Page 3 of The Kidnapped

“We’ll send for the DNA results just to be sure, but based on your father’s fingerprints matching the ones he submitted when he worked as a janitor for the school system, we know he’s Joseph Richardson. Combined with what you’ve told me, it seems like you’re Hollis Richardson, Miss Ramsey,” he said with a sorrowful nod. “I can’t tell you what to do from here; you’re an adult now. But if you were a child, we’d return you to your custodial parent.”

“What happens to my dad?”

“We have him in custody,” the agent replied. “He’s cooperating and answering questions.”

“I want to get him a lawyer,” she said.

“He has a public defender with him.”

“Can I pay for someone for him?”

“That’s up to you and your father, really,” he said. “You can visit him, if you want. We’ll be extraditing him back to the US for his arraignment hearing, so if you want to talk to him before that, you should do so today or tomorrow.”

“Has he said why?” she asked, wanting to know the answer to that question more than anything.

“I’m not sure. I’ve been assigned to you. There are other agents speaking with him,” he explained. “If you’d like, I can take you to see him.”

She wanted to shake her head and tell the agent she didn’t want to see her father or talk to him ever again, but something in her forced her to nod instead.

The drive to where they were holding him was short, and she wished it had been longer. She needed more time to think about what to ask; what to say. She wasn’t sure if she hated the man, wanted to slap or shove him, or just wanted to hug him and tell him that she forgave him.

“Heidi? My God! Are you okay?” he asked the moment she entered the small interrogation room.

She didn’t say anything. She just stood there with her arms over her chest. Her father was still in his regular clothes, so at least she didn’t have to see him in some prison jumpsuit. When she did later, though, she’d have to deal with the fact that she’d been the one to put him in it. His beard was scragglier than it had been the last time she’d seen him. He’d always needed her to remind him to take care of himself. Who would do that for him if he went to prison?

“I’m fine,” she finally said.

It was then that she noticed that one of his hands was in handcuffs, which were attached to a small metal bar on the table. He hadn’t gotten up to hug her. That would be why.

“Heidi, sit down, please. Let me explain.”

“You took me,” she said. “You told me my mother was dead, and you took me from her.”

“Your mother was being unreasonable. She wouldn’t let me see you. The courts weren’t helpful. I tried, baby. I tried to get custody of you the right way. But when your mom and I divorced, they gave you to her and told me I had to get a better place, a job, and that I could only have supervised visits once every two weeks for two hours if I wanted to see you. I just wanted to see my daughter. Your mom wouldn’t–”

“You took me,” she repeated. “Dad, you kidnapped me, and you took me to another country. You told me my mother was dead. You changed my name. You moved us around because you–”

“I gave you a life, Heidi. I gave you a father. You–”

“You took away my mother,” she interjected. “Dad, she’s been looking for me for thirty years. How could you do that to her?”

“She took you from me,” he argued, practically spitting out the words.

“You still could’ve seen me. Maybe it would’ve gotten better. But you stole her only child from her, and we lived on the run. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“I did it for you, Heidi.”

“My name is Hollis,” she said.

“Your name was Hollis, yes. But your grandmother always thought you looked more like a Heidi, so when we left, I thought that name would work. And it suits you much better than Hollis, Heidi.”

“Dad, I cannot believe you did this,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “How could you?”

“I love you. You’re my only child. Your mother and I didn’t have a great marriage, and when it was over, she tried to spite me by keeping you. I–”

“God, who are you?” she interrupted. “I’m done,” she said to the officer standing at the door. “I’d like to leave now, please.”

“Sure,” he replied, pulling open the door for her.

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