He looked over his shoulder where my eyes had gone. “Little tike comin’, is he?”
“Leave!”
“Okay, okay, don’t get your dick all bent up,” he snarled, holding his hands out as if to calm me down. “Tomorrow at three. I guess you know better than to stand me up.”
I stood and hurried to meet Ford at the base of the escalator, but could feel Linc’s eyes burning a hole in my back. I hated this. It meant that Linc knew what Ford looked like. The danger was like electricity in the air. I ushered Ford in the opposite direction with some excuse about looking at jewelry for Auggie. By the time I sneaked a look behind me, Linc had disappeared.
I was beside myself and even Ford noticed. He asked me some question and I had no idea how I answered. What was I going to do? What were my options? Somehow, I managed to find the car and Ford and I drove back to the farm. He disappeared to wrap his gifts and Auggie dragged me by the hand into my study.
“What’s wrong?” she asked immediately upon shutting the door.
“Never mind, just trust me.”
“No. We are a couple, you and I, and we’re well past that childish behavior. You’re obviously shaken and you’re going to tell me what’s wrong. Now!”
“Sit down.” She grew alarmed and stared at my face as she felt for a chair nearby and sat. I sat at my desk, my hand on the letter opener, turning it over and over, wishing it were a dagger.
“Ford was upstairs in the mall, doing some personal shopping and I was having coffee on the lower floor. A man approached me. Someone we both know, but you would never expect to see again.”
She was perplexed and not silly enough to begin naming names. “Who?”
“Our brother.”
She froze, holding her breath and then began to laugh. “Oh, very funny, Worth. No, really, who was it?”
I didn’t say a word and she realized I wasn’t joking.
“Linc!” she breathed the word out like it was covered with acid. “But how?”
I stabbed the letter opener into the cover of a nearby book and stood to look out the window at the snow that had begun to fall. “He set it up. He used Jessie to make things look legitimate, but it was some other poor slob in the car with her. Linc doesn’t have any fingerprints on record. All he did was plant a driver’s license on the guy and that was what they went by.”
“Oh, my God! Did he see Ford?” she cried out.
I nodded and her face fell into her hands. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her. “Auggie, we’ll get through this, together. I swear we will. I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do, but this is the last time that demon will rise from the dead, I swear.”
“Father?” I heard Ford looking for me and called back.
“We’ll be out in a minute.” I didn’t want him to overhear our conversation and yet this had to be discussed.
“Worth, this is serious danger. The man is supposed to be dead. Yet no one knows but you and now me, that he isn’t. There’s no way to track him; no way to make him accountable. Even if you went to the police, they’d laugh at you. You have no proof.”
“Don’t you think I know all that?” I shouted and then was instantly contrite. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m just torn up inside and that was frustration talking.”
“Worth, you and I cannot afford to be bickering. I get that you’re upset, we both are. But creatures like that get their strength from breaking people down. We can’t let him do that to us. We can’t!”
“I know, I know. You’ve got to let me think about this. This is way outside my league.”
“What did he say he wanted?”
“Something about getting his rightful inheritance — the same thing he always wanted. But now there’s no syndicate looking for him. They think he’s dead.”
“Who can we call? Who would know? Bill?”
“Auggie, I don’t know! Let me think. You go out and see what Ford wants. Help him put the packages under the tree and then get him to baking cookies or reading a book or something. I need to make some calls and I don’t want him overhearing me. Act calm, as though nothing is wrong. Can you do that?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure for how long. Come out as soon as you can, will you?”
I nodded.
Auggie opened the study door and I turned toward the window again. I heard her high, hysterical scream and then a thump. I ran to my door and saw Auggie, unconscious on the floor of the foyer. The front door was standing open. I stepped around her long enough to see two sets of prints. One set belonged to a small person — obviously Ford. The other set was a pair of large men’s boots. I didn’t need to imagine who they belonged to. I ran out into the front yard, screaming Ford’s name but the snowy night was silent. There were only footprints leading to the drive and then tracks away from the house. Linc had taken Ford!
I flew to Auggie and picked her up, taking her to the living room sofa as I pulled out my cell phone and called Bill. “Get here, NOW!” I screamed into the phone. I disconnected and called Walter. “You have to come immediately. It’s an emergency. Bring Mother.” My next call was to Brandon Knotts. “We’re in trouble. Auggie needs you now! The estate.” I made one more call. “Earl, Worth here. I need your help. Come to the estate, will you?”
I found a dish cloth and wet it with cold water and wiped Auggie’s face. Her eyes flew open and the terror took only a second to light her eyes. She screamed and began to jump up to run out the door. I held her in place. I had to protect her. “Auggie, listen to me. You must listen to me. He won’t hurt Ford. Ford is his only means of getting what he wants. He’s only of any good if he’s alive and healthy. He won’t hurt him. Now… I’ve made some calls and there are people on the way. I can’t call the police; not until we’ve determined that’s our only route. I want you to promise me you’ll sit right here and not move. I have to go out to the front of the estate and fend off everyone from driving in. I want pure tracks, only Linc’s vehicle and the footsteps outside the door. I have to stop them before they come, do you understand?”
Her eyes were filled with terror. It reminded me of the way Carlos had looked just before I pulled the trigger. I wanted to take the fear from her, but it was eating me at the same time. “Auggie, please, darling, stay here and don’t move. I will be right back and bring help with me.”
I grabbed my jacket and bolted out the patio door and through the front yard, careful not to intersect with any of the prints or tracks that were visible in the fresh snow. The first to arrive was Bill and he understood the situation within seconds. He’d brought with him a carload of other retired detectives, all of whom were loyal to him and wouldn’t call the police until he gave the word. They were deployed to protect the fresh snow and I traced my steps back to the house. I found Auggie, still sitting on the sofa, quaking.
“She’s in shock, get her warm and some brandy!” Bill shouted at me and then went back outside to help. I did as was told and held her against me, although I was shaking myself. I had never felt more helpless in my entire life. I’d told Auggie what I’d said to calm her, but I didn’t believe my own words. Linc was insane. I knew from all my training that when a person was no longer sane, they were no longer accountable for their actions, however unconscionable they might be. Names like Jeffrey Dahmer sprang to mind and I wanted to vomit.
I tried to think. How long was it between Ford calling to me and when Auggie left my office? I noted the time on the clock, but time lost its accountability when the mind was in trauma. I reasoned that Ford had been on his way to my office when Linc had probably burst in and grabbed him. Likely, Ford saw the man and his resemblance to me and that was why he called out. He probably thought it was me, in costume, as a prank. We’d not locked the door or activated the security yet because we weren’t ready for bed. Linc had simply opened the door and taken the most valuable thing in our lives. Our son.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Worth
We had gathered around the dining room table, the
Christmas centerpiece mocking us until Auggie finally used her arm to brush it against the wall into broken pieces. The faces were sober but some contained fear while the others were strategizing.
I let Bill take charge, but was standing by to approve every move. After all, it wasn’t his son who had been kidnapped and I knew Linc better than anyone.
“Okay, first,” Bill began and a dozen notepads were slid across the table. “We need as much information on this guy as possible. Worth, Auggie — do either of you have any pictures of him?
Auggie leapt up. “There’s a photo at the condo. Margaret, remember the one you gave me?”
Bill interrupted. “No time for that. Steve, do a drawing of Worth here, but give him Auggie’s eyes and put a full beard on him,” he ordered one of the detective he’d brought along. “Auggie, I have some things to say and you won’t want to hear them. Leave now. Sorry to be rough, but we can’t waste time.”
“I’m staying,” she said, although she was still shaking and wrapped in a blanket. I couldn’t argue with her. I had no right to do so.
Bill went on. “This guy is dangerous and I can’t emphasize it enough. I’ve met him and he’s clearly a psychopath. The police have no information on him because he was an orphan, switched at birth so there’s no records. Not even a print. The guy in the car was his stooge. Nothing there to go on. It was her car. He’s got Ford with him and I’m gambling that he’s not going far. He was supposed to meet with Worth at his office tomorrow to get his inheritance, whatever the fuck that means. My guess is he’ll stick close so he can make the meeting. He doesn’t want the kid, but won’t care if the kid gets hurt. His kind figures he’ll get the money and be out of town before anyone finds the kid. Worth has no choice but to cooperate. The only enemies this guy has is the mob. But letting them know he’s around endangers the kid. That’s a toss-up, but it may be our only reinforcement. He knows that everything he’s done will catch up to him and kidnapping charges don’t even make him blink. He has one and only one motivation. He wants money and revenge on a dead father he never met.”
I heard Mother suck in air but even though she was terrified, she hung in there. She was made of far stiffer stuff than I’d given her credit for.
“So,” Bill continued, “the only thing we can be fairly sure of at this point is that he’ll show up at the office tomorrow at three o’clock. He probably won’t have the kid with him so he’ll have to stuff him somewhere in the meantime. Worth, you’ll have to put conditions on this. You’re going to have to be cold; colder than he is. He’s nuts so he won’t get it, but he has to feel that you’re holding cards as strong as his. Can you do it?”
“I’ll do it.”
“Good. Now I want inquiries. All the motels and hotels, bed and breakfasts, bus stops, train station, airport. I want men out with copies of that ID drawing and I want reports every ten minutes. George, you type those tracks and that will tell us what he’s driving. My guess is that it’s stolen, so check that against the database. Brandon, I want you to put out the word to everyone you know. I want leads. This guy had to be holed up somewhere over the last few years and someone has to know about it. I want bank accounts, phony ID and be sure to check for any arrests — even petty crimes that turn up with someone who had no record of birth. If we figure out where he’s been, we can figure out where he’s liable to go. Here’s the hard part. If he takes out Ford, Auggie is his next target. I want a detail assigned to her and she’s to stay in this house with the security system on at all times. She is never to be left alone without at least two armed guards. I want one in the house and one outside the door. I want all the cameras running and recording.”
He pointed at me and I snapped back to attention.
“Worth, you’re the only one who can leave. Sam, get the dogs, the best team you can find and don’t answer any questions. I need a piece of the boy’s clothing. You know what to do. Mr. and Mrs. Langford, I want you to go home and stay there. He may try and contact you, Mrs. Langford. This,” he slid a small box across the table, “is a tracking and recording device. It’s simple to use. You just plug it into your WIFI Ethernet at the house and it will monitor any signals. Be sure to turn off your data stream and only use the phone on WiFi. Here’s another one for the house here, Worth.”
The front door burst open and there stood Bernie, tears on his face. “Where is he?” he pleaded. I knew then that Bernie had considered himself a sort of father to Ford. “What can I do?”
Bill looked to me and I nodded. He pointed to a chair and said, “Sit down.” Bernie never hesitated. “Who are you to the boy?” he asked.
Auggie spoke up. “Bernie is my personal assistant, but he’s become a member of the family. He and Ford were… are… close.”
Bill asked, “Does the kid have your cell phone number?” Bernie nodded. “Does he call you?”
Bernie nodded again. “All the time.”
I was surprised, but this was no time to feel hurt.
“Keep your phone charged and with you at all times. If the kid calls, try to spin out the call as long as you can so we can triangulate his position with the towers. Hand your phone to Pete, there, he’ll add the trace. Do the same for everyone’s phone, you all hear me. Is there anyone else Ford would call?”
We all looked at one another and shrugged. We all seemed to be in the room. “Maybe Betsy?” Auggie suggested.
“Get her here,” Bill ordered and Bernie leapt up from his seat and headed out the door. “Okay!” Bill barked, pounding the table. “This is command central. I want reports every thirty minutes from each one of you; sooner if you pick up something. I’m going to check out some sources I have. Carl, you’re to stay here and act as relay. Auggie, I suggest you try and get some rest. It could be a long haul. Now get going!” he snapped and everyone leapt to their feet to begin their duties.
I took Auggie up to our room and put her to bed, but I knew she wouldn’t sleep. “I’ll let you know of the slightest detail,” I promised and closed the door behind me. Betsy had just arrived and I asked her to sit in with Auggie and keep an eye on her. I had just gotten downstairs to the dining room when Betsy came up behind me, tugging at my arm.
“She needs to talk to you. It’s important. I told her she must tell you.”
I bounded up the stairs to our room and found Auggie lying down, blankets twisted, her eyes huge with fear. She motioned to me and I went to the side of the bed and bent over her. I thought she was going to hug me but pulled my head down close to hers.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered and I pulled back, not sure of what I’d just heard. She nodded and the fear told me she was afraid she would miscarry.
“Stay calm. Betsy, call the doctor. Don’t give him any details about what’s going on here, but I want him to spend the night and keep an eye on Auggie.” Betsy nodded and went to find the number. “It will be okay, darling,” I said. “We’ll spend Christmas all together, all four of us,” I reassured her and left to do my part.
***
It was, without comparison, the longest night of my life. Bill kept urging me to get some rest, but I felt as though a clock was ticking and as long as I stayed awake, my boy would stay alive. I knew that was unfounded, but I wanted to keep a mental link to him in any way I could.
The dining room table became communication central. Men came in with all sorts of equipment and phones were plugged in and wires run. Betsy kept sandwiches and coffee coming to keep people awake and there was a constant buzz in the room as the various men checked in with progress reports. I wracked my brain to process through the various scenarios that I thought Linc might use. Not only was I a trained doctor, I was his blood. He was a sick version of me. I tried to imagine the worst that Father would do, and then factor that by ten.
About midnight, Earl Kinsey showed up at the door. He came to the table, tracking snow and mud across the floor, and to me, it was the sight of progress in saving my son. I could have kissed him.
Earl
sat down, exhausted and while he directed his conversation to me, it was intended for everyone in the room. “Okay, here’s where we are. I got in touch with a few of my dad’s old contacts; got them out of bed. They weren’t worth much, but they put me in contact with the guys who were. Worth, they were pissed, to say the least. They don’t like it when someone puts something over on them. They’re flying a couple of guys down in a private jet and they should be here any time. They’re offering a deal. They want a million bucks for their trouble.”
“Done!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, that’s not all. They want Linc. Alive. They gotta make an example outta him or they look bad. You get that? That means you can’t call the cops,” he said, looking over at Bill.
“No problem,” Bill muttered, busily reading some feedback from one of his many meters.
Earl continued on. “They figure he’s holed up with some broad. That’s his MO. He hides behind them, their identity and then knocks ‘em off when he’s done with them. He can keep that up forever. He’s got that kind of charisma, I guess.”
“He does,” I verified.
“Well, the guys comin’ down have a few ideas of where he may be and I told ‘em they got to bring the kid in alive or the deal is off. They’re okay with that. So, you might say there’s a bounty on Linc’s head and a reward on Ford’s — but you can’t say nothin’ to no one. Got it?”
“Earl, I’ll take care of you, my friend.”
Earl held up his hand. “Say no more, Worth. I’ve always looked up to you. It’s my pleasure if I can help in any way. Now, I’m goin’ over there and lay down on that sofa. When they give me a call they’re in, I’ll go and pick them up. Just going to rest my eyes.” I nodded and shook Earl’s hand.
“Good friend to have,” was Bill’s only comment, but he relayed the new information to everyone in the loop.
Brandon called and relayed that he’d put out the word and had a handful of leads. They were all men who had committed petty crimes and were unidentifiable. Unfortunately, all but three of those were dead but Brandon had men deployed to interview those three. That was one more lead being investigated.
Claiming Amelia Page 67