One Summer Evening - One Summer Evening Part 61
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One Summer Evening Part 61

"How 'bout some milk to go with those cookies?"

Once upstairs, she had supervised his bath, then watched as he ate hiscookies and drank his milk. By the time he'd emptied the glass, he couldno longer hold his eyes open.

He'd been sleeping ever since.

Now, as Cassie continued to hover over him, she tried to make some senseof his bizarre tale. She couldn't. Why would one of Lester's cohortskidnap Tyler keep him locked in a room overnight, then let him go?

It made no sense.

Had Tyler's kidnapping been solely for her benefit? Had Lester beentrying to terrorize her into capitulating to his demands concerningTyler?

Probably. But it wouldn't work.

She wouldn't run, nor would she allow Lester to bully her. She had madeher stand to remain in Jasmine, and she wouldn't budge, though she wasaware that Tyler couldn't be left alone anymore.

Cassie could count on Austin, but he was a threat on his own, one shedidn't know how to deal with, either. Unwilling to think about him now,Cassie switched her thoughts back to her ex-husband.

Hopefully Lester wouldn't be as big a problem as she feared, not whenthe man who took Tyler was picked up and fingered her ex-husband as themastermind behind the kidnapping.

Voila! He would go right back to the pen.

Come morning, she would take Tyler to the police station. If the policewere unsuccessful in tracking down the culprit, then she would dosomething, though she didn't yet know what.

Lester Sullivan was not going to get away with this latest escapade.

"I'll see you in hell first," she whispered to the four walls.

Austin had pulled some dumb stunts in his life, but this one was perhapsthe dumbest, if not the most dangerous. But he'd had to do something. Hesimply couldn't sit back and wait on the police. They weren't movingfast enough to suit him, even though Tyler had given a description ofthe man to the police artist a couple days ago.

He hadn't seen Cassie, purposely keeping out of her way, knowing shedidn't need any further distractions or problems. He figured himself tobe both.

Dammit, he thought, as he tromped through the woods, hoping that thehot, sticky thicket would provide him adequate cover. Lester, whom hewas following, had probably already reached his destination; at least,that was what Austin was counting on.

After he had left the Wortham household, following Tyler's return, he'dbeen a man at war with himself and everyone around him. Like Cassie, hewas convinced that lowlife Sullivan had been behind the kidnapping. Butwhy, since nothing seemed to have come of it? That was the question thatnagged at Austin, kept his guts churning.

He couldn't talk to Cassie. She had looked so frightened and delicate,as if she couldn't hold up another second, which had ripped his heart toshreds.

But she'd hung tough, much like a scarred warrior who had been throughmany battles and won.

He had attempted to talk to James, but right off he'd found that to be amistake. That conversation had only sharpened the knife already jabbinghim.

"I'm convinced Lester's innocent," James had said the following day frombehind his office desk.

"That's a crock of crap," Austin lashed back.

James expelled a sigh.

"I knew you'd say that."

Austin gave his friend a hard look.

"Then how do you explain what happened to your grandson?"

"I don't know. Maybe someone's out to get Lester. After all, he's beenin the pen."

That explanation had been so naive, so sickening, that Austin hadn'tsaid another word. Instead, he had walked out before he puked all overthe brand-new carpet in James's study.

Still seething over James's turning a blind eye and his own fear thatthe police would botch the investigation, Austin had called Hank.

Unfortunately, the private detective had been out of town on another case.

That was when Austin had decided to take matters into his own hands.

He'd driven to Lafayette, chancing that Lester might be at home or wouldeventually end up there.

He had struck instant paydirt.

Just as Austin pulled his car up alongside the curb across the streetfrom Lester's nondescript house, the ex-con was climbing into his truck.

Austin had followed him out of town, where he'd eventually turned ontowhat looked to be a private road. Austin had left his car off thehighway and followed on foot, over and around mosquito-infested bayous.

Now, as he paused behind a huge oak tree, heavy with moss, he wiped thesweat out of his eyes and stared ahead.

In front of him was a campsite, crawling with men, women and children.

He crouched on his belly and watched.

"Damn!" he mouthed a short time later, feeling his blood turn to ice.

FR1;Twenty-Nine ' "What's bothering you?"

James Wortham turned and stared at his wife, who was still in bed, where

she remained most of the time these days. He curbed a sigh, realizingthat Wilma would never again be the strong, vibrant woman he hadmarried.

"You know me too well," he said, trying to dodge the question. Hedoubted he would have much success. Wilma's body was impaired, but nother mind. It was as sharp as ever.

"So stop hedging."

He smiled a fleeting smile.

"A few minutes ago you were scowling. Now you're smiling. What's going

on?"

"I was just thinking that nothing gets by you, my dear."

"Especially when it comes to your moods. Is it Tyler and the

kidnapping?"

Although James had been reluctant to confide in Wilma concerning the incident, he'd had no choice. Sooner or later someone would have

slipped, most likely Tyler himself, and Wilma would have resented being excluded and made life hell for him.

As expected, the news had upset her terribly, but the fact that Tyler

had come through the crisis safely tempered her anxiety.

"No one's been arrested yet," James said at last, standing at the mirror, knotting his tie.

"And you're still convinced Lester's innocent?"

James swung around.

"Absolutely."

"What about the group he's associated with?"

"I don't believe any of that garbage, either."

"Well, you have to admit that something he did landed him in jail,

James."

"Not necessarily. Lots of innocent people go to jail. Besides, I refuse

to hold the past against him. I believe he's a changed man, that he's found the Lord."

He watched Wilma frown as her fingers plucked at the top sheet.

"I.

hope you're right."

"I take it you don't trust my judgment in this." James made a flat

statement, fighting off a feeling of irritation. He knew he was right in his assessment. Why couldn't everyone else see that?

"It's not that I don't trust you," Wilma said.

"It's just that I haven't talked to Lester myself to form my own opinion."

"I didn't think you were up to that."

"Oh, I'm up to it, all right, only I didn't want to alienate Cassie."

"Ah, Cassie. She's so bitter and hostile toward Lester Her attitude

breaks my heart, especially for Tyler's sake."

"Maybe you should give up trying to make them a family again. Maybe it's not meant to be."

James's eyes narrowed, and his voice turned hurry. "I refuse to accept

that.

As soon as Cassie realizes that Lester's totally without blame in this

incident with Tyler I'm positive she'll listen to reason and give him another chance."

Wilma's frown increased.

"I don't know about that, James. I think you're meddling in something