Eye of the Abductor (15 page)

Another lie. He’d never felt so much warmth as he had with
Allison in his arms. They had connected, both heart and soul.

“She seemed perfect for you,” his mother stated.

“We have too many differences.”

“That’s too bad. For a moment I thought you’d make it into your
grandmother’s will after all,” his mother said. “The appointment with her
attorney is coming up, and she's serious about leaving you out of it.”

“I don’t want her money,” Brance insisted. “We’ve gone through
this before.”

“If you got disabled or fired, you’d be kicking yourself
someday,” Colby stated.

Brance decided to run the situation by them. “Okay, let’s say I’m
interested in a woman but learn something about her past.”

“How serious?” his father asked. A concerned wrinkle creased his
forehead.

“She’s a convicted felon who served two years.”

“How long was her sentence?” Colby asked.

“I didn’t give her a chance to say."

"Federal or state?" Dillon asked.

"Federal."

"In federal, you serve your full sentence. The judge
might've had a year of probation attached to it," Dillon said.

His mother dropped her fork. “You’re talking about Allison,
aren’t you?”

“Yeah. She told me the night I took her out. I didn’t handle the
news very well. Now she’ll barely speak to me.”

“If you plan a long term career in the department, I’d advise you
not to see her again,” his dad said.

“What if I married her, would you accept her?” His stomach
knotted while he waited for their reply.

His family all stared at one another before turning their
attention back on him. Finally, his father spoke. “Probably not. End it now.”

“Amen to that,” Colby said.

"Regardless of her crime, it'd reflect on you and damage any
possibility of a promotion," Dillon added.

His mother sighed as her eyes shifted around the table. “You say
that without meeting this woman. I’ve met her. She’s not the criminal type.”
She stared at Brance. “Maybe you should ask her more about it. If she’s served
her time, shouldn’t she be entitled to a fresh start?”

“Mom, you’re too naïve,” Dillon said. “Leopards never lose their
spots.”

His mother ignored the remark and continued questioning Brance.
“How do you feel about her?”

“I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to her. And she’s all I think
about.”

“Sounds like love,” Tina, Colby’s wife stated.

“Talk to her," his mother suggested. "Find out what the
crime was before you make up your mind."

Brance nodded. He planned to take his mother’s advice if Allison
would open her door. Finally he decided to ask. “What’s the occasion?”

“Dillon was feeling a bit down over Johnny Jenkins,” Carla
replied. “It’s the anniversary of his death this week.”

“Rather than allow him to sit at home and mope over it, I invited
them over,” his mom admitted.

“Then I suggested Colby and Tina come,” Carla added. “Before we
knew it, we had a dinner planned.”

“I thought you were having an early Thanksgiving.”

“That’s Thursday, and I’m cooking this year to give your mom a
break,” Carla commented.

“I have to work Thanksgiving,” he lied, taking the pressure off
of them.

“That’s too bad,” Carla said. “I was just about to invite you.”

Yeah, right.

Brance figured it was partly because of how the last dinner had
ended. He shrugged off the hurt and focused on the drug bust that had cost
Johnny Jenkins his life. Jenkins had been a rookie who rode with Dillon. His
brother had been lucky to escape the crossfire.

“Let’s drink a toast to Johnny’s killer.” Dillon extended his
glass. “Rob Wilson. I hope he’s burning in hell.”

Wilson?

Brance didn't like the funnel cloud of uncertainty spinning in
his mind. Randy and Shawn had spoken of Paige Wilson. Was there a connection?
"Rob Wilson’s wife was also arrested as I recall. What was her name?”

“Paige Wilson. She claimed she was innocent,” Dillon said. “Too
bad she didn’t receive a life sentence like her husband.”

“What evidence did they have against her?”

“She made a delivery for him,” Dillon said. “FBI already had
Wilson under surveillance. Which is how they caught Paige on the video.”

“Did Rob Wilson back up her story?” Brance asked.

Dillon sipped his ice tea. “No, he testified she knew.”

“Did they have any children?” Brance asked.

“Yeah, one. Wilson’s parents ended up with him. Near the end of
her sentence, the Feds transferred her to a Kansas facility near her father,”
Dillon stated.

Brance didn't like the direction this was heading. He reassured
himself that Allison Davenport was not Paige Wilson. But he couldn't ignore the
similarities. Allison was from Kansas.

“Is Paige Wilson out of prison yet?” he asked.

“Probably. But she better not come back to this part of the
country,” Dillon declared.

“And why’s that?” Brance questioned.

“She’s a marked woman.”

“Heavens, Dillon. You talk like the cops will be out for
revenge,” his mother scolded.

“It’s what people think she knows that will get her killed,”
Dillon said. “Not revenge.”

Colby wiped his mouth. “If she was in on the operation like
Wilson claimed, more than likely she knows the whereabouts of the five million
that disappeared.”

Brance’s queasy stomach settled for a moment. They had to be
talking about a different woman. If Allison Davenport had five million, she’d
be in court trying to get her son back.

“I’ve got to run,” Brance announced.

“You’re not going to eat any pie?” his mom asked.

“No, I’m sure you only fixed enough for your invited dinner
guests. I’ll be in touch,” he said, regretting it immediately.

His mother’s eyes grew dull, but she didn’t apologize or make
excuses for not inviting him.

All the way home, Brance kicked himself mentally for saying
something so spiteful to his mom. He slammed his car door and headed for the
stairs. The lights in Allison's apartment were still on. Before he spoke with
her, he needed to know if she was Wilson’s ex-wife. He hurried up the stairs.

Brance pulled up the case file on his computer. A mug shot of a
bleached blonde with short hair and glasses appeared. He studied the picture
recognizing Allison’s eyes and nose. Paige Wilson and Allison Davenport were
one in the same.
Shit
.
This can't be happening
.

He gave some thought to what his mother said about hearing
Allison’s side of it before making a judgment call. He closed his eyes and
imagined how horrible it must’ve been to surrender her child and be taken away
in handcuffs and shackles. He hurried downstairs and knocked hard.

Allison opened the door, appearing nervous and glancing behind
him. “It’s late.”

“I need to speak with you.”

“Brance, we’ve been through this. There’s nothing to say. If we
become a couple, your career will be over. Your friends will turn against you.”

“It’s not just about us. Can we talk?”

Allison reluctantly opened the door and allowed him to enter.
“Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” He sat on the leather loveseat and studied the
apartment. She kept the place clean. It had a fresh citrus smell. He wiped his
sweaty palms on his pants.

“Care for a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks.” He waited for her to sit on the opposite end of the
love seat. “Again, I apologize for the way I behaved. You threw me a
curveball.”

“It was the only way to make you understand.”

Brance sighed. “It worked.” He paused. “You’re Paige Wilson and
Davenport must be your maiden name. I'd like to hear your side of it.”

She waited several seconds. “My husband was a corrupt cop, always
on the take, always with his hand in illegal ventures. I didn’t realize any of
this until the night a drug bust went terribly wrong.”

“He testified you were involved, and the FBI had surveillance of
you making a drop.”

“I wasn't. I did make one delivery, but I didn't have a clue as
to what I was transporting. Rob had told me it was gunpowder. I knew some of
his friends would reuse their shell casings and purchase gunpowder in bulk to
share. It sounds really dumb now, but I didn’t question Rob. For one thing, I
didn’t know he was dirty until later.”

"So the judge gave you a lighter sentence than the
others."

"Two years of prison time and one year of probation for
transporting with intent to sell. I received the lesser penalty since I'd never
been involved in a crime. Lucky for me it was marijuana instead of a harder
substance, or I could've been given at least twenty years. Near the end of my
sentence, I was transferred to Kansas."

“You owned a four hundred thousand dollar house. You didn’t
suspect anything?”

She shook her head. “He told me he’d had a few lucky breaks
dealing in stocks. Besides, I worked also. I felt so gullible once I knew the
truth. I should’ve suspected he lied, but I’d never doubted him.”

“Did he abuse you?”

“Not physically. Mentally, yes. He didn’t come home often.
Sometimes he told me he was working undercover or had to be out all night. The
only thing he'd been staking out was a stripper named Candy Mirkle, who became
his mistress.”

“But he never asked for a divorce?”

“No. He liked the idea of having a wife and a mistress. He liked
the game of sneaking around and being a rat. And he was damn good at it. He
gave me Sunday every week. But he was usually too exhausted by then to go anywhere
other than to his parents’ house.”

“Why didn’t you divorce him sooner?”

“I didn't know about Candy until everything in our lives flipped
upside down. Also he kept telling me his schedule would get better, and he’d
have more hours at home. So I waited patiently. I thought once Nathan was born,
he’d spend more time with us.”

“So why did he testify against you?”

“I was devastated. In prison, I had ample time to think and
realized he did it for his mother.”

“You’re saying he testified so you’d be out of the picture and
his mother would get Nathan?”

“Exactly. She was frantic after I filed for a divorce. And with
Rob going to prison, she was scared I’d move back to Kansas, and she'd never
see Nathan again. Even though I promised I’d stay here and nothing would
change, she convinced Rob to lie about my involvement.”

Brance considered what she’d said, and it sounded like a solid
theory. “Can you prove any of it?”

Allison pulled her legs up under her. “No. When I was released
from prison, I stayed in Kansas and completed my year of probation. By then I
had enough saved to move here and rent a place.”

“Being the biological parent, there's a chance you'll get him
back. But in today's court, you never know the outcome, especially since the
Wilsons have had him most of his life. You need to be prepared for anything,
but I think at the very least you’ll receive visitation.”

“I’ll never give up on getting my son back. I will do whatever it
takes, regardless of the price. I can’t pretend he never existed.” Her face
tightened, revealing her despair. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she
quickly wiped it away.

“Allison, I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you this to upset you. I don’t
want you building up false hope.”

“I’ve been strong for Nathan. When I first went to prison, I
wanted to die, but it was my child who kept me going, that saw me through the
ordeal. I kept waiting for Dorothy to bring Nathan for a visit, but she never
did. I wrote and begged her to bring him or at least send pictures. She
didn't.”

Brance tried to put his arms around her, but she drew back.

“I don’t need your sympathy. You probably don’t believe anything
I’ve told you. Or maybe you’ve been told about the five million that came up
missing. If you have any grand ideas of me leading you to a pot of gold at the
end of the rainbow think again. I don’t know what happened to the damn money.”

“You think I’m after the money?”

“Why not? You’d be one of many.”

He clenched his fists. “Let me set one thing straight. I don’t
want any part of blood money. And I’m only here because I wanted to apologize
again, and I needed to hear your side of the story.”

“I’m sorry. I know I’m being irrational.”

“And one more thing, Randy recognized you. I overheard him
mention Paige Wilson. At the time, I didn’t have a clue it was you.”

“I thought I could live here without anyone recognizing me, but I
was so wrong.”

“The person I saw break into your car must’ve known your
identity.”

“Wednesday night at the church, someone left a message on my
windshield.”

“What kind of message?”

"Cop killer."

His pulse surged like he’d just received a high voltage charge.
Damn, he wanted to protect Allison from anymore threats or people who’d harm
her.

What Dillon had said about cops wanting revenge ran through his
mind. And some of them might be after the five million. Randy had told Shawn
about the money, and Shawn knew Allison worked at the church. Could he have
been the one who wrote on her windshield?

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“It’s Jill. She mentioned she might stop by.”

“I should go.” Brance stood, crossed the room, and opened the
door. “Hey, Jill. Come in.”

“Am I interrupting anything?” she asked with curious eyes.

“No. I was just leaving.”

After noticing Allison's teary eyes, Jill flashed him a look that
could kill, the kind that only a high school teacher could give.

***

Allison appreciated Jill’s wolverine mentality. Yes, Brance had
upset her, but he’d only told her the truth about her chances of regaining
custody of Nathan. It made her all the more determined to continue with Plan B.

Eduardo Escobar would send another henchman. She'd considered
telling Brance about the threat but decided against it.