The Deputy's Duty. Terri Reed

with curiosity, she prompted, “What was in it?”

       “A pink baby blanket, a baby bracelet from a hospital in Ireland with the words Henry Baby Girl and the name of a doctor and a date, and an uncashed check for ten thousand dollars made out to Olivia Henry. None of which has helped to find Olivia’s killer or identify the person who mailed the box.”

       She glanced at him. “But surely the doctor or the hospital had some useful information on what happened to the baby.”

       “The hospital had a break-in not long after Olivia gave birth. Her records are missing. The doctor didn’t have any useful information other than confirming she’d delivered Olivia’s baby girl.”

       Seeming to weigh his words, she adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

       “It was privileged information in an ongoing investigation,” he stated.

       She made a little frustrated noise low in her throat. “Apparently Olivia had given her child up for adoption. But then regretted her decision and wanted her baby back.”

       “Is that what she wrote in her letter?”

       “Yes.”

       Empathy twisted in his chest. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to confirm that supposition.”

       She adjusted her grip on the wheel. “Yes, there is. The adoption was illegal and Olivia had been tricked into signing away her rights. Olivia tracked down her baby girl and found her in Fitzgerald Bay. That was why she’d moved from Ireland to the U.S. She wanted her baby back. Olivia wanted her baby girl to be with me if anything happened to her. She apparently didn’t feel safe in Fitzgerald Bay.”

       Something niggled at the back of Ryan’s brain. “And she knew who had adopted her child?”

       Meghan nodded. “Christina and Burke Hennessy.”

       He stilled. “Georgina is Olivia’s child?”

       He pictured the little girl with her blond curls and bright blue eyes safe in Meghan’s arms. No wonder Meghan had held the child so tenderly with so much love. She believed the toddler to be her cousin’s daughter.

       He remembered when the Hennessys brought the baby home, claiming they’d adopted her, thus rescuing her from a drug addict in New York City. The Hennessys must have known the adoption was illegal and could be challenged if they were tracked down as the adoptive parents by the birth mother. No one had questioned them. There hadn’t been any reason to.

       “Maybe Olivia confronted Christina and Christina killed Olivia to keep Georgina,” Meghan reasoned.

       “It’s a good theory. There’s evidence that could link her to the crime.” If so, he had the motive they’d been searching for in Olivia’s murder. “But why would Christina kill Burke if they were in this together?”

       “I don’t know. Maybe he found out Christina killed Olivia and threatened to turn her in or said they’d have to come clean about the illegal adoption, give the baby to the authorities.”

       “Maybe,” he said. What a complicated mess.

       “You believe me, then?” Meghan asked, her voice tense. “Or rather, Olivia?”

       This woman was related to the deceased and to the baby that may have been the catalyst for Olivia’s murder. “I don’t know why you’d lie.”

       “I wouldn’t. I don’t lie.”

       He could only take her word on that.

       Meghan flipped on her blinker and took the exit ramp for Portsmouth. “Do you know how to get to the police station?”

       He arched an eyebrow. “Do you always start driving without knowing where you’re going?”

       Her mouth tightened. “I figured I’d ask for directions when I arrived. But since you’re with me, I’d hoped you’d know where to go.”

       Shaking his head, he searched for the address on his smartphone and directed her. A few minutes later they pulled up to the square redbrick building of the Portsmouth police headquarters.

       Large green, manicured hedges framed the walkway. Summer sun reflected off the paved sidewalk in hot waves, but a slight breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean a few miles away kept the heat bearable.

       Ryan hobbled to the glass front door in Meghan’s wake. She held open the door for him then herded him to the desk sergeant.

       Ryan glared at her. He wasn’t limping that badly. He identified himself to the sergeant.

       A moment later, a man wearing the navy uniform of the Portsmouth Police Department approached. The stars on the collar of his uniform alerted Ryan to the man’s rank even before he spoke.

       “Deputy Chief Fitzgerald, I’ve been expecting you.” They shook hands. “I’m Chief Danhoff. We’ve got the suspect in a room. We’ve read him his rights and he’s declined a lawyer. I was waiting for you before questioning him.”

       Chief Danhoff assessed Meghan. “And you are?”

       “This is Meghan Henry. She’s a blood relative of the missing child.”

       “Ah. You’ll want to observe then.” Motioning for them to follow, Chief Danhoff led the way. He opened a door. “Miss Henry you can watch from in here.”

       Meghan disappeared inside.

       Ryan followed Danhoff into the interrogation room. He was determined to bring down Christina Hennessy and find the little girl.

      THREE

      Meghan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Nope, didn’t calm her nerves any. Gathering her courage like a shield, she stepped inside the Portsmouth observation room and watched Ryan enter the interrogation room. The small space seemed even more cramped with the big, muscle-bound Jay sitting at a metal table. She couldn’t see his hands. She assumed they were handcuffed to his chair or something.

       Surprise flickered in Jay’s dark eyes when he saw Ryan. “What are you doing here?”

       “I need answers and you’re going to give them to me,” Ryan said, bracing his hands on the table and leaning into Jay’s face.

       “Fat chance, pretty boy,” Jay spat out, testing the strength of the cuffs holding his arms at his sides.

       “Did you help Christina Hennessy kill her husband?”

       Jay drew back. “I don’t know nothing about no husband and no death. Wasn’t me.”

       “Mrs. Hennessy didn’t tell you about murdering her husband?”

       Jay frowned. “Naw. She just needed some brawn for the day.”

       A muscle ticked in Ryan’s jaw. “What rock did she find you under?”

       When Jay didn’t respond, Ryan slapped a hand on the table, the crack echoed off the walls. Meghan felt the impact through the glass. Her heart jolted.

       “You’re going down, Jay. Assault on a police officer, kidnapping—”

       “I didn’t kidnap anyone!” Jay protested.

       “And you’ll be charged as an accomplice in Burke Hennessy’s murder.”

       “I’m telling you I don’t know this Burke guy, and I didn’t kill anyone.”

       “Then tell me how you hooked up with Christina,” Ryan said, his tone intense.

       With a sullen pout, Jay said, “She came into the Last Stand bar asking if anyone wanted to make a quick grand.”

       “When was this?”

       Jay shrugged. “Just this morning.”

       “She gave you a thousand