Abigail watched Finley load the older Toyota Sequoia with some black duffel bags, but she didn’t move from her spot on the couch. The fatigue that had started right after the two men broke through the door was like a dumbbell on her soul, and she had no desire to move.
Instead, she let her mind wander back to her life with Nicola. In the beginning she’d loved how much fun they’d had and how much they’d talked. She’d shared all her dreams with Nicola and had found the support she’d needed to accomplish most of them. By the time she’d finished her residency, they’d already had Sadie and she was pregnant with Victoria, so she’d made the decision to stay home.
For someone who believed so much in family, Nicola had been totally shocked when she’d told her what she’d decided. Her desire to actually raise her children had made something in her partner snap, and the outcome had fractured them as a couple.
As much as she’d loved Nicola, she resented her that much when she started to spend more time away from them on the pretense of work. It hadn’t made sense to her then and even less now. If there was truly an afterlife, would Nicola have changed her mind now that she’d had no choice but to go back to work, leaving the children without a parent at home? Her family helped with the kids, and for the most part she was happy. She allowed herself to acknowledge the loneliness at the very end of the day when she went to bed by herself, but she never wanted to do anything about it. The kids and her family were enough.
“Does the baby need some kind of baby seat? And what about the other two?” Finley asked her, and she stopped stroking Liam’s hair. “What?”
“The other two?” she said softly and laughed. “They have names, Detective.”
“I think you enjoy giving me a hard time, Ms. Eaton.” Finley’s smile transformed her face. “And you didn’t answer my question about Sadie and Victoria.”
“Liam, yes. Victoria’s in a booster, and Sadie would never speak to you again for even thinking that.” She resumed running her fingers though Liam’s hair as she glanced at her sleeping girls. “Are we going somewhere?”
“You wanted to go home, so we’ll start that way, but we’re going to take a more circuitous route.” Finley sat in the chair by the computers and rolled it closer. “Once we get there you can’t exactly go home, but we’ll work something out.”
“Can I see my parents?”
“You aren’t under arrest, so don’t think I’m going to lock you away somewhere. My only concern is you making an easy target, and we won’t be as lucky as we were this morning.”
“May I ask you something now?”
“Sure, since I’d probably have to gag you to stop you,” Finley said, with that same great smile.
“How does a cop afford a 1957 Corvette hardtop?” She pointed to the shiny black car sitting next to the SUV. “I’m guessing at least a hundred grand. Is robbing banks a hobby of yours?”
“May I ask you a question if I promise to answer yours?”
“Sure, if you’re not using the time to conjure up a good answer you don’t have now.”
“How does a pediatrician know enough about Corvettes to guess the year right off, much less the sticker price?”
She laughed, which surprised her, since she’d thought for a while she’d forgotten how to. “My dad’s a mechanic, and cars like that one are his specialty. If you need a tune-up I could get you an appointment, since he’s usually booked for over a year at a time. So, Detective, it’s your turn to tat.”
“Tat?” Finley asked as she shrugged.
“Tit for tat. I gave up mine, so let’s hear it.” She could feel the warmth in her ears as she spoke and blamed it on being punchy.
Finley laughed, but that was all the teasing she dished out. “You probably won’t believe me, but it was a graduation present. I make slightly more than a pile of peanuts, so I’d have to save for years for a car like this unless I gave up eating and took to sleeping on the streets.”
“Your parents gave you that?” Her tone probably made Finley think she didn’t believe her.
“Not my parents, my paternal grandparents. It belonged to my grandfather, and he loves that car. When Gram told him he couldn’t drive anymore, he went out and bought a big red bow and took his last drive in it before he gave it to me. No matter how much I’m offered, nothing would make me sell it.”
“Do you drive it or let it sit in here so you can rub it with a diaper?” she asked, and laughed again. Some of her dad’s clients had that particular hobby, and she’d always thought it strange. It was equivalent to having a woman in your bed, but instead of touching her, you spent all your time braiding her hair.
“Gosh, no,” Finley said, and reached for something. She held up a pink baby blanket made of fleece. “This works much better.”
“If you named it you’re officially a nerd.”
“No names for the car, but I’m afraid I still fall into that nerd category.”
“You don’t shoot like one.” She never drank to excess, but right now she’d finish one off if Finley offered.
“When you go through the academy they really don’t care what your career path is, but they do want you to be able to take care of yourself.” The way Finley carefully folded the blanket gave Abigail the impression she was that meticulous with everything in her life. “My mother sent my instructors plenty of thank-you notes because of their insistence on that.”
“All mothers understand worry, especially when it’s over their children. I certainly would if one of mine chose your line of work.”
“There’s that and plenty of luck.”
“If you say so,” she said and yawned. “Are we safe here?”
“Take the couch, and don’t worry about a repeat of this morning. The only people who know about this place are my parents and me. You and the kids are safe.”
“For now.”
*
“You need to bring her in now, especially if she has Abigail Eaton and her children with her,” Russell’s direct supervisor said over the phone.
Russell closed his eyes and mentally counted to three before saying anything. It was bad enough that everyone with delusions of grandeur had called him about this case. He didn’t want Washington piling on for shits and giggles. “In the last two days someone has tried to kill Ms. Eaton a total of three times. In my opinion that’s excessive for a baby doctor from New Orleans, so excuse me for not following orders. Even if I knew where Abbott was, I wouldn’t call her back in.”
“Russell, don’t give me any shit over this. David Eaton has dinner with Senator Feingold once a month. I doubt Feingold got anything done on the Hill today since he’s been too busy crawling up my ass on this. So far he’s personally gotten in touch six times, and he wants answers.”
“So do I,” Russell said as he pointed to his visitors’ chair when Peter knocked. “What the hell did Abigail Eaton do to warrant this kind of extreme attention?”
“Mr. Eaton has no clue, and he also has no clue as to how his grandchildren are. His wife is frantic, which means they’ll keep Feingold in a froth until they’re found. Usually stuff like this bugs the hell out of me, but the Eatons have already lost their children, so having no information about their grandchildren is making them crazy.”
“You can give them my word they’re fine and safe with Finley. If one of them had gotten hurt she’d have come in and ordered ten times the protection needed.” He was ready to hang up, but he waited for his supervisor to make that move. “As soon as I know anything, so will you. You’ve got my word.”
“Don’t forget that the second you hang up,” his boss said, and then the line went dead.
“Anything?” Russell asked Peter as he gently replaced his receiver.
“The picture you sent of the woman you met with has come up empty. I don’t know who she is, but I can tell you for sure that she’s not affiliated with the DA’s office.” Peter placed a file on his desk before he went on. “Captain Brian Baylord is an interesting person who does in fact work for the NYPD.”
“What’s so fascinating about him?” he asked as he studied the photo of him in dress blues.
“He gave up running the task force on Russian crime to take basically a demotion to managing off-duty assignments in the Bronx. It’s not a trade anyone would make without a little shove.”
“There’s nothing on who might’ve shoved him out?”
“The two guys I know downtown said there was no story and it really was voluntary.”
“That’s like saying you volunteer to pick up trash at the Grand Canyon parking lot instead of being president of the United States.” He flipped through the rest of the file and sighed. “What’s a guy in charge of scheduling rent-a-cops want with this case, and how’d he find out about our involvement so fast?”
“It doesn’t make sense to me either when you factor in the mystery woman. I’ll keep digging and report back to you,” Peter said, taking all the files back.
“Peter,” he said, making Peter pause. “If you get a call from my overly diligent supervisor or anyone else—”
“Don’t worry, sir. I report only to you. Finley’s my partner, so I’m not about to do or say anything that’ll place her in danger.” He tucked the files under his arm and stood. “I’ll run a scan for the woman, so let’s hope she’s in the system.”
“If she’s not, we’re going to lean on the asshole Baylord until he give us something.”
“Do you have any idea how all this fits together?” Peter asked softly.
The young man’s demeanor made Russell think he was in the wrong business. “That’s what we’re working on, so get back to it.”
*
Finley let them all sleep until after nine the next morning and had breakfast ready for everyone. The night before, she’d quietly prepared everything she’d need for the next few days and beyond so they wouldn’t stand out in any way. Once they were done eating they’d be free to go.
“You’re like a Girl and Eagle Scout all rolled into one,” Abigail said as she glanced at the boxes with car seats for the children. “How’d you sneak away and not wake me?”
“I try not to sneak whenever possible, and this time I got away with it since you were exhausted. Would you help me with these?” She pointed to the seats. “Once we’re all strapped in, we can go.”
“You’re driving us home? Is that necessary?”
“Ma’am, I need you to start taking this situation seriously. Do you really want me to drop you at the airport and disappear?” She had the sudden urge to just cuff and gag Abigail and throw her in the car. “I will if you insist, since I can’t force you, but what do you think’s going to happen when you go home unprotected?”
“This is totally foreign to me, so please forgive me.”
“No need for sorry,” she said, slicing a box open. “My only interest in all this is keeping you and your family safe.”
“You’ve done an excellent job so far.”
They talked as they worked, and when they were all inside, Abigail mouthed “thank you” as she pulled out and locked the unit. This wouldn’t be a vacation so they wouldn’t make a lot of stops, but Finley was prepared for the road. She had them all lie down as they left, on the off chance someone was watching, but she relaxed once they were on I-78. Before their first stop for gas and food, she’d change the plates on the Sequoia, and the new ones would be in the system should they get stopped. She had a set for every state they’d travel through so they’d blend with everyone else on the road.
“Do you have children?” Abigail asked softly as she stared out the window. “I guess I should’ve asked before now.”
“Up to now I’ve been married to my job, so it would’ve been selfish to bring children or a partner into that. My parents always tell me you shouldn’t commit unless you can pull your weight.”
“That’s mighty progressive thinking.”
“I don’t think it’s a fresh idea. My mom and dad have been married a long time, and it works because he’s home every night by six, and they sit and talk every evening.” Finley remembered well all those chats, hearing about all the guys her dad worked with, and how her parents had held hands through them all. “They both say they enjoy each other’s company and still do on their long walks on the beach in Florida since they’ve retired.”
Abigail looked at her and smiled, but it made her appear sadder than if she’d frowned. They were lucky the children were absorbed in the movie she’d started for them. “I’m sorry you’re having to go through this alone.”
“Thanks to you, I’m not alone.” Abigail’s face relaxed as she placed her hand on her forearm. “And I’m not cracking up on you. What your parents share—not everyone gets that, so you’re lucky to have witnessed it.”
“Do you miss being part of a couple?” she asked and winced. She’d never been good at small talk, and her insensitive question proved that. “I’m sorry. Usually I’m not that dense.”
“No, it’s a fair question, and I do miss a few things,” Abigail said but didn’t elaborate. “Nothing I’d want to bore you with,” she said after a long pause.
That was one of their longer conversations for the next two days. They were a few miles outside New Orleans during five o’clock traffic, but Finley had planned it that way. The family probably was ready to head home, but that couldn’t happen yet, so she stopped at a warehouse park she noticed off the interstate. Abigail sighed but didn’t say anything.
“I know you think I’m paranoid,” Finley said, her eyes on Abigail, but she’d spoken loud enough for all of them to understand.
“Please tell me it’s not some dive,” Abigail said, but with a smile.
“Let’s see what luxuries I can conjure up.”
*
“After all this time you’ve got nothing,” David Eaton yelled into the phone. “Are you forgetting who’s responsible for putting you in that pretty office you love so much?”
“Come on, David. The FBI is being tight-lipped about it, but I’m sure they’re all fine. If something had happened, Russell would’ve told me by now,” Senator Kurt Feingold said, his voice echoing slightly. “I’m pushing hard, but these people don’t report to me.”
“You sound like a whiny little girl, so shut up and get me some answers. If you don’t, live with the fact you’re replaceable.”
Valerie closed her eyes when David slammed the phone down. In a way she was impressed with Abigail’s little disappearing act, but she was ready to hear from her grandchildren. All the planning and scheming in the world wouldn’t matter if they disappeared into thin air.
“Are you ready to listen to me now?” she said when her husband banged his fist down on his desk. David was an instant-gratification kind of man, so situations like this where other people were controlling every move made him insane.
“Today isn’t a good day for lectures, so don’t make this worse than it has to be.”
“You know we’ll find her eventually,” she said as she stepped behind him and started massaging his shoulders. “There are only so many places she can run, so put people you trust to watch every one of them. While we wait, let’s go ahead and file. With everything that’s happened, it’ll only put us in better position. Let’s sell it as temporary, so when Abigail decides to show up we can move with the court’s blessing.”
“Nothing in life’s that easy, so let’s wait.”
“For what?” She squeezed him as hard as she could, but it didn’t appear to faze him.
“I don’t want temporary any more than you do, so we wait for the right scenario.”
“And if you can’t find her?” She let go of him and turned toward the window.
“Like you said, her choices of where to go are limited.” He moved to stand right behind her and pressed close to her. “We’ll all get what we want. You’ve got my word.”
“And Abigail’s got our future.”
“Not for long, darling—not for long.”