Chapter Ten

Being so early on a Saturday morning, the parking lot outside Marlie's apartment building was packed. Her awesome antique Ford pickup was in the same spot she'd parked in last night.

Evan squinted as he pulled the Yukon into a space in the back forty. With Blue's kennel taking up what would normally have been a rear bench seat in a normal Expedition, he'd opted for an agency pool vehicle.

The dashboard clock read seven forty-five a.m., making him fifteen minutes early. A rush of hot breath tickled his neck as Blue thrust his head between the two front seats.

He wondered how the night had gone for Noah and Marlie. Eventually, the kid would be okay. Marlie was a different story. At first, he hadn't understood her reluctance to him going inside her apartment. The moment he had, he got it. It was a place she put her head down at night, but she wasn't really living there. She was existing. Nothing more, nothing less. The same way his parents had when it was clear Gracie would never be coming home.

He let his head fall back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was the worst day of the year—his and Gracie's birthday. Blowing it off would be his preference, but he had to be there.

Interviewing his parents was another thing he wasn't looking forward to. Ideally, he'd put it off until he got more feedback from the other investigative teams. He still recalled the emotional rollercoaster he and his parents lived through every time they received a lead on Gracie that didn't materialize into anything. His mom and dad hadn't slept much. Headaches and stomach aches became an everyday thing. Before he put them through that again, he had to be sure it was worth the pain it would inflict. He'd wait for the right day to talk to them. There would probably never be a right day. Would there ever be one again for Marlie?

He'd pushed her into taking on Noah. She wasn't doing this for him or the FBI, she was doing it for the kid. He hoped there was a part of her buried down deep that was doing it for herself, too. She had backbone and deserved to find happiness again. Love and a family.

Deck had found that with Tori. Brett with Gemma. It was a life he would never have, not the way things were going. His life was set on a path from which he could never detour, and it was one without a family of his own. Sometimes he felt like a gerbil on a wheel, going round and round and never getting anywhere.

Blue snorted, nuzzling Evan's hair. Even his dog had more prospects for hooking up than he did.

His phone blared out Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," the song he'd assigned to Deck after he and Tori had gotten engaged. Brett didn't know it yet, but his ringtone was Florence & The Machine's "Dog Days Are Over." Yeah, his friends were so whipped.

He put Deck's call on speaker. "What've you got?"

"We were out all last night conducting interviews," Deck said on a yawn. "Except for your parents, we talked to the families of every kid we can put a name to."

"I'll talk to my folks." Soon . "Go on."

"Families of the kids reported missing within the last five years all used Manello's company, Mile High Pool Cleaning, to service their pools, and they identified Frank Manello from his photo. The other kids went missing more than ten years ago. Six of those families used a different pool service, and two didn't have pools when their kids went missing. None of them ever heard of Frank Manello, and none of them could ID him from the DMV photo."

Another pool service . Way too much coincidence in his book. It was a wonder no one ever made the connection before. "What's the name of the pool service those six families used?"

"Blue Waters, based out of Denver, and before you ask…" The sounds of papers being shuffled came through the phone. "Blue Waters went out of business five years ago. The owner was Arthur Constantino."

Blue Waters . The company that used to clean his family's pool. That was the link. "When did Mile High Pool Cleaning come into existence?"

"Five years ago."

The same time Blue Waters folded. Another coincidence? "Let's find out if Frank Manello ever worked for Blue Waters." If he had, he'd never cleaned Evan's family pool, or he'd have recognized the guy.

"On it," Deck said. "Already emailed the employment records request to the Department of Labor. I'll follow up with them on Monday."

"I'm tied up today with Marlie and Noah at the farmers markets. You and Brett go interview Arthur Constantino. I don't want anyone else on that, and I don't want to wait until Monday."

"You got it."

"Regarding the two families that didn't have pools when their kids went missing, it's possible Manello finds kids other ways, like online, or at parks or shopping malls. Have Sammy check for social media accounts. If he's got any, we'll get warrants for them." But social media sites weren't all cooperative with law enforcement. At least, not in a timely manner, and time was of the essence. Manello was still out there somewhere. "Call me after you talk to Constantino."

"Will do. Hey, did you pick up your tux?"

"Yeah, I got it." The clear plastic garment bag hanging on the clothes hanger bar behind his head had smudge marks on it from where Blue had given it the once-over.

"You bringing anyone?"

"Doubtful." Deck already knew Annelise had dumped him. What his friends didn't know was he'd pretty much given up dating entirely. The job always took priority, and it wasn't worth going through the emotional explosions that inevitably accompanied all his breakups. "Later."

He ended the call and grabbed Blue's leash. Leash or not, Blue would never leave his side, but an unleashed, ninety-pound German shepherd would probably freak some people out.

"Let's go, Blue."

He led the way across the lot, breathing in the warm October air. They headed up the stairs. At Marlie's door, he knocked gently. A moment later, the door opened.

"Blue!' Noah shouted, kneeling and holding up his hand for a high-five.

"Shh," Marlie whispered, waving them in. "Noah, inside voice, please. We don't want to wake the neighbors."

Evan snorted. Marlie had morphed into total mom-mode, although no mom he'd known looked the way she did.

The light pink V-neck shirt she wore outlined the gentle curve of her breasts. When she leaned down to give Blue a quick scratch behind the ears, thick, loose hair spilled over her shoulder like a golden river, and the jeans she wore tightened, outlining slim legs, a trim waist, and what was, in his humble opinion, a perfectly proportioned backside.

He'd seen her wearing something other than custodian's clothes before. For some reason, today was different and confirmed his suspicions. Beneath the green scrubs was a stunningly beautiful woman.

She straightened and gave him a brief smile, one that barely curved the corners of her mouth. Her lips were pink and glossy, her eyes outlined with something that made them bluer than he remembered, and the last time he'd seen her was only fifteen hours ago.

"Hi," he said, then ground his teeth at how lame he sounded. Dumbstruck . Like a teenager on a first date.

"Hi." She locked her pretty blue eyes on him, then licked those glossy lips. "Um, Noah. Get that jacket I gave you. If we're out late, the temperature will drop the second the sun goes down."

"Aw, c'mon, Marlie." He went down the hall, grumbling over his shoulder, "That's a girl's jacket."

She hooked her thumb at Noah. "We still haven't had time to go shopping. I had to lend him one of my jackets."

Evan grunted in understanding. "How'd it go last night?"

"Given the circumstances, okay, I suppose." She picked up the pink sweater draped on the edge of the sofa. "I checked on him a couple of times. He tossed and turned a lot. I'm not sure he got much sleep."

"Hopefully, that will get better in time. Ready to go?" he asked when Noah trudged back into the room, carrying a green jacket that had a slightly feminine look to it.

"I guess." Rather than wear the jacket, he tied it around his waist.

Marlie tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing tiny gold hoop earrings. She began slipping on the sweater when it caught on one of the earrings. "Oh, shoot." She grimaced, struggling to unhook it.

"Here, wait." Two seconds after he reached out to help her, he realized his mistake. The backs of his knuckles grazed the smooth, warm, creamy skin just below her ear. She shivered, and oh Jesus … Her nipples pebbled against her shirt.

Stupidly, he leaned in closer. Her hair smelled like a rose garden. Somehow, his big, clumsy fingers managed to unhook the sweater. With anyone else, he would have held the sweater open for her to slip into, but he didn't dare. Instead, he handed it over, then stood back, because— holy hell .

Touching her had sent his libido somewhere he couldn't afford it going.

…

Three hours later, Marlie began to think Noah would never be able to recognize the farmers market Frank Manello had taken him to. They'd been to the Cherry Creek, City Park, and Union Station markets. Nothing had jogged his memory. The only thing it had done was put him to sleep.

The clear plastic garment bag hanging on the clothes bar swayed back and forth. Inside was a black tuxedo with satin lapels, the same style she and her ex had selected for their own wedding party. A wedding that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Evan had thoughtfully flipped down the rear seat so Noah could take a nap. Marlie glanced over her shoulder. His head rested on Blue's furry belly. Both boy's and dog's eyes were closed.

From the corner of her eye, she watched Evan as he maneuvered the SUV through traffic on Colorado Boulevard. He was so tall his hair nearly brushed the ceiling. The skin above his nose creased, and for the last five minutes he hadn't stopped tapping his finger on the wheel.

The temperature had soared to eighty degrees, and he'd long ago ditched the jacket he'd had on at her apartment. The navy blue, short-sleeve polo shirt tucked into his jeans showcased a trim waist. His jeans were so worn and faded they were almost white.

With every tap of his finger, thick forearm muscles rippled and flexed in an oddly sensual dance. Speaking of said fingers, when he'd helped unsnag her sweater, his touch had sent a wave of need washing over her, one that had, embarrassingly, gone straight to her nipples. What in the world had driven her to put those old earrings on in the first place? Or the eyeliner and lip gloss that was so old she probably should have disposed of it as toxic waste.

He readjusted his hands on the wheel, calling attention to the fact he wore no rings. Though he could still be married. Not that it mattered.

She shifted her focus to her bare left ring finger. She'd once thought her marriage was an unbreakable bond, the forever kind of thing. After she and Chris split up, she sold her engagement and wedding rings. Keeping them would have been a pathetic reminder of yet another failure. First her son. Then her marriage. Somehow, Chris had found a way to move on. She hadn't.

Evan turned off Colorado Boulevard into the University Hills Plaza where another farmers market took up most of the parking lot. Colorful tents and food trucks stretched as far as the eye could see.

After parking at one end near a strip mall, Evan twisted in his seat. "Noah," he said softly. "Time to wake up."

Noah and Blue both sat up and yawned. "Where are we?"

"The University Hills farmers market." Evan unbuckled his seat belt. "Do you recognize it?"

He squinted as he peered out the window. "I'm not sure. Maybe."

Marlie met Evan's piercing gray eyes. That was the closest to a "yes" Noah had uttered all day.

Evan grabbed a leash from the center console. "Let's walk around. Get something to eat. Maybe you'll remember something."

"Can we get cake?" Noah pointed to the nearest food tent—Caty's Cakes.

"Not before lunch," Marlie said. The vendor's table displayed a variety of cakes and cookies that, even at this distance, looked droolworthy. "We need to get you something with protein in it."

"Like a hot dog? Or pizza?"

"No. Not like a hotdog or pizza. Like chicken or a turkey sandwich." Noah's adorable grimace made her want to smile, while at the same time, feel guilty. Pizza and a hot dog actually did sound more appealing.

"Aw, c'mon, Mom," Evan said, winking at her.

"Not helping." She sent him a mock glare. "He's a growing boy. He needs solid protein, not meat by-products and preservatives."

Evan crossed his arms, making his huge biceps even bigger. "Then what's wrong with pizza? It's got cheese, ergo it's got protein."

Marlie shook her head. "That cheese and all those processed meat toppings are also loaded with saturated fats, not to mention all the sodium and cholesterol." Evan opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a waggling finger. "And before you suggest ice cream, it's also chock full of cholesterol and enough sugar to feed a flock of hummingbirds for a month."

"Hummingbirds?" Evan took a deep breath and sighed as he looked over his shoulder at Noah. "I think we're outgunned here."

Mimicking Evan, Noah took a deep breath and sighed. "I think you're right."

Of course, she was right. But how did Evan remain so disgustingly muscular and fit if he really ate pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream all the time? Duh . He didn't. He was doing his best to be friends with a lonely boy who'd gone through a traumatic experience and whose life was in tatters. And it was working. Having found someone to commiserate with, the look of misery on Noah's face had eased some.

"Let's go find us a turkey sandwich." Evan hooked the leash on Blue's collar.

Outside, the sun was high overhead, the air warm and breezy, bringing with it the beat of live music—jazz, if she wasn't mistaken. Heavenly smells of cinnamon and other spices, and grilling meats and vegetables, sent her tastebuds into overdrive. The breeze also brought with it the pungent scent of marijuana, now legal in Colorado.

"Do you see anything you remember?" Evan waved his arm at the tents.

Noah frowned. "I'm still not sure. All the tents look the same."

"Let's go look at the stores in the strip mall," Marlie suggested. The mall shops were adjacent to the parking lot where all the tents were set up. "The tents may look the same, and the vendors could be different every week, but the brick-and-mortar stores would be the same."

Evan nodded. "Good idea."

The market was packed with so many people it was difficult to squeeze through the alleys running between the rows of tents without bumping someone's shoulders. But having Blue take point was like a parting of the Red Sea. People took one look at the enormous German shepherd and gave him a wide berth.

For added safety, she grabbed Noah's hand, unsure if he'd pull away as many kids his age would. Thankfully, he didn't. Evan walked on Noah's other side. Anyone looking at the them might assume they were a family doing something fun together on the weekend. The same way she and Chris used to do with Aiden.

She took a deep breath, easing the tightness in her chest. Chris had been busy working that weekend, or he would have been there with them. How many times had she wished Chris had been there? How many times had she wished she hadn't taken her eyes off Aiden for those few precious seconds?

"Marlie?" Noah looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

Not really . "Yes, why?"

"You're squeezing my hand too tight."

"Oh. Sorry." She relaxed her grip.

"It's okay." The look of understanding in Noah's eyes far surpassed his years. Somehow, he knew something was bothering her.

They continued through the maze of tents, heading for the strip mall. Many of the vendors had decorated their tents with black-and-orange Halloween decorations. Ghosts and skeletons tied to tent poles fluttered in the breeze. Noah slowed at every cake and pastry vendor they passed. Looked like she'd be adding cake to the shopping list.

"Hold up." Still holding on to Blue's leash, Evan crouched. "Hop on my shoulders. It'll be easier for you to see all the shops that way."

Marlie could just make out Target, Ace Hardware, Dairy Queen, Party City, and Joann Fabric and Crafts.

Noah climbed onto Evan's back, scrambling up and onto his shoulders. Evan stood easily, as if Noah weighed no more than a sack of kibble. With Evan's height, Noah's head was a good two feet above the crowd.

"Wow." He shielded his eyes with his hand. "I can see everything from up here."

Slowly, Evan turned, giving Noah a bird's-eye view of the entire strip mall. Her heart squeezed just a little bit. He was good with kids in a way only someone experienced with children could be. Did that come from the job, or did he have kids of his own?

"Wait! Stop!" Noah pointed to the end of the strip. "I remember the Dairy Queen."

"You're sure?" Evan asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Frank parked the truck all the way at the end of the parking lot, right in front of the Dairy Queen. I remember because I wanted ice cream, but I didn't have any money."

"That's good. Really good." Slowly, he lowered Noah to the ground.

The same pungent smell of marijuana she'd detected on the other side of the market was stronger here.

Noah wrinkled his nose. "I remember that smell, too. It's pot."

Marlie had recently read there were twenty-three states with legalized recreational marijuana, including Colorado, but none of those other states bordered Colorado. The closest was Arizona, where the corners of the states touched.

Evan's brows lowered. "Do you know what a marijuana plant looks like?"

"Not for sure." Noah shook his head. "But I smelled pot all the time at the camp."

"Why is that relevant?" Marlie asked, concerned about the suspicious look in Evan's eyes.

"Marijuana may be legal in Colorado, but it's still heavily regulated and heavily taxed every step of the way. To grow it, store it, transport it, sell it… You have to apply for a license, go through tax checks and a background investigation. Large growers pay over four thousand dollars a year in fees to the state. Processors and dispensaries also pay thousands of dollars."

"I had no idea." The only thing she knew about marijuana fees came from a guy living on her floor. He complained about having to pay 15 percent tax on the pot and edibles he bought.

Evan stared off into the distance, as if deep in thought.

She was about to rest a hand on his arm, then jerked it away. The last thing she needed was for another shot of whatever it was zinging between them to send her nipples on a collision course with her shirt again. "What is it?"

He stared a moment longer, then shook his head. "Nothing. Just processing."

The look on his face said it was more than nothing. Either that, or he didn't want to discuss it in front of Noah.

"Let's get you something to eat." He winked at Noah. "You wanna hold Blue's leash?"

"Yeah." He grinned as he took the leash, then froze. His smile faded.

"Noah?" She followed the direction of his stare. "What's wrong?"

"Over there." When he lifted his hand and pointed, his finger shook.

With all the vendors, she couldn't be certain which one he was pointing to.

"Son," Evan said, gently pushing Noah's arm down as he scanned the crowd. "Tell me what you're looking at. Describe it."

He inched behind Evan, like he was trying to hide. His entire body began trembling. "That tent. The one with all the vegetables."

Beneath a green tent halfway down the aisle, a woman wearing a flowy white shirt stood in the center of four tables stacked with baskets of produce. Half a dozen customers milled around, some putting vegetables into brown paper bags. One of the customers—a man in a red shirt—handed the vendor a black plastic tub. After placing the tub beneath one of the tables, the vendor reached into a pouch and gave the woman standing next to him a stack of cash.

"Do you know the woman at that tent, the one standing in the middle of the tables?" Evan asked.

Noah shook his head.

Protective instincts sparked to life, and Marlie moved to Noah's other side, completely blocking anyone at that tent from seeing him. "Do you know someone else at that tent?"

This time, he nodded jerkily. "The man in the red shirt and the woman next to him."

The man looked average, with brown hair. The woman had long dark hair down to the center of her back, and she was tall, nearly as tall as the guy in the red shirt. Briefly, the man glanced in their direction before returning his attention to the vendor.

Evan narrowed his eyes. "Where do you know them from?"

"The camp," Noah whispered so softly she barely heard him.

Still keeping the couple in sight, Evan rested a hand on Noah's shoulder. "John and Margaret?"

"Y-yes."

Evan's jaw clenched. He dug his keys from his pocket and thrust them at Marlie. "Take him back to the Yukon. Get in, lock the doors, and stay there. If anyone approaches you, drive away. Don't hesitate. Just get out of there." He grabbed Blue's leash from Noah and took off in the direction of the green tent.

"C'mon, let's go!" Her heart drummed faster as she hustled Noah in the opposite direction of the tent. He stumbled, but she caught him before he went down. As they wove through the crowd, fear clawed at her gut like an angry beast. John and Margaret hadn't seen Noah, and it was up to her to make sure they didn't.

"Hey, watch it," someone said as Marlie all but crashed into a woman.

"Sorry," she called over her shoulder, urging Noah around another group of people who'd stopped to have a discussion directly in their path.

Periodically, she glanced behind them, sucking in quick breaths. "We're almost there."

When they finally reached Evan's SUV, her hands shook so much she nearly dropped the keys. Finally, she managed to unlock the driver's side door and flung it open. "Get in and scoot over."

He hopped up and crawled onto the front passenger seat. Marlie hauled herself behind the wheel and yanked the door shut. She smacked at the lock button so hard it hurt her palm.

Noah clasped his arms around his stomach and curled into a tight ball, ramming his back against the door and hunkering down below the level of the windshield. His body shook worse now. Leaning over, she wrapped one arm around him, trying desperately to offer the comfort he needed.

A flash of color caught her eye. A man stood next to the SUV. Wearing a red shirt . His back was to her. Marlie shoved the keys in the ignition. If he so much as twitched in their direction…

She tightened her grip on the keys, ready to crank the engine and slam her foot on the gas. He started to turn. Marlie held her breath. When their gazes met, she nearly collapsed to the floorboards with relief.

It wasn't him. It wasn't the same man Noah had identified as John.

The guy turned away and waved. A moment later, a petite red-haired woman linked arms with him. Together, they walked off.

"We'll be okay. We'll be okay ," she repeated. But as she said the words, she wondered if that were really true.

Yes. They were.

She balled her hands into tight fists.

If John and Margaret ever came near Noah again, she'd punch and kick and never stop fighting to protect him.