Taken. Lisa Harris

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ answer the question of what you’re doing here.”

      He stopped midstride, and pulled back the front of his black tailored sports coat. “My name is Marcus O’Brian. I’m with the FBI, investigating what happened to your sister.”

      He studied her briefly—shoulder-length, reddish-blond hair pulled up in a ponytail, intense hazel-colored eyes. Something struck him about the intensity of her posture, like a mama bear defending her cubs. But why not? Her sister had been shot and her niece was missing. And from her defiant expression, she didn’t believe he was one of the good guys.

      “Why is the FBI involved?” she asked.

      He lowered his weapon and reholstered it. He didn’t have evidence that Rachel was involved in her husband’s illegal activities, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep digging. “I can’t talk about that.”

      “Do you know who shot her?”

      “No...but I am sorry.” He knew she was hurting, but showing empathy had never been his strong point. “How is she?”

      “She came out of surgery, but she’s still unconscious. And the last I heard there were still no firm leads on my niece’s whereabouts.”

      “Were you here when she was shot?”

      “No, but I was on my way. I found her here. Whoever shot her took Sophie and left Rachel to bleed to death.”

      “Do you have any idea who might have wanted to hurt her?” he asked.

      “No. I’ve already told the police everything I do know, which isn’t much.”

      “Like I said, I’m not with the police.”

      “Don’t you share information?”

      “Yes, but I’m in the middle of a separate investigation connected to her husband.”

      “Chad?” The fatigue in her eyes deepened. “Do you think Chad is behind my sister getting shot?”

      “At this point, I have no idea. What I do know is that the FBI is currently investigating Chad for possible involvement in an open criminal case where your sister is a potential witness.” Or in his mind, a suspect, but he wasn’t going to bring that up at this time. “Do you think it’s possible your brother-in-law was involved in the shooting?”

      “At this point, I’d believe almost anything, but I don’t think so. Chad can be a jerk, but he doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. And besides, I can’t see him shooting Rachel, or taking Sophie, for that matter. He threatened to get a divorce once or twice, but as far as I know he’s never moved ahead with his threats. He wants to see Sophie, without the responsibility of raising her. Bottom line is I can’t see the point of him snatching her.”

      “So what do you know?”

      “I know that someone broke into this house looking for something.” Her gaze dropped as she fiddled with a loose thread on the edge of her purple T-shirt. Tense. Nervous. “I know that my sister is lying in ICU and my niece is gone. I know I probably shouldn’t be here, but I thought I might find some clue of what Rachel—and Chad—are mixed up in.”

      He studied her expression. There was something she wasn’t telling him. “Do you know what they’re mixed up in?”

      “No, but someone was clearly looking for something and I want to know what.”

      Something unexpected triggered inside him as her expression softened. She might appear strong on the surface, but she was also clearly vulnerable. A part of him wanted to sweep her out of here and protect her from whatever she’d innocently walked into. Which was crazy. One, he had no idea if she really was innocent. And two, his job was to take down criminals, not simply to rescue pretty damsels in distress.

      Marcus shoved aside the unexpected attraction. He’d watched his own family struggle to balance the stress of a career in law enforcement with relationships and too many of them hadn’t survived. Those who did, carried their own scars that he wanted nothing to do with. Nicole had managed to substantiate that conclusion when she forced him to choose between her and his career.

      He shook his head at the unwanted memory. He needed to stay on track. “Has your sister traveled recently?”

      Kate closed the lid of the trunk and sat down on it. “She went to Paris three months ago. I’ve been looking through her photos and journals to see if something happened there that might give me a clue as to what Chad might be involved in—or any suspicions she might have had—but so far, I can’t find anything out of the ordinary, except for one thing...”

      “What is it?”

      “It’s probably nothing, but I can’t find her passport, which is strange. Rachel’s very compulsive and orderly. She’s going to have a fit trying to put this house back together.”

      “Where does she normally keep the passport?”

      “At one time she kept it in this trunk, where she keeps a lot of her important papers like birth certificates and financial papers. She probably just moved it.”

      “Do you think she’s involved with something illegal?” he asked.

      “Rachel? Never.”

      But he’d seen Rachel’s financials and knew her credit cards were maxed out and she was behind on her house payments. Money could be a powerful motivator. Which was why he couldn’t dismiss the possibility of her being involved in what happened today. Or that Kate Elliot knew more than she was letting on.

      * * *

      Kate stood up and started past the red stain on the carpet. Nausea swept through her. The room smelled like death and she needed some fresh air. “I need to return to the hospital. If I don’t take my mother home, she’ll stay there all night.”

      “Wait...before you go, I need to ask you a few questions. It won’t take long. I promise.”

      She hesitated, then reluctantly sat back down on the edge of the trunk. She was tired. Tired of the questions that she didn’t have answers for. Tired of waiting on an update from the hospital. Afraid of the panic that had yet to lessen. And this man, Marcus O’Brian, was simply adding to that panic.

      “You and your sister are close?” he began.

      “For the most part, yes.”

      “What about Chad? How was their relationship?”

      “That was a subject we didn’t talk about often. I didn’t think he was good enough for her and she resented that. So we avoided the subject.”

      “Why didn’t you think he was good enough for her?”

      Kate hesitated, wondering how her sister’s marital relationship was going to help find her shooter. She might not have thought he was the best choice for her sister to marry, but Rachel loved him and he was the father of their child.

      “Please understand,” Marcus continued. “I realize I’m probing into something very personal, but the more I know about Chad and your sister, the easier it will be for me to find out the СКАЧАТЬ