Look Again - Lisa Scottoline [109]
“You mean for you,” Bill shot back, and Ellen’s heart pounded.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on. I have to explain it to him. I was going to call a therapist when we got home.”
“I’ll call a therapist. We have them in Miami, too. I’ll take good care of him. He’s mine.” Bill advanced a step, but the man in the suit restrained him and turned to Ellen.
“Ms. Gleeson, I’m Mike Cusack and I’m representing Bill. You have no right to the child by law, and we have reason to believe you will leave the jurisdiction with him.”
“I won’t, I swear. I wasn’t going anywhere but home.”
“You tried to flee last night, didn’t you? That’s what you told the police.”
“That was different.” Ellen tried to think through the panic. “That was when I thought he was in danger, but not now.”
“You didn’t return him to the Bravermans after you knew he was Timothy. You intended to keep him.”
Ellen felt accused and convicted, both at once. Everyone watched. The photographers outside fired away. “I wasn’t sure what to do, I wasn’t sure he was theirs and—”
“My client wants his child back, and the police are here to enforce his legal right. Please, don’t be selfish. Do the right thing.”
“Mommy?” Will sobbed. “Mommy!”
“Honey, it’s all right.” Ellen patted his leg, frantic inside. She turned to the FBI agents. “I’ll turn him over, I promise, just not this minute. Come to my house. Follow me home. You’ll see, I’m not going anywhere.”
“We can’t do that, Ms. Gleeson. We’re here to take him, whether you cooperate or not. If you have a complaint, you can call—”
“Call who?” Ellen exploded, losing control. “I don’t need to call! I’m going to give him up, later! I just want to make this orderly! He’s a boy, a little boy!”
“Mommy, no!”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Gleeson.” Special Agent Manning reached for Will, and the cops advanced behind the agents as if on cue.
Ellen shouted, “We’re not doing it this way! Not this way!”
“Ms. Gleeson, please.” Special Agent Manning grabbed Will by the shoulders and he screamed.
“Mommeeee!!”
“Don’t touch him!” Ellen stepped back with him, but the elevator door was closed behind her. Will cried louder, and she whirled around holding him tight, looking for the emergency exit, but one of the FBI agents grabbed her elbow, and Special Agent Manning wrenched Will from her arms. “He’s my son!” she screamed, suddenly empty-handed.
Will wailed louder. “MOMMEE!”
“We’re moving, people!” Special Agent Manning called out, carrying a hysterical Will out toward the exit.
“No!” Ellen screamed, trying to grab Will’s foot but coming away with his blue sock. “Will! It’s all right!”
“MOMMEEEE!” Will’s eyes widened with fright, and he reached for her over the FBI agent’s shoulder, his bandaged head bobbing as they swept him through the entrance hall in a moving phalanx.
“WILL!” Ellen lunged after them, but two cops held her back as she torqued this way and that, then another cop joined them, and she fought them all while Officer Halbert tried to get her attention, his eyes sympathetic.
“Ms. Gleeson, please stay here. Please, stop. Don’t make us arrest you.”
“MOMMEE, COME!” Will screamed, before the hospital doors slid closed behind him and a thousand lightbulbs went off.
“Let me go, you bastards!” Ellen screamed, out of control. Will was gone, just like that, and it hit her. She couldn’t stop screaming. She couldn’t breathe. The room spun around, a blur of polished floors, shocked faces, camera flashes. She felt as if she were going crazy. She flailed out with the court papers, then her open hand. “They just can’t take him, just like that! Just like that!”
“Ellen, no!” a man called out, and the next thing she knew, Marcelo appeared next to the cops, and she reached for him.
“Marcelo! They took Will! Call Ron Halpren! Call Ron!”
“Let her go!” Marcelo shoved the cops aside. “Are you guys insane? You’re hurting her! I have her, I’ve got her now.”
“She has to let the kid go!” one of the cops shouted.
“She did! What, are you trying to kill her?” Marcelo circled an arm around Ellen, and in one sure motion,