Secret Agent Father (4 page)

Because he’s Cody’s father.
Shelby’s appetite vanished and she stared down at her half-eaten food. The thought of losing Cody to Alex twisted her stomach into a hard knot. She loved Cody. She couldn’t love him more if she’d borne him herself. What if Alex took him someplace far away where she’d never see him again?

Her fork clattered to her plate from fingers gone numb.

“Shelby? Are you okay?” Alex sent her a glance so full of concern she nearly blurted out the truth. Only a deep sense of self-preservation made her hold her tongue.

“Sorry. I’m just clumsy I guess.” Shelby tried to smile, but her face felt as if it might split in two with the effort.

Drugs coming in on her father’s ships. Cody’s bad
man. Trina’s death. Suddenly it was all too much. Obviously she needed Alex, in order to keep Cody safe, but a tiny part of her just wanted to grab Cody and run away from it all. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? All alone with Cody would she ever be able to stop running? She couldn’t condemn Cody to that kind of life. He was safer here with Alex. For now.

How she made it through the rest of dinner, she’d never know. Afterward she excused herself from helping with the dishes and retreated to her room long enough to use Trina’s phone to place a call to their father and then to Debbi, her assistant manager of the day care center. Shelby didn’t intend to break her promise to Alex, but needed to at least find out about Trina. Maybe her sister had miraculously survived.

Punching the numbers on the phone pad, she dialed her father’s number. A woman’s voice drifted over the line after the third ring.

“Hello?”

Shelby swallowed her annoyance when her father’s wife answered the phone. She didn’t particularly care for the woman who’d become their stepmother. “Hi, Marilyn. Is Dad around?”

“Shelby? Your father’s worried sick. He’s been trying to call you for hours. What is wrong with you? You should be here with him. Don’t you care about him at all? Where are you?”

Shelby winced at her shrill voice. “Please, Marilyn, stop yelling at me. Just put Dad on, would you?”

“Fine. Be that way.”

Marilyn dropped the phone with a clatter making
Shelby pull the instrument away from her ear. After a few minutes, her father’s booming voice came over the line.

“Shelby? Where have you been? I’ve been calling your place all day.”

“Sorry, Dad.” Shelby tried not to back down from his accusatory tone, but it wasn’t easy. Her relationship with her father wasn’t great. When her mother was still alive, they’d been a close-knit family. Every Sunday, after church, they’d have family game night. She’d cherished those times. But things had gotten worse after her mother died. Her father had changed. Ever since her mother’s death he’d been trying to toughen her up, trying to make her into something she wasn’t. Someone like Trina. Most of the time she avoided her family, preferring her friends from church to the rowdy crowd who hung around at the marina. Her father never hesitated to vocalize his disapproval.

“I’ve been worried about you. Do you have Cody?”

“Yes, Cody’s with me. We’re safe. Everything is fine,” she hastened to reassure him.

“So you haven’t seen Trina, then?”

She hesitated, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to break her promise to Alex, either. “Not in a while,” she hedged. To the best of her knowledge, no one had known that she was meeting Trina down by the marina. Cody had often stayed with her when her sister was working.

“Then you don’t know.” He let out a heavy sigh. “There’s been a terrible accident, Shel.” For a moment, he sounded like the father she used to know. The one who taught his young daughters how to sail on the waters of Lake Michigan. “Your sister…” He struggled to get the words out. “Someone shot her. She’s dead.”

Shelby closed her eyes against a wave of grief, even though she’d suspected the worst all along. To hear her father state the truth so bluntly was harder than she’d anticipated. “What—what happened?”

“I don’t know.” The helplessness in his tone was so uncharacteristic that Shelby wished she were with him. “I can’t think of anyone who’d want to kill her. Of course I called the mayor, asking him to make Trina’s murder a priority. It pays to have friends in high places. So far, Lieutenant Holden thinks it’s a robbery, since all of the jewelry Trina had been wearing was stolen, including her wedding ring.”

Her father sounded lost and forlorn, reinforcing what Shelby had known all along. He couldn’t possibly be involved in something so heinous as drug smuggling, and he certainly played no part in Trina’s death. A part of her wanted to blurt out the truth, how she’d seen the dark figure shoot Trina, but she held her tongue. For Cody’s sake. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“Where are you? You said you have Cody with you? Because Stephan has been wondering where he is.”

“I have Cody and we’re staying with a friend.” She frowned. “I know Stephan and Trina were having problems, and that Trina had moved out, but I’m sure this is still very hard on him.”

“Yes. I was hoping they’d work things out.” He sighed heavily. “Why don’t you come home? I need you, Shelby. Trina—the police haven’t released her body yet, so we haven’t scheduled the funeral.”

The funeral? A fresh wave of tears threatened and Shelby blinked them back with an effort and rubbed the scar at her temple.

Of course she and Cody would be expected to attend the funeral. But would that be good for Cody? Was it safe enough for him to attend? She honestly didn’t know. “I’m sorry, but I can’t come home right now, Dad. Please don’t worry, we’re fine. And I promise I’ll stay in touch.”

“See that you do.” Russell Jacobson’s tone hardened. “I know your church views prevented you and your sister from becoming close, but our family needs to stick together in times like this.”

His words were sharp, an arrow piercing her heart. Her father had taken this attitude, acting as if her Christian path was somehow the wrong one, maybe because she’d found so much comfort in her church community, rather than with her family. “We weren’t that close, but I loved Trina. And I love you, too. I’ll call you later, Dad.”

She snapped the phone shut before he could say anything more. A battery of emotions assailed her: grief, fear, anger, despair, loneliness. And of course, above all, guilt. Her father had a knack for making her feel guilty, even for events beyond her control.

Brushing away the evidence of her tears, Shelby stood, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Trina trusted her to keep Cody safe and that was exactly what she’d do. From here on out nothing mattered except the small boy who hadn’t deserved to be dragged into harm’s way.

Shelby crossed the room to the patio doors that led to the snow-covered deck surrounding the house. Troubled by her conversation with her father and her concerns about Cody’s future, she gazed into the darkness outside. She didn’t dare go home, not if that meant Cody would
be in danger. But she knew her father was worried. With a sigh, she rested her forehead against the cool glass.

Dear Lord, guide me. Show me the way.

Shelby needed to seek God’s guidance. Because no matter what she wanted, she had to do whatever was best for Cody.

Feeling calmer, she lifted her head and took several deep breaths. For a moment, she basked in the wonder of God’s beauty, the snow-covered trees surrounding Kayla’s log home and the occasional star twinkling in the velvet sky.

A bobbing light captured her gaze. She sucked in a quick breath and swiped at the fog on the glass. Intensely, she peered at the wooded area to the left side of the house.

The light was gone. She blinked, wondering if she’d imagined it. Maybe the events of the past twenty-four hours had gotten to her.

Shelby stood, indecisively. Maybe her tired mind had played tricks on her, but what if someone really was out there? She couldn’t ignore the slim possibility.

She needed to find Alex.

“A
lex!” Shelby’s serious tone made him spin away from the fireplace in the great room to look up at where she stood, leaning over the rail in the loft. “I think someone could be outside.”

“You saw someone?” Immediately his senses went on alert.

“I saw a light. But it was gone so fast, it might have been my imagination.” Shelby ran down the steps to meet him in front of the fireplace, her blue eyes round with alarm. “Is it even possible that Trina’s shooter found us? Where’s Cody?”

“Playing video games with Brianna.” He wasn’t surprised her first concern was for the boy. He couldn’t bear the thought of either Shelby or Cody being in danger. He pushed aside his fear for their safety to think logically. A light in the woods? Could be a poacher with a flashlight. Or possibly Rafe? He’d asked Rafe to stake out the truck stop to make sure Shelby hadn’t been followed. Had Rafe come out to the B & B to provide backup? Maybe. Maybe not. He’d need to investigate, to confirm. “I’m not sure how the shooter could have
followed you here. It’s probably nothing. Stay here. I’ll check things out.”

She caught his arm, preventing him from leaving. “Alone? Maybe I should go with you.”

Did she think he couldn’t handle himself? He frowned. He’d protest her with his life, if necessary. “You stay here, with Kayla and the kids. I’ll be fine.”

With excruciating slowness, her slim fingers loosened their grip on his arm and dropped away. The bare skin of his forearm tingled from her touch. Maybe his injured arm was overly sensitive from the damaged nerves.

Ignoring the strange sensation, he grabbed his coat and shoved his feet into sturdy snow boots. He grimaced, realizing he’d left his handgun in the shed after Shelby had gotten so upset.

He went into the cold night. The darkness was absolute. Black clouds obliterated most of the stars that might have illuminated the sky. He stood on the porch for a moment, his back against the wall of the log cabin, while he scanned the area.

Nothing seemed off-kilter. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and texted Rafe.

R U outside the B & B

No in town

He stared at Rafe’s response and debated whether he should explain about Shelby seeing a light or not. Shelby was tense, skittish. Could be she only thought she saw a light. Or more likely, saw a flash of headlights from the highway.

Need backup?

No stay put.

Icy snow crunched beneath his boots as he made his way down the porch steps and around the side of the house. He didn’t turn his flashlight on right away, preferring not to announce his presence if someone was out there. He took his time, stopping frequently to listen and look.

No telltale signs of lights anywhere.

Moving quietly, he made his way around to the left side of the house, along the path they’d taken earlier from the shed. He edged along the aluminum side of the shed. His gun was inside, but he didn’t want to alert anyone by going in. He peered around the corner. For long seconds, he didn’t move.

Nothing.

No owls hooting as they hunted for prey.

No white-tailed deer making their way through the trees searching for food.

No wolves roaming the night.

The lack of wildlife, or at least the sounds of wildlife, nagged at him. Sometimes animals could sense a pending storm. The thick clouds overhead reinforced that theory.

But sometimes they also sensed the presence of an intruder.

He slipped through the woods, finally turning on the flashlight and making a broad sweep around the house
until his wounded arm ached with cold. There was no evidence of strange footprints in the undisturbed snow.

Shelby must have seen headlights through the trees, nothing more. He made another sweep around the house, and then convinced there was no immediate threat, he headed back inside.

Shelby glanced up at him expectantly from the corner of the sofa, one of Kayla’s colorful quilts wrapped around her.

“Didn’t see a sign that anyone has been here other than us,” he said, as he toed off the snow boots. He crossed to warm his right arm by the fire.

“I know what I saw,” she protested, her voice low and husky.

“I believe you.” And he did. But Shelby was a city girl and this was the forest. They were far away from the civilization she was accustomed to. “Could have been a poacher, or maybe lights from the highway. We know you weren’t followed here, so try not to worry. I’ll keep you and Cody safe. No one will get past me to harm you.” He couldn’t hide the husky note of protectiveness in his voice. “I’ll bunk here on the sofa tonight, just to be sure.”

She captured her lower lip between her teeth, but didn’t say anything as her faintly questioning gaze clung to his.

Mesmerized, he couldn’t look away. Shelby was beautiful, in a softer, more unpretentious way than her sister. She was hesitant and shy where Trina had been bold and vivacious. Yet every minute he spent with Shelby, he found himself drawn to her. There was something about her that made him feel possessive. Protective. Alive.

And when she gazed at Cody, the love shining from her eyes made him ache with longing.

The crackle and pop of the logs in the fireplace only added to the charged atmosphere. He swallowed hard, inhaling the warm scent of cinnamon and spice that seemed to cling to her.

Focus, McCade. Concentrate on the case.

He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. I can get backup here quick, if we need it.”

She frowned a little. “Backup? Like other DEA agents?”

“No. Like Rafe, my liaison with the coast guard. The DEA teamed up with the coast guard in order to break the drug smuggling ring.” He glanced at her, hoping she wouldn’t get upset about using Rafe for help, the way she had on the phone, but she didn’t.

“How long have you worked for the government?” Shelby asked.

His entire adult life. He’d joined the DEA to help fight the war against drugs. Because he’d lost his best friend in high school, Toby, to a horrible drug overdose. But she didn’t need to know all that. “Long enough. In one way or another, I’ve been working on this case for well over five years.”

“Over five years?” Realization dawned in her eyes and she sucked in a harsh breath. “Cody.”

He winced at the reminder. He wasn’t used to explaining himself, but for some reason, he was tempted to do just that. He didn’t want Shelby thinking the worst of him.

“I swear to you, I didn’t know he was my son.”

She shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know. The look on your face…” She trailed off.
Then her expression closed up. “Your relationship with my sister is none of my business.”

“We didn’t have a relationship.” His tone was blunt. “I—made a mistake. It was—well, we weren’t in love or anything. I didn’t see her again until several years later. After she agreed to help us.” And by that time, their conversations had been short and terse, only about the case and nothing more.

She plucked at the threads on the quilt and then raised her guilty gaze to meet his. “Speaking of Trina, there’s something you need to know. I called my father, using her phone.”

“You what?” He ground his teeth together, trying to rein in his temper. “I told you not to tell anyone you were here, remember?”

“I didn’t.” She lifted her chin defiantly. In that moment, she reminded him of Trina. “I called my assistant at the day care center to let her know I wouldn’t be in on Monday. And I called my father. But don’t worry. I didn’t tell anyone where we were or even who I was with. But my father confirmed Trina was shot to death at the marina.” Her voice broke.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. He felt bad for Trina. Someone had figured out she was leaking information. But who?

“Thank you. The police are investigating,” she went on. “My father is on friendly terms with the mayor and he’s pressing for a quick arrest. Apparently Lieutenant Holden thinks Trina’s death was the result of a simple robbery.”

“Holden? Eric Holden?” he interrupted.

“I guess. Why?”

He knew Rafe had worked with Eric Holden, and
knowing Holden was involved in Trina’s case made him feel better. As far as he could tell, Holden was a decent cop. In general, the Green Bay police department hadn’t welcomed the interference of the coast guard and DEA. Eric had been the most accepting of the bunch, even if he hadn’t fully bought into the theory of a Canadian drug running operation until they’d provided proof.

Would Holden give Rafe details about their investigation into Trina’s death? Worth a try. He’d call Rafe first thing in the morning.

“Do you know him?” Shelby asked with a puzzled frown.

“I know about him from Rafe, but he doesn’t know me. I worked deep under cover. And despite the standard line he gave your father, we both know Trina’s death had nothing to do with a robbery. Trina must have stumbled into the truth behind this drug running operation. It’s all linked to how the case started unraveling months ago.” Three months ago, to be exact, when he’d been jumped and stabbed and set up to take the fall.

She reached up to massage her temple. “So now you know why my father couldn’t possibly be involved in your case. Trina was his favorite. He loved her. If you could have heard him, you’d understand.” She swallowed hard.

Alex didn’t know what to say. A sense of unease washed over him. Trina had always claimed her father was innocent too, but he just couldn’t be certain. It all seemed far too coincidental, how Russ Jacobson liked to be visible down at the shipyard. His interest in the ships coming from Sault Saint Marie to Green Bay and then to Chicago. The same ships where the drugs had been found.

Was he truly capable of killing his daughter, or ordering her death? The man behind the drug running scheme took innocent lives every day by exposing people, especially kids, to drugs. Not to mention, nearly killing him. He flexed his injured hand in surprise. Shelby’s need for protection helped him to forget the pain.

Or maybe she just helped him understand there was more to life than just this case.

He shook his head at his foolish thoughts. For him there was only the case. Nothing more.

Shelby was right. The few interactions he’d witnessed between Russ and Trina indicated a deep fondness between father and daughter. But that didn’t prove anything. When torn between love for his daughter and greed, who knew what he’d choose? And maybe there was someone else involved. Someone calling the shots, over Russ’s head, or behind his back. There was a missing link, and he needed to find it to put this all together.

The sound of voices carried from the kitchen. Kayla’s rooms were on the main level, tucked behind the kitchen and away from the guest rooms. Alex easily picked out Cody’s excited tone rising above the din, asking if he could sleep with Clyde. Within moments, the boy laughed gleefully as he dashed through the great room, Brianna and puppy hot on his heels.

Cody saw him standing there and tried to stop but there must have been water on the floor so he slipped and skidded headfirst into Alex, cutting him off at the knees and nearly bowling him over.

As he regained his footing, Alex suddenly knew. The missing piece of the puzzle was his son.

“Sorry,” Cody mumbled, when he disentangled himself from Alex and scrambled to his feet.

“No harm, no foul.” Alex kept his tone light but inside, his emotions whirled. He desperately needed to question the boy, but the protective instincts vibrating from Shelby prevented him from pushing the issue. Besides, he couldn’t help worrying about Cody, too. Could he afford to let his need to protect his son keep him from pursuing every lead on this case?

Cody wrinkled up his forehead. “What does that mean?”

Alex blinked, focusing on his son’s curious face. “What? No harm, no foul? That just means I won’t hold it against you, since you didn’t hurt me.”

“Oh.” Cody still looked puzzled, and for the first time Alex wondered about the man who’d helped raise his son. What kind of father had Stephan Kirkland been to Cody? Did he spend Saturday afternoons pitching baseballs to the boy? Did they go hunting and fishing? Or to the movies together?

Did Cody miss him?

“Never mind.” Shelby stood, shooting him an exasperated glance. “Cody, you need to go upstairs and get ready for bed.”

“Okay. Brianna said I can sleep with Clyde tonight.” The kid had a one-track mind and he’d focused it on the dog.

“How nice of her.” Shelby flashed his niece a warm smile. Alex found himself wishing she’d smile like that for him.

“Brianna!” Kayla called from the other room. “You’re supposed to be brushing your teeth.”

The kids scampered in opposite directions and Alex turned to Shelby. “I have to talk to Cody. I need to know who he saw.”

She stared at him for several seconds. “I know. But not yet.” Fierce, she stood her ground. “I already told you, he’s been through enough. Let him get a good night’s sleep and then we’ll see how he does.”

“He’s four years old. What if a good night’s sleep makes it hard for him to remember what happened? Don’t you realize he might be the key to cracking this case?” Alex raised his voice, unable to hide his frustration. He understood her protectiveness, he felt the same way, but honestly, how could a few questions hurt?

Shelby raised a hand to her forehead, grimacing as if she had a pounding headache. “Yes, I do. And I told you, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. What more can you do tonight, anyway?”

He wasn’t used to anyone questioning him, but at this point, he hated to admit she was right. Maybe it would be better for Cody to have a good night’s sleep. “All right. Tomorrow then. No more stalling.”

“I’m not stalling.” Impatience laced her tone. “I want to know who is after him as much as you do. But I’m concerned about Cody’s mental health, too. How much can a child take without breaking? What if all of this haunts him for the rest of his life?”

For a long moment, they stared at each other, on opposite sides of a line drawn in the sand.

Alex sighed in frustration. He strove to hang onto his temper. “I don’t know,” he allowed. “I don’t want Cody hurt any more than you do. But I can’t help if I don’t know what the danger is.”