Baby Girl Doe (Stephanie Chalice Thrillers Book 5) (14 page)

“And none of that bullshit about a person being absent for at least twenty-four hours before being legally classified as missing!
Shit! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s just—”

“Don’t worry. I understand, ma’am.” Novack, the Suffolk County cop standing in front of me, was clearly new to the job. I had identified myself as a New York City detective and was trying to stay calm but not doing a very good job of it. I could see that he lacked confidence and experience. Nonetheless he was following my instructions and making all of the calls that I requested.

I had called Tate, Pulaski, Pam Shearson, my NYPD commanding officer, and my close friend Herbert Ambler with the FBI. The latter two knew that I was not prone to undue hysterics and were scrambling to rally help. The immediate task was to convince Suffolk County PD that I wasn’t just another panic-stricken wife demanding that Zeus descend from Mount Olympus to find her errant husband. I’ve been on both sides of the fence and knew how my requests might have appeared. Nonetheless, Gus couldn’t have been gone more than thirty-minutes, and I knew that I had to stress to the locals the importance of beginning the investigation immediately. Stress? Hell, I had to demand it. I knew exactly what to do but I was out of my jurisdiction and had no authority. Somehow I had to get everyone to step in line. I figured there was a good chance that whoever took Gus was still on the road, on the way to wherever it was they intended to hold Gus captive.

The police needed to set up roadblocks and stop every car for questioning if necessary. We were on the easternmost tip of Long Island. There was just water to the east of us but to the west . . . a hundred miles of densely populated Long Island towns, and if they made it past there, they’d be able to go anywhere.

“I just got off the phone with my sergeant, ma’am. He’s in the car and will be here in minutes,” Novack said.

“That’s great. Thank you.”

“A taskforce is on its way with enough men to search the winery and the surrounding area. Detective Pulaski stepped up for you and advised that we were well advised to treat your husband’s disappearance as an abduction.”

My mind kept circling back to the bloody cell phone—I felt certain that it was Gus’ blood and that I was right about him being taken. “And roadblocks?”

“I believe they’re working on it. I forwarded your husband’s picture to headquarters.” Novack smiled encouragingly. “Your husband may not be SCPD but we’ll treat this as if he’s one of our own.”

I covered my mouth and fought to hold back the tears.
Deep breaths. Take deep breaths. Your husband needs you to stay calm. Focus. Get your thoughts together. Who did this? Who stands to gain the most?

Novack’s portable radio crackled. “Go ahead,” he said into the radio. He listened for a moment and then turned to me. “A fellow officer located your mother and son. He’s bringing them to us now.”

My poor mother; God only knew the thoughts that were racing through her mind. I tried to calm her when I spoke to her on the phone but could hear the panic in her voice. Max had awoken during our conversation and was screaming in the background. “You have to keep your cool,” I encouraged her. “Try not to panic Max.” I told her a Suffolk County police officer would be looking for her and that she should identify herself to him and follow his instructions. Thank God she remembered to bring her cell phone because she usually forgets it at home.

Why would someone abduct Gus?
I couldn’t fight the feeling that I had caused Gus’ abduction with all of my meddling into local homicides and disappearances. I must’ve gotten too close to someone and set him or her into action. But whom had I provoked? Was it related to Alana Moore? Sarah Fisher? Bill Alden? What could I have done to force someone to take such drastic action? I couldn’t help but feel guilty that whatever happened to Gus was my fault.

Ma’s face was pale and stricken with panic—the fear I read in her eyes cut right through me. This was the moment she had dreaded her entire life, the worry she faced everyday with my dad. She had counseled me repeatedly, “Don’t marry a cop like I did.” She had told me over and over again. In a way it was the look I expected to see on her face because it had been hidden there for decades just waiting for the opportunity to surface.

“Don’t marry another cop.” You’ll never know when that call might come, “We’re sorry to inform you that . . .” Ma should have been directing those comments at Gus and not at me. He was the one who had been put at risk by marrying me and not the other way around. I was the maverick. I was the one who couldn’t leave well enough alone and placed her husband in jeopardy. And now . . .

Ma got out of the police cruiser with Max in her arms. “Stephanie, what’s going on?” Her face was awash with tears. I took Max out of her arms and pressed him against me, his face buried in my chest so that he couldn’t see the dire expression on my face.

“I don’t know, Ma,” I said helplessly as my own tears sprang forth. “We’ll find him,” I mouthed weakly. “It’s only a matter of time.” I forced a smile, but it didn’t help her. I could see that it only made her feel worse. We stepped closer, and I put my arm around her with Max in between us. I was trying to comfort her, and she was doing her best to do the same for me.

Max looked up and took my face in his two little hands. He searched my eyes, as if wondering what was wrong, and then he babbled something. I kissed his little hand and then . . . he made a sound. He was a little too young to utter his first words, but it sounded to me as if he had said, “Dada.”

Search for Gus Lido: Day 1

I was sitting on a blanket at the beach with Max next to me.
It was a perfect summer day. The sun was intense with low-hanging clouds drifting by every few minutes to cool me just when the heat became too strong. The water was a rich aquamarine color, and the fragrance of the sea was pure heaven. The breakers were large with frothy whitecaps. Every now and again, one would stray onto the sand when it broke, caressing my toes where they extended past the edge of the blanket.

Max was playing with a pail and shovel, no sand, just a pail and shovel. He was at that knocking-things-together-stage, and I couldn’t imagine where I might find sand if I let him loose to play with it. I had him covered from head to toe so that he wouldn’t get sunburned. What wasn’t covered with cloth or a cap was heavily smeared with Coppertone Water BABIES. I wasn’t taking a chance with my little one.

Gus walked toward the water with a surfboard under his arm. He looked back just as he hit the water’s edge and blew us a kiss.

“Wave to daddy,” I said. I picked up Max’s hand and helped him with the gesture.

Gus pushed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips, posing as if he was a he-man superhero. He waved back and then strode into the ocean.

“Be careful,” I yelled. He was just waist-deep in the water when he turned one last time and smiled a strong reassuring smile before climbing atop his surfboard and paddling out to sea. I watched him grow smaller and smaller until he was just barely visible on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a giant wave rose behind him. He paddled furiously to build speed, and then the wave lifted him high in the air.

“Look at daddy.” I pointed out to sea, but Max seemed to be preoccupied with his pail and shovel. He glanced up for a moment and then went back to his toys.

Gus was atop his surfboard, balancing to stay upright as the monster wave tossed him around. The wave finally broke and water cascaded down in front of him as he angled the board parallel to the shoreline to ride the pipeline. I could see him through the translucent breaker, crouched on his board, riding it out. As the mighty wave broke, it turned to white foam and obscured my view of the Big Kahuna. I adjusted my focus to the end of the pipeline and waited for Gus to emerge.

“Come on, honey,” I shouted with encouragement even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. “Ride it out. You can do it.”

I was still watching when the wave broke and the foam dispersed on the surface of the water.
Where is he?
“Come on, babe, get up.” I stood, shielded my eyes against the sun, and searched the water for him. His surfboard suddenly popped to the surface. “Thank God.” It was leashed to him, and I knew I’d see him in a second but . . .

Moments passed without any sign of him. “Oh Christ.” I felt my body grow numb as time ticked away. I reached down to scoop up Max but . . .

“Max?”

“We’re here, ma’am.”

“What?”
I broke into a cold sweat.

Novack was talking to me from the front seat of the police cruiser. “Are you all right, ma’am? We’re here.”

I looked around frantically because I didn’t know where I was. I turned to my side. Ma was next to me, holding Max. “Oh, thank God.” I grabbed Max and smothered him with kisses.

“You fell asleep,” Ma said. “I didn’t want to disturb you.” Her eyes widened. “Why, Stephanie! You’re shaking.”

I began to cry. “I dreamt that I lost Max.”

“Okay, okay. Take it easy, Sweetheart. Max is in your arms. Take a deep breath. You poor thing, you’re a nervous wreck.”

“I need some fresh air.”

Novack opened the door for me, and I got out holding Max. I’m sure that Max sensed that something was wrong because I was squeezing him as if he was a stuffed toy.

“You look pale,” Ma said as she got out of the car. She opened a bottle of water and handed it to me. “Drink. I don’t want you to pass out.”

I heard car doors close. I turned around and saw Pulaski getting out of another cruiser.

We had traveled for almost an hour from Montauk to Suffolk County Police Headquarters in Yaphank, but I couldn’t remember the trip. It was as if I had gotten into the car in one location and magically gotten out somewhere else.

“There’s a team waiting for us inside,” Pulaski said. He put his arm around me and escorted me toward the building. We were about halfway across the parking field when I saw an FBI helicopter materialize in the sky. I could just barely make out the white FBI markings on the side of the black chopper, but I knew who was inside. It was my dear friend Herbert Ambler coming to the rescue.

“Stephanie!”
Herbert Ambler called to me from the far end of the corridor as he broke into a run. He was not in the greatest shape and was out of breath after his short sprint.

I threw my arms around him. “They took him, Herb. Someone took Gus.” Up until now I had held it somewhat together. Now in the arms of my longtime confidant . . . I just couldn’t hold it back any longer. I began crying on his shoulder, hysterical and out of control.

“Okay, okay,” Ambler said as he stroked my hair. “It will be all right.” He pulled away, just far enough so that he could look me in the face. “Remember what your dad used to say all the time?”

I shrugged—at the moment nothing was clicking.

“Let cooler heads prevail. If Gus has been taken, I’m going to need you at the top of your game in order to get him back. I need to know everything that’s been going on, and I need to hear it from Stephanie Chalice the cop, not Stephanie Chalice the emotionally distraught wife and basket case.” He shook me a little. “I’d rather we all have a good laugh about this after we get Gus back than cry about it now. Are you with me?”

I was panting and unable to control my breathing. I forced myself to take a couple of deep, controlled breaths and then nodded.

“Good. Are you settled enough to tell me what’s been going on?”

I felt so weak, as if every ounce of life had been drained from my body. “I’ll try.”

Ambler’s eyes widened. “Do or do not . . . There is no try,” he said in Yoda’s voice to make me laugh.

I wasn’t able to laugh, but I was finally able to lift my head.
Baby steps
, I told myself.
Gus needs you right now. Pull yourself together.
I took a sip of water and then directed Ambler to a nearby room. “Everyone’s in here.”

Law enforcement folks get slammed for misconduct all the time.
There are articles in the press everyday about police brutality, or profiling, or corruption. Stories about our good deeds rarely see the light of day. You can say what you want about cops but there’s one thing you can’t take away from us. We are the most tightly knit family in the world and when one of us bleeds we all bleed. When one cop needs help, every cop is there for him, day or night, rain or shine, no matter what the undertaking requires.

Still, I was amazed at what I saw when Ambler and I walked into the police situation room. I thought perhaps that I was in the war room at the Pentagon. Large area maps of Long Island and detailed maps of the East End towns were up all over the room. Everyone was on high alert, scrambling to track Gus before he could be taken very far. Computers were up and running, Phone lines were open. Seeing so many policemen focused solely on Gus’ rescue injected me a potent ounce of hope.

“Stephanie, I’d like to make a couple of decisions for you, if that’s okay,” Ambler said. “It’s not that—”

Ambler was far more than a friend and colleague, he was like my uncle. He and my dad had been great friends, and he had supported Ma and me emotionally ever since my father’s passing. I trusted him with my life. “It’s all right, Herb. I don’t mind if you call a couple of shots.”

“This is no environment for a child. Let me arrange for Ma and Max to be taken back to the city. I’m sure that your CO, Shearson, will provide an escort and protection. I’ll have Agent Banks at their beck and call as well.

Agent Banks was Ambler’s right hand, and I knew she’d devote herself to my family’s wellbeing. I thought it over and then nodded. “I agree, but I want a few minutes with them before they go back. Ricky is like a Saint Bernard; I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to have Max to look after.”

“I was going to ask,” Ambler said. “Ricky’s home alone?”

“Yes. Thank God he’s so much better these days. Dr. Twain has really helped him a lot.” Fresh tears began to run down my cheeks. My brother Ricky had emotional issues as a result of severe trauma. I’m so happy that he’s finally starting to heal.

“It’s probably not a good idea for him to know what’s going on with Gus. I don’t want him to get stressed out,” Ambler said.

“I’ll let Ma know how to play it.”

Ambler checked his watch. “I arranged a sit down with the department commander. Take the time you need with your family. I’ll be right back.” He was not taken to shows of emotion, so I was surprised when he hugged me again and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “It’ll be okay, Stephanie,” he said. “Whoever did this picked the wrong cop to screw with.”