The men led them towards a plain white van. They stopped by it and one man opened the back door. “Get inside.”
“Aunt Becky?” Scotty looked up at her, confused.
“It’s okay. We’re going to go for a little ride.”
Scotty climbed in the van, and the man took Becky Lee’s purse as she climbed in after him. He looked through it, pulled out her cell phone, showed his partner, then dropped it back into the purse. They took the purse with them, then the van doors slammed shut.
“Aunt Becky. It’s dark.” Scotty’s voice floated across the blackness.
She reached out until she could feel him. “Let’s sit down. Your eyes will get adjusted to the darkness soon, and you’ll be able to see me.”
She sat down and tucked the boy close to her side, trying to think rationally. Trying to devise a plan, a way to escape.
She didn’t know who had taken them and didn’t know if it scared her more if all this was something Cal’s father had done or if it had something to do with Aunt Ellie. She did know her heart was banging in her chest as she tried to stay calm for Scotty’s sake. She also knew that she wasn’t doing a very good job on the stay-calm part.
She pressed the button on her watch so it would light up and she could see the time. She wanted to time how long the van ride was to help her figure out where they were.
As she pushed the button, she gasped. She did have a way to get help.
~ * ~
Cal sat in the sheriff’s office, sipping coffee, trying to process all that the three men sitting in front of him had said.
“So, I’m not under arrest?”
“No, that was just to get you to come here. And if anyone was watching, it would look legit.” The one man Cal thought was the leader leaned against the table. “We need your help if we’re going to catch your father this time.”
“What’s he up to this time? Tax fraud? Laundering money?”
“He’s actually helping out another man we’ve been investigating. Luca Abelli.”
“Abelli.” He knew the name. That’s the name of the man who Becky Lee’s aunt had put in jail. He’d no idea on how much these men knew about that and wasn’t going to talk until he knew more about what they wanted from him. He was still annoyed over his “arrest.”
“Your wife’s aunt turned evidence on Franco Abelli. Luca is his son.”
“How did my father find out about the Abelli family?”
“We think we have a leak somewhere. Looks like the Abelli family took their time to seek revenge and found someone to pay to give them information.”
“How can I help with this?”
“We’d like you to visit your father and wear a wire. See if you can get him to talk.”
“Wear a wire? Like in some kind of gangster movie?” Cal leaned back in his chair. “My father and I rarely speak. The last time we did, he threatened me. Why do you think he’d actually tell me anything?”
“You might be able to shake him up. Catch him off guard.”
“My father is never caught off guard. No one ruffles his feathers. Believe me.”
“Our research says you appear to be the only one who can get under his skin.”
Okay, he’d agree with that assessment. He and his father had gotten into their share of screaming matches. He did seem to be able to rile his father. He still didn’t give the agent an answer.
“Are you saying you won’t help?” The agent stared at Cal.
“I’m saying I’ll think about it. My father isn’t really a man I want to cross. I prefer to stay out of his line of fire.”
“If we arrest him, he won’t get custody of your nephew.” Another agent sat down across from him.
Cal scrubbed his hand across his chin. Now that was a powerful motivator to help them. He had no love lost with his father, and maybe this would be one way to protect Scotty for good.
The lead Fed guy came over and handed him a card. “Think about it. We’ll be in contact.”
“So I’m free to go now?” Cal looked over at Sheriff Dawson.
“You are.”
Cal got up from the table and walked out of the room, out of the sheriff’s office, and away from the decision he had to make. He emerged into the glaring sunshine of the early afternoon. Okay, he’d already decided he’d help… he just wasn’t ready to tell the agents yet. He was still ticked off about the arrest. His father was long overdue to be caught at one of his illegal activities. This was a way to keep Scotty safe, not to mention that his father had let Gordon go to jail for something he hadn’t done.
Cal felt like he should feel guilty about helping to get his father locked up. But he didn’t. He did, however, feel guilty about not feeling guilty.