Born In Death

“No. I don’t think. She had Leonardo and me over once, and we had her to our place a couple of times. She isn’t seeing anyone. Like a guy, I mean. She’s completely focused on the baby.”

Mavis shifted her own gaze as she saw Eve studying the wall. “Oh, that’s her calendar. Isn’t it cute, with the baby dressed up like a tulip?”

While Eve thought the idea of dressing a human, even a new one, like a flower was just plain silly, Mavis bubbled on. “There’s a different baby for each month, and…She didn’t cross off the last two days.”

Eve had seen that already. There were red x’s in each boxed date, through the past Thursday. Mavis’s fingers shook as she curled them around Eve’s arm.

“She marked off each day, heading for B-Day. Baby Day. See, see? January thirty-first. She’s got it circled in a heart. She crossed them off every morning for the countdown. But not yesterday.”

Full of fear, Mavis’s eyes latched onto Eve’s. “Not today. And she’s got today marked with little raindrops and my name. Mavis’s shower. Oh.” Mavis pressed a hand to her side. “Oh.”

“You’re not going to do that. You’re not doing that now. Breathe or something.”

“Baby’s kicking, that’s all. And I guess I feel a little shaky in the knees. Maybe a little bit sick.”

Moving as fast as she dared, Eve hooked an arm around Mavis’s waist, moved her into the living area and a chair. “Just sit, close your eyes. Breathe. I’d suggest putting your head between your knees, but I think that’s physically impossible for you at the moment.”

It brought a half-laugh out of Mavis as she obeyed. “I’m okay, really. Just scared and worried. Something happened to Tandy, Dallas. You have to find her.”

“That’s what I’m going to do. She had ‘Max’ and ‘eight’ written on the Friday box. Who’s Max?”

“I don’t know. She wasn’t seeing anybody. She’d have told me.”

“Listen.” Eve crouched down in front of the chair. “First thing, I’ll check the health centers, birthing places. I’ll get the name of her boss at the store, give her a call, see if Tandy was at work on Thursday.”

“That’s good. Maybe she went into labor at work, and they took her to the closest birthing place. That could be.”

“Sure. Simple is usually true.”

“But if that happened on Thursday, why haven’t I heard from her? Oh, God, what if she lost the baby!” Mavis reached out, gripped Eve’s hands with fingers that were like little vices. “Or she had an accident, and – ”

“Or she had one of those sixteen-hour deals and is too whipped to talk to you, or anyone. Chill it out, Mavis.”

“You’ll find her.”

“I’m going to make the calls, and if that doesn’t ring the bell, I’ll tag Missing Persons. Just as a precaution.”

“No. No. You have to find her.” Mavis gripped harder. “You can’t give her to someone else. If you look for her, you’ll find her. I know you will.”

“Mavis, I’m Homicide, and up to my ears in a double murder. Missing Persons is set up to handle this kind of thing. I’ll start the legwork, and we’re probably going to find her fast and fine. But if I don’t find her by tomorrow – ”

“Please.” Tears shimmered in her eyes, swam in them. The fact that they didn’t fall, that she didn’t simply collapse into a jag, was more wrenching. “I need you to do this, Dallas. I don’t know anybody in Missing Persons. I know you. I know you’ll find Tandy. She doesn’t have anyone to look out for her. But if she has you, she’ll be okay.”

“Mavis – ”

“I’m scared for her.” She pressed their joined hands to her own belly. “And her baby. If I know you’re looking for them, I won’t be so scared.”

“Okay, I’ll fix it. But you have to go home now and lie down.”

“But I want to help you – ”

“That’s the deal, Mavis. I’ll do this, but you go home. I’m going to contact Leonardo, have him come get you.”

“But you’ll tell me as soon as you know anything?”

“The minute.”

It wasn’t just Leonardo who showed, but Roarke, Peabody, and McNab as well.

“We’d just finished loading up the gifts,” Peabody explained. “No sign of Tandy?”

“Not yet. You go ahead, give Leonardo a hand. I’m just going to make a few inquiries.”

“Dallas is going to find her,” Mavis said.

“Of course she is.” Leonardo’s voice was easy and confident as he draped his arm around Mavis, but his eyes, meeting Eve’s, were full of concern. “I’m just going to get you home, baby doll. You’ve had a long day.”

“Dallas?” McNab held up a hand. “How about if I go along, give Leonardo a hand with the loot. I can tag you when we’re done, and swing on back if you need more hands on this.”

“That’ll work.” As long as they got Mavis home and horizontal. The rosy glow she’d had all day had changed into a strained pallor.

“Find her quick, okay?”

“Sure,” Eve said to Mavis. “Don’t worry.”

“It’ll be all right now.” She stepped over, wrapped her arms around Eve, sighed. “It’ll be all right since you’re taking care of it.”

“You’re tired, sweetie-pie.” Leonardo drew her away. “Let Dallas get started. You and the belly need a nice nap.”

The minute the door was closed behind them, Eve dragged her hands through her hair. “Shit.”

“Want me to do the knock-on-doors or take the ’link?” Peabody asked her.

“Take the ’link, thanks. All health and birthing centers. Contact her boss, find out what went down Thursday, anything out of routine.”

“You think something happened to her,” Roarke said.

“Yeah, I do. Maybe Mavis’s nerves are contagious, but something’s wrong here. Look at this place.” She spread her arms. “Neat and tidy, everything in its place.”

“Nesting,” Peabody put in. “Making everything nice for the baby.”

“Whatever. She’s organized, and I’d say habitual.” She told them about the kitchen calendar. “Going by that, the plants, bath towel – all dry – I don’t think she’s been back here since she left for work Thursday morning.”

She took a breath. “I don’t know much about it, but if she went and had the baby unexpectedly, why didn’t she contact someone – Mavis or her boss – and have them come get her hospital bag?”

“Something could’ve gone wrong with the baby.”

Eve nodded at Peabody. “Let’s find out.”

“What can I do?” Roarke asked, and Eve blew out a breath.

“Well, since we’re already stomping all over Tandy’s civil rights by just being in here, you could take a look at her ’links, her comp unit. See if you find anything unusual.”

“Do you want me to contact Missing Persons?” Peabody asked.

“Not yet. I have to figure out – if we don’t find her in the next few hours – how to convince them to let me handle it. Otherwise, Mavis is going to wig out on me again.”

Eve started with Ms. Pason across the hall, but got nothing more there than had already been told.

She worked her way, floor by floor. Most of the tenants who answered knew Tandy by name – which was a small surprise – the rest knew her by sight. None of them recalled seeing her in the last couple of days.

She was on the ground floor about to knock on the last door when a woman gripping the hand of a kid – so bundled in outdoor gear Eve could only see the huge dark eyes – came up behind her.

“You looking for someone?” As she spoke, the woman shifted just a little so the kid was behind her.

“As a matter of fact. You live here?”

“That’s my door you’re standing in front of. What do you want?”

Eve pulled out her badge, and the woman frowned at it.

“Look, if the disaster that is my ex is in trouble again, it’s nothing to me. I haven’t seen him in over a year and that’s the way I like it.”

“It’s about Tandy Willowby. Apartment 4B.”

“If Tandy’s done something to earn a visit from a badge, I’ll fly on the first pig that wings by.”

“When’s the last time you saw her?”

“Look, no offense, but cops’ve been a pain in my ass. You’re looking to hassle Tandy, you won’t get anything from me.”