Page 3 of Nowhere to Hide
“Where are the kids, Ash?” Edward asked. “I don’t have all day for this.”
It was as if his asking made two children appear. One girl, aged thirteen, named Sophie, and Brayden, a boy of nine. Everyone knew who the Hansons were even if they’d never been formally introduced.
The guard returned on the children’s heels.
“All right, everyone’s here. What is it that’s so important?” Edward crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side.
Smug and arrogant, and he couldn’t wait to knock him off his pedestal. But the timing and his positioning needed to be just right. Joe smiled and walked closer to the children. “It’s just one small clause that Austin and Jerrold feel you should have had pointed out.”
“Which is?” Edward rolled his hands.
Joe stood behind the children. “All right, I’ll get to the point. My name isn’t Joe Buckley, and I’m not with Walton Crane.”
“Edward,” Ashley said as Edward motioned for the security guy to do something. The man produced his gun from inside his suit jacket. But in that time, Joe had pulled one of his own and had it pushed into the back of the boy’s head.
The security guy was staring him down, his weapon still pointed in his direction.
“Really? You see where I have my gun, right? I don’t think your master would appreciate you getting his son’s head blown off.”
“Edward, do something!” Ashley screamed.
Her histrionics were entertaining at least, and it had him smiling. The high that came with being the one in control was intoxicating.
“Put it away now, Abram, for God’s sake!” Edward barked.
“No, Abram, you’re going to do better than that. You’re going to set it on that table there and walk back with your arms in the air.” He indicated a marble table doing nothing more than holding a vase of flowers. It probably cost more than he made in a month.
Abram glanced over at Edward.
“Don’t look at him. Look at me. Do as I say. Gun! Table!Now!” he roared.
“I will.” Abram set his gun on the table and backed away.
He collected the gun, walking with a firm hold around Brayden’s neck.Such a good, cooperative kid…“Do you have any other guns or weapons on your person?”
“No.”
“Take off your jacket and lift your pant legs.” He wasn’t about to trust anyone within these four walls.
The security guard set his jacket on the couch and bared his ankles. No holsters.
“Excellent. Now that’s out of the way and everyone’s here, we can get started.” He loosened his tie, only dressing for the part to get himself in the door.
“Just tell us what you want and leave us alone,” Edward seethed.
“Oh, don’t you worry, we’ll be getting to that real quick.”
TWO
9:00 AM
Sandra knocked once before letting herself into Davenport Manor. The colonial mansion was where she grew up from the age of twelve. It had been worlds apart from her humble origins. “Dana, it’s me,” Sandra called out as she wiped her shoes. Dana was the live-in nurse and care provider for Margo, or Mom, as Sandra called the sweet woman who had adopted her and her twin brother, Sam. Though the bond between Dana and Margo made her more family than employee.
Dana came from the back of the house to greet her. “Oh, hey, Sandra. Your mom’s reading in the parlor. She’s already eaten her breakfast.”
“How’s she doing?”
“You caught her at a good time. Would you like a tea or coffee? I’m just making a decaf tea for Margo.”
