Missing in Flight

CHAPTER SIXTY MAKAYLA

CHAPTER SIXTY

M AKAYLA

Liam squirms on Makayla’s lap, patting her forearm with his hand as he watches the FBI agents and analyst seated across from them. Agent Pratt introduced the analyst as Tina Farrar, adding that she was the one who found Liam in the kidnapper’s truck. Jack shook the analyst’s hand, and Makayla threw her arms around the woman’s neck, thanking her. The two women held each other for a moment before they sat down.

Agent Ruiz flashes Liam a smile.

“What did the man who kidnapped our son tell you?” Jack asks them.

The agents suggested they speak in the pediatric floor’s private consultation room, but Liam still needed to be attached to the monitor, and Makayla wasn’t letting him out of her sight.

“He told us quite a lot.” Agent Pratt leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “He knows we also have his getaway driver in custody and wanted to be the first to tell us everything.”

“We still have to confirm his story,” Ruiz adds. “But so far it seems to check out.”

Pratt interlaces his fingers. “The deceased female parachuter, Raquel Cabral, was Conner Abrams’s girlfriend.” His gaze travels from Makayla to Jack. “According to him, Cabral was placed on leave by the hospital where she worked last spring while an investigation played out over Cabral’s suspected involvement in a patient’s death. The hospital wasn’t able to prove anything, and Cabral was later allowed to return to work. While she was on leave, she read your featured article in Forbes . Afraid she would lose her job—and possibly her health-care license—she was the one who came up with the plan to kidnap Liam after finding Makayla on social media, where she discovered Makayla was pregnant.”

Makayla’s breath catches in her throat as Pratt’s eyes return to hers.

“She created a fake Facebook account and joined your Tribeca mother’s group, posing as a new mom named Cori. When she discovered your mom was Lydia Banks, Cabral lied about her mother being Snow Browning, knowing it would create a welcome connection. After learning about your trip to Alaska, she told Abrams about her scheme, and he enlisted two of his fellow inmates from Otisville to orchestrate Liam’s abduction. The getaway driver we arrested had done time for fraud and internet crime. More importantly, he has a brother who lives in Hong Kong who helped set up a bank account they thought would be untouchable.”

Jack narrows his eyes. “I still don’t understand how they got on the flight with stolen IDs. How were they planning to get away with it?”

Liam grasps Makayla’s necklace and tugs, pulling her toward him. She works to pry the chain out of his little fingers.

“Cabral worked as a registered nurse at the same hospital as Jemma Neilson, whose ID she stole,” Analyst Farrar says. “The two women look very similar.”

Pratt nods. “Apparently, Cabral had been mistaken for Jemma Neilson once by a physician even though the two women worked on different units. According to Abrams, Cabral used her hospital ID to sneak into the locked break room on Jemma Neilson’s floor. She took a photo of Neilson’s driver’s license. The man who broke into your condo has an associate who makes fake IDs, and he replicated the license, which Cabral switched during another shift.” Pratt shifts in his seat. “Conner Abrams did the same thing while working at a couple of bars in the city. He waited until he found a regular who he could pass for and replicated his driver’s license.”

Liam wiggles beneath her arms when Makayla draws him closer. “Did they say how they sedated him on the flight?”

Ruiz nods. “At the start of the flight, Conner Abrams bumped into you on purpose. After monitoring your images on social media, they knew what kind of pacifier Liam used, so Cabral gave you back an identical one that had a slit cut through the teat, which was filled with a dose of oral morphine mixed with sucrose that Cabral obtained from the hospital where she worked.”

Makayla runs her hand down the back of Liam’s head, smoothing his hair. She recalls being surprised by how quickly he fell into a deep sleep on the flight. At the time, she’d been grateful—not at all suspicious.

“What if I hadn’t gone to the bathroom?” She glances at Jack. “They couldn’t have known I was going to do that.”

“Abrams said they were counting on you either falling asleep or using the lavatory without him. They also had a plan for Cabral to distract you while Abrams snatched Liam if neither of those things happened.”

“What about the flight attendant?” Makayla asks. “Derek. Has his body been found?”

She holds her breath as Pratt gives a slow shake of his head.

“Not yet,” says Farrar. “It’s dense forest area all around the Finger Lakes, so it’s possible his body may never be recovered. But as you know, his fall would not have been survivable.”

She does, but it doesn’t stop the sob that escapes from her throat.

Jack wraps his arm around Makayla’s shoulders. “What were they planning to do with Liam? If you hadn’t have found him?”

The two agents exchange a glance before Pratt speaks. “Even though they were prepared to parachute out of the plane with Liam in the baby carrier, taking him with them was plan B. Abrams said if they had gotten the message from the man who broke into your condo that the funds were transferred, they would have left Liam in the dog carrier to be found after the plane landed. According to Abrams—and his driver—they were planning to return Liam once they got confirmation that the money was transferred.”

Makayla straightens. “When the flight attendants searched their bags, didn’t they see the baby carrier? That should’ve been cause for alarm.” She inhales to the base of her lungs, trying to dispel the fury ignited by Britt’s incompetent failure to check the pet carrier—and notice the couple had packed parachutes, not backpacks.

Agent Ruiz nods. “Yes. When I interviewed the attendant who searched their bags—and failed to check the pet carrier—she said she did see a small baby carrier inside one of their carry-ons. When she questioned them about it, they told her it was for their dog. Said she got tired on their long hikes.”

Makayla turns toward the window. “She should’ve known better.”

“I agree.” Ruiz shrugs. “She admitted to not looking at it that closely and taking the couple’s word for it. Said she felt uncomfortable having to search the passengers’ bags. And having no children or pets of her own, she didn’t know the difference between a chest pet carrier and a baby one.”

Liam stirs on her lap, cooing when Analyst Farrar returns his smile. Now that Liam is safe, the sting of Cori’s betrayal sets in. All these months, her trusted friend wasn’t real. She used Makayla like a pawn. And I played right into her hand.

When it comes to friendships, she’s usually guarded at first. But she was so quick to let Cori in. It could’ve cost Liam his life. A chill runs up the back of her neck.

Pratt looks at Jack. “Also, after what you told me about Rothman’s fraud, we’ll be launching a full investigation into the firm’s accounts. So, if you’re telling the truth and Rothman’s lying, we’ll find out.”

“Good,” Jack says, placing his hands over his knees.

“And the key card found on the man who broke into your condo was one of the building’s master keys. One of the building’s repairmen reported his key missing this morning. He must’ve stolen it after being let in the back entrance like he told you.”

Makayla looks between the agents and Analyst Farrar. “What if the money had never come through?”

“Fortunately”—Pratt sits up straight—“you’ll never have to know.”

Makayla locks eyes with the analyst after she stands. “Thank you again for finding him.” She smooths the top of Liam’s hair. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

“Just doing my job.” The analyst smiles, her gaze traveling to Liam. “I’m glad we were able to. Now, I’m going home to hug my daughter and never let go.”