She had beautiful, flawless skin, a dewy peaches-and-cream complexion that most women would kill for. He knew, without giving in to the growing temptation to touch her, that her skin would be warm and soft beneath his fingers.
He wondered if hed be able to resist that temptation if this case lingered on too much longer.
She gave a soft sigh, her breath warming his throat. Dropping her gaze, she stepped away, looking down at the wide redwood planks beneath their feet. Be careful, Mr. Cooper, she murmured. Right now, Maddy doesnt really understand who Norah is to her. But shes the right age to start wondering why her mothers not around like other mothers are.
He cleared his throat. I know. Believe me, Im trying to be very careful here. But if Norah really does want to have a bigger presence in Maddys life-
Did you know her fiancé is running for the open Senate seat from Maryland? Kristen asked quietly.
Sam blinked. No.
Apparently he just announced his candidacy. Hes up against a big family values candidate named Halston Stevens. Makes me wonder a bit about Norahs motive for coming here. Kristen looked toward the yard. Sam followed her gaze and saw Norah sitting in a lawn chair, smiling at Maddy, who was showing her mother something shed picked up in the yard.
Son of a bitch, he thought. How do you know this?
The Internet. Its this awesome new information tool-you should totally check it out.
He shot her a look. Funny. Why didnt you tell me this last night when you told me she was engaged?
She turned back to look at him. I didnt want to poison your mind with the thought until youd had a chance to see her interact with Maddy.
He rubbed his jaw, wondering if knowing would have made any difference. Hed been watching Norah carefully since he first introduced her to her daughter, maybe hoping to see some spark between mother and daughter that they could build on for the future. But so far, Norahs interest in Maddy had seemed little more than curiosity.
I needed to know as much about your ex-wife as I could before she got here, Kristen continued quietly. So I stayed up late and did some Web surfing. Her fiancés election bid is big news in Maryland. Local blogs are all over the story.
Youre thorough, arent you? he asked. She really was turning out to be a smarter investigator than hed anticipated.
The amused look in her blue eyes faded. Someones stalking a kid. Your kid. Damned right Im thorough. Her cell phone rang, a muted burr against her side. She dug in her jacket and stepped away, answering in a soft but terse tone.
Sam looked back across the yard at Norah and Maddy, his gut twisting in a knot. Was Norah really so cynical and self-serving as to push her way back into the life of the child shed abandoned, just to keep scandalmongers from harming Graham Stilsons Senate bid?
The fact that he could seriously entertain the question made him wonder why hed ever fallen for her in the first place.
Tell her no, Kristen said sharply behind him, drawing his attention away from Norah and Maddy. He turned to find her shoving her phone in her pocket, her face pinched and pale.
Is everything okay? he asked, taking a step toward her, his hand outstretched.
She stepped back from him, grabbing the deck railing as she stumbled a little. Everythings fine.
But clearly it wasnt. Her knuckles were white where she gripped the wood railing, and her eyes looked huge and dark in her colorless face. Ignoring the dont touch me vibe radiating from her in waves, he closed the gap between them, laying his hand gently on her shoulder. You dont look fine.
She shook her head, ducking away from his touch. I need to go into the office for a little while. I still want to talk to Ms. Cabot alone-do you think you could get her to the station in a couple of hours?
Ill get her there, he promised, his mind racing with questions he knew she wouldnt answer if he asked them.
Kristen gave a brief nod and headed down the deck steps that led out to the gravel car park at the side of the house, where shed left her Impala parked next to his Jeep. Sam squelched the urge to follow her, instinctively aware that the harder he pressed her to tell him what the call was about, the more shed dig her heels in and push him away.
Besides, it wasnt his business, was it? Unless it had to do with Maddy, and shed have told him if that was the case.
Still, he had trouble dragging his mind away from Kristen Tandys pale, shocked expression as he descended the steps to the yard and scooped his daughter up in a fierce, laughing hug.
Norah arched one perfect eyebrow at him. Whered Nancy Drew hurry off to?
Sam ignored the barb, kissing the top of Maddys head. Maddycakes, I think I smelled some fresh cookies in the kitchen. Jake, Mariah, yall mind taking the kids up to see if the cookies are finished? I need to take Norah to the inn to get settled into her room. He shot his brother a meaningful look.
Ooh, cookies! Jake coaxed Maddy from Sams arms and swung her onto his back, where she clung like a laughing baby monkey as he followed Mariah and Micah up the steps to the deck.
Norah looked up expectantly at Sam. You wanted to be alone with me at the inn, Sam? Im flattered. But Im engaged now. She waggled her left hand, where an enormous diamond solitaire glittered on the third finger. Remember?
I remember, he said with a grim smile, taking her arm in his hand and leading her toward his Jeep parked on the gravel drive. And thats why we need to talk.
Chapter Six
Tillery Park sat on the outskirts of Gossamer Ridge, Alabama, less a conventional city park than a protected patch of wilderness on the side of the mountain that gave the town its name. A few picnic pavilions dotted the park, as well as an old schoolhouse that dated from the late 1800s.
Beyond the schoolhouse, the land ended abruptly in a bluff overlooking Gossamer Lake and the houses that dotted its shore. A series of long stone benches stretched across the edge, only a few feet from the drop-off. At night, it was a favorite spot of the towns teens, who considered moonlit walks spiced with the danger of walking the bluffs edge to be the height of romance.
It was one of Kristen Tandys favorite places, too, though not for its romance. Ever since shed been a young girl, Tillery Park had been her place of escape, first from her troubled home life, then later from the stares and whispers that followed her around town after the murders. Her notoriety never seemed to follow her here to the park, where she was just one of the handful of townsfolk who came here to enjoy the areas wild beauty. People left her alone to think in peace.
She hadnt expected to come to Tillery Park today, however. Neck-deep in the Maddy Cooper case, when she got out of bed that morning shed planned to spend the day with Sam, Maddy and Maddys long-lost mother. She should be there now, instead of sitting on the hard stone bench, staring across the treetops below at the sparkling blue jewel of Gossamer Lake.
But that was before Carls phone call.
The administrator at Darden left me a message, Carl had said, referring to the states secure medical facility where her mother resided. Your mother wants to see you.
Kristen rubbed the heels of her hands against her burning eyes. Why now? Why, after all these years of blessed silence, did her mother want to see her now?
Her cell phone hummed. Carl again. She sent the call to voice mail and put the phone in her pocket again.
Do you think thats going to shut me up? Carl Madisons gravelly voice behind her made her jump. Her foster father stood a couple of feet away, holding up his cell phone. He had shed his suit jacket to accommodate the mid-May heat and humidity, exposing the familiar Smith & Wesson 686 Plus revolver tucked into a shoulder holster. Hed never gone to a semiautomatic like most of the younger cops. She hoped crime in Chickasaw County never forced him to choose a different weapon.
How did you find me?
He tapped the side of his nose. Sniffed you out like a good detective. I mean, its not like this is your favorite place to run and hide or anything.
Sighing, she edged over on the stone bench to make room for him. You always did have an annoying sort of radar.
He settled beside her, giving her a light nudge with his elbow. Im a cop, blue eyes. Its my job to know where all the delinquents are.
She managed a smile, though her stomach was twisting and roiling. I just needed a break from day care duty, she said, although if she were honest, shed have to admit that watching out for Maddy was turning out to have pros as well as cons.
Whos minding the kid?
Her father, her mother and a passel of extended family. Kristen couldnt hold back a soft smile. She has them all wrapped around her finger.
Shes a cutie.
Shes a sweet kid. Sams doing a good job raising her.
What did you think of the mother?
Grateful for the distraction from her own problems, she gave Carls question the thought it deserved. I think shes very happy with living a sophisticated, high-profile, high-power life. I dont think she sees Maddy or Sam Cooper as part of that life long-term.
What about short-term?
She told him what she knew about Norah Cabots engagement to the Senate candidate. The timing is interesting.
You think her overture to the kid is her way of neutralizing any bad press about having abandoned the girl?
You know me. Im a cynic.
If you were really a cynic, you wouldnt be so affected by the things that happen around you, Carl said gently.
You always think the best of me, dont you? She couldnt hide the affection in her voice. Sometimes she wondered why she even tried. Distancing herself from Carl, the closest thing to a real father shed ever known, hadnt worked no matter how hard she tried. He always came back for more.
I expect the best of you, he corrected gently. I know what youre capable of.
She looked away, feeling shamed and defeated. You tried so hard to give me a normal life, Carl. But it was just too late. She ran the pad of her fingers over the knotty scar on the back of her hand. Im not a normal person. Im never going to be a normal person.