by Lynn Faye
Kristen’s heart pounded heavily as the blood drained from her head. She stared at the teacher.
“A complete stranger came to pick up my daughter and you just let him walk out with her? Hailey doesn’t have an Uncle Matt!”
“But he had an ID, he said he was abroad and just returned. Hailey said she knew him.”
A million thoughts ran through Kristen’s mind. Who was Matt? Was he some relative Hailey met at her grandmother’s house? That still didn’t explain why he would come pick up Hailey.
Without further delay, Kristen called Ethan’s number. He took a while to answer and she knew he had to break his class to do so.
“Kristen, what’s wrong?”
“Someone named Matt picked up Hailey from school, claiming he’s her uncle. Do you have a relative I don’t know about?”
“I don’t know of a Matt in the family. Have you called my mother?” he asked.
“No. I’ll call her right away. She’d better have some good reason for sending someone to get Hailey.” They cut the conversation short, allowing Kristen to call the Broderick Mansion. The housekeeper was the one to answer. When asked where Helen was, she was told that Mrs. Broderick was on vacation with her husband.
“Where are they vacationing?” Kristen asked, her panic now reaching epidemic proportions.
“Somewhere in Greece, Miss Kristen.”
“How long ago did she leave?”
“A week ago.”
Then who was this Matt? The housekeeper didn’t know of a Matt either when asked and this made Kristen almost wet herself. With shaky hands, she hung up the phone and dialed the police. When the emergency operator came on the line, she was shaking so much that she could hardly speak. “M-m-my… my…” she stammered while trying gasp for air.
“Calm down Miss. Take deep slow breaths,” the operator encouraged. Kristen complied, inhaling several quavering breaths before she was able to go on. “Now, tell me slowly, what happened?”
“My daughter was kidnapped,” she breathed.
“I am going to ask you a few questions in order to assist you further.”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Where was your daughter last seen?” the operator asked.
“I came to pick her up at school and her teacher said someone already came to get her. She said her uncle Matt came to get her, but we don’t know anyone by that name. Hailey doesn’t have an Uncle Matt!” she spoke, her voice raised.
“Give me the name and address of the school.”
Kristen told them where she was and they asked a few more questions about family and if she was certain that Matt wasn’t a family member. The operator spoke to her calmly, telling her that the police were on their way and she should not panic but remain calm.
The police arrived within ten minutes of her calling, led by a Detective Cross. After-school kidnappings were increasing across the country and law enforcement officers took a call of this nature seriously.
The police and school personnel searched the school grounds to make sure Hailey was not there. They looked in every classroom and questioned some of the other students and teachers. It was just a precaution, given that Miss Bent saw Hailey leaving with the man. An Amber Alert was immediately issued after the police questioned Kristen and the teacher.
“This can’t be happening,” Kristen moaned, pacing the hallway of the school building.
“I’m so sorry,” Miss Bent said, clearly troubled by the way she was wringing her hands.
Hailey’s teacher had gone ashen when she realized her role in Hailey’s disappearance. The mystery remained as to who would take her daughter. According to the teacher, the man knew Hailey by name. He also knew her parents and grandparents.
Kristen knew that Helen was behind this. She must have planned this before she left for her vacation. That was the only explanation for this.
“Kristen,” Detective Cross addressed her. “We’ll need a recent photo of your daughter. We’ll need to monitor your calls in the event someone contacts you.”
She nodded her agreement. The police took Miss Bent aside to question her further, leaving Kristen alone. Kristen’s mind worked double to try to figure out who Matt could be. Weakness washed over her and her knees threatened to buckle beneath her. Someone gripped her shoulders, steadying her. She knew right away who it was. Ethan must have broken his class to rush to the school. His presence always brought her a sense of security. Kristen turned and rested her head on his shoulder and was engulfed in a strong embrace.
“We’ll find her,” Ethan said against her hair.
“When will it end?” she groaned. “When will Helen leave us alone?”
Ethan’s embrace tightened as he asked, “You think my mother is responsible?”
Kristen raised her head to meet his eyes. “Who else would do this?”
“But she’s on vacation, you said so yourself.”
“That proves nothing. It could be…”
Ethan completed her sentence, “Her alibi?”
“She’s the only one who would do this. This Matt fellow knew Hailey. Miss Bent said Hailey knew him. Where else would Hailey have met him?”
“The police will find the truth. We’ll find her.”
Kristen closed her eyes and rested her head in the crutch of Ethan’s neck. Inhaling deeply, she ran through her mind the last time she saw Hailey that morning. Her mind came back to the school when she came pick up her daughter. As she recalled the teacher telling her that her daughter was not in school, a flash of memory from another incident assailed her.
“Mrs. Broderick. This is your daughter’s school. Hailey has been in an accident. Please come right away.”
With a sharp intake of breath, Kristen pulled away from Ethan’s grasp. Reeling from the shock of the sudden memory, she staggered backward, leaning against the hallway wall.
Ethan rushed to her side, looking at her with narrowed eyes. “Kristen, are you in pain?” he asked when she gripped the sides of her head.
Giving her head a vigorous shake, she swallowed. “I remember,” she breathed. “I remember the day of the accident!”
“Yes, you remember the accident, I know.”
“Not the actual accident, before, while we talked, I received a phone call.”
“Yes, the phone rang and you answered it, then rushed out. I asked about it and you told me you’d tell me later.”
“Someone from the school called me and told me Hailey was in an accident. I need to speak with Miss Bent, now!”
The detective and two other officers were still speaking with the teacher, trying to ascertain the exact details of what happened. Ethan took Kristen’s hand and they both moved over to where they stood. The police officers and teacher turned in their direction when they approached.
“We’ll finish up here and wait for any calls at the house. It’s most likely they’ll call you there,” Detective Cross said. “The FBI are on their way.”
“We need to ask Hailey’s teacher a question,” Ethan said. When the woman nodded, he continued, “Did you call Kristen a couple of months ago about Hailey having an accident?”
“No,” she replied, her forehead creasing deeply. “Hailey has never had any kind of accident while here.”
One of the officers turned to Ethan. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”
“On the day Kristen met her accident, she received a phone call from this school that her daughter was in an accident.”
Miss Bent shook her head adamantly. “I assure you, I did not call you about any such accident. I can check with the main office, but if anyone was to call about Hailey, it would be me.”
“Why don’t you check to be sure,” the detective suggested.
Miss Bent moved off down the hall and one of the police officers followed.
Detective Cross typed on a small tablet. When he was done, he looked up. “I remember your accident,” he said. “I came to the hospital with the detective in charge. You had some memory pr
oblems, but can you now recount everything that happened before the accident?”
Kristen nodded, bringing back the minutes before she left in the car. It was as though everything came crashing back at the same moment. She’d been heading up the stairs and Ethan stopped her. They were discussing something that happened a long time ago. She was about to tell him everything when her cellphone went off. When she answered, a woman on the phone told her that she was calling from Hailey’s school and that her daughter had been in an accident. The woman insisted that she come right away.
By the time she recounted the events of the phone call and accident to the policeman, the teacher returned to confirm that no one from the school had called her.
“Do you still have the phone, so we can trace the call?” the policeman asked.
“No, it got lost in the accident.”
“Officer,” Ethan addressed him. “Her brakes were tampered with. Perhaps the one who called her messed with the car?”
The detective went back to his table and brought up a file from which he read. “According to the report, the investigator ruled it an accident. The brake hose was broken, but that’s not uncommon.”
“I know what the report said, but my mechanic insists that someone did it. The car was serviced a few days prior to the accident and a new hose installed.”
“Did you make your concerns known to Detective Marshall? He was in charge of that file.”
Kristen stepped in, “I asked him not to pursue it since we had no proof.”
“Where is the car now?”
“It’s at the mechanic. I haven’t had the mind to fix it,” Ethan replied. “How could the forensic team not pursue this?”
“According to the CCTV footage from the nearby traffic stop, Miss Kristen took her eyes off the road for a few seconds, that’s when she lost control of the car. As I said, it’s not uncommon for a broken hose to cause an accident. The brake fluid would have leaked easily.”
“What about now? Do you still think it was an accident?” Ethan asked.
Detective Cross twisted his lips as though concentrating. “We’ll have to take another look at the car. Also, when you have time, we need you to both come down to the department and make a statement. For now, we’ll concentrate on finding your daughter.”
The FBI team arrived shortly. After a brief consult with the detective, they asked the same questions the detective previously asked. They told Ethan and Kristen the same thing about the kidnapper contacting them and sent them home. As soon as Kristen pushed the front door, Camila accosted her.
“Where have you…?” Camila’s voice trailed off when she noticed they were not alone. “What’s going on? Where’s Hailey?”
Kristen felt her eyes burn and the tears she’d been holding back erupted. She clung to her friend as Ethan explained what happened.
The FBI team went to work by attaching their equipment to the house phone and a device to her cell phone. The device was a router that would send the call through their system where they could trace the call.
The phones remained silent for three hours as Kristen began to go crazy. She paced, looked through the window and stared at the phone. “Shouldn’t we be out there doing something?” she asked one of the lawmen.
Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let them do their job, Kristen. They know what they are doing.”
“But, nothing is happening. Should they be searching the city?” her voice squeaked. “And how about you? You’re a navy seal, why aren’t you searching for your own daughter!”
“Calm down Kristen. You know I couldn’t love Hailey any more if she was…”
“You don’t understand… Ethan, you have to find her. I’m being punished because I didn’t tell you… because of what Andrew did. Please,” she sobbed, gripping his collar. “You’ve got to find her. She’s not just my daughter. She’s your daughter.”
“Take it easy. You’re not making sense.”
“We conceived her the night we made love eight years ago. What’s not to understand?”
Ethan’s hand dropped as he stared at her. He blinked and stepped back, raking his hand through his hair. All eyes in the living room now focused on the two of them.
“Kristen,” he stepped forward and gripped her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”
“That day of the accident, I was about to tell you when I got the call.”
“Go on.”
“Andrew couldn’t give me what I so wanted. That’s why he drugged us and sent you to our bedroom. When I realized it was you making love to me, it was too late.”
“Hailey, is really my daughter?” she nodded. “And all this time, you didn’t tell me?”
“How could I? Andrew made it so you would never know.”
Ethan’s face tightened. “It’s time you stop blaming everything on Andrew. You knew all along and didn’t tell me. You hated me that much that you would hide my own child from me?”
“No, it wasn’t like that!”
“We deal with this as soon as we find her,” he growled and walked away.
Kristen watched him stalk away from her to stand at the mantle where he rested his eyes on the wall. His pained expression nipped her in the chest and she wanted to make things right.
Chapter 23
Ring.
Kristen jumped at the sound of the house phone. The FBI agent in charge held up his hand when she would have answered right away. He held up three fingers and she paused.
Ring. Ring.
She picked up after the third, calmly answering. “Hello?”
The agent in charge of monitoring the call had spoken to her before, advising her to keep the person on the line so they could trace the call. Now that she answered the phone, her mind went blank. What should she say?
“Your daughter is safe,” someone said. It was obvious from the sound of the voice that they were using a voice changer. She could neither tell whether it was male or female.
“Where is my daughter?”
There was a moment’s silence before they answered. “She’s safe. I need you to…”
We got him, the agent formed with his mouth.
“What do you need?” Kristen prodded. She wanted to know who this person was and what they needed.
“Two-fifty grand. Leave it at the old warehouse near the train tracks at nine tomorrow night. Come alone or she dies.”
There was a click and the line went silent. Kristen had many questions. Who was this person and why were they disguising their voice?
“Don’t worry. We’ll set up our team in the area before the time he gave you. You will go alone as he said, but you won’t really be alone,” the agent in charge told her.
Camila rubbed Kristen’s upper arm. “They’ll catch him.”
“I hope so,” she sobbed.
*
The agents packed up their equipment as they had a lock on the kidnapper’s location. The senior agent told them that he’d already dispatched a unit to check the caller’s location so there might be a chance they’d get him before Kristen made the drop-off.
They all waited for word on the unit that went to check the location. It was a long wait in silence. Camila never left Kristen’s side, but she felt cold without Ethan’s warm embrace.
He was still standing near the mantle, a deadly look on his face. She wondered what he was thinking. She needed to speak with him, but she didn’t consider this a good time or place.
“They found him!” the senior agent announced.
Kristen had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t noticed when the agent spoke through his radio.
“Where is my daughter?” she asked.
“He’s taking them to where he had her. We’ll get her back to you safely,” he reassured.
Kristen’s shuffled her feet nervously as they waited for the call that Hailey was safe. She sat on the sofa’s edge, the eased herself up and walked to the window and back. “What’s taking so long?” she asked after two minutes.
/>
“Be patient,” Camila told her.
She moved to the window once more, where she stayed for a while. Ethan’s eyes were on her and she could see the pain and anger in them. What else could she have done? She shrugged off the memory of Andrew and concentrated on her daughter.
“They found her!” the agent announced. “She’s safe. They are taking her to the police station. We’ll head there now.”
That was it. Kristen was the first one through the door, forgetting the car keys. As she raced back inside to retrieve them, Ethan picked them from the side table and headed for the door. She followed him out.
They rode the way to the police station in silence, each with their own thoughts. When they arrived, they completed the paperwork while they waited for Hailey to arrive. Ten minutes later, the crew arrived with their daughter.
Chapter 24
Ethan was angry. For his own brother to deceive him was unthinkable. Then there was Kristen. To go along with what Andrew did was another matter. Did she love Andrew that much that she was willing to do whatever he asked, even sleeping with another man?
That thought hurt more he cared to admit. He’s always resented his brother’s relationship with Kristen. The moment he found out she was marrying Andrew was the first time in his life he felt jealousy. Here he was again, feeling the painful pangs of the ugly green giant once more. Andrew was gone, but it seemed that Kristen was intent on staying loyal to him. Yes, she’d lost her memory, but what about before that? Did she intend to tell him at all?
Regardless, Hailey was his daughter. The thought brought him both joy and resentment. How will they tell Hailey that she was really his daughter and not Andrew’s? Didn’t his brother think of the consequences of his actions before doing them? All those questions bombarded him as they waited for the doctor to check Hailey. Straightaway after the police unit brought Hailey to the station, they were escorted to the hospital to make sure she was in good health.
He now stood outside the emergency area where Hailey was being checked. Kristen was pacing like a caged animal. He wanted to comfort her, but a sharp pain wedged inside his chest at the thought that she had kept such a huge secret from him. All the anger she had towards him, he wondered if it was really guilt.