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  That wakes me up immediately. I throw on a baseball cap and thread my hair through the hole in the back, grab jeans, flip-flops and one of Brad’s old SSFD sweatshirts. Needing the sense of security that I know it will bring me. I hear Bauer ring the front bell just as I finish brushing my teeth. He fills me in on what he knows while we drive to the scene.

  “Dad wakes up around three a.m., goes to get a glass of water in the kitchen. Notices the front door is open, checks the rest of the house, notices that the daughter is gone and her bedroom window and screen are missing from the frame. He wakes everyone in the house; no one has seen or heard anything. He calls the cops.”

  We pull onto Hudson Street a few minutes later; it’s easy to tell which house is the Taylors’ with all the cars and flashing lights in front. I immediately recognize Engine 82, Brad’s rig.

  Multiple times in one day. How did I get so lucky?

  I can’t tell if I’m excited or scared. I just know that I don’t want to see him when I’m with Bauer again. Or maybe it’s that I don’t want him to see me with Bauer again. It’s hard to know the difference.

  Bauer pulls up to the house and parks, I look around to make sure I don’t see Brad anywhere. Even though the coast seems clear, I crouch as I get out of the car and run to the cover of a shrub, look around again and bolt straight for the house.

  We get inside and I realize this is the multi-generational family whose file I’ve studied so many times. I smack Bauer on the arm. “Holy shit! Do you realize who this family is?” I hiss.

  “The Taylors,” he replies.

  “The Taylors who were The Shower Stealer’s first victims, except that now we know he really targeted the Carters first thanks to Martina the merry maid.”

  “Fuck!” he roars. I shush him and pull him back outside, forgetting all about Brad and Engine 82.

  “Okay, okay,” I start talking excitedly. “So we now know that the Carters were the first Shower Stealer target, and it seems that Sofia Carter was the first to be kidnapped and then, thank God, returned. The Taylors were the second Shower Stealer target and Madison Taylor has just gone missing.”

  “I think it is safe to say we already know all the targets and who will be next. And that The Shower Stealer is our perp!” Bauer says, before he turns to rush back into the house.

  Chapter 26

  Brad

  Ethan and I finish a medical call and join the rest of the station at a small kitchen fire.

  Luckily there is not a lot of damage and no one was injured. Grease fire gone bad. The man of the house had attempted to extinguish the fire with baking soda and a towel, but by then the wall behind the stove and the ceiling had caught fire. His wife called 911 immediately and our guys arrived within minutes of the fire starting. It’s so much about timing when fighting a fire. And much of that has to do with the amount of time it takes to get to a site.

  We get back to the station and finish reloading the truck and changing out the equipment just in time to hear the speakers roar to life again.

  Engine 82, Truck 37, Rescue 13. Amber Alert - Child Abduction - 7032 Hudson Street. Residential.

  The same street that Mavis Strassburg lives on.

  We pull onto the street in a matter of minutes, lights on, no sirens, luckily there is no traffic at three-thirty a.m. which makes for a quick trip. Even though there isn’t always much we can do in the case of an Amber Alert, we are still required to answer the call. We show up at everything.

  We arrive at the same time as the first responding police, so the captain goes inside with the officers to see if we are needed. The guys and I get out of the rig and roam around a bit. I see a light on at the end of the street where Mavis lives, and make a note to go back and check on her soon.

  Another car pulls up a short while later with a male driving and a female passenger. I immediately recognize Kat as the passenger and lean back against the truck, slightly out of view, to watch her.

  She pulls her baseball cap low on on her brow before she gets out of the car. She looks around and ducks down near the side of the car.

  Ethan comes up beside me. “Isn’t that Kat?” he asks.

  We watch as she runs stooped over from the car to the side of a shrub and from there straight into the house. A few moments later she comes back out, dragging the driver of the car behind her. I recognize him as the guy that was at her house earlier tonight.

  “She’s with that fucking guy again, isn’t she?” I ask Ethan.

  “Bauer? Yep, but I’m sure he just picked her up. And not that she was, like, with him.”

  “I don’t like him. At all.”

  “Hey, you ever notice he kind of looks like Bradley Cooper?”

  “What? No way. That guy looks nothing like Bradley Cooper. He looks like a douchebag.”

  “Sure you’re not jealous, bro?”

  “Pfft. Of him… no… fuck, probably. I mean, God, look at that guy,” I admit.

  “He’s got nothing over you, man.”

  “Thanks, bro, didn’t know you cared,” I tease.

  “Hey, you jump, I jump, right?” he says with a smile and a wink.

  “You promised never to tease me about that movie again! I told you that in confidence. And in my defense, it’s a really good movie, the special effects with the ship sinking are amazing and Kate Winslet is hot.”

  It’s hard enough to retain some sense of masculinity around the station with the guys knowing that I’m an animal lover who likes to cook and garden. If they knew one of my all-time favorite movies was Titanic I’d lose my man card forever.

  “Sorry bro, my bad,” he says, chuckling. “Be right back.”

  Chapter 27

  Kat

  “Nice sweatshirt,” a deep voice says in my ear.

  Not Brad’s.

  I turn and see Ethan grinning at me.

  “Hey Ethan,” I say.

  “Kat, fancy meeting you here.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m on the case.” I try to peek around him to see if Brad is nearby. If Brad sees me wearing his sweatshirt I will die.

  “Right, the case,” he says rocking back on his heels, arms crossed over his chest. “It looked more like you were trying to hide from the rig.”

  “Pfft! Why would I hide from the rig?”

  Oh I don’t know, Kat. Maybe because you’ve finally admitted to yourself that you’re still in love with Brad and want to be with him again?

  “I’m guessing so you don’t see Brad again tonight.”

  “Give me a little credit for being a grown-up, Ethan. I wouldn’t hide from Brad. I’m working a case and I was looking for clues,” I tell him.

  “Looking for clues,” he says.

  “Quit repeating what I say. I am working a case. And I’m very busy.”

  “I can tell,” he says as he looks me up and down. I cross my arms over my chest.

  “You’re wearing my boy’s sweatshirt.”

  “Possession is 9/10ths of the law, which makes this my sweatshirt,” I tell him, not at all proud with that retort.

  “Hmm,” he says in return. Clearly agreeing about my lame retort.

  “Well, great seeing you… again… tonight… gotta go, I’m needed inside,” I say.

  I turn to go back in the house, and run smack into a brick wall. A brick wall, outfitted in a tight blue t-shirt and turn-out gear, who smells a little like smoke, and a lot like coming home. I put my hands on his chest and look up.

  Brad looks down at me, a smile in his eyes, his hands on my hips to steady me.

  “We meet again,” he says, with warmth in his voice. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” I say. A little breathless from the proximity to Brad, especially since admitting to myself that I want him back.

  “I’m working on another case,” I say, lamely. “Were you the first responders?”

  He nods in response. Then says, “It’s scary, he took her right from her house. That’s either really stupid or
really ballsy. But you know, the bathroom guy hit this house too.”

  “The Shower Stealer,” I say.

  “Right, The Shower Stealer.”

  “I know, that’s why we’re here.”

  “Are you warm enough?” he asks with a slight teasing tone. “This sweatshirt doesn’t look thick enough for the chill tonight. Do you want my coat? I have an extra at the station.”

  So he’s seen I’m wearing his sweatshirt.

  Great.

  Embarrassed, I start to say no, then figure fuck it. I might as well get as many pieces of the man’s clothing as I can. Because even though I want to be back with him, I won’t ever do that to him. And I need something of his to keep with me.

  He unties his jacket from his waist and wraps it around me, running his hands up and down my arms once it’s on.

  The Chief comes out of the house. “Let’s rally, boys. Back to the house,” he says, spinning his hand in the air, with one finger pointing up in what I suppose is meant to be a rallying motion.

  Brad bops me on the nose with his finger and is gone before I have a chance to thank him for the jacket.

  I head back into the house, Bauer has moved down the hall to speak with one of the detectives. I take a moment to look around at these people that I feel like I know so well. Or, at least I know their file so well.

  The grandmother and the mother, still in their nightclothes, have their arms around each other and are crying, rocking back and forth. Officers mill around looking for clues and intermittently asking questions. The father is pacing in the living room, the older sister is making coffee in the kitchen, and the younger brother is sitting on an opposite couch looking very frightened and alone. Not wanting to intrude on any of them, I just smile softly in their general direction and go track down Bauer.

  I find him in Madison’s room.

  I don’t step into the room as the detectives and crime scene crew have marked clues and are in the middle of taking pictures. Bauer is off to one side speaking to one of the C-SECT guys, he doesn’t look very happy. He sees me at the door and gives me the one moment gesture.

  Madison’s room is much like Sofia Carter’s in the décor and furnishings, but unlike Sofia’s room, it’s clear that a young girl lives here. Dirty clothes on the floor at the foot of her bed, shoes and toys scattered about, posters and pictures on the walls, shelves filled with books, stuffed animals, puzzles, and games. Her desk and nightstand are cluttered with papers, pens, Lip Smackers lipgloss, an iPod, older laptop, brushes, and hair ties.

  “Is that Lip Smacker lipgloss?”

  Bauer, the C-SECT guy, and the photographer all turn to look at me, mouths agape. I hadn’t realized I’d said that out loud.

  Fuck! Where is my brain to mouth filter?

  “Uh, I’ll just step out to the living room and wait there,” I say as I back down the hall. The gentlemen immediately turn back to what they were doing before I interrupted.

  I make a mental note to check the drugstore for grape Lip Smacker next time I’m there. I haven’t seen that shit in twenty years.

  When I get back into the living room I notice the father is now speaking in low voices with one of the officers, his hands gesturing very animatedly. The older sister is attempting to console the mother and grandmother who are still crying, though silently now, but I don’t see little brother anywhere.

  Bauer comes into the room and grabs my arm to lead me back outside.

  “Where’d you get the jacket?” he asks. “Never mind. I don’t care. We don’t have a lot to go on,” he speaks in a low voice even though there really isn’t anyone else around. “He came in through her bedroom window, no prints so he was probably wearing gloves, we’re assuming he drugged her here, then just walked her out the front door. There’s a concrete walkway around the perimeter of the house, so no footprints either. No alarm system, no one heard anything.” His face is all stress and worry.

  He looks down at his phone and his frown deepens, something I didn’t think was possible. “Hang on, I gotta take this.”

  He starts to walk out of earshot, but turns almost immediately, grabs my hand and pulls me with him, his phone already back at his side. “Let’s go, Sofia Carter is awake.”

  Chapter 28

  Kat

  The hospital is abuzz with activity even though it’s still before dawn. We head toward Sofia Carter’s room. Detective Sherman catches up with us before we get there.

  “Good, you’re both here. I can catch you up on what we know so far so we can make any necessary connections.”

  He proceeds to fill us in on what little Sofia was able to tell them, which jives with what her friends also reported. She was walking home from school with her two friends and she thinks she remembers a police officer. Everything after that is hazy.

  She thinks she slept a lot and drank a lot of either juice or something like a smoothie and that she wet the bed a few times. Sherman confirms that she was already showing some signs of Flunitrazepam withdrawal - restlessness, muscle pain, confusion and some delirium.

  I look to Sherman, I have to know. “Did she say if he did anything to her?”

  Sherman sighs heavily. “There is no evidence of rape or any kind of penetration, thank God. We’re going to have psych talk to her when she’s a bit more coherent, but if she doesn’t remember anything it probably won’t do any good. It sounds like he just took her and drugged the shit out of her, so now we’ve got to figure out why.”

  Bauer looks at me once Sherman has moved on. He looks worried and I don’t blame him.

  “It sounds like we got lucky, for lack of a better word, with Sofia Carter, but who is to say we’ll have that same luck again with Madison Taylor? And why did he bring her back? Not that I’m complaining, but you have to admit its odd behavior, right?”

  He’s asking me questions that there are no answers to, at least no answers that I can come up with. He sighs heavily, running his hand up and down his face. “Fuck, Cookie. This case defies everything we know about kidnappings. No ransom, no demands, no contact at all. No torture or sexual abuse that we can see, and he returned her in a few days.

  “There’s got to be a reason for this. What is the purpose? Personal enjoyment? Kiddie porn black market? Let’s be realistic, he could have gotten her to do whatever he wanted, regardless of the drugs, when he had her in captivity. This doesn’t play out like a typical pedophile or child molester scenario.”

  I stay silent and let Bauer continue to work out his thoughts aloud.

  “I know we are onto something, we are so fucking close. This guy is driving me crazy, I’ve got to solve this puzzle.”

  He’s pacing around the waiting room, intermittently talking with his hands and then running them through his hair, creating an even more tousled look with each pass.

  “I’ll be back. Let me know if anything happens.”

  And with that, he walks down the hall that Detective Sherman had met us in a few minutes earlier. I’m not sure what he expects to happen during the time he’s gone, but I nod affirmatively at his retreating back nonetheless.

  Chapter 29

  Kat

  By the time we leave the hospital, the day has begun. Bauer decides he wants to stop by Madison Taylor’s house one more time before taking me home. He’s convinced we missed something the first time around.

  The house is still an active crime scene, and the family has now been moved to a hotel to stay for the next few days. Bauer flashes his badge at the guy guarding the perimeter and we drive up to the property.

  In the daylight, I realize the Taylor’s live a few houses from Mavis Strassburg, and I’d told Brad I would check in on her. I tell Bauer I’m going to visit with her while he goes in to check for whatever it is he thinks he missed. The sun coming out has warmed the day a bit, so I leave Brad’s jacket in the car. I’m hoping she has coffee already brewing.

  Mavis and her late husband, Stone, mentored Lexie when she was in college and grad school. Then of
fered her a job after she graduated. When Stone retired, he sold the tasting room, the vineyards, land, and equipment to Lexie at an extremely reasonable price.

  It’s why she named the winery Lovestone, as a tribute to Stone and his generosity. Sadly, he passed a year after retiring. And Mavis has been alone ever since. So I’m sure she is probably eager for company.

  I hear her dogs, Stella and Clyde, barking before I even make it to the front door to knock. I can hear Mavis saying something to them

  She answers the door, her nose is almost as red as her glasses.

  “Oh Katarina, my other bubula,” she says. “How lovely of you to visit. Come in, come in.” She sounds congested.

  “Oh no, Mavis, are you sick?” I ask.

  “Oy vey. Yes, so sick. I feel death coming, Katarina. Knocking on my door. Waiting to take me to my gelibteh.” She coughs delicately. “Alev ha-sholem.”

  “May he rest in peace,” I repeat.

  “Now come,” she says gesturing to her kitchen. “You can get us some coffee and nosh and we will talk, yes?”

  We sit down in her kitchen, which always feels so inviting to me with its light yellow walls, white cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. I get us coffee and strudel while she makes herself comfortable in her built-in breakfast nook.

  “Tell me, Katarina, how are my bubalas? You are all good, yes? Happy?”

  She’s asking about Remi, Lexie, and me. Even though Lexie is technically the one that Stone and Mavis took under their wing, Remi and I definitely came along for the ride. We are all without family in one way or another.

  For me, my dad wasn’t in the picture at all, so I never knew him or his parents. And, like me, my mom was also an only child raised by a single mom. Sadly her mother, my grandmother, passed when I was young. So I never really knew her. But my mom and I are still close.