Her Stolen Son

Sheriff Gray smiled. “I’m not some dumb local like you think, Ms. Krantz.” He lifted a manila envelope from a file box and dropped it on the desk, then removed Serena’s cell phone, which was sealed in a plastic bag.

“When we booked Ms. Stover, we collected her personal items. The emails came from this phone.”

Serena’s heart pounded. “That’s impossible.”

“Someone else could have used that phone to plant those emails,” Kay pointed out calmly.

Sheriff Gray shrugged, then angled his head toward Serena. “But you sent them, didn’t you, Ms. Stover? You were desperate for attention after your husband’s death, so you fell for the first man who came along. Then you couldn’t stand it when Rice broke it off with you, so you stalked him, then went to his house and stabbed him.” Sheriff Gray’s voice hardened. “Now tell us where you dumped the body, and maybe we can talk a plea.”

“There’s no need to discuss a plea. My client is innocent.” Kay glared at the sheriff in challenge. “Sheriff, look at Ms. Stover. She can’t weigh more than one hundred and ten pounds. Rice was much larger and stronger, right?” She glanced at Serena. “How much did he weigh? One-eighty, two-hundred pounds?”

Serena nodded.

“First of all, it would be highly unlikely that Serena could overcome a man that size and stab him. Secondly, if she did, he would have put up a fight and she would have major defensive wounds.” Kay ticked her points off on her fingers. “And thirdly, even if she overcame those obvious obstacles and managed to kill him, how could she have possibly gotten rid of the body by herself?”

Sheriff Gray punched the first photograph of the crime scene. “See those marks on the floor? There used to be a rug in that spot. She used it to roll up the man’s body.” He slanted Serena a condemning look. “Then you dragged him outside, put him in your van and dumped him somewhere. Where? A ravine maybe? The river?”

Kay rolled her eyes. “There is no way my client could have lifted Rice into her van by herself.”

Sheriff Gray tilted his head sideways. “You’d be surprised at how strong an adrenaline rush can make a person.”

Kay shot up from her seat, her tone sarcastic. “Sheriff, this is ridiculous. The next thing you’re going to accuse her of is having an accomplice. Maybe her six-year-old son helped her dump the body.”

“Why don’t you let your client tell us how she disposed of Rice’s body?” Sheriff Gray suggested.

Serena glared at him, biting back an argument. At this point, shouting and arguing would only make her look guilty. As if his evidence hadn’t already done that.

“As I said, my client is innocent, Sheriff.” Kay reached for her briefcase. “Now this interrogation is over. I demand you release Ms. Stover.”

“We’ll let the judge decide that in the morning,” Sheriff Gray said.

“But you have no case.” Kay glared at him. “You don’t have a body so you have no definitive proof of a crime, especially a murder. And all your evidence is circumstantial.”

“It may be circumstantial,” Sheriff Gray said. “But it is enough to hold your client, and enough to convict her. And for your information, I have a warrant to confiscate Ms. Stover’s vehicle and have it searched and processed for evidence.” He checked his watch. “In fact, it’s probably being confiscated as we speak.”

Pure panic seized Serena. She wanted to deny that he would find anything incriminating in her van. But already he had evidence that boggled her mind. Evidence that had to have been planted.

But who would frame her for murder?

Dear God. If she was convicted, Petey would definitely go to foster care. She couldn’t lose him or spend the rest of her life in jail for a crime she hadn’t committed.

“Ms. Stover, do you have anything to say?” the sheriff asked.

Serena glanced at Colt. He was watching her with hooded eyes. Judging her. Trying to decide whether or not he believed her.

For some reason, that hurt more than the sheriff’s blatant accusations.

She straightened, injecting sincerity into her voice. “Just that I am innocent. I did not kill Lyle Rice, I swear it.”

The sheriff stood then as if dismissing them. “Ms. Krantz, your client’s bail hearing is set for ten in the morning. We’ll see you then.”

Kay’s eyes darkened with anger, but she nodded, then turned to Serena. “Hang in there, Serena. We’ll get you out of here as soon as possible.”

“But what about my son?” Serena clenched her hands into fists. Maybe she should have stolen those keys, snagged Petey and run. “Petey’s scared. He needs me.”

“You should have thought about that before you killed Rice,” Sheriff Gray mumbled.

“That’s enough, Sheriff.” Colt stepped toward the sheriff. “While you’re wasting time bullying an innocent single mother, the real killer, if there was indeed a murder, is free and escaping right now.”

Sheriff Gray glared at him then clutched Serena’s arm and hauled her toward the door.

COLT HATED like hell to leave Serena in jail for the night. Gray was being a hardass. Dammit, Serena’s juvenile record didn’t help.

He had to find out the story behind that arrest.

Still, he hoped Gray didn’t toss another prisoner in the cell with Serena, especially one who might be violent.

Petey’s face flashed in his mind. Her son would have to spend the night at Magnolia Manor.

He didn’t like it, but his hands were tied. And finding Rice’s killer—or his body if he was still alive—was the best way he could clear Serena and reunite her with her son.

Circumstantial or not, the evidence Gray had was pretty damn convincing.

You have been fooled before, he reminded himself. And nearly died for it.

Only this time he would be smarter. This time he wouldn’t become personally involved. Wouldn’t get close to Serena or her son.

But he would finish the case. The fact that the evidence was circumstantial and there was no body threw up red flags. He didn’t peg Serena for the stalker type either.

Of course, there was her prior record….

That was years ago, though, and she’d said she’d grown up in the system. He needed to hear the whole story before he gave credence to that arrest.

For now, he’d talk with some of her employers, friends and neighbors and find out what the adult Serena was like. He didn’t believe for a minute that Serena had left her son alone, driven to Rice’s house, murdered him, dragged him to her van and dumped his body.

Not that little bitty woman who adored her son and was sick over the idea of him being in foster care.

Trying to deflect images of her alone in that ugly cell sleeping on that nasty cot—or not sleeping, most likely—he climbed in his Range Rover and drove back to GAI. He had to update the team, see what Ben had found, and start questioning everyone who knew Serena to establish her character references.

They also needed to canvas Rice’s neighborhood for witnesses. Maybe someone spotted another vehicle the night before or heard an altercation that might lead them to the truth.

Late afternoon shadows obliterated the sun as it slipped behind the horizon, and his gut tightened. It would be a long night for Serena.

And for Petey.

Steeling himself as he parked, he strode inside. He paused at his office, but it was empty so he strode to Derrick’s. Brianna’s voice echoed from inside, then he heard baby Ryan babbling.

As he turned the corner, he spotted Petey slumped on the couch watching the baby, his little face riddled with worry. Derrick glanced up as he entered, and so did Petey.