Читать книгу Amish Christmas Abduction - Dana R. Lynn - Страница 13

TWO

Paul pushed his gun back into the holster and yelled for the paramedics.

“I have a child here! Possibly injured.”

He opened the door, stepping back to let it swing upward. The dome light came on, causing the little girl’s eyes to squeeze shut. She whimpered and curled into a tighter ball. The poor little thing was scared to death. Who did she belong to? And how on earth had she gotten into the back of the car?

“It’s okay, little one,” he crooned softly. “I’m going to help you. What’s your name?”

No response. She didn’t even look up.

Paul heard shuffling feet, and the male paramedic stepped up beside him, only his eyes showing the level of his concern. In a job working with those who were injured or dangerous, you learned quickly to remain calm at all costs. That was the only way you survived. Paul knew from experience that bad things could happen when you didn’t. When you lost control, who knew what sort of damage would result? When the man started to climb into the back of the SUV, the child drew back in terror.

“Let me.” Sydney, the female paramedic, moved forward and climbed in, making soothing noises. The girl still pulled back, but her distress seemed to lessen. When Sydney moved toward her, the girl whimpered but was calm enough for the woman to examine her.

He felt someone at his side and knew without turning that Irene was there. Of course. Why would she do what he asked and remain in the car? After all, he was only the chief of police. It wasn’t like he had any authority. Not with her, at any rate. Even if she didn’t like him, she knew him too well to be intimidated by his authority.

“She has Down syndrome.”

“What?” He looked at the little girl again.

“You see her eyes, and her face—I’m a special-education teacher, remember?” Irene’s voice was hushed, soothing. A mother’s voice. “Oh, she’s beautiful. And so scared. Paul, is that blood on her dress?”

Sydney beat him to it. “Yes, but I don’t think it’s hers. I can’t seem to find any visible bleeding injuries on her. But she is dehydrated. When she opened her mouth, her tongue was white and seemed dry. Her eyes seem a little sunken, too. I wouldn’t rule out abuse, either. She needs to go to the hospital.”

“How is it we didn’t hear her before?”

Paul wanted to know that, too.

Sydney tilted her head. “My guess? She was either momentarily stunned or the noise from everything else drowned out the sound.”

Paul had another thought, one that chilled him. “Or she’s been conditioned to make no noise.” Irene and both paramedics looked at him, startled. Maybe even a little confused. But he could see the dawning horror as the meaning of his words sank in.

“You mean she might have been punished for making any noise.”

He nodded. “Yeah, that makes the most sense to me. Sorry to say.”

Sydney moved to pick up the child. The little girl backed away, eyes flaring wild. The male paramedic—Trey?—tried to reach in and get her. Immediately, she went into a frenzy, shrieking and biting.

“Oh, hey, don’t do that!”

Irene moved forward. Paul reached out a hand to caution her to stay back, then felt his own jaw drop when the child launched herself out of the car and into Irene’s arms. Her little arms wound up about the woman’s neck and clung tight. Almost strangling Irene. Her grip looked painful, but Irene didn’t flinch. She held the child securely in her arms, murmuring comforting sounds. The child settled down.

“I guess I’m going to the hospital, after all.” She smiled at the girl. Her eyes were sad. Paul could almost see her thinking. Some mother somewhere was missing her baby. Suddenly, her gaze flashed back up to Paul’s. “Oh, my! I was in my client’s house for almost an hour and I forgot to lock my car. When I got in, I didn’t even look back there. Paul, I think that this baby was from that house, the one where the man who was shooting at me lives. I remember thinking I heard a child cry out when I was there.”

Paul shook his head. Not in disagreement, but in horror. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this sweet little thing was kidnapped and he was shooting to stop you from getting away with her once he realized she was gone. But now I have to see how she got there.”

He stepped back to allow them to move past him to the ambulance.

“I need to call this in, see if we have any reports of missing children from the Amish community.”

“Would Rebecca know?”

Sergeant Miles Olsen had recently gotten engaged, and his future wife’s family was Amish. Rebecca had left the Amish community years ago before she was baptized, allowing her to keep her ties with her family. She was also deaf, and sometimes communication with her family broke down. “I’m not sure. Somehow, I doubt it. And I also need to check with the officers at the scene.”

Paul returned to his car and made a call to the station. As he’d expected, there were no reports of any young Amish children vanishing in the area. Considering the discomfort most Amish felt at the idea of involving the police in their community problems, he wasn’t surprised.

His next call should have been to child services. He hesitated. If there was someone willing to shoot Irene to keep the identity and location of this child secret, he didn’t feel comfortable letting her stay with a regular foster family, who wouldn’t have the means to protect themselves and the other children in their care. No, for the moment, this was still police business.

And that brought another concern to the front of his mind. Irene would be in the hospital, but when she left, would that man still be after her? Things obviously weren’t on the up-and-up, and she had gotten a very clear view of him. Not to mention his house and the vehicles. Would he come after her again?

And what about that sweet little girl? He called the station again. Remembering the girl’s reaction to Trey and himself, he asked for Sergeant Zerosky, fondly known as Sergeant Zee. She picked up, and he sent her over to the hospital to keep watch. He knew she’d protect both Irene and the child.

He pushed the button on his radio again to speak with the officers on the scene.

“There wasn’t much to find where the shooting happened. Some glass. Tire marks,” Sergeant Gavin Jackson reported. “We’re back at the house where the shooter lived. It’s a mess. And Olsen found blood on the floor of the back bedroom. I can’t tell how recent. It’s dry. It’s gonna take us a while longer to process this scene.”

“Okay, this is a possible kidnapping, and maybe even a murder case. I have a child in custody, presumably kept in that house, who was then stashed away in a vehicle. She’s on her way to the hospital right now. While you’re processing the scene, keep your eyes peeled for anything that might help us to identify a small Amish girl. Oh, and Irene says she probably has Down syndrome.”

“Irene? Jace’s sister?”

“Yeah. She was visiting a nearby home. And the child was in her car when she came out—not that Irene noticed at the time, with that maniac chasing after her. We just found the kid about twenty minutes ago. Listen, someone will have to interview the neighbors, too. See what they know about the people at that house.”

“Sure thing, boss. I’ll keep ya posted.”

Paul disconnected. He sat for a minute, musing about the sequences of events. He liked to be able to envision things in his head in order to understand how all the loose pieces fit together.

By the time the tow truck had arrived and pulled the SUV out of the ditch, Jace had appeared. He parked his cruiser behind Paul’s, but kept his lights on. Jace stepped out of his vehicle, then sauntered over to meet Paul, looking like a man without a care in the world. Paul knew better. He could see the tense set of Jace’s shoulders.

“Hey, Paul.” Jace stopped beside him, his eyes grim as he watched his sister’s SUV being towed away, a jagged hole where the back window should have been. “I’m going to go to the hospital to see my sister, then I will drive her back to my mom’s house. She’s got Reenie’s kids.”

Paul smiled. Only Jace could get away with calling Irene “Reenie.”

“She’s fine. She had been starting to refuse treatment—against my better judgment—when we made a little discovery.”

Jace whistled after Paul had finished bringing him up-to-date. “Whoever said life in a small town was dull? And we have no idea where this child came from?”

“None. It’s a mystery. I do want to head to the hospital to get a report on the child’s condition.” And on Irene’s.

Paul drove back toward LaMar Pond. The struggle not to speed was causing his leg to ache with tension. The last thing he needed was to cause another accident on this snowy night, but he was so concerned about Irene that his nerves were taut.

She’d had more than her share of pain in her life. And she might not like it, but if she was in danger, then she’d just have to get used to having him around until she was safe again.

He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

* * *

What kind of person could take another woman’s baby? Irene’s heart was shattered as she struggled to withhold the tears brought on by the child’s fear and sorrow. It wasn’t a hard jump to imagine a mother somewhere, suffering through a nightmare.

Irene held the little girl close as the doctor examined her. She knew the doctor was annoyed that she was getting in his way. She could hear it in his fussy voice and see it as he peered over the tops of his glasses at her. At them. But it made no difference. She had tried to set the child down. The doctors and nurses had tried to coax her away from Irene.

It was no use. The child fought and kicked out any time someone tried to take her from her chosen protector. Which was how it came to be that Irene was allowed to hold her while the doctor examined her. And it was she who had helped the child out of her bloodstained dress. The process was made difficult because the girl wouldn’t completely release Irene. Eventually, it was managed. Irene was out of breath by that time.

“Well, the good news is that the child doesn’t appear to be hurt. She needs some nutritious food, a bath and, I expect, rest.”

Irene nodded. She had already surmised all that. “But the blood? Is any of it hers?”

Please say no.

“No.”

She sagged slightly with relief, then caught herself and forced her tired back to straighten. She couldn’t give in to the weariness that was dragging at her.

Someone knocked on the door. The child snuggled in closer. Irene leaned down and kissed the child’s head, offering what comfort she could. The door opened and Paul peeked into the room. Some of the familiar annoyance surged up briefly. Then it faded, when she remembered how happy she’d been to see him earlier. There had been a time when she had dreamed of Paul noticing her, back when they were both teenagers. Then he had noticed her, and for a few short months, she’d been happier than she’d ever been. Until he’d broken her trust and wounded her young heart.

She’d been devastated.

She’d managed to get over that. Had told herself she was better off without him. He’d hung out with a rough crowd back then, she mused. Well, except for Jace. She’d been sure Paul would end up arrested or worse. Before that could happen, he’d moved away for a few years. She couldn’t believe it when Jace said he’d become a cop.

Not that she’d cared. She had fallen in love, gotten married and started a family. And then he had come back and become Tony’s boss. She had resented that, at first. After all, Tony had seniority. But Tony took it in stride, and, as time went on, Paul had proved to be a good boss. The reckless kid she’d known had learned to control his wild side and become dedicated to serving others. He’d also apparently developed a strong relationship with God.

She had held on to her doubt, waiting for him to disappoint her again.

But tonight, he had been a real gift. If he hadn’t come around that corner when he had, she would be dead. And who knew what would have happened to the little girl?

“Hey,” he said in a loud whisper. “Jace will be here in a minute. He’s talking with your mom on the phone.” He indicated the little girl with a nod. “How is she?”

“Well, she’s not injured,” the doctor replied. “Is someone from child services coming for her?”

Irene grimaced. She had known that would be the next question, and she didn’t like it. Not that she had anything against child services. They did a job very few people had the stomach for. But she knew that her new friend was not going to go willingly.

“I have not called child services yet,” Paul responded, his voice deep and sure.

What? Shocked, her gaze flew in his direction.

He met her eyes and shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, this is still a police matter. Speaking of which, Doc, I will need her clothes with blood for DNA testing.”

“I’ll ask my nurse. Mary—”

All conversation stopped as the girl’s head whipped around.

“Does she recognize the name, do you think?” Irene looked between the two men. They looked as surprised as she felt. “Maybe it’s her name.”

Leaning back so she could see the small face, Irene tested her theory. “Mary? Hi, Mary.”

The smile she received was like a ray of sunshine. Mary giggled and hunched her shoulders. It may or may not have been affirmative, but it was better than calling her “the child.”

“Okay, then. We will need to keep Mary with us for the time being.”

At the name, Mary smiled at Paul. He blinked. An answering smile softened the edges of his mouth. When was the last time she had seen a tender smile on his face? Paul was always in total control of himself. Her heart fluttered as the memory of that same smile from her high school days floated up to the forefront of her mind.

Not going there. He had broken her trust and her faith before. She may have forgiven him, had even allowed his presence in her life and that of her children’s due to his friendship with Jace and Tony, but no more. And even if she was willing to believe he could be relied on, if there was one thing she didn’t need, it was an emotional entanglement with another cop.

“Where will she stay?”

Paul scratched the top of his head. She knew that mannerism. He was still trying to figure things out. To make all the pieces fit.

“I don’t know.” She smiled at the admission. She had known it. “I was thinking of having a protective detail with Sergeant Zee in charge. Thought Mary would be more at ease with a woman in charge.”

Irene nodded, saddened. A protective detail made sense, but it was a shame that it was needed. This little girl should be with her mother. Hopefully, Mary would be reunited with her family soon.

Jace arrived. Without a word, he walked over and leaned in to kiss Irene’s forehead, careful not to crush Mary, who had fallen asleep. Irene blinked at the sweet gesture. She understood. Years ago, their baby sister Ellie had been killed. This night had reminded them all of their mortality.

The only good thing was that Mary slept through the transfer as Irene passed her off to the nurse who would finish cleaning up the child before turning her over to the police. Irene knew Sergeant Zee. The woman was competent and kind. She had also been a caretaker for her grandmother for a while. She would take good care of Mary.

If Mary let her.

Well, that wasn’t Irene’s problem. She tried to keep her mind from focusing on the little girl.

“Irene.”

Oh, yeah. Paul.

She turned, lifting an eyebrow in question. In place of his normal unruffled demeanor, his brow was furrowed. He was a troubled man.

“I may need you to come in and look at the files to see if you recognize the man who attacked you if no one else can. I will check with his neighbors first. If we can’t identify him, I will need to schedule an appointment with the forensic artist to come up with a good sketch we can pass around.”

“Okay. I can stop by the station tomorrow, if you need me to.”

Jace interrupted, “We won’t be able to have anyone work with the artist until next week. You remember? Tara had surgery and won’t be back until then.”

Paul’s mouth twisted. “I had forgotten. Well, if all works out, he’ll be someone already in our database. Wouldn’t that make life easier?”

Neither responded. Nor did he seem to expect a response.

“Come on, sis. I’ll drive you home.”

Irene started to head out with her brother. Then she stopped and turned to find Paul’s deep brown eyes trained on her. His short dark hair was practically standing on end in places. He’d been running his hands through it. This had been a stressful evening for all of them.

“Paul? Thank you. I mean it. You saved my life tonight.”

He nodded and flashed her a weary smile. “Anytime, Irene. I’m glad I was in the area.”

Feeling they’d said everything that needed to be said, she left the room. She was so worn-out that she closed her eyes the moment she was seated in the passenger seat of Jace’s cruiser.

All she wanted to do was go in and hug her boys. She needed to reassure herself that they were safe and happy. The image of little Mary with her bloodstained clothing was burned into her brain. She would remember that sight for the rest of her life.

At her mother’s house, she marched quickly up the walk and in through the front door. Jace had obviously salted the sidewalk and steps, she was happy to note. Her mom met her in the kitchen. Irene endured her mother’s scrutiny with as much patience as she could gather. Her mother needed the same reassurance she did.

“Mom, where are the boys?”

“They’re watching a Christmas movie.” Melanie Tucker, Jace’s wife, moved into the kitchen, holding her year-old daughter, Ellie, in her arms.

Irene let the tension roll off her shoulders. She was safe. They were safe. She stepped past her sister-in-law, running a finger down her niece’s cheek.

In the living room, she heard the soft voices of her children. A sudden rush of tears caught her off guard. She struggled for control. They had almost lost her. If Paul Kennedy had been farther away, this night might have had a whole different ending. For the first time in a long time, she felt as if she was being watched over. She shrugged the feeling off.

And thought again of that little girl, left alone. What would become of her?

Then another thought struck. Would the man be able to find out who she was? He’d seen her at the neighbor’s house. She had been carrying a bag with the Early Intervention logo on it.

Irene hugged her arms close to her. Would he come looking for her?

The day had started with so much hope. Now it was turning into a nightmare. As long as that man stayed at large, she didn’t know how she would ever feel that she and her children were safe.