Harm's Reach

23

Ren drove into Safe Streets Monday morning.

It’s nice to have Ben Rader back.

Very nice.

Too nice.

It will end.

Stop.

He is incredible.

I will make the most of the incredible sex.

Before it all ends.

Because it will end.

That’s the credible part.

Shut.................................... Up.

Ren released a breath she was unaware she’d been holding.

Discontentment is a scourge.

She started to think about Laura Flynn and whether she had ever had a sense of contentment in her life. Her family life was tough, her parents died, her sister died, then she was left alone in a strange city. Ren wondered if the Princes had put Laura under any pressure to be their surrogate. Did they feel she owed them because they had taken her in? Did she feel she owed them? Or was it as simple as they chose her because she was a young, healthy employee who they trusted and who trusted them?

Could a couple entrust the most precious of life to someone... and something change so drastically they would later have her killed?

What if something had shown up in the baby scans? The baby was healthy according to Dr Tolman. But what if for some reason the Princes thought there was a problem?

Ren called Dr Tolman.

‘Barry, it’s Ren. I know you said the fetus was viable, so I was wondering is there a possibility that a fetal abnormality might have shown up erroneously on a scan of the Flynn baby? Like, could a scan be misinterpreted easily? When would the last scan have happened?’

‘Probably at twenty weeks,’ said Tolman.

‘And what’s the twenty-week scan?’ said Ren.

‘Well, it checks fluid levels, organ and bone development. They take a lot of measurements, give the gender if they can and if the parents want to know.’

‘So it would show up any problems with the baby...’ said Ren. ‘And is there a chance that an error could be made?’

‘I would imagine this couple and their surrogate were getting the highest level of treatment with the most advanced technology and experienced staff. I don’t think a mistake was likely. I couldn’t say for definite, obviously.’

‘OK,’ said Ren.

‘There is the possibility that your surrogate saw a 3D image of the very healthy baby inside her and wanted to keep it for herself...’

Maybe with no one left in her family, and a succession of crappy boyfriends, she found a different way to create a family...

Safe Streets was slowly coming to life when Ren arrived in. As she sat at her desk, the phone started to ring. She picked up.

‘Hello, is this Special Agent Ren Bryce?’ It was a woman’s voice, an English accent.

‘Yes,’ said Ren.

‘Are you dealing with the Laura Flynn murder investigation?’

‘Yes,’ said Ren.

‘I... might have some information. I don’t know if it means anything, but I thought I’d let you know. My name is Simone Spencer, I’m friends with the Princes. Laura’s sister, Saoirse, used to be our nanny.’

‘Oh,’ said Ren. ‘OK. What can I help you with?’

‘I wanted to let you know that I found some strange internet searches on my computer,’ said Simone. ‘Sometimes, Laura called by to use it. I came across a search from back in February... about second-trimester abortions.’

WTF? ‘And are you sure it was Laura who searched for that?’

‘Well, I’m not sure, no... I just know that Laura used the computer and... she’s the only person I know who’s pregnant. The searches were deleted, but my husband discovered by accident that the computer automatically captures page views and stores them. He was looking for something else and he found a record of these searches.’

‘Were there others?’ said Ren.

‘Just about what states carry them out,’ said Simone. ‘It’s illegal here in New York, but not in Colorado. Where Laura was found... there’s a clinic within about fifty miles of there. It’s called The Stoneford Clinic. She had looked through their site.’

‘Thank you for this information,’ said Ren. ‘Simone, were you friends with Laura?’

‘I would like to think so, yes,’ said Simone. ‘I was very fond of her, as I was of Saoirse.’

‘Did she mention anything to you about a termination?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Simone. ‘Obviously, she may have been looking it up for a different reason or... I’m not sure. I know that she was having this baby for Ingrid and Robert... to help them. That was the kind of girl she was.’

‘Did Laura use your computer a lot?’ said Ren.

‘Now and then,’ said Simone. ‘But usually just if she was up to something sweet, like buying a surprise birthday gift or printing off a special recipe. I mean, Ingrid would do the same for Robert’s birthday or whatever.’

‘Did Robert monitor their internet searches?’ said Ren. ‘Could they not have just deleted the history on Ingrid’s laptop?’

‘I guess so,’ said Simone. ‘I can’t imagine Robert trawling through the computer to check up on them. He’s not that kind of guy.’

Conflicting reports...

‘Maybe it all just added to the excitement, sneaking down to our apartment,’ said Simone.

‘We’d like to take a look at your computer, if that’s OK?’ said Ren.

‘Of course.’

‘We’ll send someone from the FBI office in New York,’ said Ren. ‘Please keep this confidential. And thank you for your call.’

Ren sat in stunned silence. She called Janine to fill her in.

‘And I have something for you,’ said Janine.

‘I can hear the edge of excitement in your voice...’

‘Are you sitting down? The lab picked up a partial print from Laura Flynn’s rental car. We got a match. Kohler arrested a young man in the Ace-Hi Tavern in Golden January 8th; he had gotten into a bar fight. His name is Conor Gorman. Do you want to know who he lives with?’

‘I do...’

‘A Mr and Mrs Robert Prince.’

‘What?’

‘He was one of the Faules’ trusted runaways,’ said Janine. ‘And his aunt is Laura Flynn.’