Chapter Thirteen
Oliver
I sat inside the principal's office with the door closed. The principal was there, as well as the secretary and I was told that the police were on their way. I tried not to hyperventilate.
“I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this,” the secretary said.
I glared at her. “You let my son get taken by a person not authorized to take him.”
“He's the mayor of this town,” she said for the eight-hundredth time.
“I don't care if he is the President of the United States or Queen Elizabeth herself. He is not authorized. I filled out paperwork, there's signatures involved, you cannot just let my child go with other people.” I slammed my fist on the desk.
“I'm sure that everything's fine, Mr. Stone. We have been trying to reach out to Mr. Miller's office—”
“I want the police here right now.”
“They're on their way—”
“No,” I said. “I don't want the township police. For all I know they are in the mayor's back pocket and he's got them paid off or whatever. I want the county police or the state police. If necessary, I will bring the FBI here.”
The principal covered my hand with hers. “Mr. Stone, I can't imagine what you're going through and I don't know the entire situation between you and Mr. Miller. But the officer that has been sent here is my son. He's an upstanding individual. I'm sure that—”
“Did he grow up in this town with Ian Miller as his mayor, since before he was born?” I asked.
“Oh, for God's sakes,” the secretary said, and I glared at her again.
The principal ignored her. “Actually, no. He hasn't. I moved here just a few years ago and he was just transferred here two months ago.”
“All right,” I said. Knowing that made me feel slightly better, but it didn’t get Christopher back. “I've got to go find him. I have to find Christopher. I should call Philip and let him know. My phone is in my car, I'm going to go grab it.”
Before I could leave the office the police officer came in. I was struck by how oddly familiar he looked but didn't have time to dwell on it.
“I’m Officer Jefferies. Is the mayor at his office? Is it possible that he took your son there to show him where his grandpa works? I am to understand that Mr. Miller is the boy’s grandfather, correct?”
“Hardly,” I said. “Biologically, yes, but he's never met Christopher. He's hasn't spoken to me in six years. It's a complicated situation. He doesn't like me, and he has no interest in my son. If he's taken Christopher, then he means to do him harm.”
Officer Jefferies nodded. “All right. Ride with me, we're going to go to the town hall. If we don't find the mayor there, then we'll go to his home.”
For the first time since the situation started, my heart rate returned to almost normal. “I should get my cell phone, maybe I have a missed call or something.”
I grabbed my phone out of the car and my wallet just in case I needed it. I checked the time. It was only four o'clock, Kayden would still have an apartment full of children. I wasn't about to bring him into this mess when I knew there was nothing he could do about it. I'd call him as soon as I knew all the kids had gone home. Hopefully by that time, Christopher would be back, safe in my arms.
I called Philip, but his phone rang until it went to voicemail.
“I couldn’t get ahold of Philip,” I told the officer as I climbed into the police cruiser.
I hardly paid any attention as we drove through the side streets and parked behind town hall. When we got inside, I marched straight to the mayor's office. It was empty. The clerk sat there behind the receptionist desk.
“Mr. Stone, what brings you back in here today?”
“I need to find the mayor now.” I had no time to be nice. Each second Christopher was with Ian Miller was absolute torture.
She pursed lips. “Mr. Miller said that he was taking off today for a weekend trip. Sounded like he was going up to his cabin.”
I exchanged a look with Officer Jefferies and let him continue with the questioning.
“When did he leave?” he asked.
About eleven-thirty, I think. It was right after his son was here.”
“Philip was here?” I said.
“Yes, but he didn't talk to his dad. He just withdrew his application and left. He requested a copy of the same documents you were looking at yesterday, Mr. Stone.”
“Oh?” I said.
“What did you request a copy of yesterday?” Jefferies asked me.
“The town budget. I had some questions about the money that the library raised this year and I wanted to know where it was being allocated. The librarian mentioned having to pay fees. I'm not an accountant by any means, but I have run a business before. I know about budgeting and a lot of the numbers in the city budget don't add up. I talked with Philip last night about the fact that I think his dad is stealing money from the town.”
The clerk gasped audibly. “Not Ian,” she said. “He loves this town.”
Officer Jefferies face didn’t change at all as I spoke, as if me telling him this was not a surprise.
“Yeah. So much so that he's kidnapped my son.” I glared at her. All I wanted at this moment was to have Christopher here safe.
“Let's go to his home. If we can't find him there then we’ll take the next steps.” Officer Jefferies gestured toward the exit.
I swallowed thickly. Please let the mayor be at his home. I couldn’t take this any longer. “All right,” I said and followed him out of the building.
As we drove through town, I finally began to look around and see things instead of operating in a daze. It had been nearly an hour since I'd figured out that my son had been taken from me. The longest hour of my life.
“There's smoke,” I said.
Jefferies leaned in and looked out the windshield. “Yeah. I heard the sirens go off earlier.”
“I wonder where,” I said.
He rattled off the address.
His words took a moment to register, then it dawned on me. “Did you say one sixteen West High Street?”
“Yes,” he said. “Apartment fire. Doesn't appear that anyone was home.”
“That's Philips apartment,” I said. “That must be where he is. Let's go there.”
“Your boyfriend's apartment is burning, and your son is missing? You’re having a hell of a day, Mr. Stone.”
“Yeah, you're telling me.”