Midnight Abduction, page 8
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
“Following up leads on an investigation is never a waste of time,” Brady said firmly. “You can’t think about it that way. We’re making sure the kidnapper isn’t still here. And that’s important.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” She struggled to rein in her emotions. “You’re right. The park is bigger than I expected. We still may find him.”
“That’s the spirit.” Brady straightened in his seat. “I think those are the restrooms up ahead.”
She craned her neck and caught a glimpse of dark wood through the budding trees. The road widened, and Brady pulled over to park next to the other SUV that was already there. She recognized it as Matt Callahan’s by the K-9 emblem on the side and the crated area in the back for Duchess.
“Let’s get out and see if Duchess has found anything.” Brady hadn’t even brought the SUV to a stop when she was out of the car and hurrying toward the brown building.
“Grace, wait. Don’t interfere with Duchess,” Brady called.
She stopped, seeing Matt and Duchess up ahead. The dog was doing her zigzag thing again, her nose going from the ground to the air as she followed some invisible scent trail only she could recognize.
Grace held her breath as the beautiful black-and-brown German shepherd abruptly stopped and sat near the side of the building.
“Good girl, Duch,” Matt praised, tossing a toy into the air for her to catch. “Good girl.”
Without hesitation, Grace ran over to where the K-9 had alerted on Caleb’s scent. It was the men’s room, but she didn’t care. Heading inside, she looked in the two stalls, then turned away when she realized they were empty.
Caleb wasn’t here now, but he had been. And recently. She wanted to rant and rave and scream at the top of her lungs.
But she didn’t. Instead, she prayed that Duchess might be able to keep tracking Caleb, leading them to where he was being held right now.
“Has Duchess alerted anywhere else?” Brady asked Matt.
“Near the edge of the parking lot. Here, I’ll show you.” Matt turned and led the way to a spot he’d marked with a small rock. “I figure the perp parked here and took the kid inside the bathroom, then brought him straight back to the car.”
It was what he’d feared, but it had been worth a try. “Okay, can you still search the area around here? Just to be sure?”
“Of course.” Matt’s blue eyes were full of empathy. “The good news is that Duch likes this game of seek.”
The dog’s tail wagged vigorously as if in agreement.
“We’re going to keep driving through the park, looking for the black Honda sedan.” Brady gestured to the wooded area around the restrooms. “If you find anything else, call me. Otherwise, when we’re finished here, we’ll head back to the FBI office.”
“Understood.” Matt bent to scratch Duchess behind the ears. “She was a little confused at first when I asked her to track Caleb without her vest being on. That’s usually her signal to work. Thankfully, she found his scent anyway.”
“She’s amazing,” Brady agreed. “Too bad this guy is taking Caleb around in his car. If they were on foot, Duchess would find him in a heartbeat.”
“That does put a wrench in her ability to track him.” Matt shrugged. “But we’re here if you get another lead. I worked with my boss, and he agreed to free us up for the rest of the day to work this case.”
“Thanks, Matt.” Brady was touched by his cousin’s willingness to jump in to help. Then again, Matt was the father of two small kids. There was nothing worse than knowing your child was in danger.
Especially a child you’d never been able to hug and kiss good night. To read bedtime stories to or play ball with in the backyard.
A wave of grief over what he’d missed hit hard. Brady thrust it aside with an effort. Going back was not an option. He knew that all he could do was look forward. Besides, it was time to take his own advice and think positive. They’d narrowed down the location where their UNSUB had made his ransom call. Duchess confirmed Caleb had been here and maybe wasn’t too far away.
Unless, of course, the kidnapper drove to the other side of the city. Brady didn’t really think he would, though. For one thing, the guy wouldn’t want to waste gas. Not with the Amber Alert out there. No, he felt certain the guy had chosen this park in the first place to stay out of the public eye.
“Hey, Matt, maybe we should check the other parks in the area.” He pulled out his phone to do a quick search. “This guy may be trying to stay away from restaurants and other places with lots of customers. I’m sure he’d search for another place just like this.”
“Okay, what do you have in mind?” Matt came over to peer over his shoulder. Grace crowded close too.
“That park has several large playgrounds, including a skateboard rink,” she said, pointing at the next closest park.
“Too crowded, he wouldn’t want to risk being seen by other parents of children. Every mother in the area has probably seen the Amber Alert.” He scrolled through the other possibilities. “There’s a park closer to the lakefront, but that doesn’t seem to have many hiding places either.”
“What about another nature-like park outside of Oakdale?” Matt suggested. “I know there’s one in Greenland.”
“Yeah.” He worked his phone. “There are two other nature parks that aren’t too far away. We’ll take White Park while you head to Greenland Park.”
“Got it.” Matt turned away. “Come, Duchess.”
“You really think he’ll stick to parks?” Grace asked as they headed for his SUV.
“I do.” He had nothing but his gut instincts to go on, and he prayed they wouldn’t fail him now. “Why wouldn’t he? As you said, they all have restrooms available. It’s also a good way to stay off the radar.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Grace slid into the passenger seat.
“We’re going to drive through the rest of Fall River Park first.” He glanced at her as he backed up. “Keep your eyes peeled for a black or dark Honda.”
“What if he’s changed cars?” Grace gnawed her lower lip. “I’m worried that we may be placing too much focus my neighbor’s glimpse of the kidnapper’s car as it disappeared from sight.”
“The restaurant witness said it was a four-door black Honda too.” He shrugged, remembering his concern that Hetty had only repeated what she’d heard on the Amber Alert. “Don’t worry, the investigation doesn’t just hinge on the car. We have the sketch you and Andy worked on together, and the team going through the investors who may have lost five million from your brother’s scam.”
“Yes, I know, but why haven’t we heard anything about that yet?” She didn’t sound accusatory, just upset. The stress was taking a toll on her. “I mean, how many large investors could my brother have stolen money from?”
“I’m not sure, but I trust they’ll call me if they find something.” Thinking of the FBI office made him remember his promise to Donovan. He quickly placed the call, inwardly relieved when his boss didn’t pick up. “This is Finnegan, we followed a lead from where the kidnapper’s cell phone pinged off a cell tower not far from a park. A local cop and his K-9 found the boy’s scent at Fall River Park near the restrooms. We’re heading over to check the other parks nearby. Call me if you have questions.” He ended the call, glancing at Grace. “My boss expects regular updates.”
“Is this how kidnappings usually go?” She sounded so dejected he wished he could take her into his arms and hold her close. “You find a promising lead, then nothing?”
He didn’t want to tell her that he’d seen kidnappings go wrong. Not often, but one dead child was more than enough. There had been a custody kidnapping a few years back where the perp had killed the child, then himself. It had been awful. He spoke with confidence he didn’t quite feel. “Every scenario is different. I told you before, this guy comes across as an amateur. There’s no way to know exactly what he’ll do next, but the fact that he made a ransom demand is a good sign. That tells me that he’s in this for the money, nothing more. Caleb sounded scared, but he didn’t mention being hurt. I don’t think this guy wants to harm him.”
“I pray you’re right,” Grace murmured.
He did too. Hearing his son’s cries had been difficult, but the little boy had answered Grace’s question about his stuffed dog. The break in the case hadn’t gotten the results he’d wanted. Oh, he was thankful Duchess had found Caleb’s scent, but heading to the parks to keep searching seemed like a shot in the dark.
Yet he couldn’t force himself to turn around and head back to the office without first checking them out.
They arrived at White Park fifteen minutes later. According to the map, it was bigger than Fall River Park, which was not great news. He tried to stay positive as he entered the park. “Watch for restroom signs, you know Caleb better than I do, but it’s probably safe to assume he may have asked the kidnapper to for another bathroom break.”
“Good idea.” She sighed and rubbed her temple. “I may need a break myself.”
“Me too.” He scanned the few cars parked along the side of the road but didn’t see any dark four-door sedans. Which was a little strange as that was a popular model and color.
“Brady? I saw a restroom sign pointing straight ahead.”
“Thanks.” He’d been so focused on the cars he’d missed it. After rounding the curve, he saw the stone and wood structure. There were a couple of cars parked in front of the restrooms.
One of them was a black sedan. It was a Chevy, not a Honda, but his heart thumped with anticipation.
“A black car!” Grace practically shouted.
“I see it.” He kept going for another few yards before pulling off the side of the road. “You stay here. I’ll check it out.”
“Caleb doesn’t know you,” she protested.
“It’s a Chevy not a Honda, so it’s probably not our kidnapper. Just give me a few minutes to check things out.” He shoved his door open and jumped out. He didn’t stay on the road but cut through the woods so that he could approach the building from behind.
Even though he knew this was probably nothing, anticipation hummed through his veins. Keeping his hand on the butt of his gun, he darted through the trees, going from cover to cover in a zigzag pattern that reminded him of Duchess.
Soon he was creeping along the back of the building. There were sounds coming from the women’s bathroom, so he crept up to the men’s room.
But didn’t hear anyone inside. Without waiting another moment, he ducked inside and swept his gaze around.
Empty.
He left the men’s room in time to see the black Chevy backing out of the parking space. Reacting instinctively, he drew his weapon and raced forward. “FBI! Stop!”
The car jerked to a stop, and the woman behind the wheel lifted her hands up in surrender. He winced, feeling guilty for scaring her, but went over to check the back seat anyway.
A little boy was back there, but he looked younger than Caleb. It occurred to him that she may have taken him into the women’s room with her.
He opened her driver’s side door. “What’s going on?” Her voice was lined with panic. “Who are you looking for?”
“I’m sorry to frighten you, but I’m following up on the Amber Alert issued earlier this morning.” He holstered his weapon and offered a wan smile. “You didn’t happen to see a man with a six-year-old boy, did you?”
“I don’t think so.” She slowly lowered her hands. Then understanding dawned. “Oh, it’s my car, right? I heard on the news that the kidnapper was driving a black Honda.”
“That’s right.” He took a step back. “Again, I’m sorry to frighten you.”
“You know, I drove by a black Honda that was parked along the side of the road on my way in,” she said. “I remember thinking about the Amber Alert as I went past, but the vehicle appeared empty.”
“Which way did you come in?” After the way he’d overreacted to her vehicle, he told himself not to put too much credence into her comment.
“I, uh, from the west?” She wrinkled her brow, then glanced toward the east. In Milwaukee it was easy to keep track of directions when you had the sun rising over Lake Michigan each morning. Then she turned to look in the opposite direction. “Yes, from the west.”
“Okay, thanks.” He took another step back. “Again, I apologize for scaring you. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
She rolled up her window and drove off. Brady jogged back to the car, somewhat surprised to see Grace was still sitting in the passenger seat, waiting for him.
“What happened?” she asked when he slid in behind the wheel.
“False alarm. But we’ll keep driving. The woman back there saw a black four-door Honda sedan parked along the road.”
“Here?” Grace grasped his arm. “Really?”
“She came into the park from the opposite direction that we did.” He pulled out onto the road and gave the SUV more gas. If the vehicle was empty, the kidnapper may have taken Caleb to a secluded picnic table to sit and wait.
He tried to remain calm as he drove along the winding road, but when they made it through the entire park, reaching the entrance without seeing the black car, his spirits plummeted.
“Maybe it’s on a different road,” Grace said. “Please keep looking.”
“Okay.” He turned around and made the loop back toward the restrooms. There was one road off to the left that he took, but there was no black four-door Honda in sight. Still, he circled the entire park again, just to be sure.
If the vehicle had been here, it was gone now.
“No, this can’t be happening. You said she saw it!” Grace thumped her hand against the window. “We couldn’t have missed him again.”
He pulled over to the side of the road and turned to face her. “We’ll keep searching until we find him.”
Grace’s green eyes filled with tears. Then she unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled over the center console and into his arms. He crushed her close, burying his face in her hair as she sobbed against him.
Wishing it hadn’t taken a nightmare like this to bring them back together.
Chapter Seven
When her tears were spent, Grace rested against Brady, unwilling to move despite the uncomfortable position. To be this close to finding their son, only to lose him again, was heartbreaking.
Yet somehow, Brady’s strong arms and his murmured reassurances helped beat back the panic that seized her. Grateful for his presence and his determination to get Caleb back, she realized just how unfair she’d been to keep Caleb a secret. Brady was an honorable man who’d deserved better.
The middle console was digging into her hip, so she reluctantly lifted her head and used the steering wheel to push off him. “Um, sorry about that.”
“I’m not.” His deep voice rumbled near her ear, sending shivers of awareness down her spine. The feelings she’d had for him came rushing back, reminding her of what she’d thrown away.
For his sake, at first.
She turned to apologize again, but he surprised her by angling his head and capturing her mouth with his. As if the embrace hadn’t been wonderful enough, his kiss brought even more memories bubbling to the surface.
But then the kiss was over too soon as he gently helped her get back over the console and into her seat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take advantage of the situation,” he said. “Please forgive me.”
“I’m the one who should apologize.” She shook her head and met his gaze. “I never should have kept Caleb a secret from you.”
“No, you should not have.” He looked grimly disappointed for a moment, but then the darkness in his brown eyes vanished. “I can’t lie and say I’m not upset about missing six years of my son’s life, but there’s nothing we can do to change that. It’s done. As I said before, we need to stay focused on moving forward.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me,” she whispered.
“I could never hate you, Grace.” Brady started the car. “Never.”
His words brought a warm glow to her heart, one she shouldn’t even care about while her son was still in the hands of some creepy kidnapper. She gave herself a mental shake and tried to think about their next steps.
“We know Caleb was probably here,” she said thoughtfully. “So maybe the kidnapper will show up at Greenland Park.”
“We don’t honestly know that Caleb was here for sure,” Brady said. “All we know is that one woman saw a black Honda sedan, and she thought it was empty, but maybe it wasn’t. It could be someone just pulled over to answer a text or something. With his or her head down, it may have looked empty at first glance.”
“But you said the kidnapper might hang out at parks.”
“It’s a theory, yes. But one sighting of a car doesn’t mean much. That vehicle could have belonged to anyone. There are lots of Hondas on the road.”
She didn’t appreciate Brady being so casually logical about this. “Okay, but that doesn’t mean Caleb isn’t at another park. We need to keep searching for him.”
“We will.” He sighed. “I want to find him as much as you do.”
“I know.” She sat back against the seat, feeling abruptly exhausted. The highs and lows of this case was driving her insane. Yet no matter how tired she was, she would not rest until Caleb was safe.
Brady’s phone rang, startling her. He used the buttons on his steering wheel to answer the call. “Finnegan.”
“Got your message,” a curt voice said. “The team has identified several possible suspects after combing through the victims of the investment scam. I’ve sent the list to your email.”
“Thanks, Donovan,” Brady replied. “Did they have anyone in particular that we can dig into first?”
“There are three that fit your top profile of a son seeking retribution for funds their parents had lost.” There was a brief pause before Donovan added, “Lawrence Abrams, Joseph Custer, and Dominic Powers. We don’t have dates of birth for them, so that will make it more difficult to find them.”
