The Only Witness

“Oh, no,” Paige whispered. “Was it your daddy?”

Abby nodded, her face scrunching up as if she didn’t want to remember.

Paige’s stomach clenched with fear. “Why won’t you talk to me, Abby? Will you please tell us what you saw?”

Her daughter shook her head as two fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

“It’s all right, Abby,” Miles said in a soft, reassuring voice. “You’ve been a big help already. Don’t be scared. I’ll keep you and your mom safe.”

Paige swallowed past the hard lump in her throat, trying to imagine what her daughter might have seen. Obviously something through the ChatTime link that she’d had with her father, but what?

Or who?

A shiver ran down Paige’s spine, an icy coldness pooling in the small of her back. Was it possible Abby had seen something she shouldn’t have? Was that the reason gunmen had come to the house?

No, the timing between Abby dropping the tablet and the gunfire seemed too close for that.

“Paige? Are you sure you don’t have any idea where your ex-husband is? It’s really important that I find him.”

“The only places I know that he goes to are either work or his condo.” She lifted one shoulder, feeling helpless. “Did you check?”

“I couldn’t get past the front desk at Sci-Tech, but I did go to his condo. He didn’t answer the door and the neighbors claimed they hadn’t seen him in the past day or so.” Miles glanced at her hopefully. “Do you have a key to his place?”

She grimaced. Having a key meant risking walking in on Travis with one of his lady friends. No, thank you. “Never wanted one.”

“I’ll see if we can’t get a search warrant to get inside.” Miles’s gaze was thoughtful. “Although without much to go on, I’m not sure the judge will grant it.”

Paige didn’t say anything, sensing that Abby was still listening to their conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare her little girl any more than she clearly already was. Yet she didn’t think they’d find Travis in his condo. For one thing, there were people living on either side of him who would have called the police if they’d heard any kind of commotion going on.

Plus, if there was any connection between Travis being on ChatTime with Abby and the subsequent shooting, there hadn’t been enough time for anyone to get from Travis’s condo to her house. His condo was located a good thirty minutes away.

But what if Travis had been closer? Like, almost to her house when he’d connected with Abby? It didn’t seem likely that he’d bother talking with his daughter from his car, unless... A stab of fear hit hard.

Unless connecting to ChatTime had been an accident?

“There must be somewhere else that Travis might go,” Miles persisted, interrupting her thoughts. “He must have some sort of hobby.”

“Women.”

Miles blinked. “Excuse me?”

She pressed her lips together in a firm line. “The only hobby Travis has is going out with women. Fidelity isn’t his strong suit.”

Miles winced as he realized that explained their divorce. Paige deserved so much better than a man who would cheat on her. “Do you know who he’s seeing now?”

Paige let out a harsh laugh. “I caught a glimpse of a tall blonde the last time I saw him, but the way he goes through women, I wouldn’t bank on the possibility she’s still in the picture. He likes them pretty and brainless.”

“Abby?” Miles gave her daughter a gentle smile. “Do you know the name of your daddy’s girlfriend?”

The little girl shook her head and Paige let out a sigh of relief. She’d encouraged Travis not to introduce a string of women to Abby and it seemed like he might have actually honored her request for once.

Then again, he hadn’t been alone with Abby for the past six weeks. She frowned, thinking back to when she’d last seen Travis. Maybe three weeks ago? Yeah, that was it. She’d driven to Sci-Tech because his child support check had been late. Travis had come out to meet her in the parking lot to give her the payment and the tall, beautiful blonde had accompanied him. As soon as he’d given her the check, the two of them had headed to his car, obviously going out on a date.

Had he introduced them? She never paid much attention, unsure why Travis felt the need to show off his latest girlfriend. Each time he did that, she was reminded about how glad she was that he was no longer her husband. Yet he was still Abby’s father...

Then it came to her. “Sasha.” At the surprise in Miles’s eyes, she clarified, “The blonde’s name was Sasha. Sorry, but I don’t think he gave me a last name. Or if he did, I didn’t pay any attention.”

“Great. At least it gives us someplace to start.”

She brushed strands of damp hair away from Abby’s face, grateful to note that the little girl’s body had relaxed, the earlier fear of the computer seeming to have vanished. “Let’s get some sleep first, okay?”

Abby lifted her head and gestured to the bathroom. Paige understood and helped Abby down from the bed. Taking her hand, Paige helped her to use the bathroom then wash up. Abby drank a full cup of water before she turned and opened the bathroom door.

The lamp was still on in the corner, but Miles’s computer wasn’t anywhere to be found. He was sitting on the side of the bed, finishing up a phone call, as they emerged.

“Learn something new?” she asked when he glanced over at them.

“Not yet.”

She couldn’t help wondering if he’d tell her, even if he had a lead. From what she saw on TV, the police never wanted to talk much about their investigations. She tucked Abby into bed and sat down beside her.

“Let’s say our prayers, okay?”

Abby looked up at her and placed her hands together. But she didn’t speak, so Paige recited the bedtime prayer in a low voice. When she finished, Paige leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to Abby’s cheek.

“I love you.”

Abby didn’t say the words back, the way she normally would, but she did kiss her cheek. Paige’s eyes went misty as Abby grabbed Ellie beneath her arm and snuggled into the covers.

“Sweet dreams,” Paige murmured.

A faint smile flickered on her daughter’s face as her eyes drifted closed. Paige gazed at Abby’s face for several long minutes, amazed at the change in her demeanor since Miles had partially figured out what had frightened her so badly.

Maybe now that at least part of the secret was out, her little girl would be able to find a sense of peace.

And if Abby still wasn’t talking in the morning, she’d insist that Miles take her to see a child psychologist to get the help she needed. The detective seemed like a good guy, someone she could count on to do the right thing.

At least, she hoped so.

* * *

“Paige?” Miles kept his voice in a low whisper so he wouldn’t wake Abby. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

She looked up at him, then rose to her feet, edging around the bed to come over to his side of the room. There wasn’t a lot space, so he backed his chair against the door so she could sit in the chair beside him. She was so close, their knees touched.

“What?” Her eyes were wide behind her glasses. “You think Travis knows something that got that man killed and you’re worried about him?”

Yeah, he was, but not exactly the way she thought. Miles cleared his throat. “I hate to ask you this, but could you give me a list of all his girlfriends? At least, the ones you know about?”

She dropped her gaze to the floor, her mouth pressed into a tight line. “It’s a long list. I doubt I’d get a tenth of them right.”

He hated seeing the self-doubt in her eyes, and wanted to deck Travis Olson for making this gorgeous woman feel as if she hadn’t been good enough to keep him. “Anything you can remember would be great. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“Fine.” She picked up a pen and began writing on the motel stationery. After a few minutes she dropped the pen and pushed the note containing five women’s names toward him. “These are the only ones I remember.”

“Thanks.” He folded the note in half and placed it in his shirt pocket.

“Do you think Travis is all right?”

“I’m not sure.” He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep looking for him.”

“All right, but you’re not—leaving us alone to do that, are you?”

One corner of his mouth quirked up. “No, you’re stuck with me. Unless you have friends or relatives you’d like to stay with for a few days?”

“Not really. My parents are dead and I’m an only child. I have an elderly great-aunt who lives in Arizona, but she’s in one of those senior living apartments and they don’t allow kids to stay there.” She sighed. “Besides, what if whoever tried to shoot us comes back? I wouldn’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic. “Don’t stress, Paige. I’m here for you. We’ll figure out our next steps in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.” She twisted her hands together in her lap for a moment. “Miles?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for saving our lives tonight.”

The urge to pull her into his arms was strong and he didn’t like it. Why was this single mom getting to him like this? He wasn’t like Marc, looking to settle down with a wife and family.

Yet there was something about Paige’s strength and courage that reminded him a bit of Dawn’s battle with cancer. He couldn’t help but admire the way Paige cared for her daughter.

He reached out to put his hand over hers, giving a gentle squeeze. “You’re welcome. Now try to get some sleep.”

She held his hand for a long moment, then stood and made her way back to her daughter’s bedside. He switched off the lamp, staring blindly through the darkness.

Miles didn’t have a good feeling about Paige’s ex-husband and tried to think of where he might be. Hiding out somewhere? Or was it possible Abby had actually seen something bad happening to her father? It had seemed as if he was getting through to the little girl, and hoped to try again in the morning.

A few hours later, he woke up to a faint light peeking around the heavy curtains. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he swung his feet to the floor.

He quickly washed up in the bathroom, and when he came out, he noticed Paige was awake, as well.

“Do you think we could get something for breakfast?” she whispered. “Abby will be hungry when she wakes up.”

“Of course.” He walked over to where he’d charged up his phone, then moved the curtain aside to check out the parking lot. Everything looked quiet, just the way he liked it. “Let me know when you’re ready to go. I’m going to make a few calls.”

“All right.”

He took the laptop computer outside and stored it in the trunk of his car. Then he stood with his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the road. There wasn’t much traffic on the road yet, probably because it was barely six.

Miles called his captain first, but his boss didn’t answer. He left a quick message, then tried Detective Krantz’s number. Her phone went straight to voice mail, too.

Obviously it was too early for anyone to be up working. Which only frustrated him more.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and stared at the motel. Staying another night here wouldn’t be smart. Even though he knew they hadn’t been followed, the break-in at his house bothered him. Why was he suddenly a target, too? For now, it would be best for them to keep moving.

A restaurant serving breakfast that appeared to be family-friendly was located up the road a bit. They’d grab something to eat there, and then decide where to go next. Miles wanted to keep working the case, so he thought about calling his brothers for help in watching over Paige and Abby.

Satisfied to have a plan in place, he went back inside the motel room. Abby was coming out of the bathroom with her pink elephant tucked under her arm.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

The little girl’s eyes brightened and she nodded with enthusiasm.

He glanced at Paige, who shrugged and shook her head. “Abby still doesn’t feel like talking.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure she’ll talk when she’s ready.” At least, he hoped so. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure,” Paige replied, and took Abby’s hand. He held the door open, doing another sweep of the parking lot to be sure nothing had changed, before letting the door close behind him.

“I’m parked over here.” He led them around the corner to the spot where he’d left his car.

Driving to the restaurant didn’t take long, and since the place was totally empty they were seated immediately at a booth overlooking the parking lot.

He and Paige both ordered coffee. Their waitress filled their mugs, then brought a large glass of milk for Abby. Their breakfasts were served just five minutes later.

Paige took Abby’s hand and bowed her head. “Thank You, Lord, for this food we are about to eat. And thank You for keeping us safe in Your care, Amen.”

“Amen,” he echoed, thinking about how long it had been since he’d prayed. Oh, he always attended church with his family, followed by Sunday brunch at his mother’s house, but generally he went through the motions without thinking about it.

Yet here was Paige, praying as if she truly meant every word. The way he once had, before Dawn had died. Before he’d lost the woman he’d once loved.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, made worse by Abby’s muteness. He was glad to see that she was at least eating her French toast drowned in maple syrup and the side of bacon. Thankfully, whatever was keeping her silent wasn’t bad enough to interfere with her appetite.

“Where do we go from here?” Paige asked when she’d finished her meal.

“Another motel would be best.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Couldn’t we stop back at my house to pick up some things? Clothes, toiletries?”

He didn’t want to take her back there, but he understood she needed something more than just the clothes on their backs. He’d stashed a spare pair of sweats for her in his duffel, but he didn’t have anything for a child. “I’ll get you both settled in a motel closer to town and I’ll get one of my brothers to pick up some things for you, okay? You can give me a list.”

Their waitress set their bill on the table, and he took out enough cash to pay the tab and leave a tip. When he glanced up, a movement outside caught his attention.

A black sedan with tinted windows was rolling way too slowly past the restaurant.

The hairs on the back of his neck lifted in alarm. His navy blue car was parked next to a bright yellow Chevy truck, but it wasn’t as if his vehicle was hidden from view.

The black car stopped, then backed up about a foot as if to get a better angle to see the license plate.

Miles didn’t like it. “Come on, we need to go. Now.”

Paige followed his gaze outside, then paled. “What’s wrong? Do you recognize that car?”

“No.” Even as he spoke, two men slid out of the vehicle, wearing black from head to toe, their eyes covered by dark glasses. And he could tell by the bulk beneath their clothes, they both were carrying guns.

“This way, hurry!” He scooped Abby into his arms and tugged Paige’s hand. The waitress gaped at them, as he headed toward the kitchen.

“Hey, you can’t go back there!”

“Call the police,” he said tersely, brushing past the swinging doors to the kitchen. He knew there would be a back door leading outside, and he wanted to get as far away from the armed men as possible.

“Stop! You can’t be back here!” The cook, a large man with a receding hairline protested when Miles wove through the shiny metal tables and shelves.

Miles ignored him but the yelling obviously bothered Abby because she hid her face against his neck. He gave the little girl a brief, reassuring hug, then handed her over to Paige.

“I’m going outside first, you stay back until I tell you it’s clear.”

Paige nodded, her eyes frightened, but calm, as if she were just as determined as he was to get away.

There was a large Dumpster out back, and a few yards ahead were three evergreen trees. Using the Dumpster for cover, he peeked around the edge so he could see.

One of the two men was standing near his car, pointing toward the bullet hole. The other wasn’t in view, and Miles suspected they’d head inside the restaurant any moment.

“We have to move, now! Toward the trees.” Miles urged Paige to go first, so that he could provide cover. “Hurry.”

They made it to the cluster of trees but from there, wide-open fields stretched for what looked like a half mile. A white farmhouse in the distance provided the only possible source of cover.

“See that farmhouse?” he asked. Paige nodded. “We’ll have to make a run for it.”

“But it’s so open,” she protested.

She was right, but there was a small pile of rocks not far from the cluster of trees. Miles thought he could stretch out on the ground behind the rocks and provide cover, shooting at the men to keep them at bay, while Paige and Abby ran to safety.

But he didn’t have a chance to outline his plan because the back door of the restaurant burst open and shots rang out.

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