All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [69]
“Grady. Captain Vincent managed to shoot her. That’s all I know, for all the good that does us.”
“You know, if we’re working under the theory that Aaliyah was killed for stumbling onto something or someone regarding the Underwood murder, then it’s quite possible that either Hickman or Vincent—”
Scardino held up her hand. “Please don’t say it.”
“Someone needs to. We’re looking at quite a mess here.”
Again Scardino rested her head into the palms of her hands. “We’re going to be slaughtered in the media whatever way this one goes.”
“Mind if I ask what your gut is telling you?”
“My gut has taken a trip down south. And my head is telling me that I should have never gotten out of bed this morning.”
Kennedy’s heart raced as she waited for Special Agent Hagan to alert her that all systems were go for her to call her grandmother’s residence. She was so nervous, in fact, that she worried whether she would actually be able to say anything at all when Keenan picked up the phone.
She prayed constantly, and often wondered if God could hear her. She tried to seek comfort in the fact that God looked after children, but such thinking floundered under the realization that bad things happened to children every day.
Lowering her head, she found herself wishing that Max were there. He had an incredible ability to calm her. She hadn’t fully realized that before. Perhaps it was only now that he wasn’t there that she could realize how much she had allowed herself to come to depend on him. There was even a small part of her that realized that she’d been hoping that he was going to rescue her from herself when she’d hopped on the bus to Memphis. She had almost counted on it.
Kennedy shook her head. She wasn’t making any sense. She had only known the man for about a week, and she was acting as if he had always been a part of her life. But there was no other way to describe what was between them, either.
“We’re ready, Ms. St. James,” Agent Hagan said, picking up a pair of headphones and placing them over his ears.
She nodded and picked up the phone. While she struggled to keep her hands from trembling, she silently reviewed the questions the FBI had prepared for her. Of course the only thing important to her was whether her family was still alive and well.
The phone rang and she waited patiently for her grandmother to answer. Her heartbeat started accelerating somewhere between the fourth and fifth unanswered ring. What if it was already too late?
The answering machine picked up. She glanced nervously at Agent Mason.
He nodded as a signal for her to leave a message.
At the sound of the beep, she spoke into the receiver. “Hello, Grandma. It’s me—”
A loud banging sounded over the line, seconds before Keenan interrupted her. “Ah, Ms. St. James. It’s so nice of you to call. I’m kind of surprised. You’re a whole day early.”
“What have you done with my family?” she asked, already forgetting about the FBI’s questions.
“Don’t worry. They’re safe.”
“I don’t believe you. Put them on the phone.” It was useless to try and control the tremor in her voice, just as it was useless to try to rein in her emotions.
“You have no other choice than to trust me,” he said with a snicker.
At that, Kennedy grew combative. “Go to hell. You’ve got to be crazy if you think I’m going to agree to meet with you when you’ve probably already killed my family.”
Agent Mason suddenly appeared at her side and tugged on her arm.
She ignored him and continued to lay into Keenan. “Put my son on the phone or the deal’s off.”
The line fell silent for a long moment, and Kennedy thought her worst fears had come true. He had already killed them.
“All right, then. I’ll go get them,” Keenan finally said.
Kennedy slumped against Mason as a wave of relief swept over her. The first glimmer of hope returned and began to penetrate her fear-frozen heart. But she was too terrified to fully accept that warmth before she was able to hear her son’s voice.
Keenan cursed as he stormed through the house. This whole venture had turned out to be