his arms and sent Detective Mansfield a glare. He couldn’t help himself. “I’ll be right back.”
He picked up Callie with one arm and gathered the Goldfish in his other hand. Callie held her glass of milk. Concentrating on keeping the milk from spilling seemed to distract her for the moment.
Once Callie was settled in her room and appeared happy eating and moving furniture around in the Barbie dollhouse, Alan returned to find the detective flipping through a book she’d lifted from a shelf. She snapped the book shut and set it back in place.
The detective tried to present herself as unbiased and like someone who was only interested in the facts. But she did a poor job hiding that she strongly suspected Alan had killed Zoey and stuffed her body in a freezer in some warehouse across town.
“What’s happening with the investigation?” he asked.
Mansfield held out a photograph. “Do you know this man?”
Alan’s heart jackhammered. He took a good, long look. A big guy, but beyond that, nothing particularly notable. Could have been anyone on the street. “No, why?”
“In reviewing security footage from the area where her car was discovered, we found these images of your wife with this man.”
Mansfield showed him the rest of the photographs. Zoey seemed to be speaking with the man as if she knew him. She stood entirely too close to him. Blood rushed to Alan’s head. He couldn’t control his increased breaths and was sure the detective watched with great interest. Headlines flashed in his mind.
HUSBAND KILLS CHEATING WIFE.
Focus. You must focus for Callie!
God, how do I stop my pounding heart? The questions? The suspicions ramping up the hurt inside?
Zoey would never cheat on him. Alan believed that. He had to hold on to that belief.
“So, you think this man abducted her?”
“No. She left with him.”
The detective’s words hung in the air. His pulse pounded in his ears. Mansfield watched his pupils for a reaction.
“Not voluntarily.” Alan’s words sounded much too loud, and he softened them. He glanced at the hallway, hoping Callie hadn’t heard his distress. “He must have forced her to go with him.”
“And why would he force her? Do you know something you’re not telling me?”
“No! Of course not! Detective, I want you to find my wife. It’s clear this man abducted her. Now, who is he?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
“How can I tell you when I’ve never seen him in my life?” But Zoey clearly knew the man. From where? How often had she met with him? Alan wasn’t sure he could hold his world together much longer. “Please make me copies. I can ask if anyone knows him.”
“Daddy?” Callie crept from the hallway.
Alan turned on the detective. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave now.”
Detective Mansfield kept trying to turn this around on Alan. He hoped Rae was having better luck with her own investigation, especially now that she’d employed a private investigator’s assistance.
After Detective Mansfield left, he was able to distract Callie with her toys again. He took the milk glass and bowl to the kitchen. The anger and hurt that boiled to the surface could break him.
When he looked in on Callie, she’d fallen asleep on the floor. Normally he would have lifted her and tucked her into bed, but he couldn’t risk facing her. He couldn’t let her see him like this. He quietly shut the door and headed to his own room. He wanted to punch the wall, but that would wake Callie. Instead, he punched his pillow repeatedly until it burst open and down feathers accosted him.
Then he fell to his knees and sobbed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
2:13 p.m.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Liam sat with Rae in his truck. Again. The heater pushed out hot air to keep them warm on a colder-than-usual winter day.
Seemed like all he ever did anymore was wait. Now he was waiting for the sheriff to follow through. Liam hoped that would happen within the next hour, considering a life was on the line. Sheriff Taggart was a good man and a good sheriff, so Liam would give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I know we have a plan, but it’s not good enough. There has to be something else we can do. Something we’re missing,” Rae said. “I thought you were a hotshot agent who took chances.”
“That was then. This is now. I only took risks that were deemed necessary and approved by my supervisor.”
“And now you’re your own boss.”
“No. I’m working for you. Besides that, I don’t want