Kerry wasn’t sure how she’d managed to convince Hunter to let her tag along when he interviewed Susan’s ex-boyfriend. Hunter had been so over-the-top protective every time she suggested she help with any kind of investigation. Hell, he complained when he had to leave her alone at work. It must be because of the ramblings of the homeless man who claimed he saw a medical examiner’s van pick up Willie Wyble.

Apprehension bit her at meeting this Brad person. Hunter first had driven by Brad’s home to see if perhaps Teresa might be playing outside. Unfortunately, she wasn’t, nor was anyone home. If the snoopy, but helpful, neighbor hadn’t come out and told them where Susan’s ex worked, they’d be back to where they started.

Hunter pulled into the parking lot of an all-glass building where Brad worked. “We’re here.”

“Upscale place.”

Finding where he worked had been easier than getting in to see him. Only people with security clearance could enter the contract manufacturing plant. Go figure.

Once Hunter flashed his badge, the secretary turned pale, nodded and then brought them into the work place. She didn’t see what required the security.

With a ramrod back, the receptionist led them to Brad’s cubicle—one among at least one hundred.

“Brad?” the receptionist said, in a soft tone. “There are some people here to see you.”

Brad stood and the receptionist tossed them a wan smile before scuttling back to her desk in front.

Susan’s ex was not what Kerry had expected. Instead of this evil troll she’d imagined, the guy was nearly as tall as Hunter. Despite the maroon Polo being a size or two too big on him, his belly managed to protrude. Brad’s face was pleasant enough, but he wasn’t handsome like Hunter. One eye socket sat lower on his cheek than the other, but that was something only she’d notice.

Brad didn’t blink when Hunter showed his credentials, which implied he might not have anything to hide?

“What can I do for you, officers?” He sounded smooth, educated and in control.

Hunter didn’t correct his misconception about Kerry’s identity or give away who she was, thank goodness. Since Brad didn’t recognize her, it was obvious Susan had never shown him her picture.

“Mr. Stafford,” Hunter began. “Ms. Susan Nottingham came to us claiming you and she had a child together.”

Stafford froze, his gaze flicking to his left. The clacking of the computer keyboard and the nearby phone conversations dimmed. His shoulders relaxed, and he wiped invisible moisture off his brow. “Wow, that name came out of no where. She was pregnant when we broke up, but I haven’t heard from her in over two years.”

“That’s not what Susan claims,” Hunter said.

Brad ran a finger around his buttoned collared shirt. “Can we, ah, go someplace more private? There’s a conference room at the end of the hall.” He glanced around at the many pairs of eyes staring back.

“Sure.”

The officemates returned their chairs to the recesses of their cubicles. Brad moved toward the end of the hall looking like he was on a death march. He swiped a badge to open the door, and the activity behind them returned to normal.

She and Hunter entered. The place had a high-end designer look, all tan and black leather chairs, large mahogany table and wall art of computer components. Interesting.

“Please sit.”

He maneuvered around the table and sat opposite them. The aroma of warm coffee lingered in the air. What she wouldn’t give for a cup right now. Her throat was bone dry—no pun intended.

“So what’s this all about? Is Susan pressing charges or something?” His lower lip trembled. “She said she didn’t want help with child support, and I believed her.”

“Nothing like that. Ms. Nottingham is interested in laying claim to her child. She says you kidnapped the baby, and then disappeared back to Ohio.”

Kerry held her breath. The bastard better own up to what he’d done with Teresa or she wasn’t sure what she’d do to him.

He leaned forward and then slapped the desk. “I never left Florida. As you can see I’m here.” He grinned and opened his arms wide.

“What can you tell me about your daughter?” Hunter said.

“Bonnie?”

Kerry touched Hunter’s arm. “You have two daughters?”

“No.”

“What are you trying to pull? Tell me about Teresa,” Kerry demanded.

Brad’s half-smile melted into a frown as his gaze shot to the ceiling. “Fuck. We have a problem. Or should I say, I have a problem?” Slack jawed, he shook his head.

She’d had enough of this guy. “What kind of problem?” She didn’t bother to keep the frost from her voice.

“You see... Bonnie is...um, dead.” His gaze clung to the ceiling tiles.

“Bonnie? I’m talking about Teresa.” Teresa couldn’t be dead.

He cleared his throat. “Susan named her Teresa. I changed her name to Bonnie.”

Sirens sounded in Kerry’s head and traveled down to her stomach as vomit rolled up to her mouth, forcing her to swallow hard. “She’s dead?” Blood pounded in her ears.

“Yes.”

Kerry didn’t want to believe him. Something wasn’t right. “Why did you change her name? Was it so your child’s mother couldn’t find her, or because you didn’t want anyone finding out what you’d done to her?” It didn’t matter she had no proof Brad had harmed the child, abusers often didn’t stop at adults.”

Hunter grabbed her hand and squeezed. His comfort meant the world to her, but nothing could contain the black, evil thoughts that swirled inside her.

“It wasn’t like that.”

Hunter leaned forward. “Tell us what happened.” His tone came out cold and forceful, but not nearly as angry as she would have sounded had she been able to speak.

Brad stabbed a hand through his neatly groomed hair. “We were living in Ohio when Susan gave birth. In the hospital, I asked Susan to marry me, but she said no.”

If Brad didn’t bring up the abuse, she sure as hell would. “Go on,” she spit out, not knowing how she formed the words through her grief.

“About three months after the baby was born, Susan and I had this fight about my job taking up too much time.” He pressed his lips together so hard they turned white. “She complained she had to spend all her time nursing the baby and taking care of our child. She said I wasn’t pulling my weight.” He clasped a hand over his mouth, and then dragged his fingers to his chin. “I’m not proud of the way I handled things. I slapped her.” His gaze shot downward.

Kerry sucked in a breath. These were all lies. As if some monster took hold of her mind, Kerry leapt from her chair. Before she could reach across the table to get at Brad, Hunter grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down.

“I’ll handle this, Kerry. Continue, Mr. Stafford.”

Her foot tapped out a beat and her hands knotted at her sides. She bit the inside of her cheek until blood tinged her mouth.

“I wanted Susan to understand how much I helped around the house, so I stayed away for as long as I could, hoping she’d call and say she forgave me. Only she never did.” He stretched his hands out to her. “When I couldn’t take it anymore, I went back to the house to beg her forgiveness, but Susan and the baby had moved—disappeared without a trace.” His cheeks sagged. “I couldn’t blame them. But dammit, the baby was mine too. I wanted visitation rights, wanted to be part of my child’s life, only I couldn’t find them.”

“My sister told me you followed her to Florida and kidnapped the baby.”

Brad’s eyes widened. “You’re... you’re, Kerry?” He leaned his head back against his chair, defeat written on his face.

Hunter’s jaw clenched.

“Yes. Now tell my how my niece died.”

Brad looked around the room as if some spirit from above would whisk him away. No such luck for him.

“I haven’t been able to sleep much since she passed. The baby was my life. The guilt of what I’d done has eaten away at me. My work has suffered big time. I’ve lost weight.” As if to prove his point, he stood and pulled out the waist of his pants, exposing a good two inches. He then dropped into his seat. Brad squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and held up two hands, palms facing outward. “I admit I took our child. I wanted to share custody, but Susan wouldn’t hear of it. I begged her to return to Ohio with me, to marry me, but she refused. So I stayed here, hoping she’d change her mind.”

“It’s no wonder she wanted nothing to do with you. Susan was smart enough to stay away from an abusive man.”

Brad glared at her. “It wasn’t like that. You wouldn’t understand. I loved Susan. I loved our baby.” He swiped a hand over his eyes. “I admit I got drunk a few times. That was when she said she wanted to leave me. The baby was three months and four days old. I hit Susan—once. It was not my finest moment.”

Liar. “Why would you steal a child away from her mother? That’s sick.” Spittle flew from her mouth.

“Mr. Stafford,” Hunter said, before Brad could answer. “Do you have a copy of the death certificate?”

Kerry narrowed her eyes at Hunter. What was he trying to do? Hunter’s face remained even. Wait. Did he think Brad was lying about Teresa’s death?

“I don’t have one.” Brad tugged on his already opened collar.

“And why is that?”

“I gave my daughter everything. She was my life. I showered her with toys. When I came into feed her one morning, she was dead.” Brad’s face contorted in pain as a stream of tears streaked down his cheeks.

Something inside Kerry snapped. She wanted to hate this man, but she couldn’t. Perhaps he was telling the truth.

Kerry touched Hunter’s arm and tried to show him she’d calmed down. He blinked slowly once, and then Kerry turned back to Brad. “Why didn’t you call Susan to let her know Teresa had died? She had every right.”

“Her number was out of service. I swear to you.”

Damn. Susan changed phones all the time, fearing Brad would find her. “Did you at least alert the authorities?”

“And be arrested for kidnapping? I couldn’t go to jail. It would kill me. Calling them wouldn’t have brought Bonn-I mean Teresa back to life.”

He dropped his hands into his head and wept, as giant sobs wracked his body. When he finally looked up, his stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes confirmed he wasn’t acting.

Hunter took out his notepad. “Where did you bury the body?”

Brad described the isolated area near Braham University. Hunter shot a glance to Kerry, and her heart sank to her stomach. It’s where they’d found Baby Doe. She shut her eyes for a moment to gather her composure.

“We found a small body in that vicinity clad in a jacket. Did you bury Teresa in clothes?” Kerry said.

“God, yes. What do take me for? A monster?”

Yes. “What color was her jacket?”

“Pink, I think. Yes, pink with green trim. I also buried her with a teddy bear. I wanted my daughter to have a friend when she went to heaven.”

A giant sob lodged in her throat. Hunter covered her hand with his. Poor Susan. She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell her sister that her years of hiding and searching were over. Closure wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Crushing Susan’s hope of ever finding her child alive would send her into a spiraling pit of depression.

“Mr. Stafford, did Susan have a restraining order against you?” Hunter asked.

“A restraining order? No. She disappeared without filing one.” His Adam’s apple bobbed hard. “Why?”

“Because if that’s the case, you didn’t kidnap your child.”

He looked confused. “But—”

“A father has a right to see his own child, unless Susan had a court order to stop you.”

“You mean if I’d called the authorities when Bonnie died, I’d be okay?”

“That’s right. By not reporting her death, however, you will go the prison.”

Brad’s face crumbled. Betrayal snapped at her. Susan should have mentioned she hadn’t taken any legal action against the man. Then again, why hadn’t she thought to ask her sister?