Authors: Roseanne Dowell
“Please, David, I begged. No police.” Sylvia’s eyes
swelled with tears - tears she could no longer hold back. “But he didn’t listen. He didn’t care. My baby, my poor baby.”
She sank down on the couch and buried her head in her hands. “Poor helpless Emma. I should have stayed home. I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling, especially since David called the police.” Sobs shook her
thin shoulders.
Callie
never felt so helpless. Questioning her was going to be useless. She searched out Mr. Hammond. Might have better luck with him.
“Everything looked normal when we returned, until we discovered the note and the empty crib. Nothing else is missing. Nothing’s out of place,” Mr. Hammond was telling Officer Peters as
they came back into the living room.
“I need a list of everyone you employ, fired or
might have a reason to hold a grudge.” Callie said.
Sylvia didn’t seem to care. She didn’t even look at them. She walked from room to room, apparently seeing nothing. Tears flowed down her cheeks unchecked. Her mascara smeared and streaked her face. She kept mumbling that she just wanted her baby back.
For a minute, she stopped and stared at them. It looked like she wanted to lash out at someone, scream, or something. Callie tried to defuse the situation. All she needed was for Sylvia to lose it. Go hysterical. She’d never experienced such a feeling of helplessness. Nothing she said helped Sylvia. Her husband went to her, put his arms around her, but she pushed him away.
“I just want my baby. I want Emma
. Here in my arms. What a fool I’d been to go out. To leave my baby with a stranger. It doesn’t matter how highly recommended Sophia came. I knew nothing about the woman personally. I should have trusted my instincts. Emma was too young to be left. What kind of mother am I?” Sylvia rambled, not talking to anyone in particular. “It didn’t matter that this dinner was important. David should have gone alone. Never again. If I get Emma back, I’ll never leave her again. Not for any reason. Nothing is as important as my child.”
Callie’s heart went out to the woman, but she had a crime to solve and turned her attention back to David.
Never had she seen a man look more dejected.
He sat at the computer and pulled up a list of their personal employees, printed them out and gave it to Callie.
“That’s ridiculous.” Sylvia came over and looked at the list over Callie’s shoulder. “Those people couldn’t be involved. Most of them have been with us long before Emma. They’re loyal. I’d trust them with my life.”
At least she’d stopped the hysterics. Callie continued to look at the list. “Tell me who they are.”
“Luis is the gardener, Hilda the cook, Greta’s our maid. Harold’s my chauffeur. He’s been with me long before I was married. Good lord, David, you even added Jill, my hair stylist, and Luis’s cousin, Carlos, who hauled wood for us a few times.” Sylvia turned to me. “Why aren’t you checking out Sophia? She’s the last person to see Emma, and she’s gone too. She must be the one who took my baby.”
“Can you think of anyone else to add?” Callie handed the list to Sylvia. The woman stared at it.
“David even listed the mailman and deliverymen. No, there’s no one else.” She handed it back and shook her head. “Why are you wasting time with this? Why aren’t you out looking for Emma? Searching for Sophia?” She continued to pace the living room, running fingers through her thick brown hair. She finally stopped and stared out the window.
Callie followed her gaze. The park lay beyond their large estate, the trees
lush with leaves. The park looked desolate now. Wind blew the branches.
Sylvia shivered. “Emma’s out there, alone, and maybe cold. Who knows what kind of monster took my daughter. Are they kind, abusive?” She buried her face in her hands.
“We tried so hard to have a child. We adopted Emma six months ago.” Sylvia spoke aloud while she turned and walked to the fireplace. She stared at the photo of the curly, black-haired baby with her almond shaped, dark eyes, and handed it to Callie.
Callie looked at it and gave a half smile. Sylvia didn’t expect a response, what could she say anyway? No words
would comfort her. Nothing mattered. Sylvia only cared about her baby.
Other people arrived and Callie directed them. Sylvia watched as one set up a phone tap and still another dusted for prints in Emma’s room. As if it was too much to bear, Sylvia left the room and slammed her bedroom door.
“David, that call last month...” Sylvia ran into the room and to the desk. “Remember, someone thought Emma was a cousin but we never heard from them again.”
David snapped his fingers and picked up a file, found the name, and gave it to Callie. “I’d forgotten about that. We were worried he was going to try and get custody of Emma.”
“I’ll put someone on it right away.” Callie pulled her cell phone out of its holder and walked away while she spoke.
The hours passed. Sylvia couldn’t
seem to sit still. She paced the room, went into other rooms and came back. Callie had never seen anyone so restless. She finally left the house. Callie decided to follow and motioned for Peters.
Sylvia stopped in front of an old church.
“Stay here, keep watch. But try to look natural,” Callie told Peters and followed Sylvia inside. She hesitated at the back and Callie looked up the long aisle. Something about the silence comforted her. It had been a long time since she’d attended church. Maybe it was time to go back.
Sylvia hurried up the aisle and knelt at the altar. She put her head down on her hands. “Please, God,” she said aloud, “let whoever has Emma treat her well. Please bring my baby back to me.” The words echo
ed in the empty church. She knelt for another minute or two, then stood up and wiped her tears.
Callie stayed back to give her privacy. When Sylvia turned to leave, Callie noticed a young man in the back of the church. When had he come in? She hadn’t noticed him before. Sylvia nodded at him.
When Sylvia got close, he pushed an envelope toward her, then turned and ran out, letting the door slam behind him. Callie called Peters and told him to follow. Her stomach lurched as Sylvia open the envelope with trembling hands.
After
Sylvia read it quickly, she crumpled the note. Her legs collapsed and she slid to the floor. “They know the police are involved. That’s why they haven’t contacted us,” she whispered. “Dear God, where is Emma? What can I do to get my daughter back?”
Callie rushed to her side and held out her hand to help the woman to her feet. Callie spoke in a soft voice, but Sylvia
didn’t seem to hear the words. The church echoed the sound of the gut-wrenching sobs as they racked Sylvia’s body.
Leading her into a pew, Callie
took the note, and spoke to Peters on her cell phone. “The guy gave her a note. It says Come ‘ALONE’ Holy Cross Cemetary. 2:00. I said no cops! The letters are cut out from the same newsprint as the first ransom note. Get Billings on it with you now and keep following that guy.”
Finally Sylvia stopped crying. “Are you okay?” Callie asked.
Sylvia took several deep breaths, looked at Callie, and pulled away. “They have my baby. It’s because of you people that we haven’t heard from them.” She spoke through gritted teeth, her voice unrecognizable.
“Come on, I’ll take you home.” Callie helped her stand.
Sylvia pulled away. “I don’t want anything to do with the police. They know you’re involved. I have to deliver the ransom money.”
“Let’s go home.” Callie couldn’t think of anything else to say. If she was in that position, she’d sure feel the same way.
Chapter
7
“They have a lead!” David came to the door and took Sylvia in his arms “They think they know where Emma is.”
Sylvia collapsed against him. “You have to pay them. You read the note.” She screamed and pounded his chest. “They’re watching us! They know the police are involved. I want my baby back. We have the money. Give it to them. Why didn’t you listen to me? Don’t you want Emma back?”
David held her. “I want Emma back, too, but we can’t give in to them.” He stroked her head. “We’ll get Emma back. I promise.”
“How can you promise something like that? Why don’t you just give them the money? It doesn’t mean anything without Emma.” Sylvia pulled away and ran across the room and curled up in a chair. For the next two hours she was oblivious. The phone rang, but she didn’t appear to hear it. People came and went and she didn’t react. Hilda came in with a tray.
“You must eat, Miss,” she said.
Sylvia ignored the maid.
Callie understood. Even she didn’t have an appetite. Hilda meant well, but Sylvia sent the tray back without touching it. Some people ate under stress. Not Sylvia.
Callie’s phone rang. “Johnson. Where? I’m on my way.” Finally a break in the case.
***
Nothing made Callie happier than returning with Emma after arrests were made.
Sylvia looked up when they came in. She looked even more bedraggled. The hours had taken their toll.
She froze, as if her legs refused to move. Tears filled her eyes, and she held out her arms for the baby. Sophia took Emma to her. Laughter mingled with the tears as she cuddled the smiling child.
Sylvia hardly paid attention when
Callie spoke. All that mattered to her was the baby. “Carlos, Luis’s cousin, heard Luis brag how rich you were and that you adopted Emma,” Callie explained. “When Luis told them how afraid you were to leave Emma with a sitter, Carlos got the idea.” Callie looked from Sylvia to David as she spoke. “They tried to leave Sophia behind, but Emma wouldn’t stop crying, and they didn’t know how to handle her. Sophia convinced them to take her along.”
Apparently, Sylvia had been listening because she smiled at Sophia. “Thank you. I owe you an apology but all I can say is thank you. I’ve been wrong about you.” Sylvia
hugged Sophia. “Thank you for taking care of my baby.”
Sophia hugged her back and smiled through her crooked teeth. “She was in my care. What else could I do? I tried to stop them, but they had a gun. I was afraid they’d shoot us both. I knew if I went with them we stood a chance. At least I could protect Emma.”
“Carlos’s friend passed you the note in church.” Callie waited until Sophia finished and continued. “He wasn’t hard to follow, he never suspected.”
Sylvia held Emma close. “Never again,” she said. “No matter how your Daddy begs. Never again will I leave my precious baby.”
Callie couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad it all turned out well.” If only all her cases were solved so easily. Now all she wanted was to go home, get a shower, and crawl into bed. This case exhausted her. Tomorrow was dinner at her grandmother’s.
Chapter 8
Usually Callie enjoyed dinner with her grandmother. The judge never ceased to amaze her. She kept a busy schedule, yet still managed to keep house and entertain regularly. Where or how she found the time to clean, cook, and bake was beyond Callie. Lately, though, Gram had been getting on Callie’s case almost as bad as her mother and sister about getting married.
She pulled into Gram’s drive and groaned. Not only would she have to deal with her grandmother, mother, and sister, Aunt Beatrice Lulu was here. Not her favorite person. She eased out of the car. May as well face the music.
Callie’s grandmother greeted her at the door. “How’s the new Police Chief?” Gram’s smile beamed with pride. One thing she’d give Gram credit for, she was proud of her children and grandchildren.
“I’m doing well.” Callie hugged and kissed her. “How are you?”
“Ah, you know how it is. Busy. Jim Landry thinks I should retire.”
“Maybe you should. Take life easy. You’ve certainly earned it.” Callie suppressed a grin. Truth be known, Jim Landry was sweet on Gram.
“And just what would I do with my time?” Gram put her hands on her hips and frowned at Callie. “You young people think everything is solved by retiring.”
“Well, you could travel. Or you could spend more time with Jim.”
Gram waved her hand, but Callie caught the blush on her cheeks before she turned away. “Posh. What makes you think I need to spend more time with Jim?”
“Well you’re always telling me I should get married. Maybe you should consider it.”
“I was married, remember? And to a very good man. No way could I replace him. Get married, the very idea.”
“Gramps has been gone a long time, Gram. And Jim’s every bit as good. He’s sweet on you, you know.”
Commotion from the other room saved Gram from answering. Callie followed her into the living room.
Aunt Beatrice Lulu sat in the middle of the floor. Everyone stared open mouthed, looking scared to speak.
“What in the hell are you doing on the floor?” Gram covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “Are you okay? Do I need to call 911?”
“No. You don’t need to call 911. Help me up, for God’s sake.”
“What the hell are you doing on the floor to begin with?”