WHERE'S MY SON? (12 page)

Katie lo
oked at her oldest son. “Your friends can’t be here, Jack.”

“That's
okay. I'd rather celebrate with Jesse.”

Wade, Katie
, and Shirley all looked at each other. It was a good idea, and they’d never been prouder of Jack.

Wade made the pronouncement.
“Okay then, it's settled. I'll check with the nurses, and if they're okay with it, I'm okay with it.”

“Me, too!”
Jesse flinched. “Ow. My head!”

They laughed in spite of themselves.

*******

Michael
missed the TV news the night before. His glass of wine turned into several glasses of Jack Daniels and he could feel every one of them this morning. He went to a local diner for breakfast and picked up the newspaper on the way in.

There, on the front page of the Springfield News-Leader,
was a picture of the accident with the headline:

POLICE LOOKING FOR HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER

His waitress came up to the table. “What can I get you?”

“Coffee and scrambled eggs.”

“Toast or biscuit?”

“Toast. Grape jelly, please.”

“Okey-dokey.” she said, and was gone.

Michael read the news story.

Springfield police are searching for the driver of a stolen pickup who is responsible for a hit and run accident in Southwest Springfield on Thursday. The green, 1980s pickup was discovered about a mile from the scene. It had been reported stolen earlier in the day.

The victim
is a seven-year-old child whose name has not been released. A police spokesman said the child is in stable condition at a local hospital.

Michael read the last line again. All of a sudden, he wasn't in such a good mood. It wasn’t his intention to leave the boy alive.

The waitress arrived with his coffee.
“Food will be out in a minute.”

He ignored her.

Police are seeking anyone who may have witnessed the accident. A source close to the inves
tigation said there is no suspect at this time.

Michael’s eggs arrived, but his appetite was gone. He nibbled on a piece of toast while he ran the events of the previous day through his mind. He decided not to worry about the boy surviving; he’d still accomplished his purpose. The hospital or the morgue, it didn't matter, as long as Jesse was out of the house.

The coffee had not helped his head, and he needed to kill some time, so it seemed a nap was in order.
He paid for his partially eaten meal and headed back to the room.

Along the way, he stopped at Jiffy Mart, picking up some aspirin and a new disposable cell phone.
He needed the aspirin for his head, but more importantly, he needed a new phone number. He didn't want to get sloppy, and using the same phone too many times was sloppy.

*******

Jason Strong checked in with Lieutenant Patton and brought him up to speed on the new developments.

“We've made the connection between Texas and Missouri, but we're at a standstill. Michael Barton's picture is in all patrol cars
, and I've addressed both day and night shift patrols.”

“Okay, but
Detective Layne is covered up, and I'm getting to the point of needing you back here.”

“I need more time,
Lieutenant. I know it's Michael Barton, and we will find him.”

“How about the media, any help there?”

“We have the picture being shown on newscasts starting tonight. Sam Garner and I will be handling the tip line.”

“Okay
, Jason. I won't pull the plug yet, but time is running out. You may just have to leave it to the Springfield police. Am I clear?”

“
Yeah John, I appreciate it. Bye.”

*******

Shirley and Katie were waiting for Jack after school.

“Put your backpack away
, and we can leave.”

“
Okay, Mom. Where's Dad?”

“He's picking something up and meeting us there.”

“Okay.”

When Jack came back down from his room, they went out to the car.
Jack carried plastic forks and paper plates. His mom carried the cake. Grandma Shirley was toting a balloon bouquet that proclaimed GET WELL SOON.

The trip to hospital to
ok less than fifteen minutes, and when they pulled up, they found Wade waiting for them in the parking lot.

“You get the packages?” Katie asked.

“Right here.”

He reached into the trunk and pulled out two brightly wrapped boxes.
One wrapped in
Happy Birthday
paper, the other said
Get Well Soon
.

Jack's eyes lit up.
“One of those is for me?”

Wade lau
ghed. “Yeah, can you guess which one?”

“Very funny!” Jack rolled his eyes. “Let's go, I want to see Jesse.”

They headed off as a group, each with their own package to carry. When they got up to Jesse's floor, Katie left the cake at the nurse’s station.

Jesse lo
oked pretty much the same as he had the day before, except much more awake. “Happy birthday, Jack.”

“Thanks
, Jesse. You should see the cake, it's a football field!”

“When can we have it?”

Katie smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Soon. How's your head?”

“Better, not as achy
.”

“
I talked to the doctor this morning, and he said you will be going home tomorrow.”

Shirley p
oked her grandson. “Bet you wish it was today, don't you?”

“
Yes! It's borrrring here.”

Wade laughed.
“Sounds like he’s feeling much better! Should we open presents?”

“Yes!” Jack and Jesse said together.

Wade handed the box with the birthday wrapping to Jack. Inside was a shiny, new bike helmet. Not what he expected.

“A bike helmet?”

“Yup, you boys are wearing them from now on.”

Jack was quiet for a moment until his mom touched him on the nose.
“Hey, you’re not done. Look in the box.”

Jack set the helmet down and lo
oked in the box again. Lying taped to the bottom, he found an envelope. “What's this?”

“I don't know,
maybe you should open it.”

Jack pulled the envelope loose and opened it.
Inside was a photograph of a brand new Mongoose bike.

“Cool. Whose is it?”
Wade ruffled Jack's hair.

“It's yours! It's
waiting for you at home.”

Jack lit up. “Awesome!”

He showed the picture to Jesse. “Cooool!”

Jack got up and hugged his parents.
“Thank you, it's awesome!”

“Here
,” Katie handed Jesse the other box. “This is for you.”

His mom helped him open
the box, as he was currently one handed, and the result was the same.

“A bike helmet? But my bike is
broken.”

“Not anymore, Jack's old bike is yours.”

Jesse had always loved his big brother's bike. “The Black Rocket?”

“That's right! Jack has to have a riding partner, doesn't he?”

“Awesome!” the two boys said in unison.

Katie turned to her husband. “Wade, will you go light the candles and bring the cake in?”

“Sure.”

*******

Wade picked up the package of candles and went to the nurse
’s station.

He was putting them on the cake when his phone rang.
“Hello?”

“This Wade Duncan?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“My name is not important
. Do you want to know why I ran your son down?”

Wade turned away from the nurse's station.
“Why! Why are you doing this?”

“If you want answers, meet me on the top level of the car park at Hammons Hall. Eight o'clock.
And if I see a cop…if I even think I get a whiff of a cop…I'll be gone.”

The line went dead. Wade stood lo
oking at the phone.

“Wade?”
It was Katie.

“
Yeah…oh, hey.” He struggled to gather himself.

“What's taking so long?”

“Oh, nothing…the candles are being stubborn. I'm on the way.”

Another lie.
W
hy did he suddenly find it so easy to deceive Katie
?

“
Okay…hurry up!”

She ducked back into the room. Wade lo
oked at his watch. Six o’clock. He lit the candles and followed her.

“
Happy Birthday to you
...” he sang, and everyone, including the nurses, joined in.

When
the whole gang had eaten their fill of cake, Wade took Katie aside. “I need to go back to the office.”

“Tonight?
Why?”

He shrugged his shoulders.
“I'm showing the Brandt property to a couple from out of town.”

“But it's Jack's birthday. Can't you meet them tomorrow?”

“They're leaving town in the morning. You know what a big check that sale would be.”

She did. Wade had told her about the li
sting, but that didn't reduce her annoyance. “Why are you just telling me now?”

“I didn't want to ruin the m
ood. The appointment is at eight and I shouldn't be too long.”

She wasn't happy
, but she knew trying to dissuade him was pointless. “Fine.”

Wade told himself the lie was necessary
. She would forbid him from going and insist on calling the police. That wasn’t an option until he knew what was going on.

By seven o'clock, it was clear Jesse was running out of steam
, and Jack was anxious to see his new bike. They hugged Jesse, said his bedtime prayers, and made their way out to the parking lot.

Katie called to Wade as she got into her car.
“Call me if you’re going to be very late.”

Shirley glanced
at Wade with an enquiring look. “You’re not coming back to the house?”

Wade was careful not to meet her gaze.
“Nope, got an appointment.”

She
’d ridden in Katie’s car, so she couldn't lag behind to ask more questions, and he didn't want to provide any answers.

By the time they left
, it was 7:30 and Wade headed directly across town to Hammons Hall.

Chapter
11

It took Wade twenty minutes to arrive at the parking garage. There wasn't an event that night at the hall, so the cars in the four-story garage were sparse. By the time he reached the top level, his was the only car.

The garage
took up an entire city block and was poorly lit. He drove to the far side of the lot and parked with his rear bumper touching the wall. He could see the entire top level, including the entrance to the stairs, and the elevator.

He lo
oked at his watch. 7:53.

As he sat there, it dawned on him he didn't know what he was going to say or do when he saw the man. He didn't think he could pull off the tough guy act
, but he didn't want to appear afraid, either.

Of course, he was afraid. Terrified, actually. This was not the kind of thing a real estate agent usually does, meeting strangers at night in secluded places.

Actually, that does describe some of my showings
.

He lo
oked at his watch. 8:04.

No sign of the man. It
suddenly occurred to him that this might have been a ruse to get him away from home. The idea horrified him. He dialed Kate's cell.

It rang seven times
before going to voicemail. He hung up, and was about to bolt for home, when he saw a man step out from the stairwell.

It was 8:13.

Wade watched him as he came toward his car. He was about Wade's height with short, almost wild, black hair. He wore jeans, boots, and a partially zipped black jacket, with his hands in his coat pockets. Wade couldn’t make out his face because the man walked with his head down, and the poor lighting helped conceal him.

The stranger
walked to the center of the lot and stopped. Standing perfectly still, he appeared to be waiting for Wade to get out. After a few minutes, Wade opened his car door and did just that. The man waited while Wade walked toward him. When they were a mere ten yards apart, the man stopped him. “That's far enough.”

Wade froze
, as the order echoed around the empty lot. He took the initiative. “You tried to kill my son. Why?”

The stranger said nothing.

“Well? Did you come here to talk or not? Why did you run down my son?”

The man slowly lifted his face, exposing black eyes.
“I wanted you and your wife to experience the same pain as my wife and I did.”

“What pain? What are you talking about?”

“The pain of a lost child. You brought it upon us.”

“How?
We don't even know you.”

“Kristian.”

“Who is Kristian?”

The stranger moved closer.
“You call him Jack. His real name is Kristian, and he’s my son, not yours.”

The statement struck Wade in the chest, pushing him back
. “There must be some mistake. We adopted Jack through legal means. We have all the paperwork.”

The man snorted.
“Don't tell me about paperwork. It's fake, and you know it.”

Wade started to realize
this man thought he and Katie had stolen his child. “My wife and I would never take part in something illegal.”

That seemed to set him off.
“My…wife…is…DEAD!” He spat the last word.

Moving towards Wade, he began
yelling. “Cancer took her because she didn't have the will to fight. The loss of her son was too much. That makes her death your fault.”

Wade starts
backing away now, trying to figure out how to escape. “You can't blame us for that.”

“Oh yes I can
, and I do.”

Wade turned to run back to his car when his body suddenly exploded in pain. Two probes sunk into his back and electricity began coursing through his body. Every muscle
in his body tightened and he slammed to the ground. His head struck the pavement and everything went black.

*******

Wade’s vision cleared as he came around. He could see the stranger sitting on the wall, watching him. He tried to get up, but quickly realized he was tied.

The man noticed
Wade was awake and came over to stand above him. “I lost my son and my wife. Do you have any idea what kind of pain I went through?”

Wade didn't answer.

“I would explain it to you, but there are no words. You have to experience it. You have to suffer it. Eat and sleep it. The pain is there every waking moment. Tonight, you will begin to understand.”

Wade lo
oked up, unable to fully grasp what was happening, as Michael drove his fist into his face, and everything went black again.

*******

Katie wrapped her hair in a towel and put on her robe. Jack was in bed and she planned on curling up with a good book. As she sprawled out on the bed, she noticed a missed call from Wade on her phone, but no voicemail.

He’
s probably going to be late.

She pushed his number and it rang until she heard his voicemail greeting
, followed by the beep.

“Hey, it's me. I guess you'll be late. I'll probably fall asleep, so don't w
orry about calling again. Jack is beyond thrilled with his bike. Good luck with the showing. Love you.”

She got up and put on a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt.
Changing her mind about reading, she turned on the TV instead, flicked off the light, and got into bed. She was out cold in minutes.

*******

Michael was seated in his car just down the block from the Duncan home. All the lights were out in the house.

He played the layout of the house
repeatedly in his mind. Jack's room was at the top of the stairs, the master to the left. The stairs were to the right of the front door.

The night was cool and the moon
was concealed by clouds. He would be nearly impossible to spot in his black jacket and jeans. Once inside, there would be no way to stop him.

The time
is fast approaching when Jack will learn who he really is, who his mother was, and where he’s from. He would finally get a real father, not a false adopted one. Everything will be set in order.

He pulled the picture of his wife from his jacket pocket.
He would keep his promise and show it to their son. He smiled to himself in the darkness. This will be the first day of him and Kristian being a family again.

Michael could see the glow from a TV flashing images on the blinds.
He would wait about an hour more. It’d been ten years. Patience for one more hour would be easy enough.

He slid down in the seat and
checked his watch. 9:30.

*******

Sam and Jason were on their third pot of coffee. The newscast at 6:00 p.m. had broadcast the picture and information about Michael Barton, but had prompted little in the way of leads. There were a couple of calls from folks who thought Michael looked familiar, but couldn't remember where they had seen him. Of course, they took down all the info, but none of them seemed promising.

The 10:00
p.m. news had started and, within minutes, the picture of Michael Barton appeared on the screen.

“Police
are seeking information from anyone who may have seen this man.”

They proceeded to give a description and show the phone number. A call came in and Sam answered. Another call came in and Jason answered. After a few moments, Jason hung up.

The phone rang again and Jason picked it up.

“Hotline.”

“Yes.
My name is Peggy, and I met the man in that picture.”

Jason sat straight up.
Sam was still on the other call, but he saw Jason motioning.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, quite sure. In fact, he identified himself as ‘Michael from San Antonio.’ It was that man.”

“When was this?”

“A week, maybe ten days ago.”

Jason was scribbling down details as fast as he could.
“What were the circumstances of your meeting?”

“I
’m the receptionist for Golden Century Realty. He came into our office looking for one of our salesman.”

“Really? Can you tell me who the salesman
is that he was interested in?”

“Is my co-worker in danger?”

“I don't know for sure, but it is a possibility.”

Peggy hesitated for a moment and Jason tried to remain patient.
“Wade Duncan.”

“Do you know
his address?”

Jason was already getting up and preparing to leave while Peggy gave him the address. Sam hung up and came over.
Jason showed him the address and Sam nodded his head. Jason thanked the lady and hung up, and the detectives raced for the door.

*******

Wade didn't know how long he'd been out. The trunk was shut, and in the darkness, he couldn't tell if it was still night. More importantly, he didn't know what had happened to Katie and Jack.

There might still
have been time to warn them, or it may already have been too late. He didn't know what the man was planning, but he knew it couldn't be good.

He let his mind wander to Katie. He loved her so much
, and the lies he'd told had put her directly in harm’s way, alone and unprotected.

He thought of Jack. He didn't know what the man intended for Jack, whether he would hurt him or take him. He had never felt so alone, so helpless. He had to get free.

He remembered his cell phone, which was still in his front pocket. He rolled back and forth until it dropped onto the trunk floor. It lit up and he could see he had a missed call from Katie. Panic engulfed him.

He tested the rope and thought it might eventually stretch. He knew his trunk had an interior latch release and, if he could get loose, he could get out.

He began yanking his wrists back and forth, over and over. Little by little, the rope began to loosen. His wrists throbbed from the abuse, and he was tearing the skin, but he kept at it.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he pulled both hands free and popped the trunk release.
When he sat up, his head swam from the blow he’d taken. He waited for things to stop spinning, grabbed his cell phone and it illuminated the time.

10:45.

He called Katie. Maybe he wasn't too late. It rang until it went to voicemail. Frustration overwhelmed him. He hung up and called 911. While he was talking to them, he grabbed the magnetic key holder under the fender well, started the car, and sped for home.

*******

Katie rolled over and turned off the TV. She looked at the clock. Ten-thirty and Wade still wasn't home. She was about to get irritated when she thought she heard the front door click shut.

She listened for several minutes, but didn't hear the normal sounds of her husband putting away his keys, getting a drink from the
fridge, or opening the mail.

“Wade
? Is that you, Honey?”

N
o answer.

M
aybe he didn't hear me.

She got out of bed and went to the bedroom door. She thought she heard something.
“Wade? Wade, is that you?”

She started down the stairs to make sure sh
e wasn't hearing things. Just a couple of steps from the bottom, a man came around the corner, lunging at her with a knife.

She screamed and fell back against the stairs, the knife just missing her neck, instead slashing across her thigh.
Blood soaked her sweatpants.