Midnight Abduction, page 15
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
“You did a good job, Caleb. I’m so proud of you.” She bent and kissed the knee, then rose, far too conscious of Brady’s intense gaze. “We’ll clean that up and get you out of those nasty shoes once we get home.”
“Mr. Morrison, we’d like to get a full statement from you, if you don’t mind,” Brady said. “Once that’s on record, you can head home.”
“Anything you need,” Caleb’s rescuer readily agreed. “I hope you get the guy who did this.”
“We plan to.” Brady turned toward the police officer. “Can we use one of your conference rooms?”
“Sure, this way.” The officer led the way.
Grace continued holding Caleb’s hand as they followed. A frisson of unease snaked down her spine. She had Caleb, but Parker Hall was still out there. And if he was a hired kidnapper, the way Brady had theorized, the danger was not yet over.
Would they try to strike again?
She told herself Brady and Marc Callahan would find him, both the kidnapper and the person who’d hired him, but her stomach churned with the realization that their nightmare might not be over. In her mind, she didn’t understand why on earth Parker Hall or another kidnapper would come after Caleb again, yet how could they know for sure?
They couldn’t.
She sat and pulled Caleb into her lap. Letting go of him was not an option, and thankfully, he rested contentedly against her.
He turned his head to look up. “I losted Lucy.”
“We found Lucy; a very nice police officer named Matt Callahan has your Lucy. We’ll get Lucy back from him very soon, okay?”
Caleb relaxed and nodded. She noticed Brady sent a quick text message before turning to face Caleb’s rescuer. “Mr. Morrison, I’d like to record this if you don’t mind.”
“No problem,” he agreed. “And you can call me Kent.”
Grace listened as Kent reiterated what he’d summarized earlier. His daughter Libby had found Caleb under the slide and had taken him over to meet her daddy.
“I asked him if he was lost, and he said he was,” Libby chimed in.
Grace gave her a grateful smile. “You were very brave.”
But when Kent repeated how Caleb had identified himself by his full name, Caleb Brady Ramsey and how he was a scared of the mean man, she closed her eyes and tried not cry.
How mean had Parker Hall been?
“You didn’t see anyone hanging around as if searching for Caleb?” Brady asked. “Anyone remotely suspicious?”
“No, and I did glance around,” Kent said. “To be honest, I had the impression Caleb had been under the slide for a while, maybe even as long as an hour, so I wasn’t expecting to see anyone. If so, I’d have called 911 to get an instant police response rather than bringing him in.”
Brady nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I can’t think of any more questions, but I’ll call you if something comes up.”
“Fine with me,” Kent said. He had his arm around Libby’s waist. “Like I said earlier, as a father I can’t imagine what you both must have gone through.”
“Thanks.” Brady gave a nod and shut off the recording app on his phone. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for Caleb.” He turned to address the little girl. “You were wonderful, too, Libby.”
The girl beamed. “I helped.”
“You sure did.” Brady smiled at her, then turned to Grace. “Ready to go?”
“Yes.” She was more than ready to go home. Her cramped one-bedroom apartment would be a welcome relief after all of this driving around.
The two men rose and shook hands. Kent and Libby left first. Brady hesitated for a moment, glancing at Caleb as if he wanted to say something. She tensed because this wasn’t a good time to spring the news that Brady was his father.
Caleb had been traumatized enough for one day.
Was she taking the coward’s way out? She tried to view the situation logically. She did not want to cause Caleb any more anxiety. As it was, he’d likely suffer nightmares over this.
“I forgot to call and arrange for the bedroom window to be repaired.” Brady frowned when they stepped outside. She had Caleb’s hand, and he stayed close to her side. “It might be better for you and Caleb to stay with me for a while.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but just remembering the missing window was enough for her to reluctantly admit that staying in the apartment overnight wasn’t an option. Yet she also knew Brady had suggested this arrangement for one main reason.
To spend time with his son. She drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I . . . suppose we can do that.”
His jaw clenched as if he were annoyed, but he only said, “Thank you. We’ll head back to your place long enough to pack a few bags if that helps.”
“Sure.” She tried to smile. The moment they’d found Caleb, their relationship had changed. There was an awkwardness between them that hadn’t been there before. “Thank you for helping to bring Caleb home.”
“I’m glad God sent Libby and Kent to the playground.” Brady glanced at Caleb, then back to her. “They are the real heroes of the day.”
“You are so right.” She silently admitted that God had been watching over their son. To come out of this ordeal with only a scraped knee was nothing short of a miracle. Although she also knew that emotionally it would take Caleb a while to get through this. She made a mental note to call his pediatrician very soon.
She opened the back passenger door for Caleb. “I don’t have to sit in a booster seat?” he asked.
Brady frowned. “We can stop and buy one.”
“No need, I have one at home in the storage unit. I bought it at a rummage sale in case I was able to afford to buy a car.”
His jaw tightened again, and she understood his anger. If she’d told Brady about Caleb, her lack of funds wouldn’t be an issue.
“Get inside, Caleb.” She gestured for him to climb up. “We’ll make do with using the seat belt. This won’t be a long ride.”
“Okay.” He didn’t balk at crawling into the car. She buckled the seat belt, tucking the shoulder strap behind him so it wasn’t across his face. Then he looked right at Brady. “Who are you?”
“He’s a police officer.” Grace did not want to have the daddy conversation in the car. “Mr. Finnegan has been looking for you.”
Caleb frowned. “How come he doesn’t have a policeman uniform?”
“I was supposed to have the day off,” Brady answered before she could. “I am a different kind of police officer. I wear a suit not a uniform.”
“’Cause you’re a boss?” Caleb asked.
“Sort of.” Brady must have decided going into more detail would only confuse the boy more. “My brother wears a uniform. You’ll get to meet him very soon.”
Caleb yawned. “’Kay.”
Grace knew the brief nap Caleb had taken beneath the slide probably hadn’t provided enough rest for the little boy. She wondered if it would be better to head straight to Brady’s without stopping at the apartment, then decided the short detour wouldn’t matter. She wanted Caleb to have his own clothes and some of his toys. Anything to help provide some sense of normalcy after all of this.
Once they were settled in the front seat, Brady backed out of the parking space. He glanced at her. “I texted Rhy but would like to call him too.”
“Of course, I understand.” The reality of Caleb having eight aunts and uncles was a bit overwhelming. She glanced over her shoulder, then added, “I’d like to wait until later to tell Caleb the truth.”
“I’m not going to wait long.” Brady’s voice was firm. “It’s already been six years, Grace.”
She winced. “I know. Let’s just get settled in first, okay?”
“Okay.” Brady made the call to his brother. “Hey, Rhy, just want you to know we have Caleb.”
“Thank the Lord,” Rhy said. “I’m so relieved to hear it.”
“There’s no sign of Hall, though, so I want to keep that BOLO out for him.”
“Got it,” Rhy agreed. “I wish we knew if he was riding a bus, stole a car, or is using a rideshare.”
“All are viable options. I would think he’d stick to a rideshare rather than risk being recognized.”
“I agree, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled.” There was a brief pause before Rhy asked, “Don’t forget Elly’s graduation party a week from Saturday. We’d love to meet Caleb then too.”
Grace opened her mouth to protest, but Brady shot her a warning glance. “That sounds awesome. I’m sure Grace and Caleb would love to attend the party.”
“Sounds good. Later, bro.” Rhy disconnected from the call.
She glanced over her shoulder at Caleb. His eyes were closed as he rested his head against the passenger door. Hoping he was asleep, she turned toward Brady. “You should have asked me about the party first,” she whispered.
“Nope, that’s not how this relationship is going to work.” He’d kept his voice low, but there was no mistaking the edge of anger. “He’s my son, and if I want him to come to my youngest sister’s graduation party, then that’s what we’re doing. You’ve kept him from me long enough.”
She tore her gaze from his, unwilling to admit he was right, at least on the latter point. She had kept Caleb from his father for too long.
But the thought of Caleb being swallowed up within the Finnegan clan brought a hint of panic.
They’d have to figure out a way to navigate this new co-custody arrangement.
There was no going back now.
His thankfulness at having Caleb home safe was fading fast. He’d hoped Grace would introduce him to Caleb, telling the little boy he was his father.
She hadn’t, claiming it was better to hold off on having the conversation later. And then she had the gall to tell him he needed to ask her permission to take his own son to Elly’s graduation party!
Yeah, that was so not happening. As soon as they were settled, he intended to set forth a new set of ground rules. One that gave him equal rights and access to Caleb. He would not miss more time with his son. In fact, just the opposite. He deserved to spend as much time as possible with the little boy, establishing the father/son relationship he’d been denied.
The sooner Grace accepted that fact, the better.
He struggled to maintain control. Things would improve once he had Grace and Caleb settled at his place.
Using the hands-free functionality, he called Matt. “Good news, we found Caleb.”
“I heard from Marc, congrats.” Matt sounded happy.
“I was wondering if we could grab Caleb’s stuffed dog, Lucy, from you.” He reached up and moved the rearview mirror to better see Caleb’s sleeping face. “He’s been talking about how he lost it. I think he’ll feel better once he has it back.”
“Not a problem, I’m currently in Greenland, do you want to swing by? Or I can meet you somewhere.”
“Not the park,” Grace quickly interjected. “I don’t want to bring back any bad memories.”
He nodded in agreement. “Tell me where you are, Matt. We’ll come to you.”
Matt gave the location, which was near a fast-food restaurant that was different from the ones the kidnapper had taken Caleb. Still, he hoped the little boy would sleep long enough for them to get away just in case Grace was right about the nightmares.
Brady turned the SUV around to head in the opposite direction from where they were headed. Maybe he was being ridiculous, but he wanted to give Caleb something that would make him happy.
They drove in silence. When he saw Matt’s K-9 SUV, he pulled in alongside him, keeping the engine running. Matt lowered his window and handed the stuffed animal over to Grace.
“I’m really glad the search is over,” Matt said. “It’s nice to see a great outcome on a case like this.”
“You and Duchess helped so much.” Grace took the dog, clasping it to her chest for a long moment. “Thanks for everything.”
“Anytime.” Matt nodded at Brady. “Good luck with nailing the jerk who did this.”
“I’m sure you’ll hear when we do. Take care, Matt.” Brady raised the windows and backed out of the fast-food parking space. A quick glance at the rearview mirror confirmed Caleb was still asleep. His stomach growled with hunger, but he ignored it. He had food in the fridge and could throw a meal together once they were home.
Home. He had a two-bedroom condo and immediately wondered how long it would take to put it on the market to buy something else.
Something bigger, a house with a nice backyard with a swing set. Something more child friendly.
Grace reached back to tuck Lucy beside Caleb. The little boy shifted but didn’t awaken as he wrapped his arm around the dog, pulling it close.
Brady’s throat tightened with emotion. He longed to hold his son in his arms, to protect him from ever being hurt again. He unclenched his fingers from the steering wheel, knowing that hanging on to his anger and resentment wasn’t healthy.
Hadn’t he told Grace they should move forward, without ruminating over the past? Yeah, it was time to follow his own advice.
“I know you’re upset with me,” Grace said.
“I’ll get over it.” He glanced at her. “Having Caleb safe is all that matters. We’ll figure the rest out as we go.”
“He’s been through a lot, Brady. I don’t want to overwhelm him.”
His being Caleb’s father shouldn’t be traumatic, but then again, he couldn’t deny the kid had been put through the wringer. “I know. I’ll do my best to be patient.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and headed toward Grace’s apartment building. Reaching Ravenswood didn’t take too long, although when he pulled up in front of the building, the place looked even worse in the daylight. It wasn’t just Caleb’s broken window that bothered him, the entire place looked worn down and not very safe. It hurt to know she and Caleb had been so close all this time, but he held his tongue.
There was a small part of him that admired her for owning and operating a day care center. A logical career for a single mother with a teaching degree.
“I—uh, maybe you should wait here.” Grace unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to look back at Caleb. “I don’t want to disturb him.”
Before he could answer, his phone rang. He quickly turned the volume down, but thankfully, Caleb didn’t seem to hear it. “Hey, Marc. Did Angeline Rogers give you any interesting information?”
“Her story is that she moved here from Texas to start over. She says the boy’s father is in jail, and I did confirm that. I don’t think she’s connected to the kidnapping.”
“Another dead end,” he muttered.
“Yeah. Although I intend to verify her real identity. Her birth name is Olivia Hargrove. Is Grace there? Does that name mean anything to her?”
“No, although I’m not sure I like hearing how she’s enrolled her son in my day care under a fake name.” Grace frowned, then added, “Marc, will you please let me know if there’s something concerning in her past? If she has a criminal record, I don’t want to keep her son enrolled in the program.”
“I will. Hey, I’m getting a call from our boss, hang on for a minute.” Marc switched over to take the call. Brady was about to tell Grace to go ahead and go inside to get her things when Marc came back on the line. “Brady? There’s a tip our boss wants us to check out. Someone stumbled across a dead body at Fall River Park.”
“A dead body?” Brady sighed. “Why is that our jurisdiction? The local police should be on scene, not federal agents.”
“Supposedly the caller thinks the guy looks like the BOLO sketch,” Marc explained. “I’ll head over, no need for you to come too.”
Brady hesitated, then said, “I’d better join you. If this is Hall, we’ll need to see if there’s any trace evidence linking him to whoever hired him.”
Grace latched her seatbelt. “I agree we should go. Caleb is sleeping, so it won’t be a problem.”
“We’re on our way, Marc,” Brady said. He pulled away from the apartment building. “Do you have an exact location where they found the body?”
“He was found floating in a pond. Hold on a minute.” Marc must have pulled up a map of the area. “Looks like it’s on the south side of the park.”
“Got it, thanks. We’ll meet you there.” He ended the call and glanced at Grace. “I’m glad you don’t mind riding along. I don’t want you staying at that apartment alone.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled by that prospect either,” she pointed out. “But if the kidnapper is dead, then the danger is over.”
“Not if he’s been murdered.” Brady noticed her wince and hastily added, “You can stay in the car with Caleb, no need for you to see the body.”
“It could be a suicide,” she pointed out. “I mean, he did botch the plan, thankfully for us.”
“True.” He had entertained that possibility too.
She sighed. “It’s frustrating that we don’t know why this happened in the first place. I mean, we assume it’s revenge because of my brother’s investment scam, but we don’t know that with any degree of certainty.”
She was right about that, and the lack of knowledge bothered him. “I’m curious as to why the Honda was abandoned in Greenland, but the body is floating in a pond in Fall River Park.”
“He left it there, then tried to drown himself. Or the witness could be wrong about identifying the kidnapper,” she said. “As odd as it sounds, I’m hoping it’s not him. I would rather he rotted in prison for the rest of his life for taking Caleb from me.”
From us, he almost corrected. He cleared his throat. “Witnesses can be wrong, especially under these circumstances.” He knew from personal experience with a previous case that dead bodies pulled from the water never looked normal. Mostly because of the bloating and fish bites. Not that he planned to discuss the gory details of waterlogged bodies with Grace. That was the last image she needed to have imprinted in her brain. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Ten minutes later, they reached the park. He drove to the south end, stopping abruptly as the road was blocked off by police cars. There were also several news media vans indicating the reporters had shown up. He supposed it was inevitable that they would. Backing up, he found a place to park behind the barricade and away from the news vans. He put the gearshift into park and pushed open his door, before looking back at Grace.
