Page 104 of Almost Dead (The Cahills 2)

Propped against the exterior wall of the unit, Cissy tried to think clearly, to get a grip on herself though she wanted to fall into a billion pieces. She couldn’t let herself. She didn’t have time. She had to save her son. But from what? From whom?

The detective grunted. “Tanya Watson is dead…. What? I don’t know all the details. We just arrived on the scene. The Holts say their kid is missing, that he was with the victim.” O’Riley turned back to Cissy and Jack, peering at them over the top of wire-rimmed glasses, and Jack nodded. “Yeah, that’s right,” he said to Paterno. “Okay, we’ve got it covered, but we need more manpower, not just for the investigation but for the search. Okay.”

He hit a button, said to Jack and Cissy, “More units are on their way. Just give me another minute.” He punched out another number and had another conversation, similar to the first.

The scream of sirens split the air. For the first time, Cissy noticed that neighbors were peeking out windows or standing in doorways as more emergency vehicles screamed up the street.

Everything seemed surreal, just slightly out of focus.

A jet rumbled overhead, taking off from the airport not far away.

O’Riley said into the phone, “When the unit gets here, we’ll start with the neighbors and scene…Will do.” He clicked off his phone and said to Cissy, Jack, and Tanya’s neighbor, “We’re gonna want statements from all of you and all the neighbors. You live next door?” he asked the neighbor, who identified herself as Corinne Glenn.

“Yes.”

“You heard the gunshot?”

“No…Well, maybe. I’m not sure.”

“How’s that?” O’Riley asked.

Cissy couldn’t believe it. Everyone was standing here, under the overhang of the porch, asking questions while someone had stolen her child. “Aren’t you going to look for my son? We have to start now! We have to find him! We…we can’t stand here and discuss this. Whoever took him is getting away. Don’t you see? Whoever killed Tanya—” Her voice cracked. “Whoever did that, who shot her, they…they took B.J. They took my baby!” Her voice rose steadily, and she was gasping, hyperventilating, barely noticing that a police cruiser had arrived and cops in uniform were setting up tape and barricades around the scene. More sirens. More cop cars. An ambulance, siren shrieking, screeched into the lot.

O’Riley nodded, eyes concerned behind his glasses. “That’s what we’re trying to do, Mrs. Holt. But we need some information. If you’ll just be patient—”

“Be patient? Are you crazy? We don’t have time for patience. Who knows where he is, what’s happening to him!” She fought back tears, fought too against the urge to fall completely apart. Frantic, she looked from the cop to her husband. “Jack, tell them!”

“Minutes may count,” Jack said grimly.

“We’re aware, sir. As soon as we secure this scene, we’ll start going door to door. Believe me, Mr. and Mrs. Holt, we want to find your child.”

The crime-scene investigators trooped in, carrying kits into Tanya’s apartment, the place she’d called home. Cissy’s heart went out to the girl. But why had Tanya taken Beej away from the house? Why had she kidnapped her baby? More investigators arrived, more officers swarming the scene of the crime, uniformed men keeping the growing crowd of the curious at bay. Cissy felt the seconds of her life ticking away. To her horror, a news van arrived, parking at an odd angle on the street. To the media, this was news. This. Her worst nightmare. “Please,” she whispered.

“Detective Paterno is on his way,” Perez said.

O’Riley said, “Now, Ms. Glenn. Did you hear a gunshot?”

“I heard something. A loud pop. I was sleeping. I work graveyard. Thought it was a car backfiring or something on TV. I didn’t realize…” Her gaze slid into the open apartment door, where Tanya lay on the green carpet. “…I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t see a baby?”

The woman swung her head side to side.

While O’Riley walked into the apartment again, Perez asked, “Did you notice anything or anyone else? A person? A car?”

“Nothing.”

Cissy felt Jack’s arm around her.

“Which vehicle belongs to the victim?”

“That one. The Subaru.” Jack pointed to the car parked in its spot.

“Yes, that’s it…but…” Cissy stared at the car. “Tanya always has B.J.’s car seat in the back. I’ve never seen the car without it. And I didn’t see it in the apartment.”

“It was in her car when she picked up B.J. this afternoon,” Jack confirmed.

“You think the killer bothered with a car seat?” O’Riley questioned.

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