Kitabı oku: «The Collingwood Heirs», sayfa 3

Her lost daughter was becoming real to her.

HUNTER AND JULIANA SINCLAIR waited anxiously in the penthouse suite of the New York Clairmont Hotel for Riana’s arrival. Unbelievably, incredibly, after thirty long months, Ross and Lexi’s daughter was safe in Mitch Halloran’s custody and on her way home to them.

But what should have been a joyous event was overshadowed by the grim knowledge that another child’s life was perilously at risk. Poor Stephanie Shelton, the woman who’d unknowingly been caring for Riana, had just learned that the child she’d raised was not her own.

Juliana empathized with what Stephanie must be thinking and feeling. When Ross and Lexi Collingwood were murdered in an explosion six weeks ago, The Guardian had expected her to give up the Collingwoods’ five-month-old son, Cort, whom she’d been raising in secret to keep him safe from harm. Ross and Lexi had appointed The Guardian as the legal guardian of their children, Riana and Cort. Even though Juliana had been raised in the Collingwood household, it spoke to The Guardian’s intense security that she hadn’t known that Ross and Hunter were best friends or that Hunter was Cort’s godfather.

Regardless, she had not been willing to give up Cort without a fight. To protect her precious charge until he was old enough to claim his inheritance, she had married Hunter Sinclair, aka The Guardian. They were raising Cort as a Sinclair, their own son, giving him all the love that Ross and Lexi would have given him.

She rested her head on her husband’s solid shoulder, her heart bearing equal burdens of elation and anxiety. In the short time since their marriage she knew Hunter so well she could practically hear the gears turning in his pragmatic mind, assessing the extraordinary situation for legalities and lawsuits and risk management options.

He’d been overcome with emotion when he’d taken the call from Mitch Halloran earlier this evening. He’d excused himself from the dining room when the call came, then returned a few minutes later and silently held out his hand to her, blinking back tears.

She’d walked out to the greenhouse with him where he’d told her the news. They’d wept together at the miracle, mourning the fact that Ross and Lexi weren’t alive to welcome their lost little girl home themselves.

Hunter had promised her that he’d do everything possible to ensure the safe return of Stephanie Shelton’s real daughter. Then he’d put on his Guardian hat and told her in his endearingly arrogant way that they were going to act with the utmost caution until they knew who was behind Riana’s kidnapping. Riana’s return could be a trap.

The timing of this ransom demand so shortly after Annette’s arrest for the Collingwood murders was awfully suspicious. Annette and her lawyers were claiming she was innocent—that she’d been framed for the bombing and murders by someone higher up in the Collingwood Corporation.

The new ransom demand could be an attempt to make it appear as though another party was behind both the murders and Riana’s kidnapping. Annette had already proven herself a master of plotting and deception. They still couldn’t fathom why Annette hadn’t revealed Cort’s existence or Hunter’s identity as The Guardian to the press. Either she didn’t want to share the media spotlight or she planned to use the information as a trump card during her trial.

“I’m coming with you tonight,” Juliana had insisted.

He’d kissed her forehead, gently, tenderly, in that protective way that told her he was afraid.

“I’m not sure that’s wise at this point.”

She’d smoothed her palms over his chest, emotion choking her voice. Beneath his ever-present shield of caution and restraint, her husband deeply valued his family. “She’s Cort’s sister. Our daughter. I want to see her.”

“I want to see her, too. But I don’t want to put you at risk if it’s a trap.” His azure eyes clouded. “I came too close to losing you last month. And Cort needs you. You’re safer here. Del and Lars aren’t going to let a fly land on this island without their scrutiny and permission.”

Juliana wasn’t taking no for an answer. Lexi’s daughter, their daughter, needed her. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be with you. I’ll stay away from rivers and other bodies of water,” she added, referring to the terrifying night when she’d jumped into the St. Lawrence River to avoid being shot by Annette after Lars and Del had been seriously injured by her hired assassin. “I promise.”

Hunter sighed. “It constantly amazes me how frequently I give in to your unreasonable demands. You may come, but Cort stays at FairIsle with your father and Prudy. And, you’ll accompany me as the Collingwoods’ butler’s daughter, not as my wife. Leave your wedding rings here. I have no intention of revealing that I’m Riana’s legal guardian until we know what’s really going on. I still haven’t told Mitch about Cort or our marriage.”

Juliana had smiled and slid her finger inside the collar of his black sweater. He was the sexiest, most suspicious man she’d ever met and she loved Hunter with her whole heart and soul. Their marriage may have been brought about by the tragic deaths of Ross and Lexi Collingwood, but there was nothing artificial or contrived about their feelings for one another now.

“Does that mean we can’t make love to celebrate Riana’s return while we’re in New York?” She rose on tiptoes to nibble his ear. It was his Achilles’ heel, guaranteed to instantly divert his thoughts from logic to lovemaking. It brought the desired wolfish grin to his face.

His hand had slipped under her skirt, warm and proprietary. “How about a pre-celebration now?”

Juliana jumped as the ringing of the phone in the penthouse suite yanked her into the present. Hunter took the call. “That was the front desk. They’ve arrived.”

Juliana smoothed the black pantsuit she’d changed into for the helicopter trip to New York and tucked her long blond hair behind her ears. She was so nervous. What if Riana was afraid of them? Didn’t like them? She shot a quick glance at her husband.

He had his imperturbable Guardian face on again. They’d agreed earlier that she would make the introductions. It would be less threatening.

“Riana’s going to be so confused,” she said. “She’s not old enough to understand any of this.”

His eyes warmed lovingly. “We’ll make it work.”

“But what if—”

He laid a finger over his lips and motioned for her to greet their guests as the private elevator that served the penthouse suite arrived. The doors slid open.

With her heart in her throat, Juliana smiled at the gorgeous blond man who must be the hot-shot L.A. detective and the defiant dark-haired woman carrying a sleeping toddler. The toddler was wrapped in a blanket that Juliana could only describe as a dream coat because of its beautiful colors.

Riana.

The delicate nest of Riana’s dark curls brought a fluid rush of warmth coursing through Juliana. She could almost feel Lexi’s smiling presence in the room with them.

Juliana stepped forward, aching to touch those beautiful curls, but sensing that such a gesture would be ill-advised. “How do you do, Mrs. Shelton? I’m Juliana Goodhew. My family has worked for the Collingwoods for many years.” She gestured at Hunter. “And this is The Guardian, the Collingwoods’ chief security consultant.”

Hunter nodded. “Mrs. Shelton.”

This was so awkward. Juliana felt a warning chill pass over her spine as the tension mounted. Stephanie Shelton looked scared to death and she noticed that Mitch Halloran moved slightly behind the young woman as if providing her with emotional and moral support.

Juliana’s heart went out to Stephanie. This situation was going to be difficult on them all. “You’ve had a long drive and must be exhausted. Perhaps you’d like to get Riana settled first, then we can sit down and talk privately.”

Stephanie Shelton didn’t budge. Her green eyes glittered with the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cub. “Her name is Keely. Even if the DNA tests prove she’s Riana, I’m not giving her up without a fight. You can relay that message to her family on my behalf.”

Oh, dear. Juliana shot Hunter a look of dismay.

Hunter stepped forward. “Be that as it may, Mrs. Shelton,” he said courteously, “we still need your cooperation. If you’re the parent of the child the kidnapper is holding, then only you can make certain decisions about the ransom demand and how you wish to proceed. I suggest we leave the legal battles for the lawyers. Have you provided Mitch with some DNA samples? It takes three to four days to get DNA test results back from the lab, and we may hear from the kidnapper again before then. I have a courier standing by in the lobby.”

“This should do it.” Mitch Halloran passed Hunter two DNA test kits, then partially slid a royal-blue baseball cap from a paper bag. Office Outfitters was embroidered in red above the bill of the cap. “This was his ball cap.”

A guarded stillness came over Hunter. “Was your husband associated with Office Outfitters, Mrs. Shelton?”

“He worked for them for seven years until he was laid off when it was taken over by some big corporation.” She faltered, fear illuminating her eyes like flash-bulbs.

“Taken over by whom?” Hunter prodded gently.

Stephanie Shelton took a hesitant step backward and bumped into Mitch Halloran’s muscled bulk. The detective’s hands shot out to steady her. With nowhere to go, Stephanie clutched Riana more securely to her breast and admitted baldly, “The Collingwood Corporation.”

Chapter Three

Stef guessed what they were all thinking—that Brad was involved in Riana Collingwood’s kidnapping and had switched the infants. “Brad wouldn’t put his own baby in that kind of danger,” she insisted.

Oh, God, didn’t any of these people believe her?

“What makes you so certain?” Mitch Halloran asked.

She whirled around and saw the skepticism radiating from his hard features. How could she have found his hands so supportive on her shoulders a few seconds ago?

She struggled to stay calm and to keep her voice from waking Keely. “Because I loved him. He was my husband! He was upset after he was laid off. He had trouble finding another job, but I can’t see him plotting a kidnapping as revenge against the Collingwoods. He didn’t have a vindictive bone in his body.” He’d just given up on finding a job when it got too hard, just as he’d given up on his relationship with his ailing parents. Stef didn’t even know where they lived anymore. She’d sent a letter to an address she’d found after Brad had died, but she’d never received a response.

Sympathy lit Mitch’s eyes, stoking her anger. She didn’t want his sympathy or his pity.

“Your faith in your husband is admirable, but your real daughter’s life is at stake. We have to examine every possibility with or without your assistance.”

Stef grit her teeth. She hated it when he talked like that. He sounded so infuriatingly reasonable, but she knew he’d already decided Brad was involved and was champing at the bit to prove it. Keely stirred in Stef’s arms, grumpy as a bear cub without a pot of honey. Stef wanted to bolt for the door, to escape Mitch Halloran and his insinuations, but she could hear a little voice—a child’s voice—inside her calling out to her for help.

Oh, God, Brad couldn’t be involved, could he?

Juliana Goodhew stepped between Stef and Mitch like a referee about to break up a brawl. “Let’s not continue this in front of Keely. Please, Mr. Halloran, surely your questions can wait a few minutes while Mrs. Shelton sees to her daughter. Follow me, Mrs. Shelton.”

Stef gladly accompanied Juliana into the other room. But her underlying disquiet grew when she saw that the hotel room had been stocked for Keely’s arrival with toys, picture books and child-friendly snacks. There was even a child’s trundle bed shaped like a ladybug for her to sleep in. While she honestly believed that Juliana and the Collingwood family had only had Keely’s comfort in mind, Stef was consciously aware that the toys had probably come from a toy store whose merchandise was more pricey than she could afford.

She told herself that the toys were only things. A mother’s love was not so easily replaced.

But still…what if Keely fell in love with the ladybug bed and didn’t want to leave it? She suddenly couldn’t bring herself to put Keely down on that bed.

Tears swam in her eyes. When she looked across the room at Juliana, she saw she was crying, too.

Juliana wrung her hands, looking as awkward and uncertain as Stef felt. Sincerity shone in the dampness of her warm brown eyes. “This is so awful. I see the same fear in you that I saw in Lexi after Riana’s abduction. She tried to be so brave. So strong. You have no reason to trust me, Mrs. Shelton, but you can. Lexi would have wanted that. She was a children’s social worker before she married Ross. If she were alive, she’d be putting Keely’s needs before her own right now. And she’d do whatever she could to help you get your baby back.”

“I only have your word on that,” Stef said stiffly.

Color infused Juliana’s cheeks. “You’re in good hands with The Guardian and Mr. Halloran. I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for The Guardian. He saved me from Ross and Lexi’s killer. I don’t know Mitch Halloran all that well, but if The Guardian hired him, you can be sure he’s the best there is.”

Stef had no doubt that Mitch Halloran knew exactly what he was doing. He was ripping her life apart one foundation at a time. First, questioning her child’s identity. And now, casting doubt on her husband’s integrity.

She eyed Juliana warily. “Does Riana have family who want her back?”

Juliana nodded, tears glimmering bright in her eyes again. “Yes. Very much.”

It was not the answer Stef was hoping for. “Who?” she demanded. “Mitch won’t tell me who they are.”

“I’m afraid I can’t either for security reasons. The Guardian will introduce you to the family when he determines it’s safe to do so.”

Despite her frustration with the answer, Stef felt herself thawing toward Juliana, viewing her as less of a threat. “Thank you for the honest answer. We’ll get along better if you call me Stef.”

Juliana’s shoulders dropped their tautness. “Can I give you a hand helping you settle your daughter, Stef?”

Your daughter. Stef felt a knot of gratitude tighten in her throat at Juliana’s sensitivity. “I don’t want to wake her up too much. But it would be a big help if you could get her pajamas from her bag.”

“Consider it done.”

Stef sat on the foot of the ladybug trundle bed and eased off Keely’s shoes and jacket. Her worry that Juliana’s presence might be obtrusive was unfounded. She handed her the pajamas, then turned down the sheets of Keely’s bed and dimmed the lights before she left the room.

Keely whined and demanded to go home. Stef soothed her with soft words as she removed her sweat-pants and top and slipped on her pajamas. Then coaxed her under the covers.

“Look at this special bed, Kee. It’s a beautiful mama ladybug. There’s even baby ladybugs on the sheets,” Stef whispered, tucking her daughter into bed. “I told you this trip would be special.”

Keely gave her a groggy combative look, her tiny chin stubborn and determined. “Fly away home, Mommy.”

“Fly away to sleep, Kee.” Stef kissed her daughter’s brow, breathing in the fruity scent of her hair and the milky sweetness of her skin. Keely rolled onto her side, clutching her snuggie to her body before Stef had even begun the first bars of their “I love you” song.

Stef’s gaze lighted on the shimmering pastel colors of her daughter’s blanket. Sable Holden, the former owner of Office Outfitters, had personally sent the gift after Keely was born—a good six months after Brad had been laid off.

In the shadowy stillness of the room, fear gripped Stef’s heart. She’d defended her husband against the blunt accusations in Mitch Halloran’s eyes. She’d insisted Brad would never be involved with something that could place his own child’s life at risk.

But what if she was wrong?

SMOOTH MITCH, real smooth.

Way to earn her confidence by jumping all over her dead husband and getting her back up.

Mitch felt like a jerk as Stef followed Juliana from the suite’s sitting room, her back as rigid as steel-reinforced concrete and her arms clutching Keely.

Worry rocked through him. How much could Stef take? If her husband was involved in the kidnapping, she’d lose more than Keely. She’d feel humiliated and betrayed by the man she’d loved and lose her fundamental beliefs about her husband and her marriage. And she’d blame herself for not knowing, not realizing, what Brad had done.

He swore silently, telling himself that thoughts like that were none of his concern. He couldn’t not investigate a viable lead because it would destroy Stef. Mitch’s job was to get to the truth.

Mitch prowled the perimeter of the sitting room. The Guardian had given him copies of the files pertaining to the Collingwood murders, but he hadn’t finished reading them yet. “So, what’s the scoop on this Office Outfitters, G.D.? Just how hostile was the takeover?”

“Let’s just say that Sable Holden didn’t concede defeat quietly or graciously. She’d revamped her grandfather’s office supply chain from the name to the way the product was sold to the customers. She was one of the first to capitalize on the concept of warehouse shopping. Several hundred employees were let go when the Collingwood Corporation took over and restructured— Brad Shelton, among them. Sable wrangled a seat on the Collingwood Corporation’s board of directors as a condition of the takeover. She is one smart lady.”

“When did this takeover happen?”

“Just before Ross and Lexi’s wedding. Sable was invited to the wedding as a matter of etiquette. Lexi was five months pregnant with Riana at the time, and Sable made a smart-aleck remark to her at the reception about the child’s paternity.”

“Sounds like there was some bitterness between Sable and Ross Collingwood.”

“Lexi’s sister, Annette, told me Sable had a love-hate relationship with Ross. She hated that he’d outwitted her, but she was hot for him. It didn’t matter that he was married.” G.D.’s mouth twisted wryly. “Of course, we can’t assume anything Annette York said is truthful. But Juliana witnessed a few public exchanges between Ross and Sable and she concurs with Annette.”

Mitch shoved his fists into his pockets. “Think there was any hanky-panky going on?”

“No.” The Guardian’s response was unequivocal.

Mitch shot him a questioning glance. “Why so sure?”

“Because Ross was deeply in love with his wife.”

“You really believe that—that couples are still faithful to each other in this day and age? The statistics suggest otherwise, my friend. Ross had power, money and a good-looking head shot. You just said Sable was hot for him. He must have been some chick magnet.”

G.D. raised a skeptical brow. “You’ve never been in love, have you?”

Surprised at the question, Mitch shrugged. No, he’d never been in love. Outside of the department he didn’t have much of a life. No steady girlfriend. He’d done his fair share of lusting, but it had always worn off. The women he’d dated always thought it would be great to hook up with a cop until he disappeared for days on end on an investigation or said he didn’t want to talk about what it felt like to see the empty display cabinets of a jewelry store splattered with the store owner’s brains.

Frankly, that suited him just fine. He was only interested in catching the bad guys.

He’d seen a few good marriages among the officers he’d worked with over the years. Mostly he saw a lot of guys who stopped telling their wives what the job was really like because they didn’t want their families to worry about them.

But The Guardian seemed dead certain that Ross Collingwood hadn’t cheated on his wife. Mitch circled the room, wondering if G.D. had ever been in love. His boss wasn’t sporting a wedding band.

“As I see it, we got two possibilities, G.D. Brad Shelton staged the kidnapping on his own or Sable Holden recruited him to do the dirty work. Shelton had means and opportunity. We know he had some climbing experience and Stef—I mean, Mrs. Shelton, told me her husband was home alone the night Riana was kidnapped.” He paused significantly. “She also remembers someone entering her hospital room around 3:00 a.m. She thought it might have been a nurse or her husband, but she isn’t sure. She called out but nobody answered.”

G.D. leaned forward, his fingers tapping pensively on the arm of the sofa. “It could have been her husband switching the babies. We can show Shelton’s picture to the nurse who was assaulted during Riana’s kidnapping. She might recognize him even though it’s been over two years. But we can’t discount Sable Holden’s possible involvement. After the Collingwoods’ funeral service, Juliana caught Sable wandering around alone upstairs in the Collingwoods’ home—even though the area was clearly cordoned off. Sable claimed she was looking for a powder room. She was questioned and searched to see if she’d tucked any souvenirs in her purse, but the police didn’t find anything.”

Mitch halted cold in his tracks. “Maybe they were looking for the wrong thing. What if Sable was after samples of Ross’s and Lexi’s DNA? She could have swiped used tissues from a coat pocket or hairs from a brush.”

G.D. didn’t look convinced. “If she’d been successful, she’d know the child she has isn’t Riana,” he pointed out.

Damn, G.D. was right. “But what if Juliana intercepted her before she could find what she was after? Sable would have had no choice but to assume she had the right child.”

G.D. nodded, his ice-blue eyes sharp as lasers. “I’ll buy that.”

Mitch snapped his fingers. “And wasn’t there something in the files you gave me about Sable trying to hire the Collingwoods’ chef to cater a private function? If memory serves, you thought she was trying to establish an in with someone in the Collingwood household staff.”

G.D.’s mouth curled up slightly at the corners. “Your memory serves you well, Mitch.”

Mitch shrugged. “It’s hard to forget a loony chef who turns down a client because she doesn’t like her aura. But let’s backtrack a sec. What if your initial instincts were right and Sable was trying to get an in with the household? You really think she was planning to return the child?”

“Hard to say. Her goal may simply have been to make Ross suffer the same losses she suffered when the Collingwood Corporation took over her company. But then again, she may have been waiting until the timing was right to wrest back control of her company. The ransom amount jumped from two million in the first demand to five million in this demand. Maybe she’s planning to use the five million dollars to help her achieve that.”

Mitch’s interest was whetted. This was a lead worth pursuing. “I need to meet this woman.”

The Guardian steepled his index fingers and smiled indulgently. “You will. Tomorrow. Mrs. Shelton needs to drop by Sable’s office unexpectedly. You’ll be a friend of the family accompanying her. After your visit, you’ll convince Mrs. Shelton to let you search her home for any evidence that would link Brad with the kidnapping. And while you’re at it, dig up a picture of him. I’ll assign some men to investigate the cause of Brad’s death. It may not have been an accident.”

Mitch’s lips pressed into a taut line. Convincing Stef Shelton to cooperate at all was going to be a tall order. “Can we get a list of the staff working in both hospital nurseries the night the babies were switched? I don’t want to overlook the possibility that someone on either hospital staff may have been involved.”

“Good point. I’ll get you the list.”

“I still think you should notify the FBI agent assigned to Riana’s case of this latest ransom demand. The FBI has considerable resources.”

The Guardian’s tone was unyielding. “I’m following the kidnapper’s demands to the letter this time. That’s why you’re here. You have the police experience without currently being a police officer.”

Mitch let his posture silently inform G.D. that he was making a bad decision. “Anything else, boss?”

G.D. drilled him with his trademark dry-ice stare, but Mitch refused to be intimidated. “Keely will not be leaving the hotel. She’ll stay with Juliana where she can be kept secure under the constant surveillance of a security team.”

Mitch swore under his breath and resumed his pacing, picturing how Stef would react to that dictate. “I’m sure that will go over big with Mrs. Shelton.”

“She doesn’t have to like it. She just has to live with it. And, Mitch, I would never presume to tell a seasoned investigator how to do his job. But you might charm more information out of Mrs. Shelton if you were slightly less aggressive. You’re not in L.A. anymore.”

Mitch managed to keep his jaw from sagging like a door kicked off its hinges. “What, I’m not charming?”

G.D. laughed. “You call me G.D. and given your colorful vocabulary, I suspect it’s not an abbreviation for The Guardian.”

WHILE STEF WAS LOATH to leave Keely sleeping in the ladybug bed, she did. Questions were beginning to form in her heart as well as a need to prove her husband’s innocence. She returned to the suite’s luxurious sitting room as a butler pushed in a serving cart laden with sandwiches, fruit and soft drinks.

The sight of the butler gave Stef another case of the willies. Keely didn’t need a butler or an army of servants looking after her, she needed her mommy.

The Guardian sat on one end of the plush sofa, his air of unquestionable authority both calming and intimidating. Juliana occupied the opposite corner of the sofa, her hands folded in her lap and her polished brown eyes darting anxiously between The Guardian and Mitch Halloran.

Mitch Halloran, on the other hand, prowled the room, munching on a sandwich he’d plucked from the cart. He reminded Stef of the TV detectives who ate donuts and drank coffee while attending a murder scene. But then she remembered what Mitch had told her about remaining detached from his work to prevent himself from drowning in alcohol or puking his guts out and she decided that it was okay that he was so overwhelmingly intense. So forceful.

He was wrong about Brad. But she wanted her baby back.

Mitch checked his stride as her gaze collided with his cobalt eyes, his expression forcibly softening around the edges like an ice sculpture melting in the glare of the sun. Stef was instantly on the defensive.

“How’s Keely doing?” he asked.

Stef bit back the urge to say that her little girl wanted to go home, knowing that appeal would fall on deaf ears in this audience. “She’s sleeping,” she said tightly.

He tugged at his tie as if it were strangling his thick tanned throat. “Good. Sometimes it’s hard for kids to settle down in strange places. I had trouble with that when I was a kid.”

She shot him an abrasive glance that seemed to roll off his sleek perfection like a bead of oil on water. Mitch possessed more brash self-confidence than she’d ever encountered in a real-life man. And while his confidence was as irritating as his unabashed handsomeness, she realized to her dismay that she was listening to him, depending on him to deliver on the promises he’d uttered, even when a part of her was desperately afraid he’d fail her just as Brad had failed her so many times before.

He jerked a thumb at the serving cart. “Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat before we get started? A cup of coffee? The sandwiches are pretty good.”

She twisted her fingers together, trying to read the thoughts behind the earnest appeal of his expression.

“Is this your ‘good cop’ routine? Offer me food and coffee so I’ll confess that my husband was involved in a kidnapping scheme? I don’t think so.”

She experienced a bittersweet feeling of satisfaction as Mitch’s jaw clenched and he transmitted a barely constrained message of pure frustration to The Guardian.

Juliana cleared her throat as if to intervene, but The Guardian silenced her with a lift of his hand.

Mitch sighed. “F.Y.I., I am a good cop. Or I was a good cop. Now I’m a damned good investigator who recognizes that people who are tired and hungry don’t make good interview subjects because they aren’t thinking clearly. You’ve had a shock today. You need to eat to keep up your strength.”

Stef didn’t know whether to burst into tears or to scream in frustration. She marched to the cart and helped herself to two tuna sandwiches and a can of diet soda. Then she plopped down in an armchair across from the sofa, her green-gold eyes glittering and vulnerable. “Satisfied?”

Mitch felt the place in his chest where his heart should be crumble. He smiled at her in an effort to be charming, but he felt like gnashing his teeth in despair. He had a nasty intuitive feeling that he would never be satisfied when it came to this case. He might find Stef’s real daughter, but her life would still be in emotional turmoil over Keely. There was no happy solution.

He dug into his questions. Charming might work for The Guardian, but it wasn’t working for him. “How long did your husband work for Office Outfitters?”

“About seven years. It was his second job out of college. He was an assistant manager at one of the stores and worked his way up. He liked the team atmosphere—each store was a team and his job as regional manager was to keep the teams in his region happy and working well together.”

“So he was loyal to the company?”

Stef lifted her chin and Mitch could feel her cold anger pulsating toward him in a wave. “Yes. Very. I don’t think that’s a crime.”