Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (127 page)

She
waited
until
she
knew
they
were
listening,
every
camera
and
microphone
trained
on
her.
“
Yesterday
at
approximately
two-thirty,
my
niece
was
abducted
in
front
of
the
Brant’s
Corners
library.
Eyewitnesses
saw
a
man
who
looks
like
my
fiancée
and
who
was
driving
a
similar
truck
pull
over,
speak
to
her,
and
retrieve
her
bicycle
while
she
willingly
got
into
his
truck.
The
police
have
satisfied
themselves
that
this
man
was
not
the
man
next
to
me.
This
means,
we’re
looking
for
someone
else.
Who
or
why,
we
don’t
know.
What
I
do
know
is that
I
want
my
niece
back.
I
want
Ellie
home.
I
beg
whoever
has
my
child
to
bring
her
back
to
us.
If
you
have
a
tip
that
leads
to
the
arrest
of
the
man
or
people
who
took
her,
I
ask
you
to
call
the
Rockland
County
Sheriff’s
department
or
the
FBI
and
tell
them.
I
am
offering
a
fifty
thousand
dollar
reward
to
the
first
person
who
provides
a
tip
that
is
substantiated
and
leads
to
the
arrest
of
the
criminals
who
are
terrorizing
my
child.
Thank
you.”

She
turned
and
walked
back
to
the
house,
ignoring
the
calls,
pleas,
and
questions.
William’s
shocked
grunt
and
Luke’s
squeeze
of
support
were
both
expected.
Her
actions,
however,
weren’t,
and
she
knew
it.
Inside
the
house
,
she
shed
her
boots
and
coat.
The
hat
she
clipped
onto
a
“clothesline”
hung
over
the
washer
and
dryer
in the laundry room
.
While
the
men
stood
in
the
door
way
exchanging
confused
glances,
she
pulled
towel
after
towel
out
of
the
dryer,
folding
them
carefully,
each
wrinkle
smoothed
before
the
next
fold.
Never
had
her
towels
been
handled
as
gently.

“
Leaning…
leaning…”
she
choked
,
but
forced
herself
to
continue.
“…secure
from
all
alarms.
Leaning…
leaning,
leaning
on
the
Everlasting
Arms.”
Another
towel
snapped
as
she
shook
it
before
folding.
“What
have
I
to
dread,
what
have
I
to
fear
…”
Her
hand
reached
into
the
dryer
and
pulled
out
a
pair
of
colorful
argyle
leggings—Ellie’s
favorites.

William
watched
as
Luke
pulled
Aggie
into
his
arms
and
held
her
while
she
wept
and
then
he
shuffled
down
the
hall
and
into
the
kitchen.
He
poured
another
cup
of
coffee,
stared
at
it,
and
dumped
it.
The
sobs
grew
louder,
stronger,
deeper.
Each
one
twisted
his
heart
until
he
thought
it
would
explode
with
the
pain.
Where
was
the
girl?
Why
her?

“You
ok?”

Tina.
She
was
amazing.
She’d
arrived
in
record
time
and
installed
herself
back
in
her
former
room.
She
was
a
fireball
with
the
press,
fielding
the
never-ending
phone
calls,
and
researching
ideas
almost
nonstop.
“I’m
ok.
How
about
you?”