Eye of the Abductor (34 page)

She slowly raised her head and directed her gaze to the agent.
“Brance doesn’t believe  I took Nathan?”

“No, Ma’am. Not for a moment. He’s insisted you’re innocent from
the start.”

Her despair lifted. “Then can I leave?”

“I’m afraid it’s not up to me.”

***

Carla picked up the new toys scattered about the den floor.
Christmas was over. Dinner had turned into a discussion about what a fool
Brance was for standing by Allison. No doubt the Stones thought she’d kidnapped
her son and fled with Brance's money.

When the FBI checked his bank accounts, not a cent came up
missing. Carla didn’t believe Allison was behind her son’s abduction.

Dillon stood in the doorway, watching her. “You should make Sam
and Bridget put them away.”

“I’d rather they sleep late. Care to help?”

“Sure. You got any coffee brewed?”

She nodded. After piling the toys in the corner, she followed him
into the kitchen. “Heard anymore about Allison?”

“They extradited her to Memphis late last night. She’s probably
at 201 Poplar. I’m sure Brance held his head high when they marched her past
him in cuffs leading her to her cell.”

“I’m sure he did. He loves her. And I’m happy for him.”

“Marrying her screwed up his career.”

“It just proves how much he loves her.”

“He’s in denial. When Mom spoke with him, he claimed Allison left
because she didn’t want him to miss Christmas dinner with us. Said she’d gone
to visit her dad.”

“Did she have the kid?”

“No. That still doesn’t mean she didn’t stash him with a friend.”

“I don’t believe she’d do that. And I don’t think she’d walk away
from Brance.”

“You did.”

“Yes, and I regret it.” She paused. “I want a divorce.”

He laughed. “You think if she goes to prison, you can have
Brance?”

She glared at him. “No. Brance is like a brother to me now.”

“Well, you don’t fuck your brother for three years.”

“We were engaged. It never bothered you before that I’d slept
with him. Why now?”

Dillon shook his head. “I can’t explain it. It’s bothered me this
past year like an itch I can’t scratch.”

“You’re the one I fell madly in love with.”

“So why a divorce?”

“I know about your whore. Don’t deny being involved with her. I
wanted to wait until after the holidays to say anything, but I can’t go on
living under the same roof with you. Pack your things and leave.”

Dillon’s face paled. “What’d you say?”

“You heard me. Your attraction for me was only due to the fact
that I was Brance’s fiancée. I don’t think you ever loved me. Not the way I
loved you.”

He didn’t deny it. Instead he stared at her with a solemn silence
that frightened her. Her heartbeat quickened.

“Am I right?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

She folded her arms, preparing to stand her ground. “After you’ve
packed up, we’ll sit down and explain it to the kids.”

“No way am I moving out or you’re filing for a divorce until
after Gramie dies.”

“All you want is her money, you cold-hearted bastard. Do you care
about anyone but yourself?”

“That’s an asinine thing to say.” He sipped his coffee. “If you’re
smart you’ll play the happy wife. I’ll split whatever Gramie leaves me if
you’ll keep quiet and stay married.”

“While you go on seeing someone else?”

He shrugged in an I-don’t-give-a-shit-way. But his eyes showed a
spark of remorse.

Carla wanted him to leave, but she knew he was right. Her alimony
and child support from his Memphis Police salary wouldn’t be enough. And that
was if she received a fair judge. Gramie’s money could make a difference in her
children’s lives. “I want it in writing, or I’ll announce to the family New
Year’s Eve that we’re divorcing, and I plan to tell them why.”

***

“I can’t make the kid shut up," Trey Marshall said.
"He’s cried for two hours straight. He won’t eat or drink. Have you sent
the damn ransom note yet?”

“She’s been in the fucking jail. They still believe she’s
involved in his abduction.”

“I can’t take anymore of his screaming.”

“So drug the little bastard.”

***

A phone rang, and Agent Crammer answered it, talked, and after
hanging up, glanced at Allison. “The charges have been dropped. I’ll lead you
out. Your family is here.”

“Did they find my son? Is he all right?”

“Someone identified your son. He was with a man wearing a dark
hooded sweatshirt. The east Memphis store clerk had heard the story and had
seen pictures of Nathan on the news. She called our tip line.”

“He has to be terrified.” She stood. An agent escorted Allison to
get her personal belongings before leading her to a waiting area.
Brance
.
She rushed into his arms and clung to him. “Oh, God, Brance. I’m so scared.”

“I know, sweetheart. So hang tough. We’ll get him back.”

The Wilsons stood to the side, watching her. Mrs. Wilson stepped
forward. “You’re behind this. You paid someone to take him. I can’t believe
they’re dropping the charges.”

“If you have something to say, speak with my attorney, Mark
Nelson. We’ve already filed for custody.”

“You’ll never get him,” Dorothy said.

***

Brance stepped between them.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Wilson, you can cooperate and help us find
Nathan or keep this accusing crap up and make our job harder, and we’re working
against time." He stroked Allison’s back tenderly. “Allison loves Nathan
and would never put him through this kind of traumatic experience. I think deep
down you know that.”

Mrs. Wilson’s eyes watered up as she nodded.

He turned from the older woman and gazed at Allison. “You need
some rest. I’m taking you home.”

“I can’t eat or sleep. Not until I know Nathan is safe.”

“You won’t do Nathan any good if you’re too tired to think
straight. The FBI will be setting up at our house and at the Wilsons' home.
They’ll trace any phone calls."

 He walked her to his car, then drove home.

While Allison slept, Brance showed the FBI agents where they
could set up. He assumed a ransom call hadn’t come because whoever held Nathan
knew Allison had been arrested. Soon it would filter down through different
sources that the charges against her had been dropped.

A knock on the door startled him. He opened it, hoping it wasn’t
another reporter. When he saw his father, his breath hitched. “Come in.” He
glanced over his dad’s shoulder. “Mom stay home?”

“She thought it’d be best if I came alone.”

“The FBI is here setting up.”

“I won’t stay long. Is Allison here?”

“Yeah, but she’s probably asleep. She's had a rough couple of
days.”

Mike Stone glanced around the house. “Mind if I sit for a
minute.”

“No, let’s go in the den.”

His father followed him into the next room and sat on the sofa
across from him. “I just stopped by to apologize.”

After the cruel words that had been spoken, Brance decided he
wouldn’t make it easy on him. “About the insensitive way you told me I wasn’t
your son or perhaps all the nice things you’ve said about my wife?”

“All of it. First of all, I was angry when I said what I did
about you not being mine. I raised you. Despite us not sharing the same blood,
you are my son.”

“Raising someone doesn’t make them your son. I realize now that you’ve
bottled up your anger towards me for years. The cold stares instead of the
proud, loving looks you gave Dillon and Colby. The way you always took up for
them but never me.”

“I was so angry at the man who raped your mother. I couldn’t take
it out on him.”

“So you took it out on me. And it pissed you off big time that
Mom would’ve divorced you to keep me. Hell, you wanted me aborted.”

“I won’t deny it. I didn’t see any reason to interrupt our
lives with an unwanted child. But your mom was adamant about keeping you. Once
you were born, I couldn’t keep myself from loving you.”

"Yeah right," Brance mocked. “Is that what you call it?
Love?”

“I know I did all those things, but deep down I had come to love
you. I thought of you as mine more and more and less about your real father and
what he’d done. I’m sorry, Brance. Whether you believe it or not, I love you.”

He wanted to believe him, still wanted him as a father and wanted
to be Mike Stone’s son. “You’re the only dad I’ve ever known. Of course I love
you, but what you said hurt like hell.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make you feel more loved. But anytime I
attempted it, that old anger ate away at me.”

“So why this grand epiphany now?”

“Christmas wasn't the same. It seemed empty and flat. Then I
realized why. You weren’t there, cracking jokes and arguing with Dillon.” He
paused. “Later Christmas Day I took out the photo albums and realized how much
I care about you and how much I regret the things I said.”

“You sure Mom didn’t insist you square things between us?”

“No, this isn’t about her. Just me.”

When Brance heard someone enter the room, he glanced up.
“Allison, what are doing out of bed?”

“I want Nathan’s cradle beside the bed. Please, would you bring
it from the other bedroom?” She eyed his father a moment before looking back at
him. “Is everything all right?”

"It's fine." Brance stood and crossed the room. He
wrapped her in his arms in a comforting hug. “Dad and I are just clearing the
air about some things.”

“Mind if I have a word with Allison?”

“Have you come up with some new ways to insult me?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Allison, it’s all right,” Brance assured her.

She sat on the sofa. “I’m not involved in my son’s kidnapping.”

“I know. That’s not what this is about. Allison, I’m sorry for
the way I’ve treated you. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I’ve been more upset over the way you’ve treated Brance.
Forgiveness takes time. But I will try with all my heart if you’ll use your
experience as a cop to help find Nathan.”

Mr. Stone smiled slowly. “I’d be happy to help. Are you still
waiting for a ransom note or call?”

“Yes. Brance thinks now that I’m back home, we’ll hear from the
abductors soon. I know what they want.”

“Your ex-husband’s money?”

“Yes, and there’s nothing I can tell them.” She mentioned what
Marshal Green had suggested.

“Might not be a bad idea until they realize you’re stringing them
along,” his dad stated. "It might be better to open an account in Rob's
name on some remote island. Give them the information and account number. Then
have the authorities pick them up when they try to retrieve the money."

“That's clever,” Brance said. "Why bother opening an
account? Make up the information."

His dad shook his head. "If they discover there isn't an
account, it might have serious repercussions."

“You still think the person who attacked her is a cop?”

“Yes. Could be more than one involved. Maybe even a judge.”

The phone rang. Fear laced Allison’s eyes. Brance escorted her
into the room he used as an office. The FBI agent gave her a nod to answer the
phone.

***

Allison hoped she could do this without falling apart or babbling
like a fool. She had to remain calm. She stared at the phone as though it were
venomous.

Answer it.

It rang again and fear draped around her like a vampire’s cloak.

Pick it up. Now.

“Hello.” She held her breath.

“Paige, I’m glad to see you’re out of jail. I think you know what
I want. Don’t you?”

"I know." She glanced at Brance and the agents who
listened in on the call.

“You know what I’ll do to your kid if you don’t give it to me. Or
if you involve the FBI.”

“The Wilsons involved the FBI before I was released from jail. I
think you already knew that.”

Agent Hamsley held up a note for her to read, demanding proof of
life.

Allison nodded. “I want to speak with my son to make sure he’s
all right.”

A silence came over the line.

Then she heard the sniffling cries of a child. Not any child, but
her son. Again the crushing sensation returned to her chest as despair consumed
her. “Nathan, it’s Allison from the nursery. Don’t cry, sweetheart. It's
Mommy.”

The man's voice returned to the line. “We want the name of the
bank, the name it's under, and the account number.”

Her eyes widened at his use of
we.

Brance shook his head not wanting her to acknowledge the
slip of the tongue made by the abductor.

Again the agent held up a note for her to read.

“And if I give you what you want, how do we make the exchange?”

“I’ll call you once I set it up.”

The line went dead.

She bowed her head. “Oh, God. My poor baby is so scared.”

Brance’s dad asked Agent Hill, “Did you get it?”

The agent frowned. “It’s a prepaid cell phone that's pinging off a
White Station tower, so I didn’t get an exact location. At least we know your
child hasn’t been taken out of the state. And most importantly, he’s alive.”

"But for how long?" Allison’s face paled. “I can’t give
them what they want. I don't know what Rob did with the damn money.”

Agent Hamsley’s expression remained neutral. “Every case is
different. But just the fact that Nathan is alive and hasn’t been taken out of
state is favorable news.”

A speck of hope glowed inside her.

Allison stepped on the side porch for a moment to breathe in the
crisp December air. As she came back inside unnoticed, she heard Agent Hill
talking to Brance.

“Most abductors panic and kill their hostages. Nathan’s chance of
being rescued lessens with each hour.”

Chills ran through Allison as she faced the grim fact she had
nothing to bargain with. Her son wouldn’t stand a chance without giving the
kidnappers what they wanted.