Tracie Peterson (7 page)

Nine

W
hat do you mean she’s gone?” Riley questioned his wife.

A teary-eyed Zandy stood, arms akimbo, shaking her head. “I
don’t know. I just know that Pamela was with Ruth and me earli
er in the evening, but then she took her leave. I thought she’d gone to bed, but when I went up to check on her, she was gone. I’ve covered the entire house, Riley. She’s nowhere to be found.”

Riley crossed the room and took Zandy in his arms as she broke into sobs. “Hush, we’ll find her. You can’t get yourself all worked up. It might harm the babe, and you wouldn’t want that.”

“But I promised to look out after her,” Zandy said in between ragged breaths. “I promised Claudia Charbonneau that no ill would befall her granddaughter. I promised you that I could handle the situation. Now just look. For all I know she could be hurt or even dead!”

“Maybe she’s just found a way back to Bradley Rayburn,” Riley suggested. At this, Ruth stepped forward and agreed.

“That’s right, Zandy. You did say she wanted to get back to him awfully bad. So bad in fact, that the girl’s grandmother made you promise not to allow her any money, lest she buy a train ticket home.”

“I know,” Zandy replied, “but all of her things are still here. Pamela is too devoted to her looks and finery to leave it behind. She would have at least taken as much as she could carry. I checked her room, however. Nothing is missing. Her brushes and combs are still there. And all of her clothes are hanging in the wardrobe, except what she was wearing.”

“What was she wearing?” Riley asked. “We’ll need to get a description to the sheriff.”

“The last I saw,” Ruth replied before Zandy could, “she was wearing a white blouse and, I believe, a red skirt.”

“Burgundy,” Zandy corrected. “It was a burgundy color with black braid trim on the bottom.”

Riley led his wife to a brocade chair. “Sit here, and I’ll send someone down to the sheriff’s office. He’ll probably want to look around and see if there’s any sign of where she might have gotten off to.”

Zandy did as she was instructed. She’d no sooner taken a seat when a fluttering in her abdomen caused her eyes to widen.

“Oh!” she gasped in surprise.

Riley turned sharply to inspect his wife. “What is it? Are you in pain?”

Zandy laughed, amidst her tears, “No, I just felt the baby move!”

Ruth smiled, and Riley seemed stunned. “You felt the baby move?” he questioned.

“I’m sure that was what it was,” Zandy answered.

“It’s a good sign,” Ruth said, coming to pat her stepdaughter’s shoulder. “Maybe God has given it to you in order to help you concentrate on something other than Pamela. You need to rest and keep a happy heart for your baby’s sake, if not your own.”

Riley smiled and knelt down beside Zandy. He took her hand in his and kissed it gently. “You aren’t to blame for this. I could never hold you responsible for Pamela’s well-being. She’s much too headstrong, and we both know it. You have to stay calm for the baby. I’ll turn this town upside-down and, no matter how difficult the task, I’ll find her. You trust me to do that, don’t you?”

Zandy looked deep into the loving eyes of her husband. He gave her great confidence that there was nothing too big for him to undertake. “I do,” she whispered.

“Good. Now you and my son need to get to bed. It’s late, and nothing can be gained by your collapsing on the floor.” With that, Riley lifted Zandy into his arms and carried her down the hall.

❧

After seeing his wife to bed, Riley went alone to search the immediate grounds for Pamela. Perhaps she’d fallen asleep somewhere. Riley felt angry that she would be so heartless as to leave Zandy wondering and fretting over her safety. But, even if she had run off, Riley reasoned, he wasn’t about to let it bring harm to his wife and child.

Seeing nothing unreasonable, and no sign of a sleeping or otherwise entangled Pamela, Riley decided morning would be soon enough to bother the sheriff. Now, he only had to reason with Zandy and see to it that she kept herself from doing something foolish.

Before Riley could make his way from the house the next morning, a note was delivered by a young boy. Riley looked down at the paper addressed to him and asked the child who’d sent the letter.

“Don’t know,” the boy said with a shrug. “Somebody I ain’t never seen afore. Gave me a nickel and said I should bring this note to you in the mornin’.”

Riley opened the folded letter and read:

I’ve taken your wife because you don’t deserve her. If I’d known of your ways and how you planned to force her into a loveless marriage, I would never have let you take her. Now she’s safe and can make the choice for herself.

Riley reread it quickly, the truth only now starting to stink in. The boy was already halfway down the path, but Riley called him back.

“What did the man look like?” he asked the child and flipped him another nickel.

The boy’s face lit up as he caught the coin. “He weren’t any taller than you. He had brown hair. Jes sorta regular lookin’.”

“Nothing special about him?” Riley asked. “Think hard.”

“Nope,” the boy answered, shaking his head. “He was just a man.” Riley nodded and let the boy go.

“What’s your name, Son?” Riley thought to call out.

“Brian,” the boy answered. “Brian Masters.”

Riley wasted little time. He pushed the note deep into his pocket and went to saddle his horse. It was now all too clear that Pamela had been taken. But, Riley reminded himself with barely controlled rage, it was Alexandra the culprit had been after!

Riley explained the situation to the sheriff and gave all the details of Pamela’s disappearance before heading back to the mansion. He left out the news of the note, fearing that if he told anyone, word would get back to Zandy. He had no desire to further worry her with thoughts that someone was after her. Riley wondered what the kidnapper’s next step would be, once he realized that Pamela wasn’t who he thought she was.

At home, Zandy met him at the door and questioned him about his visit with the sheriff.

“Did you tell him that she might have run away?” she asked.

Riley put his arm around her. “No, I think you were probably right. I think someone has taken her.”

Burley and Ruth Stewart stood inside the library’s open doors. They exchanged a glance before Burley stepped forward. “What makes you so certain, Riley?”

Riley wouldn’t give away the fact that he’d received the note, but he had to offer something that seemed logical. “Zandy made a good point in regards to Pamela. She wouldn’t have left her things behind. Not only that, no money or horses are missing, and the things of value that she owned, like her silver comb and brush, are still on the dresser upstairs.”

Burley nodded. “You suppose that Rayburn guy came and took her?”

“I kind of doubt it,” Riley said with a sigh. Zandy lifted her face to note the weariness in her husband’s eyes. She thought she saw fear there too, but dismissed it as Riley continued, “I know Rayburn’s type. He’s probably already working on another conquest. That’s the trouble with young women of means. They often easily fall prey to undesirables who seek only their fortune. Pamela’s parents were probably well within their rights to be concerned for their daughter.”

“But what if he wasn’t like that? What if they really loved each other, Riley?” Zandy couldn’t help but ask.

“Then time and distance won’t hurt them, Love. Look what happened between us.”

Burley interjected, before Zandy could respond, “Besides, that really isn’t the issue here. The problem is that Pamela has disappeared, most likely not of her own will. It might be wise if we were to telegraph her parents.”

Riley agreed, but added, “I’d like to give it a day or two and see what happens. There’s no sense in worrying them if she turns up to have just wandered off in a pout.”

“Riley Dawson! Wandered off in a pout?” Zandy exclaimed indignantly. “What kind of woman do you think Pamela is, anyway? She wouldn’t leave us to worry like that.”

Riley felt the heat of her words, but didn’t dare explain that he wanted to see if the man who’d taken Pamela would return her when he realized she wasn’t Zandy. Riley shrugged his shoulders and gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I guess I put my foot in that one.”

❧

The days that passed waiting for word about Pamela were sheer torture for Zandy and the rest of the household. Riley seemed genuinely worried that Pamela hadn’t returned, or at least puzzled that they hadn’t received notice giving a clue to her whereabouts.

On the fifth day of Pamela’s absence, a letter arrived with the mail. It was from a kidnapper who demanded over one million dollars for Pamela’s safe return. Otherwise, the letter stated, she would be killed.

Zandy was present when the letter was received, and Riley, not knowing what the contents were, had no way to shield her from its impact.

“Dear Lord,” she whispered in prayer. Zandy landed on the floor at his feet.

“Alexandra!” Riley quickly lifted her into his arms. He carried her to a nearby sofa and laid her out. “Ruth!” he shouted into the air. He patted Zandy’s face and tried to wake her. He quickly read the note.

“What’s wrong, Riley?” Ruth questioned, half running into the room. When she saw Zandy, she emitted a cry of concern and hurried to her side. “What happened?”

“We had a note from Pamela’s kidnappers. Zandy read it before I could keep her from it. Next thing I know, she’s in a dead faint on the floor,” Riley explained.

“Stay here with her,” Ruth instructed. “I’ll get some smelling salts and a wet cloth.” Ruth hurried from the room to retrieve the needed items.

She came back quickly and handed Riley a cloth. “Here,” Ruth told Riley, “wipe her face with this.” He took it and touched it to his wife’s cheek, while Ruth waved the salts under Zandy’s nose.

A moan sounded from Zandy as she suddenly came to. She pushed away Ruth’s hand and tried to sit up. Riley kept a firm hold on her.

“You just took a nasty fall,” he said. “I think you should lie still.”

“What happened?” Zandy asked weakly.

“You fainted.”

Her stepmother’s words seemed to awaken her instantly.

“The letter!” she gasped.

“It’s all right,” Riley assured her. “You have to relax and let me take care of this.”

“But it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on bringing her along, she’d be safe back in Missouri with her grandmother. This is all my doing!” She shook her head from side to side, while tears streamed down her cheeks.

Riley took hold of her. “You’re always telling me you believe God is in control of our lives. You helped Pamela to God. Don’t you realize that she’s in His control, and He watches over His own? I know I’ve heard you declare the same thing on more than one occasion.”

Zandy heard the words, but refused to be comforted. “Sometimes we grieve God by interfering,” she protested. “You said I was sticking my nose in where it didn’t belong when we were back home. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if I’d just listened.”

“Maybe,” Riley admitted. “Then again, maybe it would have happened back there. We can’t second-guess this situation. Either you trust God to keep her in His care or you don’t. Is God any less God just because things aren’t going your way?”

“No, of course not,” Zandy conceded.

“Good,” Riley answered with a smile. “Now, I’m going to carry you upstairs, and I want you to stay in bed for the rest of the day. If you don’t, I know ways of putting you to sleep and insuring the matter.”

Zandy saw a bit of a twinkle in his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “Very well, Mister Dawson. I shall be an obedient wife.”

“That’ll be a first,” Riley said, lifting her in his arms.

❧

Zandy was true to her word and waited out the day in bed. In the days that followed the note’s arrival, she even tried her best to leave the entire matter in Riley’s hands.

Mostly she busied herself with Ruth and played with Molly and her brothers.

Riley was grateful for the reprieve from Zandy’s usual desire to help. He wanted very much for her to remain calm and at peace, but he knew she was worried for her friend.

Daily, he went to retrieve the mail, always looking for another letter from the kidnappers with further instructions. At one point, he was sitting and considering how he would approach the monetary demands when Burley entered and pulled up a chair.

“Any word yet?” he asked his son-in-law.

“No. I’m getting mighty tired waiting on it too.”

“Kidnappers are queer creatures,” Burley said with a shrug. “Who can know their minds?”

“I didn’t expect this, though.” Riley hadn’t intended to speak the words aloud.

“Why not?” Burley questioned. “You were, after all, the one that believed so adamantly that she’d been taken. You were sure of it, in fact, even when it didn’t seem all that sensible to me.”

Riley said nothing, hoping that Burley would drop the subject. He didn’t want to explain the first letter and cause Zandy’s father any undue worry. Still, there was the matter of the ransom note. Riley was completely baffled that a man who’d thought Zandy in trouble and wanted to help her out would turn kidnapper when he realized he’d taken the wrong woman. It just didn’t figure.

“You’re keeping something to yourself, aren’t you?” Burley asked seriously. “I think if it involves any of us here, you’d best come clean and share it with me.”

Riley ran a weary hand back through his dark hair. There really was no rea
son that he shouldn’t tell Burley. The man had a right to protect his family.

“A boy named Brian Masters brought me a letter the morning after Pamela’s disappearance. It explained why she’d been taken. That’s how I knew she hadn’t just wandered off or run away.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Burley questioned. His voice was edged with irritation. “Did you tell the sheriff?”

Riley shook his head and reached into his desk. From the very back of the drawer, he pulled out the letter and handed it to Burley.

Burley unfolded the note and quickly read the contents, then lifted his eyes to meet Riley’s. “He meant to take my Zandy?”