Deceptions Revealed (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lillith Payne

  “Hurry, James.”

  “I’m coming, Joey.” He hung up and suddenly realized he had friends to count on.

  In a crisis JoAnna had good, sturdy friends. Carol stood beside her, an arm wrapped around her shoulder. Pearl fluttered in the background, pouring coffee nobody drank and generally driving everyone crazy with movement. Captain Lindor had come by and listened to her story. He’d managed to get a static-filled line to James who was in the car, heading their way. There was no real doubt in anyone’s mind. Daniel had been taken by Benjamin Montgomery. What nobody knew was just what he was prepared to do with him. A description of Ben’s car was broadcast across the mountain air waves and everyone on the police force was aware Daniel had been taken from school.

  Alan talked with the police about an Amber alert and kept reinforcing to JoAnna that his great-grandfather wouldn’t hurt the child. He reinforced he was probably just out on a joy ride, trying to impress the boy. It didn’t help. Her cell line was left unused, James’ using Alan’s number to keep in touch. He made the trip in just two hours, a miracle considering the mounting commuter traffic. When he hit the front door of the shop, Joey launched herself at him, taking comfort and giving it.

  While it was stupid, she suddenly felt better. One look at James and she knew how much he loved their son. His complexion was ashen with dark circles of stress under his eyes.

  “Where would Ben take him?”

  “Why is the more important question, He had to know he’d be stirring up trouble to take him from school. I have no clue what the old man was thinking. His secretary said he called after lunch and told her to cancel his appointments. All I know is, he was in the black Caddy.”

  “That’s what the school said.” JoAnna pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to James.

  He read it quickly, looking at the signature on the forged note and crumpled it in his fist, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “I don’t think he’d hurt him, do you? Am I being naive? When did he become unstable? Surely this isn’t the act of a sane and rational person?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t do this, Joey. I haven’t seen much of him lately. I figured he was giving me time to think through everything he’s done. Now I realize this is his way of getting my attention.”

  “This is the act of a desperate man, James. I suppose we can stop worrying about him suing us for custody after this,” Joey said, attempting to pull back tears that wouldn’t stop.

  She understood he felt just as useless as she did. She knew deep inside that until his grandfather had his fill of Daniel, they wouldn’t see or hear from him.

  “Just hang on a bit longer, sweetheart. I promise I’ll get him back.”

  “I know. But I want him back now.”

  “I’m going to the condo then the arcade. I’ll have the cell on,” he told her. Alan offered to go along, and James accepted his company. Carol stayed close to JoAnna and the telephone.

  It was almost seven o’clock when the emergency room at the local hospital called. Daniel had been brought in with an asthma attack by his great-grandfather. JoAnna knew the nurse who was calling and reminded her about his food allergy. Carol drove them across town to the hospital while JoAnna rerouted James and Alan by cell phone. Once there, she ran past the desk and straight into the private patient area.

  There she was met by the nurse and finally allowed to see her son. His breathing was labored, a mask forcing air through him. His small arm had a needle imbedded, attached to an intravenous bag. He was asleep, deep purple circles under his eyes. In the large bed he looked so little. Apparently the caramel corn had peanuts in it. They’d gone to the arcade and Danny had eaten the forbidden treat. He knew better. JoAnna let herself have a good cry when the nurse left her alone with him. His prognosis was good

  JoAnna started to get the feeling back in her body. Her son was alive and would be well soon, thanks to the staff who recognized a food allergy as opposed to an asthma attack. But her ire was just starting to build. She’d seen only a glimpse of Benjamin in the waiting area as she ran past. He’d be dealt with later. For now, all she wanted was her son to be better. The antihistamine they were giving him was working as well as the fluids to flush out his system. Carefully, she let the side rail of the bed down and slipped along beside him. Daniel woke up and gave her a wry smile.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” he whispered, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

  “We’ll discuss it later, Daniel. For now, your job is to get better, and quick.” He dozed a second time and JoAnna relaxed next to him, the warmth of his body reinforcing his life with each breath he took. James entered briskly, shaking off the nurse who was trying to hold him back.

  “It’s okay,” JoAnna said, defending his right to be there. “This is Daniel’s father, James Montgomery.”

  “All right then, but nobody else and just for a few minutes.”

  James took in the same sight JoAnna had. His son was sick because of his grandfather, a man he’d trusted. They sorted out in whispers about the peanuts and the reaction and what was being done for him. Alan came to the doorway with Carol, offering to sit with him while James and JoAnna went to talk with Captain Lindor. Joey was hesitant to leave him, Carol assuring her she’d stay by his side. In the hallway JoAnna paused, turning away from the two men. She detoured into a bathroom in an empty room before returning to them, somewhat pulled back together and presentable. Staring first at James then Alan, her question was flat. “What are our options?”

  “Well, there are a few. Robert will fill us all in.”

  Standing at the waiting room door which was void of other people, save the group waiting to hear about Daniel’s health, JoAnna paused taking in the situation. Pearl sat in the corner, her hands fussing in her lap. Alan went to talk with the police, and James stood in the doorway, his hand on her shoulder. Benjamin was sitting, looking very bored and put out. JoAnna walked directly toward him, waiting for him to stand when she was before him. When he did, she slapped him hard enough to turn his head to one side. She left a visible palm print on his skin. She refrained from shaking off the stinging pain to her own hand, and took one step back to look directly at him.

  “Do you have an explanation for why you kidnapped my son?”

  The old man looked at her with a true bitterness. “I just wanted him to meet his family, know where his bloodline started.” His voice sounded so smug, JoAnna wanted to slap him a second time.

  “So you forged James’ signature and stole my son from school. Where did you take him?”

  “Just to the arcade. I wanted to see what kind of kid he turned into. I wasn’t planning on taking him away. And I knew if I called and asked to see him, you’d say no.”

  “Damn straight, I’d say no.” JoAnna’s posture stiffened. James’ hand tightened around her. “What did you feed him?”

  “Kid stuff, pizza and soda and junk.”

  “And the candy popcorn. Did he ask for it, or did you dare him to eat it?”

  “He said he wasn’t allowed. I figured you were they type who didn’t allow the kid to have any sugar so I told him to try it for a treat. How was I supposed to know he was allergic?”

  “You shouldn’t have had him at all. And James is allergic to peanuts too. That should have told you something.”

  “He’s just a kid. I wanted to give him a treat. I figured you’d never let me near him, so I wanted him to have a good memory of me.”

  James and JoAnna laughed at the same time.

  “So, his memory is of his great-grandfather suppressing his parents’ wishes and daring him to eat forbidden food. Now he’s in the hospital.”

  “Have you seen him, Benjamin? Have you seen what your ego and thoughtlessness has done to him?” She tried to keep her tone even.

  “They wouldn’t let me back there to see him.”

  “He’s got needles stuck in his little arm because of you, old man. He’s got oxygen being forced into him because of you, old man
. He never should have been here, except you decided to play God again. The sight of you disgusts me.” Turning to the policemen, she calmly asked, “What charges can you bring him up on?”

  “Well, there’s kidnapping to start, forging the dismissal note and bodily harm was done to Daniel, indirectly, but still…” The policeman looked uncomfortable, and JoAnna felt sorry for him. How many family horror stories had this man lived through? Soon Daniel would be one of those stories, at school and around town.

  “Are you happy now, Ben?” JoAnna asked. “The one thing I fought so hard for all these years was to keep that child out of this whole mess. Now you’ve opened everything wide to anyone who will listen or read the newspaper. That’s a fine legacy for your great-grandson.”

  “I want charges pressed against him. If we let him go, he might skip town and we’d never get him back from the Caymans.” James tone was the lawyer in him speaking.

  Benjamin looked at his grandson in horror.

  “We should probably head down to the station to sort all this out.” Captain Lindor said. “Alan, why not come along in an hour or so and we’ll decide what charges to hold him on. In the mean time, I’ll call the district attorney and advise him of the situation.”

  “I want a lawyer and I want a bail hearing immediately.”

  “You have a lot of wants for a child kidnapper, Mr. Montgomery. If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut and speak when spoken to.” The Captain was not impressed by Benjamin Montgomery.

  “James, you’ll follow me and get this mess cleared up. I’ll not spend any more time in this town. Get a hold of Metz and get him up here. And make sure you bring my car to the station. This is ridiculous. All I did was see my great-grandson.” Benjamin looked directly at James. “Well, I’ve told you what to do, get on it!”

  “No, Benjamin. I won’t. I’ll be down later to make sure charges are pursued. And I’ll impress upon any magistrate or judge I feel you’re a flight risk if let go.”

  Joey listened to the old man grumble and mumble under his breath and above it as he was being led from the hospital. Just for effect at the doorway one police officer handcuffed him. That was the moment Benjamin Montgomery became quiet, being led to the back seat of a police cruiser.

  JoAnna followed them out of the hospital door, laughing at Benjamin. “I’ll not worry about your custody demands any more, old man.” She suddenly became serious and watched as Robert Lindor stepped closer, ready to intercept her anger. “You screwed up royally, Ben. I was softening to the reality of letting Daniel spend some time with you. Now that will never happen. How could I trust you with my son? Do you understand? You’ve blown the game, Ben. You’re just a pathetic, lying old man who manipulates people to suit his needs. Not with me anymore or my son. Whatever James decides about you will be his decision.”

  “You women are all the same. You want it all then toss us aside. James will get the message one day. I only hope he’s man enough to survive when you walk out on him again.”

  “I’ve no plans on going anywhere. And if you recall, James left me because of your falsifying the DNA results.”

  “You’ll go eventually. They all do. You’ll take the money and run just like his mother did. She didn’t want the responsibility of raising a son, and you’ll get bored too.”

  “Did she really leave on her own, Ben, or was she blackmailed by you?”

  James took a shuddering breath, hearing the words spoken outright. Joey verbalized the question, and she understood those were the few times James hated her, knowing her intuition was on track. If he believed her, he would have had to check into the situation, and in all likelihood, he wasn’t going to like what he found. She didn’t create that situation either and it was about time James knew the truth.

  “You need help, Ben, serious professional help.”

  Captain Lindor led Benjamin Montgomery to the waiting cruiser. JoAnna and James went back inside to stay with their son. James pulled the chair closer to the bedside, reaching through the railing to hold his son’s small hand. JoAnna had lain beside him, her head propped on her hand, her other hand rubbing Daniel’s arm. In the pseudo quiet of the emergency room the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, and they both finally started to relax.

  The nurse had come in and taken the intravenous out. She told them when Daniel woke, if his breathing was normal they could take him home. During the wait, they had little to say to each other. JoAnna was still on the edge of wanting to scream at Benjamin to vent her anger. With her son beside her, his little body recovering, somehow Ben wasn’t worth the effort. Instead she tried to figure out how to answer Daniel’s questions truthfully but with his six-year-old mind forefront in hers.

  James was withdrawn and quiet. He simply held his son’s hand. Having the three of them here seemed so surreal to her. How many times had she’d rushed him to this very place when she thought it was an asthma attack. How she’d wished at those time’s James had been there to comfort her and their son. He hadn’t been, hadn’t known about those anxious hours. Tonight, he was with them, and from the look on his face, he was overwhelmed by everything his day foisted on him. When he was ready, he’d talk to her. She wouldn’t apologize for slapping the old man and she was prepared to press charges to get an order of protection to keep Ben away from Danny.

  James rallied from his stupor, staring at the small hand resting in his palm. The sweetness overwhelmed him. The stupidity of the situation stunned him. The reality that his grandfather would go to these lengths frightened him. Joey lay across from him and he wondered how she’d gotten through times like this in the past by herself. He should have been here all along. She was a beautiful woman, James decided again. Even in the harsh hospital lighting with the worry she’d had these past hours, there was a peace about her, a steadiness that made him calm.

  “Did you see the present Daniel made for me?”

  “Of course. He spent all his play time last week getting it ready for you. It was his idea, James, I didn’t suggest it.”

  “On his own?”

  “He asked me last Sunday night after you left if you had seen him growing up. I told him no, because it was the truth. Monday before school he asked if he could go through our pictures and give you some. That night we went through the albums and he picked his favorites.”

  “He picked them? I figured you did.”

  “No. I only vetoed the ones I was in.”

  “There are six pages, one for each year.”

  “And a lot more room for the next years photos. That was his idea too.” Last night as he was leaving, his son had handed him a present. Feeling awkward at first, James pulled the tissue paper back to reveal the photo album Daniel had made for him. Colored construction papers were held together with lengths of yarn, woven through a line of punched holes down the left side. The cover read, “Daniel Growing Up.”

  James had sat on the floor in Joey’s kitchen and looked at the pages, Daniel standing close by, watching intently. He’d pulled his son onto his lap and asked questions about each page. Daniel told him a story about each. There were many blank pages left to be filled in the future. He’d held on tight, whispering, “Thank you, Daniel. This is the nicest present I’ve ever gotten.”

  Chapter Ten

  “All on his own? Hell, the kid scares me. Sometimes when we’re just talking or playing chess he comes out with the most outrageous ideas.” James shook his head. “Last week he said world peace would work if we put mothers in charge, because they don’t want their kids to fight.”

  She laughed, having heard Daniel say it before. “Has he told you his ideas on schooling yet?” She said it with a smile that made her look years younger.

  “No. Tell me.”

  “Oh, no. It’s his idea. Let him tell you about it someday.”

  “He’s a good kid, Joey.”

  “Yeah, I agree, most of the time.” She laughed and Daniel stirred beside her. Slowly, he struggled from his forced sleep.

&nb
sp; His brown eyes opened, and his lips turned into a smile when he saw his mother beside him. Then he looked to James and gave him a wide, almost toothless grin. All of a sudden he began to cry, unable to hold back his tears.

  “I’m in big trouble, hungh?”

  Joey nodded at her son, and James stared blankly at him.

  “How do you feel?” JoAnna’s voice was calm and soothing.

  “Okay, I guess. I’m tired.”

  “You should be. You’ve had quite a day. Can you tell your father and me about it?”

  “School was boring. I already knew what they were doing.” He let out a sigh of exasperation. “Then when it was over, Mrs. Parker told me I had a surprise. That my grandfather was here to pick me up. And I really wanted to meet him. He’s old, really old with lots of grey hair. He told me he’s Daddy’s boss at work and one day I’d work there too. Only I have to stay in school ‘cause I got to go to law school too.”

  James glanced to Joey, who showed no emotion. He didn’t have to guess why. The concept of her son working for Montgomery Industries probably pissed her off beyond normal limits. Ben mapping out her son’s future was a bad omen. JoAnna remaining completely expressionless was worse. He knew what she was thinking. Benjamin was already deciding her son’s future, and she didn’t like it a bit. James didn’t blame her, but now wasn’t the time to reassure her Daniel would make his own choices.

  “Where did you go? You didn’t come straight home?”

  “We went to the arcade. Grandpa, he said to call him that because Great-Grandpa was too long, and anyway, my grandpa was dead already. He told me you knew about us and said it was okay, Mom. He even had a note from James for Mrs. Parker.”

  “There was some…confusion about him coming to pick you up. I didn’t get his message. Neither did James, so we didn’t know where you were.”

  “Oh, boy, Gramp’s is in trouble, too, hungh?”