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But there were so many questions. For instance, if they had “purchased” other children, how did they find them? Was that Jimmy Marsh’s job? How did they even communicate with him, since they didn’t use the internet or cell service? She’d checked her phone during dinner out there, and seen no hint of secret Wi-Fi or a miraculous single-bar of service. And most importantly, why did they have to resort to kidnapping? Did they have fertility issues that required importing more children?
“We’ll look into it,” Agent Bradley was saying. “But it sure would help us if you could give us some more details. How does this item help with the prophecy?”
But Elias had apparently talked enough. He looked at the laptop, then at Bradley, and shrugged.
“What is it?” Molly asked, peering at the laptop.
“Our techs believe that it’s part of a homemade explosive.”
Sam sucked in a breath. They all looked at Elias for confirmation. His face showed nothing, as if he didn’t understand the word.
“Elias,” Molly asked gently. “Does your dad make things that blow up? Explode, make loud sounds?”
“My dad?”
Did he not understand that word either? “Luke. Soraya. Any of the Chilkoots.”
He frowned and looked down at the floor. “I heard some loud sounds. They scared the animals.”
Agent Bradley made a frustrated sound and closed the laptop. “Maybe we’ll get more out of Jimmy Marsh. It shouldn’t take long to locate him.”
Elias’ shoulders hunched the way they did when he felt attacked. Molly squeezed his arm to comfort him. “You did great, Elias. You really did.”
He shrugged one shoulder, not even looking up at her. “Can I go to bed now?”
Poor kid. Talk about overwhelm. In the space of a day, he’d learned that he’d been either kidnapped or sold, that he had a different family, and been interrogated by the FBI about the only family he actually knew. That was a lot for any kid.
Just in case, Sam, Molly and Elias left the Big Wheel Inn and checked into a different one. Sam paid cash for two rooms. This hotel—a Best Western—triggered no memories for Elias. But he was so exhausted by the intensity of the day that he claimed one of the rooms right away, firmly closing the door in their faces.
“See you in the morning,” Molly called to him through the door. “Wake us up if there’s anything?—”
All she heard from him was a faint “good night” and the sound of water running in the bathroom.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Molly asked Sam in a quiet voice as they headed for the next room over.
“That’s very open-ended. I’m thinking a few things. One, the Chilkoots could have set a charge to trigger the avalanche that killed Daniel. I didn’t want to say it in front of Elias.”
“Neither did I. But we should mention it to Agent Bradley.”
“I’m sure he got there on his own. He’s probably interrogating Jimmy Marsh about it now.”
“Yeah, Jimmy Marsh. Do you think he’s the one who locates redheaded babies to kidnap?”
“You know something? I’m sick of talking about the Chilkoots.” Sam grabbed her hand and tugged her through the door of the other hotel room. The one that was all theirs, and theirs alone, for the rest of the night.
32
As soon as the door of the second hotel room closed behind them, Molly’s pulse quickened and her chest felt tight. With everything that had happened over the past couple of days, she still hadn’t forgotten what it had felt like to be close to Sam Coburn.
The way he’d touched her had made her feel…beautiful. And they hadn’t even taken all their clothes off. Just imagine if…she bit her lip as desire pulsed through her system.
Sam didn’t seem to be feeling any of that. He was busy checking the room for…something. What did he fear, that random Chilkoots were hiding under the bed or behind the drapes or in the shower?
She frowned as he lifted the frame of a bland landscape painting that hung over the bed. Was that rendition of the Ice Falls? Was he checking for the name of whatever hack artist had robbed it of all its stunning glory?
And why did Sam have to look so sexy while being thorough? Those wide shoulders, the way his forearm muscles tensed while he held the frame away from the wall, his strong hands holding it tight, when they ought to be holding her…
“Sam,” she said softly.
