COLLECTING INNOCENTS
THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE 911 ABDUCTION SERIES
Highway travel can be lonely and treacherous. Broken down vehicles litter the Emergency Lane like corpses on a battlefield. What if you were alone with no one to call when you found yourself stranded? Your only companion; your small child sleeping in the back seat. What would you do?
On I-10 in Louisiana the answer is simple… you use the Emergency Call Box. But while you sigh a breath of relief in the knowledge that help is on its way, a much more sinister listener has heard your 911 call.
Calls for help are coming in from Emergency Call Boxes along I-10 in Louisiana. But, when the State Trooper or wrecker service arrives to assist, there is no sign of the vehicle. Days later, the driver is found savagely murdered with no trace of their tiny passenger in sight.
When a police officer, formerly of the Aberdeen Police Department sees a twisted pattern of murder and child abduction arising from 911 calls, he contacts Sloanne Kelly, now known for her work with child abduction cases. Together, Sloanne, Shawn Tyler and Mac Mackenzie, with the help of reporter Birney Sullivan, go on the hunt for a killer and the innocent children he is collecting.
On I-10 in Louisiana the answer is simple… you use the Emergency Call Box. But while you sigh a breath of relief in the knowledge that help is on its way, a much more sinister listener has heard your 911 call.
Calls for help are coming in from Emergency Call Boxes along I-10 in Louisiana. But, when the State Trooper or wrecker service arrives to assist, there is no sign of the vehicle. Days later, the driver is found savagely murdered with no trace of their tiny passenger in sight.
When a police officer, formerly of the Aberdeen Police Department sees a twisted pattern of murder and child abduction arising from 911 calls, he contacts Sloanne Kelly, now known for her work with child abduction cases. Together, Sloanne, Shawn Tyler and Mac Mackenzie, with the help of reporter Birney Sullivan, go on the hunt for a killer and the innocent children he is collecting.
Cruelty To Innocents: The 911 Abductions
Who’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes?
What if you were in your car alone with your small child and you came upon an emergency scene? Would you stop to help? What if, while you are trying to assist a victim of an accident or mugging, you left your young child alone in the car, thinking he or she would be safe. What if, instead of help, the call to 911 brought a terrifying, sinister result?
Someone’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes in Aberdeen Maryland, while their parents call for help and lend aid to accident victims. Someone who’s also listening in, is a monster and vicious child abductor. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the scene, that monster slips in and steals the innocent children leaving behind no trace for authorities.
Sloanne Kelly is unprepared for what awaits in her hometown as she travels back to Maryland. Her goddaughter is one of the victims and the clock is ticking. Together with her best friend and a local fireman, Shawn Tyler, Sloanne will face the most insidious of criminals and fight to recover the children before there is anymore, Cruelty to Innocents.
What if you were in your car alone with your small child and you came upon an emergency scene? Would you stop to help? What if, while you are trying to assist a victim of an accident or mugging, you left your young child alone in the car, thinking he or she would be safe. What if, instead of help, the call to 911 brought a terrifying, sinister result?
Someone’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes in Aberdeen Maryland, while their parents call for help and lend aid to accident victims. Someone who’s also listening in, is a monster and vicious child abductor. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the scene, that monster slips in and steals the innocent children leaving behind no trace for authorities.
Sloanne Kelly is unprepared for what awaits in her hometown as she travels back to Maryland. Her goddaughter is one of the victims and the clock is ticking. Together with her best friend and a local fireman, Shawn Tyler, Sloanne will face the most insidious of criminals and fight to recover the children before there is anymore, Cruelty to Innocents.
Prologue
I hear it beckoning me from the other room, the faint crackle of my scanner as it comes to life. Something is happening somewhere; a car wreck, a shooting, an emergency. She is there all alone. I know it. The ones who are supposed to love and protect her are busy trying to help complete strangers. They are trying to save the life of others, but they are neglecting the one they should be watching over. They have forgotten her, left her…forsaken her. I race to the scene, my mind tearing me in two directions.
One side says, ‘Not again‘. But the other side screams, begs, ‘Please, just one more‘. That voice muffles out the cries of the other and wins again. It always wins.
I have to be quick. I pan the crowd searching for her. The blood pounds in my ears and my breath is ragged and quick. All other sounds slip away. I search the crowd with starving eyes. Where is she? I can‘t find her. Wait…there…she is all alone and so beautiful. She needs me. I see the purity in her eyes, the longing. She is a good girl. I won't have to punish her like the others. She will be different. She is so beautiful. I promise myself she will be the last. I have to have her, just one more. I wait for the perfect moment to take her away from all this. No one is watching as I make my way through the crowd of gaping onlookers. Stealthily, quickly, I am beside her. She looks up with loving, innocent eyes and smiles just for me. ‘Now’! My mind screams. ‘Take her’. I turn to embrace her and she is mine.
Chapter 1 Taken
Chloe Jacobs sighed and clinched the steering wheel tighter as her daughter continued to badger her about the un-chaperoned sleep-over. A sleepover Chloe had no intention of letting her daughter attend that night.
“Why can't I go to the party? All the other girls are going and I want to go too. This is not fair, Mother," Chloe’s beautiful, thirteen-year-old daughter Danielle, barked at her mom.
Danni was being relentless on this sleep-over conversation and Chloe endured about all of this subject she could. As Danni talked, she was compulsively flipping through the stations on the radio, which made the tension in the car even more unbearable. The two were making their way to the local Klein’s Super Market in Chloe's late-model Honda.
Chloe considered herself to be the typical, single parent. She was thirty-one-years old, but still young enough to remember what it was like to be thirteen. All of those feelings you have as a thirteen-year-old, always feeling like everything is so permanent. She knew Danni believed it would be the end of the world if she didn’t attend the party. When Chloe was thirteen, she believed she knew everything about life: how it worked and how it would turn out. She realized now that she was older, how very wrong she had been. How could she make her daughter understand there would be many more big events in her life? Chloe just wanted Danni to slow down and enjoy being a kid.
Many people considered Chloe a classic beauty with her long, flaxen-blond hair and pale, crystal-blue eyes, all of which still drew the occasional wolf-whistle from men on the street. Those that knew her thought of her as an intelligent, responsible and well-put-together person who made a wonderful home for her only daughter.
Her full-time job with the Aberdeen Family Medical Clinic demanded long working hours and with a teen-age daughter to raise, that left little time for dating. Chloe knew there was no room in their life for a relationship and for now she was content.
"Danni, you are not going to an all-nighter without chaperones and that's final," Chloe said for the umpteenth time.
Danni wrinkled up her face and slumped down in her seat while giving her mom that, 'I am old enough to do what I want' look. Since Danni hit her teens, it was not unusual for them to have these stand-offs over boundary issues, but when push came to shove, Danni was a good kid who minded her mother and was always there when Chloe needed her.
The crime rate in Aberdeen was low and it had always been a relatively safe town. Nothing bad ever happened to disturb the quiet peacefulness and it was small enough to allow local law enforcement to keep a watchful eye on everything. The kids who were planning to attend the party would be safe enough, but this wasn’t about safety. This was about boundaries and Danni needed to learn hers.
"I hate you when you act like I am a baby, Mom," her daughter huffed with a big pout on her face. "I'm not your little girl anymore. I'm thirteen and I know what's happening¾stop treating me like a child. I wish Dad was here."
Danni knew how badly Chloe hated it when her father's name was thrown into these conversations and Chloe was convinced Danni did it for that very reason. This was one of Danni’s manipulations and Chloe recognized it all too well. Danni did it just to make Chloe feel bad in the hope that she would give in. But, Danni's dad wasn't there and Chloe refused to feel guilty…not this time.
"Danni, if you mention this party one more time, I swear you will be sitting in your room until you are at least thirty. Now get over it." Chloe said almost gritting her teeth.
Danni ignored her mom as she stared out the car window at the local scenery. Chloe hoped that would end the conversation. She longed for the days when Danni was easier to get along with.
They passed the outlet mall on I-95, the main highway that ran through Aberdeen Maryland and pulled into the grocery store parking lot. As they got out, Danni rolled her eyes and looked over at her mom with a pout on her face. So much like her dad, Chloe thought to herself. Great. Just what she needed, both Danni and her ex-husband giving her the evil eye all the way through the grocery store. During moments like these--when Danni was being a defiant teenager--motherhood was the most difficult. Chloe sighed to herself as she thought.
"Well, since I'm stuck at home tonight while everyone else is at the party, can we at least have pizza for dinner and maybe pick up a movie?"
Danni flipped her hair back in that charming way she had and just like a puff of smoke, her attitude disappeared. It was as if the conversation never took place at all.
“Good idea. Can we have mushrooms on the pizza?” Chloe now beamed at her daughter
“Eeewww…how about mushrooms on half the pizza...your half.”
Danni did a little happy dance into the store.
They started their rounds through the store as usual: cereal, milk, butter, eggs and pizza fixings. These trips to the grocery usually made Danni happy because she liked picking out ingredients for her next 'masterpiece'. That's what she called the crazy recipes she would throw together on her own and serve whenever her mother was late from work. Mostly the meals were pretty good with the occasional flop, but all in all, Danni was turning out to be a fairly good cook. Today, Chloe could see her daughter was really into it, no longer worrying about the sleep-over business.
They began to talk about things at school. Danni told her mom about the new girl with a nose ring and tattoo. Danni proceeded to tell Chloe about the tattoo she wanted for herself. Chloe cringed at the thought.
“I think a small angel on the back of my neck would be awesome,” Danni beamed at her mom. Chloe smiled, but tried not to encourage or discourage her daughter. There had been enough bickering for one day and she really wanted Danni to be happy.
“I think an angel would be okay, but maybe you should wait a few years before making any major decisions. I used to like frogs when I was your age, but can you imagine me with a big, frog tattoo now. That would be too funny,” Chloe teased and they both laughed at the imagined sight of Kermit tattooed on Chloe.
They made their way up and down the aisles as they continued to laugh and talk. As Chloe turned her cart to start down the next aisle, she noticed an older man a few feet away with a contorted look of pain on his face. She saw this just as he put one hand out to grab the end cap he was standing by, while his other hand went to his chest. He made a grating sound in his throat and his face twisted into an awful grimace that told Chloe he was definitely in trouble. She stepped towards the man to ask if she could help just as his body stiffened and started to fall. Chloe knew she'd never be able to catch the guy, but tried to at least, break his fall. He must have out-weighed her by one hundred pounds and despite her attempts to help, the man hit the floor hard, taking out the end cap display as he fell. Bags of chips, pretzels and tortillas crashed to the floor along with the shelving as the man toppled over.
Vaguely remembering her CPR training, Chloe pulled the man's head back and listened for breath sounds, but heard none. Her heart began to race and her adrenaline shot up. She checked for a pulse, but found nothing there either. She heard Danni ask if the man was dead, but Chloe could only focus on helping the stranger. She did not reply to her daughter. Chloe screamed for anyone in the gathering crowd of shoppers to call 9-1-1 and began giving the man breaths of air as best she could. It felt as if time stopped as she frantically tried to resuscitate the old man. She knew she should be pumping his chest as well, but panic was enveloping her and her mind no longer felt connected to her body.
She frantically scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who could help. A young man she knew as one of the store's stock boys stepped out of the crowd and bent down to the old man. He immediately began giving the man chest compressions as Chloe counted out the breaths she was administering. Hours passed by in minutes. Somewhere in Chloe's head, she heard the sound of whining--or was it sirens?
"Here come the paramedics," Chloe heard someone say. She was running out of air as two men materialized beside her and began to work on the old man without missing a beat. Chloe stood up and stepped aside so both paramedics could get to the victim. The scene before her took on a surreal feeling, as if she were watching a movie. She vaguely heard Charlie, the store manager, say something about her quick thinking and good work, but she could not take her eyes from the horrible scene before them. Then, in a commanding voice, Charlie directed the crowd to step back and give the EMTs room to work.
"I've got no breath sounds and no pulse,” the EMTs voice was clear and strong over the murmur of the crowd that gathered.
"Charge the paddles to two hundred,” the other EMT was already into the bag and charging the portable defibrillator.
"Clear," yelled the paramedic and the old man's body jumped.
"Nothing. Charge to three hundred and hit him again."
"Clear," yelled the EMT again and the old man's body danced around on the floor like a rag doll.
Chloe began to think the old man was not going to make it. The crowd quieted and she could now hear the soft crying of an older lady behind her. She was still concentrating on the scene before her and could not bring herself to comfort the woman.
"Still nothing. Hit him again.”
The EMT charged the paddles to three hundred fifty and yelled, "Clear."
This time the man's body seemed to come completely off the floor, falling back down with a thump. The EMT again checked the old man's pulse and shook his head.
"This guy is gone, but we need to get him to the Medical Center." The EMT looked at the people standing around and asked, "Does anyone know who this man is?"
A man in the crowd said he thought the gentleman’s first name was Homer, but did not know his last name. Chloe noticed there were two police officers standing back from the crowd. Funny, she had not noticed them before, but she assumed they heard the emergency response call and followed in behind the EMTs. She had been so focused on Homer, but now her mind was clearing and Chloe realized Danni was not visible.
"Danni.” Chloe called out, but no voice came back to her.
"Danielle, where are you?” Chloe yelled, louder this time and with more force.
As the paramedics loaded the man's body on a gurney and the crowd started to thin, Chloe's eyes scanned the front of the store. She felt a sickening fear rising through her. Where was her daughter?
"Danni! Danielle!”
Chloe looked at every face in the fading crowd and the area all around her. She moved towards her cart and headed to the back of the store. She quickly made her way through the swinging doors that led back in the direction of the stock room. The ladies restroom was the last door on the left. Chloe burst through the door and quickly checked all the stalls, yelling Danni's name as she went. Complete panic was setting in now. Chloe knew her daughter would never intentionally scare her by disappearing this way. Finding no signs of Danni, she turned and flew back towards the front of the store.
The young, stock boy who helped her with the old man was standing close to the front entrance. Chloe jerked him by the arm, spinning him around to quickly ask if he had seen Danni.
"Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen Danni?" she demanded.
The boy's puzzled look made Chloe even more anxious and before he could say anything, Chloe spoke again.
"You've seen her before. You know, thirteen-years-old, about four-eleven, thin build, long, blond hair. She was wearing dark, blue shorts, tennis shoes and a light, blue ball shirt with 'Aberdeen Blue Angels' on the front and #33 on the back."
Halfway through her description, one of the police officers seeing her distress, approached her and the young man.
"My name is Officer Parker. Can I help, ma'am?"
"Yes, please. I can't seem to find my daughter. She was standing right here when the gentleman fell and I know she was here part of the time. I was trying to help, but then I lost track of her. It's not like her to just walk away. I don't understand where she could be."
Chloe massaged her temple.
The stock boy began to speak with concern in his voice, "I am sure she was standing right behind you when I first came up to help, but after that I just don't know. I'm Sorry. Let me help you look for her."
The officer looked up from his note pad, "Can you give me that description again?"
Chloe ran through it quickly for him. She began to feel a little better. The police would surely find Danni and things would go back to normal. Then, they would go on with their evening as planned.
"I will notify the manager and have him lock down the store. No one in and no one out. My partner and I will check around the back of the store and cruise the parking lot to see if we can find her. She probably just stepped outside. Maybe this whole thing upset her, you know how kids are? You stay close by in case she returns. We'll be back shortly."
The officer then turned to the stock boy and asked him to look around the store for Danni and to notify the other employees to do the same.
“Yes, sir.”
The boy quickly spun around and started walking towards the meat department, looking down each aisle as he passed by. He yelled out to the man behind the meat counter, giving him a quick description of Danni. The butcher then turned and started toward the back of the store, relaying the description of the missing girl to the store manager as he passed him. The store manager headed towards the customer service area. Only a few moments passed before Chloe heard him paging Danni over the PA system, requesting she come to the front of the store.
She turned to walk out the front entrance to check whether or not Danni might have gone to the car. When she reached the front door, she was detained by a clerk who informed her she could not leave. The store manager overheard the conversation and informed the clerk Chloe was the missing child’s mother and would be the only one permitted to exit or enter the store, besides the police.
By this time, Chloe was starting to freak out. Danni knew how easily she worried and Chloe wondered why her daughter would just disappear without saying a word. Surely Danni hadn't decided to walk home or to a friend's house. No, she wouldn't do that to me. Would she? Chloe thought to herself as she scanned the spaces between the parked cars. Her mind raced through every scenario she could think of. Where could Danni be?
As she arrived at her car, she could see Danni was nowhere in sight. Panic began to rise again and Chloe felt breathless, almost choking. She pulled out her cell and started thumbing through phone numbers, but thought better of calling anyone. Chloe knew Danni was not the sort of kid who did things like this and now she was even more worried.
Just as she slipped her cell back in her pocket, the two police officers pulled up and Officer Parker--whom Chloe had given the description to--jumped out of the car and came towards her. For the second time today, the minutes moved like hours. Chloe could see a look of dread on the officer’s face and she started to shake. Her mind began to race again as the officer strode towards her.
"Ma'am, was your daughter wearing any jewelry when you last saw her?" the officer asked with a strange tone in his voice.
"I'm sure she probably had on earrings. Her ears are pierced so she wears them all the time. Why?"
Chloe's voice was shaking now. Blood was pounding in her head. What was happening?
"Anything else? Any other jewelry?" the officer asked again.
The answer flashed through Chloe's mind.
"A watch…a “Twilight” watch. It has a picture of Edward and Bella on the face. I just bought it for her last week. It's her favorite book and…"
Chloe was breathing too hard and her hands were trembling now, almost uncontrollably. Fear gripped her stomach nearly making her gag.
The look on the officer's face as he held out his hand to her was one Chloe would never forget.
"Is this the watch?"
Chloe's knees started to go weak as the officer spoke.
"Oh my god. Where did you find this? It's Danni's watch! Oh my god! Where is my daughter?" Chloe screamed at the officer.
"We found it around back of the store, ma'am. There were some tire marks in the lot next to where the watch was laying, as if somebody took off in a hurry. We spoke to an older woman who lives next to the back parking lot. She was out in her yard and thinks she saw a dark blue or black car leaving the lot in a hurry. She noticed because she heard the tires squealing," he explained to Chloe.
"We think Danni must have dropped the watch by accident. Is Danni close with her dad? He could have picked her up and she may have dropped the watch while getting in his car. Is that possible?”
"No, no. Danni's dad is gone. There is no one she could have left here with. Her grand parents are dead and besides, Danni would never just leave and not tell me," Chloe stammered.
"Does Danni have a boyfriend? Is there anyone you can think of who she could have gone to visit? Did you two have a fight or disagreement? Maybe she ran off mad or…”
"No! Oh god. Someone must have taken her! Please help me. Someone had to have taken her. She's a good girl. She would never worry me like this. Please help me find her," Chloe begged, beside herself, tears rolling down her face.
Panic tasted like vomit in her mouth and she half fell, half sat down right there in the parking lot. The officer stooped down and touched Chloe's shoulder. He turned his head and silently directed the other officer to call for medical assistance. Chloe’s head began to spin and bright flashes of light appeared before her eyes.
"Don't worry now, ma'am. Your daughter is probably just walking around somewhere or heading home. I'll call this in right away. Normally, we don't follow up on these things for a certain period of time, but this watch makes me uneasy. Since you declared there is no one else she could have left with, I’m going to contact my chief who will in turn contact the Detective Division. They will be the ones who will determine whether an Amber Alert should be issued. We are going to cordon off the area and radio this in. A detective will be here shortly and we’ll start processing the witnesses inside the store. Stranger abductions are considered the most crucial and in those cases time is very important. You should call everyone your daughter might have been in contact with while we wait. Do you feel like you can get up? My partner will help you inside where you’ll be more comfortable. After I talk to the chief, I'll be back inside. Do you have a picture of Danni with you, by any chance?”
Chloe then realized she left her purse in the cart she had been pushing in the store.
“I do, but I left my purse inside. Do you really think someone has taken my daughter? But why? Why would anyone want to take Danni? Why?" Chloe cried.
"I don't know, ma'am, but I don’t want to take any chances on this. If she shows up, well, that’s a good thing, but we have to go at this as what it looks like…an abduction. Now you head inside with Officer George and he'll help you with the phone calls. I'll come in when the detectives arrive. I know this is difficult, but please try not to worry," the officer said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get your daughter home safe.”
The officer tried to help Chloe up, but by this time she was on the verge of hysteria and could barely stand or speak. She ran the question through her mind. Why would someone take her Danni? She just could not comprehend it. Not her sweet baby girl, Danni. Not her only child. This couldn't be happening…not to Danni…not to her.
Chloe braced herself as Officer George helped her to her feet. They walked around to the front entrance and the store employee opened the door for them. The store manager saw them enter and immediately grabbed a chair for Chloe to sit in. Her mind was so tired. She could barely think as the officer asked her for numbers from her cell phone.
Officer Parker strode to the police cruiser and grabbed the microphone, dread washing over him as he went.
“Central, this is car thirty-six, come back.”
“Thirty-six, this is Central, go ahead.”
“Central, we have a Code Adam at Klein’s Super Market. I need to speak to the chief, ASAP.”
“Connecting you now thirty-six, go ahead.”
“Chief, this is Parker. We have a Code Adam at Klein’s and we need a detective on-scene right away.”
“Copy that, Parker. I’ll issue a BOLO immediately and send Detective Howard right out. Give me a rundown and description of the victim.”
Parker knew a BOLO was a “Be on look out” and exact descriptions were imperative for locating a suspect or victim, but they had very little to go on. Parker ran through the description of Danni and what they found in the parking lot. He also told the chief about the small car that was spotted leaving the scene. The chief assured him Detective Howard would be there in no time and quickly ran through procedures on questioning the witnesses.
Parker had barely hung up the microphone when he heard sirens in the distance getting louder as they approached. What had gone from a 9-1-1 medical emergency call, escalated into something far worse. Parker never worked a kidnapping in Aberdeen and had a bad feeling this was not going to end well.
“Why can't I go to the party? All the other girls are going and I want to go too. This is not fair, Mother," Chloe’s beautiful, thirteen-year-old daughter Danielle, barked at her mom.
Danni was being relentless on this sleep-over conversation and Chloe endured about all of this subject she could. As Danni talked, she was compulsively flipping through the stations on the radio, which made the tension in the car even more unbearable. The two were making their way to the local Klein’s Super Market in Chloe's late-model Honda.
Chloe considered herself to be the typical, single parent. She was thirty-one-years old, but still young enough to remember what it was like to be thirteen. All of those feelings you have as a thirteen-year-old, always feeling like everything is so permanent. She knew Danni believed it would be the end of the world if she didn’t attend the party. When Chloe was thirteen, she believed she knew everything about life: how it worked and how it would turn out. She realized now that she was older, how very wrong she had been. How could she make her daughter understand there would be many more big events in her life? Chloe just wanted Danni to slow down and enjoy being a kid.
Many people considered Chloe a classic beauty with her long, flaxen-blond hair and pale, crystal-blue eyes, all of which still drew the occasional wolf-whistle from men on the street. Those that knew her thought of her as an intelligent, responsible and well-put-together person who made a wonderful home for her only daughter.
Her full-time job with the Aberdeen Family Medical Clinic demanded long working hours and with a teen-age daughter to raise, that left little time for dating. Chloe knew there was no room in their life for a relationship and for now she was content.
"Danni, you are not going to an all-nighter without chaperones and that's final," Chloe said for the umpteenth time.
Danni wrinkled up her face and slumped down in her seat while giving her mom that, 'I am old enough to do what I want' look. Since Danni hit her teens, it was not unusual for them to have these stand-offs over boundary issues, but when push came to shove, Danni was a good kid who minded her mother and was always there when Chloe needed her.
The crime rate in Aberdeen was low and it had always been a relatively safe town. Nothing bad ever happened to disturb the quiet peacefulness and it was small enough to allow local law enforcement to keep a watchful eye on everything. The kids who were planning to attend the party would be safe enough, but this wasn’t about safety. This was about boundaries and Danni needed to learn hers.
"I hate you when you act like I am a baby, Mom," her daughter huffed with a big pout on her face. "I'm not your little girl anymore. I'm thirteen and I know what's happening¾stop treating me like a child. I wish Dad was here."
Danni knew how badly Chloe hated it when her father's name was thrown into these conversations and Chloe was convinced Danni did it for that very reason. This was one of Danni’s manipulations and Chloe recognized it all too well. Danni did it just to make Chloe feel bad in the hope that she would give in. But, Danni's dad wasn't there and Chloe refused to feel guilty…not this time.
"Danni, if you mention this party one more time, I swear you will be sitting in your room until you are at least thirty. Now get over it." Chloe said almost gritting her teeth.
Danni ignored her mom as she stared out the car window at the local scenery. Chloe hoped that would end the conversation. She longed for the days when Danni was easier to get along with.
They passed the outlet mall on I-95, the main highway that ran through Aberdeen Maryland and pulled into the grocery store parking lot. As they got out, Danni rolled her eyes and looked over at her mom with a pout on her face. So much like her dad, Chloe thought to herself. Great. Just what she needed, both Danni and her ex-husband giving her the evil eye all the way through the grocery store. During moments like these--when Danni was being a defiant teenager--motherhood was the most difficult. Chloe sighed to herself as she thought.
"Well, since I'm stuck at home tonight while everyone else is at the party, can we at least have pizza for dinner and maybe pick up a movie?"
Danni flipped her hair back in that charming way she had and just like a puff of smoke, her attitude disappeared. It was as if the conversation never took place at all.
“Good idea. Can we have mushrooms on the pizza?” Chloe now beamed at her daughter
“Eeewww…how about mushrooms on half the pizza...your half.”
Danni did a little happy dance into the store.
They started their rounds through the store as usual: cereal, milk, butter, eggs and pizza fixings. These trips to the grocery usually made Danni happy because she liked picking out ingredients for her next 'masterpiece'. That's what she called the crazy recipes she would throw together on her own and serve whenever her mother was late from work. Mostly the meals were pretty good with the occasional flop, but all in all, Danni was turning out to be a fairly good cook. Today, Chloe could see her daughter was really into it, no longer worrying about the sleep-over business.
They began to talk about things at school. Danni told her mom about the new girl with a nose ring and tattoo. Danni proceeded to tell Chloe about the tattoo she wanted for herself. Chloe cringed at the thought.
“I think a small angel on the back of my neck would be awesome,” Danni beamed at her mom. Chloe smiled, but tried not to encourage or discourage her daughter. There had been enough bickering for one day and she really wanted Danni to be happy.
“I think an angel would be okay, but maybe you should wait a few years before making any major decisions. I used to like frogs when I was your age, but can you imagine me with a big, frog tattoo now. That would be too funny,” Chloe teased and they both laughed at the imagined sight of Kermit tattooed on Chloe.
They made their way up and down the aisles as they continued to laugh and talk. As Chloe turned her cart to start down the next aisle, she noticed an older man a few feet away with a contorted look of pain on his face. She saw this just as he put one hand out to grab the end cap he was standing by, while his other hand went to his chest. He made a grating sound in his throat and his face twisted into an awful grimace that told Chloe he was definitely in trouble. She stepped towards the man to ask if she could help just as his body stiffened and started to fall. Chloe knew she'd never be able to catch the guy, but tried to at least, break his fall. He must have out-weighed her by one hundred pounds and despite her attempts to help, the man hit the floor hard, taking out the end cap display as he fell. Bags of chips, pretzels and tortillas crashed to the floor along with the shelving as the man toppled over.
Vaguely remembering her CPR training, Chloe pulled the man's head back and listened for breath sounds, but heard none. Her heart began to race and her adrenaline shot up. She checked for a pulse, but found nothing there either. She heard Danni ask if the man was dead, but Chloe could only focus on helping the stranger. She did not reply to her daughter. Chloe screamed for anyone in the gathering crowd of shoppers to call 9-1-1 and began giving the man breaths of air as best she could. It felt as if time stopped as she frantically tried to resuscitate the old man. She knew she should be pumping his chest as well, but panic was enveloping her and her mind no longer felt connected to her body.
She frantically scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who could help. A young man she knew as one of the store's stock boys stepped out of the crowd and bent down to the old man. He immediately began giving the man chest compressions as Chloe counted out the breaths she was administering. Hours passed by in minutes. Somewhere in Chloe's head, she heard the sound of whining--or was it sirens?
"Here come the paramedics," Chloe heard someone say. She was running out of air as two men materialized beside her and began to work on the old man without missing a beat. Chloe stood up and stepped aside so both paramedics could get to the victim. The scene before her took on a surreal feeling, as if she were watching a movie. She vaguely heard Charlie, the store manager, say something about her quick thinking and good work, but she could not take her eyes from the horrible scene before them. Then, in a commanding voice, Charlie directed the crowd to step back and give the EMTs room to work.
"I've got no breath sounds and no pulse,” the EMTs voice was clear and strong over the murmur of the crowd that gathered.
"Charge the paddles to two hundred,” the other EMT was already into the bag and charging the portable defibrillator.
"Clear," yelled the paramedic and the old man's body jumped.
"Nothing. Charge to three hundred and hit him again."
"Clear," yelled the EMT again and the old man's body danced around on the floor like a rag doll.
Chloe began to think the old man was not going to make it. The crowd quieted and she could now hear the soft crying of an older lady behind her. She was still concentrating on the scene before her and could not bring herself to comfort the woman.
"Still nothing. Hit him again.”
The EMT charged the paddles to three hundred fifty and yelled, "Clear."
This time the man's body seemed to come completely off the floor, falling back down with a thump. The EMT again checked the old man's pulse and shook his head.
"This guy is gone, but we need to get him to the Medical Center." The EMT looked at the people standing around and asked, "Does anyone know who this man is?"
A man in the crowd said he thought the gentleman’s first name was Homer, but did not know his last name. Chloe noticed there were two police officers standing back from the crowd. Funny, she had not noticed them before, but she assumed they heard the emergency response call and followed in behind the EMTs. She had been so focused on Homer, but now her mind was clearing and Chloe realized Danni was not visible.
"Danni.” Chloe called out, but no voice came back to her.
"Danielle, where are you?” Chloe yelled, louder this time and with more force.
As the paramedics loaded the man's body on a gurney and the crowd started to thin, Chloe's eyes scanned the front of the store. She felt a sickening fear rising through her. Where was her daughter?
"Danni! Danielle!”
Chloe looked at every face in the fading crowd and the area all around her. She moved towards her cart and headed to the back of the store. She quickly made her way through the swinging doors that led back in the direction of the stock room. The ladies restroom was the last door on the left. Chloe burst through the door and quickly checked all the stalls, yelling Danni's name as she went. Complete panic was setting in now. Chloe knew her daughter would never intentionally scare her by disappearing this way. Finding no signs of Danni, she turned and flew back towards the front of the store.
The young, stock boy who helped her with the old man was standing close to the front entrance. Chloe jerked him by the arm, spinning him around to quickly ask if he had seen Danni.
"Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen Danni?" she demanded.
The boy's puzzled look made Chloe even more anxious and before he could say anything, Chloe spoke again.
"You've seen her before. You know, thirteen-years-old, about four-eleven, thin build, long, blond hair. She was wearing dark, blue shorts, tennis shoes and a light, blue ball shirt with 'Aberdeen Blue Angels' on the front and #33 on the back."
Halfway through her description, one of the police officers seeing her distress, approached her and the young man.
"My name is Officer Parker. Can I help, ma'am?"
"Yes, please. I can't seem to find my daughter. She was standing right here when the gentleman fell and I know she was here part of the time. I was trying to help, but then I lost track of her. It's not like her to just walk away. I don't understand where she could be."
Chloe massaged her temple.
The stock boy began to speak with concern in his voice, "I am sure she was standing right behind you when I first came up to help, but after that I just don't know. I'm Sorry. Let me help you look for her."
The officer looked up from his note pad, "Can you give me that description again?"
Chloe ran through it quickly for him. She began to feel a little better. The police would surely find Danni and things would go back to normal. Then, they would go on with their evening as planned.
"I will notify the manager and have him lock down the store. No one in and no one out. My partner and I will check around the back of the store and cruise the parking lot to see if we can find her. She probably just stepped outside. Maybe this whole thing upset her, you know how kids are? You stay close by in case she returns. We'll be back shortly."
The officer then turned to the stock boy and asked him to look around the store for Danni and to notify the other employees to do the same.
“Yes, sir.”
The boy quickly spun around and started walking towards the meat department, looking down each aisle as he passed by. He yelled out to the man behind the meat counter, giving him a quick description of Danni. The butcher then turned and started toward the back of the store, relaying the description of the missing girl to the store manager as he passed him. The store manager headed towards the customer service area. Only a few moments passed before Chloe heard him paging Danni over the PA system, requesting she come to the front of the store.
She turned to walk out the front entrance to check whether or not Danni might have gone to the car. When she reached the front door, she was detained by a clerk who informed her she could not leave. The store manager overheard the conversation and informed the clerk Chloe was the missing child’s mother and would be the only one permitted to exit or enter the store, besides the police.
By this time, Chloe was starting to freak out. Danni knew how easily she worried and Chloe wondered why her daughter would just disappear without saying a word. Surely Danni hadn't decided to walk home or to a friend's house. No, she wouldn't do that to me. Would she? Chloe thought to herself as she scanned the spaces between the parked cars. Her mind raced through every scenario she could think of. Where could Danni be?
As she arrived at her car, she could see Danni was nowhere in sight. Panic began to rise again and Chloe felt breathless, almost choking. She pulled out her cell and started thumbing through phone numbers, but thought better of calling anyone. Chloe knew Danni was not the sort of kid who did things like this and now she was even more worried.
Just as she slipped her cell back in her pocket, the two police officers pulled up and Officer Parker--whom Chloe had given the description to--jumped out of the car and came towards her. For the second time today, the minutes moved like hours. Chloe could see a look of dread on the officer’s face and she started to shake. Her mind began to race again as the officer strode towards her.
"Ma'am, was your daughter wearing any jewelry when you last saw her?" the officer asked with a strange tone in his voice.
"I'm sure she probably had on earrings. Her ears are pierced so she wears them all the time. Why?"
Chloe's voice was shaking now. Blood was pounding in her head. What was happening?
"Anything else? Any other jewelry?" the officer asked again.
The answer flashed through Chloe's mind.
"A watch…a “Twilight” watch. It has a picture of Edward and Bella on the face. I just bought it for her last week. It's her favorite book and…"
Chloe was breathing too hard and her hands were trembling now, almost uncontrollably. Fear gripped her stomach nearly making her gag.
The look on the officer's face as he held out his hand to her was one Chloe would never forget.
"Is this the watch?"
Chloe's knees started to go weak as the officer spoke.
"Oh my god. Where did you find this? It's Danni's watch! Oh my god! Where is my daughter?" Chloe screamed at the officer.
"We found it around back of the store, ma'am. There were some tire marks in the lot next to where the watch was laying, as if somebody took off in a hurry. We spoke to an older woman who lives next to the back parking lot. She was out in her yard and thinks she saw a dark blue or black car leaving the lot in a hurry. She noticed because she heard the tires squealing," he explained to Chloe.
"We think Danni must have dropped the watch by accident. Is Danni close with her dad? He could have picked her up and she may have dropped the watch while getting in his car. Is that possible?”
"No, no. Danni's dad is gone. There is no one she could have left here with. Her grand parents are dead and besides, Danni would never just leave and not tell me," Chloe stammered.
"Does Danni have a boyfriend? Is there anyone you can think of who she could have gone to visit? Did you two have a fight or disagreement? Maybe she ran off mad or…”
"No! Oh god. Someone must have taken her! Please help me. Someone had to have taken her. She's a good girl. She would never worry me like this. Please help me find her," Chloe begged, beside herself, tears rolling down her face.
Panic tasted like vomit in her mouth and she half fell, half sat down right there in the parking lot. The officer stooped down and touched Chloe's shoulder. He turned his head and silently directed the other officer to call for medical assistance. Chloe’s head began to spin and bright flashes of light appeared before her eyes.
"Don't worry now, ma'am. Your daughter is probably just walking around somewhere or heading home. I'll call this in right away. Normally, we don't follow up on these things for a certain period of time, but this watch makes me uneasy. Since you declared there is no one else she could have left with, I’m going to contact my chief who will in turn contact the Detective Division. They will be the ones who will determine whether an Amber Alert should be issued. We are going to cordon off the area and radio this in. A detective will be here shortly and we’ll start processing the witnesses inside the store. Stranger abductions are considered the most crucial and in those cases time is very important. You should call everyone your daughter might have been in contact with while we wait. Do you feel like you can get up? My partner will help you inside where you’ll be more comfortable. After I talk to the chief, I'll be back inside. Do you have a picture of Danni with you, by any chance?”
Chloe then realized she left her purse in the cart she had been pushing in the store.
“I do, but I left my purse inside. Do you really think someone has taken my daughter? But why? Why would anyone want to take Danni? Why?" Chloe cried.
"I don't know, ma'am, but I don’t want to take any chances on this. If she shows up, well, that’s a good thing, but we have to go at this as what it looks like…an abduction. Now you head inside with Officer George and he'll help you with the phone calls. I'll come in when the detectives arrive. I know this is difficult, but please try not to worry," the officer said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get your daughter home safe.”
The officer tried to help Chloe up, but by this time she was on the verge of hysteria and could barely stand or speak. She ran the question through her mind. Why would someone take her Danni? She just could not comprehend it. Not her sweet baby girl, Danni. Not her only child. This couldn't be happening…not to Danni…not to her.
Chloe braced herself as Officer George helped her to her feet. They walked around to the front entrance and the store employee opened the door for them. The store manager saw them enter and immediately grabbed a chair for Chloe to sit in. Her mind was so tired. She could barely think as the officer asked her for numbers from her cell phone.
Officer Parker strode to the police cruiser and grabbed the microphone, dread washing over him as he went.
“Central, this is car thirty-six, come back.”
“Thirty-six, this is Central, go ahead.”
“Central, we have a Code Adam at Klein’s Super Market. I need to speak to the chief, ASAP.”
“Connecting you now thirty-six, go ahead.”
“Chief, this is Parker. We have a Code Adam at Klein’s and we need a detective on-scene right away.”
“Copy that, Parker. I’ll issue a BOLO immediately and send Detective Howard right out. Give me a rundown and description of the victim.”
Parker knew a BOLO was a “Be on look out” and exact descriptions were imperative for locating a suspect or victim, but they had very little to go on. Parker ran through the description of Danni and what they found in the parking lot. He also told the chief about the small car that was spotted leaving the scene. The chief assured him Detective Howard would be there in no time and quickly ran through procedures on questioning the witnesses.
Parker had barely hung up the microphone when he heard sirens in the distance getting louder as they approached. What had gone from a 9-1-1 medical emergency call, escalated into something far worse. Parker never worked a kidnapping in Aberdeen and had a bad feeling this was not going to end well.
Chapter 2 Train Ride
Sloanne Mae Kelly's cab stopped short of the unloading area that lined the front curb at sprawling Penn Station. She dropped a twenty dollar bill into the cash slot, said a quick, 'keep the change' and jumped out of the cab, grabbing her two, small bags and her lap top as she went. The train to Aberdeen Maryland would be leaving soon and she had to pick up her ticket before the gates closed. People seemed to sense the urgency in Sloanne's determined look and hurried pace, stepping to the side, allowing her to pass.
Penn Station was a massive, cavernous space that boasted unique architecture and was filled with people of every size, shape and color. The intensity of the noises and smells assaulted Sloanne’s senses, making her want to run away, but instead she pressed forward. In her mind, she ran through a million different destinations she would rather be traveling to. Instead, she was heading back home, if home is what it could be called. Her brow tightened at the selfish thoughts. She knew this trip and the circumstances behind it, where all that mattered.
Sloanne held a lucrative position as an interior designer at a top firm in New York City, where she now resided. She loved the city and took advantage of all the things it had to offer. She took Yoga, she went to power lunches and ran in the best circles with some of the city's elite--most days. But this particular day, she was just a girl heading back to her past. Back to a place she would rather not be going. No, she never wanted to return to Aberdeen, but she had to support her best friend who desperately needed her now.
She ran through the station and out onto the platform where her train waited, the day’s events thrumming through her head like a hurricane ripping across the shoreline. A knot rose in her throat as she willed back the burning sting of the first tears in her eyes. This day was an unthinkable nightmare, but one she would not awaken from. She stepped onto the train and glanced at her ticket for the seat number: 26A. She turned side-ways, lifting her bag over the other passengers’ heads as she made her way to her seat. There was no one in the seat next to hers and for this, she was grateful. The air felt like walls closing in around her on all sides and her mind was overtaken by grief. She placed her bags in the overhead compartment, then took her seat just as her cell phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts.
Sloanne’s assistant Ann, was calling. She left the woman a hasty message to give her a call as soon as possible and now she had to tell her assistant why she would be away for a few days. She would have to acknowledge aloud why she so quickly departed from her job and her life to assist her friend. Sloanne's beautiful, charming, loving goddaughter had been abducted.
“Thank you for getting back to me so quickly,” Sloanne breathed heavy into the receiver.
Her mind rebelled against the story she was about to relate to her assistant and the words were like acid in her throat.
“Ann, I received some terrible news earlier today. I am on my way back to Aberdeen now. My best friend’s daughter was abducted and Chloe needs me desperately.”
The gasp at the other end of the line told her that her assistant was shocked by what she was hearing. Sloanne kept a lovely picture of Danni on her desk and everyone in the office, including Ann, often commented on what a beautiful girl she was.
“I will need you to cancel all my appointments and forward all my emails to my personal account. Also, please call Mr. Miera and let him know the situation. Tell him I will be in contact with him as soon as I know more. I can't say at this point, how long I'll have to be away, but please reassure him I am holding up as well as can be expected.”
The last words faded off to a whisper, as tears slipped from her eyes.
Sloanne thanked Ann for her help and quickly got off the phone. Her head ached as she thought back to the earlier phone call she received. The last time she'd been home was in 2003, to bury her parents. Back then she made a vow: it would be the last time she would ever go back, until today it had been. She kept her word to herself for all these years, but someone had taken her goddaughter. Now she was forced to go back.
At exactly 6:30 p.m. this evening, she received the phone call that no one ever wants to get or imagines possible. Chloe Jacob’s neighbor called to say that Chloe’s daughter Danielle--or Danni as they liked to call her--had been abducted. Sloanne could barely hold down the hastily-eaten, take-out dinner she ordered earlier in the day. The word tore at her insides: abducted...taken from a grocery store in broad daylight in her own home town. It was not something that ever happened in Aberdeen. Sure, the town had its share of petty crimes, but child abductions were unheard of. In fact, she couldn't remember a single child who had ever been taken from that area.
The one thing that made the events even more unbelievable was the manner in which Danni was abducted. An elderly man suffered a massive heart attack. While Sloanne's best friend worked desperately to help a complete stranger, some asshole helped himself to her daughter.
According to the local authorities and from what she already knew, the first forty-eight hours were the most crucial time period in an abduction situation. It was during this period when most kids were found. Chloe knew no matter how much Sloanne would hate returning to Aberdeen, she would drop everything and high-tail it back. She had run out of the office, gone home, grabbed a few things and caught the first train smoking out of Penn Station.
As the train sped along on its track, the rain began to fall. Sloanne stared, trance-like, out the window, blinking as each lightening strike blazed across the sky. While she tried to play out all the possible scenarios in her mind, she rolled her shoulders to relieve the stiffness and tension building in her neck. She ran one hand through her long, auburn hair as she gazed out the window and saw the reflection looking back at her.
Her normally bright, green eyes looked somber and heavy and her clear, pale skin appeared sallow and lifeless. The face that usually smiled back at her, was not smiling now. She wondered if she would ever be happy again. Every ounce of her five-five willowy frame was draped in sadness. She wanted to think that by the time she arrived, Danni would have been found at some boy's house or over at a friend's they'd forgotten to call. She imagined Danni spending an eternity locked in her room, allowed out only for school, bathroom breaks and the occasional meal. A slight grin played across the corners of her mouth as she once again told herself, everything would be just fine and life would continue much as it had before.
She wanted so badly to believe all these things, but could not drown out the sound of that nagging voice in the back of her mind. The voice of reason that kept asking the really tough questions. What if they never found Danni? Or worse, what if her best friend's, precious daughter became another face on a flyer, just another name on a long list of missing and exploited children? Worse still, what if they found her and nothing turned out well? What if everything went horribly wrong and Danni was found raped, injured or dead? She reached up and gently traced Danni's name into the fog on the train window, then leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, trying to shake the terrible thoughts from her mind.
She thought back to her life in Aberdeen and all she left behind. She had been an average, little girl raised by Irish parents and her family was always very close. Her father and her Uncle Patty--who was actually her godfather--were partners for years on the NYPD: New York's finest. They trained together, worked together and were fast friends. Sloanne knew they had even fallen in love with the same woman...her mom. But her mother had chosen to marry her dad and in the end, Uncle Patty understood her mother's decision. He stepped aside, but remained a true friend to them both. Dad and Uncle Patty moved up through the ranks on the force and both made detective within three months of each other. They worked together then as well. Even when her dad was shot in the line of duty and was forced to retire, Uncle Patty was still there for them all.
He helped out: first, when her parents decided to move to Aberdeen so their little princess could live in a relatively, crime-free environment. Later, when Sloanne was older, he'd been her adult confidante. She remembered begging her dad to teach her to drive and he refused, so afraid she would get hurt. Good old Uncle Patty taught her to drive on the sly and took her for her driving test. Her dad never knew until she came home with her driver's license. Dad put on a big front in the beginning, acting upset with Patty for letting her have her way. She believed that secretly, he had been grateful to Patty. Dad would have been terrified to teach her how to drive himself, this way, Patty saved him from that nightmare. Sloanne smiled to herself at the memory of her father’s stern face, but he eventually relented and asked her to drive him to his favorite ice cream parlor. It was then she knew all was well.
Uncle Patty saved the day again when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. He made sure her dad had enough money so it was possible for her mom to receive the finest care available. In a short period, her mother was doing much better and in remission.
As a young girl, she always wanted to live and work in New York City and both, her parents and Uncle Patty, supported her in these hopes. Little had she known in those days, after high school graduation, the desire to live in the city would be overshadowed by her need to be in a drug rehabilitation facility. Those had been her darkest days, but her father and Patty pulled together the love, support and money needed for her to check into the most progressive drug treatment facility in New York. Sloanne never used drugs and was always an excellent student...until she met him in her senior year.
His name was Skyler Anthony Perryman, better known around Aberdeen, as Skip. He was the son of the richest and most influential couple in the area, John A. Perryman and his powerhouse wife, Rochelle Ana. He was into banking and investments and she was into real estate. Skip's parents were the epitome of a well-to-do family and owned most of the real estate in and around Aberdeen, along with some of the private docks and marinas on the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.
Sloanne believed then, that the sun rose and set because of Skip--for a while. Skip attended a private school that cost more per year than most elite colleges. He was a member of the Lacrosse team, the Rugby team captain and probably the most well known person in and around the community with the exception of his father and mother. Skip was also the local drug connection for every man, woman and child with good breeding and a fat bank account in Aberdeen. His friends hated Sloanne for what she was not...rich and he loved her for what she was...not rich.
In the beginning of her relationship with Skip, she told herself he would love her more if she used drugs with him, believing that she would more easily fit into his world by being like his friends, who all used. As time progressed, she managed to convince herself that was the reason she began using drugs.
Luckily, through years of hard work fighting her addiction and facing the reality of it, she now knew it was all about choices. She made the wrong choices. She wanted so badly to fit-in with the high-class crowd Skip ran with, she simply forgot who she was and the things she believed in. Somewhere in loving Skip, she forgot to love herself.
Eventually, it became apparent to everyone, including her parents and the local authorities, that she was routinely testing Skip's drug supply. She became a complicated liability and Skip very quickly left her high and dry. In her family’s mind, all that was left to do was for her to get cleaned up and start over fresh in a new town. Her dad, mom and Uncle Patty were her saviors. Her dad worked out the details with some help from Patty and she was soon checked into a nice room in drug rehab in New York City, receiving the help she needed.
The program at the clinic was operated and overseen by Columbia University. Some of the patients there were alumni of the school and were, for whatever reason, discreetly tucked away to handle their problems away from the watchful eyes of their co-workers, peers and families.
One older gentleman there, Philippe Miera, took the time to really listen to her and never judged her. At the end of their six months together, he offered her an internship at his architectural firm with the stipulation, she go back to school and get her degree. So, that's just what she did. She petitioned his Alma Mater, applying for and receiving several grants. To show her how much he believed in her, Mr. Miera paid for her books, fees and all the extras. He also went as far as to pay her a salary that allowed her to live comfortably without having to ask for help from her family. She studied hard and excelled in her school work, while learning the ins and outs of interior design and architecture.
This arrangement was just fine with her parents and Uncle Patty. They knew she needed the structure and socialization that college and a job could provide. They also believed being farther away made it easier to get Skip out of her mind. These facts, along with the added benefit of building a lucrative career with a highly reputable design firm, made this opportunity golden in their eyes. Toss in the fact she was only a two-and-a-half hour train ride from Aberdeen and everything was nearly perfect.
She made every effort, never to go back to Aberdeen for any reason. There was no need to during her college years. Her mom, dad and Patty would either drive up or take the train almost every weekend to visit. On the weekends they couldn't come, Chloe and Danni made the trip as often as possible and they would all ‘do’ the city.
Now, she thought back to the last day she was in Aberdeen. It was the worst day of her life and one that would live with her forever. Sheets of rain driven by wind, pounded the sea of umbrellas and the sad faces of those without any shelter. Two coffins sat, side-by-side, covered with so many flowers it was hard to say what color they were. Beautiful words were spoken by strangers and friends alike and condolences given from lips, quietly whispered with heartfelt hugs.
"We commit these bodies to the ground. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the priest's last words. Sloanne’s parents were killed in an accident while driving up to see her. It was Uncle Patty who knocked on her door that day and as she saw him standing there alone, she instinctively knew. Her dad, while driving with her mom, lost control of the vehicle, which flipped several times before an eighteen-wheeler slammed into the remains of their car. There wasn't much left, really. It took the rescue crew three hours to extract what they referred to as 'the bodies'. But, they were her parents and she'd never gotten to see them again.
She watched as they’d slowly lowered her mom and dad, one at a time, into the muddy ground. They were there for her beginning and she had been there for their end. There were three people in this world who loved her as their child and she wanted to die as she watched two of them disappear into darkness. Uncle Patty was there to catch her as the first shovel full of dirt was thrown in.
"Don't cover them up! It’s dark in there!" she screamed as she dove for their caskets.
But Patty held her back and they both watched and cried as the two best people on earth were buried.
The rest of that day was a blur. People coming and going, bringing food that would never be eaten. Everyone grieved the loss of a wonderful couple. She didn't believe a single person who knew her mom and dad, did not love and respect them and it showed in the number of mourners who came to pay their final respects.
Patty remained close by for months after the funeral. He was her rock and kept her sane in the weeks and months after her parents’ deaths. When she returned to the city, he called her constantly, visiting every weekend to make sure she was okay and that her life was getting back on track. They were family and they did the best they could for each other. She tried to be there for him and he helped her to feel loved as a daughter.
Time was winding down now and in fifteen minutes she would be back there. Back where all those feelings and memories lived. The announcement came, "Next stop, Aberdeen Maryland."
She tensed, knowing she could not run away any longer. This time she had to stay and fight. This time she could not break. She had to be strong for Chloe and even stronger for Danni. She whispered a prayer for guidance, then gathered her things and stepped into the aisle.
Penn Station was a massive, cavernous space that boasted unique architecture and was filled with people of every size, shape and color. The intensity of the noises and smells assaulted Sloanne’s senses, making her want to run away, but instead she pressed forward. In her mind, she ran through a million different destinations she would rather be traveling to. Instead, she was heading back home, if home is what it could be called. Her brow tightened at the selfish thoughts. She knew this trip and the circumstances behind it, where all that mattered.
Sloanne held a lucrative position as an interior designer at a top firm in New York City, where she now resided. She loved the city and took advantage of all the things it had to offer. She took Yoga, she went to power lunches and ran in the best circles with some of the city's elite--most days. But this particular day, she was just a girl heading back to her past. Back to a place she would rather not be going. No, she never wanted to return to Aberdeen, but she had to support her best friend who desperately needed her now.
She ran through the station and out onto the platform where her train waited, the day’s events thrumming through her head like a hurricane ripping across the shoreline. A knot rose in her throat as she willed back the burning sting of the first tears in her eyes. This day was an unthinkable nightmare, but one she would not awaken from. She stepped onto the train and glanced at her ticket for the seat number: 26A. She turned side-ways, lifting her bag over the other passengers’ heads as she made her way to her seat. There was no one in the seat next to hers and for this, she was grateful. The air felt like walls closing in around her on all sides and her mind was overtaken by grief. She placed her bags in the overhead compartment, then took her seat just as her cell phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts.
Sloanne’s assistant Ann, was calling. She left the woman a hasty message to give her a call as soon as possible and now she had to tell her assistant why she would be away for a few days. She would have to acknowledge aloud why she so quickly departed from her job and her life to assist her friend. Sloanne's beautiful, charming, loving goddaughter had been abducted.
“Thank you for getting back to me so quickly,” Sloanne breathed heavy into the receiver.
Her mind rebelled against the story she was about to relate to her assistant and the words were like acid in her throat.
“Ann, I received some terrible news earlier today. I am on my way back to Aberdeen now. My best friend’s daughter was abducted and Chloe needs me desperately.”
The gasp at the other end of the line told her that her assistant was shocked by what she was hearing. Sloanne kept a lovely picture of Danni on her desk and everyone in the office, including Ann, often commented on what a beautiful girl she was.
“I will need you to cancel all my appointments and forward all my emails to my personal account. Also, please call Mr. Miera and let him know the situation. Tell him I will be in contact with him as soon as I know more. I can't say at this point, how long I'll have to be away, but please reassure him I am holding up as well as can be expected.”
The last words faded off to a whisper, as tears slipped from her eyes.
Sloanne thanked Ann for her help and quickly got off the phone. Her head ached as she thought back to the earlier phone call she received. The last time she'd been home was in 2003, to bury her parents. Back then she made a vow: it would be the last time she would ever go back, until today it had been. She kept her word to herself for all these years, but someone had taken her goddaughter. Now she was forced to go back.
At exactly 6:30 p.m. this evening, she received the phone call that no one ever wants to get or imagines possible. Chloe Jacob’s neighbor called to say that Chloe’s daughter Danielle--or Danni as they liked to call her--had been abducted. Sloanne could barely hold down the hastily-eaten, take-out dinner she ordered earlier in the day. The word tore at her insides: abducted...taken from a grocery store in broad daylight in her own home town. It was not something that ever happened in Aberdeen. Sure, the town had its share of petty crimes, but child abductions were unheard of. In fact, she couldn't remember a single child who had ever been taken from that area.
The one thing that made the events even more unbelievable was the manner in which Danni was abducted. An elderly man suffered a massive heart attack. While Sloanne's best friend worked desperately to help a complete stranger, some asshole helped himself to her daughter.
According to the local authorities and from what she already knew, the first forty-eight hours were the most crucial time period in an abduction situation. It was during this period when most kids were found. Chloe knew no matter how much Sloanne would hate returning to Aberdeen, she would drop everything and high-tail it back. She had run out of the office, gone home, grabbed a few things and caught the first train smoking out of Penn Station.
As the train sped along on its track, the rain began to fall. Sloanne stared, trance-like, out the window, blinking as each lightening strike blazed across the sky. While she tried to play out all the possible scenarios in her mind, she rolled her shoulders to relieve the stiffness and tension building in her neck. She ran one hand through her long, auburn hair as she gazed out the window and saw the reflection looking back at her.
Her normally bright, green eyes looked somber and heavy and her clear, pale skin appeared sallow and lifeless. The face that usually smiled back at her, was not smiling now. She wondered if she would ever be happy again. Every ounce of her five-five willowy frame was draped in sadness. She wanted to think that by the time she arrived, Danni would have been found at some boy's house or over at a friend's they'd forgotten to call. She imagined Danni spending an eternity locked in her room, allowed out only for school, bathroom breaks and the occasional meal. A slight grin played across the corners of her mouth as she once again told herself, everything would be just fine and life would continue much as it had before.
She wanted so badly to believe all these things, but could not drown out the sound of that nagging voice in the back of her mind. The voice of reason that kept asking the really tough questions. What if they never found Danni? Or worse, what if her best friend's, precious daughter became another face on a flyer, just another name on a long list of missing and exploited children? Worse still, what if they found her and nothing turned out well? What if everything went horribly wrong and Danni was found raped, injured or dead? She reached up and gently traced Danni's name into the fog on the train window, then leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, trying to shake the terrible thoughts from her mind.
She thought back to her life in Aberdeen and all she left behind. She had been an average, little girl raised by Irish parents and her family was always very close. Her father and her Uncle Patty--who was actually her godfather--were partners for years on the NYPD: New York's finest. They trained together, worked together and were fast friends. Sloanne knew they had even fallen in love with the same woman...her mom. But her mother had chosen to marry her dad and in the end, Uncle Patty understood her mother's decision. He stepped aside, but remained a true friend to them both. Dad and Uncle Patty moved up through the ranks on the force and both made detective within three months of each other. They worked together then as well. Even when her dad was shot in the line of duty and was forced to retire, Uncle Patty was still there for them all.
He helped out: first, when her parents decided to move to Aberdeen so their little princess could live in a relatively, crime-free environment. Later, when Sloanne was older, he'd been her adult confidante. She remembered begging her dad to teach her to drive and he refused, so afraid she would get hurt. Good old Uncle Patty taught her to drive on the sly and took her for her driving test. Her dad never knew until she came home with her driver's license. Dad put on a big front in the beginning, acting upset with Patty for letting her have her way. She believed that secretly, he had been grateful to Patty. Dad would have been terrified to teach her how to drive himself, this way, Patty saved him from that nightmare. Sloanne smiled to herself at the memory of her father’s stern face, but he eventually relented and asked her to drive him to his favorite ice cream parlor. It was then she knew all was well.
Uncle Patty saved the day again when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. He made sure her dad had enough money so it was possible for her mom to receive the finest care available. In a short period, her mother was doing much better and in remission.
As a young girl, she always wanted to live and work in New York City and both, her parents and Uncle Patty, supported her in these hopes. Little had she known in those days, after high school graduation, the desire to live in the city would be overshadowed by her need to be in a drug rehabilitation facility. Those had been her darkest days, but her father and Patty pulled together the love, support and money needed for her to check into the most progressive drug treatment facility in New York. Sloanne never used drugs and was always an excellent student...until she met him in her senior year.
His name was Skyler Anthony Perryman, better known around Aberdeen, as Skip. He was the son of the richest and most influential couple in the area, John A. Perryman and his powerhouse wife, Rochelle Ana. He was into banking and investments and she was into real estate. Skip's parents were the epitome of a well-to-do family and owned most of the real estate in and around Aberdeen, along with some of the private docks and marinas on the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.
Sloanne believed then, that the sun rose and set because of Skip--for a while. Skip attended a private school that cost more per year than most elite colleges. He was a member of the Lacrosse team, the Rugby team captain and probably the most well known person in and around the community with the exception of his father and mother. Skip was also the local drug connection for every man, woman and child with good breeding and a fat bank account in Aberdeen. His friends hated Sloanne for what she was not...rich and he loved her for what she was...not rich.
In the beginning of her relationship with Skip, she told herself he would love her more if she used drugs with him, believing that she would more easily fit into his world by being like his friends, who all used. As time progressed, she managed to convince herself that was the reason she began using drugs.
Luckily, through years of hard work fighting her addiction and facing the reality of it, she now knew it was all about choices. She made the wrong choices. She wanted so badly to fit-in with the high-class crowd Skip ran with, she simply forgot who she was and the things she believed in. Somewhere in loving Skip, she forgot to love herself.
Eventually, it became apparent to everyone, including her parents and the local authorities, that she was routinely testing Skip's drug supply. She became a complicated liability and Skip very quickly left her high and dry. In her family’s mind, all that was left to do was for her to get cleaned up and start over fresh in a new town. Her dad, mom and Uncle Patty were her saviors. Her dad worked out the details with some help from Patty and she was soon checked into a nice room in drug rehab in New York City, receiving the help she needed.
The program at the clinic was operated and overseen by Columbia University. Some of the patients there were alumni of the school and were, for whatever reason, discreetly tucked away to handle their problems away from the watchful eyes of their co-workers, peers and families.
One older gentleman there, Philippe Miera, took the time to really listen to her and never judged her. At the end of their six months together, he offered her an internship at his architectural firm with the stipulation, she go back to school and get her degree. So, that's just what she did. She petitioned his Alma Mater, applying for and receiving several grants. To show her how much he believed in her, Mr. Miera paid for her books, fees and all the extras. He also went as far as to pay her a salary that allowed her to live comfortably without having to ask for help from her family. She studied hard and excelled in her school work, while learning the ins and outs of interior design and architecture.
This arrangement was just fine with her parents and Uncle Patty. They knew she needed the structure and socialization that college and a job could provide. They also believed being farther away made it easier to get Skip out of her mind. These facts, along with the added benefit of building a lucrative career with a highly reputable design firm, made this opportunity golden in their eyes. Toss in the fact she was only a two-and-a-half hour train ride from Aberdeen and everything was nearly perfect.
She made every effort, never to go back to Aberdeen for any reason. There was no need to during her college years. Her mom, dad and Patty would either drive up or take the train almost every weekend to visit. On the weekends they couldn't come, Chloe and Danni made the trip as often as possible and they would all ‘do’ the city.
Now, she thought back to the last day she was in Aberdeen. It was the worst day of her life and one that would live with her forever. Sheets of rain driven by wind, pounded the sea of umbrellas and the sad faces of those without any shelter. Two coffins sat, side-by-side, covered with so many flowers it was hard to say what color they were. Beautiful words were spoken by strangers and friends alike and condolences given from lips, quietly whispered with heartfelt hugs.
"We commit these bodies to the ground. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the priest's last words. Sloanne’s parents were killed in an accident while driving up to see her. It was Uncle Patty who knocked on her door that day and as she saw him standing there alone, she instinctively knew. Her dad, while driving with her mom, lost control of the vehicle, which flipped several times before an eighteen-wheeler slammed into the remains of their car. There wasn't much left, really. It took the rescue crew three hours to extract what they referred to as 'the bodies'. But, they were her parents and she'd never gotten to see them again.
She watched as they’d slowly lowered her mom and dad, one at a time, into the muddy ground. They were there for her beginning and she had been there for their end. There were three people in this world who loved her as their child and she wanted to die as she watched two of them disappear into darkness. Uncle Patty was there to catch her as the first shovel full of dirt was thrown in.
"Don't cover them up! It’s dark in there!" she screamed as she dove for their caskets.
But Patty held her back and they both watched and cried as the two best people on earth were buried.
The rest of that day was a blur. People coming and going, bringing food that would never be eaten. Everyone grieved the loss of a wonderful couple. She didn't believe a single person who knew her mom and dad, did not love and respect them and it showed in the number of mourners who came to pay their final respects.
Patty remained close by for months after the funeral. He was her rock and kept her sane in the weeks and months after her parents’ deaths. When she returned to the city, he called her constantly, visiting every weekend to make sure she was okay and that her life was getting back on track. They were family and they did the best they could for each other. She tried to be there for him and he helped her to feel loved as a daughter.
Time was winding down now and in fifteen minutes she would be back there. Back where all those feelings and memories lived. The announcement came, "Next stop, Aberdeen Maryland."
She tensed, knowing she could not run away any longer. This time she had to stay and fight. This time she could not break. She had to be strong for Chloe and even stronger for Danni. She whispered a prayer for guidance, then gathered her things and stepped into the aisle.