Chasing Second Chances Page 6

  * * * *

  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?”

  “None,” she answered. “The FBI thinks the motive might not be money.” For a moment, she debated on whether or not to tell Anne what Agent Wilkins had suggested but decided not to. She had already dismissed that absurd possibility, after all.

  “That does make things complicated,” Anne agreed. “But at least, it’s good to know that the FBI is lending a hand in this case.”

  “I guess.”

  Anne glanced at the doorway and then leaned over. “On an
other topic, how are you doing living with two men under the same roof?”

  Kate scrunched her nose. “That doesn’t sound right.”

  “It doesn’t sound fair, all right,” Anne said. “But what can I say? Some women are just plain lucky.”

  Kate said nothing. Lucky was the last thing she thought she was these past few days.

  “Well?”

  “I’m doing well. I haven’t really paid attention to it that much.”

  “So they haven’t fought?” Anne asked in a curious whisper.

  “Heavens, no. Why would they fight? They’re adults, Anne, not teenage boys.”

  “They’re still boys.”

  “They’re grown men,” Kate corrected. “Besides, they have no reason to fight or even compete with each other. It’s not like they’re in the same situation.”

  “So you’re absolutely sure Lloyd no longer has feelings for you and you no longer have feelings for him?”

  “Lloyd is the father of Jack and Lena. Nothing will change that.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.”

  Kate paused before answering, debating on whether or not to tell Anne about what had happened between her and Lloyd in Rapid City. This time, she decided to tell her, glancing at the doorway, as well, before moving closer and dropping her voice a few notches.

  “Lloyd and I kissed.”

  Anne’s eyes widened. “You what?”

  “Shh.” She put a finger on her friend’s lips as she warily gave another glance at the bedroom door.

  Anne led her towards the window so they could be farther from the door. “But why?”

  She shrugged. “It just happened.”

  “So it was…an accident?”

  “I guess you could put it that way,” she replied. “All I know is that one moment I was sobbing hysterically, wanting the earth to swallow me up and then the next, he was kissing me.”

  “And you kissed him back?”

  Kate nodded slowly.

  Anne sighed. “Then that clearly means that Lloyd still has feelings for you and that you still have feelings for him.”

  “I do not,” she argued. “I mean, I still care for him, of course, but I don’t love him anymore.”

  “Then you still have feelings for him.”

  Kate kept silent.

  “Oh don’t worry about it, Kate.” Anne patted her on the shoulder. “Like you said, it’s understandable that you still care for the father of your children. I’m sure every divorced wife feels even just a little bit of concern for the ex-husband she had kids with. It’s not like…”

  Anne stopped talking as they heard a knock on the bedroom door.

  “What is it?” Kate asked loudly.

  The bedroom door opened and Bryan stepped in.

  “Lt. Paulson is on the phone. He said he wanted to talk to you immediately.”

  Kate took the receiver that was in Bryan’s hand. “Lt. Paulson?”

  “Kate, I have some news…bad news, I’m afraid.”

  Kate swallowed. “Go on.”

  “Charlene Morrow has been found.”

  Kate held her breath.

  “She’s dead.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Kate clutched at her chest, her cheeks growing pale as she watched two men transport the bag containing Charlene’s body to the coroner’s van.

  Not too long ago, Charlene had been smiling, her smile showing the dimple on her right cheek and the gap between her front teeth, her eyes glistening with the hope and passion for living; typical of people who had their whole lives ahead of them. Now, Charlene had nothing ahead of her. She would never smile again.

  She was cold, still and in the dark.

  Dead.

  That, however, was not the worst part. Now that Charlene had been found dead, the whole tragedy was more real, along with the possibility that she might never be able to bring Jack and Lena home alive.

  Her children were at the mercy of a murderer.

  She clamped her hand over her mouth, the mere thought of seeing Jack or Lena in small black body bags making her want to scream in anguish and feel like throwing up at the same time.

  “We shouldn’t have come here,” Bryan said as he wrapped his arms around her.

  She shook her head. “I wanted to see.”

  What exactly did she want to see for herself? Charlene’s body? The police doing their jobs? Or had she been hoping for a sign, any sign that Jack and Lena were still alive?

  “Ms. Evans, are you all right?” Lt. Paulson’s voice broke into her thoughts.

  Kate nodded, though she was aware that she was still trembling. “What can you tell us, Lieutenant?”

  Lt. Paulson checked his notebook. “Charlene Morrow was found somewhere in the woods at around four A.M. A local named Ivan Yates found her and placed the call. He said he was looking for worms to use as baits for his next fishing trip and stumbled upon the body. The coroner estimates she’s been dead for at least three days.”

  Kate squeezed Bryan’s arm as she let out a curse.

  “Was she murdered?” Lloyd asked.

  Kate and Bryan both turned their heads towards Lloyd at the same time while Lt. Paulson looked up from his notebook with a grimace.

  “Yes,” he answered shakily. “The coroner said the cause of death was a gunshot.”

  “Which means?” Kate asked.

  “She died from a wound straight to her heart,” Lt. Paulson explained. “It isn’t sure yet what gun was used.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Lloyd said, a hint of anger showing in his voice. “What matters is that she was murdered, killed in cold blood, and then dumped carelessly. I did not think we were dealing with somebody so cold-blooded.”

  “You think kidnapping isn’t cold-blooded enough?” Bryan asked.

  Lloyd ignored him, turning to Lt. Paulson instead. “Is there any trace of the kids in the area?”

  “We’ve already checked the perimeter,” Lt. Paulson replied. “We did not find any indication that the children were with Charlene at the time she was killed.”

  “But you did not find any indication that the children are alive, either,” Lloyd said. It was not a question but a statement.

  “Canine units are searching the premises as we speak,” Lt. Paulson merely said.

  “And are we to believe that the same person who killed Charlene is the one who has the children?” Lloyd asked, persistent. “Or is there a possibility that it could be someone else? That this is a separate incident?”

  “It’s no separate incident,” Agent Wilkins spoke before Lt. Paulson could answer. “At this point, we still believe that the same person kidnapped Charlene, Jack and Lena and in light of new evidence, we now believe that person killed Charlene. Whether this was part of his plan all along or an unexpected turn of events remains to be seen.”

  “So you’re saying it could have been an accident?” Lloyd pressed.

  Agent Wilkins met his gaze squarely. “If by accident, Mr. Marrick, you mean that the murderer’s hand slipped, I do not believe that to be the case. What I meant was that the kidnapper…the killer might have gotten rid of her because it became too inconvenient. Maybe she fought back.”

  “The coroner said she had defensive wounds,” Lt. Paulson contributed.

  “Or there might have been a quarrel,” Agent Wilkins added. “But as I said, it could also have been part of the plan all along. I refuse to speculate any further until the new evidence comes in.”

  Lloyd nodded but clenched his fist at his side. “I understand.”

  Kate looked at him, puzzled. He had been so calm until now and yet it seemed he had finally lost it. Was it because he, too, was suddenly afraid? Because he realized for the first time that they might not get the kids back?

  For the first time, she realized that he was just as scared as she was. He had been so calm all this time but for all she knew, he could be suffering just as much as she was. Jack and Lena were as much his children as they were hers, after a
ll. There was no such thing as an ex-father.

  She wanted to place her hand on his shoulder, to offer him some measure of comfort and let him know she was there for him just as he had been there for her but with Bryan’s arms around her, she couldn’t and so she simply frowned.

  Why were things so complicated?

  “It will be all right, Kate,” Bryan told her, holding her tightly against him. “I’m sure the kids are safe somewhere else, maybe somewhere not far from here.”

  Kate just nodded.

  “You!” a woman suddenly shouted.

  She turned her head to find Irene Morrow walking towards her, her eyes red and her cheeks streaked with tears.

  “What are you doing here?” Irene hissed. “Do you feel good now that you’ve learned my daughter is dead and your children are not lying beside her?”

  “Irene, stop it,” the man behind her, who Kate presumed was Mr. Morrow, said.

  “All these years, I’ve done my best to raise my daughter, to give her everything she needed,” Irene went on, heedless of her husband. “But it wasn’t enough, was it? No matter how hard you try to be a good mother, if there’s a mother out there who’s done worse than you, then your child can still end up…”

  The woman sobbed, unable to continue. Her husband placed an arm around her, comforting her.

  “Mrs. Morrow, I’m sorry for your loss,” Kate spoke softly. “Charlene was…”

  “Don’t speak as if you knew my daughter,” Irene said, glaring at her. “You never even really paid attention to her, did you? Anyone was fine as long as she could watch over your children in your place. She should never have…”

  “Mrs. Morrow, we truly are sorry for your loss,” Bryan interrupted her. “We know how hard it must be for you but…”

  “You know how hard it must be for me?” Irene gave a mocking laugh even as more tears seeped from the corners of her eyes.

  Before Bryan could say another word, Irene continued, glaring at Kate once more. “Well, I hope you will truly find out how hard it is. I hope you will never find your children again!”

  “Irene, that’s enough.” Mr. Morrow led his wife away, casting Kate a glance that begged for her understanding.