The Airnapped Child

by Sandra Ryan

  Elizabeth nodded and then narrated to them what Melvin had told her.

  “Jesus fucking Christ!” Olga said when she was done.

  “I still do not get it. How was the kidnap of the boy supposed to help him with stealing your money? I mean, it just does not make sense,” Olga added.

  “That is not relevant right now. What is important is that there is a direct link between the moment the child was taken and Mr. Benson. If he tampered with the seating arrangement, then it is safe to assume that that was not the extent of what he had done. What we do know – from these documents here – is that for a long time Mr. Benson had been stealing from his wife. Secondly, that somehow he necessitated the circumstances that enabled the kidnap of his son. I am sure there is a link between the two incidences, it is our job to find out what it is,” Holly said.

  Elizabeth was looking shaken by the end of Holly’s speech. It was obvious she was fighting really hard to keep her composure.

  “It is a brave thing you did coming to us. I cannot begin to imagine the danger you put yourself through to get those documents,” Olga took Elizabeth’s hands in hers and caressed them slowly.

  “I do not understand, why did he not ask you for the money directly? If his company was going through that amount of crisis and you had this amount of money somewhere, why did he not just ask you, even if it would be a loan?” Holly asked.

  Elizabeth looked away. When she spoke her voice was gentler,

  “I guess the fault is mine somewhat. I have always been vocal about the fact that I was never going to touch the money in that fund for whatever reason. I wanted to hand it over to my child as my parents did. I guess he somehow got the impression that if he had asked me, I would have turned him down.” She wiped the edge of her eyes with a handkerchief.

  “And that is even funny, right? I was actually considering loaning him some money from my personal savings. While I was on the plane I had decided that once I came home we would go over the problems the company had been having and then I would offer him some of my money. Damn, this is just messed up.”

  “I know I asked you this the time we came to your house, so forgive my asking you again, is there anything you can remember from the journey that would be helpful to the case, any tiny detail at all?” Holly asked.

  Elizabeth shook her head.

  “Even in the light of all I have discovered, I still cannot remember if there was anything about my husband that was off during that period. There was nothing he did which was out of the ordinary.”

  “That is okay.” Holly answered.

  The three women sat in silence. Every few minutes, Olga took a sip from her iced tea. They were each contemplating how the case might eventually turn out for them. Just then an idea occurred to Olga.

  “Can you think of anyone who may have been helping your husband carry out his dirty work? I mean, he may have been doing the paper work himself but he definitely must have needed someone to do the leg work. Can you think of anyone?”

  Elizabeth did not even miss a beat before replying.

  “Anderson.”

  “Anderson Singleton, your husband’s driver?” Olga asked.

  Elizabeth nodded. “I see you have done your homework.”

  Olga blushed.

  “We believe in being thorough,” Holly said.

  “I understand and appreciate that,” Elizabeth answered.

  “Now, about Mr. Singleton?” Holly continued.

  “He has been his driver for as long as I can remember. They have this sort of relationship that transcends that of an employer and employee. They are practically friends right now. I can’t imagine there is anything Nathan could plan and execute without the assistance of Anderson.”

  “That makes sense,” Olga said.

  “I think I want to leave now. I guess I did not know that this will upset me so much. Thank you for taking the time,” Elizabeth said.

  “That is alright,” Holly replied as Elizabeth gathered her things. “I do hope you are safe where you are. I could make arrangements for you to leave the house if you do not feel comfortable there.”

  “I am fine, thank you.”

  ********

  The two women watched Elizabeth leave the diner. Her steps were graceful, her demeanor, composed. On sighting her, no one would be able to tell that just a few minutes before she had been shedding tears.

  “Poor woman. She hasn’t even realized yet how enormous her husband’s betrayal is. When it catches up with her, I hope she has a support system them to see her through,” Olga said.

  “I do hope so too,” Holly replied. “And what was that earlier? You were all sappy I could have sworn you were putting up an act.” There was amusement in Holly’s voice as she pinned her eyes on Olga.

  “I was just being nice, that’s all. She does look like she needs all the care she can get.” Olga shrugged.

  “Right.” Holly said. “We still have a minor problem; we need to find a link between Nathan Benson and Sheridan Cox. I mean, if Benson contracted him to carry out the kidnap they must have met at some point, yes? It isn’t as though business executives and police officers routinely grab drinks.”

  “Well, I may be able to help with that,” Olga replied. She brought out her laptop from the bag and placed it on the table. Then clicked a few keys. “After the call yesterday, I started looking into Mr. Benson. At first there weren’t a lot of things to find, but then I matched his name against Sheridan Cox’s and I was able to find this.” She turned the laptop’s screen towards Holly.

  “Okay, care to explain to me what I am looking at?” Holly asked.

  “A photograph,” Olga replied cheekily.

  “Of course I know it is a photograph, silly, I mean, how is it important? How is a photo of a bunch of guys putting on jerseys important to me?”

  “Look carefully.”

  “Would you be a darling and put me out of my misery, please?” Holly intoned.

  “Well, since you are being so nice about it,” Olga said and scooted closer to Holly’s chair. “Here, this is Nathan Benson.” She pointed to a man standing at the center of the group photo. She then pointed at another man standing at the furthest end of the photo. “This is Sheridan Cox.”

  “Wow!”

  “Pretty impressive huh?” Olga said. “Both men played for a charity event for raising awareness about teenage suicide. It is one of those corporate social responsibility things that big firms do to make themselves look good for the cameras. Nathan Benson played for his pharmaceutical company while Sheridan and a couple of other guys from the police department made up the rest of the squad.”

  “Good job, Olga. Things are slowly falling into place. I have a feeling we might be able to solve this case quicker than we anticipated.”

  CHAPTER 13

  HUNTING THE HUNTER

  Anderson drove the car gently into the parking lot. Mr. Benson always insisted that he drive carefully whenever they were entering his house. However, whenever they were on the highway or far from home, he would urge him to hit the gas, up to speeds sometimes over 100 mph. Sometimes he would even come down and take the wheel himself, and whenever that happened, Anderson would be muttering prayers under his breath because Benson drove like a maniac, laughing hysterically whenever he was speeding on the highway. As though he was unconcerned about his safety, and the safety of whomever he was with in the car. His recklessness had gotten them into trouble with the law several times. The minor ones like the speeding tickets, he had Anderson pay for quietly. The other serious ones, like the time he had knocked a woman unconscious, it was his friend, Sheridan Cox who stepped in and handled the problems.

  Anderson had learned to distinguish between these two personalities: the Benson that was all loving and gentle at home, the doting father and the caring husband, and the Benson that was a shark at the office. The one who had a mean streak and who would do anything to get ahead. He donned each role perfectly, blending in with any crowd perfectly. Ande
rson had also learned to tolerate these two personalities, and to do whatever was required of him in every instance. When he began working for Benson, he knew exactly what he was getting into. He had heard stories from other drivers and knew that for most of the executives, the lines were always blurred, so he had been prepared to do all it took to get him ahead in life. The only regret he had was that Elizabeth was drawn into the mess as well. There was no doubt that she was a wide eyed, innocent young woman who had not been able to see through the surface to notice the kind of man her husband was. But her naivety notwithstanding, she did not deserve what Benson had done to her. What was even sadder was that if the plans had gone as smoothly as Benson had planned, he would have murdered both his wife and child and gotten away with it.

  Anderson left the car running. Led Zeppelin was wafting off of the speakers. Benson always took his time before getting down and walking into the house. It was as though he used those few minutes to adjust his facade and make sure his claws were not showing before he entered the house.

  “You do not have to come in tomorrow.”

  “Excuse me sir?” Anderson asked.

  “I said you don’t need to come in tomorrow. I will be driving myself to work from now on.” Benson’s voice was cold. He was still donning his office persona.

  “For how long sir?”

  “As long as is necessary. As a matter of fact, I do not think you should even be in this town. You should probably pack yourself off to your father’s cabin and lay low for a few weeks. I’ll let you know when it is time for you to return.”

  Anderson considered this for a few minutes. He knew that Benson did not like being questioned, but he was uneasy Had he done something to offend the man? Or was still a classic case of being used and dumped? He could not help himself so he blurted out,

  “I am sorry sir, is there a reason for this? Did I do something wrong?”

  “No you did not,” Benson replied. “However, as it stands now, I have the feeling that things might begin to get heated from this point and I would prefer if you lay low.”

  The car was silent. Anderson knew there was more to come. He had gotten used to the man’s silences.

  “Has my wife said anything to you?”

  “No sir.”

  “And the other issue I asked you to handle, you carried that out effectively, there was nothing left to point them back to you or me?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Good, because I think my wife may be suspecting something. The other day I found her in my office. That was strange because she had never been in there before. And since then I’ve had the feeling that she probably knows something. So you see, there are a lot of uncertainties right now. I will have to deal with them, but I would rather you not be around the whole time.”

  “I understand perfectly sir.”

  “Good. You have been of immense help to me these past few days and, rest assured, I do not forget anyone who has done me a kindness or a favor. In due time, Anderson, there would be rewards for all of your efforts. I promise you that.”

  “You have been more than generous sir.”

  “Good night, Anderson.” Benson said as he stepped down from the car. “You do not need to come in with me.”

  “Good night, sir,” Anderson said.

  He parked the car into the garage and sat there for a couple of minutes. He had been with Benson long enough to realize that he was being asked to stay away not just for his own safety, but more so to protect Mr. Benson. He knew without any shadow of doubt that if it ever came down to a choice between him and Nathan Benson, that the latter would have no qualms throwing him under the bus.

  He stepped out from the car and got his things from the trunk. He went into a bathroom in the garage and changed from his uniform. As he changed out of his clothes he considered his options. He was sad that he did not get to see Mrs. Benson that night, but it was probably for the best. The last time he had seen her he had wanted to tell her everything, but then he had relented. Perhaps someday he would tell her of how kind he had been. How he had even had to defy Mr. Benson in order to spare her some pain. But right now, he had to lay low someplace. As he strode off of the property, he brought out his phone and dialed a number. The person on the other end answered on the first ring.

  “Hey pops, how are you? I’m coming down to see you at the cabin. I hope that is fine?” he said.

  *********

  There were papers scattered all over the table. There was a half finished cup of coffee situated near a laptop whose screen was turned off. The air conditioner buzzed slowly. Olga laid face-down on the other side of the table fast asleep. The time was already 9 am.

  “Wait, you are already asleep again?” Holly said, strolling into the kitchen in her pajamas.

  She surveyed the state the kitchen was in. Olga had decided to move from the room to the kitchen in a bid to stay awake. It was two days after the meeting with Elizabeth. Holly had somehow managed to convince Olga to come stay with her while they sorted through the information they had received.

  “Just go away,” Olga slurred in her sleep. “I was awake all night. Let me catch some sleep.”

  “Well, neither have I, yet here I am.”

  Olga opened her eyes to peer at Holly then bent back down.

  “I’m not sure how you do it, lady, but I am not going to fall dead on my feet because I am trying to solve a case.”

  Holly cleared a portion of the table and dropped the documents she had on her hand, then went to brew a fresh cup of coffee.

  “So, since you were up all night, what were you able to find out?” she asked.

  Olga sat up on her seat.

  “While I have not been able to figure out much, I have been able to trace the money moved from Elizabeth’s account to Nathan’s account in the Cayman’s islands. The man sure went through a lot of stress to keep the money hidden…”

  Just then, Samuel walked into the kitchen. Silence descended on the two women. In the week they had spent at the location, he had grown really slim and was looking haggard. His beards were all grown and he didn’t bother making an effort to trim them. He grabbed a bottle of water and walked out without saying a word to the two women.

  “Are you sure you should not take him to see a shrink or something?” Olga asked once he left the room.

  “No. the best thing we can do for him right now is to solve this case so he could be a free man. Eventually, when that happens, he could probably have to speak to psychiatrists or something. Right now it wouldn’t be possible. He is a fugitive as far as the law is concerned.”

  Olga gave a drawn out sigh.

  “So, I’ve gone through everything, and I do not think we have enough to solve the case or go to the police. Sheridan Cox would have been the best person to explain all of this but he is conveniently dead.”

  “The only other person who may be able to help us is Anderson Singleton. So I am thinking we should go pay him a visit,” Holly concluded.

  “Hmm, that is a brilliant idea. However, we cannot barge in and begin demanding answers from him.”

  “Actually, we can. Those rules only apply to the police and not us,” Holly said, her eyes shining with mischief.

  “Well, even if we wanted to, we do not know where he is at the moment. I tried calling his house a couple of times but his housekeeper said he hadn’t been home the past two days,” Olga said.

  “I already beat you to the answer,” Holly said. “I spoke to Elizabeth Benson. She said Anderson’s father has a cabin near the beach. I bet that is where he will be found.”

  Just then her phone began ringing.

  “Oh crap, I forgot to turn it off.”

  She brought it out and was about to turn it off but the sight of the caller left her mouth hanging open.

  *******

  “I am not really comfortable with this sort of clandestine meeting, Kyle,” Abby said, taking a look around and then planting her eyes firmly on Kyle Burns.

  They
were seated at a park and were dressed informally. That was perhaps why she addressed him as ‘Kyle’

  “I understand. I just wasn’t comfortable with us having this conversation at the office. There are too many eyes and ears at the office; however, here I am sure no one is listening in”

  She looked around to confirm his assertion. They were the only ones seated on the bench they were sharing. There were several other people in the park, mostly couples who were out to enjoy the sunshine.

  “That is exactly why I am uncomfortable. Are you planning a mutiny or something?”

  She intended the last part to be a joke, but when he did not respond her eyes grew wide and she cursed under her breath.

  “What have you dragged me into, Kyle? What the hell is going on?”

  “Look, I am not dragging you into anything. I thought of speaking to you because you are one of the very few people I am absolutely sure has got my back at the office.”

  “Oh Kyle, I have two kids. I can not afford to throw my career away. Whatever it is this is, I would appreciate if I am left out of it,” Abby said, her eyes pleading.

  “I am sorry I put you in this sort of situation, Abby. Just hear me out. That is all I am asking. If you listen to what I have to say and still decide that you cannot stay, that is okay.”

  She slumped back against her seat.

  “Okay. Just get it over with. What is the super secret information you had to drag me out of the office for?”

  “I think Samuel Clark is innocent.”

  “What the hell? What are you talking about?”

  “Listen, I have gone through all the evidence we have gathered so far. None points to him directly.”

  “None? Even his name written in blood at the scene of the double homicide?”

  “That too. I mean, how does that make sense? If he was going to murder the men, why kill them then leave his name there, pointing us directly to him. You have been on the job for quite a while now, have you ever seen a prep. commit a crime and deliberately leave clues for the police to locate him with?”

  “That doesn’t go to prove anything,” Abby argued. “Even if you are right, what you have just shown is that he did not commit the murders. How about the kidnapping?”