High Stakes Gamble

Chapter Four

John Hampton looked ridiculous with a childish pout clinging to his features. “You didn’t bring Lily?”

Aurora remembered the one and only time the little beauty had held center stage in the office, goo-ing and dimpling, acting just like her a*shole of a father who loved attention. Unlike Aurora who felt uncomfortable with most people and tended to stay low-keyed.

“No! Last time I brought her with me, she disrupted the place so much, I felt guilty. You guys drooled all over her. It was sickening.”

“Yeah and she loved it. I was looking forward to spending some time with her while you were here.”

“Oh suck it up. You can come over to the apartment anytime to see her.”

He brightened visibly and nodded. “Okay, how about me and the missus dropping by on my next day off? Hold it now, with this muck going on in the city, crazies stealing babies for Lord’s sake, that could take ages.” Gloomy now, his lips tightened and he rubbed the back of his neck.

Aurora had noticed that his normally stacked desk looked more loaded than usual. “Where is everyone? I tried calling Lisa and she didn’t pick up. Figured I’d catch up with her here and she’s nowhere to be seen. In fact, the whole place looks weirdly empty.”

Ham scanned the empty chairs pushed in to laden desks. The few officers who were in evidence walked around sluggishly, no oomph at all. He brought his hands up behind his head and leaned back in the office chair. “Half the office is sick with the flu and the other half are worn out from covering all the shifts.”

“Lisa too?”

“She worked up till yesterday and then had to give in. Feels like shit about leaving us in a mess, but nothing she can do. I found her asleep on her desk and called her a taxi.”

Guilt for not being here rode Aurora and made her shy away from pursuing that subject. Instead, she returned to the scene from that morning at the doctor’s offices and asked after Mary Fulton.

“It’s a real shit-show, Aurora. These parents are dealing with the worst tragedy that can happen to anyone.”

Playing along as if she knew all about the crimes, she asked. “Is there some kind of pattern? Could anyone identify a suspect from this morning? What did the video tapes show? How about forensics?”

“The video showed a shrewd person with a mask who covered the lens of the camera so we got nothing there. He also wore gloves, not surprising. And the women who were attacked all say the same thing. The man—they all identified the person as male—never shows his face. None of them can give us a description. In all the cases, the woman had no time to even think before they were put out of commission. Two with chloroform like Mrs. Fulton. One mom with a Taser, shot from behind as she walked the baby in the park. The perp left her propped up on a bench and walked away with the baby, not a care in the world. We found the child’s carriage left by the road, no prints, nothing. Slick and clean!”

Aurora thought over what she heard and then asked, “So Cory’s gone to a symposium in L.A. about Human Trafficking crimes? Any connection?”

“Yeah! Seems like they’ve had similar kidnappings in their city.”

Aurora added what she already knew to be true. “Feds working the cases also? Kidnapping is in their jurisdiction.”

“Oh yeah, they’ve set up downstairs. But you know Cory. He likes to stay on top of what happens in his city. He’ll work with them, sure, but he’s pushing his own buttons.”

Glumly, she nodded; her keen brain hummed, trying to figure out all the angles. There was a definite din attacking her ears and she knew something still unclear was just out of reach.

“Have you any idea if these babies are being processed through an agency? I’ve no doubt they’ll have to be put into the system to make them legal for adoption. There’s people out there who will pay big money nowadays to have a family handed to them, to bypass the waiting—no questions asked.”

“Sure, but there’s records tied to those adoptions, easy-to-follow records.”

“Okay, in the government offices. What about the private agencies? Maybe some from out of the country?” She gnawed on her bottom lip and tilted her head to stop the vicious twanging.

She noticed when Hampton realized how much he’d disclosed to a fellow cop on sabbatical. “Leave it lassie. You don’t need to worry your pretty little head…”

In a flash, she had her finger in front of his face and she hissed a warning. “You’re beginning to piss me off, Ham.”

Her gently pushed her away, held his own hands out front and backed his chair up. “You taking your postpartum vitamins? A might cranky, even for you.”

His teasing grin did her in every time and today was no different. She calmed and grimaced. “Just don’t push me. I miss the job so badly; I could chew on the envy I feel coming in here, seeing you and knowing I can’t stay.”

“It’s just for a few more weeks, Aurora. We’ll hold the fort and you’ll be back before you know it.”

Her head dropped to her chin and she slumped back into her chair. “I know. I love being home with Lily, really I do. But some days I can’t breathe for wanting to have a problem to wrap my brain around that doesn’t include the words goo or poo.”

The ringing phone stopped their conversation. Ham picked it up on the second ring. His expression had the adrenalin pumping instantly for Aurora.

“Ya don’t say? At the truck scales? Right. I’ll be at there in a jiffy. Tie it down and don’t let anyone mess up the crime scene.”

Red-cheeked and eyes glittering, Ham unwound his huge size. His drooping shoulders gave Aurora a hint about the news he’d received. Only a few things she knew affected his overly big Irish heart in this way. Either a woman or kids were involved—or a cop.

She watched Ham look around to spot someone to partner him. She saw him settle on a Jason, a veteran who looked like hell as he sat holding his head up with one hand while listlessly plucking at the buttons on his computer. He sneezed then groaned and pulled another tissue from the box on his desk.

“Let me work backup for you today. I can fill in for Lisa.” Ham rubbed at his mustache and turned to look at her.

She stood waiting for his nod, and when he hesitated, she added, “I’m begging you here, Ham. It’ll be like you called me out for auxiliary duty… except I’ll forget to put in the paperwork.”

“You have no gun or badge. Means you stay in the background. I mean it, Rory.”

“Hell, I can do that!”

Ham snorted as he gathered his own piece, pushed his chair in, and waited for her to precede him.

She moved in front and snidely grinned over her shoulder. “Just this once you can call me Rory!”

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Colleen. It’s good to have you back.”