by Terri Marie
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler ran to his office and pushed his door open. He closed it behind him without looking back. He rushed to his desk, sat down, and spread papers over the top of it. There was a knock on the door, and Tyler knew in his gut that it was the cops. He made a mental note to smack whoever let them up onto the twelfth floor unannounced. He got up and opened the door.
“Are you Mr. Tyler Montclair?” asked an officer.
“I am. May I help you? Tyler wished that just this one time, Vincent hadn’t been right.
“Do you mind if we come in and ask you a few questions? We won’t take up too much of your time.”
“Sure, come on in and have a seat. Would you two like some coffee?” Tyler smiled and held the door open for them. He could feel the heartburn setting in.
“I’m Officer Dan Arrow, and this is my partner, Officer Betty Nix. We’re here to get some information on Brian Waters’ whereabouts. You brought Brian to the courthouse this morning and stayed for the hearing, correct?”
“Yes.” Tyler remembered what Vincent had said about offering information.
“According to Shirley Waters, you were in the process of adopting her son, and that you were aware he had disappeared from the courthouse.” Officer Arrow’s eyes were glued on Tyler’s.
“Yes. The judge ruled in favor of Shirley Waters, his mother.” He fought hard not to be vile when he spoke her name.
“So you care about the boy?” asked Officer Nix.
“Very much so.” Tyler could feel that this wasn’t going well.
“Then why aren’t you out looking for him?” she asked.
“I had to get back to work. I thought he’d have been found by now. You’re the first person to tell me otherwise.” If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the cops were suspicious of him.
“Shirley Waters told us you were with her at the time of Brian’s disappearance. The security footage shows him leaving alone. If you see Brian, or hear from him, contact us immediately or call 9-1-1. We’ve put out an Amber Alert on him, so don’t worry, he’ll be spotted.” Officer Arrow handed Tyler his business card.
“Thank you, Officers. I’ll keep my eyes open, and I’ll drive around town when I get out of here.” Tyler knew that he sounded like the most unconcerned person on the planet, but Vincent was right. If he talked anymore, he could make himself a clear suspect.
“Is there anyone else you can think of who’d have information that could help us?” Officer Arrow asked.
“No, everyone else had left already, so it was just Shirley and I,” answered Tyler. He hoped to God they believed him.
Officer Arrow shook Tyler’s hand while standing. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Montclair.” He walked the officers to the door and after they’d left, he prayed that no one on the twelfth floor came out of their offices. That’s all he needed right now.
Perhaps I should have worked out just a few more details…
CHAPTER 3
CARRIE FELT EXHAUSTED and dirty and her mind was racing. She could only imagine how angry Vincent was at her and how worried Tyler must be. She’d just settled into a life in Southfield, when her world was tossed upside down. She knew that the second Brian climbed into the cab with her, her life would forever be changed. No matter the outcome, she’d do it all over again. Sometimes you had to take a stand, and Carrie was willing to endure the consequences.
Brian appeared to be taking everything in stride. She watched him stop and stare at the welcome sign to the small town of Holter, Michigan, right on the Ohio border. Carrie reached up and patted his shoulder.
He grimaced as he turned toward her. “You have no idea how close we are to the house I grew up in. Is it even safe for us to be here? It’s not like we can just rent a room. By now, my name and picture are splattered everywhere.” Brian sighed and shook his head. “You should go back. All you have to do is say that you didn’t know I was on the run.”
“No way. I’m in this for the long haul.” Carrie brushed his hair back from his face. She looked at his glistening blond hair, quickly realizing it was one of his most identifying features. “You’re going to hate me for this, but we have to dye your hair and change your appearance.”
“Wow…” Brian took a step backwards. “If I’m going to dye my hair, then so are you.” He smiled and winked.
They’d just climbed out of their seventh cab, and Carrie didn’t have any idea what they’d do from here. She couldn’t exactly expect the kid to go back to sleeping on the streets. When she looked around, she spotted a drug store, a department store, a bowling alley, and a diner.
“Come on, Brian. It’s time for us to get creative.” She led him over to Miller’s Department Store and grabbed a cart on the way in. “Keep your head down. First we’re going to pick out hair dye.”
Brian cautiously walked down the aisle full of hair products. “Please tell me you’ve changed your mind about this.”
“No, we have to do it. Pick out a color.” She placed a pair of scissors in the cart.
“Oh, no way. Please tell me you aren’t going to do what I think you are with those scissors. I swear, if you hack mine, I get to hack yours,” he laughed.
“We’ll see. Now how about this dark brown?” Carrie held up the box and turned it around so he could see what color it’d be.
“Fine, but have you thought about where we’re supposed to do this? We can’t just pop into the bathroom and dye our hair with people walking in and out.” Brian kept his voice down.
“I haven’t exactly figured that one out yet.” Carrie grabbed another box off the shelf and placed them both in the cart.
“We have to hurry, Carrie. We can’t camp out in this place. There are cameras.” Brian subtly nodded towards the front of the store.
Carrie stopped suddenly and stared at him. A smile spread across her face. “Babes, you just gave me a great, but crazy, idea. Let’s go.” She picked up shampoo, conditioner, soap, two towels, and washcloths, before walking to the sporting goods department. “Brian, find us a tent.”
“Seriously? Nevermind, I should know better than to ask that.” He moved ahead of her and within a couple of minutes, he’d found a tent for two, a couple of sleeping bags, and lifted them from the shelf. “There’s not a lot of room in this one, but it’ll work for us. You do realize we can’t exactly use a campground?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“We’re going to carry this stuff across the state line. It’s the last place they’ll be looking for you. Do you know if there’s a wooded area there?” Carrie began picking out camping gear, including a jug to fill with water, and a map.
“It’s all state land for about five miles or so as we enter Ohio, but there might not be any water.” Brian kept his head down.
“Right now we’ll have to risk it. Let’s get out of this store and we’ll figure it out.” Carrie paid cash for the purchases and pushed the cart out of the store. She dug into one of the bags and pulled the map out. “We’re only about a quarter mile from Ohio. We’ll have to carry this stuff.”
“Sure. It’ll be fun walking a quarter mile through the woods in these dress shoes.” Brian stared down at his feet. “I think I’m already getting a blister on my heel.”
“Why didn’t you remind me to get you some tennis shoes in there?” Carrie sighed, took out a few twenty-dollar bills and handed them to him. “I’ll wait here with the cart, while you go back inside and buy some shoes. Hurry, Brian, so I don’t worry.” She watched as he ran underneath the store lights and disappeared through the doors. It was becoming clearer to her, that she was going to need some kind of help from Tyler, but that wasn’t about to happen. There was no way she’d risk having the cops on their trail.
Brian walked out, fifteen minutes later, with a shoe box in a bag. “Okay, I got em’. They’re ugly as all get out, but at least my feet won’t be killing me anymore.” He took the shoes out of the box and put them on.
They were standing under the lights, an
d Carrie knew they had to move. “Don’t look up, Brian. There’s a cop in the lot. We’re going to go directly across the street and walk past those buildings. From there, we have to get to the woods. Take the bags out of the cart and start walking as if we’re going to a car.” Brian lifted most of the bags, while she grabbed the rest. “Remember, keep your face down and follow me.”
When they’d passed the buildings, Carrie looked around and saw nothing but the lights from the parking lot across the street, and black sky. They stepped into the woods with their bags, and immediately Carrie tripped on a tree root and fell face first.
“Shit!” She loudly whispered.
“For real. No one in this family is any good at this.” He reached down and pulled her to her feet. “You’re lucky your gun didn’t go off. How did you get it past the guards at the courthouse?”
“I didn’t. I hid it inside the glove box in Vinnie’s car. I got it out of there before I hailed the cab. Wait a second. I have a small flashlight in my purse.”
“Yes, always use a flashlight when you’re trying to hide.” He chuckled at her. “Give me the bags and hold onto my belt. If I go too fast, or if you need to stop and rest, let me know. If I suddenly stop, that means to keep quiet and don’t move. It’s possible that we aren’t alone out here. Oh, and don’t shoot me.”
Carrie held onto his belt with both hands, as he stepped slowly through the trees. They headed deeper into the woods, and she could barely make out anything. There were no sounds other than their footsteps and her heavy breathing. She wished they wouldn’t have purchased so many things, but what Brian didn’t know, is that she’d never gone camping in her life.
“Brian, I need to rest.” She’d totally forgotten to fill up the water jug, and she was dying of thirst. “I didn’t get us any water before we left town. I’m really sorry.”
“Oh you mean some of this?” Brian reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a bottle of water. “I bought this when I got my shoes. It’s not much, but it’ll get us through the night.”
“I love you,” Carrie whispered, as she took a few sips from the bottle.
“And I love you for trying.” She could clearly hear the sarcasm in his voice. “You’ve never done this in your life.”
“Yes I have.” Carrie had no intentions of making the kid worry.
“It’s okay. Everyone needs plush bath towels in the wilderness, so thank you for buying them. I’m also glad that my hair and skin are going to smell like flowers. Thank God we don’t have to wear any repellent to keep the bugs and mosquitos away.” He whispered.
“Repellent! Brian, we’re going to get eaten alive!” She quietly berated herself.
“Don’t worry. I grabbed a bottle and threw it in the cart.” She could only imagine how badly the kid wanted to laugh out loud at her. “And two candy bars.”
“Candy? That’s not very nutritious, Brian.”
“I lived off of donuts and garbage. You’ll survive.” Though he kept his voice down to a whisper, he could no longer contain his laughter.
While they made their way through the woods, Carrie couldn’t help but think of finding the perfect place to set up the tent, where she could finally let herself collapse. Although she’d made it through the rigorous training at the police academy, that’d been a few years ago, and her body wasn’t nearly in the shape it’d been in back then. Brian seemed to be floating through the woods, even while carrying all the bags. She made a mental note to start working out again. If the cops started chasing them, and they really had to run, she’d probably drop like a fly after only a short distance.
Suddenly Brian stopped, causing her to gasp and reach into her purse.
“Leave the gun alone,” he said, without even looking back to see what she was doing.
“You have impeccable hearing, Kid,” she whispered in amazement.
“Maybe a little better than people who don’t have to sleep with one eye open, but I also know you’re really jittery and probably trigger happy.” He set the bags down in his right hand so he could move a few branches to show her what he saw.
Carrie let go of his belt and stepped to his side. “Is that a clearing through the trees over there?” Hope came flooding through her.
“Look up just a little. See that silhouette of a house or a barn? I want you to stay here where you’re hidden, while I run to check it out. If it’s occupied, we’ll need to go deeper into the woods. If no one’s there, we’ll have ourselves some shelter.” She listened as he set the rest of the bags down.
“No! You’re not leaving me here!” she protested.
“Keep your voice down. The wind can carry it. I know you’re afraid, but I can run. I’ll be back faster than you think. Oh and by the way, welcome to, Ohio.” With that, Brian disappeared.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler and Renee sat quietly in the living room, waiting for everyone to show up. So far, the only person who’d really challenged him was Vincent. He was preparing himself for the worst. He figured that Renee would cause the biggest wave, but so far she hadn’t even mentioned it. As a matter of fact, they’d mostly avoided each other. It wasn’t that Tyler wanted it that way, but he’d gone behind her back again, and he wasn’t sure if she completely understood why. The suspense was killing him. As Renee thumbed through a magazine, turning the pages much too quickly to read anything, he realized she was just waiting for him to open his mouth.
“I can’t apologize, Renee, if that’s what you’re expecting. I had no other option. If you knew nothing and the whole plan fell apart, you and our unborn child wouldn’t be locked up.” His jaw clenched the second she closed the magazine and turned to face him.
“What you did was better than me killing those two people in open court. That’s what Emma, Elissa and I had planned. I totally support what you did, and I understand completely. I just wish I knew where they were. I know Carrie will keep him safe, and Brian is a master in escaping and hiding, but like you told Vinnie, you had no plan. That’s the only thing that scares me, Tyler. How are we supposed to communicate with them?” She reached out and held his hand.
“I’m sorry for not coming up with a place where they could run to and hide. The fact is, I don’t know of many places in Michigan, other than up north. Carrie’s a police officer, so she’ll know how to run undetected and get out of the state. She protected us, while putting her life on the line, and I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t do that again for Brian. She’ll find a way to contact me, though I don’t know how or when.” He felt the tension leaving his muscles. Now he was kicking himself for not saying something to her sooner.
“They can’t run forever, Tyler. I can’t live without Brian in my life.” Renee spoke softly, but her words carried enormous weight.
“You’re right. I need him back as much as you do, but the thought of him being murdered gave me the strength to let him go.” Tyler stood up, pulled Renee to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her. “Have faith that this will all work out.”
She nodded her head before resting it against his chest. As they quietly embraced, there was a knock on the front door.
“It’s show time,” said Tyler as he walked over and let everyone in.
His brothers gave him slight nods as they patted his shoulder and walked inside the house. They’d remembered Vincent’s instructions and were each carrying their briefcases. Emma and Elissa gave Tyler strong hugs. So far, so good, he thought.
“Spread some papers out on the kitchen table, guys,” directed Vincent. “It’s still not too late for us to get another visit from the cops.”
“This is a big house,” explained Sean. “We could just skip the props and scatter,” he chuckled.
“Yes, run outside and hide all the cars while you’re at it.” Jacob nudged Sean and opened up his briefcase.
“I think you’re being paranoid, Vinnie,” replied Sean, but he did what was asked of him.
“Have you heard anything?” asked Emma.
/> “I’ll start this off by saying that I don’t know where they are or how they’ll contact me. Brian and Carrie are both extremely smart. They’ll find a way to get in touch. It might not be with me, because I’ll probably be a main suspect if I’m not already, so if any of you gets a strange phone call or letter, it’s probably them. Jump on it.” It was the first time that Tyler had thought about someone else, besides himself or Renee, being contacted.
Elissa took a step forward. “We can’t expect those two to stay away forever. We need to shift our focus onto Shirley and Hank.”
Jacob nodded his head. “Shirley’s been released and Hank’s been cleared of all abuse charges as well.”
“I’ll have to do some homework and find out what our options are, based on whatever new evidence we can get our hands on. The law is pretty clear about double jeopardy.” Tyler knew that Vincent’s mind was spinning. His eyes appeared to be unfocused.
“We have to find what the investigators failed to uncover,” Elissa continued.
Tyler thought for a moment. “Then one of us needs to go to that house in Ohio. It can’t be me or Renee. Vinnie, do you know if Shirley’s still in Michigan, or not?” He wished the woman was in hell, right where she deserved to be.
Vincent looked at Tyler. “I can find out where she is. As far as one of us going to Ohio, I think it’d be best if we hire an investigator instead. There are too many risks involved, especially if Shirley confronts you in her house or on her property. Remember, she’ll probably have a weapon. If she decides to call the cops, you’ll be arrested.” Vincent began to pace with his hands in his pockets. “It’s too risky. Besides, if the cops find one of us mysteriously missing, they’ll be on this family like a fly on shit.”
“I’ll go,” insisted Emma. “They’ll never suspect me.”
“No, Emma. Your absence will be noticed, but mine won’t.” Elissa smiled. “I pretty much stay away from everyone anyways.”
Vincent held his hand up. “Stop it. No one in this family can just pick up and run to Ohio. All of us were in the news just recently because of the mess with Robert. We’ll be spotted. Besides, none of us has any reason to leave the state.”
