Snatched

Part 19 - Stars Hollow

Luke walked into Rorys room to check that Dylan was still asleep. It was 9.30pm and the girls had been out for about an hour. He couldn't resist walking over to the side of the crib and peering inside. Dylan looked so sweet and peaceful.

Watching Dylan sleep made Luke all of a sudden feel tired himself. He yawned and stretched his arms out above his head. It had been a long hard day in the diner. Luke decided that he would go into the living room and spend about an hour watching tv, before he would go up to bed. He picked up the baby monitor that Rory had left next to the crib for him and went into the living room.

Luke had to kick away the several bags, dresses and shoes that the girls had left on their way out this evening. How were women so messy! He walked over to the couch and tossed away the duvet and pillow that Paris had laid so neatly on it. She would be annoyed when she got in, but he wouldn't be around around to see it.

Luke placed the baby monitor down on the coffee table in front of him and picked up the telivision remote. He flicked through the channels, but there was nothing interesting to watch. Finally he settled on an old fashioned comedy. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Just five minutes would do.

***

'Watcha doing Sugar!' Odette heard a voice behind her 'you a friend of Lorelais?' This must be Babette, the nosy neighbour Rory talked about in her book.
'No actually I'm a friend of Rorys' Odette replied.
'How come I've never seen you around before?' Babette asked 'are you one of her college friends? Come to meet the new baby? Oh he's so darned cute! You'll love him.'
'Something like that' Odette muttered.
'Well the girls have gone out. I think on a girls night with that friend of Rorys' Babette continued 'what's her name Paris. Do you know her?'
'Erm not really' Odette replied.
'Oh that's strange' said Babette 'I could of sworn they used to live together in college. Anyway, I think Lukes in taking care of the baby, but he normally goes to bed kinda early, so you won't hear a peep from him. Lorelai normally keeps a key over there', she gestured towards the front door, 'just under the turtle!'
'Ok, thank you Babette' Odette muttered back.
'Hey, how do you know my name?' Babette shouted.
'I, I read Rorys book' Odette replied.
'Huh, so I'm famous now. I gotta go call paddy' Babette shouted, as she ran back into the house.

Odette peered through the window into the house. There was a middle aged man fast asleep on the couch, hands clasped across his chest and mouth wide open. This must be Rorys stepfather, Luke. After looking over her shoulder to make sure that Babette was well away, Odette walked round to the other side of the house. She looked through the only window on that side, which she assumed was Rorys bedroom. There, lying in a cot was a tiny baby, sleeping peacefully. Great!

Odette walked back around the house to the front door and turned over the porcelain turtle in front of it. She put the key in the door, twisted it and pushed it open. As Odette walked into the house she glanced to her right. Luke was still asleep in the living room, mouth agape and snoring loudly.

She scuttled carefully across the kitchen and towards Rorys bedroom. They'd even left the bedroom door open. Was this really going to be that easy? As Odette made her way across the bedroom, she noticed a baby monitor just inside the crib. She reached down and flicked the baby monitor, knocking it over. She knew better than to leave CCTV footage of what she was doing,

Odette walked around to the rear end of the crib. She picked up the baby and held him to her chest, taking in that newborn baby smell. One hand holding the baby, she unzipped her coat with the other hand, covered the baby with it and zipped it back up again, leaving just enough of a gap to let some air in. How had this baby not even whimpered?

Odette plied open Rorys bedroom window, an easy task. She had parked at the rear of the house, to make sure that nobody would see her. Clutching the baby as tightly as she possibly could, Odette clambered out of the window and onto the grass area behind the house.

Odette opened the door of the car she'd hired from the airport, put the baby in the car seat she'd bought from a Walmart on the way, got into the front of the car and drove off.