Suzanne’s eyes widened. “Here in Sunberry? Was it your husband?”
Maria stared. How did she know about Raymond? “I didn’t know the man with the gun. I never saw him before, but he must be working with or for my husband. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
“I thought you told us your husband was dead. Or was that another one of your lies? You’re going to have to be honest with me or I can’t help you.” The anger in Suzanne’s voice was unmistakable.
Maria had to make her understand before the situation got out of control. ”I’m trying. Really. But it’s complicated and the truth is I’m not sure what’s going on myself. I didn’t know he was alive. They lied to me. They told me he was dead, but he must not be.”
“Who are they? You’re not exactly making sense. Maybe you better start from the beginning. Why do you keep changing your name? And why did you come back at all?”
Maria’s fingernails dug into the palms of her hands as she fought indecision. Should she tell the truth or try to bluff her way out? She was so tired of hiding and pretending, feeling like a liar. She was done with that. Her gaze met Suzanne’s.
No one spoke for a moment as the two women assessed each other.
Maria took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you everything that I know, but I don’t think I know as much as I need to. I’m telling you this to keep my daughter safe.”
“I’ll keep her safe.”
“When I saw my picture on the TV, I knew you were going in the wrong direction with the investigation. I had to come back. For Emily’s sake. You can’t be wasting precious time investigating me. I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance.”
Suzanne motioned towards the sofa. “Sit down and tell me.”
Maria wiped away tears. “I don’t know if I should. I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
Suzanne touched her arm. “You can’t go through life not trusting. Believe me. I know it can be hard sometimes, especially after you’ve been hurt.”
“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.”
“I know a thing or two about not trusting people, but it’s no way to live.”
Maria sat down. “I know.”
“I’ve got to make some phone calls.”
Maria couldn’t breathe. “To the FBI?”
“Not yet, but I’ve got to call my boss.” Suzanne’s azure-colored eyes met hers. “I don’t have a choice. And besides, I trust the chief with my life—and yours. And let me try Conrad again. Maybe his number is active again.” Suzanne pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “Hey, it’s me. I need you to come over to my house right away. I can’t explain over the phone, but it’s important.” She pressed end, and then tried Conrad. She gave a thumbs up signal to Maria. “I need you to come over here. I’d rather not say over the phone.”
A pause. “OK. See you in a minute.” She shut the phone and stood. “I’ll go make some coffee and sandwiches. We’re gonna need them.”
Maria sat on the sofa, praying she’d made the right decision to trust Suzanne and the Sunberry Police Department. Something about Suzanne made Maria feel safe. As if the two women had more of a connection than police officer and citizen. Her instincts said she’d made the right decision. Then again, she’d thought Raymond loved her. Her instincts weren’t all that good, apparently.
Stop worrying. God is in control. Maria forced herself back to the present. Her gaze landed on the bouquet Layla had made up. Had it really only been a few days? It seemed like weeks since they walked up to her and told her Emily was missing.
The flowers were sitting on the coffee table in front of her amidst a unique array of candles and tiny angels. Suzanne hadn’t come across as the domestic type when she’d met her at The Bouquet, but in fact, her house had a homey feel to it.
And the child’s bedroom? What was that about?
Suzanne walked out of the kitchen with a tray. Just as she set it on the coffee table, the doorbell buzzed.
Maria smiled. “I guess you weren’t joking when you said you’d see him in a minute.”
“Small-town life. Can’t use the traffic as an excuse to be late,” she said as she walked to the door.
Conrad Travis walked in. He looked at Maria. No change of expression.
Maria smiled at him. Realizing she was wringing her hands, she stilled them. “You must be a good poker player.”
“Fair on a good night.” He crossed over and sat in a chair opposite from her. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect to be here. I tried calling you after we spoke last night, but obviously you couldn’t answer. Suzanne told me about your phone.”
He nodded as his gaze probed her. “So, what’s going on?”
Suzanne sat down beside her. “Maria was just about to tell me, but we decided we might as well wait until Ben gets here. No reason for her to have to retell the story again and again.”
“Ben’s not coming. I just talked with him. He’s working on something else.”
“But I told him it was important.”
“What he’s doing is important, too.” He turned to Maria. “So…now it’s Maria? Not Veronica or Ramona? Hmmm. Interesting.” He sat back. “Do tell.”
Her stomach twisted. “It’s complicated.”
“Simplify it.” His voice was gentle. “I’m on your side, Maria. You don’t have to be afraid. We’re not the enemy.”
Maybe not. But could they protect her from the enemy? Would they?
Suzanne handed her a cup of coffee from the tray.
“As you know, my name is…was…Maria Hammond. My husband was Raymond Hammond.” She stopped and waited to see if there would be a reaction to his name.
Conrad’s stare was as pointed as a spear. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Raymond Hammond was his Americanized name. His real name was Rahmed Hamed.”
After a moment, Conrad nodded. ”The terrorist from that yacht party last year?”
Maria nodded. “I…we weren’t part of that. But to keep us safe, Layla and I are in Witness Protection.”
“Thus, the name changes.” Suzanne nodded.
“This is all interesting, but what’s this have to do with Emily?”
“That’s the point. It doesn’t have anything to do with Emily’s disappearance.” She stared at them, not sure if she should continue or not. “But I might know who did it.”
Conrad sat forward.
Guilt stabbed at her. ”My husband called me the other night.”
Conrad’s eyes widened. “Your husband? The dead terrorist? The angel your daughter saw?”
She nodded. “I panicked when I heard his voice. The only thing I could think about was to get Layla as far away from him as I could.”
Suzanne set her cup on the coffee table. “So, Layla’s angel wasn’t her imagination. He was at the school watching her. Maybe watching Emily, as well.”
Conrad leaned forward. “The news reported he was killed in the shootout with the FBI.”
“That’s what I was told.” Maria’s voice was bitter. “I guess they lied to the American people, too.”
“Are you sure it was him? On the phone?” Suzanne asked. ”Why would they want to protect him? He was…is a terrorist?”
“Maybe it wasn’t him, but someone pretending to be him?”
“It sounded like him, but I can’t say for sure. Every time I talk to him, the panic takes over and I can’t think. My mind and my body freeze up.” Maria’s voice cracked. “I’m so afraid of him. He…he…”
Conrad crossed the room and sat down near her. He touched her arm for a moment before moving away. “That is perfectly understandable. We’re going to figure this out together. What did he say?” Conrad asked.
“He said if I gave him Layla he’d give Emily back.”
“Wow. He admitted he had Emily.” Suzanne sat back against her chair. “Do you believe him? Do you really think he has Emily?”
“I bel
ieve he wants Layla. As far as he’s concerned, Layla belongs to him. And he will do anything to get her back. Do I trust him not to kill Emily in the process of an exchange?” She looked Suzanne in the eye. “Not in the least. He’s a heartless monster.”
Conrad asked, “When did he first call you?”
“Two nights ago. The day Emily went missing.”
“Why didn’t you call us then?” Suzanne’s voice held a hint of anger. “We might have been able to figure out where he was by now and have Emily home. Safe.”
Tears filled Maria’s eyes. Suzanne was right and there was nothing she could say that would change that. She’d been weak and made the wrong decision. “I agree. I know I should have. And I’m sorry. Not to make excuses for my bad behavior, but he took Layla from me once, and I know he’ll do it again. I only wanted to protect my daughter”
The room grew quiet.
Suzanne ran her fingers through her hair for several seconds then broke the silence. Her voice shook as she spoke, “That’s every mother’s job, Maria. No one blames you for wanting to keep your daughter safe. I understand that. I just think it wasn’t the right way to keep her safe.”
Maria hadn’t expected mercy from Suzanne, but was grateful for it. “I can see that now, I guess. Raymond may be an evil man, but he loves his daughter. I suppose as much as he can love anyone. All I wanted to do was get Layla as far away from here as I could. And I wasn’t sure I believed it.”
“What didn’t you believe?” Conrad asked.
“That he really had Emily. It doesn’t make sense to me. If he was at Layla’s school that day like she said, all he had to do was walk over and take her. She would have gone with him willingly. They could have been in another country by the time I knew she was missing.”
“This is true. He wouldn’t have had to kidnap Emily at all. You might be right, Maria,” Suzanne said. “You think he’s lying? You don’t think he has Emily?”
“I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused.” Maria put her head in her hands. Would this nightmare never be over?
“I can’t say that I blame you. This is a bizarre situation. At this point, we can’t even be sure it’s your husband who’s calling you or not. You admitted you weren’t sure.” Conrad looked at Suzanne, and then at Maria. “I know you aren’t going to like this, but we’ve got to tell the FBI about this. They need to know.”
Maria stood up. “No. Don’t you see? Someone betrayed me. Someone told Raymond where we were. It could have been the FBI or someone monitoring Witness Protection. I don’t know, but the more people you tell about this, the more dangerous it becomes. I’m not worried about me, but I’m terrified for Layla and for Emily. The man is a monster.”
“We can’t just ignore the fact you’re standing in my living room while the FBI has a BOLO out for you. What did you think we would do if you came back?” Suzanne asked.
“I had no idea, but I didn’t think you’d expose my daughter to that monster again. The man kidnapped her and tried to kill me. Yes, I’m sure he’s dangerous.” She lifted up her shirt and pointed to the bullet wound on her stomach.
Suzanne gasped.
Maria’s gaze locked with Conrad’s. She saw compassion, but there was something else. Protective anger burned in them. She looked away, confused by what she saw—and felt. “He shot me three times. He wanted me to die so he could have his daughter.”
“If he’s really alive, he’s not going to hurt you anymore. Or your daughter. We’re going to help you, Veronica…Maria. I promise you and Layla will be safe. You have my word.” Conrad’s voice was filled with compassion. “Don’t panic. You’re not alone anymore.”
Maria stopped pacing and looked at him. Their gazes met. Her anxiety melted away, replaced with a sense of calm. This was a man she could trust. She moved back to the sofa. “Someone betrayed me. Or he couldn’t have found me.”
“But you can’t be sure someone at Witness Protection betrayed you.”
“How else did Raymond find us?”
Suzanne spoke up. “Well…I did happen to see your beautiful daughter on TV talking about her missing friend. It was a national newscast. He might have seen it as well.”
Maria’s hand shook as she picked up her coffee cup. Could that be true? That Raymond had nothing to do with the kidnapping, but was using it to his advantage? She looked up at them and nodded. “You might be right. I suppose it’s possible.”
“It would explain why he didn’t take Layla that afternoon and disappear.” Suzanne stood up. A moment later, she came back with her cell phone. She handed it to Maria. “Is that your dead husband?”
25
Maria looked down at the picture on the cell phone screen and shook her head. “That’s not Raymond.”
Suzanne bit her lip, obviously frustrated. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. We were married for almost eight years.” Her gaze moved back to the picture. Her stomach twisted.” But he does look like a younger Raymond. He might be a relative. Why? Who is he?”
“Could he be the man who chased you this morning?”
“It’s possible. I didn’t get a good look at his face. I was trying to keep from crashing as I was backing up. I paid more attention to the gun than his face.”
“Maybe Layla got a better look?” Conrad said.
Maria shook her head. “She was hiding on the floor. Why do you have a picture of him? Who is he?”
“He was outside your flower shop yesterday morning.” Conrad said.
“Was he doing something illegal? Why were you suspicious of him?”
“No logical reason at first. Call it a gut feeling if you believe in that type of thing.” Suzanne spoke up. “But the more we checked on him, the more his story fell apart.”
Conrad nodded as he continued. “He was also at your apartment building according to your neighbor. And he lied about where he lived. Said he lived in Circleville but airplane records have him flying into Columbus from New York the morning after Emily’s disappearance. His name is David Hamm.”
Maria’s stomach plummeted. “That’s too similar to my husband’s Americanized name to be a coincidence. He must have something to do with Raymond.”
“Do you think this man could be your daughter’s angel?” Suzanne tapped the cell’s screen.
“There’s a resemblance to Raymond, but not enough of one to mistake them for each other. I don’t think Layla would, either. “
“Not even from across the playground and the street?”
She knew Suzanne wanted her to say yes. To make it seen more plausible, but she had no idea. “I can’t be sure, but my answer says she wouldn’t have thought this man was her father.”
Conrad interrupted the two of them. “Let’s go back to the phone calls for a moment. Is it Raymond calling you? What’s your thought on that?”
Another impossible question. Her mind said it couldn’t be Raymond and yet she’d heard his voice. She wanted to help, but she didn’t have any answers—only more questions. “I have no idea. It’s too much to process.”
Conrad sat beside her and touched her arm. “I know this is hard. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling, but we’re here to help. You’re not alone.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded.
“Speaking of pictures.” He lifted his cell phone and showed it to her. “Do you know this guy?”
She looked down. Her throat constricted. “That’s the man who was hanging around the square for the past few days. I thought…he was watching me—us.”
“Who is he?” Suzanne peeked at the picture.
“He’s Emily’s biological father.” Conrad tilted the phone so Suzanne could get a better look.
“Biological?” Maria looked up at Conrad.
“Emily’s adopted. And her biological father tried to get the adoption rescinded last year after he got out of prison. Apparently, he wasn’t too happy that the courts took away his parental rights while he was locked
up.”
Suzanne sat down beside Maria. “He’s the one who kidnapped Emily?”
“It’s a good chance. The chief’s looking into it as we speak.”
“With the FBI?” Maria asked.
Conrad nodded. He looked at Maria. “Back to you. When was the last time you talked with Raymond or whoever the man is?”
“Yesterday. I panicked and turned the phone off after I talked with you.”
“I think you should turn it back on. When he calls back, get as much information as you can and try to get him to let you talk with Emily.”
“I tried to make him let me talk to her. He refused. The more I think about it I don’t think he has Emily at all. He wants me to think that so I’ll give him Layla.” Relief flooded in. Raymond may be alive and after her, but Emily was an innocent child. Maria didn’t want that monster anywhere near any child—ever.
Suzanne gave her a soft punch on her shoulder. Her bright blue eyes glistened with a smile as well. ”You know what? I’m with you on this. I think he saw her on TV, called you to make you panic, caught the first flight here the next day, and thought he could steal her away.”
“Instead, I went into hiding. He doesn’t know where I am.”
Conrad stood up and walked a few paces away. “OK, ladies. You may be right, but we aren’t sure about any of this yet. You’ve got to play along with him for now and keep asking for proof that he has Emily. We need him to think that you believe him.”
“I have a recording device we can attach to the phone, if you don’t mind.” Suzanne stood up as well. “That way we can listen to it afterwards.”
Conrad’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “I won’t even ask.”
She shrugged. “I record all my phone calls and messages. You know, just in case.”
Maria wondered what they talking about.
“I’ll be right back.” Suzanne walked over to a phone and disconnected a small black box.
“I’m going to check on Layla.” Maria left the room. She opened the door expecting to see Layla reading a book or watching TV. Instead her daughter slept on the bed, whimpering.
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