AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He sighed. “As I told the detective, I was playing poker with friends. I even gave him the names and phone numbers of the guys. Have they contacted them for verification?”
“I’ll check with them when I leave here,” Jenna said. “Did you offer to buy Brittany Berry’s baby?”
Cliff was almost as jolted by Jenna’s question as Waters was. It switched directions so fast and posed the question in such a way as to throw the man off balance.
Waters ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I did not target Ms. Berry and offer to buy her baby. It all started as a polite question. I asked when her baby was due.” He sighed. “I felt sorry for her, standing behind that bar, looking ready to pop at any minute.”
“So, you offered to buy her baby to help her out?” Jenna persisted.
Waters leaned his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. “My wife and I have been married for nine years and have been trying to have a baby for most of those nine years. I love her with all my heart and would give her anything. But I can’t give her the baby she so desperately wants. She’s had five miscarriages and one live birth.” He looked away, his jaw tight. “Our son was our rainbow baby. Perfect in every way. After all the losses, we finally had a child to love.”
Waters paused, loosened his necktie and stared down at his hands. “I was working half-days for two months after we brought the baby home and went back to full days.”
He stopped and ran his hand through his hair again. “I’m sorry. I’m making this story longer than you probably even care to listen to. To make it short, I came home one day and asked how the baby was. My wife Trudy said she’d put him down for a nap an hour before. We went into his room together to wake him up.” Waters shook his head. “He wouldn’t wake up. He lay there like he was asleep—a perfect, cold angel who went to sleep and never woke up. My wife was devastated.”
Jenna opened her mouth to say something.
Waters held up his hand. “We talked for a while that evening. Ms. Berry said she couldn’t imagine how she’d raise a child when she barely made enough to feed herself and couldn’t afford a better place to live than a crummy matchbox of an apartment over a bar.”
He looked up, his face haggard. “I told her that if she was serious about putting the baby up for adoption, would she consider me and my wife.” He laughed. “She asked for my driver’s license, made a copy of it and then asked me to show her my bank accounts to prove I could afford to raise a child.”
“Did you know she had gone into labor?” Jenna asked.
Waters shook his head. “If I had known, I might’ve come to the hospital. The girl didn’t have any family or a place to go. At least that’s what I thought. Apparently, she has a sister here in Bozeman,” he sneered, “for what it’s worth. If she’d cared about her sister, she wouldn’t have forced her to work at that bar so far into her pregnancy.”
Jenna stiffened.
Cliff touched her arm and met her gaze. He hoped to remind her that she was supposed to be an FBI agent, not an avenging sister, looking for someone to blame in the disappearance of her young niece.
Jenn’s shoulders sagged. She looked away from Cliff and back at David Waters. “Did you know Ms. Berry had changed her mind about letting you adopt her baby girl?”
Water’s head jerked up. “No. I didn’t know.” His eyebrows met in a deep V over his nose. “She changed her mind?”
Cliff studied the man’s expression as a shadow passed over his face.
“I’m sorry to hear that. A healthy, happy baby would’ve been loved in our home.” His mouth twisted into a wry smile. “I didn’t tell my wife about the arrangement because I couldn’t face her disappointment if it fell through. To build up her hopes, only for the mother to keep the baby, would’ve been too cruel. So, I didn’t tell her about my arrangement. I was going to wait until Ms. Berry delivered the baby. If it was healthy and Ms. Berry didn’t back out, I would’ve surprised Trudy with the baby.”
Jenna snorted. You surprise people with chocolate or flowers. Maybe even a piece of jewelry. Not a baby.
Waters met and held Jenna’s gaze. “I’m glad I didn’t tell my wife. I don’t think she could take another disappointment. I guess I had a feeling Ms. Berry wouldn’t go through with it. Either that or our streak of bad luck would continue despite all our efforts to keep trying. Maybe I’m a pessimist, but I don’t think we were meant to have a child of our own.”
For a long moment, Jenna stared at the man. Then she pushed to her feet and held out her hand. “Thank you for your time.”
Cliff shook hands with the man and followed Jenna out of the posh office and into the bright Texas sunshine.
Jenna stood for a moment, lifting her face to the sun.
Cliff stood a step away from Jenna, wanting to take her into his arms but not wanting to disturb her meditation. “Do you believe him?” he asked.
“That he didn’t have anything to do with the kidnapping?” Jenna looked at Cliff. “I don’t want to believe him. But yes. I don’t think he took the baby.”
Cliff nodded. “I agree. He didn’t appear to be the kind of guy who’d steal a baby. But then, I don’t know what that kind of guy should look like.”
“Exactly.” Jenna pushed her shoulders back.
“Where to next?” Cliff asked.
“I have no idea,” A shiver shook her body. “I’m afraid.”
