LITMIR.BIZ

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repeat, your granddaughter has been missing for two weeks,” Patrick O’Hara insisted, worry lines etched deep into his weathered face. “I’ve pursued all other options. I’ve filed a missing persons report, but the police have no leads. I’m at my wit’s end. That’s why I came to you.”

      “What do you mean, I have a granddaughter?” Former vice president Kate Winston stood straight, her shoulders squared, her lips tight. The only indication that the man in front of her had disturbed her normal calm was how pale her face had become. She glanced around the room at her three sons, Trey, Thaddeus and Samuel. “Is there something you three haven’t told me?”

      The three men shook their heads as one.

      O’Hara, who’d made the shocking statement, shook his head. “Not the child of one of your sons, the child of your daughter. Our daughter.”

      “What the hell are you talking about?” Trey, the oldest son, demanded.

      Patrick O’Hara’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should ask your mother.”

      Kate closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest.

      “You’re upsetting her.” Thad slipped an arm around Kate’s shoulders. “Perhaps you should leave, before we have you escorted out.”

      “No.” O’Hara stood firm, his gaze locked on Kate. “I need help finding my granddaughter and you are my last hope. Unless you’re going to throw her away like you did our daughter.”

      Samuel lunged forward. “Get the hell out.”

      Kate’s arm shot out. “No, wait. Let him speak.”

      Patrick glanced from Trey to Samuel and back to Kate. “Shelby was at the university library Tuesday night two weeks ago, working on some research paper for her graduate program. She said she’d be home by midnight. At two in the morning, I closed the bar and went home. She wasn’t there. Her car wasn’t parked out front. I got worried and drove all the way into Beth City, to the university. I found her car in the library parking lot, but not Shelby.” He scrubbed a hand down his haggard face. “I don’t know what else to do.”

      Daniel’s heartstrings were tugged by the desperation in the man’s tone and eyes. Two weeks might as well be forever. A woman missing for that long had little chance of being alive.

      “How old is she?” Kate pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

      “Twenty-three. She’s never late for anything.” Patrick stepped forward.

      Daniel walked between Patrick and Kate, holding his gun out. “That’s far enough.”

      Patrick’s glance shifted to Daniel. “I just wanted to show her the picture of Shelby.” He looked back at Kate. “She looks just like her mother. And Carrie looked just like you. Brown hair, bright blue eyes.” He smiled, then the smile quickly faded. “We have to find her. She’s all I have.”

      Daniel took the photo from the man’s hands and held it out to Kate.

      Trey intercepted it. “The man is crazy. You’re not really going to help him, are you? He’s preying on your weakness—” Trey shot a glance at the picture, his eyes widening. “Damn.”

      Kate held out her hand. “Give me the photo.”

      Trey handed it across. “It has to be a forgery. You can do almost anything with computer graphics these days.”

      Patrick’s lips turned up. “She’s her mother’s daughter.”

      Kate stared at the picture for a long time, tears welling in her eyes. “This could be me as a young woman.” She stared across at him. “I don’t understand.”

      “What’s to understand? You gave up your daughter. I raised Carrie, and she had a daughter, Shelby. Whom I also raised.” He jabbed a finger at the photo. “Shelby Raye O’Hara. A beautiful, smart young lady with a full life ahead of her. If I can find her before something awful happens to her.” He swallowed hard. “If it hasn’t already.”

      If she had been missing for two weeks, Daniel predicted bad things had, indeed, happened to the girl. And nothing anyone could do would bring her back.

      “I didn’t give up my daughter. She died,” Kate whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She lifted her head, her chin trembling.

      “Is that what you told yourself?” Patrick laughed, the sound completely without humor. He stepped closer. “I don’t care if lying to yourself helped you throw away your own flesh and blood. I can’t believe I ever loved you. You’re selfish, heartless and deserved the man you married.”

      Daniel laid a hand on the man’s chest. “Back off.”

      Patrick stared at Daniel as if it was the first time he’d seen him and his gun. “Kate, I don’t give a damn about you or your high-society family. What I do care about is getting my granddaughter back. Alive. If you have any sense of decency, you’ll help. She’s your family, too.”

      “Mother,” Sam said. “Say the word and I’ll throw him out.”

      Daniel braced himself for a fight with Patrick O’Hara. He didn’t want to use his gun; it would leave a big mess in the Winstons’ house. And as far as he could tell, O’Hara wasn’t armed.

      “No.” Kate shook her head. “If someone thinks Shelby O’Hara is related to me in any way, she’s in danger.”

      “I’ve never told anyone about her bloodline. Shelby doesn’t even know her mother was your daughter.”

      “Stop.” Kate held up her hand. “Until I verify your story, I promise to help. And if Shelby has been kidnapped because of me, we will do our best to help find her.” Kate turned to Thad. “Our only link to the Cartel at this time is Robert D’Angelis. Can we check and see if he knows anything about the missing woman?”

      Thad, who was on the Raleigh Police crime scene investigation team, nodded. “He’s in a holding cell at Wake County Jail. I’m on my way.”

      “I’m going with you,” Kate insisted. She turned to her personal secretary, Debra Winston, Trey’s wife. “Debra, cancel all my afternoon appointments.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” Debra, eight-and-a-half-months pregnant, but just as on the ball as ever, waddled out of the room, tapping the touch screen on her cell phone to make the necessary calls.

      Kate turned to Daniel. “Mr. Henderson, please notify the director of the Secret Service about this new development. If Shelby’s kidnapping has anything to do with me and the Cartel’s attempts on my life, I want the Secret Service involved in finding her, as well. The more people looking, the better chance we have of finding her. Now let’s get to the county jail.” Kate passed Daniel, heading for the door, her heels clicking determinedly on the white marble tiles of the foyer.

      “I’m going with you,” Patrick said as he fell into step with Kate.

      “Of course you are.” Kate didn’t display any emotion in her announcement. “If you’re lying to me, we won’t have far to go to have you arrested for trespassing and attempted assault.”

      As Kate’s personal bodyguard, Daniel insinuated himself between her and Patrick, limping along as fast as he could, ignoring the pain in his knee.

      If O’Hara had a knife, he’d have to go through Daniel to get to Kate Winston. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d taken a hit for the woman. His scars had barely healed over from the bullets he’d absorbed by throwing himself in front of her at a rally. And if he hadn’t torn a ligament, he’d be investigating instead of performing bodyguard duties.

      Debra must have alerted the chauffeur. One of the two Winston limousines stood out front in the curved drive, the second one coming to a halt behind it.

      “Daniel and Thad, I want you two in my vehicle. Mr. O’Hara can ride with the others in the second.”

      Patrick

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