was she in pain? Did she need a doctor?

      Was she even alive?

      Once again tears sprang to the surface and she quickly shoved those thoughts aside.

      “Come in here. It’s an interrogation room, but we can use it,” Mason said as he motioned her in. “Catelyn said she and Joseph would meet us here.”

      “So they’re officially investigating everything, right?”

      “Yes. And so is Daniel, of course.”

      “Of course,” she murmured. She prayed she could keep her cool when Daniel appeared in front of her. Prayed she wouldn’t say anything she shouldn’t.

      Mason pulled out the chair for her and she slid into it. The spicy scent of his aftershave tugged at her. Just breathing it in brought back memories that caused both joy and pain.

      A light tingling at the nape of her neck caused her to turn and look up at him. The flush on his cheeks gave him away. He’d reverted to an old gesture he’d had when they were dating. Pulling her hair up from her collar, brushing his fingers against her neck.

      Her breathing hitched and she almost couldn’t look away from him. Then he broke eye contact as the door opened and Catelyn stepped into the room.

      She smiled at Mason. “Glad to see you’ve recovered.”

      “For all intents and purposes.” He gestured to Lacey. “This is Lacey Gibson.”

      Catelyn smiled a sympathetic welcome and shook Lacey’s hand. “Joseph and Daniel will be here soon.” She sat opposite Mason and Lacey.

      No sooner had she taken a seat when the door opened again and the man she assumed to be Joseph entered. Dark hair and dark eyes set off his Italian features. Lacey thought she could understand why Catelyn had fallen for the good-looking FBI agent and married him.

      Then they were asking her for her story once again. She repeated exactly what she’d told Mason, leaving nothing out and then added the information about the note that had appeared on his car.

      Mason took over from there. “I want to be in on this.”

      Joseph studied him then nodded. “Sure. How much time do you have before you have to be back at work?”

      “Long enough to help y’all find Bethany.”

      Lacey wondered why he hadn’t told them Bethany was his daughter. Should she mention it?

      Immediately, she decided not to say anything. That would be Mason’s call.

      Catelyn leaned forward. “Daniel Ackerman is my partner now and he’ll be helping, too. He got called away right before you arrived so I’ll fill him in later. Do you have a recent picture?”

      Lacey nodded and reached into her purse. She’d hoped she wouldn’t need the five-by-seven print. The one she’d chosen just in case she needed to have flyers printed up. Chilled, she shivered. Never in a million years would she have imagined she’d be in this situation.

      Just looking at the photo choked her throat and brought an overwhelming longing to wrap her arms around her girl.

      Catelyn took the picture out and she felt Mason shift so he could see it. His gasp sent her heart thudding.

      THREE

      Mason felt the breath leave him.

      He no longer wondered if Bethany was his. A feminine version of himself smiled back at him. A full-body shot, the picture showed a girl who was tall and lanky, with reddish-blond hair and vivid blue eyes. She was beautiful. He could see some of her mother in her, too, like the light dusting of freckles across her nose and the shape of her face, but there was no doubt she was his.

      Somehow having that confirmed made it all the more real.

      He had a daughter. He wondered if she liked the same things as he did. What kind of talents did she have? What were her hobbies? What…

      “Do I need to get flyers printed?” Lacey’s shaky voice dropped him into the present with a thud.

      Joseph nodded. “It would probably be best. You’re new in town—or at least Bethany is—so it would help to have her face plastered on as many surfaces as possible.”

      Mason saw Lacey swallow hard. Her hand trembled as she took the picture back. Her eyes lingered on the photo before returning it to her purse.

      “All СКАЧАТЬ