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The next morning, Bo returned to work as planned carrying with him the next piece of evidence in the kidnapping case...a second ransom letter found in his mailbox that morning. It read:
We will meet again on Thursday at 3:00. Bring $2,000,000 in a dufflebag to picnic area #7 by the Llantano River. As before, come alone. If you follow our instructions exactly, your grandson will be returned to you unharmed.
Bo sighed. Two more days without Drew. Two more days for Drew to be away from home and the ones who loved him. He had been missing for an entire week.
* * * * * * *
Nora’s plans to talk with Bo about her suspicions were foiled when he rushed back to work with the new ransom letter. But Nora couldn’t shake her premonitions about Michelle, so she decided to do a little investigating on her own. She pulled into The Willows parking lot at 12:45, right in the middle of the lunch hour. For a small, out-of-the-way restaurant, it seemed busy enough. Nora entered and made her way to the carry out line. She picked up and perused a menu while she waited her turn to order. Finally she stepped to the front of the line.
“Hello, and what may I get for you today?” asked the clerk behind the counter.
“Hi. I think I’ve decided on the turkey melt sandwich...actually I want two of the turkey melts. Then I would like a large garden salad with two bowls, please. And that will be all.”
The clerk, named Lauren, turned in the order. Then she turned and rang it up on the register. “13.86 please.”
Nora slipped her a twenty and asked casually, “So, is Michelle working today?”
“Michelle? Hmm. I don’t believe we have a Michelle working here. Is she a waitress?” asked the clerk.
“No,” replied Nora, “She’s a cook.”
Lauren laughed. “No, our owner, Mr. Corusko, is the day cook and his son is the night cook. He wouldn’t trust anyone else in his kitchen. He’s very fussy,” she whispered.
Nora smiled conspiratorially. “Well, maybe I misunderstood my friend, Michelle. I thought she said The Willows, but…”
“Afraid not. Sorry. Hope you find her.” said Lauren. “If you step down to the end of the counter, you’ll pick up your order there. Thanks and have a great day.”
Nora nodded, “You too.”
* * * * * * *
Nora opened Bo’s office door. “I come bearing lunch. Do you have time?” she asked.
“I’ll make time for you,” he said. “Come in.”
She approached his desk and gave him a quick kiss. “I brought you a sandwich and we’ll split this salad.”
“Looks good,” he commented. “Where’s it from?”
“The Willows,” she said.
He looked up.
“Yes, I went snooping for answers,” she said. “So shoot me.”
“Honey...you seem to be trying to build some kind of case against this girl...I don’t understand. Other than being a little stand-offish with us, what has she done?” Bo asked.
Nora gave Bo his sandwich and divided the salad before seating herself across from him.
“Okay. Maybe I’m just grasping for straws here...everything is circumstantial, I know. But, you’re always going on gut feelings, and that’s what I’m going on, so bear with me, okay?”
“I’m listening.” he said.
“Today I went to The Willows. Michelle doesn’t work there. That explains why she panicked when I mentioned us coming to The Willows for dinner. She has lied to Matthew...and to us...saying she has this extra job that is taking up her time. She doesn’t. So...if she doesn’t have the job, why did she lie about it and what is taking up her time?”
“Go on,” Bo encouraged.
“You know how she is so stand-offish with us? Well, if you remember, she wasn’t like that with Drew. She was always very warm with Drew, very sweet to him. I’m beginning to wonder if she was trying to get him to trust her. You know, when he was taken Destiny said she didn’t hear him cry out or anything. A three year old boy would call for his Mommy if somebody grabbed him unless he was unable to or…”
“Trusted the person taking him…” Bo finished.
“Yes! And, do you remember the night Matthew got the jumbled message from Michelle on his phone? He said that had happened a few times...you know how Drew likes to play with our phones. Remember the text he sent from my phone?”
Bo leaned back in his chair and looked at Nora.
“Bo, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that your gut feelings need to be investigated,” he said.
“Really? You think it’s enough to go on?”
“Yes. It’s all circumstantial, but it’s more than we’ve had to go on up to this point,” he said looking her in the eye. “We can’t bring her in for questioning or anything though. We have no grounds for that.”
“I know,” Nora said. “That’s why...” she hesitated before finishing her sentence, “...that’s why I’m going to follow her tonight when she gets off work at the hotel.”
Bo stood up immediately. “No, Red! If your suspicions are correct, following her could be dangerous. I won’t have you putting yourself in danger….”
“Oh, but it’s okay if you do,right? I have to sit by and watch you put yourself in danger, but…”
“Nora.”
“Seriously, Bo.” She watched him start pacing the floor. “I’m going to follow her to find out where she goes when she isn’t with Matthew or at this...false job she has claimed to have. I’m not going to let her see me and I’m not going to confront her. I just want to find out where she goes…”
He turned to look at her. “And if she sees your car?”
Again, she hesitated. Finally she said, “I rented a car.”
He shook his head. “So, you have it all figured out. You had all this planned when you came in here...you just wanted my blessing on it.”
“Well, that...and I wanted to see if you felt my thoughts had any basis for investigation.”
He sighed. A few moments later he asked, “What time do we pick up the car?”
“We?”
“Yes, we. I’m not letting you do this alone. I won’t take that risk.”
“Thank you.” She smiled in relief and went to him for a hug. “5:30. We pick up the car at 5:30.”
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