THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY (15 page)

Raven’s hands shook, and her fingers had gone cold. “But do we even know who I am, what I was capable of before they left me for dead?” She rubbed her temple. “It doesn’t matter.” She opened the locket and held it up. “This baby exists. Who I am doesn’t matter right now. She’s out there somewhere, and I need to find her. I won’t stop until I know for sure that she’s safe and loved. Whether she’s mine or not, we have to help her.”

Noah burst through the sheriff’s door. “We have a maternal DNA match,” he said. “Chelsea Rivera was a witness in a felony. They did a DNA profile before they eliminated her as a suspect.”

“How did you—” Sheriff Galloway started.

“Don’t ask,” Noah muttered. “The point is the preliminary results are a match. Chelsea Rivera is that baby’s mother. And we have her address. She lives in El Paso, not two hours from here.”

“Then there’s only one thing to do,” Daniel said. “We visit Chelsea Rivera and find out what she knows about the baby in the locket.”

Chapter Ten

The midafternoon sun glared down on the loaner SUV’s windshield, and Daniel cursed the fact that he had no sunglasses. The temperature had to be creeping up on eighty degrees. Trouble sat in the backseat panting. Fall hadn’t hit El Paso yet, but then, most things in Texas were ornery like that.

Daniel let out a slow breath when they drove by Chelsea Rivera’s current address. The house had been easy enough to find.

“Quiet neighborhood,” Noah commented. “Run-down, but not a war zone.”

“I’ll circle the block.” Daniel kept the speed steady, as if they had a destination in mind. “We’ll find a secure location to park the car.”

He took a quick pass around the block, eyeing potential escape routes.

“How about there?” Raven asked when they came upon an alley.

Cinder-block walls provided cover, and Daniel nodded.

“Good eye,” Noah said. “Only a few houses down.”

Daniel backed the SUV into the narrow space between two houses and set the vehicle to Park. With Trouble not far behind, Raven climbed out of the backseat, while Daniel opened his door and Noah followed. They stood just out of sight of Chelsea’s house, but Daniel’s nerves were frayed and edgy.

“Seems quiet,” Noah said. “I doubt we’ll need backup. Galloway and Elijah can let us know how the Harrison lead pans out, and we may solve this thing before dinner. I know this great cantina—”

Daniel raised his hand. “Don’t go there. Every time the situation seems real quiet, Raven and I have almost gotten killed,” Daniel said. “Noah, stay with her. I’ll signal you.”

“What?” Raven said. “You think you’re going to just walk up to this woman’s door, and she’ll talk to you? I hate to tell you this, but you’re big, muscular and intimidating, and you walk enough like a cop that she’s going to be wary. I should go, too.”

“Not happening.” His gaze fell to her necklace. “Can I borrow the locket?” he asked.

Raven set her jaw, but she lifted the chain over her head. “You are the most stubborn man.” He could see her desire to run across the street and question Chelsea herself, no matter the danger.

Sometimes Raven had a backbone of steel. Usually something that completely turned him on. Not right now, though. He’d gone cold with worry. He had to keep her safe, but whoever wanted her dead seemed two steps ahead of them all the time. The thought wasn’t comforting.

Wary of a trap, Daniel worked his way two houses down, keeping out of sight as much as possible. Across from the target location, he paused behind a hedge and hunkered down. He glanced over his shoulder. Noah, Raven and Trouble remained hidden from view, unless you knew where to look. Daniel knew she’d be safe. Noah wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself for her.

Neither would Daniel.

He remembered the look he and Noah had exchanged earlier. They understood each other. If anything happened, Noah would get Raven to CTC headquarters in Carder; then he’d come back and finish what Daniel had started.

He stepped onto the pavement, out of the direct line of sight of the front door and window, then crossed the pothole-littered street. The neighborhood was probably last on the list to get any work done. Not enough registered voters on this street to pressure the city council.

A quick glance in the backyard revealed nothing but a sad thatch of grass and a few struggling perennials in a small planter. He signaled Noah to keep alert, then walked up the broken sidewalk. Once there, he stood just to the right of the doorknob.

The neighborhood was silent. No curtains moving. This was one of those revolving rental streets where neighbors just didn’t want to get involved with people who might not be around the next month. Isolation was a lot safer.

Daniel didn’t like standing here in the open. His Spidey-sense was working overtime, though he had nothing to base it on. Daniel’s shoulders tensed; the hair on the back of his neck stood at attention.

He shifted his shoulder and tucked his Glock within easy reach. He knocked on the door.

A wooden creak sounded through the poorly insulated walls. The curtain quivered.

“Ma’am. I know you’re in there. My name is Daniel Adams. I just need to ask a few questions. It’s about your baby.”

“Go away. Please,” a frightened voice begged.

“Not until I talk to you.”

“Who...who are you?” she asked, obviously terrified. “Who sent you?”

“No one.” Daniel held up the locket to the window. “I’m hoping you can tell me about this child.”

The curtains pulled back, and a dark-haired woman with terrified eyes blinked at him. Her cheek was discolored, as if someone had hit her. Daniel’s gut burned.

“Do you need help, Chelsea?” he asked softly.

“No, I need you to—” Her gaze honed in on the locket like a laser beam. “Where’d you get that? Mrs. H would never have given it away.”

“This locket belongs to Mrs. H?”

“Yes.” The woman’s hand moved to her throat and lifted a gold heart from beneath her blouse. “She gave me one just like it. To remember.”

A soft smile crossed Chelsea’s face.

The sound of wood splintering toward the back of the house was followed by a scream. Gunfire exploded, then glass shattered the window where she stood.

Daniel heard a dull thud hit the floor.

He gripped his Glock and shoved his shoulder into the door. The jamb gave way. Chelsea Rivera lay on the floor, her face gone, blood streaming from a horrifying head wound. The bullet had entered from the back and exploded.

The back door slammed.

Knowing Raven was safe with Noah, Daniel raced through the house to the kitchen and out a side door.

Nearby, a motorcycle revved and the powerful engine roared. The shooter headed west. Daniel ran into the front yard, then into the street, his boots thudding on the pavement. The roar of the motor grew louder. Bike tires squealed. Daniel leaped toward the sound, hoping to get a glimpse of the plate.

He caught sight of a black Harley racing down the street, its license plate covered with mud and unreadable, just like the sedan from the drive-by shooting. The guy wore leathers and a very expensive helmet.

The shooter was definitely not from this neighborhood. He was rich. Panting, Daniel watched the bike speed away.

He slipped the gun into the waist of his jeans and jogged back to Noah and Raven.

She stood behind the SUV and peered around Noah, who’d placed himself between her and danger.

“You see anything useful?” Daniel asked.

Noah shook his head. “Sorry. Too far away.”

Raven looked up at Daniel. “What happened?”

“Chelsea was shot right after I got there. She didn’t say much, but she had a locket just like yours.”

“She did?” Raven asked, her expression tentative. “Are you saying he killed her?”

Daniel nodded. “She didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

He dropped the gold heart into her palm. “But Chelsea said the woman who gave her the locket had an identical necklace.”

Raven stilled. “You know who I am?”

“Mrs. Harrison gave Chelsea that locket.” Daniel said softly. “I think we finally know your name.”

* * *

S
IRENS
RAGED
ALL
around the SUV when Daniel pulled out of the alley. Raven’s heartbeat quickened, and her fingers gripped the scrub pants she wore. She held her breath when Daniel slowed and moved to the right. Three speeding police cars passed the SUV with lights flashing, but the cops just swerved into Chelsea’s driveway.

“Will Noah be okay?” she asked. “What if they arrest him?”

“He can handle himself. Noah has connections. Even if they do arrest him, he’ll be out in a matter of minutes,” Daniel said. “It’s more important that we find Wayne Harrison fast. I don’t want to stay here to explain what we were doing visiting Chelsea, or why you’re wearing an identical locket to hers.”

“They’d never believe what’s happened to me,” Raven said. “If
I
heard my story,
I’d
think it was a lie.”

“Amnesia’s hard to believe, since you can’t answer most of their questions.
If
you’re Mrs. Harrison, then you paid Chelsea. Fifty thousand dollars changed hands. There’s no baby and no birth certificate. Very suspicious.”

“And I can’t tell them why any of it happened.” Raven rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the headache that had returned. “What a nightmare.”

“For now Noah will have to handle the questioning. Hopefully Wayne Harrison will have enough information for us to explain your presence in Chelsea’s life.”

She touched the cut on the side of her forehead. “Do you think whoever killed Chelsea is the man who attacked me?”

“It’s a safe bet.” An edge tinged Daniel’s voice. “I’m looking forward to shaking some answers out of your—” He stopped. “Out of Wayne Harrison.”

Her husband. That’s what he’d meant to say.

She drank in Daniel’s strong profile, his hands, his fingers that had caressed her, touched her, loved her. She didn’t want to remember giving herself to anyone but Daniel. Raven scratched the base of the ring finger of her left hand and voiced her greatest fear. “Do you really think he’s my husband?”

“No. I think you
were
married,” Daniel said. “Your dreams have been accurate as far as we know. There
is
a baby. And Wayne Harrison is our only lead.” Daniel slid her a heated glance. “I don’t want you to be married, Raven. I want what I can’t have.”

Before she could ask what he meant, his phone rang and he pressed Speaker. “Adams here.”

“It’s Elijah. We got a hit on Raven. I’m messaging you the info and a photo.”

A quick pull of the turn signal, and Daniel stopped by the side of the road and put the SUV into Park.

Raven turned toward Daniel, praying and dreading the scan would have all the answers.

A tone sounded. Daniel tapped the message, and Raven held her breath.

A newspaper article appeared as an image on the phone’s screen.

Oh, God. A wedding announcement.

One glance at the photo and caption made Raven gasp.

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and Olivia Harrison.

“It’s me,” she said sadly. “Me and the man from my dream.”

* * *

P
AMELA
W
INTER
STARED
at the small baby in the hospital’s crib, hoping for a miracle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept. Grit stung her eyes each time she blinked.

Her baby girl looked so pale.

“You’ll be okay, Christina.” Pamela caressed the thinning hair on her beautiful daughter. “We have to disappear, but you’ll get the bone marrow transplant, and everything will be better.”

With care, Pamela lifted Christina out of the crib and sat with her in the rocking chair. The little girl in the adjacent crib whined, staring up at them. She held out her arms.

Pamela ignored the healthy baby. She’d have to entertain herself until Christina was well. And she would be well. Pamela had chosen their new safe house carefully. Near the Mayo Clinic. She’d hidden enough money from Christopher that she wouldn’t have to work again. With Christina’s sister as the donor, things should move fast at the new hospital. Everything was going to work.

All she had to do now was trigger Christopher’s temper enough so he’d hang himself, and then she and her daughters would disappear. Forever.

“I’ll make you all better,” she whispered in Christina’s ear. “He will never hurt you.”

Heavy footsteps paused at the door. Pamela stilled, afraid to look around. It shouldn’t be Christopher. After the lies she’d told him, surely he’d left to kill Chelsea for her. Pamela was too busy to do it herself.

The pediatric hematologist came up beside her.

She looked up and took in his solemn expression. “What’s wrong?”

Panic twisted her gut, just like the day she’d learned of Christina’s illness. During the horrifying search for a matching donor, Pamela had finally discovered the doctor who had revealed Chelsea had had twins. After that, it had been easy to find the other baby. The Harrisons hadn’t hidden their adoption.

Pamela had thought her troubles were ending. How wrong she’d been.

The doctor frowned. “Christina’s blood work doesn’t look good. Since her sister is a match, we need to start the chemotherapy right away. Otherwise, if Christina’s health deteriorates, it might be too late.”

Pamela froze in the rocker. Time was up. She’d have to eliminate the final risks.

The forger was gone; Chelsea was gone.

All that remained were Wayne and Olivia Harrison.

And one other.

The only other.

Christopher.

She wrung her hands. Could she kill her own son? Did she have the nerve?

The baby whimpered and rolled over. She opened her beautiful eyes, dull and weak with fatigue.

Pamela melted at the sight and hugged her daughter close. She couldn’t lose her. She met the doctor’s gaze. “May I stay with her 24/7?”

“I’ll set things up for that and the chemo,” he said, and left the room.

“And by the time you do all that, we’ll be gone,” Pamela whispered, humming. “Mama will do anything for you, baby girl. Anything.” She rose and placed her precious bundle in the crib.

“We’ll leave here soon, baby. Very soon.”

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

* * *

D
ANIEL
STARED
OUT
the SUV window at the late-afternoon sun, hating Elijah for the news he was giving over the phone.

Trouble had found himself a cool spot in the cargo area of the vehicle. He’d been too quiet. Maybe the mutt sensed the high level of emotions.

“I’m married?” Raven whispered, obviously devastated. “No. It can’t be.”

“You’re not married now,” Elijah rushed to say. “You were. You and your husband divorced shortly after you adopted your daughter.”

The words swirled in Daniel’s head. Raven wasn’t married. She’d adopted a daughter, but she wasn’t married anymore.

“What’s my daughter’s name? Please, Elijah. Tell me you know her name,” Raven pleaded.