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Carol was crying once again, as she claimed it had all been Tom’s idea.
“Tom had gotten drunk one night at the club and was complaining that he didn’t even have enough money for our honeymoon. He says a guy approached him and told him that if he could get his hands on a young kid, one under the age of five, that he could make an easy twenty grand. Cash. The guy promised us that the kid would go to a nice family. One that couldn’t have kids.” Carol sniffled into a tissue. Jamerson waited patiently. “When that couple came in—”
“The Harpers?” Jamerson asked.
Carol shrugged. “I don’t remember their names. Anyway, they had three other kids running around. They barely paid any attention to that little boy.”
“Their two-year-old? William?” Jamerson asked, once again using names, making it personal when Carol didn’t.
Carol shrugged again. “It was easy enough. We saw them take the kids back up to their room that evening after swimming. But when they came down with only their older kids, we figured they’d left the baby upstairs sleeping.”
“Whose idea was it to make a copy of the room key and sneak upstairs and take the kid?” Jamerson asked.
“Tom’s. It was all his idea. I stayed downstairs. I swear it.” Carol cried again.
“That’s not what your husband said. He says that the two of you agreed that a man carrying a sleeping kid would draw unwanted attention. But a woman…”
Carol cried some more, then nodded. “Oh, right. Yes, now I remember. He forced me to go upstairs and kidnap that child.”
Jamerson sneered but Carol didn’t see it since her face was buried in a tissue again.
“What did your husband force you to do next?” Jamerson asked.
Carol snapped her head up, appearing as if she was going to argue, but then looked back down at her hands.
“I took the baby and moved him into the backseat of my car. We had some cough medicine, and we used a dropper to give him just enough that he would remain asleep for the half hour until we got off work. Then we left before the family even went back upstairs from their dinner.”
“What next?” Jamerson asked.
“Next, we took him to the docks and left him in the boat. That was all. We never harmed him. We made sure he was breathing and everything. I swear it.”
“What about the teenagers?” Jamerson asked.
“I don’t know anything about teenagers. I swear it. If Tom did something more… That’s on him.” Carol made this statement firmly as her eyes locked with Jamerson’s. This time, she was telling the truth.
He had just shut his computer down when a knock sounded on his bungalow door.
Glancing around to make sure his work wasn’t exposed, he went and opened the door to Josie.
“Oh, I was hoping Jade was here. She was going to meet me for dinner break.” She looked around. “She’s not here,” she added with a frown.
“No,” he said. “Have you tried calling her.”
“Yes, she’s not answering, which led me to believe the two of you were… busy.” She smiled.
“Nope.” He shook his head.
Josie narrowed her eyes and slowly crossed her arms over her chest. “Spill.”
He arched his eyebrows slightly. “There’s nothing to…” Jade’s eyes narrowed even more. He sighed. “We’re close. Close enough that I might be moved any day now.”
“Which means…” Josie asked.
“I can’t—” He shook his head. “No, I won’t be responsible for breaking Jade’s heart.”
“Right,” Josie said slowly. “And you think that… what?” She waved her hands. “Pulling away from her in the last hour will stop her heart from breaking?”
He thought about it and then swallowed. Hard. “Hell.”
