His Secret Christmas Baby. Rita Herron

missing children is my specialty, Cramer. It’s what I did in Raleigh, it’s what I’m doing at Guardian Angel Investigations now.”

      Cramer puffed up his chest. “I can handle it.”

      Derrick grunted. “You’ve only been sheriff, what—three or four months? Have you ever worked a child abduction?”

      Cramer gritted his teeth. “No, but I’m perfectly capable.”

      “Then you’ll let me work with you,” Derrick said in a tone that brooked no argument.

      Cramer and Derrick stared at each other for a tense moment, but finally Cramer must have realized the futility in arguing and excused himself to call the crime unit.

      Derrick joined Brianna on the couch. “Brianna, we have to examine all possibilities. Finding out who Ryan’s father is may be the key.”

      “There’s a baby brush upstairs,” she said, knotting her hands.

      He touched her hand to calm her. “I’ll get it in a minute. But I need to ask you something else. Is there anyone in town who might want to hurt you by taking Ryan? Do you have any enemies?”

      Her first instinct was to say no. But the memory of her encounter with Dana Phillips flashed back, and her gut clenched.

      “You thought of someone, didn’t you?” Derrick asked.

      Brianna hesitated. She hated to throw suspicion on one of her clients, especially one so vulnerable and desperate for a child. But that desperation could also prove to be a motive.

      “Brianna, tell me the truth. Who are you thinking of?”

      “This young woman I’ve been working with,” she answered quietly. “She and her husband have been trying to adopt, but we haven’t found a baby for them.”

      “You think she might have kidnapped Ryan?”

      “I don’t know,” Brianna replied. “I hate to accuse her and her husband. I’m supposed to be helping them.”

      Derrick gripped her arms. “Listen to me. If they’re innocent, you can apologize. But every second we hesitate gives the kidnapper a chance to get farther away.”

      She bit her lip but nodded. “Dana was upset with me yesterday. She wanted me to give her custody of Ryan. She said two parents were better than one.”

      Derrick shot up from the couch. “Give me their names and address.”

      Brianna scribbled down the information, her pulse racing. If the Phillips couple had taken Ryan, at least she knew he was safe, that they wouldn’t hurt him.

      But if they hadn’t, then some madman might have Ryan.

      And there was no telling what he might do.

       Chapter Three

      Derrick jogged up the stairs, found the baby brush, plucked a couple of strands of hair from it and bagged it to send to the lab.

      He found a Q-tip in the bathroom, swabbed his mouth and placed the swab in another bag, hurried down the steps, then stopped in front of Brianna. “I’m going to call the tech specialist at GAI and place a trace on your home phone, and have him forward any calls to your cell as well so we’re not stuck here waiting.”

      She nodded and gave him her home and cell numbers, then he stepped outside to meet the sheriff. “Cramer, will you send this to the lab with the CSI team and have them run the DNA for a paternity test?”

      Cramer frowned but agreed. “Where are you going, McKinney?”

      Derrick shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather bomber jacket. “I just got into town. I have a couple of things to take care of.”

      Cramer narrowed his eyes. “What kind of things?”

      Derrick debated whether to tell him the truth. But if the sheriff showed up at the Phillipses’ door, they might panic and run. Unless they’d already left town…

      He’d check them out on his own.

      “I have to meet my boss before he leaves town. And I’m going to get a trace put on Brianna’s phone, and have her calls forwarded to her cell in case the kidnapper calls.”

      “You’re working for Gage McDermont?”

      Derrick nodded. “He and Leah are going on a second honeymoon. I need to fill him in on what’s happened.”

      “You’re not holding out on me, are you?”

      “Of course not. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize this case.”

      “Did Brianna give you some idea who might have kidnapped the baby?” Cramer asked.

      He shook his head. “No. What’s your next move?”

      Cramer glanced at the woods. “I’ll call in some deputies from the county and form a search party to check any abandoned houses and cabins in the woods.”

      Derrick nodded. “I’ll ask Brock Running Bear from GAI to help with the search. Check the hotels, too.”

      Cramer pulled at his chin. “I planned to.”

      Derrick strode to his car, climbed in and started the engine. He hated to leave Brianna alone, but she should be safe with the sheriff there. And the clock was ticking. He quickly called GAI. Ben agreed to set up the trace and have Brock join the search parties.

      Early morning sunlight filtered through the trees, glistening off the snowpacked ground and mountaintops as he drove toward town. The Phillips couple lived in a small ranch in one of the older subdivisions on the edge of Sanctuary, a redbrick with neatly trimmed boxwoods lining the front. A fenced-in yard encased the back. He checked for a dog, but didn’t hear one barking or see an animal as he glanced around the corner of the house.

      The lights were off, and he wondered if the Phillipses were still in bed, or if they’d already left for work. Suddenly a light flicked on at the end of the house in the front room, and he stepped to the side to look inside, and saw a man in the kitchen.

      He debated on whether to confront the couple, or stake them out, and decided on the latter. He crept back to his car and slipped inside so he could watch the front.

      If they exited with the baby, he’d catch them red-handed.

      B RIANNA SAID A SILENT PRAYER that the Phillips couple had Ryan. At least she would know that he was safe, not with some dangerous child molester or someone wanting money.

      Money she didn’t have.

      And if Derrick wasn’t Ryan’s father, who was? Natalie hadn’t mentioned being involved with anyone else. Although Natalie had always been freer about sleeping around than she was.

      In fact, she was shocked when Natalie turned up pregnant. Her friend had always been careful and insisted she didn’t want to settle down.

      Sheriff Cramer strode back downstairs. He’d been showing the CSI team the nursery. They were dusting for prints and combing the rooms and stairs for evidence.

      Arms folded, he crossed the room to her. She was still resting on the couch and pulled her robe tighter around her, anxious for the men to leave so she could shower and dress. Maybe by then, Derrick would call.

      Or return with Ryan.

      “Brianna, I know McKinney asked you this, but can you think of anyone who’d want to kidnap the baby?”

      She shook her head. Natalie had seemed worried at the hospital. But maybe she’d imagined that fear.

      “You don’t happen to have some money stowed away somewhere? Maybe an inheritance?”

      A sarcastic laugh escaped her. “No, I grew up at Magnolia Manor,” she said. “Mother left me there when I was seven. Never knew my father.” She fiddled with the strap of her robe.