Джеймс Паттерсон - The Midwife Murders

“The baby goes to Ms. Ryuan,” he says. Then he speaks directly to me, “Get her back to Sabryna as fast as you can. I’ll get someone to drive you. And take another day of R and R.”

I want to say, “Don’t you dare tell me what to do, asshole. You’re not my boss,” but instead I take the sweet-looking, sweet-smelling baby and brush her face gently.

Then I reach into my pocket and remove my cell phone, the phone that has the recording of Orlov and Nina. I’m now holding the baby against me with one arm and holding the phone in the hand of the other arm.

“Will you take the baby, Detective?” I say.

You’d think I’d asked Blumenthal to hold a grenade.

“Babies don’t like me. In fact, they hate me.”

I don’t even bother saying “I’m not surprised.” I’m sure Blumenthal knows that I’m thinking it.

I manage to press some buttons on my phone.

“What’s up, Lucy?” he says.

“What’s up is the recording I sent you just this second. When I’m out of here, give it a listen.”

“Give me a preview,” he says.

“No,” I say. “I’ve got a baby who needs a nap.” Then, as the baby and I head toward the door, I say, “Oh, and, by the way, when you listen to the recording, be sure to have a Russian language translator standing by.”

CHAPTER 57

“YOU TAKE MY BABY out for a walk and where’d you walk her? Africa? Canada? Nicaragua?”

“Are all your guesses going to be countries that end with the letter a ?” I say.

Understandably, Sabryna does not appreciate my humor.

Loudly she says, “Where you been, lady?”

Here we go. Sabryna is pissed. So much for my thinking that she calmed down. I can’t say that I blame her. I move to hand her the baby. Sabryna reaches out to me and quickly pulls Tyonna into her own arms.

“Come on, Lucy. Start your confession. You owe me a fine explanation.”

I am just no good at lying. When I tell someone a lie, he or she always knows I’m lying. My voice becomes sing-song. My eyes look everywhere except into the other person’s eyes.

“It’s like I told you. I got a call from the hospital. They were backed up. I thought it wouldn’t do any harm to go there and take the baby with me.”

“Well, you thought stupid,” says Sabryna. “All’s you have to do is call me on your phone and tell me what’s happening. I worried so’s my head was bursting until I heard from you. And I’m not too sure that I’m believing your story even now.”

Oh, shit. I knew this wasn’t going to work.

“Tyonna had a great time at the hospital. You know, with all the other babies.”

Sabryna tilts her head. Her forehead wrinkles with a quizzical expression. “What in hell’s wrong with you, Lucy? They’re stealing babies like they were candy bars in my store, and you go bringing Tyonna to a hospital, the place where they’re doing the stealing.”

Okay, my mother was right. Once you tell a lie you end up drowning in it. And, sweet Lord, I am twenty feet underwater.

“Okay, okay. I was wrong.”

No response from Sabryna. But I’m coming up for air.

“In any case, I’m sorry. But tell me. How did Willie and Devan do?” I ask.

“They did just fine. Willie is up in your place sleeping. Don’t worry. I checked up on him thirty minutes ago. He’s fine. Unlike some people, I’m a very reliable caregiver.”

Sabryna could not have said that last sentence any more emphatically.

“And where’s Devan?” I ask.

“He’s out with his friends, Warren and Kwame. They’re older boys. I wouldn’t let Willie go with them. Because I’m—”

I cut her off and say the line for her. “I know … because you’re a very reliable caregiver.”

She ignores that. No laughing. No smiling. No comment.

“When did this baby eat last?” Sabryna asks.

“I fed her just before I left GUH. Her belly’s full.”

“Yeah,” says Sabryna. “She fell asleep the second she was in my arms. She must be real tired … after her day with all that traveling.”

I’m not going for the bait. Then suddenly Sabryna speaks fairly loudly, a note of alarm in her voice. “Sweet Jesus! What’s this red mark on her poor little foot?”

I look. I know exactly what Sabryna has seen. It’s a minuscule dot where the GUH nurse took a drop of blood for testing.

“I don’t see anything,” I say.

I’ve got to get out of here. I cannot keep up this lying any longer. This is not my talent. I’m going to crack.

I suddenly remember that there’s a small bandage on the back of my neck from the bad fall I took at the playground sprinkler. I check with my hand to make sure my hair is covering it.

“Anyway,” I say, “I’m going to go upstairs, see how Willie’s doing. Then I need to get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“And I’ll put this little one down,” says Sabryna.

“Listen,” I say. “I’m sorry I caused you so much worry.”

“And I’m sorry that I went off at you,” she says.

“Thanks,” I say, and I give Sabryna and Tyonna each a gentle kiss.

“But just so you know,” Sabryna says, “I know there’s more to today’s story than what you’re telling me. I’ll get it out of you.”

“I’m sure you will.” And I really am sure she will.

CHAPTER 58

I CLIMB THE STAIRS to my apartment, where The Duke barely opens his eyes to greet me. Of course the first thing I do is check on Willie.

All is well. He has fallen asleep with his Nintendo Switch console. I once told him that he should just have that damned thing surgically attached to his hand. He actually said that was a “great idea.” I think he was joking.

I take a shower and wash my hair. I think about putting moisturizer on my face. I think about emptying the dishwasher. I think about … Who the hell am I kidding? I’m just too damned exhausted to do anything but go to bed.

I glance at the open sleeper sofa. All I’ve got to do is clear away a few piles of clothing, a half empty container of chicken lo mein, a laptop, one television remote control, one Roku control, and assorted snail mail. Instead of trying to find the energy to clear an actual space for myself on the bed I fall onto a small pile of sweatshirts (clean sweatshirts, by the way).

And of course all of a sudden, precisely when I close my eyes, I feel wide-awake. And of course I can think of nothing but the kidnapping and mugging at the park. I see Orlov, his white-blond hair, his firm grip on Tyonna. I see Nina’s fashionably unfashionable shoes. I can almost feel the sprinkler water on my face. I see Tyonna’s happy little face. Then the knife, I see Orlov’s knife.

I’ve got to stop. I’ve got to sleep.

Instead I see the black Mercedes pulling away. I watch Blumenthal’s cold, unmoving face as he icily orders me around. I worry about Sabryna and our friendship. I haven’t had a friend as close as Sabryna since grammar school.

I consider popping an Ambien. I consider popping a Xanax. I consider pouring myself a small glass of special-occasion Chivas. Then a brainstorm, what the shrinks call a breakthrough .

I realize what might really put me at peace: knowing what Orlov and Nina said to each other in that recorded conversation.

I grab my cell phone and call Leon Blumenthal.

“Lucy, what are you calling for?”

No hello. Just that.

“This is important,” I say. “Did you get that Russian conversation between Orlov and Nina translated?”

“Of course I did.”

“So what were they saying?”

There is a pause.

“What were they saying?” I repeat.

There is a shorter pause. Then Blumenthal speaks. His voice is quick and quiet. “I can’t tell you. It’s classified.”