Snatched

by Kali Boykin

The blonde woman gave the distraught lady a cup of tea and a worn

blanket. The lady took it gratefully gripping the mug with both hands and

letting the warmth of the cup sink in her body.

“Why don’t we go into a quieter place?” The woman asked looking around and

hearing all the noise in the station. The lady got up, the blanket still around

her shoulders and with the mug still in her hand as she followed the woman. They

walked into an empty interrogation room and the woman held it open for the lady

closing the door quietly behind them. The room was cold and the floors and walls

were dirty and gray. There was an old metal desk and two metal chairs on

opposite ends of the table. A plexiglas window provided the only light inside

the room. The lady pulled out her chair and sat tugging the blanket tighter

around her shoulders as the woman sat down across from her. She got her notebook

out and a pen, flipping open her notebook she looked over at the lady took her

hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I’m Detective Daniel’s” the blonde woman said. Just as she said that the door

opened and in walked a big burly man with short black hair and a black scruffy

mustache. He was carrying a chair and set it down next Detective Daniels. The

man sat back with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

“This here is my partner detective Fullerton” she explained jabbing her thumb in

the direction of the man. He just nodded not taking his eyes off of the woman.

After a few seconds of silence detective Daniel’s spoke up.

“Ok Mrs. Hart start from the beginning”

…………………….. 

It was the middle of the afternoon and Cecilia was stuck at home with Conner.

Tim was supposed to have been home by noon and he wasn’t home yet. She was just

about to call him when the phone rang.

 “Hello?” She said

“Honey I’m so sorry but I have a ton of work at the office and I won’t be able

to make it home”

“Tim you promised! You said you would be home, what am I supposed to do with

Conner? I have to turn in the rough draft of my book by my deadline” Cecilia

explained exasperation in her voice.

“Cecilia I’m sorry but I just can’t do it, why don’t you take him to the park or

something?” He suggested hurriedly.

“Tim I…” but it was too late he had already hung up. I turned to Conner who was

coloring quietly at the kitchen table. She walked over to him.

            “Hey sweetie,” Cecilia said putting on an enthusiastic smile. He

looked up from his drawing at her.

            “Look what I drew mom!” He exclaimed putting down the red crayon and

holding up his paper. She glanced at it distracted.

            “That’s nice honey. Hey how would you like to go to the park?”

Cecilia suggested. He clapped his hands excitedly.

            “Yay I love the park!” Conner exclaimed sliding off the seat.

             “Go get your coat and meet my by the door” she told him as he ran

off.  Ten minutes later and Cecilia had gathered her laptop and her and Conner

were headed out the door. 

            Cordonicies park was a rather big park and was most famous for its

huge, long winding slide that you slid down with a big piece of cardboard. It

had a big grassy area and tons of pretty tree’s. There were two playgrounds, a

gated off area for the little kids with a play structure and sandbox and the

bigger area with the long slide and swings. There was a tunnel that led off into

a beautiful rose garden and there were hiking trails that lead to various

places.

            Cecilia and Conner had gotten to the park around noon. The park was

filled with noisy, screaming little kids going up and down the slide. Conner had

run ahead of her as soon as they had gotten out the car, and he was already

halfway down the grassy hill.

            “CONNER!” Cecilia yelled making him stop quickly and turn around.

            “Stay in the little kid’s area” She explained as he nodded in

understanding and she watched him unlatch the gate and go inside. Cecilia picked

a shady spot underneath a tree since it was hot, and sat down powering on her

laptop and beginning to work on finishing her book. She had been working for a

good few minutes when she looked up from her computer, scanning the park for

Conner’s mess of red hair. Thinking he had gone up to the top of the slide she

picked up her computer and walked up to the top. Cecilia looked around the clump

of screaming, arguing kids but didn’t see Conner.  She began to panic when she

didn’t see him in the little kid’s yard. She quickly got up dropping her

computer and going down the hill looking around the whole park and yelling his

name with no answer back. Her heart began to race as all sorts of thoughts ran

through her mind. Cecilia searched every inch of the park all the hiking trails

and

even in the rose garden but didn’t see her little boy. She began asking around

the park.

“Have you seen my little boy? He’s 5 years old? Long, light red hair?” She asked

everyone repeating the question again and again but only getting sorrowful looks

and shrugs. Cecilia didn’t leave the park until really late.  Finally she called

Tim hoping that he would know what to do.

“What?” He asked picking up the phone on the first ring.

“Tim its Conner. I took him to the park and now he’s gone!” The line went quiet

for a few seconds.

“What do you mean he’s gone, what happened?” He asked sounding more alert.

“Conner and I went to the park and while he played I worked on my book and when

I looked up to check on him he was gone!” She exclaimed.

“Ok Sweetheart go to the station and I’ll meet you there” He said reassuringly.

She nodded finding comfort in his words.

……………………………..

            Cecilia finished her story, looking out the window at the rain that

had started pouring down heavily.

            “My baby, He’s probably wet and cold and hungry….” She began,

trailing off and tearing up again.

            “Ms. Hart you mentioned that your husband told you to come here and

that he would meet you?” Detective Fuller asked. Cecilia looked at him and

nodded solemnly.

            “Where does he work again?” Fullerton asked.

            “Umm just a few blocks from our house, when I got pregnant he moved

to another office so he could be closer to us” She explained. Just then a short,

stocky, muscular officer came into the room carrying a plastic bag. He handed

the bag to detective Daniel’s who took it gratefully.

            “Thank you Rufus” the man nodded and quickly left the room as his

walkie-talkie crackled to life. Cecilia’s eyes were on the bag wondering what

could be in there. As if reading her mind Detective Daniel’s answered her

question.

            “This is something that the detectives picked up from your house

that could possibly bring us closer to finding Conner.” She explained as she

pulled a medium sized white paper out the bag and laid it on the table.

Detective Fullerton periodically checked his watch from where he sat next to his

partner. As soon as she put it on the table Cecilia recognized it.

            .

“Ms. Hart do you recognize this picture?”

“yes…Yes I do. It was the one Conner was drawing before we left for the park”

Cecilia explained touching the picture and picking it up. The door opened and

closed again and in walked Tim. Cecilia looked up from the paper and her eyes

lit up at the sight of him.

            “Oh Tim!” She cried running into his arms and laying her head on his

chest. He patted her head softly in comfort. Detective Fullerton eyed Tim

suspiciously.

            Cecilia pulled away from Tim and both Detectives got up extending

their hands and introducing themselves. All four of them sat down once more and

Detective Daniel’s directed their attention back to the picture. Cecilia picked

up the picture and studied it.

            “This is obviously me and Tim and Conner” she explained pointing to

the three stick figures on the paper.

            “Who’s this?”  Detective Fullerton asked pointing to an additional

figure drawn in the middle of Conner and Tim. Cecilia picked it up astonished.

            “I….I have no clue” she responded handing the picture to Tim who had

gotten wide eyed. Detective Fullerton upon seeing this raised a curious eyebrow.

Tim’s quick change of expression added to his already growing suspicion about

him.              

            “Mr. Hart where were you this whole time?” He asked looking at him

with cold, unfaltering eyes. Tim looked at directly at Detective Fullerton.

            “I was closing my office down so I could rush down here to be with

my wife” He explained in a cold tone.

            “And where did you say you worked again?” Detective Daniel’s asked,

looking up from the picture she was studying.

            “On thirty second street, a couple blocks from my house.” Detective

Fullerton nodded as he glanced at his watch. 

            “Detective Daniel’s how long does it take to get from the Harts

house to the police station?” He asked not taking his eyes of Tim once. She

looked at her own watch before answering.

            “About ten minute’s tops” Detective Fullerton nodded in agreement.

Cecilia was watching with wide eyes as Detective Fullerton questioned her

husband.  Fullerton looked at his watch once more.

            “So your wife came in to the station at around twelve twenty,

claiming that you told her you were coming right over to meet her here.

Correct?” He asked in a harsh tone. Tim just nodded, his once warm brown eyes

now cold and angry.

            “Detective Fullerton, now just what are you suggesting?” He asked

annoyed and angry.

            “I’m suggesting that you know exactly who this woman is and that you

told your wife to come here to get her out the way with no intention of leaving

work and coming straight here” Fullerton explained never taking his eyes away

from Tim.

            “What? You have no right I fully intended to come--” Tim began

before an officer came into the room once more this time carrying a long yellow

sheet with him. He handed it to Detective Daniel’s and left the room.  Detective

Daniel glanced at the paper and looked up at Tim.

            “These are your phone records.” She explained watching as Tim

stiffened and a look of worry passed his face.

            “You want to know what I think?” Detective Daniel’s asked.

            “I think that Tim. You’re having an affair with another woman and

that it’s been going on for quiet some time now. I also think that your wife

Cecilia had the child that your mistress could never have. So you came up with

this brilliant plan to take Conner and your mistress and leave the country”

Fullerton accused. Cecilia looked from Tim to the detectives.

            “Is this true Tim? You were planning to take my boy and leave the

country with another woman?” She began moving away from him quickly. She

searched his eyes, looking for something that would tell her otherwise but only

saw the truth. He reached out to touch her but she moved away.

            “How could you? That’s MY son not that bitch’s son MINE!” she yelled

getting up abruptly and moving to the corner of the room. Tim looked at both

detectives.

            “You have no proof” He said crossing his arms in satisfaction

knowing that he had gotten them. Fullerton and Daniel’s looked at each other and

smiled knowingly.

            “Oh but we do” Fullerton said getting out the clear bag the picture

had been in and opening it up again.

            “You see when our officers searched your house we found two first

class, one way ticket to New York, Conner hart and Tim Hart printed on them. We

found no ticket for Ms. Hart which we found odd.” Fullerton explained. Daniel’s

spoke up, taking over the story, her eyes on Tim the whole time.

            “When we saw the picture that Conner drew of his family plus the

lady holding your hand we concluded the mistress. We then decided to pull the

cell phone calling log to confirm it and found a number of late night calls to a

Theresa Watson. We then found that you called ms. Watson at around noon the same

time that your wife and son were to be at the park, you told them where they

would be so that she could kidnap him. We tracked her down and that’s where we

found the last ticket and the missing piece to the puzzle” Daniel’s finished.

Tim looked at them both a smirk still on his face.

            “Where’s Conner?” He asked. Cecilia straightened up and looked

straight at Tim.

            “I swear to god if you hurt my boy--” She began before Daniel’s

stopped her.

            “Ms. Hart it’s ok we have him” she explained. Cecilia looked up at

her and smiled thankfully. Just then the door opened and in walked an older

woman, her graying hair in a tight bun. She was holding Conner’s hand. As soon

as Cecilia saw him she ran to her boy scooping him up into a hug.

            “Are you ok? Did they hurt you?” she asked franticly searching for

scratches. Satisfied she then turned to the detectives, making sure to avoid eye

contact with her husband all together.

            “Where was he?” She asked in a strained voice as she tried to hold

back tears of joy.

            “She was with Theresa” Fullerton said watching as Cecilia’s eyes got

big. Before she knew it Cecilia had went over to Tim and slapped him so hard

there was a huge red mark across his face.

            “How could you?” She asked shaking from anger.  Tim’s head was hung

low, a look of pure defeat in his eyes as he looked up at her. With nothing else

to say to him she took her sons hand and left the station.