Page 25 of Chasing a Kidnapper

“I’ll be right there. Don’t leave without me.” West caught Gracie’s concerned look. She knew that Trisha and her baby were staying with him temporarily. “Someone tried to get into my home and we have a lead on a stolen car,” he explained, then turned to Henry. “Please get us two copies of your list of employees.”

“Yeah, sure.” Henry left and he could hear the owner calling out to Martha.

“I heard about the abduction attempt on Officer McCord’s son,” Gracie said, her brow furrowed with concern. “You think the kidnapper stole a car and found out where you live?”

“That’s the only logical explanation.” He didn’t really understand how Trisha and Gabriel had been found at his place. Had they been followed? He’d kept an eye on the rearview mirror and hadn’t noticed a tail.

The fact that the perp tried to get inside, only made the situation worse. There had been a fair amount of traffic in the middle of the day. Maybe he should have done a better job of taking a convoluted route back home from the gas station.

He was itching to get out of there, even though he knew Trisha was with fellow officers. When Henry returned with two copies of the list, he took his gratefully.

“I have to go. I’ll check in with Dan Slater and Captain Ross, later. Come, Peanut.” He smiled when Peanut dropped her ducky and came to sit beside him. He picked up the toy, then led her outside.

Seconds later, he and Peanut were in the SUV heading back to the downtown area of the city. His house happened to be on the opposite side from where the pizzeria was located. He’d thought the location of the pizza parlor, being in a more deserted section of the city, was one of the reasons it had been used as a storage facility.

There were two Plains City squads parked on the road outside his place. He pulled into the driveway and parked. No point in going into the garage since they would not be staying for long. He folded the list of employees and tucked it between his seat and the center console.

“Hey, Detective,” Officer Thornton greeted him when he slid out from behind the wheel. “Everything has been quiet. No sign of the stolen vehicle since we arrived. We’ve issued a BOLO for the car and have spread out to canvass the area for the perp, but so far we have nothing to show for our efforts.”

“Thanks for the quick response.” West couldn’t help feeling guilty over the fact that he never should have left Trisha and Gabriel alone. The near miss made his blood run cold. He glanced at Peanut in the back crate, deciding she should wait there for a few minutes.

“We’re fine,” Trisha added from the front doorway. She held Gabriel on her hip, the boy looking sleepy as he rested his head on her shoulder. “There was no reason to rush back.”

Yeah, there was. He held Trish’s gaze for a moment, wishing he had the right to haul her into his arms to comfort her. She stepped back giving him room to enter. “How did this guy try to get in?”

“Picked the lock, just like at my place.” She moved toward the back door to show him. He scowled at the scratch marks around the keyhole. Thank goodness Trisha was smart enough to have figured out what was happening before this guy got all the way inside. He forced himself to remain calm as he turned toward her “Did you pack all of yours and Gabriel’s things?”

“Yes.” A flash of regret darkened her eyes. “I feel terrible about this. You can drop us off at a hotel. No reason for you to leave your home.”

“We’re in this together, remember?” No way was he leaving her and Gabriel at some hotel alone. Especially not after this. “I only need a minute to grab some stuff for me and Peanut.”

She looked as if she might argue, then nodded. He tossed a change of clothes in a duffel, then packed extra food for Peanut. Most of what she needed was already in the back of the SUV.

It took him a few extra minutes to get all of Gabriel’s things into the SUV. The portable crib, car seat, box of food supplies and diaper bag, along with Trish’s small suitcase. Obviously traveling lightly was impossible with a baby and a dog.

Mostly the baby, he thought wryly.

As Trisha buckled Gabriel in, he gestured to Officer Thornton. “Do you have the name and address of the Ford sedan’s owner?”

“Right here. Renee Mills.” Thornton thumbed his phone. “I’ll send it to you if you’d like.”

“Please.” The name wasn’t familiar, but he wanted to speak with her directly. “Thanks again. I appreciate you having my back. And Officer McCord’s back, too.”

“Always.” Thornton’s expression turned serious. “I don’t like the way crime in our city has been on the rise. The sooner we toss these bad guys behind bars, the better.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He noticed the address for Renee Mills was on the northern end of town. “Take care.”

“You, too.” Thornton turned away.

He climbed into the SUV, glancing at Trish. “You’re really okay?”

“Of course.” She managed a smile, then added, “I will admit to being on edge while waiting for the officers to arrive.”

“That was good work on noticing the vehicle in the first place,” he said softly.

“I ran the plates the first time it went past because it was moving so slow. I thought I was overreacting, then I heard someone outside the door.” She sighed. “When I called in, I learned the car was reported stolen.”

“Yeah, I was thinking we should have a little chat with the owner, Renee Mills.” He frowned. “But I don’t think we should take Gabriel with us.”

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