Eye of the Abductor

Copyright - 2012

Elaine Meece

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, dialogue and events are products of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously, and any likeness to actual person, living or dead, business
establishments or locales is entirely by coincidence. References to real
places, groups, or organizations are intended to only provide a sense of
authenticity and are fictitious.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my husband, Geoffrey and daughters,
Valencia, Alicia, Francesca for their help and support. A special thanks to
Valencia who read it countless times while line editing and searching for
problems.

I also want to include a special thanks to Dee Julian, author of
Promise
Me
and
The Macgregor's Daughter
, for being such a wonderful critique
partner and friend.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank these special guys for giving me tidbits of
information, Ernie Lancaster, retired captain of the Memphis Police Department,
Mike Ball of the Bartlett Police Department, Baron Wilkes, attorney, and
Bartlett Fire Department Paramedics. Also, I appreciate Gavin Anderson’s help
with the formatting.

Chapter One

They had so much.

She had so little.

What court would ever grant her
custody of her son over her in-laws? They wouldn't give him back without a very
expensive court battle. One she couldn't afford.

Behind the tinted glass of Jill's
car, Allison Davenport stared at the two-story colonial home where her son had
spent most of his life.

He'd be almost four now, no longer
the chubby infant with the toothless grin who'd been physically torn from her
arms.

Her chest ached with anxiety.

"Nathan is mine. I want him
back."

"Just don't do anything
stupid. Be patient," Jill said.

A dark sedan pulled into the
driveway, and Allison's pulse quickened. “That’s Dorothy. Do you see Nathan?”

“In back,” Jill replied.

Allison caught a glimpse of his
head before the car pulled inside the garage. When the automatic door closed,
she was deluged with disappointment. “I’d hoped to see his face.”

As Jill was about to drive
away, the front door of the house opened, and Dorothy strolled toward the
mailbox. Behind her ran a blonde haired little boy, kicking up the October
leaves.

Nathan!

Allison’s heart soared like a kite
on a windy day. Desire to cuddle and kiss him overwhelmed her. She swallowed
the ache in her throat but couldn't hold back the tears. She wiped her eyes.
“Oh, Jill. He’s adorable.”

“We’d better leave. A parked car
might make her suspicious. She knows you're off probation and free to leave
Kansas.”

“Just a few more minutes.” She
sucked in a sharp breath, fighting her emotions. Love, anger, joy, and a sense
of loss. "I left Dad with ten letters addressed to Nathan. Each month he
mails one."

"I'm sure she tears them
up."

"No doubt, but as long as she
sees the Kansas postmark, she won't suspect I'm living less than five miles
away."

Once Dorothy and Nathan went
inside, Jill swerved away from the curb and drove out of the upscale Bartlett
neighborhood. “You’ll get him back.”

“I hope and pray you're right.”
She had to be strong. Tears wouldn’t get Nathan back. “This is the first time
I’ve seen him since my sentencing. He doesn’t even know who I am. I've lost so
much time with him.”

“Once you get him back, you’ll
make it up. Things will work out." Jill glanced both ways and turned
right, then drove up Stage Road. “Be positive. This is the new you. You're
Allison Davenport now. Paige Wilson is history.”

“I hate to break it to you, but my
luck hasn't changed.” Her thoughts returned to her son, and she sighed. “I just
hope he’s mine again before he starts kindergarten.”

“He will be. But you can’t come
back here. Stay away until you’re ready to take them to court."

That was Plan A. And if it didn’t
work, there was Plan B. Abduct him. Allison didn't want to do it, but if it was
the only way she and her son could be together, she'd consider it.

Jill wasn’t aware of the backup
plan. No doubt she’d try to talk her out of it.

"Too bad you can't prove Rob
lied just so his mother could get Nathan.”

"Rob's dead, and she'll take
her dirty little secret to her grave."

Jill turned into the two-story
brick apartment building with stairs on the outside leading to the second
floor.

A black SUV with dark tinted
windows turned in behind them. Impulses of fear darted through Allison. Did
someone already know she was back? Had the SUV been following them?

The vehicle drove past them.
Relief settled over her. She had to stop being so jittery.

“You want to take in a movie
tonight?”

“I'm sorry. What'd you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to see
a movie."

"No, not tonight. The choir
is singing at the eight-fifteen service tomorrow. I'll need to turn in early.”

“Why bother?”

“I like going, and it's a way to
establish myself in the community. Show I've kept a clean slate since leaving
prison."

***

Saturday night Allison had been
dreaming about Nathan's first day of kindergarten when a rhythmic thud woke
her. It took a moment for her mind to become alert and identify the sound.

Damn him! He's at it again.

She removed the spongy earplugs
and threw them on the floor. They hadn’t blocked the noise coming from the
apartment above her. His headboard continued to bang against the wall with a
powerful rhythm.

As she lay alone in her bed,
listening to the passionate sounds, an image of the man who lived above her
eased into her thoughts, causing her body to burn with need. She had to fight
these urges.

It had been years since she’d been
with her ex-husband, yet sex hadn’t been an issue until now. Now the man
upstairs had her twisted in incredibly tight lustful knots. Her body begged for
sexual gratification. She stopped fighting the desire and relaxed.

She closed her eyes and fantasized
he was with her instead of the woman she'd seen him escorting up the steps
earlier. She blocked out the woman’s sensual sounds and only heard his warm
baritone voice.

She envisioned her sexy neighbor
making love to her. Images of his bare butt pumping and flexing while they made
love flashed in her mind. By the way his jeans fit, his ass had to be taut and
his legs muscular.

In the apartment above, he shouted
profanities and cried out.

Heat exploded through her as her
body responded to the fantasy, followed by an acute case of embarrassment. To
think her love life now amounted to this. But this was safe. Safe from
involvement and heartache.

While waiting for sleep, she
dwelled on the lovely home and her teaching job that she'd lost. None of it mattered.
Now she only wanted one thing from her old life as Paige Wilson.

Her son
.

Allison switched on the bedside
lamp. From the nightstand, she removed a small receiving blanket. She held it
to her nose and breathed deeply, but it no longer smelled like her baby. She
wiped tears from her eyes and willed herself to be strong.

***

Sunday after church, she
approached the entrance of Malden Brother's Department Store and recognized the
petite brunette waiting at the door. She waved at her best friend. The only
person who wrote her while she'd been incarcerated. The only person who knew of
her past.

Inside, Jill squinted while
studying her like a hawk. “You look tired.”

"I couldn't sleep. The man
upstairs was at it again."

"Same one in his lair as
before?"

“No, a strawberry blonde this
time.” Allison hesitated. She debated whether to tell Jill. Finally, she
relented. “It’s getting out of hand. I actually fantasized about him last
night."

"You naughty girl."

"The man’s gorgeous, and he
sounds like he knows how to please a woman. I’m going insane with him living
above me.”

“Obviously.” They stepped inside
the employee elevator together. “So, tell me. What's he like?” Jill probed.

“Breathtaking.”

Jill rolled her eyes.
“Breathtaking?”

“Seriously. My breath catches in
my throat.”

“No. Be specific.”

“Brilliant blue eyes. Dark
complexion and hair. About six two with a body that’s so hot. He’s probably in
his early thirties. When he walks to his car, I feel like such a fiend gawking
at him from my window.”

Jill giggled. “A breathless fiend.
Have you spoken to him?”

“No, and I don’t plan to. For one
thing, he’s a player and secondly, he’s a Bartlett cop.”

“A cop? No way! You sure?”

“He drives a white Crown Victoria
with blue lights in the back. Detective, maybe. He’s never in a uniform.”

“Too bad you’ve sworn off cops.”

“With a good reason.”

“You can’t judge all cops by Rob
the rat.” Jill’s face puckered into a frown. “What he did to you was unthinkable.”

Jill and Allison stepped off the
elevator, then walked into the small breakroom and clocked in. The aroma of
coffee filled the air.

Allison waited until they were
back in the hallway to speak. “It’s not just cops. You know I can’t become involved
with anyone.”

“You can’t stop living. You’re
only twenty-nine.”

“I have to stay focused if I want
Nathan back. How will it look in court if my in-laws can prove I've been
sleeping around?”

“Who's looking? Besides, you've
changed. You're ten pounds lighter. You ditched the glasses. Your hair is back
to its natural color. By the way, I like the reddish brown better than the
blonde. And, you’re using your maiden name now.”

“Rob’s mother could spot me a mile
away. And she knows my maiden name is Davenport.” Allison followed Jill back onto
the empty elevator. “It’s not just her. I need to keep a low profile. It’d only
take one Memphis cop to recognize me and ruin everything."

"I doubt that. Get
real."

“No, seriously. If word leaks out
I’m back, I’ll have some pissed off Memphis cops seeking revenge and one angry
South American drug lord wanting his money back that Rob stole. If Escobar only
knew that I’m the last person my ex-husband would’ve confided in, he’d leave me
alone.”

“Bet that stripper would know.”

Allison only nodded, because it
hurt to recall the woman her husband had valued more than her. While she’d
given birth to Nathan, Rob had been with his mistress.

As she walked from the elevator,
the strong scent of name brand perfumes pervaded the air. She ducked behind the
jewelry counter, then turned back to Jill. “Thank you for getting me this job.
I'm not sure how you pulled it off."

"It's no biggie. The human
resources manager owed me a favor." Jill glanced around to make sure no
one was nearby. "He skipped the background check."