Vendetta Read Free Page B

calling the police, but like I said, I was afraid I was overreacting. Bridget’s . . . well . . . she’s a typical teen, and you know how teenagers are. She flies off the handle, then five minutes later, I’m the best brother in the world. She told her friends she was going for a walk, and to be honest, I have no reason not to believe that’s exactly what she’s doing.”
    â€œExcept for the fact that it’s been a couple of hours now, and she hasn’t come home,” Nikki said, praying he was right.
    Kyle shifted in his chair. “Yes. And she’s not answering her cell, which really isn’t like her.”
    â€œWhen was the last time you saw her?” Nikki asked.
    â€œLate last night. The girls stayed up late watching movies. I crashed somewhere around one this morning, I guess, after playing games on my computer. The girls were upstairs in oneof the rooms. I tried to stay out of the way. Everything seemed fine when I went to bed.”
    â€œDid you go out and look for her this morning?” Nikki took a sip of the coffee, thankful it was strong, the way she liked it.
    â€œThe girls and I spent an hour searching the trails nearby before calling Agent Carter.”
    â€œWhat about a fight? Any problems with you or her friends?” Tyler asked.
    â€œNo. She seemed to be having a good time.”
    Nikki glanced at Tyler, then back to Kyle. “There must be some reason you think it might be more than simply an early morning walk for you to decide to involve the authorities.”
    â€œNo . . . yes . . . I don’t know.” Kyle stood up, walked to the window, and stared out across the sunlit field. “Bridget and I have had our differences over the years, but she’s my sister, and I love her. I panicked when I found out she’d been gone so long. All I could think to do was call my dad’s old friend.”
    Nikki would buy his explanation. For now. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that far more children were abducted by family members than nonfamily members. She couldn’t dismiss the possibility that Kyle knew more than he was admitting.
    â€œHas Bridget ever run away before?”
    â€œShe’s gotten mad a couple of times and run off in a huff, but never for long. She went through a rough patch a few months ago, but things have actually been going better lately. She’s finishing her sophomore year of high school, excels in sports, and has a few close friends.” Kyle shook his head, still staring out the window. “I work a lot, which I know isn’t good, but I really don’t have a choice. And things have been going well between us . . . or so I thought.”
    Nikki studied Kyle’s behavior—hands fisted at his sides, jaw taut, breathing faster than normal—but it was from her own experience that she could deduce what he was thinking.Assuming he was innocent, he was walking backward along the morning’s timeframe in his mind. Wondering if he’d missed a warning sign. Wondering if he’d missed something crucial that could have avoided this situation. Asking himself over and over if Bridget’s life was in danger.
    â€œKyle.” Nikki leaned forward. “Why don’t you sit down and tell us everything that happened over the past twenty-four hours. The sooner we can find out exactly what happened, the better.”
    â€œOkay . . .” Kyle pulled himself away from the window and sat back down in his chair. “We . . . we got here yesterday evening around six. Today’s a school holiday, so it gave us an extra-long weekend. Bridget invited a couple of friends to celebrate her birthday with her—Mia Foster and Chloe Rogers.”
    â€œDid you stop on the way here?”
    â€œJust for an early dinner. Once we arrived, we went for a short hike before dark, then planned what we wanted to do today. After that, the girls just