His Secret Christmas Baby. Rita Herron

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      B RIANNA SHUDDERED AS IF SHE’D been slapped. Derrick gritted his teeth at Dana’s statement, his suspicious nature kicking in. Could she have arranged to have the baby kidnapped to make Brianna look like a bad mother to give her ammunition for a custody case?

      That sounded drastic, but the young woman didn’t actually seem stable. Had her obsession with wanting a child pushed her over the line?

      “Mrs. Phillips, we’re not accusing you of anything,” Derrick explained. “But if you do know who kidnapped the baby, it would be in your best interests to tell the truth. Give him back, and we can make a deal not to press charges.”

      “I didn’t take the baby,” Dana declared, her voice filled with fury. “Now get out of my office and don’t come back.”

      Derrick gripped Brianna by the arm, then tossed his business card on the woman’s desk. “Call me if there’s any way you can help us.”

      He led Brianna out into the cold, trying to decide his next move.

      “She hates me now,” Brianna said in a pained voice.

      “She’ll get over it.”

      “But she’s right. I let Natalie and Ryan down.” She turned to search the streets, then looked toward the steep mountain ridges. “What if he’s out there somewhere with a crazy man, someone who won’t take care of him?”

      “Don’t go there, Brianna, it won’t do any good.” He ushered her to the car, and they settled inside. She huddled in her coat, and he started the car and flipped up the heater. “The sheriff is organizing a search party for the mountains. If the kidnapper is holed up around here somewhere, we’ll find him.”

      “And what if he’s long gone?”

      “Then the Amber Alert should help.” He reached over and squeezed her hand.

      “So what do we do now? Just wait?”

      “Let’s talk to Dana’s husband. Maybe he can shed some light on the truth.”

      Brianna clasped her hands in her lap as he drove to the construction site. The crew had temporarily ceased work due to the snowstorm, but they found Robert Phillips in the office of an on-site trailer. Through the window, Derrick noticed Phillips pacing. He was obviously agitated.

      Derrick knocked and opened the door before the man could answer. When Phillips saw them enter, he frowned. “I’ll call you later, Dana,” he said. “Try to calm down.”