Midnight Abduction, page 5
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
“Money.” It made her sick to her stomach to think of the outrageous ransom demand the kidnapper would likely ask for. She swiped at the tears in her eyes. “It’s inconceivable that anyone would terrorize a child for money.”
“Trust me, this guy is an amateur, someone looking to get his investments back. He won’t hurt Caleb. His focus will be on getting the cash.” Brady’s voice sounded so certain she couldn’t help glancing up at him.
“How do you know he’s an amateur?”
“He’s made several mistakes. Taking the kid in the middle of the night, which forces him to hold Caleb somewhere safe until the banks open. He also ran off from the motel, probably after seeing the Amber Alert, rather than staying put.”
Maybe the kidnapper had made mistakes, but they were still no closer to finding him.
“He’ll call back,” Brady repeated. “I’m sure of it. But that does raise a question. How would he get your number?”
“It’s on my day care website.” She thought back to the hoodie guy who had been lurking around hours before Caleb had been taken. “That’s the only place I have it listed. Oh, and I had a weird prank call earlier in the evening. I blocked the number.” She wanted to hit something. “That must have been the kidnapper. Although how could he call again if I blocked his number?”
“It would make sense that he would test the number to make sure you answered, probably using a different phone.” Brady held her gaze for a long moment. “We’ll head to the local precinct soon so you and the clerk can work with a sketch artist.”
“That’s fine. The sooner the better.” Having a job to do was a good distraction. Especially if the sketch would help bring Caleb home.
“Why don’t you head to the precinct now?” Marc suggested. “I know the kidnapper will call again, but in the meantime, we need to keep the wheels of the investigation churning. I can keep an eye on things here.”
Brady hesitated, obviously torn. “Okay. That works. Thanks, Marc.”
“Anytime.” Marc eyed Brady curiously, making Grace wonder if he sensed the relationship between her and Brady went back further in time. Years before tonight.
“Call me if you get anything off the canvass.” Brady stepped back from the SUV and closed her door. She sank into the seat cushion, fatigue washing over her. It seemed wrong to be tired when Caleb was missing. As if her body shouldn’t let her down when she needed every ounce of her strength to keep going.
To keep searching.
The roller coaster of emotions was wearying. As Brady slid in behind the wheel, she straightened in her seat and did her best to look alert. “Matt is taking Duchess around to other motels, right?”
“He is, yes. And he’s available if we need him for something else.”
“Good. I have a lot of faith in Duchess’s tracking ability.” She twisted her fingers in her lap. “Just watching the dog work was amazing.”
“I agree. Matt and Duchess are a good team.” He glanced at her. “I’m sorry I let you down.”
“You didn’t.” Had her feelings been so clearly etched on her face? She sighed, then added, “I was upset, but I know it’s not your fault the kidnapper disconnected from the call. But I can’t help but wonder if he knew we might be trying to trace him.”
“You may be right. If so, he may try several short calls to avoid that.” Brady reached over to take her hand. “The most important part of the ransom call is to insist on talking to Caleb. To have him tell you something only he would know.”
“I will.” She would have given anything to hear her son’s voice right at that moment. “I’m assuming the FBI will come up with the money to use in an exchange?”
“That’s possible.” She frowned at the slightest bit of hesitation in his tone. “If not, I have an alternate plan. Either way, we’ll make the exchange. Nothing is more important than Caleb.”
“Thank you.” She tightened her fingers around his. “I truly would be lost without you, Brady.”
“We’re in this together,” he agreed. His fingers were warm around hers. “And I’m not going to rest until we have him.”
She stared at their joined hands, wondering how different her life would have been if she’d broken down and called Brady when she’d discovered she was pregnant with Caleb. At the time, she’d told herself his career was more important, but now?
If she’d have called Brady seven years ago, would Caleb have been kidnapped out of a first-floor apartment by one of her brother’s victims? She highly doubted it.
This was her fault. Not that she’d intentionally put her son in harm’s way, but her decision seven years ago had sent her on this path. The one where she’d convinced herself she’d taken the high road.
Yet she was forced to admit she’d taken the coward’s way out. She’d been afraid to tell Brady about their son. Afraid of what would happen to his career and, more importantly, what might happen to her. They hadn’t been engaged to be married; he’d never made any promises for the future. In part because new FBI agents didn’t get to pick their office location. Their assignments were issued on an as needed basis. She’d also been afraid that Brady would fight for custody.
No, she’d known with absolute certainty he would have fought for custody.
And would have possibly gotten full custody based on her brother’s criminal background.
“I know this isn’t the time, but once we have Caleb home safe, I’d like to talk to you about how we’ll manage things moving forward.” Brady spoke as if he’d read her mind. “I want to be a part of my son’s life.”
“I know. I’m sure we’ll come up with something.” She kept her response vague because she wasn’t ready to think about nights and weekends where she would be sitting home alone while Caleb spent time with Brady.
Not just Brady, but likely his entire family.
The thought should have been reassuring, but it only made the ache in her chest worsen.
The ride to the precinct didn’t take long. She’d never been inside a police station. Even after her brother was arrested, they’d interviewed her in her house. There were cubicles and desks scattered around, most empty because of the early hour.
“Lieutenant Yale?” Brady moved forward to shake an officer’s hand. “Special Agent Brady Finnegan and this is Grace Ramsey, the child’s mother.”
“Ms. Ramsey.” Lieutenant Yale gave her a solemn nod. “Bethany Shear, our forensic sketch artist, will be here soon. I can offer you some coffee; I just made a fresh pot.”
“That would be great, thanks.” Maybe the kick of caffeine would help give her a badly needed boost of energy.
“Make that two, please,” Brady said. “Anywhere in particular you’d like us to sit?”
“This desk up front is fine. The day shift won’t be in for another hour or so.” Yale went over to fill two mugs with coffee.
“As soon as Bethany gets here, I’m going to run back and pick up the motel clerk,” Brady said as he accepted his cup of coffee. “I want him to work with her too.”
She grabbed his arm. “You’re leaving me alone? What if the kidnapper calls?”
He covered her hand with his and nodded. “You make a good point. I’ll arrange for the clerk to be brought here by one of the other officers.”
“Thank you.” She abruptly pulled out her phone. “I have half my battery left but will need to recharge it soon.”
“We have the same type of phone. I have a connector in the car.” He smiled gently. “I’ll grab it now so we can charge your phone while we’re here.”
“Okay.” It was completely illogical, but she didn’t want him to leave her alone. She wasn’t the one in danger, Caleb was. And sitting in the police station was the safest place to be. When Brady stood and walked away, it was all she could do not to run after him.
Ridiculous to feel lost without him sitting beside her. Especially since he hadn’t been a part of her life in the past seven years. She stood and crossed to the coffeepot to add creamer and sugar to her coffee. Then she stood sipping the brew, waiting for Brady to return.
The lieutenant showed up with a pretty woman with gray hair beside him. “Ms. Ramsey? This is Bethany.”
“Hi.” She set down her cup to shake the woman’s hand. “Thanks for coming in early.”
“I don’t mind. I am so sorry you’re going through this.” It seemed Lieutenant Yale had filled Bethany in on her missing son. “Shall we get started?”
“Yes.” She took her seat and sipped her coffee, watching as Bethany set out her colored pencils and then put her sketchbook on an easel. Grace’s fingers trembled as the importance of this sketch sank deep.
If she failed to create a good likeness of the guy in the hoodie, they’d never find the man who took Caleb. And that was unacceptable.
She took a deep breath and silently prayed. Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to get this right!
Brady’s phone rang as he was getting the phone cable cord from the car. He frowned when he saw Rhy’s number. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I was hoping you’d tell me,” Rhy responded dryly. “I saw the Amber Alert go out, and the kid in the photograph looks amazingly like you at that age.”
Brady closed his eyes for a moment, realizing he should have warned his siblings. Their family photos were spread all over the house, including some of him as a young kid roughly Caleb’s age. “Yeah, sorry about the shock. I just found out about him myself,” he finally admitted.
“Wait, he’s really your son?” Rhy’s voice rose in surprise. “I mean, sure the kid looks just like you, but I was kidding.”
“You remember my college girlfriend, Grace Ramsey? We were both at UW–Madison together?”
“She broke up with you shortly after you left for Virginia, right?”
“Two weeks after, yeah.” He leaned against the side of the SUV. “She called last night to let me know Caleb had been kidnapped and that he was my son.”
“Wow, Brady, that must have been tough.” Rhy’s voice was full of sympathy. “But you should have called earlier. You know we’re all ready and willing to help find him.”
“I do know that.” His family was phenomenal when it came to supporting each other. He had done the same for them too. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much to go on. I have Matt Callahan and his K-9 Duchess searching Caleb’s scent from his favorite stuffed animal we found in the parking lot of a local motel, but we haven’t been able to narrow down where this guy is holding him.”
Rhy let out a low whistle. “Do you know why Grace kept him a secret all these years?”
“She claims she broke things off because of her brother’s illegal activity. He’s in jail for investment fraud, and it’s likely one of his victims is the one who set up the kidnapping.”
“Yeah, right.” Rhy didn’t sound convinced.
“It’s flimsy,” Brady agreed. “And I own a piece of responsibility myself for not going to see her when I was finished my training at Quantico. But that’s in the past. Right now, all that matters is getting him back.”
“That’s true. We’re here, Brady. Whatever you need, we’ll get it for you.”
“I may need cash for the ransom. Obviously, we’d do everything possible to make sure this guy doesn’t escape with the money, but I will need enough to convince him to make the exchange.”
“Done.” Rhy didn’t hesitate. “We’ll scrape together whatever you need. Don’t worry about that part of the equation. I’ll rally the family as soon as the banks open. We can take out a home equity loan on the homestead, among finding other cash reserves. We can borrow against our pensions too. Whatever it takes. Just find your son.”
His eyes burned with tears a mixture of gratitude and love for his family, but he ruthlessly brushed them away. This wasn’t the time to dwell on the years with Caleb that he’d lost. Not when his future with his son hung in limbo. “Oh, and keep this out of the news, will you? I haven’t told my boss about the blood connection.”
“I understand, you’re worried he’ll pull you from the case,” Rhy agreed.
“Yes.” Brady pushed away from the SUV. “I’ll keep you posted on how things go.”
“You better.” Rhy paused, then added, “And congrats, Brady. I think you’re the first Finnegan to start the next generation of Finnegans. Mom and Dad would be ecstatic if they were still with us.”
“Yeah, they would.” His throat tightened with emotion. “Later.”
He felt oddly lighter as he headed back into the precinct. Knowing he always had family willing to cover his back was the best feeling on earth. The thought of Grace’s only brother being in prison for fraud made him realize she didn’t have that same level of camaraderie. Not that he and his brothers and sisters hadn’t fought and argued, because they had. A lot. But in the end, every single one of them would do anything for the others.
Maybe he had a little sympathy for what Grace must have suffered over the past few years, but that wasn’t a good excuse to keep Caleb a secret from him.
Inside the precinct, he watched Grace interacting with the sketch artist, a woman who appeared to be in her midfifties. He wanted to know how the sketch was coming along but forced himself to stay back. Hovering over Grace’s shoulder would only add additional pressure and stress she didn’t need.
Grace was as beautiful as he remembered. Even with her green eyes weary with exhaustion, deep lines bracketing the corners of her mouth, and her porcelain skin overly pale. He’d loved her seven years ago and had been shocked when she’d broken things off, claiming she’d found someone else.
Yet he’d also let her go without even attempting to find out more about what had changed. Maybe it was his youthful arrogance, feeling as if she was the one who’d lost out on their relationship. He’d figured he was a good catch, and she was the one who’d be sorry to let him go.
His arrogance had been his downfall. Along with his pride. They’d both prevented him from going to see her. Yet he was the one who’d lost the most.
He’d lost his son.
He quietly plugged in Grace’s phone, then went over to speak to Yale. “I have the motel clerk coming in with an officer from the scene. He should be here any minute. Anything more come through on the tip line?”
“Nothing useful yet, although there was this one guy.” Yale rummaged on his desk. “Oh, here it is. A guy who works at a gas station claims a man came in to pay for gas with cash, and he also bought a lot of candy.” Yale glanced up at him. “He didn’t see a kid, but the amount of candy seemed odd, so he decided to call.”
“Is his name Trent? Can I have his contact information?” Brady felt a surge of excitement. “He might be at the gas station near the motel where we know Caleb was held for a short while.”
“Yeah, Trent Anderson.” Yale arched a brow. “How did you know?”
“We spoke to the gas station owner early this morning.” He pulled out his phone and dialed Trent’s number. Unfortunately, the witness didn’t answer, so he left a message identifying himself as an FBI agent working the case and requesting a call back. “It’s interesting our UNSUB went there before he kidnapped the boy. I’m sure he bought the candy to use as a bribe.”
“That’s good news, but not sure it helps you now,” Yale conceded.
“No, but between Grace, the motel clerk, and Trent, we should have a solid description of the guy to go on. As soon as those sketches are done, we’ll plaster them all over the news with the Amber Alert.”
“That should shake loose a few more sightings from the general public.” Yale sighed. “Looks like our tip line will be busy.”
“I have more agents and assistants coming to help manage the influx.” He glanced at his watch. “They should be here by eight.”
“Okay, that will help.” Yale eyed him critically. “This case seems very personal to you.”
“Any missing child is personal,” he quickly shot back. Maybe too quickly because Yale’s eyebrow only arched higher. He forced a smile and waved a casual hand. “Grace is an old friend.”
“Uh-huh.” Yale didn’t look convinced but let the matter drop.
Tucking the note with Trent’s information into his pocket, Brady turned to head back over to Grace and Bethany. His nerves were on edge; waiting patiently for Bethany to finish the sketch was not easy. And his stomach knotted when he overheard Grace fretting.
“I don’t know why the nose doesn’t seem right. Maybe try making it a little wider?” Her brow was furrowed with concentration.
“The motel clerk will be here soon,” he said. “Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything. He should be able to help fill in the blanks.”
“You’re assuming the kidnapper and the hoodie guy are one and the same,” Grace said. “What if they’re partners? It could be there are two men holding Caleb.”
She had a good point. His gut told him there was only one kidnapper, but he knew better than to make assumptions. Best to deal with facts. “Okay, you’re right. But don’t stress, just do your best.”
“Finnegan?” Yates gestured for him to come over. “We have a lead. A woman at a fast-food restaurant claims she saw a man with a boy looking like Caleb in a car seat in the back seat. They went through the drive-through.”
“Where? Did she get a license plate number?”
“No. But the restaurant is only five miles from here.” Yates ripped off a slip of paper from his notepad. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He glanced back to where Grace was still working on the sketch. There wasn’t time to waste, so he shot out of the precinct and jumped into his SUV. He peeled away from the curb and used his hands-free function to call Marc. “Hey, meet me at the Quick Bites Breakfast and Burgers. Female employee working the drive-through said a man and a boy came through just five minutes ago.”
“On it,” Callahan said.
Brady drove as fast as he dared without having the benefit of red lights and sirens. He pulled up to the restaurant, raking his gaze over the parking lot, but didn’t see a four-door dark Honda or any other car with a male driver and a car seat in the back.
