Page 288 of Nobody's Girl

“I don’t have any of the information you want,” Brady lies. “I’m buzzed in at the gate and I stay in the kitchen. I can’t help you. So just let me take Karen.”

Stiles gets a smile on his round, red face. “I guess you better go find that stuff out, then, because I’m keeping her until you do. As a matter of fact, you have until nine tonight to get me that information, or you can look for her on the street,” Stiles informs him.

Brady shoves Stiles to the ground and runs into the house, calling out Karen’s name. Suddenly, Stiles is behind him. His demeanor is unbelievably calm for someone who just got shoved to the ground. He’s still smiling.

He sneers at Brady. “You must think I’m an idiot. She isn’t here. Now go get what I want.”

Brady goes back to his car and drives away. I can actually feel the pain in his chest. Random thoughts are running through his mind. He’s torn between his allegiance to us and his love for her.

The scene changes again. It’s dark. A light goes off as his cell phone buzzes on the table beside his bed. “Hello?” he says.

“This is Doctor Jones at the Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital in New Orleans. I’m looking for Brady Mathews,” a voice tells him over the phone.

“That’s me.”

“A Karen Stiles has asked me to call you. She was raped and beaten, then left for dead in an alley in town. She said she needs to talk to you,” the doctor tells him.

“Okay, can you put her on the phone?”

“Brady?” Karen says weakly.

“Karen, oh my God! What did he do to you?”

“Brady, it was bad. I don’t know what he asked you to do, but can you please do it? He told me to tell you that if you don’t get it done, he’ll come to the hospital and kill me.”

“Okay, Karen, I will. Get better, you hear me? I love you. I’ll come see you soon.”

“I love you too, Brady. Please just do what he asks.”

He turns the light on, writing the code to the gate and drawing a map of the house, putting an x on our rooms and on the balcony doors. Then he walks outside, placing it in his mailbox.

I pull my hand away from his head. Slowly, I go to my knees in front of him. I take his chin in my hand, bringing his face up to look at me. His eyes are void of any expression. It’s as if a major piece of his soul is gone.

“Brady, I forgive you. I won’t let them do anything to you. Now, please talk to us, so we can stop this man,” I tell him.

As I stand up, he keeps his eyes on mine. “You forgive me?” he asks hoarsely. “Why would you ever do that?”

“You would’ve never done this on your own. He made you do it. You felt you had no other choice. You couldn’t see him kill Karen. I wish you would’ve come to us in the beginning, as we could’ve helped you and her before this happened. Now please tell us how he came to know what Eden and I are?”

“I didn’t know he knew that. That’s terrible. He must’ve overheard us talking in the kitchen when he snuck into the mansion that morning. My only contact with him after I left the note was yesterday when he called me. I guess he follows me, because he called my cell phone right after I got here yesterday. He told me I had to get him in here or he would kill Karen. I’m so sorry. You don’t know how sorry I am. I have to be punished for what I’ve done. Don’t drop the charges. I must pay for my crimes against you,” he begs me.

I hold my hand out to Eden, sharing with him what I saw in Brady’s mind. “There will be no charges, Brady. My wife and I forgive you. You’ve already suffered, as I feel your heart is heavy for what’s happened to Karen. I want you to move forward with your life with her. We’re going to make sure she gets better. The two of you should live a happy life from here on out. Once she’s had counseling, if you so wish it, she can join our organization,” Eden tells him.

My father opens the door. “You can take the cuffs off of him now, officer. There’ll be no charges pressed on him,” he tells them.

They look surprised, but do as my father has told them to. They look at Eden and me, I guess to be sure this is something we really want. I nod my head yes at them. They turn and leave as Lyle walks them out.

Brady rubs his wrists. “I can’t thank you enough, Mr. and Mrs. Fontaine. What can I do to help you catch him? I’ll do anything.”

“You need to let him know you can deliver my wife to him,” Eden states, shocking us all.

“Have you thought this through, Eden?” my father asks, with concern.

“Not entirely, sir, no,” he answers truthfully. “I just know we have to take control of this situation. He wants Alyssa, so we need to use that information to catch him. Brady can trick him into thinking Alyssa is going somewhere by herself, or going to be here by herself. Stiles will try to get to her if he thinks that. Only she won’t really be alone. With your help, and everyone else’s, sir, we can figure this all out.”

Dad claps Eden on the shoulder. “Then I guess it’s time for us to brainstorm,” Dad tells us as he motions for us to follow him.

As we walk into the living room I see Kyle and Laura sitting side-by-side on the sofa. Our mothers sit across from them on the other sofa. Kyle stands up when we enter the room. He’s looking at Brady, then he looks at my father.