Connor came up behind her. “These places usually have a basement.”
She nodded. “Yeah, and other buildings.”
“I’ve got a team in the barn and the other outbuilding. All reported clean too.” His jaw clenched. “We’re too late.”
Samantha holstered her weapon. “Look.” She pointed to the drying rack over the sink.
“Baby bottles.”
“For newborns.”
“Hey, guys, come see this!” Dakota called from the east side of the house.
Samantha headed toward Dakota’s voice with Connor nearly stepping on her heels as he followed her. They came upon an open door with stairs leading downward. Descending the steps, Samantha detected a decidedly hospital-type odor. On the last step, she halted and drew in a deep breath. Pulled her gun back out.
“Anyone down here?” She could feel Connor at her back. “Oh wow . . . ,” she breathed.
“Clear!” someone called.
“What?” Connor stepped around her, gun ready, senses alert. “Oh my . . .”
“It’s unbelievable.”
“An underground mini medical office.”
That had been torn up, dismantled, and left in pieces.
“Somebody left here in a hurry. It looks like Crystal Ben-nington’s house.”
Connor pulled in a deep breath, looked at his phone. “I’ve got a signal down here too. Weird. All right, people, find every scrap of evidence left.” He walked away to start barking orders on his cell phone. Samantha caught something about a CSU team on the way.
She looked at him. “Connor, we need to get to that lawyer’s office and have a long talk with him before he gets wind that things are falling apart. Because if he’s involved in this like I think he is, he’s going to be running too.”
“I’ve already got guys watching his office and his house. But I agree with you. We need to talk to him and now. Those girls are running out of time. If our guy thinks he’s caught, he might kill them, cut his losses, and disappear.”
“This is a pretty elaborate operation. There’s got to be someone out there who can tell us something.”
“In here, people!”
The shout came from inside the examining room. Samantha pulled in a sharp breath and shot her gaze to Connor. Slipping his weapon back into his palm, he motioned for her to follow.
Connor entered the room, caution written all over him. Another sound, a gasping . . . gurgle. Samantha watched him round the examination table and stop. He dropped out of sight. She stepped around the other end and gasped. Connor and another SWAT member knelt over a young woman who’d had her throat slashed, a gaping wound that turned Samantha’s stomach. Blood pooled on the white floor beneath her as she twitched.
Connor looked up at Samantha. “Call an ambulance.” The sadness in his eyes told her he knew it would be too late, but he had to try.
Samantha finally looked into the woman’s face.
Raising her eyes to Connor’s, she said, “That’s Crystal Bennington.”
“You’re sure there’s nothing left there.” The Agent paced his new office. He hated it. It was so different than what he’d left; his only consolation was that it was a temporary arrangement.
“Positive,” Boss soothed. “Will you relax?”
The Agent snorted. “I’ll relax when I’m in Mexico. They were so close. So very close. Crystal’s dead by now. I need to know how soon before you can induce labor with the girl furthest along? Veronica.”
“Not for a while. She’s only thirty weeks.”
He cursed. “This place isn’t nearly as secure as the last one.”
“But we won’t need as much security as we used to. We’ve only got two girls now.”
The Agent paced. “That’s right, but I’ve got one more to take care of.”
“What do you mean?” Anger coated Boss’s tone. “I thought you agreed we needed to get out of here.”
“We’re taking these two. What’s one more? I’ll have her here tonight.”
“No! Absolutely not. You’re pushing it and it’s not necessary.”
“You’re right about that. It’s
not
necessary. It’s
personal
. And it’s as simple as that.”
Jenna checked her text messages. Danny again. Pushing to meet her. Checking to make sure she wasn’t backing out. Part of her really wanted to. But . . .
Insecurity ate at her.
Her phone vibrated once again. Flipping over on her back, she stared at the light fixture in her room. One lightbulb was out. Her life was like that. Part of it dark and hidden, the other part looking brighter, better. She’d actually had fun with her dad earlier today.
Sighing, she flipped open her phone and answered. “Hi, Patty.”
“Whatcha doing?”
“Lying on my bed, staring at my ceiling, thinking about what I want to do.”
“Hmm. Sounds completely fascinating. Now, come downstairs and let me in.”
Jenna bolted into a sitting position. “What? You’re here?”
“That would be why I need you to open the door.”
“Very funny. I’m coming.”
Jenna trotted down the steps. “Grandma? Grandpa?” They must be taking their midafternoon walk and had locked the door behind them. Her father’s warnings echoed in her head, and for a brief moment she wondered if she should go after them and remind her grandparents that they might be safer inside.
But it wouldn’t do any good. They were old and set in their ways. Too many cops in the family for them to be scared of much. Although Andrew’s death had shaken them up.
Not enough to stay inside, though.
Of course they had their own shadow who was probably walking somewhere behind them keeping an eye on things.
She flipped the lock and opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Wondering what you’re doing hanging around this place on a Saturday when we could be having fun.”
Patty stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Jenna could see her own protection sitting in the car parked next to the curb. Patty had clearance to come up to the house. Anyone without authorization would be stopped. And if Jenna left, she would be followed.
But there were ways around that.
“I’m . . . debating.” Jenna turned to lead the way back up to her room.
“About?”
“Whether or not to go meet Danny tonight . . . or, um, do something else.”
“What? You have a meeting set up with Danny?”
Jenna winced at the squealed question and wiggled a finger in her ear. “Chill, Patty.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Patty flung herself across Jenna’s bed, dramatic flair oozing from her. “I’m your best friend and you tell me nothing. You’re so not fair.”
Jenna slapped her friend’s leg. “Oh stop. I’m still trying to decide what to do. There’s a psycho killer out there, remember?”
“Hmm. True. But what are the odds of this guy that you’re meeting being the one killing girls?”
“Maybe higher odds than I’m willing to gamble with. Maybe I should ask my dad. See what he thinks. He might even be willing to go with me. Well, not tonight because of this stupid case, but maybe I could postpone it until he could, you know, check this guy out with me.”
Patty burst out laughing. “Your dad?
Your
dad? Mr. Straight-laced, stick-in-the-mud, ‘Jenna, if you leave this house you’re grounded’ dad?”
Anger pinched Jenna. “Careful, you might rupture something. And yes, my dad. He took me driving today and he’s letting me get my license on Monday after school.”
Sobering, Patty sat forward. “For real?”
“Yep.”
“Oh. Wow. Well, that’s great.”
“Yeah, it is. Anyway, back to this meeting thing. I’m just going to text Danny and tell him I want to . . . postpone it until next week. I’ll just tell him something came up unexpectedly and I can’t meet him.”
“You don’t think you’re blowing your big chance here?”
Jenna sighed. “I don’t know.” She walked to the window and looked out. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe if I cancel, I’ll be messing everything up.”
“Well, it’s up to you, but I want to meet this guy.”
“Did you hear back from him?”
Patty gave a small pout. “No, that’s why I want to go with you to see him. Maybe if he sees what he’s missing out on, he’ll give me a chance.”
In the precinct conference room, Connor slapped the thick folder down on the table in front of him. “Crystal Bennington died in the ambulance. This is the background information for every person in the Physicians Associates office. I feel pretty sure Crystal was our connection, but we have to check the rest of them.”
Dakota shook his head. Samantha sighed and wilted in her seat. The other three officers shifted, anticipation eating them.
“Pass it on over and we’ll get started,” a young female officer volunteered. The others nodded. Each one wanted to be responsible to find the clue that would bring this case to a satisfying conclusion.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Connor narrowed his eyes on the rest of them. “All right, people, we moved too slow. They got away. Didn’t leave much evidence other than a dead body and the fact that something hinky is going on.”
“You mean evil,” Samantha spat. “They’re selling babies. Custom-made babies, if you ask me.”
Connor nodded. “That they are.”
“They’re using these girls, breeding them, then killing them like stray animals.” She shuddered.
“This sicko needs to be stopped and stopped yesterday,” Dakota stated, arms crossed in front of him, jaw tight, Stetson riding low on his forehead.
“Who owns that property again?” Connor asked.
Dakota looked at the file. “A guy by the name of Marshall Sykes.”
“Did he have anything to say about the renters?” Sam shifted as Connor paced.
“Just that they were outstanding occupants. Paid the rent on time, never any disturbances, etc. Said there was a woman who took care of the horses and did most of the chores around there. Danny would come and go during all hours of the night and day, but Mr. Sykes thought that he was working swing shift and whatnot.”
“Swing shift, right. More like the graveyard shift,” she muttered.
“All right, I want to go talk to this lawyer and see what he’s got to say about his client.” Connor sighed, disgust written on his features at the miss. “We almost had him.”
“I know.” Samantha stood and laid a hand on his forearm. “We’ll get him. He’s leaving a trail to follow now. We’re close enough to make him scared, to send him running. He’s going to trip up somewhere, and when he does, we’ll be there.”
“Let’s go.”
Dakota handed a folder to Connor on his way out. “Here, I think you’ll find this interesting reading.”
Connor took it and led the way out of the office, down the steps to the car and doing a quick check-in with Jenna on the phone. She assured him she was fine and he made her promise to be careful once again.
“Da-a-ad . . .” She drew the word out into three syllables.
“What time are you leaving for the campout?”
“In a couple of hours.”
“Where are Mom and Pop?”
“They went for a walk with their shadow. Now they’re downstairs watching some stupid game show.”
“Be nice.”
“Bye, Dad. See you when I get back.”
“Bye, Jenna.” He hung up and shook his head.
“Sounds like things are a bit better between you guys,” Samantha noted.
He gave a small smile. “Yeah, I think so. Not perfect by any means, but at least we’re taking steps forward. She didn’t hang up on me this time.”
“I’m happy for you, Connor.”
“Thanks.” Her soft eyes lured him like a siren song. Tempted to say something, to express his growing admiration for her, he stopped short. Instead, he passed her the keys. “Here, you drive while I read.”
He opened the passenger door and settled himself into the seat. Once Samantha had her belt fastened and the car started, he pushed aside personal feelings and said, “It’s Saturday. I’m guessing our lawyer friend isn’t in his office today.”
“Probably not. What’s his home address?”
He gave it to her and raised his brows. “Ve-e-ery nice.”
Ten minutes later, Samantha understood what he meant by very nice. A white-columned, brick three-story house sat on an elevated hillside. The guard at the gated entrance had let them through once Connor flashed his badge.
“Wow.”
“Well, he’s a lawyer, I guess he can afford it.”
“I guess. Anything on his background?”
“Not much, nothing criminal anyway.” He slid her a look. “But get this, he handles most of the adoptions around here for affluent couples.”
Samantha felt anticipation curl in her belly. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Crystal was the fertility expert. She could do whatever necessary to make sure the girls got pregnant. She could also deliver the babies relatively easy. Mr. Abbott here would handle the rest. You think it’s possible he could actually be involved in all this?”
She parked on the street and gazed up at the house, admiring the clean lines and manicured lawn.
Connor gave her a sardonic look. “I think we’ve got missing babies and a lawyer’s name found in the house of a woman involved with our missing girls. I don’t think assuming this guy’s involved is a stretch.”
“I agree.”
“In fact, I’m going to see if I can get a search warrant on his files, home and office. You think between the two of us we can keep him talking long enough for Dakota to track down a judge and get a signature and a team over here?”
“Sure. He’s getting Crystal Bennington’s financial records and everything else. No reason he can’t handle that too. Let me give him a quick call.” She pulled out her phone and made the call. Dakota agreed to get on it and she hung up. “All right, let’s see what we can do.”
They climbed from the car and headed up the front walk. Samantha rapped on the door and waited. “What if he’s not home?”
“He’s home. I had a guy keeping an eye on him ever since we found that receipt.”
Admiration for him bloomed. It was obvious that he loved his job even though he hated the reason for it. The same way Samantha felt about hers. However, he was also very, very good at what he did. She understood his drive, his dedication. She smiled to herself. Just something else they had in common.
“What?”
She’d been staring at him. Samantha blinked. “Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”
“About?”