Guarding His Children

Chapter Sixteen

"What's wrong with my car?" Jason's knuckles whitened as his hand tightened about his cell phone.

Brittany, along with the detective and Debbie, focused on Jason and the message he was hearing. From his body language Brittany knew it wasn't good news.

"Thanks. I'll tell the police. I'm sure they're going to want to retrieve it." Jason disconnected his phone and looked at Brittany "There was a tracker on my car. That must be the way Judd knew about this place. The mechanic found it when he was going over the car." Jason looked at Detective Brown. "He didn't touch it but left it for the police."

"Good. I'll go there first, then interview the mail carrier." The detective left.

Debhie frowned, the tired lines on her face deepening. "Oh, my. Does anyone know what's going on?"

"Not why but who. Hopefully we'll know soon." Jason rubbed his nape.

"What about your big concert tomorrow night? Are you going if this Judd Roberts isn't found?" Debbie asked.

Brittany glanced at him. "Why didn't I know anything about this? I'd tell you not to go, but knowing you, I doubt it would make a difference."

"I have to. It's been planned for months. This concert is the big one for Susan G Koman foundation. I'll be fine as long as my girls are safe. And I want to go pick my daughters up from school early. They'll stay home until Judd is caught."

"I can go pick them up Brittany grabbed her purse on the table.

"I'm coming with you," he said. "Something is bothering me about all this. I'll feel better when I have girls with us." He put his arm around Debbie. "I'm leaving you here with Officer Brentwood. I'm going to ask him to stay inside until we get back. Okay?"

His mother nodded. "I'll feel better with girls back here, too."

Five minutes later, Jason left with Brittany driving her SUV. A nagging sensation kept bothering him as she backed out of the garage and drove through the opened gate.

"What are you thinking?" she asked as she passed the main entrance.

"Why would Judd Roberts come after me? I only knew of him through Jessica. I don't see him trying to stop me from performing. Something else is going on."

"Did Jessica date Judd?"

"We never talked about him."

"I remember her telling a group of girls at school right before Judd dropped out that she liked his bad boy ways." At a stoplight Brittany slid a glance toward him. "He did work at the gym I went to. I saw him several times working with Jessica there. But the month or so before we broke up, I stopped going to the gym."

"That's when everything pretty much fell apart, when your dad demanded you break up with me."

Brittany crossed the intersection. "You wanted me to run away with you. I couldn't do that to Dad. Mom had only been dead a year."

Jason pulled out his cell phone and found a photo of Kendyl & Keeley. Jessica and he had dark hair and eyes, and yet Keeley had blonde hair and blue eyes. Supposedly his daughter had come a month early and he'd never questioned it.

"I think I know why Judd is coming after me. I might not be Keeley's father." But no matter who was, he was Keeley's father, not Judd.

Brittany shot him a surprised glance, then looked at the rearview mirror. "Hang on. There's a delivery van following us."