“So that’s why you dropped by. What else did he tell you?”
“No hospital reported a woman who’d just given birth.”
Janie ran a fingernail around the edge of her teacup. “I see. Rather odd, don’t you think? Doesn’t everyone know the firehouse is a safe place to drop off a baby, no questions asked?”
After a sip of her steaming drink, she replied. “Obviously not. Blake thought it queer that someone would leave the wee thing here in your community.”
“Yes. Which means they obtained the gate codes.”
Melody raised a forefinger. “Or followed someone in who did. You know how slow those things close.”
Janie waggled her head. “True. But the question remains. Why an abandoned home, and how did they enter without setting off alarms or anyone witnessing it?”
Her daughter pulled her mouth to the side. “Mother. You’re investigating, aren’t you?”
Janie shrugged.
She laughed. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. You are incorrigible.”
“Betsy Ann agrees. And so does Ethel, it seems.” Janie stirred a half teaspoon of honey into her tea.
Melody wiggled in her chair. “OK. So, here’s the scoop. But you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Should I take notes?” Janie rose and grabbed a note pad and pencil from the kitchen counter.
“Well, according to Blake, none of the windows had been pried open, nor had any of the doors. The leasing agent swore up and down she locks up every time she shows a place, and the last time she led a couple through the garden home was three days prior.”
“So, the police have been around? No one told me about it.”
“They haven’t. He made a courtesy call to Mrs. Jacobs and asked her to have your complex security guard check it out first. The guard reported nothing had been disturbed as far as he could tell, which meant no breaking and entering. Not a true police matter. So Blake didn’t order any of his men to check it out.”
Janie drummed her fingers. “From what Mildred overheard, the first responder stated the baby most likely hadn’t been there more than a day. Besides, surely, someone would report a wailing, hungry infant if it had been abandoned any longer than that.”
Melody agreed.
“So, it’s safe to assume somebody who had access to that condo deposited the child last Wednesday. My guess is during the night.”
“Exactly what Blake deduced.”
Janie patted her daughter’s hand. “I am glad the tradition is alive and well.”
Melody giggled. “What is that?”
“Detectives bouncing perplexing cases off their spouses.”
“Now that you mention it. He never used to, until recently.”
“Your father often let me be his sounding board. Blake values your opinion, Mel. Many husbands don’t.”
Janie smirked as she brought the cup to her lips. Blake discovered Jack did it with her when she and Blake worked together to solve the Edwin Newman case. That revelation raised the level of Janie’s deductive skills several notches higher in her son-in-law’s estimation. Blake, like most people in Central Texas, greatly admired her late husband’s expertise in solving cases. Janie had hinted to him that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree when it came to their daughter, now his wife. Obviously, Blake took the hint.
Melody’s eyes became dreamy. “You’re right, Mom. He has been much more attentive to my suggestions lately.”
~*~
The next morning the foursome met on the corner for their morning power walk. Ethel, Janie, Mildred, and Betsy Ann all appeared in pastel jogging suits, resembling Easter eggs in a basket.
“Mildred. How grand of you to join us.” Janie stretched her tennis shoe-clad foot behind her.
“The exercise will do me good. Distract my thoughts, you see.” She waggled her finger. “So no discussing you-know-who and his dumpster death.”
Betsy Ann gave her an innocent blink. “Of course not. We do talk about other things.”
“Like abandoned babies?”
“Ethel.” Janie playfully slapped her arm. “OK, you pick the topic.”
“Let’s discuss the upcoming emergency city council meeting on whether or not the Get ’em and Go attracts the wrong type of people.”
“Convenience stores do sell vices. Cigarettes, beer, pornographic magazines.”
Ethel shrugged. “Comes with the territory, I guess. They’re also good for a last minute ‘I forgot the milk’ stop. I plan to go so I can listen to the discussion.”
“I like their made-fresh-daily sandwiches. Have you tried their egg salad or chicken salad?” Betsy Ann rubbed her tummy. “The seven-grain bread melts in your mouth.”
Janie knitted her brows. “Ethel, when did you hear about this meeting?”
“According to the newspaper, they called it after the police discovered another body behind the store three days ago. Third one in six months.”
Mildred paled. “Ugh. Must we talk about this?”
Janie jogged a bit closer. “Did the paper say how the person died? Drug deal gone bad or something?”
“Not sure. A young girl this time. Cut open like a slaughtered pig. Right down the middle.”
Janie stopped. Her three friends did the same.
“What is it, Janie?” Betsy Ann tilted her head away from the morning sun to glimpse her friend’s facial expression.
Ethel shifted her weight and kicked some loose asphalt gravel. “Uh, oh. She’s got that gleam in her eye.”
Janie stroked her chin. “Young girl you say? Only three days ago at the Get ’em and Go? Sliced open down the front?” She slid her finger down the zipper of her fleece jogging jacket.
“Yep.”
“What if she had a botched C-section?”
Mildred rolled her eyes. “Don’t be absurd. Can’t we talk about the weather or our aches and pains like everyone else our age?” She wiggle-hipped away from them.
Ethel narrowed her eyes at Janie.
Janie returned the gesture.
Betsy Ann groaned. “OK. It’s a possibility. Whoever dropped off the baby did wrap her in a plastic bag with their logo on it.” She thrust her hands to her hips. “This means you two are going to snoop, doesn’t it?”
They responded in unison. “Absolutely.”
“You don’t have to join us if you don’t want to, Betsy Ann.” Janie tilted her head.
Betsy Ann made a raspberry sound. “Oh, why not. Ya’ll will rope me in anyway so I might as well not kick and scream in the process.”
Ethel slapped her on the back. “Atta girl. So what’s first, Janie?”
“I want to have a talk with Blake. After that, we’ll see.”
Betsy Ann looked to Janie. “Well, that does make sense instead of dashing off on your own bunny trails half-cocked like last time.”
“I’ll be more cautious, promise.”
Ethel tossed back her head and laughed. “Sure, you will. And I’m entering the Ms. Texas pageant.”
“Bunco Biddies forever,” Janie crowed.
Three hands slapped the air. The friends fast-swiveled to catch up with Mildred, who already topped the hill. They hurried to finish their exercise before they had to shower and change for church services.
SEVEN
“So what did you want to see me about bright and early on a Monday morning?” Chief Detective Blake Johnson’s jaw twitched as he raised the large paper cup of coffee to his lips. Breakfast from the Taco Express soaked up grease in the take-out bag. “When you mentioned it to me yesterday at Sunday lunch, you sounded serious.”
“Thank you for bringing food.” Janie gave him a reassuring smile as she opened the sack and chose an egg, bean, and cheese burrito. “You can wipe that ‘I’m being called to the principal’s office’ expression from your face. You’re not in trouble. In fact, Melody seems to be positively glowing. If I didn’t know better...”
He reared back from her kitchen table, hands spread in front of him. “No wa
y. We’ve been out of the baby business for years.”
Ah, perfect segue. “Speaking of babies, I gather you are fully informed about the one found in Edwin Newman’s vacant house last Wednesday.” Janie pressed her lips together. She’d never reveal her conversation with Melody. That might jeopardize this new closeness the two now shared, one she’d cherished with her late husband. Being aware of the cases he worked brought Janie more into Jack’s world and gave them other topics of discussion beyond the normal budgeting and child rearing ones most husbands and wives share. She wanted no less for her daughter.
Blake laced his arms through each other and rested them on the table. In a slow monitored tone he responded to her query. “Yes, and why do you ask?”
“Coincidental?”
He scratched his chin. “Only in the fact the home sat unoccupied. My guess is the friends of the mother, probably a teenager, panicked and stashed the child the first place they could find.”
“And, of course, a garden home in a gated retirement community would be their primary thought.” She huffed.
“True. That part does seem odd, but I don’t see how it could be related to Edwin’s death. We wrapped that case up with a tight bow.”
Janie’s insides warmed with pride. “Yes, we did.”
Blake chuckled and grabbed the chorizo and egg. He unwrapped the foil and eyed her. “What are you conjuring up now?”
She flashed an innocent eye batting. “Is it my fault these odd occurrences keep happening here in this seniors’ village where I live?”
“Well...”
“If you must know, Mrs. Jacobs personally asked me if I would look into it.” She took a deep slurp of her vanilla latte.
A slight twinkle entered her son-in-law’s eyes. “I guess it’s safe to surmise that the infant could not belong to any of the residents.”
Janie set her cup down and narrowed in on him. “I am trying to be serious here, Blake.”
“I know. I know. Did it occur to you she might be the baby of a daughter or granddaughter?”
She wrinkled her forehead further. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
Blake’s smile turned smug.
Janie ignored his expression. “If that’s the case, wouldn’t she leave the tot on her relative’s stoop?”
“Maybe she chickened out, drove around and noticed the ‘For Sale’ sign.”
“I suppose...” She picked at the cheese which oozed onto her wrapper.
Blake chomped into his taco and waited. The old Felix the Cat kitchen wall clock ticked as the plastic black tail swished and the eyes darted back and forth. “Are your little grey cells churning, dear mother-in-law?”
“You sound like Ethel with your Hercule Poirot reference.” She grinned. “Trying to recall if I picked up any conversations about a pregnancy. Certainly, none of the Bunco Biddies had a grandchild due. Annie’s third gave birth two months ago. Bab’s daughter-in-law, who married well into her late thirties, isn’t due until August.”
“Janie. You live in a large community. You don’t know everyone.”
“True. There’s one other thing, though...” She raised her gaze to his face.
He gave her a mouse-caught-by-the-cat expression. “Continue.”
“It’s the matter of that poor young girl sliced down the middle behind the Get ’em and Go the same night. Possible amateur C-section gone wrong?”
Blake’s eyes twinkled. “Sorry. Not talking about an unsolved murder case with you this time.” He patted her hand.
She snatched it from his fingers. “Well, can you tell me one thing?”
“Possibly.”
“Did the coroner check if she’d been pregnant?”
Blake’s face paled. He downed the rest of his taco in two bites. “Look at the time. Gotta go. See you at church next Sunday.”
He brushed her cheek with a kiss and dashed out her back door.
Janie stared at his empty foil wrapper and grinned. Bingo.
EIGHT
Janie and Ethel traipsed through the still dew-laden grass on the way to their regular Tuesday visit with friends who had moved to a life-of-medical-dependency, otherwise known to the outside world as the assisted-living section. Today, they brought raspberry tarts for Penny Williams. A soft mist hovered over the creek near the golf course.
“Humid morning. Probably storms this afternoon.”
“Hmm.” Ethel stared off to the left of Janie’s shoulder as a hawk folded its wings and dove toward the field separating the independent living residencies from the monitored and skilled nursing sections. “Zeroed in on a mouse.”
“What?” Janie twisted in the direction of Ethel’s stare. The stealth bird ascended again. Their eyes both followed its path upward. “Ah, yes. One less rodent in this world.”
“You seemed pensive on our jog this morning. Want to share?”
“I didn’t want to mention too much around Betsy Ann. She seems reluctant to want to become involved in anything suspicious.”
Ethel let out a deep sigh. “Well, her mind is elsewhere these days. She and George McGuffy are officially an item.”
Janie straightened her spine. “Really? That’s why she’s not joining us.”
“Yep. There’s a new impressionists’ exhibit at the art museum in Austin. Then off to the old hotel for lunch. Making a day of it. So she needs an extra hour to preen.”
“Ah. It’s where they went when he helped her glean information from the newspaper archives during the Edwin case. He loved doing it, didn’t he? Even drove ya’ll up to Dallas to interview that ex-con.”
“True. Wait a minute.” Ethel parked her hands on her hips. “Are you thinking of soliciting his services again?”
“Pfft. You make him sound like an escort agency.”
“Well, he does ooze charm and class. Perhaps he has friends...”
The two old hens cackled at the thought. Both felt very settled in their widowhood.
Janie wiped a laughter tear from her lower eyelid. “Let Betsy Ann have her love interest. No one will ever replace my Jack.”
Ethel stopped giggling and made a serious face. “Blake is sort of fulfilling his role, is he not?”
“Ethel, that borders on gross.”
“No, no.” She waved the thought away. “I meant pow-wowing over cases the way Jack used to do with you. I spotted him coming to your condo yesterday morning with a sack from Taco Express. So spill.”
Janie let out a second, even longer sigh. “I live in a fish bowl, huh?”
“Well, no. I happened to be walking Pugsy, and as I turned the corner when I spied his police cruiser.”
“It’s OK. Come on. I’ll fill you in.” She motioned her friend to one of the benches along the hiking trail.
“Oh, goody. Life had begun to dull a bit.”
“Even with Mildred staying over?”
“We coexist well enough.” She brushed her sleeves. “I didn’t realize exactly how much her dog, Poopsy, sheds. Or barks. I don’t think Pugsy likes her either.”
~*~
After Janie relayed her morning meeting with Blake, Ethel tapped her chin. “Hmm. So you believe the young girl slain behind the Get ’em and Go to be the mother?”
“Well, it certainly seems logical. First, we need to find out if she was of near eastern decent. If so, then odds are pretty good, right?”
Ethel furrowed her brow. “Without DNA testing, we couldn’t be sure. How on earth would we gather some? Sneak into the county morgue?”
“Hmm. That’s a thought.”
“Yeah, a bad one.”
Janie gazed out onto the landscape. “Guess the garbage service already hauled away the grocery bag they swaddled her in.”
“Oooh, Janie.” Ethel stuck out her tongue. “Now who’s bordering on gross? There are easier ways to lift DNA.”
“Such as?”
Ethel inched forward. “Ah, I actually researched it. All you have to do is swab the inside of the mouth. Anyone can buy a kit at
the drugstore for under a hundred dollars that has the instructions and all the material you need. Most people use it for paternity proof or innocence. But they can also test maternal and ancestral probabilities.”
“Hmm. Is it possible to obtain saliva from a corpse?”
Ethel groaned. “Janie, you’re impossible.”
She fell silent. After a moment she spoke again. “We could glean it from the baby. It wouldn’t tell us for sure, but we’d learn her ethnic parentage.” Her eyes intensified like one of those sensor lamps which brighten as they awaken at dusk. “If we could persuade Blake to talk the coroner into running a DNA of the victim to see if they matched up...”
“Not likely.” Ethel chuckled.
Janie’s eyes grew wide and round. “The foster couple gave me their address and phone number, remember? We could visit them to see how the little tot is doing. Maybe take them changing supplies from the pharmacy. Things such as diaper rash ointment, powder, wipes. We’d take a cotton swab and stick it in the lining of her cheeks when they aren’t looking.”
“Without them noticing?” Ethel huffed. “Oh sure, Janie.” She shielded her eyes from the sun rays shooting through the clouds and peered into her friend’s face for a long moment. “You are serious. I can tell from your expression.”
“Want to come with me?”
“You know I’m not into babies. Wait until they’re nearer the age of reason. Then bring them over.”
“You never had grandkids did you?”
Ethel dropped her eyes to the ground. “Emily had three miscarriages.”
Janie patted her hand. “Sorry. Yes, I recall that now.”
She rose from the bench and stretched. “Come on. Let’s deliver these tarts to Penny before I pilfer a few. I don’t want to spoil my lunch. They’re serving Beef Stroganoff in the dining hall today.”
NINE
Janie shuffled the beef and noodles around on her plate. At last, she mustered the gumption to ask Mildred a rather delicate question. “I don’t mean to pry. Truly, I don’t. But there is something I must ask you.”
“Oh?” She set her fork down and placed her hands in her lap.
Baby Bunco Page 4