by Patricia Fry
“That’s wild,” Rob said, now having trouble controlling his laughter. “A cat with a bald-head fetish. I’ll have to work that into the next children’s book.” He laughed harder. “Do you think we should announce a disclaimer when you do book signings, saying, ‘If you have a bald spot, please leave your hat on or you might get cat-tongue burn.’ Cat-tongue burn—the latest in maladies involving cats. That’s hilarious.”
Savannah didn’t quite see the humor, but she was tickled by his reaction. When Rob seemed to get his laughter under control, she asked, “How’s Cheryl? You said she had a worrisome issue with a brother. I hope things have been resolved now that you’re back home in LA.”
Rob’s tone changed. “No, it’s not. She’s really afraid of what he might do. He’s supposed to take medication, but I guess he’s refusing it. He said some garbage about it might keep him from achieving his dream. She’s torn. She knows he’s crazy without the meds, but she would love to see him feel as though he has finally succeeded at something.”
“What is it he’s trying to achieve?” Savannah asked.
“He won’t say. It’s some big secret. He told her no one else will appreciate it as much as he will, even his doting sister.”
“Messy,” Savannah said. “Where is he?”
“Here, actually. Cheryl bought him a one-way ticket to LA and he flew back with us yesterday. He said he’s tired of the gloomy weather in the bay area, so I guess he’s going to stay here for a while after he takes care of some business.”
“What sort of business do you think he has?” she asked.
“Hell if I know. He’d just better stay out of my way. I don’t want anything to do with that jerk.”
“Now, Rob,” Savannah said, “it’s important that you try to get along, for Cheryl’s sake.”
“Not going to happen. I just don’t like how he worries Cheryl so much. It isn’t fair to her. I tell her to just walk away, but I’m pretty sure she’s not going to do that.”
“Sounds like the two of them have a little drama to play out in this go-around.”
“Huh?” Rob said.
“You know, karma or something.”
“Oh, maybe, I guess.”
“So he won’t be staying with you?” she asked.
“Hell no. He has friends here, and he said he has access to a car.” He guffawed. “Although, I don’t know who would loan that guy a car. I’m pretty sure Cheryl gave him another wad of money, so he should be able to stay out of our hair and take care of himself for a while. At least I sure hope so.” Sounding more cheerful, Rob said, “Hey, see you Tuesday. Sleep tight and go have yourself an adventure tomorrow. This is a good sightseeing town—but then you know that; you used to live here.”
“Thanks. See you Tuesday.” After finishing the call, she turned toward Michael and asked, “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?”
Michael glanced at Lily, who was watching a couple of pigeons through the window. “You know this place better than I do. What’s your pleasure?”
“Something the children would enjoy. Hey, there’s a nice little petting zoo not too far from here. How about taking them there? Then maybe down to the beach for a while. I know a great hamburger stand, and they have Lily’s favorite—corn dogs.”
That got Lily’s attention. “Corn dog, Mommy? I want a corn dog.”
“Tomorrow we’ll get you a corn dog for lunch,” she promised.
“And for Teddy and Rags and the birdies?” Lily chirped.
Michael chuckled. “You want us to buy corn dogs for the cat and all of your bird friends?”
She nodded, adding, “And Teddy.”
When the three-year-old trotted back to the window, Savannah asked Michael, “So, sound good?”
“What—a corn dog?” he asked. “I’d rather have a juicy cheeseburger.”
“Okay. But do you like the itinerary I suggested?”
“Yes. Better charge up our phones. Sounds like there will be a lot of photo opps.”
****
The following evening, after a busy day of sightseeing, the Iveys had just put the children to bed in their hotel suite when Savannah said, “Okay, I’m going to the grocery store.”
“Now?” Michael asked.
“Well, yeah. If I sit down I’ll lose my energy, and I need to get Teddy some of his food.” She kissed him. “It’s been a long and busy day. And fun. I really enjoyed it.” She patted his face. “See you later.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her again. “Hurry back,” he whispered.
She smiled and picked up her purse. “I sure will.”
At the same time, Rags leaped down from where he lay on one of the sofas in the sitting room and ran up to Savannah. He wound himself around her ankles and meowed softly.
Michael chortled. “He wants to go with you.”
“To the grocery store?” she complained. She kneeled and petted Rags, then said, “Well, you’re probably ready to get out of the room. I can leave you in the car while I pick up a few things. Where’s his harness?” she asked.
Michael pointed, then quipped, “Don’t leave the keys in the car; he might drive away.”
“Funny,” Savannah snarked as she fastened Rags’s harness around him, then picked up the leash. “Okay, come on, Rags.” She called out to Michael, “See you in a few.”
****
Nearly thirty minutes later, Michael’s phone chimed. He muted the sound on the TV. “Hi, hon,” he answered. “Did you forget where our hotel is?”
“Michael, Michael, can you hear me?”
“Barely. Why are you whispering, Savannah? Is something wrong?”
“Yes. Michael, are the children all right?”
“Well, yeah. They’re both still sleeping.” He chuckled. “Can’t you find that brand of baby food Teddy likes?” He spoke more seriously. “Hon, you didn’t go and get yourself lost in this big city, did you?”
“No,” she hissed. Speaking more slowly, she whispered, “Michael, listen. I don’t know where I am…”
“So you are lost. Honey, just use the GPS. The address for this hotel is programmed into it. You know how to work the GPS.”
“I’m not in my car. I’ve been… Michael, someone has…”
The next thing he heard was a man’s voice. “Gimme that.” Then nothing.
Michael’s heart raced. “Savannah!” he shouted into the phone. “Savannah!” When she didn’t respond, he quickly punched in her cell phone number, but the call went to voicemail. He tried again and again.
Suddenly filled with fear, he stood. He glanced toward the adjoining room where three-year-old Lily and ten-month-old Teddy slept and listened to make sure he hadn’t awakened them. After closing the door between the two rooms, he began to pace, running his hand through his hair while trying to figure out what had just happened.
What did she mean, she’s not in her car? He grinned at himself. Oh, she’s probably inside the store and she’s frustrated because she can’t find the food Teddy likes. He’s a little particular these days, the rascal. He glanced down at his phone again. But who was that man I heard just before the phone went dead? He relaxed when thinking, Probably some random guy talking to his out-of-control child. You see a lot of that in grocery stores these days. Yeah, I’ll bet her phone went dead. I really need to talk to Savannah about keeping a charge on her phone, especially when we’re traveling. He had another thought. Maybe she didn’t mean to end the call. She’ll probably call back. He stared down at the street from their third-story suite, straining to see Savannah’s car. Again, he punched in her cell phone number but again, the call went to voicemail.
He paced for a few moments, then tried to focus on the TV news. I hope she isn’t lost. I should have gone with her, but she seemed ready to get out of the room. Plus, she probably wanted to pick up one of those fancy coffees. He smiled. Decaf of course, this time of night.
Several minutes had gone by and Michael became more concerned. He went from staring out
the window to checking on the children to trying to distract himself by what was on TV. Suddenly he heard a knock at the door. He felt a tremendous sense of relief as he rushed toward it. “Forgot your key card, did you, hon?” However, when he opened the door, Savannah wasn’t there. No one was—at least no one human.
“Rags?” he said, feeling more confused than ever. As the large grey-and-white cat ran past him into the room, the leash dragging behind him, Michael stepped out and looked up and down the hallway. “Savannah?” he called, thinking maybe she had slipped into an alcove, leaving Rags at the door as a joke. “Savannah!”
He walked back into the room and looked at the cat, who was lapping up water from his bowl. “Rags, what are you doing here, boy? Where’s Mom?” He smiled thinking, I’ll bet she forgot something in the car. His smile didn’t last long when he realized, She wouldn’t leave him by himself like that. He ran his hand through his hair again and paced, as he always did when he was anxious. What in the hell is going on?
That’s when something caught his eye, and he approached Rags. “What’s this?” He cautiously removed something from the cat’s harness. “A note! What the…?” Michael murmured. He unfolded it and read: “This is payback, Michael Pretty Boy Ivey. You took something from me and now I’ve got my revenge. You’ll never see her again in this lifetime.”
****
Ten minutes earlier Savannah held her jacket tightly around herself while trying to keep from losing her balance as the driver careened through the city streets. Who is that? she wondered, still feeling groggy. What does he want? She started to choke up. All I want is to go back to the hotel and be with Michael and the children. She had another thought. Where’s Rags? He was with me when that man…
She looked around her in the near darkness and tried to remember. What happened? She started to panic. She willed herself to think, but all she could recall was that someone had grabbed her. I was at the grocery store. Rags rode along with me and I’d left him in the car. She gasped. Someone grabbed me as I was getting into my car. He put a rag over my face. It smelled awful. She took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings again. A van. I’m in the back of a van. But where’s Rags? What did he do with Rags?
As Savannah turned to look around for the cat, she thought she heard something—a familiar sound. Rags. It’s Rags. He’s here in the van someplace. Probably in the front seat with the driver. Who is that, anyway? What does he want with us? Michael. I need to call Michael. But what will I tell him? I don’t know where I am or who that is driving the van.
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. I have to try, she thought. But by the time she connected with Michael, the driver had pulled over and shut off the engine. He pushed aside the heavy curtain that separated the driver’s seat from the cargo space. When he saw her trying to talk on her phone, he shouted, “Gimme that.” and snatched it away from her. He then slapped a pair of handcuffs on one of her wrists, slid the other cuff over a bar opposite the side door and clasped it around her other wrist.
“What do you want?” she screamed. “Let me go!”
“Hey, we can’t have any more of that,” the man said, pulling a bandana out of his pocket and walking toward her.
Savannah’s fear turned to rage and she fought back. But even though the man was slight in stature, without full use of her hands she was no match for him. He managed to tie the kerchief over her mouth.
When she realized that she couldn’t break free or even scream for help, she focused on the kidnapper’s face, which was hidden behind a ski mask.He doesn’t sound familiar to me, she thought, and I sure don’t recognize his eyes. Before she knew it, he was gone and she was left helpless—or was she?
I have to find a way out of here, she thought, as she began to regain her strength.I don’t even know where I am. She looked around. Rags. Where’s Rags? What did he do to him? Tears filled her eyes. Why did I take him to the store with me, anyway? I guess I felt sorry for him after leaving him in the room all day while we went sightseeing. I thought he’d like to go for a ride. But that wasn’t a very good idea. She squeezed her eyes closed and a tear rolled down her cheek.
I have to get a grip, she thought, taking a deep breath. I can’t just let this happen. I have to be strong and proactive. First, I need to know what in the heck this guy wants with me. She shook her head. It can’t be anything good. If only I could talk to him, maybe I can talk my way out of this. Priority number one, she thought, is to remove this damn gag. She tugged against the handcuff, then realized something. Okay, now I know that the guy’s not very bright. I can probably use my hands to slide this thing off my mouth, which is exactly what I’m going to do. Then I’ll try to get someone’s attention by yelling my lungs out.
Just as she succeeded in removing the kerchief, however, the man returned, slipped into the driver’s seat, and quickly drove off.
“Hey,” she shouted, “who are you, and what do you want?” When he didn’t respond, she said, “I have a pair of diamond earrings in my purse. I’ll give those to you if you’ll let me go. And I have money. You can have the money.” It then occurred to her that maybe he already had her purse. She tried something else. “I won’t say a word about what you’ve done. Actually, you haven’t done anything yet. Just let me out here and you can go free.”
Suddenly, to her surprise, he pulled over again. She felt cautiously optimistic, but her hope quickly faded when he yanked the privacy curtain aside and said, “I don’t want your earrings or your money. I want revenge.” He let out an evil laugh, adding, “And I’m getting that as we speak.”
Again, all Savannah could see were his eyes and mouth. “What are you going to do with me?” she pleaded. She then yelled, “And where’s my cat?”
“Don’t have your cat,” he said. “And what I’m going to do with you? That, I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided. But you can be sure that I’ll do whatever it takes to complete my dream.”
Savannah wasn’t sure what to do next. Her voice growing weaker, she asked, “So what’s that?” She cleared her throat and spoke more loudly, “What is your dream? Maybe I can help you achieve it.”
He laughed uproariously. “Oh, you’re already doing that, lady. You are definitely helping me to achieve it.” Once he gained control of his menacing laughter, he stared into Savannah’s eyes saying, “And for that, I might have to spare your life.” He suddenly became agitated. “But I can’t have you ruining everything, either, so that may not be possible.” He shook his head. “Oh, it doesn’t really matter, does it? I have you in my grasp and I have her. They know by now that I’m the winner.”
“Winner? What are you talking about?” Savannah insisted. “You’ve kidnapped someone. How does that make you a winner? You know you’ll go to jail for this. You will be caught.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” he said. “Ever heard of the perfect crime? I believe that’s what I’m achieving now. I’m getting my revenge as we speak.” He stared into space for a moment, then said, “I just wish I could watch them suffer like I did.” Quickly returning his attention to Savannah, he removed a key from his pocket and unlocked one handcuff. He forced her hands behind her back and fastened the cuff around her wrist, then he replaced the kerchief across her mouth. The last thing she saw, just before he tied something over her eyes, were feathers dangling near a window in the van. He pushed her down onto a thin pad. “Just lay there quietly, will you? We don’t have far to go.”
Oh my gosh, Savannah thought, he’s twisted. What does he mean about revenge? For what? What did I ever do to him? I don’t even know who he is—at least I don’t think I do. If only I could see his face. She felt a surge of emotion. Oh, this is just awful. Poor Michael. I don’t have my phone, Rags is missing, and no one knows where I am.
Chapter 6
Michael stared down at the note he’d found tucked in Rags’s harness. What does it mean? If this is some kind of joke I swear I’ll…but who do I know that would joke around like this? He shook his he
ad. No, there’s definitely something wrong. He went to the window again and looked down into the parking lot. He was watching the cars moving on the roadway alongside the hotel when Rags jumped up on the back of a small overstuffed chair next to him.
“Where is she, Rags?” Michael asked. “You must know something. I wish you could tell me what happened.” He looked into the cat’s face and asked, “Where’s Savannah?”
Rags looked up at him and mewed.
If there was ever a time when I wished I could understand cat language, it’s now, Michael thought. He then had another thought. I need to call the police. However, just as he picked up his phone, it chimed. “Savannah?” he said, eager to hear her voice. “Savannah, is that you?”
“No, it’s Peter.” When Michael didn’t respond right away, Peter asked, “Michael, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, Peter. I’m sorry. Listen, I was just getting ready to make an emergency call.”
“Emergency?” Peter repeated.
“Well…um, maybe not an emergency. Actually, I don’t know what’s going on. Hey, can I call you back?”
“Sure. Please don’t forget,” Peter said. He choked up, saying, “I’m having an…um…emergency of my own.”
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked, concern in his voice.
“It’s Rochelle.”
“What do you mean? Is she sick?”
“No. She’s not here. Michael, I don’t know where she is. I wondered—well, you know how girls talk. Did she say anything to Savannah about being mad at me or something? I can’t figure out why she’d stay away like this.”
“Gosh, Peter, I don’t know. Savannah didn’t say anything.” He sat down on the bed, ran his hand through his hair, and stared at Rags. “Hey, Peter, something’s wrong here too.”
“What?” he asked. “Is it your crazy cat? I don’t know how you can travel with that guy. You’re brave.”
“No, Peter. It’s just that Savannah went out to the grocery store and took Rags with her. And he just…um well, he came back without her.”