Chapter One
February 2015
Cobb County, Georgia
"Do you think you can handle this?" CCPD Detective Isabella Martinez asked GBI Special Agent Elizabeth Lockhart as they observed the figure below them.
Liz put her hands on her hips. "I think so. It'll be tough," she heaved a sigh, "but it's nothing I haven't handled before."
A giggle filled the living room. Six-year-old Olivia Martinez looked up at Liz and Izzy with chocolate smeared across her face. Olivia clutched the wrapper from the devoured heart-shaped piece of candy in her hand. She grinned, her teeth stained with chocolate.
"How's that sugar coursing through your system?"
"Coursing?" Olivia asked, not recognizing the word. Just as quickly, though, her attention moved to her little brother, Seth, who was begging their other mother, Pat, for more candy. The three-year-old held his hands in the air, his tiny fingers making pinching motions. Olivia rushed to Pat, thinking she might get more chocolates.
Liz turned her focus back to Izzy, who was observing her children with adoration in her eyes. Then, Izzy met her wife's gaze, and some unspoken conversation happened, resulting in Izzy smirking and Pat's cheeks growing a little crimson. Liz could guess what their silent discussion was about—it was Valentine's Day, after all.
Since her boyfriend, Josh, had to work that night, Liz had offered to babysit the kids so Izzy and Pat could go out for a romantic dinner together. Liz and Josh had planned to celebrate the holiday the following week, though he had surprised her that morning by showing up at her townhouse with a greeting card, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, and a beautiful flower bouquet. She'd bought him a little teddy bear and a card, so she went ahead and gave them to him. Their make-up Valentine's Day would end up just being a regular date, but she had no problems with that.
"We should get out of here so we don't miss our reservation," Izzy said.
She and Pat bid farewell to the children and headed out the door, waving their goodbyes.
Luckily for Liz, it was almost Seth's bedtime, and Olivia's was not long after. She didn't mind being with the kids, of course, but she'd had a busy day, and just lounging about waiting for the lovebirds to come home sounded better than chasing around two kids hopped up on sugar.
"Can I have more candy?" Olivia asked.
Liz shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie, but your moms said no more after they left."
Olivia stuck out her lip and gave Liz puppy dog eyes, but Liz resisted—barely. She broke hardened criminals all the time; she could keep her resolve with children…right?
"How about we watch a show?" she suggested. "Then it's time to get Seth ready for bed."
"No!" Seth cried. He was three, so 'no' was his favorite word at the moment.
"So, you want to go to bed now?" she asked with a smirk. "You don't want to watch TV first?"
He studied her, his young brain trying to figure out how to get his way.
"Do you want to watch your cartoon?"
This time, he nodded.
"Okay, good. Let's all sit on the couch."
She plopped onto the middle of the couch, grabbing the remote off the coffee table. Olivia and Seth rushed over, pulled themselves on the cushions, and squeezed tight at her sides. She opened Netflix, and they chose which cartoon to watch. Liz rested the remote on her lap so she could put an arm around each of them, and they snuggled closer.
Liz wasn't sure if she wanted kids. It was something she'd debated for years. The timing had never felt right when she'd been married to Brent, since they'd both still been pretty young and had careers that took a lot of their time. Then, Simone Halverson murdered him, and all chances of children vanished with him. She and Josh were nowhere near the point of thinking about marriage, let alone children. Liz was okay with that. She still had time, and it was fun being an occasional parent to Olivia and Seth. It was nice being able to go home at the end of the day and leave those responsibilities behind.
When the episode ended, Olivia asked, "Can we do another before Seth goes to bed?"
Liz pretended to contemplate her request—as if it was a life-or-death decision. Finally, she grinned. "Sure, but don't tell your moms."
Olivia pressed her lips together, and her fingers twisted in the corner of her mouth.
The secret was safe with her.
Chapter Two
By the time the second episode was over, Seth had practically passed out, so getting him into his pajamas and settling him under the covers was easy. She'd left Olivia in the living room watching a different cartoon, and Liz rejoined her after reading Seth a short story from his fairy tale book.
Olivia cuddled against her, and Liz pulled her close.
"Time for bed," she said as the credits played a little while later.
"One more?" Olivia asked, but it sounded half-hearted.
"Sorry, sweetie, but no. We already watched an extra episode with Seth, remember?"
She nodded. "Okay."
Olivia was in bed, with the covers tucked around her, when she asked, "Where's Foxy?"
"Foxy?" Liz asked, then she remembered the item in question. It was a stuffed animal and a tiny blanket combined, only about a foot long and wide. She'd had it since she was born. Liz recalled, with a disheartening realization, that Olivia couldn't go to bed without Foxy. "When did you see her last?"
"I don’t know."
"Well, let's take a look." Liz scanned the floor for Foxy. This should be an easy mystery to solve. She chuckled at her stupid joke.
Liz didn't spot the fox on the floor, so she checked under the bed, then in the toy box, and between the sheets on Olivia's bed.
Olivia sniffled, and Liz said, "We'll find it. Don't you worry."
She returned to the living room and searched around the couch, pulling away the cushions to see if Foxy was stuffed between or beneath them. No such luck.
Olivia had followed her into the room, and she started sobbing loudly, like it was the worst thing in the world that she might have to go to bed without Foxy.
Annoyance prickled through Liz, but she reminded herself that she'd had a similar stuffed animal as a child. Her rabbit went everywhere with her, and she'd slept with him every night.
Liz searched the kitchen, the dining room, and the bathroom to no avail. Olivia kept getting more and more upset, which ratcheted up Liz's anxiety with each passing minute. What if Olivia woke up Seth?
Having looked everywhere, even thoroughly re-searching Olivia's bedroom, Liz asked the sobbing girl, "Can you be a big girl and be quiet for a minute so I can go check Seth's room? Maybe you left Foxy in there."
"I wouldn't do that," Olivia insisted.
"Well, I'm going to check anyway," Liz said. She hugged Olivia as she regained her composure, set her on the couch so she'd be out of the way, and slipped into the dark room where Seth slept soundly.
Using her cell phone's flashlight, she swept the room. She was about to give up when she noticed a red polka-dot bow on the stuffed animal gripped tightly in Seth's little hands. Liz knew he'd had a lion when she put him to bed since he'd picked it out and cuddled it as he fell asleep.
Liz crept over to Seth. Sure enough, Foxy was with him. The lion he'd had earlier was under the covers, pushed away in favor of Foxy. She gazed at Seth for about half a minute, trying to decide the best way to extract the fox without waking him. Liz couldn't let him keep it; Olivia had to have Foxy, or she wouldn't go to sleep. She gave Foxy a gentle tug, and it slid right out of his grasp.
Whew.
His little eyes squinted against the light of the flashlight, and his head turned away. Liz put the phone against her chest to hide the light and held her breath, praying Seth didn't wake up.
Thank God, she thought as he stilled and his deep breathing resumed. She crept out of the room and into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind her.
Olivia's eyes widened when Liz entered the living room, holding Foxy out like Simba in The Lion King.
"He stole it!" she cried, then burst into tears again.
Oh, Lord. She'd hoped all her problems were over, but it didn't appear so. "Why are you crying?" she asked.
"It's not his," Olivia said. "He knows not to take it!"
"Does he do this a lot?"
When Olivia nodded, Liz smiled. "Sweetie, do you know why he takes it?"
"No…"
"Because he loves his big sister, and Foxy reminds Seth of you. He wants to sleep close to you, and Foxy is how he does it."
"Oh," she whispered, and Liz thought she understood.
"Yes, Seth shouldn't take Foxy without your permission, but he didn't do it to be mean. He did it because he loves you."
"He wants to be my Valentine," Olivia said.
Liz smiled. "I bet he does. Will you let him?"
She nodded emphatically, grinning wider.
"Good. Now, how about we get you and Foxy into bed?"
"Okay."
Liz slid off the couch and held her hand out to Olivia.
Back in bed, Olivia yawned and hugged Foxy close. She studied the stuffed animal for a few seconds, then said, "Happy Valentine's Day, Auntie Liz."
Liz leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Happy Valentine's Day, Olivia."