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“Excuse me, sir.” Charles Armbruster’s secretary said, shooting an apologetic look at him for disturbing his telephone conference with the legal department of the hospital. “But there are a couple of detectives here to see you.”
“Show ‘em in.” Charles said, as he quickly ended the call and promised to get back to them shortly.
A large, middle-aged black man with salt and pepper hair and a stunningly beautiful young blonde woman walked into his office and he came around the desk to greet them.
“Charles Armbruster.” He introduced himself as they all shook hands and then he gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk.
“Mr. Armbruster.” The man returned the greeting. “I’m Detective Chandler. This is Detective Harvey. We’d like to ask you some questions in regards to the events that took place here with the Ashby baby.”
“Sure.” Charles said, eager to get through this mess as easily as possible. He only hoped they didn’t ask for Dave.
When he sent the kid packing, it hadn’t gone too well.
He had threatened to sue the hospital and him personally for wrongful termination. But the facts hadn’t lied.
The video files pertaining to the Ashby incident were found in a folder created on his terminal, which was password-protected by Dave, and that was all the evidence Charles had needed, even though Dave maintained that he hadn’t downloaded the files at all.
It was going to be a hassle, he could tell.
“Coffee, sir?” Maria said, as Charles looked at the pair in front of him, who shook their heads.
“No thanks, Maria. Kill the phones for a bit, would ya?.” He said, as the young woman nodded and then left them alone., closing the office door.
“So, what can I do for you?” Charles asked, watching the blonde as she stared back at him thoughtfully.
She was a pretty little blue-eyed thing that reminded him of his teen-aged daughter, Hannah. He couldn’t believe that she was old enough to be a cop, much less a detective, especially since she didn’t appear to be much more than twenty or so.
God, he felt old if they were letting little girls onto the police force now.
He pulled his attention away from her and back onto Detective Chandler, who was watching him with an amused expression.
“Mr. Armbruster...”
“Mr. Armbruster was my father.” He said with a chuckle as he relaxed a bit, “Please, call me Charlie.”
“Charlie.” Detective Chandler said, “We have some updates in regards to the Ashby abduction.”
“Did you find the baby?”
“No, but there have been significant changes. Do you have someone named Katherine Curtis working here?”
“Kathy? Yes, she works here.”
“And was she working the day of the incident?”
“I don’t believe so, but I’d have to double-check. Maria!”
The office door opened and Charles’ secretary appeared damn-near instantly.
“Yes, sir?”
“Can you pull the employee security check logs for the week of September fourth?”
“Right away.” Maria said and she was gone.
“What’s this about? Kathy in some kind of trouble?” Charles asked, not missing the look that the two detectives shared.
“We’re sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Katherine Curtis has been murdered.” Sandy said.
“What?” Charles said, as his face paled and then he put a hand over his mouth. “Christ Almighty. When?”
“She was found this morning at the Dewdrop Inn out on Sunrise Highway. But that’s not the most disturbing thing about this situation. She was found wearing a pair of pink nurses scrubs, similar to the ones worn by the woman who stole the Ashby baby.”
“Waitaminit, hold it, stop.” Charles said, anger filling his voice now, “Are you trying to say Kathy did this? Kathy Curtis?”
“It appears that way.” Millie said, wryly.
“But I’ve known her since she was a kid. No way would she do something like this.”
Sandy and Millie looked at each other and then Millie pulled out her cell phone.
“Charles, can you tell us who this woman is?” she asked, showing the man the photo of the victim’s face she’d taken with her cellphone.
“They’ve got similar features, I’ll give you that.” Charles said, squinting at the phone, “I don’t know who that is, but it’s definitely not Kathy Curtis and she would hardly steal a kid. Kathy is happily married with three kids, lives out in Valley Stream.”
“Sir?” Maria said from the doorway, holding up a sheet of paper.
“Come in, Maria...” he beckoned the young Latina, who hurried to give him the paper.
Charles looked it over, tapping a line on the sheet.
“There.” He said, triumphantly as he swiveled it around so that they could see it, too. “She clocked in as usual but....huh...”
Charles looked at another sheet.
“That’s funny.” He murmured, still looking.
“What.” Millie asked.
“There’s a notation here by her name, due to a sudden change in schedule. All departments do it so we can keep track of employees coming and going for data purposes. Well, according to this here, she clocked out in the middle of the day for some reason....but I tell ya, Kathy didn’t do this. Maybe one of her rugrats got sick or something and she had to leave early. Kathy’s a good kid.”
Sandy held his hand out for Charles to hand him the paper, and he looked it over.
Katherine Curtis clocked out at approximately one-fifteen in the afternoon. Right around the time that the Ashby baby was stolen.
Sandy knew exactly where this was going.
Someone had gotten Katherine Curtis out of the way in order to impersonate her and steal the baby.
These were professionals and he didn’t know how many people were involved at this point, but he was going to get answers.
That was for damned sure.
***
Joan sighed heavily as she waited in the line at the McDonald’s drive-thru to get their food. As usual, she had been delegated to servant any time he was around. But Carrie had promised that the asshole was just helping them get their documentation together to get out of the country, and nothing more. She didn’t like the way he stared at Carrie all the time, his eyes lingering on her curves. Joan hated even more that Carrie seemed to be oblivious to it all, telling her to lighten up.
Zach had always been a little too slick for her liking. All she wanted to do was get away from him so that they could go on about their lives, live in Canada like they’d always talked about.
“May I take your order?” the voice warbled, barely distinguishable through that stupid box.
Joan put in the order, and then pulled around to pay and then to the next window to pick up the bags of junk food that Carrie swore she just had to have.
By the time she headed to the cheap lodgings he’d found on Astoria Boulevard, just blocks away from the McDonald’s restaurant, she could easily admit that she’d be glad to get rid of Zach.
His stupid black truck was parked in front of the run-down motel and Joan pulled her Ford into the spot right next to it. She trudged up the stairs once she got inside the hotel and down the hall to their room. She slid the electronic keycard into the slot and pushed the door.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
“What the hell.....” Joan grumbled as she shifted the warm paper sacks bearing the familiar golden arches in her arms and knocked on the door loudly.
There was no answer.
Disturbing images of Carrie and Zach rolling around naked in one of those nasty beds filled her mind and she began banging on the door, even though she knew it risked waking the baby.
“Excuse me.” She called to a housekeeper, who had just come out of another room. “My key won’t work. Can you let me into my room?”
The girl nodded and produced a master keycard, which she slid into the lock and the door popped open.
“Thanks.”
Joan stopped short as she went into the room, her eyes growing wide as she saw that the room was completely empty.
Letting out a scream of frustration, which scared the housekeeper who came on the run, she asked Joan what was wrong.
“Que pasa?” an older woman with highlighter hair asked in Spanish and then spoke in broken English. “Wha’ happing, mami?”
“The people who were here....”
“Se fueron.” She said, waving her hand away, “They go.”
“They go? Go where? When??”
“Sorry, I no speak-a th’ ingles......Lo siento....”
“Joan!” Carrie’s voice called as she came down the hall with Zach, who was holding the infant carrier in his hands.
Lightning fast, Joan snatched Carrie’s arm and pulled her into the room, slamming the door in Zach’s face right before she lit into her girlfriend.
“He has to go.” She wept, as Carrie shook her head as if Joan was saying the most stupid thing in the world. She hated when Carrie downplayed her feelings when she was truly upset like this.
“What’s wrong with you, Joanie. We just went for a quick walk because she wouldn’t stop crying.” Carrie said, calmly as she smiled at her, “Why are you acting like this?”
Joan’s voice quivered as tears of anger slid down her cheeks.
“You’re different around him, and I don’t want him involved in this anymore.”
“But he’s the only one that can get us out of here without anyone catching on. You’re going to ruin everything.” Carrie warned, her tone softening as she took Joan’s face in her hands and pressed her lips against hers, kissing her passionately. “We’re almost done with him, and then we’ll go up to Canada, just like we said.....”
Joan sighed as Carrie’s delicate fingers brushed her unkempt hair behind her ears. Carrie kissed her again, longer this time as her hands slid down Joan’s trembling belly and in between her legs.
Joan gasped as their kiss deepened, Carrie’s fingers pressing against her provocatively.
“He’s going out tonight, so we’ll have the room to ourselves.” Carrie whispered, smiling as Joan did too.
She would be so glad when the three of them were away from all of this and Zach.