“We're on our way, Meg. Try to stay calm. Have you been to the security office yet?” He took the receiver out of Laura's hand and pointed to the closet, telling her to get dressed.
“That's where I am now. They're looking for her but she's not here. That woman took her, Taylor. She took Annie!”
With those words, Taylor felt their world shatter around him.
Chapter 43
Laura was too calm, too controlled. She’d been that way ever since Meg’s call. After hanging up the phone, Taylor had turned to find her dressed, in black jeans and a black shirt, an unconscious reflection of her state of mind.
“I’ll call Matteo. He’s expecting me to leave for the theatre so he’ll be ready to go. I’ll ask Rosina to wait here. Laura? Laura, did you hear me?” She nodded mutely and he could see she’d withdrawn deeply into herself. Dropping the phone on the bed, he came to her and held her in his arms. There were no words he could say, no comfort he could offer, and no response from her. It was like holding a wooden doll. He released her and headed for the intercom in the kitchen that connected their apartment with the one on the floor below.
“Matteo?”
“Sì, Taylor? You are ready?”
“There’s a problem. Please send Rosina up here and go get the car. We have to leave right away.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Laura come into the hallway, turning into the living room. He heard Rosina’s footsteps on the hidden staircase between the two apartments before she opened the door. Quickly, he told her the little they knew, his brief narrations punctuated by soft exclamations from Rosina.
“We’re going to the zoo now. We need you to stay here. Call me if you hear anything at all. I’ll have my cell phone with me.” He hurried into the living room followed closely by Rosina. “We’ll call you as soon as we know something,” he said as he took Laura’s hand and headed out the door.
The ride to the zoo was silent. Laura was still very calm and composed. Her hand in his was icy cold and there was no response when he squeezed it. Matteo paid no attention to the driving regulations as he took shortcuts and chances to get them to the zoo quickly. Taylor hardly had enough time to call the theatre to notify the director and his understudy.
“Robert, please, don’t give out any information. Just announce that I’m ill. I’ll tell you all of it when I have a chance.”
Meg was hysterical by the time they got there. The security office had called the paramedics who were trying to calm her down. As Taylor came through the door, she pushed them aside and ran into his arms. He held her tightly and murmured reassurances until she calmed a little. Laura couldn’t touch her, could only watch. She had to conserve her energy for the effort of holding herself together awhile longer. Taylor loosened his grip on Meg to shake the hand of a man who had obviously been waiting for their arrival. “Mr. Morgan, Mrs. Morgan, please sit down.”
Laura sank onto the couch, Taylor beside her, his arm still around Meg.
“I’m Vincent Hobbs, Detective, NYPD. The zoo security staff called as soon as your daughter came to them.”
“What happened? Meg wasn’t making much sense when she called.” Taylor softened his words with a gentle squeeze to her shoulders.
The detective recapped what he had been able to get out of Meg. “The woman who took Annie…”
Laura drew a shuddering breath at the sound of the name. Taylor took her hand and held it hard, as if by holding her he could reclaim their child.
“…the woman didn’t seem to intend the child any harm from what Ms. Morgan was able to tell us. Annie didn’t appear to be scared.”
Laura spoke softly, her first words since Meg’s call, “Annie wouldn’t go with a stranger, not willingly. She knew about strangers…we taught her about strangers. She wouldn’t go!” Her voice rose, high and tight with strain.
“I’m sure you did, Mrs. Morgan.” Hobbs’s voice was gentle. “It’s possible that she called your daughter by name, having heard Ms. Morgan call her by name in the park. Children don’t always recognize someone who knows their name as a stranger.”
Laura caught back a sob and Taylor ached for her, knowing the pain she was feeling, knowing it as his own.
“Mr. Morgan, you’re a high profile person. This is probably about money.” Hobbs hoped it was about money…didn’t believe it, but hoped. The kidnapper sounded more like one of those desperate women who wanted a child. It was harder to find one of those sometimes. “Is there someone at your apartment who could let in some of my team so we can set up call monitoring equipment?”
“Our housekeeper. I’ll call her and let her know they’re coming.”
“Good. That will give us a head start. Go ahead and call her and I’ll get my team rounded up. We’ll meet them there shortly.”
Chapter 44
They arrived home to a scene of controlled chaos. Technicians were setting up and testing various machines, wires snaked across the polished hardwood floors. Laura took one look, gave a strangled cry, and retreated to the relative quiet of their room. Taylor had phoned their doctor from the car and he handed Meg off to Rosina who would stay with her until the doctor arrived. Then he followed Laura hoping to—needing to—break through the barrier she had built around herself.
When he came to Annie’s room, he stopped, compelled to look in. He almost needed the assurance that Annie actually existed. She seemed so completely gone from their lives. His eyes filled with tears as he saw her favorite toy, her guardian dragon, Custard, propped against her pillow. Annie couldn’t sleep without Custard! What would she do tonight? Where would she sleep tonight? He turned away, unable to face the questions that had no answers.
He opened the door to their room and saw Laura sitting in the window seat, staring out at the city, where dusk was creating shadows. He could see the matching shadows that had formed under her eyes and the tension that had pushed him away. He crossed the room and sat facing her.
“Laura?” Her eyes turned from the street and met his. “Laura…” His voice trailed off. There was nothing he could say that would chase that look from her eyes. He knew only Annie could do that.
“It’s my fault, Taylor.” Taylor was stunned by her statement and could think of nothing to say before she went on. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so selfish, it would have been me who picked her up. I’d have brought her home. She wouldn’t have been there for someone to take.” Her voice broke, the strain—finally too much to bear—wracked her slender body with sobs. Taylor moved closer, pulled her into his arms and let his own tears mingle with hers as the evening shadows filled the room; just as shadows had suddenly filled their lives.
After a while she quieted. Taylor loosened his hold on her and took a step back so he could see her face. Gently, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Laura…you're wrong, darling. This wasn't your fault. You could just as easily blame me for not insisting that they take Matteo and the car. Or blame me for being known, tempting someone to do this. But, not you, Laura. It's not your fault. There's no one to blame but the woman who took her.” He took a deep breath and then went on. “I need you, Laura. Don't shut me out again, please. I'll never get through this if I don't have you to lean on.”
For the first time since the phone call had disrupted their lives, he could see in her eyes that Laura had come back to him, that they would face the rest of this nightmare together. Gratefully, he pulled her back into his arms, resting his cheek on her hair.
A knock at the door broke their small respite. Standing, his hand still on Laura's shoulder, he called, “Come in.”
“Taylor, I've just come from Meg.” Joseph Barry, their family doctor and friend, stood in the doorway. He quickly took in the scene. Laura was obviously at the end of her rope. Taylor wasn't much better. “Rosina's with her. I've given her something to help her sleep. Right now she's so torn up with guilt…”
“Meg?” Laura said in surprise. “But it's not her fault!”
“She thinks it is, Laura. She feels responsible.”
>
Before either of the men could say anything, Laura was on her feet and out the door. They heard a door open and Rosina's voice before it closed again.
“And you, Taylor? How are you holding up?”
“I don't know, Joseph. I feel like it's all some kind of nightmare and I'll wake up soon. What will we do if…if Annie doesn't come home?” The doctor knew there was no answer he could give. He put a hand on Taylor's shoulder and the two men stood in silence.
Finally, Taylor spoke. “I’d better go check on Meg and Laura.”
“I'll leave some pills here for Laura. It wouldn't hurt you to take them as well. You both will need to get some rest. Call me if you need me. It doesn't matter what time.”
* * *
“Meg? Dr. Barry said you think this is your fault.” Laura knelt beside the bed and smoothed the dark hair away from Meg's face. “It's not your fault. You mustn't think that.”
Sleepily, Meg replied, “But it was, Laura. If I'd only watched her closer…if I’d just kept hold of her hand. I'm the one who let her go.”
“Meg, you and I both know that holding onto Annie is like trying to hold on to mist. You didn't do anything wrong.” Laura's eyes filled with tears again. “Right now, Meg, you need to sleep. We'll wake you if anything changes, I promise.”
Taylor stood in the doorway watching his wife and their eldest daughter. Laura had been a good mother to Meg. And to Betta. She'd given them her whole heart and had never made a difference between them and Annie. They were all equally her daughters even if only one had been born to her.
He crossed over to the bed and sat beside Meg. “Laura's right, Meg. It wasn't anyone's fault. It's happened and we have to get through it. We're going to need all our strength to survive this together.” He leaned down and kissed Meg's forehead as her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing became regular. Taylor and Laura sat beside her for a while longer until Rosina interrupted them.
“Taylor? The policeman wants to see you.”
They rose and followed her into the hall.
“Rosina? You'll stay with her?” Laura asked.
“Sì. I'll be here if she wakes.”
“Thanks, Rosina.” Taylor replied.
“We have to call my parents, Taylor, and Betta,” Laura said. “They have to know, too.”
“Matteo has already called,” Rosina said. “Your parents will be here on the first flight they can get. Matteo will pick them up. We told Betta to wait until we knew something more. It is so far for her to come from Italy.”
Taylor hugged the small woman who had been so much a part of their lives. “Rosina, I don't know what we'd do without you and Matteo.”
“Go! The policeman is waiting.” Rosina gave Laura's hand a squeeze and watched them walk down the hall. So beautiful they were and so troubled. She took her rosary from her pocket, sat down beside Meg's bed and began her prayers.
Chapter 45
Pierce Albright was waiting in the hallway. “I have a friend at NYPD. He knows we’re friends. Don’t tell the Detective about my job. The locals get a little testy when the FBI steps in. And I can’t step in officially—not yet.”
Detective Hobbs was waiting for them in the dining room. After being introduced to Albright, he asked them all to be seated. “It's a little quieter in here. I need to ask you some questions. Maybe we can figure out who this person is, why she took your daughter.”
They sat at the table, Taylor holding Laura’s hand as the detective took out a notepad. He looked curiously at Pierce.
“I’m Pierce Albright, an old friend of the Morgans.” Hobbs noted it carefully on his pad before he began.
“Mr. Morgan, Mrs. Morgan…”
Laura interrupted him. “That’s going to be very time consuming. My name is Laura, just use it, please.” Taylor nodded to indicate he agreed and Hobbs started again.
“Taylor, Laura, we’re hoping to hear from the kidnapper with a ransom demand soon. The longer they wait—well, the less chance it is that it’s a money thing.”
“What else could it be?” Taylor asked then went white as he thought of the answer. “Are you telling us that some—some pervert might have Annie?”
“It's a possibility. I can't rule it out. But I'm thinking it might be another answer yet. I'm not sure that this is a ransom driven kidnapping. I think it could be something else—given your celebrity. There are a lot of strange people out there; fans who think that someone famous owes them something. In this case, I'm wondering if the woman thinks you owe her your little girl?”
“That's insane!” Taylor said angrily. “Why would someone think I owe them my child?”
“These types aren't sane, Taylor. They get involved in some fantasy of their own and build up a whole scenario. There was that actress who got killed several years back by someone who admired her. And that other one who kept breaking into that talk-show guy's house. Something goes wrong in their minds and that fantasy becomes a reality to them.”
“But why Annie?”
“To hurt you—hurt your wife. Maybe even take your wife's place.”
“Elodie.” Laura's voice was so low that none of them was sure she had spoken.
“Ma'am?”
“Elodie. It’s Elodie, Taylor. It must be.”
Hobbs looked at the two of them. This wasn't making any sense. “Who’s Elodie?” he demanded.
“Detective?” Albright stepped in. “We haven’t been completely honest about my identity. I am a close friend of the Morgans but I’m also FBI. I’m here in the friend capacity. Now, about Elodie Nee. She’s the former president of Taylor’s fan club. She’d become obsessed with him a few years ago and began stalking him. When we found evidence it was her, Taylor and I confronted her. She resigned, left the country, and joined the European set. A few months ago she stopped attending parties and became a recluse. The rumor is that she’s gravely ill.”
“And you’re sure she’s still in Europe?”
“I was until right now. I’ll see if I can e-mail someone over there to check her out.”
“Elodie might have been obsessed with me but she doesn’t have it in her to hurt a child.”
“Taylor, that may or may not be the case,” Albright said gently.
“And it may not be Elodie. All we have to go on is that she’s a blonde woman. Elodie’s dark.”
“She could have dyed her hair but you’ve got someone else in mind.” Hobbs said.
“A former student. Allison something…I can find out her last name. She was thrown out of UNM when she tried to blackmail me into giving her a letter of recommendation. Then she showed up as one of the finalists for the female lead in this show. I refused to work with her. She’d have enough reason to pull something like this.
“I’ll check her out,” Albright said. “I’ll call the theatre to get her name. And I think you can be sure that Annie’s safe for now. Whoever this woman is, Annie’s her ticket to you.”
The door to the living room opened and one of the police force stuck his head in. “Trouble, Hobbs. You'd better come see.”
They all followed the officer into the living room where a special report banner was emblazoned across the television set. It dissolved into the concerned face of a local news anchor who announced:
“Real Time News has learned that the daughter of Broadway star, Taylor Morgan, was snatched at the zoo today. Annie Morgan, seen here with her father at a recent social event, was at the zoo with her sister, Megan, this afternoon when an as yet unidentified woman took her. Reporter Nick Redfern and cameraman Ed Schultz were at the zoo on another assignment when Morgan and his wife, author Laura Collins, arrived at the zoo and they were able to take this footage of the distraught parents entering the zoo's security office. No further details are available at this time but we have learned that Morgan called in 'sick' for tonight's performance and no one has been reached yet for comment. We'll keep you posted on this breaking story as new details become available.”
The newsm
an’s face was replaced with a close-up of Annie as the special report banner once again took over the screen.
One of the technicians turned down the sound, leaving a stunned silence among the watchers. It was finally broken when Detective Hobbs whispered a heartfelt and succinct, “Shit!”
Chapter 46
Annie yawned as she picked at the food the lady had placed in front of her earlier. Macaroni and cheese with green beans. The macaroni was from a box. Annie hated green beans. And she was tired. She just wanted to go home and go to bed.
“Will my daddy be here soon?”
The woman at the stove turned to face Annie. “He’ll be here, sweetheart. I’m just not sure when.”
“But I’m ready to go home now, please.” Annie was trying very hard to be polite and to not cry like a baby would. “I’m sure Mommy or Meg would come get me if I called them. I know my phone number,” she added hopefully.
“Why, Annie, haven’t we had a nice time this afternoon? I can’t believe you want to rush off so soon.”
“I have been having fun,” Annie said, not entirely truthfully. It had stopped being fun a long time ago. “But I’m really tired now and I’d like to go home.” Right now, Annie really wanted her Mommy and she could feel the tears pushing against her eyes
“Of course you’re tired, baby.” Annie hated it when people called her “baby”. “Why don’t you come have a nice bath and then lie down on the couch? I’ll wake you when Daddy gets here.”
Too tired to argue, Annie climbed down from the chair and followed the woman to the bathroom. “I can take my own bath. I don’t need any help,” she said.
“But, baby, you’re so tired! What if you fall asleep in the bath and drown? We can’t have that, can we?” she said with a laugh as she turned on the faucet to fill the tub. She helped Annie undress and get into the tub then sat on the floor beside her talking and talking. Annie wasn’t listening. The warm water made her even sleepier and she didn’t argue when the woman helped her out of the bath and into a flowered nightgown.
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