“Just a wittle,” Newcomb slurred.
“Nicholas isn’t going to make the transfer until Saturday. We’ll have to fall back until then.”
“I need some money, and they’re asking for more money to keep the babies,” Newcomb whined. “I don’t have no more money.”
“Go to bed and sleep it off. I’ll take care of it.”
The phone went silent.
“Did she say babies?” Alex asked.
“She sure as hell did,” Nobby answered. “Looks like there’s a connection after all.”
“I hope she doesn’t mean what I think she means when she said she’d take care of it,” Alex said.
Morgan’s voice came on the line. “Not yet, she doesn’t. They’ll have to provide proof the DuPont baby is still alive before DuPont will pay the ransom. You need to find out who has those babies. It has to be someone close to them and someone they trust.”
“Gabriella, are you listening?” Alex asked.
“Yes, Alex. What can I do?”
“You mentioned there might be another way other than the juvenile files. What were you thinking?” Alex asked.
“We know Anders and Newcomb went to school together. If we can find out where, maybe we can locate old yearbooks and get pictures of them, and talk to a teacher they had to see who their friends were or who they hung out with.”
“You’re going to make one hell of a good criminal psychologist, Gabriella,” Morgan said.
“Thank you, that’s high praise from you, Mr. Morgan.”
Everything went silent again, and Alex glanced at Nobby. He was leaning back in the seat, fast asleep. She turned toward home. She had an idea of her own. She wasn’t ready to voice it yet, because it would probably land them all in jail.
~ ~ ~
At nearly eight o’clock, Alex finally parked in front of the garage and woke Nobby. “You’re welcome to go upstairs and grab a few winks at the apartment. Probably quieter than the house.”
Nobby yawned. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”
Alex exited the vehicle, handed Nobby the apartment key, and walked toward the house. “There’s some juice in the fridge,” she called over her shoulder.
An element of excitement bubbled from the dining room as Alex entered the front door. “What’s going on?”
Gabriella smiled from ear to ear. “I was right. Newcomb fled Las Vegas, leaving behind a five-hundred-thousand-dollar gambling debt. The mob has put out a contract on her. When they find her, they’ll either force her to pay up or drag her back with them to punish her.”
“Any luck on the school thing?” Alex asked.
“Not yet,” Reefer said. “Anders is smart and has kept her information off the social media sites. Except for the juvenile files, she’s clean.”
“Frost, are you listening?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, Alex. We’re actually on our way back. Should be there in about fifteen minutes. Hold off on making any decisions until we get there. We need to talk.”
Something in the tone of his voice set Alex’s nerves on edge. “I think I’ll make a pot of coffee.”
She puttered in the kitchen until she heard them arrive. “Anyone want coffee?”
Frost joined her. “I’ll take one.”
“Me, too,” Crimshaw said.
“Quite a group you pulled together here, Fox.” Frost blew softly on the coffee before taking a sip. “Any doubt in your mind DuPont isn’t a part of this?”
“Not really. Why do you ask?”
“Anders came calling. We couldn’t hear everything that was said, but she asked for money, and she talked him into going ahead and transferring the ransom tomorrow.”
“Newcomb said whoever had the babies wanted more money. I don’t like DuPont, but I didn’t see him as a baby killer.”
“Maybe he isn’t. Might just be the wife he wants to get rid of. We kept Newcomb from plying her with liquor after Sergeant Adams left, but the first thing DuPont does is pour her a glass. He transfers that ransom tomorrow, and I have a feeling she’s gonna take a long, slow tumble down those stairs. And if that doesn’t kill her, they’ll finish her off anyway.”
“And they’ll kill the babies after they get the ransom,” Alex whispered. She glanced around the room. She was knackered, and the rest of them looked pretty much the same. “I feel like we’re fumbling in the dark. I was going to call on the Wilsons, but I really think we need to sit down, put everything we have in order, see what we need, chart a real plan, and get started on it first thing in the morning.”
The group nodded their agreement, and Alex tossed the rest of her coffee in the sink. “Who do you have watching the DuPonts now?”
“Maria Mendez. Like us, she’s off tonight and tomorrow.”
Alex had seen Maria around the station. She, too, was somewhat of a loner, and not one of Patterson’s favorites. “How much did you tell her?”
“Everything.”
“What about the chief?” Crimshaw asked. “You know him better than any of us. If we let him know what’s going on, maybe he could get us the warrants we need.”
Alex shook her head. “We’re breaking the law. He’d never condone that, and even if he did, we’d be placing him in the same situation we’re already in. Except for what help Tamara and Reefer can pull in from the FBI, we’re on our own.”
Tamara joined them in the kitchen. “I like your idea, Alex. Let’s all go to work on that, and now that we know about Newcomb’s gambling problems, I think I can convince the department to allow surveillance on her phone. We won’t be able to use anything we got before the warrant goes into effect against them, but we’ll be able to use anything after that. That will help us nail those two. Now we just have to find the others and the babies.”
Alex shot Gabriella a silent apology. She hadn’t really understood her excitement about that news until now.
Gabriella nodded and started passing out notepaper and pencils. “If everyone writes down their ideas, then we can take them and make a real list of what we have and what we need.”
Alex placed a star at the top of her page. “If we can’t get into those juvenile records, the top priority should be finding out where they went to school and going at it from that angle. We have to find the others, because that’s where the babies are.”
Nobby came in behind them. “Cheerleaders.”
They all turned to stare at him.
“What?” Alex asked.
“The mantel had a bunch of pictures of cheerleaders.”
Frost slapped his forehead. “We’re idiots. Matt’s right. Emma was a cheerleader.”
“Where?” Alex asked.
Frost pulled out his cell. “I’ll call Maria and ask her to check it out. If she can get a name, we should be able to trace it. Most of these teams might change their uniforms, but they keep the same name and colors.”
Alex felt like she was turning blue from holding her breath while she waited for Frost to finish the call. He hit the end button and turned around. “Good news and bad news. Thurman High School is the good news. DuPont kicked her out, stating he could protect his own family, is the bad news.”
“So Emma is there alone and vulnerable,” Alex said. “Could she maintain her position outside the house?”
“Not without putting everything at risk. If DuPont calls Patterson, he’s going to wonder what the hell she was doing there and start asking questions I don’t think any of us wants to answer.”
Alex poured herself another cup of coffee. She wouldn’t sleep now even if she tried. “I’ve got an idea, but it’s sort of over the line, and you probably won’t like it.”
“Shoot,” Frost said.
“Who?” Alex asked.
Crimshaw guffawed. “Fox, you kill me. He means lay it on us.”
“We kidnap Mrs. DuPont, sober her up, and let her listen to all the tapes and know what’s going on, and hope when this is all over, she says she asked us to take her out of there. Otherwise, even if no on
e ever finds out about the wiretapping or other things we may have done illegally, we could all spend a few years behind bars for kidnapping.”
Frost grinned. “Damn, Fox, you really did throw the book away. I like it.”
Crimshaw nodded. “Me, too.”
Alex turned to the rest of the group. “Gabriella?”
“Count me in.”
Reefer piped up. “Don’t even ask; you know Tamara and I are in. I’m going to work on this high school and find us a counselor, principal, or teacher that knows something.”
“Gavin?”
“You bet. I’m gonna go help Reefer.”
Alex met Nobby’s gaze across the room. “Nobby?”
“I got your back, kid.” He grinned. “Besides, they don’t serve that disgusting juice in prison.”
“All right then. Let’s get these lists made and figure out what we need. Any ideas on where we can keep her until this is over?”
“Basement,” Nobby stated. “It’s soundproof and comfortable. Just need to clean it up a little.”
Tamara wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go take a look.”
Frost glanced at Crimshaw. “Let’s make a short run home and change clothes. I’m gonna need something black for this job, and you probably need a suit.”
The group dispersed, and Alex stared at her paper for a minute as she listened to the laughter coming from the dining room and up the stairs from the basement. This is what it’s like to be part of a team. She’d missed it, and for the first time, Alex realized just how much she’d enjoyed it. Scarlet’s killer was still out there, though, and any team she was a part of would suffer first. That scared the hell out of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The group reconvened an hour later and handed Gabriella all the lists. She pulled up a file on her computer and started typing. “We’re all in agreement on Mrs. DuPont, but how are we going to pull it off?”
“If Frost is willing to help, I can take care of that,” Tamara said. “Nobby and I have the room ready.”
“Frost?” Gabriella asked.
“Sure thing.”
Tamara grabbed her car keys. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“Where are you going?” Alex asked.
Tamara raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, I forgot. Don’t ask.”
Gabriella continued. “Reefer found a retired principal from Thurman High that probably has the information we need. She lives in New Jersey with her daughter. I don’t think calling is a good idea. It’s about a two-hour drive from here. Any takers?”
“Why don’t Alex and I go visit her first thing in the morning? We can be back by lunch,” Crimshaw said.
“Alex?” Gabriella asked.
Alex nodded. “We’ll need to take some pictures of Emma with us, and Sabrina if we can find any.”
Nobby tossed his phone on the table. “Got one of Anders and Newcomb on there if anybody knows how to transfer it.”
Reefer grabbed the phone. “Give me three minutes.”
“Tamara put in the request for a warrant for Newcomb’s phone. We should have that by morning,” Gabriella said. “That leaves us with the Martins and Wilsons and how, or if, they’re connected to this case.”
“I don’t think Ethan Wilson is involved in this. He was willing to fight a group of thugs just to protect me,” Alex said, avoiding Nobby’s eyes, which she felt leveling on her. She’d forgotten to mention the confrontation.
“Newcomb said ‘babies’, but we don’t really know if that’s two or all three, or even if the babies they have are the ones belonging to the Martins or the Wilsons. There’s been two other kidnappings of babies in the last week,” Frost said.
“The precincts are short on manpower due to the cutbacks, and they’re being run ragged with everyday crimes. Anything over two days old is pushed to the back burner,” Crimshaw said. “We’re probably the only ones putting in overtime on this case.”
Frost nodded. “Any manpower still on this case is probably centered around the DuPont baby, but the leads have fizzled. Best of my knowledge, nobody out there has got anything.”
“How about the FBI?” Alex asked.
Reefer dropped color photos of Anders and Newcomb on the table then handed Nobby back his phone. “No leads. One of the reasons they hopped on the warrant Tamara asked for. Gavin’s got something to share.”
“Gavin?” Gabriella asked.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on that mob contract. They know where Newcomb is, and there’s a crew on its way to New York. Probably be here by Sunday.”
Alex met Frost’s gaze across the table. “I wonder if Anders knows that, and that’s why she insisted on DuPont making the ransom transfer tomorrow.”
“Maybe we should kidnap Newcomb, too,” Frost said. “She might be scared enough to give up Anders.”
“Let’s talk it over with Morgan in the morning and get his take on it,” Alex said, an image of the bruises on Mrs. DuPont’s arm flashing through her mind. “As far as I’m concerned, once we find those babies, the mob can have Newcomb.”
Frost stood. “I think I hear my partner pulling up. Why don’t you guys get some rest? We’re going to work.”
~ ~ ~
Frost pressed down on the accelerator as Tamara pulled her gun and checked the magazine. He shot her a glance before turning his eyes back to the road. “How much trouble are you gonna be in for this one?”
Tamara shrugged and stared out the window. “No more than usual. I see you picked up on my being somewhat of a rogue.”
Frost nodded. “Been around a long time, and it wasn’t too hard to tell. Even the FBI frowns on illegal wiretaps.”
“Yet they hire hackers like Reefer who can get into almost any site unnoticed and download all the information they want, get back out, and no one is the wiser.”
Frost laughed. “You got a point.”
“So do we keep shooting the breeze or talk about what’s really pissing us off?”
She looked like a kid, but Frost got the impression she’d been around a long time, too. “Fox is a good cop, and she’ll make a damn good detective.”
“What’s holding her back?”
“Commander Patterson. She’s officially on suspension. He gave her seven days to find the babies or look for a new job. Chief got wind of it and gave her a special investigation badge. Until someone actually comes out and presses charges against Patterson, that’s about as far as the chief can go.”
“So, how long have you been watching her back without her knowing it?”
Frost turned right and headed toward Brooklyn. “You’re pretty smart, kid.”
“So, how long?” Tamara asked.
“Ever since she got here.”
“So what is she running from?” Tamara asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t bullshit me, Frost. The chief wouldn’t have you watching her back if she wasn’t up against something he knew was coming and he didn’t want her caught blindsided.”
“Can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Tamara asked.
“Both. So how long have you been watching her back?” Frost asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Who’s bullshitting who, Tamara. I spotted your guy watching her and the car following her every time she leaves the house. As well as the one on Matt. So what’s going on?”
“Can’t say.”
“Figured that,” Frost said. “All right, let’s get our plan down. How are we gonna do this?”
“I’ll let you change the subject for now, but we’re coming back to this.” Tamara pointed to a road to the left. “There’s a lake behind the house. I’ve got a boat waiting there. We can go in that way, cut the power, be in and out in no time.”
“What about DuPont?”
Tamara glanced at her watch. “He’ll be getting a call in about ten minutes that his office was broken into. Figure it will take him the rest of the night to clea
n up the files and make sure nothing is missing.”
“So that’s where you went.”
“Why do you think the FBI hired me? I had a choice of careers. Cat burglar or law enforcement. Cat burglar pays better, but Reefer convinced me I shouldn’t take that route.”
“What about Newcomb? What if she wakes up and sees us?”
Tamara held up the black hoods. “She’s expecting the mob. If she sees us at all, she’s gonna run like hell and hide. Odds are, though, she’s in a drunken stupor. And if we take Emma, she’ll probably celebrate, thinking they just got the wrong one. Turn here.”
Frost made the turn and slowed to take the curvy road that led to the lake.
“Park over there. The boat’s right behind that group of trees.”
Frost parked the car and reached for his hood. “Anything else we need?”
Tamara held up a set of wire cutters. “Got it covered. We cut the alarm, in and out in five minutes, and back to town before the sun comes up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Alex woke to a warm, wet tongue licking her toes. She patted the bed beside her, and Dixie jumped up and rolled over her. “I missed you, too, girl. Hopefully, this will all be over soon, and we can get back to normal.”
She glanced at the clock. It was almost five, and she was supposed to leave with Crimshaw at six thirty. If she got up right away, she would have just enough time for a quick run with Dixie and a shower. She yawned and turned on her side. Dixie laid her head across Alex’s neck. If Nobby took Dixie for a walk, Alex could sleep another half hour. She glanced around the room in the semidarkness. “Where’s Cinders?”
Dixie moaned and petted her with a paw. “Still out on the town, huh?”
Dixie moaned again and raked at her arm. “Okay. I’m up.”
She slipped out of bed and ran a hand through her messed-up hair. “Coffee first.”
She started to brew a pot and glanced at the house. All the lights were still off, and she wondered if Tamara and Frost had returned yet. The group had agreed that it was too distracting to use the earbuds when in the midst of something dangerous, so they hadn’t had any contact since shortly after one in the morning.
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