A Woman with Mongrel Ch. 03

The call terminated in a friendly fashion, with Harry avoiding asking how the husband hunt was going. He gave Carson the phone number of the farmhouse, saying there didn't have cell phones coverage.

Harry was happy to have spoken with Carson. She was still pissed off at him, but what else could one expect; she was a woman.

Apart from breaking up with Carson, everything was going along honky-dory. God, he hadn't used that expression in decades. As Diomedes Mantell has a habit of saying, grinned Harry, the coast is clear for something to go wrong, very wrong.

It did.

Mid morning next day Miriam Wells his hostess came roaring across to the fencers on a farm bike.

"Someone called Sara phoned, Harry. This is very serious. She said Lydia's been snatched and the mother is in a terrible state. Sara says you have to take over for them, Harry, she's sending a chopper for you. Here -- take the bike; they'll land at the house."

"The bastards, not Lydia," fumed Harry, riding full throttle, his mongrel consuming him. He arrived at the house safely, wishing he had a .38 S&W Special to pack.

The chopper took him to the park where the snatch had occurred. Police were visiting house-to-house in the vicinity, trying to find witnesses and anyone with anything suspicious to report. Harry spotted Lisa finishing off a big sign: "My baby has been snatched; please talk to me if you know anything."

Sara came running to him. They hugged as the chopper lifted off.

"She's in a hell of a mess, Harry. She's stopped talking. Shock grips here."

"What happened?

"She had Lydia in the stroller, right there by the swings. Carson returned to the Toyota to get a tube of sun block and her phone went; it was your agent wanting to contact you. That delayed Carson and when she got back to the swings there was no sign of Lydia. She was gone."

"Jesus! Nothing to go on then? No motive, of course. What about witnesses?"

"No one so far. The first police car was here in minutes. They regard kidnapping as number three.

Harry knew murder/VIP assassination bracketed to danger to head of State would be number one, but what was two?

"What's the second top priority?"

"A cop down."

"Yes, of course," said Harry, kicking himself mentally for not thinking that.

They ran across to Carson, who leapt to her feet and hugged Harry. She neither cried nor spoke.

"What's happening?" he asked Carson, and waved angrily to silence a policewoman who cut in to say, "We're going house-to-house..."

"Carson, every minute that goes by could be a countdown on Lydia's life, perhaps not. But we must think as if it is. Carson -- what did the police say they are doing?"

Caron look stonily at Harry, her faced shocked.

Harry whacked her across both cheeks.

"Oh Harry!" Carson shouted.

The policewoman was outraged and rushed Harry, who easily fended her off.

Carson then said calmly: "They asked had I seen anyone acting suspiciously Harry, but I saw no-one. Someone must have snuck in and out without me seeing them. They are going house-to-house looking for witnesses and cars are patrolling the streets looking for anyone pushing a baby in a buggy. There will be lots of mothers out doing that right now, Harry. Babies have woken up from their after-breakfast sleep."

"Think, Carson -- you must have seen something."

The policewoman returned at a run accompanied by a big policeman. Sara blocked their way, saying, "Stop, let him be; he's one of the best interrogators there is -- he's Harry Truscott.

"I know who he is -- author of 'The Bumbling Detective' series, said the policewoman, holding her companion back. "Hold it Duncan."

Harry slapped Carson across the mouth. "Well, Jessie Chicago, unless you tell us about your informant, your pathetic boss dies."

Bleeding from a cut lip, Carson came through: "A woman, stooped shoulders, long dress almost touching her boot tops -- a multi-gray check. She was walking a dog. Oh God, Harry, I saw her, not two minutes before I went to get the sun block. She was across there, on that other path. She was staring at us."

"Ma'am, are you sure -- absolutely sure?" asked the policewoman.

"Yes, the image is fixed in my mind."

"You heard the description, Duncan. Run -- get it broadcast."

"A map, does anyone have a map of this area?" cried Harry.

"There's one in the glove box Harry," said Sara.

"Don't touch that vehicle, sir, until our forensic people have been over it."

"Fuck your forensic check -- the snatcher would have been nowhere close to Carson's car," said Harry. "Run, Sara, get it for me."

Harry saw Peter Doig drive up and Lisa came running to him, crying."

"Constable, get that man Peter Doig to drive over here, I need him."

"Yes sir," said the constable, apparently convinced that Harry was the only one around who knew what he was doing.

Peter hopped out just as Sara returned with the map. She spread it out on the front of the car.

"Doctor's rooms located within one mile of this park," said Harry.

The policewoman pushed past him." I live near here."

She picked out five medical centers, circling them in pencil.

"Know any Peter?"

"This one is our family doctor and we sometimes go to this one at weekends."

"Right, we'll take these two, constable. You get your folk to do the other three, asking all doctors for details of any patient living within a mile of this park who is suffered a miscarriage recently and is being treated for depression. They will resist, citing patient confidentiality. But give them the facts. If they still resist, beat it out of them or at least say you're taking them in for questioning."

"Right, anything else?"

"Yes, get a cop to come with us, to give our enquiry some semblance of legality -- that big bugger you had over here a few minutes ago. Sara, you stay here with Carson. Come on Peter."

"Duncan!"

Duncan came running and was told to get into the backseat of Peter's car.

"He's a bit thick, Harry. But just tell him and he'll do it."

"Thanks doll."

Harry was embarrassed to have to call the policewoman that, but he didn't know her name.

They went to medical centre near Peter's home. The practice manager was very cooperative, rushed all five doctors out and none of them was treating a patient in that category.

The next medical centre was ruled by a part-female part-dragon.

She told Harry to clear off and phone for an appointment.

Adopting his most menacing look and reaching inside his shirt as if about to pull out a weapon, Harry said: "All you guys out and wait in the parking area. Out NOW! The waiting patients rushed to the door.

"You bastard; you can't do that, I'm calling the police."

"This constable is the police, you silly woman," Harry snarled. "Take her to the car Duncan and read her rights."

"What rights?"

"Just get her outside and read to her, Duncan, show her your notebook."

"Yes sir!"

All seven doctors were emerging from their offices to investigate the commotion. Harry told them what was up and Peter told them about the penalties for interfering with the apprehension of a person suspected of a serious crime.

The doctors exchanged nervous looks a woman doctor said, "You better come into my office."

Within three minutes Peter, Harry and Duncan were in the car and off in a rubber-burning wheel spin.

"I know the street and I think I know the woman," Peter.

They arrived outside the address, just as the woman closed the gate and began pushing Lydia's buggy up the path to the house.

"I'll go," Harry said.

He vaulted the fence and said, "Good morning, Mrs Harrison. I believe you accidentally picked up the wrong baby at the park. This is Lydia Robertson. She needs to get back to her mummy so she can feed her."

Mrs Harrison blocked the dog charging in to investigate Harry.

"She's not my baby; I don't have a baby any more."

"That's fine, Mrs Harrison. Everyone understands what's happened. We'll drop you off at your doctor's on the way to taking Lydia back to her mummy."

"Lydia's asleep," Mrs Harrison said mournfully.

Oh God, thought Harry, hastening to the front of the stroller, to be met by two perfect replicas of Carson's eyes. Lydia greeted him with a sound that Harry thought sounded like 'Harry," well knowing that it wasn't.

"Goo-goo," he responded.

Peter drove up the street to the park, lights flashing and car horn tooting cheerfully.

Policemen blocked on-coming traffic and Carson came running onto the roadway, her face strained with worry until she saw Harry holding Lydia up. She still was a bit worried as neither was belted in.

Harry handed Lydia to Carson and the Inspector in charge tapped Harry on the shoulder asking, "Name and the address of the culprit, please."

"Go to hell," said Harry, shocking the senior policeman.

"In that case..."

"Sir, the woman is being treated by her doctor; I can give full details later. I have everything in my notebook."

"Are you sure, Constable Hogan? We don't wish to be accused of yet another police stuff up by the media -- oh fuck, here they come now, like the cavalry. Late again."

"No court in the land will convict the woman," said Peter. "I am a practicing lawyer and confirm that she handed over Lydia immediately, she made no threats against Lydia and was surprised she'd done such a thing and is aware she is being treated for depression."

"As a chief witness I can confirm everything he said, Inspector," Peter said. "Of course Constable Hogan here was the hero in leading the charge to rescue Lydia and that pretty woman constable of yours came up with the brilliant idea that we could check for a local woman with a medical condition that might persuade her to mistake someone's baby for the baby she lost."

"Oh God, not one of those. The media will have a field day."

But Harry was all smiles.

"Inspector, this is Sara, an expert in public relations and media relations. Just allow her to handle the media but stand alongside her and answer media questions at her bidding. Keep relaxed if you stuff up, she'll cut in a put spin on it."

"Are you confident about doing this Sara? You look awfully young."

"Yes, Inspector. I'm as old as I am," said Sara, engaging immediately in a bit of spin. "By the time we finish with these eager beavers from the media they will have nothing but praise for you and your team and the women of this city will be ever so proud of their local police. I think we should begin by saying that Baby Lydia ensured her own safety with her big blue eyes and working that gorgeous smile of hers. She's having a feed right now so by the time the cameras are set up she'll be camera happy. I think you should hold her, Inspector. By the way, Inspector, the media know the mother as the Jessie Chicago look alike. You'll have to convince them this was a genuine snatch -- your hero Constable Hogan can show his notebook full of facts to the cameras. Here comes Constable Helena Sinclair. She'll describe the harrowing time she had with the inconsolable mother who had to be slapped out of her frozen state by her fiancé. Her fiancé."

The Police Inspector blinked. "Is that scruffy guy who just spoke to me so disrespectfully that beautiful woman's fiancé?"

"Yes Inspector, but he's a beautiful man inside. He's about to become a multi-millionaire."

"A multi-millionaire?"

"Yes Inspector, his latest book is expected to sell tens of millions."

"He's getting married in October, but doesn't know it yet, nor does Mrs Robertson. The Jessie Chicago Fan Club is organizing the wedding and thousands of women are expected to cram into downtown Chicago for the event. Please come with me, Inspector, I need to tell Harry and Carson that their engagement is about to be announced and that you have volunteered to announce it, live on TV. Since we have the media's attention we may as well as take advantage of it, eh Inspector?"

"Er, yes. Are you sure this is not a put up job to secure publicity?"

"You have my word Inspector, but I am taking advantage of the situation."

When Sara put the proposition to Carson and Harry they remained calm, looked at one another, saw the love there, and Harry said, "Go ahead, Sara. Someone has to push us the last yard. Carson, I love you and want you for my wife, will you marry me?"

Everyone gathered around, the women looking on held their breath.

"Yes, on one condition. That Jessie Chicago gets pregnant."

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes that Jessie Chicago will become pregnant. Why is that so important to you?"

"Women readers love Jessie Chicago, but her marriage will extinguish much of that interest. Except..."

"Except what?"

"If she becomes pregnant; then it all becomes a new ball game -- what color will the baby's eyes be? What will she be called? Will she have mongrel?"

Harry looked at Carson thoughtfully."You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Carson's eyes gave him the answer.

THE END