"I don't think so," said Chuck. "The word in Ybor is that Connor helped Williams with rehab and such. The rumors - not substantiated - are that Connor used to be a user, but she's been squeaky clean now for years."

"Steve ever dabbled in drugs?" Greg asked Laura.

"Never. Alcohol yes, but usually in moderation."

Greg nodded. "Well, guys, we've got our work ahead of us. The Mafiosa. Certainly adds another dimension."

"No question," Chuck said. "I've got someone in Miami to track 'em down. The big boss down there is a Carlos Tosca. He'd be pulling Santiago's strings. "

"My bet's on Santiago," Carrie offered. "But I don't want to go anywhere near him if he's so dangerous."

"I hear you," replied Chuck. "In the meantime, I gotta dig up something to show the cops they got the wrong person now."

Greg started to gather up his notes. "Okay, everyone, let's get to work. Laura, you okay with all this?"

"I want to see my kids."

For a moment, n.o.body said a word. "Yeah, I hear you," Chuck said kindly. "Once we have all the facts, we'll find a way to get them back."

"It'll be okay, Laura," Carrie said, leaning over and squeezing her hand again.

"Right," agreed Greg. "Carrie, what's up with the custody statutes, both Michigan and Florida?"

"I've got local counsel ready to file in Michigan and we'll file in Hillsborough County tomorrow. Since the kids are physically in Michigan, well, we'll see."

For the rest of the day, Greg, Rob, and Laura sat around the conference table poring over endless details. Carrie had gone off to work the custody angle, and Chuck to organize his contacts working out of Tampa, Miami, and Traverse City. When Chuck returned later, Laura jumped up, anxious for any news of her children. Chuck explained that he'd commissioned a P.I. firm in Grand Rapids to cover the Nelson house in Traverse City without initiating contact. Chuck didn't want to alert Steve until they'd established their legal options.

Meantime, Laura took two calls. The first from her parents who offered to travel to Michigan to see the kids. Laura told them what she knew - that Steve told the boys he was taking them camping, and that the girls would stay with Jim Nelson. The second call was from Roxanne Musing at the hospital. News had already traveled back that Laura had withdrawn as plaintiff witness in the Ruiz case. Laura told Roxanne that she couldn't discuss it just then, that they'd have to talk later. Roxanne tried to object, but Laura cut her off and hung up.

In the late afternoon, Carrie came in to request Greg's partic.i.p.ation in a conference call she'd set up with a local law firm in Traverse City. Chuck and his Grand Rapids man would also be on the call to set the strategy for extricating the twins. Rea.s.suring Laura that the girls seemed fine and that nothing more could be done that night, Greg sent her home.

Collapsing in the lounge chair in her bedroom, Laura sipped a cup of ginger tea and ignored the cheese sandwiches that Marcy had left. She drifted into exhaustion and fell asleep, still sitting up. When the doorbell rang, Laura catapulted up and ran downstairs.

Roxanne and a small boy with big black eyes, smooth olive skin, and jet black hair in a neat crew cut were standing at the door.

"Come on," Roxanne said, "we're going over to Bayside Park." She leaned over and patted the child's head. "This is Jose Ruiz. He's our kid for tonight. Let's share him and go watch the fireworks."

Laura looked down into the boy's shining face. "Only after I get Jose here one of my big lollipops. What's your favorite color, Jose?"

"Red," he said, a wide smile crossing his face. "Mine too!" For an instant, Laura felt her heart lighten as she followed Jose and Roxanne outside into the warm evening air.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Laura spent the week at the mercy of the civil courts' agonizing pace. Because Wednesday was the Fourth of July, the courts were closed. Then there was the issue of jurisdiction for custody. Was it Grand Traverse County, where Steve was visiting his father? Or as Greg and Carrie argued, Hillsborough County, Florida, the Nelson family's permanent residence? Neither Laura nor Steve had filed divorce or separation papers, so either parent could legally take them anywhere. But because the twins were no longer in the care of their father, Laura's attorneys argued that she could legally retrieve them and bring them home. Except that she could not leave to do so personally, and so far Judge Potter had not ruled to let her do so.

In the meantime her lawyers did not want to serve Steve's father with papers and risk Steve's abrupt return to take the girls. Rather, they wanted everything in place to allow the twins' release to Laura through a legally appointed agent, namely Chuck Dimer.

On Tuesday, through local counsel in Traverse City, briefs had been filed in that jurisdiction in support of returning the girls to Laura in Florida. Late on Thursday, a Grand Traverse County judge ruled that they could be released to the mother or her authorized agent pending notification of the father. If the father filed no dissenting papers with his court within twenty-four hours, Jim Nelson was to release the girls to their mother's legal agent for transport to Hillsborough County, Florida, where that court would then a.s.sume definitive jurisdiction.

By the time the court order arrived by courier at the Nelson home in Traverse City, Steve had already left with the boys. Jim Nelson signed for the delivery of the notification because he had no other option - and he had no idea where Steve was. If Steve got in touch with him, it'd be up to Steve to decide if he wanted to try to block Laura. If he didn't, Natalie and Nicole would be free to leave Traverse City at 5:00 p.m. Friday, July sixth.

"Okay, Laura, here's where we are." Carrie Diamond sat down at Laura's kitchen table with a cup of tea Thursday evening. "Chuck is arranging to bring the girls home tomorrow night or Sat.u.r.day morning, depending on flight availability. So far Steve has not responded to the court order so it's unlikely, although not impossible, that he'll intervene in time. So that's good news. Hopefully we'll have them home tomorrow night."

"Oh, I just can't wait. Thank you, and thank Greg and Chuck and Rob," Laura blurted. A hint of hope crossed her ashen, drawn face. Not eating very much for days now, she'd dropped several pounds.

"And there's more news," Carrie continued. "Possibly not related - and definitely morbid - but it turns out that following the night Kim was killed, a couple of dead bodies turned up in Tampa."

Laura abruptly set down her cup of tea. "What's that got to do with Kim?"

"I'm not sure, but Chuck and his P.I.s came up with a possible connection."

Laura frowned. "I'm not following."

"Well, the dead guys were Mexicans. The police found traces of high-potency cocaine in the truck they were found in. The same grade of cocaine that they're now finding on the street in Ybor City."

"I'm still not getting the connection. Does this have something to do with Kim's drug addict friend that Chuck talked to?"

"Maybe. Ybor City is Santiago's territory, and maybe he had something to do with the drugs - and the dead guys. Apparently trouble's been brewing between the drug elements in South Florida for a while. Anyway, it gives the police another reason to want to find him."

"Oh, that's just too bizarre," Laura shivered. "Steve so close to the mob? I can't believe he knew anything about it. He's always been so conservative."

"Chuck's going to question him whenever he gets out of those Michigan woods. But in the meantime, he thinks that Detective Lopez is buying Santiago's tie to the drugs."

Laura nodded. "I see. Detective Lopez was the more reasonable of the two detectives that night. Do you think that he actually wants to help me?"

"Who knows," Carrie said, "but the more resources the police commit to trying to find Santiago, the better for us."

"At least they're looking for someone else. Thank G.o.d. Listen, do they know yet?"

"What?" Carrie looked confused. "Does who know?"

"Natalie and Nicole? That they're coming home. Has anyone told them?"

"No," responded Carrie carefully. "n.o.body thought it wise to tell them before everything's settled."

"Can I talk to them at least?"

"That might be a bit risky." Carrie hesitated. "But since their grandfather already knows he has to release them to the court order -"

"I'll call right now. Jim will be okay with this, I'm sure."

After Carrie agreed, Laura dialed Michigan.

Jim Nelson answered in a cautious tone. "h.e.l.lo?"

"Jim, it's Laura. I'm so sorry about all this. And about saddling you with our problems, but I miss the girls so much. Could I talk to them, please?"

"Of course, Laura. You know I'm sorry about all this too, about you and Steve. But enough, the girls miss their mother. Hold on."

"Mom!" Nicole was first to grab the phone.

"Nicole, oh, honey, how are you? I miss you so much."

"Mom, Natalie and I want to come home. Dad doesn't want us around and I don't want to live here. When can I come home?"

Laura laughed. "Oh, it's so good to hear your voice. You're coming home soon, honey, very soon. Okay?"

"When? We miss you." Nicole hadn't stopped for a breath. "You better talk to Nattie, she's crying again. She'll be okay as soon as we get home."

"Honey, thanks for taking such good care of your sister. I'd better talk to her now, okay? I'll see you soon. I love you."

"You're not in jail or anything are you?" Nicole asked.

"No, honey, I'm not in jail. I'll be right here when you get here, okay?"

"I love you, Mom. Here's Nattie."

"I love you, sweetie."

Natalie was barely coherent as she took the phone from her sister. "Mommy," she managed between sobs, "Mom, I miss you. I want to come home.

Why can't Nicky and I come home?"

"Natalie, I love you so much. Listen, honey, you and Nicole will be home real soon, okay?"

"But Dad said you were going to jail."

"That's not true at all, Natalie. I'll be right here when you get back."

"Promise?"

"Promise." That she could do.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Greg, Carrie, and Rob spent all day Friday in Greg's office working out preliminary trial strategy. They wanted to stall the Nelson case as long as possible to give the real killer time to make a mistake, to somehow reveal himself. Meanwhile things were starting to shape up in Laura's favor. Kim's troubled relationship with Frank Santiago, followed by his total disappearance from the Tampa Bay area, had caused the police to intensify their efforts to question him. Lopez and Goodnuf also told Rob that they wanted to question Steve again, this time more specifically about Kim's relationship with Santiago. Chuck had been right; the more they learned about Santiago, the more obvious his connection with the Miami and Tampa Latin mob became. Now Santiago's disappearance on the heels of two dead Mexicans turning up in a cocaine-laced truck, the D.A.'s office had to be sweating it. District Attorney Jake Cooperman would be astute enough to jump ship if he smelled political risk.

"It's almost six," Greg finally announced. "Let's call it a day."

"Good," said Carrie.

Greg saw the relief on her face. He reminded himself not to work her too hard. Carrie had a tough time balancing work and family. Her daughter, Elizabeth, was deaf and mute, and Carrie was dedicated to providing her with every advantage. As Greg had predicted, however, Carrie and Laura had developed a bond between them, and Carrie was pushing herself too hard.

"I want to talk to Sandra Mulloy on Monday," said Rob, sounding optimistic. "Try to put some pressure on her to suspend charges against Laura while they track down Santiago. May not work, but it's worth a try."

"That'd give her more flexibility to move about," said Carrie. "To say nothing about boosting her morale."

"I agree," said Greg. "Maybe by then Chuck will have more on Santiago. My guess is he's hiding out in Miami."

Rob nodded, packing up his files. "So, heading out on the town tonight?"

"Going home to an empty house. Celeste's staying in Atlanta this weekend."

"I got a bunch of guys coming over for poker. Want to join?"

"No thanks, buddy. How about you, Carrie? Plans?"

"The usual. Kids. My daughter's school's having a fund-raiser, a carnival with a picnic, tomorrow."

"How's she doing?" Rob asked.

"Elizabeth is fine, thanks. Doing well," she said quickly. Any solicitous att.i.tude toward Elizabeth annoyed Carrie.

The intercom buzzed. Chuck was on the phone at Cherry Airport with the twins.

"Things are going according to schedule with Chuck," Greg announced as he hung up. "All's well that ends well, eh? Let's regroup Monday around noon. And Carrie," he added, "can you swing by Laura's Monday morning to make sure everything is okay with the girls. My guess is she'll be feeling 100 percent better just to have them home."

Chuck Dimer had booked himself and the Nelson twins on the Friday seven p.m. flight from Cherry Airport through Chicago's O'Hare to Tampa International. They'd arrive late, but getting the girls home to Laura as soon as possible was his goal. The release paperwork at the Grand Traverse County Courthouse had gone smoothly, and he waited in Jim Nelson's driveway so he'd be right there at five when they all returned home after the foray to the mall.

Laura sat on the edge of the sofa in the family room of her empty house, too wound up to focus on the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. She wore a yellow cotton shirt open at the neck, fitted tan slacks that were now baggy, and soft brown loafers. Her hair hung loosely to her shoulders, giving her a look of innocence, even vulnerability.

It was almost eight thirty. At nine, she planned to drive to the airport. Calmly, she kept reminding herself. It was only a twenty minute ride, and she would be there at least an hour early to meet the ten thirty arrival. Soon, so soon, the girls would be home. She could wait that long.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.