Alone & Lonely, page 24
Grace snorted. Susan may not have known outright, but Grace was pretty sure she damn well suspected. With the baby dressed again, Grace wrapped him tightly in a blanket and held him against her chest as she stood up. If only Paige had allowed her to come to Johnson County sooner, she could have had her case solved. Pity her boss was such an idiot.
Recovery
Grace didn’t release the baby to anyone until medics arrived. She hovered while they checked him over, taking his vitals, doing a basic physical. Blake stood in the center of the front yard in the freezing cold while officers ran to and from her. With the baby cleared, Grace wrapped him back in his blanket and held him close to her chest as she walked toward the house.
“Halling?” Blake called.
Grace stopped near her and pulled down the blanket to reveal the baby’s face. “Clean bill of health, thankfully. I’m going to wait inside where its warm.”
“They took Elizabeth to the jail.”
“I’ll tell Link to pick her up there.” Grace rolled her shoulders. “What about the mother?”
Blake raised her eyebrows. “Still need to figure out how much she knew.”
“Need to figure out to what lengths Elizabeth went to in order to plan this charade.” Grace patted the baby’s bottom. “Social services on their way?”
“Yeah. It’ll be an hour easy. They’re not exactly fast here.”
“Are they anywhere?”
“Some days,” Blake grumbled. “If we finish up here first, we may want to bring him to the station to meet them.”
“Transfer?” Grace replied.
“That’s what I’m pushing for.”
“Good.” Grace nodded and stepped around Blake. “It’s too cold out here for babies.”
“Chicken shit,” Blake mumbled as a tease.
Grace couldn’t disagree. She’d much rather be inside. As soon as she stepped through the front door and into the much warmer house, she relaxed her grip on the baby. They still had to verify that he was Andrew Erikson, but the likelihood was strong considering all the circumstances. They’d do a quick paternity test on Jonas and go from there, but that would be after they got him back to Grace’s turf.
Susan sat on the couch, staring blankly at the coffee table as officers walked around her and took evidence. Grace knew there was another crew at Elizabeth’s house doing the same, and it was a good sign that Susan had given them the go ahead to search her house.
“I didn’t know,” Susan muttered when Grace sat down and leaned back to cradle the infant easier.
Her arm ached from his weight although it was barely anything. “I should advise you Ms. Novety that anything you say to me can and will be used against you.”
Susan nodded. “I understand that. I didn’t know, I promise you.”
Grace kept her mouth shut and looked the woman over. She seemed defeated. In shock for sure. Her skin was pale where it hadn’t been before. She had that dead look in her eyes like no emotion or event could touch her.
“I suspected something might be going on.”
“Why would you say that?” Grace patted the baby’s bottom again.
Susan drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Elizabeth has wanted a baby for years. She’s faked being pregnant before.”
Tears stole their way into Susan’s eyes.
“I thought it was a one time thing, but I guess not.”
“When did she tell you she was pregnant?”
“Uh…in June, I think. She would have been right around twelve weeks. It was around the same time Felicia told her mom.”
Grace filed that piece of information away, holding it in her mind so she could use it later. “Did you ever go with her to any appointments?”
“No, she never said she wanted me to. She’s an adult. I knew she was going through this pregnancy alone, but she said she wanted to do this on her own. She’s always been very independent.”
Holding back her grunt of disbelief, Grace eased the baby to sleep. “Didn’t you think it was odd she was in the hospital for weeks and didn’t know about it?”
“You act as though we’re close.” Susan eyed Grace pointedly. “I may love my daughter, Detective, but it hasn’t always been easy with her. She likes attention, and when she doesn’t get it, she tends to disappear until she tries again. Her baby shower wasn’t as big as Felicia’s—it wasn’t as grand. I don’t know. But she vanished for weeks and I didn’t know where she was or hear from her.”
“Did you try to contact her?”
“Once or twice, but like I said, it’s not abnormal for her to go silent. I just took it as this was another one of those times.” Susan nodded toward the baby. “I was so happy she finally got what she’s wanted for years that I didn’t question it.”
You probably should have, Grace wanted to say, but she held her tongue. This woman was in as much turmoil as the rest of Andrew’s family, if not more. Guilt, shame, despair all mixed in one. Grace should tread lightly, because she still wanted to know if Susan had anything to do with it, though she suspected not.
“I should have,” Susan said, barely above a whisper.
Grace knocked her chin up in Susan’s direction, pulling the baby into her chest a little more as if to protect him from some unforeseen enemy. “Excuse me?”
“I should have. I should have questioned it, pushed for more answers, done a bit more pressing on her of who the father is. I just didn’t. I wanted to accept it, wanted to not tick her off again so she wouldn’t talk to me and I wouldn’t see Annie again. I just wanted…” Susan broke down into sobs. “I just wanted my family back.”
Sucking in a breath and holding it tightly, Grace stared at her. What was she supposed to do? This was an Amya thing, not a her thing. The emotions were not something Grace dealt with well, at all. She stared with wide eyes as Susan cried, grabbing for an already used tissue and pushing it against her eyes.
“I’m so sorry.” Susan’s voice trailed off under muffed tears.
Grace wanted to tell her that she should be sorry. Weeks without knowing where the baby was. Her own niece was dead, murdered for nothing other than having a baby and being close enough but far enough in relation to pull this off. Clenching her jaw, Grace stared her down. “We’ll be transferring Elizabeth, so she’ll be in jail there.”
Susan nodded. “I thought as much.”
Grace stood up. “Do you have any formula?”
“She should have some in the diaper bag.”
Bending down to the coffee table with the bag on top of it, Grace rummaged around while trying to hold the baby close to her. She managed to pull out a bottle of premade formula and scrunched her nose at it. The baby would no doubt need it soon, and she’d just wanted to be sure they had it before she drove the hour home with a starving infant.
Blake came in the front door and beckoned Grace over with the jerk of her head. Moving toward her partner for the day, Grace stopped and listened. “Link Abrams just got here.”
“Oh.” Grinning, Grace stepped out of the house and down the front steps, spying Link’s tall form standing over the cruiser they’d stashed Elizabeth in. She waved at him, forgetting for a second she still had the formula in her hand and shoving it into her pocket. “Nice of you to join us.”
He snorted. “Nice of you to solve my case for me.”
“You know, I try to help out where I can.” She winked. “I don’t think the aunt knew anything.”
Link straightened his shoulders. “I still want to talk to her.”
“Figured you would. She’s inside.”
“That the baby?”
“Uh…yes.” Grace dipped her head to stare at his chubby cheeks. “I’m waiting on social services to check him out and give me paperwork before I leave.”
“Both being transferred?”
“Yup.” Grace stepped away and toward the house. Link followed her. They spent the next hour talking with Susan and getting all their ducks in a row. Social services had finally arrived and gave Grace the go-ahead to leave.
She piled the baby into the car seat, making sure he was fastened correctly before putting him in the backseat of Blake’s cruiser which they’d warmed up for the last twenty minutes. As soon as Grace was in her own cruiser after feeding him and properly warmed the car for the baby, she stretched her back and prepared for her hour long journey home.
The drive was mostly quiet, save for a few whimpers from the baby in the back. He didn’t cry, but Grace had made sure to feed and change him right before she left so hopefully he’d sleep through most of it. Pulling into the parking lot at the station toward the end of shift was relieving. She hadn’t even stopped by on her way out of town, not wanting to know if Paige was going to be in or not, though Grace doubted she would be.
Doreen was her contact at DCFS, and she expected the social worker would be late as usual. A text she had received while en route but didn’t check until parking confirmed it. Everything seemed still and quiet compared to the raging it had been yesterday, or even weeks and months before. Grace couldn’t stop thinking about the peace that settled through her.
Grace bypassed going to her unit, wanting to live in the rush of closing the case and being away from the drama she knew was impending as soon as she walked in there just a little longer. The first door to the chaplain’s offices were propped open and the young, beautiful Khloe still sat at the desk. They still had a few more hours of their day before they’d go home, and Grace hoped Amya wasn’t busy.
She’d failed to call to check in and see if she was, but she vaguely remembered Amya telling her it was a light load day. Grace held the car seat low so Khloe couldn’t see it as she stepped inside. “Hey, Khloe.”
“Hey, Grace!” Khloe’s smile bloomed. “Your lip doesn’t look too busted up.”
Grace smirked, taking the compliment for what it was. “You should see the other person.”
Khloe snorted. “I did.”
“Really?” Grace raised an eyebrow.
“She stopped by here to drop a note to Amya.”
“A note.”
“I don’t know. Amya will fill you in. Go right on in.”
“Thanks.” Grace gave Khloe a playing smile. “One more thing.”
“What?”
Pulling her hand up, Grace set the carseat on the desktop and faced it so Khloe could see the baby.
“Oh my God, Grace!” Khloe stood, bending over the carseat to get a better look. “Is this the baby?”
“Pretty sure. Need to run some DNA first to make sure, but pretty sure.”
“He’s adorable.”
“And stinky.” Grace snorted, her lips curling upward. “Guess I’m going to have to get used to that for a little bit. Babies are not my thing, but this guy is easy so far.”
Khloe laughed lightly. “Because you haven’t done the overnight yet.”
“Maybe.”
“Grace.” Amya’s voice was a gentle quiet that had Grace straightening her spine and turning to look toward Amya’s private office. Amya nodded her head toward the interior of her office and stepped inside.
Grace gripped the handle on the carseat tightly. Her heart thumped from Amya’s quiet countenance, though she wasn’t quite sure why. They’d talked themselves to death for days at that point. Surely she had nothing to worry about. Right?
When she entered, Amya shut the door with a soft click and smiled down at the baby. That sent good tingles through Grace’s stomach. She put the carseat on the floor and sat heavily on the couch to unstrap him and change him.
“Where’d you find him?”
“Blake and I were at the aunt’s interviewing her and the daughter showed up with a baby and a very suspicious story.”
“You think she did it?”
“Pretty damn sure. She mostly fits Morgan’s profile.”
Amya’s lips thinned. “Speaking of…I called Morgan this morning.”
“Did you?”
“I was curious about something you’d said, and to answer your unasked question, since I know you’re thinking it, no, the FBI was not planning on swooping in and taking over the case.”
“You found that out in one phone call?” Amazed, Grace set the baby onto the couch cushion next to her and started to undo his clothes so she could change the nasty diaper. “I never think she likes me.”
“Who? Morgan?”
Grace nodded, not daring to look up into Amya’s eyes.
“She likes you, Grace. She just doesn’t know you well, and she’s very protective of me.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Grace muttered as she pulled the tab on the nasty diaper, holding her nose as best as she could. It didn’t take her too long to clean the baby up and get the clean diaper taped in place.
She handed the baby over to Amya, who cradled him expertly in her arms as she slid in to sit next to Grace. “He’s so cute.”
“We’re not having a baby,” Grace muttered.
“Wasn’t thinking that, Halling. But good for you for bringing that one home.”
“Sorry.”
“No apology needed.” Amya kissed the top of the baby’s head. “He’s so soft.”
“Amya…” Grace warned.
“What? I like babies. Can’t I admire him?”
“Just no ideas in that head of yours.”
“I always have ideas.” Amya winked. “Khloe told you.”
The air in the room stilled, thickening with tension. Grace wasn’t sure where to go with it. Normally she’d be uncomfortable, but something in Amya’s gaze eased her. She knew Amya would protect her, no matter what, and she had to trust that.
“I kept it because she refused to take it back.”
“What’d it say?”
“Didn’t open it.” Amya lifted her chin in the direction of her desk.
Grace retrieved the simple envelop with her name on it. She sat back down and slapped it against her hand as she debated whether or not to open it.
“She’s on paid suspension right now.”
“Ah.”
“Can’t work with her nose anyway. You did a doozy on her.”
That brought a light smile to Grace’s lips, but the sweet feeling of satisfaction she expected to have didn’t arise to follow. “I shouldn’t have gotten into that fight.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. But you did.”
“Brass say anything about my consequences?”
“I think they’re waiting to finish out the investigation first.” Amya crossed her leg and leaned into the couch, looking very comfortable while holding the baby and patting his bottom.
“I should have reported it sooner.”
Amya sighed heavily. “Yes, you should have.”
“I fucked up a lot.”
Amya shushed her loudly. “There is a baby in this room.”
“Like he can understand what I’m saying.”
“They do!” Amya implored her with a glance. “They understand the feeling and emotions more than the words, but they do.”
“Fine, whatever. Further proves why we shouldn’t have a baby. I’ll stick to teens, thank you.”
They lapsed into a silence, both staring at the envelope.
“Are you going to read it?” Amya asked.
“I don’t know. Should I?”
“I think you need to turn it in either way.”
Sighing, Grace gave in to curiosity and slid her finger along the back of the envelope to open it. Inside were two letters, one address to Grace and the other addressed to Amya. Handing Amya hers, Grace skimmed Paige’s crude handwriting.
“It’s an apology,” Grace stated handing the paper to Amya. They flipped pages, and Grace read the second letter, finding basically the same apology. It wasn’t detailed or even remorseful about everything that had happened, yet an apology did help Grace’s case even if there wasn’t a whole lot of specifics in there.
Paige would never be able to deny the kiss. They had cameras everywhere at the station, and it would have been caught on those at the very least. So would the fight though, Grace throwing the first punch, and Grace going back for more when the one punch wasn’t enough. Embarrassment swarmed her senses, piling in her belly until she struggled to breathe through it.
“Grace?” Amya asked, settling a hand on her thigh.
“I’m fine.”
“Use my touch to center yourself.”
Closing her eyes, Grace did as Amya told her without question. Her breaths were slow and steady, her heart that had been thumping calmed. She loved that Amya could do this for her. She wasn’t sure how long it took, but when she opened her eyes, Amya’s crystalline ones stared back at her.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Paige,” Grace said. “But I know I can’t stay working in that unit any longer than absolutely necessary.”
Amya’s brow furrowed. “You’ve been so adamant—”
“I know.” Grace’s voice dropped off, the disappointment of the decision weighing on her, although she knew it was the right one to make. Something had to give, and in this situation, it absolutely needed to be her.
“Are you going to talk to Esparza?”
Lifting a shoulder, Grace let it drop. “Do you trust me?”
“With everything I have.”
“Homicide.”
Amya sucked in a breath. “Are you ready for that?”
“Is anyone? I think after this case I am. Abrams was doing an unofficial interview for it. They’re looking for someone to fill a spot, and if they need someone, I can easily transfer.”
“Now?” Amya raised an eyebrow.
“It’ll take some time. I need to ask for a transfer, remember?”
Amya pressed her lips firmly together. “Ask above.”
“Planning on it already. I know Paige won’t grant it.”
“If she’s even in charge after this.”
“She will be.” Grace stared at her toes. “They have no one else right now.”
“That’s a morbid thought.”
Humming her agreement, Grace crossed her arms and rested. “We have to talk about Peter.”
“That is not going to be an easy discussion.”
“Do we even have a say?”
