The Baby Scheme

by Jacqueline Diamond

  “I presume so.”

  After a beat, Kevin addressed her. “Ready to leave? We need to check out of the motel.”

  Something tickled the back of her brain. “Not quite. You told the cops everything, right?”

  He nodded.

  “That means you told them who you suspect Ardee is,” Alli continued. “It’s my turn. What did you come up with?”

  He and Brad exchanged glances. It was just a quick flick of the eyes, but sufficient to put her on guard.

  “That’s confidential,” the lieutenant replied.

  “I’m afraid so.” Kevin wore the cagey look he used to assume in the old days—generally right before he tossed Alli out of his office.

  “I’m part of this investigation!” she declared.

  “Not officially, you’re not,” Brad responded.

  “I have a request,” Kevin told him before Alli could do more than sputter in protest. “She’s earned special consideration. How about a promise to give her first crack at any developments in the case before you release them to the rest of the media?”

  “I can’t hold back the fact that we’ve arrested the mayor’s bodyguards, because that’s public record,” he said. “As for any future exclusives, will they help get rid of that incompetent clown who took your place?”

  “I hope so,” she responded.

  “Then I can assure you this department will cooperate with you fully,” Brad said.

  “You’ve got my cell number, right?” she asked.

  “You bet.”

  He walked them to the lobby. On the drive to the motel, she tried to wheedle more information out of Kevin about Ardee, but he kept repeating that it would endanger the investigation to tell anyone, even her.

  “You’ve turned back into Detective Hardnose!” she railed. “I thought we were partners.”

  “You heard Brad. As soon as he finds anything, you’ll be the first to know.” He kept his expression bland.

  She couldn’t believe that she’d slept the whole night in this man’s arms without incurring frostbite. Yet, she reflected, she’d never felt happier to see anyone than when he’d grabbed her on the sidewalk and kept her from collapsing.

  “We’re still working together, though, right?” she said.

  He didn’t immediately answer. Alli narrowly resisted the urge to punch him in the arm.

  “Sure,” he answered at last. “Hopefully this case will be wrapped up soon, but there’s more between us than that. And if there’s any way I can help restore your job, count on me.”

  There’s more between us than that. What exactly? she wondered, and bit her lip to keep from asking.

  She wasn’t ready to have this conversation. She preferred keeping things light, hanging out with Kevin as they chased clues, snuggling with him without having to make commitments. They’d play it by ear. That suited her fine.

  “The reverend was going to try to find out more about the orphanage,” she said. “I’d better call him.”

  “Whatever you say, keep it general, okay? The less the public knows about an ongoing investigation, the better,” Kevin advised.

  “Okay.”

  When they arrived at the motel, few signs remained of this morning’s shooting, only a remnant of yellow crime-scene tape and some shards of glass. Alli hoped the Arizona family hadn’t been detained too long, although perhaps the kids had found witnessing a crime more exciting than a day at the beach.

  When they entered the motel room, the scents and the rumpled bed reminded her vividly of last night. Apparently they didn’t affect Kevin, because all he said was, “We’d better get moving. Checkout time’s in twenty minutes.”

  “Could you be a little less romantic?” she snipped.

  He paused on his way to the bathroom. “Sorry. I’m not very good at that sort of thing. Maybe I could buy you some flowers later?”

  “Forget it. A gift should be a surprise. And it has to come from the heart.”

  He disappeared, returning a moment later with his shaving kit in hand. “As I said, I’m weak on the fine points of courtship.”

  Her annoyance dissipated. Courtship was such an old-fashioned, endearing term. And reassuring, because it indicated he hadn’t slotted last night in the category of short-term pleasures.

  “A rematch would be nice,” she said.

  “Tonight?” he asked hopefully.

  “If it happens.” She closed the laptop with a snap.

  “Spontaneously,” he filled in. “Right?”

  “You’re catching on, Detective.”

  They finished packing with ten minutes to spare. Impatient to contact Weatherby, Alli dialed his number.

  The church secretary put her through. “Miss Gardner,” the minister said cheerfully. “I was going to call you.”

  “I hope that means good news.” She prepared to take notes.

  “As a matter of fact, yes. I talked to my missionary friend and also to the director of the orphanage. It appears they’d installed a new computer system and lost some of their records. When the authorities decided to audit, they interpreted the absence of data as a sign of wrongdoing.”

  She jotted down key words as he spoke. “It was a computer error?”

  “They had to go back and find hard copies of documents, which was very time-consuming. They’re better at nurturing kids than at maintaining paperwork,” the minister said. “For a while, it looked like they were going to be charged with illegal buying and selling because they couldn’t prove they’d obeyed the law. But they resolved the whole thing on Friday.”

  “It’s over?” she inquired.

  “They’ve been completely cleared. My friend says he posted it on a Web site where he writes about his experiences as a missionary. I think he called it a blog.”

  “Short for Web log,” Alli filled in. “Kind of an online diary for the public to read.”

  “Yes, well, he updated it on Saturday, although I’m not sure how many people knew to look for it,” Weatherby said, and gave her the Internet address. “I hope you’ll help put out the word. This should end that terrible blackmail business.”

  “Except for anyone who’s already paid,” Alli responded. “But the police are working on that.” She explained briefly about the morning’s developments. “Thank you so much for checking it out.”

  “Glad I could help,” he said.

  By the time she clicked off, they had to hurry to reach the front desk on time. Once they were in the car, she told Kevin what she’d learned. “You can reassure your client, and I’ll call Rita.”

  “The missionary posted the information Saturday?” Kevin repeated as he steered. “That’s interesting.”

  “Why?”

  “Because on Saturday night the blackmailer called his victims and moved up the demand date.”

  “That’s why he was in such a hurry!” Alli smacked her forehead. “That creep! He was hoping to grab the money before people found out there wasn’t a problem.”

  “Call Brad with this, will you?” he said. “I promised to keep him apprised.”

  She put in calls, first to the lieutenant and then to Rita, who was elated. “When they catch that jerk, I’m going to sue him for intentional infliction of emotional something or other,” she declared.

  “Give your little girl a big hug for me.”

  “You bet!”

  They parked in front of Kevin’s house. “I’ve got to clean up before I go to work,” he said. “Which reminds me, I need to check in with my secretary.”

  His mind was obviously running ahead to other obligations. So should hers, Alli thought, and reluctantly faced the fact that she had no further excuse to stay here. “I’ll pack the rest of my stuff.”

  “There’s no hurry. You still need to use my computer until you have yours fixed,” he pointed out.

  He was leaving open a world of possibilities. Alli forgave him for the lack of flowers or their equivalent.

  “Okay!” she sang out. “I’d like t
o start writing even though I have no idea whether I’ll find a place to publish it.”

  “Brad hated Payne’s article, by the way,” he said as they got out. “I made sure he knew you tried to prevent it from being printed.”

  “You didn’t tell him I wrote it, did you?”

  “Of course not.”

  They were allies again. Alli couldn’t have asked for more.

  They’d reached the front porch, when she noticed a movement at the side of the house. “Kevin!” She caught his arm.

  He stood stock-still. Alli saw why a moment later.

  They hadn’t been cornered by another set of thugs. They’d been caught with suitcases in hand by his mother and two sisters, who were gaping as if they’d just arrived in a spaceship.

  Chapter Sixteen

  During Kevin’s senior year in high school, when he’d been squeezed by the pressure of applying to colleges, taking SATs and seeking scholarships while keeping up his grades, he used to have dreams in which, one by one, every single thing unraveled.

  He’d overslept his tests, filled out the wrong applications, missed deadlines and arrived at school naked. Those had been the worst nightmares he’d ever experienced…until now.

  Okay, he might be exaggerating. There were worse things than being caught in an awkward situation by the three people whom he’d always tried to keep in the dark about his personal life. Like showing up at school with no clothes on—although he wasn’t entirely sure about that.

  “Hello, there,” he said to the three accusatory faces. “Something I can help you with?”

  “It’s no use playing innocent,” his mother replied. “Do you know how worried we’ve been?”

  He tried to ignore a tinge of guilt as he unlocked the door and tapped in the security code. “I’m sorry you were upset. I should have called.”

  “Somebody was shooting at you!” cried Betsy. “We heard it on the radio.”

  “They mentioned a former Outlook reporter and we knew it had to be you,” said Barbara, who was carrying the obligatory casserole. “Are you okay, Alli?”

  “I’m fine, thank you.”

  The women formed such a tight knot at the door that for a moment it didn’t look as if anyone would navigate inside. With a jolt, Kevin realized that, when they did, the evidence before them would prove damning.

  “Let’s keep this outside.” He swung to face the women while blocking the doorway with one arm. “The place is a mess.”

  “Your place is never a mess,” Heloise pointed out. “Did those thugs break in and tear it up? What’s going on?”

  Alli ducked beneath his arm—not an easy task, given her height—and scooted past him. “Just let me tidy up,” she offered. Apparently, she realized how compromising the situation would appear.

  He should have figured he couldn’t keep his family outside. They knew him so well they coordinated without visible effort. Betsy poked him in the stomach and, as he instinctively recoiled, Barbara pushed him out of the way.

  His mother marched inside and halted with a gasp. He knew exactly what she was staring at.

  When Kevin dared to peek, he discovered the scene looked even worse than he’d remembered. Before they left, Alli must have disarranged her clothing and tent while packing, so that now her lingerie and the blankets looked as if they’d been tossed around during an orgy.

  “I see,” said Heloise, which was literally true. “You didn’t think to mention that Miss Gardner was living here?”

  The use of her surname did not bode well. He wanted to speak up and clear the air, except that he didn’t know what to say. What was their relationship?

  “I’m not exactly living here.” Alli glanced at him in mute appeal.

  “That’s not how it looks to me,” said Heloise, unable to tear her eyes from the dangling lingerie.

  “You moved in with a woman and didn’t tell us?” Hurt laced Betsy’s voice, as if he’d rejected his family by leaving them in the dark. “I’ll bet practically everybody at my party knew except us!”

  “Nobody did,” Kevin said.

  Heloise folded her arms. “This has to be serious, because you never lived with anyone before, even Lisette. I hope you’re not planning to shortchange everyone by eloping. Alli, I realize you don’t have any family locally, so please count on us to help with the wedding.”

  “What wedding?” She glanced at him, clearly stunned by this leap of imagination.

  “Don’t let my son put you off too long.” His mother’s gaze played over the suitcases. “I can see you two had a fun time at that motel they mentioned on the radio. Not that I’m a prude, but I realize young people don’t always think ahead. Alli, take my word for it, you don’t want to walk down the aisle past the third month, because by then everyone can tell.”

  “Tell what?” she asked.

  Barbara, who’d gone into the kitchen to refrigerate the casserole, returned in time to hear the end of her mother’s statement. “You’re pregnant? Oh my gosh! I’m so jealous. I’ve been wanting another baby, but Betsy’s been giving me a terrible time about it.”

  “I have not!”

  “You’re afraid Mom won’t have time to babysit for the triplets!” returned her older sibling.

  “That’s not true!” Betsy squawked.

  Kevin held up a hand for silence. When his sisters continued squabbling, he roared in his officer-in-charge voice, “Stop right there!”

  Everyone froze.

  “Alli is not pregnant,” he announced. “We are not getting married. We are not living together or contemplating doing so. We have been working on a case and it is now nearing completion. She is going to pack her belongings and return to her own apartment now that it’s no longer being staked out by criminals. Taking my laptop with her, if she so chooses,” he added, remembering belatedly that he’d promised to let her use it.

  “But—” Heloise began.

  “You’re sure she isn’t…?” asked Barbara.

  “No romance, no wedding bells, no baby,” Kevin reiterated. “Everybody got that?”

  Three heads nodded.

  “Thank you for the casserole,” he said. “Goodbye. Heloise, I will see you at work. I presume you still work for me?”

  “You can’t fire your own mother!” she wailed.

  “I wasn’t suggesting that.” He breathed a sigh of relief as the trio made their departure. He’d exerted his authority and everyone had backed off. Temporarily, anyway.

  His stomach reminded him that it was lunchtime. Maybe that casserole hadn’t been such a bad idea.

  “Alli?” he called. “You hungry?”

  She emerged from his office with his and hers laptops. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll be on my way.”

  “On your way where?” He hadn’t meant to rush her.

  “Home.” Reaching the entertainment center, she began pulling down underwear with a series of vicious yanks.

  “I thought you were going to stay.” What had he missed?

  “I work better alone.” Flipping open her suitcase, she stuffed garments into it willy-nilly, apparently trying to set a new world record for wrinkles.

  “You can’t pack that way,” Kevin told her.

  “Watch me.” She crammed in even more. “I’ll fold the blankets and put them away if you like.”

  “Don’t bother. I’m going to have them cleaned.” They needed it after dragging on the carpet. “Are you angry about something?”

  She paused while hauling her stuff toward the back door. “What makes you say that?”

  “You were planning to stay here and work on your article.” He didn’t understand why she’d become so prickly.

  “What I really need to do is look for a job.” Alli avoided his gaze. “It could be anywhere in the country, so maybe I’ll move in with my mom in Texas to cut expenses.”

  Where had this come from? One minute she’d been happily planning to finish her exposé, and the next she was moving out of state.

  “You owe m
e more of an explanation than that,” Kevin said.

  At last her eyes met his, but he still couldn’t read anything beyond the fact that she was annoyed. “You said it. We were working on a case and we’re done. Unless you plan to clue me in about Ardee.”

  “I told you, I can’t.” Was that what had touched her off? But she’d appeared to accept it while they were in the car.

  Kevin hadn’t liked fingering someone he knew and respected. If not for Ralph Durban’s financial stresses, he might have joined the man’s security firm. Until last night, Kevin had assumed those problems were resolved.

  But the mention of his nickname, R.D., had raised a red flag. Could it be a coincidence that Ralph and Tara were planning to adopt, and knew Binnie Reed?

  Once Kevin’s brain had begun turning over the possibility of Ralph’s involvement, he’d gradually assembled the pieces. He should have realized before that an ex-policeman would have researched the orphanage on the Internet, which meant he must have come across the Costa Buena investigation.

  Yet Ralph hadn’t mentioned any problems at the party on Saturday night. He’d even gone out of his way to reassure his wife.

  Exactly how he’d gotten his hands on the other parents’ data, Kevin didn’t know. But when he’d mentioned Ralph to Brad, the lieutenant had confided that police were already investigating complaints by former clients about embezzled funds.

  That he would stoop to stealing was bad enough, but to extort money from desperate families turned Kevin’s stomach. He felt as if Ralph had betrayed him personally, and he could tell Brad had had the same reaction. Officers formed a brotherhood. They weren’t supposed to switch sides and join the crooks.

  Maybe the official investigation would clear Ralph. But the more he thought about it, the less Kevin believed that. Still, he’d given his word to Brad not to tell anyone, even Alli, until the investigation was complete.

  The clunk of the patio door shutting jolted him from his thoughts. He cut across the kitchen and wrenched it open.

  Halfway through the yard, Alli glanced back. “I’ll return this in a few days.” She hefted his laptop.

  “No need to hurry.”