Stolen Child (Coastal Fury Book 13), Matt Lincoln [ebooks children's books free TXT] 📗

She laughed nervously at this as if trying and failing to lighten the mood for herself all at once.

“And I’m just an ideas guy,” Curt said apologetically with a shrug. “No one works for me, except maybe a summer intern now and then. I just sit around and come up with ideas for commercials for gum and stuff.”

“Alright, this is helpful, thank you,” Holm said, giving them an encouraging smile.

“Is it?” Annabelle asked, giving another uncomfortable laugh. “I feel like we haven’t really been able to tell you anything.”

“Ruling things out is just as important as new information,” my partner told her with a nod.

“What about Mikey?” I asked. “Are there any family friends that he’s particularly close with?”

“I mean, I don’t think so…” Annabelle said, startled by the question, her eyes widening as she realized what I was suggesting. “You don’t really think that someone we know…”

“Anything is possible,” Dr. Osborne said, breaking her silence. “We talked about this earlier, Annabelle. Most of these situations are not stranger abductions, even though those are sensationalized in the media. Usually, it’s someone known to the child, and even someone you trust deeply.”

“Certain types have a way of worming themselves into people’s lives before they even realize it,” Holm explained.

“I… I don’t think any of our friends would…” Annabelle said, sounding almost out of breath at the idea.

“Our friends are just work friends,” Curt explained. “We both went to college up in New England. All of our old friends are still there. We have people over a couple of times a month, but none of them have kids yet, and I’ve never seen anyone take an interest in Mikey.”

“This is helpful, thank you,” I said. “What about extended family? Is anyone close by? Aunts, uncles, grandparents? Anyone close to Mikey, or who might have a difference of opinion about how you’re raising him?”

“We live away from family, too,” Curt said, and his tone was a bit strained then as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “What do you mean about opinions about how we’re raising him?”

“Sometimes grandparents have certain ways they think the grandkids should be raised, and they get all up in arms about it,” Holm explained, narrowing his eyes at the man. “Families are weird. I’m sure you get that.”

I studied both Curt and Annabelle closely. They both seemed tenser, more uncomfortable than they had before, if that was even possible under the circumstances.

“Sometimes, you don’t even realize how angry these family members are until they show up and take the kid,” I added, studying their reaction, watching them grow even tenser with each word I spoke. “The parents might not even realize how much tension is there until the police are already involved.”

“Annabelle, maybe we should…” Curt said as he turned to face his wife, his voice trailing off as if he was afraid to finish his thought.

“What? What is it?” I asked, a little sharper than I’d intended.

I exchanged a look with Dr. Osborne, who was leaning forward in her chair with her elbows on her knees now, full of interest. Clearly, she had no idea what they were talking about, either.

“It’s extremely important that you’re forthcoming with us, Curt, Annabelle,” Osborne said, looking at each of the parents in turn with an almost scolding gaze. “I thought I made that very clear.”

“It’s just… I…” Annabelle stammered, seeming to be at a loss as to what to do.

“Annabelle,” I said slowly, my tone warning. “This is a very serious situation. If you don’t tell us everything, you might never see your son again.”

This had the desired effect, and the woman burst into tears as her husband wrapped both his arms around her, taking his turn comforting her.

“We… we understand,” he managed. “It’s just that… well, we’re worried we might never see him again, anyway.”

I blinked at him, taken aback.

“Huh?” Holm asked, echoing my own thoughts. “How does that work?”

“Well, it’s just that… well, I’m Mikey’s father, it’s just… not technically,” Curt admitted, which didn’t do a lot to clear things up.

“What do you mean you’re not technically his father?” Dr. Osborne asked, her tone just as stern as her face now.

“Well, Curt and I met in college,” Annabelle said, raising her face from her hands now to reveal that her cheeks were all red and splotchy, and the whites of her eyes matched them. “We’d been good friends for a long time. Then, in graduate school, I got pregnant with Mikey, and the father—another student in my program—didn’t want anything to do with it. He quit the program, and I was alone. Then Curt and I reconnected after I got my Ph.D., and Mikey was still a baby then.”

“I’m the only father he’s ever known,” Curt said, his jaw set firmly. “I don’t know what this guy’s thinking.”

“The biological father turned back up,” Holm said. It wasn’t a question. That was the only logical conclusion to this story.

“God knows why,” Curt spat. “Never a word in seven years, and then all of a sudden he shows back up, expecting everyone to be all gung-ho to let him take our kid.”

“Well, people grow and change,” Holm reasoned.

“Not that much,” Curt said bitterly.

I would probably feel bitter, too, if that happened to me… if some other man showed up and tried to take my kid away. I could see the other guy’s side, too, though. Maybe he wasn’t ready before, but now he was. That was allowed. It was one of those situations where no one was exactly wrong, but everybody usually lost.

“Why didn’t you tell us about all this before?” Dr. Osborne asked, her tone almost accusatory. “This could’ve saved us a lot of time.”

“Jackson wouldn’t do anything like that,” Annabelle said defensively. “I hate him for doing this to me—to us, really. He was always a bit immature and flighty, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s just a quiet science nerd like me. He didn’t take Mikey. There’s no way.”

“What do