Read Online Switchback by Catherine Anderson - Free Book Online

you’ve been telling me most of the day.” He gave her a little shove and stepped toward the car. “And
please
, stop calling me Mac Phearson?”
    â€œBud?”
    His gaze met hers over the top of the car. “My friends call me Mac.”
    She paused by the passenger door, peering at him through the gloom. His friends? All day long, she’d been getting the distinct impression that he didn’t like her. She tried to read his expression, but he was standing in the shadow of a tree, which made it impossible. Perhaps it was just as well. If he was making an overture, she should accept it and leave it at that, not wonder what had happened to change his mind. “All right, Mac it is.”
    Once they were inside the car, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Again he braced himself for a deluge of tears. Shoving the shift into first, he eased the car forward, casting uneasy glances her way. “You okay?”
    â€œNo.” She straightened. “I—want to thank you.”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œFor staying.”
    â€œNo big deal. A few thrills every once in a while keeps life interesting.”
    From the corner of his eye, he saw her wiping a tear from her cheek. He pretended not to notice. She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth for a moment, then dropped her fist onto her lap. “I’m going to get her back. If it’s the last thing I do...”
    â€œCorrection.
We
are going to get her back. I told you earlier that I’d find her for you. That’s a promise I intend to keep.” He sighed and adjusted his side mirror. “The way I figure it, Lucetti will get in touch if we make ourselves available, probably by phone.”
    â€œTo make a ransom demand?”
    Mac frowned. “My gut instinct tells me it’s not money he’s wanting.”
    â€œEarlier, you said you thought he needed me to do something, that he’d taken Em to use her as leverage against me. What could he need done that only I could do?”
    Shaking his head, Mac threw her a puzzled glance. “I wish I knew.”
    â€œWhatever it is, I’ll do it. When it comes to my daughter’s safety, the word
no
isn’t in my vocabulary.”
    â€œThen broaden your vocabulary,” he retorted softly. “
No
may be the most important word you can utter. We can’t let him bully us. When he calls, you’ll have to insist on speaking to Em, so we know she’s all right. That’s her life insurance. Unless you insist on that and keep insisting, he has nothing to gain by keeping—” He broke off and looked uncomfortable.
    â€œNo reason to keep her alive?” Mallory finished for him. Fear rushed through her, but she refused to give in to it. “Don’t pull your punches, Mac Phearson. I need to know exactly what to expect.”
    â€œIf we don’t talk to her, he can get rid of her without our realizing it,” he said hollowly. “There’s no way we can second-guess what he wants or what he might say, but on that one point—assuring ourselves that Em is safe—we have to stand firm, no matter what he threatens. Think you can handle that? He’s liable to get nasty.”
    â€œI can handle anything if Em’s life might depend on it.”
    She sat quietly for a moment.
    â€œYou know,” she added thoughtfully, “I have a phone that’s equipped with a speaker. We should probably turn it on when he calls so both of us can hear. If we listen closely, perhaps the background noise will give us a clue as to where he is keeping Em.”
    â€œGood idea. We also need to find out everything else we can manage while you’re talking to him. What he wants. Why he needs you. How Keith became involved with him. Any tidbit of information you can get out of him may help us find Emily.”
    She murmured her agreement. In the darkness, he saw her face crumple before she turned to gaze out her