Count to Ten

Mia shifted, uncomfortable. "It's a car seat, Dana. No need for the waterworks."

"It's the hormones," Ethan confided in a loud whisper, then kissed Mia's cheek. "Thank you." He smiled down at her and Mia knew he understood.

Dana wiped her eyes. "Somebody's here you might want to see."

Jeremy. "Let me guess. He's watching TV."

Ethan's smile faded. "Documentaries on the History Cha

"I was hoping he'd be here by now. I have something to give him. But first, keep your eyes open. The guy that killed his mom set fire to Reed's house last night."

Dana and Ethan exchanged a look. "Nobody hurt?" Dana asked.

"No. We're thinking it was either payback or a distraction, like when he shot at me. Either way, this guy probably won't bother with Jeremy, but…"

Ethan nodded, jaw tight. "I'll watch. Don't worry."

"From a former Marine, that's good enough for me," Mia went into the living room and sat next to Jeremy. "Hey, kid."

He turned only his head to study her. "You came back."

Her heart squeezed. "Of course. I practically live here. Dana's my best friend."

"You catch him yet?"

"Nope, and I'm here to see you. I brought you something." She reached into the bag from the bookstore and handed him the large glossy book on jet planes.

His eyes widened and he took the book, but didn't open it. "Thank you." He turned back to the television. "This show is about ancient Greece."

"Yeah, I caught it last night." She settled back against the sofa and put her arm around his shoulders. "But I find I pick up a lot more the second time around."

It was about time. He'd waited for Mitchell the whole damn day. He rolled his eyes. She'd been shopping. Somehow he'd thought more of a woman who filled her pantry with Pop-Tarts. But she was here. He crept through the wooded area that cut Dana's house off from the rest of the houses on the street. He wanted to get a look inside. To check the lay of the land in case she pla

He squinted through his binoculars. He could see in the living room window, barely. Well. He lowered the binoculars, blinked hard, then raised them again. It was double or nothing and he'd hit double. Finally. For sitting next to Mitchell, his head on her shoulder, was Jeremy Lukowitch. If he wasn't with Yvo

A plan started to form. He had three eggs left and he knew exactly how to use them. His stomach growled. But first he had to get some food and some sleep.

Sunday, December 3, 6:15 p.m.

The mustache and wig afforded him some anonymity. Enough so that he could chance entering a diner and getting some food. Mitchell had made it so he couldn't show his face anywhere in Chicago. He scowled at the television behind the counter. His picture was on the news again. He fought the urge to see if anybody was looking at him, keeping his eyes on the screen. The reporter was talking about Pe

"Action News has learned today that Ms. Hill was not the caseworker who handled Mr. Kates's placement. An unfortunate accident placed her on disability for a year, during which time case manager Milicent Craven allowed the boy to go unmonitored. The boy was lost in an abusive environment, his cries for help unanswered. Now Pe

Fate had denied his justice with Laura Dougherty. He would not be deprived again.

But the timing was interesting. Mitchell had proved far more resourceful than he'd expected. It could be a trick. He'd check out Craven. If she was legit, then he'd act.

Sunday, December 3, 6:20 p.m.

Spi

"And I'd like to thank the Academy…" Mia smiled. "Okay, now what?"

"Now 1 want you to meet Milicent Craven." Spi

Reed leaned close. She looked fifty, but she was probably no older than Mia. "When I'm fifty, can you make me look thirty again?" he asked and the woman gri

"I'll give you my card."

Spi

"So you're the canary in the cage," Mia said. "You okay with this?"

"I am. I'll be in the house every evening through the night until we catch him. Then once we do, I won't need the undercover ID anymore anyway. Everybody's happy."

"Except Andrew Kates." Spi

He looked around the room. "Questions?" All heads shook no. "Then get busy. This time tomorrow I want Andrew Kates in custody."

Stacy stuck her head in. "Excuse me. There's a man out here saying he needs to talk to whoever's in charge of the Kates investigation. He says his name is Tim Young."

All eyes flew to Reed who shrugged. "Te

"Show him in." Spi

Tim Young entered slowly, his step heavy. He was about twenty-five. His gray suit was wrinkled, his face dark with stubble. "I'm Tim Young. Tyler Young's brother."

"Please sit." Spi

When Stacy was gone, Spi

Young looked around the room, took in each face. "I had to change planes in O'Hare. While I was waiting for my flight to Indy I saw the paper. I walked out of the airport and took a cab straight here. Andrew Kates is a name I've tried for ten years to forget."

"Why?" Mia asked.

"Andrew and Shane were placed with my family ten years ago. Andrew was thirteen, Shane nine. I was fifteen and counting the days until I could graduate and leave. My father had a farm. He liked foster kids because they were an extra pair of hands. My mother went along with it, because she did everything he said. My older brother Tyler…" He let out a breath. "Was bad."

"He abused the boys," Mia said softly. "And you?"

There was pain in his eyes. "Until I got big enough to fight back. He used to laugh that he liked his boys young enough to be flexible but old enough to put up a fight. He knew to back off when his prey got too big. Normally, none of the kids stayed that long."

"Did your parents know?" she asked.

"I don't know. I never knew if they knew or if my father would have cared if he had. My mother would have looked the other way. I don't suppose you understand that."

Mia's eyes flickered and Reed knew she understood too well. "So what was Tyler's age of initiation?" she asked.