Death of the Family Recipe (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery Book 3) (47 page)

Reznick pursed her lips and looked at Daniels. "Did we verify she’s Atkinson’s stepmother?"

Daniels whipped out his notepad. "No marriage license and Atkinson’s father is dead." He raised a finger. "But Enders did some cross checking and found Atkinson and Morrissey shared the same address for about ten years." He shrugged. "So potato, potahdo, right?"

Reznick chewed on her pen. "When?"

Daniels flipped through the pages. "From 93 through 2003. Atkinson Sr. died in 2003." He frowned. "Gun shot to the head — apparent suicide."

I slapped the table and pointed at them. "You see? Everybody around this woman dies."

Reznick ignored me and frowned at Daniels. "How’d we miss this?"

Daniels smirked. "We? I’m only here because Scotti’s afraid of you." Daniels held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Not funny." He scratched his chin. "According to Enders, she never showed up at the courthouse or had any contact with Atkinson’s defense team. No reason to think he was lying about his family." He shrugged. "She wasn’t a witness. Why would you guys know?"

I covered my mouth. "Shit." They turned to me. "I’m the one who should’ve known. When I was at her house, there was a computer in pieces on the table." I turned to Ted. "I was going to refer her to Eric, but she said her stepson took care of that stuff for her." I nodded. "There was a sweater on the back of a chair that I knocked to the floor. When I picked it up, I saw it was missing buttons." I looked at Reznick. "Just like the ones you guys took into evidence."

Reznick reared back. "What? What buttons?"

I pointed to the box. "There’s a picture of the buttons in there." Reznick opened the box and shuffled through the contents to find the picture. "You guys never did anything with them. Never tested them. But it bugged me. I couldn’t figure out where they came from. So I took a picture of them."

Reznick found the picture and frowned at it. "I don’t remember these."

I looked at Daniels. "She’s a scrub nurse too." Daniels shrugged and held up his hands. "A surgical nurse? They help surgeons prep for surgery?"

Reznick put the photo down on the table and snickered. "Oh come on, you think she cut the baby out of Tina Devereaux?" I stared at her and raised an eyebrow. Reznick rolled her eyes. "So, she kidnapped you, killed your mother, maybe killed Atkinson’s father and killed Devereaux’s baby? Who is this woman, Ma Barker?"

I shook my head. "No, I don’t think she did kill the baby. I think she’s alive." Reznick reared back. I nodded. "That’s right. It would explain why you never found her, wouldn’t it?"

Reznick pushed back in her chair, exasperated. "So, because we didn’t find the baby, she’s still alive? That’s your proof?"

I shook my head. "No. When I knocked the sweater to the floor, a pacifier fell out of the pocket." I leaned across the table. "That’s my proof."

<<>>

While Reznick and company searched for Kathy Morrissey, I railroaded Jennifer and Jason into staying at my house. Despite protests and grumblings, I simply couldn’t take no for an answer. I’d be damned if I was going to lose any more family because of that woman. Ted left with strict instructions to call him if I needed anything at all or if anything happened. Joe and Zelda were helping with the manhunt but gave me the same instructions as Ted. We were all on red alert. But sitting around the butcher block gabbing and drinking tea, it just seemed like a normal Wednesday.

Jason helped himself to some cookies from the cookie jar and pulled up a stool. "This is fun — kind of like a sleep over." He made a face. "Except for the psycho woman on the loose part."

I blushed. "Okay, I know you two think I’m over reacting, but we’re family, right?" The waterworks started to kick in, and my voice wavered, "When the shit hits the fan, we close ranks. Because that’s what family does, isn’t it?" Simple words, but for me they held an almost magical power. I’d never truly been able to say that to anyone before. I had adopted family — Zelda, Joe and all of Ted’s family — but they were my blood. We shared DNA and nose divets, and crooked smiles and saw ourselves in each other. "I’m not about to lose you guys. Not after everything it took for us to find each other again."

Jason elbowed me softly. "Okay cuz, what are you trying to do, make a grown man cry?"

I shook off the sentimentality and gave them the tour of the house. We lingered in the nursery where Jennifer was entranced by the drawing of Rose. "It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"

Jennifer nodded. "Incredible." She smiled at me. "It’s almost as if she’s here, with us."

I led her to the gallery wall. "You’ll love this." She was tickled by the prints of Rose, Rory and even her. I put my arm around her shoulders. "You like?" Jennifer nodded. "We’ll get more pictures and hang them up. And new ones, with you and Jay and everybody." I snapped my fingers. "Oh, and we’ll have to get the one of you and Mom at Christmas."

Jennifer smiled, tears pooling in her dark eyes. "Yes the one of me and your mom would be perfect. She’d love that."

<<>>

Matt and Eric swung by in the afternoon to restock the truck. Afterward, Eric pulled me into my office and gave me my computer. I raised my eyebrows. "What’d you find?"

Eric hunched a shoulder. "Nothing serious."

I leaned against the desk and flicked my wrist. "That’s great. What’s with the face?"

He ran a hand through his long shaggy hair. "You shouldn’t have challenged Ingrid that way. It was stupid." I rolled my eyes. "Scotti, I’m serious. You don’t know what this chick is capable of."

I chuckled and patted him on the back. "All right Eric, thanks for your concern. But I’m not worried."

Eric grabbed my arm and stared me down. "You should be. Are you really not putting this together? How does she know about the guest room and how pregnant you are? How does she even know you’re pregnant?" I stopped laughing and cringed. Eric nodded and grimaced. "Now, you getting the picture?" He groaned. "She’s got a line into you somehow." He swept his arm out. "Bugs in the house or she’s hacked your phone. Something."

I fisted my forehead. "Thanks buddy, just when I was starting to feel like I had a handle on this, you’ve assured me I don’t."

Eric patted my back. "Hey Scotti, you know I’m not trying to freak you out. But you have to be careful with this stuff. We have to figure out how she’s tracking you."

I frowned at him. "Okay, you’re right. Where do we start?"

He put out his hand. "Give me your phone."

I gave him my cell and said, "You haven’t talked to Ted about this, have you?"

Eric scrolled through my phone. "Yeah."

I shook my fists at him. "Eric!"

Eric shrugged. "Hey, it’s not my fault you keep secrets from your husband." He flapped a hand. "Don’t sweat it. We’re on it."

I left Eric in my office and found Matt and Jason sharing a whole blueberry pie at the butcher-block. "Where’s Jennifer?"

Jason wiped blueberry goo off his mouth with a napkin. "Lying down. It’s been a while since she’s been able to relax."

I took a fork out of the drawer and joined them at the pie. "Don’t you love pie?"

Jason chuckled. "You make good pie, cuz."

Matt nodded at the closed office door. "Eric about done with your computer, boss lady?"

I sighed. "It might be a while."

"I gotta get going — got a class in an hour."

I waved a hand toward the door. "Go ahead, I’ll make sure Eric gets home."

Matt dumped half of the remaining pie into a to-go container, grabbed his gear and left.

Jason stood up. "I better take off too. Claire’s expecting me. If I’m late, I’ll get skinned." He raised his brows at me. "Will you be okay?"

I nodded. "Eric’s here, and Ted will be home soon. Bring Claire back for dinner. I’ll make a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs." I wiggled my eyebrows. "And I have lots more pie."

He laughed. "Sounds like a plan." Before he left, he made sure everything was secure. "You need anything, you call, okay?"

I pushed him out the door. "I’ve never had so many men clucking over me in my life. I’ll see you later."

But after he left, the quiet nibbled at my peace of mind. Jennifer was sound asleep with Boomer curled at her feet. And Eric was hunkered down in my office. The only distraction I could think of was to watch TV. I flipped through the channels and stopped on the afternoon news, just to see what was happening in the world. Same old same old — the world was going to hell, our democracy was at risk, and the weather was anybody’s guess. Just before I switched it off they cut in with a breaking news report. Across the bottom of the screen they flashed, "Atkinson baby found?" I turned up the volume.

A young, perky redhead launched into her report. "Just minutes ago, sources close to LAPD tell us that a baby girl was found in this North Hollywood theatre." She swept her arm toward William Hyden’s theater. "Sources tell us that the healthy one-year-old girl was found wandering in the theater alone. The child was taken into custody by L.A. Child Services about twenty minutes ago.

William Hyden, the man credited with torpedoing Atkinson’s defense strategy, was not available for comment but is not a person of interest in the case. Sources tell us that testing will be done to determine if in fact, the little girl is the daughter of Hyden and Tina Devereaux, who was murdered a year ago. LAPD is expected to make a statement later on this evening, and we’ll bring you that live when and if it happens. Back to you Julie and Bob."

I switched off the set and sat in stunned silence. Then I called Daniels.

"I was just about to call you."

"So it’s Devereaux’s baby?"

Daniels chuckled like he’d won the Lotto. "We won’t know until tomorrow, but it’s gotta be, right?" He sighed. "Hyden is over the moon."

I laughed. "I’ll bet he is. But why did Kathy give her up? I assume we think she had her?"

I felt Daniels’ mood shift over the phone. "Affirmative, that’s the theory. She cleared out of her place yesterday, and nobody at Cedar’s has seen or heard from her. We’re running down a few properties Atkinson had — father left them in a living trust. Uni’s are checking them now. Chances are, she’s holed up in one of them."

I chewed on a thumbnail. "She took big a chance, dropping off the baby like that. And after having her all this time, I can’t believe Kathy just gave her up."

Daniels grunted. "Morrissey knows her days are numbered. Reznick’s team found a bogus birth certificate issued from Cedars, naming her as the mother." I wondered if that was Kathy’s plan with me. Wait until Rose was out of the way, and then find me, claiming I was hers. That thought made me want to gag. Daniels said, "Hey you listening? I said the back room in her place was the cutest nursery you ever saw." He chuckled. "Twisted, huh?"

"Yeah, you said it." Eric walked into the living room holding out my phone. "Daniels, I gotta go. Call me when you guys find Morrissey." I ended the call and smiled. "My phone ready?"

Eric shook his head. "Nope, it’s your doctor’s office."

I chewed my lip and hugged my belly all the way to Val’s office. Ted rubbed my arm. "Don’t worry honey, I’m sure it’s just routine."

I looked out the window and shook my head. "If it was just routine they wouldn’t have insisted I come in right away." I gave him a worried look. "And I couldn’t get Val on her cell."

He pulled into the lot and parked near the elevator so I wouldn’t have to waddle so far. Then he leaned over the console and hugged me. "They probably just want to do some tests or something. You’re close to delivery, and it’s twins, so Val’s just being careful. Right? Like a good doctor should be."

I sighed and unbuckled my seat belt. "Yeah, you’re probably right." I turned to open my door and heard a crackling sound — like live wires snapping. When I turned back to Ted he was seizing, his eyes rolled back in his head, the veins in his neck big as ropes. "Ted!"

Then the crackling stopped and Ted slumped over the console. I shook him. "Ted? Ted! Baby, wake up!"

"Do what I say and hubby here will just end up with a headache."

My head snapped up to Kathy Morrissey who stood at Ted’s open door. I jammed my hand in my bag for the cell but realized Eric still had it. I went in my pocket for the pepper spray. "You can’t…"

Kathy held the stun gun poised above Ted’s exposed and burned neck. She sneered at me. "I can’t what?" She jerked her head. "Get out of the car. Now. Try anything, and hubby here gets another jolt."

I stared at Ted’s still body — terrified she’d killed him. I cried, unable to will my body to move. Everything slowed into some netherworld of altered reality. When she yanked me out the car by my hair, I screamed and slammed back into the present. Putting the stun gun to my belly she said, "You don’t want your babies to get what hubby got, do you?"

I shook my head and whispered. "Don’t hurt my babies."

She made me empty my pockets and leave everything in the car, then she shoved me and said, "Move!" As she pushed me toward an old brown Buick, I kept looking back, praying I’d see Ted move. Praying he was still alive. She forced me inside the car, buckled me in and zip-tied my hands. When she got into the driver’s seat she said. "One peep out of you, and the babies get a good jolt, which won’t be good for you either. You understand?"