Wade spoke first.
“What about the father?”
“Their daughter never revealed who the father was and all efforts to identify him have failed.”
Several more minutes passed before anyone spoke. Again, it was Wade.
“I assume, since you are here, that you are considering us for the new home.”
The lawyer nodded.
Wade looked at Katie for affirmation and could see it in her eyes.
“Obviously we would be interested. What is involved?”
“Well, there are a series of forms that must be filled out and submitted, both to my clients and to the state. My clients will examine the documents and then inform me of their decision.” He hesitated. “There is one issue that will need to be resolved, however.”
“What's that?” Shirley and Katie said, in perfect unison.
Zeb smiled and Wade just shrugged his shoulders.
“They do it all the time.”
“The death of their daughter and the medical care for the child has left them nearly fifty thousand dollars in debt. Their finances have been devastated. They are asking that the adoptive parents accept responsibility for those debts and pay them off at the time of the adoption.”
The lawyer allowed the stipulation to sink in.
Katie's face immediately reflected the lump forming in her stomach. She knew they didn't have that much. She looked at Wade, who appeared to be calculating in his head.
“That's a lot of money, Mr. Johnson. Even if we could come up with it, what assurances do we have?”
“Mr. Duncan, I would not be here—especially with the turmoil that you have had in the last few month’s—unless this was a legitimate offer. All paperwork would be in order and you would not be asked to relinquish any funds until the child was legally adoptable to you.”
“Well, I am afraid that all we have is our savings for a home, which is about half of what you say they need.”
Wade was looking at Katie's pleading face and not the lawyer while he was speaking.
“This home is rented, so we have no equity to call upon.”
“I'll pay the other half!”
Both Katie and Wade spun around to look at Shirley. She had got up and was standing by the kitchen door. Katie started to object but she knew the look on her mother’s face. She had made up her mind and wasn't going to change it.
“After all, he would be my grandson!”
Sensing the critical moment, Zeb broke into a wide smile and produced a large sheath of documents that he had printed off the internet. It was surprising how much you could find on government web pages, and this was the fourth time had had used the same forms.
“I will need you both to go over these documents and fill them out completely. In addition, there is the petition to adopt and a request for the birth certificate that need to be filled out. I will leave these and you can call me when you are done.”
Wade took the documents.
“What happens then?”
“Well, I'll go over them with my clients, who will make the final decision. If they agree, I'll call you and, with your consent, file the papers with the state.”
“How long will it all take?”
“Week, maybe ten days. That would be my best guess.”
Zeb rose to leave. Practice had made the timing of his moves perfect and this was clearly the time to make his exit. When Wade got up to shake the lawyer’s hand and see him to the door, Katie hurried over to hug her mother.
After the lawyer had left, they made a pot of coffee and, together, the three of them started on the forms. Nobody was going to be able to sleep, anyway.
*
When Stan had driven away from the apartment complex, he placed a call to Benny.
“Hello?”
“Zeb here, Benny. Do you have any targets chosen?”
“Hello to you, too,” Benny chuckled. “Yea, I've got two possibilities, a boy and a girl.”
“It has to be the boy. Do your recon and prepare to move. We should be ready to go in a week or less.”
“Fine, I'll be ready, you just have my money.”
“You'll get it on delivery, just like we agreed. I'll call you when I have a definite go.”
He hung up. Benny was starting to get on his nerves.
*
The phone came to life. Every time it rang, Katie's heart beat faster. They had turned the papers in to the lawyer almost a week ago and she was waiting for the call that would let them know if they were going to get the baby. She took a deep breath and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Mrs. Duncan?”
“Yes.”
“This is Zebulin Johnson. Is your husband with you?”
“No, but my mother is here.”
“Well, be sure and call your husband to tell him that you are going to be parents!”
For a long moment, Katie didn't say anything. She just stood there with tears running down her face. She nodded at her mother, and she, too, started crying.
“Thank you,” Katie managed into the phone, barely audible to the fake lawyer on the other end.
“You’re welcome. I will let you know when the child will arrive, and then you'll need to have a cashier’s check ready, made out in my name. ”
“In your name?” Katie was puzzled.
“Yes, my clients don't want to reveal their name.”
“Oh, yes, of course. I'll tell Wade. Thank you again. I need to go and call him.”
“Of course. Goodbye and I will be in touch soon.”
When Katie got hold of Wade and delivered the news, it started a fresh round of tears for all of them. They couldn't believe that, after the tragedy of their third child dying, they would be happy again so soon. They still mourned the loss of their own child, but the arrival of the new baby was the best medicine they could ever have hoped for.
Chapter 3
Tammy Barton sat in the shade with their newborn baby. Her husband, Michael, stood in the hot afternoon sun with the camera. He was trying to get the perfect picture and, after several attempts, he announced that he was satisfied.
“Got it!”
“Finally!” Tammy groaned. “I'm going back into the house.”
She kissed him and he kissed his son before heading off to work. She retreated into the cool house for her afternoon nap, which she tried to get every day while the baby slept. Their son, Kristian, was hungry, and it only took a few minutes before he was full and nodding off.
The first room down the hall had become the nursery and she gently carried him to his room. All blue and yellow, the nursery was decorated with clowns, a circus throw rug, and a balloon mobile hanging over the crib. She changed her son and laid him down. Leaving the door cracked open, she stretched out on the couch for her nap.
*
Watching the whole scene from just down the road was Benny. He knew Tammy’s routine, as well. He was counting on her taking her regular nap. He had been watching for several days, and so far, she had not missed. He hoped that today was no different.
Benny was sitting in his mother’s 1968 Pontiac Bonneville. She had left it to him when she died, and he hated it. One of the first things he planned to do with the money was get a new car. In the backseat was a baby carrier and a blanket.
It was hot, and even though he'd parked in the shade, the sweat was pouring off of him. He didn't know how much perspiration could be attributed to nerves and how much was due to the heat, but he was miserable.
Forty-five minutes after the father left, Benny got out of the car and casually walked up the street, around the corner, and down the alley that led behind the Barton home. He had dressed in beige clothes, a tan hat, and brown shoes. He wanted to blend in with the dry West Texas summer.
When he reached the back gate, he flipped the latch and walked up to the sliding glass door. Laying on the couch with her back to him was the mother. He tested the door. It slid open easily. He was constantly amazed at how
careless people were.
Walking carefully past the living room into the hall, he stopped at the first door. It was cracked slightly, and when he gently pushed it open, he found the crib. Benny had brought the blanket with him and he wrapped the sleeping baby in it. Retracing his steps back to the sliding glass door, he was in and out in less than three minutes.
He tucked the baby against his chest and tried to keep an easy pace, but his heart was pounding, urging him to run. He knew if he were confronted now, he would be put away for a very long time. Keeping his focus and a steady pace, he reached his car and dropped the sleeping baby into the carrier. He jumped in the front, started the car and was gone. He hadn't seen anyone and he hadn’t heard anything unusual. As far as he could tell, he had completed his task undetected.
“You just be nice and quiet,” he whispered, more to himself than to the baby. “We will have you in a new home soon.”
Benny turned the car onto Highway 1601 East and then caught 281 North. The route had been chosen by Zeb and would take him to Oklahoma. That's where he would meet his connection. A small town off of the interstate called Paul’s Valley. A payday was waiting for him there. He focused on his driving; now was not a good time to do something stupid.
*
Michael Barton got home three hours later. Coming through the door, he was surprised to find his wife still asleep on the couch.
“Honey?” He touched her shoulder and she sat up with a start.
“Oh, it's you.” She rubbed her eyes. “You get off early?”
“No, it's 5:15. Is the baby still asleep?”
“I guess so; he must have needed the nap as much as I did.”
Michael went over to the open door and peeked in. He couldn't see his son, so he stepped over by the crib.
“Tammy!”
She rushed to the room.
“What?”
“Where's Kristian?!”
“He was nap—” She didn't finish the sentence, as the empty crib came into view.
“My baby! Where's my baby?!” She was running from room to room. Michael was already dialing the police.
“911, what is your emergency?”
“My son, he's missing! Please send help.”
“Okay, sir. Stay calm. How old is your son?”
“Seven days, he's just a newborn.”
“Is your wife there?”
“Yes, she's looking everywhere. He was taking a nap and now he's gone.”
“All right, sir. The police are on their way.”
She confirmed the address in west San Antonio and let him off the line to go to his wife.
Tammy was standing in the front yard, looking down the road as if someone might show up with her baby at any moment. Tears were running down her cheeks and her body was shaking. Michael put his arm around her and watched with her as the first police car arrived. It was a uniformed officer, closely followed by an unmarked car.
*
Detective Jason Strong stepped into the sunlight, tall and thin with dark sunglasses. Dark, brown hair and a runner’s wiry frame, he carried an air of authority. The uniformed officer immediately went to him. After a brief discussion, the uniformed officer seemed to have his orders and the detective headed towards the Barton’s.
“Mr. and Mrs. Barton?”
“Yes, I'm Michael and this is my wife, Tammy.”
“Okay, will you take me inside and tell me what happened?”
“Sure, follow me.”
Michael led the detective through the entryway and into the living room. He and Tammy sat on the couch while Detective Strong walked to the back door and tried it.
“Was this unlocked?”
“Yes, I never lock it during the day unless we leave.” Tammy didn't look up when she answered. She was staring at a pacifier in her hands, turning it over and over.
“And what is on the other side of the fence?”
“Just an alley.”
“Where was the child when you last saw him?”
“I laid him down for a nap and closed the door. That was at about two. I fell asleep on the couch and didn't hear anything until Michael came home.”
Her eyes were red and she still hadn't stopped shaking.
Michael watched the detective walk to the nursery. He heard him try the window. It was locked but Michael already knew that. He had checked it when Tammy was running around the house. The detective left the nursery and came over to take a seat opposite Tammy and Michael. He took out his notepad and stared at them intently.
“Okay, I want you to tell me everything that you can think of from the moment you woke up this morning. Everything, no matter how small you think it is.”
For nearly an hour, they recalled every detail they could for the detective. While they did that, their house was invaded by crime scene techs and police photographers. Yellow crime scene tape, manned by officers in uniform, kept the neighbors at bay.
*
Detective Jason Strong obtained a picture of the baby from Tammy Barton and issued an Amber Alert. He knew that the kidnapper had at least a three-hour head start.
He was leaning towards kidnapping because his gut told him that the parents were not involved. He hadn't ruled them out, but he was going with his first instinct.
The Amber Alert would have every law officer in the state and surrounding states looking for a newborn child. The problem was they didn't know whether the child was taken on foot or by vehicle, or if he was being kept locally or had been moved out of state. They needed luck, or for the kidnapper to make a mistake, if they were going to be able to narrow the search.
A stranger abduction was rare, but the parents were not wealthy enough to warrant a ransom. He ordered a trace put on the phone anyway.
Nothing he had learned from the Barton’s had given him a lead and their story had not varied despite him making them repeat it numerous times, both together and separately. Officers were canvassing the neighborhood but had not come up with any leads. It seemed that most people were at work.
He didn't like his chances of finding the child, but nothing would stop him from trying everything he could think of.
*
It had taken nearly six hours instead of the four that Zeb had promised, but Benny was finally crossing into Oklahoma. He hadn't run into any trouble so far, but he needed gas and stopping made him nervous. Someone might hear the kid and, with Texas plates, he would stand out even more in Oklahoma.
He tried to concentrate on driving, which was hard since the baby would cry every half hour or so until it fell back asleep, only to reawaken and start bawling again. He couldn't wait to get this over with.
He saw a truck stop ahead and decided it was time to use a bathroom and fill up the tank. He didn't see the Oklahoma State Trooper car parked on the far side of the diner. Pulling in next to the pumps, he filled up and went in. He grabbed a couple of snacks and settled up with the clerk.
“Where's the bathroom?”
“Just around to the left.”
“Thanks.”
As he rounded the corner, two state troopers were sitting in a booth finishing their coffee. Benny nearly pissed his pants. He nodded at them and continued towards the bathroom. If the kid cried and they noticed, he was done.
When he came out of the bathroom, the troopers were gone. They weren't over checking out his car, but they hadn't left, either. The two stood chatting by their car. Benny wasn't sure what to do.
“Stay and take a chance that the kid cries, or go and possibly have them notice your plate,” he said to himself, under his breath.
“Pardon?”
Benny realized that the clerk was looking at him.
“Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud.”
He decided he had better chance it and leave.
He pretended to be on his phone and kept his head down as he walked to his car. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the troopers getting into their car. When he reached the old Bonneville, the baby was still asleep
. He got in, fired it up, and drove off. The troopers pulled out behind him, flipping on their flashing lights. Benny's heart skipped a beat. He was about to flee, when the troopers raced past him into the night.
He didn't know whether to laugh out loud or faint. He mopped at his forehead as the baby started crying again.
“Shut up, kid. Just shut up!”
*
Benny had gone east and caught I-35 north to Paul’s Valley. He was to meet his contact, Zeb's sister, in the parking lot of the Days Inn, and she would approach him. He just needed to park in back and wait. He found it easily enough, and slowly cruised through the lot, parking in one of the last spots. No one appeared to be watching him, so he was startled by a knock on his back window right after he parked.
He got out to find a middle-aged lady with red hair standing there. The hair must run in the family, he thought. The startling thing was her height. Benny guessed that she was no more than 4’8”, maybe 4’10”, but certainly not five feet. She had a tattoo of a tiger on her left breast, and Benny had no option but to look down at it. She was almost 2 feet shorter than him!
“Where's the baby?”
He refocused.
“Backseat. Where's the money?”
She slid open the side door of van and motioned at two large duffle bags. He unzipped one, finding bundles of neatly wrapped hundred-dollar bills. The second contained similar piles of bills. He picked up one and ruffled it.
“Will you quit waving it around?! It's all there!”
Benny watched as Susan went to his car and removed the baby, taking both the carrier and the blanket. She went to her van and opened a diaper bag. It had formula, diapers, and clothes. Benny noticed that the van had Missouri plates and a St. Luke's Hospital parking sticker.
So that's where you’re from. Might be useful information sometime.
She changed the baby and heated some formula with a portable bottle warmer she had plugged into the van's lighter. When it was ready, she wrapped the baby in a dry blanket and sat to feed him. It was then that she noticed Benny watching her.
Where's My Son? Page 3