Alone & Lonely, page 23
“You left without telling anyone where you were going.”
Leon nodded. “I did. I’m fine, as you can see.”
Grace flicked a look at Blake. “Yes, you are. Why did you leave, Mr. Gross?”
“Please, call me Leon.” His lips curled up to a smile.
Grace wouldn’t have recognized him if she’d seen him on the street. He looked nothing like the picture she’d been given for him. His hair was shaggy, his beard unkempt. However, his eyes looked brighter and more alive than they did in any of the photos. “Leon, what happened?”
He cocked his head to the side and stared at her. “I could ask the same about you.”
“I’m clumsy.”
He hummed as if he didn’t believe her. “I had enough of it all. I couldn’t take it. I found this place years ago, and I don’t know…I called up one night and came down here that same night.”
“Needed a mental break?”
“Not just a break,” Leon whispered as if he was sharing a huge secret. “This is my new life.”
“Meditation?” Grace raised an eyebrow at him, sneaking another look at Blake.
“Yes.” He grinned. “But so much more than that. This life. Rest. Taking care of myself.”
“Will you go home?” Grace asked.
“Not yet. Eventually. But I won’t go back to work.”
Grace looked around the room. No one else was there. She wondered how many clients the retreat center had, how exactly they were doing there, but at the same time, it didn’t really matter. She got no sense anything bad was happening. Leon seemed to be there of his own free will, able to leave when he wanted if he wanted. She had a lot more follow up questions she needed to ask to close her case and write up her report, but she didn’t think they were going to find anything that would cause her to think he’d been taken against his will.
Grace stayed on the floor and talked to him for another hour. By the time she needed to get up, Blake had to grasp her wrist and drag her to her feet. Grace squeezed Blake’s arm with a murmur of thanks.
They left Leon there, piling back into Blake’s cruiser. Grace’s stomach grumbled with hunger as they pulled out onto the highway. She sheepishly glanced to Blake. “Lunch?”
“It’s not even ten.”
“I was up early, and the damn pain meds make me so hungry.”
“Pain meds?” Blake’s concern was strong.
“I bruised a few ribs.”
“Should you be driving?”
“I didn’t take them this morning. Scout’s honor. But lingering effects.”
Blake chuckled lowly. “We’ll stop a few miles up the road.”
“Thank God.” Grace grinned from ear to ear.
“Amya doing good?”
Grace shrugged. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. They had talked a lot over the past weekend, but it hadn’t been enough for Grace to get a good handle on Amya’s feelings on the events of Saturday or the last year. Or them. Though she suspected she knew what Amya felt, she wasn’t confident enough to give an answer.
“Grace?”
“She’s good,” Grace choked out, knowing a response was necessary.
Blake narrowed her gaze. “You know I’m a better detective than that.”
“It’s been rough, Blake. What else do you want me to say?” Grace groaned and rested her head on the seat. “It’s been a really shitty fucking year.”
“Yeah. So what now?”
“Not a damn clue. She wants me to transfer. I refuse to go to IAB, so that’s not happening. I love Missing Persons. I’m good at it. These kids need me.” When she looked at Blake, she saw the same love of the job reflecting at her.
“Yeah, but Halling, if it’s a choice between the job and her—”
“I know what the choice is and what decision I need to make. I just don’t want to have to make it.”
“No one does,” Blake grumbled. “But if I’d made the right choice, I wouldn’t be here, now would I? Don’t be an idiot and make the same mistake I did.”
“You’re no idiot.”
“Tell that to my ex-wife.” Blake’s tone was so dry. Grace knew they’d touched on a sensitive topic, that it hurt starkly still.
Grace gave a wan smile. “She’s an idiot.”
Blake snorted. “You don’t even know her.”
“Don’t need to.” Grace clenched her jaw when her stomach gave another loud grumble.
“Right.” Blake cleared her throat. “Where are we going next?”
“Food. Already discussed.”
Blake snickered. “After food.”
“Oh.” Grace dug in her jacket for her phone and pulled it out. “I’ve got two people I want to interview while I’m here. An aunt and cousin to my dead mom.”
“Think we can interview them at the same time?”
“Why? Got a hot date you’re not telling me about?”
Blake scowled, which caused Grace to laugh. Blake pulled off the highway at one of the first fast food places in sight. Grace’s stomach gave another rumble to confirm she was actually starving. Satisfied they’d were going to be filling her belly soon, Grace relaxed as best as she could.
###
The aunt’s house was quaint. It didn’t have a white picket fence, but it might as well have. Grace rolled her shoulders, her stomach completely satisfied and stared into the large bay window. An SUV sat parked in the driveway and a smaller sedan in the street. Blake was parked right behind the sedan.
“I assume you’re taking lead,” Blake muttered.
“Unless there’s an arrest to made, then you get it.” Grace gave her a broad grin. “I doubt today will end in an arrest, though. Paige threatened the FBI was going to come and take over soon, but I have my doubts of that.”
“Why?”
“Logic. Which I never thought I’d use logic to prove this, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“What did she say?”
“Well, she insisted I work overtime Friday and come in all weekend and work on these cases, yet I wasn’t allowed to come down here to do interviews, which would bump up my timeline. I wasn’t allowed to really go do any interviews, and the second half of Saturday she made me redo the timeline which resulted in zero changes to the original. Why would she tell me to work overtime because the FBI was coming in and then prevent me from doing my job?”
“Because they weren’t coming.”
“Precisely.” Grace frowned. “I’m going to have Amya check with her sister when she gets a chance, but I don’t really need the confirmation.”
“That’s ballsy of her.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time. You ready to go in?”
“Yes.” They walked to the front door together. Blake knocked and turned to Grace. “You could always transfer down here.”
“And move?”
“Kit’s graduating. Do you need to stay there?”
“Where would Amya work? We’ve both got to be within the county.”
Blake shrugged. “Just a suggestion. We’ve got hospitals she could chaplain at.”
“She’d hate that,” Grace mumbled as the door swung open.
The woman was in her mid-fifties, maybe early sixties. Grace couldn’t remember off the top of her head when her birthday was. She’d seen too many dates fly by her desk in the last few weeks. Her hair was dyed a dark brown that matched her eyes, surprisingly.
“Ma’am, are you Susan Novety?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Blake Miller with Missing Persons, and this is Detective Grace Halling.”
Grace stepped forward and showed her badge. “I’m in charge of Andrew Erikson’s case.”
“Oh. Come in, come in.” Susan ushered them inside, shutting the door behind them. The house was warm, far warmer than Grace had anticipated, and immediately she began to sweat under her heavy coat. Stripping it off, Grace held it over her arm as they were led to the living room and sat down. “Can I get you anything?”
Grace held her hand out. “No, thank you. We just ate.”
“Oh, okay.” Susan sat down, nervously. “What can I help you with?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Felicia and Jonas, and Andrew if you know anything about him.”
“I never met him. I was supposed to go up and meet him, but…”
Grace nodded. “Remind me again how you’re related?”
“I’m Felicia’s aunt. Her mother and I are sisters.”
“Right, so she spent a lot of time with you growing up?”
“A fair amount. My kids are a bit older than her, but they all got along and I think Felicia looked up to them, wanted to be like them.” Susan paled. “We’re going to miss her.”
Grace felt for her grief, but she still had a case to solve. “How many kids do you have?”
“Three. Elizabeth is my youngest. She and Felicia were close for a while, but I don’t think they’ve seen each other in a few years. They’re closest in age. Elizabeth is…oh…eight years older than Felicia is I think.”
Grace knew that. She’d done her research and backgrounds on each member of Felicia’s family, immediate and extended. “Do you have any idea who might have taken Andrew?”
Susan shook her head. “No idea. It’s such a tragedy, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Grace agreed. “When was the last time you had contact with Felicia?”
“The baby shower, I suppose. Before that it was years. Most of my contact for her was through her mother. I didn’t often talk directly to her.”
Grace glanced at Blake. “How about your daughter?”
“Elizabeth? I don’t know. She didn’t come to the shower with me, although she sent a gift up for Felicia. She was busy working before her leave.”
“Leave?”
“Elizabeth had a baby about two weeks before Felicia did. A little girl. She’s beautiful.”
Shivers raced right up Grace’s spine. Her stomach churned. There had been zero record of Elizabeth having a baby in any of her research. She shot Blake a look, one they shared that Susan didn’t catch.
“Elizabeth around?”
“Yeah. She’s still on leave.”
Grace’s heart thumped. “She was actually next on our stop, but do you think she could come here for a visit with us?”
“She should be here in the next few minutes anyway. I was going to go with her to Annie’s doctor’s appointment. She’s got some blisters under her neck. I keep telling Elizabeth it’s because the formula is getting caught up and she’s not drying it off, but like she’ll ever listen to me.”
“Right.” Grace pretended to feel for her phone in her pocket. “Oh, I’ve got a call. I’m going to step outside to take it. Blake?”
“I’ve got this,” Blake answered.
Grace stood immediately and walked right out the front door. She stepped to the side of the porch and pressed her phone to her ear, calling Blake’s supervisor immediately. She spoke as rapidly as she could, explaining as much as she could. With reinforcements on the way, Grace made her next call to Link.
“Abrams.”
She grinned. “Elizabeth Novety. Look her up. I’m about to interview, but she had a baby two weeks before Andrew was born according to her mother. No record of him. You might want to get your ass down here before I make your arrest.”
“Damn it, Halling.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know—” A car pulled up. Grace stepped back inside swiftly and hoped Elizabeth didn’t see her. She also hoped the cruiser out front wasn’t going to spook her. Lowering her voice, Grace muttered into her phone. “Got to go, Abrams, she’s just arrived.”
Grace went back into the living room and pointed her phone toward Blake. “Nothing major. Boss is going to want to talk to us when we get back, something about a report we’re going to need to finish up.”
“Oh, good.”
Grace sat down and leaned her elbows on her knees. Before she even got the next question out, the front door opened.
They all turned to face it. In walked Elizabeth Novety, carrying a bucket seat covered with a fleece blanket. Elizabeth stopped short, her back straightening as she saw Grace and Blake staring at her.
Susan jumped up to take the baby, but Elizabeth turned her body to prevent Susan from doing it. Grace stood up, her badge on her hip clearly visible as she stared Elizabeth down. Blake followed her move, standing on the other side of the room so they could cover as many bases as possible.
“Take a seat, Elizabeth,” Grace ordered.
Elizabeth looked at her mom. “What is this?”
“They’re here looking for Andrew, just asking questions.”
“Elizabeth,” Grace started. “Sit down.”
Giving in, Elizabeth moved stiffly to the chair next to her mothers and sat down, putting the carseat right in front of her.
Blake stayed standing, but Grace sat as close as possible to the baby and Elizabeth.
“Your mom was telling us about Annie. I’m sorry she’s having so many issues with the blisters. My niece had those same issues. Baby powder was the cure.” The lie slipped easily off Grace’s lips. “How is she doing other than that?”
“She’s good. Healthy. Growing. Gained two pounds since she was born.”
“Good. I hear you’re almost going back to work soon.”
Elizabeth nodded, although it was a slight uncomfortable move. “I am. I hired a nanny to come in and watch her for me so she doesn’t have to go to a daycare.”
“Can’t be a stay-at-home-mom?” Grace probed.
“No. I…I don’t have a husband, so I’ve got to work.”
“Ah.” Every warning bell in Grace’s head was going off. Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably.
“I had a complicated delivery,” Elizabeth started. “So mom’s been helping me a bit, but I can’t miss any more work.”
Grace looked at Susan. “Were you there for the delivery? I bet that was a big help. My sister said she couldn’t have done it without Mom there.”
“I wasn’t.” Susan looked pained. “But I’ve been there every day since she got home to help out.”
“When was that? I imagine you were in the hospital for a while.”
Elizabeth shifted again. She stared directly at Grace when she answered, daring Grace to find the lie. “I honestly don’t remember. I’ve been so tired from not sleeping.”
“She was in the hospital about two weeks before they released her. I picked her up there.”
“Did you?” Grace turned on Susan.
“She was waiting for me right outside.”
Elizabeth shot a glare toward her mom. Grace flicked her gaze to Blake, hoping the meaning was clear. She was about to ask a very direct question and she wanted Blake to be ready to act if necessary.
“Which hospital?”
“The one here,” Elizabeth answered.
“Who’s your doctor?”
“Why the twenty questions, Detective?” Elizabeth narrowed her gaze, her hand curling over the handle of the carseat.
Grace folded her hands together in front of her, trying to make herself seem less imposing. She wanted Elizabeth to remain calm. “I’m a curious person by nature.”
“Do you think this is Andrew?”
Grace didn’t reply.
“Jesus. You can look in her diaper if you want.”
Grace wanted to jump on that opportunity, but she didn’t think she’d get to it ever. The fact Elizabeth was pushing back wasn’t the surprise or the tell. It was her thinned lips, her dilated pupils, the slight tightening of every muscle in her jaw and neck, and the fact that she shook her head no when she said it.
Still, Grace had to figure out a way to get the baby away from Elizabeth until she could be certain her theory was right or wrong. “How’d you come up with the name Annie?”
“It’s my mom’s middle name.”
“Oh.” Grace flicked a glance at Susan. “And when did you say she was born?”
“She’s six weeks old.”
Grace cocked her head to the side. “Wouldn’t she be eight?”
“Right. Eight. That’s what I meant. Like I said, I’m tired from being up all night with a newborn.”
Susan stiffened, and that was Grace’s cue that someone else in the room had just figured out a lie. Grace pointed at the baby. “Does she look like you or the father?”
“She, unfortunately, looks like her daddy. The bastard.”
“Bad blood?”
“Awful.”
Susan shifted but remained silent. Grace locked gazes with Blake again. “When’s the last time you saw Felicia?”
“It’s been years.”
“Didn’t go to her baby shower?”
“No. I was working.”
That was Grace’s golden ticket. She stood up and grabbed the carseat, shifting it swiftly out of the way and onto the other side of the coffee table. Blake stepped in and put a hand on Elizabeth’s arm.
“Tell me, Elizabeth, how you were at work eight weeks ago when you were supposedly in the hospital after giving birth?”
Elizabeth paled. Blake grabbed her other arm and held her wrists tightly behind Elizabeth’s back while she grabbed for her cuffs.
“Elizabeth Novety,” Grace started. “We’re detaining you under suspicion of murder and kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent…”
She finished out the Miranda rights while Blake moved her away from the carseat. Grace took the baby out and held up a hand to stop Susan from coming near.
“Sit down, Susan.”
Complying, the woman sat heavily while Blake took Elizabeth out of the house and away from the baby. Officers were already outside. Grace settled the baby in her arms and looked it over. “Tell me, Susan, have you ever changed this baby’s diaper?”
“No.”
“Want to?”
“No.” This time, instead of nerves, Susan sounded defeated.
Grace settled the infant on the couch cushion and unsnapped the outfit before pulling the diaper down slightly before lifting the onesie and checking for Andrew’s birthmark on his chest. She glanced at Susan as a field officer came into the living room. “Definitely not a girl.”
Susan clenched her jaw and fisted her hands. “I swear I didn’t know.”
