One Summer Evening - One Summer Evening Part 60
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One Summer Evening Part 60

"I don't know his name," Tyler admitted in a muffled voice.

Cassie brushed some hair off his forehead, aching to squeeze him close again.

But she refrained; it was imperative that she and the detectives learn

who had kidnapped Tyler though she was convinced it was one of Lester's militia buddies. She would bet her life on that.

Whether that could be proved was another matter altogether.

"Tell Mom how you got together with that man." Cassie kept her prodding gentle and low-key, terrified of spooking him. She knew without asking that he was exhausted and needed sleep more than anything else. But she couldn't allow him that luxury, not now, anyway.

Tyler's eyes shifted to his grand daddy briefly before going back to the floor.

"When no one picked me up, I started walking toward the church to ride

home with Papa." He paused, his chin quivering.

"It's all right, darling," Cassie said, wanting to kill the bastard who had traumatized her son.

"Someone called Papa's office and told him I was going to pick you up, which wasn't true."

"He was mean."

Cassie inhaled sharply at the same time that she heard Austin mutter a curse.

Both detectives also inched closer, though they didn't say anything.

Detective Winslow, however, was busy writing down everything Tyler was saying.

"Did he hurt you?" Cassie could barely get those ugly words through her

lips.

Tyler's chin jutted.

"No, but he locked me in a room."

"Can you describe what he looked like?"

Tyler nodded.

"We'll get him down to the station," Detective Conn put in, "and put him

with an artist."

"Then find the bastard and nail him," Austin said, which garnered a disapproving look from James.

Cassie secretly cheered Austin's succinct outburst, although bastard was

a nice word compared to what she was thinking. As for her daddy--well it was a fact that she could forget him ever facing reality about anything.

"Go on, honey," Cassie said, into the building silence.

"Finish your story."

Tyler didn't respond. He merely scraped the floor with his shoe.

"Hey," Cassie prodded in a sweet tone, "why did you get in the car with someone you didn't know? I've told you never to do that."

"But, Mom, he told me Grandmother was in the hospital and he was

supposed to take me there to meet you and Papa."

"How could someone do a thing like that to a child?" James blurted out, getting up and grabbing a mint julep off the tray that Joy had replenished.

"It's easy, sir," Detective Winslow said, "when you're up to no good."

"When we first got there, he" -- "Where's there?" Cassie interrupted.

"Somewhere in the woods, I think," Tyler said, "but I don't know,'-cause he put a blindfold over my eyes."

Horrified at that thought, Cassie almost cried out, only she didn't.

She didn't want anything to stop him from talking, knowing he couldn't hold up much longer. His eyes were drooping and his body sagging.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry you had to endure that," Cassie said instead.

"When he put me in that room, he took the blindfold off, but it was dark, and I couldn't see."

"Did you hear anything?" Detective Conn asked.

"Birds and crickets," Tyler said, gazing up at him for a second before

looking back at Cassie.

"Can I go now. Mom?"

"In a minute. Don't you want to find the man who did that to you?"

"I tried to get away, even kicked him in the leg when he tried to shove

me in a closet."

Cassie blew out a breath of fury, thinking how she would like to have Lester in front of her about now. "Tried. You mean he didn't put you

there?" "No. He said if I'd be good, he wouldn't make me go in there. I sat in a corner all night."

Cassie was dying little by little on the inside, but she couldn't let it

show.

"So how did you get away?"

"He just came in and told me that he was taking me home."

"Just like that?" Austin said in an incredulous tone, then clamped his

lips together as if he feared he'd spoken out of turn.

Cassie looked at him, and their eyes met for a millisecond. She turned away, fighting off the urge to once again seek comfort in Austin's arms,

taking Tyler with her. She shivered inwardly, knowing thoughts like that would merely add to her troubles.

"He didn't say another word to me," Tyler was explaining, "except to

tell me to get out of the car." His gaze found Austin.

"I think he was mad about something." "It's okay," Austin said with a smile.

"You're home now, and that's what counts."

Cassie felt Tyler's eyes return to her. She smiled at him, too, though

hers was a bit wobbly.

"You're a brave boy, and I'm so proud of you." "We all are," James said, finally coming over and hugging the child.

When James had stepped back, Tyler said, "Can I go to my room now, Mom,

and maybe take some of Joy's tea cakes with me?"

"You sure can." Cassie stood on weak legs.