Holding Out for a Hero

by Pamela Tracy

  Oscar grimaced. “What makes you say that?”

  “He targeted Sarasota Falls. He didn’t know anything about Shelley. She’s collateral damage. On the other hand, he came back for Candace, which put him in danger. There had to be a strong pull.”

  “The woman who giggles? She’s the only one we don’t have a handle on, right?” Oscar said. “If we can figure out who she is, we’ll know the answer.”

  “That doesn’t mean we’ll find him.”

  “It’s another piece to the puzzle, though.” Oscar stood, stretched and paced the room. He was starting to hate this tiny space. He wanted to be with Shelley, holding her hand and promising her he’d take care of everything.

  He’d made that promise once before. It hadn’t turned out the way he’d expected.

  “Was Maureen Peterson able to share anything we didn’t know?”

  “Yes. She said while they were married, he was taking computer classes at the community college. She says he was on the computer all the time. After he left, she took one of the laptops in for repair, and the tech guy said something to her about being a hacker. Wasn’t her. But Larry.”

  “You think he’s gotten into anything important? Police files or—”

  “I think he’s good. He’s managed to get her phone number every time she’s changed it. He’s used a micro GPS tracker so he’d know where she is. I could go on.”

  “I have another call,” Townley said. “You be careful. Keep me posted.”

  Oscar signed off, wishing he knew what to be careful of.

  Before he had time to put his phone back in his pocket, it sounded again. “What’s happening?” Riley asked.

  “I’m in the waiting room. No one else in Sarasota Falls is having a baby. Either that or all their family is in with them. I hear that Ryan and Maureen met each other and there’s little doubt.”

  “Trimble’s already sent the swab to the DNA Diagnostic Center in Runyan. The man arranged a court order in less than an hour. It helped that all the paperwork had already been processed. We’ll have the proof by tomorrow.”

  Oscar shook his head. His hometown certainly had more than its share of connections to this case: Candace’s hometown, Larry Wagner meeting the giggling woman and now the nearby DNA Diagnostic Center.

  “What will happen with Ryan tonight? I know that’s going to be Shelley’s first question.”

  Riley didn’t answer right away. Oscar said, “Until tomorrow, when the sample is processed, Ryan cannot go with Maureen Peterson.”

  “A representative from child protective services is on her way. Ryan will spend the night in a temporary foster home.”

  “Here in Sarasota Falls?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know the family?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Can I watch Ryan?”

  “No.”

  “What if Shelley gave permission?”

  “Not a possibility. Shelley is not the legal guardian. Any papers she has are probably forged. We don’t want to do anything to cause Trimble or Maureen Peterson to start questioning whether or not Shelley had anything to do with the kidnapping.”

  “Come on. They can’t think that.”

  “What would have happened if Shelley hadn’t gone into labor?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Oscar hit the off button and then put his phone on mute. He didn’t want any more calls. He wanted to be in with Shelley. She shouldn’t have been going through any of this alone. A half-dozen times he walked down the hall, wanting to be where she was. A half-dozen times he returned to the waiting room. He was out of his element.

  He found another magazine and skimmed through it. Then he went down the hall and got a bad cup of coffee and some chips out of a machine. Returning, he neared the waiting room and heard a distant wail. Shelley had a good set of lungs on her. Leaning against the wall, he waited, feeling half like an intruder and half like the luckiest man on earth. He’d get to be one of the first people to see Shelley’s baby. He hoped the little girl looked just like her mother.

  Finally it grew quiet. He could hear talking, the doctor giving orders and even Shelley asking a question. One more scream. Then came laughter. Shelley’s. Like he’d never heard before. His heart soared. She was all right. He’d not even realized how worried he was.

  After a few minutes, the door opened and a hospital bed was wheeled from the room. Shelley looked at him, gave a half smile and looked away.

  “She’s going to recovery,” the nurse said. “We had a few problems with the placenta...” Her words tapered off as she moved. He thought about moving with her down the hallway, but a tiny bed with plastic sides was wheeled from the room. A baby, lungs not quite loud but strong nevertheless, followed her mother. Oscar longed to introduce himself to the baby.

  But he knew what Shelley’s half smile meant. She was displeased, and he didn’t blame her.

  The nurse, who knew nothing except he was the man who’d accompanied Shelley on a few doctor visits, came over and said, “She’ll be assigned a room in a couple of hours. Go get something to eat. You look ready to collapse.”

  He nodded and headed to the front of the hospital, his feet slowing because he didn’t want to leave. He hesitated at the front door and, instead of walking through it, sat in a visitor’s chair, turning his phone back on and checking his messages.

  Aunt Bianca had texted that she was on her way. Oscar quickly called her back. “Stop by Shelley’s. Get Robert to let you in. I know she has a suitcase packed by the front door. Look on her fridge. She had a list of to-dos written there.”

  “On my way,” Bianca said.

  Ten minutes later, Bianca’s number again appeared on Oscar’s phone, but it was Robert’s voice that he heard. “Bianca tells me that Shelley’s just had her baby, and I should unlock the door so she can get a suitcase.”

  “Yes. I’m at the hospital now.”

  “Something curious I thought I should share. The Sarasota Falls Medical Center called me this morning about their break-in. I swept the system and found something. It’s a bit like teenagers when they hack into their school’s system and change grades.”

  “You have my full attention,” Oscar said.

  “Whoever broke into the medical office, hacked the system, installed hardware that gave them passwords, and did a single change.”

  “You found one change.”

  “I did, just about twenty minutes ago. It wasn’t easy, but I focused on Shelley. I knew she was a patient, and I know she’s the one person in town who’s had the most trouble lately.”

  Oscar grinned. He’d just been shown up by a geek.

  “What exactly did the hacker do?”

  “Changed the permissions on Shelley’s file. They deleted the restraining order Shelley had against her ex-husband. The way the file read before the change, Larry Wagner had no rights and could not enter the area of the hospital where his child was.”

  “And now?” Oscar was afraid he knew the answer.

  “Now the file reads that Larry has the same rights as any involved father would. Why would someone change Larry Wagner’s rights?”

  Oscar’s thoughts came faster than his words.

  The only person who might want to give Larry Wagner permission to see Shelley’s baby was Wagner himself. He headed for the nursery. His job right now wasn’t protecting just Shelley, but also her baby daughter.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “HERE, SUCK ON this ice.” The nurse handed Shelley a cup. Under a warm blanket, Shelley almost rested, secure, calm. The feeling, though, was an illusion. Since her mouth was dry, she slid her hand out from under the blanket and tipped the cup. Then she closed her eyes. The nurse attending her talked about the weather, traffic and the latest book she was readi
ng. All safe topics.

  Lately all Shelley’d talked about was Larry, his threats, Candace Livingston and now Maureen Peterson.

  “When can I see my baby?” Shelley asked.

  “As soon as we take you to your room, the baby will be brought in. Someone will stop by to discuss breast-feeding.”

  Shelley closed her eyes, smiling, and thought about the mat of dark hair, the mottled reddish skin and the strong wail. She thought about the pain, about the doctor saying, “Let’s take care of this now,” and knowing something was wrong. Not with the baby, but with her.

  Good.

  The nurse had held up the most beautiful baby in the world so she could see. “Over seven pounds,” she’d stated.

  “Maybe eight,” another nurse had said.

  Her baby.

  She’d do it all again, marry Larry, cope with all of it, just to have this moment. Go through the pain, the complications, just for this baby.

  Maureen Peterson had probably felt the same way. What had she called her ex-husband? Oh, yeah, Henry Williams. Shelley wondered where they’d lived and how long Maureen had been married to him. He’d made Ryan disappear twice: once from Maureen and now from Shelley.

  Already her heart swelled with love, and she hadn’t even held the baby in her arms yet.

  Empty arms. For the last year, Maureen had empty arms.

  “Do you have a name picked out?”

  She’d had a name, but now she needed a new one. The old one wasn’t right.

  A phone sounded, and the nurse answered. Shelley listened to “Yes, she’s down here. No, she’s not ready to be moved to her room yet. Oh, that’s sweet.”

  “What?” Shelley asked.

  The nurse ended the call and said, “Officer Guzman is sitting in a chair by the nursery.”

  Shelley frowned. She couldn’t shake Oscar Guzman. He frustrated her, angered her and most of all intrigued her. But he’d crossed the line today. He hadn’t warned her about Maureen Peterson. She’d felt ambushed, and for some reason, she blamed Oscar for it all. Probably because for the last few weeks, she’d stopped feeling alone because of him.

  “We’ve put on extra security,” the nurse said. “For while you’re here. We know about your ex-husband.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I guess when your boyfriend is an ex-marine, though, you’ve got permanent security.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. When can I be taken to my room?”

  “We want to monitor your bleeding and blood pressure a little longer.”

  Shelley lay back, exhausted. She wanted to sleep. She wanted her baby. She wanted Oscar to tell her that everything was okay.

  Would that ever be true?

  The nurse removed Shelley’s blanket and gave her a new, even warmer one. The hum of machines lulled her into closing her eyes, drifting, not that she’d allow herself to fall asleep. Too much to worry about.

  When she woke up, she was in her room, and Oscar sat in a chair by the window. The light from the window seemed to hit him like a spotlight. His neck was tilted at an odd angle as he dozed. A bassinet was at his left.

  She tried to sit up. Oscar jerked awake, blinked a few times and wheeled the baby over.

  “Big surprise, huh?” he said.

  “Yeah.” She went up on her elbows, surprised by how weak she was.

  “Would you like me to hand him to you?”

  She nodded.

  Oscar walked quietly to the bassinet, peering down somewhat in awe. She watched as his hands disappeared inside. When he lifted the baby, slowly and gently, at first all she could see were Oscar’s hands, cupping her son, before he transferred the baby to her waiting arms.

  Instantly, Shelley calmed. The feel of her baby’s warm, soft body against her chest was unlike any other experience. The wrinkled, red face scrunched up. For a moment, she thought he’d cry, but instead he mewed—that was the only word she could think of to describe it—and relaxed. She’d never thought of scent as being so powerful an emotion. But here she lay, surrounded by a world that wanted to take from her, and she was savoring all this little bundle had to give. Oscar went back to his chair and gave her a moment before saying, “You’ll have to return some of the clothes we bought the other day.”

  “I don’t mind, so long as he’s safe and healthy.”

  “How you doing, Shelley?” Riley took one step in the room, shattering the mood and slamming reality back into place.

  “All right. Where’s...Billy?”

  “He’s fine. There’s no need to worry,” Oscar said.

  Riley looked at Oscar. “You sure everything is okay here?”

  Oscar nodded. “I haven’t let the baby out of my sight.”

  “What’s going on?” Shelley asked.

  “We figured out what happened during the break-in last night at your doctor’s office,” Oscar replied. “You can thank your landlord. Robert figured out that someone deleted the restraining-order entry you had against Larry so that it looked like he had a right to come in and see the baby.”

  “He wouldn’t!”

  “Hard to imagine,” Oscar agreed. “But the head nurse says your original Kardex card went missing.”

  “Kardex?” Shelley and Riley asked at the same time.

  “It’s a paper that has your important information on it so that the next shift can know what’s going on at a glance.”

  “Would Larry and the restraining order have been mentioned on the card?”

  “Yes,” Oscar said. “They’ve already made a new one, and word of mouth is a powerful thing. Even with me here, and I’m not moving, your nurse has stopped in every five minutes or so.”

  “How worried should I be?” Shelley asked softly.

  Riley said, “We’re concerned enough that Officer Stillwater is in the parking lot, Oscar’s with you and the hospital has doubled their security.”

  Shelley looked at her baby, wrapped tightly in a blanket. “I’ll keep you safe,” she whispered. He pursed tiny lips as if believing her.

  “I can’t even fathom Larry going through all this in order to punish me,” Shelley said. “I mean, I didn’t actually see him kill Candace.”

  “We believe the threat is real,” Oscar said. “So do you. Otherwise, why go through all that you did to push us...me...away?”

  The baby let out a tiny whimper as if sympathizing with him.

  “You’re right,” Shelley said to Oscar. “I want to be informed from now on about the case, all of it. I need to be informed.”

  He looked at Riley. “She’s right. She deserves to know. Tell us what’s going on.”

  “An undercover cop working in Santa Fe called us an hour ago.” Riley gave Shelley a sympathetic look. “Seems the news has already picked up the story of Ryan being Billy and Larry Wagner being a kidnapper along with everything else.”

  Shelley closed her eyes. She was moving to Timbuktu when this was all over.

  “Larry’s photo has been displayed prominently on all major stations. Dallas PD got a call and investigated it. Apparently a husband and wife who couldn’t have children were negotiating a deal with a couple they met online who didn’t want the baby they were about to have.”

  “A baby broker?” Oscar asked.

  “Not a legal one,” Riley responded. “They recognized Larry on the television and called the police. They’d already paid him twenty-five thousand dollars with another twenty-five to be paid either tomorrow or the next when Larry—going by a different name, by the way—delivered the child.”

  “My child,” Shelley said.

  Shelley didn’t kid herself. Larry wasn’t the kind of guy to give up on a deal that could net him fifty thousand dollars. If he’d found the first couple, he could find another.

 
She looked at Oscar. “How does Candace figure in all this?”

  “We still don’t know.”

  “But he knows you’re here. He knows Maureen Peterson is here. Surely he’s going to back off,” Shelley said.

  “Except for the motel and the restaurant, Maureen hasn’t been around town. We’re hoping he doesn’t know she’s here.”

  “He’s known everything else,” Shelley pointed out. “He’s not one to give up. He’ll try something.”

  “I think you’re right,” Oscar said. “He’s gotten away with his cons for so long that he thinks he’s invincible. It’s become a game to him. Maybe the game is even more important than the money. But this time, I have a vested interest.” He looked at her, something simmering in his expression, making promises she wanted to hear but was afraid to believe.

  He whispered, “I’ll be waiting.”

  * * *

  THE SWAB CAME back positive. Oscar hung up the phone and walked down the hall to Shelley’s room. She’d slept most of the night, waking only to nurse the baby. It wasn’t working, and she kept switching to bottles of formula so tiny that his hand—when he’d unwrapped one for her—almost fumbled it.

  This morning, she looked beautiful sitting up in bed, holding her baby and feeding him.

  Oscar couldn’t seem to form the words, and Shelley saved him. “Ryan really is Billy Williams.”

  “Yes.”

  “What happens next?” Her voice had a dry rasp but was strong, like she was.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Does she take him outright? Or do I get to say goodbye? Can I send some of his toys and clothes with him? Is there any chance at all that I’ll be able to visit him once in a while?”

  “I don’t know.” His voice was raspier than hers. Being with her, knowing what she was going through, was hard.

  “Find out for me, okay? I mean—” she choked a little, looking down, touching her son’s forehead reverently “—I mean, if somebody took my son, if I had to wonder for a year where he was, if he was being cared for, loved, I’d...I’d lose it. I’m so sorry for all Maureen Peterson went through. I have to do the right thing.”