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Authors: Barbara Cool Lee
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away from the dangerous subject of her own past and said, "I just mean that out of all the people in the world, he did this to me. I guess it just seems so weird to be targeted like this."
Ryan pulled back, too, and seemed to relax. "I don't know the answers, Camilla. But maybe we can figure it out. Every criminal has an M.O. We can find Dennis Hutchins's. So, has he left his son with other women?"
She was glad to move back onto safer territory. Ryan was a cop. He could help figure this out. He wasn't investigating her, but just curious about Dennis, so she needed to get herself under control and focus on the problem in front of her. "I'm pretty sure Dennis never had any other woman legally adopt Oliver," she said matter-of-factly. "At least, not as far as I know. That's part of the problem. I don't know much. Half of what Oliver said today was news to me. He thinks telling me about his father would be snitching, and the police don't seem to know much about any of this. They're more focused on the missing money than on Oliver being abandoned."
"Oliver isn't abandoned." He was smiling that tentative smile at her again.
"No," she agreed. "I'll never abandon him. He's safe with me."
"Yes, he is." Ryan leaned against the side of the SUV. "So go over the story again."
She quickly went through the timeline again. She tried to skip over her shame and embarrassment. Her love of Oliver. How she got swept up in the suddenness of it all and lost her sense. How it all came crashing down. But somehow she felt he saw all of it through those cold blue eyes of his.
When she stopped he said, "Well at least I can understand why he picked you."
She froze. So he did believe she deserved this? "You think he likes redheads?" she said sarcastically.
"I'm serious."
"So am I," she said defensively. "I have no idea what made him target me, except my complete gullibility."
"No. He trusted you."
"Trusted me?" Of all the things he might have said, that was the most ridiculous. "He knew I was an idiot he could scam, you mean."
"No, that's not what I mean." He looked at her very seriously. "I mean he trusted you with his son's life. He trusted you not to take out your anger—your very understandable anger toward him—on his son."
"What are you talking about? Of course I would never blame Oliver."
"Exactly. There are women who would."
"Who would hurt a little child like him? He's darling. Give me a break."
"You don't think anyone ever hurts darling, innocent children?"
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She was wringing her hands again, and this time he definitely noticed.
He covered her hands with his own. The touch of those large, rough hands was surprisingly warm, and she felt her clenched fingers relax in his palms. "You're a decent person, Camilla." He let go of her suddenly, and she missed the warmth. "You would never hurt Oliver."
"I wouldn’t do that, no matter what."
Ryan nodded. "And he could read you, 'like a book' you said. He knew you had a compassionate heart."
"You don’t even know me." But she worried that he did know too much about her, and she didn't like how it made her feel.
He continued on calmly, in that cool way of his. "I know you are broke, out of work, and struggling to get on your feet, but you took time out of your first day in town to enroll Oliver in school."
"He'll get behind if I don’t."
"Right."
She felt uncomfortable, like he too could read her like a book. That sensation made her feel unsafe. She wished she hadn't invited him in for coffee, and wondered how to brush him off.
"Why do you feel guilty?" he asked. "You're the victim, not the criminal."
"Haven't you ever made a single mistake and had it snowball into something awful?"
He stepped back like she'd stabbed him in the heart.
What had she said?
"Let's take a rain check on the coffee," he said stiffly. "I'd better be getting to work. Good day, Ma'am." He got back into the SUV and pulled away, leaving her standing there
Ryan pulled back, too, and seemed to relax. "I don't know the answers, Camilla. But maybe we can figure it out. Every criminal has an M.O. We can find Dennis Hutchins's. So, has he left his son with other women?"
She was glad to move back onto safer territory. Ryan was a cop. He could help figure this out. He wasn't investigating her, but just curious about Dennis, so she needed to get herself under control and focus on the problem in front of her. "I'm pretty sure Dennis never had any other woman legally adopt Oliver," she said matter-of-factly. "At least, not as far as I know. That's part of the problem. I don't know much. Half of what Oliver said today was news to me. He thinks telling me about his father would be snitching, and the police don't seem to know much about any of this. They're more focused on the missing money than on Oliver being abandoned."
"Oliver isn't abandoned." He was smiling that tentative smile at her again.
"No," she agreed. "I'll never abandon him. He's safe with me."
"Yes, he is." Ryan leaned against the side of the SUV. "So go over the story again."
She quickly went through the timeline again. She tried to skip over her shame and embarrassment. Her love of Oliver. How she got swept up in the suddenness of it all and lost her sense. How it all came crashing down. But somehow she felt he saw all of it through those cold blue eyes of his.
When she stopped he said, "Well at least I can understand why he picked you."
She froze. So he did believe she deserved this? "You think he likes redheads?" she said sarcastically.
"I'm serious."
"So am I," she said defensively. "I have no idea what made him target me, except my complete gullibility."
"No. He trusted you."
"Trusted me?" Of all the things he might have said, that was the most ridiculous. "He knew I was an idiot he could scam, you mean."
"No, that's not what I mean." He looked at her very seriously. "I mean he trusted you with his son's life. He trusted you not to take out your anger—your very understandable anger toward him—on his son."
"What are you talking about? Of course I would never blame Oliver."
"Exactly. There are women who would."
"Who would hurt a little child like him? He's darling. Give me a break."
"You don't think anyone ever hurts darling, innocent children?"
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She was wringing her hands again, and this time he definitely noticed.
He covered her hands with his own. The touch of those large, rough hands was surprisingly warm, and she felt her clenched fingers relax in his palms. "You're a decent person, Camilla." He let go of her suddenly, and she missed the warmth. "You would never hurt Oliver."
"I wouldn’t do that, no matter what."
Ryan nodded. "And he could read you, 'like a book' you said. He knew you had a compassionate heart."
"You don’t even know me." But she worried that he did know too much about her, and she didn't like how it made her feel.
He continued on calmly, in that cool way of his. "I know you are broke, out of work, and struggling to get on your feet, but you took time out of your first day in town to enroll Oliver in school."
"He'll get behind if I don’t."
"Right."
She felt uncomfortable, like he too could read her like a book. That sensation made her feel unsafe. She wished she hadn't invited him in for coffee, and wondered how to brush him off.
"Why do you feel guilty?" he asked. "You're the victim, not the criminal."
"Haven't you ever made a single mistake and had it snowball into something awful?"
He stepped back like she'd stabbed him in the heart.
What had she said?
"Let's take a rain check on the coffee," he said stiffly. "I'd better be getting to work. Good day, Ma'am." He got back into the SUV and pulled away, leaving her standing there
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