“So that’s why she looked at all the charts before she chose the Nelson baby.”
“That would be my guess,” Peter concluded.
The techs all nodded, and Peter said, “Can you go back to where the woman is picking up the baby. I would like a picture of her in profile.”
“Did you see something Boss?” Tom asked.
“No. I just thought we might try to match the picture to a mug shot,” Peter answered.
“That presupposes she’s been arrested before, doesn’t it?” Liam said.
“True,” Dean said, “but based on how she’s handled herself in the hospital, avoiding the camera’s and such, it’s a reasonable guess that she’s done something like this before and, we can hope, she’s been caught.”
Liam did as requested and handed that picture to Peter.
Peter nodded. “Let’s move on.”
Liam started the video again and followed Jenny out of the nursery until she encountered Mary Harris coming into the nursery. He again froze the image at that point. “Notice how she’s holding the baby as if she was sniffing him.”
“Hiding her face again,” Ginger said. “But we can see she has blue eyes.”
“Probably colored contacts,” Dean said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Peter said. Turning to Liam, he added, “Print this picture for us and then let’s see the rest of it.”
Liam printed the picture, handed it to Peter, and then followed Jenny, switching cameras as need be, until she exited the hospital. She never lowered the baby, and the camera never caught an image of her full face. Liam froze the image again as Jenny went out the front door of the hospital. “Notice how she used her forearm to push the door open.”
Peter nodded.
Liam started the video again and followed Jenny until she could no longer be seen. “This is where we lose her. As I said before, there is no camera wherever she got into her car.”
Peter nodded again. “Can you make us a copy of the whole sequence from the time she entered the hospital until we lose her here?”
Liam reached over and picked up a DVD which he handed to Peter. “Already have.”
“Thank you,” Peter said. “We’ll analyze it. You never know, we might just pick up something you missed. Though I have to admit you did a pretty thorough job.”
“Thank you,” Liam said, “just trying to help.” He certainly hoped he was of help. He didn’t personally know Ralph or Tami Nelson and couldn’t image the pain they were feeling, but he imagined they were going out of their minds in worry and grief. Therefore he wanted to do everything he could to help find the perverted woman who took their son.
“We would also like you to make us a copy of all the comings and goings from the hospital for the last couple of weeks. As Dean mentioned earlier, she probably reconnoitered the hospital earlier, and maybe we can find her doing that. Maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to catch her car and get a license plate.”
“Do you really think so?” Liam asked excitedly.
“I said maybe,” Peter said, “but we’ve been lucky before. Maybe she wasn’t as careful when she checked out the hospital as she was when she took the baby.”
“We can only hope,” Ginger said.
“But now I think we’ll go up to the first floor and see if we can locate the linen closet and check for the wig, hat, and bag she left behind. Maybe she left something in the bag we can get prints from. Or maybe she inadvertently touched something in the closet before she pulled on the gloves. You never know.” With that Peter turned and exited the room followed closely be Tom, Dean, and Ginger.
Liam was left alone with his dismal thoughts. With a deep sigh, he turned back to the computer and called up the recorded video from two weeks ago. He picked the camera focused on the front door to see if he could catch the mystery woman, Jenny, entering the hospital. All he could do is hope she wore shorts when she came in earlier to check out the hospital. If she did, he should be able to see her tattoo. It was his only hope in finding her. He knew it would be a daunting task, but he had to try. Otherwise, the kidnapping would haunt him until something more worrisome came along. What a gruesome thought. Something more alarming than a kidnapped newborn. He shivered at the thought.
James and Dr. Rich were on their way to Dr. Rich’s office when they ran into Peter and his associates. “So you got called into this mess,” Peter said as he stopped. His associates stopped as well.
“I did,” James said. “Do you have anything so far?”
“Only a little,” Peter said handing him the photos Liam had printed. “The baby was definitely stolen. We visited with a tech named Liam Harwood who showed us the video from the cameras that are positioned everywhere.” He pointed at several of the cameras lining the hallway. “With his help, we followed the woman who took the baby from the time she first entered the hospital until she left with the baby. She was very careful as she entered and walked through the hospital to keep her face covered. As you can see in the photos, she started out with a long blonde wig and a floppy hat that she later ditched in a linen closet where she donned a nurses gown that we presume she stole from the supplies in the closet. Notice that the cameras did manage to capture a distinctive tattoo she has on her right leg.”
James flipped through the pictures and nodded. “Well, it’s something. Any prints?”
“We were just going to the closet shown in the pictures. She was careful not to leave prints on any of the doors she went through, but we’re hoping she was more careless in the linen closet. However, I don’t hold out much hope. It seems she has done something like this before or was well schooled before she came here.” He held up the DVD Liam gave his. “We have a copy of all the footage we previewed, and Liam is making us a copy of what he has of the previous two weeks in the hope that she came to the hospital earlier.”
“Good idea,” James said. “All we have at this point is hope.”
Peter nodded. “My guys and I will go check out the linen closet. We’ll be sure to let you know the instant we find anything.”
“Let’s hope you can find something,” James said as Peter and his associates hurried off.
James turned to Dr. Rich. “Let’s go to your office. I need to use your phone to call in. We need to get an Amber alert on the air.”
Dr. Rich nodded. “Follow me.”
Before James made his call to the station, he took out his notebook where he had written all the information about the baby. Before they had come down from the nursery floor, he had asked if the hospital had a picture of the baby and was informed the Nelson’s declined to have the hospital take the pictures. They said the father wanted to take the pictures himself. So James and Dr. Rich went to Tami’s room but Roger hung his head when he confessed in the rush to get Tami to the hospital, the camera had been forgotten. Thus, no pictures were taken. While Dr. Rich and James were in Tami’s room, Roger vented some of his rage. He tried to stay calm and keep his voice quiet, but he had no luck at either.
Tami woke and asked, in her sleep-slurred voice, “What’s going on?” She turned to Roger. “Have they found Ozzie?” She asked optimistically.
Roger was slightly buoyed when Tami called their son Ozzie, but that only served to dull the edge of his anger slightly. “No. They came to ask if we had any pictures. I’m so sorry I forgot the camera.”
“We’ve already been through that, Hon. It’s nobody’s fault. I should have remembered it too. We simply had other concerns at the time.”
Tami turned to Dr. Rich and James who were both standing at the foot of her bed while Roger sat in a chair next to it. “Do you gentlemen have any information for us?”
“Not much I’m afraid,” James said. “We have found a few images of the woman who took your son in the surveillance video taken by the hospital, but it’s too early to have an ID. I assure you we’ll do all we can to find her and get your baby back to you.”
“Well, then, I suggest you get to it and find our son,” Ta
mi said harshly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dr. Rich said and with that he and James left the room.
Chapter 20
While on his way to the airport Ronald heard the Amber alert over the radio. “Well, they’ve discovered you’re missing,” he said to the backseat. “No matter. I’m almost to the airport, and there’s no reason for anyone to stop me.” His statement held true as he was unmolested all the way to the airport and to the terminal where Donati’s private jet waited.
“The jet is fueled and waiting for you Mr. Wilkerson,” said the attendant behind the counter when Ronald walked into the terminal. She took no notice of the infant Ronald held in his arms. She knew it wasn’t in her best interest to notice anything, so she didn’t.
Ronald walked through the terminal lobby directly onto the tarmac. He climbed the stairs and handed the baby to the nurse waiting there. She briefly examined him to verify he had the black hair she had been told the infant should have. “Wait here while I check him out,” she said. She wasn’t his superior, but she also didn’t take orders from him, so she felt comfortable telling him to wait. He didn’t take offense. He knew she would have to give the baby the once over. That was her job. The baby had to be perfect.
Once inside the airplane, she placed the baby in a bassinet and unwrapped him. She studied him, thoroughly palpitating his arms and legs. Then she grabbed her stethoscope and listened to his heart and lungs. She walked back to the door and said, “Okay. He checks out. Now get lost so we can get going.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ronald said a bit sarcastically but turned and walked down the stairs. He walked to the terminal but didn’t go in. He waited for about five minutes until the plane started to taxi. Another successful transaction and another forty thousand. Donati had already let him know another order would be coming in a few more days. He would be ready.
Marvin hung up his cell phone with a big smile on his face. “Our son is in town. Shall we go pick him up?”
“Are you absolutely sure we ought to do this?” Sylvia asked looking at her husband of five years.
“Would you please stop asking me that question?” Marvin said a bit harsher than he meant. “I’m sorry. But I really do wish you’d drop it and just go with me to pick up our son.”
“But I’m still not sure this is the right thing to do.”
“You do you want to be a mother don’t you?”
“You know I do. But not…”
“But we’ve tried,” Marvin interrupted because he didn’t want to give her the chance to completely back out. He had to convince her that this was their only option. He’d been trying to convince her ever since they’d given Harvey the forty thousand dollar cash deposit. “You know we even tried in Vetro, and you also know what the doctor said.”
Sylvia hung her head sadly. “I’m sorry I can’t conceive.”
“Now, none of that. You know I don’t blame you. There’s nothing to be done about it. And we’ve tried the adoption route. Do you really want to wait another four or five years for a baby?”
“You know I don’t. But to do it this way…I just…I just don’t like the idea of taking someone else’s baby.”
“But Harvey promised me they would only take a child from some couple who already has several children so they won’t miss the baby as much as first-time parents would.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
Marvin huffed with exasperation. They had argued about this more times than he could count. He knew it wasn’t right but was it right for God to deny them the ability to have a child in the usual way. They both wanted to be parents so badly and he, for one, was tired to death of waiting. He had to struggle with himself as much as she did when he first heard about how a baby could be purchased off the black market. They had been in Harvey Jacob’s adoption agency office when Harvey first breached the possibility of buying the baby they so desperately wanted. Initially, Sylvia would not even consider the option and had threatened to turn Harvey into the police. But Marvin warned her about the dangers of doing that because Harvey had stressed who he worked for and how Donati would do just about anything to protect his employees. Marvin was the first to accept the notion of the purchase as Harvey had convinced him that though it was wrong according to the law, it wasn’t wrong morally because they had the right to have a child. Marvin had held that belief through his many arguments with Sylvia. She had almost swung him back to her side more than once but only almost. He just had to be a father. He just had to be. And they had tried everything. “No, it’s not right. But is it right some parents have multiple children and God has denied us even one. Besides, we’re out of options.”
“I know.” She shook her head and sighed deeply with, he hoped, resignation. He knew she’d finally given in when she said, “Okay. We might as well get this over with.” Her lack of conviction bothered him, but not enough to make him give up his part of their dream. Besides, he was sure when she saw the baby she would completely give in. Harvey had sworn the baby was perfect in every way.
“Thank you, Darling. Grab your light coat. It’s a little chilly out. I’ll put the infant seat in the car and make sure it’s securely fastened as we were shown.” He hurried to the bedroom to pick up his briefcase with the eighty thousand dollars cash and then into the garage, pushing the garage door opener as he entered. He didn’t want to give her any opportunity for a change of heart and to start another rehash of their arguments. He installed the infant seat and then sat in the driver’s seat for at least five minutes before Sylvia finally came out and slid, albeit reluctantly, into the passenger seat.
He was sure she’d been sitting on the couch talking to herself and vacillating between coming out to the garage and refusing to do so. He glanced at her but knew he dared not ask her anything lest the argument begin anew. Instead, he put the car in gear and backed carefully into the street. Not a word was spoken by either one until they reached Harvey’s office. Then Marvin turned to Sylvia. “You are coming in with me aren’t you?”
“I’ve come this far so I guess I’ll have to.” She sighed heavily as she opened her door.
“Not if you don’t want to. I can go get Michael by myself.” They had decided on Michael for their son’s name. Not Mike, but Michael.
Sylvia opened her door and got out. Marvin came around to her side of the car and put his arm lovingly around her shoulder. But it wasn’t actually love that prompted the gesture, rather he wanted a little bit of leverage so he could guide her into the building and stop her if she turned around. They were quiet while they entered the office and were confronted by a beaming Harvey. “Welcome…welcome you two. Come over here and see your new son. I think you’ll agree he’s gorgeous.” Marvin guided Sylvia to the bassinet and shook Harvey’s proffered hand.
Sylvia almost cracked a smile when she first gazed upon the baby sleeping in the bassinet. Without a word, Marvin carefully picked up the infant and practically shoved him into Sylvia’s arms. She accepted him as Harvey crowed about his beauty.
“Yes,” Sylvia said, “he’s nice.” She took a deep breath of his new baby smell.
“Yes, nice,” Marvin said with a smile meant to melt Sylvia’s defenses, “and he is beautiful.”
The magic of parenthood cast its spell on Sylvia as she smiled and cooed at her new son. “He’ll do,” she said trying not to sound as excited as she now felt. Subconsciously she still knew it was wrong, but he was so beautiful. “Pay the man.”
“I can do that,” Marvin handed Harvey the briefcase. Marvin thought about asking Harvey if he was sure the baby was taken from parents that already had multiple children, but he didn’t want to spoil the moment or break the spell Sylvia seemed to be under. Sylvia had accepted their son. That was all that mattered at that point.
Harvey sat the briefcase on the desk and opened it. “I hope you won’t be offended if I count this.”
“Of course not,” Marvin said. “I would have been surprised if you hadn’t. It is a lot of money after
all.”
“It is,” Harvey said.
Ronald Wilkerson AKA Harold Morgan was relaxing while watching the local news on his TV and daydreaming about the pretty announcer when he was startled out of his reverie by what she said. Her news team had received breaking news about the kidnapping of the newborn out of the nursery of the hospital. A picture of a tattoo appeared on the screen as the announcer said the tattoo was on the back of the right leg of the suspect in the kidnapping.
Ronald threw the pillow he’d been leaning against at the screen. “That idiot,” he said to the TV. “She should have told me she had a tattoo.” He seethed as he thought of the ramifications if she were caught. And he had thought his plan had been foolproof. “That dumb…” he yelled as he threw another pillow. “Why didn’t she just cover up that tattoo? She had to know…Just wait until I get my hands on her. She’ll wish she had never been born.” He knew what he had to do. He had to find the stupid witch. He’d find her pimp and get the pimp to tell him where to find Jenny. He simply had to find her before the cops did. He’d warned her not to reveal anything when he handed her the ten thousand dollars, and he was sure she wouldn’t tell anyone just to be talking. But the tattoo. The cops might find out who drew the tattoo and he might tell them to whom the tattoo belongs, and if she was taken in by the police, he knew they had ways to trip her into revealing stuff she didn’t intend to reveal—like his name. Yes, he definitely had to get to her first.
Jason was rearranging supplies in his tattoo parlor when CSI Peter Francis and Detective James Platt came in. Jason frowned. “What can I do for you gentlemen?” He thought of adding ‘and I use the term loosely’ but knew it wasn’t smart to antagonize the cops. He knew they were cops because one wore a cheesy looking suit and the other wore a jacket with a CSI label on the front.
The Dog Who Ate The Flintlock Page 14
