by Hope White
The baby cried louder.
“Sing to her,” Carly said.
“I can’t sing,” Whit protested.
“Oh, come on,” she said in an exasperated tone, and started singing.
Not only did the baby stop crying, but also the world seemed to tip sideways. Or maybe that was his concussion acting up.
No, it was the sound of Carly’s soothing voice that made everything shift just a little, in a good way. Even though Mia was comforted by Carly’s voice, it wasn’t enough. The baby wanted to be in Carly’s arms, not some stranger’s. Mia kicked and reached for Carly.
“Let’s go,” the deputy said to Carly.
“Harper, come on,” Whit said.
Detective Harper handed the baby to Whit, who nodded to his slinged arm. “I need two functioning arms to hold her. Better yet, I need a nanny.”
On cue, Mia screamed loud enough to shatter Harper’s eardrums. He tried to mollify her, but Mia had a strong will, a lot like her father, Whit thought.
“Alright, alright. Deputy Green, uncuff her.” Harper motioned to Carly. The cuffs came off and Carly reached for the child. Harper hesitated before releasing her, as if letting her know he wasn’t convinced this was a good idea.
The moment Mia went into Carly’s arms, the baby quieted. Carly shared a grateful expression with Whit and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Whit should be thanking her.
Harper started barking orders. “We’re running the plates. We need a description of the kidnapper.”
“Female, medium height, brown hair, tan raincoat,” Whit said. “The pediatric nurse could give a better description.”
“She wore glam sunglasses,” Carly added. “You know, the big movie-star kind.”
“Find out where they are with the plate number,” Harper ordered his deputy, essentially ignoring Carly. “And then go through the minivan.”
“Yes, sir.” Deputy Green went to his cruiser.
A second deputy climbed up top.
“What happened to the driver?” Harper asked.
“Didn’t see her.”
“She took off into the woods,” Carly offered.
“Without the baby,” Harper said, his tone flat. “Huh.”
“I’ve gotta head back to the hospital,” Steve, the security guard, said.
Whit extended his hand. “Thanks, man, I appreciate your help.”
“My pleasure.”
“I need your statement.” Harper motioned for Steve to join him.
Carly paced a few feet away, rocking Mia, and Whit followed.
“How is she?” he asked.
“Pretty good, considering. Such a brave girl.” Carly eyed Whit.
“Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?”
“It wasn’t serious.”
“You passed out.”
“I’m fine. My niece needs me.”
“Your niece is really something.” Carly brushed her lips against the top of Mia’s head.
Whit still couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed: Carly putting her own life in danger to save Mia. The nanny had no way of knowing what kind of person kidnapped the baby. The perp could have been violent or been armed. The thought sparked anger in his chest.
“What were you thinking?” Whit said.
“I’m sorry?”
“Going after the kidnapper like that.”
“I guess I wasn’t thinking. I was driven by my love for this little girl.”
He must have looked puzzled by her comment because she said, “Hasn’t that ever happened to you?”
“The driver could have had a gun,” he continued, not wanting to think about his inability to answer her question. “She could have killed you.”
She shrugged. “If it meant saving Mia’s life, then it would have been worth it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, I hope someday you will.” She sighed, stroking the baby’s back in a smooth, rhythmic gesture.
The adrenaline rush of the last twenty minutes was taking its toll. Exhaustion whipped through him like wind on barren desert and Whit wasn’t sure how much longer he could remain standing. He needed to sit down, take a breath.
He needed to feel confident that his niece was safe.
Just then Mia made a soft squeaking sound and released a sigh too profound for such a little girl. It was obvious she felt she was in the safest place possible—in Carly’s arms.
In that moment Whit realized how much he needed Carly, not for himself, of course, but for the continued care of his niece. Especially since Whit was in no condition to care for a baby by himself.
* * *
An hour later, after statements were given to police, Carly, Mia and Whit were dropped off at the Casper Lodge, where Whit had rented a suite.
She thought for sure they’d give Mia to Whit and lock Carly up.
Whit opened the door and let Carly and Mia inside the suite, while he stepped outside to finish speaking to Detective Harper. She was grateful to him for keeping her out of jail—Harper had threatened to charge her with interfering with an investigation because she’d gone after the kidnapper’s minivan—and grateful that she was still able to care for Mia.
“We should make out a list of what you need, little one,” Carly said.
She pulled out a pen and notepad from the wooden desk and sat down, bouncing Mia on her lap. She jotted the essentials: diapers, wipes, formula, soft foods, even toys. Carly wished they could swing by the house and pick up some of Mia’s favorites, but she knew that was out of the question since it was a crime scene.
Mia squirmed to get out of her lap, so Carly set her on the wood floor, which was shiny clean, and placed pillows around her in case of accidental “plop downs.” The little girl waved her arms in frustration. She wanted to play with something.
“We seriously need some toys, don’t we, baby girl?” Carly scooped Mia up and went to her purse, which she’d left on the chair by the window. She usually kept an emergency teething ring in her purse for convenience’s sake. As she reached for the multicolored plastic ring, she overheard male voices through the open window.
“Here, I got your piece back from the hospital,” Detective Harper said.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll say it again, I think having Miss Winslow near the baby is a bad idea,” Detective Harper said.
“She’s been the child’s nanny for six months.”
“Still, you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“Neither do you,” Whit said.
“She has a record. That’s all I need to know.”
Carly offered the teething toy to Mia, who waved it in the air.
“Let’s say you’re right, and she’s somehow involved,” Whit said.
Carly’s heart sank.
“She’s obviously developed a genuine attachment to my niece.”
“Which could be dangerous,” Harper said.
“Wouldn’t you rather I kept her close as Mia’s nanny so she doesn’t disappear into the wind? Especially if you’re trying to figure out how or if she’s involved?”
Carly stifled a gasp of disappointment. Whit truly didn’t believe her.
Of course not. He was a cop.
Carly carried Mia back to their original spot and sat down. As Mia giggled and waved the teething ring, Carly considered her options. Yeah, what options? It’s not like she would abandon Mia to her uncle Whit, who didn’t seem up to the task of taking care of a seven-month-old. Besides, he was essentially a stranger.
A distrustful stranger. Another manipulator?
Carly thought she’d gotten through to him earlier and had seen admiration in his eyes when he said he needed her to help with Mia. That didn’t jibe with what she just heard. It sounded like he was on the detective’s
side, that Whit’s strategy was to keep Carly close so she’d lead them to the criminals.
She was pulled into that place again, the place where no one listened to her and everyone made up their own stories about Carly.
You’re a selfish little girl.
No, Mama. I’ll be good!
Love. All Carly wanted was for Mom to love her.
“Ga!” Mia squeaked, bringing Carly back to the present. Mia fell forward and Carly caught her. The little girl giggled, and Carly realized this was a new game. Fall and catch.
Like God had caught Carly when she was a teenager.
God knows what’s in your heart, Carly. God knows and forgives you. He loves you.
Her aunt Vicky’s words brought peace to Carly’s emotional torment.
“God loves me,” she whispered.
She wouldn’t let her past consume her. If Whit decided not to believe her, that was his choice.
Mia waved her teething ring and flopped back down, giggling. Up and down. Two, three, four times. It reminded her of life with all its ups and downs.
Carly redirected her thoughts to positive ones. Mia was okay, more than okay. She was remarkably resilient considering everything that had happened to her today. If only Carly could be so resilient.
Mia entertained herself by smacking the teething ring on the hardwood floor.
When the suite door opened and Whit entered, Carly didn’t look up. She had to steel herself against his gentle nature. He was like the rest of them, she reminded herself. He didn’t believe her.
“I made a shopping list of emergency essentials for the baby,” Carly said.
“Emergency?”
“Have you ever been around a famished seven-month-old?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“You’ll want to avoid that experience if possible. We need formula and baby food, and diapers. Pronto.”
“As in right now?” Whit said.
“As in an hour ago.”
There was an odd silence. She wondered if he thought this was a ploy on her part to get him to leave so she could kidnap the child. She looked up, straight into his blue eyes. “We’re not going anywhere.”
He cocked his head slightly, as if trying to discern her honesty. She held his gaze, her heartbeat speeding up.
He doesn’t believe you. No one ever believes you.
“Okay.” He turned toward the door. “I’ll see if Harper can give me a ride to the house to get my car.”
“Wait, are you sure you should be driving with a concussion?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Then I’ll see you shortly.” She emphasized the last word to drive home the time-sensitive nature of his errand.
After he left, Carly wondered if authorities had posted a deputy outside to catch her if she attempted to flee with Mia. She had no intention of leaving the lodge, especially since at the moment she felt relatively safe.
* * *
An hour later Mia started making her hungry-whining noises and Whit hadn’t returned. The hospital staff probably fed Mia formula, which didn’t fill her up as much as soft foods at this stage of her development. Carly would have to get creative to prevent the baby from having a full-blown tummy tantrum.
She checked her purse for something Mia could gum, like crackers or cookies, but had nothing to offer. Carly should check the lobby for suitable snacks. Maybe they had a restaurant on-site.
She grabbed her purse. Whit and the police couldn’t fault her for wanting to find food for Mia, could they?
“Let’s see what we can find, sweetie.” With Mia in her arms, Carly opened the door and cast a quick glance across the parking lot, a new, automatic habit since the break-in at the Bremerton estate. She spotted a police cruiser parked in the corner of the lot. Whatever. She wasn’t doing anything wrong by going in search of food for the baby.
Lightly bouncing Mia in her arms, Carly continued speaking to the child to keep her engaged and distracted from her hunger pangs. “What are you in the mood for, sweet thing?”
Mia squeaked a response, and then whined louder. Time was running out.
Automatic doors opened to the lobby. The lounge area was empty with the exception of a businessman working on his laptop. She approached the front desk and a young man wearing glasses and a name badge that read Kyle looked up.
“Can I help you?” Kyle asked.
“We need snacks, and quick,” Carly said lightly.
“The kitchen is only open for breakfast. Our mini-mart—” he pointed behind him to his left “—has snacks and a microwave to heat things up. Pick out what you need and I’ll charge it to your room.”
“Wonderful, thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Carly and Mia went around the corner to the mini-mart, which was basically a shelving unit of dry foods, plus a small refrigerator and freezer stocked with things like yogurt and frozen meals. On top of the freezer she spotted a basket with fresh fruit.
“This works.” She picked the ripest-looking banana and turned to the shelving unit.
Perusing other choices for Mia, Carly decided on shortbread cookies.
Mia let out a squeal of hunger.
“I hear ya, kiddo.” Truth be told, Carly was a little hungry herself. She opened the package of shortbread cookies. They were long and skinny, making it easy for Mia to grip and shove in her mouth. The moment she wrapped her lips around the sugary treat, her eyes lit up.
Carly chuckled. “Good, huh?”
Mia made a humming sound and sucked on the cookie. A banana and cookie should keep her happy until Whit returned. Items in hand, Carly headed into the hall. Male voices drifted from the front desk.
“You can’t or you won’t give me the room number?” a man said in an angry voice.
“It’s lodge policy—”
“You wanna die today, kid?”
Carly froze.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the young man said.
“The last name is Whittaker. I need his room number.”
Mia giggled and Carly sucked in a quick breath. Did the man hear the baby? Silence rang in her ears.
“Now!” the man shouted.
Carly sighed with relief. He hadn’t heard Mia.
“I... Please don’t shoot me,” Kyle pleaded.
Shoot him?
Carly analyzed her best escape route. If she took off down the hall, would he hear her? Should she stay put? Hide in the mini-mart?
“I won’t ask again,” the man said, his voice low. “Room number and key card.”
A few seconds passed. “Five thirty-seven,” Kyle said.
The sound of scuffling was followed by a thump. She guessed the attacker assaulted the front desk clerk.
“I can’t have you calling the police,” the deep voice said.
Carly motored down the hall toward the red exit sign above the door. At least if the creep went to Whit’s room she’d be at the opposite end of the complex.
Mia giggled as she bounced up and down in Carly’s arms.
They were close, so close to the exit.
Just then a guest opened his door and saw Carly running. “Are you okay?”
The assailant might have heard that. She didn’t turn around, couldn’t bear to look.
Taking a sharp right, she spotted a housekeeping cart beside an open door in the hallway. She darted into the room and shut the door. Took a few steps away from the door.
“What are you doing?”
Carly turned to see a twentysomething housekeeper hovering beside the bed, holding a pillow in her hand. Carly put her forefinger to her lips. A few seconds passed.
She glanced around the room. It had dual access, sliding doors leading to the outside. New plan: she’d slip out and hide somewhere u
ntil help arrived.
Then she realized police weren’t coming because they didn’t know about the assailant.
She’d have to call them for help. Again.
“Call the police,” Carly said. “Someone’s after me and the baby.”
The young woman’s face paled as she pulled out her cell phone.
Carly started for the sliding door.
Pounding on the glass made her jump back. She snapped her gaze from the sliding door to the hallway door. She was trapped.
FIVE
Whit opened his door to an empty room.
Disappointment arced through him. Was Detective Harper right? Had she left with the baby?
“Carly?” He slid the shopping bag onto a chest of drawers.
Harper suspected Carly had her own agenda, and now she and Whit’s niece were gone. Was she involved in a baby-smuggling operation? Whit didn’t know, he’d never dealt with a case like this before.
“Back up,” Whit said, catching himself. He tended to go to the dark side, the worst-case scenario.
Yet he’d read sincerity in Carly’s eyes when she said she and the baby would be right here, waiting for him.
Maybe she put the baby down for a nap.
He went to the bedroom and froze in the doorway. A chair lay on its side and a table by the window had been overturned. It looked as if someone had lost it and took out his or her frustration on the furniture.
Or there had been a violent struggle.
Whit called Detective Harper.
“On my way,” Harper answered.
“Excuse me?”
“A 9-1-1 call came in, and the deputy I left at the lodge isn’t responding.”
“You left a deputy here?”
“To keep an eye on Miss Winslow. Is she—”
“Gone.”
“And my deputy is missing. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Whit pocketed his phone. He couldn’t wait five minutes, or even five seconds. His niece and the nanny were missing, potentially taken by a violent man who’d also taken out a police officer.
Whit looked for clues as to what happened to Carly and the child. There was no sign of forced entry. Had she known whoever had come to the door? Let him in before realizing her mistake? Or was it someone posing as a cop, pretending to be on her side?