The Littlest Witness Read online

  But Detective Gallagher had been out, so she’d spoken to his partner, instead. Which had been a relief in a way, she reflected as she picked up Nikki at her pre-school on Dorchester. The less she had to deal with Detective Gallagher—John, as he’d told her to call him—the better. Under the circumstances, she wouldn’t feel comfortable in the company of any police officer, but John Gallagher was just so…intense.

  And handsome, a little voice taunted her.

  Yes, that, too, she acknowledged. But Rick had been good-looking, too, with his Italian heritage and gregarious personality. She knew better than anyone how deceiving looks could be.

  Thea had never considered herself naive. Her father, a successful private investigator and a very smart man, had raised her to be street savvy. Working in his office, she had learned she had an instinct for liars. She’d known when clients weren’t telling the truth, and yet Rick Mancuso had wormed his way into her life so deftly, so cunningly, that she’d been trapped in his web before her first suspicion ever surfaced.

  Over the years she’d tried to convince herself that her vulnerability following her father’s murder had been her downfall. Her grief and rage had blinded her to Rick’s true nature.

  He’d been the detective assigned to her father’s case, and the moment Thea had set eyes on him, she’d known he would find the killer. In spite of the courteous, almost deferential way he’d addressed her and her stepmother, his eyes had been hard and coldly determined. There might even have been a hint of cruelty that, at that particular moment, had appealed to Thea. She’d wanted him to be ruthless. She’d wanted him to hunt down her father’s murderer with a vengeance. And when Rick had done exactly that, Thea had convinced herself she was in love with him.

  It had only taken her a few months to realize what a terrible mistake she’d made, but by then it was too late. She was already pregnant by the time she’d learned, the hard way, that the cruelty she’d glimpsed in Rick’s eyes wasn’t reserved only for the murderers he relentlessly hunted. It was for anyone who got in his way. Including her.

  And the truly frightening part was he could get away with it. He was from a family of powerful cops. Cousins, brothers and uncles who would say and do anything to back one another up. Even lie in a court of law and threaten witnesses.

  One by one the Mancusos, as well as Rick’s friends in the Baltimore Police Department, had taken the stand against Thea in her custody battle for Nikki shortly after her daughter’s birth. They’d told lie upon lie about Thea’s fitness as a mother, about her faithfulness as a wife.

  But the person who had done the most damage was Rick’s mother. Lenore Mancuso had lied with impunity, weeping bitter beguiling tears as she’d pleaded with the judge and jury not to deliver her sweet little granddaughter into the hands of such an evil vicious woman.

  Their lies and manipulations had almost cost Thea her daughter. She and her lawyer had finally prevailed, but it wasn’t likely she could do so again. If the Mancusos found her now…

  It was possible, of course, that her stepmother, who still worked for the firm Thea’s father had founded, might employ their own detectives to track down her and Nikki. But Thea didn’t think that was the case. Mona would know the danger, the risk in leading the Mancusos to her.

  She suppressed a shudder as she helped Nikki bundle up before leaving the school building. She loved her daughter so much, but every time she looked into those dark eyes, she couldn’t help remembering that terrible night…what she’d done…

  Pausing long enough to gather up Nikki’s work from the day and to say goodbye to her teacher, Thea followed her daughter through the door. Nikki kept her hand in Thea’s as they trudged down the wet sidewalk, content to be led along the street. But when they got to the entrance of a small park, she stopped and gazed longingly at the playground behind the wrought-iron gate. In spite of the cold and wind, she still loved being outside. It was a kind of freedom, Thea suspected, and she tried to humor her daughter whenever possible, even on frigid days like today.

  But whereas most children Nikki’s age would have been laughing, running, flapping their arms like birds, spinning round and round until they grew dizzy and collapsed to the ground, Nikki walked slowly toward the swings, climbed into one of the seats and pushed herself gently to and fro as she gazed off into the distance.

  What was she thinking? Thea wondered, her throat tight. Was she remembering that night? Was she blaming her mother for taking away her father?

  “Looks like we may get some serious snow tonight,” a deep voice said beside her.

  Thea jumped, dropping the drawings she’d been clutching. The wind whipped the papers into a frenzy, and before Thea had time to react, John Gallagher bent and deftly retrieved the pages in swift economical motions.

  Thea accepted them, glad that her gloves prevented accidental contact with his skin. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something disturbing about his large hands, something masculine and overtly sexy.

  She turned back to watch her daughter as he sat down on the bench beside her. “Mind if I join you?”

  She frowned. “How did you know I was here?”

  “I got your message from my partner. I decided to drop by and talk to Mrs. Lewellyn myself. She told me you and Nikki sometimes come to the park after you pick her up from school.”

  Thank you, Mrs. Lewellyn, Thea thought not kindly. She adjusted her stocking cap more snugly. The wind made her ears ache. John didn’t wear anything on his head, and she wondered absently how he stood the cold.

  “Why did you need to see me again? I told Detective Cox about the doll and how it got on the roof. That explains everything, doesn’t it?”

  He hesitated. She could feel his gaze on her, but she refused to face him. Her heart thudded against her chest, but she told herself it was because his sudden appearance had been such a shock. She’d thought—hoped and prayed—she’d seen the last of him.

  “It makes sense,” he said. “But I’d still like to talk to the baby-sitter, this Bliss Kyler you told Detective Cox about.”

  Thea had wanted to talk to Bliss, too, but unfortunately the girl had gotten to the apartment so late this morning that Thea hadn’t had time to question her. She’d had to rush off to work, and the diner had been so busy she hadn’t had a chance to phone home until eight-thirty. By then, Bliss had already left to walk Nikki to school. Afterward Bliss headed off to her own classes at the university. Rather than trying to track her down, Thea had decided to go by Bliss’s apartment tonight.

  However, she didn’t relish doing so with John Gallagher in tow. What if Bliss didn’t corroborate the story? John’s suspicions would continue to grow, and Thea would have no choice. She and Nikki would have to run again.

  Thea suddenly felt wearier than she could ever remember. Why can’t you just go away and leave us alone? she silently pleaded. But when she finally turned to meet his gaze, her heart sank. The determination in his eyes was all too familiar, along with a flicker of something she fervently hoped was not cruelty.

  “Bliss will tell you the same thing Mrs. Lewellyn told you.” Thea’s voice held far more conviction than she felt. “Nikki was nowhere near that roof on Saturday night.”

  “I hope you’re right,” he said softly. His blue eyes seemed to darken as he stared at her, and Thea’s heart fluttered in warning.

  She could tell he was attracted to her, and the feeling was far from one-sided. He was very good-looking, tall and broad-shouldered, with an air of confidence that wasn’t arrogant or smug, but rather a poise that came from years of self-reliance. He was a man comfortable with his own capabilities, which, Thea had no doubt, were considerable.

  She shivered as their gazes clung for a moment and an electrical current seemed to flow between them. A warm blush spread upward from her chest to her cheeks, but before she could turn away, John glanced toward the playground, severing the connection.

  Thea felt oddly disappointed. It had been nearly four years since her d
ivorce, four years since she’d felt anything but suspicion and a fair amount of contempt for a man like John Gallagher. He’d told her, as plainly as if he’d spoken the words aloud, that, yes, he found her attractive. Yes, there was a definite spark between them, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it. She was off-limits as far as he was concerned.

  She tried to bolster her relief by letting her own gaze drift to her daughter and reminding herself that her and Nikki’s safety depended on their anonymity. John Gallagher was the last man on earth she should get involved with.

  As if sensing her mother’s scrutiny, Nikki left the swing and started toward her. When she drew even with the slide, she stopped for a moment, her gaze climbing the steps almost reverently.

  Beside the equipment, Nikki looked tiny and defenseless, and Thea’s heart ached for her daughter all over again. Nikki had always been a shy introverted child, but since that night, she’d developed several phobias for which Dr. Nevin said the only cure was patience, love and a secure environment.

  Luckily Thea had the first two qualities in abundance where her daughter was concerned. And she would do almost anything to ensure the third.

  Nikki came to stand beside Thea, resting her red-gloved hand on her mother’s knee as she looked warily at John.

  “Do you remember Detective Gallagher?” Thea asked her.

  “Hi, Nikki. How’s your doll doing after her night on the roof?”

  When Nikki showed no reaction, he said easily, “You like coming to the park?” He didn’t seem in the least fazed by her lack of response. He was actually quite good with the child, which surprised Thea. Yesterday she’d thought him cold and distant.

  He leaned forward slightly, talking to Nikki. “When I was a kid, my brothers and I used to play in a park not far from here. My sister, too, sometimes, although she was younger than the rest of us. You kind of remind me of her, except she has red hair. Her name is Fiona. She’s all grown up now.”

  Thea was tempted to ask him how many brothers and sisters he had, but she didn’t want to get too personal. She didn’t want him to think she was interested in any aspect of his life.

  He glanced at the playground. “I always liked the swings the best. How about you?” He turned back to Nikki. When she still didn’t respond, he said, “Ever go down the slide?”

  So he’d noticed her interest in the slide, too. Thea held her breath. Nikki remained motionless and emotionless.

  “When I was about your age, I hated the slide.” John grimaced. “I didn’t like climbing those steps and looking down at the ground. But there was this one time when I managed to make it all the way to the top. Know what happened?”

  Nikki’s little face was almost swallowed by the scarlet hood of her parka. She lifted her finger and scratched the side of her nose, but Thea could tell her daughter wasn’t bored. She was hanging on every word John said, and it occurred to Thea, almost with surprise, that her daughter had never been around men much. Rick had come by only when it suited him, and that had been too often in Thea’s opinion. He hadn’t known the first thing about communicating with a child, especially one as shy as Nikki. Thea was convinced the only reason he’d ever wanted custody was because he’d known how badly it would hurt her. And perhaps because his mother had urged him on.

  “I got stuck,” John said.

  Thea glanced at him, half surprised, half amused. “How did you get stuck on a slide?” she asked doubtfully.

  “My jeans got caught on a bolt. I couldn’t get them loose. None of the other kids could, either. I had to sit way up on top of that slide until one of the older boys came up to rescue me.”

  Nikki had edged a little closer to John. She was leaning her forearms on Thea’s knee as she gazed at him raptly.

  “He had to cut my jeans loose with a pocketknife. I had a big hole in the seat of my pants. I told everyone that was the reason I wouldn’t come down, but truth was, I was just plain scared. So I sat up there until it got dark and everyone else went home.”

  Nikki turned and glanced at the slide.

  “Know how I finally got down?”

  She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

  “My grandfather came and got me. He was this great big giant of a guy with a deep gruff voice that had always scared the daylights out of me before. He climbed the steps two at a time and stood at the top, staring down at me. He said, ‘Johnny, this slide is a lot like life. You go up, you come down, and then you go back up again. See that bump in the middle? That’s like real life, too. It’s fun and scary at the same time. Now you can sit up here avoiding those bumps, or you can go down this slide, have a few laughs, maybe land on your rear a time or two, but then you get right back up and go do it all over again. That’s what makes life worth living.”’

  John told the story in a thick Irish accent, and Thea could almost picture a white-haired man with laughing blue eyes. An older version of John. With a pang she realized that Nikki would never know what it was like to have a grandfather to come to her rescue. To dote on her. To think the sun rose and set on her.

  Tears suddenly stung Thea’s eyes. She told herself it was foolish to get misty over a corny childhood story, but she couldn’t help comparing John Gallagher to Rick. They were both cops, both very determined men, but Rick would never have admitted to a weakness like that. In fact, he would have carried Nikki, kicking and screaming, up the slide and forced her to go down. Nikki’s sensitivity—what he’d perceived as weakness—had always provoked him.

  “I learned a pretty good lesson that day.” He paused, glancing at Thea. “Life is full of bumps, some a little scarier than others. But if you get stuck on one, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.”

  Was that a message for her daughter or for her? Thea wondered uneasily. “Sounds like you come from a big family,” she heard herself murmur.

  “Two brothers and a sister, lots of cousins, aunts and uncles.”

  “All of them cops?” she couldn’t help asking.

  John shrugged. “My brothers are, and my father was.”

  “Was?”

  “He’s…dead.” A shadow crossed his features and he glanced away.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent. My mother died when I was little. It was just my father and me for years, and then he remarried about a year before he died.” That’s way more than he needs to know, Thea scolded herself. But her father had told her once that the trick of working undercover was to rely on the truth as much as possible. She shrugged. “Now it’s just Nikki and me.”

  “What about her father’s family?”

  The question was softly spoken, not like an interrogation at all—but that was what made it so scary. Thea hadn’t seen it coming and she should have. She was her father’s daughter, for God’s sake. She should have recognized a trap long before it was sprung, but John Gallagher was good. He’d made her want to open up to him, and that was a very dangerous thing.

  “There’s no one,” she said coolly. She rose and took her daughter’s gloved hand in hers. “It’s getting late. I have to get home and fix Nikki her dinner.”

  John stood and glanced at his watch. “It is late,” he agreed almost absently. “Later than I thought, and I’ve suddenly realized I skipped lunch today. There’s a pizza place not far from here. I think they may even serve hot chocolate.”

  Thea’s heart started to pound. That she was even momentarily tempted by his invitation proved how truly dangerous he was. But she could almost smell the succulent aroma of a Chicago pan pizza, taste the spices and sauces and cheese; the luxury of having someone wait on her for a change was almost impossible to resist.

  She and Nikki rarely ate out, even inexpensive take-out. Her earnings at the diner didn’t even cover the necessities, let alone frivolous treats like pizza. Luckily she had her savings, her stash, as she thought of it, to supplement her income and pay for Nikki’s sessions with Dr. Nevin.

  Her father had left her quite a bit o
f money when he died, and Thea had added to it regularly ever since her divorce, because she’d known there might come a time when she’d need to leave town quickly and quietly with Nikki.

  No one, not even her stepmother, had known about her stash, nor of the false IDs and passports one of her father’s associates had supplied her with. Those preparations would make her look even guiltier if she was caught. There wasn’t a jury in Baltimore who would believe Rick’s death wasn’t premeditated. His family and friends would make sure of that.

  “How about it?” John urged quietly. “You two up for pizza?”

  Thea said just as quietly, “I know what you’re doing.”

  One dark brow rose in question.

  She gave him a direct unwavering glare. “All that talk about the park, the slide, your brothers and sister. And now pizza. You’re pushing all the right buttons, aren’t you, Detective? You’re trying to use my daughter, ingratiate yourself with her to try and solve your case, and I won’t have it.”

  His gaze was unfathomable. Thea had no idea what he was thinking. “Whether you believe it or not, I only have Nikki’s best interests at heart. I’m not convinced Gail Waters’s death was a suicide. I’m still not convinced your daughter didn’t see something that night. I’m worried about her safety…Thea.”

  Her name on his lips sent a shiver of something she didn’t want to name up her backbone, made her heart flutter in awareness. She hadn’t been attracted to a man in years. She’d been too busy building a career, taking care of her daughter and trying to keep her ex-husband and his family off her back. And now, suddenly, at the worst possible time, with the worst possible man, she was feeling things she had no business feeling. Wanting things that were as far out of her reach as the moon.

  “Why can’t you just go away and leave us alone?” she whispered.

  His gaze softened, touched her lips, and Thea trembled, clutching her daughter’s hand as if Nikki was her only lifeline. And maybe she was. Maybe her daughter was the only thing that would keep her sane through this.