Page 56 of Gideon

I pulled into the garage just as Laney opened the door to put a fishing pole away. When she saw us, her face lit up. She clapped her hands and ran to the truck.

“I’m so happy you’re all here!” she cried, tears streaming down her face.

“You’d better hug her,” I said with a grin. “Or she might flood the garage.”

Ryan climbed out of the truck, and Laney embraced him tightly. “Ryan, I’m so happy you’re here. I want you to know I love you. This is your home now. Please think of it as your own.”

She wiped her tears and smiled. “Let’s get the babies out of the truck. I’ll start dinner.”

28

Gideon

It had beena week since Ryan and the kids joined our family. I had to leave for a job, but Laney was taking Ryan to college for his first in-person class. He was nervous—not just about starting school but about everything happening in his life.

Yesterday, Kat stopped by and shared something unsettling. Lily had been taken from a young mother who was walking her baby in the park. The woman went into a bathroom stall, leaving the stroller just outside where she could see the wheels. When she came out, the baby was gone.

I hated leaving with so much going on, but I’d already taken too much time off work. Kat and Laney were following up on whether any of the other kids had also been taken from their families. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan and decided to call. We didn’t usually make personal calls during a job, but since the mission hadn’t started yet, I had time.

“Hello, Gideon. I miss you,” Laney answered warmly.

“I miss you too. How are the kids doing?”

“Trina’s real name is Tammy Tooler. She was taken three years ago. Her parents are on their way here. The police aren’t happy—they want to take all the kids. Ryan talked to them andgave them Brenda’s address. It looks like she’ll be locked up for a long time.”

“How’s Ryan holding up?”

“He managed to convince the police to let the kids stay with us until their families can be found. He’s been amazing through all of this, but I’m not sure if any of these kids are actually Brenda’s. The FBI is involved now. Ryan told them everything he knew about her, which wasn’t much. On the bright side, he’s officially registered for his university classes, and I signed him up for driving lessons.”

“I’m glad he’s taking those steps. I’ll be home in a couple of weeks. Call Raven if you need anything. I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too. Don’t worry about Ryan; he knows we’re here for him. He’s heartbroken, though. When Lily left with her family, he went straight to his room. Finding out these kids aren’t his family has been a shock. He blames himself for not questioning things earlier, like when Brenda dropped Joey off. At least the families have said Ryan can visit the kids if they ask for him. Plus, he can FaceTime with them anytime the kids want to talk.”

“He’s been trying to keep busy. Yesterday, he went ocean fishing and caught one of those ugly rock cod. He cleaned it himself, and we had it for dinner. Gideon, he’s so much like you. Even though you didn’t raise him, his mannerisms are just like yours—his expressions, the way his eyebrows move. It’s uncanny. He’s so sad about the kids. He loves them deeply.”

“I know. And they love him, too. Brenda’s going to spend the rest of her life behind bars for what she’s done. If I can, I’ll call him later this week. I have to go now—we’re landing.”

After ending the call, River glanced over at me. “How’s it going?”

“It’s a mess. The kids were all stolen. They’ve already found two of their families. Ryan feels like his whole world is fallingapart. He raised those kids, if only for a few years. Brenda dumped them on him and his grandparents, and he and the Grandparents are the only real parents they’ve ever known.”

River shook his head. “It’s heartbreaking. She stole those kids, got away with it for years, and now it’s tearing them apart. But the most important thing is that the families are getting their children back.”

I nodded. “That’s what matters now. Where do we meet this guy that’s hiding from his brother-in-law? Why does he think he’s being stalked?”

“East side of Hankle Street,” River replied. “He claims his brother-in-law thinks he murdered his wife for the insurance money and wants revenge.”

“Do you think he did it? Or is he just paranoid?”

River smirked. “Exactly what I was thinking. He probably killed her, feels guilty, and now his brother-in-law is hunting him down. I wouldn’t mind talking to the brother-in-law.”

“Yeah, if he shows up, we’ll see what he has to say. Let’s pick up the guy and take him to his house. We can wait there and see if the brother-in-law comes around.”

After driving for thirty minutes, we spotted a man peeking nervously around a building.

“You think that’s him?” I asked, pulling up. “He doesn’t look very old. It makes me wonder how old his wife was. If I find out he killed her, I’m taking his ass straight to the police.”

River chuckled darkly. “Hell, I can tell from here he’s guilty. Let’s grab him, head to his house, and see how long it takes him to crack.”

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