“I’ll call her again in a little while, okay? She can meet us and we’ll go get your ice cream.”
“We have to go back, Daddy. I’m supposed to help take care of the kitties. The mommy cat had babies!”
“Kitties—you mean kittens? Why should you take care of them? Don’t they have people to do that?”
Jamie squirmed around in the back seat, wiggling as much as the seatbelt allowed. “I like playing with the kitties. They’re little, and they squirm a lot when I pick them up, and they kiss me all over my face. And I get to chase them. It’s fun.”
“Later, Jamie. You can play with them later.”
“Where are we going? I’m not supposed to go any place without Mommy. I don’t want her to get mad at me. Maybe you should call her again.”
It’s okay. I’ll let Mommy know where you are, baby. We’re going to stop in a minute, and I’ll call her.” Does this child ever stop talking?
“Did you know I got to play with Otto?”
“Who’s Otto? Does he work for the Boudreaus?” Evan maneuvered around a slow-moving truck pulling a trailer. Something inside reeked, and he held his breath. The stench was enough to bring tears to his eyes. How could people stand living with the stench? He punched the accelerator, speeding away from the truck, continuing north and east. According to his map, it shouldn’t be too much farther until he hit one of the big interstates. He’d have a much better chance of putting some distance between him and Shiloh Springs once he hit civilization again.
“Daddy, is it time to call Mommy yet? She’s gonna be really mad at me. I wasn’t supposed to leave.” Jamie’s voice quieted, and he could barely hear her. “I disobeyed her, and went outside even though she told me to stay in the house. I wanted to see the kitties, but Nica told me to wait and she’d go with me, but she had to chase Otto. That was funny. I think Otto was laughing at her.”
Right, Otto the donkey.
A convenience store loomed up ahead in the distance, and within a few minutes, Evan pulled into the parking lot, easing the car around the side where no other cars parked. Jamie’s eyes darted around, taking in everything, but at least she’d stopped talking for the first time since she’d gotten in the car. He’d never realized how much the brat droned on and one. Then again, he’d stayed gone as much as humanly possible, so this might actually be normal behavior for her.
It was now or never. If he made the call, the state would tack on a half dozen or more charges to his record, including kidnapping, felony escape, and a laundry list of foul deeds. Didn’t matter the brat was his, he was an escaped convict, no longer a custodial parent. He shook his head. Why was he even debating the situation? His path was set the second he’d climbed in the back of Axel’s girlfriend’s car. No turning back.
Reaching onto the front seat, he picked up the cell phone and dialed. He’d been fortunate when he’d picked this car to steal. The owner’s cell phone must’ve slid out of her purse and wedged between the seats when she’d gotten out and got the groceries. He’d only found it when it rang. Scared the spit out of him, before he realized what it was. So, he had wheels and a means of communication. And now he had a hostage—his own daughter.
Steeling his nerves, he dialed Beth’s number. He knew she had the same cell number she’d had when they were married. His attorney had listed it on some papers in his briefcase, and Evan had spotted it, making a mental note.
He said a silent prayer Beth would cooperate—because there was no turning back now.
Beth jumped when her phone rang, and she snatched it from her jeans pocket, and answered, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.
“Mommy!”
“Baby, where are you? I’ve been so worried.”
“We’re going for ice cream. Daddy said it was okay, because he hadn’t seen me in a long time, and he wanted us to have a special treat. Are you coming, Mommy?”
A cold sweat broke out across her skin at her daughter’s words. Evan had Jamie! Her worst nightmare had come true. She watched Nica motioning wildly, trying to get her attention, but Beth ignored her, focusing all her concentration on her daughter.
“Of course! I want to have ice cream too, sweetie. Where are you? I’ll come meet you.”
“Um, I’m not sure, Mommy. It looks like—”
“Hello, Beth.” Evan’s voice was devoid of any emotion, monotone and cold.
“Where’s my daughter?”
“Our daughter.”
“You have no rights to Jamie. You signed the custody agreement voluntarily when you went to prison, remember. You relinquished all parental rights without a single regret. Those were your words, Evan. Remember? Just tell me what you want.”
“What do you think I want, Beth? I want what I should have had from the very beginning. Money. I worked hard for it. I’m the one who did all the research. I’m the one who figured out the bond was still valid. I’m the one who realized its true worth. I deserve every penny, and I intend to get what’s coming to me.”
“Oh, trust me, Evan, I’ll make sure you get everything coming to you.”
“Daddy, I think I want to go home now. We don’t need ice cream. I wanna see Mommy.” The confusion and fear in Jamie’s voice sent Beth to her knees. Her precious baby, in the hands of the man who’d tried to murder her sister,
