Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

made her smile and pulled her out of her melancholy. “Now that’s a skill.”
    “Okay, so what do we know? From the picture Jamie targeted, o ur kidnapper is a short man compared to the others in the background , five-six maybe, with a red beard, probably red dish-brown hair. Age, undetermined.”
    “ S omewhere between seventeen and forty-five , since Jamie didn’t mention any white in his beard . It’d be something he’d notice. ”
    “Good point. Seventeen to forty-five. Not necessarily from New Orleans. That narrows it down considerably.” He snorted.
    * * * * *
    D iana joined Lucier’s team in his office , still melancholy over the thought of Jamie ’s un reach able world.
    “ Halloran’s at the hospital now, showing the picture ,” Beecher said . “ The guy’s in too many shots. H e h as to work there.”
    “Let’s hope. What about the hoodie?” Lucier asked.
    “ Brown ’ s not a big color for hoodies,” Beecher said. “And the padded Bongo Bear bag? There are thousands of those in existence , millions maybe. We’ll run a check, but I wouldn’t put an y hopes on coming up with a hit . Our best bet ’ s the photo. ”
    Lucier looked at the picture. “I agree. Spread it around. ”
    Willy Cash stuck his head in Lucier’s office , carrying a rolled-up newspaper . “ Big news , Boss. I came up with a similar abduction in Mobile about six months ago . A baby girl taken the same way. The feds hit a dead end with that one. I contacted Stallings. T he case is still open. He ran a search for similar baby kidnappings, and found ours is the fourth baby snatch in the last three year s. I ordered tapes from the Mobile hospital.”
    “Good work, Willy ,” Lucier said . “ I remember the one in Mobile. Father was a big wig in some biotech company. The feds thought it was an inside job for ransom. B ut no one ever called. I’ll contact Stallings and get the particulars of the other kidnappings, then call each one to see if anyone’s come up with a lead.” Lucier poked at his computer. “I hope this isn’t what it looks like.”
    Diana watched him, digging her nails into the palm of her hand. “You’re thinking a baby kidnapping ring, aren’t you?”
    “Has all the earmarks. I’m sure Stallings will agree . If it is, those babies are long gone.” He sat on the corner of the desk. “Tell me about the evil you felt, Diana.”
    “ How can anyone explain the unexplainable? S omething in the vision of that room creeped me out, something perverse.”
    “ Sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant , but have you seen the morning papers ?” Cash threw the Times Picayune on the desk.
    Diana’s picture centered the front page.
    Psychic Brought in to Track Kidnapped Baby
    By Jake Griffin
    Diana’s abduction the previous month made headlines all over the world, and Griffin chronicled the story. His account was picked up by every paper in the country and put him on the short list for a Pulitzer.
    Oh, yes, Diana thought, Jake Griffin would be all over another story about her, and he wouldn’t hesitate to expose the romantic relationship between her and Lucier. Especially since she publicly notified the world that she ’ d given up show business to settle down and live life out of the spot light. The two of them made great copy ―the cop and the psychic― but as much as she hated the notoriety, she hated it more for Lucier .
    “How the hell did he get this story?” Diana as ked.
    “ Shit leaks ,” Beecher said. “Everyone knows you gave him the story after your ordeal. Hell, he milked it for all it was worth. They probably figured he’d pay for information about anything you’re involved in.”
    “I’m going to put a hex on that little twerp,” Diana said.
    “Can you do that?” Cash asked with wide-eyed innocence.
    Diana chuckled. “No, but I wish I could.”
    “Well, the story ’s out in the open now,” Beecher said. “Maybe it will ring some bells about other baby abductions.”
    “I’m sorry, Diana,” Lucier said. “I know you didn’t want to get involved in this kind of thing anymore. I should have kept you out of it.”
    “Too late now. Besides, getting involved was my idea. You couldn’t have stopped me if you wanted to.” She got up and paced the room. “You want to know what will happen after that article hits the street? I’ll tell you. Every kook with a baby story will be calling in. Babies who died at birth talking to their mothers from beyond, babies kidnapped by