Her Stolen Son

Petey’s face fell. “I thought you was bringing my mommy back.”

Colt swallowed against the knot in his throat, then stooped in front of Petey. “I just came from seeing her, bud, and she’s okay. But it’ll be tomorrow before she’s released.”

“No!” Petey jumped up and bunched his hands into fists. “No, she gots to come get me so we can go home and make hot dogs and read stories and play with my action figures.” He heaved for a breath, a sob escaping at the end.

“I’m sorry, Petey,” Colt said. “I did everything I could. But the judge won’t see us until morning. Then we’ll post bail and your mommy can come home.”

“But I wants her tonight,” Petey wailed.

“Petey,” Brianna said softly. “Remember what I told you about Magnolia Manor? It’s not a bad place. The kids are nice, and they’ll play with you, and Ms. Rosalie will read you stories.”

Petey slammed his fist into Colt’s chest. “No, you lied. You’re sending me back to kid jail. I don’t wanna go to jail!”

Colt’s gut clenched, but he let the little boy purge his anger, accepting his blows until Petey finally collapsed against him in a sobbing fit.

Brianna and Derrick both watched with sympathetic looks. Baby Ryan even stopped playing to look up at Petey, his lip quivering as if he might burst into tears, as well.

“Colt,” Derrick said. “Instead of sending Petey back to the manor, Bri and I will take him home for the night.”

Brianna rubbed Petey’s back where he lay against Colt’s chest, exhausted and spent. “That’s a great idea. Petey, you can spend the night with Ryan.”

Colt gave them a grateful look. Brianna was experienced with kids, and much better equipped to deal with an angry, frightened child than he was. “Thanks. I’m sure his mother would appreciate that.”

Besides, he couldn’t babysit Serena’s little boy and investigate her case at the same time. Yet holding Petey stirred some kind of primal instincts that he didn’t even know he possessed.

“Petey,” he murmured. “You’re not going back to the manor right now. Mr. Derrick and Ms. Brianna want you to spend the night with them and baby Ryan.”

Petey hiccupped on another sob but didn’t respond.

Colt carried him out to Derrick’s car, and Petey slumped into the seat, eyes red and swollen. He glared up at Colt as if he hated him.

“I know you’re mad at me.” Guilt stabbed Colt at Petey’s accusatory look. “But you asked me to get your mommy out of jail, and I’m going to do that, Petey. I promise.” He leaned forward. “But I need your help. Your job is to be nice to Ms. Brianna and Ryan. Then Ryan’s daddy can help me clear your mom.”

Petey’s lower lip trembled. “If my daddy was here, he wouldn’t have let them take mommy or me away.”

Colt gritted his teeth. That might be true. But his dad was gone.

And right now, he was all Petey and Serena had.

Colt reached inside his pocket and withdrew a small shiny whistle. He’d never forgotten the day his father had given it to him. It was the day a police officer had come to school to talk to the children about strangers.

He handed it to Petey. “My father gave this to me when I was about your age. He told me to blow it if I ever needed help. I want you to take it. But remember, only use it if you need it.”

Petey’s hand trembled as he wrapped his fingers around the whistle.

Then Colt watched Derrick drive away, Petey’s face haunting him.

COLT SPENT THE EVENING canvassing the homes near Rice’s, but no one seemed to know anything. According to an elderly woman two units down, the man had moved in a month before and kept to himself. Others claimed they’d only seen him coming and going. None had really talked to him.

And no one had heard anything the night before. No cars. No arguments. No screams.

On a positive note, not one of them had seen Serena Stover or her minivan anywhere near the man’s house.

So what the hell had happened to Rice?

And who was framing Serena?

A dozen more questions bombarded him as he wolfed down a pizza. He spent a couple of hours online himself researching Rice, but found very little about the man in cyberspace.

Which raised more questions. An entrepreneur involved in several small businesses should have more of a presence on the internet.

He typed in the link to Serena’s business and accessed her records, then phoned two of her clients. Both gave her raving character descriptions, claiming she was nice, professional and adored her son. All seemed shocked at her arrest.

He tried a different tactic for Rice, searching for more on his background, and was still digging around for information at 2:00 a.m. when the phone trilled.

Colt frowned and grabbed the handset.

“Colt, it’s Derrick.” His voice sounded choppy, strained, upset.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Petey. He finally fell asleep around midnight, and then we went to bed, too. But I heard a noise a few minutes ago and got up, and…dammit, Colt.”

Colt’s heart raced. “What?”

“Petey’s gone.”

Chapter Four

“Petey’s gone?” Colt’s heart hammered.

“Yes,” Derrick said, his voice strained. “We’ve searched the house and outside, but we can’t find him anywhere.”

“Dammit, he could have run away again.”

“That’s what I thought. I’m going to take the car and comb the neighborhood.” Derrick released an explosive breath. “Bri has already called Rosalie at the manor, but I don’t think Petey would go back there.”

“Me neither.” So where would the kid go? “He was furious at me,” Colt said. “Maybe he was coming here.”

“How would he know where you live, man?”

Colt scrubbed his hand over his face. “Right. That doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe he’s running toward the jail,” Derrick suggested.

Colt contemplated that possibility. “Maybe, but we told him that they won’t allow children there.” He tried to put himself in the head of a six-year-old. “He’d probably go someplace safe.”

“Someplace he felt close to his mother,” Derrick murmured.