This is another of the Peter Decker series by Faye
Kellerman. By the order of the flow of the story of Decker’s life this is right
after the False
Prophet that I reviewed a few days back. The story begins in the hospital
where Rina his wife is giving birth to their daughter. The baby is born healthy
but Rina is exhausted and there is a problem of bleeding. The decision is taken
by the doctor to move to operating theatres to see what can be done and Decker
is told to go wait with the family. This is the time for rejoicing but all are
worried about Rina and not knowing what is happening is very stressful.
Eventually news comes that she has been operated on and is
fine. Since the mother is in the ICU Decker’s older daughter offers to feed and
look after her baby sister in the nursery. She does not get on with the day
nurse Marie but is more comfortable with the night nurse Darleen. The first
night is tiring as Decker stays with his wife and finds half way through the
night that his daughter has stayed by the baby and even fallen asleep. Over the
next couple of days they all have to spend time in the hospital and so it is
organised that Cindy would spend some time with her baby sister to ensure all
is well. They decide this when both Decker and Cindy find that the shortage of
staff meant that sometimes the babies were not watched over.
On the second night Cindy finds herself alone in the nursery
for an hour with babies crying and needing to be changed. She tries ringing the
bell to call someone but no one comes and so she panics. She runs over to fetch
her dad. When they return their baby is fine and the night nurse Darleen is panicking
as she has found a baby is missing and so is the other nurse Marie. A missing
baby from the hospital, particularly just a 2 day old child starts a major
manhunt for both the baby and the missing nurse. Has she taken the baby and
run? If so, why should she do that after so many years of caring for babies?
Her home is clean within minimum possessions. She has a mother who is in
elderly care home and no other relatives. The baby’s parents are teenagers and
distressed but there is nothing suspicious in their lives to indicate they are involved
in this crime.
Cindy shows interest in the case as she was present when the
baby was kidnapped. The father in Decker is very unhappy with this as it may
mean that his daughter could be in danger. Then they find a burnt out car which
come up as the registered vehicle of Marie. There is a body burnt out in it. Is
Marie dead? Was this an accident? If so, was the baby in the car? If not, who
killed the person in the car? Who has the baby? Rina comes home and is caring
for her baby while recovering from her surgery but wants Decker to look for
this missing baby. They all feel that since there is no motive to be found for
kidnap of that particular baby, it could have been their baby that could have been
taken. So while the family gather to help out and celebrate the birth of Decker
and Rina’s little daughter, Decker and his team are busy looking for that kidnapped
child.
Why do they think the nurse, at the Marie’s mother’s home,
is hiding something? Kellerman has a small scenario running through the story
about a young lady who is into body building and control. What is her link into
this whole case? Everyone one says Marie was a religious lady, good nurse and
caring and that they find it hard to understand how or why she would have taken
the baby. The only clues Decker finds in Marie’s home is a Christmas card from
a Sondra and a key to a strong box which is nowhere to be found. Marie’s mother
paints a very different picture of Marie for her life was totally different
when she was younger.
The plot is well woven and keeps you guessing all the way
through. There is the good side of it with Deckers family bonding over a new
baby and the sad side where someone else’s child is in danger and someone’s
daughter is murdered. It was a very good read.
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