So far, he’d avoided having anybody looking into his background too much. Most people saw him on the front page of the newspaper, a philanthropist, as he worked on this charity or that. But, at the very best times, he was out of the public eye, away from everybody. He didn’t want anyone in his life, and he didn’t want anyone close to him. Case in point, Caitlin. Simon had screwed up there.
Such anger was inside him that he wanted to call the detective and to swear at her for having passed on his name. Even as he was dialing, he looked away—all she was doing was trying to find a child.
So, he could hate what she’d done, but he could never hate her reason for doing it.
Making a strangled sound, he shoved his phone into his pocket and stormed back the way he’d come. He had a full day ahead of him. But he’d already wasted an hour, and, at the moment, it looked like his day would just get worse. Using the anger to fuel his efforts, he made it through half a day, before storming back to his penthouse. By the time he got in his front door, his phone was ringing again. It was his ex. “Now what?”
“Did the cops call you?”
“Of course, since you set them on me.”
“I didn’t know what else to do,” she cried out. “He’s missing. Don’t you understand that?”
“I can’t help. Don’t you understand that?” he roared back. “For six months, all you’ve done is make my life a living hell, and now, because your nephew is missing, you think I’ll turn around and do something for you? What do you expect me to do?”
“I was hoping you would,” she said, her voice very small. “I was hoping you wouldn’t hold anything I’ve done against an innocent child, who you could help.”
“What are you talking about?” he said. “I don’t know anything. I can’t tell you who picked him up or where he is.”
“No,” she said and hesitated a moment, then went on. “But I know what you’re like in the night.”
Everything inside him stilled. He took a slow long deep breath. “What do you mean by that?”
“You have nightmares,” she said. “You are always crying out about kids. I used to wake up and sit on the bed and watch. Sometimes I even taped you.”
He sank on the couch in shock. “You what?” The acute betrayal was so loud and so shocking, he didn’t even know what to say.
“I got rid of them,” she cried out. “I didn’t know what to do with them anyway. I wanted to ask you about them. Then I realized how angry you were.”
“Angry,” he said, in a very silky voice, “doesn’t begin to express how I feel right now.”
She took several deep breaths. “I got rid of everything. I promise.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “You are exactly the kind of person who would use it for blackmail.”
“No,” she said, “I won’t.”
“As long as?”
“As long as you help find my nephew,” she whispered.
“So, in other words, you didn’t get rid of them, and now youareblackmailing me,” he said. “Nice. Very nice.”
“I’m sorry,” she said brokenly. “I have to help my nephew.”
“And, of course, you went to the cops right away, right?”
“Well, I didn’t go right away,” she said crossly. “But I called as soon as I could.”
“Your nephew,” he said, “were you responsible for picking him up and bringing him home yesterday?”
Silence.
He nodded. “Now I get the picture,” he said. “You’re feeling guilty because he was your responsibility, and you didn’t look after him properly.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Doesn’t that figure?”
“I need your help,” she said. “He’s just a little boy.”
“If I help, it will be for the boy. It won’t be for you. Or your stupid recordings.”