CHAPTER FOUR
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sam McKade held the gate leading to the backyard open for his son. Seven-year-old Jonah flew under Sam’s arm, racing over the walkway made up of concrete slabs Sam had placed there himself what felt like a lifetime ago. This morning, the fact that he no longer lived in this house was hitting Sam harder than it had since he’d first moved out four years ago.
The boy threw open the back door. Sam glimpsed the kitchen that used to be his kitchen, before the door swung back. Sam caught it just before it would have hit him in the face.
“Hey, Mom!” Jonah called out.
Sam’s ex-wife, Ginny, turned from the stove where she was flipping pancakes. Her eyes widened at seeing Sam standing in the doorway. No doubt she was surprised. Sam didn’t usually come into the house when he brought Jonah home after their weekends together.
Ginny was a petite blonde with a mass of curls she kept short and stylish. She set the spatula on a plate on the counter, then wiped her hands on the apron she wore over pressed jeans and a frilly blouse. She crouched to greet their son.
Jonah threw his arms around his mother. “Dad and me had the best weekend ever!”
Ginny hugged him back just as tightly and smiled. “A ball game on Saturday and the zoo yesterday; I’m sure you did. Now be a little monkey and get washed up for breakfast. The school bus will be here in fifteen minutes.”
“’Kay.”
Jonah ran back to Sam, who was still standing in the doorway, and raised his small fist for a bump. Sam tapped his son’s hand.
“See ya, Dad!”
Jonah spun around and raced through the swinging doors that separated the kitchen from the living room. An instant later, his footsteps pounded on the stairs. Sam heard the creak of the middle step. Ginny hadn’t had that loose tread repaired. She hadn’t changed much about the house since they’d divorced. Not that Sam had noticed anyway. But there’d been one change, a big change, if Sam was understanding things right from Jonah. A change named Herb. Sam’s mouth tightened with the thought.
Ginny retrieved the spatula and scooped the pancakes onto a plate ready and waiting on the counter. “Thanks for taking him for the weekend.”
Though Sam knew Ginny didn’t mean to piss him off, her comment rubbed him the wrong way. Yeah, he was feeling raw today. His jaw tensed. “He’s my son. You don’t need to thank me for spending time with him.”
Ginny rubbed one palm down the front of her jeans, then looked away. “No, I don’t suppose I do.”
Sam knew she hated even the smallest confrontations, and the hurt look on her face made him feel as if he’d kicked a kitten, a feeling he remembered well from their marriage. Even things he’d considered inconsequential, like declining her homemade dessert after dinner, could hurt Ginny. He’d spent most of their marriage apologizing for one thing or another.
Ginny was a good mother, had been a good wife. She and Sam just hadn’t been good together.
“See you next weekend,” Ginny said.
Sam had been a weekend father for a long time, but Ginny pointing it out today rankled. Sam stepped all the way into the kitchen, closing the door behind him, and asked the question that had brought him into the house in the first place. “Who is Herb?”
Ginny’s big blue eyes widened. “Herb Foster.” She rubbed a hand up and down her throat. “He’s our pharmacist. You remember him?”
When Sam moved out of this house and to another part of Kirk County, he’d stopped going to the pharmacy he’d frequented when he’d lived here. He searched his memory and came up with a visual of Herb Foster. Midthirties, like Sam. Lanky. Light-brown hair, balding at the hairline. “Jonah said Herb took him to the science fair and a few other places recently.”
Ginny licked her lips. “Herb’s been spending a great deal of time with Jonah lately.”
Sam leveled his gaze on her. “Jonah cares a lot about Herb. He mentioned him several times this weekend.”
“Yes, he does, and I can tell you Herb’s crazy about Jonah.”
Sam frowned. He knew he had no right to ask, but asked anyway. “Is it serious with you and Herb?”
Ginny smiled and her cheeks went pink. “We’re talking about getting married.”
Sam’s frown deepened.
“This is what I want, Sam,” Ginny said softly. “What I need. Herb is uncomplicated and steady. There are no surprises with him. I know where he is at all times of the day, and if for some reason he needs to leave the pharmacy, he calls me to let me know where he’ll be. Herb’s not going to get called out in the middle of the night to go somewhere or to do something that he can’t talk about when he gets home and that I do not want to know about.”
Ginny shuddered and wrapped her arms around her middle, shielding herself against what Sam knew were painful memories from their marriage. She had not been able to live with the demands of Sam’s job or understand why he would want to do what he did. In the end, that had been the deathblow to their dying marriage.
“Herb makes me happy.” She went on. “Please don’t make this difficult for me.”
Again, he felt as if he’d wronged her. He softened his tone and exhaled a deep breath. “I don’t want to make anything difficult for you. I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy.” And he did, but this wasn’t just about Ginny. “I may not be your husband anymore, Gin, but I’m still Jonah’s father. I won’t let him forget that.”
“No one wants him to forget that.”
But when Ginny married Herb, her new husband would spend more time with Jonah than Sam did. Sam might find himself on the outside of his son’s life. There was no way Sam would let that happen.
The house phone rang. Ginny glanced at the phone, then at Sam, then back at the phone. “That’ll be Herb calling to let me know that he’s arrived at work.”
Breaking news, apparently, Sam thought sourly.
“If there’s nothing else, Sam,” Ginny said, “I need to get that.”
Sam’s lips firmed. He turned to the door. As he pushed it open, he glanced over his shoulder at Ginny and raised an eyebrow. “By all means, you get the phone.”
Paige pulled out of the parking lot of the building in the town of Caledon where she’d rented a two-bedroom apartment for herself and Ivy. The building was outside of what was considered the town center. She’d chosen a place that was as far from the flow of Kirk County traffic as she could find.
Paige had spent their first week in Kirk County scouting apartments, enrolling Ivy in school, arranging transportation for Ivy to and from school, and doing the routine things needed for them to start their lives in a new place.
Paige’s invitation to Ivy to check out apartments with her and run errands with her had been met with stony silence. Ivy hadn’t spoken more than a dozen words to Paige since they’d arrived in Kirk County.
Paige glanced over at her sister. Today was Ivy’s first day at her new school. Paige hated seeing Ivy’s sad expression. It wasn’t easy for Ivy to make friends. She was shy by nature and self-conscious of her wheelchair, which she felt made her conspicuous and a curiosity. All Ivy wanted was to blend in, to be like everyone else, and Paige’s heart broke for her sister.
“Kirk High School has a terrific academic program,” Paige said. Ivy had been an A student in New York and Denver, Paige thought with love and pride. Ivy’s grades were important to her, and Paige had been relieved that the move to Denver hadn’t affected them. When Paige’s declaration failed to get a response, she added, “I already mentioned that I enrolled you in the art program. In addition to the art class, there’s also a drawing and painting club you can check out. I was told about it when I was getting you registered. There are field trips scheduled around Kirk for club members to paint in nature, and the club puts on a couple of art shows each year to showcase student work.”
Paige was particularly pleased to learn of the art program. Ivy loved to draw and paint, and her art showed both skill and heart. Though Paige had taken little when they’d moved, she’d carefully wrapped and packed each of Ivy’s paintings and drawings and hung each one carefully on the walls of their new home.
Paige reached the school and parked at the curb by the front entrance. Car doors slammed as a trio of girls and one boy exited a compact car. Another girl strolled with a kind of rolling gait while her thumbs were busy texting on her phone. A boy slung his arm around her shoulders and fell into step beside her.
Ivy remained quiet. Her fingers, their nails recently bitten to the quick, now picked at the threads on the hem of her T-shirt. The nervous gesture said more about her anxiety than a dictionary worth of words. Paige reached out and touched Ivy’s hand. “I could go in with you, walk with you to your first class?”
Ivy’s hand stilled. She turned to face Paige, and the anxiety in her eyes turned to anger. “Leave me alone, Paige. Just leave me alone.”
Before Paige could respond, Ivy lowered the platform and was out of the van. In that moment, Paige felt defeated. She exhaled a shaky breath as she watched Ivy push the button to open the double glass doors. After Ivy disappeared into the school, Paige sat for a few moments, staring at the entrance.
Forcing herself to get moving, Paige drove away from the school slowly. It was a day of firsts for her as well. Glancing at the directions she’d written, she drove to the small Kirk County Bureau field office, her new place of employment.
In the parking lot, she lowered her sun visor and then the cover over the mirror and studied her reflection. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back in a ponytail, baring her face. Beneath the light makeup she wore on the job, her skin was grim and pale. Her large brown eyes betrayed how desolate she felt. Not a good look for meeting her new boss.
She flipped the mirror back up and closed her eyes, working to get herself together. In the past year, she’d learned to disguise herself on demand, to conceal what she was thinking and feeling. She called upon those skills now. When she had her emotions in check, she left the car.
The lobby was decorated in grays and blues. Paige was met by a woman who looked to be in her early sixties and who glanced at the slim watch on her wrist. Paige resisted the urge to check her own watch. She knew she wasn’t late.
The woman was small at under five feet. Though she had to tilt her head back a full six inches to look Paige in the eye, she still managed to look down her nose at Paige.
“You must be Agent Carson.”
The woman stood waiting for Paige to reply. She had a bearing that shouted military and wore an impeccably tailored three-piece suit like a general’s uniform. She looked like she could wait the rest of the day for Paige to respond but challenged Paige to put that to the test. Paige imagined soldiers quaking in her presence.
When Paige realized the woman wasn’t going to smile or offer her hand to shake, she responded with a simple yes.
“I’m Marian Hendershot,” the woman said. “You may call me Mrs. Hendershot. Special Agent in Charge McKade is expecting you. I’ll escort you to him.”
Mrs. Hendershot led the way down a long corridor. The squad room was painted in the same blues and grays as the outer office, and there were several desks, only one of which was occupied. A man in a shirt and tie, with his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair, spoke in low tones on the phone.
On the opposite side of the squad room was a conference room. As Mrs. Hendershot came to a stop outside an office, Paige noted a thick door at the end of the hall that acted as a barrier between the squad room and the lobby. That door would lead to the interrogation rooms, and beyond Interrogation were the holding cells.
The office door was open, but Mrs. Hendershot knocked, then remained in the hall until the man seated behind the desk glanced up. Paige noticed he was handsome, with features that were ruggedly male. Dark hair he kept short. A square jaw. Though her assessment of him went no further than simple observation.
“Sir, Agent Carson is here,” Mrs. Hendershot said.
The man rose to his feet. “Agent Carson. Paige.” He extended his hand. “I’m Sam McKade.”
He was a few inches over six feet and wore a charcoal suit that outlined a tough, hard body that showed he hadn’t spent his career behind a desk.
Paige tilted her head back to meet his eyes. He had a penetrating gaze that made her feel as if he could see inside her. She didn’t care for the thought, with what she was hiding about her reasons for the transfer. She put her hand in his. It engulfed hers. “Sir.”
“Sam is fine.” He looked to Mrs. Hendershot. “Thank you, Marian.”
Mrs. Hendershot gave a brisk nod, then closed the door behind her. Sam indicated the two chairs in front of his desk, and Paige lowered herself into one of them. Stacks of papers and a legal pad sat on his desk. Was her personnel file in one of those stacks? Paige told herself it didn’t matter if it was. Sam McKade had already seen it, or she wouldn’t be here. She comforted herself with the knowledge that this wasn’t an interview for the field post. She already had the position. Still, perspiration gathered on the back of her neck.
Sam reclaimed his seat. “When did you arrive in Kirk?”
Paige sat stiffly against the chair back. “Last week.”
“How are you settling in?”
“It’s been fine. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I understand that you spent most of your time in Denver behind a desk.”
“Yes.”
“That won’t always be the case here. Though we’re a small office, we cover a large district made up of several counties. You’ll be on assignment and in the field. How do you feel about that?”
“I realize that my duties here are going to be different than they were in Denver. I’m fine with it.”
His gaze on her grew more intent. “I’m curious as to why you chose to transfer to this office. We’re in a remote location, and this is not a prestigious appointment.”
In the large Denver office, there had been ample opportunity for advancement if she’d wanted to get ahead. It seemed a lifetime had passed since that was the case. Advancing her career no longer drove her. Paige linked her fingers in her lap, forcing herself to keep her grip loose. “I’ve lived in large cities all of my life. I welcome the chance to live in a less populated area. As to this not being a prestigious appointment, all I’m interested in is doing my job and doing it well.”
He held her gaze, then asked bluntly, “What happened in New York?”
Paige stiffened. “You have the report.”
“I’d like to hear it from you.”
She would have preferred never to speak of that day again. Hoped that, professionally, at least, Thames would no longer be a factor in her career, as he was in her life. Foolish hope. Not enough time had passed for that black mark on her record to be removed. Once more, then.
The memory of that day had Paige’s stomach clenching and her nerves vibrating. Fighting back anxiety, she gave Sam a succinct accounting of the events of that day on the mountain, ending with, “I was searching for Mr. Thames when he found me. My squad arrived shortly after that.”
Sam drew out a silence, taking his time before speaking again. His expression gave nothing away, and Paige’s anxiety level climbed another notch.
Finally, he asked, “Where do you see yourself in three years?”
Paige swallowed against the dryness in her throat. “I’d like to be here.” She was speaking the truth and hoped Sam could see that.
“This position has been open for some time,” Sam said.
That had been a crucial factor for her. She could begin this posting immediately without needing to wait out another agent’s weeks of notice.
“For the reasons I’ve already stated,” Sam continued, “we don’t have agents flocking to transfer here. If you decide Kirk and this office aren’t to your liking, it would be difficult for me to replace you.”
She could understand his reasoning. With two transfers in such a short time, his concern that she would move on again at the drop of a hat was valid. He needed people he could count on. “I hope to make Kirk County my permanent home.”
The words rang true because they were true, and she could see that Sam believed her.
“I’ll introduce you to the agents you’ll be working with.” Sam rose to his feet.
For a time, Paige had wondered if Sam was regretting his decision to bring her into his office. Had feared he was going to tell her that it wasn’t going to work out after all. But he hadn’t. Willing her locked legs to unlock, she rose to her feet as well. “Thank you.”