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THIRTY
The moon hung outside the broken windowpane like a giant beachball. Lonnie was looking at it, imagining he could reach out and touch it but knowing it was a fool’s errand to try. But this, what he was doing with this girl, had to work out. It just had to. He was done waiting for his time to come. He was seizing the day.
The girl was asleep next to Dennis, who had also nodded off. As they say, good help is hard to find. His friend had good intentions, as stupid as he was. Probably the only reason he kept him around. That and possibly some modicum of loyalty.
Lonnie pulled out his phone and woke the screen. It was approaching five in the morning, and a fine time to call the girl’s mother. She’d probably been up all night trying to chase down leads to find her daughter. Her nerves would be shattered, and she’d be tired and vulnerable. Hopefully malleable and in a cooperative mood.
He called Sandra’s number, something he’d obtained from the girl. He smiled imagining her reaction to hearing her phone ring and seeingBlocked Number. It rang twice before it was answered. Silence.
So she was playing a game too… “Do you know who this is?”
“Lonnie Jennings.”
Her voice was calm and cold. It was also level, like the welfare of her child wasn’t at stake. She knew his name, something he wasn’t sure she’d figure out this fast. He may have underestimated her, but he wasn’t about to give up. He was already in too deep. If you take a fed’s kid, you commit to seeing it through. “You know who I am already. Kudos.” He hated himself for acknowledging this much and wished he’d just kept quiet or got to the point.
“You’ve taken my daughter. You don’t have a criminal record. If you return her safely now, we can work something out. I’m sure that Dennis doesn’t want to go back to prison either.”
So she knows about him too…Lonnie looked over at Dennis, who had a trail of drool in the corner of his mouth. She certainly didn’t waste time making her request. She’d even disguised it as concern for his welfare. He was pleased he’d recognized this. “Always the negotiator, I see.”
“So you know I’m a negotiator with the FBI?”
She was still cool and collected, and he was finding it unsettling. He had her daughter. She should be terrified and unhinged, willing to do whatever he asked of her. “Listen closely. You fucked everything up at that parole hearing, and this is your penance. But you have a chance to make things right.”
“Tell me how, and I’ll do what I can. But before I do anything, I need to know that she’s still alive.”
He looked over at Olivia, whose head was tipped forward, her chin to her chest. “Very well.” He walked over and grabbed a mittful of her hair.
Olivia screamed so loudly, the gag barely muffled her outcry of pain.
“You hear that? It’s your precious little girl. Is that enough proof for you?” Lonnie asked this as he stared into the teen’s eyes. He’d kill her if he had to. No compunction. He’d lost hisconscience with his baby teeth. After taking her, he regretted not breaking the law more often. It was exhilarating.
“I want to talk to her.” The woman’s voice remained level.
Lonnie removed the gag from Olivia’s mouth.
“Mom!” the teen shouted, and he replaced the gag.
“You’ll have to take that as proof.”
A minuscule stretch of silence, then, “Tell me what you want.”
“Happy that we’ve come to an understanding. You do as I want, then I’ll return your girl to you. You don’t, then she will die. Painfully.” He was smiling, unable to help himself. As often as he could twist the blade, he would. Figuratively and literally. He had a gun, but he could switch things up.
“Tell me what you want,” she repeated.
He didn’t miss the fact she made no promises, but her phrasing and tone were misleading as if that was implied. For now, he didn’t care. Saving her daughter should be motivation enough. “You need to get Darrell out of prison.”
“I need to get Darrell out of prison?”
Why is she parroting me?“That’s right. You suddenly develop a hearing problem?”
“There’s no way I can?—”
“You will if you want to see your daughter alive again.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how I can do that.”
Lonnie gripped his phone. What was he? The world’s problem solver? “Figure it out.”