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And his daughter was still lost.
Mason pounded his fist against his thigh and let out a growl of frustration. Then the normality changed. Lights flashed, sirens sounded. He gave the area one more scan and realized it was hopeless.
The man had disappeared.
Either into a waiting car or one of the buildings lining the street. There was no way to know. No way to effectively search each and every place on his own.
With one last look over his now-aching shoulder, he swiped at the sweat dripping from his temples and made his way back to the restaurant parking lot. Catelyn, Joseph and Daniel already worked the scene.
Lacey stood off to the side looking pale and shaky. Scared, but determined. He went straight to her and grasped her upper arms. She folded into him and he held her against his chest expecting her to break into sobs. She didn’t.
But she did let him hold her. And holding her brought memories. Memories of fun times, memories of thinking he’d be with her forever.
And then the memory of finding her in Daniel’s arms.
A memory she claimed was false.
A memory he’d not let her explain, because if he let her and then couldn’t believe her…
He swallowed hard and set her back away from him. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t catch him.”
She nodded and looked toward Catelyn and Joseph. “Have they found anything?”
“Let me check.”
Mason made his way over to Catelyn, avoiding Daniel’s penetrating gaze.
The man hadn’t missed the embrace.
With gloved hands, Catelyn held up a concrete block the size of a two by four. Mason raised a brow. “So, it wasn’t a bullet.”
“Nope, but if that had hit one of you, it might have felt like one.”
Lacey rubbed her arms as if chilled in the eighty-five-degree heat. “What was the purpose of that?” she asked, bewilderment stamped on her drawn features. “That’s not going to kill anyone, so why bother with the petty vandalism?”
“And take a chance on getting caught,” Mason agreed. He shook his head. “I don’t know. You’re right, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Catelyn nodded toward the concrete block. “I don’t think we’ll find any prints on this, but I’ll have the lab look at it anyway. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Mason had a feeling she was right. There’d be no fingerprints on it. The person doing this wasn’t stupid. There had to be a motive. But what?
“Did you get a look at the guy?” Daniel asked.
“No.” Mason blew out a disgusted sigh. “He had on a baseball cap, a black T-shirt and black pants that could have been jeans. He took off through the woods, which were pretty dark. But he was limping like he had a bum leg.”
“Which would fit with what we know about the man who tried to kidnap Bethany the night of the wreck,” Lacey offered.
Daniel nodded, and Lacey edged closer to Mason, her eyes darting toward the woods then back to the street. Her anxiety and fear cut through his heart.
“What now?” she whispered.
Mason led her to the damaged car. The air conditioner wouldn’t do much against the night heat pulsing around them and through the broken window, but at least it was a ride. “We get you home where you can get some rest then start all over tomorrow.”
What he didn’t tell her is that he planned to keep working tonight. He had a few ideas he wanted to check out and would do that while she slept.
Although, if the way she was looking at him—as if he were crazy—meant anything, his plan might be in for a big revision.
“Rest?” she sputtered. “In the house that Bethany is still missing from? With someone out there who seems to be watching us?” She gave an unladylike snort. “I don’t think so.” Narrowing her gaze at him and crossing her arms across her chest, she demanded, “What’s our next move?”
