“No, we had enough information on him to do that without you. For now, we just need you to sit tight, and if you hear anything from your family or Lisa, please let us know as soon as possible. It’s possible this has to do with the interview. We think it’s a good possibility they’ll try to talk to you sometime today. I’m posting one of the officers with you in case they do. Time is of the essence here.”
The investigator had said that over and over since we first met him. But, I agreed.
When he left, Matilda came into the room. “I heard everything. Why don’t you get the officer to come in? I’d prefer he be in here with us than out there. That way, if anyone calls, he’ll be right here to help.”
I nodded, but Peter beat me to the door. He invited the officer in and explained we’d prefer he was inside if we needed him.
He said that was fine, and we set him up in the parlor, so he had access to all of us, including the front door, if anything happened.
__________
Peter and Matilda stayed in the parlor with the officer while Aunt Doris and I set up camp in the music room. Aunt Doris paced the room while I sat on the settee we almost never used because it was so uncomfortable. There were so many things we needed to say, but neither of us seemed to be able to say them.
Finally, Aunt Doris took the lead. “We should’ve prosecuted him back when he broke your arm. We just thought we were doing the right thing. I’m so sorry, Trevor.”
“I’m so sick of the word ‘sorry’,” I replied. “No offense, Aunt Doris, but the only people who should be apologizing are my parents. The rest of us are just reacting to their behavior.”
She stared at me for a moment then shook her head. “When did you get so grown up?”
“Having a little one depending on you will do that to you,” I said with a sigh. “I just want him back safe and sound.”
“Wanna talk about your dad?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. A bad man died. It sucks because I should probably feel some remorse, but all I feel is relief and fear that he didn’t die soon enough to save my Luka.” I tried to hold back the tears. “Aunt Doris, my feelings for my father, were long ago destroyed by his hate and aggression but my little Luka…” That’s when the tears began to flow. “He is everything to me. Losing him means I lose myself.”
“I know, honey, I know.” Aunt Doris came over and pulled me into a tight hug. “I believe he’s okay. I think maybe Lisa’s family has him and they’re hiding out somewhere.”
I looked up at her. “So how did dad die? Who would’ve shot him?”
“The most obvious person would be your mom.”
“No,” I replied. “That isn’t her way. She’d have turned the gun on herself before she’d have shot him. Remember, she threw everything away, her family, her part of the shop… me. She threw all that away for him.”
Aunt Doris nodded. “I thought the same thing but, honey, we never know what someone will do when a baby is involved. None of this is helpful. Guessing only makes it worse, I think. Unless it helps find Luka, let’s try to focus on the positive.”
“The positive being that one less hateful, abusive man is on the planet?”
Aunt Doris didn’t reply. Instead, she hugged me tight again. “The positive is that Luka is still out there, and we’re just a little closer to finding him.”
The day stretched on and progressed slowly as the four of us did everything in our power to keep busy as we waited for answers. Around five, Joshua came over with two large pizzas proclaiming that pizza had a way of curing all ills. Of course, he had no idea what had happened since we last saw him but I hugged him anyway. “Thanks, Joshua, I can’t tell you how much it means that you’ve been here for us.”
Joshua blushed. The man really was adorable. I couldn’t see Peter and him together, they seemed more like siblings to me than lovers, but I could see why any man would be attracted to him.
We filled him in on the loss of my father, and he rested his hand over mine. “I have a controlling father, one who has the emotional capacity of a Greek statue. I understand some of your pain…” Then he side hugged me and got up to head into the kitchen.
When he came back, he had several wine glasses and a bottle which he opened. “It looks to me like we all need a little wine.” As he poured, I couldn’t help but notice he was struggling with his own demons. Peter had told me a little about his father. Not for the first time in my life, I thanked God in Heaven for my grandfather and Aunt Doris.
If it hadn’t been for them, my life story would’ve been quite different.
The investigator, along with another officer I didn’t recognize, came to the house a couple hours after Joshua and asked a lot of questions about my father and Lisa’s family.
Unfortunately, I was little help. I could only tell them what I knew from my childhood before I’d turned ten. After that, I was no longer around Lisa’s family. If we saw each other, it was at school, and when we both became teenagers, we’d meet in town, somewhere we could take a bus.
“Lisa is the responsible one of the two of us. She’s smart, funny, strong-willed… But her family was controlling, more than my parents, really. She grew up a very conservative Catholic. In fact, they were probably more conservative than the Southern Baptists. Before we were born, they joined some spin-off of the church that has teetered in and out of Atlanta’s Catholic diocese. I don’t know what Lisa’s father did, but he somehow worked for that church.”
“He was a deacon,” the stranger told us.
“So, do you think he’s involved or was he somehow kidnapped? I don’t understand.”
“We were hoping you’d be able to shed some light on that yourself,” the man said with a sigh. “Did you and Lisa have contact after the baby was born?”
I’d already answered that question multiple times. Still, I figured they were asking the same questions over and over to try to find anything I might have left out.
I explained again how I didn’t know Lisa was pregnant and that right after New Year’s, she met me at a café and gave the baby to me. The investigator admitted they’d already talked to the owner of the café, and she’d confirmed my story.
Peter and Joshua were sitting in the room with us, and they both admitted they were at the café that day too… but that was before we knew each other.
I could tell the investigator thought that was strange. Hell, I thought it was strange, but I knew neither of them was involved with the kidnapping. Why would they be?
I shared that Lisa told me she was concerned that her family would disown her if she kept Luka. Therefore, she’d completely pushed me and the baby out of her life.
I knew I hadn’t given them any useful information. Nothing to help find my son, and I felt both hopeless and gutted to think he was out there with no one to protect him.
“Tell me this,” I asked the investigator. “Do you have any leads that point to Lisa or her family? Is it possible they were working with my parents?”
“Do you think Lisa would kidnap the baby?” he asked again.
“It’s like I’ve told you before, Lisa could’ve had access to the baby anytime she wanted. I’ve been trying to reach her for months. Hell, I’m a private investigator or have been for the past few months. I know she lived with her parents, and I know she didn’t go out much. I even planned to try to catch her, but besides going to Church with her parents, I don’t think she’s been out.”
The investigator looked at me. “So, Lisa hasn’t been going out since she gave you the baby?”
“I mean, I didn’t follow her every movement, but yes, when I was trying to find a time to confront her without her parents, all my evidence showed she didn’t go anywhere other than her home or church.”
The investigator thought for a moment. “Was Lisa someone who tended to stay at home before the baby?”
I chuckled. “Absolutely not, her parents drove her crazy, and she hated the church they went to. I just assumed after Luk
a was born, she needed their connection. I can’t imagine she isn’t distressed about leaving him.”
The other officer asked, “Trevor, do you think Lisa’s father is capable of murder?”
I was shocked, I don’t know why I never thought of Lisa’s father as a suspect in my father’s death. I shook my head. “I-I didn’t know him very well,” I admitted. “I only went over there a couple times, and that was to pick Lisa up, but I didn’t really meet him. He was always gone.”
“Was Lisa afraid of him?” he asked.
I thought for a long moment. “No, I wouldn’t say afraid. Wary of him, maybe. She never let any of us come over to visit, they were a pretty closed off family. Lisa and I would tease each other as we grew older about who had the worst parents and she’d tell me things he’d done, but it was always things like making her go to church when she didn’t want to, or that she had to wear clothes that looked like she was from the 1980s. She never mentioned violence… except once she told me he was a ‘spare the rod’ kind of parent.”
The officer sighed.
“I wish I could be more help, but Lisa and I were only a twosome. We didn’t really have friends outside our friendship. Even in high school, it was just the two of us.”
“What about at university? Did you have separate friends there?” he asked.
“Yes, Lisa had a roommate. Her name was Julia, I think. I didn’t hang out with her much. She also pledged at a sorority but dropped out before it got to rush week. She said if she wanted her every action to be controlled, she’d move back home.”
The officer wrote down what I said, and I hoped it at least gave them a couple more leads.
Before they left, the inspector said, “We’re going to make Lisa and her family ‘persons of interest’ on the case. That means their names will be given to the public as people to report if they are seen. If you think of anyone or anything else that might help us find them, please let us know.”
Again, I felt hopeless and empty. Lisa and I had been as close as anyone could be over the years, but I felt like I didn’t really know her at all. “I wish I could be more help. I’ll try to remember who else I know that might know Lisa more than I do… but I suspect her father’s church would be your best connection to him. They spent most of their time there.”
Both men nodded and stood to leave. “We’ll let you know as soon as any information comes in. Meanwhile, please keep us informed if anyone calls.”
They left along with the officer who’d spent the day with us. I was almost disappointed to see the officer leave because as long as he was here, there was some hope that something would happen, we’d get a break in Luka’s case.
I went to bed, knowing I’d just toss and turn, but I’d rather be next to Luka’s crib than anywhere else. I’d come to think of the crib as him, and while there, it almost felt like he was home, although I knew it was just a delusion. It made me feel marginally better.
I was lying face-up, staring at the ceiling when my phone pinged. I thought about ignoring it, thinking it was someone who was just giving comfort or support, but since I wasn’t asleep, I picked it up and looked at it.
It was from a number I didn’t recognize. The message read:
Oberton Road, Alabama, Red Barn
It didn’t register at first what it meant or that it was important. I just thought someone had mistakenly sent me a text. But Alabama was what alerted me. My dad was killed in Alabama.
I immediately jumped up and ran downstairs to get the investigator’s number. He’d given us his card and told us to call if anything happened.
When he answered, I could tell he’d been asleep. “I’m sorry to wake you, inspector, but I just got an odd text with an address on it. Oberton Road, Alabama, Red Barn. Do you think that could be a clue?”
The inspector quickly said ‘yes’ and asked me to forward the message to the number I’d just called.
I sat in the Parlor alone, choosing not to wake the rest of the house until I knew if the information was valid or not.
Around two in the morning, I got a call from a blocked number. I answered it immediately. “Hello?”
“Trevor Kovachich, come to the address I’m texting you. Come alone, or the baby will die. Do you understand?”
I nodded and realized the caller couldn’t hear me. “Yes. Yes, I’m coming.”
“Alone,” the caller said.
“Alone,” I agreed.
When I hung up, I immediately called the inspector back and told him what had just happened. I’d seen enough TV to tell me, alone meant going to die. I didn’t care if I died, but I wanted Luka to live, whatever it took to keep him alive.
“Don’t do anything yet,” he said. “I’m sending a car over now.”
“No,” I said vehemently. “They could be watching the house. I need to go, and it has to look like I’m going alone. Can’t you just set up patrols to watch my progress?
The man thought for a moment, then said, “Keep your phone on you, I’ll text you where to stop for gas, and we can correspond there.”
“Good… yes, that sounds good,” I replied.
“Trevor,” the inspector said. “Please don’t try to be a hero. They would’ve asked for money if it was a kidnapping situation. I’m guessing they want you, which means they have bad intentions.”
“I know, but I can’t put Luka in any more danger. If there’s anything I can do to help…”
“Wait thirty minutes before you leave. Call me back, and I’ll tell you where the first stop needs to be.”
I hung up and rushed upstairs to gather some of Luka’s things. I hoped I would see him and that he could use the stuff I was bringing.
I sat down in my room and wrote a letter to Aunt Doris, Peter, and Matilda, thanking them for all they’d done for me. I apologized for not waking them up, but I knew they’d want to go, and I couldn’t put Luka’s life in danger in the event I was followed.
I knew this was going to feel like I’d betrayed them… but Luka had to be the priority, so I made my bed and put the letter on my pillow.
I called the inspector as he’d instructed, and he told me where the first stop was along the highway. He also told me how to watch for cars following me. If anyone was, he wanted to know ASAP.
I asked him to have an officer wake my family up after I’d left and inform them what was happening. I might be slipping out without them knowing, but at least I wanted them to know that something was going on.
When I got in my grandpa’s old car, I began shaking. I was so afraid for Luka. Had I done the right thing by alerting the police? Should I have just gone on my own? It was too late now. All I could do was go and pray I’d done the right thing.
I didn’t notice anyone in particular following me. I tried slowing down and speeding up, and cars either dashed around me or ignored me altogether. No vehicle seemed to be on the same road as me for long.
When I got to the first point of contact, I pulled into the gas station, filled up and rushed into the store, so anyone who was watching could see I was in a hurry.
The man behind the counter smiled at me and told me he was Officer Kent. He took my money and said, “We have patrols set up along the route. Your inspector has already texted the next stop. You are to act like you have to pee. We’re trying to slow you down in a way that isn’t suspicious.
I nodded, took my card from him, and rushed back to my car. Putting my head in my hands for a moment, I let it all sink in. I started the car, and this time, when I pulled out, I noticed a small sedan pull out behind me.
When I pulled onto the interstate, I pressed ‘Call’ for the inspector and pushed ‘Speaker’. “I think I’m being followed now.” I described the car behind me, and the inspector advised me not to try to lose him.
“Just keep an eye on him,” he said. “And we’ll be following close behind.”
The inspector advised me not to call again in case the guy following me was able to see that’s what I was doing. “I’
ll call you if we need you, okay?” he asked.
“Yes, okay,” I answered, my voice shaking.
“Trevor, it’s going to be okay. We have officers all along the route. Alabama has been alerted, and they’re cooperating as well. You’ll be fine. If there is any trouble, we are just moments behind you.”
“Okay… okay,” I said again.
I hung up and turned the stereo onto the station I listened to when Luka was in the car. The soft lullabies stirred up the tears that had been waiting to flow since I got the call. I let them flow, knowing this could be my last ride. Everything about this felt ominous like I was going to meet my executioner.
The next two stops were the same. The officers were undercover stationed in various places where I’d accidentally run into them while in the store. At the next stop, I pretended to need to pee, and there was someone waiting for me in the restroom. The next stop, I put my head down like I was overcome with emotions and an officer posing as a panhandler came up to my car.
Three hours after leaving Atlanta, I pulled up to the address I’d been given. The car that had followed me the rest of the way had been pulled over by an Alabama State Trooper just before I made it to the address.
I got the inspector’s phone call shortly after that. “You are to drive up to the house and wait. We think the perp will call you if you just stay in the car without moving. He’ll know you’re afraid.”
“Are there people there? Policemen?” I asked.
“Yes, the local sheriff is there along with several state troopers. We have permission to be here as well, so I’m not far behind you. We’ve got your back Trevor, but you need to do this exactly like we tell you to.”
“I will.”
“I’m going to stay on the phone, if he calls, put me on hold and answer. Then after he tells you what he wants you to do, you’ll come back on the phone and tell me. Act like you’re laying your head on the wheel when you talk to me, so he can’t see you talking.”
I agreed. When I arrived at the location, which was a red barn just like the text had stated, the inspector told me to park behind a tree where I had some cover and to wait.
Another Chance With Love (Chance Series Book 2) Page 16
