the lure of a big story for the moment, she put her hand on his. “Promise me, Ryan, the priority will be getting Georgina back safely.”
He covered her hand with his. “I promise.”
She swallowed a tide of unease. She could only hope once she told him the truth about Olivia’s parentage he’d be a man of his word and keep his promise.
* * *
The next morning, Ryan sat at his desk staring out the window of his office in the fishing village where he’d grown up. It was a beautiful June day, the sun was shining, a nice breeze blew in from the bay, and the townspeople were busy with their lives despite that fact that twice in the past six months there’d been a murder in their quiet haven. Two more than there’d been in the past several decades.
Frustration beat a steady tempo behind his eyes. The town and its people wouldn’t be safe until he got to the bottom of Olivia Henry’s and Burke Hennessy’s deaths.
But did those two murders have anything to do with the van that ambushed him and Meghan yesterday?
The van was nowhere to be found, Christina Hennessy and little Georgina were still missing, and Ryan’s father wanted to call in the FBI. Ryan knew they should. Their police department wasn’t equipped to do a full-scale investigation across state lines. But losing the case chafed.
A knock at his door brought up his gaze. Meghan Henry stood in the doorway. His breath caught in his chest. Her cheek still bore the mark from the hit she’d taken by Christina’s thug. But nothing could detract from the natural beauty she exuded. Today she wore white capris and a light purple flowing top. She looked like a fairy princess. All she needed was a crown of flowers.
He frowned. When did he become so whimsical? That wasn’t like him. “Morning, Meghan. How’s your shoulder?”
She briefly touched the place on her shoulder where a bullet had grazed her. The bandage covering the wound wasn’t visible beneath her top. “Doctor says it will hurt for a while, but will heal.” Dropping her hand, she asked, “How are your injuries?”
“Barely noticeable.” Except when he breathed real deep. But admitting to the vulnerability wasn’t going to happen.
She strode forward and stopped at the edge of his desk in a swirl of energy. “Has there been any news about Georgina?”
“No, I’m sorry, there hasn’t been. I’m about to call the FBI and hand over the case to them.”
She drew back. “No. You promised you’d find Georgina.”
“Meghan, this is bigger than this department can handle. Christina has crossed state lines. Though technically, she hasn’t kidnapped her child.”
Anger flashed in her hazel eyes. “But Georgina’s not hers!”
He understood her upset but he had to follow the law. “That’s for a judge to decide.”
“Georgina’s in danger. You saw Christina. She’s nuts. If nothing else, she held a cop at gunpoint. Surely that warrants you pursuing her.”
“We’re doing everything in our power to bring her in.”
“You maybe, but not your father. He’s as responsible for Olivia’s death as Christina.”
“My father?” The woman had obviously lost her mind. Maybe the blow to the head had loosened something. “What are you talking about?”
She waved a letter in the air. The letter from Olivia, he guessed.
“Your father knew that Olivia had come to Fitzgerald Bay looking for her baby girl, and he chose to ignore her pleas for help.”
He let out a scoff full of annoyance. “That is untrue. My father barely knew Olivia.”
“Really? Is that what he told you?” She shook her head. “I’m not going to let you all sweep this under the rug. If your father had done the right thing to begin with Olivia would never… Her life would have been different. Better. She wouldn’t be dead now.”
Fury swept over him at the implication in her words. “What are you saying?”
“Your father is also Olivia’s biological father. Olivia’s your half sister.”
No! Not possible. His father was the best man he knew, as solid a citizen as they came. A churchgoing man who loved the Lord. The role model Ryan could only hope to live up to. Dad would not have ever cheated on his wife. They’d had the best marriage, until Maureen Fitzgerald had passed away from cancer a few years ago. Her death had hit them all hard.
Now this reporter was disparaging his father. He’d see Meghan Henry locked behind bars before he’d let her destroy his family.
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