Page 30 of Facing the Enemy
Jack picked up the conversation. “While you were at Your Heart for Adoption Agency meeting with the perspective birth mother, someone broke into your car. They took the original and copies of your dealings. Right?” Alex nodded, and Jack continued.
Jack verified the date. “For clarification, were other valuables taken from your vehicle?”
“No, sir. The Des Moines police department has the crime report in their records.”
“I’ll check now.” Jack tapped his thumbs at lightning speed on his phone. “I need the officer’s name?”
“I don’t remember.” Alex took his wife’s hand. “We were eager to meet Emily.” He clenched his fist and pounded on the desk. “We were taken for fools.”
Nanette’s lips quivered. “By professionals, those who make a living by capitalizing on people’s dreams. We—” She stopped to pull a tissue from her purse and dabbed her nose. “How do these people prey on so many innocent people?”
I took over while Jack verified the Des Moines police report. “Fraudulent adoption agencies operate around the world under the guise of caring individuals. They arrange placement of kidnapped babies to those who are not only unsuspecting of an illegal operation but are also often unable to adopt through normal channels or don’t want to wait years for a child. Sometimes the agency will take the money paid and leave the area without following through on their end of the contract. Sometimes people, like you, meet the supposed birth mother who fakes her pregnancy and longs for her baby to be adopted into a good home. Hundreds of thousands of dollars exchange hands. If knowledge of the crime surfaces, the child and the biological and adoptive parents suffer.” I paused while tears streamed down Nanette’s face. “I promise you, various organizations are working to stop these horrendous crimes.”
Alex pulled his wife close to him. “Thank you.”
“When you met Emily Lock the first time and on the placement day, was anyone else in the office besides Harvey Sinclair?”
“No, sir. The office was small. Nanette and I signed the final papers. Harvey said he’d have them notarized and delivered by certified mail.” Alex studied me. “It’s a wonder my wife and I are still alive. If Sinclair and his cohorts are so ruthless to kidnap a baby who has a life-threatening illness, they will do anything to cover up their crime.”
I placed my pen beside the legal pad. Alex had nailed the truth. “You’re right. My guess is you two would probably be dead if Sinclair hadn’t arranged for two burglaries.”
Jack checked his phone. “We have our answer from the Des Moines police department. On the date your car was burglarized, the police weren’t notified.”
Alex blinked and paled. “An officer in full uniform met us at Sinclair’s office. Are you saying the cop was fake?”
“I imagine so,” I said.
“How many people are involved in this scam? My mother used to sing a song about the devil had blue eyes.” Alex scowled. “Makes me think of Sinclair.”
A small clue. “He had blue eyes?”
“Yes. What about Emily Lock?”
“Sea-green eyes. Long auburn hair,” Alex said. “We had dreams of a beautiful baby with some of her features.” He paused. “Harvey might have been wearing contacts.”
“They both could have been wearing contacts or other disguises,” I said.
Empathy for the Wades and other victims caused a sense of anger and justice to roll through me. “The FBI, other agencies who advocate for missing children, and our team from CARD, which stands for Child Abduction Rapid Deployment, are investigating what happened to you and the Addingtons’ baby.”
“You know our case.” Alex’s voice trembled. “It also looks like we could have been a part of the abduction.”
Nanette turned to her husband. “Alex, no reason to put yourself through this. We are victims.”
My phone buzzed—a background of the Wades’ attorney met my scrutiny. Initially the attorney had a clean record.
“Yes, you are victims,” I said. “If the Addingtons’ baby hadn’t been ill, no one would have ever learned the truth. While this is heartbreaking, by sharing your experience, we’re one step closer to bringing justice to so many other innocent people.”
Alex paused for a moment. “Sinclair could have taken our money and not given us a child, and that is despicable. But what he’s done is much worse. How can we offer anything of value to your investigation? Our paperwork is gone, and the names given to us are probably phony.”
“We’d like for you and Nanette to meet with our artist. Through your descriptions, we can use facial-recognition software to help further the investigation.”
“I have something to contribute,” Nanette said. “I used my phone to snap a picture of Emily when she wasn’t aware. At the time I thought as our baby grew, I might find a resemblance.”
I showed her a pic of the man from the security cam in the adoption agency’s parking lot. “Can either of you identify this man?”
Both confirmed the man was Harvey Sinclair.
“Mrs. Wade,” Jack said, “would you come with me, and we’ll check your phone for the birth mother’s photo. I also want your husband’s phone to check both for any hidden tracking devices.”
