Page 13 of The Sheriff's Baby

“I want you to contact the techs at the crime lab and see if they can get anything from the number Molly’s kidnapper used to call us,” Duncan instructed. “That’s priority.”

Even though both of them knew that was a long shot. The kidnapper had probably used a burner that couldn’t be traced. Still, they might get lucky.

“After that, if you’re not ready to get some actual sleep, I need any and all preliminary reports from the CSIs and fire department,” he continued.

“I won’t be ready to sleep,” she assured him. “Not with the adrenaline still burning through me.”

Yeah, he knew all about adrenaline overload. Hard to come down from that, and when you did, it was a crash. Joelle would no doubt soon be exhausted. Maybe enough that she’d actually grab a nap.

He went to the small fridge in the corner and took out two bottles of water and one of Joelle’s yogurt cups she kept stocked. He set one of the waters, the yogurt and a spoon on the end table next to her.

“Also, if you still have any bandwidth left after dealing with the techs and getting the reports, go through the file of Shanda’s arrest. See if there are any red flags that could have predicted something like this.”

It wasn’t busy work, and Joelle knew that because she got started on it right away. All were necessary steps in the investigation. So was what Duncan had to do next. Despite the fact it was barely five in the morning, he used the contact info Carmen had just emailed him and called Brad Moreland. There was no answer for four rings, and just as Duncan thought the call might go to voice mail, someone finally answered.

“What?” a man snarled, and judging from the grogginess in his voice, Duncan had woken him up.

“I’m Sheriff Duncan Holder from Saddle Ridge. FYI, this call is on speaker, and I have a deputy listening. Are you Brad Moreland?”

The man cursed. “Saddle Ridge,” he spat out like venom. “Yeah, this is Brad Moreland, and anything you want to say to me should go through my lawyer. We’re going through with the lawsuit for what you did to my wife.”

“Your ex-wife,” Duncan corrected. “And what lawsuit?” He figured he’d get that out of the way before bringing up the reason for this call.

“My wife,” Brad snapped. “Shanda and I are reconciling. And as for the lawsuit, you’ll soon know all about that because we’re filing a civil suit for my wife’s unlawful arrest and detainment. An arrest and detainment that was so traumatic she ended up miscarrying.”

Bingo. There it was. The motive all spelled out. Though it did seem odd that they’d file a civil suit, which would draw attention to themselves. That could mean they weren’t behind the attack and Molly’s kidnapping. Or else they wanted to use the civil suit as a sort of reverse psychology. Why go after them physically when they were already going the legal route?

“We’re going to sue you and your department into the ground,” Brad threatened. “And then we’ll go after your personal assets. You and your deputies aren’t above the law, Sheriff.” Again, he used that venomous tone for the last word.

Since Shanda’s arrest had been justified, Duncan seriously doubted there’d be a payout of any kind, but a civil suit was an annoyance since he would still have to defend the actions the former sheriff had taken. That would in turn stir up bad memories for Joelle.

One look at her face confirmed it was already doing that.

“You and the deputies are going to pay for—”

“I’m calling about your mother, Kate Moreland,” Duncan interrupted.

Brad clearly hadn’t expected him to say that because it stopped his tirade, and after a few seconds of silence, the man muttered, “What about her?” There was concern, but then the anger returned. “Did you come up with some reason to arrest her?”

“No.” Duncan took a moment to consider what he intended, and didn’t intend, to say. “She was involved in a car accident and was taken to the hospital.”

Brad cursed. “Is she alive?”

“She is.” And he waited to see how Brad would react to that. If Brad did, indeed, have criminal intentions as his mother claimed, then the man might have wanted the news that the car crash had been fatal.

“I need to see her,” Brad insisted. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the hospital and in protective custody.”

There was some more cursing. “Yourprotective custody. This from the sheriff’s office that killed my child and wrecked my life—”

“It’s odd that you’d mention someone being killed because that’s what your mother claimed you wanted to do.”

That brought on the silence. “You’re lying.”

“I have witnesses,” Duncan pointed out.

Brad huffed. “Witnesses who you coached no doubt because you want to get ahead of the lawsuit and try to defame me.”

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