Roll the Dice (Vegas Series)

by Author Mimi Barbour

  Hard hands caressed her back and his strokes started a fire in her body that kindled memories of their lovemaking. She could rest here forever.

  "Thanks." Her mumbled appreciation came before she stepped away.

  "You’re welcome. Anytime! And I mean that sincerely."

  That made her smile.

  "Hate to interrupt Morelli but there's a call for you. Says his name is Bill Ruile. He's a security guy who works at the hospital.

  She’d wrenched herself away from Kai as soon as she’d heard the footsteps closing in, but hadn’t been quick enough. Either that or the shrewd old cop had x-ray vision.

  “I’m on it. Thanks Ham.” She strode to the doorway and felt Kais’ presence close behind.

  “Detective Morelli.” She hit the speakerphone button.

  “Bill Ruile here Detective. The suspect you told me about, a Mr. Rhondo I believe? He’s been snooping around again. Not on the floor where you have the security. On the maternity ward where you caught him last—”

  “You mean he’s been checking out the babies again?”

  “No. It’s much worse. This time he’s kidnapped one of the babies and the mother.”

  Aurora’s heart sank. Her ears started to hurt as her internal signal clamoured. A pre-warning of dread boiled acid in the pit of her stomach.

  “The name!” Sinister premonition held its breath.

  “Debbie Ashton and baby son from Room 505. Minutes ago the nurses reported a problem. Said the woman had discharged herself against the doctor’s orders and left with a driver. Told them her husband was concerned for her safety and had sent an undercover agent to pick her up, take her into protective custody. Sounded kinda shaky to me so I decided to investigate.

  “How long ago did this take place?”

  “Ten to fifteen minutes.”

  “How do you know she didn’t leave with her husband? Aurora knew Cory was out of the office. Maybe just maybe…

  “Not possible. He always stops by the nursing station to enquire on his wife’s infection so the desk nurse knows him. It’s your guy, Detective. He’s shown up on one of the hallway security cameras. It’s the same man who you were after the other day.”

  “Shit! Did you close off the entry and exits?”

  “Of course, but I’d bet you dollars to donuts he’s gotten them out of the building by now.”

  “Right. Get as many men as you can at the doors just in case. I’ll put out an APB. Meet me at the main entrance in ten.”

  She turned to Kai and knew he’d understood everything.

  Taking control, he spoke in a no-nonsense way. “I’ll go and find out where Cory went and get a hold of him. You get the uniforms moving and gather Ham and the rest of the team. We gotta move.”

  “I’m on it. “ He’d taken lead and she spent all of two second worrying about it. No time for pissing contests. Not now.

  Gathering her gun and extra bullets, she hurried down the hall to interrupt Ham. He was in the middle of a group telling one of his famous Irish stories that made you want to strangle him for getting you laughing so hard that your cheeks felt like they had permanent dents.

  Barking his name, she had instant attention and within a short space of time they were all hurrying towards the exit.

  Kai caught up with a stride that covered the space faster than if she’d have ran. “He’s on his way to visit Debbie. Hoped to bring them home today and told his secretary he wanted to get fresh flowers for their apartment. I’ll go pick him up—probably not safe for him to drive. We’ll meet you there.

  “Fine.” She threw the keys to Kai and hurried after Ham.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Debbie watched the play of light on her son’s puckered cheeks as he fed voraciously. Hungry little devil, probably takes after his father. As soon as the words popped into her mind, she noticed the familiar anxiety was now missing.

  She'd broken down yesterday and, without telling anyone, had ordered the paternity test. The results had arrived a little while ago.

  Since his birth, she’d spent hours examining her baby's body, his face even his expression, trying to find any conclusive proof of parenthood. In her heart, she’d believed that her pregnancy had transpired as the result of the beautiful night of lovemaking shared by her and Cory. Not from the nightmare of pain she’d experienced at the hands of a vicious stranger a few days before.

  After all, how could something so precious, a gift from the divine, have been the result from her getting raped? God wouldn’t be that cruel, would he?

  Thinking back, she asked herself the same question she’d asked a thousand times. Why hadn’t she taken care of the possibility of a pregnancy? To this day, she still didn’t understand. For heaven’s sake, she was a cop. A woman in the know, sophisticated, a girl of the twenty-first century with a brilliant career and great friends who had everything going for her. Why then had she completely fallen to pieces? Lied first, then ignored the modern precautions she’d have automatically advised others to utilize

  She wondered if she’d ever figure it out. Then she looked down at the now sleeping child and a well of gladness washed over her, lightening her spirit. Waves of love, stronger than any she’d ever felt before, filled up every tiny empty crevice in her soul. Whatever choices she’d made in the past, she thanked God now for those decisions.

  How could she ever live without … Okay! It was more than time baby had a name. Reality warned that the moniker she’d always wanted wouldn’t be tolerated. Not by her or Cory and that was understandable. She needed to let it go and come up with something totally different.

  Gazing down at the bald-headed angel whose bluey-grey eyes were enclosed under startlingly long reddish eyelashes, she let her mind wander. Cory had told her his father’s name was Al short for Allan. Not a title she particularly liked. Her father's second name was Alexander. Nope too long. But maybe there could be a way to meld them.

  Alec? That had a nice ring. Went with Smart Aleck but then being called smart never hurt anyone. She rocked in her chair and didn’t hear the man who quietly entered her room. Not until he stood close enough for her to see the naked desire his eyes flashed boldly.

  She covered both her baby and her breast in one movement and reached for the water glass with the other hand. He sprang forward and wrenched it from her hand.

  “Nope. We don’t want to bring any attention to ourselves, now do we? First you’re going to step away from the chair, get dressed and then you and the babe are coming with me. That’s if you don’t want anything bad to happen.” Evil glowed from his smarmy eyes and seemed alive in the sneer of his fleshy lips. “The gun in my pocket is aimed straight at your head, so I’d advise you not to make any sudden moves.”

  “What do you want? Why are you here?” Honestly perplexed, Debbie’s mind sought for answers. Then in a flash she knew. Maybe it had been his quick glance at Alec, or maybe a mother’s instinct overrides confusion. Whatever happened, she knew. And this time she’d die before giving him what he wanted.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  “I’ll be taking those tapes back to headquarters, Bill. If you need a copy, we’ll be glad to bring you back one.”

  "Sure Detective. I'll get that organized." Bill hurried away, importance a cloak he wore well.

  Aurora had scrutinized every second on each of the videos at least five times. One showed Rhondo wearing a police uniform, entering the hospital. Then he appeared again when he approached the main desk on the maternity floor. Business finished, he moved down the hallway, strutting to room 505, his hand resting on his gun as if he’d worn it for years. He disappeared and a short time later re-appears with Debbie who carried her baby close.

  And the important tape when both he and Debbie were leaving the main entrance of the building. They'd made their way to a waiting police car parked so the flowering bushes hid the numbers. On purpose? Was he that smart?

  I’m missing something! She knew it, but wasn’t sure what. Rubbing her
eyes, she cleared away the moisture gathered at the corners. I need a break.

  But her mind couldn’t be turned off so easy. It kept revisiting the data stored in her memory.

  Dressed in her old maternity clothes, Debbie looked strange after only wearing the hospital’s gear for the last while. Her jeans sagged and the blue t-shirt, that used to cling around a protruding tummy, now hung limp and creased. Her normally bouncy hair stuck to her head, the curls missing.

  She looked young and somehow vulnerable. It didn’t sit well on the woman who Aurora had worked with for years. A cop who’d carried a gun and been forced to use it during multiple operations. Not that either of them had ever killed anyone, but bullets had flown and danger lurked. They’d survived through grit, a love of danger and a code that lived in each. I have your back—you have mine.

  Aurora knew Debbie hid fragility, who didn’t? But her core strength had always shone through in those moments when steel had to override soft. The woman could be trusted to act smart and stay alive if at all possible.

  Still, it irked her to have to watch Debbie walking proudly next to the man whose hand gripped her arm. To anyone else watching, it seemed a thoughtful gesture from a young police officer. To her it was a threat, a control that made her stomach clench.

  As they walked past, Debbie had stared directly into the overhead camera for a second and her eyes had spoken. Aggravated, Aurora just didn't know what she'd tried to impart.

  Swallowing the rising emotions that threatened, she gritted her teeth. Wouldn’t do Debbie a damn bit of good for her to turn girlie now. She needed to stay clear and focused.

  Something niggled at Aurora and be dammed if she knew what. Watching on the older hospital monitor didn’t help at all. They’d need the technology available at the precinct.

  Kai emerged just as Bill handed over the precious evidence. “Thanks, Bill. You’ve been a real help. If you think of anything else that might be helpful, you have my card.”

  “Glad to be of assistance Detective.” Bill turned and strode back into his office, a man with a load of responsibilities that sat well on proud shoulders.

  Aurora waited for Kai to share.

  “The nurse said Rhondo stopped by the desk and told them Mrs. Ashton was in danger and her husband wanted her released into his custody as soon as possible.”

  Aurora shook her head and smiled. Not humorously.

  "I found out something also. Bill gave me Debbie's chart and her doctor's name shows clearly—Jane Montgomery. The same woman whose office got broken into, right?"

  "I believe so. Didn't Ham check the victim's names in the journal with her client's list. Strange this didn't jump out."

  "Not so strange. She's shown here as Mrs. Ashton. On the journal Rhondo had written her in as Debbie Jackson, her maiden name."

  "Fuck!"

  "My sentiments exactly."

  Frustration curled the lip on one side of her face—a caricature of self-denigration. “All the time we thought he was after Wayne, he’d been inspecting the lay-out to get to Debbie. But why her? Out of all his victims, why Debbie?”

  Kai didn’t answer. His face clearly showed thought processes perplexed as hers. They both turned as Cory arrived. Never before had Aurora seen him in this state. Eyes red-rimmed, hands visibly shaking, he was a mess.

  “What have you got?” He growled, but not in his regular bellow. It sounded more like him begging for a miracle.

  “The tapes reveal Rhondo arriving and then leaving with Debbie and Alec.”

  “Alec? Who the hell is Alec?”

  Shit! When would she ever learn? “Sorry! Just a slip of the tongue. I meant to say baby.”

  “Yet you said Alec. Debbie finally chose a name.” He turned his face away, but not before Aurora saw his lip quiver threateningly.

  “She signed them out at the desk. Debbie and Alec Ashton.

  “Alec it is. My Dad will be stoked. His name is Al.” The big guy glanced back and his sad smile forced hers in reaction.

  “Right, let’s get busy. I want my wife and son home by the end of this hellish day.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Back at the office, Aurora couldn't sit still. Like a wild animal caged, she shuffled papers, fidgeted with the computer and ignored Kai's grunts of displeasure.

  Cory finally broke the tension. “I’ve gotten a hold of Veronica Marks. She’s the best profiler in Nevada, and luckily, she happened to be here at a convention. Coercing her to help us worked as soon as I admitted the victim was my wife.”

  Aurora’s heart lightened. The woman’s expertise for pinning down serial rapists like Rhondo was universal. Cory moved in on Aurora, sat on the side of her desk, and grabbed the other half of her sandwich automatically. He took a bite and she shoved over the bottle of iced tea for him to finish.

  “Where’s Kai?”

  “My restlessness drove him away. He’s hounding the techs to get those tapes set up so we can scan them properly. We need that car number. Meantime, I’ve been on to every precinct for a missing black and white and so far, there’s no one who’s been reported AWOL.

  “He had to have overpowered an officer in order to take the vehicle. Someone has to be missing.

  “I know. Just don’t know who.”

  “Ham said to tell you Eddie’s pretty ripe now. He’s been crying uncle for some time. You going to break him loose?”

  “I’m on it.” Aurora sighed when she saw the last of her supper disappear into Cory’s mouth. Guess it’s either one of those stale donuts in the coffee room or starvation.

  Grabbing two bottles of water from the dispenser that was usually empty, she strode over to the interrogation room that housed her new snitch, not that he knew it yet. She decided to play nicey-nice this time. At least for a while. After all, there was due process to consider, but when it came to Debbie and Alec’s welfare, due process be dammed.

  “Wake up Eddie. I’ve brought you a cold drink. Man it’s hot in here.

  “No shit, Einstein. They turned off the air conditioning.” His tone held a distinct sneer. In the meantime, he guzzled the cold drink and swiped at his dripping forehead.

  “Yes, after you complained you were cool. We’ve got it recorded, ace.”

  He eyed her, slits for openings. She returned his glare trying to look innocent.

  The man hadn’t any signs of coming down off drugs, not that she could ascertain. And by this time, he’d have been a mess if he’d been using anything other than weed. Guess Luke had been correct in thinking this dude might work out taking over his role. Now all she needed was for him to agree.

  There were two ways to keep an informant faithful—with fear or friendship. Not sure how she could turn this around to make Eddie care. Guess there was only fear left to work with.

  “Two-time loser. You must like it in the can to take the chance on going back for good.”

  “Those are old offences. Ran with the wrong crowd as a teen. I didn’t do anything this time and you know it.”

  Weirdly, his language skills had improved after his hour of sweating. “You’re on probation. Do doubt it says something in the rulebook about carrying an illegal weapon. Oh yeah, and how about the drugs?”

  “You had no reason to search me. I was minding my own business.”

  “Well now I want you minding mine. I need eyes working for me. Interested?” She watched the play of relief versus rejection on the skinny unshaven face. Clear eyes, brown intelligence lurking behind the dummy-down look, had her silently congratulating Luke on his choice.

  He leaned back in his chair, his hand rifling through the surprisingly clean albeit sweat-dampened hair.

  “You want Rhondo, am I right?”

  Aurora sensed something coming. “He’s kidnapped my partner and her new baby. So yeah, I want him—as much as you want to breathe the free Nevada air.”

  “So there’s a deal here?” Astuteness sparked and took hold. Our friend Eddie had good acting skills, something else i
n his favour for working with her.

  “Depends.”

  “On how good I am at getting you information.”

  “That and…”

  “And…”

  “How much I can trust you. What’ll you do to stay out of prison?”

  This time the man looked her straight in the eye, no flinching, no lying. “He raped a good friend of mine. A girl by the name of Ruth Grainger. I want him almost as much as you do. As a kid who had no home life to speak of, her mother used to let me sleep on the couch. Made me lunches for school. Made me feel like someone cared. Take it from me, Detective Morelli, I’ll be more than willing to be your eyes and ears. In fact I already have some information you might not already know.”

  Aurora couldn’t believe her luck. You hung out at the bar to get the skinny on Rhondo. And what were you intending on doing with him once you caught up?”

  “He raped my friend.”

  Aurora glanced at the window and then at the speaker visible on the wall. “Then you planned to call us, right.”

  Eddie followed her gaze and nodded. “Right!”

  “So what’s the info?” She felt a humming begin and knew his next words would make a difference to their investigation.

  “His father lives here in Vegas. Heard they don’t get along so well, but Rhondo visits with him from time to time. Could be he’d know where Earl would take a hostage. Or, could be, he’d bring them home to daddy.”

  “So where does Daddy live?” Her pulse had quickened and she just knew this lead was solid.

  “That I don’t know. When he showed up in town, I heard Mike ask him what shape he’d found his old man? He’d replied the old shit was still alive—that only the good die young.”

  Aurora knew that Ham would be listening on the other side of the glass and would move on the tip right away. She also knew there was a lot more juice to be squeezed from the players at the hangout, juice that only one of their own would be privy to.

  She arched her neck and rubbed at the back, thinking, always pondering her best interests in this scenario. “What say I let you go? Do you disappear or do I hear from you again?”