Every Breath You Take Part 12

Are you smiling because I look surprisingly nice, or because thereas something wrong with my dress?shead asked.

Iam smiling because I just realized you have gorgeous legs, and I never saw them before.

I was wearing both of them earlier. In fact, I distinctly remember that they were attached to me when we were in bed.

Unaware that her hand was still on her tote and her gaze was locked on the back of the sofa, she started when Gray Elliott said, aKate? Are you feeling all right?a aOh, yes, perfectly all right,a Kate lied hastily.

He nodded acceptance of her answer and got down to business. aWhat can I do for you?a Wetting her lips, Kate drew a long breath and said, aWhen I was here the last time, you had a stack of files on one corner of your desk. The ones you took off the top had pictures in them of Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt and me. Am I right that the files you left on your desk involved your actual investigation of him?a He hesitated, mobile brows narrowing slightly over wary gray eyes. aWhy do you ask?a aDid you investigate him?a Kate said calmly but obstinately, then she answered for him. aWell, of course, you must have. I mean, surely you didnat waste a small fortune of taxpayersa money sending detectives to the Caribbean just to take licentious photographs of him seducing mea"and whoever else he seduced,a she added as an afterthought.

aIf thatas what youare trying to find out by coming here today, the answer is that you were the only woman he showed any interest in while he was down there.a aHow lucky for me,a Kate said, then she shook her head to stop herself from betraying, or feeling, any bitterness. aActually, he wasnat interested in me at alla"a she said, starting to explain the truth, but Gray Elliottas incredulous smile stopped her in midsentence.

aHe certainly looks interested in those photographs. I would even have said absorbed,a Gray replied.

aThatas what he needed me to think. Never mind, that doesnat matter. Iam getting sidetracked,a Kate said, and decided to abandon her carefully thought out plan and go straight to what did matter. aI need to ask you something, but before I do, is there the slightest chance youad be willing to give me your word that what I say here wonat leave this room?a aThat depends on whether what youare going to say involves the commission of a crime,a he said half-seriously.

That struck Kate as funny and almost endearing, and she smiled at hima"a natural, warm smile this time. aUnless bad timing and gullibility are crimes, thereas no problem. If they are crimes, get out your handcuffs.a He returned her smile and leaned back in his chair, ready to listen. aYou have my word that our conversation wonat leave this room.a aThank you. What I need is information about Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt from your files, but Iam not interested in him as your murder suspect.a aWhat is it that youare curious about?a aIam not curious,a Kate said simply. aIam pregnant.a The words dropped like a bomb, sending shock waves rippling across the room. Finally, he said, aYou could probably locate him yourself with some intense snooping on the Internet. However, Iall give you his addresses.a aI donat want to locate him,a Kate said, and for the second time Gray Elliott was silent with shock.

aWhy not? He has a right to know about this baby, and he also has financial obligations to you and to it.a aBelieve me, he would not want to exercise his rights to this baby. He made his first wife divorce him when she wanted to have a child. And as far as Iam concerned, he has no obligations to this baby. Iam the one who inadvertently had unprotected s.e.x with him, and Iam the one who chose not to terminate this pregnancy. The responsibilities for the baby are all mine, and thatas fine with me.a He studied her closely for several moments, as if her thinking struck him as almost too unusual to believe. aWhat do you think youall discover in our files?a aEvan told me a little bit about the way Mitch.e.l.l grew up and what the Wyatts did to him. Do you know anything about that?a aYes, as a matter of fact, I know all about it.a aAre you also aware that Evanas father orchestrated and supervised everything concerning it?a To her surprise, Gray nodded.

aThen you should be able to believe this: Mitch.e.l.l staged that whole seduction effort to get himself a little revenge against the Bartletts. I was just a gullible tool. When I met him in Anguilla, I had no idea head ever been to Chicago, let alone that he knew Henry and Evan. He knew who I was from the very beginning, though, and when he realized Evan wasnat with me, he pulled out all the stops to get me into bed.a She waited for all that to sink in, then she said with a sad laugh, aMitch.e.l.l got much more revenge than he hoped for: Evan and I arenat together anymore, and Iam pregnant with Mitch.e.l.las child.a aHow will looking through our files help you?a aI need to learn about him so that I can understand why he did the things he did. Once I understand why, Iam hoping Iall be able to forgive him, and then Iall be able to love my baby. As it stands now, I canat think of this baby without hating his father and hating myself for being such a fool over him.a Tipping his head back, Gray Elliott contemplated the ceiling, and Kate held her breath. Finally, he looked directly at her and said, aWilliam Wyatt spent a fortune on private investigators because he wanted to find out everything he possibly could about the little brother whoad been sent away to make his own way in the world. Caroline Wyatt gave us that file, thinking it might a.s.sist us in our own investigation.a He got up, walked over to a built-in wooden file cabinet, and removed a fat file from it. aTechnically,a he said, as he walked over to the conference table and laid the file on it, athis file of Carolineas is separate from our own investigatory files, so Iam under no real burden of confidentiality. I donat see why you couldnat sit over here and look through it while Iam out to lunch.a Any emotion, even relief, brought tears to her eyes these days, and she had to brush them away as she smiled at him and got up to walk over to the conference table. aThank you very much,a she said achingly.

He stared at her face for a moment, then he returned to the file cabinet, took out an armload of additional files, and carried those to the conference table, too. aThese files are strictly confidential,a he said with a meaningful smile. aIall be back in an hour.a aMISSDONOVAN ISstill in your office,a Grayas secretary told him.

Gray nodded, opened his office door, and walked inside. Kate Donovan was so engrossed in what she was reading that she didnat even notice head returned. When he sat down at his desk, his leather chair made a noise, and she glanced up, completely startled. aIn twenty minutes, I have a meeting scheduled here,a Gray said, abut youare welcome to stay until then.a aThank you,a she said, and immediately lost herself in the file again.

Reaching for a tablet and pen, Gray started making notes for his meeting, but his gaze kept straying in her direction, and after ten minutes, he finally gave up and put his pen down to watch her. She was still working her way toward the bottom of Williamas dark blue file, which, as he recalled, covered the first nineteen or twenty years of Mitch.e.l.las life. There was nothing significant in that one; it contained mostly school transcripts, some letters and statements from those teachers who remembered him and were still employed at the boarding schools head attended, and copies of any pages from school periodicals or yearbooks that mentioned him.

And yet she was clearly finding items of import there, because at times shead smile softly or frown, and a minute before, head distinctly seen her touch her fingertip almost tenderly to a newspaper photograph of him.

She was to his left, facing in his general direction, her head bent, her s.h.i.+ning red hair spilling over her shoulders. She looked very young and very vulnerable, he thought, and very, very pretty, with her fair skin, long russet eyelashes, and the tiny cleft in her chin. Idly, he wondered why he hadnat noticed how truly lovely she was before. Shead always seemed striking with her dark red hair, but head never really looked at her face. Now that head had a good long look at that face and that red hair, he realized the combination was stunning. And when he added in her emerald eyes and those legs of hers, she was downright fantastic looking.

Unfortunately for her, Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt hadnat overlooked her attributes and neither had that manipulative, two-faced schmuck Evan Bartlett. Bartlett had made sure everybody in their social circle knew that head dumped her and broken their engagement, but head neglected to mention that shead cheated on him first. That would have made him look like less of a stud.

Getting up out of his chair, Gray perched a hip on the corner of his desk closest to the conference table and said, aAre you finding anything thatas helpful in all that stuff?a She lifted jewel-bright eyes to his, nodded, and gave him a winsome smile. aHe was an amazing athlete. He excelled at everything he tried, didnat he?a Surprised that athletic prowess would matter to her, Gray considered her question. aI guess he did. I remember there were a lot of school newspaper and yearbook photographs of him playing sports and getting trophies.a aDid you notice anything else about those photographs?a aNo,a Gray said. aWhat was there to notice?a Her voice caught. aHe was always alone.a As proof, she flipped back a few pages in the file and took out the first photograph she came to. Gray shoved off the desk and walked the few steps to the conference table to see what she meant. In the photograph, Wyatt looked to be about sixteen, and he was getting a soccer trophy for breaking the school record for most goals in one season. aHe isnat alone,a Gray pointed out. aTwo of his teammates who also won trophies are standing on either side of him.a aYes, they are,a Kate said softly. aBut those two teammatesa parents are standing next to their sons. Itas the same theme in every photograph.a She flipped slowly backward in the filea"and in the chronological order of his lifea"to a photograph taken of him when he was about six during a cricket match. His bat looked way too big for him, and he was concentrating so hard he was scowling. aThat is a kid who is focused on the ball,a Gray joked.

She nodded, started to say something, then shook her head and changed her mind. aDid you read this interview with the custodian of the grounds at his boarding school in France?a aThat sort of thing wasnat of interest to me,a Gray admitted. aWhat does it tell you?a aMr. Brickley said Mitch.e.l.l spent several Christmases with his wife and himself, rather than spending them with the headmasteras family. He said Mitch.e.l.l later wrote to them from the next boarding school he attended, but Mr. Brickleyas wife died and he stopped answering Mitch.e.l.las letters.a Tears clogged her voice as she said, aDo you know why Mitch.e.l.l was writing letters to a disinterested groundskeeper from his next boarding school?a aI havenat the faintest idea.a aHe was writing to him because it was mandatory at all these boarding schools for boys to write to a family member every two weeks. He didnat have anyone else to write to.a Leaning back in her chair, she said with a choked laugh, aI donat blame him for despising the Bartletts and wanting revenge. In fact, I feel better knowing thata"although I was badly useda"it was actually for avery worthy cause.a Gray grinned at her joke. aYou missed the good stuff. His later years were filled with triumphs. In one of those files thereas a magazine article about Stavros Konstantatos. He called Wyatt amy left fist.a a aHis what?a Leaning across her, Gray sorted through the top files, slid one out, and removed the article head shown to Jeff Cervantes and Lily Reardon. Kate read it, her smile faded, and she handed it back. aItas a little easier for me to see him as a boy and young man than as a dynamic businessman. Itas harder for me to forgive a successful, intelligent man than it is to overlook the heartlessness of a boy who grew up with rich kids while he thought he himself was a charity case without a relative in the world.a With a vague notion of trying to persuade Gray to let her have a copy of a picture of Mitch.e.l.l to show her son someday, Kate reached for a file that obviously contained photographs.

The top photograph was a picture of Mitch.e.l.l standing alone at the wharf in Philipsburg with the sun setting in the background. According to the date and time stamp in the lower right-hand corner, the photograph was taken at 5:45PM .

It was taken on the date she was supposed to meet him there at four oaclock.

Her hand shook as she picked it up and looked at the date and time again, unable to believe her eyes.

aOh, my G.o.d!a she whispered, looking from the photograph to the one that had been beneath it. That one was taken at 5:15 on the same day in the same place. aOh, my G.o.d!a she said again.

aWhy are you upset about that shot? Youare not in it.a aI was supposed to be there,a Kate said, swiftly sliding the next photograph aside and then the ones beneath it. They were in chronological order. The first shot taken of Mitch.e.l.l at the wharf that day was time-stamped 3:30PM .

Not caring that Gray Elliott would think her demented, she touched Mitch.e.l.las picture as if she could smooth back a loose black lock near his temple. aYou were there,a she whispered achingly. aYou were waiting there for me . . .a There was no mistaking that datea"shead gotten pregnant in the predawn hours of that day.

Gray straightened, taking in her flushed cheeks and overbright eyes. aCan I get you a gla.s.s of water or something?a Kate started to laugh and ended up weeping.

aYouare scaring me, Kate.a She went from weeping to joyous laughter and stood up, wrapping him in a quick, fierce hug with one arm, while she held the picture in her free hand. aYou have nothing to be scared abouta"unless you try to pry this photograph out of my hand,a she warned him, with a beaming smile.

aI canata"a aYes, you can. No one will ever know. Itas for his son to see someday.a When he looked prepared to wrestle her to the ground for it, Kate sketched in the details of why it meant so much to her. When she was finished, he was a beaten man, and she knew it. aPhone me when youad like to have dinner,a she said, aand I will see that you and your guests have a meal fit for a king.a aThat sounds like a bribe.a She was so deliriously happy that she patted the arm of a man she barely knew and smilingly said, aNot a bribe, apayoff. a She picked up her tote bag and headed for the door, then she stopped in the middle of his office and turned back. aJust out of curiosity, where did he go when he left the wharf?a aHe went directly to the airport and flew back here. His brotheras body had been found that day, and his nephew phoned him and pleaded with him to come straight home.a aThe same nephew who later confessed to killing William?a Gray nodded, his expression turning grim. aThe very same crazy little b.a.s.t.a.r.d who duped the most lenient judge in the juvenile court system and got off with a year in a psychiatric facility, followed by outpatient therapy, and three years probation.a Outside on the sidewalk, Kate had to restrain the urge to throw her arms out wide and turn in slow, delighted circles. Mitch.e.l.l had been waiting for her at the wharf. She wasnat as nave now as shead been then, so she didnat deceive herself into thinking head been in love with her and waiting there to carry her away with him.

The fact that he was there at the wharf didnat negate the pretenses and secrets head built their brief relations.h.i.+p on. Head pretended he knew nothing about Chicago, head pretended he knew nothing about Zack Benedict, and head sent her back to the villa to break up with Evan without ever admitting he knew who Evan was.

But he hadnot intended for her to trot back to the Enclave like an eager puppy only to find out that her master had checked out and vanished. He had not been going to let that happen. Maybe he had been waiting at the wharf just to say, aIam sorry Iave used you and hurt youa"the Bartletts were my real target.a It didnat matterwhy head been waiting there for her. It only mattered that head been there. Holly might have been right after alla"while he was executing his plan for revenge, head started to care for Kate a little, maybe enough to want to watch the sunrise with her. His behavior at the Childrenas Hospital benefit rather negated that last thought, so Kate decided never to think about that awful night again.

In her heart a little voice pleaded with her to find Mitch.e.l.l and see if she could make whatever feeling head had for her grow deeper and stronger. But then logic pointed out the futility of that. She was pregnant with his child, and Mitch.e.l.l did not want anything to do with fatherhood. No doubt he felt that looking at his own child would bring back all the helplessness and pain of his own childhood. Kate felt an impulse to do real violence to Henry and Evan Bartlett and Cecil Wyatt, and everyone else who had put a beautiful, black-haired, blue-eyed little boy through a life of senseless misery.

Kate hailed a cab, slid into the backseat, and asked the driver to take her to Donovanas restaurant. When she started to give him the address, he waved his hand and said, aEverybody in Chicago knows where it is.a That was an exaggeration, but Kate didnat argue. Sliding her hand protectively over her stomach, she whispered to the baby shead been unable to accept until an hour ago. aDaniel Patrick Donovan,a she said, ayou and I have a restaurant to run!a Walking straight and quickly, Kate pushed the heavy door open and walked into Donovanas; then she paused a moment and decided that Daniel Mitch.e.l.l Donovan was the perfect name.

Chapter Forty-two.

KATE PULLED HERcar to a stop at the Valet Parking sign ten minutes before Donovanas regular opening time, but none of Donovanas valet attendants were waiting under the awning as they normally were by 11:20 in the morning.

Shead dropped Danny and his nanny off in front of the restaurant at 9:00AM , so she could keep her dentist appointment, and now she wanted to kiss him good-bye before Molly took him to the park, which she did almost every day at about this time.

He was twenty-two months old, full of energy and exuberance, and he loved the swings and slides and teeter-totter. Last Sunday, on a beautiful September afternoon, Kate had taken him to the park near their home, and shead gotten some wonderful photographs of him sailing his boat in the big fountain with sunlit trees in the background.

Twice that day, people had stopped to remark on how beautiful he was, which was a normal occurrence for any outing with Danny. He was the image of his father, with Mitch.e.l.las thick black hair and dark-lashed, cobalt eyes; he even had his slow smile and effortless charm. He was also showing signs of having inherited Mitch.e.l.las magnetism with females. With one of his quick, flas.h.i.+ng grins, Danny could conquer the hearts of womena"from old ladies to teenagers to an adorable two-year- old girl from the South whose name was Caperton Beirne.

The only genetic contribution from her that Kate could see was that Dannyas hair was slightly curly, although not as curly as hers.

He was tall for his age, surprisingly well-coordinated, and growing up so fast that, at times, Kate wished she could reach out and stop the clock from ticking away the minutes and days of his childhood. He was extremely bright, anda"not surprisinglya"he was also starting to pick up and repeat words and phrases from the several languages he heard being spoken by Donovanas culturally diverse employees. His most recently acquired phrasea"a colorful Polish cursea"had Kate thinking he needed to stay upstairs with Molly, in the apartment shead expanded and renovated so she could spend some time with him when she was at work.

Wondering where the valet attendants were, Kate debated about driving around the corner and putting her car in the lot there, then she decided to risk getting a ticket by leaving it where it was until she could find a valet to move it. She was halfway across the sidewalk when she heard Hank at the corner newsstand shout, aCongratulations, Miss Donovan!a Puzzled, Kate waved to him and kept walking.

She unlocked the heavy front door, walked inside, and sawa"absolutely no one. The dining rooms were set up for lunch, everything looked perfect, except no one was therea"not the matre da, not a single waiter or busboy or valet attendant. Puzzled and vaguely uneasy, Kate quickened her pace toward the kitchen, rushed through the swinging doors, and stopped short as a smiling army of loyal employees burst into cheers and applause. At the front of the crowd, Molly was holding Danny, and he was clapping and grinning.

Next to him was a big sign on a floor stand where the specials of the day were usually posted by the chefs for the benefit of the kitchen staff and waiters. Today it said, aKate Donovan, Restaurateur of the Year.a Kate scooped Danny out of Mollyas arms and looked around at the sea of smiling faces. aWhatas all this about?a she asked.

Frank OaHalloran grinned at Marjorie and then at the rest of the staff. aShe hasnat seen it yet,a he said, and everyone burst out laughing.

aSeen what?a Kate said.

Drew Garetti, the manager shead replaced Louis Kellard with a little over two years before, held out the morningas edition of theChicago Tribune. It was opened to a full-page article with a headline that read,KATE DONOVAN, CHICAGOaS RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR. According to the article, Kate had been chosen for the honor partly because of the overall excellence of the dining experience at Donovanas and partly because of a program shead inst.i.tuted whereby Donovanas chef and sous-chef exchanged places four times a year with their counterparts at equally famous restaurants throughout the country. This gave Donovanas customers a chance to enjoy the fare from other fabulous restaurants, as it did the customers of the other restaurants.

Included in the article were several pictures used in prior stories about Donovanas, including one of Kate with the governor of Illinois and one of Kate meeting with her kitchen staff, with Danny beside her in his high chair.

The caption below that one read, aKate Donovan runs her restaurant while son Daniel looks on and learns the ropes from his high chair.a Kate scanned the article, then she looked around at her staff and told them exactly who she felt deserved the credit for her award. aI canat thank all of you enough for this,a she said simply.

Drew glanced at his watch, then at everyone else. aWeare opening in two minutes,a he warned them, and patted Kateas shoulder as he walked out. aYouare the best,a he said.

Kate gave Danny a hug. aDid you hear that, Danny? Drew says weare the best.a In response, Danny planted a kiss on her cheek and said, aMolly and me go to the park, Mommy.a Kate let him slide to the floor, and he took Mollyas hand. He adored Molly, whoad come to work for Kate when Danny was born, and the middle-aged Irish woman positively doted on him.

aNo flirting with Caperton,a Kate teased, looking from the little boy to his devoted nanny.

aBILLYWYATT ISwaiting out in the reception room,a Evanas secretary said as he stalked by her desk, carrying his briefcase and a folded newspaper. aHeas been here since ten oaclock, and he insists on seeing you.a aBring me a gla.s.s of water, send someone for a Dr Pepper, and then have him come in,a Evan said curtly. In his office, he slapped the newspaper on his desk and unloaded the files that head worked on the night before from his briefcase.

His secretary arrived with a gla.s.s of chilled bottled water, and he sat down behind his desk; then he picked up theTribune and reread the latest story about another of Kateas successes. She was like a splinter in his foot that he couldnat get completely out. Everyone knew theyad been engaged, and every time people started to forget, Kate reemerged as the star in another d.a.m.ned local newspaper or magazine article.

According to the article before this one, the stateas attorney and the mayor were two of her regular customers. For weeks after that article appeared, Evan couldnat show his face in the courthouse or anywhere lawyers gathered without being ribbed for failing to recognize what a political advantage head sacrificed by not marrying her.

Todayas article raved about her, as all the other stories had done, but todayas article also included a nice big color photograph of Wyattas little b.a.s.t.a.r.d and her in the kitchen at Donovanas. It was the second time head seen that picture, the second time head had to look at it. The little son of a b.i.t.c.h looked so much like his father that it was uncanny, and that infuriated him even more.

aHi, Evan. Thanks for making time for me.a Tossing the paper down in disgust, Evan stood up and shook Billyas hand. At seventeen, Billy was a good-looking kid, a little stocky, as his father had been, but not as pleasant to be around.

The psychiatrists and the court had both agreeda"with a little help from the excellent defense lawyers that Evanas law firm had selecteda"that his ADHD medication had caused Billyas psychotic break the day he shot his father. That didnat require a big stretch of imagination, since theread been mounting evidence that the medication could cause psychotic episodes in some people. A year of confinement in a psychiatric hospital, plus ongoing therapy during his three-year probation period, had supposedly helped him resolve conflicts and learn impulse control.

aHowas your new girlfriend?a Evan asked, trying to remember what Billy had said her name was during his last visit.

aRebeccaas fine.a aWhere did you meet her?a aIn group therapy. You probably know her parentsa"the Crowells?a Evan didnat know them, so he shook his head and ended the small talk. aWhat can I do for you?a Evan asked, but he already had a good idea why Billy was there. Cecil had died recently, and head left one-third of his estate to charity and one-third to Billy, which was to be held in trust until he was thirty, with the stipulation that he forfeited it if he was convicted of any felony in the meantime. The remaining one-third had been left to Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt, who had already directed the executors to use his share to create the William Wyatt Foundation for Victims of Violence.

aI want to hire you to break my grandpa Cecilas will. Mitch.e.l.l is going to start a f.u.c.king foundation withmy money, and I want you to stop him before itas too late. My father is dead, my grandfather and great-grandfather are dead, and everything was supposed to be mine. If my dad hadnat brought Mitch.e.l.l into the family, Grandpa wouldnat have given him my money, and Iad be rich. Instead, Iam supposed to wait around until Iam thirty to get a little bit of what I should have had, and Iam not going to do it. I get off probation in another year and a half, and I want my money, and I want my own life!a aBilly, weave already had this conversation. As I told you, Cecilas will was drawn up by the best probate law firm in Chicago. Iave looked it over, and thereas no way you can get your money back from Mitch.e.l.l. I know itas not fair, but youare going to have to learn to live with ita"a aYou donat understand! I hate that son of a b.i.t.c.h. I hate him so much I canat stand it.a aBelieve me, I know how you feel.a Billy looked contemptuous of that possibility, so Evan reached out and shoved theTribune in front of him. aDo you see that picture? That was my girlfriend. Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt got her pregnant. See that kida"thatas his kid.a Billy studied the boy in the photograph, and then he said in a chilling voice, aSoa"this makes him whata"my cousin?a

Chapter Forty-three.

THE CLOSEST PARKto Donovanas took up an entire city block, with paths through the trees leading to all four bordering streets. It was too far away for Danny to walk on his own, but he always insisted on trying anyway and ended up walking beside his stroller part of the way and riding in it the rest. aLook who I see,a Molly told him as they neared the park. aThereas our friend Reba, with a balloon. I wonder who itas for?a aFor me!a he said excitedly, clapping his hands in his stroller. He scrambled out of the stroller as soon as they reached the bench by the swings, and he ran to Reba, who was sitting there, reading a book. Shead told Molly two weeks ago, when she first started coming to the park, that she was eighteen and taking some time off before starting college.

aHi, Danny,a Reba said, and pretended she didnat know a red balloon was floating by a string from her hand.

aMine?a Danny asked, pointing to the balloon. aPlease?a he added with a lopsided grin that never failed to get an answering smilea"and usually whatever he wanted, as well.

Smiling, Reba stood up, still holding the balloon, and gave Molly a wink. aFollow the balloon, Danny, and Iall show you a surprise.a aA turtle!a Danny predicted joyously, following her toward one of the paths, with Molly holding his hand and pus.h.i.+ng the empty stroller.

aFollow the balloon,a Reba chanted over her shoulder as she started down the path.

aThe balloon is the same color as your s.h.i.+rt,a Molly told Danny. aWhat color is it?a aRed!a Danny replied gleefully.

A thras.h.i.+ng sound in the brush on her left and slightly behind her made Molly turn to look, but all she saw was a baseball bat an instant before it crashed into her skull. She didnat see the bat being raised again for a second blow or hear Reba say fiercely, aNo, donat, Billy! No one is supposed to get hurt!a She didnat hear Danny start to cry or call, aMolly, Molly!a She didnat feel a sheet of paper being shoved down the front of her dress.

In the park near the swings, two mothers looked up and saw a bright red balloon floating upward from the trees. They didnat think anything about it until fifteen minutes later, when a woman staggered from the path with blood streaming from her head.

A block away, on the opposite side of the park, an old man was sitting on a bench tossing peanuts to a squirrel. A young couple emerged from the park, pus.h.i.+ng a dark green stroller with a child who was trying to climb out. The young mother laughed and pressed him back down. The old man on the bench didnat think anything about that until twenty minutes later, when police cars, with sirens screaming and light bars flas.h.i.+ng, descended on the park from every direction.

ON THE FIFTHfloor of the Richard J. Daley Center, Gray Elliott was in his office, eating lunch at his desk and writing an outline for a speech he was scheduled to give before the Illinois Anti-Crime Commission the following week. With a sandwich in one hand, he picked up his telephone with the other and answered a phone call from police captain Russell Harvey.

aGray,a the captain said, aI just got a phone call from a lieutenant downtown who knows that you and I have dinner at Donovanas once in a while. Kate Donovanas son was kidnapped from a park near the restaurant an hour ago. I thought youad want to know.a Gray dropped his sandwich on the desk and stood up. aWho caught the case?a aA couple of pretty good detectives. Theyare on their way to tell Kate right now.a aCan you a.s.sign MacNeil and Childress instead and put them in charge? Theyave been partners for a couple of years now, and from everything I hear, theyave racked up one of the best arrest records in the department.a aI already did that. Are you going to go to the restaurant to see Kate? If not, I think Iall drop by there and a.s.sure her she has our unconditional support.a aIam on my way,a Gray said, already shrugging into his suit jacket. aIall give her your message.a

Chapter Forty-four.

aMISSDONOVAN,IaMDetective MacNeil and this is Detective Childress.a Seated behind the desk that had been her fatheras, Kate took one look at the detectivesa grave faces and an awakening terror, unlike anything she had ever known, sent her slowly to her feet. aDanny?a she said, automatically naming the most terrifying reason of all for their visit. aWhereas Danny? Whatas happened? Whereas Molly?a aDanny was kidnapped from the park about an hour agoa"a aOh, my G.o.d. No. Please!a she cried. aNot Danny. Please, not Danny!a Across the hall, Marjorie bolted from her chair at the sound of Kateas anguished cry, and she b.u.mped into Drew Garetti, whoad rushed down the hall from the other direction.

aWhereas Molly?a Kate asked in tones of rising hysteria. aIs she with Danny? He wonat be as scared ifa"a aMrs. Miles was knocked unconscious in the park by the kidnappers,a Detective MacNeil said, abut she regained consciousness and managed to attract notice and get help. She was taken by ambulance to Parkston General with a suspected skull fracture. However, she was able to give us a pretty detailed description of a young woman who we think was part of the plot.a In her mind, Kate was screaming in tormented fear, but all she could do was stand there with her knees knocking together and her body trembling so violently that she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold herself still. Detective MacNeil continued in a calm, rea.s.suring voice. aWe stand an excellent chance of getting Danny back safely, but we need to move very quickly now, and we need your help.a Kate nodded jerkily, her teeth chattering. aWhat?a she asked. aWhat do you need?a aWeare going to issue an amber alert right away. For that, we need a recent picture of Danny, a description of his clothing, his age, weight, and height.a Kate picked up a framed picture of Danny from her desk, started to hand it to Detective MacNeil, then pulled it back, clutching it to her heart and wrapping her arms around it. aMy baby,a she whispered brokenly. aMy baby!a aIall get one of his pictures from upstairs,a Marjorie volunteered, already on the way at a run.

aPlease try to stay calm for the next few minutes so we can get the alert out,a MacNeil said. aWe need Dannyas height and weight.a Kate made a valiant effort to do what he said and turned to her computer to locate Dannyas pediatricianas phone number on her electronic address book. aDanny just went to the pediatricianas for his checkup,a she babbled. aHeall know Dannyas height and weight exactly.a aWhat was he wearing?a Detective Childress asked from behind her, his notebook and pencil poised.

Kate glanced over her shoulder. Childress was younger than MacNeil, Kate noted, and not quite as good at pretending everything was going to be fine. aDanny was w-wearing a red s.h.i.+rt and blue denim overalls. . . .a An image of Danny grinning at her in his red s.h.i.+rt and overalls just a little while ago broke down her fragile barrier of control, and she began weeping while she tried to find the pediatricianas number. aI canata"a aIall get it for you, Kate,a Drew volunteered, squeezing past the detectives and coming around her desk. aWhat name am I looking for?a When Kate told him, he found the phone number, made the call for her, and explained the situation to the receptionist who answered. Two minutes later, he hung up and gave the detectives the details.

MacNeilas cell phone rang, and Gray Elliott strode past the detectives while Childress was writing down the information Drew gave him.

aKate, stay calm,a Gray said, putting his arm around her shaking shoulders. aThis is going to be okay. Youave got the best detectives in Cook County in charge, and a task force is already being organized. Is there somewhere else we can go with more room?a aUpstairs,a Kate said, and led the way up the steps and into the s.p.a.cious living room where Danny and Molly and she played or watched television whenever Kate could get up there during working hours.

MacNeil paused in the doorway, talking on his phone. When he hung up, he looked at Gray and said with what sounded like relief, aThereas a ransom note. The paramedics found it stuffed down the front of Molly Milesas dress. The kidnappers said theyall make contact here at eight oaclock tonight with instructions for the drop.a Kate sank onto a sofa, letting the conversation swirl around her, dimly aware that word had spread downstairs and the doorway was filling up with worried faces.

aExcellent,a Gray said.

aExcellent?a Kate repeated numbly, but hopefully, trying to understand.

aKidnapping for ransom has a much better outcome than other types of child abduction,a Gray told her, and looked back at MacNeil. aAnything significant about the ransom note?a aNothing thatas apparent, but Iam sending a uniform out there to get it and rush it to forensics. All I know right now is that itas printed from a computer on white paper.a He looked at Childress and said, aGo ahead and get the wheels in motion for an amber alert.a To Marjorie, he said, aPlease give that photograph to Detective Childress.a Marjorie handed it over, rubbed her hands on the sides of her skirt, and whirled on her heel, heading for the apartmentas kitchen. aIall make some coffee for everyone.a aGood idea,a Gray said, then he exchanged a speaking glance with MacNeil, who followed her and stopped her near the kitchen entrance.

Sitting on the sofa, Kate watched Marjorie nod in reply to whatever MacNeil said, then she asked him a question, and his answer made her cover her mouth as if she was stifling a cry. aWhatas wrong?a Kate cried, half rising from the sofa as Marjorie headed for Dannyas bedroom.

Gray put his hand on her arm and drew her back down. aWe need to get a sample of Dannyas DNA from his hairbrush or toothbrush.a aWhy?a Kate demanded, unable to think as clearly as Marjorie had.

aAfter the amber alert goes out, weall start getting calls from all over the country that children matching Dannyas description have turned up. We can avoid false alarms if we have Dannyas DNA to send to the local authorities for a match.a In her heart, Kate knew there was some other reason, other than healthy children turning up and needing to be ruled out, for the police to want a sample of Dannyas DNA, but her brain refused to follow that terrifying path. Grayas next words distracted her from all of that.

aThe ransom demand is for ten million dollars, ready by nine oaclock tonight.a Gaping at him in disbelief, Kate said, aTen million dollars? But I donat have that kind of money. I could raise two million dollars if theyall give me a little time to arrange for loans anda"a aThe kidnappers arenat going to give you that time.a Nausea welled up in Kateas throat, and she got up to make a dash for the bathroom.

Gray watched her walk back to the sofa a few minutes later, her face the color of chalk, her arms wrapped around her stomach again. In the middle of the room, she paused and looked around. aI keep expecting Danny to dash out of the kitchen or his bedroom,a she whispered, looking at Gray, her green eyes swimming with tears. aI want my baby. I want to see him smile at me. You have to p-promise me youall get him b-back. Please, promise me you will.a aLetas talk about the ransom moneya"a aI donat have it!a she cried. aWerenat you listening to me? I canat raise ten million dollars. Iam not sure I can raise two million dollars, but Iall start trying.a Suddenly she launched into feverish haste, heading for a telephone on the table beside the sofa. aIall call our bankera"a aNo, you wonat,a Gray said shortly. aYouall call Dannyas father.a She wrinkled her forehead as if she didnat know what he was talking about.

aAre you certain Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt is Dannyas father?a aAm I certaina"a Her mouth dropped open, and she glared at him through her tears. aOf course Iam certain!a aThen get him on the phone.a Kate felt as if her heart were breaking and her mind were splintering. aDo you think for one minute that if I knew how to reach hima"and if he actually took my phone calla"that he would believe me or come up with the money?a aDo you have any other choices?a aThatas not a choice. Thatas not even a long shot.a aI repeat, do you have any other hope of raising the ransom money?a Kate stared at him, frozen in a trance of stark terror, anguish, and helplessness. Slowly, the realization began to penetrate that she could take action now, and that any actiona"no matter how futilea"was a way of doing something to help keep Danny safe. In the s.p.a.ce of seconds, her realization became resolve, and she threw herself into desperate action. Crossing swiftly to the sofa, she picked up the phone, then she stopped and looked at Gray. aI have no idea how to reach him. Do you?a aI have various addresses and phone numbers for him, but it could take hours to track him down. He has close friends here in Chicagoa"Matt Farrell and Meredith Bancroft. Matt Farrell heads Intercorp. He may be able to head us in the right direction.a Kate bit her lip as she dialed information for the phone number of Intercorp. Leaning forward, she jotted it on a pad, then she handed the phone to Gray. aIall talk to him, but youall need to get him to take my call first.a He nodded, dialed the number, and shot her a quizzical look.

aThe last time I saw Mitch.e.l.l,a Kate explained in answer to his unspoken question, aMeredith was with him and she heard the things he accused me of being. When she walked away, she looked at me as if Iad just become invisible. Believe me, she told her husband all about it, and Matt Farrell wonat want to give me the time of day.a aIall get him to take your call. Thereas one more thing,a he added after he asked Intercorpas operator to connect him to Matt Farrellas office. aWyatt is going to want some form of proof that Danny is his before he forks over ten million dollars. I have Wyattas DNA on record, and weall have Dannyas DNA in a few hours. If you will guarantee me that there is no way Danny is anyone elseas child, Iall vouch for a DNA match now, on this phone call. If it turns out youare wrong, Iall retract my statement before Wyatt hands over the money and tell him there was a mistake.a aThereas no mistake!a He nodded, then spoke into the phone. aThis is Gray Elliott,a he told Matt Farrellas secretary. aIs Matt in? This is an emergency.a Kate unconsciously held her breath while the seconds ticked by, and she thought of Danny out there somewhere with strangers.

aMatt,a Gray said suddenly into the phone. aIam with Kate Donovan. Her little boy was kidnapped this morning. Youall hear an amber alert any minute now if you turn on a radio or television set. Kate needs to talk to you.a Kate stood up as she took the phone. aMr. Farrell,a she said formally and firmly, aMitch.e.l.l Wyatt is Dannyas father.a Kate paused, waiting for some reaction, and when there was none, she forged ahead. aThe kidnappers are demanding ten million dollars by nine oaclock tonight. I canat even come close to paying that much money.a Again Kate paused, and again there was no reaction, so she drew an unsteady breath and said shakily, aWould you please ask Mitch.e.l.l to call me. Iall give you my phone number. Tell him . . . tell him Iall sign over the restaurant to him in return, and Iall find some way to pay him back the rest.a Tears constricted her throat, and Kate grasped the telephone harder. aPlease, you have to find Mitch.e.l.l and tell him. Danny isnat even two yet and heas out there somewhere witha"a She broke off, swallowed, and got herself under control. aTell Mitch.e.l.l that Gray Elliott will talk to him when he calls and will a.s.sure him that Dannyas DNA matches the DNA in Mitch.e.l.las file at the stateas attorneyas office. Hereas my phone number at the restaurant. I have an apartment above it,a Kate added quickly so that Matt Farrell wouldnat think she was working as usual while her son was missing.

Finally, the silent man on the other end of the phone spoke. aI will call him,a he said, aand Iall give him your message.a aThank you,a Kate said weakly. Shead started to take the phone from her ear when he added, aIam very sorry about your son.a That snapped Kate from pleading to ire. aDanny isnat just my son; he is also Mitch.e.l.las son.a aIall remind Mitch.e.l.l of that,a he said to her surprise.