Tragic Deception (Deception Series Book 1)

by Linda S. Prather

  She exited the car just as Nobby stuck his head out the front door of the Victorian brick. “Got a fresh pot of stew on. Care to join me?”

  “Love to, but let me change, take Dixie for a quick run, and feed Cinders.”

  Her energy and determination returned as she climbed the steps. She would bounce the case off Nobby. She didn’t look forward to telling him she’d been suspended again, but he had an odd way of helping her put things into perspective. Alex realized how much she missed Scarlet. Though she’d spent a year in the US, retired Sergeant Matt Adams, whom she’d dubbed Nobby after the Harry Potter character, and Chief Brown were her only two friends. They were also the only ones who knew why she was really here.

  Alex opened the front door quickly, closed it behind her, and leaned back against it, preparing for the pounce she knew was about to come. Dixie, the golden retriever she’d rescued from an abusive owner, didn’t disappoint as she rushed across the room and slammed into Alex with whines and licks. Alex bent down for a quick hug. “Blimey, Dixie, I’ve only been gone a few hours. Let me feed Cinders, change clothes, and we’ll take a run.”

  Cinders, the kitten she’d found slowly starving to death alongside the road in a huge box too tall for the little guy to get out of, took a little longer to warm up, chastising Alex for leaving him alone all day. As soon as he heard the can opener, he strolled across the room as only a cat can do and rubbed up against her legs. Dumping the food into his bowl, she reached down and scratched behind his ears. A purr erupted immediately. “Have you been a good boy today?” Cinders continued to purr, and Alex put his food in front of him. “I saw that sexy feline down the street waiting, so you’d better eat up quick if you’ve got a date.”

  Dixie waited patiently for her by the door. “Two minutes, girl. That’s all I need.” She kicked off her shoes, undressed, and tossed her uniform on the closet floor. Odds were she would never wear it again anyway. What I really need is something old and comfortable that loves me. Alex pulled on her worst-looking but most comfortable sweatpants, donned her favorite Roses T-shirt, and slipped her feet into the new running shoes she suddenly regretted buying. “Chin up, girlfriend,” she said, glancing in the mirror. “You can always do private detective work.”

  She grimaced at her reflection as Dixie gave one bark, letting her know time was up. “The hell you say! Patterson be damned. I’m a good copper, and I’m going to find those babies.”

  Alex picked up Dixie’s leash, attached it to her collar, opened the door, and raced down the steps. She’d made the right choice. A lunchtime run with Dixie would give her time to plan her course of action. She normally came home and searched news media for mention of murders of police officers’ family members or wives of public officials in and around New York City. Her gut told her he was somewhere in the city, and she knew it was just a matter of time before he struck fear into the hearts and minds of all New York’s public officials and police officers. That gave her another good reason to avoid getting close to the men and women she worked with. She didn’t want to live through their pain and relive her own.

  Twenty minutes into the run, Dixie slowed, and Alex turned back toward the apartment. Technically, she had only six days as half of the current one was already gone. She needed to grab her file and notes and get Nobby’s insight into the case. Then she would go to work.

  ~ ~ ~

  Alex sat back and rubbed her stomach. “That was the best stew I’ve had in donkey’s years, Nobby. You’ll have to show me how to make it.”

  Nobby chuckled and started to clear the table. “Not hard. Tea?”

  “Please.”

  He placed a cup in front of her. “Chief called. Said he wanted to see you.”

  Alex shivered, suddenly cold to the bone. “Did he say why?”

  Nobby eyed her over the rim of his cup. “Said Patterson suspended you again.”

  “Blimey.”

  “You should have told him, Alex.”

  Alex stood, grabbed her bowl, and took it to the sink. She’d made the mistake of crying on Nobby’s shoulder one night about the rumors Patterson had spread. She’d known she would regret that one day. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Maybe you can; maybe you can’t. What about the next cadet that comes through there? What if she can’t take care of herself?”

  An image of the bloody fox head flashed through her mind. Female officers had to be tough. “Then she shouldn’t have become a police officer.”

  Nobby shook his head, his mouth turned down in disapproval. “Can’t believe you said that. You better get changed and go see the chief. Said he had a job for you.”

  Alex picked up her file from the table. “Patterson has already given me a job. One I want to finish and need to get started on.”

  Nobby turned and glared at her just as a knock sounded on the front door. “Figured you’d say that. Go open the door. The chief wants to talk to you. I’ll make a fresh pot of tea.”

  “Shite, Nobby, you could have warned me.” Alex said, glancing down at her tattered sweats. Even though the chief was a longtime family friend of her father’s, his presence still demanded respect.

  Nobby shrugged. “You’re too damned hardheaded to listen.” Another knock sounded. “I wouldn’t keep him waiting if I were you.”

  Alex wiped her sweaty hands on a napkin and headed for the front door. Taking a deep breath, she pasted a smile on her face and opened the door. “Chief Brown.” She stepped back and gave the customary salute.

  “At ease, Officer Fox.”

  She lowered her hand and glanced outside at the entourage that accompanied Chief Brown wherever he went. “Are they coming in?”

  “Not this time.”

  Alex followed him into the kitchen, where Nobby was just removing the kettle from the stove. “Dan, how are you?”

  Chief Brown crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. “Better than I deserve to be. How are you, you craggy old bastard?”

  Something ached deep inside Alex as she watched the two men. Their friendship spanned half a lifetime. Thanks to the Escape Artist, she would never have those friendships. And how long had it been since she’d allowed someone to hug her? The answer came swift and hard: Scarlet’s funeral.

  Chief Brown turned and leveled her with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. They held a hint of amusement. “I understand you’ve been suspended… again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Would you care to comment on why?”

  “No, sir.”

  The chief sighed, took the cup of tea Nobby extended, and pulled out a chair. “Sit down, Alexandra.”

  Alex pulled out a chair and sat. Nobby gave her a knowing grin as he placed a fresh cup in front of her. She was pretty sure the old buzzard had planned the whole thing.

  “What happened this morning?” Chief Brown asked. “And before you start, you’re not a good liar, and I believe your father raised you better than that.”

  “Patterson is my commanding officer, sir. To speak ill of him goes against all my training as well as my father’s teachings.”

  “I respect and appreciate that, but at the moment, I want you to forget I’m the chief and talk to me as a friend. What’s said here will be off the record.”

  Alex felt her eyes widen. “I don’t think I can do that, sir.”

  “All right, then, I’m giving you a direct order, Officer Fox. What happened in Patterson’s office this morning?”

  She searched his face, a chilling realization washing over her. He already knew exactly what had happened in Patterson’s office, and not just about the suspension. Did the chief have Patterson under surveillance? It was about bloody time somebody did. “I was suspended for insubordination, sir.”

  “Were you insubordinate?”

  “I don’t believe so, sir.”

  His gaze drifted to the file. “And what else did he tell you?”

  “He gave me a week to find the three missing babies.”

  “Or?�
�

  “Or else I could look for a new job, sir.”

  Chief Brown finished his tea and stood. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small wallet, and tossed it to her. “I’m setting up a special unit. One that will eventually, if approved, work in conjunction with the FBI. That’s temporary until you earn the real one.” He smiled at her. “Keep it quiet. The details aren’t quite worked out yet, and the commanders are not aware I’m pushing for this unit.” His smile widened. “And the pay sucks, because right now there isn’t any. Patterson gave you seven days. Don’t waste them.” He turned his back on her. “Matt, walk me to the door.”

  Alex could hear them whispering in the hall as she opened the wallet. Her ID stared back at her, stamped Detective, Special Investigations. She ran her fingers over the badge and closed her eyes. “I’ll find him, Scarlet,” she whispered. “I promise.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Well, why ain’t you getting dressed?” Nobby asked. “We’ve got a hell of a lot of ground to cover and less than a week now to do it in.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow. “We?”

  Nobby grinned and pulled out a wallet matching hers. “Yes, ma’am. Where you go, I go.”

  “Shite.”

  She could still hear his laughter ringing in her ears as she climbed the steps to her apartment. She would never admit it to him, but she was glad he was going with her. She’d had no training as a detective, and Nobby’s years of experience could just be the asset she needed to break this case.

  Fifteen minutes later, she walked into Nobby’s kitchen and stopped. Her mouth gaped open for just a moment. “Wow, you look dapper,” she said, surprised to find him in a blue suit, complete with tie and dress shoes. She felt rather frumpy in the grey slacks, white blouse, and navy jacket she’d managed to pull together from her meager wardrobe.

  Nobby ignored the compliment and picked up the file. “Figured we’d start with the Wilsons. I’ll drive.”

  “Why the Wilsons?” Alex asked as she waited for him to lock the door and open the garage. “I thought we’d start with the DuPonts. After all, they’re in our borough.”

  “Media’s all over that place there, and besides that, there’s more chance of running into a fellow officer. Chief said to keep it quiet.” He tossed a couple of old tires in the back of the truck. “Somebody from your precinct sees that badge, you got a way of explaining it?”

  Alex climbed into Nobby’s rusty old pickup truck and buckled her seat belt. She hadn’t really thought about dealing with the media or fellow officers. “You’re right, Nobby. You know, we could use my car.”

  “Something wrong with my truck?” He climbed behind the wheel and slammed the door.

  Alex laughed softly. “No, but it’s out of character with your suit.”

  Nobby started the motor and pulled the truck into gear. “Not where we’re going, it ain’t. You get that detective badge, you’ll be driving your own car most of the time. Some of the places you’ll wind up in, you’ll want an old clunker like this one.”

  The drive to Queens took longer than normal as traffic was especially heavy. Alex was thankful for the old pickup as they drove through the Wilsons’ neighborhood. She had a feeling they would be lucky to find all four tires still attached when they got ready to leave.

  Nobby pulled up in front of a rundown house that once might have been white, but had turned a dingy shade of grey, with peeling paint. The yard was immaculate, though, and Alex noted the small flower garden in the back. Roses were just starting to bloom. She grabbed her notepad from her purse. “I don’t understand this one.”

  Nobby cut the engine and followed her gaze. “Can’t be for money, that’s for sure. Don’t look like they’ve got a pot to piss in.” He opened his door. “You got the lead, girly. Make me proud.”

  Alex exited the vehicle, and she and Nobby climbed the rickety steps together. She knocked on the door. It was opened almost immediately by a handsome young man drying his hands.

  “Mr. Wilson?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I’m Ethan Wilson.”

  Alex showed him the wallet bearing her ID and badge. “Detective Alex Fox, Mr. Wilson. This is my partner, Detective Matt Adams. We’re handling special investigations into the disappearance of your baby. Could we come in, please?”

  He stepped aside and allowed them to enter. The home was dark; heavy drapes covered the windows. And like the yard, it was immaculate. They might have been poor, but they were clean.

  Mr. Wilson took the only chair and waved them to the sofa. “I’ve already told the officers all I really know.”

  His hands were gripping the dish towel, but still shook slightly, and his eyes were red, tinged with deep-purple circles underneath.

  Alex smiled at him, hoping to put him at ease. “Is Mrs. Wilson available?”

  He shook his head and cleared his throat. “My wife is with our priest. She’s praying. I beg of you, please do not disturb her.”

  Alex shot a glance at Nobby, who for some reason, had chosen to play with his cell phone and ignore the conversation. She’d read the report on the way over—a window had been broken, and the baby was snatched in the early morning hours. She also knew the responding officers had interviewed only the husband. “I really do need to speak with her, Mr. Wilson. I promise to be gentle, but mothers sometimes notice things that perhaps a father would brush off as being unimportant. Maybe someone who paid too much attention to the baby as she pushed her through the grocery store, or perhaps someone who’s been hanging around the house while you were at work. It could even go back as far as her pregnancy and someone watching her at the doctor’s office.”

  Mr. Wilson shook his head. “Our daughter was three weeks old, and I have been here the whole time. I would know.”

  Silence filled the room as Alex waited, hoping that Nobby would speak up and demand they be allowed to speak with the wife. She wasn’t sure how far she should go. One thing she was sure of was that keeping a low profile meant not pissing off the subject and getting herself reported. “Could I see where the baby was taken from, please?”

  He nodded and rose. “This way.”

  Alex followed him into a short hallway. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. “This was Priscilla’s room.”

  The pain and reverence in his voice when he said his daughter’s name gave the case new meaning. Up to this point, Priscilla had just been ‘the baby’. A name created personal involvement. And that made distancing herself difficult. Alex stepped inside the small room, which was brightly lit. Frilly white curtains fluttered in the wind flowing through the broken window. There was little to see, other than the love that had gone into decorating the room. A cradle sat in one corner, with a matching dressing table beside it. One wall of the room had been made into a bookshelf, the wooden slats painted pink and white. Only a few books and three stuffed animals adorned the top shelf. A huge rocker sat in the middle of the room, and an image of the mother sitting and rocking her baby to sleep filled Alex’s mind with sadness. She noticed the second bedroom across the hall. “Did you leave the baby’s door open at night?”

  His face paled. “We thought she would sleep better with it closed.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Wilson. You may want to have someone fix that window, or at least cover it in case of rain.”

  Alex followed him back into the living room as Nobby re-entered the front door. “Just a few more questions. Can you think of anyone who would want to harm you or your wife?”

  “No one would wish to harm me or my Sophia. The other officers told us there were two other babies missing, and it was probably black-market sales.”

  “How about work? Anything going on there that someone might resent you for?”

  His face flushed, and he avoided her gaze. “I lost my job a month ago. Sophia had a hard pregnancy, and I missed too much work. I was hoping they would take me back once the baby was born. Sophia is very ill now and cannot be left alone. I don’t know what we are
going to do.”

  “Do you know either Ted or Wanda Martin, or Nicholas or Emma DuPont?”

  “I have heard of the DuPonts, but I don’t know either of the families.”

  Alex glanced at Nobby, who was once again playing with his phone. “Any questions, Detective Adams?”

  “I think you covered it.”

  She shook Mr. Wilson’s hand. “Thank you for seeing us. Hopefully, we’ll have news for you soon.”

  “The other babies, you have not found them yet?”

  “No, but we just started our investigation,” Alex said, trying to instill hope into her voice as she followed Nobby out the door. “We’ll find them, and we’ll find Priscilla, too.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Alex waited until Wilson closed the door and they were out of earshot. “What the bloody hell were you doing with your phone?”

  “I was trying to get some video, but I couldn’t get the damn thing to work. Managed to get a few pictures, and that’s all.”

  “Of what?” Alex asked.

  “Wilson, the house, area outside the baby’s room. Be surprised what you can see in video and pictures when you go back through them. Things you missed when you were questioning.” He stuffed the phone into his jacket pocket. “Or sometimes things that are missing that should be there.”

  “Well, next time, would you mind giving me a bloody heads-up? I could’ve used your help with the wife thing.”

  “Told you when we went in you were the lead,” Nobby stated matter-of-factly. “Didn’t figure I needed to say anything else.”