Christmas Male(63)
And they were all wrapping up toys. Rolls of Christmas paper and ribbon seemed to fill every inch of space. A table at the far end was laden with food—boxes of pizzas, platters of sandwiches, bottled water and soft drinks.
Oh, there was some police work going on here and there. She glimpsed a detective tapping the keys of his computer. But the perp he was interviewing was putting tape on a package.
Through the glass, Fiona spotted General Eddinger in her captain’s office tying a bow on a box while Natalie supervised with her feet propped up on a chair. At a nearby conference table, Chance was muscling a large teddy bear into candy-cane-striped wrapping paper.
“What is going—?”
“I thought we’d eat here while you gave your report. But first I have to say hello to my mom and sister. Come with me.”
He took her arm and drew her with him, not giving her a choice. She spotted the two women she’d met briefly in the sculpture garden. Frantically, she searched for the names. Nancy. That was his mother. And Darcy was his sister.
Nancy took her hands immediately. “You’re doing a good thing here, providing a merry Christmas for the children of the young men who’ve been wounded in the service of our country. I hope you don’t mind that I brought some of the students from my school with me. When D.C. called to explain the situation, I thought you might be able to use the extra hands.”
“I can.” Fiona’s throat grew tight as she glanced around the room. “But I didn’t do all this.” She turned to D.C. “You did.”
“You asked if the army could help. I turned the job over to General Eddinger and made a phone call to my mom. The idea started with you.”
Her gaze swept the room again. He’d done all this. For her. In her wildest imagination, she couldn’t have pictured the scene in front of her. But he had. And he’d made it happen. The squad room had been transformed into Santa’s workshop.
And there in the midst of Christmas music, stacks of wrapping paper and more presents than she’d ever seen, she felt her heart go into a free fall.
Nancy Campbell handed D.C. a small bag. “Maddie and Jase are expecting us in Manhattan tomorrow for Christmas Eve.” She slid her gaze to Fiona. “We’d like you to join us. Will you be able to get away?”
Fiona’s pulse skidded and then went into overdrive. “I don’t know—This case—”
“We may have to improvise a bit…” D.C. said.
Nancy rolled her eyes. “Improvise. That’s his theme song. Always coming up with some idea at the last minute. You’re going to have to keep him on a short leash.”
“I—” Fiona began.
“I have this feeling that the case will break soon. In the meantime, Fiona has to make a report.” D.C. leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek before he drew Fiona with him to Natalie’s office.
General Eddinger glanced up from tying the bow. “The baby’s coming soon. She doesn’t believe me, but I know the signs. Her back aches and she hasn’t slept for three days.”
“I’m not having this baby until we solve this case,” Natalie said.
“Willpower is good,” Eddinger said. “But nature is stronger.”
Natalie winced and rubbed her back as Chance moved to her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You may have a point, General.” Then she turned to Fiona. “Report.”
Fiona did.
“So it’s possible that Dr. Meyers made the copy that we found in the display case ten years ago—at just about the same time she went to work for Gregory Shalnokov,” Natalie summarized. “Tough to believe that’s a coincidence.”
“My brother is already running a background check on Kate McGowan,” D.C. said. “He could have something at any time.”
“You want to bring her in for questioning?” Natalie asked.
“D.C. and I have something else we’d like to try first. We need Amanda to remember more,” she said. “And we have an idea.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Natalie said.
“Since the Rubinov exhibition ends today, we need to move quickly.” Fiona turned to General Eddinger. “Do you think you could convince Dr. Whitmore to let us take Amanda to the National Gallery this afternoon? If just looking at the necklace stirred up memories, going there may be enough to release the floodgates.”
“Consider it done,” Eddinger said.
“D.C. and I also need to find Billy and talk to him. If we’re right about Billy being the he Amanda believed was in danger, and if someone is planning to make him the fall guy in this, then he’d be safer in custody. If we tell him that, perhaps he’ll cooperate.”