by Aiden Bates
Pat's cheeks burned with humiliation, but he bit down on the inside of his cheek and kept his mouth shut. He could sit there and analyze things later. Right now, they had a mystery to solve.
"Okay." Ryan glanced from Elias to Pat and back again. "Now that that's clear as mud, let's look at what we do know. We do know that the state medical examiner, the assistants who loaded the body into the van, and the lab tech who initially processed samples from the body have all had to be taken to the hospital for treatment and isolation. Tests confirm that the disease is diphtheria, which is a terrible way to die, and that Scott did die from the disease."
"So what are we looking at here?" Devlin turned his eyes to Elias. "Have you ever seen a kid come back after ten years, when they've been kidnapped that young?"
"Actually, yes." Elias managed a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. "We have had cases where abductees have come forward and recognized themselves, sometimes well into adulthood. It's not usually accompanied by nudity and easily preventable diseases, though."
Pat scowled. He shouldn't engage, but this was too much. Elias was putting the cart before the horse, and they'd never solve anything that way. "If you can put your judgment aside and maybe get a picture on the screen—thanks, Langer. Look. The ME's report says that the kid doesn't seem to have had a lot of variety in his diet, but that he had food to eat. There are no signs of trauma—no sexual, no physical. No bruising."
Elias glared at Pat, clenching his pen so hard Pat thought it might break. "Your point?"
"He also found that the sheet was wound in a certain, very specific way. There were remnants of certain oils and resins on his body, items mentioned in old texts as appropriate for use in burying a corpse." He gestured up at the screen. "I'm not saying that the person was right to abduct baby Scott. Far from it. I'm saying that in their way, they cared for him. We're not looking for some child trafficking ring here."
Elias pursed his lips. He looked like he'd been sucking on a lemon. "You're probably right. It might still be a possibility, but those types of organizations don't usually show this level of care for their victims." He relaxed, although he still looked like he'd bitten into something foul. "Something still seems off here."
Tran chuckled softly. "Yeah, all we do is off. And these guys? Their off is even more off than ours. That's why they're here too." He shook his head. "What can you tell us about cases like this, Elias?"
Elias took a deep breath and put a hand on the table. He almost looked as if he were steadying himself. "Well, I can't tell you much. We do see some cases where a person will steal babies, but they'll usually be stolen when they're smaller. They'll usually be sold to a desperate childless family that couldn't adopt for whatever reason. Sometimes the perpetrator will keep them, but they won't usually refuse to vaccinate."
Pat kicked Nenci under the table. He wasn't going to contribute anymore, not if it meant risking being assigned to this case, but he could egg others on.
Nenci jumped and glared at Pat, but he spoke up. "There's a clue right there. Our perp might be a vocal anti-vaxxer."
"Or too poor to afford vaccines." Robles twirled his pen in his hand. "That could explain why they couldn't adopt by normal means."
"Why dispose of the body in that way, though?" Elias' face twisted. "I mean that's just wrong. It's just plain wrong. He was thrown away like an old carpet!"
"It seems that way." Langer scratched at his chin, his eyes far away. "What are some alternative explanations? Morris?"
Morris shrugged. "When I was in the service, I knew a woman who brought the bodies of her relatives to an old, bombed-out place—I think it was a tomb of some kind, but I'm not entirely sure. She wasn't in great shape, physically, thanks to the war. She couldn't dig graves for them, but she couldn't just leave them lying around." He pursed his lips in thought. "She brought them to that place in the hopes that someone would find them and bury them decently. Just a thought."
Pat cleared his throat. He didn't want to intrude and cause Elias more disgust with his presence. "The Hotel Alexandra was kind of a landmark in the area. People are always around it. Someone would have found the body eventually." He tapped his pen against the table. "I don't think that the way that the body was anointed and dressed is consistent with a careless disposal. Hey Nenci, is Oliver working on the rest of the trace evidence that came in with the body?"
"He most certainly is not." Nenci crossed his arms over his chest. "Oliver is four months pregnant. He's not going anywhere near something with diphtheria exposure. Once that Sheedy kid gets out of isolation, Oliver can supervise him in getting that trace evidence."
"Okay, is there no one else in the lab who can examine evidence?" Elias sighed. "I mean you guys are paying for my services, so I'm going to stay here for as long as you need me, but the clock is ticking. Someone who will steal a baby once will do it again." He bowed his head. "The trauma of losing one, especially if they've gotten attached, can unhinge them."
"I'll see if I can talk someone into it," Ryan inserted smoothly. "No promises, though. Oliver lets us cut in line because he's married to Nenci." The corners of his mouth twitched in something like a smile. "The rest of the lab is a little less enthusiastic about line cutting."
"I see." Now Elias did smile, or at least smirk. It was the first real expression, other than disdain, that Pat had seen on his former lover's face since they'd gotten here.
"You're already working on this with Ryan." Devlin cleared his throat. "I realize that this might be an unpopular decision, but I want Tessaro on this case."
"What?" Pat squawked.
"No!" Elias recoiled.
Devlin held up a hand. "I said I recognized that it wasn't going to be a popular decision. It is, however, final. This case is messy. Tessaro's good at messy. He is, in fact, the best detective we have when it comes to messy. I don't know what your beef with him is, and I honestly don't care. This is about that little boy now. You're both professionals. Act like it, and get the job done that much faster."
Pat rose to his feet. "I guess I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."
Elias glowered at him. "I'll be lodging a formal complaint."
"Get in line." Pat left the room without waiting to be dismissed.
Devlin had gotten one thing right. Pat was the best at messy.
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The story may be over but there are still things to do! Please read below and follow the next four steps!
Check out the other books in the Never Too Late Series. Remember, all books can be read by itself!
Buried Passion – Never Too Late Book 1
Ryan is a detective with the Abused Persons unit of the Mass. State Police. He loves his job, and he’s very good at it. He balks when his supervisor assigns him to a case with the Cold Case unit, and not just because that’s out of his area of expertise. Everyone in Cold Case is an alpha, and that’s just not a comfortable place for an unclaimed omega to be.
Nick is a detective with the Cold Case unit. He’s a strictly by-the-book detective. He trusts to procedure and precedent to get the job done. He doesn’t mind getting stuck with a highly visible case. He doesn’t even mind getting stuck with the pretty omega from Abused Persons, so long as he sits down, shuts up and doesn’t screw with the process that’s worked well for years.
Ryan and Nick butt heads almost immediately, although it doesn’t take long for either detective to figure out that at least part of the reason for their strife is the scorching chemistry between them. When their cold case seems to parallel Ryan’s life a little too closely, and when Ryan’s methods don’t fall exactly in line with Cold Case procedure, will their differences drive them apart?
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Adrenaline Rush – Never Too Late Book 2
Pete is six months pregnant when he finds himself in the middle of a bank robbery gone bad. He’s sure he’s going to die, but a handsome alpha State Trooper bursts in to save him at the last possible moment. Pete is hal
f in love with Ozzy before the week is out – but what kind of alpha wants a pregnant omega?
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Omega’s Kiss – Never Too Late Book 3
When family is on the line, there’s nothing that defense attorney Doug Morrison won’t do. He’ll even go to the detective who put his father away for help in proving his innocence. When the driven omega meets the strong, crafty alpha, will their passion burn too bright to keep them on the case?
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Television writer and omega Liam Leonard is too busy creating a name for himself and making money to look for love. His family and friends have tried to set him up with handsome and successful alpha males, but most of the time Liam passes. His career is demanding and fulfilling, and it’s all he needs . . . for now.
When his reality TV show “Omega in Paradise” takes him to a sexy little Brazilian island, though, Liam is tempted for the first time in a while. He is surrounded by sixteen hot, exciting alphas who are looking for love. There’s one in particular that excites him to his core—gorgeous Cruz Hatcher, with his sculpted body and caramel eyes, not to mention his lofty ambitions and kind heart.
Liam soon realizes that he wants it all—success, love, and a family—and that Cruz may be the one that can help him achieve all three. When obstacles arise, on the island and back in the city, will Liam have the strength to fight for his alpha? Will he have the willpower to overcome his own self-doubts?
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Father Figure
(Never Too Late Book 4)
Aiden Bates
© 2017
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).