by Lin Stepp
Several men from the police department came to help with the search, but over the next three hours no trace of the boys was found. As night drifted in, Sheriff Sutton came to the house to talk to the weary family, gathered for coffee and counsel at Main House about what to do next.
“Do you think this is a prankster, imitating the ghost, who scared the boys into running to hide somewhere?” Neal asked the sheriff, sipping at a hot mug of coffee.
“I doubt it. Everyone in the valley knows the Crowe boys instigated the ghost sightings. I don’t think there’s any relation between that past issue and this.” Sheriff Sutton pushed back his hat wearily, his eyes moving to Mary Beth. “Have you received any threatening notes or phone calls?”
She shook her head, hugging herself with the tension.
“What about e-mails?”
Her eyes grew large. “I didn’t think to check that.” She got up and ran down the hall to her computer, Neal following.
“I’m real sorry about this for your family, John. I know it’s hard.” The sheriff took a mug of coffee from Ela with gratitude. “We’ve classified the boys as missing persons now. All the men we can round up are looking. I know you’ve been making calls around the valley from here, too.”
A muffled scream sounded from down the hall.
Neal called out, “Sheriff Sutton, you need to look at this message on Mary Beth’s computer. Sonny Harper, the boys’ father, has them.”
Lydia followed the sheriff and John to where Mary Beth stood weeping in Neal’s arms beside the computer screen. Sheriff Sutton sat in the chair to read the e-mail message out loud:
Hey, Bee. I’ve got the boys with me for a little fatherly visit. Long overdue, I’d say. They’re both fine and staying with me overnight. I told them I got that worked out with you ahead of time. We’re not staying nearby so don’t start searching. It might rankle me. I’ll bring the boys back tomorrow after you give me a little help money for the rest of my trip. A thousand would take care of things real nice. You can leave it under the steps of the vacant Rocky Mount Church over near Jonathan in one of Ela’s round cookie tins. Be sure it’s cash and not all in big bills.
If you get anybody else involved, like the police or anything, I’ll just take off—with the boys with me. I don’t think you’d want that, so help me out, and let me borrow a little money, and I’ll see to it that Billy Ray and Bucky get back safe and sound. I’ll stop by the church tomorrow at eleven, in case you need to go to the bank in the morning. You check your e-mail after that, and I’ll tell you where to pick up the boys.
Bee, I wouldn’t have done this if you’d been nice when I asked for a little financial help the first time. It’s out of the way to come through Maggie to see family, and I think you owe me for letting you keep the boys and not making any trouble for you about it. Unless you cause problems, the boys will only think this a nice little visit with their daddy like I told them and not get scared or upset. So be cooperative and everyone will be happy.
Thanks for the help. This is a real good gig the band is going to. If things shape up like I expect, I’ll send the money back to you later. It’s only a loan so don’t go making it into something it isn’t.
Sorry I won’t get to see you this visit . . . Sonny
Lydia felt John’s arm come around her as they heard the note read.
“He’s kidnapped the boys.” Lydia spoke the words no one else dared to speak yet. “Their own father.”
The sheriff scratched his neck. “I never thought I’d see the day Sonny would act like this. He played on my Little League team as a boy. Good arm. Personable little kid.” He stood up. “I’ll get a message out to the men. Pull them in so we can talk about what to do.”
“Don’t do anything.” Mary Beth grabbed his arm, her face white. “If he sees any police he’ll take off with the boys. Please don’t do anything, Sheriff. If I’d seen the e-mail earlier, I wouldn’t even have called you.”
“Now, that wouldn’t have been wise, Mary Beth.” He patted her arm. “I know you’re panicked and scared, but we know what to do in cases like this.”
John’s face darkened. “Should we take the money to the church in the morning?”
“If we’ve not gotten a lead, it might be wise.” Sheriff Sutton started down the hall. “We can post some men in that area discreetly to follow him from the church if we don’t find the boys or get a lead on them sooner.”
Back in the kitchen, he made some calls and then turned to the family again. “If we fail to get this straightened out quickly, I’ll put out an Amber Alert on the boys. This is an illegal abduction, no matter how Sonny worded it. I don’t think the boys are at risk, but we can’t go on assumptions.”
Mary Beth began to weep in Neal’s arms, and Lydia found her own tears starting, in sympathy and fear for the twins.
The sheriff spoke again. “Can any of you tell me what kind of vehicle Sonny might be driving?”
John answered. “He used to drive a black Toyota truck, but that was a long time ago. He may have another vehicle now.”
“Sonny owned a motorcycle, too.” Mary Beth added. “He often towed it behind the truck.”
Sheriff Sutton made notes of all these facts on a notepad, then looked at Mary Beth. “Now, don’t let this frighten you, but I’d like to have a recent photo of the boys. To make copies of and pass around in case anyone’s seen Sonny and the kids—eating at a restaurant, checking in to a motel, stopping for gas. We’ll get police in surrounding areas working with us.” He paused. “We could use a picture of Sonny, too, if you have one.”
Mary Beth sniffed. “The picture I have of Sonny is old, but I’ll get it for you—and one of the boys.”
“I’ll go with you.” Neal, keeping his arm around her, walked with Mary Beth down the hall.
Lydia, her knees feeling weak, dropped into a kitchen chair. “This is a nightmare,” she whispered, cold with fear.
John put a hand on her shoulder. “Sheriff, the boys told me they’d seen a recent photo of Sonny on the mirror over at Wilma’s beauty salon. It might be more current than the one Mary Beth has. The boys said Sonny had shaved his head. That changes the appearance a lot.”
The sheriff took a last swig of his coffee, before setting the mug on the table. “I’ll go over to the Harpers and get the photo.” He frowned. “I’ll want to tell them myself what’s going on with their boy. It will be hard on them to hear it, but they may know something that can help us. Places Sonny might hide out. Old haunts of his. Names of friends still in the area.”
Neal and Mary Beth came back into the room. She handed pictures to the sheriff, her face streaming with tears. “Please find my boys, Sheriff. They’re just six years old.”
“We’ll find them. I don’t think Sonny Harper would intentionally harm two little boys—especially his own sons.” The sheriff twisted his hat in his hand. “He’s just gotten himself in trouble and needing money. I’m sorry for what’s happened, but I’ve seen it before, even in good families.”
Neal wrapped an arm around Mary Beth and led her over to the couch while the sheriff started for the door. The sheriff turned to John. “I have your number, and I’ll call as soon as we know anything. I think, at this point, it would be best if you and the family stay here in case there’s further contact from Sonny. This isn’t a case of two little boys who got lost playing or forgot the time anymore.”
CHAPTER 20
The night hours dragged as John and his family waited for word of the missing boys. Oliver Wheaton came by to pray and sit with the family for several hours, and Ray Harper, Sonny’s father, came over to the house. He brought a check for the ransom fee, sorrowful and embarrassed that his own son would kidnap his children for money.
He sat, slump-shouldered in the back den, facing the family with reddened eyes. “We finally got in touch with Bailey, one of the boys in the band with Sonny—he’s the other one who grew up nearby, family over at Jonathan Creek.” He sighed. “He tells us Sonny
’s fallen into a serious drug problem. It’s causing trouble with the band, too. Sonny’s been beaten up a time or two, OD’d once and got hospitalized. Bailey says he’s hit his friends and the band members up for loans so often that no one will give him money anymore. Bailey admits Sonny needs help real bad. The band manager, Ross Dodds, tried to get him to go into rehab.”
Mr. Harper blew out a long breath. “So far Sonny’s said no to that kind of help. Claims he’s using less now, doesn’t have a real problem. But he’s lit pretty much of the time from what Bailey said, so the band knows things aren’t good.”
“I’m real sorry, Ray.” John’s heart went out to the man, obviously brokenhearted over his boy.
Ray raised distraught eyes to Mary Beth. “Bee, I never thought Sonny would do anything like this. He must be real sick to act this way. Real desperate. Bailey says he owes money everywhere. Wilma and I—and his brother, Eric—told him a long time back we wouldn’t give him any more loans. He never pays us back. I told Sonny to use his skills with upholstery or delivery if he needed money, to get a day job around playing with the band if he wasn’t making enough with them to meet his needs. He’s carried a big dream in his heart for a long time about his music, hoping for fame, but we didn’t realize all this other trouble was going on.”
“I didn’t either, Ray.” Mary Beth reached over to take his hand. “I don’t think any of us knew enough about drug use or problems with drugs to realize what Sonny had gotten involved with.”
Ray squeezed her hand. “The sheriff says drugs take over a body, makes them not care about anything or anyone but their habit. He says they’ll do things they’d never do—steal, lie, and deceive to get what they need. Just to keep using.” He shook his head. “It’s grievous and heartbreaking to learn these things. We never raised our boy to act this way.”
John’s anger turned to sympathy listening to Ray. “It isn’t your fault, Ray. Sonny made his own choices. Even the other boys in the band told you he slipped too far into experimenting and got addicted. He knew better.”
Ray shook his head. “Wilma couldn’t even bring herself to come over here with me tonight she’s so humiliated and grieved over this.” He stood slowly. “I need to get back to her now. She’s taking all this even worse than I am. It’s a terrible thing to face when your son would kidnap his own little boys for money. I wish I knew a way to make this better. I really do.”
Reverend Wheaton passed a look to John. “I’ll follow you over to the house, Ray. Sit with you and Wilma and the family for a while.”
“I’d be grateful.” Ray clasped Oliver’s hand in his. “We could use some prayer and help from God to get through this, and we appreciate your kindness in reaching out to us.” His eyes moved over the family, seated in the den at Main House. “I surely hope Sonny gets the boys back in the morning and that no harm comes to them.”
Lydia tried to comfort him. “I’m sure once Sonny gets the money that he’ll tell Mary Beth where to pick up the boys. Even as desperate as he must be, I can’t believe he would hurt Billy Ray and Bucky.”
“I hope you’re right. I sure do.” He left with the pastor trailing behind him.
John looked at the clock. “Nearly midnight now. We need to try to get some sleep. Staying up all night won’t help.”
“You won’t leave, will you, Neal?” Mary Beth reached out a hand to clutch at his shirt.
“No, Bee.” He reached over to brush her hair back with a tender gesture. “I’ll stay right here. But it would be good if you’d go lie down for a little while. The boys will need you tomorrow—need you to talk to them and comfort them. I don’t think they’re so stupid that they won’t figure out something more is going on than what Sonny is telling them.”
She leaned into him. “Will you come up and sit with me, Neal? Take turns resting with me . . . so someone can keep checking the computer? Sonny might e-mail or the boys might sneak to the computer. They know how to e-mail.”
Neal turned toward John with a question in his eyes.
“Go ahead, Son.” He glanced toward Lydia. “Ela has gone home to rest, and Manu is out with the search team. I’ll get Lydia to lie down on the couch, and I’ll rest here, too, near the phone—in case the sheriff calls or one of the men in the search team comes by.”
Neal nodded and helped Mary Beth get up to lead her out of the room.
“Do you think she’ll get any rest, John?” Lydia’s eyes followed Mary Beth as she left. “Should I go sit with her?”
“No, I think it’s Neal she wants and needs tonight. I think the doubts and confusion she’s had in that area may be getting resolved through all of this.” He walked over to sit beside Lydia and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Where do you think Sonny has taken those boys?”
“I don’t know. They could be anywhere.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “The sheriff’s right, I know, that he and the search crew can more professionally continue the search through the night than we can, but it’s hard to sit here and wait. I keep thinking I should be out helping. That I should somehow discern where to look.”
“I know.” She laid a hand on his thigh. “I feel the same way. It’s horrible waiting like this.”
“I’m glad you’re here with me, Lyddie.” John moved his mouth to kiss her softly. Then he adjusted some pillows on the sofa and settled back against them, propping his feet on the broad ottoman. “Lie down against me and rest.” He patted a pillow he’d placed on his lap. “We both need to close our eyes and try to get a little sleep if we can. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, and I’ll need to get out into the search again in the morning or to help pick up the boys once we know where Sonny has left them.”
“I don’t think I can sleep,” Lydia said, tucking her head against him.
John stroked her hair softly, pleased even in this worst of times to have her with him again. “Well, even resting our eyes for a time will help.”
Somehow sleep found them both and John woke with surprise as rays of light broke through the window to fall across him. He glanced at his watch, noting the time was a little after 8:00 a.m. It surprised him that he and Lydia had slept so long.
Usually Ela had rustled into the kitchen by now, starting breakfast, banging her pots, and humming, but John knew she’d gone to the lodge this morning to make coffee and food for the search team. Slipping Lydia’s head to the sofa carefully, John stood up, stretching to get the stiffness out of his joints. He let himself out the back door, walking across the patio to look toward the mountain, wondering about the boys.
Propping his foot on a fence rail, John dropped his head in prayer for a moment. “Lord, have mercy on those little boys. Let them come home safely and well. Let no harm come to them.” He sighed. “And, Lord, I pray that Sonny will see the light and get the help he needs to straighten out his life. To not keep living trapped in addiction, lost to any hope of a happy and productive life.”
John prayed on quietly, looking up at last to see—like a mirage—two small boys heading down a well-worn path through the woods, waving at him madly. After blinking at the sight, John headed toward them in a run, soon catching up his grandsons in a fierce hug.
Squatting down beside the boys, he let his eyes roam quickly over their soiled but happy faces, glancing behind them up the pathway, wondering if trouble followed.
“We got away from him,” Bucky announced, seeming to read his mind. “We escaped through the woods and hiked home.”
Hearing shrieks behind him, John soon shared his joy with Lydia and Mary Beth streaking out from the house with Neal not far behind them.
“Are you all right? Are you all right?” Mary Beth kept asking them over and over.
Billy Ray pulled back from all the hugging, wrinkling his nose. “We’re okay, just hungry, Mom.” He looked toward the house. “Has Ela made breakfast?”
Neal tousled his head. “Ela went up to the farm lodge to cook for the search team that’s been out looking for you guys
all night.”
“Wow!” Billy Ray’s eyes widened.
“I’ll cook for you.” Lydia smiled, brushing back tears. “Tell me what you want.”
“Pancakes and strawberry syrup.” Billy Ray started toward the house, holding his mother’s hand.
“And bacon and eggs,” added Bucky, wiping at a scratch on his face.
At the house, John phoned the sheriff to call off the search for the boys while Lydia started breakfast. Mary Beth took the boys upstairs to clean them up, and by the time they returned, Manu and Ela had arrived with the sheriff. The boys chattered out their adventure while Ela and Lydia cooked.
“Sonny came yesterday when we were out back climbing in Old Oak,” Billy Ray stated. “He acted nice, hugged us and everything. He said Mom told him it was okay to take us to lunch with him.”
“When we said we needed to tell Ela before we left, he said he’d already okayed it with her, too,” Bucky put in. “He had his truck parked right down the road, not far away, so we thought it was all right to go with him.” Bucky looked at John. “Daddy John, you said he might come sometime and be sorry he didn’t know us better. He talked like that to us so we thought maybe he’d started to change.”
Billy Ray plunked down the juice glass he’d been drinking from and then frowned. “He hasn’t changed. He’s still bad. He lied to us and then he wouldn’t bring us back home. He started saying we needed more time together, to get to know each other, and that we had to spend the night with him in the cabin.”
Bucky interrupted. “I told him we didn’t have any clothes or toothbrushes or anything but he acted like it didn’t matter.” He crossed his arms in irritation. “Then he told us to stay in this room while he went out to run some errands and he locked the door on us.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Were you scared?” Mary Beth reached over to hug him.
“No, we were mad ’cause he was lying and stuff.” Bucky pulled away from Mary Beth’s embrace. “And because he wouldn’t let us go home or call you, and he wouldn’t even tell us where we were.”
