“Sudden infant death syndrome. It’s when a baby dies from unexplained causes. It’s also sometimes called crib death.” Tamara answered, and continued. “The FBI is also going to handle the media on this. They’ll mention the NYPD, thank the special investigations unit, but not give out any names.”
“That makes no sense. Why did they bury her in the backyard and pretend she was kidnapped?” Alex asked.
“Unless we find them, we may never know the answer to that question, or a lot of others. But as you said, they were poor. Maybe they thought they did something wrong and would be in trouble. I’m just glad they didn’t kill the baby,” Gabriella said.
“It’s almost five a.m. The chief is coming by at nine. How about we all catch a couple of hours’ sleep and start over when he gets here,” Nobby said. “We’ve still got two babies to find.”
The group all pushed back their chairs and started clearing off the table just as someone knocked on the front door.
“Now, who the hell could that be?” Nobby asked, heading for the door. “It’s beginning to feel like I’m running a motel.” Seconds later, he yelled, “Alex, you better come in here.”
Alex headed for the door, the entire group following her. She recognized the priest standing there. It was the bundle in his arms that created gasps behind her. “Father.”
He held out the baby. “I found her on the church doorstep with a note to bring her to you. I believe her name is Lilly.”
Crimshaw stepped around her, took the baby, and placed it in Alex’s arms. “We’re going to have some questions for you, Father.”
“I can tell you nothing more than what I just said. I found her on the porch of the church.” He held up a package. “With this, and it said to bring them to Detective Fox.”
“I met him at the Wilsons’, Crimshaw. He’s telling the truth. Let him go,” Alex said.
Crimshaw took the package. “Sorry, Father. Thank you.”
Nobby closed the door. “So what’s in the package?”
“First, let me take Lilly to her mother. I think they both have waited long enough for this moment.” Alex walked toward the basement stairs. “And one of you might need to run out and get some food and diapers.”
“I’ll do it.” Gabriella grabbed her purse and car keys. “I need to ask Mrs. DuPont what kind of formula she drinks.”
Alex looked around the room, at the faces of the group that had shared the same pain she’d experienced for the last week. “Let’s all go down.”
Crimshaw rushed for the door. “I’ll go down in front of you, just in case you trip.”
“I’m not going to trip, Crimshaw.”
“Yeah, and you don’t snore, either, right?”
Alex glared at him, but held the baby in one arm and the rail with her other hand. After Crimshaw’s comment, she would rather take a bullet than fall.
Emma was still curled on her side, and Alex saw the tracks of fresh tears. “Emma, there’s someone here to see you.”
Emma opened her eyes, not quite as blurry as before, and Alex placed the baby beside her. “Lilly’s home.”
Alex kept her eyes averted from the group, but she heard the sniffles and throat clearing behind her. More tears rolled down Emma’s face, but this time, they were tears of joy. She hugged the baby close and smiled at Alex. “Thank you.”
Gabriella approached the bed, swiping at the tears on her face. “If you can tell me what kind of formula she needs and diapers, I’ll make a run.”
Emma rolled off the formula and diaper names, never taking her eyes from the baby’s face.
“Let’s leave them alone for a while. Emma, when you feel ready we’ll all be upstairs.”
“Do we need anything else while I’m out?” Gabriella asked.
“You’re not gonna make us wait until you get back before we open the package, are you?” Nobby asked.
“Yes, she is,” Alex answered for her. “We’re still a team on this, and it won’t kill us to wait a few more minutes. We’ll make some coffee and spiff up the dining room and kitchen before the chief gets here. Tamara, do you need to call this in? If the FBI is going to handle the media, we probably should let them know.”
Tamara shook her head and grinned. “Not until we’ve opened the package. If I do, they’ll want me to take it and turn it over to them. We may never know what’s inside.”
“Anybody told Morgan and Warden Sams what’s going on?” Frost piped in.
“I updated them on the Anders situation and what happened at DuPont’s house.” Reefer said. “They don’t know about the baby.”
“Gabriella, do you want to call your dad?” Alex asked.
“I’ll make the call while I’m driving. If I don’t get out of here soon, I think the old man is going to have a stroke.”
Crimshaw came up beside Alex. “You asked me why I was doing this. What happened downstairs just then, that’s why I do this. We don’t win them all, but every once in a while, we do. That makes it worth it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Should she be here?” Frost asked, nodding at Mrs. DuPont.
Alex glanced at Chief Brown, who nodded. “She has a right to know. They took her baby and tried to kill her.”
Nobby inserted the video and pressed play.
It rolled for a few moments until Ted Martin came into view and sat on his sofa.
“My name is Ted Martin, and I hope you’ll consider this my deathbed confession. My real name is Phillip Chandler, and if you run me through the databases, you’ll find I’m wanted for embezzlement in California.
“A week ago, my wife came to me with what she called a minor deception. We were to pretend our baby was kidnapped, along with two other couples, Ethan and Sophia Wilson, and Nicholas and Emma DuPont. I said no. The Wilsons said no. A few days later, we received pictures of our babies, pictures that could only have been taken in our own homes. The pictures had been altered to show our babies with their throats cut.”
Alex laid a hand on Dixie’s head and one on Cinders, who was sitting comfortably in her lap.
“My wife begged me to go along with the plan, telling me about Carissa Anders and Sabrina Newcomb, and how dangerous they were. She told me the babies would be left with a nurse and would be fine, and no one would be hurt. All I had to do was handle the transfer of the money into an offshore account.
“Their minor deception turned tragic before it even began. The night the phony kidnapping was to take place, the Wilsons’ baby died. Ethan told me the next day that the baby was crying and Sophia was upset and had rocked her too tight. The baby is buried beneath the pink rose bush in the back. I’ve enclosed enough money to pay for a funeral, coffin, and a headstone.
“The day after the kidnapping, Bridgett Sanchez died in a car wreck. Bridgett’s mother was being used by Anders to make her cooperate in taking the DuPont baby. If you check, you’ll find the mother died the same day she did. I believe Anders killed them both, along with two other women who died at Baby’s First Midwives. I’m not sure how they were involved. My wife said they wanted more money. Anders killed them, too.
“I don’t believe Mrs. DuPont ever knew about this plan. I think she truly believed her child was kidnapped. I overheard a conversation between my wife and Anders and the plot to kill Emma DuPont the day Detective Fox visited us. Anders had friends on the police force, and I didn’t know who to trust. I tried to send a signal, but I guess it got lost in my wife’s dramatic performance, and I was still scared for my child’s life.
“The next day, I once again overheard my wife with Anders, discussing killing Detective Fox. I told her then I wanted out.” He lowered his head for a moment before continuing.
“My wife tried what she’d always tried, to entice me with her body. She was a very beautiful and desirable woman, and I loved her. I wanted my daughter back. I no longer trusted Anders not to hurt her, and I no longer trusted my wife. She’d convinced me we could intercept the ransom and leave before anyone kn
ew what had happened. At first, it was all of us, but that day, she said we could have other children, and I knew she never had any intention of getting Jennifer back.
“I started taping the bedroom when I wasn’t home. You’ll find those tapes there and the sort of plans she made with both Sabrina Newcomb and Carissa Anders. She convinced them both they could steal the ransom and live happily ever after with her. Like me, they both believed her. Or maybe like me, they knew better, but chose to believe her because they loved her.
“I’m running out of time, so I’ll make the rest of this short. I made my wife tell me where the babies were because I knew they were going to kill them both as soon as the ransom was transferred. And as I knew they were going to kill me, too, I killed my wife. You’ll find her body on the beach behind our cabin in Suffern.
“After I killed my wife, I went to the bank and transferred the ransom money into an account I had set up that morning for Ethan and Sophia Wilson. I then went to Margaret Finley’s house, killed her, and took the babies. What you’re about to see is nothing short of a miracle.”
The video flipped and fluttered for a few moments then zoomed in on the backyard of the Wilsons’ house. Sophia Wilson was seated in the rocker, still rocking the doll, her blank eyes staring straight ahead. Ethan came into the picture, carrying a small bundle. Kneeling in front of his wife, he gently removed the doll and placed the baby in her arms. The child cried, and Sophia glanced down at her and smiled. She started to sing, rocking back and forth.
The video flipped again and zoomed in on Ted Martin.
“The Wilsons are good people. In my eyes, they are innocent of any wrongdoing. The baby they have is my daughter, and I gave her to them of my own free will, as I know they will love her and raise her as I would have done. If you’re watching this, then I hope my plan worked and you arrested Anders, Newcomb, and DuPont. I killed myself.
“I have a feeling Detective Fox isn’t a quitter, so I’m going to believe that you are watching this, that baby Lilly is back with her mother, and that my death made the world a little better place for my daughter.”
The tape ended, but no one seemed compelled to break the silence. Alex swiped at a tear. “I wish we could have saved him.”
“Did you notice how he only said my wife, never her name?” Frost asked. “I think he knew that was the only way he’d ever find peace.”
Alex looked at Chief Brown. “The baby died from SIDS. Do we really have to go after the Wilsons?”
“That would be up to Mrs. DuPont. They have the ransom money,” Chief Brown answered.
“Emma?” Alex asked.
Mrs. DuPont shook her head, her lips trembling as tears rolled freely down her face. She finally found her voice. “They’ve suffered enough. We’ve all suffered enough. I don’t want them prosecuted for the money.”
Chief Brown rose from his seat. “I’ll talk with the FBI and see if we can slide that one under the wire somehow. They are guilty of corpse abuse by not reporting the death of their child, but under the circumstances, I think allowances can be made.” He turned to Alex, his eyes sad as his gaze fell on Cinders. “I think we owe you that, Alex. I’ll need that tape.”
Nobby pressed Eject and handed the tape to Chief Brown.
“Officer Fox, I’ll be doing a press conference in the morning. You’re to be there at eight thirty sharp, in dress uniform. You, too, Matt.”
“I have a meeting with Commander Patterson at eight, sir,” Alex said.
“Commander Patterson has temporarily been removed from his post. Pending a full investigation, he may or may not return. Commander Frost will be taking his place. Derek, I would assume you have no objection to Officer Fox attending the press conference?”
Frost grinned. “No, sir. She’ll be there at eight thirty sharp, sir.”
Chief Brown walked to the door. “I would suggest you all get some sleep. It’s been a long week. Officer Fox, walk me out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alex closed the door behind them and walked to the edge of the porch to stand beside him.
“Your father was one of my oldest and dearest friends. The day he asked me to be godfather to you and Scarlet was one of the best days of my life. I loved her, too.”
“I know that, sir,” Alex said.
He turned and stared into the distance. “My first job is to protect my officers and the people of this city. This unit will give us a far better chance of protecting people from the likes of the man that killed Scarlet. If I had to do it over, I’d still do the same thing.”
Alex chewed her bottom lip as she thought about the wiretaps and kidnapping she’d taken part in. “So would I, sir.”
“Are we good?”
“Yes, sir. We’re good.”
He stepped onto the first step. “If everyone wasn’t watching, I’d hug you.”
Alex glanced at the group staring out the window and the entourage waiting for the chief. “If everyone wasn’t watching, sir, I’d let you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Alex pestered Crimshaw and Frost as they drove toward headquarters. “Will one of you tell me, please, what’s going on?”
“Wait and find out,” Frost said.
“Well, at least tell me if you knew he was going to make you commander?”
“About ten minutes before you did. He offered me two jobs. I took the one where I felt I could do the most good,” Frost answered. “Now hush. We’re here.”
Minutes later, Chief Brown marched out to the podium, and the press went wild with questions related to the kidnappings and deaths. He fielded questions for only a few minutes before shutting them down. “The FBI will give a press conference following mine and answer all your questions.”
Alex glanced sideways at Tamara and Reefer. Both looked exactly as they’d looked when they showed up on Nobby’s doorstep five days before. Surely they weren’t going to give a press conference dressed like that. Crimshaw elbowed her in the ribs, and she turned her attention back to the podium.
“I’m pleased to announce that today we’ve obtained approval for a special investigations unit with the NYPD. The detectives working this unit will work directly under my supervision and handle high-priority cases. At this time, I’d like to introduce two of the detectives that will head up this unit. Officer Alexandra Fox, would you come forward, please?”
Alex swallowed hard and blinked her eyes rapidly as she made her way to the stage to the sound of applause. She stopped a few feet short of Chief Brown and saluted.
He held out a badge and his right hand. “Congratulations, Detective Fox.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Have a seat, please.”
Alex felt her legs shaking as she walked to the row of seats behind the chief and sat.
“Officer Jacob Crimshaw, would you come forward, please?”
Another round of applause erupted. And in less than a minute, Crimshaw took a seat next to her.
“We will be working this unit in conjunction with the FBI, and we will have the benefit of two very able agents, who for the time being, shall remain nameless, as they are working an undercover case. Once that is finished, they’ll join Detective Fox and Detective Crimshaw here at HQ.”
Alex scanned the crowd, locating Tamara, who winked at her.
“We will also have another fine NYPD officer with years of experience consulting with the team. Sergeant Adams, would you join me, please?”
Alex stood alongside Crimshaw, joining in the applause as Nobby made his way up to the podium. She’d never seen him in full dress before and whispered to Crimshaw, “He really is the bee’s knees in that uniform.”
“Congratulations, Detective Adams.”
The applause grew louder as Chief Brown pulled him in for an embrace.
“Also joining us is a criminal psychologist, Miss Gabriella Sams. She had classes today and couldn’t be here. She’ll be graduating next week and will then join the team here at HQ.”
Alex
applauded along with everyone else, but her heart ached just a little for Morgan. Gabriella would do a great job, but without Blake Morgan’s help, some of them, if not all of them, would have been killed.
“Thank you all for coming.”
Alex stood as her fellow officers closed the distance between the stage and the converging press, pushing them back. Chief Brown stopped only long enough to salute and whisper, “Follow me.”
She fell in beside Crimshaw. “Did you know about this?”
“Christ, Fox, do you ever stop asking questions? I think I liked you better when you hated me.”
“Well, did you?” Alex asked, ignoring the jab.
“Frost told me this morning right before you got there.”
“I guess that means you’ll want to drive all the time,” Alex said.
Crimshaw didn’t answer, and Alex turned her attention to the office Chief Brown was leading them into. A huge table took up most of the room with file cabinets at one end. A computer room was off to the left. Tamara and Reefer were already there, seated at one end of the table.
“Have a seat, please. I think you all know each other, so I’ll dispense with formal introductions.” He reached for a file on top of the cabinet. “There will be one other member of this team, who shall remain anonymous to the public.” He turned on the overhead TV, and Blake Morgan filled the screen.
Alex felt her heartbeat accelerate as his gaze met hers for only a moment.
“I’ve obtained permission from the governor and the Justice Department for Mr. Morgan to work with us. I’ll be seeking a pardon for him, but for now, he’ll work with us from the prison. Any questions?”
Everyone shook their head.
“As you all know, this is an experimental unit set up between the NYPD and the FBI. To the best of our knowledge, no one else has attempted this type of investigative unit, combining the resources of two groups. There will be other cases, and some you’ll work alone, some you’ll work as partners. Occasionally, the FBI may ask you to help with a case outside our jurisdiction. We’ll meet here each morning to discuss the current or any new cases.” He opened the folder and pulled out a group of glossy photos. “Your first case came in this morning.”
Tragic Deception (Deception Series Book 1) Page 17
