Eye of the Abductor (36 page)

“How will I know you?”

“You won’t, but I know you. Don’t bring any cops, and that
includes Stone. If you do, I’ll have someone near your kid, ready to slit his
throat. "Understand?”

“Yes, I do.”

When she told the agents and Brance what the caller had said,
concern rose in Brance’s expression. “I can’t believe he plans to conduct the
exchange in a public place.”

Agent Hamsley uncoiled a wire from the phone. “He’s smart.
Saturday the mall will be packed with after Christmas bargain hunters."

"He can blend in with the crowd and no one would dare shoot
in fear of hitting a bystander. The mall has lots of exits and places to hide.
He’s not blocked in. If things go wrong, there are plenty of hostages at hand,”
Agent Hill added.

“Our agents will be close. Don't worry,” Agent Hamsley said.

“No!” Allison emphasized. “He said no one. If you’re spotted,
he’ll have Nathan killed. I’m going alone.”

***

Brance phoned Dillon. “Anything, yet?”

“Nothing. Larry played a round of golf this morning. That’s about
it.”

“Were you able to scramble in on his cell phone?”

“Yeah, but so far there hasn’t been anything.”

“I wonder if Colby’s having any better luck with Trey.”

“Brance, you should let the FBI handle this. If you’re wrong, the
kid could die.”

“I’m terrified the FBI will blow it. Once Larry and Trey know
we’re on to them, they’ll kill Nathan.”

"Right or wrong, the kid's chances are slim to none, and we
both know it,” Dillon said.

“If nothing turns up by Thursday evening, I’ll inform the FBI
about the abductors' identities.”

"Just remember, you're working out of your jurisdiction. You
come upon anything call Colby or me to handle it."

"I will if there's time."

Brance worried that even if Allison did everything they demanded,
it wouldn’t be enough to save Nathan. Most kidnappers murder their hostages. It
was a cold, hard fact.

Thursday morning, Brance followed Marshall a few cars back.
Brance pulled into the mall parking lot and positioned the binoculars on
Marshall as he entered Starbuck's.

Jill stood and hugged her lover. They talked a while before
Marshall left.

Should he stay with Marshall or follow Jill? Uncertainty twisted in
his stomach. Even though Dillon placed a covert tracker on the guy’s car,
something could transpire in the time it took to catch back up with him. He
decided to go with his gut and follow Jill.

After leaving Starbucks, Jill stopped at McDonald’s and purchased
a Happy Meal. Hopefully, she’d lead him straight to Nathan. He tailed her to a
house in the White Station district where the first ransom call had come from.

She parked and left the car, carrying the child's meal. A woman
stepped out on the porch with a little dark haired girl beside her.
Disappointment washed over Brance.

Jill handed the woman the bag, hugged the child, and left.

Brance had screwed up big time. He should’ve stayed on Marshall
rather than follow Jill.

He thought about what Dillon had said and decided to let the FBI
have the information. Allison would never forgive him if her son died.
Never.
He'd never forgive himself. It’d also be a death sentence to their marriage.

When he returned home, Brance discussed the possible suspects
with the agents. He returned to the bedroom where Allison lay propped upon a
floral pillow.

“I should’ve stayed on Marshall.”

“No, I think you did the right thing."

“I was so sure Jill was involved and delivering that Happy Meal
to Nathan,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t recall her having any relatives with children. You said
a little girl, right?”

“Yeah, about Nathan’s age.”

“And the woman?”

“Latino, maybe.”

“You said she didn’t stay long.”

“That’s right. Why?”

Allison shrugged. “It’s silly.”

“Nothing is silly when it comes to something like this.”

“Did you get a good look at the little girl?”

“Not really,” Brance replied. “I just noticed the dress and
sandals. She had long dark hair.”

“Was it reported on the news about the store clerk who spotted
Nathan?” she asked, scooting up in the bed.

“Yeah, what are you getting at?”

“I think there’s a chance the child you saw was Nathan. Maybe
after he was recognized, they disguised him.”

Brance tried to remember more about the little girl but couldn’t.
Could Allison be right?

Rather than act on it himself, he passed Allison’s theory on to
the FBI agents. But he could tell they didn’t take the tip seriously. While he
spoke with the agents, Allison peered around a corner, obviously trying to
listen in. Her entire demeanor screamed despair.

Agent Hill jotted down the address and said they’d check it out.

But if they waited, it'd be too late.

When he returned to the bedroom, Allison sat on the bed, tying
her shoes. She waved him over and whispered, “I’m going to look for Nathan. I
just know that was him.”

“The FBI Agents said they would check into it. Just let them
handle it.”

Allison huffed in a flustered rage. “They were patronizing you. Are
you coming with me, or am I going alone. Either way, I’m leaving
right now!
Nathan’s there. He’s scared and he needs me. I have to go to him.”

“Let’s go. I’ll drive you.” Brance grabbed his jacket.    

They drove to the dilapidated house, where Jill had been. Brance
pulled in front, but before he could put the car in park, Allison jumped out of
the car and rushed toward the side of the house. When Brance glanced back,
she’d already walked around to the backside of the house, carrying a flashlight
and a bat.

 
Oh shit!

Brance grabbed a flashlight, then jolted from his car, catching
up with Allison on the back porch. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She peeked through a small window. “Finding my son,” Allison said
in a determined tone. “I’ll hammer anyone who stands in my way.”

Brance believed her. He knocked on the backdoor, no one answered.
He gripped the doorknob and twisted it. Surprisingly, it was unlocked and
opened with ease. He removed his .357 and held it in a ready position with a
flashlight in his other hand. “Stay here.” He stepped inside. “Hello, anyone
here?”

When no one answered, he flipped on a light in the rundown house
and carefully swept the premises, finding no one. It had that old soured house
smell, which he hated. He heard a noise and quickly turned to find Allison
standing in the doorway. “I told you to wait outside.”

“I couldn’t.”

Clothes were piled on the floor in one corner. He walked over and
lifted each piece
-
obviously
Nathan’s.

“Oh, Brance. I was right. I remember Nathan wearing these pajamas
the day I stopped by Dorothy’s house.”

“They’ve already relocated him. Maybe Jill saw me.”

Anger erupted in an explosion of heat in his brain. Brance cursed
as he thought about the agents not acting on the information immediately. He
was angrier with himself for not realizing that the little girl had been
Nathan.

***

Mrs. Wilson cried as she was shown the clothes. “They belong to
Nathan.”

Allison placed her arm around Rob’s mother. “We’ll get him back.
They’re picking Jill up for questioning.”

“Oh, Paige, God is punishing me for what I did to you.”

Bill Wilson studied his wife. “Then what she claimed at the
nursery is true, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I thought Paige would take Nathan to Kansas to live with
her father. So, I begged Rob to testify against her. He didn’t want to at
first, but I kept on him until he agreed.”

“I would've never kept Nathan away from his grandparents. Never.”

“Dorothy, do you realize what you did to Paige?” Bill asked. “My
God, she lost everything. All she had was her job and Nathan, and you took both
away from her.”

“I’ve asked God several times to forgive me,” Dorothy said on a
ragged breath. “I’m sorry, Paige.”

“I hope God has forgiven you, because I'm not sure I can. I'll
try." Allison turned and walked out the front door.

***

"I regret I didn’t approach Jill at that house, but it
didn't dawn on me they might disguise the kid," Brance said to his dad.
"Some detective I am. Right now I feel foolish."

"Don't beat yourself up over it."

"I should've stayed out of it. I'm too close to the
case."

"Did they pick Jill up?"

"Couldn't find her. She hasn’t shown up for work and no one’s
seen her."

"Think they've murdered her and dumped her somewhere?"

"No, they still need her," Brance said.

"They found Judge Mason in his bed this morning with a
bullet in the head."

"When?" Brance asked

"About an hour ago. Ruled as a suicide."

Brance sighed. "Now Larry’s given the FBI the slip. He
entered a gym and escaped out a back door and disappeared today. Marshall has
vanished as well."

"Shit. You know what this means?"

Brance sighed. "Yeah, time is running out."

***

Saturday afternoon, Allison walked into the mall, carrying a large
envelope containing the bankbook. The FBI agent was right about it being
crowded.

As she approached the spinning carousel, she observed the
children on it, each sitting on a different animal. Ornate horses, a dragon, a
tiger, a bunny, a boar, and a goat flashed by. Each figure appeared to have a
rider. Hopefully, one of them was Nathan.

Allison stood by the gate and waited for the people to exit.
Parents held their children’s hands and exited through the narrow gate.

Rather than focus on the people passing her, she stared at the
carousel, searching for any child who remained on it. Suddenly, someone
snatched the envelope from her fingers. She spun around, but only saw the backs
of the people leaving the carousel.

The gate finally cleared, and she ran into the enclosed area and
stepped upon the carousel. She wove in and out of the decorative animals, all
appearing sinister and evil somehow. All wore cynical grins as though laughing
at her.

“Nathan! Nathan! It’s Mommy.”

No one answered. There weren’t any children left on the ride.

She’d been fooled. Her breathing stopped momentarily. Nathan
wasn’t on the carousel. She circled it again, but her son wasn’t anywhere in
sight. Was he already dead? Is that why they hadn’t kept their part of the
deal?

Oh, God! No! Please, no.

I can’t bear this. Not this.

Brance hurried to her side. “We can have the Cayman Island
authorities pick them up. We know exactly where they’ll be heading.”

"That won't get my son back." Allison took a step back.
Pain ripped through her like a giant fist, tearing her heart out. “I want my
child! Not revenge.”

An agent joined them. "We recovered a sweatshirt thrown in a
dumpster. We'll send it to the lab."

Allison narrowed her eyes. "We know who kidnapped him and
still no one has been able to apprehend his abductors and get my child back.
How could this many law enforcement officers let him get away?"

"Apparently, the man blended in with the crowd."

"Allison, I'm sorry I let you down," Brance said.

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

How could she be upset with the FBI and Brance, when she’d walked
right past Nathan’s abductor and had been too busy looking for Nathan to see
the man?

That evening at home, Brance held her in his arms while she
grieved. She’d ordered the agents to leave. Her world grew darker as
hopelessness and despair possessed her like tormenting demons.

***

Jill paused on the other side of the closed door of Larry's
private quarters. The houseboat rocked gently in the slip on the Mississippi
river. Rather than knock, she eavesdropped in on Larry and Trey's conversation.

The fact that they'd returned with the information and still had
the kid troubled her. Trey had promised nothing would happen to Nathan.

“Our plane should be arriving," Larry stated. “You have one
more little job to do. Take them both out.”

Jill's spine stiffened. Larry planned to eliminate her along with
Nathan. She forced herself to remain calm.

“Jill helped pull this off. She goes with us. Do what you want
with the kid.”

“We’ll have more women than we can fuck in a lifetime. You don’t
need that fickle bitch. I tell you she’s a liability. She’d sell you out in a
second to save herself. If you don’t have the guts to do it, I do.”

Jill’s heartbeat shot into overdrive. Trey had always done
everything Larry wanted. And he’d go along with this as well. She couldn’t
leave the houseboat without being heard or seen. She slipped into the next
cabin, searched her purse for her cell phone, and then dialed the number. While
the phone rang, she stared at Nathan asleep on the sofa.

Finally, Allison answered.

“Allison, I have Nathan. Larry and Trey plan to kill us.”

“Oh, Jill. Where are you?” Allison asked.

“I’m on the Memphis riverfront in a houseboat on the south side
of the new bridge. Hurry, Allison.”

***

Breathlessly, Allison told Brance what Jill had said.

“Stay here and call the MPD and FBI in about fifteen
minutes" Brance insisted. "I don’t want to have our arrival announced
with helicopters and sirens coming from all directions. Trust me on this.”

“I’m coming with you.”

His eyes softened. “You'll stay in the car.”

Allison nodded, but she didn't plan to obey him.

As soon as his car hit the pavement, Brance switched on his
flashing lights and siren and headed toward downtown Memphis.

He drove like a NASCAR driver, weaving through the traffic on the
interstate. She grabbed the armrest and held on.