“You ever hear of our resident crackpot, Matilda?” Eddie went straight to business. His tone withheld the disgust written all over his features as soon as he set eyes on Kai.
“Can’t say as I have. Detective Hampton knew of her—says she calls in a lot with complaints about people living across from her. He figures she’s full of shit, because from the looks of the woman, she’s most likely homeless.”
“I thought the same until I heard her spout off about today’s crazy mothers and how the red-headed bitch doesn’t know squat about looking after a baby. It was the red-headed part of her harangue that caught my interest.”
“Did you question her?”
“No, she was poleaxed by the time she left here. Instead, I decided to follow her home after she left the bar to see where she’d end up. Glad I did. Turns out the crazy lady lives in the Gresham block. It’s a group of relatively new condos, four set in a semi-circle all facing each other around a small plaza.”
“You don’t say.” Kai’s heart starting beating double-time. “By any chance did you get her apartment number?”
“No. But I can tell you which building it is and I have no doubt, you’ll get in. I’ve asked around and found out her real name is Matilda Swift.”
Kai stood, pulled out his wallet to leave tip money for the drinks and payment for Eddie’s report.
“Don’t insult me, man. Aurora and me… we’re colleagues. This is for her and Lily.”
Sincere appreciation rang in Kai’s voice and he didn’t try to hide it. “Thanks Eddie. I owe you.”
Kai left the darkness of the building and once outside, he blinked rapidly before putting his sunglasses on. “Damn sun makes my eyes water,” he muttered real low, his voice cracking.
In a short time, he arrived at the condo and found the apartment he wanted. He rang the bell and used his most professional tone when Matilda’s querulous voice answered. “Who is it?”
“Detective Kai Lawson, LVMPD. Have a few questions to ask you Ma’am. About the Morelli baby’s disappearance. Understand you have some information?”
“Show your badge.”
Kai held his badge up to the small screen near the pad full of buttons.
“Says you’re from LA?”
Old bag wasn’t too stupid after all. “Yes, Ma’am, I’m a special consultant here on the kidnapping.”
He heard the lock being released and entered the building before she changed her mind. A few minutes later he approached her open door to find the possible crackpot, or hopefully a possible savior waiting for him.
His first impression was that she’d smoked too many cigarettes, drank too much booze and killed off a lot of brain cells in her earlier years. The ugly, beady-eyed woman who stood before him gave him the creeps.
Dressed in a sweat suit that probably worked as both day and night wear that hadn’t seen soap or water for months, the straggly-haired old witch waved him inside. Her sour-smelling apartment didn’t look much better than its owner and reeked even worse.
An open balcony faced into the inside of the plaza and a pair of binoculars duct-taped to a stand caught his attention immediately. Before he could follow his inclination to step outside for both fresh air and a chance to view her panorama, she stopped him to whine.
“I’ve called the precinct lots of times and you’re the first person who has ever come to discuss my complaints. I suppose I oughtta thank you.” She wobbled to where an ancient old lazy-boy, ratty and filthy, sat in front of a beauty of a big-screen TV.
Seems Matilda liked certain luxuries, Kai surmised. Empty beer bottles lined the floor around her seat and littered the table in front and beside her. The woman didn’t go without.
“Nice place you have here, Miss Swift.”
“Mrs. Swift. My man left it to me. Set me up before he passed on. Wanted to make sure I was looked after. Good husband, my Henry, I still miss the old goat.” Tears filled her rheumy eyes.
So maybe the old doll wasn’t as wacky as Ham thought. Kai sat on the hard-backed chair nearest her and decided to just come straight out with his questions, no beating around the bush.
“Last night you mentioned seeing a red-headed woman, a mother who didn’t know how to look after her baby. I’m interested in anything you can tell me about this woman.”
“They’re all over the place, so called mothers who have no sense. God isn’t as select anymore—lets any stupid hussy give birth. It’s the babies who suffer. I never had any children, and I still curse him for making me that way.”
Matilda reached to the floor and lifted a half-empty bottle of beer and drained it. She burped loudly and then continued. “The Bible says God is all-seeing, all-knowing. Well I say he don’t know nothing! What goes on around me in this place would make your head spin. It’s a crazy world out there, full of nuts. Nuts everywhere!”
O-kayyy… she’s as wacky as Ham warned. Kai wondered if he was wasting his time. One more go at it and he was outta here.
“About the redhead, Mrs. Swift?”
Matilda shook herself and her head spun in his direction as if she wondered who he was and how he’d appeared. Then she put her hand up to her forehead and rubbed. “The redhead? Not so red anymore. She’s changed it to black. Looks horrible if you ask me. I liked it better before.”
Son-of-a-bi…
Excitement began to prick at the queasiness in the pit of his stomach. “Tell me about your black-haired neighbor.”
“My neighbor? Oh yes. She changed her hair color but I’d recognize her anywhere. I call her Mama of the Year. At least she isn’t one of them that hurts her baby. She just never puts the kid down. Day and night I see her carrying the babe, always kissing and smooching, and singing. It’s kinda nice sometimes, you know what I mean? I like watching her.”
His heart instantly took up the rumba. A breath caught in back of his throat and he thought if he forced it through his lungs it would choke him. So instead, he breathed through his nose and halted the ecstatic joy that pulsed throughout his system.
Please God, please!
“Umm Mrs. Swift, could you show me the window you’re talking about?” He rose and waited for Matilda to follow.
Like a recorder clicked on to play, Matilda still talked and ignored him. “She never goes out. Gets her groceries delivered from all different stores. I know. I see the trucks all the time. Once in a while, she brings the baby to the balcony for fresh air. I like him. He’s beautiful.”
Quickly, Kai strode back toward the nutcase still nattering. “You’re sure it’s a boy?” Harsh with sorrow, his tone one decibel down from a yell, he instinctively probed.
His voice must have registered because she blinked and gave him her attention. A crafty grin lit her face and she added. “She dresses the babe in blue, but if you see the darling’s blue eyes and cute giggle, it don’t look to me like a boy. Too pretty! Come on, I’ll show you.”
She led him to the binoculars and swung them to the building straight across. “One floor down, directly opposite.”
Barely able to contain himself, Kai did as she ordered, fixed the sights on the glasses and stared directly into the face of his precious baby daughter.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Aurora took the call from Kai. When she answered and heard his warm voice, she knew. Just like that.
Her ears gave off signals that would have driven her crazy if not for the sheer happiness his words generated.
“I’ve found her, Darlin’. I’m going to give you an address. You need to collect the troops, but keep everyone away. Jane can’t be spooked. You know that?”
“Oh God, Kai. I can’t believe it’s almost over. I’ll be there soon. How do we get into the place without agitating her?”
“I’ve stopped a delivery truck bringing groceries to her apartment. I’ll take the driver’s place. Once I’m in, I can survey the layout and her state of mind.”
“Don’t upset her. Remember, Lelonde warned us how precarious she is. Maybe it would be better having a woman talk her down. Like mother to mother.” Aurora wanted nothing more than to get close to Lily and rip her from the other woman’s arms.
“Not you, babe. She’ll recognize you in an instant.”
“Debbie would step in if you think it’s more feasible.”
“Tell you the truth, I think she might panic with having a woman appear. She’s only been used to delivery guys at the door.” Kai added a sexy tone to his warmth. “You know I’m good with women.”
“Yeah! Yeah! Just be careful.”
“Will do. Talk soon. I love you.” The click in her ear told her it was too late to counter his message.
I love you. The words rang in her head and ignited a small flame burning deep in a hidden core inside her heart. A place where only grey had existed for as long as she could remember. Until the day she met Kai.
She’d heard others use those words as a matter of fact—like they had no special meaning. To one who’d never heard them aimed at her before, the sentiment mattered, big time.
She just hoped she’d get a chance to someday be able to reply to the hotshot with a “love you more” answer.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Kai’s fast talking, plus his badge, eventually convinced the young delivery guy he wouldn’t lose his job by passing his uniform and the box of groceries over. However, he’d have trouble walking if he gave Kai any more arguments. Just his luck to run into the only conscientious grocery clerk in the whole freakin’ city.
When the long-haired pimple-faced kid went to drive away, again Kai had to use force tactics to keep him in place.
“Hey, I can’t stay here,” the clerk whined. “There’s a pile of other deliveries to make. C’mon, man. I just got this work and my boss is a real SOB. If I don’t finish my route, all my route, in the allotted time, I can kiss this job good-bye.”
“You don’t listen to me and get your butt out of that truck right now; you’ll be kissing your ass good-bye.” Since Kai knew the truck could be identified by a glimpse out of the patio, and since he was dealing with a kidnapper who supposedly had the smarts of a genius, he couldn’t take any chances.
Eventually Kai convinced the antagonist—in a roundabout way. Being cuffed in the back with the groceries and a rag shoved in his mouth seemed a bit bizarre, but who knew what trouble the stupid fool could start if he compromised the delicate scene?
It took Kai a few minutes to wiggle into the tight monogrammed shirt. He was glad the uniform included an open vest that covered the rip up the back. He rolled up the too-short sleeves and soon picked up the heavy box of groceries that included baby formula and diapers.
The store receipt had the apartment number as being #1147. He quickly texted the information to Aurora, and then whistling, he strolled briskly to the front door.
Like in the neighbouring apartment where Matilda lived, the key-pad had easy access and in no time Kai had rung the suite. Feigning nonchalance, he waited for the woman to answer his summons. In actual fact, his body thrummed like a live power line.
To clear the excitement he knew showed in his eyes, he did some deep-breathing exercises and blinked a number of times and then to be on the safe side, he slipped on his sunglasses.
From the minute she’d given him permission to enter and opened the lock until he stood at the end of her hallway, he worked to erase all emotion from his features. He shifted the box on his knees and wiped the moisture from his hands. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, hoping he looked presentable.
When he stepped in front of her door, it didn’t surprise him that she took her time opening to him. Her inspection through the peephole felt almost physical, his stress was so encompassing.
When he heard the lock click open, the relief surged from the top of his head to deep in his gut.
Soon!
And there she was, his beautiful darling daughter dressed in blue baby-boy pants and a blue t-shirt, goo-ing her happiness at seeing a new face.
His Lily—clutched tightly in the arms of a maniac with wild in her eyes and the bulge of a gun in the hand sheltered just under a soft, teddy-bear blanket.
My God Lily’s as beautiful as her mommy.
Because the only time he’d seen the babe had been at night, he hadn’t been prepared for her likeness to him, especially their eyes. Hers were slanted similar to her Daddy’s, vibrant blue, full of innocence and sparkles whereas he knew his must have been the same vivid color once but he guessed life had tamed them.
A noise alerted him that his scrutiny of Lily had taken too long and so he turned his attention to Jane, the nutcase who held his most precious possession in her rigid arms.
Her eyes looked haggard, her now black-dyed hair a mess, tangled and wild. The clothes she wore were creased and soiled with spit-up on the shoulder. But her wide-eyed expression held absolute conviction.
Behind her, he made out the baby gear that looked new and shiny. This woman had obviously wanted Lily to have the best. He saw that the layout of the suite duplicated the one he’d visited earlier across the courtyard. Except for one difference—these furnishings were modern, clean and a hell of a lot more desirable.
“Just leave the box here.” Jane spoke the words in a no-nonsense voice. By standing in the doorway, she completely blocked entry into the suite.
“Couldn’t do that, Ma’am! This box is heavy. My boss would have my job if I didn’t deliver properly. Just tell me where you’d like this, and I’ll be glad to carry it inside.”
“No!”
Kai pretended to be surprised and hurt by her rudeness.
Her tone gentled a little. “Fine, put it here.”
She moved aside so Kai could step over the threshold and to the nearby chair she motioned him to put the box on. Then she handed over a bundle of twenties.
He accepted the money. “You have a cutie there. What’s his name?” Kai took his time making out the change.
“Keep it.” She waved away the money. “Larry. His name is Larry.”
“It’s a nice name. My Dad’s name is Lawrence and everyone calls him Larry. Well of course, I don’t. I call him Dad. He’d throttle me if I called him by his first name.” Kai babbled on talking nonsense while sussing out the situation.
As if Lily sensed his anxiety, she began to fuss. All of a sudden, she shocked both adults as she pushed away from Jane’s clinging arms and lunged towards Kai, her tiny body arching and her little hands reaching, trying to grasp him.