Maternal Harbor (28 page)

Captain Morgan glanced up.  “This better be important.”

“
Teagan O’Riley just called.”

“
Well hallelujah.”  Morgan leaned back in his chair.

“
She says Officer Erica Thorburn murdered the mothers because she wants their babies.”

“
Whoa,” Captain Morgan said.  “What do you mean?”

“
Teagan claims she ran to protect them.  And you know what?  If she’s right, we’ve just placed those boys right where Thorburn can find them.”

“
We can’t take the word of some berserk woman running around loose.  Where’s her proof?”

“
Teagan says Thorburn shot up her pickup and has all three babies’ teddy bears in her house”

Morgan slammed his fist against his desk top.  “Thorburn’s out of what precinct?”

“West.”

“
One of Schroeder’s, huh?  Tell them you’re coming over to interview Thorburn and give CPS the heads up.”

Erica pranced down the switch-back stairs of Duffy’s apartment and slid behind the wheel of her patrol car.  Her body jumped with energy.  Jimmy had actually been in her arms!  Oh sweet, sweet Jimmy.  She lifted her arm and smelled where his head rested against her bicep.  A trace of him remained.

Go back and get him
.

“
Not yet.  Tonight.  And then Derek will romp with his playmates.”  A thrill snaked in and out and through her.  A high speed chase is what I need, she thought.  She quickly typed into the small police computer mounted against the dash to see if anything was happening.  Domestic was going down a few blocks to the south of her.  She punched the down arrow key.  An update on the Attempt to Apprehend order for Teagan O’Riley popped up on the small screen.

“
Iska!  The bitch is back!”

Let her come.

Erica’s high band radio crackled and her call numbers came through.  She picked up the mic.  “Unit 307.”

“
Sergeant Thorburn, Captain Schroeder says Morgan down at Violent Crimes is sending a detective over to West Precinct to interview you about a missing person’s case.  Schroder wants to know how soon you can come in.”

Erica’s hand tightened on the mic.  “En route to back up that domestic at Darvus and 34th.  I’ll report in after that.”  She clicked off.

Detective wants to see you.

“
Teagan!”

What lies has she told them?  The implications stabbed Erica one at a time: prison for me, boys with the bitch, Derek alone forever.  Her skin crawled like a hundred accusatory fingers were directed at her.  She rapidly scanned through her windshield, rear view mirror, and both side.  No one on the sidewalks paid any attention to her.  But soon her fellow officers would be on the lookout for her squad car.

They’ll send cops to your house.  Make your move
.

The urgency in Iska’s voice spurred Erica, and her thoughts gelled.  Go get Derek, and his things.  There’s time to come back for Jimmy.

The Mercedes was fueled and ready; the trunk loaded with extra T-shirts, jeans, diapers, and formula, the key to her parents’ oceanfront cottage hidden inside the glove compartment, and an extra can of pepper spray plus a stun gun stuffed into an old gym bag.

Erica left the garage door open and hurried to the nursery window.  She grabbed the stepladder.  A gush of rainwater splashed from the rungs.  She jumped back and shook her leg.  The soaked fabric stuck like wet fur.  Tears blurred her vision   “Why didn’t I un-barricade the damn door?”

You failed to bring the boys
.

“
Shut up.  Shut up!”  Erica wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve and noticed a footprint at the edge of the border garden.

The ladder is out of place.

The bitch was here.

Erica spread the ladder, snatched the claw hammer from a basement window well, and scurried upward.

The nails pried free.  She shoved the window open and dropped to the floor.

She lifted the urn from the crib.  The pewter spoke through her fingers; and her desperate haste stilled.  She caressed the surface with her thumbs until she felt its energy.  “Derek, I promise, you’ll have your boys.”

I’ll train them right.  The Peaceful Place needs perfect officers
.

Her heart lurched.  His first words sounded solid, filled with character.  His plan pleased her as she scooped up the bags of baby clothes, the three teddy bears; also pleased her when she backed through the window and climbed down the ladder.

“Erica!”  Naddie called across the fence.

She ignored her neighbor and hurried for the garage.

“A woman looked inside your window.”

Erica halted and slowly turned toward the nosey gossip.  “Who?”

“I promised not to tell, but I knew it was wrong and played along so I could tell you.  Your friend, Teagan, climbed the ladder and looked in the baby’s room.”  Naddie’s look traveled to the urn in the crook of Erica’s arm and back up to her face.  “What are you doing?”

Erica stepped forward.  Her glare bore deep into Naddie.  “Go inside your house.”

Naddie spluttered.  “Don’t talk to me with that tone of voice.”

“
Dead neighbors don’t cause problems.”

Naddie ran, skirt held high, fat pink legs pumping.  At her door, she yelled back, “You’re nuts!  I’m signing a complaint against you!”  She disappeared inside.

Damn, Naddie and her big yap.

There isn’t time to change clothes.

Erica rushed to the garage.
 
As she backed out, Naddie’s nose was pressed against the glass of her kitchen window, phone pressed to her ear.  “Iska, she knows I’m driving the Mercedes!  I can only take Jimmy.  Not enough time for Levi and Charlie!  They’ll spot this car!”

Fetch Jimmy, then change cars
.

When Erica turned into the apartment village, the tires hit the speed bumps too hard.  The Mercedes bounced and the oil pan scraped, but she slammed over the next ones, too.  Duffy’s car was still parked in his spot, and she breathed easier.

Barely aware of slicker-clad children playing on swings and mothers staring from under umbrellas, she raced the stairs to the second level and pounded on Duffy’s door.

When he opened it, she said, pleasantly.  “Got to thinking you might need to go buy formula and things.  Figured the least I could do is stay with Jimmy.”

He smiled gratefully.  “We were just about to leave, but it’d be great if you’d watch him for a little while.”

Erica stepped inside Pai’s apartment, knowing she could kill Duffy with one well placed blow, but even the slightest miss and a battle would erupt, far easier to just get rid of him.  “Go do your thing.”

“I’m not even sure what to buy.  The nursery looks like a f-ing hurricane hit it.  They better catch the f-er before I get my hands on the bastard.  He’ll beg to die.”  Duffy glanced at her.  “Is something wrong?”

Erica moistened her lips.  “I just need a drink of water.”

He drew her one.  “I’d better show you around the nursery.  You might need to change a diaper.”

“
We’ll manage.  You go ahead and . . .”

Duffy was already moving down the hallway.

Pushed to the killing point, Erica followed him to the nursery.

Light filtered through tan gauze curtains, giving everything a golden hue, bathing the crib with a soft ethereal light.  At the sight of Jimmy sleeping in the center of it, ecstasy centered in Erica’s chest, and she floated with it, like a buoy in swollen surf.

Duffy pointed to a bag of diapers near the changing table.  She touched his arm and put her forefinger to her lips.  They tiptoed out.  She followed him down the hall on feet barely touching the carpet.

Suddenly, three raps sounded on the front door and a voice called, “Duffy.”

“Who is that,” Erica whispered harshly.

“
Sounds like the neighbor boy.”

“
Shh, keep it down.  He’ll wake Jimmy.  Get rid of him.”  Erica pushed Duffy.

“
I don’t like it either,” Duffy growled as he opened the door.

Erica stood ready.

A lanky boy looking like he just came from some Bible thumping school, announced, “Mr. Sanders, my little sister wants to know if you’ll buy some Girl Scout cookies.”

Duffy took the brochure and scanned it.  “I’ll take a package of Thin Mints and one of Tagalongs.”

The boy opened an order form and checked a couple of boxes.  “You have to pay now,” he said.

Duffy pulled out his wallet.

Erica couldn’t damned believe it.  She covered her mouth with one hand and squeezed the other hand under her bicep to stop the urge to break both their necks.

Duffy counted out the money, closed the door, slipped the wallet in his hip pocket and glanced around the apartment like he was forgetting something.

Erica refrained from shoving him through the doorway.  “The faster you go to the store, the sooner you get home.  I promise Jimmy will be okay.”  She watched through the sliding doors while he drove away.  The instant he disappeared, she turned.

She jerked and then froze, staring horrified at Pai’s body lying between her and the hallway to Jimmy.  Erica’s hands needed to touch the shiny black hair that fanned out around the broken neck.  It wasn’t real, couldn’t be real.

Jimmy
.

“
Get out of the way.  He’s mine.”  Erica stepped over the hallucination and ran down the hall.

Jimmy lay so innocent in his bassinet.  She reached to pick him up.  No!  Those mothers by the playground will see the baby.  What?  What?  She filled a laundry basket with towels and placed him on top, pulling the towels up around his warm tiny body.

This time Pai’s body wasn’t in the way.  Erica raced to the door and down the stairway.  She passed the park.  The sting of eyes pricked and she decided to meet them with a smile.  A few mothers nodded in her direction.  Good little baby didn’t even cry when she put the basket onto the front seat.  Derek will be so happy that Jimmy slept peacefully among the towels and he’d never be jealous.  Wasn’t Jimmy’s fault that she was acting like a mooning calf over a baby that wasn’t hers.

“
Iska, I have Jimmy!”

An officer in a uniform in a Mercedes will draw attention
.

“
Iska, you’re so selfish.  I can’t even be happy for two seconds.”  Erica stiffened behind the wheel, wanting only to slump enough to rest her cheek on Jimmy in the basket and soak up the warmth of him.  She was cold and had been for so long, even when it was hot and she sweated under her chest protector, nothing thawed her rigid shoulders, long stiffened in self defense.

Derek is cold too.

Erica drove until she spotted a gas station off Aurora and North 50
th
.  She wheeled around to the back and parked between a dumpster and a pickup.

Jimmy tried to look at her with un-focused eyes.  His fingers curled around the edge of his receiving blanket.  She feather touched them with her fingertips.  “I must change clothes.  Will you wait here nice and quiet?”  She chuckled, a sound of pure amusement.  “Don’t cry.  I won’t leave you.  Besides Derek would have a fit if someone found you.  He has waited too long.”  She touched Jimmy’s darling nose, no bigger than the tip of her little finger.

Erica stood by the Mercedes until she felt safe enough to open the trunk and dig out an old baggy sweatshirt and jeans.  She stuffed them into a blue canvas diaper bag.  She held it up.  Baby ducks and butterflies danced along the sides.  Her duty belt would never fit inside a bag with ducks and moths.  The insanity of it tickled her.  For the first time in so long she loved life; Jimmy waited in the front seat, going to visit Derek; yes, life was good.

Erica unbuckled and carefully rolled the belt to keep the holster on top, and placed it next to a suitcase.  The loaded Glock slipped easily into the diaper bag.

A kitten cried.  It was close by and in distress.  Erica stiffened.  Damn people who hurt tiny cats should be horsewhipped.  She cocked her head.  The mewling was from inside the car.  Jimmy!

Erica shoved down the trunk until it locked and rushed to Jimmy, lifted him to her shoulder and patted until he was still, and her heart quit racing.  She was never going to survive these damned babies.  How could Derek want the little shits?  Unable to see if anyone stood by the side entrance, she rounded the corner of the station, humming a lullaby about rocking in a stupid treetop.

A bushy-bearded man shoved the door open with his shoulder, balancing an espresso in one hand, a stack of sandwiches in the other.  He did a double take.  “You find a baby in the trash bin?”

“
Not this time.”

Inside, five customers clustered around the register.  Erica ducked between the first and second row of groceries and hurried down a narrow aisle lined with shelves of bread, chips, and candy.

Pinsol disinfectant reeked inside the John strong enough to gag.  Her heel slipped on the wet tile when she spun to punch the lock.  She squeezed Jimmy until she calmed.  A baby station was already lowered on the left wall, and she laid him carefully down on it, making sure he couldn’t fall.

Such a sweet boy.

Erica dug the Glock from the bag and placed it near Jimmy, then stripped off the wet uniform and put on levis.  Her father’s sweatshirt hung fine over the chest protector.

Jimmy whimpered and sucked on his fist.  She glanced around for something.  What? 

A paper towel.

Erica ripped one from the holder, soaked it, and dripped water into his mouth.  He spluttered, but drank some.  “That’s a good boy.  I’ll warm a bottle at the cottage.”

The doorknob rattled.

She grabbed the Glock.

Footfalls receded.