“Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Good. I need to find a break in this case.” Grace yawned, her eyes watering. “I want to get in early.”

  “That’s a first.”

  “What?”

  “I said that’s a first. You haven’t wanted to go in to work early since last March.”

  Grace paused. “You’re right. I’m kind of enjoying working with Homicide on this one. It’s fun to see how other departments work, and how other detectives think.”

  “Who are you working with?”

  “Huh? Oh, Link Abrams. I think he said he knew you.” Grace yawned again. “I’m sorry, Amya. I’ve really got to sleep.”

  “Go to bed, Grace. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

  Grace flipped onto her other side, and Amya curled around her back. She pulled a pillow to her chest and closed her eyes. She was fast asleep in seconds.

  False Hopes

  Jonas was nervous. His brown hair curled against his face and at the line of his neck, either because he didn’t wash his hair all that often or he used enough product to make him look like Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean. Either way, he was definitely younger and not as cute.

  Abrams sat across from him, Grace at the other end of the table so they in a way had him cornered. Jonas didn’t even look up, his eyes glued to the table top as if there was something utterly fascinating happening with the faux wood grain. Grace tapped her nails against the top of the table to get his attention.

  “You’re not in trouble, Jonas, but we do need to talk about Felicia and Andrew.”

  His lips pulled tight. Grace shot a look to Abrams to see if he’d picked up on that, which he apparently did. Grace focused back on Jonas.

  “Tell us about how you and Felicia met.”

  “In high school,” he muttered, his voice so quiet Grace had to strain to hear him.

  They were in an interview room in the back of Homicide, Grace opting to do it there instead of in Missing Persons, where Paige would be able to linger and watch. She wanted the freedom to interview without her boss hanging over her shoulder and picking apart everything in the moment.

  “How old were you?”

  “Fifteen.”

  “So you’ve known her a long time then. It must be hard to hear about what happened to her.”

  Jonas’ gaze flickered up to Grace then back down to the table. “I guess.”

  “You guess? You were married to her.”

  Jonas snorted. “So we could have sex.”

  “Oh?” Grace left the question open ended, hoping Jonas would start talking a bit more if she wasn’t as particular in guiding the interview. She’d still manage to get around to the questions she wanted to ask, but with him being so resistant, she didn’t want to push too hard too fast.

  The pause put tension in the air. One quick glance at Abrams and Grace knew she was taking the lead on this interview. Her case was more pressing, but the likelihood that the killer and the kidnapper were one in the same was high.

  “That’s why we were only married for a couple years. We weren’t ready for marriage. We just wanted to have sex, and Felicia wouldn’t have sex without being married first.”

  Grace leaned back in her chair, relaxing her stance to try and encourage Jonas to continue talking. “If that was really why you two got married, then why do you think Andrew isn’t yours?”

  Jonas shot Grace a glare. “I don’t know if he’s mine or not. He probably is. But I want her to prove it.”

  “Prove what?”

  “That she didn’t cheat!” Jonas’ eyes widened, the vehemence in his tone strong.

  Grace held the silence, waiting to see if he’d add anything to his comment or if he’d take it back and try to reword what he’d said. Jonas’ entire body was tense, and this was the first time he had looked her full on since they’d picked him up at work that morning. When he didn’t continue, Grace held his gaze. “Why would she need to prove that?”

  “Look, she’s the one who tossed me out. Then she comes groveling back three months after the divorce is final, saying she’s pregnant and it’s mine. What am I supposed to think?”

  “I don’t know, Jonas. What did you think?”

  “That I wasn’t ready to be a dad. That I didn’t want a kid. That there was no way in hell she’d get rid of it like I told her to.”

  “So what now? Three weeks ago she gave birth, where does that leave you?”

  “I don’t know.” Jonas crumbled. He brought his hands up to his face and hid himself.

  Grace let him have the moment. Abrams scooted his notebook over so Grace could see what he’d written on it. One word lit up the white paper. Andrew.

  She was getting there, but she had to work up to it, gain Jonas’ trust before she could really start asking questions about where Andrew was. Grace nodded at Abrams then focused all her attention on Jonas. She didn’t want to have to bring Jonas in again. He was either their suspect or he wasn’t, but Grace was determined to figure that out today.

  “Jonas, I need to ask you where you were a week ago, when Felicia was murdered and Andrew was taken. What were you doing?”

  Jonas didn’t move, his gaze once again glued to the table top as he sat stiffly in the chair. Grace waited for an answer, feeling Abrams calm and patience next to her. It was so different from when she interviewed with Paige. There was a gentleness to Abrams that Paige did not possess.

  “I was out with friends.”

  “Which friends?”

  Jonas glanced at Grace. “I don’t want to tell you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we were drunk and getting high.”

  “All right.” Grace paused for a moment before continuing. “You don’t have to tell me if you want, but if I can’t verify where you were and what you were doing, then you are number one on my suspect list, and that means a whole lot more prying into your life.”

  Jonas paled. “Fine. I was with Bryan and Nathan. We’ve known each other since elementary school.”

  “I’m going to need their phone numbers.” Grace slide her notebook and a pen across to Jonas. He reluctantly pulled out his phone and wrote it down.

  Every bit of information he gave, convinced Grace more and more that he had nothing to do with Felicia’s murder and Andrew’s disappearance. He just didn’t really have it in him from what she could tell. The kid was lost. He’d made bad mistakes, but unless he’d taken Andrew to kill him so he really wasn’t a dad with that responsibility, then she doubted he had anything to do with the situation. And there’d be no reason to take the baby away and kill him out of the house.

  Grace shifted the notebook to Abrams. “Do you know where Andrew is?”

  Jonas shook his head slowly.

  “Do you know anyone who might have wanted to take him?”

  Again, Jonas’ head moved side to side as his answer.

  Grace pressed her lips tightly together. “Who were Felicia’s friends?”

  “Don’t know. We haven’t talked much in the last year.”

  “Who were they before this past year?”

  “Harmony Crestwater. Olivia Philemon. Those were the only two I know that she talked to regularly.”

  One glance told Grace Abrams had taken down the names. “Okay, thanks. That is actually very helpful. We’re going to have a uniformed officer take you home, and if you give him permission, he’s going to look around your apartment real quick, just to make sure Andrew isn’t there.”

  “Okay,” Jonas mumbled.

  “Good.” Grace nodded to Abrams, who stood up and walked to the door. As soon as Jonas was gone and on his way, they sat back down in the interview room across from each other. Grace looked into Abrams’ eyes and sighed. “Well, I don’t think he did it.”

  “Me either. Not even sure he knows anything.”

  Grace shrugged. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens since if the paternity test comes back that he is the father, when we find Andrew, Jonas will end up with custody.”

  “That’s a problem for another day.”

  “True.” Grace raised her eyebrows at him. “Who are we going to talk to next?”

  “I think we should talk to the rest of his family before he can get hold of them and warn them we’re coming.”

  “Parents first, sister second?”

  “Yup.”

  Grace smiled as she gathered her notebook. “You driving?”

  “Only if you want me too.”

  “Sure.”

  ###

  The house where Jonas grew up was one Grace knew, and that was not a good thing. When Abrams pulled up outside the house, she sighed and tried to remember if the names of Jonas’ parents connected with the reason she’d been called out to that house, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember.

  “I’ve been here before,” Grace muttered.

  “Really?”

  She turned to Abrams. “Few years ago when I was still in uniform.”

  “For the Eriksons?”

  “Can’t remember.”

  Abrams raised his eyebrow. “It’s always unsettling to go back to the house you’ve been called to previously. Even if it is under entirely different circumstances.”

  “It is.” Grace heaved another breath before pushing the door to the cruiser open. “I’ll take the dad if you want to take the mom.”

  Abrams chuckled. “Taking the easy road, I see.”

  She shrugged. “Consider it even for me doing most of the interview this morning.”

  “Fair.”

  Grace got to the front door first. Making a fist, she pounded the side of her hand against it. They’d interviewed the parents briefly during their notification, and the mother had been way too emotional to get much out of her. The father was definitely hiding something.

  Jonas’ mom answered the door, cracking it open slightly to reveal Grace and Abrams, who stood a few steps back. “Mrs. Erikson, we’re here to talk about Felicia. Do you have a minute?”

  Grace wasn’t going to really give her an option even if she did say no.

  “Uh…yes.” She looked over her shoulder. “We can talk outside.”

  “Is your husband home?” Grace held her ground.

  “He is.”

  “I’d like to speak with him.” Putting her hand on the door, Grace held it open.

  Abrams stepped forward. “I’ll speak with you outside, ma’am. I’m Detective Abrams, I’m not sure if you remember from the other day.”

  “Oh.” She stepped out of the doorway. “I’m Theresa.”

  Abrams gave her a soft smile as he nodded his head toward the two chairs on the porch. As soon as they were settled, Grace stepped through the doorway and into the house. “Mr. Erikson?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m Detective Halling. Do you remember me from the other day?” She followed the sound of his voice and the television into the other room. “Your wife let me in.”

  He nodded at her but didn’t make to move from his lazy boy.

  “Do you mind if I sit? I had a few more questions about Felicia I was hoping you’d be able to help us out with.”

  George sighed. “Sure.”

  “How long have you known Felicia?”

  “Since she was in high school. Jonas and she dated for quite a while before they got married.”

  Grace rested her elbows on her knees as she observed everything about him. He looked like Jonas plus about a hundred pounds easily. They had the same features, soft brown eyes, curly dark brown hair, tall and lanky. And they had the same tells when they were holding back, which Grace planned to use to her advantage.

  “It must be six or seven years now.”

  “When did you find out about Andrew?”

  “Not until after she had him and showed up here.”

  “She showed up?” Grace was definitely intrigued now. Jonas had left this out of his story completely.

  George eyed Grace. “With the baby, claiming he’s Jonas’.”

  “And you don’t think he is.”

  Shrugging, George focused on the television. “Don’t know.”

  Grace hated to ask him if he’d care, but she held her tongue, knowing that wouldn’t get her the answers she needed.

  “How long ago was it that Felicia showed up?”

  “Right after she got out of the hospital.” George eyed Grace. “Didn’t even go home first. Came straight here.”

  “Why would she come here instead of going to Jonas’ apartment?”

  George shrugged. “Guess she figured we might do something about it.”

  “Jonas didn’t want the baby?”

  “No. I don’t either.”

  Clenching her jaw, Grace kept her mouth shut on that one. They might not have a choice if the baby proved to be Jonas’ biologically—although, she could imagine there were lots of other homes where a baby was wanted he could go if that was the decision Jonas made. “What about your wife?”

  “What about Theresa?”

  “Does she want the baby?”

  George rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. “What woman doesn’t want a baby?”

  Grace tensed. She didn’t, but that was another story. “Has she visited Andrew and Felicia outside of when they showed up here three weeks ago?”

  “Four weeks.”

  Grace narrowed her gaze. He was right, it had been four weeks, and her slip up afforded her something she hadn’t expected. As much as George didn’t seem interested in Andrew, he knew exactly how old the baby was and how long it had been since he’d seen him. Not saying anything, Grace continued. “Right, four weeks.”

  “She’s been a couple times.”

  “When?”

  “Couple weeks ago, I think. Might have been a day or two before…well, you know.”

  Felicia’s murder making him uncomfortable was also a good sign. Grace filed that bit of information away in the back of her mind. “Do you know what day, exactly?”

  “No.”

  “Okay. Has anyone else visited Felicia?”

  “I think Kadence did.”

  “Your daughter?”

  George nodded. “She wanted to see if the baby looked like Jonas.”

  “All right, do you know when she visited?”

  “Nope. You’ll have to ask her or Theresa.”

  “Will do.” Grace wrote down some of the small pieces of information in her notebook before relaxing. They were definitely going to have to talk to the sister now, so it was lucky she was already on their list to try and get hold of today.

  Grace didn’t spend too much longer with George, finding he was not a wealth of information like she had hoped he would be. She handed over her card, told him to call if he thought of something or something came up, and she walked toward the front door.

  Abrams was still outside with Theresa, who was bawling into her hands. Grace’s eyes widened in surprise, very glad she’d gotten to interview George instead of Theresa. Abrams, however, seemed to be handling it like a champ. He caught Grace’s attention and put a hand on Theresa’s shoulder. He stood up and walked over.

  His voice was hushed when he spoke. “She wanted the baby, was planning on filing for custody.”

  “We can talk about that in a bit. George had not a whole lot of information. You about done here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Meet you back at the cruiser.” Grace turned on her toes and walked to the street. She slipped into the passenger side of the vehicle, where she could still see Abrams if she needed to assist him with something. She checked her phone, found a few texts from Amya about driving Kit to and from work that week and how they were going to have to divvy it up.

  Adding another working person into the household was going to be rough for a while, at least until Kit got her license and they could get her a car. Still, with Kit’s history, Grace preferred to be the taxi driver, and she was pretty sure Amya felt the same way.

  Abrams got behind the wheel after another ten minutes with Theresa. Grace shot him a curious look, interested in what he had discovered. “So?”

  “She wanted the baby, to raise him.”

  “I assume Felicia told her to fuck off.” Grace’s words came out harsh, and she realized she hadn’t actually cussed in front of Abrams before. The expression on his face told her as much.

  Abrams rested in his seat. “Are you a parent, Halling?”

  She shrugged, not quite sure how to answer that question.

  When Abrams didn’t press for an answer, he continued. “I believe that even if Andrew was a surprise, Felicia would not have willingly given up custody. Considering how her apartment was set up, she wanted to raise Andrew, with or without Jonas.”

  “Agreed.” Grace bit the inside of her cheek. She’d really have to watch her mouth with him. He wasn’t only a detective like her, he had massive seniority and ranking on her. “Did Theresa say why she wanted custody?”

  “According to her, Felicia was into drugs.”

  “Nothing in her medical records indicate that, and they do drug testing on new mothers.”

  Abrams raised an eyebrow. “She may have stopped before then.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not sold.”

  “She was earning money somehow. There are deposits into her accounts, cash, but nothing in the last month and a half.”

  “No, she would have been preparing for the baby, and if she was doing anything illegal, then she probably would have wanted to back off on that a bit, especially if she was of sound mind and sober.”

  “We’ll see when the autopsy reports all come back.”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Grace crossed her arms and stared out the front windshield. “The sister went to visit her a few weeks ago. We going there next?”

  “Yes.” Abrams put the car in drive.

  Kadence was at her apartment, thankfully. Grace entered first, Abrams following. He seemed to do that, and she wondered if it was because as a woman Grace came off less threatening, but she couldn’t tell. It also could just be because it was her primary case they were trying to solve for now.