Jan Burke - Kidnapped

As Ben and Caleb were leaving, Ben let Ethan, Frank, and Caleb walk ahead of us a little bit. When they were out of earshot, Ben said to me, “Thanks for offering to help Caleb with his brother’s case.”

“I thought you were opposed to my getting involved.”

“Irene, there was never a chance in hell of your keeping your nose out of it.”

“Speaking of nosing in, I should probably tell you that Anna came by for lunch today.”

“No need to report contact with her,” he said, seeming faintly amused.

“If it’s any comfort, she didn’t want to gossip about you.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said, then gave me a crooked grin. “I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’m also relieved. Talk to you soon-I want to know why you are interested in dentists.”

I swore under my breath and he laughed, causing Frank and Caleb to look back at us.

It’s so damned hard to get anything past Ben. And judging from the looks on the three other faces, he wasn’t the only one I had to worry about.

A reporter, a homicide detective, and two forensic scientists. I was going to have to watch my step.

Wednesday, April 26

9:15 A.M.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

CARRIE allowed her mother to fuss over the cut on her hand. The cut wasn’t deep, and there was no chance that it was infected-it had been treated immediately, of course. Mom was worried, though, and had been hovering over her ever since it happened.

This was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was good because right now Mom wasn’t paying any attention to Genie, who was outside the house, going through the next-door neighbor’s recycling bin. Dad was gone, away at a meeting of some kind, and the boys were here, watching Mom change the bandage. They were staring with fascination at the cut, which looked much worse than it felt.

The bad part was not the pain of the cut but the guilt now weighing on Carrie. Why should she question anything about her parents? She had a good life. She knew other children were unhappy and uncared for, were lonely and ignored. Her mother loved her and was so protective of her. Sure, sometimes she felt a little hemmed in by that, a little smothered, but what was really wrong with being loved so much? Dad loved her, too. Her parents never hurt their children, they really rarely lost their tempers.

Why ask herself about before? It just might turn out to be something bad. Wouldn’t that be the only reason it was a secret? And if it was bad, then it might bring an end to this life she had now. Maybe she would be taken away from these loving people who had adopted her. Maybe she would never see Genie or Aaron or Troy again. She felt a tear roll down her cheek at the thought of how bad she had been, sneaking around, eavesdropping, wanting to know things that were none of her business.

Her mother saw the tear and gently wiped it away, saying, “Oh, honey. I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”

“No-” she choked out.

She could hear Genie coming upstairs, going into her room briefly, then heard her washing up in a nearby bathroom.

“Is Carrie going to die?” Aaron asked, his face puckering up in sympathetic reaction to her distress.

“No, silly,” Carrie said with a watery laugh, hugging him to her side with her free hand. “I’m just being a baby.”

“It could get infected,” said Troy, almost hopefully.

“We won’t let it, will we?” said Mom.

“We Fletchers take care of one another,” Aaron said, already knowing the family gospel.

Genie came into the room just then and said, “Of course we do.” She came closer and frowned in concern, though Carrie wasn’t sure if the frown was at the sight of the cut. “Everything okay?” Genie asked, studying Carrie’s face.

Suddenly Carrie thought about Genie risking getting into big trouble, just to help her. Genie, who also had a before.

“Everything’s fine,” she said.

We Fletchers take care of each other.

“Do you think you’ll feel up to our shopping trip?” Mom asked, her head bent in concentration as she lightly wrapped the injured hand in gauze. This was their day to go to the grocery store. Dad would watch the boys while Genie and Carrie accompanied Mom to the supermarket. Carrie always loved this outing.

“Sure, I’m fine, really.”

IT was just before they went to the store that Genie managed to whisper to her, “I couldn’t find one.”

“No newspapers?” Carrie whispered back in disbelief.

“I tried five houses.”

“Five! Oh my gosh-you could have been caught!”

Genie waved a dismissive hand at this danger. “Everyone around here gets the Orange County Register. We need the Las Piernas paper. I should have looked for it at Grandfather’s house. Maybe we can get it at the store.”

But when they went to the store, they didn’t go in through the entrance they usually used. Carrie and Genie exchanged a glance. They didn’t need to say what they both knew at that moment-Mom used this other door because the newspaper vending machines were next to the usual one.

Genie quickly signed, Don’t worry. I’ll get one.

Carrie didn’t know whether to fear or admire the look of determination on her sister’s face.

Wednesday, April 26

9:15 A.M.

LAS PIERNAS

THE four men sat in silence. Giles, Nelson, and Dexter had listened to their brother Roy without interrupting him. Giles, the oldest of the four, was pleased that the silence stretched.

Graydon Fletcher had often said that if someone laid his or her problems before you, you were to think of it as a privilege, and not respond without taking time to carefully consider what had been said to you. One of Dad’s many lessons.

Nelson would be the first to speak, of course. Nelson didn’t really have a tremendous amount of impulse control.

Roy was better at keeping his head, but he was also better at keeping secrets. That was useful unless those secrets were kept from his brothers. Giles wondered if Nelson and Dexter suspected that Roy was not being completely truthful just now.

Dexter probably did. Dexter would have made an excellent spy, Giles thought. He could ferret out information from anyone, with the possible exception of Giles. Dexter wouldn’t dare to question Giles-he held his eldest brother in a kind of awe. It pleased Giles that this should be so.

Dexter wasn’t the only one who looked to Giles for guidance-Nelson and Roy thought of Giles as their problem solver, a role he had taken on from an early time in each of their lives.

Giles knew things about each of them that none of the others knew. He knew, for example, that Nelson still felt guilty for lusting after their late brother Richard’s wife. Although Elisa was Nelson’s wife now, Nelson had wanted her for years before Richard’s death. It was as if Nelson carried Richard’s ghost with him, even into bed. If Nelson didn’t learn to get over that, he would ultimately ruin his marriage.

Nelson had also badly mishandled matters with Caleb. Giles frowned, thinking of it. He must make additional efforts to bring Caleb closer to the family.

Nelson was doing better with Mason. He had used the family’s considerable influence and resources to ensure that his stepson was placed in a facility closer to Las Piernas. The boy was initially ungrateful, but Giles thought that perfectly understandable, given Nelson’s testimony at the trial. Elisa had known how much effort Nelson had made, though, and her gratitude had helped Nelson’s courtship.

Eventually, Mason came to appreciate Nelson’s regular visits. Giles thought of Mason as one of the Fletchers, and hoped to one day help the boy win his release, if it wasn’t going to cause the family too many problems. Mason was bright and talented, after all. Giles was keeping an eye on the situation. At the moment he was far more concerned that Nelson’s fear of losing Elisa would ultimately drive her away.