luck findin’ your kin.”
“Thank you, Lyla,” Claire said. The woman flashed a last smile and firmly closed the door.
Ben took hold of Claire’s hand to guide her through the darkness along the road back to the SUV.
“I knew it!” Claire said as soon as the car doors were closed. “I knew that bastard took Sam.”
“This calls for a change of plans. We know where he’s headed but we can’t cover half the country by ourselves. We need to call the cops, give them a heads-up that Bridger’s got the boy, get them to watch the roads, press them harder to find him.”
“I’ll call while you drive.”
“Don’t mention Hutchins until we can get some intel on the guy. I want to know what kind of trouble Bridger might be taking Sam into.”
Pulling her cell phone out of her purse, she pressed the number she’d keyed in belonging to Detective Owens, her contact in the missing-persons division.
“Hello, Detective, this is Claire Chastain. I’m in Arizona. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I wanted to let you know that Sam is definitely with Troy Bridger and that he and Sam are on their way to Louisiana.”
The man said something and Claire covered the phone. “Owens wants to know how I got the information. Should I tell him?”
Ben shook his head.
“The source is confidential, but you can rely on the information being true.”
He couldn’t hear what Owens said.
“Thank you, Detective.” Claire hung up the phone. “He wanted a way to confirm, but I think he believed what I said. By the way, where are we going?”
“Back to the Holiday Inn. It’s late and both of us are tired. Once we get settled, I’ll get on the internet, see if I can locate Duke Hutchins. If not, I’ll call Sol first thing in the morning.”
At least they knew they were on the right track. The police had believed the Robersons that Sam had run away. But Claire had been adamant that Bridger had conned the boy into going with him, and she had been right. His admiration for the lady went up another notch.
He sliced her a sideways glance. He hadn’t forgotten the call she’d received from Michael Sullivan. The good news was she didn’t seem to be encouraging him. Ben wasn’t sure why that seemed important.
He thought of the conversation they’d had with Lyla Holden. Now that they were sure they were heading in the right direction, some of his tension eased. He was good at his job and he was determined. As far as he was concerned, it was only a matter of time until he found his son.
He carefully tamped down his worry for the boy. He had no idea what was happening to Sam, but if his thoughts started to go in that direction, he wouldn’t be able to focus and he couldn’t do his job. And they could only move as fast as the information they received.
He thought of the night ahead and the sleep he so badly needed. He knew Claire was dog-tired, but also as keyed up as he was. He thought of her pretty face, slender curves and all that silky dark hair. He knew exactly how to solve the problem so they could both get some sleep.
But he was pretty sure what her answer would be if he suggested they rent one room for the night instead of two.
* * *
Claire sat quietly as Ben drove back to the motel he had spotted on the way to Lyla Holden’s place.
“Nice call on Bridger,” he said. “You were right all along. It took balls to stick to your guns the way you did. You kept your sights focused on the right man. I owe you one, Claire.”
She ignored the feeling of warmth that ran through her. “You don’t owe me anything. Bridger might not have taken Sam if he wasn’t mad at me. And I want Sam to have a good home. I promised Laura. I’m just thankful we’re looking in the right place.”
Ben didn’t say more. She knew he was as tired as she was, and though he was clearly relieved their efforts so far weren’t in vain, the set of his jaw and the lines across his forehead told her how worried he was about his son.
Considering he had never met the boy—never even known he had a son—Ben had more than accepted his duties as a father. She was coming to admire him more and more.
And finding him even more appealing. Aside