by Thea Thomas
“Yes, yes,” Elizabeth agreed. “I’ll do anything!”
“Don’t let him make you angry,” Officer Timms admonished. “Don’t let him push your buttons, which, of course, he’s sure he has the power to do now.”
Elizabeth nodded. She began to feel a bit hopeful. These people were so reasonable, so sure, she felt they must know how to get stolen children back to heart-broken, anxious mothers.
“Do you mind if we tap your telephone?”
“No, please, do anything,” Elizabeth urged. “How long will it take to get her back?”
Officers Timms and Avery looked at Elizabeth sympathetically. “We don’t know. The sooner, the better.”
“Come on,” Gail said to Elizabeth. “Let’s let them do their work. I’ll make some tea while we try and figure out where Tony would go.”
Elizabeth followed Gail into the kitchen, feeling empty, lost and frightened.
Gail made her sit down, then she put on the tea kettle. “I feel so guilty,” she said quietly. “Why didn’t I sense him lurking around? I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Elizabeth took in Gail’s tragic expression. “Don’t Gail, please! How can you blame yourself? We both forgot about his garage door opener. If Tony was so determined to take Amy, I don’t think either of us could have done anything to keep him from it. It’s my fault for not calling the police the other night. I am not blaming you, Gail.”
“I was afraid you’d be angry with me, and rightly so.”
“It won’t help if a wedge is driven between us, will it? I need you now more than ever.”
Gail nodded. She went into the living room and asked the officers if they’d care for anything, and they both agreed a cup of decaf would be nice.
Then Officer Timms went out to the garage and dusted for prints.
“Of course, his prints are all over the house,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“But these are fresh and hopefully unmarred. We also need pictures of him and the child and some article of clothing of each. Something we can familiarize the dogs with.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll get them,” Elizabeth said, her heart sinking. The dogs. It sounded so frightening, so violent.
“The box outside the front door is Tony’s stuff,” Gail said. “He didn’t even bother to pick it up. Shouldn’t you be out looking for him before he gets too far away?”
“We’ve already got an Amber Alert out,” Officer Avery assured.
After the police left, Elizabeth and Gail went into the living room to try and figure out where Tony was likely to go.
“Maybe he’s on his way to the condo in San Diego,” Gail hypothesized. “Maybe you should call that Michelle person and see if she knows of his whereabouts.”
“But if she’s in with him she’ll simply lie. If she’s not, she’ll tell the truth, but I’ll still think she’s lying.” Elizabeth paused, thinking. “I don’t think he’s there now, anyway. Not after I found out everything about the condo. If the police don’t find Tony and Amy today, heaven forbid! – I might try to see what I can get out of her tomorrow.
“I know we’ll hear from him sooner or later,” Elizabeth went on. “The only problem is, will he take care of Amy?”
They spent the rest of the evening writing down what Tony might say when he contacted them, and putting down the responses that hopefully would not anger him. Anything to get Amy back in their arms.
At midnight, Elizabeth couldn’t stand it any longer and she called the police station, asking for Officer Timms.
“She works the day shift,” the desk clerk answered.
“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth apologized. “How stupid of me. She seemed so competent, I guess I thought she’d work around the clock. I wonder if there’s someone else there who could apprise me of the status of the Amy Antonella kidnapping?”
“Just a moment, please.”
A few seconds later an irritable voice came on the line. “May I help you?” he barked.
“I hope so,” Elizabeth answered. “I was wondering what’s the status of the Amy Antonella kidnapping.”
There was a pause. “Officers Timms and Avery are assigned to that case.”
“Yes, I know. But I was wondering what is being done now.”
“There’s an Amber Alert out on the alleged perpetrator.”
“Alleged!”
“Until convicted otherwise, ma’am,” the exasperated voice replied.
“I’m sorry to bore you, but my little baby is out there in the night. Without her food, without her blankie. She’s recently had major surgery, she need particular attention. I hate to think that she’s only being looked for during the day shift. I hate to think that I’m sitting in a warm house, waiting anxiously to hear from the law enforcement agency, and they’re not even looking for her.”
The voice on the other end softened. “I’m sorry, ma’am. She and the kidnapper are being looked for. I assure you, anyone driving a red Corvette today had a less than peaceful day. As a matter of fact, we busted a drug dealer we’ve been trying nail, in the process of looking for your daughter.”
“I see. Well, thank you,” Elizabeth said quietly. “I know, you’re doing everything possible.” She hung up the telephone and turned to Gail. “They won’t find Tony. He doesn’t want to be found and he won’t be found. It’s up to me. And he’s certainly not driving that Corvette around, advertising himself.” She turned and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to bed to think. Good-night, Gail.”
Elizabeth sank onto her bed and sank into an even darker despair. She knew Tony was changing lately, but she hadn’t bothered to figure out what was wrong with him. She’d given all her attention to Amy and now he had Amy. That, he probably reasoned, would teach her a lesson.
She only blamed herself. If she’d given Tony more attention, maybe they would have grown together instead of apart. When she thought about Amy, out there in the night, crying for her, Elizabeth felt she would crawl out of her skin. She couldn’t stand it, she just couldn’t stand it! How could she even stay in this bed, comfortable and warm? But where could she go to look for Tony? She could only pray with all her heart that Tony would not take out his anger or revenge, or whatever it was he was feeling, on poor little Amy, defenseless and trusting.
Even Amy had never warmed up to Tony. No one in Elizabeth’s life had liked Tony. Why, in heaven’s name had she? It wasn’t, in point of fact, his physical beauty, which, in any case, she’d learned was too perfect to be interesting. And his own love for his good looks was unattractive in the extreme.
No, after they were married and she’d gotten to know him better, she’d fallen for his need to be loved. He refused to talk about his childhood or his parents, who had been quite old when they’d had him, and were now both dead. So Elizabeth had never been able to learn from him what were the holes in his nurturing. But they were there. After a while she hadn’t needed him to tell her stories of childhood neglect. She was intuitively aware of it.
Somewhere among these thoughts, she drifted into a half-sleep, only to jump awake when the telephone rang. It rang twice, she grabbed it, but no one was there.
Frustrated, she went downstairs. It was dark and Gail was apparently asleep in her room, no light coming from under her closed door.
Elizabeth’s hand and knee throbbed. She really needed to get some sleep if her body was to heal. She went back upstairs, went into the bathroom and switched on the light. She’d forgotten about her black eye all day, and she was curious to see what it looked like.
She gasped. It had gotten much worse. The left side of her face was purple to her jaw bone and the inside of her eye and down along her nose was... black, there was no other word for it. And it seemed to be more swollen than in the morning. She went back to bed. Three-thirty a.m. Had Tony called and let the telephone ring twice, just to harass her? Who else would call at three-thirty?
Chapter XXVII
Three hours later, she drug herself downstairs. Gail was in the kitche
n making breakfast.
“I can’t eat anything, Gail, thanks.”
“You have to, Elizabeth. I insist. Look at you! Your black eye is worse, you look peaked, and you’ll eat something if I have to force feed you.”
“Did you hear the phone ring last night?”
“No.”
“About three-fifteen. It rang twice, I picked it up, but there was just a dial tone.”
“I can’t imagine I would sleep through the phone ringing,” Gail said, bringing Elizabeth some toast. “I think you’re over-wrought. You wish so much that it’d ring.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, it rang. Right by my ear. Should I call the police?”
“Let’s wait until we’re sure Timms and Avery are there. You know they’ll call you the instant they know anything.”
“I suppose. I guess Tony thinks it’ll prove his point by calling and letting the phone right twice. From now on, if the phone even makes a peep, grab it.”
“Okay.” Gail gave Elizabeth a worried look, but she didn’t say anything more.
“I think I’ll try calling Michelle.” Elizabeth got Michelle’s number out of her purse and dialed.
“Hi, Michelle, this is Gail... the person who called you the other day about the condo Tony was interested in?”
“I don’t understand what went on,” Michelle’s kitten voice said. “I called with the information you asked for and first thing I know, I’m talking with Tony. Do you live with Tony?”
“Well, yes. I have a little confession to make. You see, I’m his housekeeper. I didn’t hear about the condo through a friend, Tony had chatted with me about it. And it sounded like what I’ve been looking for. But you know, I didn’t want to tell him I’m thinking about leaving. It just so happens that I’ve been thinking about moving to San Diego. So the other night when his girl friend answered the phone... “
“His girl friend?”
“Yes. Anyway, when she answered the phone and you asked for me, Mr. Antonella just went and took the phone from her. He’s like that sometimes. Sometimes he won’t even let me take my own calls.”
“His girl friend,” Michelle said again.
“Yes,” Elizabeth-as-Gail answered. “Yes. She lives here too.”
“Really!” Michelle said with disgust.
“Anyway, the reason I’m calling is to get the information you had for me. Is there another condo available?”
“Yes. Two, in fact. A one bedroom and a two bedroom.”
“I suppose Mr. Antonella was looking at the two bedroom.”
“Yes. But this unit I’m talking about is a different one.”
“Oh, good,” Elizabeth said. “I hope it’s not too close to the one he’s interested in. I mean, if we both happened to move into the same complex, I wouldn’t want to be bumping into him.”
“No. They’re not at all adjacent. The two bedroom available is... let’s see, number 410 and the one Tony is considering is 37.”
“I see. Well, could you give me the address? I might sneak down and take a peek today or tomorrow. If I like what I see, I’ll give you a call.”
Michelle gave her the address and said she hoped she’d see something she liked.
“I’m wondering,” Elizabeth said to Michelle, as if a last thought, “If you’ve seen Tony yesterday or today? I haven’t seen him, not that it’s that unusual, he has a way of disappearing for days sometimes. But I’d be embarrassed to run into him down there... if I do happen to get away today.”
“No,” Michelle answered. “I haven’t seen or heard anything of him. He’s about to lose his condo. Among other things,” she added quietly. “You might want to go by 37 too since it might be available after all. In which case you really wouldn’t have any worry about running into him.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Elizabeth said. “Thanks so much, Michelle. You’ve been a great help.”
She hung up and turned to Gail. “I don’t think he’s down there at all. That poor girl has sure been duped.”
“Well,” Gail said with disgust, “she’s not the only poor girl who’s been duped.”
“Yes, I remember who the other poor girl is, and I don’t even need to look in the mirror to be reminded.”
The telephone rang under Elizabeth’s hand. “Hello? Peter!”
“Elizabeth! What’s going on there?”
“Oh, Peter, you won’t believe it. Wait, how do you know something’s going on?”
“Because a thin old man with high cheek bones, a long, thin nose and a shock of white hair, appeared on the front stairway last night and told me.”
Elizabeth collapsed onto the couch. “Grandfather!”
“Yes. Clear as day, even more defined than the day he walked through the front door when I was on the porch.”
“What did he... want?”
“He said that I should ‘tell Elizabeth to listen and watch, to not be afraid.’ He said someone is trying to reach you. That you must keep your mind open. And then he said an odd thing. He said it was best that you have the amethyst.”
“Not the amethyst, Peter,” Elizabeth said. “Amethyst... that’s Amy’s real name. Oh, Peter! Tony kidnapped Amy yesterday.”
“What do you mean, ‘kidnapped?’ “
“I mean, he broke into the house and stole her. Last Thursday night, I faced Tony with evidence that he was having an affair. He attacked me and I kicked him out.”
“Why didn’t you call me? Are you all right?”
“I’m cut up and I have a black eye.”
“You called the police?”
“Only after he took Amy. But I should have when he attacked me. I had no idea how far he’d go.”
“What have the police done?”
“They don’t know anything more this morning than they did yesterday afternoon.” Suddenly Elizabeth couldn’t stand the sound of those bleak words. How hopeless it all seemed, and how helpless she felt. She began to cry.
“Don’t cry, Elizabeth, please don’t cry,” Peter said. “I’ll be there in a few minutes and we’ll figure out where Tony is.”
“Don’t cry, Pet,” Gail said, patting Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You don’t want to lose your energy.”
“You’re right,” Elizabeth acknowledged, collecting herself, “both of you. But I feel I need to cry! Oh, Peter, did you happen to call about three a.m. last night and let it ring only twice?”
“No, Elizabeth. But that was when your grandfather appeared to me. I wanted to call you immediately, but I waited until this morning. I thought I should see if the... visitation seemed as real in the daylight as it did in the middle of the night. And it does. Anyway, you should have the police tap your phone,” Peter suggested.
“They already have.”
“Good! Okay, I’m on my way. See you in a little bit.”
Elizabeth turned to Gail. “He’s coming.”
“I’ll make some more breakfast,” Gail said, getting busy. “In the meantime, perhaps you’d fill me in on what’s all this talk about your grandfather?”
The telephone rang again. Elizabeth grabbed it before one ring was finished.
“Mrs. Antonella? This is officer Timms. I just got on duty and got your message from last night. I’m calling to let you know that nothing concrete has turned up yet, but we’re working on it.”
“Thank you, Officer Timms. I guess I don’t need to tell you how anxious I am. Oh, by the way, do you have any record of my phone ringing last night, about three-fifteen?”
“Just a sec.” Officer Timms came back directly. “No. Why?”
“The phone rang twice, but when I picked it up, there was just a dial tone.”
“The equipment won’t register a non-connection.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said. “Well, thanks again.” She hung up and turned to Gail. “The equipment doesn’t register a non-connection.”
Gail nodded. “If someone wants to reach you, they’ll call again, won’t they?”
“I suppose.”<
br />
The phone rang yet again under Elizabeth’s hand. She grabbed it up. “Hello? Oh! Mrs. Vargas!” She exchanged a look of dismay with Gail.
“Hello Elizabeth. I’m in China, working on some international adoptions. I’ve just received an Amber Alert about Amy.”
“Tony took her. We... we’ve had a falling out. His behavior has become so erratic and... anyway, he took her yesterday.”
“Have you heard anything?”
“No. And I’m just....”
“I understand, Elizabeth. I’ve worked with kidnappings before. I have a remarkable team, and I’ll get them on it immediately. I’ll be back in a couple of days. Right now, I must get off the phone as my plane is about to take off. Stay strong. For Amy’s sake, you must stay strong.”
“I will Mrs. Vargas. Thank you, I will.” She hung up and turned to Gail. “I completely forgot about her in all this madness.”
“That’s understandable,” Gail comforted. “What did she say?”
“The most important thing she said was that she has had to deal with kidnappings before and she will put her team on finding Amy. That’s good.”
“That’s very, very good,” Gail agreed. “Her people are amazing.”
At that moment, Peter arrived. They told him about the conversation with Mrs. Vargas and he then filled Gail in on the paranormal events occurring at the old house, adding details for Elizabeth’s benefit.
The three of them brain-stormed for several hours, trying to out-guess Tony. But they only realized that, between the three of them, they knew next to nothing about him, and were certainly incapable of conjecturing where he might go to hide.
“Well, you two,” Elizabeth said in the middle of the afternoon when it seemed that they had covered more ground about Tony than possible and still had gotten nowhere, “I can’t endure sitting around here any longer. The police haven’t called, Tony hasn’t called. And it’s late afternoon. Soon it’ll be night again, and I cannot endure another night like last night.