Christmas Conspiracy

by Susan Sleeman

  “And you think that’s enough for a potential addict to keep her cravings at bay?”

  Skyler frowned at him. “All I’m saying is that if Ms. Baldwin wanted to have her daughter abducted, she wouldn’t do it at the center. She gives the director great credit for helping her stay clean and productive, and Ms. Baldwin wouldn’t trample all over that.”

  Skyler paused to take a drink of water. “You’ll be happy to know Ms. Baldwin’s opinion is giving me reasons to trust Ms. Long’s story, as well.”

  “Good.” Jake smiled.

  “Now, don’t go all soft on me. I’m not saying I’ll quit investigating either one of them. That won’t happen until I have proof they’re telling the truth. And you should know, I’ll be letting Ms. Long believe I suspect her for the kidnapping to put pressure on her. If she is involved, it will ideally get her to confess.”

  “Let’s hope you rule her out long before you make her paranoid to be around you.”

  Skyler nodded but seemed lost in thought.

  Jake wouldn’t miss the opportunity to move the conversation in the direction he preferred. “So far we’ve been looking at the kidnapping attempt being directed at Kelly or her mother, but what if it isn’t about the kidnapping per se, and was meant to hurt Rachael? Maybe someone has a beef with her, and they thought this incident would shut down the center.”

  “Makes sense, I suppose.” Skyler tapped her pen against her notepad. “Any of the current and past parents of the center could have a grudge against Ms. Long, and I’ll add them to my suspect pool.”

  “I imagine the teachers would be happy to tell you about parents who are or were disgruntled with Rachael or the center.”

  “And vice versa. I’ve got appointments to interview most of the staff later today. Oh, and FYI, the teacher who was scheduled to arrive at six this morning took her car in for repair. Her tires had been slashed.”

  “Not likely coincidental.”

  “No.”

  “So, our abductor wanted Ms. Long to be alone. Which says we have a premeditated abduction as opposed to an abduction of chance.”

  Skyler nodded. “We could also be dealing with someone outside the center population who has a connection to the Baldwins and lost a baby. So I’ll call local obstetricians and hospitals, too.”

  “Good. I was going to suggest that.”

  The color suddenly drained from Skyler’s face, and she swallowed hard.

  Jake eyed her carefully. “You sure you got your flu shot?”

  “Yes.” She sipped the water.

  “So maybe it’s something else. Maybe you should get it checked out.”

  “I don’t feel that sick, but if I still feel off tonight, I’ll talk to Darcie.”

  If Skyler looked this pale tonight, she wouldn’t need to ask for their team medic’s help. As the mother hen of the group, Darcie would pounce the moment she laid eyes on Skyler.

  “Any forensic leads at the center?” he asked.

  “We lifted a short, dark hair from Ms. Long’s sweater that wasn’t a match to hers. It could have fallen when she ripped off the guy’s mask.” Skyler bent forward and rested her elbows on her knees, then hung her head.

  Jake squatted down next to her. “I want you to go home. I’ll get someone—”

  “No! I’m going to handle this case.” She took a long breath and blew it out, then repeated the action a few more times before standing. “I should get to it.”

  He reached out to assist her, but she stepped off before he could. In the living room, she paused and stared at the message. “You know, the thing that’s bothering me about this is why this guy bothered to leave a message. If he wanted to kill Ms. Long, he had her right here in the shower. Why not do it then?”

  Jake hadn’t thought of that, but leaving a message didn’t really make sense. “I’d like to say maybe he isn’t a killer, but then he wouldn’t have fired at her or Brady at the center.”

  “The warning could indicate Ms. Long is this guy’s partner, and they’re trying to throw us off the path.”

  “If she is partnering with him, she’s the best actress I’ve ever seen.”

  Skyler eyed him. “You’re an excellent judge of character, and you can read people well, so I’m tempted to say you’re right, but—”

  “But you can’t until facts prove you out,” he finished for her. “You know, when I interviewed you for the team, I liked how tenacious and gung ho you were. I’ve never wanted to temper it...until today.” He grinned to show her he was kidding.

  She laughed, and her cheeks pinked up.

  The front door opened, and a female criminologist stepped inside. Rail thin, she wore white coveralls and booties over her shoes and snapped on latex gloves.

  Skyler nodded at the woman then faced Jake. “I need to meet with the team.”

  “If you let me know when you want to take Rachael’s statement and when it’s clear for her to check for missing items, I’ll go out and get her.”

  Skyler nodded and turned.

  “Skyler,” he said. “When we finish here, I’d like to take Rachael over to see Kelly. I think it will help her deal with everything that’s happened.”

  Skyler turned back and eyed him. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “A good idea? I don’t know, but someone needs to think of her best interests. As far as I can see, there’s no one else in her life to do so.”

  * * *

  In Jake’s truck, Rachael tried not to think about the white-suited woman combing her house for any scrap of evidence. Or pay any attention to Jake sitting next to her with his iPad perched against the steering wheel. She had no idea what he was working on, but he’d said it had to do with the investigation. She’d completed her calls to the parents and staff. Thankfully, both the parents and her teachers seemed like they would continue to support the center. Still, she knew their loyalty depended on how long the center remained closed. Something not in her control.

  Her center was licensed by Oregon’s Department of Education, as were all nongovernmental child care centers in the state that served thirteen or more children. The Office of Child Care assigned a licensing representative for each center, and she needed to notify her representative of the incident and her negligence in obeying the rules.

  She located her rep’s number on her iPad and dialed. She picked at lint on her jacket as she listened to the phone ringing.

  “Yolanda Mason,” her rep answered on the fourth ring.

  “It’s Rachael Long. I—”

  “I’m so glad you called. I left several messages on your cell phone, and I didn’t think you were going to call me back.”

  “I’m sorry, Yolanda. My phone is in the center, and I’m not allowed back inside.”

  “Before we go any further, please confirm that this baby is okay.”

  “She’s fine and with her mother.”

  “Good. Good. And you? Tell me what happened to you.”

  Rachael started at the beginning and shared the incident, but didn’t add the details of her interview with Detective Hunter. And she certainly didn’t bring up the message left on her mirror.

  Yolanda tsked. “I’m sorry this happened to you, but you know better, now, don’t you? Opening the center early and not waiting for your teacher? This is exactly why we have such protocols in the regulations.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. I truly am. I was trying to help Pam Baldwin keep her job. Her past drug abuse leaves her at risk. I didn’t want her to lose her job and lose Kelly.”

  Yolanda remained quiet for a long time as if trying to compose her words before speaking. “You go the extra mile for all of your families, Rachael. I applaud your diligence on their behalf. And you’ve had a stellar reputation with our office. Well deserved, I might add, as you al
ways followed the rules.”

  Maybe she would cut Rachael some slack here.

  “But you took helping your parents too far.” She paused again.

  Rachael took a deep breath and steeled herself for bad news. They would likely put the center on a provisional license, but she deserved it.

  “I’m sorry, but we’re suspending your center’s license,” Yolanda said.

  Rachael gasped.

  “Suspension,” she murmured, bringing Jake’s gaze her way.

  “I will, of course, need to conduct a full investigation,” Yolanda continued. “I’d like to visit the center as soon as possible.”

  Tears pricked at Rachael’s eyes, but she couldn’t cry now. She had to remain professional so Yolanda knew she didn’t fall apart at the first sign of trouble. “I can let you know when the detective in charge releases the center to me.”

  “And when will that be?”

  “She thought they might finish today.”

  “In that case, I will meet you promptly at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow,” she said, her tone firm. “Before then, I need you to contact your families to tell them about the suspension, and that the center is closed until further notice.”

  “Can this suspension be rescinded?” Rachael asked, and held her breath.

  “You can appeal, but that doesn’t mean it will be lifted. We can discuss the details tomorrow.” She took a deep breath and blew it out over the phone. “Please, Rachael, I know you have a soft spot for all of your parents and would do just about anything to help them out, but don’t be foolish and let children back into the center unless you are cleared by us to do so.”

  “Don’t worry,” Rachael said, having learned her lesson. “I won’t.”

  She disconnected the call and stared at the phone.

  “I take it that didn’t go so well,” Jake said.

  “You have no idea,” she replied and wondered if her dream of helping struggling families had just been snuffed out for good.

  FIVE

  The sun had sunk below the horizon before Rachael finished checking her home, allowing Jake to drive her to Pam Baldwin’s apartment. He’d thought, as uneasy as she’d seemed, that she might perform a cursory look, but she’d been thorough and had determined that nothing else had been disturbed.

  With the sun setting and the temperatures falling, the roads had frozen over, and Jake kept his attention on driving and watching to see if anyone followed them. As he parked in the lot of the modest apartment complex in a neighborhood very close to Rachael’s child development center, he could confidently say that they hadn’t been followed. Still, the kidnapper could know Ms. Baldwin’s address, so Jake wouldn’t let down his guard.

  “Thank you for bringing me over here,” Rachael said as she unbuckled her seat belt. “The doctor said the drug wouldn’t be completely out of my system for twenty-four hours, and I shouldn’t drive until then.”

  “Good advice.”

  “He also told me not to sign any legal documents, so if you’re planning to get me to sign a confession, that’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” She smiled sweetly.

  Her change in attitude surprised him, but he didn’t question it and returned her smile. “Bummer. I was going to haul you in right after this visit.”

  Still grinning, she opened the door, and a rush of cold air settled into the cab. Rachael shivered and tightened her coat before stepping out. He met her on the sidewalk and they hurried to Apartment C located on the ground level of the two-story building.

  Jake noted the flaking paint and cracked sidewalks. He hadn’t expected Ms. Baldwin’s place to be five-star, not when she worked a minimum-wage job and needed assistance for her child care.

  He knocked and stepped back to wait.

  “Yeah?” a cautious female voice said from the other side of the door.

  “It’s me, Pam.” Rachael stepped in front of Jake so Ms. Baldwin would see her through the peephole.

  “Rachael,” Ms. Baldwin squealed, and the dead bolt clicked open. As tall as Jake, the woman had long black hair and big blue eyes. She ran her gaze over Rachael from head to toe. “You’re okay. Really okay.”

  “Yes,” Rachael said.

  Ms. Baldwin grabbed Rachael in a hug, shaking her like a rag doll. Jake saw Rachael wince, likely from bruises sustained in her attack, but she didn’t cry out and Ms. Baldwin continued to hold her tight.

  “I’m sorry to bother you,” Rachael said, a bit more formally than he expected. “But I really needed to see Kelly. Just to see that’s she fine, too.”

  Ms. Baldwin let Rachael go and stepped back. “She’s sleeping. Come on in.”

  “This is Deputy Jake Marsh,” Rachael said offhandedly as she passed the other woman. “He’s one of the deputies who scared off the kidnapper.”

  “Then I’m pleased to meet you.” Ms. Baldwin grabbed his hand and gave it a very manly shake. “You’re most welcome in my house anytime.”

  “Nice to meet you, too, Ms. Baldwin.”

  She waved a hand. “None of this Ms. stuff. It’s Pam, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said.

  She ushered him inside. Worn carpet in a hideous green color covered the floors, but the place looked clean and smelled good. Pam was doing the best she could with what she had. The furnishings were of excellent quality, which he found odd on her salary, but he suspected the items had been given to her.

  “Can I peek in on Kelly?” Rachael asked immediately. “I won’t pick her up, but I have to see her.”

  “Sure,” Pam replied.

  Rachael opened a door on the right and tiptoed inside, but left the door open a crack.

  “Sit,” Pam commanded as she dropped into a high-quality leather recliner.

  Jake perched on the arm of a matching sofa in case Rachael needed him.

  “So you saved the day, huh?” Pam asked.

  Jake shared as much of the rescue story as he could. “My team is the best.”

  “Then thank them for me, and if there’s anything I can do to repay you, just name it.”

  “Tell me about Rachael.”

  “Rachael? Sure, yeah. She’s, like, this amazing person who’s helped me so much. After I got clean, I lived in a state-supported home. Then I had Kelly, and I really wanted a place of our own, you know? Meant I had to get a job so I could afford a place, but to work, I needed child care.”

  She paused and seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment. “Most directors turned their noses up at me. No job meant no tuition. Rachael was the opposite. She said she’d hold a slot for Kelly, and she’d be glad to take her while I looked for work and wouldn’t charge me a thing. I mean, can you imagine that? Free child care so we could get a leg up? Crazy, right?”

  “Crazy good,” Jake replied.

  Pam nodded vigorously. “That was just the beginning. She vouched for me to get this place. Gave me all the great furniture and most of the dishes and things I needed to get set up here.” Pam shook her head. “She said she was downsizing from her old life and had this stuff in storage. Guess her husband, before he died, was some kind of executive and made lots of money, and they once had a humongous house.” A broad smile claimed Pam’s mouth. “You don’t run into people like her very often.”

  “No, you don’t.” Jake stared at the doorway and wished she’d return.

  “She’s cared for Kelly ever since then, and when I’m short on money, she helps by letting me pay my tuition late if needed.” Pam frowned. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do if she can’t open the center again.”

  Rachael stepped back into the room and softly closed the door. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”

  “Hey, no worries,” Pam said. “You’ve got a lot on your plate. I’ll figure it out.”

  “I alread
y have an idea.” Rachael sat on the sofa next to Pam. “My mother’s friend just retired. I can give Francie a call, and I’m sure she’ll be glad to watch Kelly until I can reopen the center.”

  Jake hid his surprise at her statement. From the way the call to her licensing rep went, it sounded like she might never reopen. Maybe she really thought they’d lift the suspension, or she was simply putting on a good front for Pam so she didn’t worry. That seemed just like the kind of thing the Rachael he was getting to know would do.

  “Are you sure?” Pam asked. “You’ve already done so much for me, and I hate to take advantage of one of your mother’s friends.”

  “You’re not taking advantage, and I’ll keep offering help until you no longer need it.”

  Pam gave Rachael a one-armed hug. “You are such a blessing. God really smiled on me the day He put you in my life.”

  Jake expected Rachael to smile or at least look pleased at the compliment, but she looked away instead and dug out her phone that they’d stopped to pick up on the way to Pam’s apartment.

  “Let me call Francie now.” Rachael extracted herself from the hug and got up to go into the miniscule kitchen with old avocado-colored appliances.

  “See?” Pam said. “I told you she’s the best.”

  “Yes, she is,” Jake agreed as he continued to study her.

  Jake couldn’t figure Rachael out. She was loving and caring—that much was obvious—but when someone returned the same sentiments, she backed away and acted like she didn’t deserve it.

  He doubted it had to do with the investigation, but that didn’t matter. She so intrigued him that while he made sure she stayed safe, he would do his very best to discover what made her tick.

  * * *

  Rachael received an affirmative response from Francie just as she’d expected. She returned to the sofa. Jake was deep in conversation with Pam, so Rachael used the time to jot down Francie’s contact information.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Kelly?” Jake asked.