Page 94 of The Cowboy and the Baby

Hernandez turned to Noelle. Her heart pounded in her throat, and her breath was uneven and frightened, but she kept herself together. No tears. No frantic screams. Cold, hard desperation.

Hernandez had a steady voice and kind eyes when he requested, “Tell me what’s going on, Noelle.”

Noelle calmed, and impressed me with her recitation, stumbling only once or twice. Hernandez asked several questions, acknowledged something in his radio that we couldn’t hear. His lips turned down a little.

“Are your parents dangerous?”

Noelle’s voice pitched higher.

“Dangerous?”

“Are they drunk, on medication that may alter their behaviors, or have a known history of violence?”

“N-no.”

“Okay. Have they ever attempted to harm Lily?”

“No. They . . . well, they said they came to see her.” Noelle waved a limp hand toward the bedroom. “Then they took her without telling us. They passed her through a bedroom window and left, telling me that she was asleep. I don’t think they have a car seat. I . . . I didn’t see one in the Jeep they rented.”

He scrawled several things on his notepad, nodding.

“No car seat is concerning, and might be something we can mention if we find them. She certainly wouldn’t be safe without one in this weather, which shows questionable judgment.”

He hesitated, then looked at both of us, square in the eye. My stomach immediately tanked. Whatever he said next wouldn’t be good.

“I’m sorry this has happened, Noelle, but I’m going to be very clear: we can’t send out an Amber alert for a child in the middle of a custody battle, even if your parents aren’t the ones formally petitioning for custody.”

“Why not?” she cried.

“Because they are her maternal grandparents and also have a legitimate blood claim. Taking their granddaughter, while ill-advised in this situation, doesn’t constitute a full crime that I can respond to.”

“But she’s not supposed to be with them! She doesn’t even know them.”

“I hear you. But custody fights are drawn out, difficult to act on, and often very fuzzy for officers. It’s a different side of the law. There’s nothing they’ve done that’s criminal for me to act on tonight.”

Fury rose, but Hernandez held up a hand. “That doesn’t make this right,” he said quickly, anticipating my instant rebuttal, “but it doesn’t make it dangerous for Lily, either. Nor does it mean we can’t do anything. I’m going to help you with this, and we’re going to work hard. But our help might not look like what you’re hoping for. First, do I have any reason to think that she’s in immediate and grave danger?”

Noelle’s nostrils flared for a moment, her eyes flashing, fists clenched. All the ire bled out of her in a breath.

“If they have a car seat? Then, no. If they don’t? Then maybe. Maybe not grave danger, but she’s certainly not safe. I don’t think they’re going to harm her. I think they’re trying to make a point to me.” With a hollow laugh, she added, “They may be working with the paternal grandparents, for all I know. My dad wants me to return to my old job. I . . .” She shrugged. “I don’t know what they’re doing.”

He nodded. “I’m sending out a BOLO, or a be on the lookout. It’ll warn state troopers to be watching out for the Jeep, particularly at the airport. We’ll see if they returned the Jeep at the rental car services there, or if they are inside with Lily.”

“Thank you,” Noelle whispered.

He nodded. “I’m also going to call their home county, see if we can intercept them there.”

“Then what?” I asked.

“We do everything we can to get Lily back to Noelle.”

Noelle’s grip almost crushed my hand. She said, “Thank you, Hernandez. I’ll contact my attorney right away.”

Hernandez opened his mouth, closed it again. The skepticism was written in his eyes. I knew what he must be thinking. What could our attorney do at this moment? Her parents weren’t even the ones fighting for custody of Lily. Yet, it would give Noelle something to do.

Evening had fallen, and with it increasingly dangerous weather conditions. Her parents now had a forty-five-minute head start on us, wherever they went. I doubted it was the airport. Too easy to stall them there, and too obvious.

If Noelle truly didn’t think her parents would bring harm to Lily then what could we do? Wait until police in their home county found Lily, perhaps?