###
Sitting in the office, he was alone and it seemed eerie. Waking up this morning without Emily by his side was difficult. He missed being able to sneak glances at her and show his affection. Being with her was just as easy as breathing, and without her it was as if he was missing part of himself. It was funny how quickly something he’d never had in his life had suddenly become so vital. He had waited by the phone for her to call him, but she never did. He wondered what was happening, but he knew not to call her. No, he was told to wait by the phone and she would call him.
Just as he was letting out a sigh, he heard his phone ring. His heart was flying. “Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Orlando,” he heard another woman say. “My name is Meghan Malone.”
He felt a chill run through him and he was temporarily confused. “Derek Malone’s daughter? How do I know this isn’t some sort of front?”
“You don’t, so I am going to ask that you trust me. Please meet me at the apartment where I was abducted from within the hour. We can talk then.”
Putting down the phone, he was bewildered. None of this was making any sense. He was itching to call Emily now to tell her what was happening, but he knew he would not be able to talk to her. He disliked not being able to speak to her directly.
Scribbling down a note, he left it on the front desk of his office, but then he stopped himself. He was forgetting something. Keys. The obvious. Retrieving them, he made his way out, but he was feeling completely on edge. He felt as if something was terribly wrong and he couldn’t quite understand what it was.
Chapter 32
Emily was reviewing the files that were similar to Blake’s and was convinced that they were looking for the same man who was responsible for the disappearances of other kids as well. Looking up from the files, she saw that Ashlynn and Ellie were watching her intently.
“So, what do you think?” Ashlynn asked.
“Looks like the same guy.”
“It does. What we were hoping to do was go talk to the other families.”
“Why,” Emily asked. “To bring back the pain of their children being abducted and never found? What could you gain that would be worth reopening those wounds.”
“Then how do you propose we find the connections or any missing information?”
“The connection is wealth. They are all boys around three. That tells us that there is something significant about that age and gender. He is specific in his targets, but my only question is, were they all auctioned or do we not know?”
“We don’t know is the thing, but now we can assume they were sold. Whoever this is knows about human trafficking, and he is doing a good job covering his tracks.”
“Have you attempted to contact him?”
“No, we are afraid we might spook him.”
“If he is as intelligent as he says, he most likely has a visitor list and I am sure he knows someone from the government is watching this auction.”
“All the more reason not to contact him.”
“Not you, but someone who doesn’t have a work computer with the governments fingerprints all over it.”
“But if he knows that we are watching the auction, he’ll most likely stop everything and fly into the wind with the boy won’t he?”
Emily shook her head. “He is probably arrogant. Let me go ahead and do my own thing. Just send me the link that you have.”
“And what are you hoping to accomplish?” Ellie asked rather aggressively.
“Our goals are the same, but I might be a little more motivated and free to act, because it is my godson on the line, not my job. So, if you are done hovering, I suggest we try to get as much information as possible so we can bring him home.”
Each of them looked at her with distaste, but they listened. Pulling out her own laptop she was beginning to set everything up and was e-mailed the link. Ashlynn had provided Emily with a lot more access than to the auction itself as intended, but that was a detail she would never know about.
###
Alison’s decision about Meghan’s future had already been made, and now she also knew that Meghan’s father would share the same fate. Alison had lost all interest in him, had used him for what she wanted, and now she was done with him. Finding out where Quinn was hiding was a bit more difficult and she knew she would have to go through her file.
The warehouse stocked a lot of merchandise that was used for electronics, but also dealt behind the scenes as well: guns, drugs, and much more. Anything required could be provided back here, you just needed to know the right people.
Stepping inside, she looked around and saw no one. She heard footsteps, and looking to her left, she saw him standing there. “Hey Xander. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”
He flashed her a smile and nodded. “Anything for my top client,” he said, as she approached him. “Now, can I inquire what you will be using this for?
“The usual,” she said, as she saw the gun sitting on the table. “There are a few people who know too much and before anything happens, I need to take care of them.”
“If there is anything else you need, you know how to find me.”
Xander kissed her gently and she smiled. Walking away, she knew he possessed a true power unlike that of any other man she had come across. Exiting the warehouse, she was more than ready to get this over with.
###
At the apartment, David stood in the hallway, hesitant to step inside. The door opened and he saw three people standing inside. Meghan had opened the door, but the other two he did not know. He didn’t know if they were her abductors, her rescuers, or what, but she seemed more than calm and allowed him inside.
“Meghan, what is going on here?”
When she was finished shutting and bolting the door, she turned and finally spoke. “I was not abducted the way my father stated.”
“Your room is in complete disarray, so how do you explain that?”
“I am sure there are dozens of people who have rooms looking as sloppy as mine, but that doesn’t imply abduction.”
“Well, he also stated that you called him and you were distressed. He said that there would be instructions to be given to him and he would do whatever it took to get you back.”
“That phone call was from a stranger’s phone and I was at a party. I was upset and scared and he wrote me off. Look he likes being in control of everything and when I am not complying with what he wants then I am reprimanded. The man has me call almost every night and when I don’t call he sends someone to check-in on me.”
“And who are these people?”
“Quinn Saunders is my mother, and she was accused and convicted of killing her brother. All of the evidence was planted and they arrested her for a crime she did not commit. There are also others who have been wrongfully prosecuted and they are currently serving time.”
“And how did the two of you meet?”
“I staged my own death,” Quinn said. “So I could get out of there to see my child, and so I could expose Derek Malone for who he really is.”
“And who is that, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Michael Herndon. Son of Terrance Herndon. I was working to expose him when we started our relationship, and I knew he was hiding something from me. At first I thought he was cheating on me, so I started sneaking around trying to find out. What I learned was that he was doing illegal business. I didn’t get enough hard evidence gathered before he had me arrested for that murder.”
“Can I assume you also know who the actual killer was?”
“Yes.”
David shook his head and looked to the other person in the room. He was silent, and David decided he wouldn’t ask him any questions. There was something about him that suggested it was best to leave it alone for now. He wasn’t sure what to think.
“Why would he hire me if he wasn’t certain you were kidnapped?”
“I am not my father, s
o I wouldn’t know his logic. At any rate, we called you here because we already knew he had brought you into this. And if you have been looking into him at all, you would know that there is something off about him.”
“You’re absolutely correct about that, but what are you proposing I do? Expose him? Is that what you guys are wanting from me?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly David felt as if he was back doing domestic cases with people wanting him to get evidence their spouses were cheating on them. However, there was something different to this. It wasn’t a dalliance, and the stakes were higher than potential asset division in a divorce. This was a respected high profile man who knowingly put innocent people in prison, and David knew that it would be very difficult to prove everything beyond a shadow of a doubt. In addition, if what they said was true, he would play hardball to protect himself. The fact that innocent people are wrongly convicted and sent to prison for crimes they did not commit occasionally is widely accepted, and most people would feel that would be what happened here. That Derek had ‘unknowingly’ sent people to prison. In which case David would end up looking ridiculous, or worse.
“I will look into it and see what I can do.”
He was getting ready to leave when he was stopped. “There is someone else you need to know about before you go. Her name is Alison Peterson.”
David paused for a moment and he nodded. There was always something.
Chapter 33
The kid had been too quiet and he wondered if he had over done it with the sedatives. It would not be the first time that had happened. Walking down the hall, he unlocked the bedroom door. This room had no windows and it had been an addition to the house after his grandfather died. No one knew about what had gone on here, and no one was ever going to know.
The boy was sound asleep on the bed, but was rather still and it worried him. If this kid died then he would not be making a profit and he didn’t want that to happen. No. Boys like him made good money. They were sold off to sweat shops or people who just like the presence of little boys.
Walking out of the room, he went to the living room and sat down on the chair. He was waiting for someone with a higher offer to come in. It was frustrating, because the longer he was living with this open, the better chance he had at someone latching on to the auction who shouldn’t be.
He received a chat request from a username he had never seen before. Immediately he was suspicious. He read over the message:
How much are you asking for the boy?
He didn’t know how to respond. It was rarely anyone asked for a dollar amount, because he could name any amount he wanted. Thinking on it for a moment he typed back:
Bid. If you win you can have him.
No way. I don’t want to be sitting here watching an auction connected to the site and not even knowing if I can get him. I want that kid so just tell me how much you want so we can be done with it and both reduce our exposure.
Pausing for a moment, he considered how it would make everything quicker and get him the site in a matter of hours. He smiled. From the sounds of it, he could demand a ridiculous price and probably get it.
$75,000 USD in cash. We will do the exchange at Maybury Park at 1 a.m. and if you cannot pay up you will suffer the consequences.
It took several moments but he watched as they were typing back.
Deal. 2nite @ 1 a.m.
The conversation ended and he immediately started thinking about developing a new plan to pick up another boy.
###
Emily was looking everything over and was certain the abductor didn’t suspect her of anything. Taking in a deep breath, she knew she would have to tell Ashlynn and Ellie what she had done and she was certain that on some level they were going to be upset. However, they were no concern of hers. Macey was.
Securing her computer, she stepped away and walked on over towards Macey. She was drinking some tea and the smell was pungent, but opted not to comment on it. She sat down next to her.
“How are you holding up?”
“Not too well. What if I don’t ever see him again, Em?”
“Don’t think like that. Of course you’ll see him again. I will make sure that you do, alright?”
Macey’s eyes were bloodshot and she shook her head. “This is all my fault. If I had been with him—if I’d been watching him, none of this would have happened! But instead I just let him have free reign over everything. What kind of mother does that?”
“You live in a great neighborhood that has the lowest crime rate in the state. You trusted that nothing would happen. When we get him back you are not going to trust that anymore, I know you won’t. But we will get him back and you just need to focus on that.”
“It sounds easy enough, huh? But until I get my son back nothing will make me feel better. He was the only good thing I got from my relationship with his father. Blake makes my life so much brighter. I love him and without him I feel like I can’t breathe. My baby is out there God knows where with a stranger, some freak. He is probably terrified and there is nothing I can do for him.”
“Macey, take a breath. He will be back, I promise. I won’t stop until we have Blake back.”
Finally, Macey nodded, and felt like she needed some space. It was almost as if this was all suffocating her, and while usually she would be just fine with David by her side, without him she felt off somehow. She found herself wondering what he was up to and if he was missing her or not. She called out to him.
“Emily,” he said merrily. “How are you doing?”
“Barely hanging in there. What about your end?”
“Nothing but confusion here, but I am making the most of it. You sound sleep deprived, are you sure everything is alright?”
She was silent for a moment and spoke. “There are just a few things happening here that I’m not certain how I feel about it. But I’ll make sure that I can get everything done properly to bring him home.”
“I am certain you will be able to do that, because you are amazing.”
“David, this just makes me wonder if I will be this way when I’m a mother. Paranoid, I mean… about my child, overprotective, you know?”
“I know what you mean. Listen, when you become a mother, you will be strong and free spirited. Our child will be safe and loved. Besides, after everything that has happened, I doubt anyone would try to cross us.”
Smiling, she paused for a moment and let it all sink in. “Well, one day we will see how amazing it really is.”
“That we will.”
“I’m going to go for now. I’ll call you this evening before I attempt to sleep.”
“I’ll be looking forward it.”
Disconnecting the line, she felt as if part of the weight was being lifted. Now she needed to get back into this case, and she was going to finish it tonight.
###
He could not help but wish he could do more for Emily in this instance. The goal was to be distracted and that was exactly what he was going to do—distract himself by throwing all he had into his job. Looking over all the files of Derek’s that had been e-mailed over, he saw that Emily had tagged a few cases as higher priority than the others, but he was not too sure why. However, that was not a main priority. He needed to find Quinn Saunders.
Going through all he needed, he realized how bad he truly was at this in comparison to Emily. That was something he needed to work on if he truly wanted to be able to do this work properly. As he was beginning to get frustrated, he saw the file that was tagged with Quinn Jean Saunders. He opened the case file, but there was nothing there—as if the file had been corrupted. He looked at the screen. Was it supposed to open in another screen? Attempting again, there was absolutely nothing.
Looking to the stack of files that had been given to him by Meghan and Quinn, he found her entire case file. Opening it up, he began reading through the crime scene notes and examining the pictures. If he truly wanted to expose
Derek for what he had done, then he would need to make a bullet proof case, but he was not even sure it was possible at this point.
Letting out a sigh, he was going to solely focus on the murder itself, and all of the murders that Alison Peterson was responsible for. Taking each of the crime scene photos he hung them on the cork board and he began looking at each one individually. Each victim had taken a beating before being shot execution style. Every bullet used was a different one, so ballistics never matched. David knew if he was going to gain anything out of this, he was going to need to bring someone else in.
As he was getting ready to make the phone call, he heard a knock on the door and he was startled. Getting to his feet, he slowly approached the door and he looked out of the side glass and he did not see anyone. Opening the door cautiously, he peered out and he did not see anyone there, but he did hear footsteps. He was not about to leave though. If whoever was there wanted to talk to him, they would have stayed.
Shutting the door, he locked it. Leaning against the door he took in a breath and his mind began to wonder who was there. He could easily be losing his mind. He was tired and he hadn’t been eating or even drinking fluids. When was the last time he ate? That was not important. He would relax when he had finished this.
Walking back to his office, he grabbed the landline and dialed Detective Dawson’s phone. He listened as it rang for a while, and finally it was picked up, “Detective Dawson, how can I help?”
David had to admit he was not expecting a cop to sound like that, but he spoke. “Detective this is David Orlando again. I have a new case and I was hoping I could utilize you for some help.”
It was silent on the other end of the line, and finally he heard, “What is going on David?”
“I have a new case with a corrupt lawyer, and a few cases that look as if they are connected. I think this person knowingly put innocent people in jail.”
“Well, what type of proof do you have?”
“You can come by the office and take a look.”
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