instead of telling you that taking care of her isn’t part of my job description, I’m begging for the privilege.”
“Something like that,” he admitted. “Is it working?”
“Pretty much,” she said cheerfully.
She followed him into his office and helped him get Natasha settled. They turned a coffee table and two end tables on their sides to form an enclosed area for the baby to stretch out in. Mandy put several blankets on the floor, while David removed Natasha from her car seat. He’d packed plenty of toys in with the diapers and food.
Careful to keep the baby in view, he crossed to his desk and picked up the phone. When Ainsley answered, he asked her to stop by later that morning, then he went to work on his own assignments.
Ainsley showed up at ten-thirty.
“Nothing new,” she said as she crouched by Natasha and cooed at the baby. “Is this the one?”
“Yeah. She’s four months old. Too old, you said, for the black market baby ring.”
“The children have all been younger,” Ainsley said as she collected Natasha and carried her to the sofa where she sat down with the baby on her lap. The tall, thirty-something blonde seemed completely entranced by Natasha’s smile.
“Why risk moving such young babies?” he asked.
“They’re not in the adoption process yet,” Ainsley told him even as she pretended to nip Natasha’s little fingers. They both giggled.
Ainsley looked up at him and cleared her throat. “Sorry. She’s wonderful.”
“I know.”
So was her mother, he thought. But while it was safe to get attached to the infant, falling for Liz was much more risky.
“We have an assortment of problems in getting information,” Ainsley said. “First of all, this is an internal issue. The Moscow police don’t want our help. They barely acknowledge there’s a problem. They don’t cooperate. All my information comes to me from other sources. Here’s what I know. Rich couples who want a baby start out working within the system, just like everyone else. At some point, they’re approached by someone who says he can get them a baby more quickly.”
“For a price,” David said.
“Exactly. They’re shown photos of babies, given health histories. They make their down payment and the child is sent over. Whoever delivers the baby has all the right paperwork and has done his homework. We’ve yet to find a mistake in documentation.”
“So the rich couple gets a baby delivered, no muss, no fuss.”
“Something like that. If Natasha was one of those babies, she should have been delivered a couple of months ago.”
“Maybe the deal fell through.”
Ainsley nodded. “I’m sure it happens. But why not leave her in the system for a regular adoption?”
He looked at the baby. She had big blue eyes and brown hair. Her round face and happy smile made her a candidate for a baby model.
“Does she look like someone?” he asked, speaking slowly as the thoughts occurred to him. “Is it possible to get a baby to order?”
Ainsley frowned. “You mean the couple requests a certain kind of child in appearance?”
“I don’t know. It’s your department. Does that ever happen?”
“I suppose it could. The couple is already paying a huge amount for the baby. Why not get one special ordered?” She grimaced. “We’re talking about children here, not pizza.”
“I agree, but will our friends in the black market see it any differently?”
“Probably not.”
David considered the possibility. “So we don’t know who wants Natasha. Or if the attack was a fluke or not. But if it wasn’t, the ring could be after her specifically and not just any child. Can we confirm any of this?”
“I’ll have to ask around.”
“Do that and get back to me.”
“What are you going to do?”
He sighed. “Figure out how to keep Natasha and her adoptive mother safe without making either of them panic.” More security at the hotel for one thing, he thought.
“We could be wrong about all of
“Something like that,” he admitted. “Is it working?”
“Pretty much,” she said cheerfully.
She followed him into his office and helped him get Natasha settled. They turned a coffee table and two end tables on their sides to form an enclosed area for the baby to stretch out in. Mandy put several blankets on the floor, while David removed Natasha from her car seat. He’d packed plenty of toys in with the diapers and food.
Careful to keep the baby in view, he crossed to his desk and picked up the phone. When Ainsley answered, he asked her to stop by later that morning, then he went to work on his own assignments.
Ainsley showed up at ten-thirty.
“Nothing new,” she said as she crouched by Natasha and cooed at the baby. “Is this the one?”
“Yeah. She’s four months old. Too old, you said, for the black market baby ring.”
“The children have all been younger,” Ainsley said as she collected Natasha and carried her to the sofa where she sat down with the baby on her lap. The tall, thirty-something blonde seemed completely entranced by Natasha’s smile.
“Why risk moving such young babies?” he asked.
“They’re not in the adoption process yet,” Ainsley told him even as she pretended to nip Natasha’s little fingers. They both giggled.
Ainsley looked up at him and cleared her throat. “Sorry. She’s wonderful.”
“I know.”
So was her mother, he thought. But while it was safe to get attached to the infant, falling for Liz was much more risky.
“We have an assortment of problems in getting information,” Ainsley said. “First of all, this is an internal issue. The Moscow police don’t want our help. They barely acknowledge there’s a problem. They don’t cooperate. All my information comes to me from other sources. Here’s what I know. Rich couples who want a baby start out working within the system, just like everyone else. At some point, they’re approached by someone who says he can get them a baby more quickly.”
“For a price,” David said.
“Exactly. They’re shown photos of babies, given health histories. They make their down payment and the child is sent over. Whoever delivers the baby has all the right paperwork and has done his homework. We’ve yet to find a mistake in documentation.”
“So the rich couple gets a baby delivered, no muss, no fuss.”
“Something like that. If Natasha was one of those babies, she should have been delivered a couple of months ago.”
“Maybe the deal fell through.”
Ainsley nodded. “I’m sure it happens. But why not leave her in the system for a regular adoption?”
He looked at the baby. She had big blue eyes and brown hair. Her round face and happy smile made her a candidate for a baby model.
“Does she look like someone?” he asked, speaking slowly as the thoughts occurred to him. “Is it possible to get a baby to order?”
Ainsley frowned. “You mean the couple requests a certain kind of child in appearance?”
“I don’t know. It’s your department. Does that ever happen?”
“I suppose it could. The couple is already paying a huge amount for the baby. Why not get one special ordered?” She grimaced. “We’re talking about children here, not pizza.”
“I agree, but will our friends in the black market see it any differently?”
“Probably not.”
David considered the possibility. “So we don’t know who wants Natasha. Or if the attack was a fluke or not. But if it wasn’t, the ring could be after her specifically and not just any child. Can we confirm any of this?”
“I’ll have to ask around.”
“Do that and get back to me.”
“What are you going to do?”
He sighed. “Figure out how to keep Natasha and her adoptive mother safe without making either of them panic.” More security at the hotel for one thing, he thought.
“We could be wrong about all of
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