Read Online The Abducted Book 0 by Roger Hayden - Free Book Online Page B

forward to kiss her, and she
didn’t pull away. Instead, their lips pressed together as he
reached down and squeezed her hands.
    He then moved his hand up her back, pressing
her closer as she closed her eyes. For a moment, her stress
dissipated, replaced by feelings of familiarity and comfort. She
didn’t see the harm in going further. Apparently, neither did
Freddy.
    Suddenly a car honked in the
driveway. She pushed Freddy away and went to the
window to look out. O’Leary had arrived. As if it were preplanned,
the news coming from the living room television sounded more urgent
suddenly.
    “ Authorities have placed a
high alert around Lee County following the kidnapping of Emily
Beckett, who was abducted from a Safeway parking lot today after a
brutal assault on her mother. Investigators fear that the young
girl’s abduction is just the latest in the long line of child
kidnappings that have plagued the area for the past five years. The
suspect, known to residents as the Snatcher, is also a suspect in
the shooting death of thirty-two-year-old sheriff’s deputy Joseph
Lang during a routine traffic stop a year ago.”
    Miriam went to the living room and
stood in front of the television. Familiar images of the school
parking lot and Lang ’s crime scene filled the screen,
together with pictures of both victims. Miriam’s heart seized as
they showed her partner’s portrait. Her knees felt weak as she
leaned against the wall.
    The newscaster continued, “ The suspect in both cases has been
linked to at least four other child abductions, each within one
year of each other. Parents around the community are urged to keep
a careful eye on their children, not leaving them anywhere alone.
Neighborhoods have also imposed curfews for children twelve and
under while the search for the so-called Snatcher
continues. ”
    Outside, O’Leary tapped the horn again. “My
ride is here,” Miriam said, picking up a packed bag sitting near
the foyer.
    Freddy folded his arms as though
everything was kosher. “ Why don’t you invite this
detective in and let me meet him?”
     
    Miriam looked up and sighed. “Freddy. Just stop.”
    Freddy held his hands out defensively
with a laugh. “Stop what?”
    “ I have to do this. Don’t you
understand that? ”
    “ Of course I do,” he said
defensively.
    Freddy lowered his hand to touch
hers. “When we were married, I always worried about
you. You don’t understand that, being on the other side, but it
never changes. Whether we’re married or not, it never
changes.”
    Miriam opened her mouth to speak when
suddenly Ana entered the room in her pajamas. “What
are you guys going on about?”
    “ Nothing,” they said in
unison.
    O’Leary’s car idled in the driveway.
Miriam ’s phone buzzed again. She looked at the screen.
“My ride is waiting.”
    She grabbed her purse. Freddy followed
and took her bag. “Here, lemme get that.”
    Ana followed her parents out the door.
    “ You have everything you need?” Freddy
asked.
    Miriam walked outside and stopped,
turning toward the two of them. “I should.
Thanks.”
    Idling behind Miriam ’s
car was a gray four-door Ford Crown Victoria. O’Leary was at the
wheel and rolled the window down. “Good evening,” he said with a
wave.
    Freddy ’s two-door black
pickup was parked next to Miriam’s. They walked past it as O’Leary
unlocked his trunk from the inside. They heard it click open, and
Freddy placed Miriam’s bag inside and closed it. He introduced
himself to O’Leary as Miriam gave Ana a hug, squeezing her
tight.
    “ You be good for your father, and I’ll
see you in a week.”
    Ana nodded, seeming upset and
despondent. “Where are you going? I want to go
too.”
    Miriam placed her hands on her
daughter’s shoulders. “I wish you could, but you
can’t. It’s important police work.”
    “ Does that mean you’re going to be a
policewoman again?”
    She hugged Ana again as Freddy waited
patiently, standing nearby. “No,