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The NOPD captain was a friend. He’d know what to do.
“Of course. You have everyone safe?”
“Yes. It was a white minivan, like the one from last night. One of the neighbors’ security cams may have caught a license plate. Kaj’s cameras aren’t set for that angle, and I need to fix that. I’d ask around, but I’m not leaving Elijah. Can we add someone to cover the periphery?”
“You bet. I’ll do it myself until I can rework schedules.”
“Thanks, Burke. See you soon.” She ended the call and glanced at Kaj across the room. He was calm, which both surprised and impressed her. “You guys okay over there?”
“Yes,” Kaj said firmly.
“No,” MaryBeth said with a grimace. “Czar was thirsty. God.”
Which made him a slobbery mess, water dripping from his beard as he tried to sit on MaryBeth’s lap.
“Sorry.” Val tossed her a hand towel. “Elijah, how’s your blood sugar?”
Elijah stared at her, his gaze uncomprehending.
“Elijah,” she repeated, but the boy only blinked.
Kaj was checking his own phone. “It’s high,” he said. “Not dangerous, but high. Give yourself a hit of insulin, Elijah.”
Slowly Elijah complied, then closed his eyes and leaned against his father’s shoulder.
“Burke’s on his way,” Val said. “He’s going to inform André.”
“Thank you,” Kaj said, still appearing remarkably calm.
But he wasn’t calm. Val looked away from the yard long enough to study his face. His eyes were full of fear. He was not okay. She wanted to go to both father and son and comfort them, but that wasn’t her job. Her job was guarding Elijah and she’d do that until Burke arrived.
And then she’d make adjustments to Kaj’s home security. They were getting more cameras that captured the backyard and a perimeter alarm activated by motion sensors.
And they needed a panic room for Elijah, in case the house was compromised. If she couldn’t hide him in a safe house, she needed at least one safe room. She began making a mental list of the ways she’d keep this child safe and immediately felt her stress levels returning to somewhat normal. Lists provided structure, kept her thoughts from racing.
She’d learned this when she’d returned from Iraq, broken and afraid. Therapy had helped her find coping mechanisms. Lists were one of those mechanisms. Buying Czar had been another.
Back in control, she walked to the front windows and peered out. A police car pulled up to the curb, followed by a black SUV. A uniformed cop and a man in a suit got out of the car and André Holmes got out of the SUV.
Thank you, Burke. “Kaj, André’s here. I’ll stay with Elijah if you want to talk to him.”
Kaj looked like he’d refuse, his arm tightening around his son. But then he drew a breath and kissed Elijah on the top of his blond head. “I’ll be right outside, okay?”
Elijah nodded numbly. “Okay.”
Val wanted to touch Kaj’s arm, squeeze his shoulder. Something. But she kept her arms at her sides, her gun pointed at the floor. “He’s okay.”
“I know,” Kaj rasped. “But they came to my home. They left a body on my front lawn.”
“Or something.” She still thought it could be a booby trap of some kind. “Don’t be too close when they unwrap the quilt, okay?”
“Okay. You’ll—” His voice broke and he cleared his throat. “You’ll stay with him?”
She met his gaze squarely. “Yes. I promise.”
“I did this. I brought this on our heads. On Elijah’s head.”
“No, Kaj. You did not. Aaron Gates’s people did this.”
