The Kidnapping

by Aiden Vaughan

  “Well I propose a toast to Jason,” Melinda said raising her glass. “It was really difficult for Daniel to adjust and meet new friends after we moved out here until he ran into Jason. From the first time they met in homeroom, Jason treated Daniel like a friend, and their friendship has been one of the best things in Daniel’s life. He has blossomed in so many new ways as a person because he feels accepted and he has a friend who understands and encourages his interests.”

  “And here is a toast to Daniel,” Edith countered. “Jason has never had such a loyal friend. You know what anguish Jason’s disappearance caused him and how he single-handedly acted to get Jason back to normal after the kidnapping. Daniel has so much talent and ability, yet he has freely given whatever time and energy it has taken to help Jason solve his problems and become free again. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”

  As the four adults clinked their glasses, each was thinking, I wonder what new changes will come our way next?

  CHAPTER 37

  THE POLICE FOLLOW UP, PART II

  (Monday)

  There were no new developments on Sunday and both families were grateful for the private security that Bill Hunter had arranged. They prevented the media or curious onlookers from camping out on their lawns or bothering them with requests for interviews or photographs. There were many telephone messages and calls to deal with, along with emails, especially at the Hunters. But by the middle of the afternoon, the onlookers started to clear out and the neighborhoods were quiet again.

  Monday morning, Bill Hunter talked to Mr. Thorne at the bank by phone and they set up a meeting for 11:00 a.m. Upon hearing of the meeting, Jason asked if he could attend that meeting also. “I could bike over there and meet you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, right now,” Bill replied. “Until this is completely over and the media move on to other things, I don’t want you out alone on your bike, or anywhere else for that matter. I know this seems like a step backward in terms of you being totally free again, but it is warranted and I need your cooperation. I will swing by and pick you up at 10:45.”

  Later that morning, Jason and Bill met with the officials from the bank. Ryan Nash, their security chief had a complete report. “We were able to locate the ex-bank employee, Adrian Evans, and he was arrested in Miami, Florida, at the airport on Saturday evening, as he was trying to leave the country. The police recovered $10,000 in cash hidden in his luggage and now he is awaiting extradition proceedings.

  “In his statement to the police, Evans said that his involvement was due to gambling debts. Then he gave up the name of the man who we consider to be the mastermind in this case and he also has been identified. His name is Vladimir Koslochevsky, a Ukrainian immigrant with some mob ties. Evidently he bought up Evans’ gambling debts and used them as leverage to get his cooperation. Right now there is an APB out on him and his passport has been flagged, should he try to leave the country. We don’t believe that he has left the country yet. He is the one who knows how to fence illegally obtained jewelry or other stolen goods. Because this case has a tie-in with a kidnapping, we were able to get immediate cooperation from the FBI and Koslochevsky’s name and description is now on their most wanted list.”

  “Thank you, Ryan, for that update,” Mr. Thorne said. “As you can see, Mr. Hunter, our investigation is moving along rapidly and it is hoped that Mr. Koslochevsky will be located and arrested as soon as possible. Were you able to prepare a preliminary list of the items taken from your safe deposit box?”

  “Yes,” Bill responded, “I have contacted the attorneys for all the legacy items and they should be sending specific documentation for the claims process out today. We found out from one of the kidnappers, who was arrested over the weekend, what the legacy boxes actually contained. Jason, why don’t you tell them what you know?”

  “I was having a confrontational moment, to say the least, with Frank Encino, one of my kidnappers. He kept bringing up the subject of our hidden family fortune and I kept telling him there is no such thing. As a bluff and to stall for time, as he had a gun pointed at me, I asked him to say what was found in the safe deposit box. He said that there were a few gemstones, a medium-priced necklace, and one item that had nothing valuable in it at all, just marbles and a newspaper article.”

  “I continue to be impressed with what I hear about you, Jason, especially after seeing those news stories over the weekend,” Mr. Thorne said. “And that reminds me, my son Justin, gave me this envelope to give to you. He said he really wanted you to have what is inside.”

  Mr. Thorne handed over a medium-sized envelope to Jason. While the adults were wrapping up their meeting, Jason opened the envelope. Inside there was a 1963 season Willie Mays baseball card and this note:

  Dear Jason,

  I wanted you to have this special card. It is my favorite but I want to give it to you because you helped me when I was struggling to learn baseball. You didn’t have to help me, but you took extra time to show me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it. Now I am a pretty good ball player thanks to you.

  Your friend,

  Justin.

  P.S. I am happy that you are back safe again. What those people did to you was very wrong and I was very upset about it.

  As Bill and Jason were leaving the meeting, Jason went up to Mr. Thorne and handed him a small piece of paper. “Mr. Thorne, please give this to Justin. It has my cell phone number on it. Tell him to call me sometime if he would like to bat some balls around. And tell him thank you for the baseball card and note. It made my day.”

  When they were outside the bank, Bill asked Jason, “What was that last conversation about?”

  “Mr. Thorne’s son, Justin, gave me a 1963 Willie Mays baseball card and a note thanking me for helping him out when he was little. It was so nice of him to do that, and say how happy he was that I was back safe again. Why couldn’t I have been doing batting practice with Justin instead of dear cousin Victor on that fateful Monday?”

  * * *

  Bill took Jason to a burger place for some lunch and then dropped him off at home. “I’ll see you at home tonight.”

  After Jason got home, he gave Daniel a call. “Are we actually grounded or can we get together this afternoon?”

  “No one’s really said anything for sure, but I will test the waters by telling my mom that I am going over to your house. See you in a bit if it works.”

  When Daniel said he was going over to see Jason, Mrs. Holmes didn’t say anything except to be home by five. So Daniel got on his bike and rode over to Jason’s house.

  Later that afternoon, there was a call from Lt. Garcia. When Jason answered the phone, Lt. Garcia told him that he had the complete report from going through the Encino duplex unit, and he would like to go over everything to make sure that he understood what was significant and what was not.

  Jason asked the lieutenant, “Could you come over to my house? Daniel and I are here alone and our parents don’t want us to go out anywhere. We would be happy to meet with you here.”

  About a half hour later, Lt. Garcia arrived at the Hunter’s house. He flashed his badge at the security service guard and then rang the doorbell. Jason let him in and the three of them sat down in the living room.

  “Sgt. Malone found a treasure trove of evidence in Frank Encino’s duplex unit. Evidently Frank and Rudy didn’t believe in doing too much in the way of cleaning, Jason, and for some reason had not gotten rid of anything that would be considered incriminating evidence from your kidnapping! In the basement room we found the stack of comic books, the CD player with old 70s CDs, all the furniture just like you described. We even found a trash bag that was filled with empty water bottles and bags from takeout places that were probably what you were fed. There were also several sets of fingerprints on many items and if we can confirm the sets of prints belong to Frank Encino, Rudy Ruggiero and you that should be conclusive proof that you were held there. I will need to get a set of prints from you, Ja
son, for comparison. Of course we will need to get your parent’s permission first.

  “On Rudy Ruggiero’s laptop computer we found what we think is a copy of the ransom note, a couple kidnap photos of Jason, and what looks like basic maps of several places in town where I guess they thought you could be grabbed and spirited away. By the laundry area, which was a washer/dryer combination, we found the navy blue elastic gym shorts that you were given to wear. In Frank Encino’s room we found pieces of rope, rags and bandanas, the leg chain with a cuff on the end, and a locking ball gag. The tranquillizer gun and a couple of darts also were found, plus there were bundles of cash that had to have been taken from the Hunter & Sons safe deposit box.

  “Our evidence in the case is rock solid, especially when combined with your testimony. Both Encino and Ruggiero have now recovered enough from the beatings your friends administered, that we should be able to get statements from them later this afternoon...that is, if they are willing to talk. Their arraignments are scheduled for tomorrow morning. I believe the district attorney is planning to indict them on multiple charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault and battery, conspiracy, and may be considering one or more counts of ‘special circumstances’ because of the brutal way you were treated while being held captive. There is no doubt they will both be in prison for very long sentences for what they did to you, Jason.

  “It makes me very upset that the Monday you were taken, I was probably within fifty feet of where you were being held captive when I went to interview Janet and Victor Encino. That little liar! I had a gut feeling that the Encinos were not telling me everything, but what he said sounded plausible at the time. I still can’t get over the fact that a 13-year-old boy was part of this criminal conspiracy, even if he was most likely tricked into it. If he had been honest then, we could have saved you a lot of pain and grief.”

  “What is going to happen to Victor?” Jason asked.

  “He was picked up this morning by child services, and will be held in juvenile hall until a hearing is held to determine what kind of punishment he will receive for his actions. Because of the seriousness of the crime that he participated in, I am sure he will serve at least six months of confinement in a youth authority facility.

  “Before I go, please tell me if there is any other evidence from the basement that we have overlooked?”

  “The only thing that I had that you didn’t mention was a towel and a small plastic soap dispenser. I was given them to clean myself up.”

  “Okay, that doesn’t sound particularly significant. Are there any particular lines of questioning that we should pursue with either suspect?”

  “Yes, I can think of several. With Frank Encino be sure to ask why he was so filled with hatred for the Hunter family and why he was so sure that we had some sort of hidden wealth. Also, ask how he was able to manipulate his uncle Ricardo into buying the Albioni necklace from my dad’s store the Friday I was released. How did Frank know so much about his private financial transactions? And ask both of them why they continued to give me tranquillizer drugs after I was already captive in their basement and tightly tied up. The doctor who examined me felt that I was given several doses and that I had a bad reaction to the drug.”

  Lt. Garcia jotted down Jason’s suggestions into his notebook. “Where did you come up with the idea that Frank Encino had a deep hatred for your family and was after your family’s fortune?”

  “When we had our confrontation in the basement, he kept acting like he deserved a chance to get even with the Hunter family for some past wrong or due to our acting so uppity to him. I had never even met him before and yet I could sense his intense hatred. He certainly treated me in a very brutal fashion the first couple of days I was his captive, and he told me to my face that he would greatly enjoy having a second chance at torturing and killing me.

  “But the main motive behind the kidnapping and safe deposit crimes had to be because there was some huge payday coming for them if they could get into my dad’s safe deposit box. They spent a lot of money to set this up. There was fifteen thousand to Mr. Ricardo in order to get him to buy the necklace and force my dad to be at his store that morning. Then there was whatever it cost to buy up Adrian Evan’s gambling debts and force his cooperation at the bank. They were committing major felonies with seemingly no thought for the consequences because they believed that there was a mother lode of money or jewels in dad’s safe deposit box. Where did that idea come from?”

  “Those are very insightful points you have just made, Jason. I will definitely pursue those lines of questioning. One other thing, and again I hate to lecture you because of your efforts to solve this case, your personal bravery, and all that you have been through since the start of the kidnapping. But it seems clear to me, now that we have reviewed the evidence found in their duplex and talked about what Encino and Ruggiero were doing and planning to do, that those two are dangerous predators. You must have a guardian angel, Jason, and for that matter you too Daniel, because you came this close to suffering a horrible fate at their hands.” Lt. Garcia held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. “Don’t ever try a stunt like you did at their duplex again! Please! I like you two so much better alive than dead!”

  Lt. Garcia got up to leave. “I must go now. But first, Jason, I need a set of your fingerprints. Can I call your mother or father to get their permission?”

  “Yes, of course, lieutenant. I’ll call my mom on my cell phone and you can talk with her.”

  “That would be fine.”

  “Hi, Mom. Lt. Garcia is here at the house and he needs to talk with you about taking my fingerprints. Here he is,” Jason said then handed the phone to the lieutenant.

  “Mrs. Hunter, this is Lt. Garcia again. I am at your house and we need Jason’s fingerprints to see if they match the ones found in the basement of the duplex where he had been held. Since he is a minor, I need your permission to get his fingerprints. Also, I need to tell you that once they are taken they will be in the system but once he is an adult, the files for minors are sealed and only a judge can order them opened. Okay, thank you. Good by.”

  Handing the phone back to Jason, the Lieutenant said, “Your mom gave her permission. I have a small ink pad and a fingerprint card with me so we can do it right here.” Then he expertly took each of Jason fingers and thumbs, rolled them in the ink, and applied them to the card. He then handed Jason a sealed packet which contained hand cleaner inside. “This should get the ink off and then soap and water should finish the job. I will be in touch with what I learn in the interviews with your kidnappers. Take care, guys,” he said and then left the house.

  “I think I am going to start having nightmares after what he said!” Daniel exclaimed.

  “That pervert Frank Encino took great delight in telling me how, after a couple of days of ‘fun,’ we would become worm food and no one would ever find us! I am really sorry that I forced you to put your life at risk, Daniel, but I tell you, watching Chauncey and Reggie beat the crap out of Frank after what he did to me was a moment from that credit card ad—priceless!”

  “All I know, Jason, is that I will be a lot happier when this investigation finally ends!”

  CHAPTER 38

  THE POLICE FOLLOW UP, PART III

  (Tuesday)

  Tuesday turned out to be a momentous day in the Jason Hunter kidnapping case. First thing in the morning, Frank Encino and Rudy Ruggiero were arraigned in superior court on numerous felony charges relating to Jason’s kidnapping. In Miami, Florida, Adrian Evans agreed to waive his right to an extradition hearing, and later that morning was put on an airplane to California. In Los Angeles, an off-duty police officer, who had just gone through the latest APBs and wanted posters, was having breakfast in a small café in Long Beach when in walked Vladimir Koslochevsky. The officer immediately recognized Vladimir from the photo he had just looked at and within a few minutes had contacted the Los Angeles Police Department. Several patrol cars were immediately dispatc
hed, and Vladimir was taken into custody without a struggle.

  Koslochevsky was brought to the Parker Center until it could be determined to which agency he was to be released. All three agencies listed on the paperwork were contacted. When Lt. Garcia was forwarded the news, he immediately called back to find out what it would take to transfer Koslochevsky to his jurisdiction. He was told that a hearing would need to be held to decide this and that it would probably take several days to work things out between the agencies. Garcia explained, “My department is the one that determined Koslochevsky was the mastermind in a case of national significance, the Jason Hunter kidnapping, and it is critical that he be questioned by us as soon as possible.”

  The Los Angeles Police Department officer replied, “I can’t change the rules about the interagency jurisdiction hearing, but since the suspect is not being held for a crime in Los Angeles County, my department probably would have no objections to you coming down to Los Angeles in order to question the suspect regarding your case.”

  Within ninety minutes, Lt. Garcia was on a commuter flight to Los Angeles and by early afternoon he was questioning Vladimir Koslochevsky in an interrogation room.

  At first, Vladimir was evasive and hesitant to answer the questions. He began by insisting, “I want my lawyer present.” He knew this would effectively end the interrogation.

  But Antonio Garcia was equally persistent. He told him, “The other three suspects in your gang are already in custody and there is a huge amount of physical evidence already collected. Plus, we have eyewitness accounts and the bank videotapes of the crimes. With kidnapping and grand theft you would probably be looking at thirty, even forty years to life with special circumstances, and given the way that young Jason Hunter was treated during the kidnapping, you could expect the harshest possible sentencing. But if you agree to reveal all you know about the conspiracy, you might expect some leniency.”