Ransom of the Heart

by Susan Page Davis

  Harvey stood slowly. “Calm down, sir. This wasn’t your fault. You’ve got a lot of witnesses.”

  Tony ran to Eddie’s side, looked down at the body, and swore. Eddie jumped up, rounding on his partner with a stream of French that made Harvey wince, and he didn’t speak the language. Then Eddie launched into English.

  “You idiot! You crowded him. What did you expect, Winfield?”

  “Easy, Eddie,” Harvey said. “I’m sure Tony’s going to beat himself up over this. You don’t have to do it.”

  Eddie’s eyes snapped as he surveyed Tony. “If you had to spook him, at least you could have tackled him.”

  “He moved too quick.” Tony turned to Harvey. “I’m sorry, Cap’n. I know I blew it.”

  “Breathe, Winfield,” Harvey said. Eddie sounded just like he had a few years ago, chewing out Eddie, and Tony’s contrition mirrored times in the past when Eddie had stood before Mike.

  Sgt. Legere ran to his side.

  “Larson, what do you need? I called for an ambulance as soon as I saw the impact.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late. We’ll need the medical examiner.” He looked over at Tony. “Winfield, help with the traffic until we get more patrol officers here.”

  Tony turned away without a word.

  Eddie was already patting the dead man’s pockets. He found a wallet, worked it out of the pocket, and handed it to Harvey. He flipped it open and squinted at the driver’s license.

  “I’m surprised he carried his I.D. on this errand,” Eddie said.

  “Maybe he drove here and figured he should have his license on him. We know these guys are amateurs. Name’s Webster Holden.” Nate would be gone already, off to his speaking engagement. Harvey handed the wallet to Eddie. “I want you on this as soon as this guy’s taken away.”

  “Right,” Eddie said.

  Harvey let Ron join Eddie kneeling by the suspect. It would be futile to try to save the man. Eddie pulled a cell phone from another of Holden’s pockets. He passed it to Harvey, who bagged it and called the dispatcher with curt orders.

  Eddie stood. “What now?”

  Two squad cars had arrived, and several officers piled out.

  “I’ll have the uniforms keep bystanders away and try to get traffic moving. You get this phone to the lab.”

  The truck driver stood wringing his hands and staring down at the body. Harvey pulled him aside. “I’m Captain Harvey Larson with the Portland Police. I want you to give a statement to one of our officers, and I’ll interview you later.”

  The driver wiped a hand across his forehead. “Fine. Whatever you say. I just plain didn’t see him.”

  Harvey nodded and looked around for an available detective. One of Ron’s men was nearby, waiting for instructions from his boss. Harvey asked him to take the driver’s statement.

  Tony was waving cars onto the closest side street. “Winfield, let a uniform do that now. I need you.”

  Tony spoke to a patrolman and hurried to Harvey’s side.

  “Is that woman okay?” Harvey asked. “The one on the bench?”

  “Jimmy was helping her.”

  “Find out,” Harvey said. “See if she needs medical treatment.”

  “Okay, but boss?”

  “Yeah?”

  Tony’s eyes darted back and forth, searching the street. “Where’s the backpack?”

  Harvey’s heart sank.

  Before he could issue an order, Tony grinned. “Is that it?” He pointed eagerly toward the truck’s front bumper. Harvey saw a dark mound under the front of the truck. He walked over and stooped.

  “Let me get it, Cap’n.” Tony was already crawling on the pavement, reaching beneath the pulsating vehicle. He pulled out a well-worn, green backpack with an L.L. Bean logo and one broken strap. He stood, handed the pack to Harvey, and brushed off the knees of his designer jeans.

  “Excellent work, Tony.” Harvey loved the way the young man’s mind functioned. With a few more rough edges ground down, Tony would be a great detective. He would talk to him later about tailing his suspect too closely.

  He unzipped the backpack, just to be sure. The money was still neatly bundled. He glanced around. Eddie was headed for his pickup, while Ron Legere stood near the body with two of his detectives, shaking their heads. “See if you can catch Eddie and take this money to the bank. Ask for Mr. Strickland.”

  “What do I tell him?” Tony asked.

  “I’ll call him while you go and tell him we may need the cash again, but for now he’d best put it back in the vault. Bank first, lab second.”

  “Right.” Tony reached for the backpack.

  Harvey made his call while Tony rushed to flag Eddie down and tell him of their new assignment. After a quick conversation with Strickland, he touched base with Legere.

  “Can you and your squad start a canvas? We need statements from everyone who saw this go down.”

  “We’re on it, Captain,” Ron said. “I’d say you had at least a dozen professionals with eyes on him.”

  “Yeah, I want their statements, too, but hit the civilians before they scatter. And I’ll need to sit down with Gordon later.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “Thanks. There was a woman injured at the drop. I need to check on her.”

  A siren wailed as an ambulance made its way slowly up Union Street. Harvey strode to the sidewalk and back to the bench. Aaron was talking to a couple on the sidewalk, taking notes as they spoke. Jimmy and a young woman were talking to the older woman who’d been shoved by the kidnap courier.

  “Hey, Captain,” Jimmy said as he approached. “This is Mrs. Daugherty and her daughter.”

  “Hello.” Harvey focused on the older woman. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

  “My arm hurts, and my shoulder.”

  “He hit her pretty hard,” Jimmy said.

  Harvey nodded. “Have the EMTs take a look at her.”

  “Thank you,” the younger woman said.

  Mrs. Daugherty peered up at him. “I was just sitting here waiting for Roxanne, and a girl left her bag underneath the bench. I was going to take it to her and that fellow charged into me.” She craned her neck to look at the street, where the garbage truck still sat twenty yards away and the traffic snarled around it. “What happened to him? Is he going to be all right?”

  Harvey glanced at Jimmy. “We’ll make sure you get checked over really well, ma’am. If the EMTs say you don’t need to go to the hospital, your daughter can take you home. But would you give Detective Cook here an official statement before you go?”

  She leaned back and eyed Jimmy with new perspective. “You’re a detective, young man?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Jimmy smiled and pushed his blond hair back off his forehead. “This is my boss, Captain Larson.”

  “Well, I never. I thought detectives wore suits.” She glanced significantly at his patched jeans and Red Sox shirt.

  “Actually, I was, uh, undercover today, ma’am.” Jimmy gave her a shy smile.

  “Well, what do you know. I’ve never met a real detective before.” Mrs. Daugherty reached toward him and winced.

  “The ambulance is almost here,” Harvey said to Jimmy. I don’t think the suspect will need it, but I’ll tell them to take care of Mrs. Daugherty. Meanwhile, you get the statement.”

  “Sure thing.” Jimmy took out a small notebook.

  Harvey weaved his way between stopped vehicles and met the ambulance when they were nearly to the scene of the collision. The driver rolled down the window.

  “Captain! Where’s the victim?”

  Harvey stepped closer. “Hey, Liam. He looked past the driver and nodded grimly to his partner. “Hi, Sandy. I’m afraid he’s DOA, but take a look, right smack in front of that garbage truck. We need to get him and the truck moved as soon as we can.”

  “Right,” Liam said. “Did you call for a medical examiner?”

  “Yeah. And there’s a woman he slammed into who needs your attention, ove
r there near the lamppost.” He pointed. “Jimmy Cook’s with her.”

  “Got it,” Liam said. “Can you get the traffic cops to clear a spot for us to park?”

  “Right.” After Harvey relayed the message to the patrolmen doing their best to clear the street, he caught up with Debbie Higgins, who had removed the blond wig. “How are you holding up, Higgins?”

  “Okay, sir. I heard the suspect is dead.”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  She shook her head. “What a waste. I hope we recovered the money.”

  “Yeah, we did. Thanks for your help today. I’d like to debrief you later this afternoon.” He glanced at his watch. Unreal. It was only ten past three. “Say, about 4:30 in the Priority Unit office?”

  “I’ll be there,” Debbie said.

  “Great.” Harvey had begun several mental lists. Officers to debrief, witnesses to interview personally, instructions to dole out to his squad. That was most important. They had to find out who Webster Holden was and where he lived. They had to find Peter.

  He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed Mike.

  “Yeah, Harv?” Mike’s routine greeting was calming.

  “Hey. The suspect got hit by a garbage truck. He’s dead, Mike.”

  “I heard.”

  “That was fast.”

  “Yeah, Ron called me about ten minutes ago. Are you all right?”

  “Sort of. How’s Abby?”

  “Confused. She wants to know what next. I told her you and your guys would find Peter.”

  Harvey gritted his teeth. “You know we can’t make promises.”

  “Harv, this is Abby. You and your guys have to find him.”

  *****

  Jennifer juggled her basket and tote bag so she could ring the doorbell. Mike Browning opened the door.

  “Chief, good to see you.”

  “Hi, Jennifer. Let me take that.” He reached for the basket that held her casserole. “Come on in. Abby will be glad to see you.” He stood back and let her pass him.

  Jennifer paused in surprise when she saw two plainclothesmen sitting on the couch. She arched her eyebrows at Mike.

  “I thought they’d have left.”

  “Not yet. Your sister may get another call.”

  “Where is she?”

  Mike inclined his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Baking cinnamon rolls. The boys are coming home.”

  Jennifer hurried to the kitchen. Abby turned from the sink, where she was rinsing a mixing bowl.

  “Jenn!” Abby rushed to her with open arms.

  Jennifer quickly set her bag on a chair and held her close. “How are you?”

  Abby gave a little sob. “Terrible.” She pulled away and sniffed. “Did you hear what happened?”

  “Just that the guy who picked up the money was hit by a car.”

  “Not a car, a garbage truck. He’s dead!”

  Jennifer caught her breath. “Oh, no. What next?”

  “That’s what I want to know.”

  “Has Harvey been here since it happened?”

  “No. It’s been Chief Browning and me and two electronic-savvy guys all afternoon. They think there might be a second kidnapper, and he’ll call to arrange another drop. But we haven’t heard anything. Jenn, I’m scared.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  Abby’s face crumpled. “Everyone tells me to hang in there and keep my chin up and be brave for the boys. I think I’ve reached my limit.” She sagged into Jennifer’s embrace weeping.

  “Oh, honey.” Jennifer stroked her hair. “Come sit down.”

  When she turned around, Mike was standing in the doorway holding her casserole basket and looking awkward.

  “Thank you, Mike,” Jennifer told him softly. “When will the boys be here?”

  “Mrs. Hobart said they’ll arrive in about a half hour,” Mike replied.

  “Okay.” Jennifer settled Abby in a chair at the round kitchen table and took the basket from him. She felt the casserole dish. It was still warm. The oven light was on, and the display said 425.

  “Are your rolls in the oven?” she asked.

  Abby nodded, wiping her nose with a tissue. “I just put them in.”

  “When they come out, I’ll slide this in to stay warm.” Jennifer set the dish on the counter.

  Abby gave a broken laugh. “I wanted to give the boys some comfort food. They love my cinnamon rolls.”

  “That’s a nice thought. I can help you ice them. I brought my brownies, too.” Jennifer slid into a chair next to her. Mike looked questioningly at her, and she nodded. He faded away toward the living room.

  “Abby, Harvey hasn’t been here at all?”

  “He said he’ll be tied up for several hours. I guess it was pretty awful. The guy went to pick up the money, and some woman tried to pick it up before he reached it, and he ran into her and pushed her down and grabbed it. Then he ran out in the street, and the garbage truck flattened him.” She looked aghast at Jennifer. “Listen to me. The man is dead, Jennifer. I shouldn’t talk about him like that.”

  “He’s a criminal. And you’re in shock.”

  “So he got what he deserved? I don’t know. I got reading in Job again, to take my mind off things. I read the part the pastor preached from Sunday. Job said, ‘if I’ve rejoiced at of the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him’—Oh, Jennifer!”

  “Shh.” Jennifer hugged her again and rubbed Abby’s back. “I know you’re not glad he’s dead.”

  Abby pulled away. “You’re right. Because that dead man could be the only person who knew where Peter is.”

  “Maybe you should read something more cheerful than Job in your devotions.”

  “I expect you’re right. But I can’t manage the ‘rejoice in the Lord’ part right now. Not yet.”

  “I understand.”

  Abby sighed. “How does Harvey do it?”

  “Do what?” Jennifer asked.

  “Deal with this kind of stuff every day and not explode. How does he decompress?”

  “Some days it’s hard. He usually talks to me about stuff after it’s over. I think that helps. And he and Eddie and Jeff getting together to run and pray in the morning does him a lot of good.”

  Abby’s cheek twitched. “I was thinking how glad I was that I didn’t marry a cop, and yet, here we are. I’m the one whose husband is in danger.” Tears flowed from her eyes. “I’m so scared the other kidnappers will kill Peter now that one of them is dead. And they didn’t get the money, so what good is it keeping Peter alive?”

  “They can still get the ransom,” Jennifer said. “They need to call again and set it up. It’s not your fault that guy ran out on a busy street in front of alayo truck. Any eight-year-old knows better.”

  Abby nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. “I tell Andy all the time to wait and look both ways.” She swallowed hard. “They’ll be here any minute. What do I say?”

  Mike came to the doorway and leaned in, with one hand bracing on the jamb. “Abby, your mother-in-law is here with the kids. And an officer is here to stay with you until eight this evening. I think you know Sarah Benoit?”

  “I do.” Abby shoved back her chair and stood.

  “I’ll head out after I fill in Officer Benoit,” Mike said. “Would you like me to show her the basic layout of the house, since you’ve got family here?”

  “Thanks,” Abby said. I’d really appreciate it if you did that before you go. And thank you for everything, Chief.”

  Mike nodded. “No problem. I’m glad I could actually do something.”

  Jennifer smiled as Mike left the room. “As if he does nothing all day in his office. Harvey says he’s the most hands-on chief they’ve ever had.”

  “They’ll miss him when he retires,” Abby said.

  “Yeah, we all will, but I feel like Mike and Sharon deserve some down time together. That property they bought from you and Peter is their dream come true. He told Harvey they’ve got guests booked at
the lodge from Labor Day all the way to Thanksgiving.”

  “He told me today,” Abby said as they walked into the living room. “Sounds as if the renovations are coming along great. And he invited us to go up any time, so long as we give them a couple of days’ notice. Well, hi, guys!”

  Gary and Andy ran in through the front door, and Vickie followed more sedately.

  “Mommy!” As Andy hurtled into Abby and threw his arms around her waist, Jennifer caught a glimpse of Mike and Sarah disappearing into the den.

  “Hey.” Abby smoothed Andy’s hair. “I missed you two.” She smiled at Gary over Andy’s head. “Did you have a good day with Grandma?”

  “We watched three videos and tried all her games,” Andy said. “Then we made cupcakes. And we brought some.”

  “Sounds like we’ll have plenty of sweets,” Abby said. “How about you, Gary?”

  The ten-year-old shrugged. “It was better than school. Is Dad back yet?”

  “No,” Abby said.

  Gary’s face fell.

  “Where is he?” Andy asked, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

  “Yeah, you said he’d come home this afternoon.” Gary’s reproachful gaze made even Jennifer feel guilty.

  Abby sighed and looked to her sister. “I guess we need to have a family talk.”

  Mike and Sarah came from the den and headed down a short hallway toward the master bedroom.

  “How come there’s still cops here?” Gary asked.

  “Let’s go in the den.” Abby took Andy’s hand. “Maybe Aunt Jennifer will come with us.” She gave Vickie a wan smile. “You need to know how things stand now, too, Grandma. And you should stay for supper. It’s getting late. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your keeping the boys over.”

  “I can take them back if you need me to.”

  “No, no,” Andy wailed.

  Vickie looked helplessly at Abby. “I’m afraid I wasn’t very good at entertaining them.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” Abby said.

  Vickie held up a plastic container. “Let me put these in the kitchen, and I’ll be right there.”

  Jennifer patted her shoulder. “We’re all on edge with Peter missing. Let me take care of that for you.” She took Vickie’s cupcakes and delivered them to the kitchen. When she came back through the living room, Mike and Sarah were talking earnestly near the fireplace.