10th Anniversary - James Patterson [63]
“Sonja, Paul,” I said. “Avis has to come in. Avis was the one who placed the ad on Prattslist. We have a copy of the ad. She wasn’t solicited. She put the baby up for sale and was paid twenty-five thousand dollars. That’s child trafficking. We have a copy of the contract she signed.”
Conklin said, “Avis is in Mexico, and that means that she’ll be deported when she’s caught. If Ritter is with her, he’s guilty of transporting a minor across international lines. He’s in enough trouble to keep a platoon of lawyers busy for years.”
“But because Avis is a minor,” I said, “if she comes in on her own, we can try to protect her. We’ll work with the DA to get her into the juvenile offenders system. But if she’s deported from Mexico …,” I said with a shrug. “Trust me. You don’t want her to be tried as an adult.”
A look passed between husband and wife.
Paul Richardson sighed deeply.
“Avis is in the bedroom,” he said. “Actually, Jordan is in there, too.”
Chapter 83
I SAID to the Richardsons, “Please take the baby to the kitchen. Lie down with him on the floor. Go. Now.”
The Richardsons looked startled, but they did as I said.
I pulled my gun, Rich pulled his, and we flanked the door to the bedroom.
I shouted, “Avis Richardson. Jordan Ritter, this is Sergeant Boxer. It’s all over. Come out with your hands up.”
There was silence, but before Rich could kick in the door, we heard Ritter’s voice.
“Sergeant. We don’t have any weapons.”
The door opened and Ritter came out with his hands up. He hadn’t shaved and his cheeks were sunburned. Even so, he still looked like an ad for an upscale men’s clothing line.
Rich spun Ritter around and flattened him against the wall. He frisked him and was cuffing him as Avis darted out of the bedroom.
Avis had her hands up, too, but she was wiggling one of her fingers to draw my attention to a shiny gold band.
“We got married,” she cried. “Jordan and I got married.”
“Congratulations,” I said as I threw her against the wall with great satisfaction.
Once again, in my heart I wanted to slap this girl. Instead I cuffed her and said, “Avis Richardson, you’re under arrest for child trafficking, neglect of a child, and obstruction of justice. You have the right to remain silent …”
Suddenly a desperate kind of mayhem broke out around me.
Sonja and Paul Richardson swarmed around their daughter, and the baby wailed, then drew a breath and wailed some more.
To my left, Conklin arrested Jordan Ritter for kidnapping and statutory rape. Ritter was yelling, “I want to see my son,” as Conklin read him his rights.
I stuck my face three inches from Ritter’s nose. “Shut the fuck up,” I said.
Next I called for an ambulance for the baby.
“What’s going to happen to Avis?” Paul Richardson asked me as I took the baby out of his wife’s arms.
“She’ll be booked and kept in holding until her arraignment,” I said. “If you want my advice, hire the best attorney you can buy. Maybe he’ll get her tried as a juvenile. I’d also make a few calls and get your daughter’s marriage to this sleazebag annulled.”
Book Four
THE HEARTBREAK KID
Chapter 84
MY EYELIDS FLEW OPEN. I stared up at the information that Joe’s projection clock flashed onto the ceiling. It was October 11. Fifty-four degrees. 6:02 a.m.
I had been in midthought when I’d woken myself up, but what had I been thinking?
Joe stirred beside me and said, “Linds. You up?”
“Sorry to wake you, hon. I was dreaming. I think.”
He turned toward me and enfolded me in his arms. “You remember the dream?”
I tried to backtrack, but the dream was gone. What was worrying me? Joe was safe. The Richardson baby was at St. Francis, perfectly well. Then I had it.
Candace Martin.
I was thinking about her.
I started to tell Joe why Candace Martin was surfing my nocturnal brain waves, but he was already snoring softly against my shoulder. I disengaged myself and put my feet on the floor.
Joe murmured, “What?”
“I’ve got to go to work,” I said. “I’ll call you later.”
I kissed his cheek, ruffled his hair, and tucked the covers