“So you came to New York,” Eve prompted.
“I thought, I’m not going to have this. I can’t risk it. I… I nearly went to see the baby’s father a dozen times, but I’d made this choice, so I was going to follow it through. I packed up, quit my job, sold some of my things. I had a friend who was driving to Paris for the weekend, and hitched a ride with her. I even lied, told her I was going to look for work there. I don’t know why, exactly, but I was afraid they’d set the cops on me, or something.”
Letting her head fall back, Tandy closed her eyes as she traced light circles over her belly. “I was so angry, just so angry at everyone. I took a bus from Paris to Venice, and a shuttle from there to New York. I was lonely at first, I nearly went back. But then I found my job, and it was brilliant. And I signed up with a midwife, and I met Mavis. Everything seemed to be so right. I missed… I missed people from home, but I had to think about the baby.”
“Then you left work on Thursday.”
“I had Friday off, and Saturday was Mavis’s shower. I was feeling so good about everything. And there she was. So surprised to see me, so kind and asking how I was doing. I was so ashamed at the way I’d run off, but she just waved all that aside. She said she had a car, and would see me home. And when this lovely limo swooped up to the curb, like magic, I went right along.”
Circling, Eve thought. Not parked, leaving no record.
“She sat in the back with me while the driver started on. She gave me a bottle of water, and we chatted about London. And then… I felt so strange, and I can’t remember. Until I awoke in that room.”
“You’re out of it now,” Eve said when Tandy trembled again. “You’re out, and they’re the ones locked up.”
“I’m out. Yes, we’re out, and we’re safe. They were there, both of them,” she continued in a steadier voice. “And that horrible droid, sitting there, staring at me when I woke up. And they told me how things would be. The baby wasn’t mine, I’d signed it away. I was only the means to its birth.”
She shifted now, to look behind her and meet Eve’s eyes. “They said this to me, all so calm, even when I was screaming and trying to get away, and the droid forced me back on the bed. They said I’d be treated well, have proper nourishment, rest, stimulation, and they expected me to deliver a healthy baby boy within the week.
“I said they were mad, they couldn’t force me to give up my child. He said – the son – he said they had wealth, power, position. I had nothing but a fertile womb. They left that music playing day and night. Good for the baby. Everything in the room was bolted down. I couldn’t even throw anything. I beat against the windows, but no one could see. I screamed until I hadn’t a voice left, but no one could hear me.
“What day is it?”
“It’s early Monday morning,” Eve told her.
“Only Monday,” Tandy said and turned to rest her head again. “It felt longer. So much longer. You saved my baby. You saved me. If I live two hundred years more, I’ll never forget it.”
The lights were on, gleaming against the windows, flooding the grounds where the snow lay like white mink. Tree branches were heavy with it as it continued to fall in a hushed whisper.
“Oh. It’s like a palace.” Tandy’s voice shook. “Like a winter palace. I feel as though I’m the princess who’s been rescued. You’re my knights in shining armor,” she said, rubbing fresh tears from her cheeks.
Even as they pulled up in front, the door to the house burst open, and Mavis, dwarfed in one of Eve’s robes, ran out. Summerset and Leonardo rushed behind her.
“Mavis, you promised you’d wait.” Summerset reached for her arm.
“I know, I’m sorry. I can’t. Tandy!” She wrenched open the door. “Tandy! Are you all right? The baby?”
“They saved us.”
On cue, Eve thought, both women burst into tears and fell into each other’s arms.
“Let’s get you inside now, out of the cold, sweetheart.” Leonardo wrapped his big arms around both of them. “Come inside now, Tandy.”
“Take them straight up to the room I prepared,” Summerset ordered. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
As they walked toward the house, sheltered by Leonardo, Mavis looked back at Eve. “I knew you’d find her. I knew you would.”
“They’re yours now.” Eve pointed at Summerset. “I’ve got work.”
“Lieutenant.”
She turned, scowled at him. “What?”
“Well done.”
“Huh. Thanks.” She raised her eyebrows at Roarke as they went inside. “I’ve got to tag Peabody, make sure the prisoners are secured, check in with Baxter on-scene, and round it out with Reo and Smith.”
“Yes, of course. After you’ve had some sleep.”
“Loose ends dangling.”
“That can be tied up later. Whatever you got from the booster and your own adrenaline is washed, Lieutenant. You’re pale as the moon, and your words are starting to slur.”
“Coffee.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
He must have been right because when she managed to focus, she was standing – barely – in the bedroom. “One hour horizontal,” she said as she took off her weapon harness.
“Four – which gives you enough time to put some fuel in your system in the morning and get downtown to grill your suspects.”
“Not just grill.” She sat to yank off her boots. “I’m gonna fry ’em. Aren’t you gonna carry me to bed?”
“You’re still dressed.”
“’S’ okay. I can sleep in my clothes.” She smiled sleepily, held up her arms to him.
He got her up, staggered a little as he carted her to the bed, then dumped both of them onto the duvet. “Best I can do.”
“Good enough.” She curled into him, he wrapped around her, and they both tumbled into sleep.
He’d been right about the four and the fuel, Eve decided. She was going to have a long and tricky day, and needed to charge up for it.
As expected, Bullock and the rest had called in a fleet of lawyers. Eve was letting them all stew while she and her team gave complete reports to Whitney and Reo.
“The Feds and Global are going to want to take over the fraud, the baby-for-profit op, and whatever else the foundation had its fingers into,” Reo told her.
“They can have it.”
“And a field day with it. The London law firm is also going to be on the hot seat. You’ve got yourself an international incident, Dallas.”
“I’ve got three DB’s. Those are mine. As for the abduction and held-against-will of Tandy Willowby, that’s a share with Lieutenant Smith in MPU.”
“How’s she doing? Willowby?”
“Good, I’m told. She was sleeping when I left the house.” She turned to Whitney. “I want to start with Cavendish on this, sir. He’s the weak sister.”
“Your call.”
Reo got to her feet. “Got them cold on the kidnapping, and the evidence is there for Global. The three homicides, that’s the sticker.”
“I’ll get them.”
Reo nodded. “Mind if I watch?”
Cavendish was in Interrogation, looking pale and sweaty and flanked by two sharp-looking suits. The one on the left got immediately to his feet. “My client was held overnight without bond, and kept waiting in this room nearly an hour. We intend to file complaints, and when you’ve finished this ridiculous charade, demand an internal investigation on you.”
“Charade?” Eve said to Peabody.
“It’s like that game where you can’t talk, but you have to use your hands and body language to get the other person to guess the word or phrase.”