โCrey, Sandra made contact with Scotland Yard,โ he said when Creighton placed the phone to his ear.โWhatโฆhowโฆwhen?โ The fear and the fatigue were gone in an instant as Creighton stood from his stool and paced to the sink, looking out at the single light left shining in the foyer of the home next door.โThey stopped at a diner outside Folkestone. She paid with her private credit card - weโve put a trace on it - and she managed to slip the waitress a note.โโWhat did it say?โ Creighton was already gathering his coat from the back of the stool and looking for his keys as they spoke, being pulled back around the corner of the kitchen door by the cord that connected the phone to the receiver.โIt said, weโre being kidnapped. Contact Andrew Ashford, Scotland Yard. Tell him to tell Crey Iโve got the watch. Does that make sense to you?โโGod bless you Sandra,โ he smiled, reaching for the phone on the counter. โSheโs wearing the watch my company developed. A prototype. Itโs a tracking devic
โYou canโt come in here,โ Sandra snapped as Morris took a step back. โThis is a womanโs bathroom.โโTelling secrets, are we?โ he said as he narrowed his eyes on the blonde, his hand reaching for the gun he had hidden in his jacket. Sandra saw Morris start to reach behind her back for the gun she saw hiding in the waistband of her pants. She had to think fast.โItโs impossible to communicate with her, even if I tried. She only speaks French and I donโt.โ Morris turned to Sandra, catching onto her diversion. Sandra just hoped the woman wasnโt as ignorant to the language as she was.โVous ne pouvez pas venir dans elle, ceci est le bathroom d'une femm,โ Morris snapped, and Sandra saw him relax his hand instantly, removing it from his jacket. โDehors!, sortez.โโShut up,โ Bachmeier snarled, taking a step toward her as though he intended to strike her.โNo,โ Sandra said suddenly, standing between them and holding her hand up to him. โDonโt you speak French?โโWhy would I want to know that
โShe said there were three officers with her and that you were armed,โ Sabrina said in a whisper so low, Sandra had to strain to hear her. โAndrew and Creighton are on their way to France and they know about the watch. Whatโs with the watch?โโItโs one of your brotherโs newest designs,โ she smiled, glancing at the face that glowed yellow. โItโs a tracking device. He knows where we are and heโs following us.โ Not a complete lie, she told herself, but it visibly made her sister-in-law seem less anxious.โWhy didnโt you let her save us?โ Sabrina asked as Sandra pulled her pants down and sat on the toilet.โWe have to see who is on the other end of those phone calls or weโll never be free of this.โโIโm really scared. What if he tries to shoot us, orโฆโ her voice failed as she thought about the lustful ways, he had been looking at her.โHe wonโt do anything,โ Sandra said, but she knew there really wasnโt a way to stop him if he had a mind to try. โHe wants the money from Creighton, and he
His voice was low but threatening and Sandra decided it was probably a good idea to do as he said, but not before folding her arms across her chest like a sulking child.โFine,โ she said with as much venom and irritation as she could summons. โBut I donโt think your partner would want to know youโre afraid of my husband.โ โI told you Iโm not afraid of anything, especially that farm boy.โโProve it. Stop and let us out. You can go find Creighton for yourself. Iโm sure the two of you can take himโฆor at least give it a good attempt.โโWeโre not ready to take him on just yet,โ the man snarled with a sickening grin. โHis time will come soon enough.โโWhatever,โ she said again. โIt just seems like a waste of time to me. This whole scenario is like a late-night movie. Youโre the muscles, heโs the brains and between the two of you, you may manage to shake things up a bit, but only until the cops find you.โโWhat do you know about any of this?โ he asked in an angry tone. โHeโs not the brains,
It was late night when the car pulled off the main road and into the parking stall of a small hotel, a short distance past a sign that read Beauvais. Sandra frowned. She had no idea where they were or why they were stopping, but the thought didnโt last long as Bachmeier checked his phone again, then climbed out of the car. He pulled the door open next to Sabrina so quickly, she nearly fell out, then grabbed her by the hair and stood her up.โGet out,โ he told Sandra, who bent over momentarily and picked up something from the floor as she scooted across the seat. He shut the door to the car and walked around the side of the building. He reached up above the small light hanging over a door with a faded brass letter F and smiled as he took the key from the top of the jam and unlocked the dirty handle.โInside,โ he told them, shoving Sabrina in after Sandra, nearly causing them both to topple to the floor with the impact.โWhere are we?โ Sandra demanded as he shut the door and flipped on
Sandra slipped a reassuring arm around the younger womanโs shoulders and hugged her to her chest. She needed to convince her to remain calm and try to relax as much as possible. There were plenty of times they could have escaped. Bachmeier really wasnโt as keen of a kidnapper as he would like to think, but she was determined to find out who this other person was.โWhat happened to your parents?โ she asked.โHe caught Dad outside and they struggled by the back door,โ Sabrina said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. โHe shot Dad, but I donโt think it was very bad. It just looked like he caught his shoulder.โโThank God,โ she whispered.โPlease, Sandra, letโs get out of here. Iโm really scared.โโI want to leave too, but we canโt,โ she said in a hushed tone. โWe need to stay with him for a while longer. Remember, Iโm armed, I can take care of him if we need to.โโHow is that possible when weโre handcuffed like common thieves?โ Sandra smiled brightly, raising her arms up to show Sabrina th
โI swear to God, sheโs not going to walk for a week when I get my hands on her,โ Creighton growled as he paced the floor of his private jet. Sitting on one of the sofas was Inspector Morris, her partner Boden Tabor, a small stalky man in his mid-thirties with bright red hair and a mustache, and Andrew. They watched in stunned silence as Creighton walked back and forth, running his large hands through his messy hair. Morris and Tabor had joined with the two after veering off their tail, allowing a second team to take their place to avoid raising Bachmeierโs suspicions. She had relayed the information Sandra told her and how she refused to leave until she knew what was happening. The news, however, did not set well with her husband.โMonsieur Ashford,โ Morris began, her tone calm, hoping to gain some sense of control in the room. โYour wife seems like a very intelligent woman. She picked up on an excuse immediately when that jerk interrupted us in the bathroom. Your sister said that sh
โI would be happy to if we were unfastened.โ Sandra smiled to herself as he moaned a bit louder, then walked to her side and slipped the small key through the lock and tossed it to the bed next to her. She was surprised that he hadnโt realized they were fake cuffs, and it made her wonder again where he had picked them up at.โThere, now shut the hell up.โ He lay back on the bed and pulled the pillow over his head. Sandra stared at him in amazement. They could walk right out the door and he wouldnโt bother trying to stop them. He had a hangover that would likely stun an ox, but she still was not in the mood to escape. Not just yet.โWe need to eat,โ she said, perhaps not as loudly as she would have preferred, but the words caught his attention, nevertheless.โHow the hell much does one person eat?โ he growled, tossing the pillow aside.โWe havenโt had any real food since yesterday afternoon,โ she began. โWhat do you expect?โโI suppose silence from you is too much to ask for?โโLet u
Sandra hung up the phone with a slam, then glanced to her grandparents who were sitting at the kitchen table. She was starting to get angry with all the rejections and dead-end avenues. She called Davies and told him she wanted him to get the plane ready to go to France, only to be told the police had restricted his flying. They were concerned that whomever it was that had killed her husband would try and sabotage the jet.She was getting frustrated and felt like she was being held back. If she didnโt know better, she would think she was being placed under lockdown. She could understand the policeโs concern, but she had more men around her then they had at Fort Knox, and she would be willing to take all of them with her if she needed to.โI canโt leave the house, I canโt go to France, I canโt even gather eggs,โ she grumbled as she joined the older couple. โWhat am I supposed to do? I canโt sit here and wait until doomsday to find out what happened to my husband.โโHoney, youโre going
The room was warm as the setting sun shone through the blinds. Two detectives sat on the sofa, watching as the man continued to pace the floor. Trying to keep him calm was growing increasingly harder with each hour.Creighton could only assume the horror his family was going through, not to mention Sandra. They had been having difficulties, but this made all of that seem trivial. He had to call her, he had to contact her somehow and let her know he was alive, but the police were refusing to allow him the chance. They had to keep him concealed for the time being, though it was steadily becoming impossible. The man was acting like a caged animal, anxiously trying to find a means of escape.โHow much longer do we have to sit here?โ he growled, looking to those gathered around.โWe need you to remain patient for a little longer,โ a bald-headed man told him. โMonsieur Ashford, we understand what youโre going throughโฆโโLike hell you do,โ Creighton snapped. โI have a pregnant wife at home w
โI know sheโll be happy when itโs over,โ Emma said, returning to the room, her eyes red from the tears sheโd been wiping away. โShe canโt let Brandon go to school, and she has to keep the children inside instead of letting them go out to play.โโIโm sure they are going stir crazy,โ Cathy said with a frown. โEspecially Grace. That little girl is used to having the freedom of the farm to run and play.โโThe only good thing is the weather,โ William told them. โItโs been really wet, and she doesnโt like getting her dresses dirty.โโSounds like her aunt,โ Andrew said with a soft chuckle.โMaybe we should take this meeting over to my sisterโs,โ Cathy suggested with a sideways grin.โLet me call Derek and Kristin,โ William said, standing and walking to the phone on the wall. โThey wanted to know what you found out.โโJust have them meet us at Sandraโs,โ Andrew told him. โWe can discuss this all there.โโI thought Sabrina and Irena would be here,โ Cathy said, looking at Emma who was wrapping
Parker and Harvey held off the reporters for as long as they could alone, then eventually had to call NHTโs security. Within a few short hours, there were enough burly looking men to scare off anyone trying to get near the house. Sandra kept her children inside, though it really wasnโt difficult. The rain had eased by supper, but just like the past several days, it picked up again this morning.Max growled as he laid of the entry. The noise of cameras clicking, and the soft hum of voices mingled among the breezes of the day. She had tried to watch television, but every station was reporting on the accident. Eventually, she had no choice but to surrender and put on Graceโs favorite princess movie. At least it kept them from listening to those who insisted that there was no hope in finding any answers this soon.Sandra drew a deep breath as she wiped the moisture from her forehead. She had decided to keep herself busy and baked two apple pies, along with nearly a hundred sugar cookies.
โNo, itโs about assuming you knew what I would want. You did this, claiming it was for us when it was for you. You canโt stand the idea that your little sister has something you never would. It was bad enough when I felt like I was competing with Creighton for your attention, but now Iโm watching you compete with Sandra for the mother of the year award.โโStop comparing me to Sandra!โ Cathy screamed. โItโs not my fault sheโs perfect. Sheโs always been everyoneโs favorite. I canโt tell you how many boyfriends Iโve dumped after I found out they were using me to get close to her. I didnโt want Creighton, but after he chose her over me, it made me angry. I was competing with her again, and she was too stupid to realize it. He chose that simple, no makeup, no fuss girl over me. She shares his bed, when Iโm a better lover then she would ever be. She has his money, his admiration, your parentsโ admiration, even my grandparents enjoy spending time with her over me. She even has a perfect body
โMaybe Michelle heard from him,โ the boy said hopefully.โI havenโt spoken with her, but I want to call in the morning. She may know something more than the police do.โThe two were silent for a long time as they considered their own thoughts, until Sandra realized the tea was gone. She looked to Brandon who looked like he was finally able to fall asleep, then stood and took the cups to the sink.โCome on, son,โ she told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. โLetโs see if we can get some sleep.โโMum, can I come sleep with you?โ Brandon asked once they reached the second floor of their house.Sandra smiled and hugged the boy, nodding as he looked up to her.โYou can sleep on your daddyโs side,โ she told him. โJust donโt tell him I let you in our bed. He may get jealous.โBrandon smiled as he walked with her into the bedroom. Sandra helped him between the covers and tucked him in, then left to check on Grace. The house was silent and soft snores of her little girl could be heard
Sandra paced her bedroom trying to stop her mind from racing through the events of the day. Derek had come home after his mother called him, insisting on picking up Brandon from school. Sabrina called to say the reporters were going crazy with the news of the Tornadoโs fire and that she and Giovanni would be home as soon as they could get there.Irena spoke with her parents and insisted on calling in a prescription for Sandraโs nerves, though she refused to use it. She needed to stay alert and concentrate in order to determine what was going on. The last thing she needed was to surrender to the effects of a drug.After speaking with Andrew, William informed the rest of the family about Cathyโs surgery, though he wouldnโt go into detail. He assured them he would check into the reports from his end and stay abreast of the investigation. Once Cathy felt like traveling, they would drive out to Yorkshire to be with the family.Nana tried to get Sandra to let her stay overnight, but she was
Sandra opened her eyes and looked around. She was in her bedroom, yet she couldnโt remember laying down. The house was silent and the soft pattering of rain outside reminded her that the dog had made a muddy mess of the entry. Then she remembered her grandfather and William coming over, and slowly began to piece together the last thing she remembered.There had been an accident on the Tornado and three bodies were found. She knew in her heart it wasnโt Creighton. She couldnโt even begin to guess who would have been on their ship, or how it ended up at sea, but she knew her husband wasnโt the one killed. Now all she had to do, was convince the others into believing her.Sandra stepped down the stairs to hear Grace talking to her great-grandfather, the dog running from one room to another as he chased his rope and the smells of food drifting out of the kitchen. She stepped into the living room and saw Papa sitting beside Grace, one of her own books open in front of him as he listened to
Sandra stared at the two men for a long moment as their words began to sink in. When she spoke with her husband earlier that morning, he was still at the hotel. He didnโt mention having plans of returning to the yacht. Why would he go back there when he told her he was packing to come home?Then she thought about the bodies found. One was female. Who was it? Did Creighton lie to her about not being involved with Garconโs assistant? Had he gone there to meet with her, perhaps a final rendezvous before coming home to his family?โDid you hear what we said?โ Papa asked her.โItโs impossible,โ she began, her anger taking over her words. Sandra looked down at Grace who was trying to wipe the muddy water from her little dress. She hadnโt understood what her grandparents were saying. All she cared about was her soiled outfit.โSweetheart, go upstairs and find a clean dress,โ Sandra told the little girl. โPut that one in the hamper and warsh your hands. Weโll make lunch when youโve finished.