Harmonized (6 page)

“Because we had a falling-out a long time ago. When they learn I'm back in town, I'd rather they heard it from me.”

Seth opened his mouth, but Jules placed her hand over it. “Relax, lambkins. She's called you for help to find a missing baby. Remember?”

Seth kissed his fiancée's hand then tucked it in the crook of his arm. “Fair enough, precious.”

Karma was puzzled at the detective's term of endearment for his fiancée until she saw the way the other woman shined like a jewel at his reference.
Ah, precious Jules.
It was kinda sweet. And a little too corny for her tastes.

Seth glanced at Harmon. “Tread carefully. If you're right, this will make your career. And I don't want you getting another Silver Star the way you earned it last October.”

“What happened last October?” Karma asked when Jules paled.

“He nearly died saving my life.” Jules spoke to Karma but her gaze was pinned on Zig. Her aura pulsed a beautiful shade of pink.

But it was the look in Zig's eyes, the chagrin, and his inability to look at Seth that had the ugly beast of jealousy uncoiling in Karma's belly.

She hadn't expected him to be single when she returned. She hadn't expected to see him at all. And she certainly hadn't expected to feel so damned hurt and jealous.

I'm here to find Wesley Bremer.

Nothing else mattered.

Not Jules's aura.

Not Zig's feelings for the pretty redhead.

And certainly not the green-eyed monster currently taking up residence in her belly.

***

Zig shut the door behind Seth and Jules. Leaning his back against it, he waited for Karma to come out of the bathroom. He'd seen the light fade in her eyes a few minutes earlier but didn't know why. One second she'd been smiling and the next, it looked like someone had punched her in the stomach. Her face flushed, her eyes misted, and she came up with some excuse to escape the room, leaving him to show Seth and Jules out.

Was Karma sick? Worried?

Damn, they hadn't been back together twenty-four hours and already he felt her pain as acutely as his damaged shoulder. What was he thinking? They weren't back together. She was only at his place because of a missing baby. And when the baby was found, she'd leave him again.

His chest ached, physically hurt at the idea of watching her walk away again. Sonofabitch, he couldn't do this to himself. He needed to keep her at arm's length. Remember that what he was experiencing weren't true feelings. Just memories of when they'd been together in college. Hell, he didn't really know her anymore.

Sure, you don't.

He knew her walk, the way she smelled, that damned adorable way she arched her eyebrow when searching for an aura. Truth was, he knew more about her today then he had all those years ago.

Old anger and resentment burned inside him. Dammit to hell, he needed to let go of the past.

Zig marched to his bedroom and retrieved his laptop. Striding back to the couch, he set it up on the coffee table and started searching.

He'd focus on work. First up, find Tara Twomey and information about the Tidewater Birthing Center. Next, he'd locate Tracye and Toya. He'd find the baby, tonight, and get Karma the hell out of his life. Permanently.

It would be better if he could hate her. Much easier than living with the ache in his chest that bloomed every time he imagined her leaving him again. The not knowing why she had abandoned him was the worst part. What had he done wrong?

The door creaked opened and she padded down the hall. He rose from the couch until he could see her from the kitchen doorway.

Her floral jacket draped over her arms at her waist. Wow, she looked delectable. The woman always had known how to dress to accentuate her best features. Her royal-blue dress hugged every stunning curve of her body.

Time hadn't just been good to her; it had offered her its platinum service. She was all womanly curves, soft and alluring. The kind of body that could make any red-blooded American male's pulse beat a little faster.

Especially his. He could tell himself that it was purely a physiological response to seeing her in that tight dress. That it was his libido overriding his pride and telling his ego to take a hike.

And he'd be lying to himself.

“Did Seth and Jules leave?” Karma asked, her expression unreadable.

Zig nodded. “Finally warming up? I didn't think you'd ever take that jacket off.”

Karma draped her thin coat over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Yeah. It took me long enough.”

She paused, as if uncertain what to say next. Not that he had a clue either. So they stared at each other, ignoring the awkward dancing elephant in the room.

Ask her. Now.

Why did you leave me?
he wanted to say. The question arrested on his tongue. His gut churned at the idea of talking about the past. Although, not as much as when he thought about letting her walk away without learning the truth.

“They seemed nice.” Karma's words startled him.

She leaned on the wall next to the hallway leading toward his bedroom. Her hands behind her back, one knee bent hiking up the hem an inch, and her long neckline arrowing down to her impressive breasts. Her pose, with the doorway to his bedroom just over her shoulder, was seductive, sensuous.

And that was totally his dick making that connection.

Karma yawned wide. So much for seductive. It was then he noticed the dark circles smudged beneath her eyes. Her smile weary.

Zig sat back down, hoping she'd follow. She did. When they were side-by-side, he said, “Yeah, they're good people. Especially Jules. You should have met Seth before she came along. The uniform guys used to call him Detective Grim. Got a serious rep for being surly. He's not like that anymore. She's really good for him.”

“She cares a lot for you. Loves you, I think.” Karma fiddled with the hem of her short blue skirt. “Must be hard for you to see her with another man.”

“Huh?” Where the hell had that come from?

Karma rolled her eyes, straightening her back. “Her aura got all pretty pink when she talked about you nearly dying for her. She still cares about you. More than you realize. And I saw the way you looked at her too. And the way you didn't look at Seth at the end. If you tell her how you feel—”

“Whoa, I think you're misreading your auras.” Zig laughed his surprise.

Bad, bad move.

Karma narrowed those glittering eyes on him. And damn, if that didn't turn him on. He might not be crifted, but he knew the look of a jealous woman when it threatened to stab out his eyes.

He'd never liked the look of jealousy on his previous lovers. But on Karma, it made him want to preen like the only male peacock in a sea of hens. Why was that?

Hadn't he just decided to move on with his life? Get Karma out of it for good? Now he was glorying in her reaction. He was losing his damned mind.

She muttered in Spanish, which made him crazier. God, she got under his skin like no one he'd ever known.

“You're speaking Spanish again, Karma.” He waited for her to switch to English, but she fell silent instead. So he decided to set at least one record straight, because the last thing he needed was for her to spout her assumptions to Seth. “Karma, Jules and I never dated.”

“I didn't ask. Don't care. You're a grown man and we haven't seen each other in years,” she said slowly. Her slightly accented words revealing how un-apathetic she felt. The sound made his lips twitch until she added, “For all I know, you could be gay now.”

She was lying. He could see it in her eyes. She definitely cared. And his damned foolish heart skipped a happy extra beat because of it.

A small part of him reveled in the idea that she could feel jealousy or regret after dumping him. But his momma taught him never to play with people's emotions. Even the ones who'd hurt him.

He held up his index finger in a silent request to speak.

“First, not gay. Got enough ex-girlfriends over the last eight years to prove that. Second, I
never
dated Jules. Never wanted to. She's a friend. I met her during a case. The same case where she met Seth. There was murder, stolen diamonds, and she ended up kidnapped. She feels she owes me, that's all.”

Minus the bleeding-all-over-her part.

In that freakishly perceptive way of hers, Karma leaned closer, staring searchingly into his eyes. “She said you'd nearly died for her? Sounds reasonable that she'd feel she owes you, but the color of her aura wasn't obligation. There was tenderness there.”

“You're reading more into it than exists. We're friends, that's all. I wasn't even officially part of the rescue team.” There, he'd told her enough without having to embarrass himself.

“Unofficially, huh? Like you helped save her but the heroics don't count because it wasn't official? For the record, you're not working on the Bremer case, but I see you've got your computer on. You're definitely working it. Unofficial or not, when we bring that baby home, it'll be because of you.”

He didn't squirm but damn, it took effort. He hated remembering the night he'd almost died. Hated remembering how freaking useless he was during the rescue since he'd been busy nearly bleeding to death. And really hated that Jules still saw him as some sort of hero.

As if sensing his discomfort, Karma shifted the conversation and pointed to the laptop. “Find anything?”

Zig picked up the computer and put it on his lap. “There's only one Tara Twomey in the city, Seth was right about that. She's even listed in the White Pages. The birthing center is closed until tomorrow, so we can't find any information about Tracye or Toya until then.”

“What about Charlotte O'Bryan? She'd know, right?” Karma blinked at him with those hypnotic brown eyes, assessing him. When he didn't answer fast enough, she added, “The nurse from the hospital. She's on duty tonight until eleven. We could go back and ask her more questions.”

Zig closed his laptop. “How do you know her schedule?”

She gave him one of her patent catch-up-with-me looks. “I studied to be a nurse, remember? I volunteered at the hospital way back when. I learned the shift rotation. Charlotte was there after four, which meant she's working the night shift. If we hurry, we should be able to catch her before her nine o'clock rounds.”

Karma was already tugging on her jacket when he handed her his favorite leather coat. “Here, wear this too. I've got another one. I can't have you freezing out there.”

The smile she gave him was so bright, so seductive, it sent his heart knocking against his ribs. It made him want to reach out and pull her into his arms. A temptation he really mustn't give into. Turning his back, he dug through the closet until he found his father's Navy pea coat. He strapped on his side arm, then pulled on the heavy wool to hide it.

“Zig, I can't thank you enough for helping me tonight. I don't know what I would have done had you not knocked on my window.”

“Save the thanks. I don't need it. Just doing my job,” he said, automatically shunning the gratitude out of habit. Then he went for it and spoke from his gut. “On second thought, you can thank me by explaining what happened all those years ago.”

Karma turned slowly to face him, her expression a mixture of remorse and shame. There was pain shining in her eyes and that sucker punched him.

Why should the past cause her pain? She's the one who walked away.

“Okay.” Karma's voice was soft but it strengthened. “I'll tell you everything; you deserve to know the truth.”

“Later,” he said, and didn't miss the relief in her eyes. “Let's go talk to Nurse O'Bryan first. We've got a baby to find.”

The ride to the hospital was surprisingly easy. Karma had expected Zig to talk about the case or the past, but as if he instinctively knew it would be hard on her, he kept the topics light.

They talked about the time he chased a naked suspect down the middle of Atlantic Avenue during a parade. The time a woman too drunk to know better climbed into his truck at the police station to sleep. He shared a story about the night he'd been called to the beach.

“So this couple decides to have sex. Right there in the ocean. Only when they're done, they're stuck.” He met her gaze, his eyes bright with humor. “Like together. Stuck. And some little old man sees them trying to separate and starts taking pictures with his phone. Then the woman, who's still stuck on her back in the sand, starts hurling shoes at him. Clips him right in the forehead. So I arrive on the scene and the old perv wants me to arrest the woman still stuck to some other guy's junk for assault. And she's screaming for an ambulance and the poor dude stuck to her keeps saying, ‘Don't cut it off! Don't cut it off!'”

Zig's raunchy story had Karma laughing so hard her sides ached. Anyone else and she might have been offended or embarrassed. But this was Zig, the man who'd always epitomized home for her.

All joking and bizarre tales from the Tidewater streets ended the moment they'd arrived at the hospital. She didn't have to ask for time to visit with Gwyn, Zig just knew her mind.

“Okay, it's five of nine. You go see your friend. I'll meet you there after I find the nurse,” he said when they'd stepped through the hospital's entrance. He squeezed her hand once then was off in the opposite direction.

Did he even realize he'd done that? It was something they always did back in college when they headed to different classes. An affectionate little gesture that, even now, made her heart swell.

Karma found Gwyn alone in her room with the noisy machines. Her friend seemed paler than before. Karma held her hand and talked to her but didn't have long. She'd barely sat down when Zig hurried in with an address.

“Sorry Karma, we gotta go. We got a lead to check out.” He reached for her hand, tugging her to her feet. “I found Charlotte. One of her patients coded, so she had to book it. She didn't have much time to talk but I got a last name. Montague. I looked up Montague online. There are two women in the city, both living at the same address. And their first names are . . .”

“Tracy and Toya?” Karma guessed, following him out to his truck. “What are the odds they have Wesley?”

“Won't know until we talk to them.” Zig stopped walking and faced her. “If you'd rather stay here with your friend, I can check them out myself. Chances are they didn't have anything to do with Wesley's disappearance, but they might be able to shed a little light on what happened between Gwyn and her first birthing coach. And
that
could give us a lead on locating the baby.”

“I promised Gwyn I'd find her son.” Karma crossed to the passenger side of the truck, butterflies dancing in her chest at this first real hope for a clue. “I'm sticking with you. Let's go.”

A few minutes later Zig zipped his truck into a parking space at The Greens. The development housed apartments on one end of the community and townhouse-style condos on the other. He cut the engine to his truck, but didn't hop out.

When she started to unbuckle her seatbelt, he put his hand on hers. The scent of leather and Zig's spicy cologne filled the cab. Karma's heart almost beat right out of her chest when he leaned his face close to hers.

His eyes were dark, serious, as he leaned close enough to kiss her.
¡Madre de Dios!
She craved the taste of him for eight long years. Everything fell away, the past, the present, even old regrets as she let herself experience the moment. It was heaven being so close to him again, or it would have been had he just kissed her. Instead he cleared his throat and his cheeks mottled as if he were embarrassed. “Uh, stay in the truck.”

Karma jerked back in surprise. “Seriously? You want me to stay here?”

Zig's lips twitched. “Karma, you're speaking Spanish again.”

She switched to English. “I'm not sitting here. You need me when you go talk to them.”

“I'm a trained police officer. I think I know how to conduct an interview.” He gave her an arch stare.

“Yes, you are an officer of the law, but I can read auras. You can do your interview, but it would go faster with me beside you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and jiggled her knee.

For several quiet moments, he looked at her before exhaling. “Fine. Come on. Let's get this done. But button up the coat. You're so cold you're shivering.”

Oh, it wasn't the weather making her tremble, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

***

Zig wasn't sure what he expected when he knocked on the door, but it definitely wasn't what he found. A woman answered the door wearing a white bathrobe and a towel around her head. The bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't gotten much sleep lately.

“Ms. Montague? I'm Officer Harmon, may I come in?”

“Mrs. Montague. Toya,” she corrected with a yawn. She opened the door wider then stared at Karma. “Hi. You are?”

Zig made introductions. “This is Karma De La Cruz, she's a civilian consultant helping me on a missing person's case. May we come in?”

“Oh.” Toya's eyes widened. “Come in, come in. We're letting all the heat out.”

Zig allowed Toya to lead them into the cozy living room. There were baby books on the coffee table, baby toys scattered throughout the room. Identical high-chairs and baby swings sat side-by-side in the space that delineated the living room from the kitchen.

Everything was neat and clean, if somewhat cramped.

“Toya? Who was at the door?” A pretty light-skinned African-American woman strode into the living room with twin babies draped like tiny dolls on either arm. One in blue and one in pink.

“It's the police, Tracye. They're here about a missing person's case.” Toya crossed the room and kissed Tracye on the lips before lifting the blue-clad sleeping infant into her arms. “Tracye, meet Officer Harmon and Ms. De La Cruz. Officer Harmon, this is my wife, Tracye, and our children, Jasmine and Jasper.”

Beside him, Karma smiled at the women; her eyebrow arched quickly then settled. She gave a subtle head shake then turned her attention to the sleeping babies.

Clearly, Karma didn't believe these two women were the kidnappers. Or she wouldn't be cooing over the infants. Still, he needed to interview them. They might remember something about Gwyn and her birthing coach.

“Your children are beautiful,” Karma said, stroking a hand on the little boy's bald head. “How old are they?”

“Six weeks, yesterday. Toya went into premature labor on New Year's Eve.” Tracye's eyes misted with obvious love for the other woman.

“Our little girl came just before midnight on New Year's Eve.” Toya lifted her son, pressing his cheek against her shoulder. “Jasper here didn't come until four hours into the New Year.”

“But you didn't come here to talk about our babies,” Tracye said astutely. “Who's missing?”

“Do you remember a Gwyn Bremer from your birthing class?”

Karma pulled out the picture of Gwyn and Wesley;, she must have taken it off the fridge before they left Zig's place. She handed it to Tracye who shook her head. “I don't recognize her, do you, Tracye?”

Tracye studied the phone for several seconds then frowned and handed the picture back to Karma. “No, I'm sorry I don't. We didn't really get to know anyone in the class. We were only in two sessions before Toya was placed on bedrest. When did she disappear? Is her baby with her?”

“The baby's—” Karma began but Zig cut her off.

“The investigation is ongoing.” He glanced around the room surprised to find no television. “Have you seen the news this week?”

Tracye yawned again and shook her head. “No, we only brought the twins home last Tuesday. We're up feeding them every three hours. If we're not taking care of them, we're sleeping.”

“Well, if you do remember anything, please give me a call.” Zig handed Tracye his card.

He didn't speak until he and Karma were back in the truck. “What did you see in there?”

“Newlyweds and new moms.” Karma shrugged with a grin. “If you mean their auras, nothing off about them. One was green, the other was blue, both were clear. Toya's the nurturer and Tracye's the protective one. Neither appeared to be hiding anything. Not that I could see.” She sighed with a frown. “So that was a waste of time.”

“No, it wasn't. It eliminated two suspects from the list.” He grasped her hand and squeezed gently. “Let's go see if we can eliminate another one. And maybe find Wesley before midnight.”

“God, I hope so.” She buckled her safety belt.

So did Zig. The longer the baby was missing, the less likely they were to find him.

***

Tara Twomey's house was in one of the older, elegant neighborhoods called Turtle Cay Estates. Every house easily went for upward of $1 million. Karma peered through the window of the truck as Zig pulled into the large circular drive. Floodlights cut through the rainy night, nearly blinding them both in the cab.

“Guess Tara Twomey doesn't want thieves sneaking up her driveway?” Karma joked as Zig flipped down his visor to protect his eyes. She followed his good idea and did the same. Then looked at the landscaped yard. “I don't think she would be involved in a kidnapping.”

Zig cut the engine and turned to her, his expression curious. “Why, because she lives in a fancy house? Rich people steal too, you know.”

The words cut through her with razor precision. She knew that all too well. And soon, he would too. Her belly shrank at the idea of telling him. She pushed the thought away and explained, “I mean, this place is nowhere near the Lesner Bridge. Why would she go there in the middle of the night?”

“Think about it.” His eyes sparkled with excitement. “It's kinda perfect. Who would think of a rich woman near that part of town in the middle of the night stealing a baby and attempting murder? No one. Most folks would assume exactly what you did.”

“Okay, good point.” Karma rubbed at the sudden ache in her temple. She really wasn't cut out for police work. “I guess that's possible. But then how did she get Gwyn there?”

The corners of Zig's mouth turned down quickly, as if considering, then he lifted an eyebrow. “That's a good question. Why don't we ask her? Oh, and Karma, remember not to mention our theory that the baby is alive. If Tara is our kidnapper, we don't want to risk scaring her off. Whoever lives here definitely has the money to run fast, if frightened.”

“Right,” she said, exhaling a quick, anxious breath. “I forgot about that when we were at Tracye and Toya's. Sorry.”

“It's fine.” He hit the buckle on her seat belt then gave her hand a gentle pat. Her heart fluttered at the touch. He'd been doing that most of the evening, touching her for no reason. She wanted to reciprocate, but didn't. Mostly because he never took it any further. “Let's go.”

A man old enough to be her grandfather answered the door dressed in an unrelieved black tux. Unlike her papa, this man wore disdain like his sharply tailored suit.

Voices, classical music, and the sound of clinking glasses floated through the open doorway.

“Can I help you?” the man spoke through barely moving thin lips.

“I'm Officer Zig Harmon. This is my civilian consultant, Carmelita De La Cruz. We're here to speak with Tara Twomey.” Zig produced his badge.

“It's ten twenty at night,” the man snapped. He stepped outside, tugging the door shut behind him. He examined Zig's badge with a scowl. “What has that girl done now? If she's taken a bat to another man's car again, she can sit in jail. I won't bail her out this time.”

“Tara's a material witness in a homicide,” Zig said, his voice flat, tucking the badge away and pulling out his notebook and pen. “Just need to ask her a few questions. As far as I know, she's not in any trouble.”

“That's a first. My daughter's been in trouble since the day she turned sixteen.” He ran both hands through his silver hair, slicking it back. “I haven't seen Tara in months. She got involved with some disreputable man she met online. When I forbade her from bringing him into the house, she left.”

“When was that, Mr. Twomey?” Zig asked.

“About six months ago.”

“And you haven't been in contact since? Do you have any way of reaching her?”

Tara's father shook his head sharply twice then glanced toward his house. “I do not know where she went. I can only assume she left with
him
.”

“Does he have a name? What about her last known address or cell number? Can you give me those?”

Mr. Twomey's expression remained grim as he rattled off the information. Zig scribbled in his notebook, not looking at the old guy. But Karma watched as his aura glowed a dark murky brownish-yellow. He straightened his crisp bow tie and said, “A murder, you say? She witnessed one? Is she all right?”

“As far as we know, she's fine. We just need to ask her a few more questions about what she saw that night.” Zig tucked his book away and pulled out a card. “If you hear from her, will you give me a call?”

Mr. Twomey nodded. “Officer, if you do find her, can you tell her to call home? Her . . . her mother is worried and would like to hear from her.”