Chapter One

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Michelle sat on her porch swing, trying to catch a little breeze to soothe her hot, sweaty, and very swollen body. Rivulets of sweat coursed down the back of her neck, pooling at the base of her spine, causing her to wiggle in discomfort. Struggling to get her ungainly body into a more comfortable position, she triggered a boisterous response in her belly, and she smiled. “Soon, little one. Soon,” she cooed. An incredible sense of wonder and love overwhelmed her every time the tiny baby moved inside her. “I can’t wait to meet you, little one.” She pushed the swing into motion, trying to lull her unborn child back to sleep, and drifted off to sleep too.

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Stepping up onto the porch, Pete looked down at his sleeping wife and thought she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Her swollen belly only added to her beauty, and he was so happy she was his, and he was hers. Saying a prayer of thanksgiving, he brushed a sweaty tendril of hair from her forehead.

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As he watched her sleep, the smile in his eyes dimmed. Memories of the past few hours, during which he tried to console grieving parents whose six-month-old little girl had disappeared from their home, filled his thoughts. Pictures of the nursery flashed into his head. The empty crib with the rumpled blankets, a small teddy bear on the floor, the wind blowing the curtains of the open window, all gave mute testimony to what had occurred. Sometime between eleven p.m. and seven a.m. the next morning, someone came in, packed a diaper bag, and carried off the sleeping child. His staff had gathered up the blankets and sheets to take to forensics. They had taken picture after picture of the room and the ground outside. He searched desperately for clues, trying to find anything that would help them find that tiny little girl.

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Michelle stirred and woke up. Pete helped her sit up as she made room for him on the swing. “Hi, honey,” she said as he kissed her. She looked at him strangely.

 

“Everything okay?” she asked.

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Pete sat down beside her and pulled her close. Bending down, he kissed her belly and said, “Hello, son.”

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Michelle slugged his arm. “Son? What if it is a daughter?” she teased.

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Pete smiled and kissed her soundly. “If she is anything like you, I will be the luckiest man on the planet.”

 

Noticing her tears, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

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Sniffing, she laughed, “Darn hormones. I’m fine.” Michelle marveled at his love for her. It still amazed her how faithfully he had waited for her to realize how much he loved her. Years passed, yet his love for her never wavered. When the entire community of Journeys End suspected her of murder, he was nearly the only one who stood by her side. It took a murder for her to know she loved him, too.

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They lapsed into a contented silence, enjoying the light breeze on a sultry July afternoon. Michelle reflected on the past two years since she and Pete were married. So much has happened since then. Gini and Joe were married last year and moved to Minnesota to be closer to Grams. Michelle’s mother had moved to Atlanta to stay with Michelle’s sister, Lizzy. Pete’s mom still wasn’t well, and Michelle helped Pete’s dad whenever she could.

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Michelle often went to her in-laws’ home next door and scooted Jim out so he could go fishing and have some time to himself. Margaret sometimes recognized Michelle, and sometimes didn’t. It was just the way it was. Now they were expecting their first child in a few weeks. Never in a million years would she have thought she could be so happy. She glanced over at her husband and frowned. Something was bothering him.

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“What’s wrong?” she asked.

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Pete shook himself out of his reverie. He usually discussed his work with Michelle, but this case was different. The last thing he wanted was Michelle worrying about someone in the tri-county area taking babies. He was struggling with worry. The FBI had reached out because several similar cases had occurred in neighboring states in the past few months. He could not imagine what those parents were dealing with, and he feared for his own little one. “What makes you think anything is wrong?” he asked.

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“Well, for one thing, you are home earlier than usual. You seem pensive.”

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Pete laughed, “Pensive? Is that your vocabulary word of the day?”

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“You may well laugh, but yes, it is. Our child is going to have a wonderful vocabulary and be an excellent student.” She rubbed her belly and smiled at him. Seeing the look in his eyes, she frowned. “What’s got you so worried?” she asked.

Pete pulled her up onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her and the baby. “Just a bad case, that’s all.”

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Michelle waited for him to gather his thoughts, snuggling deeper into his arms. She caught the scent of his aftershave and ran her fingers through the stubble on his chin. His warm breath tickled her neck as he kissed her under her ear. Giggling, she shrugged her shoulders, pushing his chin away. “Tickles,” she said as she rubbed her neck. “Talk to me, Pete,” she whispered.

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Pete wrestled with what to tell her, but in a small community like Journeys End, he knew she’d hear of it. It would be best if she heard it from him directly, but he wasn’t sure what to say. The phone rang in the kitchen, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “I’d best go…”

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“No,” Michelle said as she pushed herself free and up out of the swing. “Let me get it. But don’t think you are off the hook, buddy.” She kissed him on the forehead and waddled into the house, her hand pressed against the small of her back.

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Pete closed his eyes when he heard the squeak of the screen door as Michelle pulled it open. He should probably oil it, but he kind of liked the sound. Pete rubbed his face with his hands and wrestled with what to tell her. He didn’t want her to panic and be afraid. Breathing a prayer, he sought wisdom and peace.

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The door announced Michelle’s return, and he opened his eyes and looked at her grinning face. “What’s up? Who was that?” he asked.

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“That, my man, was Gini! She and Joe are coming out next week for a visit. I told her I would not hear of them staying at a hotel, and that they’d stay with us!”

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Pete smiled. He remembered a time when Michelle and Gini were mortal enemies. Now they were best friends and talked on the phone every week. Pete always teased her that their long-distance bill was killing him, but he really didn’t mind. Gini had been one of his closest friends in high school, and he had always hoped they would be friends one day. “What are they coming out for?”

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“Well, she apparently is going to cover Doc Palmer’s practice while he goes on a two-month jaunt with his wife. I am so happy. She will get to see the baby.”

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“What about Joe?” Pete asked.

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“Unfortunately, Joe may have to go back without her. He has a few more classes to finish before he can graduate.”

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“Hmmm, maybe I can persuade him to stay longer,” Pete said, grinning.

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“Now, what are you up to, Pete Johnson?”

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Pete just held her hand and rubbed circles in her palm with his thumb, causing her to shiver. Slapping his hand away, she continued. “It will be so good to spend time with Gini. She can help me decorate the nursery, paint my toes since I can’t reach them, and go for some shopping therapy. I can’t wait to see her.” She laughed and sat back on the swing. They lapsed back into silence. “So?” she prompted.

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Pete groaned. He’d hoped that perhaps she had gotten caught up thinking about Gini and forgotten about their interrupted conversation. “Well, what?”

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“You know exactly what. What are you bothered about?”

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“Michelle, I don’t want you to worry.”

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“Well, that comment only makes me worry more. What is wrong, Pete?”

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He pulled her close and looked her in the eye. “I was at the Applegates’ this morning. Someone kidnapped their baby girl from their home in the middle of the night.”

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“Oh, no! Poor Joan. She must be out of her mind with grief,” she said as tears poured down her cheek. Her hand had gone immediately to her belly as if to protect the child inside.

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He wiped her tears away with his hand and said with a thick voice, “Yes, she and Charlie are pretty torn up.”

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“Who would do such a thing? You find that baby, Pete,” she said fiercely, holding her belly close. “Is there anything else I should know?”

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He sighed, “This is the second case in Illinois. Apparently, someone kidnapped a little boy in the same way several weeks ago in Jasper County. You don’t know them. The Collins family. They had moved here from Montana two years before. But it gets worse. The FBI is involved. Apparently, other abductions have occurred in a few neighboring states as well.”

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“Oh, my Lord,” she breathed, sending a prayer for protection toward heaven.

“Now, I don’t want you to worry. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and our baby. You know that, right?” he asked.

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She looked up at her husband and smiled. His intense concern touched her heart. “Pete, I know you will take care of me and our little one. I trust you completely. But whoever is doing this needs to be stopped, and those babies found!”

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Pete nodded. “Believe me, I will do whatever I can to find those little ones. Now, I want your word that you won’t go poking around in this…”

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Michelle laughed. “I can promise you, my sleuthing days are over. I could hardly sneak around in the shadows with this belly. But I will do one thing. I’ll get the ladies at church to do up some meals to take over to Joan and Charlie. I’ll call on her first thing in the morning and see if there is anything I can do to help them.” Wiping away another tear, she resolved. “I can only imagine what she is going through right now.”

 

Pete hugged her and kissed the top of her head. They sat silently, deep in their thoughts, for a few moments. Shaking himself free of his dark thoughts, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

 

“Always,” she admitted with a tiny smile.

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“Good, I haven’t had lunch. Let’s go inside, and I’ll fix us some sandwiches.”

Michelle took his hand and let him pull her up out of the swing, leading her into the house. While he was fixing their meal, she called the pastor’s wife and a few others to get people praying and making meals for the devastated couple.

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