To Save a Child--A Clean Romance Read online

  “It’s a holiday. I don’t think you’re going to find a judge.” Tenney spoke up.

  “I’ll find one,” Cole promised and headed out to do just that. He had to be careful and not be annoying, because he knew all judges were on holiday. He’d already asked for one favor from a judge and had to try another one. He settled on Judge Bruhouser. He’d always been very accommodating, and Cole hoped he would be today.

  It took time to get in touch with him and explain the situation. Cole didn’t mention a lot of things, but he wanted questions answered for Grace. And those answers were at Deuces. He got the warrant for illegal gambling with reference to a minor child’s safety. He also got a warrant for DNA for Briggs. After a stern lecture, reminding Cole of the holiday, he got more than he wanted.

  Back at the station, they talked about strategy. Cole would go in alone to talk to the manager or Penetti. But the man had clubs in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, and he wasn’t likely to be there. Cole would take his chances with the manager. Parker and Tenney would offer backup on the outside. They also had patrol cars outside just for effect. Cole was bluffing. He might be a gambler, after all.

  With everyone in place, Cole knocked on the locked door. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, and the place wasn’t open. The young Mexican boy let him in.

  “We no open, Mr. Cop.”

  “The manager, is he in?”

  “He’s in his office.” The boy pointed to the back.

  Cole walked past the bar and down the hall. He was stopped by two guards—or bouncers. He wasn’t sure.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” one of them asked.

  Cole held up the warrant in his hand and introduced himself. “I have a warrant to search this place.”

  The other man laughed. “You and who else?”

  “The cops outside and the ones in the back. I’m just the announcement.”

  One of the men banged on the manager’s door. “Hey, Al, there’s a cop out here who has a warrant.”

  The door swung open, and a bald man in his forties stood there with a scowl. “What’s this about?”

  Cole handed him the warrant. “Cops are outside ready to go, but maybe we can settle this another way.”

  Al walked back to his desk, reading the warrant. “What the... This doesn’t even make sense. Minor child? There are no children here.”

  “Brooke Bennett. She had a child.”

  “Well, the child’s not here.” He threw the warrant on the desk. “This is a bunch of bull.”

  Cole leaned over and read his name plate on the desk. “Mr. Carbaco, it’s a legal warrant. I can have cops in here in less than a minute, and I’ll turn this place upside down. You can count on not opening tonight. You can stop all that by answering a few questions.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What kind of questions?”

  “About Brooke Bennett and Joel Briggs.”

  Carbaco got to his feet. “Give me a minute. I have to clear this with Penetti.” He left the room.

  Cole looked around. Stacks of cards wrapped in plastic were lined up on shelves. There was a seal on each one, so as to keep everyone honest, so to speak. A big ashtray full of cigarette butts was on the desk. The pungent scent irritated his senses. Expensive cigars in boxes were also stacked on a shelf. Skimpy outfits were on a rack in the corner. Short skirts and bikini tops. They were all shiny black material with lace around the edges. Brooke had been pulled into the seedier side of Briggs’s life. For love. Nothing about that relationship had been about love.

  Carbaco came back and plopped into his chair, the scowl a little deeper. The fluorescent light glinted off his bald head. “Penetti said to give you what you need. Up to a point. And he is contacting his lawyer.”

  That would probably make Myers’s day, although it might be a conflict of interest for him to be a lawyer for both Penetti and Briggs. Cole wasn’t worried about that.

  “How often does Briggs come in here?”

  Carbaco shrugged. “I don’t keep track of him.”

  “Mr. Carbaco, if you’re not honest with me, I will go ahead with the search. I know this is a gambling establishment. I know you do illegal things here, but I’m not interested in that. All I’m interested in is Joel Briggs and Brooke Bennett.”

  Carbaco moved restlessly in his chair. “He comes in often, especially for the big games.”

  “How much was he into Penetti for?”

  “You know I can’t answer that.”

  “You will answer the question. I have no interest in Penetti’s gambling. I’ve made that clear and if you don’t cooperate—”

  “About fifty thousand.”

  “How did Briggs plan to pay that?”

  “Brooke.”

  “Waitressing?”

  “Yes.”

  “She did it of her own free will?”

  “Joel talked her into it. Penetti said pay or else. He didn’t give her much choice. She hated it. She hated men touching her, but they liked her. She was naive and shy, and that turned them on. She made a lot of money, especially on big nights with big winners. Some would tuck hundred-dollar bills in her cleavage or skirt.”

  “How much of the money had she managed to pay back?”

  “About twenty-five thousand.” He moved restlessly again. “She called the morning she died—quit and said she wasn’t coming back. And that Joel could pay his own debts.”

  The morning she found Joel in bed with another woman, and it had finally opened her eyes. But she hadn’t been counting on Joel’s vengeance.

  “Has Penetti let Briggs back in?”

  “Not since Brooke’s death. Joel promised he would have the money in a few days. After that—” Carbaco shrugged.

  Cole leaned over and laid a piece of paper from the printer on his desk in front of Carbaco. “I’ll need that in writing.”

  Carbaco held up his hands. “No, man, I’m not implicating Deuces. I gave you the answers as promised. I’m done.”

  “I’m not. Write that Briggs came in here to gamble and he owed a large sum of money. And that Brooke Bennett worked to help pay it off. And that she quit the morning she died. Simple and sweet. Sign and date it.”

  He got the statement and went out to tell Parker and Tenney. They agreed to meet back at the station. As they talked in the office about their next move, the fax machine came on. Cole got up to see what it was: Brooke Bennett’s autopsy report. He read through it and placed it in front of Parker.

  “That was quick,” Parker said. “We weren’t expecting it till Monday.”

  “Read it. We don’t have to prove he pushed her.”

  Parker swallowed a few times, and his face turned red. “Man, this is horrible. How could I believe that slime bag?”

  Tenney took the report from him and read, “‘Blunt force trauma to the head, possibly by balled fist. Homicide violence.’ It goes on to say that her brain was bleeding when she walked out or was pushed out the door. The hemorrhage caused extreme dizziness. The fall exacerbated the bleeding. All other injuries, besides the wrist and the neck, were consistent with the fall.”

  A spiral of relief rose up in Cole’s chest. Grace had been right. Briggs killed Brooke.

  Cole pointed a finger at Parker. “You need to apologize to Grace Bennett. She wasn’t so crazy after all.”

  “Yeah.” Parker hung his head. “I plan to do that, but first let’s arrest this lowlife.”

  “Let’s go,” Cole said as they headed for the door. “It’s going to be a joy to put handcuffs on him and watch him squirm.”

  Cole’s cell buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket. Grace. He clicked on, and he couldn’t understand her because she was crying. His heart did a nosedive. “Grace, calm down and tell me what happened.”

  “He took Zoe. Joel took Zoe, and he hit Mr. Walt. He took Zo
e, Cole. She was crying and crying and he wouldn’t let me get near her. He backhanded me.”

  His stomach clenched. “Are you okay? Is Grandpa okay?”

  “We’re just shaken up. Please find Zoe. She was screaming for me.”

  “How long ago did this happen?”

  “Just now. There was a man and a woman with him.”

  “Did you see what he was driving?”

  “A gold Cadillac Escalade.”

  “Stay calm and take care of Grandpa. I’m on this. I’ll get Zoe back.” He didn’t have time to tell her about the autopsy. He needed to be with her when he did that. Right now his top priority was Zoe.

  “Briggs kidnapped Zoe,” he told the guys. “We have to find him. Grace said there was a man and a woman with him. My guess is he’s found a way to pay his debts.”

  “What do you mean?” Parker asked.

  “He has a buyer for Zoe.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  GRACE HURRIED TO the refrigerator for ice. She wrapped several cubes into a towel and carried it to Mr. Walt. Her hands were shaky and clammy. “Put this on your face—it will help with the swelling. I’m going to call Miss Bertie and see if she will come and stay here for a little while. I’m taking Bertha and following Joel. I feel he’s going back into Austin, and I’m going to try and find him.”

  Mr. Walt sat up straight. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

  She didn’t need this right now. The longer she waited, the more time Joel had to get away. She had to go. “You’re hurt, Mr. Walt.” She touched the dark bruise on his face. “You need to rest.”

  He got to his feet. “I’m as tough as pork rind fried up and left out a few days.”

  Grace shook her head. “Mr. Walt, I don’t know what that means. I have to go. Zoe needs me.”

  Mr. Walt headed for the door. “Let’s go, then.”

  Grace grabbed two bottles out of the refrigerator and the diaper bag. In less than a minute, they were in Bertha and backing out of the garage. Grace handed Mr. Walt the towel with ice. “Put this on your face.” When he started to object she added, “Now!”

  Grace’s heart pounded as she turned on to Highway 77 and raced toward I-35. She had to find Zoe. She had been crying so hard. Grace had never seen her cry like that. She knew she should just stay home and wait for Cole, but she couldn’t do that. Zoe needed her.

  Mr. Walt rolled down the window and threw out the towel and ice.

  “Mr. Walt!”

  “Well, it’s cold and I don’t like it.”

  “That’s littering.”

  “So? Arrest me.”

  “I’m upset with you.” She zigzagged around cars and tried to focus on the road.

  “I’m upset, too. That big oaf took our baby.”

  She patted his shoulder. “I know, Mr. Walt. We’ll get her back. Cole is trying very hard, and I trust him.”

  “Yep, he’s a good boy.”

  Boy? Grace didn’t see him as a boy. And that was a whole other problem. Right now her focus was the traffic.

  “Mr. Walt, let’s see if Bertha can fly.”

  * * *

  EVERYTHING HAPPENED FAST. Every officer in Austin was on alert for a gold Cadillac Escalade. It didn’t take long to get a hit. The vehicle was located at a Valero gas station outside Austin. Cole and Parker headed there. The car was parked to the side. Empty.

  Cole and Parker went inside to talk to the clerk. Cole took the lead. He introduced himself to the cashier. “I’d like some information on the Cadillac parked outside.”

  The clerk was busy waiting on customers, but he quickly turned to Cole. “The man said the engine was making a funny noise and a wrecker would pick it up later. He gave me a hundred dollars to not call the police.”

  Parker handed him a photo. “Was it this guy?”

  The clerk nodded his head. “He said he was a football player, but I don’t watch football.”

  “Was he alone?” Cole asked.

  “No. There was another man and a woman and a baby. The baby was crying loudly. The man said she’d just woken up from a nap.”

  “How did they leave?”

  “Uber.”

  “Thank you,” Cole said as he and Parker walked outside.

  “What do you think?” Parker asked.

  “Briggs knows we’re looking for his Cadillac, and he ditched it until he can get Zoe somewhere where we can’t find her. I’m thinking airport.” He reached for his phone. “Tenney, Briggs left his Cadillac at a Valero station.” He gave him the address. “He used Uber to leave. Try to find where the driver took him. Get Nate to help you. He knows a lot about Uber.”

  “Got it,” Tenney replied.

  Next he called Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and identified himself. It took a while to get through to the proper person. He’d been through this before—the airport was always very cooperative. He had the information within ten minutes and without getting a subpoena. All he had to do was mention a child was in danger. It was the truth.

  He slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Briggs is leaving at eight o’clock tonight for Las Vegas without Zoe. We have to catch him before he gets to the airport. I would rather not have a scene there.”

  “What do you think his plan is?” Parker asked.

  “Briggs left the Cadillac here to throw us off. And the couple with him have to be the buyers for Zoe, just as Brooke had told Grace. He’s taking them somewhere, maybe to their home. There’s no way to verify that.”

  “We have officers at Briggs’s apartment. I’ll call and see if they’ve noticed anything.” Parker took out his phone as Cole searched the Cadillac.

  “No movement at Joel’s apartment,” Parker told him.

  “The car’s locked up, and since it’s a rental, I’m sure the dealership will pick it up. The keys are lying on the dash. Briggs is not planning on coming back.”

  As they walked to the patrol car, Cole’s phone pinged. He answered immediately. “Let’s go!” he shouted to Parker. “Briggs is back at the apartment with the couple and Zoe. What a stupid move.”

  They blasted through traffic with the siren blaring. Cole turned off the siren as he neared the complex and put on his mic. “Stay out of sight,” he said to the officers on the scene.

  “They went inside and they haven’t come out,” Officer Collins said. “The baby was crying, and the woman was complaining that she cries too much.”

  Cole gritted his teeth and replied, “Stay on the alert and out of sight.” He then called SWAT for backup. This could get messy, and he didn’t want one thing to happen to Zoe.

  The security gate had been breached. That meant SWAT was on the scene. Cole parked some distance away, and then he and Parker walked toward Briggs’s apartment. He could see SWAT members already on the roof across from Briggs’s apartment. They were only visible to those who knew they were there. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blue through the gates. Oh, no! Grace and Grandpa were here.

  He spoke into his mic. “There’s a blue Buick coming through the gate. Stop it and don’t let it get any closer. Wait for my orders.”

  The front door of Briggs’s apartment opened, and Cole put everything else out of his mind. He had to focus. Briggs and the couple came out and started down the stairs. The woman was holding Zoe, who was crying softly.

  “Wait for my orders,” he said into the mic again.

  The trio went to a silver Lexus parked at the curb. Cole glanced at Parker. “You circle to the front of the car, and I’ll get the back. We can trap them between the cars. Let’s go.” Into the mic he said, “We’re going in. Back us up.”

  With guns drawn, he and Parker made their move. Briggs was stunned when he saw the guns pointed at him.

  “What’s going on here?” Briggs asked.

  When Zoe s
aw Cole, she started to cry louder, reaching out for him.

  His heart ached, but he had to stay focused. He spoke into the mic. “Let the woman in the blue Buick in to take the baby.”

  Running feet sounded on the pavement and echoed through the chilly day. Grace made it in record time and reached for Zoe, who was screaming at the top of her lungs now.

  The woman pulled Zoe back. “No! This is my baby.”

  “She’s not your baby,” Grace told her and jerked Zoe away. Zoe sobbed on her shoulder.

  “Go!” Cole shouted to Grace, and she took off running again. Zoe’s sobs died away.

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” the man said. “But my wife and I paid money for that baby. The mother is dead and Mr. Briggs signed over his rights to us. The baby is ours.”

  “I don’t know what Mr. Briggs has told you, but the baby does not belong to him.”

  Briggs appealed to Parker. “Hey, Parker, what are you doing? You know I’m that baby’s father. You offered to help me get custody of her. Grace was keeping her from me and the only thing I knew to do was just go in and take her.”

  “And hit an old man,” Cole said. “And you assaulted another woman.”

  “She wouldn’t let go.” Briggs took a deep breath. “Come on, Parker. You know me. You know how Grace has been after me since Brooke’s death. She’s crazy.”

  “Crazy like I was to believe every line you fed me?”

  Briggs took a step backward.

  “Don’t move!” Cole shouted with his gun still pointed at Briggs.

  Briggs appealed to Parker once again. “Come on, Parker, let’s go upstairs and look at some videos and sort this out. I took my daughter. That’s not a crime.”

  “It’s a crime when she’s not yours,” Cole told him. “And do you know how I know that? Your ex-wife. She said you had a vasectomy years ago.”