Free Abduction by Wanda Dyson

then kissed his
cheek.
    “I hope you
don’t mind. I probably should have called you first, but I felt so helpless. I
had to do something.”
    Ted shook his
head as he pulled her down in his lap. “You need to check with me on things
like this. You know how I worry about you
and all this stress. Have you been taking your pills?” He watched her
shift her eyes away from him and knew the answer. “You know you need them,
honey.” He pushed her up off his lap. “Please go take your pills now. Before
you forget again.”
    Silently, she
nodded and headed for the bathroom.
    “Karen?”
    She stopped and
looked at him, her fingers twisting in the hem of her shirt.
    “I have to ask
you. Are you sure you didn’t hurt Jess and just blocked it out? Like you killed
the kitten?”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
    chapter
7
     
     
    Thursday, April 13
     
     
    F inally,
on Thursday morning—three long days after Jessica Matthews disappeared from her
crib—JJ arrived at the station to find good news waiting for him in his office.
    “We have a
lead!” Matt jumped to his feet as the words exploded from his lips.
    “On which
case?” JJ asked quickly. He set down his coffee on the edge of the desk and
slipped out of his jacket.
    “Matthews.”
    “You’re
kidding! Talk to me.” JJ pulled out his chair and sat down. He picked up his
coffee and peeled off the lid.
    “Gerry was
interviewing neighbors. He missed one. Across the street. Lady by the name of.
. .” Matt looked down at his notepad. “Ethel Marsh. Anyway, she was away. Now
she’s back. Gerry talked to her, and it seems Mrs. Matthews neglected to
mention the fact that up until just before the baby disappeared, she had a woman
coming in twice a week. Cleaning, babysitting, errands—that sort of thing. And
the woman had a key to the Matthews’ house.”
    JJ rocked back in his chair. “Did anyone contact
Karen Matthews?”
    “Not yet. Gerry just called five, maybe ten minutes
ago. He is on his way.”
    JJ picked up the phone. “Let’s find out about this
cleaning woman.”
    Karen Matthews
answered the phone on the third ring. “Mrs. Matthews? Detective Johnson. Did
you have a housekeeper or cleaning woman coming in a couple times a week? One
that you might have forgotten to mention to us?”
    There was a
slight pause before Karen answered. “Oh. You mean Alice Denton? Why is that
important?”
    JJ picked up a
pencil and rolled it between his fingers, trying to keep his frustration from
breaking loose. “Did she have a key to your house? Was she familiar with your
routine? With the baby?”
    “Oh. She quit
working for us before Jessica disappeared. I just didn’t think. . .”
    JJ snapped the
pencil between his fingers and tossed the pieces down angrily. “You didn’t think?
The woman had a key to your house and you didn’t think?”
    “She gave the
key back!” Karen said abruptly. “And I can’t believe Alice would have taken
Jessica! She has children of her own to worry about!”
    Just then, Gerry opened the door and stepped in.
Seeing JJ on the phone, he quietly shut the door behind him and grabbed a
chair.
    “Just give me
the woman’s name and address, Mrs. Matthews.”
    JJ snatched a
piece of broken pencil, realized what he’d done, and tossed it to the floor.
Then he reached for the pen Matt set in front of him.
    When he finished writing down the information, he
pushed the pad toward Matt. Matt picked it up and, with Gerry leaning over his
shoulder, read what JJ had written. Immediately Gerry took the pad and
went over to the computer terminal in the cor ner
and began typing away.
    “If you think
of anyone else, Mrs. Matthews, I’d appreciate you letting us know.” He slammed
the receiver down. “I didn’t think,” he snarled in a high-pitched voice,
mocking Karen Matthews. “No kidding.”
    Gerry looked
around in his chair. “There is no Alice Denton at this address. The house is
owned by a Mr. Harold Harrison.”
    JJ stood