He ignored her outstretched arms and opened the passenger door of her car. Nodding toward the seat, he said, Why dont you sit down right there, and then Ill give this cutie back to you.
It was a good idea, so she sat sideways, her feet still on the pavement. The man handed Katie back to her, and the little girl wriggled around until she was facing the stranger.
Katie was smitten, Lacey realized with some surprise, glancing up at the man, who was still making funny faces at Katie. Now that she wasnt drowning in adrenaline, Lacey could see why. Their rescuer was a good-looking man, with a mobile face that seemed made for smiling. His exertions had mussed his short, sandy-brown hair, revealing a tendency to curl.
His gaze shifted away from Katie and settled on Lacey, warmth shining in his hazel-green eyes. Sympathy tinged his voice when he spoke. Feeling a little less shaky?
Yes, thanks. The moan of sirens in the distance seeped through the sound of traffic noise. That must be the cops.
Must be. The man smiled faintly. Im Jim Mercer.
Im Lacey Miles.
His smile spread. I know. Ive seen you on TV.
Oh. She still felt strange when people recognized her, even though she had just finished her third year on air with the news network. I havent thanked you. I dont know what Id have done if you hadnt shown up and chased that creep away.
He glanced at the tire iron shed dropped by the car. Probably brained the guy, he said wryly.
She laughed, even though nothing about the past few minutes was funny.
The sirens grew louder, and the flash of blue and cherry lights lit the gloom of the alley. A second later, a white-and-blue Frederick Police Department cruiser pulled up behind Laceys car.
The next half hour proved to be almost as stressful as the attempted ambush, as Lacey had to answer dozens of questions, first from the responding officers, then from the detective who arrived a few minutes later. Because of the cold, the detectives took them inside the employment-agency building to ask questions, but the warmer temperatures didnt do much to improve Katies mood. She cried every time Lacey tried to put her in the stroller, so Lacey ended up answering the detectives questions while bouncing a fretful Katie on her knee.
He was wearing a mask, Lacey answered for what felt like the tenth time. I didnt see his hair or his eyes. He was pointing a gun at me. I just saw the gun.
At the other end of the conference-room table, Jim Mercer was answering questions posed by another detective, who looked bored and sleepy. Jim glanced her way once, his eyes soft with concern. A warm sensation spread through her chest in response, catching her off guard.
Hes a stranger, and you are in no position to feel anything for a stranger, she reminded herself. Trust no one.
Detective Braun finally closed his notebook and held out a business card. Well see if we can get anything off the weapon. But even if we can track it with the serial number, its possible it was stolen. However, you can call me if you remember anything else, and Ill be in touch if were able to track anything down on your assailant. Its just
I understand. She took the card. I know theres not much to go on.
You might want to call a friend to drive back to Virginia with you, he suggested. So youre not out there alone.
She nodded even though she knew there was nobody she could call. Her work had been the center of her life for the past ten years, to the point that it consumed her life almost entirely. The low pay and bad hours paying her dues on the local level, then the big move to the occasional national gig and, finally, a regular investigative slot on a national networkall those steps up the career ladder had taken a big toll on the rest of her life.
Shed always thought there would be time later, time to rebuild friendships and family ties that had suffered during her upward climb.
Now Katie was all she had left, and she had absolutely no idea how to be a mother to her sisters child.
Do you think it could be connected to the bombing? she asked Braun as he started toward the conference-room door.
He stopped and looked at her. Its possible. But this attack seems pretty random.
Someone set a bomb in my car. My sister and her husband were killed because they borrowed it. Maybe you remember that bombingMarianne and Toby Harper? Ring any bells? And now, two weeks later, Im accosted at gunpoint. Im not sure Id call that random.
Braun looked both sympathetic and frustrated. I dont know what to tell you, maam. You may be right. It may be connected. I plan to make a call to the DC police and compare notes with the lead detective in the bombing case. Maybe we can come up with a more solid connection.
As he left the room, Lacey tucked Katie closer, breathing in the warm scent of powder and baby shampoo. Meanwhile, she thought, Katie and I are sitting ducks.
* * *
AND YOURE SURE you didnt make out anything about the license plates? Detective Marty Ridge stifled a yawn.
No, Jim answered, trying not to let his impatience show. If hed seen a license plate, hed have described it in detail. But the plate on the green Chevy van had been obscured with mud. Probably on purpose. He couldnt even be sure whether they were Maryland or Virginia plates.
Well, well have to hope the weapon gives us something to go on, Ridge said in a tone that suggested Jims testimony was going to be no help at all.
Jim stifled a grimace of annoyance and glanced down the table at Lacey Miles and her niece. The little girl was fussing despite her aunts attempt to soothe her. From the expression on Laceys face, she didnt know how to comfort the child, which made him wonder just how much she knew about taking care of a baby.
Call if you think of anything else. Rising, Ridge handed Jim his card, but from the look on his face, it was something he did out of habit rather than any real hope that Jim could add anything to the investigation.
After Ridge left, Jim walked to where Lacey sat. Katie looked up at him and her pout turned into a smile. Something inside him melted as the little girl held out her arms to him.
No, Katie. Mr. Mercer has to go now. The smile Lacey flashed in his direction was halfhearted at best.
Actually, I have an appointment here. A job interview.
Oh. Laceys sandy brows lifted slightly as she looked him up and down. He quelled the urge to squirm a little at her scrutiny, even though her gaze seemed as sharp as that of any drill sergeant hed ever faced during an inspection. Well, good luck.
Thanks. He left the room, his steps faltering briefly when Katie began to cry. As he closed the door behind him, he heard Laceys soft murmurs of comfort, and he wondered if the little girl would be appeased.
At the front office, he gave his name to the receptionist, apologizing for being late and explaining the situation.
Youre lucky, the woman said with a friendly smile. Your appointment is late, too.
He glanced back toward the conference room, where hed left Lacey Miles and her little niece. I know.
* * *
THE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE MANAGER was a tall, sharp-eyed brunette with the bone structure of a model named Ellen Taylor. She wore a sleek blue suit that fit her angular body to perfection, and her voice was inflectionless and polished. Im so sorry for your ordeal, Ms. Miles. She spared a brief smile for Katie, but she was clearly not someone who had much experience with small children.
* * *
THE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE MANAGER was a tall, sharp-eyed brunette with the bone structure of a model named Ellen Taylor. She wore a sleek blue suit that fit her angular body to perfection, and her voice was inflectionless and polished. Im so sorry for your ordeal, Ms. Miles. She spared a brief smile for Katie, but she was clearly not someone who had much experience with small children.
Join the club, Lacey thought. I hate that Ive kept the prospective nanny waiting.
Its not a problem, Ellen assured her. Are you ready?
Lacey glanced at her own rumpled suit and Katies tear-streaked face. She sighed. So much for a good first impression. Sure.
Good. Before we start, how do you want to handle this? Do you want me to sit in or do you want to handle the interview yourself?
If she thought Ellen Taylor knew anything about babies or nannies, she might have asked her to stay. But she might as well go into this interview the way shed continue after she hired someoneclueless and needy.
Besides, she was a professional reporter. Shed interviewed presidents, prime ministers and kings, as well as rebels and terrorists. If she couldnt handle asking a prospective nanny a few pointed questions, what kind of reporter was she?
Very well. Ill let you handle it, and then when youre done, you can tell me whether you want to interview any other prospects. Ellen left the room in a faint cloud of Chanel No. 5.
Oh, wait Lacey began, but the door had already clicked shut behind the woman. Damn it.
Shed forgotten to ask for a résumé beforehand. Shed planned her early arrival so she could do a quick read through the potential nannys employment history so she could ask intelligent questions. No reporter liked to go into an interview blind.
Oh well, she murmured against Katies cheek. Guess well find out soon enough if weve found our own Mary Poppins.
There was a quiet knock on the conference-room door.
Come in, Lacey said, taking a deep breath to calm her sudden rattle of nerves and pasting a smile on her face.
The door opened and Jim Mercer entered, a faint smile on his face. Hello, again.
Oh. Its you. Her smile faded. Did you forget something?
Actually, no. He smiled at Katie, who reached out for him again. Hey there, sweetie.
Lacey tugged her niece closer. I hate to seem rude, considering how you came to our rescue, but I dont really have time to talk. Im about to conduct a job interview.
Jim pulled out the chair across from her and sat. I know. Im the one youre interviewing.
Chapter Two
Lacey Miles stared at Jim a moment, her only reaction a slight narrowing of her eyes. Otherwise, she maintained a pretty impressive poker face. I see.
When she said nothing more, he asked, Is that a problem? Ms. Taylor said you had specified that you had no issues with hiring a male caretaker.
I dont, she said bluntly in a tone that suggested just the opposite.
You seem as if youve been blindsided.
Her lips curved in a faint, perfunctory smile. I guess I have been, in a way. I didnt have a chance to look over your credentials or even get your name. I just wasnt expecting a man.
Oh.
Im in a hurry to make a hire, you see, she added quickly, as if she realized what shed just admitted made her sound ill prepared. I havent had much luck since I sent my request to Ellen. In fact, youre the first person whos even applied for the job.
He was pretty sure he knew why. The story about the car bomb that had been meant for herthe one that had killed her sister and brother-in-law insteadhad made the national news. There werent a lot of wannabe nannies willing to walk into a situation like that.
Anyway, best-laid plans and all that. Lacey breathed a soft sigh. So tell me about yourself.
Im thirty-four years old. I spent a decade in the Marine Corps, and then over the next four years, I went to college and earned a degree in early-childhood education.
Really? First a Marine, now a nanny? That piece of information seemed to pique her interest.
Id eventually like to run my own day-care center, he said, wondering if shed believe it.
What sort of experience with child care do you have?
I raised my younger siblings from the age of fifteen. My father was a police officer who died in the line of duty, and my mother had to go back to work. I had three younger siblings, ages two through eleven. I was their full-time caregiver until my mother remarried shortly after I turned eighteen. At that time, I joined the Marine Corps.
Thats your most recent child-care experience?
After college, I worked a couple of years as a nanny for a family in Kentucky. He slid his résumé across the table to her. Their contact information is on my résumé.
She set Katie on the floor and picked up the paper. After a few minutes silently reading what was written there, she put the paper down and looked up at him, her gray eyes narrowed. Assuming your references check out, how quickly can you start work?
As soon as you hire me.
What about the family you were working for? You dont need to give them any notice?
No. Mrs. Beckett decided she was missing too much of her childrens lives by working in an office, so she took a job that enables her to work from home. So Im back in the job market.
I see.
She fell silent again, her gaze wandering back to the résumé, as if she might find something new written in the words on the page. What was she looking for? Jim wondered. A reason to hire him?
Or a reason not to?
A tug on his pants leg drew his attention. Katie stood at his knee, her gray eyes gazing up at him with curiosity. When she saw him looking, her little face spread into a big grin.
Hey there, Katiebug.
At the sound of his voice, she lifted her arms.
May I? He looked at Lacey for permission to pick up the child.
Sure.
He picked up Katie and set her on his knee. She grew instantly intrigued by his blue-striped tie, her fingers playing with the fabric. He couldnt hold back a smile, which she returned with a giggle.
She was at a very cute age, just a shade past two. Pretty steady on her feet, starting to build her vocabulary, curious about everything that crossed her pathshe had probably already started becoming a handful before her parents suddenly and tragically disappeared from her life, leaving her in the care of her aunt.
Her aunt, who was a single woman with a high-powered, very public career. Earlier, hed wondered just how much Lacey Miles knew about taking care of a small child. He was becoming more and more certain she was clueless. No wonder she was desperate to hire a nanny.
Katie likes you, she said. A point in your favor.
Ms. Taylor said you needed a live-in nanny. Does that mean youll be going back to work soon?
Laceys sandy brow notched upward. What makes you think I havent been working?
I havent seen you on air. I guess I shouldnt have assumed you werent working behind the scenes. It wouldnt do for her to realize just how much he already knew about her. She was already on edge as it was, and the attack this afternoon had only made things worse for her.