Heart of Gold - By Tami Hoag Page 0,47
he caught himself at the last instant and stood her away from him.
This could be the call that would break the case. The case was why he was there.
Faith went to the table beside the bed, trembling so, she thought it was a wonder she couldn’t hear her knees knocking together. It was simply amazing the way that man could sap the strength from her. Amazing and exciting. And frightening. Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her head before she picked up the receiver.
“Keepsake Inn. Faith Kincaid speaking.”
“Hello, Faith.”
Fear shot through her like a bolt of lightning at the sound of the too-familiar whisper. She jerked around to face Shane, pale and wide-eyed, her heart pounding. His face grim, he came forward and took her free hand, his strong grasp offering her support and comfort.
“Have you seen the error of your ways?”
Trying to draw strength from Shane’s steady gaze, Faith swallowed down the knot in her throat and said, “I’m going to testify.”
“That’s a bad decision, sweet. You know I’m watching you, don’t you? You and your darling daughter. You wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to little Lindy, now would you?”
Faith’s stomach rolled over at the thought of this faceless monster even knowing about Lindy. It was hard enough that this ugliness should intrude on her own life, but for it to touch Lindy in any way … she couldn’t bear the idea.
“I could take her and kill her. I could take her anytime I want.”
Abruptly it was all too much. The tension that had been building over the course of this terrorism crested with the power of a tidal wave, sweeping Faith’s control away. “Stop it!” she screamed into the phone. “Just stop it! Leave us alone!”
She slammed down the receiver, her face wet with tears as she turned and was met by Shane’s solid form. She sagged against him like a rag doll as he pulled her into his embrace, his arms banding around her like steel.
“What did he say?”
“Lindy,” she said between choking sobs. A fresh wave of fear surged through her. She tried to push herself away from Shane, but he held firm. “Please,” she begged, struggling in his grasp. “I have to see Lindy.”
Shane released her. Matthews would have the conversation on tape. It seemed much more important at the moment to let Faith go to her daughter. He followed her down the grand staircase, anger rolling in his gut. When he got his hands on the bastard who was doing this to her …
“Lindy!” Faith called, running down the hall to her daughter’s bedroom. Terror slammed into her anew when she found the room empty and silent, the only movement the curtains stirring in the breeze. “Lindy?”
Her questioning call was met with ominous silence.
“Lindy!” she yelled, panic clawing at her as she recalled the words I could take her and kill her. The fear that exploded inside her was absolute and all consuming and more terrible than anything she had ever experienced or even imagined. Her child was missing.
She nearly screamed when Shane’s hands closed on her shoulders and he gave her a shake. “Faith, calm down,” he ordered.
“I can’t find Lindy,” she choked out, her eyes wild. “Shane, I can’t find my daughter. He said he’d kill her. He said he’d kill my baby!”
Shane called on the cool professionalism he was known for. “We’ll find her, honey. She’s probably playing in some other part of the house or out in the yard. He can’t get to her here.”
“He said he’d kill her,” Faith repeated, anguish tearing her apart inside. How could anyone be so vicious as to hurt an innocent child? “She’s just a baby.”
“We’ll find her,” Shane promised. “He can’t get to her, Faith.”
They searched the house. Faith, Shane, Agent Matthews, and Mr. Fitz went over every inch of the sprawling mix of structures that made up the inn. They found no trace of Lindy.
Shane’s anxiety grew as they moved outside and went through the outbuildings on the property. Sweet, trusting Lindy. If that monster or some accomplice of his had somehow slipped through their security and gotten close to her, she would never have thought to be frightened.
The search party met on the lawn on the north side of the house. Fitz tugged anxiously at his gray beard. Matthews looked grim. Faith was on the verge of hysteria. Shane took her in his arms, needing to comfort her and not giving a damn about what his fellow agent