Roll the Dice (18 page)

"He's still alive in a hospital, so it seems to me, that you got
there in time."

She shrugged, and Kai took one step back and crossed his arms. He
scanned the rest of the boys to make sure they were behaving themselves and was
reassured. A sorrier bunch of deadbeats he'd yet to see. Not dangerous, thank
goodness, just a waste of flesh.

"What time did Luke leave here last night?"

Lines in his forehead appeared on Mike's face. He took a moment and then
answered. "Kid was stumbling around, told him to get his ass home to bed
about midnight. Once the cab got here, I walked with him to the door. Last I
saw, he slid into the back seat."

"You see Rhondo leave at the same time?"

"Nope, he left before."

"How long before?"

"Don't know."

Mike's squinted eyes led her to believe he was lying but no matter. She
knew Rhondo followed Luke home.

"Don't want to tell."

"Same thing."

Aurora's gaze swung over to Eddie. Then to the rest of the men who sat
quietly listening to the conversation. "So Eddie, did you see when Rhondo
left? Then she swung around to include everyone. Anybody else?"

The other men ignored her question and Eddie shook his head.
"Nope."

She moved toward the lying piece of shit and Kai changed position of his
hands down to rest on his hips.

"I think you're lying, Eddie. You saw something, didn't you?"

He stiffened and began to shake his head. "No, I never."

She just kept staring at him and sweat broke out on the little weasel's
face. Kai wanted to grab him and shake him like a pup with a plush toy, but he
knew better. Staying back and letting Aurora take lead had to be the most
difficult position he'd ever been in. A wave of bile rose from his clenched
stomach and burned his throat when he swallowed.
 

Eddie's reaction didn't surprise him. What did was when he'd decided
that he'd had enough of the interrogation and stood unsteadily to walk to the
door.

"Oh you're so not going anywhere without us, Eddie.
 
Just sit yourself back down until I'm
finished." Aurora's unwavering look had the man rush to do her bidding.

She turned back to Mike. "Luke won't be back. He'll be needing his
pay. Send it to him. And take real good care, Mike. My friends and I are going
to be keeping a close surveillance on this joint. We see so much as a mouse
fart, we'll be all over you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The back door opened just then and three of the meanest looking dudes
sauntered in through the kitchen. Recognition had then stopping dead, and
bravado kept them coming. From the tats all over their bodies, the paunches,
and the hells angel's duds to the ice in their eyes, they had the hair on the
back of Kai's neck waving their follicles and screaming warnings.

He watched to see Aurora twisting her head to the side as if she had
something in her ear and realized he'd seen her do the same thing before at
Darlene's apartment. Must be a personal habit during moments of stress. As much
as he'd backed off earlier, he had no intention of laying low now. These guys
meant business.

"Morning detective." A particularly ugly bugger got in
Aurora's space. She didn't move.

"Hey Hank. Looking to spend some time at my place?"

He spread his hands wide and sneered. "Nope, you got no booze. My
buddies and I just came in for a cold beer and some food. Don't want any
trouble."

"Then get the hell outta of my face and there won't be any." Cool
as sin, she stepped one closer and nonchalantly waited with her hand resting on
the taser linked to her belt.

Kai stepped beside her and leaned back against the counter, his hands
free and ready.

Mike ran interference at the exact moment when Kai figured there'd be
hell to pay. "You want food, Hank? Back off. Get a table and I'll be over
to take your order. "

Hank studied Mike's sincerity first. Then shifting his eyes back to the
woman bugging the hell outta him, a low growl escaped and he strutted to the
closest table, his boys joining him. All three slouched in their chairs wearing
freakish grins that had Kai wanting to bitch slap them off.

Much to his horror, his sweet little partner strutted right behind them
and waited until they were settled. Then with her hands on the table, she eyed
each player and spoke softly.

"Any of you guys in here last night?"

Three heads moved in a negative way."

"Okay. Then how about sharing information about our mutual friend
Mr. Rhondo. Anything happening we need to know about?"

Same answer.

"Doesn't surprise me that you studs know nothing. Fine. Just give
the sick bastard a message for me. You tell him if he wants me, to stop fooling
around beating up on young boys and come get me."

By this time, the three were sitting at attention. The game had ramped
up and Kai sensed that Aurora's little pitch had gotten to them. No matter how
mean these sons-a-bitches were, none of them went along with anyone working
over kids.

The stench of fired up testosterone in the dim room added to the air
pollution and Kai decided the point had been made and the time had come to
leave.
 

Clearly, Mike did also. He stomped over to the door and waited, his
posture screaming…get out!

Aurora backed off and moved towards where Eddie still sat enthralled by
the action being played out in front of him. She reached into his shirt pocket
for the bag of marijuana she knew she'd find and waved her finger in front of
his face. "Lying to an officer of the law and carrying illegal drugs. I
guess you'll be coming with me."

The poor guy's face turned pale as he cringed. "You can't do that.
You can't search me for nothing."

"You wanna complain? Fine. You can bitch to your lawyer."

Kai stepped up and grabbed Eddie's arms and hauled them behind to put on
the cuffs. As he did this, he noticed the telling bulge in the back of Eddie’s
shirt. He slyly removed the piece and then motioned for Aurora to head out.
He'd follow up the rear with the prisoner. His place – keep her back covered.

"I don't know nothing!" Eddie had been using the same line all
the way to the precinct, up the stairs, and for an hour in the interrogation
room.

Aurora was sick and tired of the words, but the skinny schmuck was
surprisingly uncooperative.

You sure you have nothing to say? I'm all ears if you want to share.

"Got nothing. I'm cool."

Aurora stood up from the table separating the two of them and took her
half-empty water bottle with her. Then at the last moment, she left it sitting
there, smiled, and joined Ham and Kai who waited behind the glass partition.

"Ham, turn the air conditioning off in Eddie's suite. He's feeling
a mite cool right now."

"On it Rory."

"Don't call me Rory.' She shouted after him then muttered.
"Hate nicknames."

Kai blinked at her, and she realized he'd heard the words and had been
surprised by her vehemence.

"My crazy mother used to call me that. Hated it then, and still
do."

The right side of his mouth rose in a grin she'd gotten used to and
found attractive. Then he shrugged. "I'm lucky, my name can’t be
shortened."

“Asshole can.”

“Very funny.”

Thoughts bouncing in her head escaped. "She only used it when she
hated me. Correction! She used it all the ti..." Aurora bit the words off
once she clued in on what she had revealed. The only people who knew about her
childhood were Debbie and Cory, and she disliked anyone else being aware that
she'd lived through hell.

Before she could turn away or change the subject, his warm arms swept
her close and his tenderness shot straight to the little girl still buried deep
inside who'd longed for hugs.

Never before had an embrace meant so much or felt so good. His warm
breath stirred the short hairs that had escaped from her French braid and
started a mellow vibration inside her head.

Hard hands caressed her back and his strokes started a fire in her body
that kindled memories of their lovemaking. She could rest here forever.

"Thanks." Her mumbled appreciation came before she stepped
away.

"You’re welcome. Anytime! And I mean that sincerely."

That made her smile.

"Hate to interrupt Morelli but there's a call for you. Says his
name is Bill Ruile. He's a security guy who works at the hospital.

She’d wrenched herself away from Kai as soon as she’d heard the
footsteps closing in, but hadn’t been quick enough. Either that or the shrewd
old cop had x-ray vision.
  

“I’m on it. Thanks Ham.” She strode to the doorway and felt Kais’
presence close behind.
 

“Detective Morelli.” She hit the speakerphone button.

“Bill Ruile here Detective. The suspect you told me about, a Mr. Rhondo
I believe? He’s been snooping around again. Not on the floor where you have the
security. On the maternity ward where you caught him last—”

“You mean he’s been checking out the babies again?”

“No. It’s much worse. This time he’s kidnapped one of the babies and the
mother.”

Aurora’s heart sank. Her ears started to hurt as her internal signal
clamoured. A pre-warning of dread boiled acid in the pit of her stomach.

“The name!” Sinister premonition held its breath.

“Debbie Ashton and baby son from Room 505.
 
Minutes ago the nurses reported a problem. Said the woman had
discharged herself against the doctor’s orders and left with a driver. Told
them her husband was concerned for her safety and had sent an undercover agent
to pick her up, take her into protective custody. Sounded kinda shaky to me so
I decided to investigate.

“How long ago did this take place?”

“Ten to fifteen minutes.”

“How do you know she didn’t leave with her husband? Aurora knew Cory was
out of the office. Maybe just maybe…

“Not possible. He always stops by the nursing station to enquire on his
wife’s infection so the desk nurse knows him. It’s your guy, Detective. He’s
shown up on one of the hallway security cameras. It’s the same man who you were
after the other day.”

“Shit! Did you close off the entry and exits?”

“Of course, but I’d bet you dollars to donuts he’s gotten them out of
the building by now.”

“Right. Get as many men as you can at the doors just in case. I’ll put
out an APB. Meet me at the main entrance in ten.”

She turned to Kai and knew he’d understood everything.

Taking control, he spoke in a no-nonsense way. “I’ll go and find out
where Cory went and get a hold of him. You get the uniforms moving and gather
Ham and the rest of the team. We gotta move.”

“I’m on it. “ He’d taken lead and she spent all of two second worrying
about it. No time for pissing contests. Not now.

Gathering her gun and extra bullets, she hurried down the hall to
interrupt Ham. He was in the middle of a group telling one of his famous Irish
stories that made you want to strangle him for getting you laughing so hard
that your cheeks felt like they had permanent dents.

Barking his name, she had instant attention and within a short space of
time they were all hurrying towards the exit.

Kai caught up with a stride that covered the space faster than if she’d
have ran. “He’s on his way to visit Debbie. Hoped to bring them home today and
told his secretary he wanted to get fresh flowers for their apartment. I’ll go
pick him up—probably not safe for him to drive. We’ll meet you there.

“Fine.” She threw the keys to Kai and hurried after Ham.

Debbie watched the play of light on her son’s puckered cheeks as he fed
voraciously.
Hungry little devil,
probably takes after his father.
As soon as the words popped into her mind,
she noticed the familiar anxiety was now missing.

She'd broken down yesterday and, without telling anyone, had ordered the
paternity test. The results had arrived a little while ago.
 

Since his birth, she’d spent hours examining her baby's body, his face
even his expression, trying to find any conclusive proof of parenthood. In her
heart, she’d believed that her pregnancy had transpired as the result of the
beautiful night of lovemaking shared by her and Cory. Not from the nightmare of
pain she’d experienced at the hands of a vicious stranger a few days before.

After all, how could something so precious, a gift from the divine, have
been the result from her getting raped? God wouldn’t be that cruel, would he?

Thinking back, she asked herself the same question she’d asked a
thousand times. Why hadn’t she taken care of the possibility of a pregnancy? To
this day, she still didn’t understand. For heaven’s sake, she was a cop. A
woman in the know, sophisticated, a girl of the twenty-first century with a
brilliant career and great friends who had everything going for her. Why then
had she completely fallen to pieces? Lied first, then ignored the modern
precautions she’d have automatically advised others to utilize