Chapter Twenty-Two: The Kidnapping
I'm not sure when it happened, but lately the days continuously blurred into my nights…proving it impossible for me to ‘turn off’ my brain (rest was slowly becoming a foreign notion in my world).
Maybe I’d always been an insomniac (and simply couldn’t recall it), or perhaps it’d been triggered by all the recent family stress. Of course, the reason didn’t matter to me anymore, especially since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ‘slept’…the effects of which were already starting to show.
So I spent the night as I typically did these days-- tossing and turning, obsessing over the past few weeks and all my rookie mistakes. My memory of the 'events' began when I first noticed someone following me around (and my lack of investigative skills at the time), and ended with my laughable level of caution concerning Matthews.
Naturally, the embarrassing rescue at the bar played a large role in my obsessive replay. Had I taken my 'mystery man' seriously when I’d first spotted someone on my tail, none of this would have happened. I’d have known what the boy was up too even before he did, and I’d have stopped him in his tracks.
I suppose that my grandfather's absence had subconsciously affected me, and that’s the only explanation I could find to my ‘less than stellar’ performances. He'd been my partner in all mischief and without his guiding words, I found myself bumbling around more often than I'd like to admit.
He wouldn’t be too happy with my current predicament (that much I knew), and I could just imagine him lecturing me from wherever he was. It was honestly a perpetual fear of mine to disappoint the man, and so I rehashed the last couple of weeks again, hoping I’d magically find some hidden clue in my memory.
Because ultimately, it was my paranoid mind that'd saved my arse on numerous occasions; the constant turning of ideas prepared me to be ready for any occasion. Typically, it took me mere seconds to asses a situation in order to know what to do, or what to say.
But nothing could explain the growing fear that I’d missed something crucial, something that would force someone to pay the price for my negligence.
Restless and unable stop imagining all the horrible scenarios plausible, I calmly walked to Elena's bedroom thinking she’d surely be back by now…but it looked exactly the same, and I had to suppress my panic.
Breathing slowly and oddly conscious of my every move, I traveled around the house to check on all of her known hiding places. I’d half expected to find her huddled asleep in one of the many nooks built into the house, but I ended my search disappointed.
And calling her cell for the millionth time did nothing to ease my concern either, especially since it went straight to voicemail; her phone was dead.
For someone permanently attached to social media and texting, this sign did not bode well. I couldn’t remember a time when Elena was completely unavailable or not easily stalked through all her sites.
But everything had been silent since yesterday morning, and that was why I couldn’t be pacified by my family’s patronizing words.
Unsure of what to do next, I did the only thing I could do; I called Nate.
“Ollie, do you know what time it is?”
“Six, and don’t pretend you were asleep…you’re up by five every day.”
“I know that, but you’re rarely up before 10--”
“Is Elena there?” I interrupted.
“Uh no, is she coming over?” He asked. I could hear rustling in the background, his movements quicker at the thought of his girlfriend visiting…interrupting only by the soft and fragile voice of his mother asking who’d called so early.
“When was the last time you talked to her?” I asked, not concerned with even attempting a normal conversation. I could hear the panic in my own voice, and had to wonder if perhaps the lack sleep was making me worry unnecessarily.
“Yesterday morning, when she called to see if I could accompany her to this place…is everything ok?”
“Don’t know, where did she want to go?”
“She didn’t say, but she was excited. What’s going on?” Nate asked, switching to his serious cop voice. It’s what I need…the voice of reason to tell me everything was fine.
“I’m the only one worried, so it's probably nothing..."
"But?"
"But no one has seen or heard from her since yesterday morning…and her phone is dead.”
“Dead?”
“Yup.”
“I’ll be right over.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
One by one, the Reynaldi family shuffled down; the last person down by nine. The dining-room buzzed with the typical morning activities; Sophie going in and out of the kitchen as she prepared breakfast, and Teresa and Russell discussing business at the table (apparently lots of people were getting fired under Teresa’s wrath, and Russell was trying to lessen that potential number).
So besides a quick hello to acknowledge my presence, they all left me pretty much alone (just the way I liked it). I might’ve nodded absently at someone (probably Sophie) asking if I wanted pancakes, but managed to escape the daily business meeting that Teresa usually tried to drag me into.
I didn’t want to speak, because I knew I couldn’t without mentioning Elena and I didn’t want to do that after all the sass I’d already received (not without proof anyway).
Their voices seemed miles away as I daydreamed, and numbly sat in my regular seat waiting for Nate. His ‘I will be right over’ had been stretched by a few hours as he checked hospitals, and reported to work to check if any accident reports had been filed recently.
Cooing interrupted my thoughts; Matthews had just sauntered in, clearly refreshed. Gone was his haunted expression, and in its place was his typical sly smile.
“Good Morning,” Teresa said, with much more excitement in her voice than she’d ever been able to muster for anyone. With a new spring in her step, she nearly skipped over to Matthews and ‘patted’ him down with the excuse of fixing his collar and tie.
The rest of the Reynaldi clan quickly surrounded him as well, and escorted him (dragged) to the dining room table. Though my mind was still in panic mode, his obvious discomfort at all the attention warmed my heart.
In the middle of my family’s elation, I took note of his bags leaning near the entrance. I attempted to catch his attention to verify his plans to leave, but Matthews avoided all type of contact with me, choosing to sit on the opposite side of the table this time around.
"You can take the same seat," Teresa said to Matthews’s back, as he made his way down the room.
"Thanks, but this is seat is fine too."
"I hope Olivia's comment from last night didn't upset you…"
"It was his chair....it's weird," I interrupted.
"Olivia, it's just a chair," my aunt hissed at me.
"Ah, don't worry...I never take anything Stone says too seriously," Matthews answered; his smile stayed in place, but the corners of his mouth got tighter at the mention of my name (I had that effect on most people).
“Well then,” Teresa said, pulling the chair at the head of the table out for him.
“I’d actually like to take turns getting to know all the beautiful Reynaldi women,” he answered, in response to my aunt’s needy request. A statement that made Teresa and Russell both uncomfortable, and Sophie giggle like a school girl.
Carefully, and with his perfect smile still in place, he neatly hung his leather jacket on the chair and took his seat.
I could tell my aunt Teresa was finally starting to see this man’s sly persona, or at least I thought so until her smile returned and she asked about his day’s plans.
“I think he’s finally leaving, right?” I asked, pointing to his bags discretely arranged behind some plants by the room’s entrance.
“You’re leaving?” My aunt asked, unable to mask her disappointment.
“Umm yes, my boss wants me to check-in,” he answered, enunciating every word; cautiously planning how to answer my aunt (she also had that effect on most people).
Matthews’s eyes shifted from my aunt to me; I don’t think he was too happy with my meddling. Fortunately, a doorbell broke the odd tension, and I quickly excused myself to answer.
“Probably Elena, see you worried about nothing”, Teresa said.
“Elena? I was wondering she was…” Matthews said, taking advantage of the topic change.
I didn’t bother answering either of them, and briskly walked away only to return with a very somber Nate by my side.
“Nathaniel…did Olivia drag you into another one of her episodes,” Teresa asked, her tone changing.
“It’s about Elena…”
“Of course it is, sit down for breakfast while you’re here.”
“I’ve tried all morning to locate her, but her phone is dead…her credit cards haven’t been used, and there’s no record of her in any hospital or in police records of recent accidents,” he answered, preferring to stay standing.
“You really think there’s reason to worry?”
“Yes,” Nate answered
“Olivia, why didn’t you say something earlier,” my aunt asked me, and I had to refrain from smacking someone.
I wasn’t sure if it was my chosen art-related career over the family’s construction business, or my inherited affinity for being nosy, but no one in the household took me seriously…well except Elena.
It usually took someone like Nate (or more precisely…Nate) to validate my opinions and it was getting old. I felt like a five year old in the midst of adults, when I was probably the only one qualified to be called such.
“I did,” I answered, knowing full well that it was one of those moments where it was better to stay quiet, but I was never good at following those pesky social cues.
“My poor baby,” Sophie spoke between tears.
“Enough. What do we do now?” Teresa asked, directing her attention to Nate.
“Call everyone who might know where she is, and drive around to her favorite places.”
“What about filing a missing person’s report?”
“We can’t, not yet anyway…it hasn’t been 48 hours.”
“Okay, we’ll set up a small office in the living room to make calls…and we’ll make a list of places that you and Matthews can visit,” my aunt replied.
After explaining that we could use his ‘amazing’ investigative qualities, Matthews agreed to post-pone his departure. To his benefit, he actually seemed concerned and genuinely interested in helping out.
And so, everyone slowly followed her out; breakfast forgotten.
“For the record, I take all your episodes seriously,” Nate whispered, as he sped past me to catch up with my aunt.
“Shut up, don’t make me punch you.”
“Olivia, don’t be so rude,” my aunt reprimanded from the head of line.
I let her comment go, because someone was now missing from the group. Matthews had discreetly walked away in the midst of the chaos (after receiving a text).
Ready to play his game, I’d left the room…giving him a false sense of security, but fully intending to double back. So after a few seconds of my aunt dictating where everyone should stand, I tip-toed back, and plastered myself to the wall near the entrance just in time to hear his side of a very animated discussion.
“How many ways do I have to say this? I. Haven’t. Found. A. Damn. Thing.”
My heart pounded in my chest at those words; the tone in his voice confirming my fears. I could hear some low-pitched screaming from the other side, followed by a string of curse words from Matthews.
I waited, unsure of what to do; as did Matthews, the boy looked more confused than I did. After some pacing around, he worked his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it out (and somehow get his shit together).
I decided to do the same (the getting my shit together, not the hair…that was a lost cause), and returned to the living room before my absence was noticed by anyone other than Nate. I made it just in time too, mere seconds before Matthews; his ‘tortured soul’ look back in place.
Nate gave me a questioning look, but I avoided his gaze at all cost. He could read me pretty well, and I didn’t know what I’d just heard…so I wasn’t sure I was ready to share. Although, Nate’s mind was probably going a different route; imagining some weird and romantic meeting between Matthews and I.
I didn’t need to worry though, my aunt Teresa was keeping him busy, making a list of all of Elena’s favorite hangouts. Sophie and Russell were fidgeting on opposite sides of the couch, starting their designated phone calls, while Matthews and I awkwardly stood by the entrance.
Before I could get yelled at for doing nothing, a shrilling ring made everyone in the room jump. After a few seconds of confusion, Nate pulled out his cell phone and excused himself to answer his work phone. From the corner of my eye, I saw him signal me to join him in the hallway.
“What?” I asked.
“Ummm…”
“Just spit it out,” I answered. It was the first time Nate hesitated to tell me anything, and I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say next.
“Her car was found.”
“What about Elena…is she okay?”
“There was no sign of her, but…”
“Nate, just tell me…I can handle it.”
“My officers informed me that there were clear signs of a struggle.”
“How bad?” I asked. He didn’t need to answer, his look said it all and after a few deep breaths to compose myself, I asked him what we should do next.
“Open up an official investigation…with the condition of the car, we know this isn’t just her playing hooky or a game.”
“She was taken.”
“Yes,” he answered.
We returned to the family room, and I stayed clear as Nate explained the change in situation. Teresa, stoic as ever immediately took charge, asking questions and making plans. My poor aunt Sophie fell to the ground in tears. It fell onto happy-go-lucky Russell to console her, even though it seemed like he was close to breaking down himself.
I observed from the sidelines, not really getting involved. As weird as it sounded, that was typically my role in the family…and for the first time in months, I started to feel like myself.
An odd calm overtook me, overriding my fears and worry over Elena; I focused my attention on Matthews instead. In the time following Nate’s shocking update, this mystery man had taken to furiously texting someone; the messages were quick, and frequent.
With one final angry click on his phone, he stood up and shuffled out of the room. Having an idea of where he was headed, I took the long way back into the dining room.
Crouching down, I was able to reach the entrance in time to catch him tossing his belongings around; his hands finally settling on a set of knives and his gun.
Without a second thought, I exited the hallway and slowly slinked my way outside.As I crawled through the grass, I caught of a glimpse of my family still stationed in the living room; each person frozen in the same position.
I watched as Matthews entered the room, and whispered something to Nate. It was the last thing I saw as I lowered myself into the backseat of his car, rolling underneath.
A/N: Drawing on side is of several female leads from various Wattpad stories. On the far left, you will spot Olivia...in disguise. This was drawn by the awesomest Annany.