Author's Note: First thing I would like to do is apologize for the gap between postings. Life got in the way and kept me from my computer. But I'm back now! I'd like to thank KenH, phnxgrl, foreverHenry919, superlc529, and Nat for their reviews. Nat: I'm glad you found this story. Hopefully you will enjoy it. superlc529: Thanks. It was fun to write the Adam scenes. It's not so much that young Abe took Henry's condition well. He's just relieved that his father is alive. It will take some time before young Abe gets to the point that 18-year-old Abe was at when he headed to Vietnam. And Henry did alert Anneliese, I just didn't show it. Sorry, I thought Henry saying he would wait a little bit made it clear. And yes, Adam is on suicide watch. You don't ask a police lieutenant to slit your throat for you and not get put on suicide watch. foreverHenry919: Thank you. I wasn't sure if his voice was just in my head, so I'm glad you could hear it too. KenH: Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to you too. In all the research I've done, epithelial (skin cells) DNA doesn't have antibodies in it. Saliva would have some of the antibodies, but I think when DNA is being compared between two samples, the antibodies in one sample would not come up. At least I can't find anything that refutes that. Just to update you on the timeline, the last two cases were in November 2015 and this next case is set in early January 2016. Enjoy!

Chapter 26

Henry walked into the kitchen to see Abe scouring some books. "Morning, Abe."

"Hey." He sounded distracted.

Henry turned to look at his son. "Abe, is everything all right?"

"I've been doing some research on my parents. I'm trying to figure out how I was even born."

Henry sat at the table. "What do you mean?"

"They got to Auschwitz on the 26th of June 1944. My mother was pregnant when they got there. It says it right here." Abe pointed in the ledger Adam had given him. "After 1942, the SS were carrying out 'selections' when the Jews arrived and that didn't end until November of 1944. That means she would have been sent to the gas chambers right away."

"Maybe she wasn't showing when they arrived."

"No, that's not it. Read the entry."

Henry took the ledger. "Let's see, 'pregnant on arrival, approximately six months, selected for execution.' She was sent to the gas chambers."

"That's what it says. So how was I born in '44?"

"Are you questioning the record's authenticity or your birth date?"

Abe shook his head. "I'm trying to fill in the blanks. I was born in Auschwitz, but these records say she was sent to die. I want to know what happened."

The phone started to ring. "I'm sure we'll find the answers." Henry picked up the phone. "Dr. Morgan speaking. Good morning, Jo. Yes, I'll be there shortly."

The crime scene was on a subway platform. When Henry got closer, he could see the victim was a woman in her 50's with dyed blonde hair, wearing a casual pantsuit. As Henry approached, a train stopped and everyone getting off was directed to the exit quickly. The bloody crime scene was roped off with police tape, but nothing was keeping looky-loos from seeing the body. Lucas was struggling to put together a privacy screen. Jo noticed and went over to help.

Detective Hanson saw Henry first. "Morning, Doc. Victim's name is Victoria Mueller. We found her purse in a dumpster upstairs. Looks like a mugging gone wrong. Mugger grabs her purse, she struggles, mugger stabs her twice and leaves the knife in her chest."

"That's a fair preliminary theory."

Hanson smirked. "Thank you."

"You're wrong though."

Hanson's face fell. "What do ya mean, Doc?"

"This wasn't just a mugging." Henry pointed to the blood pool. "Notice the void. A child was standing right there. This was a kidnapping as well."

"Come on, Doc. Not every crime has to be a complicated case."

Jo came over with a tablet as Lucas finally put the privacy screen up. "Security footage of the attack just came through."

She hit play. On the screen, the victim exited the train with a toddler clutching her hand. They stopped for a moment and Ms. Mueller opened her purse to fetch a snack for the young boy. Behind her, a figure grabbed her shoulder, turning her around and stabbing her twice in the chest. Mueller collapsed with the knife still buried in her chest. The boy watched, hands clutching his snack with his eyes wide.

The figure grabbed the purse and the boy and fled up the stairs in the middle of the panicked crowd. "I hate when you're right, Doc. I'll issue an Amber Alert and BOLO."

Jo looked at Henry as Hanson limped away. "You said this was a kidnapping? How could you possibly know that?"

"The blood told me. There's a void where the boy was standing. Ms. Mueller was bleeding out very quickly, a severed Pulmonary Artery or..." Henry paused to assess the injury, "the Aorta perhaps. If the killer was just after the purse, all they had to do was take it from her arm as the victim fell and then run towards those stairs. But he didn't. Instead, he grabbed the little boy too. In order to reach him, the killer had to step in the blood pool, which is how he left those bloody footprints."

"Well, uni's already followed the trail. That's how they found the purse in the dumpster. The footprints end there."

Henry started to follow the footprints. "I'd like to see the dumpster."

Jo went with Henry. "What are you thinking?"

"Perhaps the killer left something besides the purse in the dumpsters."

"Well, it wasn't the boy. There's no sign of him." Jo opened the dumpster. "This is where the purse was."

Henry glanced in the dumpster, but he was more interested in the nearby puddle. "He was standing in the puddle. It washed enough blood off his shoes that the trail wasn't visible."

Jo waved over one of the crime lab techs. "Get a sample of this water."

"Do you have a black light?" The tech handed it over and Henry switched it on. "Thank you."

Henry held the light close to the ground near the puddle. A shoeprint that had been invisible lit up. Henry and Jo followed the prints for half a block, but the prints faded until they disappeared. Henry knelt down and held the black light closer to the ground to try and find the next step, but it was no use. The prints had disappeared. Disappointed, the pair returned to the subway station.

Hanson noticed them come back. "Where'd you go?"

"I wanted to look at the dumpster."

"Henry figured out why the blood trail stopped." Jo held up her phone to show him a photo. "There was a puddle at the dumpster that washed away the visible blood. Using a black light, we know the suspect went North, but even that trail faded out."

Hanson held up his notebook. "Well, Ms. Mueller works at an orphanage in the city. To be honest with you, I didn't know any of those still existed. Anyway, she was bringing the boy to his new parents. Boy's name is Gavin. His picture is on the Amber Alert now."

"Good."

Hanson tucked his notebook in this coat pocket. "So, where do you want to go first?"

"Vicki was the best. She could talk to the kids, even the ones who were despondent. Get them to open up. I don't know how she was able to do that."

Jo sat across from the orphanage administrator. "We understand she was with a young boy named Gavin. What's his story?"

"His parents were killed during a home invasion. Gavin was three. From what Vicki could get out of him, his mom hid him in the closet."

"Do you know when this crime occurred?" Henry was examining some of the pictures on the walls.

Sister Alice nodded. "Almost. He came to us in July of last year. The ninth, I think."

Hanson sat up. "What can you tell us about his new family?"

"The Carters have been patrons here for a long time. They adopted two other children from here as well. Gavin couldn't be placed into a kinder home."

Henry moved to stand behind Jo. "Did Gavin not have any other family?"

Sister Alice paused. "He did have an uncle, but he was in prison when Gavin's parents were killed. He was ruled unfit."

Hanson clicked his pen. "We're going to need his name."

"Hunter Peterson."

Jo sat up as Hanson left the room to run his name. "Did Victoria usually take the children to their new homes through the subway?"

"It's not uncommon. Victoria would take the children who didn't trust anyone else. Gavin was very attached to her."

"How many children are placed within the city?"

"Not many. Most are adopted in Connecticut or on the West Coast. And that's if they're adopted. Many turn eighteen without getting that chance. We'll let them stay until they have other options, but we can't let them stay indefinitely."

Henry had taken Hanson's vacated seat. "Of those who have aged out, how many blame Ms. Mueller or your organization?"

"I… don't know. We haven't gotten any threats, if that's what you mean."

Jo handed Sister Alice her card. "We'll be in touch."

Hanson met them just outside the office. "Hunter Peterson is on his way to the station. He got out a month ago."

The group headed downstairs to leave, but Henry heard faint singing and decided to investigate. Jo and Hanson followed him, not understanding what he was looking for. Henry could now make out that the song was "Happy Birthday." He opened a door and found a crowd of children and teenagers. Five were facing the rest; the youngest had her hands over her ears. Leading the singing was Anneliese de Lyon.

Hanson had seen her too. "Is that Alexis Deverodova?"

"Yes."

"I thought she was hurt."

Jo moved into the room. "It has been a few months."

Anneliese noticed them while the kids were clapping. She nodded to them and handed each of the five kids a wrapped gift. The youngest was no older than four and Anneliese had to kneel down to give her the gift. She grimaced as she stood back up, but the smile was back on her face; she was good. The injuries she had suffered would be mostly healed by now, but a little residual pain would be very normal.

She came over to them. "Detectives, Dr. Morgan. What brings you here?"

"A case. Victoria Mueller was murdered this morning." Jo was speaking in hushed tones as she showed Anneliese the victim's DMV photo. "Did you know her?"

"Yes, she is an amazing woman. She was supposed to be here for the party. Rose has been asking about her the entire time. What happened?"

"It's an ongoing investigation." Hanson pulled out his notebook. "How well did you know her?"

"We only saw each other once a month when I came to throw one of these parties. She was so warm and kind. Kids like Rose would open up when she was around."

Hanson looked up from his notes. "I don't see this place affording your company's services."

Anneliese laughed. "No, I do these for free. One a month for all the kids who have birthdays in that month. It brings a smile to their faces, so I enjoy doing it."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"This morning when she was getting… um… Gavin ready to go meet his new family. He was bummed he would miss the party." Her face became grave. "Is Gavin...?"

"He's missing." Jo gestured to some chairs outside the great room. Anneliese waved to one of the nuns and followed the detectives. "Did Victoria seem nervous or uneasy when she left?"

"I didn't see her for long, but no. She seemed normal. I asked if she'd be back for the party and she said she would. Said Rose might need her security blanket."

Hanson's brows contracted. "Security blanket?"

Anneliese smiled. "It was the nuns' nickname for her. She was like a security blanket for some of these kids. They need a friend, or a parent sometimes. Vicki always seemed to fill that role. She just had a way with kids."

"Do you know if she was ever threatened because of her work here?" Jo gestured to the stairs. "Sister Alice didn't seem to know."

Anneliese shook her head. "I wouldn't know. We didn't interact much. Like I said, I only saw her once a month. And I missed the last three months because of my… injury."

Henry glanced toward the great room. "There wasn't a party for the children?"

"I had Bonnee run them. She usually has Wednesday off, but when I asked for a volunteer to cover me, she stepped up."

Hanson tucked away his notebook. "Where do the gifts come from?"

"Donations; from me, mostly. Always something they'll need. A new outfit or a pair of shoes. The younger ones get a toy the first time if they don't need any clothes."

Jo stood. "Thanks for your time. We'll let you get back to the party."

Anneliese shook their hands. "I hope I've been helpful."

A/N: I know there wasn't a flashback in this chapter, but there will be starting next chapter. A word of warning: the flashbacks are long during the course of this case and they are a bit different than normal. Stay tuned!