“That’s not exactly comforting.”
Tamara turned back toward the street. “I didn’t mean for it to be. I could be fired for what I’ve just told you. I’m going to ask you not to share it, but”—she shrugged—“you can do whatever you want to. I wouldn’t blame you if you told her and she threw us all out.”
Frost sighed. “Well, I ain’t gonna do that. Crimshaw is as good as they come. She’ll be safe as long as she’s with him.”
“Does he know?” Tamara asked.
“No. Only thing I ever kept from him in all the years we’ve been partners.”
“What say we head home? I don’t think Mr. Martin is coming back here.”
Frost started the car and turned it around. “I wouldn’t.”
Tamara buckled her seat belt and leaned back against the headrest. “Reefer and I did surveillance on Martin for the first two days until we joined Alex. I could have sworn he worshipped his wife. I wonder why he killed her.”
“DuPont put up a five-million-dollar ransom. I’d say that’s five million good reasons.”
“Would you kill the woman you loved for money?” Tamara asked.
“No.”
“An affair?”
“No, but I’d probably kill the other guy,” Frost answered.
“So what would make you kill the woman you loved?”
Frost kept his eyes on the road, an image of his little girl popping into his head. “My kids.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Where to?” Crimshaw asked as he backed the car into the driveway and turned around.
Alex bit her lip, her mind once again reeling. “I think we should check on the Wilsons. Sophia may have been involved in this, too, even though I hate to think Ethan was a part of it.”
They made the trip in silence, neither of them up to the banter they’d enjoyed earlier. Murder had that effect on people. Alex glanced at the dashboard clock as Crimshaw pulled into the Wilsons’ driveway and parked. The house was dark.
“It’s three o’clock in the morning, Alex. They’re probably asleep.”
“Your baby is missing and you don’t have a job to go to, would you be sleeping?” Alex asked.
Crimshaw shook his head. “Not me.”
Alex opened her door and climbed out. “This doesn’t feel right. Nothing about this damn case has felt right.”
Crimshaw exited the vehicle and slammed his door. “You take the front, and I’ll take the back.”
Alex nodded. Crimshaw had felt it, too. It wasn’t just the dark house; it was the silence. She waited until he’d made his way around the side of the house then climbed the rickety steps and knocked on the door. “Mr. Wilson? Ethan?”
“All clear and quiet out back,” Crimshaw whispered through the earbud.
Alex reached for the doorknob and turned it. “The door’s unlocked.”
“Wait for me.” Crimshaw appeared at her side seconds later. “I’ve got the flashlight.”
Alex drew her gun and pushed open the door. “Mr. Wilson?”
The silence was almost tangible.
Crimshaw played the flashlight beam around the first room. “It’s empty.”
It took them only minutes to search the entire house, finding everything gone. Even the baby’s room had been cleared out.
Crimshaw scratched his head. “Now why would you leave before your baby was found?”
Alex stood, staring into the dark room, her eyes locked on the broken window. He hadn’t fixed it, and the night air was slowly filling the room with a chill. “You wouldn’t.”
“Do we call it in?” Crimshaw asked.
Alex nodded. “I don’t think we have a choice.”
“Hold up on that.” Morgan’s voice rang out in their ears. “Take video of the inside and outside and send it to me.”
“It’s empty, Morgan,” Alex said. “There’s nothing to video.”
“Just do it, Alexandra. There may be more there than you think.”
Alex rolled her eyes at Crimshaw but pulled out her cell. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I’ll take the outside.”
Fifteen minutes later, they met in the kitchen and transferred the video to Morgan. “Can we call it in now?” Alex asked. “We really need to get an APB out on them.”
“Give me a few minutes,” Morgan said. “We’re downloading the video now.”
“Convenience store about a mile from here. What say we grab a cup of coffee and come back?” Crimshaw asked.
Alex nodded. The silence was getting to her. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
~ ~ ~
Morgan went through the video of the house quickly, stopping at the baby’s room and going over each frame.
“What do you think?” Sams asked.
“I think parents missing a baby don’t leave the last place the baby was without a damn good reason. Especially these parents. Husband devastated, wife literally in a coma. If they didn’t have money for medical treatment, they wouldn’t have the money to just pack up and leave. Alexandra described the baby’s room as a tomb or shrine. They were too grief-stricken to desert the last place that held their child.”
“Looks like they moved. Could have left a forwarding address with the police.”
Morgan shook his head. “Alexandra or at least Crimshaw and Frost would have known that.”
“As you said, they were broke. Maybe the landlord kicked them out. Or maybe the pain just got too much to bear.”
Morgan stared at the room, a searing fire starting in his gut. “Damn it, Sams, you’re right.”
“About what? What did I say?”
Morgan quickly loaded the video from the outside, rushing through the front and side views until he came to the back. The rose garden stood out from the rest of the yard, perfectly weeded and beautiful in the moonlight. Each bush was red and vibrant—except for the one in the middle. The small pink bush was just starting to bloom.
“Alexandra?”
“Yeah, Morgan, what have you got?”
“Go back to the house and dig up the pink rose bush, but be careful. You should probably dig with your hands.”
~ ~ ~
Alex pulled off her gloves and sat back, her eyes locked on the dirty fur and edge of the pink blanket she and Crimshaw had uncovered. “We’d better call in forensics.”
Crimshaw stood and extended a hand to help her up. “They must have seen the news on the kidnappings of the DuPont baby and called it in.”
Alex stared at the deserted house. “No, their call was made first. Ethan was devastated. The baby’s room was a shrine. Even if they were part of this, I can’t see them leaving her here like this. Morgan, are you listening?”
“Yeah.”
“Any insights into why they would just leave?”
“I think they have another baby,” Morgan said.
Alex stared at the grave. “Then the question is, which one? We’ll call it in.”
“You can’t do that, Alexandra,” Morgan said. “Fill in the grave, replant the rose bush, and go back to the house. Matt says Mrs. DuPont is finally coming around.”
Alex stared down at the bits of fur, an image of Scarlet’s tortured and maimed body covered by a thin layer of dirt flashing through her mind. “No damn way am I leaving this baby here another minute, Morgan. Besides, we need to know how she died. If they killed this one and now have the others, then we need to know that.”
“I didn’t say it couldn’t be reported, just that you can’t do it. Let Reefer and Tamara get the FBI on it. We don’t know that they killed the baby. Anders could have killed her to keep the others in line.”
An image of Cinders raced through her mind, and Alex hesitated. Crimshaw knelt and started pushing the dirt back over the grave. “He’s right, Alex. As far as we know, Anders just thinks you’re working the DuPont baby. She’s a smart bitch. Your name gets associated with this one or the killing of Mrs. Martin, and she might put two and two together and know we’re onto them.”
Alex pulled on her gloves and knelt beside him. “Move. I’ll do it.” She gently began filling the hole, her mind flashing back to another shallow grave.
“We have to report this, Alexandra.”
Alex ignored him as she knelt beside the fresh dirt. She brushed aside a small portion, revealing a fingerless hand. Sobs shook her body as she brushed upward until she uncovered the shoulders, and finally, the head. Reaching beneath the shoulders, she pulled the body into her arms and rocked back and forth, her screams filling the silence of the night.
“I’m so sorry, Scarlet,” she whispered.
“Alex?”
Crimshaw’s voice brought her back to the present, and she replaced the rose bush, blinking furiously, but unable to stop the tears that dripped from her eyelashes, mixing with the dirt.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“I’m coming,” Carissa called out. Humming a short tune, she made her way to the door. In just a few short hours, she would be a very rich woman, and all ties with her past would be severed once and for all. Not that they hadn’t been beneficial in their own way. As she swung open the door, her smile quickly turned to a frown. “Nicholas, what are you doing here?”
He pushed past her. “Where’s the money, Carissa?”
She closed the door. “In the account, just where it’s supposed to be until Monday morning.”
Nicholas shook his head. “It’s gone.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. “Maybe he fixed the glitch and decided to transfer it early. Have you checked the offshore account?”
“Of course I checked the offshore account!” he bellowed, fists clenched. “I’m not an idiot even though you’ve tried to play me for one. Martin’s gone, and the money’s gone. Where’s my baby? And where’s my wife?”
Her voice lowered. “Your baby will be delivered Monday afternoon, just as we planned. As to Emma, well, poor Emma was mistaken for Sabrina. I’m afraid the mob probably killed her.” She walked toward him slowly, swinging her hips from side to side. “Isn’t that what you wanted, Nicholas?”
“Don’t mess with me, Carissa. You said this would be simple, and it’s been a fuck-up from the beginning. I want my baby, and I want the money in the right account by morning.”
“Of course, Nicholas. I’ll take care of everything.”
“You better,” he said, slamming the door on his way out.
Carissa poured a shot of whiskey. An intelligent man would have noticed the change in her voice, but Nicholas wasn’t that intelligent. That was one of the reasons she’d chosen him. She downed the whiskey, poured another, and picked up the burner phone she’d purchased the day before. She dialed a well-known number.
“Hello.”
“Hold off on killing Sabrina. I have a job for her.”
“You’re the boss.”
She hit the end button and sipped her whiskey, a smile playing around her lips. Ted had been a surprise. Clearly, he was more intelligent than she’d given him credit for. Such a pity she would have to kill him since she no longer needed him for the money. Sweet Wanda had already given her the account number. Carissa’s cell rang.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Carissa. I think I’ve got something you want.”
“Ted. I was just thinking about you. Where are you? And what have you done with Wanda? Sabrina is absolutely beside herself.”
He laughed softly. “I’ll meet you at Margaret’s at midnight. Bring Sabrina with you. We’ll all have a long talk.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Carissa murmured as Ted ended the call. It must be my lucky day. All of them in one place together. She’d planned on getting Ted there on Monday after the transfer, but that night would do since the bastard had decided to up the game. She opened the top drawer of the bar and pulled out three small devices. Bombs were such a beautiful way of cleaning up a mess. She would take care of Ted, Margaret, and Sabrina first, then move on to Wanda and the Wilsons. Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she wavered. She could keep Wanda as her own personal sex slave. Wanda really was the best she’d ever had. Rage filled her at the thought of Sabrina and Wanda together. She wasn’t into sloppy seconds. She’d thought they had something special and that she was the only one, but once a slut, always a slut. She would have to kill Wanda eventually. Might as well do it now.
Her thoughts turned to Nicholas. She’d planned on giving him a quick and painless death, but she’d changed her mind. He really shouldn’t have yelled at her.
~ ~ ~
Alex had just splashed cold water on her face when shouts rang out from the dining room. Grabbing the towel, she ran.
Gabriella bumped into her. “Ted just called Carissa.”
Alex’s momentary excitement fizzled. “But we only have a warrant for Sabrina’s phone. We can’t use it.”
“Frost put a car on Carissa. She’s meeting Ted at someone’s house. A woman named Margaret at midnight. All we have to do is follow her.”
Alex dried her face. “I don’t like it. If the babies are in there, it’s too dangerous for us to rush the house with Anders inside.” She glanced at Nobby. “How’s Mrs. DuPont?”
“Still pouring coffee in her, but not good. Hasn’t been able to make a coherent sentence yet,” Nobby said.
“I want to talk to her.” Alex headed for the basement stairs, with Frost and Crimshaw on her heels.
Emma DuPont lay curled in the fetal position on the small cot in the center of the room.
“Damn,” Frost said. “Maybe we should call a doctor.”
Alex shook her head and approached the cot. “Mrs. DuPont? Emma?”
“Please don’t hit me again. I’ll be good. Please.”
Alex sat down on the cot beside her and lowered her voice. “Emma, it’s Detective Fox.”
“No more. Please, no more.”
“Lilly needs you, Emma.”
Her body jerked then quieted. “Lilly?”
Alex placed a hand gently on her arm. “Yes, Lilly. Lilly needs you, Emma.”
Emma turned, stretching out her legs. Blurry eyes stared up at Alex. “You know where Lilly is?”
Alex smiled at her. “Yes, she’s with Margaret.”
Emma relaxed and closed her eyes. “Margaret. Sweet Margaret.”
“Emma, can you tell me who Margaret is?”
“My nurse. She loves Lilly.”
Frost hit the stairs at a run.
Alex patted the thin arm gently. “Go to sleep, Emma. When you wake up, Lilly will be here.”
A smile crossed the haggard face. “Lilly.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Frost met her at the top of the stairs and handed her a note. “We got an address. Everybody’s ready to roll.”
Alex glanced at the note then looked at the team awaiting her orders. “It’s only six in the morning. They aren’t meeting until midnight, and we’re all exhausted. Let’s get a couple of hours sleep, and then we’ll plan it out and go for it.”
Nobby walked up and placed an arm around her shoulders. “Alex is right, and you all know it. Officers dead on their feet make mistakes. The kids and I slept most of the night. You four haven’t really slept in almost two days. Go to bed, and we’ll wake you up at six.”
“That’s twelve hours, Nobby. We don’t need that much sleep,” Alex said.
“Probably take you a few hours just to get to sleep. Longer than that if you keep arguing.”
Alex had just lain down when the bedroom door opened. She turned over to see Dixie coming toward her, and Nobby carrying Cinders.
“I think they’ve been missing you.” He placed Cinders in the bed next to her, and Dixie lay down on the rug. She waited until the door closed, moved Cinders to her other side, and patted the spot beside her. Dixie jumped on the bed and laid her head on the pillow. She knew what Nobby was doing. It wasn’t Cinders and Dixie missing her; it was her missing them. Alex snuggled Cinders in her arms as Dixie pressed against her back. Nobby had been wrong about how lon
g it would take her to go to sleep. She fell asleep within minutes.
~ ~ ~
True to his word, Nobby woke them at six. “Go take a shower and change clothes. I’ll have a hot breakfast waiting when you’re finished.”
An hour later, they entered the kitchen to the delicious smell of sausage, biscuits, and gravy waiting for them, along with two pots of coffee.
“I love breakfast for dinner.” Crimshaw grabbed a plate and started to fill it.
“Reefer and I did a little surveillance while you were asleep. Finley’s house is in a new subdivision at the end of a court on the right by itself. Didn’t look like too many of the houses were occupied.” He refilled coffee cups. “Won’t be an easy approach as you’ll be out in the open. No way to get around back and come in from there.”
Frost dug into the biscuits and gravy and washed it down with coffee. “If we wait until it’s dark and park up the street, we can cut them off before they get to Finley’s. Take down Anders, Newcomb, and Martin, and Finley should fold and hand over the babies. What do you think, Alex?”
Alex sipped her coffee, wishing her head would stop throbbing. “It’s already getting dark. I think we should move now. Rescue the babies and then worry about taking down the rest. Crimshaw?”
“Both of you could be right, but what bothers me is Anders. This whole thing has been crafty since the beginning. She’s planning on meeting Martin there at midnight. We all know how she cleans up loose ends. What if she’s already moved the babies somewhere else?”
Alex nodded. “We try to take them out and there’s bound to be gunplay. We need them alive to find those babies. All of them alive.”
Everyone nodded and returned to their coffee and breakfast, each of them lost in their own private thoughts.
Frost broke the silence. “That was damn brilliant down there earlier, Fox. What made you think to use the baby’s name?”
Sadness washed over her. “Ethan Wilson. There’s something about a child’s name that either opens or breaks your heart. When he said his baby’s name, I felt the heartbreak. I still can’t believe he’s involved in this.”
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