Precious Embrace (Embrace Series) (9 page)

Chapter Thirteen

When Johnny got downstairs, he grumbled his thanks and hobbled into the living room where Ali stood looking around.

The room—hell, the house was full of people. On the TV was a freeze-frame picture of a woman getting in a silver car, holding Micah in her arms.

They both stared at the screen and at the face of the woman who took Micah. Johnny’s throat tightened and he felt sick with anger. He’d kill her if he got his hands on her, woman or not, he’d kill her.

Ali’s sharp inhale cooled his blood instantly. He looked over at her pale face. She was holding her breath.

“Do you recognize her, Ali?” Brian asked.

She shook her head, making a flood of tears drop from her eyes.

“What about you, Bennett?”

Johnny shook his head and reached for Ali’s hand. “Breathe, sweetheart.”

Air gushed out of her lungs on a sob. Before her knees failed, Johnny had his arms around her and with Mark’s help, they sat her down on the end of the couch.

“I tried to stop her,” she wailed.

“I know, sweetheart. I know you did,” Johnny whispered. “Take a deep breath.”

“Ali, this is Agent Peters and Agent Simms. They’re FBI. Members of the CARD team. They need to ask you some questions. I know this is hard, but it’s important.” Brian kept his tone even and professional as he spoke, even though Johnny knew they’d been friends most of their lives.

Johnny lowered himself onto the floor in front of her. He didn’t want to be too far away from her.

“What is CARD?” She asked with a thick voice, her hands fighting to swipe away her rapidly falling tears.

“It stands for Child Abduction Rapid Deployment. They’re handling the investigation. I’m only here as a liaison between them and the PD. The CARD team is our best bet for finding Micah. There are four members. Agent Mayer and Agent Newman are working the call center we have set up, but Peters is our major point person, he’s leading the investigation.”

“Okay, so how can they find Micah from here?”

“Their local field office is in San Francisco. They’re here to monitor your phones, visitors, investigate family and friends. It’s not uncommon for them to set up a call center in a residence. I know it seems intrusive, but it’s the best and the easiest way to handle the investigation.”

“I’ll do whatever. I just want my baby back.” Her chin quivered a little when she said it.

“Thank you, Ali. They’ll make this as easy as possible. Also…your mother asked me to act as the family spokesperson to the press. Is that okay with you?”

She nodded. “Yes, of course. Thank you. Where is my mother?”

“She’s setting up a volunteer search center with my parents, Mark’s parents…Julie is also there helping.” Brian leaned forward slightly and said, “Are you prepared to talk to Agent Peters?” He looked over at Johnny. “Bennett, they need to talk to you too.”

Johnny stared at Ali. Her fragility frightening him. So little and so scared. No way. He couldn’t leave her alone.

“She’ll be fine without you for half an hour.” When Johnny didn’t move, Brian clasped his hands together and eyed them both. “Listen, guys, you were too distraught to give much of a statement yesterday. This is important to the investigation.”

Johnny bowed his head in defeat, it didn’t matter. He couldn’t give any information they couldn’t get from that video.

“Bennett, I’ll be here for Ali, Mark too. You can leave her alone for a few minutes,” Brian said.

Johnny finally agreed. He eased up from the floor and leaned in to kiss Ali’s forehead. “I’ll be in the next room.”

Mark got to his feet. “Do you need help getting in there?” He reached a hand out to Johnny.

“No, I’m fine.” Johnny shook him off and pointed to Ali. “Stay here with her.”

“Bennett, go with Simms. He’ll take your statement in the dining room.” Brian scowled at Agent Simms. “—Simms, do not attack my detective again.”

Johnny followed Simms out of the living room and into the dining room where they had a call center set up. Computer equipment and phones covered one end of the twelve-person table. He looked around then asked, “What time is it?”

“Nine-thirty,” Simms said pulling out a chair for Johnny.

“In the morning?”

“It’s nine-thirty at night—pm.”

“Nine-thirty, but I left the hospital at eleven.” Johnny said.

“Yeah, last night,” Simms said. “You’ve been here for almost twenty-four hours.”

Johnny rubbed at his chest. “How on Earth did I sleep that long?”

“You and Mrs. Hayes were both sedated—s
trong drugs
.” He whistled. “You were both distraught after the accident. The paramedics had to sedate you to treat you.”

“That means Micah’s been missing for…”

“Thirty-three hours,” Simms confirmed.

Johnny melted into his chair, after twenty-four hours the odds of getting a child back safely dropped considerably. Stranger abducted children were usually killed within the first 3 hours after being taken…he’d spent those critical hours sleeping in a hospital bed.

“We have some good leads. We’re hopeful—very hopeful,” Simms said at the expression on Johnny’s face. “Don’t freak out. We can’t run an investigation around hysterical parents.”

Johnny finished giving his statement and returned to the living room. Ali had her knees curled to her chest on the couch, clutching a small, blue baby blanket. Mark watched her from a chair in the corner, his face drawn, and stubble shooting out on his chin. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Johnny nodded to him. Mark nodded back, but in Ali’s direction.

Johnny slid sideways onto the couch next to her and stared at her blank pale face. “Ali, sweetheart.” 

She turned her eyes to him.

“Do you need anything?” He reached over and cupped her face.

Ali placed her hand over his and closed her eyes.

The tears flowing from under her lids broke his heart. She leaned sideways, resting her head in his lap, and sobbed.

“They’re going to find him, sunshine.” He leaned down and whispered, “God wouldn’t let someone hurt such a sweet boy.”

“Ali,” Brian said, startling them both.

Ali jerked her head up from Johnny’s lap and looked over the back of the couch at him.

“We have a couple more questions.”

Mark held his hand out to Brian. “She needs a break…give her a break, guys.”

“This can’t wait.” Brian grabbed a chair and pulled it to the couch, sitting across from them. Agent Peters did the same thing.

“Mrs. Hayes, is it possible Mr. Hayes would try to take the baby?”

The hair on the back of Johnny’s neck prickled. Heaven help that bastard if he took Micah.

“No, he didn’t want anything to do with Micah. Did someone try to call him? Does he know?”

“We sent the Sheriff from Napa County over to talk to him, but they can’t find him. The housekeeper said he went to stay in Sacramento so he could be closer to ‘headquarters,’” Peters said, using his fingers to make quotation marks. “He works for the State of California right?”

“Yes, he’s an engineer with the Department of Transportation. Their head office is in Sac, he travels there all the time,” Ali said.

“Where does he stay when he travels there?” Agent Peters asked.

“He doesn’t usually stay overnight, but he has several friends that live out there.”

Agent Peters scribbled a note on the small pad he’d pulled from his breast pocket. “Do you have their information?”

She nodded and pulled away from Johnny to get up.

Mark stood and walked toward her. “Don’t get up. I’ll get it.”

She pointed to the hall. “My address book is on my desk, in the office. Thanks, Mark.”

Ali leaned back against Johnny and he was glad to be of some use, even if it was only to offer her comfort. She inclined her head toward him and said, “Carl wouldn’t go to all this trouble when he didn’t even ask for visitation.”

“Ali…I know you don’t want to believe he would do something like this.” Brain exhaled slowly, as if he were fighting for patience. “We have to check him out. If you weren’t in this video getting slammed by that car, we’d check you out too. Most child abductions are by someone close to the family.”

They all turned toward the raised voices coming from just outside the front door. 

Brian ran his hands through his hair. “There are reporters outside. Simms is trying to keep them away from the house, but that doesn’t keep them from trying to get comments from us.”

The expression on Brian’s face told Johnny how worried he was. He wasn’t impatient, but anxious, obviously not as hopeful as he pretended to be.

When a woman’s voice rang out and the front door slammed open, Agent Peters stood. “That’s not reporters.” Ali and Brian looked at each other. “Is that Melissa?” she asked, standing and walking toward the entry hall. A woman rushed into the room with Simms behind her, trying to hold her back.

Johnny couldn’t believe his eyes. He had no idea that Ali’s sister was a twin.

“God, Mark, call off your goons,” Melissa said, approaching Ali with outstretched arms.

“Those aren’t my goons, they’re Brian’s.”

“Figures.” She glared at Brian as she threw her arms around Ali’s neck.

“Simms!” Brian thrust his hand out toward the hugging women. “Look at her, does she not look like close family?”

“She failed to identify herself,” Simms mumbled as he left the room.

“Why didn’t you call me,” Melissa sobbed, her grip on Ali turning her knuckles white. “I knew something was wrong—then Mom called. I was in Seattle and had to fight with the airline to change my flight home. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

Ali sobbed onto her sister’s shoulder for several minutes. When her crying slowed she slid back down on the couch next to Johnny.

Melissa looked around the room, her glare resting on Brian. “Why haven’t you found him yet?”

“It’s good to see you too, Melissa,” Brian said, tension frowning his face. “Give it a rest today, Lis, you’re freaking out your sister.”

She lowered herself down next to Ali, keeping her stone-cold glare on Brian.

“We were questioning Ali, try to keep your snide comments to yourself until we’re done,” Brian said.

Melissa started to snap back but Ali stopped her. “—please don’t fight. Really—I need you two to get along right now, okay.”

“Mrs. Hayes, if you don’t mind. Will you copy those addresses for us?”

Ali nodded. “Of course.”

As much as they looked alike, Ali and Melissa were total opposites. Ali’s graceful and soft way clashed completely with Melissa’s harsh and outspoken demeanor. Even the way Ali talked and the sound of her voice made him warm inside. Melissa’s brash attitude reminded him more of Brian than anyone.

When Ali finished copying the addresses, she put the book aside and reached over for Johnny again. Melissa’s eyes followed the progress of Ali’s hand then they trailed up until she focused on Johnny’s face.

Her eyes narrowed. “Um…who are you?”

He didn’t answer right away, not sure what to say.

“Lis, this is Johnny, he’s a friend,” Ali said bringing their joined hands to her lap. “He was with me when Micah was taken.”

Melissa raised an eyebrow and looked at him again. “And you couldn’t stop them?”

Johnny rested his head back and covered his face with his free hand. He had asked himself the same question over and over. Why couldn’t he stop them? What was wrong with him?

Ali gasped. “Melissa!” She turned and grabbed Johnny’s wrist to pull his hand away from his face. “I’m sorry, Johnny, I’m sorry. S-she’s just—”

Johnny tried to wave her off. “It’s okay.”

“As a matter a fact, Lis,” Brian said. “We were setting up the parking lot surveillance…you can see for yourself what happened.” He waved the DVD remote at her.

Johnny crept off the couch, hoping to get out of the room without much notice. He closed the bathroom door, closing out Ali’s shouts to her sister. He rested his hands on the sink basin and bowed his head, trying with every ounce of self-preservation to fight the nausea.

A knock sounded on the door. “Johnny?”

“It’s open,” he said.

The door opened and a second later the latch clicked closed, and a hand slid up and down his back.

“I’m sorry, she’s rude,” Ali said through her tears. “I told her to leave.” Johnny nodded, but didn’t move or speak.

After a long silence she said, “Are you okay?”

He nodded again.

“Please say something, I need to hear your voice.”

“Stop worrying about me.”

“Of course I’m worried about you. You’re a mess.” Ali sounded as miserable as he felt. The tone of her voice nasally…so different than he was used to. “I’m sorry.”

Johnny lifted up from the sink and looked at her tear streaked face. He waved imperiously. “Come here, sweetheart.” Ali leaned into him, her warmth bringing him instant relief. “Stop apologizing to me. She’s right, I should have done more to stop them.”

“No!” She shook her head vigorously in his chest. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. That doesn’t help—self-blame will not bring Micah home. You saved my life, and Micah’s. You pushed us out of the way and got the full force of that car.” Ali’s chest heaved, her crying turned into a sob. “It’s a miracle you weren’t killed.”

“Shh, stop crying. We need to focus on bringing Micah home.” He paused to kiss her head. “He’s going to be alright—he has to be.”

Ali lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were black with grief, no golden brown, no light, or spark left in them. All he saw was hurt and pain and sorrow. 

“You love him too,” Ali whispered. “You’re hurting too, don’t try to hide it.”

“Watching that car come at us…” Johnny closed his eyes and exhaled. “I thought I’d lose you both.”

“I know.” Her chin quivered and she said, “I watched you get hit by that car twice…I can’t even…” she shook her head breaking free of the embrace and turning her back on him. She exhaled heavily and sat on the closed toilet seat. “Johnny…I know this isn’t what you signed up for. I realize this situation might be a little more than you’re interested in committing too.” She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and locking her gaze on his. “If you want to leave, nobody would fault you. I’ll understand…everyone will understand.”

He squared his shoulders, not sure what pissed him off more, her believing he didn’t want to be here, or her so easily giving him the out. Why would she even think that? There wasn’t another place on the planet he wanted to be but here with her, fighting to get Micah home safely. “Is this about your sister? Are
you
looking for an out…of this relationship?”