Page 13 of Forged in Steele

“I’ll call it in.” Franz used his phone to update his supervisor with the woman’s description then quickly ended the call. “Calling the state for the AMBER Alert.”

The Oregon State Police were responsible for statewide coordination of Oregon’s AMBER Alert program and issued the alert. All calls came through their specialnumber which rolled to the tip line for the local law enforcement agency.

Bristol turned her attention back to Zeke and Teagan. “Start looking for when this woman entered the hospital.”

“Already on it,” Zeke said. “But we could get through the footage faster if we have more people looking.”

“We’ll make that a priority,” Jared said, as if he planned to be working the investigation.

“I can get the rest of my team over here in thirty minutes.” Bristol looked at Franz. “That is if you’re okay with them reviewing the feed.”

“That’s really up to the detective who takes over, but I don’t want to waste valuable time. Everyone you’ll assign is current or former law enforcement, so it should be fine.” He lifted his shoulders. “Better to ask for forgiveness later.”

Bristol turned to Teagan. “Text everyone and get whoever’s available headed this way.”

Jared looked like he wanted to argue, but didn’t. Since he wasn’t officially involved, he couldn’t muster the needed resources any faster, and she knew he wanted this baby found.

“Let’s get a look at the father on video and check his timing out,” she said to move them along.

Zeke tapped the screen. “Here he is leaving the birthing center at eight-fifteen. We can track him to the restroom and then to the cafeteria.”

“He seems pretty casual and laidback,” Bristol said.

“Hard to tell from the footage, but you’re right,” Jared said. “He’s not looking over his shoulder or acting hinky, but he might just be a good actor.”

Franz grabbed his radio again. “I need a deputy to cordon off the men’s restroom on third floor west, just outside the birthing center.”

“Deputy Pilsner,” came a female’s voice. “I’m nearby, and I got it.”

“Roger that,” Franz said.

“Let’s see the rest of the footage for the father,” Jared said.

Zeke changed the camera angle again. “He returns at seven minutes after nine, seven minutes after the woman leaves out the back exit. And I assume after the wife wakes up to find the baby gone.”

“Does his pack look empty?” Bristol asked.

“Compare the feeds,” Jared said.

Zeke ran them side by side.

“Not sure if I’d say empty,” Jared said. “But the shape is different.”

Her heart racing, Bristol looked at the men. “We need to get back upstairs and search that restroom now!”

Jared approached the bathroom, and his gut tightened down like the strings on his favorite guitar. The horror of finding Wyatt, a baby who hadn’t survived his kidnapping, haunted him even two years after the investigation went wrong. Haunted his dreams and his waking hours too.

But he would do his job and follow Franz and Bristol through that door.

He erased little Wyatt’s face from his mind and stepped into the room that held a fresh odor of orange cleaner. Franz was already checking the stalls, his bootie-covered feet rustling over the tile floors as he rushed from one to the next and left the stall doors clanging against the walls. Bristol hurled brown paper towels from the nearest garbage can to the floor, but the pile on the floor was slim.

Jared went to the back trash can and moved a couple of paper towels with his gloved hands. The space had been cleaned at some point or hadn’t been used much as the can held very little.

“Nothing here.” Bristol crossed to the door. “Cleaning log posted here says the crew was here at seven fifty-five. So close to when Pratt stopped in.”

“Explains the empty trash cans,” Jared said.

“Nothing in the stalls.” Franz frowned. “We’ll still have forensics process the room. See if they can find any blood or other sign of the baby.”

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