The Cradle Conspiracy. Christy Barritt

that was why he’d always stayed away from her, for that matter. Because Sienna was inviting, and he didn’t want to tempt himself.

      His heart would always belong to his wife. To even entertain the idea of giving his love to someone else felt like a betrayal. So his walls went up. And they stayed up. It was all he knew to do.

      Devin needed to make sure those walls stayed stronger than ever. Because the peril around them could test all of his limits.

      * * *

      Sienna took another sip of her coffee, her mind racing. She hated just sitting here and waiting. Hated the questions fluttering in her mind. There had to be something she could do—something besides thinking about the turbulence in Devin’s gaze and the haunted look in his eyes.

      She swallowed hard and pushed down the questions about her handsome neighbor. She had other much more pressing things she needed to consider and figure out. The sooner they had answers, the sooner she could resume her life.

      “Devin, is there a computer here?” she finally asked.

      “There’s one in the corner. Why?”

      “Do you mind if I use it? I’d like to do my own research on Anita.”

      “I suppose it can’t hurt.” He stood and directed her to an old desktop. “We’ll have to use my hot spot to log in. No internet here.”

      “I should have guessed.”

      Sienna sat there, her fingers poised to begin typing. As she hit a key, the computer came to life. The glow from the screen cast its light in the room.

      Devin didn’t move from his spot beside her, peering at the screen in curiosity.

      And something about his nearness had Sienna’s nerves on edge.

      It was the situation, she told herself. And that was all.

      After getting signed on to Devin’s hot spot, she typed Anita’s name into the search engine. A little ball formed on the screen, letting Sienna know it was going to take a moment to get her results. Sienna couldn’t help but muse at the complete silence around her.

      At home, she could hear the air blowing through her vents as the HVAC either chilled or heated her house. Could hear the hum of the lights. The swish of the dishwasher. Cars passing by on a nearby highway.

      Here...there was so much stillness that it was almost unnerving.

      The wind blew a spattering of debris against the cabin just then, breaking up the tension that had begun to stretch across her shoulders. She hoped that was the only unexpected sound she heard tonight. No more windows being shoved open or unexpected footfalls or the click of a gun being cocked.

      Finally, the little ball on the screen disappeared, and results were listed down the page.

      It was like Detective Jenson said. Anita’s social media account didn’t appear until four months ago. But Sienna herself hadn’t opened an account until six months ago. Social media just wasn’t her thing.

      Sienna clicked on the woman’s profile picture and studied it a moment. Anita was petite—probably just over five feet—and twenty pounds or so overweight. She had blond hair that was cut to her shoulders in no particular style. She hardly ever wore makeup, but she did wear a necklace with a crown trinket at the end.

      Sienna had asked her once if there was any significance to the jewelry, but Anita had told Sienna that she just liked the piece.

      There were no pictures of Anita with Colby, nor did her profile share very much information other than the fact she liked ice cream with caramel on top, she loved working with children and she was born in September.

      Why were there no pictures of her with Colby? Someone as bubbly as Anita should thrive on social media. And the woman was always snapping pictures on her phone. She insisted on showing them to everyone when she got to school each day. It wasn’t a bad thing. But even when Sienna was in a hurry, Anita didn’t seem to notice. She had all the time in the world.

      “It just doesn’t make sense,” Sienna muttered, leaning back in the rickety computer chair.

      Devin shifted beside her. “Maybe she doesn’t like being online.”

      Sienna shook her head. “Anita seems like the type to love stuff like this. I just can’t believe she had nothing until she moved to this area. She was the type of person who would insert herself into conversations when she wasn’t welcome. She was clueless about it. Or she’d interrupt you to tell you something new that Colby had done. She had one of those grating personalities where everything was all about her.”

      “It sounds suspicious that she doesn’t have a more flourishing social media presence then, doesn’t it? People that like attention seem to thrive on social media.”

      Sienna twisted in her chair to better face Devin and see his expression. “Why would she move here and create a new identity?”

      “Maybe she’s running from something. Maybe an abusive ex-husband?”

      Sienna’s heart ached with a jab of grief—grief that quickly mingled with excitement. Maybe Devin was on to something. She’d considered that possibility before but what if this was much more serious than she’d allowed herself to believe?

      “Maybe that is what happened,” Sienna said. “Maybe she left him, and now he’s trying to get Colby back.”

      “I’ll make sure the police look into it. But that could be a decent lead.”

      Just then, she turned and their knees brushed. Another jolt of electricity traveled through her, and she let out a gasp and quickly pulled back.

      She hadn’t expected that. Not at all.

      And she didn’t welcome it happening again, either. Whenever she did decide she was interested in dating again, it would not be with a man like Devin. No, it wouldn’t be with someone who was brooding and cranky and unfriendly. She needed someone who was relaxed. Laid-back. Kind.

      The first jolt of electricity had just been an accident. A misunderstanding between her brain and her heart. But for it to happen twice? That wasn’t good.

      She cleared her throat, embarrassed by her reaction. “Until we learn Anita’s real identity, we won’t know if the theory—that she’s running from someone—is correct, though.”

      “Don’t you have to be fingerprinted to work at the school?”

      Sienna nodded. “That’s right. They could trace her fingerprints.”

      “But only if she has a criminal record.”

      Her excitement died just as quickly as it had risen. “It’s true. It’s a good thing I’m not in law enforcement, because I’m all out of other ideas.”

      Devin squeezed her arm. “I know the police are on it right now. Let them worry about it. You should get your rest. Tomorrow could be a long day.”

      She nodded, feeling a wave of exhaustion come over her. If it was just Sienna taking care of herself, it would be different. But chasing after a twenty-four-month-old was no easy task. It required energy and focus. “You’re right. I should. I’m going to need my energy to take care of Colby.”

      “You can take the other twin bed in his room.” Devin stood.

      “That sounds great. That way I can keep an eye on him.”

      “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

      Reluctantly, she stepped away from Devin. Strange, she thought, how she instantly felt more exposed. She hadn’t realized it until this instant, but something about Devin’s presence had made her feel safe. He had that bodyguard type of presence. It felt good to know someone was watching her back. Protecting her.

      But she had a child to care for. She didn’t have time to worry about her own feelings or fears. No, she had to