"What do you mean she didn't say?" Iriarte erupted again.
Hagedorn appeared at the door, rapped on the window, then plunged in without waiting for an invitation. "Ten," he announced.
"Ten what?" Iriarte looked at him expectantly.
Hagedorn held up a file. "Ten mixed babies." He stood there, grinning, one hand raised and his pudgy body frozen in the pose of triumph as he offered, like a precious trophy, the regurgitations of his computer.
Iriarte blinked. The blink meant he didn't really care ten what, and furthermore he didn't want to know. But for Hagedorn, his favorite, the lieutenant had the tolerance of a saint. "Go ahead, Charlie."
Hagedorn gave his boss another shit-eating grin. "I checked them all out. Guess what?" Excitedly, Hagedorn pushed his lank hair back from his pale forehead.
"What?" Iriarte asked nicely.
"One hundred forty-two babies born in downtown hospitals during your time frame, Sergeant." He nodded at April.
"Uh-huh."
"Eighty are black or Hispanic or mixed. Fifty-two are pure Asian." He looked up. Here was the triumph. "Only ten others are mixed Asian and other."
"Good work, Charlie." Iriarte looked impressed.
"Do you have home addresses for them?" April asked. Only ten was too good to hope for.
"Yes."
"Let's go, Baum." April reached for the file.
In four minutes, she and Baum had once again evaded the specialists and were on their way down to Chinatown to start checking them out. April was too preoccupied thinking about Emma and Jason having a baby, and of the 142 other couples engaged in productive monkey business nine months earlier, to worry about Woody's driving.
She wondered how many of those fornicating couples wanted the babies they got. Were all the parents still together and able to keep their offspring? Had one or more of the infants been sold or given away? These were not terms in which April thought very often. Usually, she tried to avoid thinking about normal people getting married, having babies. She was still reeling from the sight of Emma's protruding belly with a human being inside of it. It was disturbing.
She braced a hand against the dashboard as Woody braked suddenly for a pedestrian. But she was excited about the case now, keyed up for the hunt and undaunted by the fact that searching for an infant born almost four weeks ago might turn out to be like looking for a lost item in a landfill. Chinatown was a maze, but people were connected there; they knew things about each other, even if they didn't tell. Somehow she didn't think this was going to be a hard one.
Upbeat and optimistic though she was, April was surprised when she stopped in Bernardino's office in the detective squad room and he punched the air at her accusingly.
"I've been trying to get hold of you," he said.
"No one told me. What's up?"
"We found your stroller," he announced.
"No kidding? What was in it?" Now April was really excited.
"Groceries. Sit down, make yourself comfortable."
April took a chair and nodded at Baum to do the same. He sat. "Groceries?"
"Madison spoke with her. Ah, thanks, Madison." The Chinese detective April had noticed yesterday, with the serious narrow face and the receding hairline, came in and handed Lieutenant Bernardino a cup of coffee.
Bernardino made the introductions: "Sergeant Woo, Detective Madison Young, Detective Baum."
Young nodded at Baum, then at April. "Good to meet you both," he said.
"Same here," April said.
"Ask the sergeant if she'd like some coffee," the lieutenant prompted.
"Would you like some coffee, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"No, thanks," April told him, noting again how the situation had changed for her. Now guys were getting her coffee.
"Madison, you found the stroller. What was the woman's story?"
"I caught up with her this morning at quarter to noon on Pike Street. She was pushing the stroller in question. Light blue Perego, brand-new, right?"
"Right."
"Turns out she's an older woman, a grandma. She had the thing filled with groceries and was carrying a child."
"Ah, how old a child?" April asked excitedly.
"More than a year old. She put the child down while we were talking. A little girl. She toddled around."
"You have an address on them?"
Madison nodded. "They live in the projects. The kid's her daughter's. She takes care of it during the day while her daughter works in the Hong Kong Supermarket."
"Is there a younger baby in the family?"
"No, a son in kindergarten. The way Grandma tells it, a well-dressed woman with a long ponytail got out of a cab on Tuesday morning."
"What street?" Baum asked.
"Allen Street."
"Allen?" April said. This was sounding good. The description fit Heather Rose.
"The Hong Kong Supermarket is on Allen," Madison explained.
"Go on. What about the woman with the ponytail?"
"She had two shopping bags and was holding a baby. The grandma says she looked around for someone. The stroller was in the trunk of the car. The taxi driver didn't want to help her get the stroller out of the trunk. She was upset with the driver because he just stood there, wouldn't help. While they were arguing, another woman came up to her, and they talked for a moment. The second woman took the baby and the shopping bags, but she didn't want to take the stroller, said she didn't need it. She took the baby and the shopping bags and walked away, leaving the woman with the ponytail crying." Madison shrugged. "That's it."
"How did Grandma get the stroller?"
"Oh. She figured the crying woman didn't need the stroller anymore, and she didn't want the man with the turban to have it, so she walked over and asked if she could have it."
"The driver was a Sikh?" Baum remarked.
Madison nodded.
"We're looking for him," Alfie told them. Hundreds of New York cabbies were Sikhs.
"How reliable is this grandma of yours?"
"She was pretty slick, told me right off the bat she didn't steal the stroller. The woman with the ponytail gave it to her. She got kind of defensive about it, knew how much it was worth."
April was excited. "Okay. Now we know Jason had it half right. The other half is that Heather herself gave the baby back to its mother. It wasn't kidnapped by anybody. Good work, Madison."
"Who's Jason?"
"Oh, he's a shrink I know. He talks to head cases for me." April grinned at Baum. They had the pieces now. They could crack the case.
"So, sweetheart. You wanted to come home. Here you are." Alfie smiled. "We don't do shabby work here."
"No, sir. You did good. But what did she mean, she didn't need it?"
"Who?"
"The baby's mother. Why wouldn't she need the stroller?"
"That's the next question. By the way, what do you have for me?" "We ran a birth certificate check. I have some addresses of possible mothers. You mind if Madison takes a few?"
Bernardino shook his head. "Not at all. What about the Popescus?"
"What do you say we bug them later?"
"Later's fine." Alfie grinned at her. "Welcome back."
CHAPTER 27
Nanci Hua was struggling with her conscience when April called her again Thursday afternoon.
"Did you find your cousin?" she asked.
"Who is this?" Nanci demanded, startled because she was still hoping the enticement of a thousand-dollar reward would inspire Annie Lee, the lady in the factory where Lin worked, to call.
"It's April—who do you think it is?"
"Oh, April, I wasn't expecting you," Nanci said guiltily.
"I'm sorry I was short with you yesterday. You know how it is." April's voice trailed off as the noise in the background picked up.
"Oh, I didn't take it personally. I know you're busy."
"We go way back. You can count on me. Have you heard anything new?"
"No," Nanci said. This was the truth. She'd tried
the hospitals again. Still, nobody had heard of Lin Tsing. In her most optimistic moments, Nanci tried to imagine Lin getting in trouble with a boyfriend and running away somewhere with him. In her less optimistic moments, she had darker fears.
"You want to tell me about it?" April said in her crisp cop voice.
"Tell you about what?" Nanci said warily.
"You didn't give me the whole story yesterday. If I'm going to help you, I have to know it."
"You already said this. I told you I feel guilty about bothering you."
"Get off the guilt trip. I don't have a lot of time to chew the fat, is all. I didn't mean to be impatient. Look, I'm down in Chinatown right now. I'm hoofing around, and I can ask some questions for you if you want me to."
Nanci hesitated. "How's the case going?"
"It's coming along."
"What does that mean? Did you find the baby you were looking for?"
"We have some leads."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, we'll find him. About your cousin—"
"It's a boy?"
"Yeah, Nanci, it's a boy. Blue eyes, we're guessing half Chinese. If you know where he is, it would be a big help if you passed it along."
"How would I know?" Nanci bristled.
"Just kidding." April laughed on the other end of the phone.
"Why are you talking like this? I really resent it. Why do you always have to act like a cop?"
"I am a cop, Nanci. That's why you called me," April reminded her.
"I called because you're an old friend," Nanci retorted defensively. "I didn't expect you to start accusing me of things."
"Hey, I was kidding. I called to make up. So, give me some facts. I'll check into it. Where does your cousin work?"
"Um . . ." Nanci stalled. She wanted to talk to the boss in the factory herself.
"You said you went there," April said.
"Did I? Maybe I did."
"So. What's the name and address?"
"I'm trying to remember." Just like yesterday, Nanci got to the place where she couldn't go any further. Cops always acted like this. She remembered the police coming and talking to her after the fire that killed her father. They kept asking her the same questions over and over about what happened that day, and who was in the building. On and on, as if it were all her fault and they were going to find out and punish her. She'd been fifteen then, not much younger than Lin was now. She'd been stunned and frightened, having lost her only relative in America. And it seemed to her that the police just would not believe her. Proof of all this came a few days later when she had to go into the police station and say the same things all over again to different people. Friends of her father took her in because she was underage and the city social workers would have taken her away, sent her back to China. At the time, April had already taken her police department test, but she had not yet been acccepted. April hadn't been able to help her.
What happened the day Nanci lost her father was the same as what happened every other day. She'd come home from school. She'd done her homework at the table where they ate their meals. Always, she waited for her father. When he came home from the noodle factory where he worked, he gave her some money and sent her to buy food. No different from hundreds of other days. After they ate, she went to the library for two hours. Same as every day. But that day, when she came back with three oranges and a fish, the building was full of smoke and fire. Her father and a little boy were dead, and her life was changed forever.
"Nanci? I've got to get moving." "I'm trying to remember. I think it's on Orchard Street, or maybe Ludlow."
"What kind of factory did you say it was?"
"I didn't."
"So what kind of factory is it?"
Nanci stalled again. "Um, Lin can really sew. I don't know the name of the place."
"Nanci, you want to get hold of the company's name for me? I want to check it out, all right?"
"Okay, okay. I'll get it. I'll call you. You're still the same old bully."
"And you're the same old brat. I'm on your side, remember?"
"Thanks, April. I know you are." Nanci wasn't so sure, though. She felt sick in the pit of her stomach. The way April was talking to her made Nanci think her old friend also knew more than she was saying. Why else call and nag her, when April was so busy and Nanci clearly wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it? She dialed Milton's number at the restaurant to tell him about this new development, but he wasn't there.
CHAPTER 28
You bad girl, too much trouble," Annie Lee complained in Chinese as she came upstairs Thursday morning before the workers were in. Too much work, had to take care of sick girl in the old cedar closet upstairs, had to get her water and give her pills. Annie was mad. This wasn't her job. She grumbled about the dark, angry about that, too. She must have turned the light off when the police came yesterday and not turned it on again when they left.
She reached for the string and turned on the light in the closet, clicking her tongue at all the trouble. She was too old for this, almost ready to retire and be cared for herself. She felt put upon as she quickly examined the heavy-breathing girl. She squatted and mopped her face with a wet towel. Lin moaned softly.
"Good, wake up. Let me see you."
When Lin opened her eyes, Annie forced another pill down her throat with hardly any warning. The unexpected foreign object started the girl coughing again. Annie made an impatient noise. This was the fifth antibiotic she'd given her. Wasn't she supposed to be getting better now? Annie worried about this.
"Why you not better?" she said angrly, as if Lin had a choice in the matter. The bad girl was looking very sick, so she relented. "All right, here's some water." She held out a chipped cup with a spoon of honey in it.
Lin allowed Annie to wet her tongue, but closed her mouth when Annie tried to force her to swallow some.
"That's not enough. More," Annie scolded. When it was clear Lin wouldn't take any, Annie made more disgusted noises. "What am I going to do with you? Can't keep you forever. Maybe you tell me now and go," she suggested.
Lin moved her head. Yes, she wanted to go.
"Go where? Those people are no good," Annie said scornfully.
Please, Lin begged with her eyes. She wanted to go.
This annoyed Annie even more. All this trouble and the girl wasn't grateful. She gave her a cough drop. Lin spat it out. Annie clicked her tongue. She didn't like to listen to Lin's cough. The sound was deep and phlegmy. The hack and rattle were so persistent, the girl couldn't stop once she started. She also refused to respond to the Robitussin and other medicine Annie gave her. Didn't like tea, didn't like honey water. That made her obstinate and stubborn beyond reason. More than two dollars every pill for the antibiotic. Ivan told her it was the best you could buy.
Lin managed to say please in a begging tone, but Annie was not appeased. "You tricked me. You didn't tell me you had a cousin," she said reproachfully.
Lin's eyes were glassy, but she looked upset that Annie knew. That gave Annie some satisfaction. "Oh, yes, I know everything. Before, you tell me all your family is dead. Now you have rich cousin. Why lie?"
Lin's answer was another long and irritating fit of coughing. Lin's glassy eyes stared at her.
"Stubborn girl," Annie muttered guiltily. The girl's eyes told Annie she didn't forgive her for what had happened and now she wouldn't cooperate and help
Annie solve this problem so she could go home and forget about it.
"Not my fault. Take some water," she demanded. Lin wouldn't take any water. Roughly, Annie opened her mouth and poured a little in, scolding some more. The honey water dribbled out. This time Annie ignored it.
"Your cousin came looking for you yesterday." Annie made another disgusted sound when the glassy eyes filled with tears. "Too late for tears."
"I'll go." Lin coughed. "Tell her. I'll go with her."
"What do I get, ah? Big mess." Annie shook her head. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Call Nanci.
"
"It's not for you to say." Annie thought a minute.
Lin's eyes closed. She didn't answer.
Annie grunted. The stingy Popescus hardly gave her anything for all her trouble. A few dollars, nothing more. She couldn't help thinking about the money Lin's cousin had offered her. If a thousand dollars was her first offer, she had more to give. Maybe five thousand for a cousin was not too much to pay.
She thought about all the bad things happening— Lin lying to her for so long about the cousin and giving her such a hard time now. Annie wasn't paid to be a nurse. Why did Lin have to be sick in this storeroom and make all this trouble for poor Annie Lee for so many months when all along she had a rich cousin who should have done this?
Annie didn't know what was worse: Lin, who wouldn't cooperate; or Lin's cousin, who turned up offering Annie enough money to make Annie worry that this cousin was an important person who could find out what had happened to Lin and make more trouble if Annie didn't help her now. It was all a big mess.
Annie didn't like the sick girl looking at her with
those pleading eyes. The rich cousin had those same pleading eyes, as if all this were her fault. This was not her fault. For five thousand dollars, Annie was beginning to think, the right thing to do was call the cousin to come and get Lin and be done with it. The rest of it was not her business.
Annie poured some more water into Lin's open mouth, then held her mouth closed so she had to swallow. Then she turned off the light and went downstairs.
Annie Lee knocked on the boss's office door.
"What do you want?"
"Lin very sick," Annie said, easing the door open.
"Did she say anything?"
"Said she want to go."
"Did you tell her she could go as soon as she cooperates?"
Annie wrung her hands. "Very sick," she said. "Needs more medicine, needs docta."
"Tell her she'll get a doctor when she cooperates."
Annie looked at the two bosses. Sometimes they were mean, sometimes nice. Now not so nice.
"Why you no give me something?"
"Sure, we'll give you something. We'll give you a hundred dollars on top of what you've gotten already. You've been a big help," Marc said grandly.
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