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Color rushed to her cheeks. “Thank you. You take care of people in a different way.”
“You’re so beautiful inside and out. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”
Tears made her blue eyes luminous. “Not everyone gets a second chance.”
He kissed her and silently promised not to mess this up.
Nineteen
Jon’s spicy cologne wafted Annie’s way and made it hard to concentrate on the task ahead of her. She drove her pickup toward Marquette in a dreary drizzle of rain that made the afternoon seem later than three. Mason had turned her loose to question Brandon Fraser, and she intended to hit him hard.
She glanced at Jon in the passenger seat. “Ready for this? Brandon will likely not be any more welcoming or helpful than he was the first time.”
Jon studied the picture on Michelle’s phone. “I noticed her leg looks damaged. I’d guess she injured it in the ATV crash.”
“You can tell that from the photo?”
“Look here.” He traced a finger along the picture. “Appears to be a tibial plafond fracture. It can involve the joint as well. I see these a lot in auto accidents.”
Annie winced. “That sounds painful.”
He nodded and put down the phone. “They often require surgery. If the guy carried her off without getting her medical attention, it will never heal right. And it might even cause infection. You think there’s any chance it’s Brandon in the photo?”
“The guy’s build seems similar, and I want to see if he owns a one-ton pickup. Those aren’t that common.”
“No,” Jon agreed. “Don’t you need a warrant to examine his stable of vehicles?”
“Mason is running a search of vehicles Brandon owns, and I should have that by the time we see Fraser. Could you shoot Mason a text and tell him about the broken leg? He could check hospitals and emergency clinics.”
“What about talking to Michelle’s mother? Maybe she would recognize the guy’s outline.”
“Wildlife cams don’t take the best pictures at night, and he was walking away. Getting an ID will be tough. But you’re right. Mary might have an idea who it could be.”
Annie felt an inner urgency about finding Michelle now that she was sure there’d been an abduction. Where had the guy taken her, and why had he left the other woman’s body behind? Had he merely seen an opportunity after an ATV crash and taken it? Maybe the abductor hadn’t seen the other body.
Annie had lots of questions and no answers.
They reached the Fraser property, and the gate was closed again. After speaking to the housekeeper through the intercom, they were granted access. Annie parked in the circle drive in front of the door, and they dashed to the porch in the rain. She shook the rain off her hair, then pressed the doorbell.
The housekeeper was an older woman with graying hair. “Mr.Fraser has agreed to see you. This way.” She made it sound like he was some kind of king granting an audience.
Annie suppressed a wry grin. She and Jon went through the two-story foyer and past an expansive living room to an office lined with books. The space was so large, the massive desk looked small.
Brandon indicated the two armchairs across from a loveseat. “I didn’t expect to hear from you again. I told you everything I know.” He came around from behind the polished walnut desk and sat on the love seat opposite them. “I only have a few minutes.”
A sideswept hairstyle with product replaced his carefree, windblown look from the last time, and he wore a suit.
Annie was tempted to tell him Mason would be happy to haul him to jail for questioning, but she swallowed her response. The guy was used to his word being law, and it rubbed her the wrong way.
“It appears your wife has been abducted, Mr.Fraser.” Annie watched for an expression of shock, but his poker face gave nothing away. “I wondered if you might recognize this man.” She handed over her phone for him to examine the photo.
Frowning, he took it and studied it. “Who can tell anything from that? If I didn’t know it was Michelle, I might not even recognize her.”
“I’d hoped something about the man’s stance or build would seem familiar.”
“So this guy is carrying her. What makes you think he isn’t trying to help her?”
“She looks unconscious. And I think her leg is broken.”
