Read Online Beyond Suspicion by Catherine A. Winn - Free Book Online

handling things, and what was going on. She told him to watch the news to see just how awful things were. Her last words were: Please come home, Daddy, I need you here.
    After sending it, she went through each piece of hate mail and blocked them all. Then she blocked everyone in her address book except family and her two best friends. When that was done she crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep.

Eight
    Noises from the kitchen roused Shelby from a long night of tossing and turning, crying into her pillow, and staring at the ceiling. Worrying if the kidnappers were being good to Josh made it impossible to get a decent night’s sleep. She sat on the side of the bed for a long moment wishing she could just stay in bed all day, but she had to clean her room. If Shelby was worried and couldn’t sleep, her mother must be going out of her mind. And Roger? Josh was his only child. He was trying so hard to stay strong for all of them, but he must be suffering just as much as Mom. Hopefully, Roger would make sure Mom took another one of the pills Dr. Wiggins sent—and then take one himself.
    As she pulled a tee over her head, she caught sight of the computer’s blank screen. The sick feeling came back. She toyed with the idea of checking to see what else had been said about her as she sat on the desk chair to tie her cross trainers. Shelby wanted desperately to tell her mother about the horrible stuff they were saying last night, but that would only add to her stress. The blank computer screen seemed to be urging her to boot up. No. Shelby jumped to her feet. It would be better if she just stayed off the computer.
    Grabbing the bedspread, she pulled it off the bed and tossed it on the floor. She stripped the sheets and carried them to the utility room next to the kitchen. Her mother, standing at the counter, both hands around a coffee cup, greeted her with a faint smile.
    â€œAny news?” Shelby walked to the washer. She dumped the pile on the floor and headed for the coffeepot.
    â€œNo.” Her mother slid the sugar bowl to her. “Those news people are contemptible. Miss Tuttle was right, the networks are out there. It’s like someone dumped chum in the ocean for sharks. Roger went out to get the paper and they shouted at him. One man came running up the lawn.”
    â€œDid Roger talk to them?”
    â€œNo, but he did call an attorney for you. His name is Jeffrey Quick.”
    Shelby’s lips froze on the rim of the coffee cup. “A lawyer? What for?”
    â€œLet’s sit down a minute.” Her mother went to the table and dragged out a chair.
    Shelby sat across from her. Fear gnawed at her insides. “Mom, I didn’t do anything. Does he think I did?”
    Her mother placed a hand over hers. “Of course not. He’s trying to protect you. Everyone wants to blame you. We’re afraid that they’ll manage to find only the evidence that will prove their theory is right. It’s been done before.”
    Shelby blinked back new tears. “But there isn’t any evidence. Josh is out there with those horrible people. They aren’t even trying to find the van, are they?”
    â€œThey only want to find his body.” Melissa Butler buried her face in her hands. “I’m scared, Shelby, I’m so scared. While they blame you, those people could be selling him to a pervert.”
    Panic gripped her. Shelby hadn’t thought of anything that awful. “No! They wouldn’t have taken him for that!” Frantically she plowed through visions of the couple. Did the woman seem that evil? “Mom, I think that woman in the van wanted a baby for herself.”
    â€œI hope so.” Her mother lifted her head. “If she wanted a baby enough to kidnap him then I have to pray she’ll take good care of him. If the police just tried, they could find him before they disappeared forever. The only trouble