Chapter 2:
Both Jamie and Ellie were long asleep by the time Eddie got home from the station. She was held up by the need to stop in the chapel at the precinct and decompress for a few minutes, then she needed a long hot shower to try to wash away the fear she felt for the little girl she had only seen in pictures. It didn't help at all. Her sergeant was waiting when she exited the locker room.
t"You really impressed a few people today, Janko. Nice work. It would have been great if we could get the girl home already but you helped the detectives keep the family calm and talking. As a result, TARO is setting up the phone lines and surveillance right now with the family's support. Not sure it would have gone that way if Detectives Gregory and Petersen were the only ones doing the talking. A lot of the dinosaurs don't like to admit it, but sometimes it takes a woman to get the information we need in the tough times...It seems like Gregory realized it though, he's asked to borrow you for a few shifts. Is that OK with you? I know the kid cases are rough so you don't have to say yes. That's the benefit of not being a detective." The sergeant smiled at her joke.
"No Sarge, I'm all in. What do I need to do?"
"Go home and grab a few hours sleep. You will hear from Gregory or his partner before 9:00 tomorrow with the details. I'm going to send them your contact number then put your next couple of shifts up as OT for the others. That should make a few more people happy with you." The sergeant chuckled to herself and walked away.
As much as she had resented Eddie's presence on her squad initially, thinking it might even be so she could report on her to the PC, she liked and respected Eddie now. Eddie also consistently made her look very good whenever there were status meetings with her captain. Espinoza already approved the vacant slots Janko's absence would create as overtime so he must be in a good mood about her assignment with the detective bureau. The sergeant wasn't sure how much longer Eddie Janko would stay a patrol officer, but as long as she did, it would help both of them out.
Eddie walked out of the station and headed to her car. It was after 1:00am by now. She had been on duty since 3:00 in the afternoon and yet she was sure she couldn't sleep despite feeling terribly weary. It was not her usual midnight shift and she hated the change in routine that each squad had to endure every few rotations in order to make sure they were ready for anything in their sector. Not to mention, Eddie had not eaten since she grabbed lunch with the baby before dropping her off at daycare for a few hours until Jamie could pick her up.
Normally, Jamie dropped off the baby on his way in and Eddie picked her up when she woke up after sleeping off midnights. She was sure Elizabeth probably felt as out of sorts with the routine as she did. Now the pattern was likely to continue for a while longer. Despite the guilt she felt about that, Eddie was glad she would be able to follow through on the case of the missing child. She literally couldn't get the face of the little girl she'd seen only in photographs, and the pained expressions of her family out of her mind.
The only place Eddie knew that was open to get a bite to eat was the 24 hour Dunkin' Donuts. She pulled into the drive through lane and ordered an iced tea and an egg sandwich. As soon as the cool drink and food were in her system, she felt a little better. Plus she suddenly had an irrational need to see the baby. Knowing full well that Ellie would be asleep, as she had been for hours now, Eddie still needed to lay eyes on her.
The very idea of having the little girl taken from them was her greatest fear. The baby had no next of kin available when they agreed to foster her. The birth mother had been a foster child herself. But, they still needed to wait six months before they could apply to adopt her. It had been three already, but they were only halfway there, and it was feeling like an eternity to wait. Despite the different circumstances, the abduction of the child Eddie was helping investigate was feeling all too close to home.
When Eddie pulled into her spot in the building garage, she threw the car in park and practically ran towards their apartment. She decided to take the elevator because she was sure she would take the stairs three at a time and arrive completely out of breath if she didn't. She entered the dark apartment, secured her off duty weapon and thanked God that Jamie was already in bed. If he saw her right now he'd worry and might discourage her from participating any further in the investigation. Eddie knew she could help if she had a chance. But she also needed to set eyes on the baby.
Tiptoeing into the small bedroom that had been outfitted for their daughter, she resisted the urge to pick the baby up out of the crib. Instead she sat down in the rocker across from the baby's bed and simply watched her sleep. 15 minutes later, her eyes were heavy and beginning to close. She saw a shadow in the open doorway.
"Hey" was the only thing the tall shadowy form said, waiting for her response.
Eddie started to rise from the chair wordlessly but exhausted, she faltered a bit. Jamie crossed the room in just a couple of strides. He gently pulled her up by the hands and led her from the room. Guiding her past the kitchen he asked, "Hungry?" When she nodded no, he pulled two bottles of water from the refrigerator and grabbing her hand, led her the rest of the way to their bedroom.
"Rough day, huh?" was all he needed to ask when Eddie felt her resolve slip. She immediately started to cry, leaning against Jamie's chest. He rubbed her hair and continued to hold her tightly. "Child calls are the worst. Now that we have Ellie I can't imagine what it's going to be like. But you know we're fine. Our family is fine and everything here is safe."
Eddie nodded in affirmation. "It's just that it made me think about Ellie being taken. I can't even imagine what I'd do if anything happened to her - to our family." Suddenly Eddie felt very tired. She let Jamie guide them over to the bed. Sitting down, she removed her shoes and threw her socks in the hamper. Pulling off her leggings, she added them to the laundry as well. Then she climbed into the bed under the covers that Jamie had pulled back for her. It felt therapeutic to snuggle up against him and let the monsters that preyed on the outside world wait for just a few hours while she rested.
