The Summit (24 page)

“So how's the search going?” Terri ate a bite of her salad then followed it with a drink of iced tea. Both of them had ordered grilled-chicken Caesars, a specialty of the house.

“Nothing new since the dream changed last week. Now that we've talked to the police about the other little girl, Ben and I are really hoping something will turn up. So far we haven't heard, but they promised to let us know if they found anything.”

“That sounds promising.” Terri dug into her salad, looking as pretty as always, her dark hair shining and her blue eyes brightened by her long thick lashes. She took another sip of tea and set the glass back down. “I can't believe your dad got married. God, that is the last thing I would have imagined him doing.”

Autumn forked a chunk of lettuce. “You can say that again.”

“You think he'll be true to Myra? I wonder if he's been faithful since they've been together.”

“I doubt it. He was never faithful to any woman before.”

“You know what they say—a leopard doesn't change his spots.”

“That's what they say.” Autumn fought not to think of Ben.

“So how's
your
love life? I gather you and
the hunk
are still an item.”

Autumn shrugged. This was the part of the conversation she had dreaded, but Terri was her friend so there was no way to avoid it. “We're enjoying each other. We're having a fling, just like you suggested. As far as the sex goes, it couldn't be better.” Except that Ben hadn't been in her bed for the last two nights. It shouldn't have bothered her. It wasn't as if they were living together. Still, he seemed to be avoiding her and she didn't understand why.

“What about the rest of the relationship?” Terri asked.

“There is no
rest.
” She toyed with her salad but didn't take a bite. “It's a fling, remember? We sleep together.”
Or had been.
“Ben goes to work and so do I. The balance of the time we try to unravel the puzzle that's driving both of us crazy.” She dug into her salad, anxious to change the subject. “What about you? Anyone new in the cross-hairs?”

Terri glanced away, fiddled with her fork. “Not really. I ran into Josh Kendall the other day. I was thinking…I don't know…maybe it was time he and I went out.”

Autumn frowned. “Josh is seeing Courtney Roland. I thought they were getting pretty involved.”

Terri flipped a lock of dark hair over her shoulder. “Well, it isn't like they're engaged or anything. Josh hasn't really known her all that long.”

Autumn studied her friend's pretty face. “You've never had any interest in Josh before. Why has that suddenly changed?”

Terri just shrugged. “Josh was always just there. I guess I never really thought about him as more than a friend.”

“But now that he might be interested in someone other than you, you don't like it. Is that about it?”

Terri sat up a little straighter on her side of the booth. “Josh has been in love with me for years. You know it and so do I. He's kidding himself when it comes to this girl. He doesn't love her and I don't want to see him get hurt.”

“So you're going to save him from himself.”

“More or less.”

“And what happens to Josh when you get tired of him?”

She picked at the last of the salad on her plate. “Maybe I won't get tired of him. Maybe he'll be the guy I've been looking for all my life.”

“And maybe he won't be and you'll break his heart just like all the others.” Autumn shoved back her half-finished salad, her stomach queasy with worry for Josh. “Don't do it, Terri. For once, think of someone besides yourself.”

Terri set her fork back down on her plate. “That's a terrible thing to say. Besides, I'm thinking of Josh—whether you believe it or not.”

Autumn reached over and caught her hand. “We've been friends a long time, Terri. I know you require a lot of male attention. Most of the time it's harmless. But Josh is different. There's no question you can have him if you want him. The only real question is, do you want to hurt someone who's been such a good friend? Think about it.”

Terri sighed and leaned back in the booth. “All right, I'll think about it. But remember, Josh is old enough to decide for himself what he wants.”

Autumn just nodded. In a way, Terri was right. Sooner or later, Josh had to figure out what it was he really wanted—a brief fling with Terri or a serious relationship with Courtney Roland.

Autumn caught herself, realizing in that instant that she was in a similar position with Ben. They were having an affair. It could never be anything more. How could she criticize Terri or Josh for doing that same thing?

“I guess you have a point. You know I love you both whatever you do.” She slid out of the booth. “I'd better get going. I'm meeting Ben and we're heading up to Burlington to show the sketch around.”

“I'll keep my fingers crossed.”

“Thanks, Terri.” Autumn leaned over and hugged her. “Talk to you soon.”

She headed for the door and spotted Ben's Mercedes double-parked out front. She knew he was as anxious as she to get on the road for Burlington.

She just prayed, for both their sakes, they would find something when they got there.

A
utumn hurried out of The Shack, crossing the sidewalk to where Ben's car idled next to a van parked at the curb. He leaned over and opened the door. Autumn slid into the passenger seat and Ben pulled out into the traffic, turning toward the freeway heading north.

“How was lunch?” he asked.

“Great. Their chicken Caesars are always delicious and it was good to catch up.”

Ben just nodded. As they drove along the highway, he seemed quieter than usual, slightly withdrawn as he had been since their argument at the lake. Autumn kept her thoughts focused on Molly and tried to ignore the churning in her stomach that warned her something was wrong.

“You brought copies of the sketch?” Ben asked as the car cruised along the freeway at nearly eighty miles an hour. Ben did everything with gusto and that included driving his sexy silver car.

“I had extra copies made. I had the size reduced to eight-and-a-half by eleven so we could pass them out if we wanted.”

“Good idea.”

She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. She couldn't miss the tautness in his shoulders, the tension in the long muscles in his thighs. He glanced her way, his gaze running over her from top to bottom, lingering for a moment on her breasts. She was surprised to see the heat, the desire burning in those golden brown eyes.

Autumn sucked in a breath. Her heartbeat shot up and her palms went damp. Ben might be angry, but he still wanted her.

Something loosened in her chest. Their affair wasn't over—not yet. She nervously moistened her lips, suddenly restless, a familiar tautness building inside her. She tried not to think of the last time they had made love, tried not to wish he would pull over to the side of the road and take her right there in the backseat of his car.

“You keep looking at me that way and we aren't going to make it to Burlington—at least not until after I stop at the local motel.”

Her cheeks flushed. It was humiliating for a man to know how much she wanted him.

“We have work to do,” she said, sitting up a little straighter, clamping her legs together to calm the ridiculous pulsing. “We don't have time for that.”

He didn't smile or say any more. Sex might be on his mind, but so was finding Molly. And she thought there was something more. She wished she knew what it was.

Neither of them spoke for the balance of the journey, not until they turned onto the off ramp and headed for downtown Burlington. The town was originally an old logging camp but the years had taken their toll, leaving the buildings in need of repair and a number of them vacant.

They parked the car on the street and walked along the road to the sporting-goods store, one of the older structures in town and in dire need of care.

“Ready?” Ben asked as they reached the front door.

Clutching copies of the sketch in her hand, she nodded.

Ben pushed open the door and they stepped into the interior, which looked better than the outside, with wide-planked wooden floors and molded-tin ceilings. They asked for the manager, a Mr. Cline, who turned out to be in his forties, slightly rotund, with a mop of silver-touched hair.

“You wanted to see me?”

Autumn handed him a copy of the sketch. “We're trying to locate this man. We were hoping you might be able to help us find him.”

Cline's gaze fixed on Autumn. “You look familiar. Have I seen you in the store before?”

“My name is Autumn Sommers. My dad and I used to come in quite a bit. Max Sommers? He still lives a little ways out of town.”

“Of course! Now I remember. You're Max's daughter. Your father is a very good customer.”

Ben stepped into the conversation just then. “As Autumn said, we're hoping you might be able to help us find this man. Autumn saw him in here a few years back. He may be a regular customer. We thought maybe you or someone in the store might know who he is.”

The manager took the copy Autumn held out to him and studied the face in the sketch.

“He has blond hair and blue eyes,” she added. “He's about average in height and weight.”

“I'm afraid I don't recall him offhand.” He glanced up. “May I ask the reason you're trying to find him?”

“There's a chance he's involved in the kidnapping of a child, perhaps more than one.”

Cline frowned. “I should think, if that were the case, the police would be the ones asking questions.”

“We're hoping to persuade them to help us,” Autumn said. “We believe this man may be involved, but we need proof.”

The manager shook his head. “I don't know…There's the question of customer privacy.”

Autumn reached out and caught his arm. “The little girl who's missing is Ben's daughter. Please, won't you help us?”

The manager looked up at Ben, pity in his eyes. “Let me keep a few of these. I'll ask around. Maybe someone will remember him.”

“That would be great.”

“Let me speak to Andrew before you go. He's worked here off and on for years.” Ben and Autumn followed the manager over to what appeared to be the store's lone employee. Unfortunately, Andrew had no recollection of the man in the sketch. Disappointment settled over them both.

“I'm sorry, I truly am.” Cline hung onto a small stack of copies. “I wish we could have been of some help. Maybe, as I said, one of our customers will recall him.”

“How about former employees?” Ben asked. “People who have worked here and left? Maybe they would remember him.”

“I can give you the names of the few who have worked here part-time.”

“Thanks,” Ben said. “We'd appreciate that.”

“There aren't many, of course. Burlington is a very small town.”

They left the store with the employee list in hand, leaving numbers with Cline where they could be reached if the blond man made an appearance in the store or if anyone remembered seeing him. They went into stores up and down both sides of the street but the result was the same.

“I'll have Pete Rossi follow up on these other names. Maybe one of the ex-employees will remember something.”

“Maybe.”

But neither of them actually believed it was going to happen. Burlington appeared to be another dead end.

 

Ben spent Tuesday night at home, as he had the last three nights. He needed time to think, try to construct his next move in the search for his daughter.

And he needed to consider his disturbing feelings for Autumn.

He had told her the truth at the lake. He was crazy about her. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way about a woman, wanting to be with her every minute, dreaming about her, aching to be inside her even when they had just made love.

It was frightening.

Especially when it was clear Autumn didn't feel the same way about him.

Oh, she wanted him, all right. The sexual attraction between them sizzled with invisible sparks whenever they were together. As he sat propped up in bed, an old Robert Ludlum novel open on top of the covers, merely thinking about her made him hard.

The sex was amazing, but the cold fact was that Autumn wasn't looking for a long-term relationship. Her few affairs had left her wary and uncertain of men. She was afraid of getting in too deep, afraid it wouldn't work out between them and she would wind up getting hurt.

Well dammit, so was he.

Ben sighed as he sifted through his uncertain thoughts. For an instant, it crossed his mind that the safer route would be to end the relationship before Autumn did and
he
was the one who got hurt.

The notion was fleeting. Ben McKenzie wasn't a man who gave up on what he wanted without a damned good fight and in that moment it occurred to him that Autumn Sommers was exactly what he wanted—exactly the woman he needed. Whatever happened, wherever their search for Molly led them, Autumn had become an important part of his life and he would do whatever it took to keep her there.

It wasn't time to give up on her yet.

Just like it wasn't time to give up searching for Molly.

Ben set the book aside, then reached over and turned out the lamp. But as he lay in the darkness, aching for Autumn, thinking of Molly, he couldn't fall asleep.

 

After their return from Burlington, Ben had again declined to spend the night at Autumn's apartment and this morning he had missed her climbing class for the very first time.

All her fears surfaced. He was tired of her. It was over between them. Ben didn't want her anymore. She tried to steel herself, told herself she'd known it would come to this sooner or later, but the sick feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away.

When her cell phone rang in the women's locker room as she changed out of her climbing clothes, her insides tightened even more.

“Doug Watkins called,” Ben said simply. Though his tone was strictly business, a warm tremor ran through her. “He wants to see us down at the station.”

“What time?”

“As soon as possible. You still at the gym?”

“I was just leaving.”

“Good. I'm calling from my office. I'll meet you in the lobby.”

Autumn hung up, left the locker room and headed for the elevator. Her pulse was still thrumming from the sound of Ben's voice and she wanted to kick herself for the anticipation swirling through her.

Ben was waiting when she walked through the elevator doors. For several moments, he said nothing, just stared at her as if he hadn't seen her in years, as if he wanted to eat her up with a spoon.

“I've missed you.”

Her eyes widened as he pulled her into his arms and very thoroughly kissed her, ignoring the startled looks of the women who walked out of the elevator behind her.

By the time the hot kiss ended, her knees were shaking, her stomach floating. “Come on,” he said, taking hold of her hand. “We need to get moving.”

They headed for the stairs leading down to the parking garage and climbed into Ben's Mercedes. He started the engine and drove the car out into the street.

Autumn leaned back in the deep leather seat. “So I guess you were busy this morning,” she said, just to keep her mind from straying to that kiss.

He nodded. “I hated missing the lesson but we're about to do a master lease on that building across from our store near Pioneer Square—the one A-1's been trying to get their hands on. My real estate agent has been working his ass off to line up tenants for the property before A-1 can sew up their deal.”

She relaxed a little. He had been working, not trying to avoid her. Still, she couldn't help wondering where he'd been spending his nights. “That's great, Ben.”

“I'm getting really tired of those guys. I think it's time I did something besides just sit around and let those jokers try to ruin me.”

“Any ideas?”

“A few. I've got great people working for me. Be interesting to see what we can come up with.”

They talked a little more about the leasing deal as Ben wove his way through the line of cars moving along the Seattle streets, making his way toward the police station on Twelfth Avenue. The mid-morning traffic had slowed, but the shoppers were out full-force, milling up and down the sidewalks, their shopping bags stuffed to overflowing.

As the car neared the precinct, all talk of business ended. Molly was on their minds and the little girl, Mary—if she actually existed. Ben parked the car and they went inside the building and up to the front desk. Almost immediately, they were led down the hall to the same sparsely furnished room they had been in before.

Doug Watkins joined them a few minutes later. “Thanks for coming in.”

“What have you got?” asked Ben.

Taking an envelope from beneath a stout arm, Watkins pulled out a stack of pictures and spread them out on the table. There were five color photos of little blond girls with blue eyes.

“These kids are all between five and seven years old,” he said to Autumn. “Do any of them look familiar?”

Autumn could feel the dull beating of her heart. Were all these children recently abducted? Was one of them little Mary? She moved closer and began to carefully examine each photo one by one. All of the girls looked a little like Mary, with the same blond hair and blue eyes, the same delicate features.

Autumn's shoulders slumped as she reached the final picture. “I'm afraid Mary isn't here.”

“You sure?”

She nodded.

The detective cast her a final glance, then surprised her by pulling a second set of photos out of the envelope. Collecting the first set, he placed the second set on the table. “How about these? Do you see her here?”

“Have all of these little girls—?”

“Please take a look and tell me what you see.”