When the dinner dishes had been washed and the children put to bed, Stacey sat on the couch and turned on the television. She had no idea what she was watching but found it a good way to avoid conversation with Jason. Though she’d spent time thinking about what to say, she hadn’t come up with anything good.
Jason sat on the chair next to the couch reading a book. After a few minutes he came over to her. Stacey felt her muscles stiffen, but then her heart began pounding as he sat down right next to her and pulled her close.
“What's wrong, Stacey? You've been acting strange all evening.”
She pulled away and looked at him, her eyes hardening. “You have the nerve to tell me I've been acting strange? You're the one who's been acting funny.”
He pulled back from her, his eyes showing hurt. “What do you expect? My own wife tells the FBI about a car I owned months ago, making me the prime suspect in a kidnapping.”
“If it wasn't for you selling your car to who knows who, you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.”
“Don't you lay this at my feet, Stacey. I haven't done anything wrong and you know it.”
“Do I, Jason? Do I know you haven't done anything wrong?”
His eyes shot open in shock. “You don't believe me?”
Her lips were a straight line on her face. “I don't think you kidnapped Kyle if that's what you're talking about.”
His eyes narrowed. “What else would I be talking about?”
She had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling. “What about Patricia?”
“What about her?” Impatience showed in his voice.
“Why was she at the dealership today?” She couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice.
“What?!”
She felt victorious. “So you admit it?”
He stood up and began pacing the room. “She was thinking about buying another car.” He glanced at Stacey, then looked away.
Her mouth fell open at the transparent lie. “You really expect me to believe that, after all that's been going on with her lately? Do you think I'm that stupid?”
Kneeling in front of her, he gazed at her, his blue eyes beginning to melt her anger. “I love you, Stacey. No one else. You've got to believe me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
Her voice was even. “Then why was she there today?”
He pulled back. “How do you know she was even there? Were you spying on me?”
The pitch of her voice went up one octave. “No. Of course not.” She looked around, trying to think of a legitimate reason for having the information. “I was shopping at the grocery store across the street from the dealership and I guess I just happened to be there when Patricia showed up.” She watched him to see his reaction and he seemed to believe her.
“Oh,” he said with resignation.
“So? Why was she there?”
His shoulders drooped. “I told you before, she's been coming on to me.”
Stacey nodded warily.
Swallowing hard, he went on. “She won't leave me alone. I keep telling her I'm not interested but she won't believe me.”
Something told her his story was incomplete. “Did you ever give her any encouragement?” A searing pain filled her heart as she waited for his answer.
“Not that I know of.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Stacey asked above the drone of the television.
Jason looked at her with irritation. “Just what it says. I don't know what her problem is.”
“When did her interest in you begin?” Stacey asked, not understanding what was happening.
“I guess it was after her husband ditched her.” He looked away from her. “At first I liked it, you know? It was a big ego booster.”
She closed her eyes, not able to believe what her husband was telling her.
“She gave me a lot of attention. I guess I felt like you were so busy you didn't have time for me anymore. She seemed to understand.”
Stacey felt her heart drop at the accusation, knowing she had probably been taking Jason for granted recently. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve haven’t been paying attention to you.” She took a deep breath. “What happened then?”
Glancing at her, then quickly looking away, he said, “It was when she came to buy her car. I wanted to make the sale so I went along with her flirting.” He grimaced at the memory. “I didn't do anything to discourage her which probably made her continue.”
Stacey shook her head, feeling angry again. “All for a sale. Is that the usual method?”
Now he looked annoyed. “I do what I can to earn a living, okay?”
“Of course you do,” she said sarcastically. “Then what happened?”
He ignored her tone. “She kept stopping by work and calling me there, too.” He glanced at Stacey to see how she was taking the news. “One time she invited me out to lunch and I agreed. I was planning on telling her then to leave me alone. We met at the restaurant and she had on this skin tight dress that showed everything.”
Stacey shook her head in disgust.
Jason looked at her, embarrassed. “As soon as we sat down she said some things that made it clear she wanted to be more than friends.”
Stacey's eyes stung as the tears began. “How could you do this to me?”
He knelt down in front of her and spoke softly. “It actually gets better.”
Disbelief filled her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks.
“No way was I going to do anything with her.” He lifted her chin and made her look directly into his eyes. “I realized how much I love you. I knew I couldn't stand to lose you so I told her I was sorry but I would never do anything to hurt you.”
Her tears slowed and finally stopped. “How did she react to that?”
He shook his head as he recalled that day.
Jason had tried to be kind when he turned her down, joking that he couldn’t afford alimony and child support.
She’d gotten a funny look on her face. “I understand. But I don’t appreciate your pretended attraction to me and then being humiliated like this.” She had stood to leave the table and then turned back to Jason. Speaking very softly, she had said, “You'll see. You'll come crawling back to me.”
Jason had run after her, wanting to smooth things over, afraid Stacey would find out about what had been happening.
Patricia had jumped into her car and revved her engine.
Not knowing what to do, Jason had stood there. When Patricia had backed out of her parking stall, Jason had approached her car, ready to convince her it was for the best. As he’d gotten close, she had pressed the gas pedal, seeming to aim her car at him, then she had laid on the horn and Jason had to jump out of the way.
Jason told Stacey, “She wasn't happy.”
Stacey could certainly believe that. She knew Patricia liked to get her way. She was a very determined woman. “What I don’t understand,” Stacey said, “is why you’ve been letting her come here when I’m not home.”
Disgraced, he shook his head. “She said if I didn’t let her come in, she would tell you what had happened. She said she would tell you that she and I had . . . well, you know.” Jason looked to Stacey for understanding. “I was embarrassed by the way I acted and I didn’t want you to think less of me. I’m sorry I’m such a coward.” He sat next to Stacey on the couch.
Though upset by what had happened, Stacey was relieved to know where Jason’s loyalties lay. However, she could also see their marriage needed work. “What do we do now?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, obviously thinking everything was fine now.
“Jason, this is a problem. You were seriously flirting with another woman.” She swallowed hard as she pictured Jason laughing and smiling with Patricia. “This really hurts me, you know?”
Putting his hand on her back, he said, “I told you I’m sorry. Anyway, nothing really happened.”
Letting out a sigh, Stacey stood and faced her husband. “Yes, something did h
appen. You went out to lunch with her and led her to believe she could ask you to be more than friends. That doesn’t just happen by itself. She obviously felt some encouragement from you.”
“Look, I don’t know what else you want me to do. I told you I’m sorry. I told her I’m not interested.” He paused, clenching his jaw.
She had to know one more thing. “When was this? The day at the restaurant?”
He frowned before answering. “That was the day we had our family portrait taken.”
Recalling that day, Stacey remembered him giving her flowers. At the time she had been surprised because, for him, it was an unusual gesture. Now it all made sense. “Is that why you gave me those flowers? Out of guilt?” Not giving him a chance to answer, she fled the room.
Curled up on the bed, her legs pulled up against her chest, she felt deeply betrayed. Their marriage had more problems than she had realized. She thought about Patricia and the way she had come between the two of them and felt anger pulsing from every vein. The rage consumed her and she thought she would erupt with it.
Arguing with Jason hadn’t assuaged her pain at all. Then, imagining Patricia flirting with Jason, Stacey found herself climbing off the bed and pulling on a sweater. She walked into the family room where Jason was staring at the television.
As she came into the room, he stood and started toward her but stopped when he saw the look on her face. He glanced at the sweater she was wearing. “Are you going somewhere?”
She looked at him with such hurt and anger that he sat back down on the couch.
“I'm going out. I don't know when I'll be back.”
She turned and walked out the front door.
* * *
Robby heard his parents arguing and a miserable feeling filled his chest. He knew lots of kids whose parents had gotten divorced and now he was terrified it might happen to him, too.
But what can I do about it? I'm only an eight-year-old kid.
After climbing into bed, he thought about Mr. Gowen's barn and the way Mr. Gowen had acted. He hadn't seemed as friendly as usual and Robby couldn't figure out why. And he'd acted upset when he thought Robby had been looking around his barn.
Robby remembered the way Mr. Gowen had seemed relieved when the door Robby had gone through was still locked.
I wonder if something's there he doesn't want me to know about. Maybe I should go back and look again.
Just thinking about it made him shiver with fear.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Driving down Patricia's street gave Stacey a chance to think. How would Patricia react to Stacey showing up at her house so late? She found she didn't care what Patricia thought. She didn't care if she was no longer able to sell Beautiful You cosmetics after tonight. All she cared about was her marriage. She didn't want her relationship with Jason to be this way.
Only one light shone through the windows at Patricia's house. Pulling up at the curb, Stacey climbed out of her car and walked with purpose to the front door. The knocking was loud and strong.
Even though she knocked several times, there was no answer. Denied the opportunity to vent her anger, she spun on her heel and stalked back to her car. Just as she turned the key in the ignition, Patricia's red car pulled into the driveway.
Stacey climbed back out of her car and walked over to Patricia as she got out of hers.
The first thing Stacey noticed were the clothes Patricia wore. It wasn't her usual uniform of business suit and high heels. Instead she wore a faded pair of tight jeans with an oversized man's shirt. Looking down at Patricia's feet, Stacey noticed she wore tennis shoes with clumps of mud stuck to them. Fresh mud.
Patricia seemed startled to see Stacey at her house. “What are you doing here?”
Stacey decided to go on the offensive. “Where have you been, Patricia? Hiking in the mud?” She pointed to Patricia's shoes as she spoke.
Patricia glanced down at her shoes and ignored the question. “What do you want, Stacey?”
Stacey looked directly into her eyes. “I want you to stay away from my husband. That's what.”
Patricia seemed almost relieved. “Oh. Is that all?”
“What else would I want?” Stacey felt her rage returning.
Patricia looked at her with a superior gleam in her eyes. “I never know what you want, Stacey. You're a mystery to me.”
“You just stay away from my husband. Is that clear?”
She just laughed, as if she had a great secret she was keeping. “You're so pathetic, Stacey. Do you realize that?”
Stacey felt the rage pouring into her now. “You're the pathetic one, Patricia. You can't keep a man of your own so you have to go after mine.”
Patricia's laughter stopped abruptly. “You'd better be careful what you say. You might regret it.”
“The only thing I regret is introducing you to my husband.”
“Your husband will not always be yours, you know.”
Stacey couldn't believe what she was hearing. “What are you talking about?”
Patricia touched the tip of her nose with one manicured nail. “I wonder what story Jason told you.”
Stacey didn't like the way she used her husband's name so familiarly. “He told me he doesn't want you and you just don't get it.”
The laughter coming out of Patricia's mouth sounded sinister. “You believe whatever you want, Stacey dear. But mark my words. Jason will belong to me and you will be out on the street.”
Knowing she should leave before she did something she would really regret, she turned and stormed back to her car. She had to use all of her self-control to not respond to Patricia's parting comment.
“Be a good girl and give Jason a kiss for me.”
She drove around for an hour before she was calm enough to go home.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Day 6 - Saturday
The pounding on the front door awoke the entire household, but Jason was the one who got out of bed first to answer it. It was Mark Stone. He spoke quickly and excitedly.
“Jason! Jason!”
Jason was still coming awake. “What is it, Mark?”
“They want you to deliver it.” Mark seemed to finally notice Jason's apparel, which was an old pair of sweats and a T-shirt. “Hurry up and get dressed.”
Jason put his hands up to ward off Mark's insistence. “Hold it. What are you talking about?”
Taking a deep breath and speaking slowly he told Jason about what had happened early that morning.
Mark and Amanda had received a note printed by Kyle that said, WE'RE GETTING IMPATIENT, and attached to it were instructions on how to deliver the ransom money.
Stacey came to the door in time to hear the last part of the conversation. She didn't understand why Jason was needed and said as much to Mark.
“They asked for Jason to deliver the money,” Mark said.
“What?” Jason asked in astonishment.
Mark nodded in reply. “That's right. So get dressed and come over to our house. And bring a briefcase.”
“I'll be right over.”
As Jason changed into his clothes, Stacey silently watched him.
Last night she hadn't told him about her confrontation with Patricia. Not sure what to believe anymore, she didn't want to confuse the issue by telling Jason about the threats Patricia had made. They had gone to bed with barely a word.
Jason broke the silence. “Why do you suppose they want me to deliver the money?”
“I have no idea, Jason. I would think you'd have a better idea than me.” Her voice sounded dull and lifeless.
Jason stopped dressing and came over to where Stacey stood. He pulled her into his arms and she didn't resist. “Stacey, what can I do to make you forgive me?”
She just stood there, her arms hanging limply at her sides.
He stepped back, lifted her chin with his hand, and forced her to look into his blue eyes. That usually made Stacey melt but this time she looked back numbly. He gently touched his
lips to hers, staying that way for several moments. She didn't respond to his kiss.
Suddenly letting go of her chin, he turned away and continued to dress.
Stacey ached inside. She loved Jason but was deeply hurt by what had happened with Patricia. Even if he hadn’t accepted Patricia’s invitation to be more than friends, the fact he had even been asked told Stacey things were not right between them.
And now he was supposed to deliver the ransom money. How convenient that would be if he really was the one responsible for Kyle's abduction. She shook her head to try to make the thought go away.
It's all just a horrible coincidence, she tried to convince herself. Someone else has to be responsible. But why would they want Jason to deliver the money? Maybe when the money is delivered the FBI will catch them.
The thought cheered her for only a moment. The sight of Patricia's face floating in front of her eyes mocked her and her marriage. She could hear Patricia's words, “Jason will belong to me and you will be out on the street.” What did she mean by that? Was Jason deceiving her about what had really happened? Or was Patricia just delusional? Stacey had to believe the latter if only for her own sanity.
The sound of the children playing in the other room drew her away from Jason and into the kitchen. While she was preparing their breakfast Jason left without saying good-bye.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The note was very specific. It said, “Do not allow Jason to be followed or Kyle will not be returned.” The FBI wanted a tracking device placed with the money, but Mark was adamant they follow the instructions exactly. He said he didn't want his son's life jeopardized and Amanda agreed.
They were to place the money in a briefcase, then, at ten o'clock that morning, Jason was to take the money and go to the phone on Main Street and Fifth to wait for a phone call.
Getting through all the reporters had been a challenge, but since they didn't know what was going on, they didn't try to follow him.
At the appointed time Jason drove his car to the corner and waited for the call. He only waited a few minutes before the phone started ringing. Snatching it up, he waited breathlessly for the instructions. The voice on the other end of the phone had a raspy sound to it, as if the person was trying to disguise his or her voice. Jason was directed to a phone across town, next to the 7-Eleven. Before Jason hung up, the caller reminded him to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Suspicions: a novel of suspense Page 14