Web of Deceit

by Peggy Slocum

  Beth pulls the keyboard close and wakes the computer from hibernation. She pulls up a browser window with links to high-end information services. Her firm subscribes to eleven sites that provide cross references between addresses, social security numbers, and name fragments. For the few hundred dollars a month in fees, the resources are priceless. Beth starts her search on Mrs. Freedman. What did she say her first name was? I can’t remember. The phone rings. While pressing the button on her earpiece. “Hello.”

  “Hey, hon, I just pulled in. Come get the door. My hands are full,” Elliot says.

  Opening the door, Beth is stolen away by the aroma of a fresh-baked pizza. “Mmm, the usual?”

  “Of course—extra cheese, jalapeño, and pepperoni. Knowing you, I figured you’ve been too busy.” Elliot slides through the door holding the pizza in one hand like a delivery person.

  “Yes,” Beth says, “breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Beth locks the main office door behind Elliot. “I hate days like this. Hey, do you remember any of Mrs. Freedman’s personal information?”

  “Did she even give any?”

  “Yes. Whether it’s true or not is another story.” Beth opens the filing cabinet and pulls out the case file.

  Elliot has other thoughts. He places the pizza on the desk. “Come eat. You need a break.”

  Beth takes her time returning to her desk with her nose buried in Mrs. Freedman’s file.

  Lacking couth, Elliot asks, “What did you find out about the stuff you lifted from Vicky’s house?” He takes a large bite of steaming hot, thin-crust pizza and pulls a chair to the desk.

  Beth notices the grease dripping onto her genuine cherry-wood desktop. She throws the case file on Elliot’s lap and retrieves a stack of napkins from the lower left desk drawer, a common recurrence on pizza nights.

  “Elliot!” Beth snaps at him as she places the several napkins under the pizza box.

  “Ya know, hon, and don’t take this wrong way,” Elliot grabs another piece of pizza, “you need to learn to relax, or you’re gonna end up being just like Mrs. Freedman someday.” He crams half the piece into his mouth.

  Shocked and enraged, Beth glares at Elliot, not having to say a word.

  He swallows. “You would feel really bad if I choked.” He points to the box on the desk. “Eat.”

  Beth snatches a piece out of the box and plops down. “Find Mrs. Freedman’s first name while I find out how many Freedman’s are in the Boston area.”

  “You should search the newspaper archives to see if anything comes up,” Elliot mumbles with a full mouth.

  “I had no idea there were so many Freedman’s in Massachusetts.” Beth stares at her monitor.

  Elliot opens Mrs. Freedman’s dossier. “Her first name is Margaret … her address is … She’s widowed. Her husband’s name was Walter Freedman.”

  “Nothing peculiar comes up for Margaret Freedman. The address is confirmed by two independent sources,” Beth interjects while continuing to type. “Her address of ten years.”

  “Does it say where she lived before?”

  Beth opens a new browser window to cross reference the dossier’s data. After searching five minutes, Beth relents. “Nothing. There are no other addresses.”

  “She probably moved here after her husband died,” Elliot says. “Do a search on Walter Freedman and find all the previous addresses under that name.”

  Minutes become hours as Beth types away at the keyboard, hoping to come up with something, only to find nothing. Beth glares at Elliot sound asleep in the chair with his feet kicked up on her desk. Too tired to push him off his expensive perch, she closes her eyes to rest for a moment.

  Thud!

  Startled by the sudden noise, Beth wakes from her sound sleep. Half out of her chair, she watches Elliot pick himself up from the floor. “Thanks for the wake-up call,” she says while laughing. “Maybe next time you will keep your feet on the floor.”

  “Very funny; you might want to take some of that energy and hit your messages. Sarah just called.”

  Reeled back to reality, Beth presses her messages.

  “You have one new message. Message number one …”

  “Hi, Beth, it’s Sarah. Call me, She’s willing to talk to you about Mrs. Freedman.”

  Beth grabs the phone and dials Sarah.

  “Hello?” Sarah answers.

  “Hi, Sarah. When can I speak with Vicky and her mom?”

  “Her name is Jade. You can meet her this morning if you want.”

  “Excellent, let’s meet at Odell’s for coffee and go from there.” Beth grows excited.

  Elliot’s face brightens as he catches Beth’s enthusiasm.

  “What time?” Sarah asks.

  “How close are you? I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Sounds great. I’ll meet you there.”

  Beth hangs up the phone. “Hey Elliot, which car do you want to take?” She grabs her coat and purse.

  Chapter 7: Abduction

  Elliot pulls the jeep in front of Odell’s. “I’ll keep it running so it’s warm. Make mine a double espresso.”

  “Got it.” Beth opens the door and gets out. The wind’s extra bitter this morning. She pulls her coat tight to her as she hurries to the front entrance of Odell’s. As she opens the door, the wind gusts through causing it to jump out of her hand and bang against the building. Fighting against the strong wind, she grasps the handle and pulls it shut. “Windy out there.” She nears the counter.

  “Can I help you?” the new counter person asks dryly.

  “I need two large mocha lattes and one double-shot espresso.”

  “That will be sixteen forty-five.”

  “Where’s Odell?” Beth hands the girl a twenty.

  “Day off.”

  A sweet brunette behind the counter soon has Beth’s order ready and packs it neatly into a divided cardboard carrier. She hands it to Beth. “Have a great day, Beth!”

  “You too, Cindy.” Beth proceeds to the door. Oh good, there’s Sarah. Beth sees her friend ready to cross the street as a white van pulls to the curb in front of Sarah to park, blocking her view.

  * * *

  Waiting to cross the street, Sarah watches Beth with the coffees in hand and heading toward Odell’s front door. Beth’s got the coffee. Tires chirp as a white utility van comes to an abrupt stop in front of her. She starts to walk behind the van for a better view of oncoming traffic. The rear door flies open and a burly man springs out and grabs her. He throws her onto the van’s steel cargo floor. A sharp pain erupts from her shoulder as her body impacts.

  “Go!” the burly man commands the driver. He stumbles back as the van lunges forward.

  * * *

  “That did not just happen!” Beth screams as the coffees drop to the floor. She slams the door open and as before, the wind catches hold of it and forces it into the building, shattering the glass. Not having time to worry, she runs toward the Jeep.

  Elliot, having seen Sarah disappear, has the passenger door open and is yelling to Beth, “Move! Move!”

  Beth slams the passenger door shut and buckles in. Elliot presses his foot to the floor. The Jeep’s rear end breaks loose as Elliot forces it into a sharp one-hundred-eighty degree slide to pursue the fleeing van. Elliot slams his fist on the wheel in frustration. “I’d be up to the van already if my car wasn’t out of commission.”

  “Left!” Beth hollers at Elliot. “Is that the same van that heisted your tires yesterday?”

  The white van is forced to swerve and stop to avoid crashing into an oncoming delivery truck. Before resuming its flight, Elliot gets close enough to read the plate. “That’s the one,” he says in obvious amazement. The van swerves violently again in front of them. It continues to weave back and forth. “What’re they doin’?!”

  Sarah’s heart races as she struggles to breathe. What do I do? I can do nothing. Proverbs 3:5-6 flash into Sarah’s mind. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own
understanding.” A sensation of peace washes over her. She remembers the bottle of mace tucked away in her left inside coat pocket. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Sarah focuses on the back door. It’s locked. I will have to push the lock back as I am opening the door. Father, when do I make my move?

  The driver glances in his rear view mirror. “Who’s following us?”

  With his attention off Sarah for a second, the burly kidnapper glowers out his rear window and shouts, “How should I know?!”

  Unnoticed, Sarah slips her hand into her pocket to retrieve the mace and lurches for the door. The burly man, apparently more keen that his stature suggests, catches Sarah’s movement immediately. He reaches to restrain her as she blasts him with mace. He screams, “You …” Instinctively, he moves his hands to his eyes.

  Sarah sprays the mace toward the front of the van, hoping to hit the driver’s eyes next. The driver quickly snaps his head around toward the commotion in the back of the van. Clearly not as smart as his counterpart, the spray of mace hits its intended target. For a moment, both hands leave the wheel, causing the van to swerve violently before he regains some control. With her burly assailant distracted for the precious time needed, Sarah opens the rear door of the van searching for inspiration. The cold air blasts her face as the pavement streaks by beneath her.

  * * *

  The passenger-side rear door of the van bursts open revealing Sarah perched at the edge of the opening. Beth’s heart leaps to her throat. Not thinking, she unbuckles her seat belt and rolls down her window shouting, “Get closer, get closer!” Beth leans out the window and reaches toward her friend shouting, “Hang on, Sarah, we’re coming!”

  * * *

  Sarah holds the van door at arm’s length with fear rising inside. I can’t jump. Proverbs 3:7 is her next thought. “Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” She jumps.

  * * *

  A second later Sarah launches herself into the air and away from the rear of the van. Time stalls as the horror of the moment reaches Beth’s mind. Elliot reacts with pure instinct and the Jeep’s tires squeal as it lunges to avoid Sarah’s falling body. Sarah impacts the pavement with a crushing force. Her body skids several yards before starting to roll. Beth’s left ribs slam against the front of her open window before she is thrown back inside the Jeep as Elliot locks the breaks and skids sideways to an abrupt stop in front of Sarah’s still body.

  “Call 911!” Beth yells as she runs toward Sarah. “Sarah!” Beth falls to her knees beside her unconscious friend. “Oh Sarah, please be OK,” Beth pleads as she moves Sarah’s blood-soaked hair away from her forehead revealing the gash. The left side of Sarah’s face is bleeding profusely. Her face is covered with blood from multiple abrasions and peppered with small specks of stone from the asphalt. Her lower left lip has been lacerated and is starting to swell.

  The sound of distant sirens offer little comfort as Elliot kneels beside Beth. “It’ll be OK, Beth. They’re on the way.”

  Within minutes the ambulance arrives and pulls to the side of the road in front of the police cruiser redirecting traffic. Three paramedics jump out with equipment in hand.

  Still by her friend’s side, Beth gazes in a trance at the nearing men. “She jumped from a van going over sixty miles an hour.”

  One of the men regresses to the ambulance. The other two men are already in motion doing what they do best. They are systematic and efficient.

  Feeling as if she is in a bad dream, Beth steps back out of the way and watches through her growing mental and emotional fog.

  “Put the C collar on,” the paramedic in charge says. “You ready with that board, Harley?” he asks the man that had gone back to the truck.

  “Ready,” Harley says.

  “Log roll her.”

  They roll her body to the right and slip the back board under her. Once the board is in position, they roll her back onto the board.

  “Start bandaging the head, Tom,” the lead paramedic says as he makes eye contact with Harley. “Let’s get the heart monitor goin’ and then we’ll hook ’er up to the IV.”

  After stabilizing Sarah, the paramedics load her into the ambulance. As the lead paramedic closes the door, he senses Beth’s devastation. “You following us?”

  “Yes, we’ll be right behind you.”

  Beth reaches in her purse and pulls out her cell. She flips it open and notices she has three new texts. No time. She dials a number. It rings.

  “Hello?” Sarah’s mom, Elizabeth, answers.

  Tears stream down Beth’s face as she struggles for control. “Hi.”

  “Oh, Beth, how good it is to hear from you,” Elizabeth’s cheerful voice says.

  A sob tries to escape Beth, she struggles to push back every emotion. “Sarah’s been in an accident. We’re on our way to Boston General. I don’t know how bad it is yet, but … she’s unconscious.”

  For a moment, there is silence on the other end. Then Elizabeth’s tender voice says, “We’ll meet you there.”

  The ambulance pulls in front of the Emergency Room entrance. Thirty-five seconds later, the paramedics are rushing Sarah through the open sliding-glass doors and down a hallway toward a free trauma unit.

  * * *

  Elliot stops behind the ambulance. “You get out here, I’ll park.”

  Beth, half out of the car, thanks Elliot as she closes the door and rushes into the hospital, not quite sure what to do or where to go.

  * * *

  Beth approaches the nurse behind the desk.

  “Can I help you?” the middle-aged nurse asks with disinterested nasality.

  “They just brought my friend in. She was in an accident”

  The nurse reaches for the clipboard with the appropriate forms attached. “Fill this out to the best of your ability, please.”

  “Thanks,” Beth replies as she takes the clipboard and searches for a chair distanced from the other people in the waiting room. She finds a seat and fills out the mind-numbing paperwork. Two minutes later, she lifts her head as Elliot walks through the main entrance doors. Behind him follow Sarah’s parents, a sweet, gentle couple in their late fifties. Forgetting her usual controlled demeanor, she leaps out of her chair and races toward the entrance.

  * * *

  Elliot opens his arms to reach for her.

  Beth continues past Elliot and approaches the older couple with open arms and tears streaming.

  Elliot spins around to find Sarah’s parents comforting Beth. “Edwin,” Elliot extends a hand to greet Sarah’s father.

  Edwin’s bright blue eyes are filled with kindness and tears as he pushes out a short yet friendly, “Hi.”

  A petite woman stands next to Edwin with salt and pepper hair. Her hazel eyes are brimming with tears as she reaches to embrace Elliot with her free arm. “I’m so glad you two are here,” Elizabeth says.

  * * *

  More than an hour passes when finally a doctor comes through the set of double doors. “Are you with the accident victim?”

  “Yes,” Beth replies without hesitation.

  “I’m Dr. Jamison. We have given her a preliminary examination. There is no evidence of internal bleeding or broken bones yet. The results of the CT scan will be available within another hour or so. We’ll know more then.”

  “Will she be alright?” Elizabeth asks.

  “It’s too early to tell,” the doctor says honestly.

  “What aren’t you telling us?” Beth cross-examines him.

  The doctor pauses a moment. “We did a sternal rub. She didn’t respond.”

  “And that means?” Beth’s irritation fills the room.

  “She’s in a coma.”

  Beth’s irritation vanishes and her face whitens.

  “Dear Lord, please be with Sarah,” Elizabeth prays aloud. After a moment she asks, “When can we see her?”

  “We will know more with further testing,” the doctor says, “But it’s
too early to tell for sure. She needs a few stitches, and we need to make sure she is stable before moving her to a room.”

  “Make sure it’s a private room. I’ll pay for what her insurance won’t cover,” Beth says. “She’ll need enough room for her parents to stay with her at all times if they want. Be sure she gets the best. Money is no object. Do you understand?”

  Clearly not intimidated by the attractive redhead with a bank account, the doctor starts to say, “I won’t guarantee anything …”

  Elizabeth interrupts and extends her hand to the doctor. “Thank you so much for all you’re doing for our daughter, Dr. Jamison.”

  “As soon as we know more, we will let you know immediately.”

  As the doctor leaves through the double doors, Elizabeth takes Beth by the arm. “While I appreciate what you are doing, you know that Sarah wouldn’t want special treatment.” Elizabeth puts her arm around Beth and pulls her close.

  “But, what if …?”

  “I realize this must be bringing back some bad memories for you. But, I assure you, God is in control. Nothing will happen that isn’t part of his plan.” Elizabeth leads Beth to the seats where Elliot and Edwin are waiting.

  “Forgive me if I sound disrespectful, Elizabeth, but how can I believe he has a plan if I’m not so sure I believe there even is a God?”

  “That is a good point, my dear, and we’ll talk more about God when you are ready.”

  Beth sits down and picks up the clipboard to finish the forms. “What is Sarah’s religion?” Beth asks aloud, pausing at the question on the form.

  “She doesn’t have one,” Edwin says as he smiles.

  Realizing where Sarah gets her hidden sermons, Beth refuses to open her mouth.

  Elliot bites. “OK, we all know Sarah has a religion, so what do you mean?”

  Edwin obliges. “In the New Testament of the Bible it talks in several places about the body of Christ. Well, the body of Christ is made up of all his children. Sarah believes it is easy to get caught up in religion and forget about loving and following Christ. Part of her ministry is to attend services at several of the churches connected to the homeless shelters where she volunteers.”