Chapter 8
The wind whipped through Bridget’s hair as she stood outside the ER entrance to Bryan Hospital. She pulled a hair tie from her pocket and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She’d have to hope that looked okay as she tried to calm the butterflies rioting in her stomach.
Her phone buzzed, and she fought to ignore it as Logan gave Dani a thumbs-up from his position behind the tripod.
“We’re good.”
Dani nodded and extended the microphone toward Bridget. “What can you tell me about the girl you’re working with?”
“We have an unidentified Caucasian minor of approximately thirteen-years-old who was brought to this emergency room last night by an off-duty Lincoln police officer. She’s been unconscious since she was brought in, so we are actively looking for her family.
She was found in the vicinity of Rosie’s bar and grill.
If anyone has any information about her or believes she might be your daughter, please contact the Department of Children and Family Services so we can reunite you with her and obtain any pertinent medical information as soon as possible. ”
“Are there any identifying marks on her that would help people determine whether they know her?”
Bridget paused, considering what she had seen. “She has a small birthmark on her neck by her left ear. It looks roughly like the shape of a heart. As I said, if you believe you know who this girl is, please get in contact with us right away. Thank you.”
Dani looked at Logan and then ended the interview. “Did you say a birthmark?”
“I think that’s what you would call it. They haven’t given her a full bath yet, but I noticed that last night when I was sitting with her. It’s dainty.”
Dani nodded even as she seemed to pale.
“Are you all right?”
Dani nodded, though it wasn’t convincing. “I’m fine.”
Bridget’s phone buzzed again, so she reached for it.
“I’m sorry but someone’s trying to reach me.
” As she turned, Bridget noticed Dani reaching for her own phone even as she leaned against the bumper of the Channel 13 Jeep as Logan stored the equipment.
Something was up that Bridget would need to follow up on after she finished this call.
When she spotted her texts, she didn’t understand what she was reading. Why was Jason texting her?
He never reached out during the day.
Hey, Sis. Gotta minute?
What’s up?
***
Yes. I have a minute.
I need rent.
She sighed. One day he would hold down a job and pay all his bills.
Right now his veteran’s benefits covered most things, but some months it didn’t go as far as others.
It was a mystery she needed to unwind, because his bills should be consistent.
Hers certainly were, and her paycheck didn’t fluctuate at all.
Bridget?
I can’t cover your rent, Jason.
Just this month.
I don’t get paid enough to cover both of us.
If you don’t, bad men are coming after me.
That doesn’t even make sense.
I pay rent or I pay them. I can’t do both.
Bridget rubbed her forehead where she felt the rising press of a tension headache. Combined with the lingering pain from last night’s hit, it was going to be a rough day.
When do you need the money?
Today. 5 p.m.
Give me the number for your rental agency, and I’ll see what I can do.
Tnks. You’re the best.
No promises.
She didn’t need one more complication today. She also couldn’t unwind what Jason meant by bad men. But she couldn’t let him get kicked out of his apartment either. It had taken a lot of effort to find one that would accept his benefits.
She couldn’t do anything until he sent her the number, so she’d get back inside and see if she could be more effective for Jane Doe.
His search of court records didn’t turn up anything on the Brandenbergs, but he didn’t know enough to really search. Having a minor’s name wouldn’t turn up records because anything related to her should be sealed. He pushed back from his computer. “I’m heading to her school.”
“All right. I’ll keep seeing what I can find. So far, the Brandenbergs are centered around Wayne.”
“That’s two hours from here.” He looked at the school again. “St. Mary’s?”
Caleb looked up from his computer. “Isn’t that the school in town that closed a few years ago?”
“Maybe. I wonder if there’s one in Wayne.” A few clicks and he had a phone number. “Hello, this is Detective Westmont with the Lincoln Police Department. Could I speak with someone in the office who can confirm whether a student is enrolled there?”
The woman who had answered hesitated. “I can’t give you that information. Let me see if the principal is available.”
“Thank you.”
A minute later a woman came on the phone. “Principal Hayes. I understand you have some questions about a student.”
Todd identified himself and then explained what he needed. “We’ve got an unidentified girl that we think is Eliza Brandenberg. Could you describe her for me?”
“Eliza?” The woman’s uncertainty trembled in her voice. “She and her family moved several months ago.”
“She had her St. Mary’s school ID in her backpack.”
“That’s unexpected. Was it a black backpack with pink Legos across the bottom?”
Todd looked at the area where his desk intersected with Caleb’s where the backpack sat. “That’s the one.”
“It’s the only one like that I have seen.” The woman’s concern deepened. “I’d describe Eliza as thin and very blonde. She’s a highly intelligent child. She’d just started entering the difficult teen years where she was pushing her parents and they were considering where the boundaries should be.”
“Any concerns about drugs?”
“With Eliza?” The woman’s shock seemed genuine.
“Not at all. She was too smart to mess with something that as she would tell you could kill you the one time you experimented. She well understood times had changed and fentanyl made playing around with drugs incredibly risky. Her adoptive brother had died of an overdose making it incredibly unlikely she would ever do anything like that.”
“Her brother was adopted.”
“You misunderstand me.” The woman paused as if wanting him to make the connection, but Todd would wait her out. “She was the one who was adopted.”
“And she was beginning to act out.”
“Just a bit. Like she was testing her parents’ love. After her brother died, things were hard.” She sighed. “He was well loved but that didn’t protect him. He overdosed the first time he experimented. A bad batch made its way up here. The other two kids survived, but he didn’t.”
“What are her parents’ names?”
“Why?”
“We haven’t located them.” He tapped the card against the desk. “The only way we know Eliza’s name is this student ID card.”
The woman sighed. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either. I’m hoping her parents can help fill in some gaps.”
“William and Odette.”
“Where did they move?”
“Waverly. From one W to another. Eliza thought it was ridiculous. Not happy to leave her friends.” The woman paused. “Will she be okay?”
“I hope so. Thanks for the information. Can I call you if I have more questions?”
There was a brief pause. “Sure. She was always a sweet girl. Her brother’s death impacted the entire family, but I think it hurt her most. He was the star of the family. He had a scholarship to play football in college. And then he was gone.”
“There was quite an age gap.”
“Yes. Odette couldn’t have more children. Eliza was their miracle in many ways, yet that brought its own pressure. After Ryan died, well, that only increased.”
“One last question.”
“Yes?”
“What does Bill do?”
“He sells fertilizer and other things for farms through one of the local coop services. I’ve never really understood it, but he’s been successful. Has a fancy agronomy degree from the university.”
Todd smiled at her description. “Thank you for your time, Principal Hayes.”
“I wish it were under better circumstances. You’ll let me know what happens to Eliza.”
“Yes, ma’am.” It was the least he could do. As soon as he hung up, he pulled up Google and entered Bill Brandenberg then William Brandenberg. When neither pulled up a hit, he frowned. Then he entered Odette Brandenberg. “This is not an overused name. Why can’t I find anything?”
Caleb leaned back in his chair. “That sounded like a fruitful conversation.”
“I thought it was, except the names she gave me aren’t showing up online.”
“Hand ‘em over and let the pro go to work.”
Todd shook his head as he jotted them down. “I don’t think it’ll make a difference, but if you can find them…” He ripped off the sheet of paper and handed it over.
Caleb took it and started typing. A minute later he wore a frown as he studied his screen. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Right?” Todd ran his fingers along his scalp as he tried to think. “Did anything happen in Wayne about six months ago?”
“Not that I remember but let me call a buddy who works up there.”
“You have a friend in the police department?”
Caleb grinned at him. “When you’ve been at this as long as I have, you build a network.”
“I thought I had been at this the same amount of time.” Todd shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. We need to know why the family would suddenly move.”
“When did the son die?”
“According to the principal?” Todd looked at his notes.
“I’m not sure, but we should be able to find a death certificate.
” He started punching information into the correct database.
“Okay, so Ryan died almost eleven months ago. Five months after the family moved from Wayne to Waverly. At least according to Principal Hayes.”
“Which we can’t verify, at least not the easy way online.” Caleb kept clicking around. “There must be something. I’ll call the coop and learn why he left.”
“That would be good. I’ll call the coops around Waverly, see if I can identify which one he switched to.”
Now that they had a thread, he had something to pull on. They’d untangle this mess. Figure out who Eliza was and why she was in that alley. And then he’d locate the person who left her there and make him or her pay.