Abduted(Part1)

He smiled at me as he ran around the corner to catch up with his friends. They were headed to the pizza shop to get sodas. I went inside to ask my mom what was for dinner. She told me meatloaf. I was happy about that. Time ticked and ticked away, finally dinner was ready. It had been twenty minutes since he went to get a soda. My little brother, ten years old. Mom asked me to go see if he was still out with his friends up on Seventh Street, the street intersecting ours.

I called for him, telling him dinner was done. I could hear little boys laughing and playing basketball. The repeated plunk plunk of an unsteady dribble. I quickly jogged up the street, anxious to eat dinner. I called for him once more as I rounded the corner.

They said he wasn’t there. Clearly I could see he wasn’t. I thought it was a joke, I had seen him round the corner with the big smile on his face, carrying two quarters in his little boy hands, to go get his favorite, Orange Crush, soda, from the pizza shop. I laughed and told them to give it up. I was far older, and far harder to prank. They claimed it wasn’t a joke. He wasn’t behind them when they turned around before entering the pizza shop. I stood with my mouth opened, my jaw practically on the ground, the cold cement.

I don’t think I’ve ever screamed so loud in my life. A loud wail for my mother, and all others to hear. The little boys were confused, but slowly, just as I had, they realized what had happened. People came running outside as I continued screaming. I couldn’t stop even as my mother ran to my side. I choked out a few words, “...brother…kidnapped...no pizza shop. Ask them!” I pointed towards his friends. They instantly told my mother  that we think he’d been kidnapped. My mom ran back to the house, she dialed 9-1-1 and almost immediately, the police were at our door. It’d been almost thirty-five minutes since he’s been gone, if not forty. I cried to the detective that they sent to talk to me, the beautiful black haired one, Jane. I cried and told her that I knew that on average, the abducted is dead within three hours; this meant we only had two and a half, barely. She was a lot more comforting then my mother, and I didn’t even know this lady.

We talked, and we talked, and we talked, as everyone else was questioned. The boys said they had seen a shady man standing around the mail box. They took his description. Mom said he didn’t sound familiar. I was standing there with her when they asked me the same question, does this man sound familiar? Something inside of me clicked. I shook my head no.

I asked my mom where dad was. She said, away on business. She’d tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. I screamed at her to try again! To keep trying! Then I pulled Detective Jane to the side, down inside of the pizza shop away from everyone. She looked at me oddly, I asked her to read me the description of the man again. I choked up as she told me again. I wrote it on a napkin, not able to even speak at the moment. That’s dad. Mine? She asked me. I shook my head yes. My dad. But why had mom said he didn’t sound familiar? It was his description exactly. I even pulled my phone out and showed her the caller ID picture I had of him, he was wearing the same “1# Dad” hat that my brother got him for his birthday two weeks ago. The detective looked at me incredibly sternly, it even made me shiver, the way her eyes pressured me. She asked me if I was one hundred percent sure that this was my father. I said yes and clung to her for comfort.

It was just then that her phone rang; they found a notebook in the living room of our house, in the open, as if it was nothing. It was a plan to “Rid the World of the Hanley Children”.  We’re the Hanley children I told the detective. She held me close, and very worriedly she said, “I know.” I asked her what I was going to do. My mom must be in on this, she asked if I really believed that, because she did also. I told her yes. Why else would my mom have said the description of dad didn’t sound familiar?

She said I would have to go stay the night with a relative, mom was going to be in a holding cell, and they were going to interrogate her. I calmly told her that we have no relatives here in Canada. She asked about friends, or neighbours. I had to explain to her, that I was home schooled, had no friends up here, and didn’t like the neighbours. She said she would allow me to stay at her house with her for the night. I confessed that I was very frightened, afraid they were going to kill me, and afraid that my brother was dead. She took my face in her hands and looked me dead in the eyes, “Don’t you think that at all.”

Driving back to the precinct, I could only think of my brothers beautiful smile, smiling at me as he turned the corner, I didn’t say goodbye, didn’t say I love you, or be safe. I didn’t think I had too, I thought he’d be right back. I was told to stay in the lobby, I refused, and I wanted to be on the observation side while they questioned my mom. I wanted to know why. I wanted my brother. Detective Jane insisted I not go in there, but I refused to sit in this lobby and wait, helpless. She said either way I would be helpless. I disagreed. I was always watching detective programs, reading murder mysteries, (this wasn’t a murder she informed me; all the same I replied.) I was always winning at Clue, I wanted to go to college for criminal justice, and I wanted to be a detective just like her. She finally agreed, but only if I would stay in the room and talk with her friend, and a very good ex-partner, Anna. I said okay, only because we shared the same name, but my Anna is my middle name, I go by my middle name, but I said, trying to make a joke, that if we three were working together, they can call me by my first name, Caitlin. They laughed slightly, as I tried to but couldn’t.

It would have been interesting, if I weren’t here on these circumstances. I listened intently as detective Jane asked where he was.

I don’t know, mom said through tears.

Don’t try to play me on sympathy.

I’m not! I just lost my son!

And you’re losing your daughter!

How?

You and your husband planned on killing them both! Look at this notebook! This is your handwriting! Tell me it isn’t.

I looked away from the window, with tears in my eyes. Anna beckoned me to come out of the room for a bit, get a bite to eat. She heard I hadn’t eaten. I shook my head no, until she told me we’d come back.

Author's Note

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Reviews

[Sarah McConnaughey]

This is a great story and keeps the reader's attention. Well done.

[Dearantlers]

Wow, you really kept me reading. I couldn't stop, and I can't wait to keep reading. This is soo good!!!!!

[Fire Tulip]

This is a really interesting mystery you have created. I can't wait to hear more! :)

[Becky C Strukamp]

Love this. You know how to write a story that holds ones attention. Excellent. I want to know more.