Page 22 of Fatal Betrayal

This wasn't just a case to him. He and Neil had become good friends. He'd had dinner with Neil and Claire a dozen times. He'd even gone to Robert's birthday party a few months ago and celebrated with the whole family. It was difficult to see them so despairing. They were a great family. In some ways, spending time with them reminded him of his childhood, when his family had been whole, when things had been good, when being at home had felt safe and happy.

He hadn't felt like that in forever. But now the home was cold, the family shattered. Another kidnapping. Another missing child. He couldn't quite believe he'd ended up back in a place he'd been once before.

And with Andi, too. That was the most unbelievable part.

"It's been so long," Claire said, drawing his attention.

She looked ragged from crying for hours on end, and he wished he could say something to make her feel better. He saw the helpless expressions on Julia and Robert's faces. They wanted so badly to fix it, but they couldn't.

Claire kicked back her chair and stood up. "Come outside with me, Cooper."

"Sure," he said, surprised by the request.

He followed her through the house and into the backyard. His gaze swept the property, realizing that the back of the house wasn't as secure as he would have thought. There was a path behind the yard, through some vegetation, to the street behind them. There were also yards on both sides of the home. And no cameras. How the hell had Neil neglected that?

Actually, he could answer that question. Neil was a big-picture guy. He wasn't good at details. He also wasn't a worrier, not about things like personal property or safety. He worked behind the camera. He didn't feel like a celebrity. He probably didn't think he'd ever be a target.

"This was the last place I saw Elisa," Claire muttered, wrapping her arms around her thin body as the breeze blew through her blonde hair.

It wasn't a cold breeze; the temperature was still in the mid-sixties, but Claire looked like she was freezing. She also looked very alone.

"What should I do, Cooper?" she asked. "I don't know what to do, where to go. Should I get on TV and plead for the kidnapper to bring my child back? Should I stay silent, which is what Neil and the FBI want me to do? Should I get in my car and drive around the neighborhood? I feel so…" She shrugged, unable to complete the sentence. "I can't just sit here and wait when my child needs me. I miss her so much. I feel this aching pain deep in my gut. I keep thinking it's a bad dream, and I'm going to wake up, because the alternative is just horrific. I can't imagine losing my baby. I can't." She shook her head as more tears gathered in her eyes.

"You have to find a way to stop thinking about the worst outcome. Focus on Elisa coming home. She'll be happy to be back. She won't even know what happened."

"I want to believe that, but did Neil tell you that the kidnapper took some of her clothes?"

"That's a positive. It means they're taking care of her, and that's what you want."

"It's not what I want. I want her home. And I don't know how to stop thinking about the worst. I can't feel anything but fear. It's overwhelming."

He reached for her, but she flinched, and he dropped his hands. She didn't want comfort, not from him, probably not from anyone. She didn't want to wrap her arms around any person but her child.

"What's going on with Neil?" she suddenly asked, her gaze sharpening. "He left the house for an hour. He said he went to talk to the FBI. Is that true?"

He didn't want to lie for Neil. "He spoke to Agent Hart and me," he prevaricated.

"Why did you call him down there? Did it have to do with Jillian?"

"Why would you ask that?" he countered.

"Because she's been texting him all the time. She's trying to cause trouble for him and Larry. She said Larry was sexually harassing her."

"Do you think that's true?"

"Neil said Larry was just joking in a crude way. But I wouldn't bet against him being more harassing than joking."

"Did you tell Neil that?"

"He wouldn't discuss it with me. He's very loyal to Larry, because Larry helped him restart his business. Neil's ex-wife took a lot of their projects and clients, people that Neil had brought into the company. He had to start completely over, and Larry was there. He feels he owes him."

"I understand loyalty, but Neil also has an obligation to protect his employees."

"I told him that, too. He said he was handling it and not to worry about it. But Jillian started texting me last week. She sounded crazed and now I'm wondering if she had something to do with what happened. If she wants to hurt Neil, then she found the right way."

"It seems like her real vendetta is against Larry."

"That's true." She sighed. "I just can't imagine who else would want to hurt us. And then I think maybe it's a stranger, one of the construction guys, and that seems even worse. Because I don't want Elisa to be with anyone who might scare her." She bit down on her lip. "I feel like a spinning top, Cooper."

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