by Laura Scott
“First I need you to tell me exactly what happened,” Dev said. “When was the last time you saw Sebastian?”
She swallowed a wave of frustration. Talking was not high on her agenda right now; she wanted, needed to do something. But she forced herself to think through the last few hours and tell Devon what she remembered.
“Mrs. Alice came to watch Sebastian’s exchange around 12:30 in the afternoon. She left shortly afterwards, maybe close to 2:00 or so. Sebastian had a bit of a temper tantrum, so I sent him to his room.” Her throat closed and her eyes welled with tears. She knew that Sebastian’s disappearance was all her fault. She’d handled things badly and now the little boy was gone.
As if he could read her mind, Dev put a hand on her shoulder. “You did what hundreds of parents do when their kids throw a tantrum. Being sent to his room isn’t anything to feel bad about.”
She swiped at her eyes and shook her head. “It’s worse,” she said hoarsely. “I could still hear him screaming so I went outside to sit down by the lake.”
“Don’t, Janelle,” Dev said softly. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why is Sebastian missing?” she asked sharply. “Of course I was wrong! If I hadn’t left the house he’d still be here.”
“Stop it,” Dev’s tone was firm. “Blaming yourself isn’t going to help. I need you to focus, okay? How long were you outside?”
He was right, she knew logically he was right. But that fact didn’t make her feel any better. She took a deep breath and thought back. “Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. I went back inside the house and went to listen by his door. I didn’t open it, because I thought he might have cried himself to sleep. I started dinner, and then went to wake him up. But he was gone.” The image of his rumpled, yet achingly empty bed was firmly etched in her mind.
“Okay, so Sebastian was in his room for less than an hour all told, right?”
An hour didn’t seem long, but in reality it was an eternity. “Yes,” she whispered. “Forty-five minutes, an hour at the most.”
“So then what?” Devon prompted.
“I thought he’d run away, so I ran outside calling his name. He wasn’t anywhere along the road, and I thought he might have made his way down to Rose’s café, so I went there. But Josie hadn’t seen him.” The hysteria building inside threatened to explode.
Sebastian!
Devon lightly clasped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Don’t panic, there’s still plenty of light. We’ll find him, okay?”
She wanted to believe that, and forced herself to nod.
“Let’s go inside for a minute, I want to be sure there wasn’t a note left behind.”
A note? “Sebastian can’t write,” she protested, as they walked up to the front door.
“A note from Grant,” Dev clarified.
“I searched the house for Sebastian, under his bed, in the closet, anywhere he might think of to hide,” she protested. But she followed him inside, hoping she’d missed something.
Rushing down the hall, she flung open his bedroom door and stood on the threshold, peering around the room as if a note might have materialized in her absence.
But there was no note. Nothing of any sort left behind that she could see.
Janelle put a hand to her chest, fighting to breathe normally. Devon was right, self-recriminations and panic weren’t going to help find Sebastian.
“What’s this?” Devon asked, walking toward one of the bedroom windows.
She blinked, surprised that there was in fact the edge of a piece of white lined paper taped to the outside of the window, near the window frame. When the spring breeze blew past, the edge of the paper lifted up and away from the window, making it difficult to see.
Before she could move, Devon had brushed past her to head back outside. She followed in his wake, hope blooming in her chest. The note was a positive sign, right? This could be a clue that Devon and the other officers could use to help them find Sebastian.
Dev stood outside her son’s bedroom window, reading the note. When she reached up to take it, he lightly caught her wrist, preventing her from touching it. “We need to check for fingerprints, Janelle.”
She couldn’t suppress a groan of frustration. “But that will take days, Devon.” They didn’t have days. They didn’t even have hours.
There was no telling what might happen if Sebastian didn’t get his next peritoneal dialysis treatment.
“Janelle?” Dev’s voice broke through her torturous thoughts. “Does this look like Grant’s handwriting to you?”
She stared at the note that appeared to be written in haste. I have Sebastian. It will cost you ten grand to get him back. There was a phone number with a Milwaukee area code scribbled along the bottom.
“It could be,” she said. “But to be honest I only glanced at the letters he sent my sister from prison, begging her to give him a second chance.”
“Do you still have those letters?”
Tears threatened again as she shook her head. “No, I didn’t keep them. He physically abused Lisa, especially when he was under the influence, and to be honest, I didn’t want him to have contact with Sebastian. I was afraid he’d do something drastic. And now-he has.”
“It’s okay, we can still compare his writing to court documents he would have needed to sign. But at this point, I think we can rule out the possibility of Sebastian running away on his own. It could be that Grant was hanging around and happened to hear the argument. Maybe he even used bits of the fight to get Sebastian to come along with him.”
She could easily see how that could have worked, despite the fact that Grant was virtually a stranger to the boy. Grant was still Sebastian’s biological father regardless of the fact the courts had severed his custody rights secondary to the abuse. She tried to think back. “Sebastian was wearing blue jeans and a red t-shirt with a dinosaur on the front. He also took his stuffed angel with him.”
“Stuffed angel?” Dev looked confused.
She sniffled and swiped at her face. “When I first brought Sebastian home with me, he kept asking about when his mommy was coming home. I told him she was in heaven, but he couldn’t grasp the concept. So I bought him a stuffed angel and told him that his mommy was up in heaven with God but that she sent the angel for him to hug and to hold at night when he was afraid.”
This time when Dev reached out for her, she collapsed against him, pressing her face into the hollow of his shoulder.
“I can’t lose him, Dev, I just can’t,” she whispered.
“You won’t. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to find him.”
She nodded, knowing that Devon was a good cop, all of the Hope County Sheriff’s deputies were good cops. But the relentless fear continued to gnaw at her. “Will you pray with me?”
“Of course I will.” Devon pulled her hands up to the center of his chest and held them there. He bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we ask You to please keep Sebastian safe and healthy in Your care. Please grant us the wisdom and guidance to find him, so we can bring him home, Amen.”
“Amen,” she responded. Lifting her head she gazed up at him. “Thanks, Dev.”
“You’re welcome.” Another cop car pulled up in front of her house and Janelle was relieved to see two more deputies making their way toward them.
She recognized Ian Kramer and Zack Crain. “Have you found something?” Zack called.
“A note taped to the outside of the kid’s window.” Devon gestured toward it. “I think we have to assume this is a kidnapping.”
“Ten grand?” Ian echoed with a frown. “This dude isn’t asking for a million dollars, so that means he knows Janelle wouldn’t have that much.”
She didn’t bother to point out that she didn’t have the ten grand, either. “We think Sebastian’s father, Grant Gardner, took Sebastian. Grant is a known IV drug user, and he was hooked on Heroin before he was arrested for beating and robbing my sister
three years ago.”
The deputies exchanged serious looks. “Okay, and we think the suspect might be driving a silver sedan?”
“Yes, that’s our theory,” Devon replied. “There’s a phone number on the note. I’m guessing he didn’t have Janelle’s cell number. I’ll give him a call.”
Janelle reached out to stop him. “Wait, I think I should be the one to make the call. He doesn’t need to know I’ve involved the police, does he? He might open up more to me.”
Devon scowled, but reluctantly nodded. “Okay, you call, but let’s go inside, I want you to put him on speaker, and we can’t have any background noise.”
Thankful for something to do, she waited while Devon took down the phone number from the note, leaving it right where they’d found it, and then headed back inside.
“Okay, here’s how this works,” Devon said as she pulled out a pen and paper. “You’re going to ask for proof that he has Sebastian, insist on talking to him, okay? Then we’ll take notes on what he says.”
“What if he wants me to meet him with the money?” she asked.
“Go ahead and agree to make the arrangements. If he’s using again, there’s a good chance he’ll make a mistake.” Devon stared at her intently “Any questions?”
Too many to voice so she simply shook her head. The deputies crowded all around her in the kitchen, watching as she punched in the numbers and then set the phone in the center of the table. She waited with her pen poised above the paper.
The phone rang several times before going straight to voice mail. She took a deep breath and then spoke into the phone. “This is Janelle, I found your note and I have the money you requested. Please call me back at this number…” she said each number slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Please, I need to know Sebastian is all right.”
She disconnected from the call and slumped in her chair. “I can’t believe he didn’t answer.” She resisted the urge to throw the cell phone across the room.
“He’ll call back,” Devon assured her. “In the meantime, we’ll try to figure out where he might be holding Sebastian.”
She dropped her head into her hands, and did her best to put her faith and trust in God.
And Devon.
She had to believe that they’d find Sebastian, before it was too late.
Chapter Eleven
Devon crossed over to where Zack and Ian, the other deputies, were standing off to the side in Janelle’s kitchen. “Did either of you check the Crystal Lake Motel?”
“I did,” Zack confirmed. “I flashed Grant’s mug shot, no one remembers seeing him and there was no one registered under his name.”
Dev had figured as much, but they needed to cover all bases. “What about the campground located down the highway?”
“I drove through it on my way here,” Ian spoke up. “No sign of a silver car, but I didn’t check every single camper.”
“We need a game plan, and we can’t wait forever for this guy to return Janelle’s call. We need to spread out, try to figure out where he’s hiding with Sebastian.”
The other deputies nodded in agreement. “I’ll head back to the campground,” Ian volunteered.
“I’ll flash Grant’s photo up and down Main Street, see if anyone else recognizes him,” Zack added.
“I’ll drive around the lake,” Dev decided. He turned back toward Janelle, hating the thought of leaving her here alone. “We’re going to start searching the area,” he told her. “You have my cell number, right?” When she nodded, he continued, “I need you to call me the minute you hear from this guy. Don’t try to do this alone, okay?”
“I won’t,” she promised, glancing toward the door as the other deputies left. “But isn’t there something I can do, too? Sitting here doing nothing will drive me crazy.”
He hesitated then nodded, realizing there was no reason she had to be here to get Grant’s call since she’d left her cell number. In fact, it would save time if they were together. “Okay, you can ride along with me, an extra pair of eyes couldn’t hurt.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He led the way outside, but then she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Wait, let me get Sebastian’s dialysis supplies so that I have them when we find him, just in case this takes longer than we expect.”
“Sounds good.” He was glad Janelle was maintaining a positive attitude about the outcome of the search. Logically he knew Grant had no reason to hurt the boy, but that didn’t mean the guy would take good care of him, either. In fact, there was no telling what Grant might do, especially if he’s under the influence.
Or worse, going through withdrawal. Was that why he hadn’t answered Janelle’s call? Maybe he wasn’t capable of having a conversation? And if so, what was Sebastian doing? The poor kid would be scared out of his mind.
He slammed the door on that train of thought, knowing that it wouldn’t help to think of the worst case scenario. Grant would call Janelle back. He’d give instructions on where they could meet in order to exchange the cash for the boy.
They’d get Sebastian back safe and sound.
When Janelle returned carrying the familiar backpack bulging with supplies, he opened the passenger door for her. “First thing we need to do is to stop at the bank.”
“The bank?” she echoed, staring up at him in confusion. Then realization seemed to sink in. “Dev, I don’t have ten thousand dollars. I barely have two thousand left in my savings account, I’ve been living off that money for the past few weeks.”
“I know, but we need some cash to make it look good and we have to get it now, since the bank closes in less than an hour. I’ll front the money, no problem.” He closed the car door and jogged around to slide in behind the wheel.
“I can’t let you do that,” she said as he backed out of her driveway. “I’ll use my money. Maybe if we get small bills it will look like I have the entire amount.”
He wanted to argue, but held his tongue. In the end it didn’t matter how much cash she took with her, Grant wouldn’t be in a position to argue for more, he’d likely take what he could get.
Although Dev was equally determined they wouldn’t lose one dollar of Janelle’s money. Grant had already taken enough from her, the television, the computer, the ring. Seemed impossible that he could have blown through all that cash in just a few days, although Dev knew that he probably hadn’t gotten very much for any of the items in the first place. Drug addicts generally only looked as far ahead as their next fix.
The trip down Main Street to the Hope County Bank didn’t take long. It took some fast talking on his part to convince the bank to hand over the cash, and it wasn’t until the bank owner, Edward Finch got involved that they were able to obtain the cash they needed.
Devon hauled the bags of cash out to the car and carefully stored them in the trunk.
Minutes later they were back on the road. “Okay, we need to keep an eye out for any sign of the silver car, and any possible remote hiding spots where Grant could be holding Sebastian. Also, let me know if you see any places for sale, those could be potential hiding places.”
“Understood,” Janelle said, gripping the cell phone tightly. She plastered her face against the window, taking her job of searching for the silver car very seriously.
He drove slow, giving them both plenty of time to scan the area. On occasion a call would come through the radio, making Janelle jump.
“The bartender at Pete’s Pub recognized Gardner, but can’t validate that he was driving a silver vehicle,” Zack reported. “Last seen two nights ago.”
“Ten-four,” Dev responded, glancing over at Janelle who was obviously listening intently. “I’m approaching the north side of the lake.”
“Campground all clear,” Ian said a few minutes later. “No one claims to have recognized our guy, but I have my suspicions related to a couple of guys who I believe may have seen him. I found a small amount of dope in their camper, so I’m hauling them in to headquarters to boo
k them for possession.”
“Try to pressure them for the truth,” Dev said. “Offer a lighter sentence and fine, if necessary.”
“Ten-four,” Ian responded.
“Do you think those guys sold Grant drugs?” Janelle asked, a small frown puckering her brow.
He gave her a grim nod. “Yeah, that’s what Ian was insinuating. Hopefully Ian will convince them it’s in their best interest to cooperate.”
“Maybe we should check out the area closer to the campground?” she suggested, a flash of hope brightening her blue eyes.
“After we circle the lake,” he agreed. “One step at a time.”
She let out a heavy sigh and turned back to peer out the window. She understood that it wasn’t easy to have patience, especially when a young child with medical needs was missing. But if Grant really had a car, then he could literally be anywhere.
Even someplace outside of Hope County.
Dev didn’t want to think along those lines, at least not yet. He was determined to be thorough in their investigation, which meant checking the surrounding areas first. Besides, Grant would want to be close enough to Crystal Lake in order to make the exchange to get his money.
As Devon continued to drive, he found himself silently praying. Please, Lord, guide us to Sebastian! Keep this little boy safe in Your care, Amen.
Janelle tried to focus her energy on finding the silver car, or any properties that were listed for sale, even though she kept remembering the argument that she’d had with Sebastian.
Ruminating over what she could have done differently wouldn’t help. She needed to work with the Hope County Sheriff’s Deputies to find her son.
It seemed that there were hardly any cars out on the road, and certainly no silver ones. Which was odd, since silver was a popular color.
She caught a glimpse of a small hand-made sign that read For Sale By Owner, stuck in the ground near a tree-lined driveway on the north side of the road, across from the lake.