cool cloth on your head.”
Suddenly realizing where Belle had been and with whom. Wan Yo sent her a reproachful look. “Tommy wait for you, but when you not come Wan Yo put Tommy to bed. Wan Yo fall asleep. Didn’t hear bad men come in through window. Then Wan Yo hear struggle and go to Tommy. Too late, missy, too late. Man hit Wan Yo in head and take Tommy. Sorry, Missy Belle, so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Wan Yo, it’s mine,” Belle choked out.
“No, it’s mine,” Casey pointed out. “I should have been more vigilent. Tommy’s abductors must have known Belle was … not in the house. How long ago did this happen?”
“No can tell. Two hours. Three. Hit on head knock Wan Yo out.”
Casey spit out an oath. “Go back to the house, Wan Yo. I’ll take care of this.”
Wan Yo turned to go, then paused. “Almost forgot, man leave letter on Tommy’s pillow.” He handed Belle a sealed envelope.
“This has your name on it, Casey,” Belle said. Stark, cold fear seized her. Why would Tommy’s abductors write Casey a note? What was this all about? Too curious to let Casey read the note himself, Belle tore open the envelope. Five one hundred dollar bills drifted to the floor as she unfolded the slim sheet of paper inside.
The message was brief and to the point. When shefinished with it she threw it to the floor and flew at Casey, pounding him with her clenched fists.
“Damn you! Damn your traitorous hide! You’re in cahoots with my miserable father-in-law.”
Her unexpected attack nearly knocked Casey off his feet. Bracing himself, he grasped her wrists and tried not to hurt her as he dodged her feet, which she used in place of her imprisoned fists. “Dammit, Belle, what is it? What did the note say?”
Belle pulled away from his grasp, picked up the paper, and shoved it in Casey’s face. “Don’t try to deny this. It’s all here in black and white and it all adds up. The reason you showed up in Placerville, your eagerness to get close to me and Tommy, your betrayal. Oh, God,” she sobbed brokenly. “It makes me ill to think that you used me to get to Tommy. You seduced me, you bastard! I hope you’re happy. You’ve just ruined two lives.”
Before Casey could answer to the charges, he wanted to know of what he was being accused. Though truth to tell, he could well imagine. T.J. McAllister was full of tricks. No doubt this was his way of getting even with Casey for defying him. He should have been more careful, Casey reflected bitterly. It was utterly stupid of him to let his guard down. He should have known he’d be followed. His fault lay in his eagerness to return to Belle and Tommy.
Casey read the letter twice before letting it flutter to the floor. In essence, it complimented Casey for being a good detective and thanked him for finding his grandson. He enclosed a bonus of five hundred dollars for aiding him in Tommy’s abduction.
Casey cursed himself a thousand times over. He had allowed one woman to make him forget years ofspecialized training. He wasn’t proud of himself right now, and he deserved Belle’s contempt. He realized that her guilt over what they had been doing when Tommy was abducted was as enormous as his.
“Well, do you deny you were hired by McAllister to find Tommy?”
Hands on hips, facing him nose to nose, Belle’s temper was nearly explosive. Casey could literally feel the heat emanating from the hot centers of her eyes. He could feel not just her rage, but her fright and hurt as well. That he had hurt her so profoundly nearly vanquished him. He was as devastated as Belle by the turn of events. For it to happen now, right after they had made love, made their loving seem like a tawdry affair. And he hated that.
“Let me explain, Belle. After I’m finished I hope you’ll understand. I took the job before knowing anything about you and Tommy except what I’d been told. I’m a detective, Belle, a damn good one. I never expected to become personally
Suddenly realizing where Belle had been and with whom. Wan Yo sent her a reproachful look. “Tommy wait for you, but when you not come Wan Yo put Tommy to bed. Wan Yo fall asleep. Didn’t hear bad men come in through window. Then Wan Yo hear struggle and go to Tommy. Too late, missy, too late. Man hit Wan Yo in head and take Tommy. Sorry, Missy Belle, so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Wan Yo, it’s mine,” Belle choked out.
“No, it’s mine,” Casey pointed out. “I should have been more vigilent. Tommy’s abductors must have known Belle was … not in the house. How long ago did this happen?”
“No can tell. Two hours. Three. Hit on head knock Wan Yo out.”
Casey spit out an oath. “Go back to the house, Wan Yo. I’ll take care of this.”
Wan Yo turned to go, then paused. “Almost forgot, man leave letter on Tommy’s pillow.” He handed Belle a sealed envelope.
“This has your name on it, Casey,” Belle said. Stark, cold fear seized her. Why would Tommy’s abductors write Casey a note? What was this all about? Too curious to let Casey read the note himself, Belle tore open the envelope. Five one hundred dollar bills drifted to the floor as she unfolded the slim sheet of paper inside.
The message was brief and to the point. When shefinished with it she threw it to the floor and flew at Casey, pounding him with her clenched fists.
“Damn you! Damn your traitorous hide! You’re in cahoots with my miserable father-in-law.”
Her unexpected attack nearly knocked Casey off his feet. Bracing himself, he grasped her wrists and tried not to hurt her as he dodged her feet, which she used in place of her imprisoned fists. “Dammit, Belle, what is it? What did the note say?”
Belle pulled away from his grasp, picked up the paper, and shoved it in Casey’s face. “Don’t try to deny this. It’s all here in black and white and it all adds up. The reason you showed up in Placerville, your eagerness to get close to me and Tommy, your betrayal. Oh, God,” she sobbed brokenly. “It makes me ill to think that you used me to get to Tommy. You seduced me, you bastard! I hope you’re happy. You’ve just ruined two lives.”
Before Casey could answer to the charges, he wanted to know of what he was being accused. Though truth to tell, he could well imagine. T.J. McAllister was full of tricks. No doubt this was his way of getting even with Casey for defying him. He should have been more careful, Casey reflected bitterly. It was utterly stupid of him to let his guard down. He should have known he’d be followed. His fault lay in his eagerness to return to Belle and Tommy.
Casey read the letter twice before letting it flutter to the floor. In essence, it complimented Casey for being a good detective and thanked him for finding his grandson. He enclosed a bonus of five hundred dollars for aiding him in Tommy’s abduction.
Casey cursed himself a thousand times over. He had allowed one woman to make him forget years ofspecialized training. He wasn’t proud of himself right now, and he deserved Belle’s contempt. He realized that her guilt over what they had been doing when Tommy was abducted was as enormous as his.
“Well, do you deny you were hired by McAllister to find Tommy?”
Hands on hips, facing him nose to nose, Belle’s temper was nearly explosive. Casey could literally feel the heat emanating from the hot centers of her eyes. He could feel not just her rage, but her fright and hurt as well. That he had hurt her so profoundly nearly vanquished him. He was as devastated as Belle by the turn of events. For it to happen now, right after they had made love, made their loving seem like a tawdry affair. And he hated that.
“Let me explain, Belle. After I’m finished I hope you’ll understand. I took the job before knowing anything about you and Tommy except what I’d been told. I’m a detective, Belle, a damn good one. I never expected to become personally
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