High Stakes Gamble

by Mimi Barbour

  Aurora recognized her instantly. Having a good memory for faces, she placed this red-haired woman as Lily’s babysitter at the doctor’s office the day Mary Fulton’s baby had been kidnapped. Searching the eyes once again, she instantly knew this was also the same woman who had taken Lily from her arms the last time she’d seen her.

  “She’s the one dressed like a nurse. This is the bitch who stole Lily!”

  Kai put a hand on her back, his way to calm the spasms attacking her nerves. She appreciated the gesture. Taking a deep breath, she asked the most pertinent question. “What’s the story?”

  Ham answered. “She’s thirty-five, a nurse who went into labor and lost her own baby girl the same night of the Fulton kidnapping.”

  Interrupted by an incoming message, Ham took out his cell and answered the call. Silence filled the room where hearts pounded with fear. “Send him to Detective Morelli’s office.”

  While he spoke, Ham’s considerate wave had everyone relaxing and breathing normal again. “Mister Lelonde has arrived and will be here shortly. He filed a missing person’s report 24 hours after his wife took off and has pestered the desk to follow up on it ever since.”

  Aurora’s stomach churned with desperation. She’d give every penny she had for a lead to the woman’s hiding place.

  Ham continued. “Covering every avenue, I took your suggestion seriously Aurora and requested all files of females who’d flown the coop since the day of Lily’s disappearance. Her folder was one of the ones that came to my desk. Right away, I picked up that the last known place she’d listed on her calendar was a doctor’s appointment. Turned out to be at the same address as Aurora’s clinic. Then I read the rest of her particulars and it all fell into place.”

  Aurora could have kissed Ham’s concerned Irish mug, she was that happy to get a break. Speaking directly from the heart, she said. “You’re a crafty Irishman O’Hampton and I’ll love you forever.”

  His expression underwent a changeover from prideful to ridden with anxiety. “Thing is my friend, the colleen is… ahhh mite unstable.”

  Aurora hated to hear his accent thicken. With Ham, it wasn’t a good sign.

  Cory simultaneously reassured and warned, “It’s not as bad as it might seem—”

  Voice hard, Kai broke his silence to interrupt. “How unstable?”

  “The doctor calls it postpartum depression. Losing a child she’d been trying to conceive for many years most likely sparked the breakdown. Chances are when she saw Aurora with Lily something snapped.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Cory stood to greet the nervous man hovering in the doorway. He led him to a chair and sat across from him.

  “Mr. Lelonde, I want to thank you for coming to the office to answer our questions. It’ll save time and already enough has passed since Lily went missing.”

  Kai studied the fellow closely and saw an unassuming, medium built, highly agitated dude whose eyes held no secrets. Relaxing, knowing he wouldn’t tear the guy limb from limb, he checked to see how Aurora was holding it together.

  A consummate professional, she leaned against the wall, arms crossed as if not trusting herself to pound on the guy for the heartache his wife caused.

  Voice fraught with worry, Mr. Lelonde spoke. “I’m just so thankful that someone is taking my wife’s disappearance seriously. Mr.—”

  “I’m Lieutenant Ashton and these are Detectives Hampton, Morelli and Lawson.”

  Lelonde stared at Aurora and words burst out. “You’re baby Lily’s mother, aren’t you? I’ve seen your picture on the television.”

  As if words failed her, Aurora only nodded in agreement. Kai didn’t know whether the others noticed the telltale wobble in Aurora’s lower lip, but he did. A flaming arrow shot through his stomach couldn’t have done more damage.

  Kai cleared his throat and brought them back to the reason for the visit. “I’d like your permission to tape this interview, sir. There isn’t a lot of time for follow up appointments so we’ll need to get every bit of information we can right now.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m here to help you find my wife and to get your daughter back.” Mr. Lelonde rubbed his hands on his knees and then gripped them so tight, his knuckles whitened.

  Ham bustled around setting up the equipment and Cory ordered coffees for everyone and water for Lelonde. Soon they were ready.

  Taking lead, Cory asked the first question. “Your wife gave birth to a baby girl recently? Can you tell us what happened?”

  Lelonde nodded. He unscrewed the lid and took a sip of water. “She was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She…” He took another drink. He seemed transfixed by his water bottle, staring at it, moving it from his left hand to his right, then back again. “By the time the doctors were aware of the problem, it was too late. She’d suffocated during the delivery. She was so small. Like this, you know?” he said, holding up his bottle. “So fragile. Afterward, Jane was only allowed to spend a very short time with her before they forcibly took her baby away.”

  Cory spoke for them all, his lowered voice reflecting his sympathy. “We’re very sorry for your loss, Mr. Lelonde.”

  Bracing his shoulders, the devastated father replied. “Thank you. I’m dealing with our baby’s death as best I can. On the other hand, Jane wouldn’t accept that the baby had died. They had to wrench our daughter from my wife’s arms. She fought them like a tigress. It was terrible… she suffered dreadfully. At night when I try to sleep, I can still hear her screams.”

  Cory passed over a box of tissues and they waited. Finally, Lelonde could continue. “The doctor feared for her sanity and prescribed sedatives and anti-depressants. Jane refused them all. On the day she went to the clinic for her checkup following the birth, for the first time her state of mind seemed fairly normal. As if she’d accepted Lucy’s death… that’s what we called our angel, Lucy.” Lelonde looked up, and straight into Aurora’s eyes. “Don’t you see, Detective Morelli?” he said. “What you are so terrified might happen to you, what drives you almost insane with rage and horror, has already happened to my wife.”

  Kai saw Aurora jerk and then lower herself so she rested on her haunches. When he moved to come to her she waved him back and mouthed the words, I’m okay.

  Hesitating, Cory’s words brought him back to the ongoing conversation. “It’s a beautiful name.” Cory urged the other to continue by holding out his hand as a signal.

  “I wanted to go with her to the doctor’s office but she refused to let me, said as how she needed to get on with her life and I shouldn’t have to take care of her anymore. Kissed me good-bye and seemed almost herself when she left.” A long sigh followed before he ended the thought. “I’ve not seen her since. How do people… how do people not go mad?”

  “Can you think of any place you wife might have taken Lily? A favorite vacationing spot or a family cabin?” Kai had to ask the questions he knew might help in the investigation.

  “No. I’ve wracked my brains to think of a spot she might go but there’s nothing. We don’t own any other property. With both of us working long hours, we haven’t had a vacation in years.”

  “What is it you aren’t telling us, Mr. Lelonde?” Aurora’s curt voice cut through tension like a fork of white lightening splitting an angry black sky.

  The man’s hesitation devastated everyone in the room. Kai had sensed something being held back and trusted Aurora to know instinctively. He stole a quick glance at her and noticed her head tilting to one side while her hand rubbed her left ear. Something’s up.

  Kai watched her stand and move forward, aggression barely held in check.

  Clearing his throat before speaking, Mr. Lelonde took his time. “My wife is brilliant. I don’t mean rather smart or even highly intelligent. I mean she has a genius IQ. Only the lack of money held her back in the early days from becoming a specialized doctor or… or pretty well anything she desired to be.”

  He looked around to see if they
believed him. Since no one argued, Lelonde seemed satisfied. “If Jane doesn’t want to be found, trust me, she could disappear forever.”

  Aurora answered for them all. “You’ve made your point. What else?”

  “The morning she left for her doctor’s appointment, she made one extra stop. Every penny we’ve saved over the years, and it’s quite substantial, is gone, taken in cash that she’d previously arranged to pick up that day.”

  Like a junkie close to his fix, Aurora wouldn’t stop. “There’s more. Just spit it out. It’s not only your wife’s future on the line here, our baby is in danger.”

  Lelonde groaned and then added. “Our pistol is gone. And so are the bullets. Why that scares me so much is what she said on the way home from the hospital.”

  Kai had to ask. “What did she say?”

  Lelonde swallowed. “She said that they would never have gotten Lucy away from her if she’d of had her gun.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Hours later, the three anxious detectives still continued to pore over every bit of evidence at their disposal. Kai understood one thing. Whether the information sounded sane or not, at this point, it all needed to be traced. There were officers sent all over the city following up any and all leads that came in, no matter how far-fetched. Unfortunately, nothing significant had surfaced.

  Aurora had begun to stew over Facebook and other media chatter where every kind of weirdo had something to add that was no help at all but still couldn’t be ignored. She’d found a strange site and had gone to follow up with Ray.

  Soon as she’d exited and the door had closed behind her, Ham stretched his large frame and pushed his chair away from the stack of paperwork he’d been hovered over.

  “Go figure, we’ve got a wacky genius on our hands,” he said to no one in particular. “It’s hard enough to profile a kidnapper’s intentions. At least we can follow the money. But a heartbroken mother who’s decided to replace her dead baby? That’s another matter altogether.”

  Kai leaned back for a breather and rubbed his eyes, feeling the strain now that he’d stopped reading. Going over every phone call made from Lelonde’s house since Jane had returned from the hospital had been done already, but for some reason, he hoped they’d missed a clue.

  All of them were banging their heads against a blank wall when it came to following Jane Lelonde’s trail. It was like the crazy broad had disappeared off the face of the earth.

  They prayed she hadn’t left the city, and going by her husband’s testimony, it was the one good bit of news he’d given them. Seems his wife had a fear of leaving the place where she’d been born. It happened to be one of the reasons they hadn’t done much travelling.

  Thinking out loud, Kai said, “She’s somewhere in Vegas. We know that much. If we keep the heat on, she’ll surface sooner or later.”

  Just then Aurora’s phone rang and Kai grabbed it. “Aurora’s answering service… what’s up?”

  “Who the hell is this?” a brash male voice answered.

  Kai bristled but kept his cool. “Detective Lawson. How can I help you?”

  “Oh, you really don’t want me to answer that you slimy bastard. What’re you doing back in town? Here to break her heart again?”

  Bile rose in Kai’s stomach, acidy and uncomfortable. He stood and swallowed the sarcastic retort that burned his throat. Instead he answered, “Not this time. I’m here to stay as long as she’ll have me. Now what the hell do you want, Eddie?” Obviously her snitch from last year had taken a liking to his sponsor.

  Silence reigned for ten long seconds until finally, Eddie answered.” Okay, here it is. I don’t know whether this will lead anywhere but Aurora said not to ignore anything so—”

  “Spit it out.” Kai had no patience for the platitudes.

  “Last couple of nights at Big Mike’s, an old lady nutcase has been drinking herself silly and spouting off about how some women make terrible mistakes mothering their kids. At first I didn’t pay any attention, but last night she called the woman she’s being spying on a redhead and—”

  “Where are you?” Kai tried to kill any excitement in his voice so as not to arouse Ham’s attention. False expectations had already done a number on them and he couldn’t bear to hurt the rest of the team again.

  As he nonchalantly lowered the receiver, he turned to see Ham’s inquisitive, no-nonsense stare and knew he couldn’t fool the incorrigible Irishman. Not for a second.

  “Okay here’s the story. Freddie says some crazy drunk has been blathering in the bar about terrible mothers. Says her name’s Matilda.”

  Ham shook his head and settled back into a slouch. “That old hag is a menace—worse peeping tom in the city. Always calling in about what she sees from the windows of her high-rise. More’n likely she sleeps in a doorway and has an active imagination.”

  “Yeah, pretty well what he said. Guess I’ll go check it out. I need to get some fresh air anyway.”

  “Good idea! Have something to eat while you’re at it. You look like a mouse fart could blow you over.”

  “Thanks, I love you too. Call me if something breaks.”

  “You got it. And Kai, for whatever it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here, man. I see the glow in our girl hiding behind her heartbreak and I have no doubt it’s what’s keeping her sane. Just saying…”

  Too touched to take a chance on speaking, Kai only nodded. He bit down to stop the tell-tale tremble attacking his lower lip then risked a smile and left.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  “Okay Eddie, tell me what made you call it in.” Kai arrived to Mike’s in less time that he should have. No doubt, the flashing lights and spurts of siren helped.

  Sweeping the sidewalk in front of his place, Mike barred the door when he first spotted Kai heading in his direction. His body language screamed antagonism and the glint in his eye warned retribution.

  Shit! Here we go again. That woman of mine sure has the friends.

  “Brainless prick!” Mike spoke first.

  “You got that right,” Kai agreed.

  Taken aback, Mike relaxed a smidgeon. “You come back for the baby? What about Aurora?”

  “I’m back for both my girls.” Kai waited, hands on hips, hoping he could grab his gun out before Mike ripped him another asshole.

  “Just so you know; you get one chance. Next time wave good-bye to your shadow cause you won’t be needing one where you’ll be.”

  “Sounds fair.” Kai didn’t chance a grin; he just stared Mike down.

  An eternity passed before Mike broke contact and turned away. Hoping his back muscles would eventually return to their normal rigidity, Kai opened the door and stepped into the dimness of the beer-stinking joint.

  Eddie waited for him at a back booth with two beers still foaming in chilled mugs. The man hadn’t changed one iota. He still hid his worth behind dirty clothes, long stringy hair and a dim-witted mask.

  Ignoring Eddie’s obvious scorn, Kai slid into the seat opposite and picked up the glass to wet his dry mouth.

  “You ever hear of our resident crackpot, Matilda?” Eddie went straight to business. His tone withheld the disgust written all over his features as soon as he set eyes on Kai.

  “Can’t say as I have. Detective Hampton knew of her—says she calls in a lot with complaints about people living across from her. He figures she’s full of shit, because from the looks of the woman, she’s most likely homeless.”

  “I thought the same until I heard her spout off about today’s crazy mothers and how the red-headed bitch doesn’t know squat about looking after a baby. It was the red-headed part of her harangue that caught my interest.”

  “Did you question her?”

  “No, she was poleaxed by the time she left here. Instead, I decided to follow her home after she left the bar to see where she’d end up. Glad I did. Turns out the crazy lady lives in the Gresham block. It’s a group of relatively new condos, four set in a semi-circle all facing each other around a
small plaza.”

  “You don’t say.” Kai’s heart starting beating double-time. “By any chance did you get her apartment number?”

  “No. But I can tell you which building it is and I have no doubt, you’ll get in. I’ve asked around and found out her real name is Matilda Swift.”

  Kai stood, pulled out his wallet to leave tip money for the drinks and payment for Eddie’s report.

  “Don’t insult me, man. Aurora and me… we’re colleagues. This is for her and Lily.”

  Sincere appreciation rang in Kai’s voice and he didn’t try to hide it. “Thanks Eddie. I owe you.”

  Kai left the darkness of the building and once outside, he blinked rapidly before putting his sunglasses on. “Damn sun makes my eyes water,” he muttered real low, his voice cracking.

  In a short time, he arrived at the condo and found the apartment he wanted. He rang the bell and used his most professional tone when Matilda’s querulous voice answered. “Who is it?”

  “Detective Kai Lawson, LVMPD. Have a few questions to ask you Ma’am. About the Morelli baby’s disappearance. Understand you have some information?”

  “Show your badge.”

  Kai held his badge up to the small screen near the pad full of buttons.

  “Says you’re from LA?”

  Old bag wasn’t too stupid after all. “Yes, Ma’am, I’m a special consultant here on the kidnapping.”

  He heard the lock being released and entered the building before she changed her mind. A few minutes later he approached her open door to find the possible crackpot, or hopefully a possible savior waiting for him.

  His first impression was that she’d smoked too many cigarettes, drank too much booze and killed off a lot of brain cells in her earlier years. The ugly, beady-eyed woman who stood before him gave him the creeps.

  Dressed in a sweat suit that probably worked as both day and night wear that hadn’t seen soap or water for months, the straggly-haired old witch waved him inside. Her sour-smelling apartment didn’t look much better than its owner and reeked even worse.