Into the Whirlwind Read Free Page B

last week.”
    She wrote it down. “Anyone else?”
    Rose pressed a hand to her forehead, rubbed a spot in the middle. “It’s hard to concentrate. All I can think of is little Charlie. Is he okay? Is he scared or hungry?”
    Meg’s chest clamped down.
    Rose plucked a fresh Kleenex out of the box and dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just ... I feel so responsible.”
    Meg swallowed against the tightness in her throat. She had to be strong for Charlie. For all of them. “This was well planned. There’s no way you could have known something like this would happen.” She reached over and gripped the older woman’s hand. “We have to stay calm. We have to help Dirk.”
    â€œYes, yes, you’re right.” Rose took a deep breath. “It does seem to have been well planned. Maybe whoever took Charlie knew your schedule. Knew you would be gone this afternoon. On Wednesday you always go to the gym, then do your grocery shopping after. Who would have known that?”
    Meg looked up as Dirk walked down the stairs and strode toward her. “No prints. The room was wiped clean.” He paused in front of her, hands on his narrow hips, looking like a woman’s erotic fantasy. Meg knew firsthand, Dirk was exactly that.
    â€œRose is right about them knowing your schedule. Like I said, maybe they’ve been watching the house. Or maybe—”
    He drilled her with a glare. “Are you seeing someone, Meg? Dating someone you’ve only recently met?” The edge in his voice hadn’t been there before. “Has he been to the house? Maybe the two of you are sleeping together?”
    â€œNo! I’m not seeing anyone! I’m not interested in dating.” She didn’t add she hadn’t been remotely interested in any other man since she had met Dirk.
    â€œYou sure?” he pressed.
    â€œI’m not a liar. You know me better than that. Do you really think I’d keep something important from you when you’re trying to save my son?”
    His hard look softened. “You’re not a liar. And I know how much you love your boy.”
    She glanced away from the unanswered question in his eyes. So why hasn’t there been anyone else?
    He pulled out a dining room chair and sat down next to her. She forced herself to ignore the heat radiating off his hard body.
    â€œAll right, who knows your schedule? Your trainer, maybe? Write down his name and where I can find him.”
    She wrote it down.
    â€œWho else? Rose said you go grocery shopping every Wednesday. Anyone there you talk to? A clerk? Someone who seems to have more than a passing interest in you?”
    â€œNo. I’m always in a hurry when I’m there. I bring my list, buy what I need, and get back home.”
    â€œHave either of you noticed anyone hanging around the house? A car, maybe, you only noticed just lately?”
    Rose just shook her head.
    â€œNot that I can think of,” Meg said.
    â€œLet’s talk about your ex-husband, Charlie’s father. Hollander, right? You mentioned him once on the tour.”
    â€œJonathan Hollander. I went back to my maiden name after we divorced. Charlie uses my name, too.”
    â€œHe have visitation, partial custody of his son? How did the divorce end up?”
    â€œJonathan didn’t want anything to do with Charlie. I was thinking about divorcing him when I got pregnant. It was one of the last times we were together. Shortly after I filed, I found out he’d been cheating on me with several different women. He wasn’t happy when he found out I was going to have a baby. He was hardly interested in being a father.”
    â€œWhat about now? He been calling, asking to see his kid?”
    â€œNo. He never wanted children. As far as I know, that hasn’t changed.”
    â€œWhat about money? He in financial trouble, anything like that?”
    â€œJonathan is the president of Seattle