Read Online Where is the Baby? by Charlotte Vale Allen - Free Book Online Page A

them back on, dragging them over the shoes, then rocking her way back into the underpants.
    â€˜Could you help me now, Mister Stefan? I don’t know how to do shoes. I never had them before. I had rain boots in the winter but they didn’t have these do-up things.’
    He smiled, and said, ‘You bet,’ and bent to undo the buckles.
    â€˜C’n I take off the sock things, too?’
    â€˜If you like. Do you need help with those as well?’
    â€˜I can do those. I had some before when there was snow.’ She pulled off the socks, then wriggled her toes. ‘I never had shoes like that. They don’t feel good.’
    â€˜Then you don’t have to wear them,’ Stefan declared. ‘Now,’ he said, sitting cross-legged in front of her on the carpet, ‘let’s try this game.’
    â€˜â€™Kay. You gonna tell me how it works?’
    â€˜I am going to tell you.’
    â€˜What just happened in there?’ Captain Garvey said quietly, gazing through the glass and shaking his head. ‘That was one hell of a thing. I don’t know if that young fella’s crazy as a loon or some kind of genius.’
    â€˜I think he’s way out of his depth and she just threw him a life buoy,’ Brian said, deciding Stefan Lazarus was like a kid playing dress-up, not someone he’d trust entirely to look out for Humaby.

FIVE
    â€˜I t’s time to call in the press,’ Garvey told Brian on the way back to headquarters. ‘I’ve got as many men as I can spare going through missing persons reports but since we don’t know how far back to go it’s pretty much impossible. The media people are all over us, wanting to see the little girl who saved the baby. The baby’s parents want to meet her, thank her, and give her some kind of gift. Thing is, we get her face out on the wire services and TV, maybe someone’ll recognize her. I’ve got a call in for Connie Mason to come back ASAP and do some head shots, get them printed right up and aim to have them on hand for the press conference this afternoon. That way we’re in time for the networks and the late editions of the national and local papers.’
    â€˜Sounds like a plan,’ Brian said quietly, concentrating on his driving.
    â€˜Meanwhile, DCF wants to place the kid while she waits for her surgery.’
    â€˜When?’ Brian was suddenly fully alert.
    â€˜When what?’
    â€˜When do they want to place her?’
    â€˜Soon as possible, I’d imagine. I get the distinct impression you’ve taken a big interest in this little girl.’
    â€˜Kind of, I guess.’ It was hard for Brian to sound non-committal when he was anxious now to get back to the office and put his and Jan’s names up for consideration as temporary foster parents.
    â€˜Did you ever in your life see anything like what happened in there?’ Garvey asked, firing up a Camel and then rolling down the window. ‘The guy completely fell to pieces and the kid put him back together. Never saw such a thing.’
    â€˜Me, neither,’ Brian said. ‘But she’s got a pretty powerful effect on people . . . maybe because of the age and size of her. She’s about the smartest kid I’ve ever encountered. You read my report on how she got out of that van?’ Brian glanced over.
    â€˜Unbelievable!’ Garvey shook his head, then took a hard drag on his cigarette. ‘A plastic knife and fork. Just
unbelievable
.’
    â€˜Did they find any photographs or film in the van?’ Brian asked. ‘She seems to know about porn, went into a pose when Connie went to shoot her. I figure those animals took pictures, maybe even used her in a movie or two. What I’m hoping is they didn’t sell any of it. It’d be a terrible thing for her, years from now, if that stuff surfaced.’
    â€˜The forensic guys are cataloguing the contents of the van. Seems