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A tap came at the driver’s-side window, making Dania jump in her seat. She turned to find Brett standing outside the door, a frown on his face as he shook his head.
She sheepishly rolled down the window.
“Are you insane?” he hissed.
She had no defense.
“How did you get here without the keys?” His gaze went to the passenger seat and the tools she’d used to hot-wire the Tracker. His face turned bright red. “Get out of here before someone sees you.” He left as stealthily as he’d appeared.
She took one last look at where she’d seen her child, but he was gone. She started the Tracker and pulled away from the curb. She knew she was in for a chewing out. And she deserved it. But she wasn’t sorry. Nope.
Not.
One.
Bit.
Chapter Nineteen
Brett walked across the street,heading for Carol Tyler. Wasn’t it bad enough that Big Bertha claimed Dania had killed Ted and wounded Olivia? Did Dania have to be so foolish as to leave Gran’s house and park across from the preschool, where Carol could have seen her? He could have kicked himself for mentioning the school to Dania. He’d known better. He’d believed it would be okay because he hadn’t told her the name. But he should have known she wasn’t stupid and would dig around until she found it.
The only excuse for his slip-up had been that he’d wanted Dania to know that the Tylers were taking good care of her son and treating him as their own. Still, he had been amazed to find Dania parked nearby. And it didn’t help that she’d hot-wired Gran’s car.
He scanned the cars at the school. Before coming here, he’d stopped at Sheriff Kennard’s and picked up a box of evidence regarding Matt’s murder investigation. True to his word, Kennard had included the cell and laptop. After leaving there, Brett had a feeling he’d better swing by the preschool just in case Dania did something foolish and showed up.
Sure enough, there she was. He hoped Carol hadn’t seen Dania or, worse, seen him talking with her. If she had, he needed to find out and do damage control. He needed to slap on a happy face. He could use the excuse that he wanted to check on them, which was the truth, plus a little more.
He spied Carol and waved to her. She stopped, waiting for him to catch up.
“Deputy Rollins, it’s nice to see you again.” Carol’s smile seemed forced as he approached. “What brings you here?” she asked.
“Just wanted to make sure everything was as it should be.” He looked down at Jacob.
The child peered up at him with big, bright, brown eyes—Dania’s eyes. Yet he had Matt’s nose and ears. The little tyke had no idea how much his mother loved him. That she had just risked everything to get a peek at him.
No way could the kid know that. But someday, if things didn’t work out and they didn’t find the man who had taken Matt’s life, Brett would tell him about her and about his father. “How are you doing, sport?”
The child hid behind Carol.
“He’s a little shy when it comes to strangers,” Carol said. “I really should get him home. Thank you so much for looking out for us, deputy.” She opened the back door of her Escalade and took off Jacob’s backpack.
Seeing an opportunity to help, Brett hefted the boy inside, and he crawled into his booster seat.
Brett fastened the seat belt for him. The child’s little brows drew close together as worry clouded his cherubic face.
Stepping back and giving him space, Brett turned to Carol. “Please let me know if you think of something that might help us find you-know-who.”
She closed the rear door. “Don’t worry. I will.” Carol got into the car and started it.
He glanced over to where he’d left Dania. At least she had left. He hoped that this would be the first and last time she went against what he’d asked her to do.
Before heading to Gran’s, he wanted to pay a visit to Val at his father’s business. Brett’s friend at the FBI hadn’t been much help. But that was all right. Brett always found it best to take a look for himself. Besides, Dania had asked him to have a talk with Val. Again, the image of her sitting in Gran’s Tracker watching her son came to his mind. Deep down, Brett couldn’t blame her. He probably would have done the same thing if he’d been in that situation. He hoped he could find some good news to tell her by talking to her ex-boyfriend.
* * *
A steady stream of trucks and trailers was leaving the auction area, so Brett parked his Pathfinder in front of the Wheeler Land Management building. With the auction over, he’d probably find Val in the office building.
The main entrance led into a great hall with a sweeping staircase to the second floor. A young woman with one side of her head shaved short and the other side with long locks hanging to her shoulder looked up at him as he walked toward the reception desk she stood behind. The right side of her upper lip was pierced with a hoop. She smiled. “How may I help you, sir?”
