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shoulders. “Lucy wouldn’t have left me. She had that choice once. She knows her place is here with me.”
    I can’t see his face, but Dad nods once. Jake just looks down.
    I know my wife. She may have felt that it’s okay to talk to Jake since he’s my brother. But she would never dare to leave me. She would never dream of stepping out that door without my knowledge. I gave her the choice once to leave or stay. With that first slap, I gave her the only choice she would ever have. And she made it then. She stayed. She does know that she belongs here, with me.
    It’s Dad who finally breaks the silence again. “Jake. Not a word to the police about Lucy’s fears. That won’t help to get her back.” He turns to me, “And I think you’ve given them enough information about how your marriage works. You want them to eliminate you as a suspect and concentrate on who really has her…then you need to swallow your pride.”
    I nod. He’s right.
    “Take a shower. I’m going to arrange a car for your Mom. She’ll want to be here when Lucy’s parents get in.” He turns to Jake. “Why don’t you get some sleep in the guest room for now.”
    And we both move to do what he says. No arguments.

Chapter 12 HER
    I still my tears, breathing deeply, again listening to Max’s voice in my head. I have to turn my head to see what he’s doing. He has something metal in his hand when he returns to the bed, but I can’t figure out what it is. A small broken chain?
    “I used this on Bitch when she was small.” His eyes twinkle in the light. He’s so happy with himself again. His own biggest fan. He almost looks nice, like someone I’d see…where?
    I’m too drained to think anymore, Max. Just let me sleep. And despite my fear, despite my brain racing to figure out what is happening, who he is, where I am…I close my eye. I close off my brain from the pain and fear.
    I don’t even open it when I feel cold metal on my neck. I don’t open it when I feel him shove me further onto the bed. Or when he puts more rope around my wrists.
    I allow myself the one escape I can…I sleep.

Chapter 13 HIM
    I open the door and Lucy’s Mom is immediately hugging me. I hug her back and look into her Dad’s eyes. They look as bloodshot as mine. No one’s slept.
    Her brother, PJ, brings in their bags and sets them in the hallway. I shake his hand. I haven’t seen him since the birth of his son. His wife, Cathy, stayed home with their kids.
    I lead them down the hall and into the dining area. Mom has a full spread of food out all ready. She’s been buzzing around here getting everything back in order and cleaned. She needs to stay busy to keep from crying more. Dad told her not to in front of me again.
    But the moment she hugs Liz, they’re both crying. I turn towards the kitchen. I can’t stand hearing it. It rips at my own tears, the ones I’ve kept bottled in the pit of my stomach so far.
    I hear Dad warn Mom, “That’s enough, Alex.”
    I get another cup of coffee and walk back in. Mom is sniffling. Liz is burying her face in Paul’s chest, but she stopped crying too.
    I fill them in with what’s happened since they landed. “The tech just left here. They’re monitoring all calls and messages to my phones – here, my offices, cell. So far, nothing. But they believe that this might be a ransom demand…” I’d pay anything to get Lucy back. Then I’d hunt down whoever had her and kill them. This thought calms me. “No one used her credit cards. They were tossed with her phone and purse. No prints on anything.” Dad has been pushing every contact he has to get everything sped up on the investigation.
    “So they think she was kidnapped on the street? In broad daylight?” Paul is choking this out. His face is red. So like my Lucy.
    “Yes. But they’re checking for any witnesses still. It’s Saturday now, so downtown is pretty quiet. They know the security guard in the lobby of her doctor’s building recognized her,