Baltimore [3.5] Broken Silence Read Free Page A

girl.’
    ‘How long had she been there in the snow?’
    ‘Several hours at least,’ Kate said. ‘She had frostbite on her hands. The doctors don’t think she’ll lose any fingers, so that’s one positive.’
    Daphne stood still for a long moment, studying the child. ‘She sits like a little lady.’
    ‘She’s all hunched over,’ Kate said. ‘How can you tell?’
    ‘Look at her feet. She’s got them slanted to the side, crossed at the ankle. If she sat up straight, she might offer us a cup of tea. What was she wearing when you found her?’
    ‘Jeans, designer label. Brand new, as was the cashmere twin set.’ Kate shook her head. ‘What kind of six-year-old wears a twin set?’
    ‘The kind whose mother trains her to serve tea,’ Daphne said wryly, knowing the type. ‘What else?’
    ‘Prada boots. I priced them at Saks – they retail at almost four hundred bucks.’
    Joseph pointed to a box on a table behind them. ‘The clothes she was found in.’
    ‘Wow.’ Daphne checked the makers’ labels on the clothes, each piece sealed in a plastic evidence bag. ‘This twin set alone would pay for two of your black suits, Kate. And the boots?’ She held them up to the light coming through the two-way mirror. ‘Faux fur trim, suede fringe. And . . . sand?’ Particles of sand had clung to the fringe. ‘An impractical choice for the beach. And odd that she’d been there at all, considering the weather. Is the lab checking the sand for origin?’
    ‘Told you she’d pick that up,’ Joseph said smugly.
    ‘All right,’ Kate grumbled. ‘You were right, I was wrong. Yes, Daphne, the lab checked the sand. It’s Eastern Shore sand that she could have picked up anywhere from Delaware to Virginia. It’ll take weeks to pin it down any further. Take a look at the coat.’
    Daphne drew the large bag from the box. At first glance, all she could see was blood, but when she turned the bag over to see the other side, her eyes widened.
    Holy God . It was snow white and it was fur – and it didn’t look faux. ‘I’d need to touch it to be sure, but this looks like real fox fur. We’re talking major bucks here.’
    ‘You’re right,’ Joseph said. ‘It’s real fox fur. Lab checked the fibers. We’re waiting on the analysis of the specific type and where it came from.’
    ‘I’ve checked around,’ Kate said. ‘None of the department stores carry anything like it.’
    ‘I’m not surprised. They could special-order it, but this comes from a very exclusive furrier. If you’re paying that kind of money, you don’t order sight unseen. You’ll try it on in person. Get the full royal treatment. You know, champagne, caviar . . .’
    Kate shook her head. ‘For a little girl?’
    ‘Not the champagne, of course. That would have been for the mother.’
    ‘Do you have furs like this?’ Kate asked Daphne hesitantly.
    ‘No. My ex’s mother has a closet full, though. Occasionally she’d take me with her when she went shopping for a new mink so that she could teach me to be “discriminating.” After all, a proper lady would never be caught dead in a substandard fur.’ Daphne returned the coat to the evidence box. ‘I’d circulate Angel’s picture around at the fur salons to see if anyone remembers her. You might find a coat like this in D.C., but your chances are better in New York. This will be the kind of place that caters to celebrities and the very, very wealthy.’
    ‘I’ll get on it,’ Kate said. ‘Thanks.’
    Daphne turned back to the window to find Angel in the exact same position and the social worker looking discouraged. ‘Can I talk to Angel?’
    ‘I was hoping you would,’ Joseph said.
    Monday, December 23, 12:50 P.M.
    ‘You were right,’ Kate said again when she and Joseph were alone in the observation room. ‘Asking her to help this little girl was exactly what she needed.’
    Joseph watched as Heidi told Angel that she was going to the bathroom for a few minutes and that Daphne would