The Lincoln worked its way through Midtown traffic until it reached the Grand Hyatt next to Grand Central Terminal. They checked into a suite with separate rooms, showered, then met a man for dinner in the hotels restaurant.
His name was Yuri Korzun.
He was about the same age as Gromov, a barrel-chested man with short white hair and sharp black eyes. He took Gromovs hand in both of his and shook it warmly.
Welcome back to New York, Pavel. It does my soul good to see you, old friend, Korzun said. My condolences for your losses.
Thank you. Good to see you, Yuri.
Korzun pulled out a chair for Yanna.
Yuri, Gromov said, this is Yanna Petrova. She was a very good friend of my youngest boy, Fyodor. Shes like a daughter to me and has agreed to help me here in America.
Barely concealing her animosity, Yanna managed to smile at Korzun.
Yanna, Gromov said, Yuri Korzun and I knew each other as teenagers working here on the docks.
Welcome to New York, Yanna. Its unfortunate you cannot both stay longer and see more of the city.
Yes, unfortunate, she said with a bite in her voice.
Over dinner the men caught up on each others lives and those of people theyd known while Yanna took in the view of the Chrysler Building and tried to comprehend her surreal predicament. As the meal wound down over drinks, the men discussed Gromovs case.
Your friends in this country would be honored to help you with anything you need at any time. Just contact me, Korzun said.
Gromov nodded in appreciation.
Weve alerted our people in Justice, State, Immigration and other departments, Korzun said. We can provide you with the necessary documentation when youre ready to leave the country with your grandson, Pavel.
Thank you, Yuri.
Korzun reached into his inside jacket pocket, first for bifocals then for a few pages folded together. He reviewed them quickly before passing them to Gromov.
He nodded and looked at them.
Her name is Remy Toxton, Korzun said. Her boyfriend is Mason Varno. Hes an ex-convict and two-bit drug dealer. He drives a pickup truck and works as a carpenter. Heres their latest information.
Yanna moved her chair to look over Gromovs shoulder at photos of Remy and Mason. The woman whod carried Fyodors child looked so young. Gromov studied the pictures and documents the way a grand master contemplates an opening strategy.
Pavel, Im curious, Korzun said. Why not have us go to these baby sellers and deal with them directly to find the girl? We can be very persuasive.
I want to go directly to the mother without warning so theres no possibility of complications. Ill make it fast and uncompromising. Nothing will stand in the way of me finding her and my grandson. Like you, I can be persuasive.
Korzun smiled. A Delta flight direct to Houston leaves from LaGuardia in the morning.
24
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas
Caleb Cooper was screaming.
One-hundred-decibel, nerve-shredding wailing.
Remy tried everything to make him stop, but Mason was the one who needed calming. He was causing the upheaval, rampaging through their belongings again, looking for dope or reasons to stay pissed off at her.
His fit of rage was a repeat of yesterdays explosion after their brush with death on the freeway. Mason had lost his mind, took the baby and stomped into the field to do God knows what. It was all that Remy could do to talk him down, persuade him to give up the baby and get back in the truck.
The incident had not only shaken them, it had intensified Masons cravings and inflamed his fears that they were being pursued, to the point that Remys brain began throbbing with the onset of a spell.
Mason, I swear if you dont stop it my head is going to explode!
Remy was cradling the baby, but in her agitated state her attempts to rock him turned into rigid bouncing, which worsened matters.
Mason had ransacked her clothes and the baby things. Then he grabbed the bigger suitcase theyd packed from their apartment. Zippers whizzed, he opened it and rifled through it.
Mason. Mason, listen to me- Shh-shh. Remy raised her voice over the baby, punctuating her sentences with attempts to stop Calebs screeching. I dont have your stuff. Shh-shh. Did you check the truck?
Mason ignored her and went to the window.
Last night, to assuage his suspicions, theyd packed up, with Remy grabbing extra soap and shampoo, then moved from their motel and into this fleabag dump, the Tumbleweed Dreams Motel, on the west side of the Metroplex. Standing at the window taking inventory of the parking lot, Mason rubbed his lips then ran his hands through his hair, tugging at it when hed reached a decision.
He marched to Remys night table and seized her purse.
What the fu- Mason! Whats wrong with you? Remy stood, baby in her arms, and shot out one hand to reclaim her bag.
Mason turned, dumped the contents on the second bed, pushing Remy off until he found the card for the surrogate agency with penned names and cell numbers. He held it before Remys face.
Call them now!
Remy snatched the card back. Mason surrendered her bag and with one hand Remy began scooping her things back into it.
I told you I will call them when its time.
What the hell are you waiting for?
For the idiot mother to stop searching for her baby.
Shes never going to stop. What mother would? Were running out of time. Call the agency, close the deal and were done.
I will do this my way. Its been working so far, hasnt it?
The longer we wait, the riskier it gets. Were running out of time and money. The agencys likely got people looking for us ever since we left. You signed a contract with them, took a lot of money then disappeared without delivering a baby. And theres a chance that police are looking for this baby, too, since its been in the news.
It was all true, but Remy pursed her lips.
And, Mason added, how the hell are you going to pass off this five-month-old baby as a one-month-old? Even the doctor at the shelter thought he was big for three months.
Stop being so negative, Mason. Its all going to work out, Remy said. We just need to wait a little bit, then well have our money, then well start the life weve been dreaming of, the life we deserve. Trust me, babe.
I cant wait a little bit. Things are slipping away. I just want to get our cash and get the hell out of here.
We just need a bit longer.
You know what I think, Remy? I think the truth is you dont want to give this baby up.
She didnt say anything.
I think that after losing your baby, youre going through something. Youre getting attached to this one and youre delaying things because deep down you want to keep him.
Thats not true.
Mason got his gun from his bag, pulled the slide back and released it. The gun clicked as it chambered a round from the magazine into the barrel.
Its not going to happen. Mason pointed his gun at the baby.
Mason, no!
Were not keeping that kid under any circumstances, Remy. Is that clear?
Put the gun down, Mason! Stop being an asshole! Without blinking Remy shoved the gun aside. If we lose this child, we lose everything.
Mason stood there for several seconds until he cooled down, then he lowered his hand, removed the magazine and the round, tossing them with the gun on the bed.
The babys crying forced Remy to shift her attention. She put him on the bed and started preparing a bottle for him when there was a knock on the motel room door.
The chain was up and the door was bolted. Mason went to the peephole. A fish-eyed view of the manager in his stained T-shirt filled it.
What is it? Mason asked.
You gotta keep it down in there-people are complaining. If I get any more shit, Im calling the police.
Mason shook his head.
Yeah, we got it. Sorry, buddy, he said.
Mason went to the bed, collected his gun and magazine.
Mason, wait. What are you going to do?
Something I shouldve done a long time ago. Im taking charge of our situation.
Mason!
Dont do anything or call anybody. Ill be back.
He waited at the window for the manager to clear the front walk then, ignoring Remys pleas, he left her alone with the baby.
25
Chicago, Illinois
Lake Michigan stretched north against a crystal sky, but Hedda Knight was blind to the view from her seventy-fifth-floor law office in the Aon Center.
All she saw was a sea of problems.
One of her mothers had disappeared weeks before she was due to deliver, jeopardizing Heddas biggest deal.
Tapping her pen to her desk she pressed her phone to her ear as Ed Bascom, the senior agent with the private investigative agency shed hired, gave her an update.
Weve confirmed that an ambulance was dispatched to Remy Toxtons residence in Texas and that she was taken to hospital.
Where is she?
We obtained a new lead that she was transported out of state.
Where?
Arkansas.
Arkansas? Whatd you find out in Arkansas?
Nothing, our investigation there dead-ended. We dont know what hospital or which city. We suspect we were fed bad information by the church people supporting her boyfriend, Mason Varno. Theyre protective.
I dont care. Did Remy have the baby or not?
We havent confirmed it.
Why not? Whatre we paying you for?
Did you ever consider that they couldve been victims of the tornadoes?
Yes, but they live in Lufkin and from my read of the news Lufkin was not touched by the storms.
What if they happened to take a trip to Dallas the day the storm hit?
Thats your job to find out.
Can your nurse who was assigned to their case recall anything more? Bascom asked.
No! Shes told you everything. She went to the apartment and they were gone. Remy didnt answer her phone, her emails. They left no forwarding address, no contact information, nothing. Weve been over this.
Theyve covered their tracks, Bascom said. We still have no credit card or banking trail on Toxton or Varno.
Damn it, Ed, youre no closer to finding them than when you started looking. Is there anything you can do, or should I hire someone else?
Were working on another lead. Varnos an ex-con.
An ex-con. Oh, thats great.
Hes got a meeting with his parole officer coming up. Well surveil the office for him and hell lead us to Toxton.
Do that. I want that baby. But find Remy quietly. We dont want anyone going public on this, or to the police. You got that?