Ezra arrived for work at his usual time and was not surprised to see that he was the last one there. He made his way over to his desk and flopped down in his chair. Taking a sip of his coffee, he said, �Hello.�
�Mornin�,� Vin greeted softly. �Chris wants us in the conference room. Wants to know where everyone is in this.�
Ezra sighed and got to his feet. �I hope we find her safe and sound,� he stated softly.
�Me too,� Vin agreed.
Vin�s mind went back to the night before when he and Ezra had sat in the living room of the Boarding House and tossed out theories to explain why Emmie Stamford had been taken from her parents. One scenario had been that a sick person had taken the little girl and had probably killed her shortly thereafter. Neither of them of them wanted that to be the case, but both LAW men knew it had happened before.
Vin followed Ezra into the conference room and sat down beside him.
�Good of you to join us,� Chris quipped.
Ezra smiled and replied, �I�m so thrilled to be invited.�
Chris glared at the southerner, who sipped at his coffee and smiled back; then he looked at Nathan and Josiah. �Did you two uncover anything?�
�Not yet,� Josiah answered softly.
Nathan nodded. �We�ll keep working at it. We have a few more places to check.�
Chris nodded and said, �It was too late last night to talk to anyone, but I�m meeting with a neighbor of the Stamfords later. He might know something useful.� He turned to JD and asked, �You have those composites ready?�
JD nodded. �Yup.� Laying out two pieces of paper, he said, �Here�s what Emmie would look like with curls and this one is her with straight hair.�
Ezra took a sip of his coffee as he glanced at the pictures. When his eyes fell on the second one, he started choking and almost dropped his cup.
�Are you alright, son?� Josiah asked in concern.
Ezra nodded and grabbed the picture off the table. �She �she looks like someone I know,� he said softly.
�Who?� Chris asked.
�How?� Buck added.
Ignoring both of them, Ezra asked Ashley, �What did you find?�
Ashley blinked quickly, surprised by the intensity of Ezra�s reaction to the pictures. �I got copies of the original police records on the case for Nathan and checked child services for any records on Emmie.�
�What did you find?� Ezra repeated, growing upset.
�The Stamfords did adopt her,� Ashley stated. �But the records are sealed to protect the birth mother�s privacy.�
Ezra nodded silently. His mind was racing as he tried to absorb the information he�d just received.
Chris slammed a fist down on the table and said, �Damn it, Ezra! Who does she look like?�
Ezra locked eyes with the Cowboy and softly answered, �Emily Cerruthers.�
�How do you know her,� Josiah asked gently.
Ezra sighed deeply and squeezed his eyes shut. In a quivering voice, he said, �She attends an after-school group at a Youth Center I volunteer at.�
�You volunteer at a youth center?� JD asked incredulously.
Ezra glared at the younger man and said, �I happen to enjoy entertaining small children, JD. We go on trips and play games and do arts and crafts. It�s very relaxing.�
Chris sighed. �What do you know about Emily Cerruthers?�
�Well,� Ezra started. �She�s five years old, her mother is named Deborah and is raising her alone. She started going to the program about two and a half months ago, she�s very bright and she doesn�t get along well with Martin Gerrity.�
Chris smirked at the last comment and said, �See if you can get Ms. Cerruthers to come down to the Saloon. I want to ask her a few questions.�
Ezra frowned and said, �No, Chris. If she did kidnap Emmie; then she might bolt if she thinks we�re on to her.� At Chris�s nod, he continued, �I�ll get her to the Saloon, but let me talk to her. As far as she knows, I�m just a volunteer at the youth center. She may let something slip with me that she wouldn�t with you.�
Chris nodded again and said, �Okay, but try to get her there tonight.�
�Alright,� Ezra replied.
Chris glanced at JD and Ashley. �You two make sure everything is set up at the Saloon. Vin try to work your magic with Amanda and get us the information we need on Emmaline�s adoption.�
�You got it, Cowboy,� Vin said, standing and following JD and Ashley from the room.
Chris glanced at the rest of them and said, �Buck, with me. The rest of you know what you�re doing. Let�s go.�
As the room emptied, Josiah glanced at Ezra and asked, �You alright, son?�
Ezra nodded and said, �I � I guess I just never saw Ms. Cerruthers as a kidnapper.�
Josiah smiled and answered, �That�s alright, son. It maybe that her daughter just looks a lot like the Stamford girl and she�s not a kidnapper.�
�Somehow, I doubt that,� Ezra said softly, as Josiah left the room. Then he stood and headed out to his desk. He figured, if he was to get Deborah to the Saloon that night, he�d have to give her enough time to get a sitter for Emily�or Emmaline.
******************************************************************************
Chris sat patiently at the bar waiting for Matthew Stamford to arrive with his neighbor. It bothered him that neither parent had thought to mention the Emmie was adopted when they�d hired him. I could very well be that they simply thought of her as their daughter and didn�t care that there was no blood tie.
�Mr. Larabee,� called a voice behind Chris, bringing him out of his reverie.
Chris glanced up to see Stamford standing behind him, as well as another man. The second man was about Vin�s height with light brown hair and green-gray eyes that roved around the room as though the man were trying to memorize every detail.
�Hello, Mr. Stamford,� Chris greeted softly.
�Hello,� Matthew replied. �This is Bertram Williams. You told me you wanted a word with him?�
Chris nodded and said, �Hello, Mr. Williams. Is it all right if we talk over there? You can wait here, Mr. Stamford.�
�Oh,� Matthew said, sitting down at the bar. �Of course.� His drawl made him seem more relaxed than the tense shoulders would have indicated.
Bertram smirked and said, �Hello, Mr. Larabee.�
Chris led the way to the table and sat down. �Thank you for coming down here. What you know may help us find Emmie.�
Bertram shrugged noncommittally. �I told the police everything I knew at the time. They didn�t seem to find it important,� he said doubtfully.
�Maybe,� Chris said, then locked eyes with the smaller man. �Did you know Emmie was adopted?�
Bertram�s eyes grew wide, but he nodded. �Matt and I have worked together for nearly ten years, Mr. Larabee. About seven years ago, Matt was�injured�in, uh�. Anyway, he and Theresa tried to conceive, but it was, um�painful, so they adopted Emmie.�
Chris nodded and said, �Thank you for you candor, Mr. Williams.�
Bertram blushed slightly and explained, �Matt doesn�t usually mention that Emmie was adopted, because he�s, well�embarrassed, I guess. Because he can�t�um��
Chris nodded and said, �That�s understandable.�
�What does that have to do with the kidnapping?� Bertram asked softly.
�Maybe nothing,� Chris replied. �Maybe everything. Did you notice anyone�odd hanging around before she was taken?�
Bertram�s eyes grew wide again. �You think maybe her birth-parents took her?�
Chris shrugged. �We honestly don�t know. It was a possibility the thought of.�
�Well,� Bertram said softly, glancing over at Matt. �I always thought the nanny was odd.�
Chris frowned. �The Stamfords hired a nanny for Emmie?�
�Yeah,� Bertram replied. �She was very�protective of Emmie. Wouldn�t let her play with my son, Cody, at all. Thought I was a bad influence on children. Anyway, they let her go about a month before the kidnapping.�
�Why?�
Bertram frowned. �Tessie got a promotion and could work out of the house, so she didn�t need Debra anymore.�
�Did you ever mention your feelings about Debra��
�McNally,� Bertram supplied. �Mention how I felt to Matt and Tessie? No. Matt�s my best friend, but Emmie absolutely adored her� something about the girl just didn�t set right with me though.�
�Did you tell this to the police?� Chris asked.
Bertram nodded. �They couldn�t find any proof that Debra was in the area when the kidnapping occurred.�
Chris frowned and started to ask another question when his phone chirped. �Just a moment,� he said to Bertram, who nodded and began to study the grains in the wood tabletop. �Larabee,� he said into the phone.
�Hey,� came Vin�s voice. �Talked to Amanda.�
�She let you near the files?�
�Yup,� came the easy reply. �Here�s something. According to the birth certificate and the records of adoption, Emmie�s birth parents are both deceased. Died in a house fire.�
Chris shuddered and said, �Well, that blows that theory.�
�Maybe not,� Vin answered. �Another kid was put up about the same time as Emmie, would have only been a month older than �er. Kid was a girl, red hair, green eyes.�
�Shit,� Chris exclaimed. �What about her parents?�
�No father,� Vin replied. �Mother was a twenty year old, name of Debra-Ann Mitchell.�
Chris shook his head. There were far too many Debras involved for it to be a coincidence. �Thanks, Vin,� he said, before hanging up.
Matt had come over to see what was happening and Chris turned his attention to his client. �Do you have any pictures of Debra McNally?�
Stamford frowned and asked, �A few, I think. What does she have to do with this, Mr. Larabee?�
Chris shook his head and said, �Get one to me as soon as you can.�
�Alright,� Stamford said uncertainly.
******************************************************************************
That night, Chris found Ezra sitting at a table in the corner of the Saloon. Seating himself beside the southerner, he asked, �You on for tonight?�
Ezra nodded. �I expect Ms. Cerruthers to arrive here any time now.�
�I�ll make this quick then,� Chris replied. He took the picture Matthew Stamford had supplied him with from the pocket of his jacket and handed it over to Ezra. �Is this Deborah Cerruthers?�
Ezra frowned at the picture; then looked up and shrugged. �It could be,� he answered sadly.
�I�m sorry, Ezra,� Chris said, gently laying a hand on his friend�s shoulder. �I know you didn�t want to be right in this case. Can you do this?�
Ezra looked down at the picture and then locked eyes with Chris. �She�s not even Emmie�s mother?�
�Vin told you?� Chris asked. When Standish nodded, he said, �She had a daughter that was adopted the same time as Emmie. She was a month older and had the same hair and eye color. Near as we can guess, Miss Mitchell changed her mind, or gave her daughter up under outside pressure and tried to find her. She somehow came across Emmie and thought it was her daughter. By that point the kid was a year old. Kids grow a lot in their first few years.�
Ezra nodded and said, �I can handle it, Chris.�
Chris smiled and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze; then turned and headed over to sit down at the bar. As Chris turned to watch his friend do his job, Deborah walked into the bar.
Ezra stood and pulled out her seat for her and began speaking in a soft voice, that didn�t quite carry over to Chris.
�Can I get you a drink, Debbie?� Ezra asked cordially, fully aware that he had an audience. Not only was Chris watching from across the room, but also the others were watching from the A/V room.
�Thank you,� she replied.
Ezra ordered her a glass of wine, then turned to her and said, �You�re doing a wonderful job raising Emmie. She�s a very bright little girl.�
Debbie smiled and said, �She can be a handful sometimes.�
�I can imagine,� Ezra chuckled. �Some of the mischief her and Martin get into� but, pardon me for prying, where is her father?�
Debbie�s eyes darkened. �He left us.�
�That must have been difficult,� Ezra replied. �How long ago was that?�
�Before Emmie was even born,� Debbie replied.
�You were very young then� about twenty, correct?�
�Yes,� Debbie said slowly.
�Is that why you gave your daughter up for adoption?� Ezra asked, staring down at his drink. Before Debbie could answer, he locked eyes with her and said, �Or were you pressured by your parents to give her up?�
�I don�t know what you are talking about,� Debbie said, her eyes narrowing in anger.
Ezra sighed and answered. �Emmie�s not your daughter, Debbie. Emmie�s birth parents died in a house fire when she was only a few months old. She barely survived, but she did and the Stamfords adopted her.�
�You�re lying,� Debbie growled. �She is my daughter!�
Ezra shook his head. �No, I�m afraid she isn�t. You must have thought it was a sign when they hired you to watch her. Rather like the pharaoh�s daughter asked Moses� mother to care for him after she�d pulled him from the water.�
Debbie frowned and started to leave. �I don�t know what kind of game you�re playing here, Ezra, but I�m going home to my daughter.�
Ezra grabbed her wrist and said, �She isn�t your daughter, Debbie she never was.�
�Yes, she is,� Debbie argued, trying to pull away.
Ezra pulled her towards him and said, �No, she�s not! Emmie�s parents died!�
�I�d know my daughter when I saw her! I didn�t want to give her up! My parents made me! But I found her and now I�m not going to let her go again!�
�She was adopted by the Stamfords! They want her back, they deserve to have her back!�
�Let me go!� Debbie screamed.
�No,� Ezra said softly. At that single word, Debbie collapsed into his arms and started sobbing into his shoulder.
�I love her,� she sobbed.
�I know,� Ezra whispered.
�I�m her mother.�
Ezra sighed, looking over her shoulder toward Chris. �No, Debbie, you�re not and her parents want her back.�
Chris nodded slightly and came over to take the sobbing woman from his arms. Ezra sat down heavily at the table and Vin sat beside him.
�You okay?� the Texan asked softly.
�I will be,� Ezra replied. When he looked back up, there were tears standing in his eyes. �Sometimes I hate being right all the time.�
Vin smiled and nodded, �Hard being so perfect.�
Ezra glared slightly and said, �I�m serious!� Vin locked eyes with him and Ezra sighed. �I didn�t want Debbie to be the kidnapper.�
�I know,� Vin said. �I was jokin�, guess it came out wrong.�
Ezra chuckled and shook his head. �No, it did exactly what you intended it to do. It got my mind off Debbie.� Looking back up, he said, �Thank you, Vin.�
Buck cleared his throat from behind the two LAW men. �The cops took Debbie into custody. Nathan and Josiah went to get Emmie from the house and bring her back to the Stamfords.�
�It�s going to be a big adjustment for her,� Ezra said softly. �She only three years old. She�ll hardly remember them by now.�
Buck shrugged and said, �You did the right thing, Ezra.�
�Did I?� Ezra said uncertainly. �I know that the Stamfords are legally her parents, but the only parent that child remembers is now being taken to lock-up. Did we really do the right thing here?�
�You have to believe we did,� Chris answered softly.
Ezra turned to him and sighed. �Why?�
Chris smiled slightly. �It�s our job, Ezra.�
Ezra nodded slightly and looked down at his hands. �Could I be alone? I need to�think,� he said after a moment.
�Sure,� Chris answered, ushering the others toward the bar.
