Chapter 8



"Gabe, we will find him," Sara tried to assure her friend, sitting beside him on the couch.

"Yeah? You said that about Kevin too."

The words hit Sara hard. "We didn't find him in time. We will find Aidan."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Gabe, trust me. He will be found."

Gabriel just hung his head. The agonizing pain in his heart boiled to the surface again, and he fought hard to keep it down. "Do you know who might have done this?" Danny Taylor asked from behind the couch. Caitlyn stood beside him.

"No," Gabriel replied, the pain evident in his voice. "Who would want to?"

"That's what we want to find out."

"The CSI team should be here soon," Sara said. "They'll find something."

Renee carried Allanah back upstairs and laid her down in her crib. As soon as her mother took her hands away, the infant's tears started again. Renee lifted her out of the crib. "Hey, what's all this crying about? Hmmm? You don't do that." She rocked her daughter in her arms, trying to calm her. "You miss your brother, huh?"

Allanah's small fist clutched her mother's shirt. "Don't worry, baby. I won't let you go," Renee assured her, kissing the top of her head. "I won't let you go."

*******

The CSI team dusted for fingerprints in the twins' room, or tried to. A half hour after they arrived, the leader approached Gabriel. "We've gone over every inch of that room and haven't found any prints."

"How is that possible?" Gabriel demanded. "He was there. I saw him. I know I did."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bowman. My-"

"Daddy," Amie said, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she walked over from the stairs. "What happen?"

Gabriel forgot about the man talking to him and went over to his daughter. "Your little brother is missing," he told her as he lifted her in his arms. A blank look appeared on her face. She didn't understand what missing meant. "Someone took him."

"Tell give back." The blank look turned to one of anger. "My brofer."

Gabriel remembered the leader of the team had been trying to tell him something and returned to him. "What were you saying before?"

"My agents are looking for any evidence he might have left behind. We will find him, Mr. Bowman."

Gabriel nodded and turned away, still not sure he believed him. He turned back when the man said, "You and your family will have to find some other place to stay while we conduct our investigation."

"What?"

"This is a crime scene now."

From across the room, Renee saw Gabriel talking to the man. She saw his body go straight with shock and anger. She moved over to him before he lost his temper. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"He says we have to move out of the house."

"Not move out. Just stay somewhere else until we complete the investigation."

"Gabe, maybe we could stay with Ian and them for a few days. They have room."

"Aren't they still at the hospital?"

"Probably. I'll try them at the house though." A few minutes later she returned and said, "Darvi was there. She said it would be fine for us to stay there."

"I'll get Meghan."

Renee nodded and took Amie from him. Fifteen minutes later with everything in the car and the kids in the backseat, they left. When they arrived at the mansion, no one answered the door. Renee pushed the door open and stepped inside. A note sat on a table in the hall. She picked it up and read it.



Renee,



Went to pick Ian, Jason, and Dakota up from the hospital. Please make yourselves at home. We'll be home soon.



Darvi



She put the note back where it was and turned to Gabriel. "We'd better put the kids back to sleep." That wouldn't be a problem with Allanah. She fell asleep in her carseat on the drive there. Knowing their way around the large house, it didn't take them long to find two empty rooms next to each other.

"Read story?" Amie asked as Renee pulled the covers up to cover her.

"Not tonight. Go to sleep."

Amie stuck her bottom lip out in a pout but said, "Yes, Mommy."

A while later their four friends returned. A large bandage covered the left side of Jason's head. Ian still looked slightly sedated. Dakota ran over to Renee and embraced her friend. "I'm so sorry."

Renee broke down in tears. "My son," she gulped between sobs. "I can't believe he's gone."

"They'll find him. You have to have faith in them."

"I know, Kota. But what if they don't? I can't lose him. He's my baby."

"You won't lose him. Trust me, you won't."

"How can you know?" Renee was nearing the edge of hysterics by this point.

Gabriel came over and led her to a couch. His arms wrapped around her, he tried soothing her. She collapsed in his arms, weeping uncontrollably.

*******

"We've notified all of the local orphanages to watch for him," Danny told Gabriel a couple of mornings later. "They're to notify us if anyone brings him in. We will find him."

"What makes you think he'll even take him to a local one? Or one at all?"

"We don't know for sure, but we're hoping he does. We don't have any clues until the CSI team examines the evidence. We're also starting to contact other orphanages in the state and across the country."

Sara walked into the room a moment later, and Danny said, "I'd better get back to work." He turned to Caitlyn, kissed her good- bye, and walked out of the room.

Sara waited until Caitlyn had gone up to see Renee in her room before telling Gabriel her news. "They did find some evidence."

"Well? What did they find? Who did this?"

"They don't know that yet. They found a piece of leather on the windowsill. Appeared the kidnapper was wearing gloves and caught one on a nail sticking out of the sill."

"I'd meant to take that out sometime. Just hadn't gotten around to it yet."

"Looks like it's a good thing you didn't. Might be able to find him with it."

"How? It's just a piece of leather."

"There was blood on it. They're going to call me as soon as they get the test results from the blood."

Sara's phone rang just then. Pezzeni, here." She turned to Gabriel and said, "I'll be right back." She moved to the other side of the room before continuing her phone conversation. "What are the results?"

Gabriel tried listening to the conversation from where he was, but she kept her voice low. He could only hear a few words.

"It can't be him. I'm sure. I know where he was when it happened." She sighed. "Yeah, I'll see if I can get him to come in for questioning." She hung up the phone and returned to Gabriel. "Do you know where Ian is?"

*******

Caitlyn knocked on the door of her friend's room. Renee looked up and tried to force a smile. "She's been fussing all morning," she said, indicating the baby in her arms.

Caitlyn sat on the bed beside her. "How are you doing?"

She tried to fight them, but the tears came anyway. "How do you think? I lost my baby. He's only three months old. Only three months, Caitlyn. He's got to be scared to death."

"You're going to get him back. Danny will find him. Don't worry."

"'Don't worry?' How can I not worry? My son is missing. Damn it, Caitlyn. My baby is gone. And you're telling me not to worry?"

Caitlyn started to put her hand on Renee's shoulder, but the other woman jerked away from the touch. "I'm sorry, Renee. I don't know what you're going through, so I won't pretend to. I do know Danny though, and he won't stop until he finds your son."

"What if he's too late?"

"He won't be. He'll find him in time."

Renee hung her head. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just that-"

"It's okay, Renee," Caitlyn interrupted her. "It's okay."

*******

"I'm sorry, Danny, but I have to take you off the case."

"What do you mean, Jack?"

"Got the word from higher-up. They say you're too close to this case. Your girlfriend is the mother's close friend. And you're good friends with both of the parents."

"They can't do this."

"Actually, Danny, they can. I really don't want to do this, but you are going to have to sit this one out."

Danny put his head in his hands. 'I can't believe this is happening,' he thought to himself.

Picking up the phone after a moment, he dialed Caitlyn's number. The answering machine picked up after three rings. "Cait, please call me when you get home. I need to talk to you. Love ya. Bye."

*******

"Will you please shut that baby up?"

The nanny glared up at the doctor. "It shouldn't bother you. You are dead, senor."

"I am. But this body I am inhabiting is not. Now shut that baby up."

"He misses his madre. I do not blame him."

"Just shut him up."

The nanny picked Aidan up out of the crib and tried to get him to quiet. "Shhhh. You do not want to anger the senor."

Aidan sniffled at the calming voice. He misses his mother, but this lady reminded him of her. She had the same soothing voice.

The nanny laid him back in his crib as soon as the baby fell asleep. She did not agree with what senor Irons, or his spirit at least, was doing. But she also couldn't risk losing her job. She had her own children to take care of as well. She just couldn't take that risk. With one last look at the sleeping baby, she left the room.