Chasing Second Chances (7 page)

He grinned.

Lloyd walked into the kitchen. “What time is the FBI agent coming again?”

“Lt. Paulson just said he’d be here today,” Bryan answered. “He didn’t give specifics.”

“I see,” Lloyd said.

The doorbell rang.

“Well, that must be him now,” Kate said. She was about to get out of her seat when Bryan stopped her.

“I’ll go get the door,” he offered.

“Oh, all right.”

Kate watched him go, then stood up so she could start fixing up the dishes. Lloyd helped her.

“Are you feeling better now?” he asked her, his concern for her apparent in his voice.

“I can’t say I’m that well yet,” Kate answered without looking into his eyes. “But I feel a little better, thanks to Bryan.”

“I’m glad you’re better. I was afraid that rain would have a worse effect on you.”

She stiffened a little, feeling that he was trying to say something else. She was suddenly aware that he was so close to her, their elbows almost touching. It was strange but while she had not minded being in his arms before, now, just having him right next to her seemed to bother her. All because he had kissed her.

“Kate,” Bryan called out to her.

At once, she felt the tension in the air dissipate, making her breathe a sigh of relief. She turned around. “Yes?”

“Good morning, Ms. Evans,” Lt. Paulson greeted. “I’m here with Agent Geoffrey Wilkins from the FBI.”

“Agent Wilkins.” Kate stretched her hand out to the man beside Lt. Paulson, a man who was a bit stocky but not fat, who had a skin tag near his right ear, a hard jaw and cold, calculating black eyes that seemed as if they could almost see through her , all in all giving her the impression that he was a man who was not to be messed with. “I’m Kate Evans. Thank you for helping us.”

“It’s my job,” Agent Wilkins said, showing no warmth or enthusiasm.

“This is my ex-husband, Lloyd Marrick,” Kate introduced. “And the man who answered the door is Dr. Bryan Knowles, my boyfriend.”

“Nick filled me on the little details,” Agent Wilkins said. “Why don’t we sit down and see if there’s anything else helpful you can tell me that I don’t already know?”

Kate nodded. The five of them sat down around the dining table, Agent Wilkins asking the questions and answering some of Lloyd’s occasional ones. Mostly, he asked the same questions Lt. Paulson had asked her but she sensed that he was contemplating her answers more seriously, studying her more intently. In fact, she could almost hear the wheels turning inside his head and it made her wonder what it was he was looking for, or what he was up to.

After an hour, he got up but instead of taking his leave, he turned to Kate. “Can I talk to you for a moment, Ms. Evans?”

“Of course,” Kate answered.

“Alone,” Agent Wilkins added, glancing at Lloyd then at Bryan.

Kate glanced at them, too, and when they nodded in understanding, though both wore wary expressions, she nodded at Agent Wilkins. “We can go outside.”

She led him to the backyard, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her as she felt the breeze.

“You sure have two tough bodyguards,” Agent Wilkins remarked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants.

Kate decided to let the remark go. “What was it you wanted to ask me, Agent Wilkins?”

He looked at her. “I’ll go straight to the point, Ms. Evans. What if I told you that Lloyd Marrick or Bryan Knowles might have taken your children?”

Chapter Ten

Kate stifled a gasp, her eyes widening at Agent Wilkins’ question. She had certainly never expected to be asked such a thing, especially not by a man she had just met.

“Wh-what do you mean, Agent Wilkins?”

“I meant exactly what I said, Ms. Evans,” he answered. “And I know you understood it well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be wearing the same expression as a kid whose birthday cake had just been trampled on by the kid next door.”

Kate frowned. Up until that moment, she had admired Agent Wilkins’ intelligence, his perceptiveness, which reminded her of a detective in a mystery novel like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, but now that he was using those qualities against her, or so she felt, she found them annoying.

She found him annoying.

“Agent Wilkins, are you saying that either Lloyd or Bryan is the one behind all this?”

“I’m not saying one of them is,” he said. “I’m saying one of them could be. Have you ever even considered as much?”

Kate shook her head. “I’m afraid it makes no sense.”

“Because you care about them too much to suspect them?”

“Because it is impossible,” she told him. “Bryan was with me on the trip while the kids were taken…”

“He could have had one or more accomplices.”

“And Lloyd…why would he kidnap his own children? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s been done, Ms. Evans,” he told her. “Think about it. If this was a normal kidnapping case, then there would have been a phone call asking for ransom already, but it’s been a few days and still there isn’t, which just means that the motive is something else other than money.”

“And you think Lloyd and Bryan both have a motive?” She folded her arms across her chest. “They would never do such a thing. Neither of them would.”

“Remember, Ms. Evans. Often, the least likely suspect is the culprit.”

“This is not a mystery novel, Agent Wilkins.”

“No, it’s not,” he agreed. “Which is why this mystery may never be solved.”

She placed her hand over her mouth as she gasped in horror at his words. She knew it was true—there was no guarantee she would be able to find her children—and yet nobody had had the gall to say it out loud to her face until now, which made the possibility seem more real, frightening her.

Agent Wilkins glanced at her. “Ms. Evans, I only ask that you consider the possibility I have presented and that you keep your eyes open.”

She lowered her hand. “You are asking me to doubt the two people who are all I have right now, the two people I’m leaning on the most.”

“Then perhaps it is time for you to stand on your own feet.”

“Do you have any idea what you are asking me to do?” Kate felt her dismay turning into anger. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to have your children taken from you?”

“I only know that we have to do everything we can to find them,” he said, unaffected by her words. “Even if it means questioning what we know and hurting some people’s feelings.”

Kate felt another sting at the words. She paused, trying to gather her thoughts and calm herself down before speaking. “Why, Agent Wilkins? Why are you asking me to do this?”

“Because if one of them did indeed take your children, then you are the most likely one to find out. Perhaps, you might even be the only one who can find out and save them.”

“This is crazy. Why would they take my children? Why would Bryan? Why would Lloyd? What for?”

“You’re an intelligent woman, Ms. Evans,” Agent Wilkins simply said as he looked into her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

* * * *

Bastard
, Kate thought as she turned to one side on her bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

After her conversation with Agent Wilkins, she had excused herself, saying that she was wanted to go upstairs and rest. The truth, though, was that she just wanted some time to herself, some time for her to settle down before either Bryan or Lloyd noticed that she was upset. If they had, they would certainly have asked her what the reason was and she would have to lie to both of them, which she hated. After all, she couldn’t simply put on a calm expression and tell them nonchalantly, ‘Agent Wilkins thinks one of you might be behind kidnapping my kids’.

Or could she?

If she had done that, they would have simply laughed and then forgotten the whole thing, and she would have laughed along with them and cheered up instead of moping right now, so why hadn’t she just told them?

Was it because she actually believed that what Agent Wilkins had proposed was possible?

She shook her head before hiding under a pillow.

No, she couldn’t believe him over the two people who cared about her the most, and yet, much to her annoyance, she knew a part of her already did.

If one of them did indeed take your children, then you are the most likely one to find out. Perhaps, you might even be the only one who can find out and save them.

All right. Fine. If he wanted her to consider the possibility, then fine, that was what she was going to do. But that was all she was going to do.

She closed her eyes and tried to think.

Think.

Agent Wilkins had said that since there was no demand for a ransom, the motive wasn’t money. But what could it be?

Think.

She could only think of one reason why Lloyd would kidnap his own children—because he wanted them to stay with him. The court had granted her full custody after all, and although Lloyd could visit his kids anytime without supervision, that was probably not enough. If their roles had been reversed, it would definitely have not been enough for her.

But if so, why didn’t Lloyd contest that during their divorce proceedings? Why didn’t he file a petition for joint custody? Surely, he could have done either one, considering he knew some of the best lawyers in the country.

Then again, wasn’t that suspicious in itself? That Lloyd had agreed to give her full custody of the children and half of his fortune without any complaint, seemingly without any second thought? How could a father give up his children so readily?

Perhaps it had all been all been a guise. Perhaps he was only biding his time, which meant he had been planning to take the children all along.

Kate shook her head again.

But why would he when he knew it would hurt her? Did he actually think she was not a good mother, not fit to raise his children? Had he found someone else whom he thought would do a better job?

Lloyd had always been good at hiding his feelings, keeping secrets. She had never asked him and he had never told her, but what if there was another woman, one whom Lloyd cared for more, one whom he wanted to start over with together with his children?

Even if there wasn’t another woman, he could have taken the children so he could be with them and watch over them himself. He said he was retiring, after all.

She sighed, pressing the pillow more tightly against her forehead. It was strange how when one sets out to find reasons, one always could. There were no limits to a person’s imagination.

And what about Bryan? Agent Wilkins had said that either Lloyd or Bryan could have taken her children, which meant each of them had a motive, but try as she might, she could not think of a reason why Bryan would want to take her kids away from her.

But how much did she really know about him?

Until two years ago, they were complete strangers, not even knowing the other existed. They had met at the hospital where he was working, although at the time she didn’t know he was working there. She didn’t even know he was a doctor. She was simply trying to get a cup of coffee from a vending machine so that she could recover some of the energy she spent watching over Jack, who had been hospitalized because of dehydration. For some reason, though, the machine wasn’t working and she was just about to kick it in frustration when Bryan stopped her.

She could not help but smile as she remembered that first meeting. Her heart had seemed to halt at the sight of him, his handsome features seemingly a masterful portrait, mesmerizing her. Then, when she realized he was real, her heart had begun to race, his smile making her feel like she was a teenager again.

With that dazzling smile, he had asked her if he could treat her to a cup of coffee and she had nodded, unable to speak. He led her to another vending machine and gave her a cup, then they chatted for a little while before she left, without even knowing each other’s names.

She had thought she would never see him again and yet to her surprise, he entered the room the next day in a white coat and introduced himself. They started dating a few days after Jack left the hospital and had gone out ever since, falling in love.

She pushed the pillow off her face and stared at the ceiling, still grinning.

Yes, Bryan loved her. He would never have taken her kids away. To even consider the possibility meant to consider that he did not love her, and she did not want to do that because she loved him just as much.

As for Lloyd, she refused to believe that the man she was once married to was sly and heartless. He would never take her children away from her, not when he knew more than anyone how much they meant to her.

She didn’t care what Agent Wilkins said. Neither of them could have taken her children away.

“Bullshit,” she mumbled as she covered her forehead with the pillow once more.

“I beg your pardon?” Bryan asked.

Quickly, Kate looked up, surprised to see Bryan in the doorway.

“N-nothing,” she said. “I didn’t say anything.”

He frowned.

“Did you want something?” she asked, hoping to distract him.

It worked. “Anne is here to see you. Are you well enough to talk to her?”

“She’s here?” Kate’s face lit up. “I’d like to see her.”

“I thought you would.” Bryan smiled. “I’ll send her up.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

As soon as Bryan had left, she got out of bed to check her reflection in the mirror, not that she had to mind what she looked. Anne had seen her worse, and like the good friend that she was, had never complained.

“Kate!” Anne went over to her to give her a hug as she entered the room. “Oh, I’m so sorry all this has happened. Poor girl. You must be at your wits’ end.”

“Well, I was at first,” Kate admitted, squeezing her friend tightly. “And I still am once in a while but I’ve learned to stay calm and strong. That’s the only thing I can do for my children right now.”

“Shh.” Anne rubbed her back. “You’ll get them back. I know you will.”

“And what if I don’t?” she asked, remembering Agent Wilkins’ pessimistic remark. “What if I never see them again?”

Anne pulled away and looked into Kate’s eyes, gripping her hands tightly. “Listen to me. You are going to get Jack and Lena back. You just have to keep the faith, and we, those who love you, will keep it with you.”

Kate nodded, feeling much better now that her friend had returned. “Thank you, Anne.”

“Now, tell me the details. Have there been any demands for ransom?”