Heart of the Raven (11 page)

Letterman was on but Danny, off his normal schedule all evening, was already asleep. Cassie was doing whatever she was doing. He didn't know.

After a few minutes she tapped lightly on his door. “Hi,” she said, peeking in first, then coming into the room. Bathed in the blue light of the television, she looked otherworldly, yet he knew she was as earthbound as a person could get.

She walked to the bed, climbed onto it and sat cross-legged, facing him. “I was lonely.”

He didn't say anything. He knew it hurt her. He didn't know how to tell her what he wanted, and didn't want.

“Dance with me,” he said, deciding spur of the moment. It would be something new, a distraction, not likely to lead to deep conversation.

Although she was obviously surprised, she said okay. He held her hand as they got out of bed. He turned off the television, picked up another remote control and music filled the room, something slow, a tune he didn't recognize. She came into his arms like she'd been born to. How long had it been since he'd danced? Years and years. He was glad he'd asked her.

“Do you do this often?” he asked against her hair.

“Not slow dance. I go to clubs with friends. Lots of no-name dancing.”

Her breath tickled his neck. “No name?”

“Somebody asks you to dance. You do. End of story.”

“You don't get dates that way?”

“No.”

“You're not asked?”

“I don't say yes. Too risky.”

“Anyone get pushy?”

“Nah. I show 'em my gun if they do. Amazing how fast they lose interest.”

“You're kidding.”

“Yes.”

He heard the smile in her voice.

“This is nice, Heath.”

Yes, it was nice. And arousing. He could feel her breasts press against his chest. He rested a hand against the small of her back, his thumb stroking her spine. There was the slightest change in her body, a tightening, a little move closer. She went up on tiptoe.

“I've never been able to understand how women can do that.”

“What?”

“Dance on their toes.”

“Makes it easier to follow.”

“What do you do if the guy's shorter than you?”

“Lead.”

He laughed when he thought himself incapable of laughter, whirled her around then dipped her backward. He let his lips brush hers before pulling her up and continuing the dance, but he slowed the pace until just their bodies were moving, not their feet. He wrapped both arms around her. She nestled her face against his neck.

After a minute he felt a drop of hot water land on his skin and slip under his T-shirt, then another, then another. He swallowed.
Ah, Cassie. I wish I could let you mourn. I can't. I can't.

“Let's go to bed,” he said, not even acknowledging her tears.

“I don't want—I'm not—”

“To sleep,” he said. “Just to sleep.”

“Okay.” Her relief filled the room.

A barrier sat between them, even as they clung to each other in bed. No words were spoken. He knew she stayed awake for as long as he did—until Danny woke up.

The difference was, this time she let him go alone.

C
assie woke with a start, found the bed empty beside her, fired a glance at the clock and fell back against the pillow, stunned. Nine o'clock. How could she have slept that late?

She hurried across the hall, showered, dressed and jogged downstairs, braiding her hair as she went.

“In the kitchen,” Heath called out.

He was at the stove, finishing up an omelet. Danny was kicking his legs, making his bouncy chair move on the counter near Heath.

“I overslept,” she said, breathless after rushing.

“You were tired.” He slid the omelet onto a plate, sprinkled some chopped chives over the top, added two pieces of bacon and set the plate on the counter, motioning her to sit. Then he came around to her side and kissed her.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling, but with hesitance in his eyes.

Because her first reaction was to pull away, she put her hands on his face and kissed him back. She hadn't liked his mother's accurate assessment of her, that she worked hard at keeping her distance. “Good morning. Thank you for breakfast.”

“You're welcome.”

“How's our— How's Danny this morning?”

He cupped the back of her head in sympathy for her slip. “Content. He's about ready for a bottle and a nap.”

She took a bite of the omelet and sighed at the wonderful mix of sharp cheddar cheese and green pepper filling. “Have you called Brad Torrance yet?”

“I figured he wouldn't be in before nine. I'll call when Danny's asleep and the house is quiet.”

She'd awakened at one point during the night trying to come up with reasons why they could delay calling Torrance, but none came to her. If it were her child gone missing—

“I think we're on to something with him,” she said.

“Makes sense. If it's true, I don't envy him telling his wife. I wonder if she's given birth yet.”

She was aware they were both trying to keep their conversation light, so that they wouldn't dwell on the implications of their speculation.

A half hour later they couldn't delay any longer. Danny was asleep. They went to Heath's office. Cassie held a portable phone so that she could listen in on the call. While they waited to be connected with Torrance, Heath put a hand on Cassie's and squeezed it.

“It's going to be okay,” he said.

No, it wasn't, but she smiled back at him.

“How are you, Heath?” Torrance asked when he came on the line.

“Pretty good. Yourself?”

“Busy, as always. You were on my mind this morning, actually. We haven't had any work from you for a few weeks.”

“I've been busy, but not in need of any contracts. Pretty soon, though. I've got three projects in the works.”

“Great. What can I do for you, then?”

Heath glanced at Cassie. “I was curious about Eva Brooks.”

The pause was so brief, Cassie decided Torrance could've just as easily been distracted for a second. “What about her?”

“You know she used to come here once a week or so to drop off papers. I was wondering if she'd had her baby yet. It must be tough being a single mother. Thought I'd send her a present.”

Cassie gave him a thumbs-up.

“How do you know she's single?”

“She told me. Said the father of her baby wasn't in the picture.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

Cassie raised her brows. Torrance was much too interested in Eva.

“Around about the time she went on maternity leave,” Heath said.

“She hasn't contacted you since then?”

“There was no reason for her to. Why?”

“She seems to have disappeared.”

“Disappeared as in ‘into thin air'?” Heath asked.

“Pretty much.”

“I don't know much about that kind of thing, but did you file a missing person's report?” Heath asked.

“No. She left her roommate a note, saying she was leaving. No reason for the police to look.”

Cassie wrote a quick note to Heath:
Ask if they checked with her insurance to see if she's delivered.

He repeated the question to Torrance.

“Nothing so far. I'm surprised at your interest.”

Suspicious, Cassie decided. “End it,” she mouthed to Heath.

“You know how narrow my world is,” Heath said. “I enjoyed watching her blossom. Thought I would get a birth announcement when the baby was born and I realized I hadn't. Well, I won't take up any more of your time. Bye.” He hung up before Torrance could say anything else.

“What do you think?” Heath asked.

“Something's not right. He wouldn't have continued the conversation otherwise. He might have referred you to the human resources director or Eva's immediate supervisor. He's taken a personal interest. He employs, what, fifty employees probably? He wouldn't normally keep track of someone that low on the organizational chart. Plus, we know he contacted Missing Persons.”

“Doesn't prove anything.”

“No.” She drummed her fingers on the worktable, then she sat up straight. “Do you know for sure that she cashed your ten thousand dollar check?”

“I— No. Not for sure.”

“Call your bank and find out.”

“What good will that do?”

“I'm speculating.”

Cassie wandered while he got the information. She was tempted to open his blinds but didn't, his office the last room in the house where they were still closed. Perhaps since she'd told him about the night-light, he might tell her why he lived in the dark.

“She didn't cash it,” Heath said, hanging up the phone.

“Hmm.”

“Hmm? That's it?”

“The other times you gave her money, was it checks or in cash?”

“Checks.”

“She cashed those?”

“Immediately.”

“Hmm.”

“Cassie.”

She came to attention. “Sorry. Let me think about this for a while.”

“We need to check further into Brad Torrance.”

“We need to find Eva,” he said.

“Yes, but I think there's enough to approach him in person.”

“Now?”

“Tomorrow.”

“One more day, then.”

One more day, she thought. “In the meantime, I'm going to make a visit to Child Protective Services, then head to the office for a little while. Okay?”

He set his hands on her shoulders. “You're sure they won't take Danny away?”

“Not a hundred percent.”

A few beats passed. “You'll call me as soon as you leave there?”

“Absolutely. Don't sit here worrying. I have huge credibility with CPS. I've worked a lot with them. They know I intend to be a foster—” She stopped, swallowed. It showed how comfortable she was with him that she'd let that much slip. She hadn't told her plan to anyone outside the CPS office.

“I won't tell your boss,” Heath said.

“Look, I'm all but licensed already. Background check is done. It's just a matter of issuing the license itself,” she said defensively, hoping she was right. “And I have no plans to quit my job. I'll incorporate both somehow.”

“You are really something.”

He hauled her into his arms and kissed her, the way she'd wished all morning he would, with intensity and passion, changing the angle and deepening it, wrapping her even closer.

“Hurry back,” he said.

“I will.” She headed for the door, but stopped there and turned around. “Design me a house, why don't you. Something to hold maybe eight children ranging in age from ten to eighteen.”

“Hard-to-place kids?”

He got it. “Bedrooms shouldn't hold more than two kids each,” she said. “Big kitchen. Big dining room. A computer room. Could you do that?”

“I imagine so.”

There, she thought as she left. That ought to keep him busy.

 

“So, CPS will let Heath keep custody for now?” Jamey asked when Cassie got to the office much later.

“As long as I'm in the picture. They don't know him, but they know me. They don't want to remove Danny from an environment he's thriving in, either.” She leaned her elbows on her desk and rubbed her forehead, suddenly exhausted. Jamey sat across from her, not looking sympathetic. In fact he looked irritated. “You got a problem with that?”

“Nope.”

“Yeah, you do. What's up?”

He held her gaze. “You're in too deep, Cass.”

“I know.”

“You're gonna fall, big—” He frowned. “You know?”

She nodded. “I don't live in fantasyland. I've known all along. And guess what? I'd do it again.”

“You're in love.”

“Yeah.” The word came out as a whisper.

“You hardly know him.”

“Crazy, huh?”

“Do you think he feels the same about you?”

The magic question. She knew Heath appreciated her. He'd become dependent on her in a way and yet was also amazingly independent. Since she worked in a take-charge kind of job, she'd started off as the dominant one—or tried to, she thought with a smile. He was no pushover just because he'd hidden himself from the world.
Chosen
to hide, according to him.

“What are you smiling about?” Jamey asked.

Her cell phone rang before she could answer. She pulled it out of her pocket. “Cassie Miranda.”

“Hi, um, it's Darcy. You know, Eva Brooks's roommate. Remember me?”

“Of course.” Her heart gave a little thump. “What can I do for you?”

“She called and wants to come get some of her stuff. I had the locks changed, you know, since she owes me money. I figured I wouldn't let her in until she, like, paid me?”

“Is she coming to your apartment?”

“Yeah. I told her to meet me after work. I thought maybe you could give her the papers, you know? Let her know she's got the money to pay me?”

Cassie paused. She didn't like misleading Darcy, especially since she was being helpful. “What time?”

“Five-fifteen.”

“Great. I'll be there. Darcy? Look, I have to be honest here. I'm not really following up on an inheritance.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

Good. That made her job a lot easier. “Thanks a lot.”

“Sure. Bye.”

“Pay dirt,” Cassie said to Jamey, then told him the plan.

“You can't kidnap her. Nor can you force her to talk. So, what does that leave?”

“I can play to her conscience, if she has one.”

“What are you going to do?”

She picked up the phone and dialed Heath. She'd called him earlier, as she left CPS. “I have some more good news,” she said.

“I could use some.”

“Eva's roommate just called. Eva will be at her apartment in an hour.”

“I'll be there.”

She couldn't talk, she was so relieved that he would be coming.

“You there?” he asked.

“I'm here. You've got the address, right? I'll meet you there.”

“Cassie.” His voice got quiet. “This could be it. The end.”

He would have to bring Danny with him. So much could happen. “The decision is yours, Heath.”

His pause dragged out a few seconds. “It's time for the truth.” He hung up.

“Okay,” she said, placing her hands flat on her desk. “I'm going to get over there now and find a parking spot.” She worried about him showing up, too, but she wouldn't tell Jamey that.

“Let me know what happens.”

“I will. Don't worry so much, Jamey. I'm a big girl.” She left in a hurry, not waiting for words of advice or wisdom. He couldn't tell her anything she didn't already know.

Nearly an hour later she saw Heath pull up in front of the apartment house. Directly in front of it. She got out of her car and slipped into the passenger seat of his.

“You couldn't have parked where she might not see you?” she asked, craning her neck to see Danny in his car seat. He was asleep.

“She won't recognize the car.”

“She might recognize you through the windshield.”

“You haven't seen her?” he asked.

“No.” She touched his shoulder. “How was the drive?”

“Fine.”

He might as well have told her to shut up. He had no intention of telling her if he'd been nervous or scared or whatever. She admired him for that.

“I'll do the talking,” he said. “You can stand there and look…nannylike or something.”

She laughed. “Should I put my hair in double braids?”

“Yeah. And act meek.”

“Uh-huh.” She grinned at him, enjoying the banter. “Like that's gonna—”

“Shh.” He angled sideways, blocked his face by resting an arm on the steering wheel. “There she is.”

She'd gotten her figure back in a hurry, Cassie thought. To look at her, no one would know that she'd given birth less than three weeks ago.

Heath grabbed the door handle.

“Wait. Let Darcy get here,” Cassie said. “Eva needs to be inside the apartment so we can catch her there, see if she'll talk. Get Danny's car seat undone and ready to go. I'll watch for Darcy.”

Two minutes later the black-haired, nose-studded woman arrived. By the time they got Danny and followed her up to the third floor, the apartment door was closed and an argument between the two young women filtered down the hall.

Cassie knocked. Darcy swung open the door.

“She's all yours,” she said.

“What—?” Eva froze, her eyes wide. After a second she made a run for the door.

Even cradling Danny's car seat, Heath caught her and moved her back. Cassie shut the door, then leaned against it.

“Do you want to leave?” Heath asked Darcy.

“No way.” She plopped into a chair and crossed her legs, bouncing her foot. “This I gotta see.”

Tension cocooned them in expectant silence.