The roommates made it to Tampa by seven o’clock Christmas night. They had dinner at the Hard Rock Café, played a few slot machines, and were back in bed at The Holiday Inn Express by eleven o’clock.
The hotel was about as nice a hotel as Amanda’s budget warranted, but it was comfortable and offered a free continental breakfast to its guests. Amanda and Kris sat at one of the hotel’s small tables at seven o’clock Monday morning, sipping coffee, and eating huge sticky, cinnamon buns.
Amanda was eating her bun with gusto, as usual, while Kris was pushing hers around on the paper plate. “You’re not hungry?” Amanda asked between bites.
“No, it’s a little early for me,” Kris replied. “Food and I don’t really connect until about eleven or so. Coffee’s fine, that’s all I need.”
“So…you’re not going to eat that cinnamon bun?” Amanda asked peevishly.
Kris pushed the pastry toward her roommate. “Help yourself. I swear, I don’t know how you stay so small. You eat enough for three people.”
Amanda began pulling apart the offered bun. “I have my Dad’s metabolism. He was always thin, not skinny, mind you, but thin. He could eat anything he wanted and never gained weight. We used to have contests to see who could eat the most.”
Kris smiled back as she watched her friend devour the second bun. “That should have been interesting to watch.”
Amanda licked her fingers and stood up. “He always won. I never even came close to winning. Come on, let’s get a refill and get out of here. The gates to the cemetery should be open by the time we get there. I want to stop at Walmart and get some artificial flowers to put on the graves, okay?”
Kris stood up. “Hey, you’re driving. I’m just along for the ride, remember? Lead the way, Tonto!”
Amanda felt good that she was doing her part in keeping Kris’ mind off the kidnapping, even if only for a few hours. “Okay… Garden of Memories… here we come!”
The two roommates had paid their respects to Amanda’s parents and were back on the road by nine o’clock. For the next three hours they rode around downtown Tampa while Amanda showed Kris some of her favorite stores and shops.
Kris closed her eyes as they crossed back over the Howard Frankland Bridge and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing in through the opened windows. She opened her eyes and stared in awe at the massive amount of water surrounding them. “It’s absolutely beautiful here, Amanda. I can’t imagine why you would ever want to leave this place.”
Amanda nodded. She never tired of the amazing view offered during the seven-mile jaunt across the bridge. “I know. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.”
“Do you think you’ll ever move back?” Kris asked with a bit of hesitation evident in her voice.
“Oh, I know I will… someday,” Amanda beamed. “Tampa will always be my home.”
Kris was quiet for a few moments before she continued. “I’ll miss you… if you leave.”
“Well then,” Amanda quirked, “I guess you’ll just have to come with me. I tell you what. When they find Charlotte and bring her back home, and they will… why don’t we think about moving back here?”
“What?” Kris asked with surprise. “You’d want me to move back here with you?”
“Not just you!” Amanda was quick to reply. “You and Charlotte! Oh wait… we may have to bring whats-his-name with us, too.”
Kris looked over at her friend and laughed her first genuine laugh since Charlotte’s abduction. “You are too much, girl… too much!”
“Well, you don’t think Dean is going to let you out of his sight for very long, now do you?”
Kris shrugged. “He’s a really nice guy, Amanda. Actually, he told me a few weeks ago that he wants to transfer to Tampa one day. He has a brother who lives here and is on the Tampa police force, I think. You know, I’m not used to really nice guys, but I’ve got to admit, I like having him around, but…”
“Not high on your list of priorities right now, I know,” Amanda said.
“No, not really,” Kris muttered. “Okay, well…enough of that. So, where to now?”
“Well, we don’t have long before we need to get back on the road, but, I really did want to show you where I grew up. It’s not far from here. If the traffic cooperates, we should be there in about thirty minutes or so. The house is probably still empty so we could peek into the windows and look around the yard. Oh…Kris, the back yard is to die for! It will be so good to see that house again.”
“Then lead the way,” Kris smiled and closed her eyes, trying not to feel guilty about enjoying the cool breeze blowing against her cheeks.
Susan and Jack Peterson decided to enjoy the pleasantly warm day after Christmas sitting outside on their screened lanai. It had been a quiet holiday, with just the three of them, and Jack was enjoying what he knew might be his last Christmas with his wife. Their new baby daughter, Kelly, was napping in the play pen beside them.
All the boxes were unpacked, with Jack doing the majority of the work, and he was ready to begin his new accounting job the following day. He worried about leaving Susan and Charlotte alone so soon after the kidnapping, but he knew it was important that they resumed a normal lifestyle as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to his family, especially since the daily news still aired pictures and updates of the abduction of Charlotte Grace Devone.
The couple held hands and enjoyed the peaceful afternoon.
“They found the car this morning,” Susan whispered, her eyes closed.
Jack wasn’t sure if she had heard the morning update or not. “I know…”
“I was hoping it would take them a little longer to find it,” Susan said, opening her eyes now and looking over at her husband. She squeezed his hand with what little strength she could. It still amazed her that the man sitting beside her had sacrificed so much in order to make her dream of being a mother come true.
“There’s nothing in the car to link them to us,” Jack reassured her and returned the squeeze.
“They didn’t say anything about the note,” Susan said. “I wonder why.”
Jack shrugged. “Sometimes police keep some information to themselves.” He was quiet for several moments before continuing. “You know, Susan… I can’t promise that they won’t eventually find us.”
“I know that, love… but maybe it will take them long enough…”
Jack knew what she meant. “Maybe,” he sighed, squeezing her hand again, trying to be careful with the touch. “Maybe…”
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted their conversation. His hold on her hand tightened but he didn’t notice the slight wincing of pain in her eyes.
“Jack…”
“Stay calm, Susan. I’ll get it. You stay here with the baby. It’s probably just one of the neighbors.”
Susan closed her eyes, too weak and weary to worry about “what-if” situations.
Jack made his way slowly to the front door. If the scene had been in a movie, Jack’s moves would have been captured in slow motion. His breathing increased and became more labored with each step he took toward the door. He saw two silhouettes outside the glass frame of the door. His hand moved forward and stopped when he grasped the handle. He took one more deep breath and opened the door.
Two young women stood before him. The blond woman was smiling. The red-haired woman looked lost…and so very sad.
Jack Peterson recognized the two women immediately, and prayed with everything in him that he did not do or say anything to raise their suspicions about the nervous man who stood trembling before them.
CHAPTER 26
Face-to-Face With the Kidnappers
Officer Dean Hall was sitting at a counter seat of the Heavenly Grille Cafe at the exact moment Amanda rang the doorbell to the house in which she had been raised. He had worked a double shift on Christmas day, and had been about to leave the station when word was received that the kidnappers’ dark sedan had been found.
> Dean had waited at the station until the towed car arrived at the Monticello Police Department. A lump formed in his throat when he saw Charlotte’s car seat in the back and read the note that the kidnappers had left behind. His first instinct had been to call Kris right away and tell her about the discovery, but he knew that she was in Tampa with Amanda. He hoped the time away would be good for her and he didn’t want to interfere with her one day away from the nightmare she had been living for the past eleven days. So, in the end, he had decided that the information could wait until her return later that evening.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Bertie said while she refilled his coffee cup. “Never mind, you don’t have to say anything. It’s been all over the news this morning. We heard they found the kidnappers’ car.”
Dean nodded as Doug came out of the kitchen to join them.
The two men shook hands and Dean told them what he could about the discovery. He did not tell them about the note, however, since the police had decided to keep a lid on that bit of information. He would tell Kris about it but would ask her to keep the information to herself for the time being.
“Yes, they did,” Dean confirmed. “No immediate prints, no tag, and the Vehicle Identification Number has been scratched off. There’s really not much to go on, but having the car seat as confirmation, we are glad to have finally found the vehicle. That tells us the kidnappers must have had a second vehicle close by, or somebody assisting them. It also tells us that it couldn’t have been a random, spontaneous kidnapping. This was something that had been carefully planned out by them.”
“I wish I could have gotten a better look at them that day in the parking lot,” Doug said. He was still beating himself up over the fact that he had his hands on the kidnapper and had not been able to hang on. “I was so focused on Charlotte that I didn’t pay as close attention to them as I should have.”
“It’s not your fault, Doug. It was just good planning on their part,” Dean said. “You did everything you could have done… plus some. You know, I still can’t believe you didn’t get a scratch on you after being dragged like you were on the pavement.”
“Yes, I was lucky,” Doug nodded. “I had a few bruises, though,” he lied, “And, I was pretty sore for a few days, but, yes… I guess I was lucky. Things certainly could have taken a different turn. I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing, though… just reacting.”
Bertie punched Doug lightly on the shoulder and left to wait on two truckers who had entered. She gave each of the truckers their own friendly shoulder punch and sat them at one of the vacant booths.
Dean watched her for a minute before turning back to Doug. “Did you really have any bruises?”
The question caught Doug momentarily off guard. “Yes, mostly on my lower legs. Jeans covered them and they cleared up in a few days.”
Dean didn’t lose eye contact with the man before him. “You were kicked in the face, Doug, and dragged almost a hundred feet. I gotta tell you… a lot of us talked about it down at the station. What are you… some kind of Superman?”
Doug appreciated and returned the direct eye contact. “Well… let’s just say, I come from a family of extremely fast healers. It takes a lot to wear us down.”
“Is that a fact?” Dean asked, not really expecting an answer. He wasn’t disappointed.
“So…” Doug continued, pressing his lips together and blowing out his cheeks. “What do you say to a piece of pie to go with that coffee? Max just whipped up the biggest lemon meringue pie I’ve ever seen. I think he even calls it his mile-high meringue pie.”
Dean didn’t respond immediately; instead, he continued to make eye contact with Doug. After a few moments, he decided to let it go. He doubted he would ever get any answers about Doug’s miraculous recovery from being dragged a hundred yards on asphalt. “No thanks,” Dean replied. He decided to change the subject. “By the way, have you heard from the girls since they left?”
Doug’s head jerked up and he stared hard at Dean. “What are you talking about? Since they left for where? Today is Amanda’s day off, but she didn’t say anything about going anywhere.”
Dean shrugged and sipped at his coffee. “Well, I’m not sure it was really pre-planned, but it would seem that Amanda talked Kris into riding to Tampa with her yesterday. They’re due back some time tonight.”
A silent alarm triggered inside Doug’s head. He had overheard Bertie and Max talking last night after they returned from visiting Home. They had said something about knowing who took Charlotte Grace, and that they knew the baby was alive and safe… in Tampa. Doug admitted to them that he had eavesdropped on their conversation and asked to know more about the baby’s whereabouts. Max did not offer any further details; he had simply reminded Doug that they were not, in any way, to interfere with the lives of the mortals they encountered.
“Well…” Doug said, forcing a smile. “I’m sure it did them both good to get away for a couple of days. There’s really not much they could do here other than to worry and wait for more news. Kris will be happy to know the car was found.”
Dean nodded and thought, “Yeah… wish I could say the same thing when she hears about the note that was left behind.”
Two hundred and fifty miles away, Amanda and Kris stood outside the front door to the house Amanda had shared with her father.
Kris shuffled her feet, suddenly nervous and hesitant about being at the house. “Amanda, maybe we should just go. It’s obvious someone is living here now. Hell, it could be a serial killer for all we know. What if we get inside and never get to leave?”
“Oh, poo!” Amanda laughed. “You’ve been watching too many CSI re-runs. Besides, there’s a car parked in the driveway. I’m pretty certain that serial killers always park their vehicles in the garage, hidden from view, and…” she grinned at the same time she pushed the doorbell, “It’s too late now… I can hear someone inside.”
Kris shuddered as a negative sensation surged through her. She couldn’t explain why she felt the way she did, but her thoughts immediately turned back to Charlotte Grace. She was feeling guilty about leaving Monticello and felt with sudden certainty that she should return there as quickly as possible. She was about to turn around and head back to the car when the front door was opened by a middle-aged, average-looking white male. She made brief eye contact with him before looking down at her sandaled feet. She wasn’t sure but she could have sworn that the man paled visibly when he looked at her. Maybe he thought he might be opening his door to serial killers.
Amanda, on the other hand, was busy being her typical pleasant self. When the man opened the door, she put on her friendliest smile and stuck out her hand. “Hi there!” she said. “My name is Amanda Turner and this is my best friend, Kris Devone. We were visiting Tampa for the day and I wanted to show Kris the house where I grew up… this house. I know it may seem terribly rude to ask, but I was wondering if you would mind if we just looked around for a few minutes before we head back home to Monticello. I promise it will only be for a few minutes.”
The pretty blond had a firm handshake, which was a blessing since it helped snap Jack Peterson out of his stunned silence more quickly. “Oh… well… I don’t know about that. I mean, you are strangers, and… my wife is...”
Amanda was about to reassure the man of their honesty and integrity when she heard a woman’s voice in the background.
“Jack? Who’s there?” Susan’s weak voice sounded from the lanai.
“I know we’re strangers, but I promise we won’t be a bother,” Amanda rushed on. “We’ll be in and out in ten minutes, really.”
Kris’ gaze had slowly moved from the ground back up to the man’s surprised stare. Her first thought was that he appeared to be afraid of them. She took Amanda by the arm and said, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea, Amanda. Maybe we should get back on the road… it’s getting late.”
Against his better judgment, Jack suddenly found himself mumbling a response. “No… I mean… if you
promise to be quick, I suppose it will be alright. It’s just that we, uh… we just put the baby down for a nap and…”
Kris’ head jerked back up. “You have a baby?” she asked. She wasn’t sure that she could be around any baby other than Charlotte Grace right now. She looked at the man, who still had that deer-in-the-headlights look about him and said, “Why don’t you go in, Amanda, and have a quick look. I’ll wait in the car.”
Amanda grabbed Kris’ arm when she turned to leave. “But I wanted you to see the house and especially the back yard, Kris!” The back yard is the absolute best part about the house. It’s like a small paradise… well, at least it was the last time I saw it.” She smiled back at the man.
Some color had returned to Jack’s cheeks and he almost smiled. “It still is,” he agreed. “It’s the main reason we wanted this house so badly. That… and, the neighborhood; we thought it would be a good place to raise our child.”
Amanda clapped her hands together and beamed. “Oh, it really was a wonderful place to grow up! My father and I shared so many happy memories here.”
“Your father?” the man asked. He looked in the direction of their car, a stricken look of fear reappearing upon his face. “Is he with you?”
“Oh, no,” Amanda explained. “Daddy died a couple of years ago. “I tried to hang onto the house after he died, but…”
“Oh…I see,” the man said. “Well then, if you’ll return my hand to me, I suppose it will be okay for you to come in… for a few minutes.”
Amanda burst out laughing, unaware that she had been holding onto the man’s hand all this time. “Oh, I am so sorry. Thank you so very much. I promise we’ll be quick. Come on, Kris. You’ve got to see the back yard.”
The Heavenly Grille Café Page 15