“How would you like me to read you a story?” Stacey said as she sat on the couch and pulled Nikki onto her lap.
A short time later Jason walked into the family room carrying the bag of money. He looked at Stacey as she sat on the couch reading to Nikki. “Are you ready to take Amanda's money back to her?”
“I'm ready if you are. Just let me finish this story first.”
They held hands as they walked the short distance to the Stone's house, the children close behind. Amanda seemed surprised to see them when she opened her door.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, as she motioned for them to enter.
Jason held up the bag. “We have something for you.”
Mark joined them a moment later as Robby and Nikki went out back to play. Jason and Stacey explained how they had come to have possession of the ransom money. Amanda was shocked to hear what had happened since she had last spoken to Stacey.
“How's Kyle doing?” Jason asked.
Her face brightened. “He's doing very well. In fact, he wanted to go back to school today. But I told him we wanted to have him all to ourselves for one more day first.” She smiled at Mark as he put his arm around her.
At that, Kyle came shyly walking into the room and sat at his parents' side. Amanda gave him a squeeze. “All ready to go, sport?”
He nodded.
Amanda turned back to Jason and Stacey. “First we're going miniature golfing, then bowling, then I don't know what.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the front door. They were all surprised to see Fred Gowen standing on the porch.
“Mr. and Mrs. Stone? I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”
They invited him in as Robby and Nikki came running back into the house. They all sat down in the living room, looking at Fred Gowen expectantly.
Noticing the attention, he shifted in his chair uncomfortably. “One of my dogs recently had puppies, you see. And I was wondering if your son would like to take one.”
Everyone's gaze shifted to Mark. He looked at Kyle, who was beaming, and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Gowen. I think that would be wonderful.”
Amanda looked at her son. “Kyle? What do you tell Mr. Gowen?”
“Thank you, Mr. Gowen! That would be really cool!”
Fred Gowen changed his focus to Robby. “Young Mr. Hunter, I was kind of short with you the other day and I wanted to apologize. I had some dangerous equipment in my barn and I didn't want anyone to get hurt.”
Robby blushed, embarrassed to have his parents find out what had happened. “That's okay, Mr. Gowen.”
“Now, if it's okay with your folks,” Gowen said, glancing over to Jason, “I'd like it if you could take one of the puppies off of my hands, too.”
Robby jumped up and ran over to his dad. “Could I, dad? Please?”
“All right, Robby,” Jason laughed, “I think we could find a spot for a puppy at our house.”
A while later, as they were about to leave, Amanda pulled Stacey by the arm. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure,” Stacey said. She turned to Jason. “Go ahead, honey. I'll be home in a bit.”
After Jason and the children left, Stacey turned to Amanda, her heart beginning to pound as she waited for the accusations.
“Stacey, I just wanted you to know that I spoke to my niece, Deanna. She told me what happened but I want you to know that I'm not angry with you.”
“Really?” Stacey asked, thankful beyond words.
“Really. I would’ve probably done the same thing.”
“Thank you,” Stacey said, giving Amanda a hug. Then she thought about Deanna’s roommate talking about things going well on this end. She asked Amanda what that was all about.
“Oh. I guess she was talking about the attorney Mark had hired for her to help settle her father’s estate. Deanna had felt like Mark was doing so much for her, she had refused at first to let Mark hire him. But she finally agreed this last week.”
“I see,” Stacey said, thinking that must be what they’d been arguing about at the park. “Again, I’m just so sorry for what I assumed.”
“It’s okay,” Amanda said. “Don’t worry about.”
Stacey thought about the snooping she’d done and was scared to tell Amanda about it. But she wanted to clear her conscience and put the last week behind her. “Amanda,” she started.
“Yes?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this. I’m so ashamed.”
Concern filling her eyes, Amanda put her hand on Stacey’s arm. “What is it?”
Biting her lip to keep from crying, Stacey drew in a shaky breath. “When the FBI began suspecting Jason I . . . I looked in Mark’s files in his office.” Stacey stopped and looked at Amanda, who appeared shocked. “I wondered if maybe Mark had taken Kyle. I was trying to find a reason for him to do it so that Jason wouldn’t be a suspect.”
“I’m disappointed that you would do that, Stacey. But I’m grateful for your honesty.”
“I’m so sorry.” Stacey thought about the divorce papers she’d found but decided that was Mark’s information to share. “I have something for you.” Stacey reached into her pocket and pulled out the copy of the keys she’d made along with the locker key.
“What are these?”
“The locker key is Mark’s. The other keys go to the file cabinet in his office.”
“Thank you,” Amanda said as she took it from her hand.
“What can I do to make it up to you?”
“I don’t know. Looking through our personal papers is pretty serious.” Amanda paused. “But I sort of understand your reasons for doing it. And you did bring back the ransom money you found. I mean, if you hadn’t brought it to us, no one would have known you found it. I really do appreciate your honesty.”
“I feel like such a horrible person. I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“Listen, Stacey. After all I’ve been through this week, this is really not the worst thing that’s happened. I think I’ll get over it.” She put her hands on Stacey’s shoulders. “Of course I forgive you.”
Relieved beyond measure and feeling better than she had since Kyle had been kidnapped, Stacey pulled Amanda into a warm embrace. “You’re a better woman than me.”
Amanda pulled back and said, “Even though you made a mistake, you’ve been through a difficult week yourself. I’ll always appreciate you and your friendship.”
“Thank you,” Stacey said through fresh tears.
* * *
That afternoon Jason and Stacey were relaxing in the living room as the children played with their new puppy in the backyard. Stacey was sitting on the couch, Jason lying on his back with his head resting on her lap. They were rehashing the extraordinary events of the last week.
“I wonder how Patricia knew about Amanda's money?”
Jason smiled guiltily. “I might have mentioned it to her.”
“What?”
He closed his eyes. “I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for that.” He looked at up Stacey. “I had no idea she would use the information like she did.”
“How could you know? She seemed perfectly normal,” Stacey pointed out.
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Who could that be?” Stacey wondered aloud.
Jason rose and Stacey followed him to the door. It was Amanda. Jason invited her in and they stood in the entry as Amanda held out a small envelope.
“I just wanted to give you this as a kind of reward.”
Stacey took the envelope with open curiosity. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Amanda said. “But I appreciate you guys and I know this will probably help, so don't you dare refuse it.”
With that, she opened the front door and left.
Jason and Stacey looked at each other for a minute, then Stacey opened the unsealed envelope and pulled out a check made out to both of them for fifty thousand dollars
.
They didn't say anything for a minute, too stunned to speak. Stacey broke the silence. “What should we do with it?”
“I think we need to take a vacation,” Jason said.
Stacey couldn't get the smile off of her face.
Enjoy the first three chapters of No Way Out by Christine Kersey, available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
Chapter 1
Eric Breuner gazed at his sleeping wife one last time before creeping down the stairs and out the front door. He took only one change of clothes; he would pick up a few other things later.
The sick feeling in his stomach intensified as he backed his Jeep out of the garage and the pressure of doing what was required mixed with distress over Abby and what her reaction would be. When he visualized his wife and what he was about to put her through, he nearly turned back. Pounding the steering wheel in miserable frustration, Eric squeezed his eyes closed.
He pressed the accelerator, knowing the only solution was to get this whole mess over with as quickly as he could. He only wished it had been possible to explain to Abby what was about to happen. That wasn’t an option, but just the same, he deeply regretted that his wife was going to have to suffer. His heart ached at the thought of his sweet Abby, pregnant and all alone.
How can I do this? He thought.
He pulled over to the side of the road, contemplating once again whether this was really necessary. One glance at the documents on the passenger seat convinced him it was.
After the initial discovery the situation had rapidly gotten out of control. He had hoped he would be able to deal with his situation without leaving, but after what had happened the day before, it was obvious that leaving was the only option. Even so, last night he had tossed and turned until the decision was final.
Despite the fact that he wanted to let Abby know what was going on, he was convinced they would all be better off if she didn’t know anything. Not only that, he knew if he tried to explain, she would never allow him to go. He hoped she would someday be able to understand why he had made this choice. And that she would be able to forgive him.
Resigned to the inevitability of his task, Eric put the Jeep into gear and pulled back onto the road. A few minutes later he realized he needed to double-check the map for directions to his destination. He pulled over again and opened the glove box, digging through the contents.
“Where’d it go?” he said out loud. He reached his hand under his own seat and felt a thick bundle. “There it is.” He pulled it out and blinked at the unexpected items. “What the –?”
He nervously read the note and thumbed through the other items.
Good thing I found these. If the police had found them first my situation would be disastrous, he thought.
Now he knew with certainty that leaving was the right thing to do. He also knew that as long as he was driving this vehicle he could be tracked. But going back home wasn’t an option. He thought for a moment, then turned another direction. He left the Jeep where he hoped it wouldn’t be found for a while and hurried down the street to the nearest bus stop.
Once he reached his destination, he found a pay phone. Rather than speak to Abby he wanted to leave a message; he knew she would be taking the girls to school about now. He picked up the phone, dropped in some change, and dialed. At the sound of the ringing on the other end, he quickly hung up, suddenly not sure what to say. He heard the coins slide into the cup at the bottom of the phone.
How can I apologize for something she doesn’t know about? He wondered. How can I let her know I love her, but that this is unavoidable?
Eric collected the change from the dispenser and dropped it in again. He let out a sigh and dialed his home number.
“Hello, you’ve reached the home of the Breuner family,” the message began in Abby’s smooth voice. “We can’t come to the phone right now, so please leave a message and we’ll call you back.”
Eric’s heart pounded as he listened to his wife’s voice. He took a deep breath before leaving her a simple message.
* * *
“Abby Breuner,” the nurse called out.
Abby set the parenting magazine back on the table and followed the nurse into the examination room. After the nurse left, Abby looked at the monitor that would soon hold the image of her unborn child.
Eric should be here, she thought with irritation.
She recalled the message he’d left on the answering machine that morning. Even though he had apologized for not coming with her, she was annoyed he hadn’t made this appointment his top priority.
“Good morning, Mrs. Breuner.” A tall woman wearing a white lab coat walked into the room. “I’m Marcia. I’ll be giving you your ultrasound.”
“Good morning,” Abby said as she handed the woman the blank DVD. She climbed onto the examination table and lay back on the pillow. The cool gel on her stomach made her start, but as she looked at the screen her discomfort was quickly forgotten.
Mesmerized by the moving figure before her, she stared at the screen. The picture was so clear that she was speechless for a moment. As the technician pointed out the baby’s head, Abby could actually make out the shape of a miniature nose. She could see four fingers and a thumb on each tiny hand and five toes on each exquisitely shaped foot.
As Marcia pointed out her baby’s beating heart, Abby gasped in wonder at the miracle of it all.
“Do you want to know the baby’s gender?” Marcia asked.
“Well, I . . . I don’t know. I wanted to know before, but now I’m not sure.” She bit her inner lip, wondering if she should find out.
Marcia nodded. “If you’d like, I can write it down on a piece of paper and you can decide later.”
That seemed like a good compromise to Abby and she agreed.
“I’ll just stop the recording here, and if you’ll look the other way I’ll see whether you’re having a boy or a girl.”
A few moments later Abby watched in fascination as the technician folded the green piece of paper with the secret information into the shape of a tiny bird.
At the look of pleasure on Abby’s face, Marcia explained, “It’s origami. You’d be surprised at the number of people who can’t decide if they want to know their baby’s gender. I thought it might be fun to do more than just write it down on a piece of paper and hand it over.” She laughed quietly. “This little bird is my specialty.”
Abby took it from her. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Marcia said, smiling. “That one’s usually a big hit.”
Before Abby left the room, the technician gave her several still photos of the ultrasound along with the DVD. Abby glanced at the photos and saw that the pictures were as clear as they had been on the monitor.
A short time later Abby stared at herself in the doctor’s bathroom mirror, wondering if her face radiated the happiness she felt. She pushed her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ears and leaned in closer to apply pale-colored lipstick, noticing her green eyes had a brilliance to them that hadn’t been there earlier. Certain it was from the inner joy she was feeling, she smiled to herself. Then, popping the lid back onto her lipstick, she straightened her maternity blouse and left the bathroom, hoping she wouldn’t be late for work.
Nadine, her supervisor at the county library, didn’t like it when employees took time off from work to take care of personal business. Fortunately, Abby was usually able to make appointments on her own time.
As Abby walked out of the doctor’s office, she looked up at the sunny California sky and thought it looked bluer than when she’d arrived. Rose-scented air drifted toward her as a smile lit up her face. She felt all was right with the world on this splendid late-April morning.
However, Abby’s mood diminished a little as she pulled into the library parking lot. Just as she had feared, she was ten minutes late for work. Hoping Nadine wouldn’t notice her late arrival, she went to the back to put her things away before getting started. Abby grabbed the stack o
f books waiting to be checked in and began scanning them into the computer. After only a few minutes she heard a voice behind her.
“Oh, there you are, Abby. I was beginning to wonder if you were coming today.”
Abby put a smile on her face before turning toward Nadine. “I’m sorry. My appointment took longer than I expected. I’ll stay an extra ten minutes this afternoon.”
“Very well,” Nadine said, a tight smile on her face. “When you’re finished checking in the books, you can start shelving in the nonfiction section.”
Nadine’s forced smile reminded Abby that she was hoping to quit soon. Even though she loved the library and enjoyed working there, she wanted to be a full-time mom again. She and Eric had only begun talking about the possibility, but she knew he was worried about being able to make ends meet if she quit. The year before, when Susannah had started first grade, she had started working part time. But soon she wouldn’t even have time for that.
As Abby scanned in the books she thought about the bills she and Eric had racked up in their quest to become pregnant with this baby. Their insurance hadn’t covered the fertility treatments, so they had taken out a home equity loan and then had nearly maxed out their credit cards to pay for the procedures. After only two attempts, they couldn’t afford any more tries and had given up.
Pulling the last pile of books in front of her, Abby glanced around for more that needed checking in. Mary, her friend and coworker, came in dragging a cart behind her.
“Hey there, Abby,” Mary said, smiling. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Nadine was looking for you.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “I know. We’ve already spoken. You’d think I was an hour late instead of ten minutes.”
Mary gave her a sympathetic glance. “Well, here are more books for you.” She pushed the cart closer to Abby. “I’m going to start shelving the children’s books.”
“See ya,” Abby called after her, grabbing an armful of books and setting them on the counter. It was nice to have someone she could commiserate with.
Oh, well, she thought as she set to work. I won’t be working here forever. I’ll just enjoy my job while it lasts.
Suspicions: a novel of suspense Page 23
