Reflexively, Kennedy reached for her pendant, holding it as if it were a lifeline. “Did the FBI find mommy?”
Maureen rocked her in her arms. “Not yet, sweetie. But soon. Besides, not only is the FBI working on this, so is Ryan’s company, Forensic Instincts. Sometimes I think they’re better than anyone at solving puzzles like this one.”
Ryan felt a lump in his throat, and he walked right up behind his mom.
“Hey, sunshine,” he said, gently stroking Kennedy’s hair.
Kennedy lifted her head and stared at him. “Ryan?”
“In the flesh.”
“Did you sleep here last night?”
“Almost.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “I left really late and just got back here now. I thought you and I could have lunch together.” Seeing the panic on Kennedy’s face, he clarified. “Not at a restaurant. Right here. I make a wicked stack of waffles, remember? And you’re always the best helper. Should we give it a go?”
Kennedy swallowed, then gave him a shaky smile. “Okay. But Ryan, do you promise that your company is looking for mommy and for the horrible person who…?” Her voice broke off.
“You bet we are. We started at the crack of dawn. I took a short break just to come here and spend some time with you. Then I’m driving right back to the office and picking up where I left off.” He cupped Kennedy’s face between his hands. “Trust me, sunshine. I’ll take care of everything.”
“I know you will.”
Kennedy’s absolute faith in him humbled Ryan, doubling his determination to get the bastard who killed Shane and to bring Caitlin home, alive and well.
He eased Kennedy out of his mother’s grasp, and seized her hands in his. “Tell you what. Let’s let Aunt Maureen lie down for a while. You and I will whip up the waffles, with more than enough for her. While she’s sleeping, we’ll cook and eat. Then we’ll wake her up to enjoy her own portion. And I’ll head back to the office. Is that okay?”
With the maturity beyond her years that had always been hers, Kennedy studied her great-aunt’s face. “You’re very, very tired, Aunt Maureen. Get some rest. I’ll be fine with Ryan.”
Hesitation shot across Maureen’s face. “But if you need?—”
“Then I’ll handle it,” Ryan interrupted in a quiet voice. “Kennedy and I are a team. We’ll be great together. And you need the energy to take over once I leave.”
For one last second, Maureen hung back.
“Good night, Mom,” Ryan said. “Dream of waffles.”
Maureen’s smile was soft. “Okay, I will.”
6
Offices of Forensic Instincts
Main Conference Room, 2nd floor
Saturday, March 11, 2:10 pm
Casey finished typing up the last of her notes on Lauren Robbins—the woman Ryan had called in to report was a close work colleague of Caitlin’s. His instincts had been dead-on. Lauren was a quiet and cautious woman—one who thankfully, the FBI had not yet contacted. So Casey had tried to extract as much relevant information as possible from her. She’d told her that she was worried about Caitlin, who hadn’t been herself for the past few weeks, and then asked Lauren if she’d noticed anything different about her behavior.
Lauren had hesitated, then asked, “You said that you and Caitlin are very close?”
“Yes,” Casey replied. “We have been for years, since high school. Which is why I’m so worried about her.”
Lauren blew out a breath. “Actually, so am I. Caitlin is usually an upbeat, happy person. The last few Wednesdays when she came into the office, she seemed very preoccupied and jumpy. When I asked if she was okay, she barely heard me. I had to repeat myself twice. I was starting to worry that something was wrong, either at home or with her health.”
“That really upsets me,” Casey said, pressing the charade. “Did she say anything specific?”
“Not really,” Lauren replied. “Only that she’s feeling fine. She’s a very private person, and we’ve never exchanged confidences. But I knew her well enough to notice the sudden change in her behavior.”
Casey made an on-the-spot decision. This was going nowhere fast. And even if she wormed some names out of Lauren, there was no way to rationalize asking for personal email addresses or phone numbers. That would raise too many red flags. And calling on Monday was out. By that time, the whole office would know that Caitlin’s husband had been killed and that Caitlin was a person of interest.
