Her Stolen Son by Rita Herron Read Free Book Online

with a curse and unzipped it. The damn bag was filled with cash.
    All in hundred dollar packs.
    His stomach knotted. Why in the hell did Stover havethis much money hidden in his attic? Did Serena know about it?
    And where had the money come from?
    He counted the first stack, and worry crawled up his spine as cop instincts filled in the blanks.
    A large sum of cash like this suggested that Stover had been dirty.
    Â 
    U NABLE TO SLEEP , Serena’s anger festered. She had been a cop’s wife. She’d heard Parker talk about cases, had seen his methodical mind working to figure out the puzzles of a crime.
    She had to help herself and do the same.
    She called the deputy’s name, and a moment later he surfaced. “You oughta get some sleep,” he grunted.
    Serena gripped the bars. “I can’t. Would you mind giving me a pen and a piece of paper?”
    His eyes narrowed. “What you gonna do? Try to break out with a pen?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I couldn’t overpower you if I tried.” She forced a feminine smile. “But I would like to figure out who framed me. I thought I’d make a list of everyone who’s been in my house the last few weeks and see if anything suspicious jumps out at me.”
    He studied her for a long moment. “I guess that’d be all right.” He strode back to the front office and returned a minute later with a small yellow legal pad and a pen.
    â€œThanks.”
    He gave her a clipped nod, although she also felt hisgaze sliding over her as if he was judging her himself. A sense of how alone they were bolted through her, and perspiration broke out on her neck. The damn man might be handsome, but she would never use sex to obtain what she wanted.
    She was well aware that some police officers and guards expected it. Even took it sometimes.
    This bastard had been the one who’d handcuffed her and ripped her from her son and she would never forget that.
    But he gave her a dismissive look, then walked away, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she was being paranoid. But her past had taught her that she had to remain alert, that she couldn’t trust anyone.
    As soon as he disappeared through the doors leading to the front, she sat down on the cot and thumped the pen on the pad, thinking. She didn’t have any enemies that she knew of. But Lyle obviously had. Maybe he’d lied to her about what he did. Or maybe he had cheated someone in business and they wanted revenge against him.
    She’d ask Colt and Kay to check into Lyle’s past. Hopefully Colt was already exploring that angle.
    Now, the evidence. Her panties and prints had been at Lyle’s house. And the sheriff was having her van processed for evidence. What if they found something inside her van?
    She frowned. Her prints could have been taken from anything, even a coffee cup or bottle of water. She and Lyle Rice had had coffee on their first date. She tried to remember—had she used a paper cup or glass mug?Ceramic. She had also eaten a bagel, but she’d thrown the trash away when she was finished, and left the mug on the table.
    Had they walked out together or had he lingered and slipped it into his pocket?
    The memory slowly slipped into focus. He had received a phone call and stayed, and she’d left to pick up Petey from T-ball camp at the YMCA.
    She quickly dismissed anyone from the Y. Most of them were young student volunteers or females. And the male coach had two boys of his own and no reason to frame her for murder.
    So Lyle could have lifted her print from the mug, but if Lyle was dead, then someone else framed her. Had someone been watching him, planning his murder, then seen them together and decided she’d be the perfect patsy to take the fall? If so, he could have lifted her prints from the mug.
    She closed her eyes picturing their movie date, trying to recall the details. She had ordered a Diet Coke and