The red in James's face faded to a sickly gray.
"Oh, dear God, I hadn't thought about that."
"I'll be right back. I need some fresh air."
A few moments later Austin sat in his car and punched out Hank Medford's
number. This time the detective answered.
"Dammit, why haven't you returned my calls?" Austin demanded without preamble.
"I just walked in the door. Haven't even checked my messages. What's
up?"
Austin told him.
"Well, you can forget about Lester himself."
Austin went stiff as a board.
"How do you know that?"
'"Cause I'm on the job, that's how, like you told me. One of my men was
staking out Lester's house and saw him get in a car with two elderly
people." "His parents," Austin said, his nerves starting to tingle.
"Right. I ran a check on their plates. Lester had luggage. I'm guessing they were headed out of town."
"Damn! What about his militia friends? Think they did his dirty work?"
"Yep. Don't you?"
"Sure do, but how do we prove it?"
"What about the cops?"
"Two detectives are here."
"Standing around with their fingers up their butts, right?" Hank
chuckled at his own choice of words.
"I'd say that's a pretty accurate description."
"Want me to see what I can find out?"
"ASAP.".
"I'm on it."
Austin sat in the car a moment longer, wondering how in hell he was
going to tell Cassie what he'd just learned. But he had no choice.
With heavy steps, he trudged back into the house. Cassie was still in
the same position. Although he didn't touch her, he eased down beside her and said, "I have some news."
It seemed as though everyone's ears in the room perked up. Before he was
bombarded with questions, he added, "Lester doesn't have Tyler."
Wide-eyed, Cassie stared at him.
"You know that for sure?"
"Yes, but I don't know any such thing about those gun-toting radicals he
hangs out with."
"I told you Lester wouldn't do anything like that," James said.
"Shut up," Austin told him, stopping him in his tracks.
"Ma'am," Detective Conn interrupted, "I think you'd best come here."
Austin stood abruptly, picking up on the strange sound in the
detective's tone. Cassie followed suit, immediately making her way tothe detective's side.
"Ohmygodohmygod!" she cried, struggling to get to the door. Austin stood behind her and watched as Tyler ran up the long drivetoward the house.
"Mom! I'm home!"
Cassie lunged out the door and ran to meet him.
"James," Austin said in a low, gravelly voice, "it's your grandson.
He's home."
James darted past him, making his way outside.
Austin felt tears prick his eyes as Cassie knelt in front of her son,grabbed him and hugged him as if she would never let him go. Suddenly heturned away, wishing he never had to let either of them go.
But then, he couldn't hold what wasn't his.
FR1;Twenty-Eight lassie couldn't take her eyes off her son, though henow lay sleeping peacefully in his bed. When he had first crawled underthe sheet, he had been pale and drawn and frightened, but unharmed.
Although Tyler hadn't come right out and asked her to sit with him, wildhorses couldn't have dragged her away, at least not this night.
Lying there, he seemed so small, so vulnerable, such a child, that tearsonce again stung her eyes.
Cassie willed those tears back and rubbed her forehead, feeling aheadache coming on. If that was the only ill effect she would have fromthe ordeal, then she should count her blessings.
The precious child now curled up in fetal position was her only concern.
Leaning over, Cassie brushed her lips against Tyler's cheek one moretime, then got up and walked to the window, where darkness, relieved byonly a few stars, greeted her.
She lifted her shoulders up and down, then rolled her head from side toside, trying to get rid of the kinks in her body, which she thoughtwould have been completely numb by now.
Following her exercise routine, Cassie slid her eyes back to the bed, toher son. She still could not believe what had happened. Even though shewas looking at Tyler in the flesh, she still couldn't believe that hewas here, with her, in his bed, sleeping like a newborn.
Bizarre.
There was no other word to describe the entire incident. Bizarre or not,she knew everything that Tyler had told them had been the truth.
Besides, the phone call to the church had substantiated his story.
When she had managed to let go of him long enough and lead him backinside, she had been so overcome with emotion that, for a minute, shecouldn't speak.
But then, everyone else had the same problem, even the detectives. Bothmen's faces were pictures of bewilderment.
The room had been as quiet as an empty funeral parlor.
Austin had been the first to speak, once again seeming to take charge.
"Man, are we glad to see you." His voice had been gruff, but gentle.
Cassie's gaze had rested briefly on Austin, and when she saw the concern
etched in his features, another emotion, one she hadn't wanted to acknowledge, stabbed her.
"Are you hungry, darling?" Cassie asked, suddenly at a loss for words.
"No, ma'am," Tyler replied, looking up at his mother.
"That man fed me."
Cassie kept her arm around his shoulders and nudged him forward.
"Let's go sit down, and then suppose you tell us what happened. We've all been worried out of our minds."
Once Tyler sat on the edge of the sofa, his big eyes, underscored by dark circles, eased toward the two detectives, whose badges were obvious, since neither was wearing a jacket.
"It's okay, darling. They're the nice policemen who've been trying to
find you." Cassie introduced them, then turned back to her son.
James had moved to sit in a chair close to the couch. He didn't say anything; he just reached over and squeezed one of his grandson's hands.
Cassie saw James's chin quiver and knew that he, too, was overcome with relief and thanksgiving.
Dismissing everyone else from her mind, Cassie concentrated on Tyler.
"You said a man fed you. What man?"
Tyler shrugged, then peered down at the floor, as if suddenly shy from all the attention focused on him. Wisely, the detectives remained in the background, as if they sensed Tyler might clam up if pressed by anyone other than her.