by Lisa Prysock
His grandmother had held a meeting with her two adult children, Aunt Tamara and his father Benjamin, before her passing. According to both of them, they were happy and relieved to see the old Victorian and much of her estate pass on to the oldest grandchild in the family. They had their own homes and didn’t want to invest the time in fixing it up, even though his grandmother had left plenty of funds in her account for the remodeling. She’d been a shrewd and cautious woman after his grandfather’s passing; being careful not to spend money on frivolities—as she’d called it—whenever someone suggested she upgrade various things about the home.
“I know it’s probably too early, but did the police find out any new information about Briar?” Riley asked.
“No, nothing new yet, other than Wesley, the police officer working on the case, calling to let me know they went to Briar’s ex-boyfriend’s house and he wasn’t home, so they went to his parents’ house, and he wasn’t there either. Last night they put an APB out on him and his license plate, and of course one of those missing person alerts about Briar,” Brad answered, adjusting his tool belt. He was glad he’d asked his sisters not to mention the missing necklaces just yet, and glad Trisha hadn’t mentioned it. They had enough on their minds with Briar’s disappearance, and this was the first chance he’d had since the funeral to observe his cousins.
“Well, we’ll be praying,” Riley assured him.
Trisha stood back, her arms crossed, silently watching. His cousins hadn’t asked her anything much, but maybe it was for the best. It was getting late and they needed to get back to the Edgewater. He was getting hungry and the lasagna smelled good.
“Yes, we’ll continue to pray,” Rose Marie added, glancing at the staircase out in the great hall. “Mind if I get some of my books from the sitting room upstairs before we leave? I used to read to her a little each day in the early afternoon. She loved our reading time. I believe I left a small stack of my books on the table by her favorite chair.”
Brad eyed her, contemplating how he wanted to respond. He wished Rose Marie had have come out to the house to retrieve them when he’d asked her to before the remodeling had begun. There were a few things he’d already tossed, but maybe they were still where she’d left them. The house had three stories and a lot of rooms. Most of the upstairs still had everything as his grandmother had left it, but the downstairs had been moved around and cleaned out to make room for the renovations. He’d saved the important things, but there were many items he’d thrown out due to age and the need for decluttering. “Sure, go ahead,” he responded.
What else could he say? He didn’t remember any of her books being set aside, but obviously, she remembered. Besides, grief sometimes did odd things to people and everyone reacted differently. She’d probably been too upset about losing grandma to come out to the house sooner. It’d only been a few months.
Rose Marie was an attractive lady in her mid-twenties, and if only she smiled a little more, he thought she might be happier. It’d do her countenance some good in his opinion. Hopefully the new boyfriend of hers would bring more joy into her life. He knew she liked to travel. His grandmother had given her the recent trip to France before she’d passed away as a reward for helping around the house and being such an excellent companion.
WHEN HIS COUSINS LEFT, he locked up the house and climbed in his truck with Trisha. They put the lasagna on the floor in the backseat of the cab.
“So I’m your girlfriend now, right?” she teased.
He reached across the seat to hold her hand, grinning. “If you’re okay with that status, that is.”
“I am,” she replied, flashing him a coy smile.
Their eyes scanned the roads looking for Briar as they made the drive toward the bed and breakfast. It was getting too dark to see much of anything, but they kept looking anyways. Their plan was to eat the lasagna for dinner at Brook Cottage, maybe watch a little television together, and then he’d go upstairs to #8, the Gardenia Suite, and turn in early.
Trisha broke the comfortable silence first. “Something about that whole meeting with your cousins was kind of hard.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Rose Marie and Riley are complete opposites.”
“Yes, I think that was it, on top of everything else,” she agreed. A few seconds later, Trisha asked, “What do your cousins do for a living?”
He cleared his throat. That question was a test of his memory banks for sure. “Uh, let’s see if I can remember. I’ve been in Nashville so long and on the road with Eternity so much; it’s hard to keep up. The last I heard, Rose Marie works at a bridal shop. Riley attends college around here somewhere, but I’m not sure what she’s studying. I think she works part time in retail as well, maybe at the mall or something.”
“I see,” she replied. “Just curious.” Changing the subject, she added, “I loved that portrait of your grandmother over the fireplace in the drawing room. Thank you so much for the tour of the house. There are plenty of bedrooms and lots of space. I like it. I really love the porch, the window seats, the round rooms shaped like turrets, oh...everything about the place.”
“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “Me too.”
They didn’t discuss anything else about his cousins, but he could tell Trisha was noticeably tense and uncomfortable about them. As worried as they both were about Briar, he hoped they could exhaust themselves watching a movie so he could sleep without tossing and turning all night.
Chapter 10
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV
“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING me. You kidnapped me because you lost your job?” Briar Fielding spat out at Doug Robinson, her ex-boyfriend, when he finally removed the gag from her mouth and loosened her blindfold until it dropped to hang around her neck. She’d broken it off with this guy a few weeks after her grandmother’s funeral. Why was he back in her life again? What did he want? At least she could see now. Where were they? On some highway in the middle of Georgia, somewhere. She’d have to wait for more signs. She was completely disoriented at this point, but it looked like they were headed north, or maybe east.
She’d been listening to him ramble on for the last thirty minutes, but he’d only made her angrier with everything he’d told her. First, he’d walked right into her apartment without knocking, scaring her half to death. Then, he’d tried begging her to get back together with him, telling her how much he still loved her. After he’d told her he wanted to date other girls, she had no intention of giving him a second chance. When she’d refused him, gently but firmly, he’d lunged at her, threatening her. He said if she didn’t come with him peacefully, he’d drag her out.
It had been the fight of her life, a struggle like no other she’d had before. He’d smashed things and thrown her down on the bed like a rag doll. She was no match for his strength. Then he’d ransacked the place, looking for something to pack her clothes in. She’d put up another fight, and they’d knocked over items in three rooms as she struggled to get away from him.
In the end, he’d pulled a gun on her. That had silenced any further objections for the time being. Then he’d tied her hands together, gagged her, blindfolded her, and packed a leather bag containing clothing for her. Then, in broad daylight, he’d carried her bag, or so he said, and forced her down the stairs and into his vehicle. They’d been driving for what seemed like an hour.
“It’s more than just a job to me,” Doug shot back. “It was my entire identity. I worked hard to become a pharmaceutical sales rep.”
“Why did you lose the job in the first place if it mattered to you so much, and what does it have to do with me?” she asked. “We’re not together anymore and we’re never going to be.”
“I was falsely accused of stealing the drug samples,” he explained, one hand firmly grasping the steering wheel while he aimed a gun he balanced on
his elbow at her with the other. “And don’t get any bright ideas about jumping out of the moving car. We’re going too fast, number one, but not fast enough to draw any attention. Secondly, I control the locks.”
The thought of jumping out of the car had crossed her mind a thousand times, but since he hadn’t untied her wrists, and she was sore from their previous struggles, and she knew he had a gun, she’d decided to sit tight and wait for a better chance to escape.
“Did you pack a toothbrush for me, because if you didn’t, we need to stop at the store, since it looks like you intend to keep me for a while,” Briar pointed out, hoping he’d have to stop the car. Maybe she could make a run for it or draw some attention their way, except looking around
“Don’t even think about stopping somewhere. Why do you think I insisted on packing a bag,” he said, taking his eyes off the road to study her face for a moment.
“My sister happens to be going to school to become a dental assistant. You have no idea how important it is to brush your teeth at least three times a day,” she replied, trying to keep calm since that plan obviously wasn’t going to work. Eventually, he’d need to stop and get gasoline or food, she hoped. She glanced at his dashboard when he wasn’t looking directly at her anymore, but it appeared as though he still had most of a full tank.
“Yeah, I remember Bridget. Brandy was the animal lover working at the veterinarian clinic. You didn’t actually think I’d forget, did you?” He kept his eyes straight ahead on the road.
That statement made her nervous. What on earth was he really up to? “Okay, so you lost your job, your identity, and you want your girlfriend back. What else do you want? Forcing me to be your girl isn’t the way to win my heart, Doug, and you know it.” She understood his type in a way. Appearances and success were everything to him. He’d earned a degree in marketing, landed a job with a Fortune 500 company, and now that he’d lost it, all of his important friends would think he was a loser. She guessed that was what was at the heart of this fiasco.
“First of all, we’re going to spend the entire weekend talking about that, longer if needed, at a little cabin my folks own. Secondly, I’m down on my luck. I lost my job and now I don’t have a good reference, since I was mistakenly fired.” He sighed.
Briar didn’t believe his remark about being mistakenly fired. More likely at this point was he’d become one of those pathological liars who believed whatever he told himself, repeating the lie for long enough until it seemed like the truth. She’d studied about these kinds of mental behaviors in psychology to help her prepare for becoming a teacher. He’d probably been doing this sort of thing for years and nobody in his world realized it.
He continued, “And since I’m down on my luck, I’m going to need help, and since you love me deep down inside, you’re going to help me.”
“I don’t love you deep down inside,” she said, rolling her eyes. “In fact, right now, I don’t like you even as a friend.”
“But you do, and you’re going to help me,” he stated calmly.
The guy was clearly out of his mind. “What do you want me to do?” Her wrists hurt from being bound so tightly for so long.
“I know your family is loaded. I was at your grandmother’s funeral, remember? I know your brother is the lead singer in a famous hip hop band, too.”
“So, what exactly do you want? Money? How much?” she asked, weary of the game already. She was supposed to be enjoying a girls’ night out and having her nails done right now. Instead, her apartment was now a total wreck and this jerk from her not too distant past was holding a gun pointed at her. What had she ever seen in him? How had she missed the fact he was about to become psychologically warped? His family and friends had seemed so nice. He seemed like he really had his life together with a good job, owning a nice starter house, nice appearance, and all that sort of thing. In fact, the fact he’d wanted to date around had come as a bit of a surprise to her. Doug had always been considerate, thoughtful, and romantic.
“Don’t try anything. I’m going to put the gun down, but one wrong move, and the blindfold and gag go back on, understand?”
She nodded, aggravated. “All right, all right, just tell me how much you want. You said you’re down on your luck. What do you want? A loan? A couple thousand? I have that in my savings.”
“No, more than that,” he said, placing the gun on his left knee, balancing it there while he reached in his pocket. Then he held up a shiny metal key. “Remember this?”
“The key to my grandmother’s...” Then she clamped her mouth shut, fuming because he’d just sunk to a new level in her mind.
“Your grandmother’s safe deposit box where she keeps her heirloom jewelry stash. Your dad really shouldn’t be allowed to drink so much alcohol at funeral luncheons. Do you know he shared every detail about those necklaces to everyone seated at his table?” Doug chuckled, a rather evil sounding chuckle.
How she wished she could forget about that incident. He must’ve gone looking for it after he’d blindfolded her and dragged her around. She vaguely recalled him jingling things around that could easily have been her keys. She’d kept the key on her key chain. He’d removed it, though. She wondered how long before her brother or sisters might realize it, or if they would. It was the one thing her grandmother had specifically wanted her to have access to for her own personal use, to wear the necklaces to some kind of event or some special occasion. Lady Callie Rose Halston Fielding had wanted her to be able to wear those necklaces someday, and if they were retrieved, she fully intended to carry out her grandmother’s wishes. It was the main thing she’d inherited, not that she wouldn’t share them with her sisters if asked.
There was just one problem with Doug’s plan. He didn’t know Brad had told her the necklaces had already been stolen. Why Doug would want them, she didn’t completely understand, but they were probably worth far more than she realized. In any case, she wasn’t going to tell him the necklaces weren’t at the bank because it could be another opportunity for her to escape. She’d spoken briefly with Bradley about the situation, and neither of them knew who’d taken them.
“So you don’t want money? You just want my grandmother’s necklaces?” she repeated. “So you can sell them for money?”
“Something like that,” he answered.
“Wh-what if I can’t get them for you?” she asked, attempting to keep her voice from trembling. By this time, she figured her family knew she was missing and maybe they’d called the police—she hoped, wondering if she might be able to steal Doug’s cell phone when he fell asleep. However, the idea was unlikely if he kept gagging, blindfolding, and keeping her tied up.
“Of course you can, and you will,” he calmly stated in that cold tone she disliked so much.
She didn’t want to ask what might happen if she couldn’t or if she refused to cooperate. Nor did she ask why they were driving away from Atlanta if they were going to have to return to an Atlanta bank to visit the safe deposit box. She guessed he needed a place to hide her until he was ready to carry out his plan.
A few cars passed them on the highway, and Briar wished she could roll down the window and scream for help, but knew she couldn’t. He still had that gun resting on his knee. She needed to keep praying. A verse came to mind about the Lord being an ever present help in the time of trouble. She sure was glad her mom had taken her to church all those years and that she still attended church on Sundays with her sisters.
She’d done her best to keep her relationship with the Lord strong even after high school, but it wasn’t always easy going to college and working. She’d have to do better at making time for Him on a daily basis, but she did talk to Him every single day. Her prayer life was strong, even if her Bible reading could definitely stand to improve. She remembered something her Nashville youth pastor had said about not being a fair-weather friend to the Lord, and something her current pastor had said about how God was always good, and always willing to help us, even when we aren’t al
ways faithful. These thoughts encouraged her tremendously. It must be the Holy Spirit, bringing them to her mind in her hour of need.
“Oh, and if you think the police are looking for us by now, they probably are, but I’ve changed the plates on the car, so they won’t find us,” he informed us. “However, if you cooperate, once I have the necklaces, if you still want to leave, I will consider it.”
Briar shivered as Doug veered off onto an exit leading toward Madison, the sign read. A two lane country road appeared at the end of the exit, and he turned right while she wondered how much farther they had to drive to the location he’d mentioned. He sounded as though he might kill her if she didn’t agree to his demands, and the thought deeply frightened her. If she kept her wits about her, she might get out of this alive with a whole lot of help from the good Lord. She started praying again. Lord, I really need you this time.
Chapter 11
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5, NLT
FIVE DAYS LATER, DOUG pulled the black sedan with tinted windows to a stop in the parking lot of the First Atlanta National Bank. He’d chosen a spot close to the main entrance. She knew he was calculating every step of their getaway. Briar noticed he had beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Her own palms were sweating as she thought about the reaction he’d have when he realized the box was empty.
“Don’t forget what I told you,” he said as he placed the gun in the console between them. “One wrong move and I will mess with the vehicles belonging to both of your sisters. When they die in horrific accidents on the highways around here, it will be your fault. You will have no one to blame but yourself.”