Sisters By Choice

by Lillian Duncan

  Conrad went to Maria. “Why? You surely didn’t have time to listen to her account. What happened?”

  She turned so he could see the handcuffs. Her voice shook as she spoke. “They arrested me. For murder.” Tears seeped out.

  His hand moved towards her cheek. He wiped away her tears. She was grateful for the physical contact. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.” He turned back to the group who stood silently watching them. “We were told you wanted to question her. Nothing was said about an arrest.”

  Maria’s muscles relaxed. Conrad hadn’t abandoned her to the FBI wolves.

  The leader stepped forward. “It wasn’t your business. It was on a need to know basis.”

  “This woman and her child are my business, and I’m not going to let you arrest her. Putting her in jail will only make her a bigger target.” He turned to Morgan Reed. “How could you let this happen?”

  “I…I…”

  “Don’t bother with an explanation. Save it for your bosses.” His tone was more than disgusted—it was on the verge of angry.

  He hadn’t betrayed her.

  “Take the cuffs off her. She isn’t a danger to anyone.”

  “She resisted arrest.” Nat Daniels told Conrad.

  Conrad looked at her. A smile tugged at his mouth and he winked. “Did you resist arrest, Ms. Hammond?”

  “Not really. I was just surprised. I reacted without thinking.”

  He put a hand on her arm and turned to the others. “I don’t know why you arrested her, but you’re making a mistake.”

  “No mistake.” Morgan said. “Forensic evidence doesn’t lie.”

  “In this case, it does.” Conrad’s voice was firm. “We have proof she wasn’t even in the state at the time of the murder.”

  Nat Daniels looked at Morgan. “Why wasn’t I told about that?”

  Morgan’s cheeks flamed red. “I didn’t know.”

  “There seems to be a lot of things you don’t know, Marshal Reed.” Nat looked back at Conrad. “What’s the proof?”

  “We have her, her car, and her child on video at a gas station in Kentucky at the approximate time of the murder. Along with a receipt with the time stamped on it. There’s no way she could have killed Julianna Vance. The time of death is while she was on the road in Kentucky.”

  Nat Daniel’s face flushed red. “Where’s the proof?”

  “Back at the station. The plan was supposed to be you interviewing Maria, and then we could go back to the station and give you the evidence.”

  The two men locked eyes as if assessing the integrity of the other. Nat Daniels held out a hand. “I’m Nat Daniels.”

  Conrad shook the offered hand. “Conrad Travis, Sunberry Police Department.”

  “I’ve got your word that this evidence exists?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The two men stared at each other.

  Nat Daniels nodded. “Take the cuffs off her.”

  32

  Maria collapsed on the bed as she watched the FBI agents file out of the motel room.

  Nat Daniels agreed to go to the station and view the video and the receipt, but as far as he was concerned, Maria was free to go. ‘No longer a suspect’ were his words to Conrad. As long as the evidence verified what Maria and Conrad had told him.

  Conrad and Nat Daniels seemed to have bonded. The two men discussed the case and the evidence. Nat Daniels had even apologized to Maria before leaving.

  As the door shut, Morgan Reed turned to her. “I’m so—”

  “Don’t bother. You need to leave. I am so done with you.” Maria was finished with this woman’s incompetence.

  “I was only—”

  “Only what? I thought your job was protecting Layla and me. And you certainly didn’t do that. In fact, you haven’t been doing it all along.” Maria jumped off the bed and marched towards the door. “You need to leave. Now.”

  Conrad walked over to Maria’s side and opened the door. “You heard the woman.”

  “It’s my job to protect her.”

  “I’ll take over that detail. You can have your boss call me at the Sunberry Police Department. I have a few things I need to tell him.”

  Morgan’s face flushed red. Her gaze went around the room. ”I can’t just leave. Maria, you have to come with me. We’ll pick up Layla and—I…”

  Conrad opened the hotel door. “You don’t have a choice, Marshal Reed.”

  “Maria, you’re making a mistake.” Morgan stalked out of the room.

  Conrad closed the door. ”I’m sorry I brought you here,” Conrad said to Maria. “I didn’t know they were going to do that.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  Conrad’s phone rang. He grinned as he fished it out of his shirt pocket. “Wow. That was quick. Want to take bets on who it is? FBI or U.S. Marshals? Hello.” A smile spread across his face as he listened. “Thanks, chief. That is wonderful news.”

  “What’s wonderful?”

  Conrad smiled, lifted her up in an embrace, and whirled her around. “They did it. Emily’s safe.”

  She hugged him back as her feet touched the floor. His arms continued to embrace her. Maria followed his lead and the two danced around the room laughing. After another twirl, she planted her feet and the two bumped to a stop. “Details, please.”

  Conrad kept his arms around her as he spoke. “According to Ben, her biological father’s in custody. She’s fine except for being scared, of course. He was arrested without incident trying to cross the Canadian border. She’s on her way home now with a police escort as we speak.”

  “Layla will be so happy”

  “Layla happy? I’m the happy one. A beautiful woman in my arms dancing with me.” They danced once again.

  Maria giggled.

  The dance ended and in the next moment, Conrad bent down and their lips touched. Warm and sweet.

  Not moving, Maria savored the moment.

  Conrad straightened up. “I’m sorry, Maria I shouldn’t have done—”

  “Oh, yes you should have.” She touched his cheek. It will be my very best memory of my time in Sunberry.”

  Conrad met her gaze. “Then maybe I should give you one more memory?”

  She moved closer. “That seems like a very good idea.” When they parted, Maria turned away and wiped away tears.

  “Maria?”

  “I’m fine, really. That is wonderful news. Emily’s safe and just like we suspected, Raymond didn’t have her. It was all a ruse. Layla will be so happy. I can’t wait to tell her.” Her phone rang. She looked down at the screen. “It’s not him. At least it’s not the same number as before.”

  Conrad walked over. “That’s Suzanne’s number. Better pick up.”

  She flipped the phone open. “Hello.”

  “Mommy.” Her daughter’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Mommy, the bad man’s after me.”

  33

  “What do you mean, Layla?” Maria’s heart turned to ice.

  “What’s happening?” Conrad nudged her, but she ignored him.

  “It’s the bad man, Mommy. He’s chasing me.” Terror and panic seeped through the whispered voice.

  “Where’s Miss Suzanne?” Maria’s own voice edged on panic.

  “She told me to hide, but he’s after me. I had to leave.” Her daughter whimpered.

  “I’m on my way, baby. Where are you?”

  “I don’t know.” More sobs. “I don’t kn—”

  The phone went dead.

  “What’s going on?” Conrad tugged her arm.

  She whirled around.

  “What’s happening? Tell me.”

  Gulping back the panic, Maria tried to form a thought. “She said the bad man’s after her.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She didn’t know.”

  “Where’s Suzanne?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t understand.” Hysteria overtook her. She clutched her head, taking huge gulps a
s she tried to contain her terror.

  “Calm down, Maria. Tell me what’s happening?”

  “She told me the bad man’s chasing her,” she said between sobs.

  “We need to get to Suzanne’s. Now.” Conrad grabbed her hand, and they ran down the hall.

  “It has to be Raymond. He found her. I knew he would. I knew he would,” Maria struggled to breathe as terror pushed the oxygen from her lungs.

  “That can’t be true. She wouldn’t have called her father a bad guy and she wouldn’t have been afraid of him.”

  A spark of hope. Conrad was right. Layla would never call her father a bad guy.

  They arrived at the car. He leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek as they slid into the seats. “Come on, Maria, you can do this. Don’t panic now. Layla needs you.”

  Maria called Suzanne’s phone over and over. It went directly to voice mail.

  While he drove, Conrad called the chief to explain the situation.

  As he pulled into Suzanne’s drive, she unbuckled her seatbelt. Before the car stopped, she flung the door open and ran towards the house.

  Ben pulled in right after them.

  Hands grabbed her by the shoulders. The chief’s voice penetrated her panic. “Stop. You can’t run in there like that. We don’t know what’s happening. It could be dangerous. I’ll go in. You wait out here.”

  “My daughter’s in there.”

  Conrad touched her chin and guided her face to his. “Look at me, Maria. Don’t argue. Let us do our job.”

  She nodded, not wanting to waste time.

  Conrad would do everything he could. They pushed past her and went towards the house.

  Her heart raced, and she wiped away the tears. All her fault. She knew better than to leave Layla. Raymond had found a way to reach her.

  34

  Maria’s eyes closed in a wordless prayer. It seemed like a year since Ben and Conrad had gone into the house. What was happening in there?

  “Maria.”

  She opened her eyes.

  Conrad stood there; his face mirrored the concern she felt. His hand touched her arm. ”We found Suzanne, but not Layla. She’s gone.”

  “Is Suzanne…is…is she dead?”

  “No. Just unconscious. The ambulance is on the way. You can come in.”

  “I don’t understand. Where’s Layla?”

  “We can’t find her.”

  She rushed past him and into the house. Chairs were knocked over, knick-knacks were broken. Suzanne’s cozy home was trashed. Several of the plants at the window had been tipped over and dirt decorated the floor.

  Ben Martin knelt down beside a very still Suzanne. Her face was pale and she didn’t appear to be breathing.

  Maria stopped. “Are you sure she’s…she’s alive?” Dread filled Maria, horror that someone else might die in Raymond’s mad scheme. Suzanne had taken her in, listened to her when no one else did.

  “She is, but her breathing is shallow. I’ve called for reinforcements. You stay here with her. We’re going to search the house again.”

  “Are you sure Layla’s not here?”

  “We searched every inch and called her name. No response.”

  “Maybe, she’s hiding. I’ve drummed that in her head the past year. If someone chases her, she knows to hide. If she hears my voice, she’ll come out.”

  Suzanne moaned. Her hand reached out for the chief’s. “Layla. Gotta get to Layla.”

  “She’s not here.” Maria knelt down and touched Suzanne’s hand. “What happened? Where is she?”

  Suzanne murmured and opened her eyes. She attempted to sit up, but her eyes fluttered shut and her body relaxed. Unconscious again.

  “I’m going to go look for Layla.” Maria walked down the hall calling. “Layla. Layla. It’s Mommy. It’s safe to come out now.” Her gaze strayed to the window. It was getting dark. Soon it would be night. Tears streamed down her face. She turned and bumped into Conrad.

  “It’s OK, Maria. We’re going to find her.” His arms encircled her. “I promise.”

  “How? He probably already has her. They’ll be out of the country before nightfall.”

  “It’s not Raymond. He’s dead.”

  “I know everyone keeps saying that, but he’s not. I heard his voice. It’s him. I’m sure of it.”

  “You weren’t sure when you listened earlier. That’s the fear taking over. Don’t let your mind trick you.”

  “I just didn’t want to believe it. My mind was playing tricks then—not now. It was Raymond, and he’s alive.” She sobbed. “And he has Layla.”

  His arms tightened around her. “I don’t believe that. She called you. Remember? He didn’t have her then. She said she was running away from the bad man. She wouldn’t call her father the bad man.”

  “You’re right. I have to keep remembering that. But if it wasn’t him, who was it?”

  She stepped out of his embrace and swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Since…since she was kidnapped, I’ve been teaching her what to do. I hated scaring her, but I taught her to hide and not let them find her.”

  “There you have it. She must have found a good hiding space. All we need to do now is find it. Like a bizarre game of hide and seek.”

  Maria took a deep breath, and calmed her aching heart. She had to be strong for Layla. She looked up at Conrad and found a strong resolve to not panic anymore.

  “Let’s go find my daughter.”

  35

  “I’m OK.” Suzanne pushed the medics away as she tore off the oxygen mask. She sat up. “Oh, no. Where’s Layla? Did you find her?”

  Maria shook her head. She couldn’t make herself say the words.

  Suzanne rubbed her forehead. “Let me think a minute. Everything’s groggy and confused. I can’t remember what happened.”

  “This woman needs to go to the hospital.” The EMT glared at them.

  “Layla called me and said the bad guy was chasing her. Then the line went dead.”

  Suzanne attempted to stand up.

  The chief put a hand on her shoulder. “Stay on the floor. Give yourself a minute.”

  Instead, Suzanne used his arm as an anchor. She swayed.

  Chief Martin put a protective arm around her back.

  “No. We don’t have a minute.” Her voice shook and her body trembled. “This is all my fault. It was my job. I’m so sorry, Maria. I promised to keep her safe. And I didn’t.”

  “Zink, don’t go off the deep end,” Conrad said. “We need you to stay focused and tell us what happened.”

  “You’re right.” She walked to the sofa and sat. “Let me think. OK. You guys left and we were hanging around. I started telling her about the history of my house.” She looked at Maria. “It was a stop on the underground railroad.”

  Maria nodded.

  “I told her about the secret tunnel. And, of course, she wanted to see it.” She jumped up. “That’s it, the secret tunnel. I was showing it to her when I heard a noise. I told her to stay put while I checked it out. I came out here and…a man.” She pointed at the sliding door in the dining room. “He was over there. We struggled. He must have hit me in the head.”

  “Did you recognize the man, Zink?” Conrad’s voice was urgent.

  “It was the man from the flower shop. David Hamm.”

  “You’re sure it wasn’t Raymond?” Maria asked.

  “It wasn’t Raymond. It was definitely the man from the flower shop.”

  “Why would he want Layla? I don’t even know him. Why would he take my child?” Her voice trembled and she knew she was close to hysteria again. She swallowed it down.

  Conrad put a comforting hand on her arm. “Where’s the secret tunnel, Suzanne?”

  “I didn’t know you had a secret tunnel,” the chief said.

  “I was afraid the historical society would come in and take over my house, so I didn’t tell anybody about it.” She tilted her head towards a door in the kitchen. “It’s in the basement.�
�

  “Zink, you need to go to the hospital.” The EMS worker moved towards Suzanne. “You’ve probably got a concussion. I gave you time to tell your story, but now it’s time to go to the hospital.”

  “Forget it. I’m not going anywhere. Layla went missing on my watch and I’m going to find her.”

  “I’ll make sure she gets to the hospital later.” Chief Martin stepped between Zink and the EMS guy. “I promise. Thanks for your help.”

  Suzanne led the way down the basement steps. She pulled on a string at the bottom of the basement. A single bare light bulb lit up the dark. It was an old dirt basement. Not much more than a hole dug out of the ground.

  Maria’s gaze searched the ceilings. There had to be spiders up there somewhere. Exposed pipes and rafters were the only decoration.

  “Not much to look at.” Suzanne led the group to a bookcase. “We were standing here talking about the tunnel. I heard a noise upstairs. I told her to wait here while I checked it out.”

  “Is there another way out of here besides the way we came?” Conrad asked.

  “Only the tunnel, but I didn’t even have time to show it to her before I went back up the steps.” She bent down and poked through the shelves to a hole in the dirt wall. “That’s the tunnel.”

  “Did you show her where the tunnel was, Suzanne?” Conrad asked.

  “I never moved the shelf, but I pointed at it. We were talking about it, and I was getting ready to move the shelf out of the way when I heard the noise. I told Layla to wait here until I got back.” Suzanne closed her eyes. “Thank God I did. I didn’t really think anything was wrong. Just figured it was the cat that came in. The alarm system should have gone off if the perimeter was breached. It didn’t.”

  “Layla called me with your cell phone.”

  “I gave it to her while I went upstairs.”

  Maria paced around the room looking for other hiding spots.

  “But if you never moved the shelf, then she didn’t leave through the tunnel.” Chief Martin said.

  “That’s not necessarily true.” Conrad bent down.

  “What do you mean?”

  Conrad pointed through the shelving. “No back. It was open. Layla’s small enough, she might have crawled through the hole.”

  Maria stared into the black hole.

  Had Layla climbed through the shelf and the hole? To safety?