A Mother's Secret. Pat Warren

one last outing with the boy. I don’t know what his thinking was, but let’s just say we find them. Then what? He hasn’t done anything to his son that’s against the law, as far as we know.” He saw she was making an effort to control herself.

      “I’m sorry, Sara. Really I am.”

      She nodded, her eyes downcast as she reached for her purse and searched for her wallet.

      “Please, allow me,” Kincaid said, tossing a twenty on the table.

      Sara slid out of the booth, and they left the restaurant. The ride back to her home was quiet, the silence uncomfortable. Sara wondered where she’d turn next, who might help her. Probably no one since Kincaid’s reasons for refusing were sound. Anyone else would reach the same conclusions. But they didn’t know Lenny the way she did, and they didn’t love Mike. They also didn’t have a gut feeling that something was wrong.

      She’d go it alone. She simply had to.

      As they neared her condo, Sara gathered up the maps and brochures, putting them in her purse.

      Kincaid thought he knew exactly what she was planning. “Don’t do it, Sara. Not only are you looking for a needle in a haystack, but you could be walking into a dangerous situation.” He glanced over at her, saw the stubborn set of her jaw and noticed that she wouldn’t look at him nor answer him.

      “Damn it, Sara, don’t do this. Wait awhile and most likely they’ll be back. Lenny wouldn’t compound his problems regarding his thefts by not showing up on Monday for his date with internal affairs. That would be crazy.”

      Sara felt she’d better answer him or he’d try to stop her some way. “I know. You’re right.”

      Kincaid swore under his breath, knowing she was unconvinced. He turned onto her street, wondering how he could make her see. He swung into her parking lot and drove around back to the stairwell leading up to her condo. As he parked, he noticed a woman in a muumuu with red poppies get up off the third step and come toward them.

      “I wonder why your sister’s here,” he said, pulling to a stop. Maybe Lenny and Mike were back and Sara could rest easy.

      “I have no idea,” Sara answered, climbing out as Meg came closer.

      Meg shot an annoyed glance at Kincaid, then stopped in front of her sister. “Why are you still with him?”

      Sara ignored the question. “What are you doing here, Meg?” Her sister rarely visited, and this was the first time she’d come over and waited outside for Sara’s return.

      Meg held up an envelope and waved it in front of Sara. “I came because of this. I found it stuck in my mailbox, but it didn’t come through the mail.”

      Sara felt rather than heard Kincaid move directly behind her. “What is it?” she asked.

      “It’s addressed to you, but I read it, anyway. It’s a ransom note demanding $230,000 for Mike’s release.”