Light of my Life

Two

TWO

After searching for the woman who had kidnapped Mayor Tidwell's five-year-old daughter from Astoria, Oregon, Duke Logan had found her – and the girl. Of course, they were traveling from Idaho to Oregon, but at least his talent for tracking people had paid off. Duke had always located and captured the assignments that were given him as a bounty hunter.

One question grew inside him. Why would a kidnapper return to the state where she'd committed the crime? There was something about this case that puzzled him, but the only way he'd figure it out was to somehow get close to them in hopes of overhearing their conversations. The woman was bound to slip up sometime.

Duke leaned against the wall of the mercantile store and peered at the woman and the little girl through the large window. A gentle mist of rain fell from the sky, and he pulled his hat lower on his forehead, protecting his eyes as he watched his subject. A middle-aged man was also part of the trio. Duke wasn't certain if the man was dangerous or not, but apparently, the man was deaf. Both the woman and the girl made signs with their hands as they spoke to him. This was a disadvantage for Duke because he had no clue what they were saying.

When the trio walked further into the store and out of sight, Duke decided to go inside the store and out of the rain. That would be the only way he could watch their interactions and hear them talking to other people. He walked in and removed his hat, gently tapping it against his thigh to remove the excess water.

The store was larger than most that he'd been inside, but since this was the only mercantile for several miles, it would have to accommodate everyone who lived in this county. The clothes selections were so much better than he'd seen, too. Perhaps he should get himself another hat since this one would be damp soon.

He moved toward the wall with hats lining the shelves, but instead, his gaze scoped out the trio looking at a dress for the little girl. The curly-hair blonde girl had the sweetest smile, and when she looked up at the woman beside her, the girl's eyes lit up like birthday candles. Had she even realized she'd been kidnapped? She definitely didn't act like it. However, she was the missing girl. She was the exact image of the girl in the miniature picture he'd been given when he first started looking for her.

"Oh, please, Mother? Can I get this dress?" The little girl bat her long eyelashes at the woman beside her.

Mother? No, this girl was not the woman's daughter. They didn't look anything alike. Although they both had strikingly pretty faces, the girl was blonde and the women had black hair. He had to admit, the captor was lovelier than he thought she'd be for being a kidnapper... and a murderer.

His tracking had taken him to an orphanage in southern Idaho. When he arrived, he learned that the schoolteacher, Miss Florence, had not only taken the little girl when they left the place, but she'd killed Mr. Stone, the owner of the orphanage. There was a huge price on Miss Florence's head, and Duke was determined to collect the reward.

Miss Florence lifted her gaze as if trying to find someone, so Duke quickly pretended to be looking for a hat. He pulled a black felt hat off the shelf and placed it on his head, adjusting it back and forth, checking the size. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Miss Florence looking his way, and from what he could tell, she was staring at him. He continued to pretend that he hadn't noticed her as he removed the hat and placed another one on his head.

Finally, she turned away from Duke and started making hand signs to the middle-aged man. When the man glanced Duke's way, he knew something was up... especially when the woman started walking toward him. He removed the ill-fitting hat and straightened his shoulders.

"Pardon me," she said in a sweet voice, pulling his attention to her face. Up close, she looked prettier than before, and she had amazing hazel eyes. "My name is Mrs. Florence," she continued, "and my uncle and I have seen you before."