“I know,” said Scout. “But it’s red and nothing else on the desert is indigenous red. It’ll stand out like crazy and we’ll be able to see it on the ground from far off.”
“You hope.”
“I hope, you’re right. My God, it’s almost a speck now.”
“Can’t we go faster?”
Their teeth were chattering as the bumps and ups and downs jerked the motor scooter from side to side, up and down, but still they pursued at top speed.
“Any faster and I’m afraid I’ll dump it. My dad would kill me if he found out.”
“All right. Then we’ll just keep going same direction.”
Five minutes later they came to a desert road, unpaved, of course, and began using it to follow the general direction of the plane. The road crossed several washes, sand running across the road perpendicular to them, and then evening out again.
Then they saw the plane. It had made a perfect landing a quarter mile ahead, not a hundred feet off the road, and was awaiting them. They pulled up alongside and turned off the ignition. “Eureka!” cried Scout.
“How many miles?” Rodney shouted.
“Almost five! We did it!”
They high-fived and broke into a run for the plane. They wanted to hold it aloft and cheer, which they did. Then the exuberance died out and Scout suddenly raised his hand for silence.
“There. Did you hear that?”
They listened in silence.”
“Sounds like a little kid crying.”
“Or a coyote. Maybe with its foot caught in a snare.”
“No,” said Rodney, “it’s a little kid. My little sister cries like that when she doesn’t get her way.”
They stood listening, then moved further away from the road, following the sound.
The crying increased in volume when they topped a rise and found themselves looking down on a deserted site consisting of two outbuildings and a low building between the two. They listened hard. The sound was definitely coming from down there, so they broke into a run.
Rodney found her first. She was sitting up, inside the office, screaming.
“Shit,” he said, “her diaper’s filthy.”
“We gotta get water in her,” said Scout. “She’s probably dying of thirst.”
“She ain’t dying,” said Rodney. “But she sure’n hell is pissed.”
“Sure’n hell is. Who could blame her?”
“Hey, who would leave their kid out here?”
“Let’s run for it.”
Rodney, the fully grown man, easily broke into a run with the little girl nestled in his arms. In fact, Rodney beat Scout to the scooter. Scout took his position on the front seat, Rodney threw a leg over the rear seat, and they walked it in a U-turn, heading back toward home.
The ride back to the house took all of fifteen minutes. The plane was all but forgotten, for they had found something much more imperative. Rodney cradled the little girl and touched her lips with his finger while they flew along. She studied his face and at one point smiled at him. “I found you,” he told her. “And now I’m gonna find your mama.”
“Hang on,” said Scout, “I’m turning in.”
They rolled into Scout’s driveway.
The police were called three minutes later.
* * *
The ER docs ran an IV and performed a complete physical. Tests were undertaken and vitals studied and recorded. The police texted her picture to the parents. The parents collapsed with joy. “It’s her!” they texted wildly in reply. “It’s our baby!”
Lieutenant Koeller, who had never left the parents’ side and who had sat with them all night, ran them Code 3 to the North Las Vegas Memorial ER. They flew past Admitting and found her in a small room. She was wide awake, an IV in her arm, holding a bottle of milk to her lips that the nurses had supplied. Her eyes followed her parents as she entered.
They embraced her, kissed her, and Katy rubbed her arms. “It’s mommy and daddy,” she murmured.
The little girl pulled the bottle away from her mouth. “Mommy for Sarai,” she said.
Both parents collapsed on her bed and promised to never let her out of their sight.
The doctors wanted to watch her overnight and keep the IVs going. She was transferred to a private room and rollaways—two—were provided for the parents.
At long last Lieutenant Koeller shook hands all around, receiving a huge hug from both parents. “We couldn’t have done it without you,” Thaddeus told him. “And those boys who brought her. I want their names and phones.”
“I’ll put them on your voicemail, soon as I get back to the station,” said Lieutenant Koeller.
“Both boys are going to attend college,” Thaddeus said. “Oh my dime.”
“Can’t blame you for that,” said the police officer. “That would be a nice gesture.”
“I can’t repay them enough.”
“You don’t need to. They’re good Scouts.”
“Thank God.”
“So we’ll talk again. Probably sometime tomorrow I’ll give a call and we’ll finish up some housekeeping. Oh, by the way. CIS found a damp spot where we’re guessing the perp took a leak. Looks like we’re going to turn his DNA.”
“Incredible,” said Thaddeus. “I just want five minutes alone with him.”
The lieutenant smiled. “I’d let us handle that.”
“We’ll see,” said Thaddeus. “I have to think about that. I want the guy’s name when you locate him.”
“It’ll be in the reports. And you’ll get those. Later, then.”
“Later.”
Katy gave the man a second long hug and turned away, tears flowing down her cheeks. “My God, I love that man,” she said to Thaddeus, when the man was gone.
“Me too,” said Thaddeus. “I love him too.”
* * *
“How much you got left, Boss?” said Bat. They were standing outside on Thaddeus’ deck two days later.
“Probably a hundred.”
“One hundred million dollars?”
“Give or take.”
“Whatcha gonna do about it?”
“Get it back, liquidate somebody, enjoy life.”
“Liquidate who?”
“One of my Chicago acquaintances. He was the last one around who hated my guts.”
“What will happen?”
Thaddeus took a long drink of iced tea. “We’ll have to see. I’m already working on that. We might be taking a trip. A long trip.”
“Me too?”
“I think so.”
“What about security around the home?”
Thaddeus drew a deep breath. “I’ve doubled BAG agents. Around the clock both inside and out.”
“That’ll be inconvenient.”
“I’ve got lots of enemies, Bat. Lots of enemies.”
“But you’ve got lots of friends, too.”
As if on cue, Kiki came through the sliding glass doors.
“Back again?” Thaddeus said.
“Can’t stay away. I’m so relieved, Thad.”
Thaddeus encircled her waist with his arm.
“Bat was just telling me how many friends I have. Between you and him, how can I go wrong?”
“And don’t forget Sparky,” said Bat. “That guy thinks you walk on water.”
“I walk on glass,” said Thaddeus. “Tell him that.”
“Let’s go inside,” Kiki said. “Katy sent me to tell you lunch is ready.”
“Sounds good.”
“And Sarai is looking for you.”
“Then by all means,” said Thaddeus. “By all means.”
* * *
The pediatricians and critical care doctors monitored her over the next two weeks. At the end her vitals looked good and her health was fully restored.
The crime lab reported a DNA match from the urine. Now to find the guy.
Thaddeus hired a team of private investigators and went on the hunt. They scoured the U.S. coast to coast. Then
the FBI reported that a name had been found. Thaddeus demanded the name. Sorry, they said, but that’s an ongoing investigation. So he filed a Freedom of Information Act demand.
Special Agent Pauline Pepper called. She said she would meet with him in Chicago, that the investigation was an uncommon one, and she wanted to discuss personally what they had so far.
He boarded the jet and headed for Chicago.
He watched the plains slip by beneath the wing. Who was this guy that a special meeting was required?
Whoever he was, it was just a matter of time before Thaddeus would locate him. He only prayed that he would get to him before the FBI made an arrest. It was a simple prayer and a short one, offered up by a man who never prayed.
Lead me to him first, he repeated.
Lead me to him. First.
The End
ABOUT JOHN ELLSWORTH
John Ellsworth was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved to Illinois thirty years ago. For thirty years he defended criminal clients across the United States. He has defended cases ranging from shoplifting to first-degree murder to RICO to tax evasion, and has gone to jury trial on hundreds. His first book, The Defendants, was published in January, 2014. His second book, Beyond a Reasonable Death, was published in March, 2014. Attorney at Large is his third book and was published in June, 2014. Chase, the Bad Baby is his fourth book and was published in July 2014. John’s fifth book, Defending Turquoise, was published by Amazon in October, 2014 and The Mental Case in December, 2014.
John Ellsworth lives in Arizona and is married with three grown children (musicians and teachers). He rescues guinea pigs and plays classical guitar.
www.johnellsworthbooks.com
[email protected]
For Debra Ellsworth
sine qua non
Copyright © 2014 by John Ellsworth
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Also by John Ellsworth
The Defendants Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 1
Beyond a Reasonable Death Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 2
Attorney at Large Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 3
Chase, the Bad Baby Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 4
Defending Turquoise Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 5
The Mental Case Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 6
Unspeakable Prayers (January 2015) Thaddeus Murfee Vol. 7
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Afterword
I make my living writing books and I’m very happy about that. The practice of law is difficult and will wear you out in a hurry. But because I make my living writing books, I would really like to ask your help. Book reviews are the lifeblood of what I do, and your Amazon review of my book would mean a lot to me. I honestly thank you.
Attorney at Large (Thaddeus Murfee Legal Thriller Series Book 3) Page 27
