LITMIR.BIZ

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      “It’s …” Darlene put her hand to her mouth. “I don’t know where the devil Marie is. I’ve paged her and … this is … I …”

      Decker regarded the nurse’s face—as white and blank as an empty canvas. Her voice was unnatural; her hands were shaking. He said, “Sit down and tell us what’s wrong.”

      She gazed helplessly at Cindy. “I’ve called Security. They’re going to want to talk to you.”

      “Me?” Cindy felt her chest tighten. “Why do they want to talk to me?”

      “What’s wrong?” Decker said louder.

      “It’s crazy …” Darlene muttered. “She came back at twelve-oh-five. She was on her way here when I left to help out in some of the other nurseries.”

      “Who was here?” Cindy said. “Marie? Marie hasn’t been here for the past hour.”

      “I can’t seem to locate … It’s simply not … and Marie’s not answering her page. It’s crazy. In all my years as a nurse, I’ve never … I mean you read …” Again she faced Cindy. “Somebody had to have been here, Cindy. Someone must have been in the nursery.”

      “Maybe somebody was here, Darlene,” Cindy said. “I was with Hannah. I wasn’t in the main nursery—”

      “So you must have seen someone. Who did you see?”

      “I didn’t see anyone. I was busy with Hannah.”

      “Why are you interrogating my daughter?” Decker said.

      “I’m not interrogating. I’m just asking—”

      “Why?”

      “If only Marie …”

      “Why does Security want to talk to my daughter?” Decker said forcefully.

      “Because she isn’t here.” Darlene began to shake all over. “And Cindy was probably the last person to see her.”

      “But you said you saw Marie in the hallway, Darlene,” Cindy said. “That would make you the last person to see Marie.”

      “No, not Marie!” Darlene burst into tears. “It’s one of the infants! I can’t find Baby Girl Rodriguez!”

       12

      Nose pressed to the glass, Decker stared at the newborns—things no bigger than a rib roast, completely helpless … sinless. His heart went out to them, knowing that life would dish out a fair amount of dirt even if they were lucky. Baby Girl Rodriguez’s safety net had unraveled just a few days into her existence. His eyes traveled over the infants of differing races and sexes until they landed on an empty layette. His heart began to pound.

      “Hey, Sergeant.”

      Decker spun around, startled by the interruption.

      Officer Brian Harlow. He’d been in uniform nearly three decades. He was still muscular and fit, but the years were there. Hair that was more silver than blond, a gut straining the buttons of his shirt. Vanity probably prevented him from admitting he needed a larger size. Harlow ran his fingers through his slicked-back hair.

      “We’ve done three passes through the lots, through the immediate neighborhood, too.” He shook his head. “No sign of the red Honda. It’s still dark, not easy to tell colors, but we’ll keep trying. Should be better when the sun comes up. In the meantime, do you want to put out an APB on the car?”

      “Yeah, call it in.”

      Harlow clapped his hands together. “You got it.”

      “Any action by Bellson’s apartment?”

      “Just talked to the cruisers. Everything’s quiet.”

      “No movement inside?”

      “Nothing.”

      “Any lights?”

      “Black as a well,” Harlow said. “When do you think the warrant’ll come through?”

      “Probably take another hour or so,” Decker said. “Hollander couldn’t get through to the first two judges. Finally, he managed to locate a third and wake him up. He’s on his way to His Honor’s house as we speak.”

      “How’s the baby’s mother?”

      “Lourdes Rodriguez,” Decker stated. “Detective Dunn’s with her now.”

      “I’ll call in that APB.” Harlow slapped Decker’s back. “Congratulations on your kid, by the way.”

      “Thanks.”

      Decker checked his watch. Darlene had last seen Marie around midnight. If Marie had taken off with the baby, she’d have a big jump on them. He had sent some uniforms to watch her apartment. So far nothing.

      Why would a woman who had worked with babies for years suddenly snatch a kid? A latent maternal longing? A fit of madness? Maybe she’d done it against her will. Some psycho sticking a gun to her temples and forcing her to take the baby. It was that very thought that scared Decker the most—Marie and the infant in the hands of a psycho.

      Slipping his hands into his pockets, he glared at the security guard. Guy was pissed, probably felt usurped—too damn bad. He and his guard buddies had had their chance, and they’d blown it with a capital B. Not that TECHWATCH Securities International wasn’t working overtime, covering its butt, hoping to keep the liability down.

      Good luck, pal.

      Mom was hysterical now, not even thinking about litigation. But after a day or two, even if the baby was recovered safely, odds were that the security firm and the hospital would get phone calls from a heavy-breathing lawyer.

      Marge walked over to him, notebook in hand. “How’s it going, Rabbi?”

      Decker stuck out splayed fingers and rotated his wrist back and forth. “How’s Lourdes Rodriguez?”

      “Sleeping.”

      “Get a chance to talk to her?”

      “A little. She isn’t married to the father, but they’re together—boyfriend/girlfriend. She couldn’t imagine Papa stealing their baby. Or forcing Marie to steal the baby. As a matter of fact, she grew hysterical at the prospect of telling him what happened. She’s afraid of what he might do.”

      “To her?”

      “To her, more like to the hospital.” Marge raised her eyebrows. “Seems Matty likes to play with matches and owns a firearm or two—”

      “Jesus!”

      “If I were you, I’d get Rina out of here.”

      “She’s leaving at ten this morning. We’d better put a watch on this guy once he’s informed. What’s his full name?”

      “Matthew Luke Lopez.”

      “Did he Anglicize his name?”

      “No, it’s his legal name. He’s American born but was raised in the barrio. Lourdes said he has a good heart, but a bad temper.”

      “Tell me something new,” Decker said under his breath. “How old is he?”

      “Seventeen, eighteen. Lourdes wasn’t sure.”

      “Prime age for impulse.”

      “Yeah, I thought about that.” Marge stopped talking. “In all fairness to Matty, Lourdes wasn’t making a lot of sense. Doc upped her dose of sedatives. She’s completely zonked out now, poor kid.” She pushed wisps of hair out of her brown eyes. “Man, this is just horrible! So close to home. You must be freaked.”

      “Yeah, I’m

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