The Other Side - J. D. Robb [130]
“But he’s only a little boy. And Mark is a cold-blooded murderer.”
Ted drew his wife close. “I know, babe.” He pointed downward. “What was that?”
She peered through the gathering darkness. “I don’t see anything.”
“Neither do I. But I thought I spotted movement.” He drew her down with him to street level. “Look.”
She followed his direction and saw Tyler hiding in the shadow of an empty building, peering around cautiously. “Oh, darling.”
She rushed to the boy and wrapped her arms around him.
For just a moment Tyler shivered, as a feeling of warmth spread through him. Then, blinking furiously, he continued looking around.
“He can’t feel me.” Vanessa was openly weeping. “Ted, he doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“It’s all right, babe. We know he’s safe, at least for now. And that has to be enough.”
“It isn’t enough.” She stomped her foot, but it made no sound. “I want to comfort him. I want my son to know he isn’t alone.” Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks. “And all I can do is watch and wait for some killer who has no conscience.”
“Okay. Time to end the pity party.” He knew he was being tough, but it had to be done. “Let’s see if we can find out where Mark is and figure out how to distract him until the police can find Tyler.”
“You want to leave Tyler alone?”
He thought a moment before saying, “No. You stay with him. I’ll just fly around a bit and see if I can spot our resident creep.”
Vanessa wrapped her arms around Tyler and watched as Ted disappeared into the night. She didn’t care what Gram had told them; if Mark Deering came anywhere near her son, she would find a way to thwart him if it meant moving heaven and earth to do it.
Jake pulled Henry Wickham aside. “What put you onto Mark Deering?”
“He was a suspect in an earlier case that has never been resolved. A wealthy widow who, shortly after marrying Deering, died in a suspicious automobile accident. We could never prove it wasn’t an accident, so the case is still pending.”
“You might want to see where that ex-con was when that accident occurred.”
Wickham nodded. “I’ve already asked my office to run a check on him.”
Jake lowered his voice. “What are Tyler’s odds?”
The detective avoided Jake’s eyes. “He’s a gutsy kid. But he’s just a kid. I’d hate to think what his chances are against a pro with no conscience. Especially one with so much to lose. If you ask me, Deering will do whatever he can to get to the kid before the police do.”
“Thanks for the honesty.” Jake turned away. “If Christina asks about me, tell her I had to file a report with your office.”
The rumpled detective put a hand on his arm. “You interfere, you’re apt to get yourself killed.”
“Maybe. But if there’s a chance to even the odds in Tyler’s favor, I’ve got to try.”
Ted dropped down beside Vanessa, who was still clinging to Tyler. The little boy hadn’t made a move since her arrival, and that suited her just fine. She was content to just stand there, breathing him in.
“We’ve got to get him to run.” Ted’s voice held a note of desperation.
“Why, Ted?”
“Deering is headed this way. With murder in his eyes. From the look of him, Tyler gave him a pretty good whack with something heavy. His head’s bloody. His eye’s swollen. I know one thing. He won’t give Tyler a second shot at him.”
“Oh, Ted.” Vanessa grabbed Tyler’s hand and tried to pull him, but her fingers passed through air. “How can we get him to move?”
Ted was looking around, hoping to think of something. Just then he spotted Jake’s truck heading in the direction of Mark’s office.
He floated through a block of tall buildings and dropped down into the street ahead of Jake’s vehicle. Desperate to get his attention, he caught sight of a stray dog digging through an overturned garbage can. Ted reached inside and found some discarded fast-food burgers. Tossing them into the street, he watched with satisfaction as the dog raced toward them.
Jake was so deep in thought he almost didn’t see the dog in time. Standing on his brakes, he managed to bring