Daylight Robbery (An Aspen Falls Novel) Read online

  Kellan tried not to get too personal with the people who worked under him. He liked to keep the relationships on a professional level, but Mick obviously felt he had no one else to turn to. Kellan got stuck in a mini counseling session for the better part of what was supposed to be his lunch break.

  After that, he just had to get out of the station.

  He used checking up on his parents’ place as an excuse.

  They were in Europe on a four-month vacation. It included a cruise around the Mediterranean islands, among other things. Kellan was happy for them. They deserved this break away. As hard as it was for his mother to leave her precious family, it was the right thing to do. And they were having a blast.

  Kellan had promised to watch over their place—clear the mailbox, mow the lawn, that kind of thing. It really wasn’t a burden. His parents had done so much for him in the past, and since he was the only child still living in Aspen Falls, the duty fell to him.

  He thought of his two sisters—one lived in the Twin Cities while the other had moved to Portland for work. It was actually a blessing. Being younger by quite a few years made him feel like he had three mothers sometimes, and he felt the family got along better when they didn’t live in each other’s pockets. It meant the time they did spend together was quality. And Kellan was happy to keep it that way.

  Scrubbing a hand down his face, he reminded himself to shave the next morning. He liked to be neat and crisp in his uniform, and shaving was all part of that. When work got on top of him, the little things sometimes slid, but he reprimanded himself every time. It was his job to set an example.

  Driving past the high school, he scanned the lot like he did every time. All seemed quiet and peaceful.

  The elementary school around the block was the same.

  The final bell for the day would be ringing soon enough, and children would come flooding out of the buildings. He pictured them with their carefree smiles and enthusiasm. His lips twitched with a grin that didn’t have time to grow as images of an innocent smile from long ago pierced him.

  He shook his head against the memories and focused back on work.

  He needed to set up a meeting with the city council to discuss the upcoming changes in the area. Whether they wanted it to or not, Aspen Falls was growing. With the community college getting a better reputation every year, more people were flooding in, and the tide of change was bringing families with it. There’d be need for a new elementary school soon, and discussions were already underway. Kellan wanted to keep his finger on the pulse of it all. Safety was his number one concern, and he wanted to make sure that he had some influence on how things would be set up. He’d lived in Aspen Falls his entire life and had seen so many changes. He knew what worked and what didn’t. Now that he was in a position of influence, he wanted to use it in a positive way.

  A new elementary school meant an influx of people. It meant changes in how traffic flowed and what areas would need to be policed and monitored. Children’s safety was paramount. He wanted to make sure the new changes implemented wouldn’t be coming with any of the standard teething problems.

  Turning onto his parents’ street, he couldn’t help a small smile.

  Even though he hadn’t lived there for years, the big house with the white trim would always feel like home. His parents had recently had the house repainted, but they’d kept the white trim. Kellan hadn’t been sold on his mother’s choice of Lemon Whip yellow, but as usual, her eyesight had been better than his and it actually looked amazing.

  He pulled up in front of the house and took a moment to gaze up at it.

  Memories filtered through him the way they always did.

  Playing catch on the front lawn with his dad. Trampolining on the back lawn with his sisters. Playing cops and robbers with Dwayne, which eventually became T-ball and then baseball until his best friend moved away. By then he was in high school and focusing on other things like girls and studying for SATs.

  He’d known all along that he wanted to be a cop. Police chief had never been on the agenda, but life had taken him on a twisting path he’d never expected and so there he was, a boss at the age of forty. He felt too young for the job some days, but no one had complained about him, so he’d keep doing what he was doing.

  It wasn’t like he had anything else to do with his time.

  The thought stung, and the niggle that had been gnawing at him for months grew with intensity.

  You need to get a life, Kellan!

  But he’d had a life…and then it had been stripped away with a viciousness he still wasn’t sure he’d recovered from.

  Popping open the car door, he gazed up at the bay windows of the house. The front right one had been Novalee’s room, but eventually it became a room for grandkids. They loved staying there and having special time with Nannie and Pops.

  Thoughts of Raelynn assaulted him, and he struggled to catch his breath as he pictured his little girl with her head out the window, her blonde curls bouncing as she waved down to him.

  “See ya later, Daddy. Don’t you worry about me. Nannie’s gonna teach me to make brownies for you.”

  Rae would never make brownies for him again.

  She’d never do anything again.

  Because his little ray of sunshine was dead.

  And there was nothing he could do to bring her back.

  3

  Wednesday, September 26th

  1:50pm

  Leah wasn’t sure why she was struggling to breathe or why a simple line-up of family photographs could make her freeze.

  But they had.

  She reached for the picture on the dresser, running her gloved finger over the smiling faces of the family.

  She wanted that so badly.

  A mother. A father.

  The little girl in the picture was giggling as her parents swung her in the air between them. She looked about two years old, with sunny, blonde curls and a round, chubby face.

  Behind that photo was another family—five of them. The three children were older, maybe the same age as Leah, and they looked happy and friendly, grinning at the camera like someone had just cracked a joke before snapping the shot.

  The last family photo was a family of four. They were older again—more polished and low-key, but their smiles seemed genuine enough.

  Leah’s eyes darted back to the little girl swinging between her parents.

  She wondered what it would feel like to be loved that way. Where you could smile and laugh whenever you wanted.

  “Leah! Do you copy?” It was only then that the sharpness of Cricket’s voice pierced the imaginary cloud she was floating in. “Get out of there! Time’s up.”

  Leah checked her watch then clicked the button on the walkie-talkie. “We still have four minutes.”

  “Someone’s there,” Cricket hissed. “Get out now!”

  She gasped, stumbling back from the dresser, but not before spotting another photo on the wall. It was the father and little girl again. He was holding her on his hip and they were staring at each other with enough love to make Leah want to cry. The girl was safe in her daddy’s arms. Her chubby little fingers were resting on the side of his face as he smiled down at her and once again, Leah yearned to know what that kind of security felt like.

  Imagine never having to worry about—

  “Leah!” Cricket’s voice made her flinch.

  “Right. Coming,” she whispered under her breath, which froze in her chest as she registered the click of the front door unlocking.

  It gave a soft whine as it opened, and Leah had never heard anything so terrifying.

  “Back window,” Cricket whispered. “I think it’s a bathroom. Slide down the roof and you’ll find a drainpipe you can climb down. Move your ass or we’re busted.”

  Pulling the walkie-talkie out of her waistband, she held it to her lips and whispered, “You go. I’ll meet you at the park.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.” Cricket sounded adamant.
r />   Leah winced as she edged to the doorway. “You want us both to get busted? Just start running. You know I’ll catch up.”

  “Fine.” He sighed. “But be careful.”

  “Roger that.” She turned the radio off, not wanting to risk any noise when she snuck across the hallway and into the bathroom.

  By the sounds of it, the owner was still downstairs.

  Leah was going to have to give John shit for not doing his research properly. So much for the owners being away on vacation.

  She pressed her lips together as she glanced out the door. The coast was clear.

  Holding her breath, she crept out of the room, glad her covered shoes wouldn’t be making any noise.

  Inching toward the bathroom, she frowned as she noticed she’d have to pass the stairwell to get there.

  She paused, straining to hear noises of movement. She was pretty sure the person was in the kitchen.

  With hurried steps, she crept past the top of the stairwell, but jerked to a stop when she spotted a man at the bottom.

  He glanced up as she looked down and they both froze, gaping at each other for a surprised moment before he pointed up the stairs and yelled, “Hey! Freeze!”

  Leah didn’t need to be told twice. Bolting for the bathroom, she used her shoulder to whip open the door before slamming it shut behind her.

  She twisted the lock, knowing she’d only bought herself a few seconds.

  She slammed the toilet lid down, jumped onto it and shunted the bathroom window open. It’d be a tight squeeze, but she could fit.

  The man started banging as she rested her foot on the window frame.

  “Open this door!” He pounded.

  Leah launched herself out the window just as the door crashed open behind her.

  4

  Wednesday, September 26th

  1:55pm

  “Hey!” Kellan yelled, jumping to try and catch the bag on the girl’s back.

  But he missed.

  Gripping the window frame, he watched in stunned silence as she scrambled down the angled roof like a cat. The blue covers on her shoes were slippery and hindering her. In one swift move, she tore them off and left them on the sloped tiles. He was expecting her to slip and careen into the backyard at any moment, but her balance was phenomenal, and she was fearless as she gripped the gutter and swung herself down. She no doubt slid down the drainpipe like a fireman.

  He had to be quick if he wanted to catch her.

  Dialing dispatch, he told Steph the situation in short, clipped sentences while he sped out of the bathroom.

  “Blaine and Ollie are in your area. I’ll radio them for you now, sir.”

  Kellan hung up, trusting Steph to follow through immediately.

  He then called Blaine’s cellphone to find out exactly where they were.

  “What’s up, Chief?” Blaine answered, his voice tense in anticipation. Kellan didn’t make social calls to personal phones while his officers were on duty. In fact, he never really made social calls to personal phones ever. He wasn’t that kind of guy.

  “Steph says you’re working the east side of town today.” Kellan vaulted off the last step and started running for the back door.

  “She just radioed. We're on our way.”

  Kellan heard the sirens click on as he ran through the kitchen and flung the French doors open. The girl was just hopping the fence.

  “She’s heading northeast through the backyards,” Kellan shouted, pressing Speaker on the screen and then pumping his arms to keep up. Scrambling up the fence, he jumped over the other side and felt the impact of landing rush through his body.

  He was a fit enough guy—ran five miles three days a week. Boxed with Nate two mornings a week. But he wasn’t as young as he used to be, and he certainly wasn’t as fast as the skinny little jackrabbit scurrying away from him.

  “Turning onto your street now, sir.” Blaine’s voice sounded tinny on speakerphone, but Kellan was glad to hear it.

  The distant siren grew in volume as Kellan climbed the last fence and dropped into the park.

  A squeal of brakes sounded to his left, and then he spotted Blaine jumping out of the squad car. The vehicle was at a funny angle against the curb, and Blaine had left his door wide open as he raced across the grass to catch up with the scampering thief.

  Her body jerked right when she saw him coming.

  She was light on her feet, and Kellan was worried they’d lose her.

  Blaine was a damn good runner though, and was gaining ground quickly, angling right toward her until something jumped out of the bushes and leaped onto his back with a banshee cry.

  Blaine spun and lost his footing, completely blindsided by the attack.

  Kellan was getting close and Ollie—Blaine’s partner—was coming up behind them. All Kellan could make out was a shock of crazy hair and skinny arms trying to attack one of his best officers.

  But Blaine wasn’t having it.

  With a swift move, he rolled onto his back, squishing the kid onto the grass and quickly gaining control of the situation. Flipping onto his knees, he pinned the kid’s shoulders to the ground, his strength and stature demanding compliance.

  Kellan was less than a yard away when a rock came flying from behind the aspen tree. It cracked Blaine right in the temple and the guy lost his hold on the boy. Blood immediately streamed from the gash on his eyebrow, temporarily blinding him.

  The skinny kid took advantage, kneeing Blaine in the groin and scrambling away from him.

  Blaine groaned and instinctively grabbed himself as he dropped to the ground.

  Kellan’s temper spiked.

  As the boy shot north out of the park, Kellan caught a flash of the girl as she tried to dart past them.

  “There!” He pointed to Ollie.

  Blaine’s partner, obviously just as pissed off as Kellan, sprinted after the girl and brought her down a few feet later.

  She screamed as she hit the ground, struggling like a wild animal as Ollie tried to contain her. She was on her stomach, her cheek against the cold footpath while Ollie held her shoulders in place.

  Kellan raced over to help him, crouching down by the girl’s head and speaking firmly. “Stop moving. Just lie still.”

  She grunted and continued to writhe.

  “You’re only making things worse by fighting with police officers, you understand me? You’re in enough trouble as it is. Now calm down.”

  She glanced up at him, her hazel eyes wide with fear.

  Kellan recognized it and immediately softened his voice. “It’s going to be alright, but you need to stop fighting.”

  He could sense she didn’t believe him, but she did go still.

  Eyeing her carefully, he then glanced at Ollie and murmured, “You better cuff her.”

  He hoped the look in his eye was enough to tell Ollie to be gentle with the kid. Now that he was up close, Kellan could see how young she was, and his stomach curdled with unrest.

  What the hell was a kid doing robbing his parents’ place?

  Footsteps approached, and he looked up at Blaine. He was wiping blood from his brow and it was smearing down his cheek.

  “You okay?”

  Blaine grimaced as he rubbed the blood between his finger and thumb. “It’s just a scratch.”

  It may have just been a scratch, but it obviously hurt. Not to mention the guy got kneed in the privates. That had a unique pain of its own that Kellan was nice enough not to mention.

  He gave his officer a grim smile then raised his chin at the squad car. “Go grab the medical kit before you get blood all over your uniform.”

  Blaine frowned and stalked off, obviously annoyed by what had happened to him.

  Bested by a couple of skinny kids. Once the incident was over, it’d be turned into a joke that would be referred to for years to come. Kellan already felt sorry for the guy.

  With an irritated huff, he crouched back down next to the girl, who was now sitting on her butt with her ha
nds cuffed behind her back. Ollie still had his hand on her shoulder, a silent reminder for her not to run.

  Snatching her bag off the ground, Kellan unzipped it and checked the contents. His anger bubbled again when he found the padded pocket with his mother’s jewelry inside. The ruby necklace had actually belonged to his great-grandmother and was a very precious piece that his mother wore occasionally.

  Kellan glared at the girl while he delicately fingered the expensive piece. “My name is Chief Marks, and you just tried to steal from my family.”

  The girl blinked and swallowed, obviously thrown by the news that she had tried to rob someone in law enforcement.

  “What’s your name?” Kellan asked.

  She pressed her lips together and looked away from him.

  He couldn’t help noticing the spray of freckles across her flushed cheeks. When she wasn’t running on adrenaline, her skin was probably milky white and pale. She had sharp features—a pointed nose and chin. She was definitely of European descent. She had a Viking look about her.

  And for some reason, it made him think of Rae.

  The thought was an unsettling lightning bolt that shot through him, and he had to take a moment to remind himself that the daughter he’d lost years ago was not this girl. His Rae had been a burst of sunshine. She’d had blonde curls like her mother, not straight brown hair. His Rae had smiled more than she’d scowled. And his Rae had met a horrible death, alone, in the woods by a lake.

  He inwardly shuddered, his next question coming out as an awkward croak. “Where are your parents?”

  Kellan cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out her story.

  She kept her face turned away, her nostrils flaring as she refused to answer him.

  But he kept on trying. “No parents? Who do you live with then?”

  She remained silent. Her neck muscles strained as she stubbornly stared into the distance, refusing to make eye contact.

  Kellan sighed as he fisted the bag in his hand. “If you don’t tell me anything, I’m going to have to take you to the station and hold you there. Do you want to do that?”