Deadly Image (2 page)

“Why?” Suddenly Lexi wasn’t so sure she should tell him anything else without a lawyer present. Everything she said seemed to be twisted into some distorted form of the truth where she ended up being portrayed as the criminal.

What was the point in reliving her past? Anna was
missing
and every second counted. Rehashing Carl’s death certainly wasn’t going to bring her daughter home.

“Humor me.” Ace’s grin widened revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth. “I like to have all the facts.”

Lexi’s breath hitched. Without the permanent scowl he had been sporting since she’d arrived at the precinct two hours earlier, Agent Ace Valdez had the kind of face that could charm the spots off a leopard if he set his mind to it. Heart-stoppingly handsome in an exotic kind of way with just enough steel mingled in to suggest he could be a formidable opponent. The kind of face that promised loyalty and honor.

As long as no one crossed him.

A shudder rippled through her body. She’d hate to see someone actually try and cross Agent Valdez. Somehow she knew they’d end up worse for the wear.

Lexi swallowed hard before answering. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be the one to find out. “The police report said Carl was killed in a car accident. He supposedly took a curve too fast. According to the skid marks, he was traveling well over sixty miles an hour.”

“You don’t believe it?”

A familiar ache jabbed Lexi’s chest reminding her of the void she hadn’t been able to fill in over eight months. She caught her breath. “Carl
never
drove over the speed limit. He was the most careful driver I’d ever known. Sometimes he drove so slowly I’d think we weren’t going to get our destination before the next millennium.” The pain in her chest intensified. Lexi steadied her thoughts. ”But Carl was a good man. A great husband and wonderful father to Anna.”

Ace shuffled the papers in the folder. “He was the pastor of a church in Dallas?”

“Yes. Trinity Grace. His sermons were televised every Sunday morning across the country.” Lexi blinked back a tear. “Carl was a good man. Everyone loved him and he would have done anything to help someone in need. He never judged others. Just simply offered guidance and compassion. He was greatly missed after the accident. I couldn’t tell you how many condolences and sympathy cards I received from all across the country.” Lexi drew in a harsh breath. “I never knew how many lives Carl had actually touched during his ministry until he died.”

“You still have the cards?”

“Yes. I’ve put them up for Anna. When she’s older, I want her to know what a kind, wonderful man her father was. I even printed out the ones that were emailed.”

“Emailed?”

“Through the church’s website.”

“Did you ever receive any threatening letters?”

Lexi shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I really wouldn’t know. Carl took care of most of the correspondence. He never mentioned any threats.” Her brows slashed downward. “But then again he wouldn’t have. Carl was very protective. He never wanted to worry me unnecessarily.”

She didn’t bother to add Carl just hadn’t wanted to trigger any of her anxiety attacks. He’d suffered through enough of those as it was. Especially if she forgot to take her meds. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened too often, but when it did it was pretty awful.

“Did you have pictures of Anna on the website?”

“We had a family picture on the front page under Carl’s bio.” Lexi gripped her handbag again. “Do you think it was someone who saw her picture?”

“Hard to say at this point.” Ace jotted the information on his notepad. “It seems unlikely though as you’ve been gone for almost six months. I would imagine the website has a new picture since the church has a different pastor.”

“It does. Brother John has his family’s picture on the site now. He and his wife have three young children of their own.”

“Do you still have the computer Carl used?”

“Yes. We have a desktop. It’s several years old, but it still works fine.”

Ace tore a piece of paper from the notepad. “Write the email address, username and password on here.” He slid the paper and pen across the table.

“But the account’s been closed. The church has a different account now for Pastor John.”

“That’s not a problem.” A smile tugged Ace’s lips upward. “We’re the Feds, remember?”

Heat scorched Lexi’s cheeks. Duh. Of course they could pull the information. Big Brother could find out anything about anyone. “Oh. I see.” She scribbled the information on the paper and handed it to Ace.

Hope flared in her chest. With all the gadgets and gizmos the FBI had to work with nowadays, maybe they really could find Anna.

“Good.” Ace reached for the paper. A tingle spread through her index finger as his hand brushed hers. Ace didn’t seem to notice as he shoved to his feet. “Excuse me for a minute.” He crossed the room, opened the door and poked his head out. “Zach!”

Through the doorway Lexi could see a short, balding man wearing a dark suit with a maroon tie striding toward Agent Valdez. “Yeah?”

“I need you to go pick up Mrs. Yates’ computer. Have the boys pull all the emails from this account.” Ace handed Zach the sheet from his notepad. “May as well do a thorough check of the hard drive. See if they can find anything that might be useful.”

“On our way.” Zach took the paper from Ace, gave Lexi a curt nod and disappeared through the door.

Ace closed the door behind him and returned to his seat. “You do realize when they check the hard drive they’ll be able to see all the searches made on the computer as well?”

“Of course.”

Ace narrowed his eyes. “If there is anything incriminating on the computer, they will find it. Even if you think you’ve deleted it.”

Lexi bristled. “Are you assuming I have something to hide?”

“Do you?”

“No. I’ve already told you I didn’t.”

“Right.” Ace leaned back in his chair. “I just want to be clear. Now, let’s go over this one more time. You dropped your daughter off at Lil’ Gators around seven in the morning. She was wearing yellow shorts and a matching white shirt with a yellow butterfly on it. According to you, you were home alone working on her room instead of at the insurance office. Then around two you went to pick her up and signed her out for the rest of the week. So, what did you do between two and five when you went back to pick your daughter up from the daycare the second time? What happened to Anna during those three hours?”

Lexi balled her fist. “If I knew that, then I wouldn’t be here right now, would I?” What a horrible man! How many more times was he going to insinuate she had done something unspeakable to her daughter? And when was he going to get it in his thick skull that she
didn’t
pick up Anna at two?

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Ace shrugged. “I need to establish a timeline. We know where Anna was until about two that day.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. “What were you doing between two and five the day Anna disappeared?”

“The same thing I was doing the first six times you asked me. I was home painting and wallpapering Anna’s room, and for the thousandth time I did not pick up my daughter at two. Someone else did.” Chin held high, Lexi leaned toward him, her face mere inches from his. So close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. If he thought he was going to intimidate her into confessing something she hadn’t done, he had another think coming. “For the last time, I didn’t
do
anything to Anna. Now, I want to know
exactly
what you are going to do to bring my baby home, because if you can’t – or won’t – help me, then I’ll find someone who will.”

Her words hung in the air between them. Ace’s dark eyes studied her for a moment, but she didn’t break his gaze. A beat passed, then Ace picked up the file on the table.

He cleared his throat. “Did you ask for a full investigation after your husband’s accident?”

Lexi’s shoulder’s relaxed. Maybe he’d gotten the point this time. “It didn’t do any good. The police closed the case and ruled it an accident. Now I’ll never know for sure. What I don’t understand is how discussing my husband’s death is going to help you find my daughter.”

Ace shrugged. “You never know what small detail might crack a case wide open. I like to have all my bases covered.” He shuffled the papers in the folder. “Can you tell me why you have been prescribed benzodiazepine for the past several years?”

Lexi stilled. Would every sordid detail of her life be open for discussion? Really, was it any of his business? Whatever happened to doctor-patient privilege?

After an uncomfortable pause, Lexi realized he was still waiting on her answer. Might as well get it out in the open. “I have panic attacks.”

“How long have you been having them?”

Anna’s cheeks warmed. “Ever since I was a little kid. I’ve always had extreme anxiety. Shortness of breath, cold sweats, chest pains. The works.” Anna narrowed her eyes. “Just because I have a medical condition doesn’t mean I hurt my child.”

Ace flashed her another smile. “Didn’t say it did, ma’am. Just covering those bases.”

“Oh.” She leaned across the table toward Ace. The delectable scent of pure male mingled with Old Spice cologne sent flutters through her stomach. Carl had worn the same cologne, but somehow it hadn’t smelled nearly as wonderful on him as it did on Agent Valdez. Lexi’s pulse galloped, and this time it had nothing to do with her panic attack. “Mr. Valdez, do you think it’s possible Mrs. Jenkins did something to my daughter?”

Ace held her gaze for a moment, his brown eyes seeming to study every crevice of her face before answering. “I don’t know. What I do know is that both of you can’t be telling the truth. One of you knows something about Anna’s disappearance, and I intend to find out which one.”

* * *

Ace watched Lexi exit the interrogation room, hug a stylishly dressed, gray-haired woman – presumably her mother – and walk out of the precinct with her hand tightly clasped on the woman’s arm.

A sure sign she was on the verge of crumbling.

A twinge of guilt tweaked Ace’s conscience. He’d been tough on her hoping she’d give away something –
anything
– that would help him find the missing child. His persistent questions, rephrased sentences and deliberate baiting should have exposed something relevant if Lexi were indeed guilty as the Plaquemines Parish sheriff believed.

So far it hadn’t.

He’d worked with the FBI long enough to pick up on even the smallest of details, and though the Gator Bay Police Department seemed to have already pegged Lexi as the prime suspect in her daughter’s disappearance, Ace had wanted to get a feel for the case himself first before making a determination.

As an expert in the field of child abductions, one of the first lessons he’d learned was to never assume anything. Facts, minute details and forensics were much more important than the assumptions or opinions of pompous local law enforcement officers.

His training in behavioral analysis guided him through his interrogations. He could usually pick up on mannerisms to help determine a suspect’s credibility. Unfortunately, what he’d picked up on with Lexi wasn’t so cut and dried. Sure, she appeared as jittery as a cat at a dogfight. But was it because she had something to hide like the GBPD believed or was it because her child was missing?

Ace flipped through the folder and pulled out a picture of a smiling three-year-old girl. With the same honey-blonde hair, creamy skin and wide, sparkling blue eyes as Lexi, Anna was a little replica of her mother. The only difference was the infectious smile plastered across the little girl’s face where Lexi’s full, pink-glossed lips had remained tight and worried throughout the entire interrogation.

A normal reaction to the situation.

Only there wasn’t anything normal about this particular case. The daycare worker claimed Lexi had picked up Anna at two and there was nothing in Mrs. Jenkins’ statement that indicated she wasn’t telling the truth. The elderly woman had seemed genuinely distraught over the incident when he’d questioned her earlier. No shifting eyes or nervous chatter. No unusual hand movements or shady details. Just concern and anguish over the missing child. Mrs. Jenkins’ story had remained the same throughout the interrogation. She didn’t deviate from her original statement, nor did she sound flustered. On the surface, Mrs. Jenkins appeared to be telling the truth.

But Lexi’s story was equally compelling. Past her immaculately French-manicured fingernails, tailored white capris with a matching navy-and-white sailor top and the Gucci handbag she had kept a death grip on in her lap, Ace had felt her grief. His gut told him she really believed someone had taken her child.

Baiting her had proven pointless. Instead of slipping up and revealing something crucial to the case, she had turned the table on him. Lashing out at him where it hurt the most.

Ace’s chest tightened. Lexi’s snide remark about his heritage hit home more than he cared to admit. Ten years with the FBI should have eradicated his hang-up about his Hispanic lineage.

It hadn’t.

He still felt the same blow to his ego whenever someone – especially someone like Lexi with obvious wealth and prestige – looked down on him for being Hispanic.