Page 4 of Kidnapping of a Myth

“No,” Bel lied, but Henry was deaf to her protests.

“Get out!” he spat. “Get out before you kill them.”

“Eamon, I trusted you!” Wendy shouted before Bel could defend herself. “I trusted you to save my brothers, and you drag your little flavor of the week into my home. How could?—”

“Think carefully about the next words that leave your mouth,” Eamon growled as he rose to his full height, his calm demeanor far more threatening than their rage, and Bel knew if she didn’t get control of the situation before it escalated, Michael and John were as good as dead. Their chances of survival this late into the kidnapping were already slim. They were non-existent if the only four people who could help them refused to form a united front.

“Shut up, all of you!” She lunged between the men, and everyone froze at the power in her tone. Bel currently lived in a smaller town, but her NYPD days had forged her into a womannot easily pushed around. “I understand your fear, but this situation is incredibly serious. You won’t like what I’m about to say, but since you refuse to call the police, you need to hear it from me. You want my help? It’s yours. I won’t leave this house until I find your brothers, but I won’t stand for this behavior. The fighting and insults end here. Do we have an agreement?”

Henry bristled, showing no signs of backing down as he scowled at her scars. Bel was accustomed to people under duress behaving poorly, but the superiority complex of this wealthy couple struck her as unnecessarily aggressive. She couldn’t decipher if it was because this family had something to hide, or if it was her lack of a badge. When she interacted with victims’ families as an officer, it inspired trust, but as Wendy so delicately put it, they assumed she was last night’s leftovers.

“Do we have an agreement?” she repeated, addressing Wendy instead. They were her brothers, and as the youngest of six daughters, Bel understood sibling bonds.

“Can you really get them back?” the blonde asked.

“I will do everything in my power.”

“What won’t I like?” Wendy pulled Henry to a seat, and Bel and Eamon followed suit.

“The lack of a ransom indicates this kidnapping isn’t about money,” Bel answered. “If The Tinker was after your millions, we could demand proof of life during the negotiations. Kidnappers looking for a massive payday are less likely to jeopardize their bargaining chips, but The Tinker hasn’t asked for anything. That’s cause for concern for two reasons. The first is this might be personal. Whoever this man is, his actions could be to punish you. He’s possibly someone you’ve wronged either professionally or personally, or someone who came across a detrimental secret he wishes to expose. People like that are far more difficult to deal with because they don’t care about money or resolutions. They want you to pay.”

“Why though?” Wendy begged. “Why punish me? I’ve done nothing worth exposing.”

“Has your company?” Bel asked.

“No. Eamon, tell her. The Darling corporations aren’t corrupt. My father would roll over in his grave if I destroyed his legacy.”

“I haven’t had dealings with your companies in a few years,” Eamon said, “but from my experience, the Darlings always conducted business honorably. I cannot personally attest to Wendy’s management, but if she’s like her father, I doubt there’s anything to expose.”

“It might not be professional,” Bel said. “What about a personal grievance or an ex-boyfriend? Someone who feels you or your family wronged him? Do either of you have enemies?”

“I don’t know,” Wendy sobbed. “I really don’t. I’ve been wracking my brain all morning, trying to imagine who would do this to my brothers, but I have no answers.” She dissolved into tears, collapsing into her husband’s arms, and Bel had the overwhelming urge to rub the younger woman’s back until Henry met her gaze.

“You said there were two reasons,” he said, and Bel froze, dreading his question. “What’s the second?”

“The Tinker’s video was a distraction.” She cleared her throat, an apology in her eyes. “Because the boys are dead, and the killer is making us chase a ghost without police aid so he can get away with it.”

Wendy screamed,doubling over as if she was going to be sick, and Henry threw Bel a scathing glare before wrapping his arms around his wife.

“We don’t know if that’s the case,” Bel added, missing Sherriff Griffin and her partner Olivia Gold. She realized she wasn’t handling this conversation with her normal decorum, but the shock of the situation had thrown her into the deep end without a life vest. It wasn’t Eamon’s fault. If he’d known Wendy’s emergency was a kidnapping, he would’ve undoubtedly kept her far from this house, but she was in the thick of it now.

“We don’t have enough information to identify the kidnapper’s motives, but you should be prepared,” Bel continued, trying to regain control of the chaos. “I need you tounderstand the gravity of this situation because we’ve already lost valuable hours. We can’t afford to waste anymore, so no matter how painful it might be, I need your honesty and cooperation.”

“They can’t be dead!” Wendy wailed, and Bel threw Eamon a‘help me’expression. The second this couple had regarded her with disgust, she’d slipped off her game, and she wasn’t sure how to navigate the judgmental wealthy without her badge, especially so soon after her own ordeal.

“The Tinker threatened harm if you called the police, and you didn’t.” Eamon came to her rescue. “His phrasing implied the boys are alive, so there’s hope. Bel's expertise is crucial, and while I realize you’re terrified, she can’t sugarcoat your situation. You chose not to call the authorities, so we’re all you have. It might not be comfortable, but let Bel help you. Can you do that?”

Wendy nodded, wiping her face on the sleeve of her expensive blouse as she met Bel’s gaze. “Do you agree with him? Do you think his threat means my brothers are alive?”

“I hope so,” Bel whispered, knowing you never promised the victim’s family an ending you couldn’t deliver. “And until proven otherwise, I’m going to operate under the assumption that they are.”

“Okay.” Wendy nodded. “So, what do we do now?”

“We start at the beginning,” Bel answered. “Start with the days leading up to your visit, and end with this morning. Was this a planned or impromptu trip, and who knows you’re here?”

“Everyone does,” Wendy said. “They don’t know the specifics, but this visit isn’t a secret. As I said earlier, this estate has been in my family for generations, and ever since my parents passed, I bring my brothers here so we can spend uninterrupted time together.” She slipped her hand into Henry’s and gave him a sorrowful smile. “Our wedding is next month, but because my marriage has financial and political implications, it’s turned intoa circus. It’s less about us and more about signing contracts and inviting the right guests. It’s overwhelming, so Henry suggested we elope. We pulled John and Michael out of school and turned this getaway into a private wedding. We didn’t tell anyone, not even the boys until they arrived Friday night. Saturday morning, we got married, and then we spent two days celebrating until my brothers left last night. Henry and I planned to staycation honeymoon here for the rest of the week. We’re taking an extended yacht cruise after the wedding, but this was supposed to be a romantic way to relieve the pressure. It was absolutely beautiful too… until that email.”

“Congratulations,” Bel said with a soft smile. “And I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

---