In Broad Daylight Read Free

to wake up. Except that she was already awake.

    Calm, you have to stay calm. You can't help Annie if you're not calm.

    She realized she was clenching her hands at her sides, digging her nails into her palms.
    She forced herself to open them. "Yes."

    The single word sounded tortured to Dax. An act? The truth? For the time being, he gave
    her the benefit of the doubt as he began to ask his questions. Out of the corner of his
    eye, he saw Nathan take out his pad. Nathan believed in writing everything down. As for
    him, he kept all the notes in his head. He'd always had that ability, to go into the recesses
    of his mind and pluck out whatever tiny fact he needed whenever he needed it.

    He watched her face, looking for any telltale sign that might give him a clue as to what
    she was thinking, what she was really feeling. "Are you sure she's missing? Maybe she
    wandered in with another group of kids. I saw a lot of activity going on when we pulled up—
    "

    This time, Harwood was the one who cut in. "Our children are taught discipline from the
    very first day they come toHarwoodAcademy," he informed Dax with alacrity. "They do
    not wander."

    Dax couldn't tell if the man was taking offense on behalf of his students, or if he felt
    that anything other than perfect behavior reflected badly on him.

    In complete control of the situation, Dax lifted a shoulder and carelessly let it fall again.
    "Yeah, but kids are still kids. There's all this noise and excitement going on, firefighters, trucks, ambulances—"

    "Ambulance," Harwood corrected automatically. "There was only one."

    Dax inclined his head. The man was a stickler, he thought. Possibly a little obsessive. He
    was grateful that his parents hadn't had the money to send him to a private school.

    "Ambulance," he allowed. "With all this confusion, she might have taken the opportunity to duck out on you and get in with one of her friends."

    If only, Brenda thought.If only.

    But she'd searched the area, asking all the children who might have seen her if they had.
    Each time, she'd gotten a shake of the head in response. The tiny mouse of a child, who
    reminded her so much of herself at that age, was nowhere to be found.

    "That's just it," Brenda told him, her voice growing a little more firm with every word she uttered, "Annie doesn't really have any friends."

    There was a glimmer of pain in her eyes as she told him that. Dax couldn't help wondering
    if it was genuine, or if he'd been confronted with a very good actress. It certainly
    wouldn't have been the first time a kidnapper had tried to put something over on him.

    And until proven otherwise, he had to think of her that way. As someone who might
    somehow be involved in the kidnapping, if that was what it actually was. After all, Annie
    Tyler was last seen in her care.

    Glancing at Nathan before continuing, Dax crossed his arms before him. A full moment
    went by before he spoke again. Time, his father had told him early in his career, was both
    their friend and their enemy. The more time that went by, the less likely a missing child
    was to be found. But if you gave a guilty person who wasn't a hardened criminal enough
    time, they tended to say or do something to incriminate themselves.

    Dax studied the blond woman before him, trying not to notice that, even though she was
    wearing a lavender two-piece suit, the killer figure she possessed was more than evident.
    He motioned her toward a seat, but she shook her head, obviously preferring to stand.

    Or refusing to be placed in the position of having someone stand over her.

    He placed himself so that he could easily look at both her and the headmaster. "All right,
    Mrs. York, why don't you tell us exactly what happened. And start at the beginning. Before
    the fire trucks." He watched her chest rise as she take in a deep breath. Steeling himself
    off, he forced his eyes to her face. "Take your time," he counseled quietly. "And don't leave anything out."

Chapter