Part 18 (1/2)

Zack's eyes widened a little. ”Really?”

Will nodded. ”I was nine, though, so I was older than you are. I remember trying really hard not to cry.”

Zack didn't say anything, but he inched closer.

”I wanted to cry but I thought I had to be tough, you know.”

The boy nodded and came to stand at the edge of the overstuffed chair. ”My daddy had to go away,” Zack said solemnly.

Will looked at the boy, afraid to move or breathe or speak for fear Zack might not say any more. ”I'm sorry about that.” It was all he could think to say.

Tears pooled in Zack's eyes. ”He said I had to be strong and brave.”

Will thought his heart would break. ”You are definitely a strong, brave kid, I can tell you that.”

The boy looked up at him for confirmation.

Will nodded.

He could see Zack's lower lip trembling, the tears spilling- He glanced up at Samantha, but she motioned for him to keep going. He pulled the boy up on his lap and surrounded him with his arms. The rigid little body began to soften, then to jerk with gut-wrenching sobs that Will suspected the boy had been holding back for a long time.

Will just held him in his arms and rubbed the trembling back with the flat of his hand.

After a while, Zack straightened and rubbed at his swollen red eyes. ”Are you you ever scared?” he asked in a little-boy voice. ever scared?” he asked in a little-boy voice.

”Are you kidding? I've been so scared sometimes my knees knock.”

Zack stared at him, disbelieving.

”Sometimes I think I'm going to throw up. Or cry.”

The boy looked skeptical.

”Everyone cries when they're hurt or sad. Even me. And everyone is afraid sometimes. Even Sam.”

Zack really wasn't buying that. that. ”My daddy's not coming back ever?” ”My daddy's not coming back ever?”

”No, Zack, he's not. But I do know that he'd come back if he could, and I think you know that, too, right?”

Zack nodded.

”Don't worry, okay? Sam will take care of everything. She's an amazing woman. What guy wouldn't want a woman like Sam looking out for him?” He realized what he'd said and looked toward the door and Sam.

Her gaze locked with his, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.

Only a guy who didn't have a lick of sense, he thought. Or a guy looking for a wife, a certain type of wife, one who didn't carry a gun or steal kids or put herself into danger all the time.

”So,” he said to Zack, ”everything's going to be all right.” He doubted that as he glanced toward the doorway again. Sam was gone.

SAMANTHA STOOD OUTSIDE the door for several moments. What would would happen to Zack? She couldn't bear to think. When she heard them coming, she hurriedly tried to pull herself together. The last thing she wanted Will to see was the hurt in her eyes. Of course he didn't want her. He didn't even want to date her now that he knew she wasn't who he'd thought she was. happen to Zack? She couldn't bear to think. When she heard them coming, she hurriedly tried to pull herself together. The last thing she wanted Will to see was the hurt in her eyes. Of course he didn't want her. He didn't even want to date her now that he knew she wasn't who he'd thought she was.

You're not falling for the guy, are you?

Good heavens, no. What do you think I am, stupid?

”Is Zack all right?” Charley asked, peering down the hallway at her.

She straightened and put on her best face. ”Will's talking to him. They've become pretty close.” Tears threatened. She willed them away. ”I'm scared for him. Whoever's determined to get that game will feel they need Zack now if they hope to force me to find the pieces for them.”

Charley nodded. ”Have you talked to Lucas's next of kin?”

She stared at him. ”You mean his grandmother Gladdie?”

”No, his brother.”

”Lucas has a brother?” Had she known anything anything about Lucas? Or had it all been a lie? He'd told her he had no one but his grandmother. about Lucas? Or had it all been a lie? He'd told her he had no one but his grandmother.

”He has a half-brother who lives here,” Charley said as the hallway door opened behind her. ”We stumbled across him when we began investigating the break-in at Whiz Kidz.”

She turned to see Zack and Will.

”Can I go play with the kids now?” Zack asked.

”Sure, you can,” she said, patting his shoulder as he pa.s.sed.

Her gaze lifted to Will's. He looked as sheepish and as embarra.s.sed as she felt.

”Lucas's half-brother identified the items found on the body as Lucas's,” Charley said, after the kids had all raced back into the family room and slammed the door behind them.

Will expressed surprise. ”I thought Gladdie was his only living relative.”

”So did I. It seems there's a lot about Lucas I didn't know,” she said, hearing the bitterness in her voice. ”What is this brother's name, and how do I find him?”

ERIC ROSS LIVED in the University District just off Auburn Street in a run-down apartment house that smelled of cooked cabbage.

The man who answered the door bore little resemblance to Lucas, except for the eyes. They were that same pale green. Nothing like Zack's dark brown eyes.

He held a can of beer in his fist and looked as if it wasn't his first.

”Eric Ross?” Samantha enquired.

”Yeah?” He regarded them warily as if they might be bill collectors.

”Who is it?” asked a rather shrill female voice from the other room.

”I don't know yet,” he called back, sounding irritated.