LOST AND FOUND – PART X

JOIN IN THE DANCE

Chapter 87

The tall young man on duty behind the front desk of the Eden House hotel looked up and grinned when Thea burst through the front doors, nearly knocking down one of a group of four men who had been about to step out.

All four scattered to get out of her way then stood there staring as she dashed across the lobby, struggling to hold her skirts up with one hand and her hat on with the other. She slid to a stop right in front of the counter.

"Samuel, has my husband returned yet?"

"Yes Ma'am," he answered and made a concerted effort to stop smiling. "He came through about ten minutes ago and went right up to your suite."

"Oh thank goodness!" she barely finished answering before taking off toward the main staircase.

All activity in the lobby had stopped when she had rushed in and now everyone watched her practically gallop up the stairs. Soft laughter and low voices sounded in the room while Samuel's grin widened into a full smile. He shook his head, wondering what she was up to now, and then turned back to his account books.

Thea paused for a moment at the top of the second flight to catch her breath, suddenly feeling the weight of the child she carried. After taking a few deep breaths she smoothed back a few stray wisps of hair and started down the hall at a fast walk. She began calling his name even before she had the door open.

"Adam!" The door bounced off the side wall and slammed shut behind her.

"Adam...where are you?" He came running out of the single bedroom; she rushed into his arms.

"What's wrong?" he leaned back to look down into her upturned face. "Are you alright?"

"Oh Adam, you are just NOT going to believe it and I can't blame if you don't because I don't and I'm the one who saw her!"

"Thea," he let go and stepped back to cup her face in both hands. "Now slow down love...who did you see?" She took a deep breath and tried to rein in her excitement.

"I saw the nanny..." he blinked rapidly and his hands settled on her shoulders.

"Who?"

"Simon Albrecht's nanny!" Adam's eyes widened, his brows rose, and he began to rap out questions.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Where?"

"At the hospital."

"Did you speak to her?"

"No."

"Good. Now tell me exactly what happened."

"I was on my way out and I nearly ran into her coming around the corner. She went into Maggie's office so I asked her who she was and she said the girl is David's niece!"

"David's niece..." he echoed. "Dr. David Charles' niece." She saw his eyes take on that special look they always did when he was thinking deeply.

"Adam...do you HAVE to arrest her? I mean, is what she did really against the law?" He made a visible effort to turn his attention back to his wife.

"Yes, I'm sorry to say. Kidnapping and body snatching are serious offenses." She sighed and bowed her head.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"I'm sure," he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Theadora, do you have any idea what you've done?" She stiffened and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Dear Lord, what now?" He chuckled softly at the exasperation in her tone.

"You came right to me," his deep voice rumbled low in his chest. "You didn't stop to think about it, you just came right to me...do you know what that means?" He didn't wait for her to answer.

"That means you trust me...you finally trust me!" Thea gasped when he suddenly shifted his hold to around her waist and picked her up.

"I did, didn't I?" Her joyful laughter widened his already delighted grin and he swung her around once before setting her back down.

"Yes, you did," he simply answered and his eyes narrowed when her expression sobered.

"What?"

"Yes, the question IS 'what," as in what do we do now."

"We?"

"Adam!" she protested, "Don't tease. How are we going to help her?" His dark eyes sparkled down at her with amusement at her defiant attitude.

"I don't know...yet." He turned away and started for the bedroom to get his suit coat.

"But first things first...we can't keep her from going to prison until she's been taken into custody..."

Less than half an hour later, and a quick stop at the gentleman's club, Adam and Thea stopped in the hallway outside Maggie's office to compose themselves.

"I know how difficult this is going to be for you," Adam said quietly and took out his handkerchief to wipe away a few drops of moisture beading on her forehead.

"But please remember to let me do the talking - no matter what happens."

Thea took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and nodded; he opened the door then stepped back so she could go through first.

Maggie quickly looked up from her piles of paperwork. "Thea...back already?" she teased, and then her face lit up with pleased surprise to see Adam.

"Maggie me darlin'!" his deep voice boomed as he hurried to take her hand before she could rise.

"How are you?" he bent over to lightly touch his lips to the back of her hand. Nervous laughter escaped from her partly open mouth and she flushed a deep red before lifting her free hand to muffle it.

"I'm doing quite well, thank you," she somehow managed to say rather clearly and her warm brown eyes sparkled.

"My dear I can't help but admire your loyalty to that slave-driver you work for..." he was saying and both women were laughing when the door to the inner office opened partway.

"Hey Cartwright, are you trying to steal my secretary away again?" David slipped through the narrow opening sideways then closed the door firmly before coming to shake Adam's hand

"I'm glad to see you again Adam, it's been a long time." He was smiling widely, but his eyes were wary and his face stiff. "So, what brings you across the street this afternoon?"

Adam had kept the other man's hand in a firm grip and now gave it a slightly harder squeeze with both of his own as he leaned forward to look his old friend in the eye.

"David...I think you know why I'm here."

The two men stood there silently for a few moments as Thea clenched her teeth and Maggie looked from person to person in confusion.

David shook his head vigorously and pulled his hand out of Adam's grasp. Deep red bloomed on his high cheekbones while the rest of his face blanched white.

"I can't let you take her," he declared and Adam sighed.

"I need you to stay calm about this because I'm going to need your help to keep her from going to prison...or even serving any jail time at all for that matter."

"What? You mean you're not going to arrest her?"

"Oh yes I am, I have to, but I'll also be petitioning to have her released into my custody."

"Why yours and not mine?"

"Because I'm an officer of the court and you aren't." The other man shook his head again.

"You don't understand she's the only family I've got..."

"I understand, believe me I do," Adam carefully reached out and put his hands on the other man's shoulders then moved slightly closer.

"Look, I would like nothing better than to walk away and forget all about this, but I can't. You know I can't." He shook his friend slightly. "Remember, there's a wanted notice out there with her description and a sketch from her picture. Now who would you prefer to bring her in – some street cop, a bounty hunter, or me?" He paused to let that sink in.

"Think about it..."

"Dear God you're right, that never occurred to me." The other man turned away to rub both hands over his face then made an angrily exasperated sound in the back of his throat.

"I'll go get her now so we can get this over with," he said as he wearily plodded to his office door, opened it, and stepped through the doorway.

"TJ, come on out now..."

Adam and Thea watched his entire body tense and his head turn to survey the room.

"TJ?" he turned to see the other three come rushing in.

Adam shook his head, his brow creasing with worry and anger as he hurried to open the only other door. The closet revealed was so full there wasn't enough room for an adult to hide. He banged the door shut and swept his sharp gaze over the room again until his eyes stopped on the open window.

"Oh no," he breathed and stalked over to look out just as a loud commotion rose from the front street below.

Thea ran to the window.

David stood in the middle of the room, frozen in shock.

Maggie fainted.

Adam had his deputies covering each entrance to the hospital and Dylan had been assigned the south side where deliveries were made and most of the under staff came and went.

The tall, handsome young man in dapper dress drew a great deal of admiring attention from the females passing by and more than a few hostile looks from the men. But his tailored clothing only emphasized his athletic build and his confident air prevented anyone from challenging his presence.

He had just tipped his hat as a trio of pretty young nurses passed by when he heard what he thought was someone shouting "Stop!" at the front of the building. The voice shouted again and this time he was sure the voice was John's.

In a split second decision he abandoned his post and ran down the alley toward the noise, rounded the corner and stopped dead when he saw the woman in question running down the sidewalk in his direction. His mouth fell open in surprise when she looked straight at him and instantly turned to dash into the street. John did the same, his bright blue eyes fastened on her retreating figure.

He could see the other man was running at an angle, hoping to make up some of the distance and he was so intent on the chase that he didn't see a sleek new buggy coming at him fast.

Dylan instinctively called his friend's name without thinking then cursed himself under his breath when the young man stopped to turn in his direction. He didn't notice that the woman had stopped running too.

"Look out!" he shouted and John was just starting to turn the other way she rushed him, knocking him out of the way with a flying tackle.

Dylan's heart surged up into his throat, choking him as his mouth fell open in shock. His knees felt weak at first as he ran down the sidewalk then his heart fell back into his chest with a dull thud and he could breathe again. He wanted to pray, his eyes fastened on the two figures lying prone in the dusty street next to the curb, but he could only breathe "Oh God," as a gathering crowd blocked his view.

After pushing his way through, he was amazed to see John sitting up and the tightness in his chest eased. He went down on one knee next to his friend.

"Are you alright Johnny?" he asked and reached to feel for broken bones; John pushed his hands away impatiently.

"I'm fine!" he barked and scrambled to his feet.

Both annoyed and amused, Dylan watched his young friend shoulder his way through the knot of people gathered around the long figure lying up against the curb. Heaving a deep sigh, he got to his feet and followed.

John was kneeling next to her, his right hand feeling for a pulse in her neck while the other was gently smoothing loose tendrils of chestnut hair back from her face.

Dylan's eyes narrowed as he got his first good look at her. Streaks of dust and some spattered blood did nothing to lessen the regal quality of her profile and when she turned her head her eyes fluttered open to meet his directly.

The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief to see she was alive, while the hair on the back of his neck stirred. Her greenish-gray eyes flared in the center with something like orange flame and a sharp thrill raced across his nerves as her lips silently formed his name.