Elizabeth's Daughter (23 page)

  “You don’t sound good,” Edna said. That was the nicest thing she’d ever said to Elizabeth. “Couldn’t Tony at least try to handle a couple of the more urgent meetings? After all, they are all his closings. And I use the word ‘closings’ optimistically.”

  “Oh. If he’s there, perhaps he could take care of....”

  “No. You don’t know he’s not here?” Edna was silent for a moment.”I was just saying that maybe you could have him take care of a couple of the meetings.”

  “I don’t think he can be counted on today, Edna. If you’d organize meetings with those people for me on Monday, I’d really appreciate it.”

  “Okay, Elizabeth, I’ll do what I can.”

  Elizabeth was surprised at how civil Edna was toward her. At least that was a bit of relief on an otherwise awful day. Maybe Edna had learned more about Tony recently than even Elizabeth knew. She had to take his calls, write his messages, and at times, perhaps even know where he was. With the way Edna had carried the torch for Tony, Elizabeth could see that her previous animosity toward Elizabeth, whom she saw as an interloper, might turn to sympathy.

  The pain really began to set in, she felt as though her whole body was swollen and cut and bruised, instead of just three distinct locations. She stayed in bed for two days, hoping to be recovered by Monday.

  But every time she fell asleep, she awoke with a start with the horrible vision of Tony moving on her. The ghastly anger contorting his face, the determination to do her harm. All she’d done was try to love him, try to find the place in him where love resided and coax it out of him. Clearly, he didn’t trust her, or anyone.

  Which was surely because he was completely untrustworthy himself, she concluded. She felt like a failure because she could not get through his barrier, even though she knew that was an unfair judgement on herself. Tony’s problems were a lot longer in the making than a year of her efforts to turn them around could repair.

  During that week-end Elizabeth was as occupied with healing psychologically as physically. But she knew she would have both kinds of scars. She pondered what sorts of painful experiences Gail must have had to have such strong, seemingly instinctive negative reactions to Tony, practically on sight.

  Elizabeth wondered if she would now develop the same kind of psychic sonar.

  Oh! she exclaimed to herself, why couldn’t everyone just be nice? Wasn’t life hard enough? Look at poor beautiful Amy, born with a defect, apparently without a natural father who would claim her, and then her mother died. Weren’t all the things one could not do anything about quite enough without people going out of their way to harm and hurt one another?

  She looked at her bandaged hand, a result of not wanting her husband to philander.

  No, she said inwardly. I reject this treatment, I won’t tolerate ever again being treated like Tony treated me.
Never again
. I claim my right to be a happy person, to expect good things in my life, to be respected. I resolve here and now to never let anyone belittle, abuse, or demean me. Every person has the right to expect happiness and joy and peace in life. I’m laying claim to that human birthright.

  When she came out of her bedroom Monday morning, she felt like a completely different person.

Chapter XXVI

“No sound nor sight of Tony for three days,” Gail said when Elizabeth came down for breakfast. “That’s good sign.”

  “Umm,” Elizabeth nodded. “Let’s not develop a sense of false security.”

  “I agree,” Gail said. “But on the other hand we have to be able to live in peace.”

  “We will, Gail. I just hope and pray what has happened doesn’t scar Amy.”

  Gail shook her head. “We won’t let it.”

  “I’m coming home as soon as I can,” Elizabeth said. “I just have to get through these meetings. How does my black eye look? I keep vacillating between, ‘it’s hardly noticeable’ and ‘good grief, what makes me think I can go out in public looking like this?’ “

  “Well, it’s kind of between the two,” Gail assessed. “The swelling had gone down, and that’s good. At least your face is its natural shape. But even with your make up it
is
black and you can expect people to ask or to stare. It might be a good idea to come up with a little story.”

  “I’ve got a little story, all right! Call me if anything happens.”

  Edna gave a whistle when Elizabeth walked into the office. “Boy! You weren’t kidding when you said you were in an accident! How are you?”

  “I’m okay.  That is, I’m better. I hope I can get through these meetings quickly and with as little conflict as possible.”

  “Good luck. Some of these people are really irate.”

  “I don’t blame them, the way they’ve been song-and-danced.”

  Elizabeth went into Tony’s office, marveling at the change in Edna. She had obviously figured out that something was wrong. Perhaps it was just her curiosity that made her nice.

  Later that afternoon Elizabeth was in the middle of her third meeting. Everything had gone very smoothly and all the clients expressed sympathy for her accident. She told herself that she’d have to remember to get herself beaten up whenever she wanted strangers to be nice to her, ha, ha.

  Right then Edna called on the intercom. “Gail’s on the telephone. I told her this wasn’t a good time to disturb you, but she insists it’s an emergency.”

  “Thank you, Edna. Excuse me a moment.” Elizabeth’s heart raced like bee’s wings as she picked up the phone. She took a deep breath. “Hello, Gail....”

  “Tony just took Amy.”

  “Oh my God! Did you call the police?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be right there.” Elizabeth hung up and leaped from her chair. She looked at her clients blankly.

  “Ahm, excuse me, I have to leave. My... my baby has been kidnapped.” She ran from the office. “Edna...it’s... Amy’s been kidnapped. Cancel everything.”

  Before Edna could say a word, Elizabeth was out the door, running to her car.

  Stay calm, she told herself. But questions flew through her mind. How did Tony get in the house? What would he do with Amy? What was going on in his confused, and, Elizabeth knew, dangerous mind? Why would he take Amy when he didn’t even care about her? He had no idea how to take care of her.

  Pulling into the driveway she didn’t wait for the garage door to open. She jumped from the car and ducked under the garage door as it slowly slid up. “Gail! Gail!”

  “Here I am.”

  “Why aren’t the police here?”

  “They’re on their way. Sit down, Elizabeth. Look at you, you’re white as snow.”

  Gail made Elizabeth sit on the sofa. A siren could be heard.

  “There they are,” Gail said.

  “How did he get in?”

  “He must have been watching the house very closely. I was doing the laundry, so, since I was going in and out the back door into the garage, I left the door unlocked. I ran upstairs to check out Amy’s room for stray laundry. “I heard a ‘clunk,’ but I thought it was the washer changing cycles. As I came down the stairs, I saw the front door standing open. I couldn’t believe it! I flew downstairs. Amy was gone from her play pen. I ran outside, and then I heard Tony’s car, but I couldn’t see it. He was gone.”

  There was a resounding knock at the door. Gail got up and answered it. She showed a policeman and a policewoman into the living room.

  “But how did he get in,” Elizabeth beseeched Gail.

  “The garage door opener,” Gail answered. “We forgot about his garage door opener.”

  “This is Officer Timms,” the policeman said. “And I’m Officer Avery. There’s been a kidnapping?”

  “Yes,” Gail and Elizabeth said together.

  Elizabeth and Gail followed the police around while they figured out what Tony must have done. He’d apparently been spying on on them from the lake side of the house. As soon as Gail went upstairs, he ran around to the front of the garage, opened the garage door with his opener, ran through the kitchen and dining room, picked Amy up from her play pen in the living room and dashed through the front door. He had parked his car in front of the neighbor’s house which was blocked from view by a row of evergreens.

  “And what is this person’s relationship to the child?” Officer Timms asked.

  “He and I are her adoptive parents,” Elizabeth answered.

  “Really?” Officer Timms responded. “What then is his motive, in your opinion, for kidnapping?”

  “He and I are estranged, but I don’t know why he’d take her,” Elizabeth said, beginning to tremble. The police woman had hit on Elizabeth’s greatest fear. “He’s never been particularly attached to her. I didn’t see it until recently... I couldn’t imagine how anyone could be anything less than completely in love with Amy. But he’s... his character has completely changed lately. He’s become so withdrawn and just... odd. Lately I’ve felt like I have no idea who he is. Last Thursday night he attacked me when I told him I’d found out about his involvement with another woman. I told him to get out. He hit me, then left. We had the locks changed.”

  “So it looks like it’s either a blackmail or revenge action,” Officer Avery said. “You’ll hear from him. He’ll try to make a bargain with you, just go along with whatever he says. Be sweet and unflappable. The important thing is to get the child back.”

  “Yes, yes,” Elizabeth agreed. “I’ll do anything!”

  “Don’t let him make you angry,” Officer Timms admonished. “Don’t let him push your buttons, which, of course, he’s sure he has the power to do now.”

  Elizabeth nodded. She began to feel a bit hopeful. These people were so reasonable, so sure, she felt they
must
know how to get stolen children back to heart-broken, anxious mothers.

  “Do you mind if we tap your telephone?”

  “No, please, do anything,” Elizabeth urged. “How long will it take to get her back?”

  Officers Timms and Avery looked at Elizabeth sympathetically. “We don’t know. The sooner, the better.”

  “Come on,” Gail said to Elizabeth. “Let’s let them do their work. I’ll make some tea while we try and figure out where Tony would go.”

  Elizabeth followed Gail into the kitchen, feeling empty, lost and frightened.

  Gail made her sit down, then she put on the tea kettle. “I feel so guilty,” she said quietly. “Why didn’t I sense him lurking around? I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  Elizabeth took in Gail’s tragic expression. “Don’t Gail, please! How can you blame yourself? We both forgot about his garage door opener. If Tony was so determined to take Amy, I don’t think either of us could have done anything to keep him from it. It’s my fault for not calling the police the other night. I am not blaming you, Gail.”

  “I was afraid you’d be angry with me, and rightly so.”

  “It won’t help if a wedge is driven between us, will it?  I need you now more than ever.”

  Gail nodded. She went into the living room and asked the officers if they’d care for anything, and they both agreed a cup of decaf would be nice.

  Then Officer Timms went out to the garage and dusted for prints.

  “Of course, his prints are all over the house,” Elizabeth pointed out.

  “But these are fresh and hopefully unmarred. We also need pictures of him and the child and some article of clothing of each. Something we can familiarize the dogs with.”

  “Oh, yes. I’ll get them,” Elizabeth said, her heart sinking. The dogs. It sounded so frightening, so violent.

  “The box outside the front door is Tony’s stuff,” Gail said. “He didn’t even bother to pick it up. Shouldn’t you be out looking for him before he gets too far away?”

  “We’ve already got an Amber Alert out,” Officer Avery assured.

  After the police left, Elizabeth and Gail went into the living room to try and figure out where Tony was likely to go.

  “Maybe he’s on his way to the condo in San Diego,” Gail hypothesized. “Maybe you should call that Michelle person and see if she knows of his whereabouts.”

  “But if she’s in with him she’ll simply lie. If she’s not, she’ll tell the truth, but I’ll still think she’s lying.” Elizabeth paused, thinking. “I don’t think he’s there now, anyway. Not after I found out everything about the condo. If the police don’t find Tony and Amy today, heaven forbid!
–
I might try to see what I can get out of her tomorrow.

  “I know we’ll hear from him sooner or later,” Elizabeth went on. “The only problem is, will he take care of Amy?”

  They spent the rest of the evening writing down what Tony might say when he contacted them, and putting down the responses that hopefully would not anger him. Anything to get Amy back in their arms.

  At midnight, Elizabeth couldn’t stand it any longer and she called the police station, asking for Officer Timms.

  “She works the day shift,” the desk clerk answered.

  “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth apologized. “How stupid of me. She seemed so competent, I guess I thought she’d work around the clock. I wonder if there’s someone else there who could apprise me of the status of the Amy Antonella kidnapping?”

  “Just a moment, please.”

  A few seconds later an irritable voice came on the line. “May I help you?” he barked.

  “I hope so,” Elizabeth answered. “I was wondering what’s the status of the Amy Antonella kidnapping.”

  There was a pause. “Officers Timms and Avery are assigned to that case.”

  “Yes, I know. But I was wondering what is being done now.”

  “There’s an Amber Alert out on the alleged perpetrator.”

  “Alleged!”