Page 78 of Heart of a Hero

Brad leaned forward and asked softly, “Can you remember any of the names?”

“I remember one of them because it was easy for me to read. It was Stanley Whitten.”

Karen knew the significance of the name but hoped Marty wasn’t aware of the new current that started snapping around the room.

“Any other names you remember?”

Marty scrunched his face, then nodded. “Yeah… it was a real easy one. Walter Carter.”

“Good, good,” Mark said, smiling. “That’s really good of you to remember those names, Marty.”

“I told Miss Karen that if Alan was doing bad stuff, then I wanted to help catch him. I didn’t like him. Mom kept saying that he was going to take us with him when he got enough money. She really wanted him to have money, but he never spent it on us. She just said he was going to make it big. I don’t know what that meant, but I didn’t care. He was mean.”

“Besides the money and the credit cards, did you see anything else Alan had that didn’t seem like his?”

“Um… like what?”

“Well, I don’t want to put words into your mouth, so you can just think about it and let me know if you think of anything,” Mark said.

Marty scrunched his nose and looked at Karen.

“It’s okay, honey,” she said, patting his hand. “You go ahead and finish your muffin and juice. I’ll take you to school as soon as we’re finished.”

Lisa thanked everyone and left with Brad escorting her out. John and Mark made small talk until Marty was wiping the crumbs from his mouth. Then John stood and reached his hand over to the young boy. Marty grinned shyly as he shook the detective’s hand, and Karen’s heart warmed once more.

Mark walked them out, offering a hug to Marty who then climbed into her SUV. Standing in the parking lot, Karen turned to Mark and whispered, “It’s him, isn’t it? Alan is the thief?”

“I can’t talk about an ongoing case, babe.”

Her teeth bit into the bottom lip, then she pushed on. “But he wouldn’t know who to target if it wasn’t for someone who was with the patients. And that comes back to me.” Letting out a shaky breath, she asked, “How can these two cases be connected?” She suddenly jerked and grabbed his shoulders. “Oh God, Mark… could he have been following me?”

“I don’t know, but I promise I’m going to find out.”

With that, he squeezed her hand and leaned forward, placing a light kiss on her now cold lips. Climbing into the vehicle, she pulled out of the parking lot. With more enthusiasm than she felt, she said, “Well, Marty, that was exciting. Now, let’s get you to school so you can have a great day.”

If only I could feel the same!

33

Mark stormed into the workroom, his body radiating tension, every muscle taut with barely contained fury. He met the eyes of the other detectives, noting they included Jeremy and Pete from the drug task force, as well as Colt. He opened his mouth to speak, but the flood of words that threatened to escape felt too dangerous, too volatile. He snapped it shut, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.

Staring down at his boots, he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the cold, sterile air of the precinct. He held it for a moment, forcing the anger to settle, then slowly let it out through his nose. Only then did he lift his head, his eyes blazing with a controlled, simmering intensity.

“I know Karen Drummond had nothing to do with the thefts,” he said, his voice low. “I also know that Alan Solstein had stolen credit cards in his possession from at least two of the ESHH patients. And I know that she was at those houses. But what I don’t know is how that fucker got information from her. Was he following her? If so, that means he knows what she drives… what her schedule looks like… maybe where she lives.” His voice rose with each word.

Brad shifted slightly toward him, and Mark let out a rueful chuckle. He was usually the calm one… the stalwart detective. And now he was ready to blow a gasket over someone who had entered his inner sanctum and was a threat to the one he loved.Loved.The thought hit him like a sucker punch to the gut, and his mind reeled from it. He blinked, the sudden realization stunning him into silence.Was that what this was? Love?

“You okay, man?” Brad quietly asked.

Letting out a shaky breath, he nodded. Now wasn’t the time to define his feelings for Karen or slap a label on his relationship with her. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Brad and Colt exchanged glances, and Sam spoke up, his voice gruff but understanding. "Hell, don’t be sorry," he said, shaking his head in solidarity. Aaron and Brad nodded in agreement, their expressions softening. "Some of us have been where you are, and it sucks."

Mark ran a hand over his face, the tension still buzzing in his veins, but the edge of his anger dulled as he let their words sink in. He wasn’t alone in this. They understood. But the thought of anyone—especially Alan—putting Karen in danger made his blood boil all over again. He couldn't let it happen. Not to her.

“Let’s work the problem like we know how to do,” Colt said. “Jeremy and Pete—you’ll take the drug aspect of what was found in the mobile home of Carla Perkins. Mark, I want you and John to see what you can find out about Carla and Alan… where they might have gone. Brad, you work with Elizabeth and check on the people Karen mentioned. There’s got to be some link. Sam and Aaron—you’ve got your own cases, but whatever time you have, throw some into this. We want to get our hands on Carla and Alan before he has a chance to break into someone else’s place. He may be desperate.”

Everyone headed to their desks, and the normal chatter became muted as the detectives fired up their computers andbegan working. An hour later, Mark looked over at John whose desk was behind him. “You got anything?”

---