Page 11 of Rescuing Sara

“Sara stopped and talked to whoever was in the driver’s seat,” Mrs. Everett said quickly. “At least it looked like that’s what she was doing from where I was standing. Then the back door opened, she climbed in, and they drove off.”

“She wasn’t forced or pulled into the car?” Father Ryan joined in the questioning. “She didn’t scream or yell for help?”

“No, Father. Like I said, she talked to someone in the car and then got inside.”

“You saw Sara get into that car twelve days ago instead of her going on to her home, learned she was missing and you’re just now saying something?” Danni shouted. “We’ve been sick with worry, and you didn’t tell anyone? Not her grandfather or at least the police? What kind of monster are you?”

“And why are you saying something now?” Patrick advanced toward the now cowering Mrs. Everett and stopped behindDanni’s chair. “You say your husband doesn’t want you to get involved with your neighbors’ business. Why the change of heart?”

Tears streamed down Mrs. Everett’s rouge-stained cheeks, and she bowed her head. “I have a granddaughter who comes to see me almost every weekend,” she said, her words a half-whisper. She’s ten-years-old, like Sara. I started thinking, what if someone has been watching my house and knows when she is coming? What if someone sees her and takes her like they did Sara?”

“So, you think Sara was taken,” Danni accused.

The color fled Mrs. Everett’s face, making the smeared rouge stand out like a clown’s make-up. “No! That’s not what I meant to say–”

“Too late, Mrs. Everett,” Patrick pronounced. “You just let the cat out of the bag.”

“So, now, after all this time and you’re afraid for your family, is when you decide to say something,” Danni accused. “In all this time have you given even one thought as to what might be happening to Sara?”

She shot up, sending her chair to the floor and would have grabbed Mrs. Everett had Patrick not wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back.

“Come with me, Christine,” Father Ryan said, taking the now wailing Mrs. Everett by the arm and leading her from the study. Only until after he was gone, did Patrick say, “Much as I’d like to let you, promise me you won’t go after her and throttle her.”

“I should,” Danni snapped, struggling against his grip. “She deserves to be throttled. But I won’t. Can you let me go now, please.”

“Promise?” His grip tightened ever so slightly.

“Yes.” At his release, Danni jerked away just as Father Ryan returned.

“I took her to her driver and told him after making her confession, she was feeling very guilty and been given a very severe penance,” he said grimly. “As she should. What a mess.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Danni huffed. “And because she didn’t share this with you in the confessional, you can talk to the police, right?”

“Absolutely,” the priest confirmed. “In fact, when she told me it was about Sara, I insisted she tell me in here. But I have Mass at noon and more confessions to hear after that so I can’t go to the police just yet.”

“We’ll tell the police, Father,” Patrick said. “We’ll go right now. Too bad she didn’t get a license plate number.”

“I asked her for details about the car,” Father Ryan said. “That’s all she could remember seeing. And in her defense, from where she was standing, she was too far to see a license plate.”

“But how can she not have told the police what she saw?” Danni fought to return her voice to a normal level. “And why is she so afraid of her husband? We’re talking about a missing, very likely kidnapped ten-year-old child! This is the twenty-first century for Heaven’s sake!”

“Her husband is very old school when it comes to marriage,” Father Ryan explained. “Wives submit yourself to your husbands in the strictest sense. He pretty much runs her life and that driver of hers spies on her for Everett. I’m surprised Everett lets her leave the house to come to church and then only for early Mass on Sunday. She always insists on being introduced as Mrs. Franklin Everett, which is surprising, considering how young she is.”

“And what does this paragon of a husband do?” Patrick asked.

“He’s a senior VP atLa Belle Monde. What’s wrong, Danni?”

“Ed Turner, Sara’s grandfather works for La Belle Monde,” Danni told him. “He’s their Chief Financial Officer. Working atthat level, he must know Mr. Everett, who must know about Sara’s disappearance. And they live on the same street? Doesn’t that seem awfully coincidental?”

Suspicion replaced Father Ryan’s angry expression. “What are you saying, Danni?”

“I don’t know,” Danni admitted. “But I think the sooner we talk to Sergeant Miller the better.” Gathering up her purse, she said, “Thank you, Father Ryan. This is an enormous help.”

“I don’t know about that,” Father Ryan sounded regretful. “All I did was call you.”

“We know that Sara willingly got into that car,” Patrick said slowly, as if considering the facts. “That means she knew the driver and maybe whoever else might have been with them.”

Concern darkened the priest’s eyes. “You know,” he said softly. “I think that scares me even more than thinking a stranger somehow grabbed Sara and forced her to go with them.”

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