The Perfect Couple by Brenda Novak Page A
Authors: Brenda Novak
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Suspense fiction, Private Investigators, Romantic Suspense Fiction, Kidnapping, Missing Children, Sacramento (Calif.)
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Colin."
"You don't need to thank me." He covered her hand. "It's the least I can do."
Smiling, she pulled away and glanced at the clock cover on the wall.
There'd been one guy working on a project when they arrived, but he was gone. They were the only people in the place, besides the employee who'd been steadily feeding the commercial-size printers. "It's almost dawn," she said.
72
Colin got to his feet. "Then we'd better get these printed if we want to circulate them before everyone leaves for the day."
"What about your job?"
He hid a yawn. "I'd call in sick like I said, but I forgot that I have an important meeting. I'll pass out flyers, then go in to the office for a few hours."
"Taking a short day won't cause problems for you at the firm?"
He shrugged. "Are you kidding? They don't want to lose me."
"Too bad you have to go in at all. You'll be exhausted."
"I'll get by."
Sleep deprivation made Zoe swoon as she came to her feet, but Colin steadied her, an expression of concern on his face. "You okay?"
With a sigh, she nodded. She'd already survived being raped by a twenty-one-year-old when she was fifteen. That had been so traumatic she couldn't think of it without feeling ill. But she had Samantha because of it, so she couldn't entirely regret what she'd suffered.
"I'll be fine."
"You'll find her," he said.
She stopped him before he could walk away. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course." He gave her a quick hug. "And I'll do everything I can."
There'd been times in the past when she hadn't liked the way Colin looked at her. He seemed a little too appreciative, too aware of her as a woman, which made her uncomfortable. He had a wife. But she must've misjudged him, because he was the one who'd helped her through the most harrowing night of her life. Even last night hadn't been as bad. Last night she'd been able to convince herself that Sam's disappearance was a terrible mistake that would soon be made right. Now too much time had passed to believe that.
"Thanks again," she said.
He was already walking over to the counter. "No problem. You want these printed in color or black and white?"
"Color." Zoe didn't really have the money, but she was afraid people wouldn't recognize Sam if she didn't provide as close a likeness as possible.
He whistled. "Color's a buck a copy."
"I don't care," she said. "I'd give anything to have her back."
"She's a lucky girl..."
Zoe hesitated. Lucky?
"...to have a mother who loves her so much."
"Thanks," she whispered.
73
She was tempted to tell him how Sam had been conceived. She needed to talk--about how she'd felt when it happened, about her struggle trying to decide whether to keep the baby, about the day she'd gone to the abortion clinic and then bailed out because she was too frightened to go through with it. Her father had felt too guilty about what she'd already endured to force her. And that had led to a child, her child, the one thing she treasured most in life. It was hard to believe how close she'd come to ending the pregnancy. Maybe that was why she wanted to talk. It felt as if she could trust this young lawyer with anything. He'd have no reason to tell anyone.
But the clerk interrupted before she could make up her mind.
"What can I do for you?" she asked Colin.
"Give me a thousand copies of this." He pushed the flyer toward her.
The clerk jotted down the information as Zoe joined them at the cash register.
"How would you like to pay for your order?"
Zoe reached into her purse. "By credit card." She had no idea how she'd settle the bill when it came due. Anton wouldn't be happy that she'd gone the more expensive route and would probably refuse to help her. His first wife had robbed him blind when she'd left him for another man and that had made him cautious about spending money. He'd say she was being foolish, as he'd said in the past when she'd splurged on items for Sam she couldn't really afford.
But she'd worry about that in thirty days.
If Sam
"You don't need to thank me." He covered her hand. "It's the least I can do."
Smiling, she pulled away and glanced at the clock cover on the wall.
There'd been one guy working on a project when they arrived, but he was gone. They were the only people in the place, besides the employee who'd been steadily feeding the commercial-size printers. "It's almost dawn," she said.
72
Colin got to his feet. "Then we'd better get these printed if we want to circulate them before everyone leaves for the day."
"What about your job?"
He hid a yawn. "I'd call in sick like I said, but I forgot that I have an important meeting. I'll pass out flyers, then go in to the office for a few hours."
"Taking a short day won't cause problems for you at the firm?"
He shrugged. "Are you kidding? They don't want to lose me."
"Too bad you have to go in at all. You'll be exhausted."
"I'll get by."
Sleep deprivation made Zoe swoon as she came to her feet, but Colin steadied her, an expression of concern on his face. "You okay?"
With a sigh, she nodded. She'd already survived being raped by a twenty-one-year-old when she was fifteen. That had been so traumatic she couldn't think of it without feeling ill. But she had Samantha because of it, so she couldn't entirely regret what she'd suffered.
"I'll be fine."
"You'll find her," he said.
She stopped him before he could walk away. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course." He gave her a quick hug. "And I'll do everything I can."
There'd been times in the past when she hadn't liked the way Colin looked at her. He seemed a little too appreciative, too aware of her as a woman, which made her uncomfortable. He had a wife. But she must've misjudged him, because he was the one who'd helped her through the most harrowing night of her life. Even last night hadn't been as bad. Last night she'd been able to convince herself that Sam's disappearance was a terrible mistake that would soon be made right. Now too much time had passed to believe that.
"Thanks again," she said.
He was already walking over to the counter. "No problem. You want these printed in color or black and white?"
"Color." Zoe didn't really have the money, but she was afraid people wouldn't recognize Sam if she didn't provide as close a likeness as possible.
He whistled. "Color's a buck a copy."
"I don't care," she said. "I'd give anything to have her back."
"She's a lucky girl..."
Zoe hesitated. Lucky?
"...to have a mother who loves her so much."
"Thanks," she whispered.
73
She was tempted to tell him how Sam had been conceived. She needed to talk--about how she'd felt when it happened, about her struggle trying to decide whether to keep the baby, about the day she'd gone to the abortion clinic and then bailed out because she was too frightened to go through with it. Her father had felt too guilty about what she'd already endured to force her. And that had led to a child, her child, the one thing she treasured most in life. It was hard to believe how close she'd come to ending the pregnancy. Maybe that was why she wanted to talk. It felt as if she could trust this young lawyer with anything. He'd have no reason to tell anyone.
But the clerk interrupted before she could make up her mind.
"What can I do for you?" she asked Colin.
"Give me a thousand copies of this." He pushed the flyer toward her.
The clerk jotted down the information as Zoe joined them at the cash register.
"How would you like to pay for your order?"
Zoe reached into her purse. "By credit card." She had no idea how she'd settle the bill when it came due. Anton wouldn't be happy that she'd gone the more expensive route and would probably refuse to help her. His first wife had robbed him blind when she'd left him for another man and that had made him cautious about spending money. He'd say she was being foolish, as he'd said in the past when she'd splurged on items for Sam she couldn't really afford.
But she'd worry about that in thirty days.
If Sam
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