The Guardian & Her Captain, Agatha & Bonnie, a Story of Hate and Love

By B.L Wilson

In The Guardian & Her Captain: Agatha & Bonnie, a story of hate and love, (Jimson Murders Volume1), Dr. Sophie Jimson delivers a young woman’s baby in the rear of a taxi. Shortly after, the doctor is murdered by a phantom man that witnesses can’t describe. The Phantom, with the newborn in his arms, escapes, but an off-duty policewoman, Lieutenant Agatha Crist, grabs the baby from him. The baby is returned to the mother and the policewoman is hailed as a hero for rescuing the child.
Agatha soon finds out that Dr. Jimson happens to be her fraternal twin. They were supposed to meet for the first time to end their lifelong estrangement. Agatha is distraught and insists on being part of the murder investigation team, despite her captain’s objections. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear the lieutenant needs as much protection as the new mother. The lieutenant’s supervisor, Captain Bonnie Smyth, steps into the case to protect both women. As the two women bump heads, sparks fly. Will they fall in love or continue the hatred they’ve been exposed to for generations?

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.L Wilson
• Release date: Aug 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005157227

B.L Wilson

B.L. has always been in love with books and the words in them. She never thought she could create something with the words she knew. When she read ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird,’ she realized everyday experiences could be written about in a powerful, memorable way. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with that knowledge so she kept on reading.Walter Mosley’s short stories about Easy Rawlins and his friends encouraged BL to start writing in earnest. She felt she had a story to tell...maybe several of them. She’d always kept a diary of some sort, scraps of paper, pocketsize, notepads, blank backs of agency forms, or in the margins of books. It was her habit to make these little notes to herself. She thought someday she’d make them into a book.She wrote a workplace memoir based on the people she met during her 20 years as a property manager of city-owned buildings. Writing the memoir, led her to consider writing books that were not job-related. Once again, she did...producing romance novels with African American lesbians as main characters. She wrote the novels because she couldn’t find stories that matched who she wanted to read about ...over forty, African American and female.

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The Guardian & Her Captain,

Agatha & Bonnie, a story of hate and love

(Jimson Murders Volume One)

by

B.L. Wilson

The Guardian & Her Captain: Agatha & Bonnie, a story of hate and love

(Jimson Murders Volume One)

Brought to you by

Patchwork Bluez Press

The Guardian & Her Captain: Agatha & Bonnie, a story of hate and love

(Jimson Murders Volume One)

Copyright 2020 by B. L. Wilson.

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity in name, description, or history of characters in this book to actual individuals either living or dead is purely coincidental.

Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

Edited by BZ Hercules

www.bzhercules.com

Sometimes we are so busy looking for love everywhere, we can’t see what’s right in front of us. We see the entire forest, when we need to see that one special tree.

Take the time to go into that forest and find that special tree. It’s there waiting to be discovered.

For all you tree pruners, climbers, explorers, and lovers, I salute you and I dedicate this book to you.

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

~Buddha~

1st: Birth first and then …

Dr. Sophie Jimson looked up from her cell phone. She still had too many emails to answer right now. She frowned. The neon sign hanging above the restaurant door said Providence’s Place. This was the place she was to meet a woman. A lawyer she didn’t know had left a terse message on her cell phone. Be here tonight if you want to meet your sister. She should be surprised, since her father had never officially told her she had a sister. He did get drunk one night decades ago and claimed he sent her ugly twin far away. When he was sober the next morning, she asked what he meant. He gave her an icy look then said she’d misheard him. She didn’t have a sister and that was that. It remained so for thirty-nine and a half years until last night’s phone call. She straightened the lapel of her designer topcoat and then adjusted the bright red carnation in the buttonhole.

Let me out here, Driver. Sophie exited the green cab in front of the restaurant.

At the same time, a young woman held the bottom of a very large belly with one hand while the other hand gripped the cab’s rear door. Her belly bumped into Sophie and she groaned then panted. Excuse me, Ma’am. I need this cab.

Oh, my goodness, you’re pregnant, aren’t you? Sophie remarked after steadying the young woman, who looked ready to cry. Easy now. You’re okay and I’m okay. The odor of something sweet like cotton candy surrounded her. When Sophie looked down at the baby belly, she noticed the young woman had a wet circle in the front near the hem of her over-blouse. The crotch of her stretch jeans looked damp as well. A cheap-looking but clean fleece sweater barely covered the blouse she wore.

The young woman grabbed Sophie’s arm and squeezed it tightly as the contractions started again. Her eyes closed and she groaned. God, oh god. It hurts, Lady. The baby’s coming and I need to get to the hospital right now!

Honey, I don’t think we have time. Sophie sighed then leaned into the cab. She shoved a one-hundred-dollar bill at him. He pocketed it. Driver, this your lucky night. I need your newspapers and your cab. I’m a doctor and we’re having a baby.

The driver shrugged then handed her four different newspapers. Doc, I been there and done that. I carry rubbing alcohol and gloves in the trunk. I was bringing a couple packages of plastic tablecloths and stuff home for the wife. I’ll get ‘em too. Don’t want my backseats messed up with blood I can’t remove.

Thanks.

You got it, Doc. The driver went inside his trunk and pulled out the paper tablecloths and spread them across the back seat then layered the newspapers on top of the tablecloths.

Sophie turned to the worried-looking mother-to-be. Don’t worry, Young Lady. Let’s get you lying down in the cab. I’m Dr. Sophie Jimson. You can call me Dr. Sophie or Doc. What’s your name? She helped the young woman settle against backseat’s door.

The young woman moaned loudly and rubbed her painfully hard belly then bit into her lip. Maya Jenkins. The clinic says it’s a boy. But I ain’t supposed to be due till next week. She started panting then groaned. Gotta push, Doc Sophie.

Pull off your pants and your underpants, Ms. Jenkins. I’ll need to examine your vagina and the canal to see where the baby is. Okay? Sophie watched the young woman nod. She removed her coat and tossed it through the partition. Her tote bag followed her coat. Then she let the driver help her slip into a homemade poncho that covered her from neck to feet. He handed her a box of latex gloves and then some KY Jelly. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow as she pulled on the gloves with a snap.

The driver grinned at the doctor. You never know when you’ll need this stuff, Doc. By the way, my name is Joe.

Well then, Joe, put on some gloves then squirt some KY on my right glove. Sophie watched him follow her instructions. She coated her right glove. Joe, let’s keep the nosy pedestrians at bay. She watched as the driver closed all the doors but one and locked them. He taped another tablecloth across the roof and let it hang over the rear door and part of the front door. Then he took position in front of the passenger door to block as much as he could. People figured out what was going on and a small crowd gathered in front of him.

How’s it going in there, Doc? the driver asked without turning around to look.

Sophie performed a quick pelvic exam and felt the baby’s head. My goodness, there you are, little guy. She grinned at Maya. Your son will be here very soon. Push, honey. She watched as Maya grunted then strained and grunted again. Push again. She guided the baby’s head out then his little shoulders. Push, Mama. Push. Finally, his legs and feet were out too. She cleaned off his tiny face and mouth then turned him onto his back and massaged it. The baby boy gave a whimper then finally a loud howl. We got us a winner. It’s a boy, Joe. She wrapped the baby in clean newspapers and handed him to Maya. She cut the cord with some scissors she had Joe disinfect first. Then she had Maya push out the afterbirth. She wrapped it in newspaper. You need to give this to your OBGYN to examine.

Joe grinned. It’s a boy, folks.

The crowd whistled and clapped then congratulated each other like they were the grandparents. They slapped Joe’s back like he was the father.

Doc Sophie, where to now? Joe asked, removing the tablecloth from the roof.

Sophie monitored Maya’s pulse and her breathing visually as she held the baby against her. She started to coo to the tiny baby then sing to him softly. Take Ms. Maya Jenkins and baby boy to … Hudson General. Tell ‘em I sent you. Joe, she needs the afterbirth checked and to make sure it’s all removed. Baby boy needs to get checked out, registered, and printed.

Aren’t you going with us?

No. I’ll check on her later. I gotta meet somebody here. Sophie removed her gloves and her plastic gown, rolled them up, and looked for the nearest trashcan. A few folks from the crowd congratulated her for the safe emergency delivery as she walked to the trashcan. Walking back, she felt a sharp pain in her left thigh. She touched her leg and her hand came back bloody. She stumbled then collapsed face forward onto the sidewalk. Her body seized and jerked as a pool of blood formed around her thigh. Then her body stilled.

Joe saw the doctor collapse and rushed over. Call 911, he screamed, staring at the blood pool. Somebody stabbed the doctor! He’d forgotten to close the passenger door. A dark shape reached into the cab, yanked the baby from Maya’s arms, and ran down the street.

Stop that man! He’s stealing my baby, Maya shrieked, pointing at the dark figure flying down the street.

Several people realized what happened and chased after the dark figure, screaming at him to give the baby back to its mama. A tall woman overheard the commotion as she stepped off the bus, then watched a dark shape running down the block carrying something while other folks chased him screaming about someone stealing a baby. She decided to step in his path at the last minute. If she planned it just right, she could snatch the baby from him without harming it. He’d get away, but she’d have the child and a bunch of witnesses she could use to go after his baby-stealing ass. It worked.

She surprised him. She snatched the child and cradled it against her chest. Then she spun around like a wide receiver and sidestepped him to move quickly in the opposite direction. He hadn’t realized what happened until it was too late to turn around to chase after the tall woman with his prize. He kept running, not stopping until he was several blocks away. He started ditching his clothing: the long cape overcoat, the black hoody, the black baseball cap, the sunglasses, and the black leather gloves. He kept the bright red lined windbreaker and the white thermal shirt he wore under it. He slowed to a walk and then went window shopping, wiping the sweat beading across his forehead. He pulled a Yankee cap from a back pocket and strolled to a coffee bar.

Meanwhile, the tall woman made sure to pull out her NYPD wallet badge hanging around her neck and make it visible outside of her all-weather raincoat. She walked back to the people who had chased the dark figure. Where’s the mother? Does anybody know where the mother is?

Several people nodded and volunteered to show her.

Yeah, Officer, we saw the mother give birth.

The baby is a newborn.

Another person pointed down the block. She’s still in the back of that green cab parked in front of the restaurant.

I heard the driver’s name is Joe something.

Does anybody have a blanket or something to wrap the baby? the tall policewoman asked, stopping to remove her own jacket and wrapping it around the baby. Now she wished she’d worn a turtleneck under her woolen suit instead of the button-down shirt and no undershirt. She heard sirens drawing closer and wondered why. Had somebody called in the kidnapping already? Or maybe the birth of the baby in her arms brought the police here? She’d soon find out, wouldn’t she? she mused as cuddled the baby against her chest. He squinted at her with bright brown eyes. Then he yawned and leaned into her chest with jerky head movements, searching for her nipple.

Hey, little guy, mine won’t work for you. I’m empty. Let’s go find your mama. She noted cell phones flashing as she walked quickly toward the green cab where a crowd had gathered. She sighed. She’d bet this shit would go viral when somebody posted it on social media. Everybody liked seeing a baby be rescued. She noticed a young woman with blood on the hem of her blouse and sweater had wrapped a plastic tablecloth around her waist. She was sobbing loudly as she stood barefoot waiting outside a green cab. I think I just found your mom, little guy.

She walked through the crowd and over to the young woman. Ma’am, is he yours? Her policewoman’s hunch said yes. She’d need ID. She’d need hospital records and blood tests to verify everything. Her gut and the visual aids said this was the baby’s mom.

The young woman tearfully nodded. She looked at her son resting carefully in the tall woman’s arms and held her arms out. OMG, Officer, thank you … thank you. Thank you.

That’s her, officer, one of the escorts remarked.

Yeah, she’s the kid’s mom, another of the baby’s escorts remarked.

I saw him being born. It’s her.

He’s right. She’s the baby’s mother.

The tall policewoman nodded and handed the baby to its mother. Miss, wait for me. She turned around to face the crowd of escorts. Okay, folks, I’m going to need names and addresses so I can verify what you’ve told me. Stand over here. She pointed to a spot next to the cab’s trunk. Young lady, please sit inside the cab where its warm for you and the kid. Where’s the driver who delivered the baby?

The young mother shrugged as she held her baby. I don’t know. He left really quick.

When crowd stepped to the rear of the trunk. She discovered uniforms surrounding the scene and ordering folks to step back. EMS had pulled up and rushed to the sidewalk. That’s the wrong spot, she was about to say. The baby and the mother are over here.

Hey LT. You got here fast.

Huh? Lieutenant Agatha Crist frowned at the uniform who spoke to her. What are you talking about? She watched the uniform move slightly away so she could see the body lying on the sidewalk yards away and the fresh blood pool soaking through the expensive slacks near the woman’s thigh. Shit! she muttered. She’d never keep her dinner date now. She signaled the uniform. We have two crimes. The sidewalk murder here where you’re standing. Then she pointed to the young woman in the green cab. Somebody tried to kidnap that woman’s newborn. I want you to interview the folks standing by the cab’s trunk. Take names, addresses, and phone numbers. Get them to verify that’s the baby’s mother. Ask them for some form of ID. See if they can describe the dark figure I took the kid from.

You took the kid from the guy?

Yeah, he was so busy running, he didn’t see me till it was too late. The lieutenant paused to rub her temples and think. I couldn’t see the guy’s face. He wore a cape thing with a hood, a dark baseball cap, and sunglasses.

LT, I keep hearing about a dark figure near the doctor too.

What doctor?

The cabby says the DB is the doctor who delivered the baby. The mother said the same thing.

Where’s the cabby?

Kneeling over there next to the body. He was trying to stop the bleeding.

Shit! He’s effing with the crime scene, the lieutenant remarked over a shoulder as she marched over to the DB and older guy Hispanic or light-skinned Black guy.

2nd: … And then a very short public death.

Agatha turned away to call her boss. Captain, I know I’m supposed to be off-duty tonight. She sighed. I caught a case. Actually, there are two of them.

Captain Bonnie Smyth frowned then thought, Here it comes, another Crist special. She sighed. Her very attractive and very bright and very kind lieutenant was in another pickle. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Before the lieutenant even gave her the details, she knew it would be a humdinger. She was just about to eat her favorite meal from her favorite Chinese restaurant, combining it with a second glass of wine with a new woman, only the woman cancelled at the last minute. Talk to me, Aggie, she remarked softly, ready to listen.

The lieutenant’s eyes widened when her boss called her by a nickname. She’d never done that on the job before. She chuckled, remembering how they talked about her upcoming date with the new woman of her dreams. "How much wine did you have? And am I interrupting a little something-something?

You’d better not be calling me from the office, where the walls have thousands of ears and cameras too. When Agatha chuckled again, Bonnie smiled. How could anybody sound so sexy to her possibly non-sober ears and yet be straight-up by-the-book and business-like. Tell me about the cases.

I was on my way to a dinner engagement when all this happened. Agatha cleared her throat. I stopped a kidnapping attempt. Before you ask how, let’s just say I popped up where he wasn’t expecting and snatched the baby away from him. When I returned the newborn back to his mom, the doctor who delivered the baby had bled out on the sidewalk.

Bonnie put down her wine glass to rub her temples and shake her head. My god, how sick is that? Why would anybody do that? Do you think the cases are related? What’s the doctor’s name? Is the baby you rescued okay? How about the mother? What about witnesses? Is EMS there to examine the doctor to make sure she’s … deceased? We should see that they take the mother and the baby to the hospital to get them checked out.

I just got to the crime scenes two minutes ago, Captain.

When Bonnie noticed how Agatha became formal again, she followed suit. Tell me what you know so far, Lieutenant.

The baby seems to be fine. Hungry, though, because he kept sniffing around my chest looking for breast milk.

The captain’s thoughts flew away from her job as the lieutenant’s supervisor. For a long moment, she agreed with the newborn. She could imagine running her nose across her lieutenant’s large chocolate breasts tipped with ebony nipples. Unlike the newborn, she’d kiss, lick, tickle, and suckle each nipple, making them so damned hard and hopefully other places so wet. She withheld a low soft moan at her lecherous thoughts. She shook her head to rid it of the erotic images and got back in the appropriate mindset. You said something about thwarting a kidnapping and rescuing the baby. What about the kidnapper? Is he under arrest?

Agatha sucked a breath then let it out. I had to choose between getting the baby safely back to its mama or giving chase to the kidnapper. I figured enough witnesses saw the guy to get a good description.

You didn’t see him when you snatched the baby?

No. I have impressions of a dark figure coming towards me dressed in all black: shoes, pants, a long cape with a hoody, a bib cap, and sunglasses covering the hair and hiding his face. He wore gloves too. I have no idea about his face, his build, or his hands. He didn’t speak, so no ID there either.

"He sounds like a character from a graphic novel called The Phantom."

One of the uniforms tells me that’s what he’s hearing too, only with the deceased doctor. A witness says the phantom was near the doctor when she collapsed.

Do we know the doctor’s name yet?

I thought I should notify you that I’m on the scene first. I had a uniform interviewing witnesses to the kidnapping before I learned about the doctor’s murder.

I’m trying to picture things in my mind. How far away is the doctor’s body from where she delivered the baby?

Agatha turned to study the scene. The baby was delivered in a green cab parked just outside a restaurant. The doctor’s body is several yards up the street from the restaurant. It’s also near the corner, with a couple of stores in between the corner and restaurant. The stores in between are a card shop and a 99-cent store. I’ll send detectives and uniforms to canvass the neighborhood.

She continued to study the crime scene as more uniforms, two detectives, and a sergeant arrived. Hmm, garbage cans. I’m a doctor and I see green trash cans on each corner. I just delivered a baby in a taxi. I’ve probably got blood on my clothes, unless I wore a barrier of some kind like an apron or newspapers. I’d want to throw bloody stuff in the trash. I’d walk to the corner and dump the stuff. Then I’d turn around and walk back to the cab to pick up my doctor stuff. I’d go to whatever destination I was headed to before all this happened to me.

Bonnie quietly listened to Agatha’s recital before the crime scene became a crime scene. The doctor was on his way from the corner trashcan to the cab.

Her way. The doctor is a female.

An OBGYN?

I won’t know until I find her ID.

Start with searching the body and then search the cab. Don’t forget to seal off…

The garbage cans … yeah, I know. The cabby is in the middle of my crime scene. Agatha sighed. A uniform says he tried to stop the bleeding. He’s taking her death hard. My guess is whoever did this knew the best place to slash to bleed somebody out quick without being noticed.

A professional hit?

It could be. Or just an angry patient or a nutjob. Agatha stopped talking to turn around. She caught an EMS tech’s eye as he checked for a pulse at the woman’s neck then flashed a penlight across the woman’s open eyes. He shook his head. She nodded she understood.

Lieutenant? LT, what just happened?

Agatha inhaled and then exhaled. EMS just checked for a pulse and did the flashlight thing across the victim’s eyes. She didn’t show any reaction. I know we wait for the medical examiner to declare her officially dead. I would like to know the victim’s name. The cabby is still kneeling beside her. She rubbed her chin. I think he’s in shock. She sighed sadly. I’ll call you when I know more.

The captain exhaled. I’m sorry you got caught in this tonight. Be sure to call your date. Don’t let her think you stood her up. Let her know it’s about work.

Agatha nodded. Funny thing, I was headed to this restaurant too. And it wasn’t a date. Unlike you, Captain, I don’t have time for that stuff. This was strictly a business meeting.

Well then, Lieutenant, unlike your date, my date wasn’t a business meeting. She’ll never know because she cancelled at the last minute. Fingers crossed your business dinner turns out better than my date. Call me later with updates. Have crime scene investigators make a video of the area and send it to me. Lieutenant?

Yes, Ma’am?

Go easy on the cabby. He sounds sensitive. He just might turn out to be helpful to the cases. Don’t forget to have crime scene take crowd pictures. You know that old saying about criminals returning to the scene to watch us and laugh.

Agatha chuckled. I don’t think that’s quite the quote, but it will do. Have a glass for me but eat something first. Your date was a fool to cancel on you like that. I certainly wouldn’t. She groaned. I meant, if I was in that mindset to date my captain. Of course, we couldn’t do that. It’s against regulations, right?

Bonnie decided to hang up before she or her lieutenant said something impossible to retract. She grabbed her wine glass and started to pour another one. She thought about her lieutenant’s wise advice then glanced at the food on her plate. She picked up her chopsticks, hovering over the small bowl of steamed mixed vegetables and the separate bowl of steamed rice. She caught fresh broccoli between the sticks, mixed some rice with it, and popped it into her mouth. Hmm. This is so good.

She did the same with the fresh orange carrots, pale nearly transparent bean sprouts, and bright green snow peas. She loved the crunchiness of the tiny corn ears and the cauliflower. As an extra treat for her tongue and taste buds, she ate part of a small order of sesame chicken and a small order of steamed dumplings, which she dipped into the soybean sauce.

Back at the crime scene, the lieutenant leaned down next to the cabby. She squeezed his shoulder until he looked up at her. Sir, she’s gone. Let the EMS techs do their job and check her vital signs.

The cabby nodded and then stood up with sadness invading his soul. I liked what she did for that girl sitting in the back of my cab. The doctor didn’t know girl, but damned if she didn’t deliver that baby safe and sound. He kept his voice low. I don’t think the girl has money for that hospital the doctor wanted to send her to. He reached into the pocket of his flannel shirt. The doc gave me this for helping her. I wanna give it to the girl, okay, Officer?"

The lieutenant sighed and pulled out a plastic baggy from inside her suit jacket. Stick it in here. It’s part of the crime scene. How well did you know the doctor? She pulled out a pad to take notes. She clicked record on her cell phone in case she missed something.

We just met. I mean, she hailed me from the street and told me to take her to that restaurant. The cabby pointed to Providence’s Place. She said she had an appointment that couldn’t wait. That’s why she wasn’t going with the kid and her baby to the ER at Hudson General. She said she’d check on the kid later tonight.

Did she tell you her name or the young mother’s name?

Yeah. I heard her tell the kid to call her Dr. Sophia or Doc. She told me her name was Sophia Something. The cabby frowned then scratched his head. He rubbed at his tears with large, strong brown hands. I ain’t no young man. I been driving a cab for over twenty years. I’ve seen just ‘bout everything there is to see. I ain’t never seen one of my riders do what she done. Bringing life into the world. Then somebody stabs her and tries to steal the baby she just delivered. It don’t make a lick of sense to me. He offered her a hand with dried blood in his nail beds. I’m Joe Lands."

I’m Lieutenant Agatha Crist, Agatha remarked, shaking his hand. They traded business cards. Did you see who stabbed the doctor?

Joe the cabby squinted in thought. No, too much street traffic.

What did you see?

The doc started taking off the tablecloth poncho I made so she wouldn’t get blood on her clothes back at my cab. She balled it up. She tossed it in and the gloves I gave her too. She walked to that trashcan at the corner to dump the stuff. The street was crowded. People were still congratulating her for delivering the baby. I lost sight of her for a second or two. Next thing I saw, the doctor touched her leg. Then she walked a few steps before she collapsed. That’s when a guy. Joe frowned. I mean, he was just a shape hustling down street.

He groaned. I left the damned back door open. I went to see what happened with the doc. She was jerking around like in a seizure or something. Blood was spurting out of that slit in her pants and soaking the left leg. I thought if I clamped my hand over it, that I could stop it from bleeding. I started screaming for somebody to call 911 cuz she’d been stabbed.

How long after that was the baby taken?

I’m not exactly sure. I was busy minding the doc’s leg. I heard Maya screaming bloody murder about baby stealing. I couldn’t do nothing cuz I was trying to keep that blood inside her. He looked down at his bloody hands. Never seen that much blood before. Not no human blood anyway. My daddy had him a farm cross the bridge in Jersey. My two brothers and their families still run it. They raise pigs, chickens, turkeys, eggs, and cows. I helped ‘em butcher cows and pigs. That’s the only time I seen that much blood spurting out a dying body.

The lieutenant rubbed her arms, wishing she had her all-weather coat on right now. It’s chilly out here. Did the doctor wear a coat? I notice she’s not wearing one now. Maybe she removed it during the delivery?

Joe grinned at her. Yeah, you’re right. She did. Threw it right through the partition to my front seat. Want me to go get it?

Agatha cussed inwardly. Now the cab was part of the murder scene too. No. I’ll get it. She needed to get the young woman and her child someplace safe too. Wait here for me. She frowned. No. Go check on your passengers. Stay with them till I get there. Joe?

Yes, Lieutenant.

Remember where you touch stuff inside and outside your cab. We’re gonna have to eliminate your prints.

You looking for his prints, huh? You hoping he touched something inside my cab when he snatched the baby, huh?

Yep. Agatha sighed then rubbed her arms as she studied Joe’s face, hoping he’d make the logical leap. She raised an eyebrow at the cabby. She watched his face as her words struck a nerve.

Joe sighed and shook his head. Your department wants my wheels for a while, huh?

Yes, I’m sorry, but the crime lab will want to look through it to see if anything pops up. We’ll need your trip log too.

Joe sighed as he studied his green car. That’s my new car. I got another I drive during the bad weather season. She’s old but steady. He studied the lieutenant. Could I go in the trunk and take stuff I need?

I’ll send a uniform to take pictures and do an inventory of what you take with you. It might take a while.

"What about my two passengers? They