Sloane Monroe 06-Hush Now Baby

by Bradshaw, Cheryl

  Cade scrutinized the woman like she was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. “Grace, let’s have this conversation in the other room.”

  Once we were in the kitchen, out of earshot, I seized the moment. “So … what has Cade said about me, exactly?”

  Grace slid a wooden chair out from under a table, sat down, gestured for me to do the same. She pretended not to notice the intense look Cade gave her from across the room. “Ahh … you know what? I’d better not say anything else. Cade might never forgive me.”

  “I don’t mean to seem rude,” I said, “but who are you?”

  “Jack’s sister.”

  “Which makes you—”

  “Cade’s cousin.” She frowned. “Serena was one of my closest friends.”

  Cade weaved one boot over the other, leaned against the kitchen counter. “Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s change topics. Jack’s not talkin’. Maybe it’s because he’s liquored up at present, but I can’t help him if I don’t have a place to start, and he’s it.”

  Grace rapped the tips of her fingers on the edge of the table. “Can you blame him? He’s in shock.”

  “’Course I don’t blame him. If this was happening to one of us, we’d all react the same way.”

  “The fact is, he’s not up to the kind of conversation you’re after,” Grace said. “Not right now. Why don’t you tell me what you know so far? Maybe I can help.”

  “Chief Rollins said Jack was at work last night. Came home this morning, found Serena dead, Finn gone. Whoever did this was clean, wore gloves, didn’t leave any prints behind, not even a partial.”

  “No sign of forced entry?” Grace asked.

  “I was told he entered through a window in the basement.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The chief said the metal on the latch was broken off. When police arrived this morning, they noticed the window wasn’t shut all the way. The ledge was dusty. One part was smudged like someone had gripped it for balance while they broke into the house.”

  “Anything else?”

  “The front door was locked and bolted. The back door was open.”

  Grace perked up. “That’s how he escaped. Must have walked right out the back door.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive,” Grace said. “I was here last night. I saw her. We talked. When I left, she seemed fine.”

  Cade walked to the back door. Opened it. Inspected the knob, the lock, the door jamb. “If he exited this way, he showed himself out. This door only locks from the inside, unless you have a key. I’m guessin’ he didn’t. What time were you here?”

  “Around nine fifteen, nine thirty. Serena called me. She was out of formula and didn’t want to wake the baby and take him out so late at night. I offered to run to the store. When I got here, I pulled around back. She unlocked the door, let me in. We talked.”

  “For how long?”

  “Half hour, maybe.”

  “Jack told police he spoke to her on the phone around nine, which would have been right before you arrived. You were the last one to talk to her, the last one to see her alive.”

  “She was in good spirits when I was here. Everything was fine. I left the same way I came in, and I’m sure she locked the door after me.”

  “How sure?”

  “I heard it click. Besides, she never left things unlocked. Not after Jack started working nights.”

  Jack stumbled into the room. “Why are you all in here talking about me?”

  Cade placed his hand on Jack’s arm. Jack lurched back.

  “I don’t want you here,” Jack slurred. “Any of you. I want to be alone.”

  “Jack,” Cade said, “take a minute. Catch your breath. We’re only tryin’ to help.”

  “I want you to go, Cade. All of you. Just go.”

  “It’s going to be—”

  Through gritted teeth, Jack said, “No, it’s not. Rena is dead. My son is gone. Get … out!”

  Jack lunged at Cade, attempting to force him out of the way. He missed by a good six inches, plowing head-first into the side of the fridge.

  Cade stepped back and spread his hands, holding them out in front of him. “All right, Jack. I hear you. We’re leaving.”

  The three of us stepped outside. I heard the lock click into place, just like Grace heard earlier. Frustrated and unsure of the best way to help her brother, Grace took out her phone, dialed.

  “Who are you calling?” I asked.

  “Our mother. He needs her. She was on her way out of town this morning. Had a vacation planned with one of her friends. She turned around as soon as she heard the news. Hopefully she’s close. You two can go. I’ll stay until she gets here.”

  “My gut says Finn was taken intentionally,” Cade said, “which means Serena may have been killed because she got in the way.”

  “We need to figure out the motive behind the kidnapping,” I added.

  Grace piped up. “I can think of one person with a reason.”

  Cade’s eyes widened. “Who?”

  “The birth mother.”

  “What birth mother?” I asked.

  “Finn was adopted,” Cade said. “Serena couldn’t have children.”

  “What does the birth mother have to do with this?” I asked.

  “Everything,” Grace said. “She never wanted to give up the baby.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Grace’s declaration shocked me. “What? Wait a minute. How do you know the birth mother wanted to keep the baby?”

  “Serena told me,” Grace answered.

  “Did Jack know?”

  “About the girl’s reservations? Kinda.”

  Kinda?

  I probed for more.

  “Whatever Serena told you, we need to know everything. All of it. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Grace looked at Cade like she sought his approval before disclosing the rest.

  “Sloane’s right,” he said. “We need to know what you know. You need to make Chief Rollins aware of it too.”

  I imagined he wanted to keep the conversation between the three of us. Telling the chief wasn’t ideal, but she had information the chief didn’t. It was the right thing to do.

  “Serena never met the birth mother until the night the baby was born,” Grace said.

  “What about before Finn was born?” I asked. “Did they talk?”

  Grace nodded. “On the phone, several times.”

  “Is that … allowed?”

  “As long as both parties agree to it. The birth mother was trying to choose between Serena and Jack and another couple. She had a few questions before she made her final decision. Serena wasn’t sure she wanted to make phone contact at first.”

  “She did though, right?”

  “Yes. She was afraid if she denied the calls, she’d anger the birth mother, and the other couple would be chosen.”

  “What did they talk about?”

  “The girl—”

  “Does this girl have a name?” I asked.

  “Hannah Kinkade. She wanted to know about Jack and Serena’s background, why they wanted a baby, how long they’d been married, whether they planned to adopt more children, that type of thing. Serena wasn’t obligated to answer. She wanted to put Hannah’s mind at ease.”

  “You said they never saw each other before the baby was born. What about after?”

  “Jack and Serena waited outside the delivery room while Hannah gave birth.”

  The surprises kept coming. “Hannah allowed them to be there? Is that common?”

  Grace shrugged. “Serena thought Hannah offered because Hannah wanted to get a better feel for who she was giving her baby to before she signed his life away to someone else.”

  “I can’t even imagine how tough that would be,” I said.

  “It was one of the hardest things Serena’s ever gone through.”

  Cade scooted onto the seat in his truck, allowed me to do what I did best.

 
“If Serena had been trying so long for a baby, I would think it would have been one of the best days of her life.”

  Grace dug divots into the grass using the heel of her boot. “Yeah, Serena thought it would be. “Magical” was the word she used before the birth. Afterward, Serena could see how much of a struggle it was for Hannah to let the baby go. She didn’t expect it.”

  “Did Hannah ever say she didn’t want to give up the baby?” I asked.

  “Hannah didn’t, no.”

  “Then how did Serena know? She assumed it?”

  “Hannah’s aunt was also there. She mentioned how difficult the decision had been.”

  “Do you remember the aunt’s name?”

  “I believe Serena said her name was Renee. She asked if Serena and Jack would consider allowing her niece to have visitation once in a while. When Serena asked why, the aunt said a few days prior to giving birth, Hannah started talking about keeping the baby. The aunt thought if Jack and Serena allowed Hannah to see him once in a while, it would give Hannah the push she needed to sign the paperwork.”

  In college, one of my classmates had learned she was pregnant after a brief, one-night stand with a man she met at a bowling alley of all places. She didn’t know the man’s name or where he lived. She didn’t even know his phone number. She didn’t think she needed it. The guy was supposed to have been a one-night, one-time thing. Then she missed her period. Against her parents’ request to raise the child themselves, when the child was born, a girl, she handed her over to an adoption agency, opting for a closed adoption. She never saw her daughter again. Until now, this was the only knowledge I had of the adoption process. Either times had changed or Finn’s adoption was a lot more complicated.

  “I’m assuming Hannah didn’t choose a closed adoption?” I asked.

  “She wanted it to be open. Serena and Jack said no. Hannah then asked for semi-open, and they agreed to it.”

  “I’m not sure I know how to distinguish the different types.”

  “Semi-open means Serena and Jack agreed to send photos of the baby and letters about how the baby was doing to the adoption agency from time to time. The agency then forwarded the letters to Hannah. This allowed them to share some information while keeping other things about their private lives confidential.”

  “Seems so strange.”

  “Not really. It’s designed to protect the identity of everyone involved while also allowing for a connection. Some families go way beyond this. It’s all about what’s comfortable for everyone involved.”

  “Doesn’t it change once the baby is legally adopted by the adoptive family?” I asked.

  “In a closed adoption, yes. Semi-open is different. And with open adoption, there’s even more involvement between the birth parents and adoptive parents. The lady Serena worked with at the adoption agency told Serena one of her other adoptive families had just attended their birth mother’s graduation—and they’d adopted the baby two years before.”

  “How was it supposed to work for Serena and Jack?”

  “Hannah was only supposed to know what they looked like, their first names, what they did for a living, that kind of thing. Basic details. Nothing too private.”

  “Why do I get the feeling Hannah knew a lot more?” I asked.

  “After Finn’s birth, Serena was afraid Hannah wouldn’t sign the baby over, so she verbally agreed to let Hannah see him once every six months. She hoped after some time passed, Hannah would change her mind, move on with her life. She was so young, just starting out in life. Way too young to focus on raising a baby.”

  Grace closed her eyes, sighed.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “A week after Finn was born, Hannah showed up on Jack and Serena’s front porch, violating the agreement they made.”

  “Wait—I thought you said Hannah didn’t know where they lived?”

  “According to the adoption agency, she didn’t.”

  “Then how did she know where to find them?” I asked.

  “Hannah wouldn’t say.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said she made a mistake. She begged for her baby back.”

  Cade, who appeared to have only been partially attentive to the conversation, gave me a look like “let’s go,” which I didn’t know how to interpret. Grace was giving me the kind of information we needed. Information no one else had.

  I held up a finger, turned back toward Grace. “Did Serena call the police after Hannah arrived?”

  Grace shook her head. “She felt sorry for her. Hannah could barely speak. She seemed—desperate.”

  “How did Serena handle it?”

  “She said she’d allow Hannah to see Finn if Hannah let her have her aunt’s phone number. Serena called. Renee came right over, promised she’d make sure Hannah never bothered them again.”

  “And?”

  “She didn’t. At least not from what Serena told me. Serena made it clear that if it happened again, she’d get the police involved. Cade would have heard about it if she did.”

  Cade stuck his head out of the truck window, his impatience escalating. “Sloane, we need to go.”

  I thanked Grace and speed-walked my way to Cade’s truck. I expected him to start the engine. He didn’t. I opened the passenger-side door and turned back. “Grace, can I ask you one more question?”

  I didn’t bother looking at Cade. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t happy.

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “If Hannah didn’t want to go through with the adoption, why did she? You said she was young, but it’s obvious she wasn’t keen on giving up her baby.”

  “Serena told me the boyfriend pressured her to give the baby up.”

  “Who?”

  “Hannah’s boyfriend. The birth father.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Questions mounted in my mind. Why did Hannah’s boyfriend want her to give up the baby if he knew Hannah wanted to keep it? Why hadn’t Hannah just ended the relationship? And the biggest question of all—why was Hannah’s aunt the only one in the delivery room? Why weren’t Hannah’s parents there when she gave birth?

  My focus changed. I thought about Grace, whom I considered to be a stoic rock in a world of emotional pebbles. If Serena’s death stirred her emotions, she didn’t show it.

  I turned to Cade. “For someone who just lost her close friend and sister-in-law, Grace doesn’t seem affected by what’s going on.”

  “Sloane …”

  “She just seems so pleasant and calm considering—”

  “Sloane,” Cade said, again. “Grab somethin’ and hang on.”

  “What? Why?”

  A toothpick dangled from his mouth. He rolled it around, using it as a pointer. “See the van parked at the end of the street?”

  I squinted, impressed with his hawk-like vision.

  “They’ve been sittin’ there since we walked outside,” he continued. “Idling.”

  “You didn’t have to wait for me. You could have checked them out.”

  “I wanted to see what they’d do first. I think they’ve been waitin’,”

  “For what?”

  “Us to leave.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re about to find out.”

  Cade ignited the engine, hammered down on the gas pedal. The inhabitants of the van entered a state of unprepared shock. The van jolted back, then throttled forward, tires squealing along the damp pavement. With both pairs of eyes fixed on Cade’s fast-approaching vehicle, they missed something important—a third vehicle turning down the road.

  The van collided with a bronze-colored Cadillac, side-swiping the sedan on the driver’s side. Metal crunched and glass shattered, spraying shards of debris through the open air like piñata bursting at the seams. Cade thrust the truck into park and leapt out, sprinting to the sedan. The airbag inside the car had deployed moments earlier, blocking me from seeing the driver.

  I had a clear view of the van. Both passengers appeared
to be involved in an argument of some kind. I exited the truck, acutely aware of the high-pitch scream echoing behind me. I turned, watched Grace race up the street toward us. I looked at her then at Cade. Clarity came, and suddenly I was aware of who the mysterious person was sitting behind the wheel of the Cadillac.

  Grace and Jack’s mother.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Mom!” Grace was alarmed but incredibly cool-headed at the same time.

  “She’s all right,” Cade shouted.

  He had the door of the Cadillac open and was hunched over his aunt’s body, feeling around, making sure nothing was broken before he elevated her from the seat.

  “I’m fine, Cade,” the woman shouted. “Stop fussing!”

  Cade ignored her request and waved me over. “Make sure those two idiots don’t go anywhere.”

  Based on his tone of voice, I assumed he’d recognized the van’s passengers.

  I approached the vehicle. The exchange between the van’s occupants had escalated to fever pitch. They didn’t notice me. Not even when I tapped on the glass with my fingernail. A far more attention-grabbing approach was in order. I jerked the drivers-side door open. “Out!”

  Shocked into silence, they reeled their heads toward me. The female in the driver’s seat had sustained a few gashes to her head, a scrape or two on one of her arms, nothing major. The man beside her was fine, due in part to the fact his seatbelt was buckled. Hers wasn’t.

  “Who are you?” the man asked.

  “Yeah,” the woman added. “I don’t recall seeing you around here before.”

  “Who I am isn’t important,” I replied. “I asked you to exit your vehicle, and when I ask someone to do something, I only ask once.”

  The man thumbed in my direction. “I like her. She’s funny.”

  “Get out or I’ll drag you out. Your choice.”

  The man’s eyes flashed with excitement. “You must be new.”

  The woman cupped a hand over her mouth, whispered loud enough for me to hear. “I bet she’s McCoy’s replacement once he snags Rollins’ job.”

  I opened the driver’s side door.