A Mother's Secret

“You’re still there?”

“No. Four years ago, I opened a boutique on Scottsdale Road, Sara’s Closet. I have plans for a second store, but…well, I have to concentrate on finding Mike right now.”

“So you’re close to your nephew?”

“Yes, very.”

Kincaid thought she was unaware of the sad smile on her lips as she spoke of the boy.

Sara decided she’d best tell him the rest. “Meg married Lenny a year after our folks died. He moved into the house with us. Meg often talked about wanting a child, but I don’t think Lenny was quite as enthusiastic. When Mike was born, Meg quit her job after some sort of back injury. She chose to stay home and be a full-time mother. I attended ASU but I lived at home and spent a lot of time with Mike. He’s a wonderful boy, bright and funny and handsome.”

Love for the boy radiated from her like the warm sunshine drifting in through the window. “I can see you dote on him. What about Meg and Lenny…are they loving parents?”

Sara glanced up quickly, her eyes suspicious. “Why are you asking?”

Kincaid shrugged. “Not all parents are.”

Sara wondered just how much she should reveal. “As I said, Meg really wanted a child and was thrilled when Mike was born. Lenny’s a bit of a strict disciplinarian. Maybe because he’s a cop.”

Maybe the father had been a little too strict and the boy had run away from home. And maybe both mother and aunt hadn’t caught the signs. He needed to know more. “A cop, eh? What precinct does he work out of?”

“Mesa, where they live,” she said, naming a suburb south of Phoenix.

“Do you know what his rank is?” Kincaid knew a lot of officers and had heard of even more, but he’d never run across the name Lenny Nelson.

“I believe he’s currently a patrolman, with a partner, somewhere in Mesa.”

“Currently?”

Sara shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s sort of a jack-of-all-trades, has trouble holding down a job, gets restless. He’s been a truck driver, mechanic, exterminator, landscaper. He quits after a few months because the people in charge are all stupid, according to Lenny. He’s been with the police department for nearly two years, a record of sorts.”

Interesting. But obviously not against the law. Was this lovely woman an overreactor, making a mountain out of a molehill? Kincaid hadn’t had time this morning to check her out, but he would.

“Is Mike an only child?”

“Yes.”

He watched her put the shredded tissue into the nearby trash can, her hands trembling slightly. From worry and strain? Or something else, he wondered.

“So when did you move out of the family home and why?”

Sara frowned, annoyed at the question. “I don’t see what that has to do with all this, but, if you must know, I moved out after college. I wanted to be on my own. I was making good money as a buyer for Macy’s and I had some investments from my folks’ estate, so I bought this condo.” That was the truth, as far as it went, Sara thought, her eyes downcast once more. She didn’t see any point in revealing that a strain had developed between her and Lenny, mostly over Mike, so she’d left, thinking it would be better for the boy if there wasn’t so much noticeable tension. And Meg always took Lenny’s side. Mike was sensitive and picked up on their discord.

Kincaid took a moment to glance around, noticing that her home was not extravagantly decorated but done in good taste with fairly expensive furniture, the location in a neighborhood of upwardly mobile families, probably a fair share of singles with good jobs.

“Did Mike mind you moving out?” he asked, watching her face.

“A little. But I fixed up my spare room for him here, and he often spends weekends with me.” A frown came and went as Sara wondered if he ever would again.

Her expression suddenly imploring, she looked up. “You’ve just got to find him.” Was he just playing with her by asking all these questions or was he really going to help her? “I want to hire you to find Mike.”

“Not so fast.” Kincaid shifted in his chair. Her robe wasn’t in the least revealing, but he sensed she wore nothing underneath as her fragrant, after-shower warmth drifted to him. He reached into his pocket and took out a lemon drop, popped it into his mouth. With no small effort, he jerked his attention back to the missing boy. “For one thing, as I told you last night, I have a job. I work for the public under the auspices of the police department. But I think you already know that.” He narrowed his gaze, aware that she’d undoubtedly looked into his background and checked his credentials. She appeared to be thorough, methodical. “I’m curious. Why me?”

“Because I did check you out, talked to a lot of people and, quite simply, everyone says you’re the best. I also recall seeing one of your high-profile cases on television a while back on one of those news shows. I know you have broad authority in the police department because of your years of experience and your success rate.” She paused to take a calming breath. “I’m aware that you’re on leave, for whatever reason, so I’m willing to pay for your time.”

He shook his head. “Money’s not the issue here. I don’t take every case. There are other investigators who work with me, under my supervision. If I take a case, I have to believe the adults responsible for the child, to know that they’re telling the truth so I can figure out how things happened and where to begin the search.” Leaning his forearms on the table, he met her worried gaze. “So now that I’ve got the background, tell me about how you learned that Mike was missing.”

Sara gathered her thoughts. “Meg wasn’t upset when she first read Lenny’s note because, as I’ve said, Lenny is impulsive. However, he hadn’t even hinted where they were going, only told her not to worry. By Sunday evening when she still hadn’t heard from him, she started making a few calls. To hospitals and the police to see if they’d been in an accident, to Mike’s friends in case he’d mentioned the trip to one of them. She got nowhere so she called me. Now, here it is Tuesday morning and still no word.”

Kincaid tried to keep his face expressionless. He didn’t like wild-goose chases. “You realize that the boy isn’t really missing, in the literal sense. He’s with his father.”

Sara struggled to find the right words to convince him to help her. “Did I tell you that Mike has allergies? When I went to talk to Meg, we checked his room and he hadn’t taken his allergy pills and only a few clothes were missing. That would indicate a short trip, but he’s been gone four days.”

Frowning, Kincaid tried to make sense of it. “Surely Lenny is aware of Mike’s allergies, the medication he needs. As his father, he could get another prescription, if necessary.”

“Lenny’s careless about such things. He once took Mike camping up a mountain trail in the spring when all the new growth was out on the trees and shrubs. Mike had a bad attack, had to be taken to a hospital for a shot of adrenaline when Lenny finally got him home. Lenny dismissed the whole incident, said that Meg and I spoil Mike, that we’re making him into a sissy… His word.”

“A real macho guy, eh?” Kincaid had seen more than his share of guys like that.

“Yes, the big jerk. He was furious that Mike didn’t make his school’s football team.”

“You don’t get along all that well with Lenny, eh?”

She’d revealed more than she’d intended, Sara realized, but it was the truth. “I put up with him or I’d never get to see Mike.”

“And your sister, what does she think about Lenny?”

Sighing, Sara shook her head. “I don’t honestly know.” Privately, she thought that Meg had married Lenny so he’d help her take care of Sara through the difficult teen years and that Lenny married Meg for the free rent and a share of the family estate. But she wasn’t about to air all their dirty laundry to this virtual stranger. Besides, it was just her opinion.

Kincaid stared out the window thoughtfully. There was more here than she was telling him, and he wondered what. Still, they hadn’t come up with a motive for Lenny taking his son on a mysterious trip. “Do you know if Lenny and Meg are having problems? Is the marriage good? Could he have taken their son to deliberately worry her, to get even for something she did?”

Sara didn’t look at him, appearing evasive. “I don’t think so. I mean, it’s not exactly a match made in heaven, but they seem okay. Meg doesn’t complain to me, and he certainly wouldn’t.”

“Lenny’s not violent, never hit Mike or Meg?”

Her eyes widened at the suggestion. “Not that I know of. No, I’m sure Mike would have told me.”

“How’s the money situation between them? You mentioned that Meg hasn’t worked since the boy was born and Lenny drifts from job to job. Doesn’t seem as if he stays long enough in one place to warrant a decent salary.”

“Meg and I both have a trust fund from our parents’ estate, which was considerable. After age twenty-five, we could use the money any way we saw fit. I don’t know how much Meg’s taken out of hers, if any. She’s very frugal. They don’t live lavishly. They’re still in our parents’ home, which is very nice and half mine if they were to sell it…although I wouldn’t take my share. As far as I’m concerned, it all belongs to Meg for taking care of me all those years. A while back Meg wanted to sell it, but I nixed her idea. I didn’t think it would be good for Mike to change schools or leave all his friends.”

A fair woman and compassionate. Kincaid rose, stretched and walked to the window. Purple bougainvillea bloomed along a wide stucco fence, looking perfect as a painting under a cloudless morning sky. Nice yard, nice home and a nice woman.

But he couldn’t help her.

Turning back to face her, he leaned against the wall. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, Sara, but I don’t think there’s a problem here. It’s not a case of a runaway or a kidnapping. You say that Lenny’s never hurt the boy so Mike’s not at risk. You indicate that the three of them get along fairly well together. There’s no crime and no motive here. While I think it’s irresponsible of Lenny to take the boy and not keep in touch with his wife, it’s not against the law. I think it’s simply what it appears to be, a father taking his son on a surprise trip and perhaps they’re having such a good time they haven’t gotten around to calling home.”

He pushed away from the wall, deciding it was time to leave. “Give it a few more days, Sara. Chances are they’ll be back by then or Lenny will call.”

Sara had thought she could get Kincaid to help her without revealing more, but apparently not. He’d probably find out, anyway. “Maybe I should tell you the rest,” Sara said quietly.

Frowning, he sat down at the table, facing her. “All right, what’s the rest?”

“I called and talked to one of the officers at the Mesa Police Department where Lenny works. After much hemming and hawing, he told me that Lenny had been relieved of duty almost two weeks ago pending an investigation into allegations of improprieties.”

Chapter Two

Sara couldn’t look away from Kincaid’s eyes, which were studying her as if she were a bug under a microscope. Undoubtedly he was trying to see into her mind. In the bright, morning sunlight, his eyes were more green than gray. She wondered what he was thinking, worried again that she’d blown it by withholding information. Emotions had clouded her actions from the beginning of this whole affair.

“Is there a reason why you didn’t tell me this interesting little fact about Mike’s father before now?” he asked, his voice even. He couldn’t seem to get a fix on this woman with the big, beautiful eyes that seemed to hide a fair amount of secrets.

“I’m sorry,” Sara said finally. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t think his job status had anything to do with Mike’s disappearance.” And she’d planned to share only what was necessary.

“Mmm-hmm. And now suddenly you do?” He paused, thinking. “Let’s see. We have here a child taken on an unexpected trip by a father who can’t seem to hold down a job. The man is married to a woman who has a trust fund, but they live frugally, and now he’s accused of improprieties. Your word. At the worst, he’s a thief. At the very least, he’s guilty of poor judgment.”

“He’s not the brightest man I’ve ever met,” she offered.

“Are you going to eat your doughnut?” It occurred to Kincaid that he’d skipped dinner last night.

Sara pushed the napkin and doughnut closer to him. “No, go ahead, please.”

He took a big bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Did you say your sister went to college?”

“Yes, she graduated from ASU.”

“Where did she meet Lenny?”

“On a blind date. Later she hired him to do some minor repairs on the house.”

“A handyman? Doesn’t seem like he’s in her league.” Not if her sister was anything like Sara. “Is he handsome, charming, a life-of-the-party type?” There had to be some reason Meg fell for him, although who could ever say why one person was attracted to another?

Sara shrugged. “He’s not bad looking, in a rough sort of way. Medium height, brown hair, mustache. I’ll get a picture of him for you if you want. To be honest, I think, at twenty-one, Meg was overwhelmed at the thought of caring for a twelve-year-old all alone and married the first man who showed an interest.”

“They were married five years or so before they had Mike, right? Did they seem happy?”

She rose to put her paper cup in the trash container. “I was a teenager back then, pretty self-absorbed, and I’d just lost my parents. I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to their relationship. Besides, I’ve never been married, so how would I know what constitutes a happy marriage?”

Never been married. Why was he pleased to hear that? Wait a minute, Kincaid. The last thing you need is to get tangled up again, no matter how attractive she is. He brought his attention back to the matter at hand. “Maybe because you lived under the same roof with them and might have seen or heard something?” She struck him as intelligent and observant. Was she covering up something?

“I guess they were happy, from what I could tell. They quarreled occasionally, but I suppose that’s normal. What does the state of their marriage have to do with Mike being missing?”

Kincaid finished the second doughnut, drank the rest of his coffee and stood. “Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. I’ll know more after I talk with your sister. And Lenny’s commanding officer.”

Sara brightened immediately. “That means you’re taking the case?”

“That means I’ll let you know after I find out more. I’ll be in touch.” He walked out of the kitchen.

“Wait a minute!” Sara hurried after him. “I’m going with you.”

At the door, he swung about. “Sorry, but I work alone.”

She put on her most convincing expression, her most appealing smile. “Please, Kincaid, I need to do this. Mike…he means the world to me. I’ve arranged for time away from my business. I promise I won’t get in your way, and I might just be a big help.”

The day pigs fly, he thought, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. Silently he stared at her, eyes narrowed, hoping she’d back down. Many had, but she didn’t.

“All right, I’ll agree to this much. You can come along for now, but if I find you’re slowing me down or if it becomes dangerous, you’re off the case. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” She’d make sure she became invaluable to him. After all, she knew both Lenny and Mike, to say nothing of Meg. “I’ll change and be right with you.” With that, she hurried down the hall to the farthest room and closed the door behind her.

Curious, Kincaid strolled to the other open bedroom door next to Sara’s. Typical boy’s room—maple wagon-wheel bed, dresser and desk, a small television set on a shelf with a Playstation alongside it and a bookcase brimming with paperbacks, comics and all the Harry Potter books. On a stand under the window was an aquarium where two turtles dozed on rocks. Thanks to Aunt Sara, the kid had all the bells and whistles here, if not at home. Small wonder he liked to spend weekends with her.

Kincaid strolled back to the neat living room. He wondered if he’d just made a huge mistake in letting Sara come along. Of course, he’d probably discover in the first interview or two that there really was no missing boy, just some family problems. Still, the fact that Lenny had been suspended from the police department under a cloud of suspicion made Kincaid decide to look into the case before casually dismissing it.

And spending time with the boy’s lovely blond aunt wouldn’t exactly be a hardship.

Meg Nelson looked very little like her sister, Kincaid thought as she opened the front door of a two-story stucco house that badly needed painting, situated on a quiet residential street in Mesa. She was about the same height as Sara, but there the resemblance ended, since even the color of her blond hair was washed-out. She’d managed to pick up about fifty extra pounds, visible even in her loose-fitting dress.

Her pale-blue eyes skimmed over Kincaid, then settled on Sara. “You didn’t say you were bringing someone,” she said, her tone suspicious as she stood blocking the entrance.

“Kincaid’s a specialist in finding lost children,” Sara said.

Her annoyed gaze returned to Kincaid. “Are you a cop? Lenny’s going to be real upset if you called the cops on him, Sara. I mean, he’s an officer himself.”

It would seem that she didn’t know about Lenny’s suspension. Sara jumped in before Kincaid could answer. “We’ve got to find them, Meg, and we can’t do it alone. You do want to get Mike back, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” she snapped, then stepped back. Bristling, she walked over to a gold lounge chair and picked up her needlework.

Irritated with her sister, Sara led the way into the sunny living room. They sat down on the couch opposite Meg.

Kincaid knew he had to placate the frowning woman. “I appreciate your hesitation, Mrs. Nelson, but I assure you that with your cooperation, we have a better chance of finding your son and husband.”

Meg sighed, then seemed to relax fractionally. “What do you want to know?”

“I’d like you to tell me just how this situation developed.”

“Hasn’t Sara told you already?”

“I’d like to hear it from you. After all, you’re the wife and mother.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Meg began her story, which matched what Sara had told him. As Meg spoke, eyes on her needlework, Kincaid glanced around. The place was clean, but the hardwood floors needed sanding and polishing. The faded Persian rug could almost be labeled shabby, and the old-fashioned furniture had probably been there when her parents had been alive nearly twenty years ago. But there was a huge television set on the opposite wall, and through the archway a state-of-the-art pool table dominated the dining room. His hands itched to pick up a cue stick and try it out. It would seem the Nelsons had a fair number of grown-up toys, but the house and its furnishings seemed neglected. Interesting.

He took a moment to study the woman as she dribbled the facts to him slowly, almost dispassionately. Odd how she was far less emotional than Sara about Mike’s disappearance. She could have been reciting the plot of a book she’d read. Perhaps she didn’t feel her son was in danger.

When Meg finished, she didn’t look up, but drew in a deep, quivery breath and waited.

“Mrs. Nelson, do you feel your son is in imminent danger, even though he’s with his father?” Kincaid asked.

Again Meg glanced at Sara, obviously irritated at the question. “Lenny wouldn’t hurt Mike. That I know.” Her voice had a defensive tone as she went back to her sewing.

“Has Lenny done this before, taken Mike on unexpected trips?”

“Not exactly, but they’ve gone fishing without me.”

Sara watched and listened, wondering why her sister was being so difficult and almost evasive. However, since she’d moved out, she and Meg were no longer close. They never had been really, given nearly a decade’s age difference

Meg looked up, meeting Kincaid’s questioning gaze. “Lenny likes to do things on the spur of the moment. He says life is more fun if you don’t have every minute planned. I’ve always liked that about him. Some people get stuck in ruts, always working, never enjoying life.” She bent to her sewing, but not before sending Sara a sharp look.

Kincaid caught the accusatory glance Meg aimed at her sister. Was there animosity between the two, and what, if anything, did that have to do with the missing boy?

“I understand Lenny left a note. Could we see it?” Kincaid asked.

Meg huffed, but she got up and walked to a small desk in the corner, then came back with the note, which she handed to Sara, not Kincaid.

Sara unfolded the single sheet and held it so that Kincaid could read it, as well.

It was terse and to the point. “Meg—Mike and I decided to go on a little trip. Don’t know how long we’ll be gone. I’ll be in touch. Don’t worry about us. Lenny.”

The handwriting was sloppy and uneven, as if the writer had been in a hurry. “Why do you suppose Lenny didn’t tell you before they left?” Kincaid watched her closely.

Meg’s lips became a thin line, as if she was annoyed. Or was it embarrassed? “Mike had been pestering Lenny to go on a vacation like Disneyland or camping since school let out, even though we don’t have the money for that sort of thing. Maybe Lenny thought it was time for some father-son quality time.”

“I see,” he said, though he didn’t. From what Sara had indicated, Lenny didn’t strike him as father of the year. “So then, you don’t think there’s any reason to be worried about Mike being gone like this? I mean, you did call Sara, expressing concern, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I called her, but I had no idea she’d call in the cops. That wasn’t necessary, not at all.”

“Can we look through Mike’s room, see what he packed, maybe get an idea of where they went?” Kincaid asked.

“No. I’m not having a stranger prowling through my son’s things. Sara already did that.”

Seated on the couch, Kincaid looked at Sara beside him, at a loss over Meg’s cool acceptance of the situation and her almost belligerent attitude in contrast to her sister’s heartfelt plea. Raising his brows, he invited Sara’s response.

Taking her cue, Sara cleared her throat. Maybe she could get through to her sister. “Meg, how are you and Lenny getting along these days?”

Meg looked up, her expression suddenly hostile. “Fine. We have an occasional disagreement. Husbands and wives quarrel now and then, Sara. If you were able to keep a man interested in you long enough to have a real relationship, you’d know that. All you do is work, work, work. And spoil Mike so he sasses me.” She stood, abruptly clutching her needlework as she glared at her sister. “I asked you to help find my son, not to analyze my marriage. And I’m not happy that you brought a stranger, a detective, in on our troubles. I should think you’d remember that you owe me. You owe me plenty.”

Running out of steam, Meg turned and marched down the hallway surprisingly fast for a heavyset woman. In moments a door slammed shut.

Stunned, Sara sat back, heat moving into her face. Grasping for composure, she tried to make light of Meg’s outburst. “That went well, don’t you think?”

Kincaid stood, walked to the fireplace, giving Sara a moment to collect herself. What had caused her sister to react with such an outburst? Apparently, Meg felt that Sara still owed her for all those years she lived here. Finally he turned. “I guess I didn’t ask how you and your sister get along.”

She shook her head. “Fairly well, I thought, until now. I…she’s always had a sharp tongue, but she’s never been quite so mean-spirited.”

“Sounds like she’s envious of your relationship with her son.”

Sara rose, brushing back her hair. “I suppose she’s got a point. I do spoil Mike. He’s such a good kid, so smart. I reward him for good grades, for making the swim team. I take him to ball games, out to dinner, hiking and camping, bought him a ten-speed bike, things like that. I promised I’d take him to Disneyland this summer. Meg is too thrifty to do anything frivolous or fun, so I take up the slack. Still, I had no idea she felt such animosity toward me.”