by Beth Solheim
"How's Sally doing?" Concern rimmed Jane's eyes. "Did you find out what happened to her?"
"I don't think she knows. She's more concerned about finding her mother," Sadie said.
"How come you have a BA?" Sally pointed at Jed.
"A what?" Jed's lips pursed in bewilderment while he stared back at Sally.
Sally giggled and whispered, "You know. A BA."
"What's a BA?"
Sally tugged at Aanders' hand.
He looked down at her before yanking his hand away. She leaned into his long leg and gazed up at him. He pushed her away. "Go sit by Sadie."
Sally sidled around Jed as she peeked at him from the corners of her eyes.
"I think a BA is a bare ass," Aanders said. "That's what the kids in school call it."
"A bare ass?" Jane turned toward her sister and pointed her index finger. "He better not be sitting in my chair." She bent down at the sink and drew open the cupboard door. It rebounded against the adjoining door and slammed back, pinching her hand. "Where is he?" She aimed the disinfectant bottle at the table.
Jane's shoulder-length bob swung back and forth as she scrubbed in earnest. She tucked gray strands of hair behind each ear before straightening into an angry posture. "Why wasn't he wearing Mr. Bakke's robe?"
"Because it's too small. He looked like a scarecrow on a stake."
"How can you let him sit there bare-assed? It's not sanitary. Here, make him sit on this." Jane handed Sadie a towel.
"Where's Sally?" Sadie looked around. She scurried to the screen door and spotted Sally walking toward the beach. "Get her before she gets away."
"I don't want to. She's a pest," Aanders whined. "She followed me everywhere. She wouldn't leave me alone."
"Fate placed her in your hands because you're a death coach."
"I don't want to be a death coach. I hate it. I want to be normal."
"I know you do, but you've got to make the best of it," Sadie said. "Sally sought you out because she needs your guidance."
"How can a kid have unfinished business? That doesn't make sense." Aanders turned his back on Sadie and stared out the window toward the mortuary.
Sadie put her arm around his waist. "Don't worry. You don't have to keep your crossers at the mortuary. I'll keep Sally here in the inner room with Jed. Now go get her."
"Where's Aanders going? What's happening?" Jane peered over Sadie's shoulder.
"To get Sally. She's down by the lake."
"Aren't you keeping an eye on her? She's too young to wander around."
"I turned my head for a second and she disappeared."
"I'd do a better job if I was a death coach." Jane flipped her hair in defiance.
"Has Sally's family lived in the area long?" Jed's gaze followed Aanders' progress toward the shore. "I think I might have met them."
"Her folks are Carmen and Pete Tyler. Their divorce was final a few months ago. Pete got the raw end of the deal," Sadie said.
"Boy did he ever," Jane confirmed, addressing her comment toward her private chair.
"Jed's not in your chair. He moved to the chair under the clock."
Jane followed Sadie's finger and directed her conversation toward the empty chair. "Sally's mom's a real scumbag. She took Pete to the cleaners. Carmen won sole custody of Sally after she filed trumped-up charges of abuse." Jane grabbed the towel off her chair and threw it toward the chair under the clock. "Sit on this," she ordered.
"Everybody knew Carmen falsified her claim." Jane tugged at the points on her collar, pulling them sharply into alignment. "She used Sally as a pawn. That woman riles me to no end."
"Me, too. When Pete petitioned the court to regain visitation rights last month, Judge Kimmer would have nothing to do with it. You know Kimmer. If there's a pretty woman involved," Sadie paused, "well, use your imagination."
"Where's Pete now?" Jed looked at Sadie. "Doesn't he get to see Sally?"
"I heard he moved to Kansas to stay with his folks. Can you imagine losing the right to your daughter and then having to deal with her death?"
Sadie dared not look at her sister. The fiber weaving their sibling thoughts together might unravel. They knew Pete's pain would be too much to bear. "I admire Sally's father. He tried to make their marriage work, but monogamy isn't in Carmen's vocabulary."
The sisters looked toward the door as footsteps pounded across the porch, down the steps and then back up onto the porch. "Sadie," Aanders shouted breathlessly. "I can't find Sally. She was on the swing a minute ago, and now she's gone."
5
Attorney Reginald Carson glanced at Pam. It sickened him that this gorgeous nurse had no qualms about abducting infants, but thrilled him that her expertise put money in his pocket. Large quantities of money. "Are you sure you have all the information you need?" He closed the manila folder. Struggling to push aside his mounting irritation, he stood to face the couple.
"That's the third time you asked, Reggie. Settle down or you'll have a coronary." Pam Avery placed an open palm on the window and scanned the cityscape below. Streetlights winked in the distance. High above in a cloudless sky, tiny dots grew in intensity as planes prepared for approach to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Reginald's office occupied a portion of the posh twenty-third floor of the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. Industry giants frequented his elaborate office, depending on him to orchestrate the impossible. He had earned their trust. In fact, he had earned everything he owned. The hard way. Through determination and cunning.
Reginald crossed his office and pressed the dimmer switch into the full ON position. If he flooded the room with light, removing the ambience Pam had tried to stage, maybe he could get them to leave. He let out a sigh. Who was he kidding?
Unencumbered by his small stature, Reginald's aggressive mannerisms and the ability to close transactions in haste drew clients from all phases of the commercial realm. His skill had become a commodity. It also created enemies. Legendary for his business acumen, Reginald had no need to promote his secondary activity of assisting the privileged in securing babies for adoption.
Wealthy couples turned to him to arrange additions to their families after failing to secure adoption through normal channels. Infinite funds became a prerequisite. So did desperation. If the couples met his criteria, he considered their case. Supplying an heir, who would in turn inherit their vast wealth and possibly become a future client, was the least he could do for these barren couples.
Pam watched the sea of headlights wind along the freeway as commuters inched their way across the horizon. Grasping her husband's hand when he approached to take in the view, Pam turned to Reginald. "What's your rush, Reggie? You're acting like you want to get rid of us. Afraid someone will think you're slumming?"
"We haven't failed yet, have we?" Dan Avery slipped his hand behind his wife's waist and pulled her close.
Reginald looked at Pam's empty glass before closing the door to the liquor cabinet. "I asked you not to call me Reggie. My name is Reginald. Please give me the courtesy of remembering." He tucked his tie neatly into his suit coat and faced the pair. The sooner they left, the sooner they'd complete the transaction and satisfy his quest.
"Why did you close the cabinet? I'm just beginning to feel the glow." Pam looked down at her empty glass. "I need courage. How else can I tackle your new assignment?" She signaled her disappointment with a pout.
Reginald paced. "This adoption is crucial. If it goes well, the prospective father will choose my firm to represent his next merger." Reginald didn't tell them the retainer alone put him into the financial realm to pay for an Aston Martin Roadster for his new wife. Maybe it would shut her up for a while.
"Don't forget when we bring the baby back, you and I are going to sit down and talk." Dan opened the liquor cabinet and reached for the brandy. "And it won't be about baseball. If it wasn't for me and Pam taking all the risk, your little adoption business wouldn't be so successful." Dan waved the brandy
bottle. "I'll bet your partner in Pinecone Landing isn't hurting for money, either."
Reginald's breath caught in his gullet, forcing him to clear his throat.
"What's the matter, Reggie? Did you really think I didn't know about Franzen Kimmer?"
Retrieving a folder from the desk, Reginald hurried toward the door. "You and Pam are paid handsomely for your risk. If you don't like it, you can quit." He turned the knob and drew the door open. A hand reached past him and slammed the door.
Dan's hot breath billowed down over Reginald's face. "Like I said, Reggie, when we deliver the kid, we're going to talk. It's time for an increase." He ran his finger under Reggie's lapel. "Keeping the kid an extra two weeks wasn't in our original agreement. I'm not crazy about staying at Witt's End Resort to wait it out. This abduction is more risky than the last one."
"Yeah," Pam chimed in placing her finger on the dimmer switch. "Hospitals all over the state are on alert. Two abductions throw everyone into a panic. You're damn lucky your clients live in Tucson. Who knows? They might hear about it anyway."
"That's why I decided to keep the baby in Minnesota for an additional two weeks. I'll look like a proud new father when I board the plane. Even if newspapers all over the country feature the abduction, no one will recognize the baby." Reginald smoothed his lapel and stepped away from the door. "I've decided Pam's going to fly with me to Tucson to deliver the baby to the lucky couple. Pam's a nurse. She'll know what to do if anything goes wrong."
"It'll cost you." Pam spit the words at him as he finished his sentence. She pressed her thumb against the dimmer switch creating a darker, warm glow.
"No kidding," Reginald shouted. "Everything with you guys costs extra." The sweat beading under his shirt collar matched the clammy film on his hand. He slipped his hand into his pocket and wiped it against the lining. Drawing in a purging breath, he said, "After you secure the baby, I'll notify my clients the mother gave birth in Dallas and the release papers are finalized. First, we'll fly from Minneapolis to Dallas. Then we'll switch carriers before flying on to Tucson to meet the adoptive couple."
Dan greedily rubbed his fingers together.
Disgusted with Dan's increasing demand for cash, Reginald pushed the man's hand aside. "Don't worry. Pam will be paid for her efforts."
"We're not worried, Reggie. You've got as much to lose as we do. Maybe more."
Reginald peered at his watch. "Are you sure the nurse from the hospital wasn't suspicious?"
"In Pinecone Landing? I'm positive."
"Do you know for sure? From what you said, she asked a lot of questions."
"Don't get your gonads in the guillotine, Reggie. If Pam says she trusts her, she trusts her."
"She doesn't have a clue. As far as she's concerned, I'm a new friend with similar interests. After I met her at the conference, we communicated through email. Most of our conversations are about our jobs." Pam held her hand out and shrugged. "It's pure luck she works on the OB floor."
"They've become best of friends." Dan laughed into his glass as he took a sip. "She sent Pam some photos from work over the internet. I enlarged the portion showing her name badge and made one exactly like it. Pam bought an identical uniform, too. So accessing the OB floor at the hospital shouldn't be a problem."
"We know what we're doing, Reggie." Pam's words dripped with arrogance as she added, "We've got it mapped out through the final detail."
Pam's cocky attitude grated at Reginald. "Don't forget over-confidence can be your worst enemy. Remember, if you get caught you're on your own."
Dan swirled the ice in his glass. "That's not going to happen. But if it does, I hope you'll realize how stupid that sounds when you're locked up next to me in prison."
6
"Have you seen my Mom? I can't find her." Sally followed a five-year-old girl clad in a lime green sundress into Cabin 11. The screen door creaked and slammed behind them. "I looked everywhere. I need to find her. She might get worried if she can't find me."
Sally squatted next to the child and watched the girl's braid flop forward as she scooped up her doll and inserted a plastic baby bottle in its mouth. "What's in the bottle? Is it real milk? I wish I had a doll like that."
The girl's father slipped a straw into a cartoon-laden juice box and handed it to his daughter. "Mom ran over to the gift shop to get the book you wanted. I'll read it to you when she gets back."
Sally inched her knees closer to the girl and touched the doll's curly hair. As the girl placed the bottle on the floor, Sally picked it up. She shook it. White bubbles formed around the top of the bottle. "It's real." She giggled with glee. "Look. Real milk." Sally squeezed the bottle. When droplets failed to form on the nipple, she gave it another squeeze.
The girls glanced at the screen door when a muffled bark burbled and then erupted. Belly pranced in place, wagging in earnest while he stared at Sally.
"A puppy," the little girl shouted, dropping her doll on the floor. "Can I keep him?"
"Go on. Shoo." The girl's father motioned toward Belly with the back of his hand. "Go home you mutt."
"I want him," the child whined.
"His name is Belly." Sally looked at the girl. "He's Sadie's dog. You can't have him."
Belly circled in front of the door before plopping down on his left haunch. He looked back over his shoulder through soulful eyes, whimpered, and turned his attention toward the lake.
Sally gathered the doll off the floor and cuddled her in her arms. She pressed her fingertips against the plastic eyelashes. "Hush little baby. Don't you cry," she whispered. "My daddy used to sing to me. He went away. Mom said he went away cuz he doesn't love me anymore."
A sharp cry jolted Sally from the recollection.
"My dolly! My dolly's gone."
Recoiling, Sally hugged the doll tighter.
"My dolly. I can't find her."
"She's here somewhere. You just had her a minute ago," her father responded. "Check under the chair."
The girl continued her frantic wail.
"Here she is. Take her." Sally held the doll by the left leg and pushed it toward the girl. She placed the doll in the girl's lap when the child flopped hysterically into the chair.
The girl gulped air for another round of wailing, but a shrill solo note is all that escaped as she felt the doll settle on her lap. She stared at the doll through tear-clumped lashes. She tapped it with her finger. The girl's gaze went from the doll to her father and back to the doll as she twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
"Can you come out and play?" Sally leaned her elbows on the wicker chair and propped her chin on her fists. "How come you won't talk? You're not very nice."
A thumping echoed from the far side of Cabin 12. Belly barked twice and the thumping began again.
The girl's father pushed through the screen door and walked over to the porch railing. "That infernal creature. He's doing it again." He leaned over the barrier and waved his hand at Belly. "Get out of there. It's bad enough you smell like rotten fish, but I shouldn't have to put up with your incessant scratching."
Belly ignored the reprimand. He continued to paw at the screen covering the narrow crawlspace access under Cabin 12.
Sally turned to face the sidewalk when the girl's mother approached Cabin 11, swinging a bright yellow bag imprinted with the Witt's End logo. When the child spotted her mother, she dropped her dolly and yanked the bag from her mother's grasp.
Sally looked up at the girl's father as he lifted his daughter onto his lap. "Can I sit with you, too? My dad used to read to me every night."
The young crosser leaned into the wicker chair and nestled her cheek against the man's warm arm as he read to his daughter. After turning the last page, he put the book down. "What is wrong with that blasted dog? He's getting on my nerves. He's been scratching on the screen for the past half hour."
"He did it yesterday, too." The girl's mother attempted to tuck stray strands of hair back into her daughter's braid. "I finally
threw a piece of burger on the grass to see if it would stop him. It did for two seconds, but he went right back to scratching against the screen. I talked to the resort owner. She said every summer the dog's mission is to crawl under the cabin. They've had to replace the mesh several times."
"I feel like putting him in the Lexus and driving him to the opposite end of the lake. If I'm lucky, he won't find his way back." The girl's father lifted his daughter off his lap.
The screen door slammed behind Sally as she raced over to Cabin 12.
The girl's parents stared at the door. The mother peered through the window at the pine boughs. "It wasn't windy when I went to the gift shop."
"You have to go home. That man doesn't like you." Sally tugged on Belly's collar. "He's going to take you for a ride." She ran to the cabin's edge and peeked around the corner.
Belly pawed at the screen obstructing access to the crawlspace. He hooked his claws in the mesh and tugged.
"What's under there?" Sally knelt next to the dog and put one arm over his back. "I can't see. It's too dark."
Belly grunted as he sat down. He cocked his head back and forth when Sally looped her fingers through the mesh and pulled. "It won't come off."
"There you are," Sadie shouted, bolting toward Sally. "Don't move a muscle. I had a dickens of a time finding you. Where were you?"
"Visiting my new friend. I played with her dolly." Sally pointed at the screen. "Your dog wants to go under there."
"He's not my dog."
"But he lives with you. I saw him licking gravy off Jane's plate."
Sadie tugged at her red T-shirt. The knit top featured 'Easy Momma' spelled out in black glitter across her chest. "That's because Jane spoils him." Sadie winked at Sally. "Belly sleeps in Jane's bed. He's even got his own embroidered pillow."
"I used to have a dog. Mom kicked him out and made him sleep under the porch. He ran away." Sally pointed at Belly.
"He's digging again."
"I don't know what's gotten in to him. He's obsessed with getting the screen loose."
