his gaze and studied Milek.
Milek couldn’t deny he had a motive to want to kill Gregory Schievink. The guy had done his damnedest to break up him and Amber. When she’d become pregnant, Schievink had sought out Milek and insisted the baby was his—not Milek’s. His hands curled into fists as they had that day. But that day he hadn’t kept them clenched at his sides; he’d swung. He’d hit the slimy bastard, and in doing so, Milek had confirmed his worst fears to himself.
“Schievink was an amoral son of a bitch. But I wasn’t the only one with a grudge against him. You have to have a long list of criminals.” Not to mention the man’s wife—Schievink had been married.
Rus nodded. But his intent stare didn’t leave Milek’s face. Of course, he probably ranked Milek among those criminals, if not at the top of the list.
“I would never hurt Amber and Michael.” Not intentionally. Not physically. In fact, he’d done everything in his power so he wouldn’t hurt them.
“Was it a mistake to trust you, Kozminski?” the agent asked.
Milek shook his head.
But he could tell the FBI agent wasn’t convinced. The man opened his mouth, but before he could ask whatever question he’d wanted, an alarm beeped from his computer.
Rus glanced at his computer monitor, then turned his full attention to it. As he read whatever was on the screen, a muscle twitched along his tightly clenched jaw.
This obviously wasn’t good news for the agent.
“What is it?” Milek asked. Hadn’t the city been through enough over the past year or so?
“I flagged my computer to alert me whenever a report came through with a certain name on it,” Rus said.
He knew. Instinctively Milek knew what that name was. But he moved around Rus’s desk to stand behind his chair. He needed to see it for himself.
“Amber Talsma...” It was highlighted within a police report. He glanced up at the corner of the screen to read the incident number. This wasn’t an old report—from a year ago. This was a recent one. From just days ago.
“Why did it take your computer so long to alert you?” he asked.
“The incident happened days ago,” Rus confirmed. “But the report just got completed and uploaded to the system.”
“What took so long?”
“It wasn’t a priority,” Rus said.
Anything involving Amber was a priority.
“Why not?” He leaned closer, trying to read more of the report over Rus’s shoulder.
As he read, Rus surmised, “It was assumed to be just vandalism, malicious destruction of property...”
“What does any of that have to do with Amber?” Milek asked. “Her house was sold nearly a year ago.” He doubted she had any other property in River City.
“This incident didn’t happen at her house,” Rus replied. “It happened at a cemetery.”
Milek’s heart began to hammer hard and fast—with dread. He already had a sick suspicion, but just as he needed to see Amber and Michael to believe they were really alive, he needed Rus to confirm his suspicion. “What happened?”
“Two graves were desecrated,” Rus said. And he pointed to that highlighted name. There was another one after it. Michael Talsma.
It should have been Michael Kozminski. Milek should have claimed his son while he’d had the chance. Because he wasn’t certain he would have the chance again...
Another curse slipped through Rus’s lips. “You know what this means...”
Yeah, he knew what it meant.
“That someone went to the time and the trouble to dig up two empty graves.”
They were no longer the only ones who knew Amber and Michael Talsma weren’t really dead. And the only person who would have gone to the trouble of confirming they were alive was the person who wanted them dead.
Chapter 2
H er hand trembled slightly as Stacy Kozminski-Payne attached the last jewel to the plush body of the stuffed bear. The jewels were made of shiny material and felt, and attached so well to the bear that they couldn’t be torn off and
Milek couldn’t deny he had a motive to want to kill Gregory Schievink. The guy had done his damnedest to break up him and Amber. When she’d become pregnant, Schievink had sought out Milek and insisted the baby was his—not Milek’s. His hands curled into fists as they had that day. But that day he hadn’t kept them clenched at his sides; he’d swung. He’d hit the slimy bastard, and in doing so, Milek had confirmed his worst fears to himself.
“Schievink was an amoral son of a bitch. But I wasn’t the only one with a grudge against him. You have to have a long list of criminals.” Not to mention the man’s wife—Schievink had been married.
Rus nodded. But his intent stare didn’t leave Milek’s face. Of course, he probably ranked Milek among those criminals, if not at the top of the list.
“I would never hurt Amber and Michael.” Not intentionally. Not physically. In fact, he’d done everything in his power so he wouldn’t hurt them.
“Was it a mistake to trust you, Kozminski?” the agent asked.
Milek shook his head.
But he could tell the FBI agent wasn’t convinced. The man opened his mouth, but before he could ask whatever question he’d wanted, an alarm beeped from his computer.
Rus glanced at his computer monitor, then turned his full attention to it. As he read whatever was on the screen, a muscle twitched along his tightly clenched jaw.
This obviously wasn’t good news for the agent.
“What is it?” Milek asked. Hadn’t the city been through enough over the past year or so?
“I flagged my computer to alert me whenever a report came through with a certain name on it,” Rus said.
He knew. Instinctively Milek knew what that name was. But he moved around Rus’s desk to stand behind his chair. He needed to see it for himself.
“Amber Talsma...” It was highlighted within a police report. He glanced up at the corner of the screen to read the incident number. This wasn’t an old report—from a year ago. This was a recent one. From just days ago.
“Why did it take your computer so long to alert you?” he asked.
“The incident happened days ago,” Rus confirmed. “But the report just got completed and uploaded to the system.”
“What took so long?”
“It wasn’t a priority,” Rus said.
Anything involving Amber was a priority.
“Why not?” He leaned closer, trying to read more of the report over Rus’s shoulder.
As he read, Rus surmised, “It was assumed to be just vandalism, malicious destruction of property...”
“What does any of that have to do with Amber?” Milek asked. “Her house was sold nearly a year ago.” He doubted she had any other property in River City.
“This incident didn’t happen at her house,” Rus replied. “It happened at a cemetery.”
Milek’s heart began to hammer hard and fast—with dread. He already had a sick suspicion, but just as he needed to see Amber and Michael to believe they were really alive, he needed Rus to confirm his suspicion. “What happened?”
“Two graves were desecrated,” Rus said. And he pointed to that highlighted name. There was another one after it. Michael Talsma.
It should have been Michael Kozminski. Milek should have claimed his son while he’d had the chance. Because he wasn’t certain he would have the chance again...
Another curse slipped through Rus’s lips. “You know what this means...”
Yeah, he knew what it meant.
“That someone went to the time and the trouble to dig up two empty graves.”
They were no longer the only ones who knew Amber and Michael Talsma weren’t really dead. And the only person who would have gone to the trouble of confirming they were alive was the person who wanted them dead.
Chapter 2
H er hand trembled slightly as Stacy Kozminski-Payne attached the last jewel to the plush body of the stuffed bear. The jewels were made of shiny material and felt, and attached so well to the bear that they couldn’t be torn off and
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