“I understand that. I have a couple of questions. First, now what? What’s next? How involved are the Livingston family in the new developments? What do they know and who is keeping them informed?”
“As you might expect, as soon as the Livingstons got wind of the fact that Asher had been found, they made a bee-line to Arizona to reunite with him. They didn’t wait to be invited by the local authorities. Fortunately, the local field agent with the FBI is handling the coordination of law enforcement agencies. It’ll eventually be worked out on their end. I don’t expect there to be an issue with the DNA match. It’s a matter of straightening out the paperwork and getting Asher released to the Livingstons, and arrangements need to be made for him to travel safely back home. I understand that he’s slightly dehydrated”
“I don’t blame the Livingstons. I would’ve done the same thing if I were in their shoes. I’m worried about Bethany though. She was sheltered from the media attention the first go around because she was having medical issues. Is she prepared for the onslaught of media attention now?” I inquire.
Tyler twirls a pen between his fingers as he comments, “That’s a good question. I don’t know. I’ll ask.”
“We could put some reinforcements in place through Identity Bank to help protect the family if you think that’d be helpful. A news story about a cute baby being rescued is going to have lots of legs. Bethany is going to need some reinforcements — even if she thinks she’s prepared. There’s nothing America likes more than a good feel good story with a happy ending.” Jameson remarks.
Tyler looks thoughtful for a moment. “I’ve spent some time with both Phyllis and Bethany. I’m not sure sending a random person is going to be helpful at this point. It will be an emotional few days. I think they would be better off with people they know. I’m inclined to send the two of you. Phyllis was singing your praises up and down and sideways.”
“Mine?” I ask with surprise. “I wonder why? I haven’t had many interactions with Phyllis. I have answered a few preliminary questions for her and spoken with Bethany a couple of times. Beyond reassuring her that everything possible was being done in the search, I couldn’t do much because I didn’t have any additional information.”
Jameson reaches out and massages the back of my neck as he says, “I think you discount how well you listen and empathize with people. Even when I was incredibly rude to you, you still went out of your way to hear both what I was saying and what I wasn’t. That is incredibly soothing — especially for those of us who are in extreme pain.”
Tyler nods. “Jameson is right. The Livingstons are going to be on edge however this goes. They could use your calming influence.”
“But I’m not calm!” I protest. “I just got a huge promotion thrown at me. I have so much to do, and we just got a brand-new case. I don’t know that this is the best time for me to up and disappear.”
“Weren’t you just telling me this morning that you got an update from Colette?” Jameson asks in his quiet, rumbly voice.
“Yes, she called to say her sister is doing well after surgery and that she’s around if I need her for anything.”
Tyler claps his hands together as he says, “There you go. Call her up and figure out the best strategy. I really don’t want to leave the Livingstons to fly solo on this one. They are the type of family that the media loves to pick on. I truly believe they are innocent victims in this. They’ve been through enough. Let’s protect them if we can, okay?”
I slump back in my chair. “You’re right, of course. We don’t need to make this any more challenging. They deserve a happy reunion.” I turn to Jameson. “I know you don’t like to use Tristan’s resources, but a private jet might not be a bad idea for the trip home. It might save the family from prying eyes.”
Jameson strokes his beard as he grins at me. “Already ahead of you. I sent Tristan a heads up to see if his plane was available. It’s on standby if we need it.”
I blow my bangs out of my face as I mutter to myself, “I hope Colette was serious about wanting to come back to the office because it sounds like I’m going to Arizona.”
CHAPTER 10
JAMESON
I THROW THE DUFFEL BAGS on the hotel bed. “I didn’t expect it to be raining in Arizona,” I comment as I check my phone. After I check the message from Isaac, I glance up from my phone and give a fist pump. “I guess Ricky Foster doesn’t like the feeling of being chased,” I say with a smirk. “As soon as his story started getting national attention and making all the major news outlets, he left Imogene on the playground at a fast food place.”
Kendall looks up from the hotel guide she’s studying and grins broadly. “I love it when cases wrap themselves up quickly.”
“Imogene is no dummy. She helped herself. A customer was using a glucometer and Imogene asked to borrow it. She said she wasn’t sure if her dad had left, so she was afraid to come right out and tell anyone she needed help. It turned out that Rhonda Schillings is a grandmother of six and she saw the AMBER alert on television. She knew Imogene was in danger and called the authorities right away.”
“Did Tristan say anything about what happened to the dad?”
“Well, Ricky is having a bad sort of day. He ran out of gas. It’s an awkward thing to do when there is a nationwide BOLO on your car and law enforcement agencies, and news copters from across the nation are looking for you. I can tell you he looked funny running through the streets in sweats that were two sizes too big. He may or may not have lost his sweats and exposed a big ole’ fecal stain on the back of his shorts. Tristan attached a video if you’d like to see,” I offer with a chuckle.
Kendall wrinkles her nose at me, “No thank you. That’s a sight I’d rather avoid this morning. I need to focus my sights on how to help Bethany and Phyllis cope with the onslaught of media attention today. Based on my research, I believe the DNA tests may come back today. I’m surprised something hasn’t leaked from the labs already. Usually, that’s how it works. It’s not uncommon for the media to have the test results before family members are told. I hope that doesn’t happen in this case, but it could.”
I grimace as memories wash over me. “I remember trying to sort out real leads from false leads. I was half a world away, trying to calm my parents down while I sorted out fact from fiction. It was the most frustrating thing I’ve ever been through. It still is.”
“Speaking of social media, one of the tabloid outlets is reporting they have inside sources that are tracking a huge development in the Livingston case. A ‘family friend’ has confirmed that the Livingstons are assisting the FBI to properly identify a child who has been found.”
“And so it begins —” I respond as I take off my baseball hat and wipe the sweat off my head. “Do you think we’ve made it here in time to make a difference?”
“It depends on how you define making a difference. I interpret it as trying to limit the pain inflicted on the family.”
“I hear you. We need to make sure that Asher is safe — assuming that it is Asher, we need to shield the Livingston family, and we need to protect the investigation from compromise.”
“That’s a nice to-do-list, but I’m not sure all that falls on our shoulders. I think we’re just here for Bethany, her husband, and her parents. In my opinion, law enforcement needs to take care of the rest of it.”
I scowl at Kendall. “I assumed you were not so trusting of the boys in blue after what you’ve been through with Quinn.”
Kendall flinches as if I’ve punched her. “I never said that. It ... uh ... I don’t even know if I can explain. They had to do what they had to do. I wasn’t there when it happened. I don’t know what Lyle did or didn’t do for sure. I knew his character and his heart. I knew I was in love with him. I knew he was gentle and caring with kids. I was sure he loved Quinn and looked forward to him being born. I was aware Lyle tended to get distracted easily by video games, television shows, books, homework, and talking on the phone. I was confident he would neve
r, ever hurt our son. What I didn’t know was what happened while I was at the grocery store. The police had a job to do.”
“You’re pretty forgiving. I still get a knot in my tail if anyone starts questioning me about my personal life.”
Kendall quirks her eyebrow as she says, “I’ve noticed. I don’t know if I’m so forgiving. I spend a fair amount of time beating myself up over my decision to go to the store for medicine I wasn’t sure was going to help Quinn feel better in the first place. Maybe if I’d stayed home, things would’ve turned out differently. Even thinking that kind of stuff is unfair to Lyle because it makes it sound like there was something he did to cause Quinn’s death. According to the coroner, that’s not what happened either. So I’m stuck in this vicious circle of logical response and extreme self-blame. It’s not a pretty place to be, trust me.”
I walk over to Kendall and pull her into a tight embrace as I kiss her forehead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring everything up again and pull you off your game. You’re right. We are here for Bethany. If this baby turns out not to be Asher, she’s going to be devastated, and we need to be prepared for that scenario too.”
Kendall swallows hard, gives me a tight squeeze, and nods against my chest. She backs up and dabs at her eyes with a Kleenex she pulls from her pocket. She shakes the tension out of her arms, goes over to the desk beside the bed, and studies her file briefly. “Agent Jason Foxwell has them down at his office. When he’s finished with them, he’ll meet us in their suite. I had the hotel move their belongings to a more private one. It’s the one that they use for celebrities when they come here to play golf.”
“Wow, you move fast! When did you do this?”
“At the same time I made our reservation. I knew we were going to need better privacy arrangements whether this baby turns out to be Asher or not. This family doesn’t need to deal with the glare of cameras and the constant barrage of questions as reporters are fighting to be the first with exclusive interview footage. There will be time for that later.”
“Speaking of time, do we have time for some coffee? I’m dragging today.”
“I guess it doesn’t make a difference whether we wait up here or down at the coffee shop. Agent Foxwell is supposed to let me know when he’s on his way.”
Kendall’s phone buzzes, and she holds up her finger. “Hold that thought.”
Her brows furrow as she reads the text message. She bites her bottom lip and looks down at her gauzy skirt. “Okay, this is weird. We need to wear jeans, and I’m supposed to wear one of your sweatshirts. Did you bring one?”
I shrug. “Yeah, I brought my Blazer hoodie to wear on the plane. Why?”
“I don’t know. We’re supposed to meet a nurse named MacKenzie by the loading dock at the hospital. The media has the hospital surrounded. Foxwell has been seen with the family, so he wants to throw the media off. He doesn’t want this to turn into a scene like they had in Ohio when the women who were held hostage for several years were rescued. Foxwell says to take the bus.”
I look up the bus schedule on my phone. “It looks like a straight shot from our hotel.” I grimace as I look at the time. “If you’re a quick-change artist, I think we can catch the next bus.”
“Hey, I wasn’t a band geek for nothing. I can change my clothes on a school bus with someone sitting beside me,” Kendall says as she strips her shirt off and shimmies out of her skirt and starts to dig through her suitcase. She seems completely unaware of the fact that she’s standing there in pale pink underwear and a sexy as all get out lacy bra. “I don’t know what I’m dressing for, so I’m going to put on a tank top just in case,” she says as she slips a bright red tank top over her head and pulls on well-worn jeans with a patch on the butt.
She takes her ID and a couple of credit cards out of her purse and puts them in her phone case. She stuffs her phone in her pocket. “I’m good to go. I’m not sure what we’re doing, but I guess I’m up to it. I agreed to help any way I can, and this is where they need us.”
After I help Kendall down the bus steps, I grasp her hand and walk down the sidewalk with her as if we’re high school students. She looks a bit like a cheerleader, with her hair up in a ponytail threaded through one of my baseball caps. Her body is dwarfed by my favorite Portland Trail Blazers sweatshirt. Suddenly she stops in the middle of the sidewalk and gives a full body shudder as she says, “I feel like my eyeballs need a shower. You realize I can’t unsee that. That guy was practically giving the poor girl a tonsillectomy with his tongue right in front of everyone. I swear the kid couldn’t have been more than thirteen.”
“It was pretty awkward. When I was that kid’s age, I was still too scared to talk to girls. It would’ve never occurred to me to kiss one like that. I don’t even want to consider where he learned his kissing skills.”
“Good idea. Let’s not think about it — it’s way too disturbing.”
As we round the corner to the hospital, I realize the reason for the cloak and dagger routine. The parking lot is filled with media trucks and reporters milling around. “Somebody somewhere said something to someone. I wonder how much damage control we’re going to have to do. The media coverage have already been crazy. Any leaks will compound things.”
Kendall looks a little green. “From the looks of things, I’d say we’re in crisis mode. So much for an orderly response to all of this. I expected a missing baby to be a big story, but the interest in baby Asher is more than I guessed. When the media discovers we found him, every word from anyone involved is going to go viral.”
Staying out of the line of sight of the reporters, I spot the entrance by the loading dock. I squeeze Kendall’s hand and motion with my head to show her where to go. We duck behind a couple of cars and a large truck to avoid being seen by any reporters. Just as I am about to knock on the door, it opens, and we are whisked inside by a breathless nurse.
“Hey, I’m MacKenzie. You guys got here fast! When the agent told me you were coming by bus, I thought it would take a while. It’s a good thing you’re here. The nurses are having a heckuva time trying to keep people away from our floor. We have lots of patients, and we are trying to be fair to everyone, but all these people who are trying to break into our hospital are way more than our usual security can handle. We’re just a small regional hospital.”
“It’s nice to meet you, MacKenzie. I have to admit that this case is moving faster than we can keep up. Why exactly are we here?” Kendall asks as she intently studies the perky young nurse.
I step forward and introduce myself, “I’m Jameson. I take care of all the computer stuff.”
The nurse’s eyes widen as she takes another look at me. “Oh! I thought for sure you were law enforcement. You just have that sort of bearing.”
“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that. Don’t worry about it. So, why are we here?”
MacKenzie ushers us to a private alcove and says quietly, “First things first — can I see some identification please?”
Kendall hands over her driver’s license and I use my military ID.
“Thank you. I just want to be cautious given the circumstances around this case. Thank you for your service Sergeant Payne.”
“We appreciate your diligence. Anything to keep Asher safe is a good thing. We’re all playing on the same team here. We just haven’t been given the playbook,” I quip.
“You’ve heard of drug smuggling? You two are about to become baby smugglers.”
“We are?” Kendall exclaims as her eyes sparkle with excitement.
MacKenzie motions for us to follow her. We enter a quiet room where Asher is laying in the middle of a crib with metal bars. He looks like a caged animal at the zoo. MacKenzie closes the door behind her. “This little guy is ready to see his mom and dad. Naturally, we can’t walk him out the front door without causing a huge disruption to everyone. There is a lime green car waiting for you behind the post office, next to the delivery vehicles. The keys are in the ignition. It belon
gs to our chaplain. There is an infant seat in the back.”
MacKenzie unwraps a new front carrier and hands it to Kendall “You might find this helpful.”
Kendall whips off my sweatshirt and puts the front carrier on with ease. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for her to do. She probably hasn’t worn one since Quinn’s death. Kendall walks over to the crib as tears stream down her face. “You ready to go for a walk, buddy?” Kendall asks in a soft singsong voice. She tucks him into the front carrier and then pulls my sweatshirt over her head.
MacKenzie studies the situation for a moment. She takes a pair of scissors from her pocket and carefully reaches up under the sweat shirt with her other hand to protect Asher as she asks, “Do you mind? I would just feel better if he had a little more airflow.”
“I understand,” I say grimly. “I can always get another sweat shirt. Li’l dude needs to breathe.”
“Okay, let me let the administrator know we’re ready for him to make his announcement to distract the media.”
“Statement?” Kendall asks with alarm in her voice.
MacKenzie winks at Kendall. “Don’t worry about it. Mr. Gutenberg is simply going to make a statement which says we have nothing to say about the matter. Having worked for the man, I can tell you that might take a while. He has a unique talent of making simple things complicated and complicated things even more complicated. By the time the media sorts out what he’s actually saying, you guys will have made a clean escape.”
Kendall glances over at me as she gently rocks back and forth to soothe Asher. She’s not saying anything, but her eyes are speaking volumes. She looks terrified but determined to carry out our clandestine mission.
MacKenzie comes back in the room and gives us the thumbs up sign.
“Oh wait!” she says, stopping us mid-stride. She digs a few pacifiers out of her pocket and sticks them in the pocket of Kendall’s sweat shirt. “Here are some spares. Trust me, with this little one you don’t want to be without these. He’s a much happier camper with them around.”
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