Sworn to Protect, page 11
“Ivy, I would feel horrible if you did that. Your sons are always so busy. A family dinner is rare. Please just stay and enjoy yourself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“All right. We’ll see you when we’re finished here. Give Jordyn Rose a kiss for me.”
“I will,” she promised, ending the call and setting the phone on the bedside table. She could have agreed to Ivy’s return. Her mother-in-law would have been thrilled to hold the baby while she slept, but Katie might need help when she returned home and she didn’t want to be a burden to the only family she had.
She stared at her daughter’s face, and she couldn’t help thinking about her parents and how excited they would have been to welcome their first grandchild. They would have been just as thrilled as the Jamesons. Maybe more so because Katie was their only child.
A tear dropped onto Jordyn Rose’s face.
Katie brushed it away, sniffing back more that were threating to fall.
Someone knocked, and the door opened, the shift nurse bustling in with a tray of what looked like soup and juice. “Dr. Ritter ordered you a liquid meal. I told him you hadn’t been hungry today, and he wants you to eat.”
“I’m still not hungry,” Katie said, holding Jordyn Rose closer as the nurse set the tray on the table.
“If you want to be released tomorrow, you need to get your blood count up and some food down.”
“Will soup keep my blood count up?” she asked, eyeing the bowl of soup. It looked like chicken noodle. Any other time, she would have been happy to eat it.
Currently, she was so tired, she couldn’t imagine lifting a spoonful to her lips.
“No, but rest might. You’re exhausted. Your body has been through a lot. You’ve been through a lot. Not just today. We’re talking months of stress.”
Of course, she knew Katie’s story.
It seemed everyone Katie met did.
“I think I need sleep more than I need food.”
“Take this from a woman who has had six children—you need both. When you get home, you’re going to be doing the late-night and early-morning feedings on your own. You’ll be burning the candle at both ends, trying to keep up with the baby’s appetite while you also try to keep your house in order. Tell you what—we don’t have regular nurseries like they did when I had my children, but when a mom is really tired, we can take the baby to the nurses station—”
“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Katie said, her heart pounding frantically at the thought.
“Hear me out, hun,” she responded. “No one is allowed on this floor without checking in downstairs. We’ve got guards posted at the elevator, checking visitor identification. Little Jordyn Rose won’t be more than six inches from a nurse at any given time. As a matter of fact, she’ll probably be held the entire time she’s with us. We love newborns.” She smiled reassuringly, and Katie’s resistance began to fade.
She knew that everything the nurse said was true. She had been assured by the doctor and the nursing staff, as well as by the Jamesons and Tony, that every precaution was being taken.
And, if Martin did find a way onto the floor, he would assume the baby was with Katie and try to gain access to her room. If she was asleep and he walked in, he could take the baby and she would be none the wiser.
The thought terrified her.
“You’re sure she won’t be left unattended?”
“I have been working here for thirty years. In all that time, we have never left an infant unattended. Nor have we lost one.”
“All right,” Katie agreed reluctantly, afraid if she didn’t, she would fall asleep and wake to find the baby gone. “She ate twenty minutes ago. She’ll probably want to eat again in a couple hours.”
“We’ll bring her back as soon as she starts fussing. Don’t worry about that.”
“Okay.” Katie kissed Jordyn Rose’s head and her cheek. “Love you, sweetheart. Mommy will be right here if you need me.”
She handed the baby to the nurse, her body humming with nervous energy as she watched the woman place Jordyn Rose in the bassinet and roll it away.
“She’ll be fine,” Katie whispered to the empty room.
She told herself she believed it as she ate a few mouthfuls of soup, drank a couple sips of juice and finally let her eyes drift shut.
* * *
After visiting Martin’s last known address, Tony had received a call from dispatch with information regarding an apartment owned by Martin’s great-aunt. She had died several years ago, and probate court records showed that she had left the apartment to Martin. It was an unexpected lead and one Tony was anxious to follow up on.
It was dark by the time he arrived at the apartment complex—a tall brick building surrounded by large homes that had been there since the 1920s. Tony walked the perimeter of the building, letting Rusty sniff the ground. The Lab tugged impatiently at the leash, pulling Tony to a ground-level window on the west side of the building.
Rusty stopped there, nosing the ground and huffing gently, his ears and tail nearly quivering with excitement.
“What is it, Rusty?” Tony asked, studying the window and the ground beneath it.
Rusty whined, his scruff raised, his dark eyes focused on the window. He wanted inside, and Tony was going to get him there.
He walked back to the apartment entrance and rang the buzzer. Several minutes later, the super appeared.
“What can I do for you, Officer?” he asked as he opened the door.
“I’m investigating the murder of—”
“That police officer? Heard about it on the news. Don’t know what that has to do with this apartment complex, but I’m happy to help, if I can.”
“We’re looking for a guy by the name of Martin Fisher. We have reason to believe he owns a unit here.” Tony pulled out a photo of Martin and handed it to the super.
“This the guy who shot the cop?” the super asked.
“Yes.”
“Can’t say I’ve seen him around. Most of the residents here are older folks who bought long before I started working here.”
“His great-aunt owned the unit.” Tony offered the name and, the super’s eyes lit up.
“Her, I know of. Apartment 115. Ground floor. Quiet lady, but nice. Always had a kind word when she saw me. She passed a few years back. Figured the estate would sell the apartment, but it never happened.”
“Mind if I take a look in the apartment?”
“You don’t think that Fisher guy has been here?”
“I would like to rule out the possibility.”
“I’ve got no problem with that.”
“I appreciate your cooperation.”
“Come on then. Just—”
“Tony!” someone shouted.
He turned and saw Zach running toward him, Eddie, his beagle, loping beside him.
“Hey, bro. What are you doing here?” he asked as Zach stopped beside him.
“Noah got a call from the precinct. A taxi driver says he remembers picking Martin up from a bus stop last night. He dropped him off two blocks from here. I figured you might need some backup.”
“You cleared it with Noah?”
“Don’t I always?”
“Probably not.”
Zach grinned. “You may be right, but this time I did. I’m not going to do anything that might jeopardize the case against Martin.”
“You two coming in or staying out?” the super asked, spitting a wad of gum into the bushes beside the property. “Because I don’t want to wait here all day while you chat about life.”
He walked into the building.
Tony and Zach followed.
As apartment lobbies went, this was a nice one. Marble floors. Neutral paint. Modern paintings of the New York skyline decorating the walls, but it felt like what it was—an art deco-style apartment complex built nearly a century ago.
“Do you have security cameras?” Zach asked as the super led them through the lobby and into a well-lit hall.
“Nah. We haven’t had problems. Like I said, most of the residents are older. Quiet. They do their thing and leave each other alone. The apartment you want is down here. End of the hall.”
He stopped at apartment 115, knocked and then unlocked the door.
It swung inward, revealing a small living area. A couch covered in floral-patterned fabric sat against a wall. Dark wood end tables flanked it.
“Place looks like it’s been cleaned recently,” the super said, running his finger over the coffee table. “Came in and checked on the unit a few weeks ago, and there was a layer of dust on everything. Thought it was a shame. What with how hot a commodity apartments in the area are. Maybe the family is finally going to put it on the market. Go on and do what you need to. I’ve got a faucet leaking in another apartment that isn’t gonna fix itself. You need anything, you’ll find me there. If you don’t need anything, just close the door when you leave. It’ll lock automatically.” He walked into the hall, hands shoved in his pockets, bald head gleaming in the overhead light.
“What do you think?” Zach asked as he and Eddie moved through the room. The beagle’s tail was wagging, his head down as he sniffed the old Turkish carpet that nearly covered the living room floor.
“I think he’s been here,” Tony responded. “Rusty led me to one of the windows on this side of the building. It’s a nice building, but—”
“Security isn’t great?” Zach scratched the beagle behind the ears and walked into a kitchen that opened off the living room. Granite counters, white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances made the small space seem larger. There were no dishes in the sink. No dish soap. Nothing to indicate Martin had been spending time here since his escape.
“Right.”
“He’s not here now. If he were both our dogs would be going nuts.”
“Right.” Tony used gloved hands to open a couple of drawers and cupboards. He counted two sets of silverware and two sets of fancy china. A small trash can was tucked beneath the sink. Unlike most of the drawers and cabinets, it was full.
“Look at this,” he said, pulling it out and setting it on the floor.
“Anything interesting?” Zach asked, standing beside him as he pulled out a few crumpled receipts.
Tony scanned the first. “Dinner at a café two nights ago.”
“So, he has been here.”
“Someone has,” Tony responded, scanning the next. It was longer and the items on it made his blood run cold.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look at this. Baby crib. Diapers. Formula. Baby clothes. Pacifier.” He jabbed at the bottom of the receipt. “He purchased this at nine o’clock this morning.”
“He knows Katie had the baby,” Zach growled, his eyes dark with worry and anger.
“And, he’s bought everything he needs for her arrival.” Tony strode down a small hallway, slamming the palm of his hand against a door that was partially open. The room beyond was small and filled with everything necessary to bring a baby home. Crib. Set up and ready. Changing table. Small dresser. Tony checked the drawers. They were filled with clothes and diapers.
He walked into the second bedroom. Like the living room, it was furnished, the bed and dresser dated, the small closet opened to reveal men’s clothes hung from wire hangers. A map of Queens and a highlighter lay on the bed. Rusty sniffed both, his hackles raised. He knew the man they had been chasing had been there.
“Tony,” Zach called. “What do you make of this?”
He walked into the room, carrying what looked like a set of blue scrubs. “They were hanging in the closet in the other room. Check out the tag.”
He did, and his heart stopped as he read the name of the hospital where Katie had had the baby.
He didn’t think about what he was doing, didn’t have any plan in mind aside from making sure Katie and Jordyn Rose were okay.
“Call Noah. Let him know what we’ve found,” he said, yanking out his cell phone and dialing Katie’s number.
It rang three times before she answered, her voice groggy with sleep. “Hello? Tony? Is everything okay?”
“Sure,” he lied. “I just wanted to check in. Make sure you and the baby are getting the rest you need.”
“We are. Well, I am. Jordyn Rose has been with the nurses for...” She paused, and he could picture her looking at the time on her phone, her silky blond hair falling around her shoulders. “Nearly three hours! Wow! I really did need some sleep.”
“You said she’s with the nurses?” he asked, his pulse rate jumping as he realized the two weren’t together.
“Yes. I was so exhausted, the shift nurse offered to take her to the nurses station and keep her until she needed to be fed. Which should be soon.”
He could hear bedcovers shifting as she sat up.
“Why? Is something going on that I need to know about?”
“No,” he lied again, and despised himself for it. He made a habit of speaking the truth, of being a straight shooter who wasn’t afraid to say difficult things.
But, he couldn’t tell Katie what he and Zach had found. Not without filling her with panic. “Are your in-laws back?”
“No, but they should be soon. Are you sure there’s nothing wrong? You sound...worried.”
“I am worried.”
“Tony, please just tell me what’s going on,” she begged, and he knew he had to. That keeping the information from her wouldn’t keep her or the baby safe.
He gave her a brief overview.
When he finished, she was silent.
“Katie,” he began.
“I need to make sure she’s okay,” she replied, and then the call went dead.
TEN
She didn’t bother with shoes.
She didn’t put on a robe.
She ran from the room, her head spinning, her pulse racing.
“Ma’am.” A police officer grabbed her arm, and she shoved him away.
“Mrs. Jameson,” he tried again, following her as she hurried through the corridor. “You need to stay in your room and stay in bed.”
“I need to find my baby.”
“She’s with the nurses. I checked on her twenty-five minutes ago. She was fussing a little, but they were getting her back to sleep.”
“You’re sure?” She swung around, knowing she looked crazed and wild-eyed, but she didn’t care.
He nodded, grabbing her arm again when she swayed with relief.
“You need to get back in bad. You’re white as a sheet.”
“I want to see my daughter first.” Because her mind was running through what he’d said, picking apart his words and finding reason to be concerned. “If she was fussing, she needs to eat. They should have brought her to me already.”
“She probably went back to sleep,” he said, obviously trying to reassure a woman whom he thought might be on the verge of tears.
And, maybe she was.
Her eyes burned. She felt physically ill, her stomach churning, her head spinning. She pressed her hands to her abdomen, praying this was all a bad dream, that she would wake in a moment with Tony beside her, brushing hair from her cheek and whispering that everything was okay.
“Newborns need to eat every couple of hours. It’s been nearly three. She did not go back to sleep. Where is she?” she nearly howled.
“Katie, you need to calm down.” A second officer appeared at her side, cupped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “You’re going to pass out if you don’t start breathing.”
“I am breathing.”
“Not enough,” the officer said kindly, her eyes rich chocolate, her hair a short Afro beneath her uniform cap.
“Please stop worrying about me and go find Jordyn Rose,” she begged, feeling so dizzy, she had to lean against the wall to keep from falling.
“She needs a wheelchair,” the first officer said, a note of panic in his voice.
“I need to see my daughter.”
“That’s not going to happen if you’re out cold on the floor,” the second officer said gently. “Calm down, okay? I’m going to get a wheelchair. I’ll have the nurse bring Jordyn Rose to you.”
She walked away, her confidence easing some of Katie’s panic. Of course, Jordyn Rose was with the nurses. Of course, she was okay. The baby had been checked on twenty-five minutes ago. She had been fine then, and she was fine now.
But, the couple of minutes it should have taken the officer to return stretched into five and then ten.
“Something is wrong,” Katie said, pushing away from the wall and taking a shaky step in the direction the officer had gone.
“You’re still in no condition to take a walk down the hall,” the first officer said, trying to pull her to a stop. She met his eyes and saw her own fear reflected there.
“You know it’s true. If things were fine, she’d have returned by now.”
“It can take a while to find a wheelchair. Even in a hospital. How about we just walk back to your room? It’s not that far.”
She didn’t respond. There was nothing she could have said.
Instead, she took another shaky step and then another.
Please, God. Please let her be there.
The prayer ran through her head over and over again, a silent, desperate mantra. When she finally reached the end of the hall, she could see the counter that surrounded the nurses station and the monitors that sat on desks there. A whiteboard with patients’ names. Hers was there. And Jordyn Rose’s.
She could see the bassinet sitting between two chairs. Empty. The nurses were congregated near one side of the counter, faces pale, eyes wide. The female officer stood with them, holding a radio in her hand, her expression dark. Noah was beside her, and his father and brother Carter were flanking him. Ivy was a few feet away, collapsed on a chair near the waiting room, Violet, Rachelle and Lani hovering around her, their own expressions full of worry.
