Agent by Her Side Read online

  Cooper laughed. “Okay, buddy!”

  Alfie dashed toward the door to get his coat.

  “I think it’s official. He likes you more than he likes me.”

  Kiely laughed with him. “I have that effect on men. Especially short men who still occasionally need a diaper.”

  Cooper hugged and kissed her. “I should be jealous, but I get it. I like you more than I like me, too!”

  “As you should,” Kiely said teasingly. “Are you going into the office?”

  He nodded. “I won’t be there long though. All I can do is catch up on the reports and I need to sign my statement about what happened at the safe house. And since I’m technically still on medical leave, they’re not going to let me stay long. What were you planning to do?”

  “I’ll drop Alfie off and then I need to go buy me a car. The FBI were very generous about replacing the one your suspect blew up.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She laughed. “How about I take you to lunch? I’ve got a taste for sushi.”

  Cooper frowned. “Yuck. Personally, I prefer my fish cooked.”

  “We’re going to have to work on your palate. Meet me at Maru’s on Cherry Street so I can start to school you.”

  “Twelve thirty?”

  Kiely kissed him one last time. “Twelve thirty works for me. You ready, Alfie?”

  “I going to school wit’ Ki-Ki! Bye, Dad-dy! Lub you!”

  Cooper laughed. “I think he’s ready!”

  Chapter 15

  Kiely had expected Alfie to put up a fuss when she dropped him off at the Goodman’s Children Center. But he was excited when he saw his friends and the classroom teacher he called Miss Gee. All the children had hugged him, pulling him along to the play area and he had gone willingly once Kiely had assured him she’d be back to pick him up at the end of the day. As she exited the building the FBI agent assigned to keep an eye on Alfie gave her a nod, promising she had nothing to worry about. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she would worry anyway.

  The search for a new car took less than an hour. Kiely had known before she’d left the house where she was going and what she wanted. Someone from Cooper’s office had already called Toyota of Grand Rapids and a young salesman named Glenn was overly excited when she stepped through the door. Forty-five minutes later, Kiely drove off the lot with a brand-new Highlander in a loud shade of red called Ruby Pearl. After a quick stop by the local Walmart to purchase a new car seat for Alfie, Kiely headed to see her sister.

  Pippa was on the phone when Kiely knocked on her office door. She waved her in as she continued her call. Taking a seat Kiely watched her twin tear into someone who hadn’t done his job. When she slammed the phone receiver down, Kiely knew she had swallowed the curse word that had been on the tip of her tongue.

  “Welcome home,” Pippa said. She paused to jot some notes onto a pad and when she dropped the blue ink pen she turned her full attention toward Kiely. “I hear you almost got yourself killed.”

  “It was touch and go there for a minute.”

  “The black eye is pretty.”

  “You should see the other guy!”

  Pippa shook her head. “To what do I owe the honor?”

  “Wedding dresses. Where’s the best place to shop for one?”

  Pippa laughed. And she wouldn’t stop laughing. That hysterical laughter that only got worse when people stared or commented. When you couldn’t catch your breath and it felt like the room might start to spin. Pippa laughed until tears began to roll down her face. Kiely wasn’t amused.

  “Why do you find that funny?”

  Pippa gasped, sucking in air until she could breathe again. “Because a few days ago you were telling us you had no interest in being married. Or did you forget your ‘why do I need a license to validate my relationship’ speech?”

  Kiely blinked. “Can’t a girl change her mind?”

  “You’re killing me, Kiely!”

  As she shrugged her shoulders, a smirky grin pulled across Kiely’s face. “Give me a little credit, please. I’m here because Cooper and I would like to retain your services.”

  “Prenups?”

  Kiely shook her head. “Adoption papers. Cooper wants me to legally adopt Alfie after we’re married.”

  Pippa sat back in her seat, reservations simmering in her eyes. “That’s a big step, Kiely. Maybe we should go back to wedding dresses. What color is your wedding party wearing? As your maid of honor, I think a mint green would be nice.”

  Kiely waved a dismissive hand at her sister, refocusing the conversation back on why she was there. “I love them both so much, Pippa. It just feels right. I can’t imagine not being Alfie’s mother now.”

  “I have to say, watching you with Alfie and Cooper reminded me so much of how Mom had been with all of us.”

  “So, you’ll help?”

  “You know I will! But have you considered asking Griffin? Adoption is his specialty.”

  “I did, but with everything he and Abigail have going on I didn’t want to add to his load.”

  “You should still ask. I think he’d appreciate it. You know he sometimes thinks we leave him out of things when that’s the last thing we’re trying to do. Let him say no.”

  Kiely nodded. “I will, but do you have any advice?”

  “Personally, I would make you wait one year to officially adopt. There’s going to be a lot of adjustment for you and Cooper and most especially Alfie. For now, I’d suggest you two amend your wills first and put a custody plan in place should something happen to Cooper before that year is up. You also need to consider a plan for any biological children that you two may have together, if that’s something you’re considering.”

  “That should work. Cooper and I are having lunch later. I’ll tell him what you said.”

  Pippa’s phone rang. She glanced down to the caller ID. “I need to take this. But I will call you later and we can plan on going wedding dress shopping!”

  Rising from her seat, Kiely laughed. “Thank you, Pip!”

  * * *

  Cooper sat back in his chair, his hands folded together in his lap. He’d spent a good hour with the FBI psychologist, talking through everything that had happened. He hadn’t wanted to admit that pulling the trigger and taking a woman’s life had left him traumatized. Doing his job often came with regrets, but this one ran deep. Mental illness had driven Meghan Otis to do all she had done. If only her actions had not pushed them to a point of no return, helping her might have been possible.

  But Cooper knew he couldn’t live with second guessing his actions. Protecting his family would always be foremost in everything he did and he couldn’t question choices made in the heat of a moment when they’d been in harm’s way. Kiely had reminded him that talking things through would help him sleep at night. He would meet with the doctor again, for as long as he felt he needed help.

  Shifting forward in his seat, he had gone through a dozen files catching up on every aspect of the case. They were getting closer to catching Wes Matthews, but they weren’t there yet. The information they’d received from Neil Otis had been more than helpful. His mother had kept detailed records of her transactions with Wes. From bank accounts opened under an alias to properties purchased in the name of a shell company the FBI had been unaware of, they discovered more about Wes and his activities. He completed the paperwork to seize the bank accounts, successfully cutting Wes off from most of his money.

  Claire knocked on his door. “How are you doing, Agent?”

  Cooper nodded. “Still standing, Agent Miller. How are you doing today?”

  “No complaints. I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Cooper laughed. “Who spilled the beans?”

  “You know the Grand Rapids police department can’t keep a secret!”

  “Well, thank
you,” he said, shaking his head. “Kiely and I are very excited.”

  “I’m not going to hold you up. I just wanted to pop in and say hello and tell you how happy I am for you.”

  “I appreciate that. I was just reviewing the Neil Otis file and the information he provided.”

  “Have you talked to that kid?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I couldn’t put my finger on it initially, but the more I thought I about it, I don’t think he was totally honest with us about his part in all of this. It’s a gut feeling. As a parent you always know when your kids are lying to your face but they think they’re getting away with something. Because every kid is smarter than their parents are. I felt like he was lying through his teeth because he thinks he’s smarter than the rest of us.”

  She took a deep breath. “Neil was more than happy to throw his mother under the bus. We heard sob stories about her mental health issues. How much he hated her boyfriend. He was a gold mine of information, no doubt. I mean, you read the report. But I wasn’t happy about letting him go. We just didn’t have anything to hold him on and he knew it. Personally, I think he’s a powder keg waiting to explode.”

  “I appreciate you sharing that. Let me finish reading the file and maybe I’ll drop by his home and have a chat with him myself.”

  “Good luck. Let me know if I can help.”

  Cooper gave her a nod as she exited the room. He reached for the file and flipped it open a second time. There was a picture of Neil Otis paper clipped to the inside of the folder. Although he was only eighteen years old, he looked substantially older. He had an acne problem and carried some excess weight. He was a diehard gamer, had already earned an associate degree in computer science, and worked part-time as a security guard for an industrial packing company. Cooper placed the photograph to the side but kept coming back to it as he continued to review the notes taken by his agents.

  Minutes later, it clicked. He powered up his computer, then searched for an evidence folder. Inside the folder, he found the digital file he’d wanted. He played the video once and then again. After the seventh or eighth viewing he picked up his phone and dialed Claire’s extension.

  “Agent Winston, what’s up?”

  “Neil Otis participated in the kidnapping of my son. He snatched Alfie.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive. Pull up video #379475. It’s the security tape from the school. It’s him.”

  “I’ll send a team to pick him up right now.”

  “I’m grabbing my vest. I’m going.”

  “You know you’re on desk duty, right? You haven’t been cleared yet.”

  “He snatched my son!”

  “You already know the narrative. His mother made him do it.”

  “I’m going. I’ll stay out of the way but I want to be there when they put the handcuffs on him. He terrorized my son!” Cooper’s voice had risen two octaves.

  “I can’t approve that, Cooper. As your friend, I’m going to advise you to go home and hug your son. As your senior agent, I’m going to order you to stand down. We can’t risk you jeopardizing the case. We want to see justice served. We can’t risk losing him on a technicality.”

  Cooper threw his stapler across the room into the wall. He heaved a gust of air. “Fine,” he said. “But I’m not happy about this. I’m not happy at all!”

  * * *

  Kiely pulled up into the driveway of her home. It felt like it had been a lifetime since she was last there. After much discussion she and Cooper had decided that she would rent her small cottage and move into the home with him and Alfie. Cooper wasn’t keen on Jim Morrison coming along, having no experience with cats, but they both agreed that he might make a good companion for Alfie.

  She hadn’t planned to stop by the house but she had a few minutes before she was scheduled to meet Cooper. It had seemed like a good opportunity to assess all that needed to be done to prepare the house for rent. What she would take to integrate into his space, what she would leave, and what she would dole out to her siblings. She also needed to pack a second suitcase of clothes.

  She didn’t give much thought to the young man walking on the sidewalk in front of the property. Not until he called out to get her attention. He appeared to be young. Maybe in his late teens or early twenties. He wore a local high school’s varsity sports jacket. It was ill fitting but she thought it might have more to do with the oversized sweatshirt he wore beneath it. He had bad skin, a raging case of acne across his cheeks and nose. As he moved toward her she bristled, her stance defensive, but she didn’t necessarily consider him threatening. He simply appeared to be lost.

  “Excuse me, ma’am? May I ask you a question, please?”

  Kiely walked toward the back of her car. “Can I help you?”

  “I apologize for the interruption, but my cell phone battery just died and I can’t use my map feature to find Chambers Street. Do you by chance know how close I am?”

  Kiely pointed right. “It’s two blocks that way. You’re actually very close.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate that.” He turned and moved to head in the direction Kiely had just pointed him to. He suddenly turned back toward her. “I’m sorry, may I ask you one more question, please?”

  “Sure, what’s up?”

  “I really like your car. Are you happy with that model?”

  Kiely narrowed her gaze ever so slightly. “My car?”

  “Sorry, yeah. My father always said that if you are interested in purchasing something big, like a car, that you should ask people what they think of it when you see them driving one. He said the user of a product can tell you more about it than a salesman. I’m actually headed to Chambers Street to see a guy selling one. It’s used. I know yours is newer but I thought I’d ask.”

  Kiely nodded. She took a step closer toward the young man. “I really like mine. I haven’t had it long but right now I have no complaints.”

  He nodded at her. “Thank you! I really appreciate that. You have a good day now!”

  Kiely turned to head into the house when she heard the young man suddenly rush up behind her. Before she could respond, a heavy arm moved around her neck and then the sharp sting of a taser rendered her unconscious.

  * * *

  Cooper hated to cancel lunch with Kiely but he was determined to see how things played out with Neil Otis. A team had been sent to escort him into the office and Cooper was waiting anxiously for them to return. When she didn’t answer her phone, he sent her a quick text message.

  Hate to do this but business calls. I’ll explain later. Raincheck on lunch?

  Cooper had been pacing the floors, moving from his office to the hotline call center and back. It was taking longer than necessary to hear from the team and he was starting to regret that he had not defied Claire and gone anyway.

  Claire met him in the hallway as he was headed back toward his office. “Otis wasn’t home. Two agents are going to sit on the house,” she said. “They’ll bring him in when he returns. Now go home. I will call you once we have him in custody.”

  “I think I’ll wait,” Cooper said. “This is personal.”

  “That’s why you need to leave. It is personal and you’re starting to be a problem.”

  Cooper stared her down and Claire stared back. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against one hip.

  “Fine. But please, call me.”

  Claire didn’t bother to respond, stepping past him as she returned to her own office.

  Thirty minutes later Cooper moved toward the elevators, headed home. He had managed to successfully clear off his desk, returning the last of his files to their proper place. He was trying to call Kiely for the third time when his cell phone rang, a call coming from Alfie’s school. He was suddenly gripped with fear.

  “Hello?”

 
“Hello, is this Mr. Winston?”

  “Yes, it is. How may I help you?”

  “Mr. Winston, this is Mrs. Glembocki. How are you, sir?”

  “I’m well, thank you. Is everything okay with Alfie?”

  “Yes, sir. Alfie is fine. But no one’s come to pick him up. I understand you’re just getting back to a routine and wondered if you had forgotten?”

  “I’m sorry, my fiancée was supposed to pick him up.”

  “Your fiancée?”

  “Kiely Colton. I added her to the approved pickup list.”

  “No one by that name has come to pick up Alfie.”

  “Thank you for calling, Mrs. Glembocki. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you, sir. We appreciate that.”

  After disconnecting the call, Cooper tried Kiely’s number one more time. When it went right to voice mail, he began to worry. Kiely would never have forgotten Alfie.

  Chapter 16

  When Kiely regained consciousness, she was chained to a dining room chair in her living room, and someone was puttering around in her kitchen. She tried to shake off her restraints but they wouldn’t budge. She took a quick assessment of her surroundings. None of her personal possessions seemed to have been moved. A blanket rested on the floor at her feet. Her purse, cell phone, revolver and a bottle of RevitaYou rested on the coffee table. The high-definition television was on, a commercial for life insurance playing on the screen.

  She turned to the clock on the wall. She knew Cooper would be looking for her. She’d been scheduled to pick up Alfie from school two hours earlier. She was certain that when she didn’t arrive, he would send a search team to find her. The only thing that would delay him, she thought, was that she hadn’t put visiting the house on her schedule.

  “You’re awake! I thought you were going to miss Family Feud.” The young man who’d asked about her car stood in the doorway holding two TV dinners in his hands. “I really like that Steve Harvey! He’s so funny!”