Free THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY by Robin Perini Page B

sleep on the rug.”
    “It’s near the window. I like the open air,” he said, his voice soft but certain. “So does Trouble.”
    Immediately the mutt bounded up on the bed, circled twice and settled on top of Raven’s feet. His ears flattened, and he stared at Daniel with a Who me? expression on his face.
    She bit back a small chuckle.
    “Traitor.” Daniel glared at the dog with a shake of his head. “I obviously spoke too soon. He’s been hanging with me for weeks, and he wouldn’t so much as come near. To you, he’s pretty much pledged his undying devotion.”
    Raven scratched Trouble’s ears.
    “Guard her, Trouble. I’ll get our stuff from the truck.” He disappeared out the motel room door.
    She watched him leave and glanced down at the dog next to her. “Am I fooling myself, boy? Is he really the man he seems to be?”
    She wished the animal could answer. Instead, she scanned the small room that would be her home until she remembered her own address. This place had to have been built in the fifties, but the pristine white tile of the bathroom looked new.
    What little energy she’d saved had seeped out of her. Her eyelids wanted to close, but she couldn’t stand lying down without a shower. She wanted nothing more than to wash the grime off her body, not to mention the blood out of her hair.
    Determined to get clean, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and set her feet on the ground.
    Daniel came in with his duffel and a grocery sack. “Whoa there. What do you think you’re doing?”
    “I need a shower.” She stood, the back of her knees against the bed.
    “Well, it’s your lucky day, darlin’. The nurses gathered up a few things for you,” he said, lifting the small plastic bag. “Tomorrow I’ll try to get you some more clothes. The thing about small towns, there’s not always 24/7 retail shopping.”
    “I don’t have any money,” she said slowly.
    “Don’t worry about that. You can pay me back when we find out—”
    “You mean if we find out who I am,” she finished.
    “We’ll figure it out.”
    “No one’s come forward after the pictures on the news?” Her voice caught, and she wished it hadn’t. She didn’t like showing vulnerability.
    “Not yet.”
    “How can I just disappear without anyone caring?” She couldn’t bear to look at him so she opened the bag and shuffled through the items. Soap, a razor, lotion. Shampoo. She froze. Baby shampoo. She stared at the small bottle for a moment. Compelled, she twisted the cap and took a small sniff. Her head spun a bit, and she sat down quickly.
    “Dizzy? Nauseous?” Daniel slipped his phone from his pocket. “I’m calling the doctor.”
    “It’s not that. It’s the baby shampoo.” She held it up. “I smelled baby lotion in the mine and reacted the same way.” Her eyes burned. “It’s familiar, Daniel, and my heart feels so empty.” She looked at the locket. “I know I have a child out there. Somewhere. Needing me.”
    “Then we’ll find her.” Daniel knelt at the edge of the bed. He took the small bottle from her and held it to her nose. “Breathe in. Close your eyes. Do you remember anything else?”
    Raven let her lashes drop against her cheeks. She took slow, deep breaths, searching her brain for something, anything that would give her an answer.
    Only a fog clouded her mind.
    “Nothing.” She frowned, the sharp words laced with frustration.
    He entwined his fingers through hers and squeezed. “Not so fast. Close them again.”
    She let her eyelids fall. Blackness overtook her vision. Gray shapes swirled. “I see something.” A pink blanket. She gripped his hand until her fingers had gone numb. “The blanket again.”
    “And unicorns,” she whispered. “Rainbows and unicorns. It looks like a nursery.”
    “Okay, that’s good. That’s very good,” Daniel said. “Where?”
    The image faded away. She opened her eyes. “I don’t know. It was there, but now it’s gone.”
    “Was the