“Now this I’d pay to see,” Martin mused in Olivia’s ear. She glanced over her shoulder to see him standing next to Colleen, her mother in law’s eyes concerned, his formal and serious with a touch of sarcasm. “Ma’am,” he added.
Returning her attention to her husband, Olivia gasped when Alexander drew a three-inch blade out of his pocket with incredible speed just as Moretti was inches from him. Moretti stopped, holding up his hands. Alexander held his gaze, a somewhat mischievous expression on his face, and Olivia began to think he’d snapped from the weight he had been carrying. Then he grinned, sliding the knife under the tape securing the box, everyone holding a collective breath…except for Alexander and Martin. They both knew the chances of this guy sending a box containing some sort of explosive was slim. Olivia tended to agree with them, but there was still a part of her that held on to that fear.
Alexander pulled open the flaps of the box and blinked, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What is it?” Moretti asked.
Shaking his head, Alexander’s eyebrows furrowed. He reached into the box and pulled out a stuffed penguin.
Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth, covering her quivering chin, as she let out a slight shriek.
“Mrs. Burnham?” Agent Long approached and placed her hand on Olivia’s arm in a show of compassion. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“That penguin…” Olivia swallowed hard. “Melanie…”
“Go on,” she pushed.
“I take Melanie ice skating at the indoor rink in Newton at least once a week.” She looked down at the penguin in Alexander’s hands. “They have one of those claw games. You know, the one where you pay a quarter or something and try to maneuver the claw around to grab the prize you want. That penguin’s been in the machine for weeks now. Weeks! And Melanie’s been trying to grab it since she saw it. It didn’t matter to her that she has a room full of stuffed animals. She wanted the thrill of mastering that claw game.”
“You took her there yesterday, correct?” Agent Moretti asked, pulling his notepad out of his pocket and scribbling in it.
“Yes. In the afternoon.”
“And did she play the game then?”
Olivia nodded. “After she skated. She was with a few of her friends from school and they all tried. I was talking with their moms and…” She trailed off, staring into space.
“What is it? Do you remember something?” Alexander asked, taking a few steps toward her, still holding the penguin.
Olivia grabbed it from him, inwardly laughing to herself. It was such a small thing. Black and white with a yellow beak and orange feet. It had a goofy smile and a silly red bowtie.
“I noticed a man standing off to the side, watching them. As a mother, you’re always on the lookout, sometimes to a fault, for anyone who seems to take an unusual interest in your child. This guy looked normal enough, dark hair, dark eyes, but something about his expression rubbed me the wrong way…until I saw a little boy, probably the same age as Melanie, run up to him and give him a hug.” She shrugged. “I guess I was just a little on edge after hearing about Mischa…” She grew quiet and took a quick breath.
“What? What is it?”
Her eyes raced back and forth as she tried to recall everything about yesterday — the smells, the cold, the crunch of the snow beneath her feet, singing with Melanie in the car as they left the skating rink.
Olivia straightened her spine, snapping her head back to Alexander. “I saw him leave without the boy. He was alone. And…”
“Yes?”
“He was carrying this penguin.”
Chapter Twenty-One
December 19
5:20 PM
THE HOUSE ERUPTED WITH commotion, the noise amplified by the high ceilings in the formal entry. Alexander felt like this was just one giant game of cat and mouse, like this guy, Maleek, was simply trying to distract them from finding and bringing Melanie back home.
“We’ll get a sketch artist down here immediately,” Agent Moretti said, nodding to one of the other agents before turning to Olivia. “Do you think you can describe what he looks like?”
In a daze, she nodded.
“There isn’t time for that!” Alexander roared. “Remember, we have one hour. One! And all he sent was that damn penguin!” He gestured to the stuffed animal in Olivia’s hands, then looked back into the box. A white envelope taped to the bottom caught his eye.
“It’s the ice rink,” Olivia mumbled. “It’s got to be. There’s no other possible explanation. This penguin…” She held it up. “Melanie’s been trying to win this damn thing at the ice rink for weeks now. Part of me thinks he knows that, that he was watching the whole time, but I was so absorbed in my own little world, I didn’t notice him.”
Alexander gave her a reassuring look, letting her know he was in agreement with her, then turned his attention back to the envelope in the box.
“Send the advance team to the rink to see if anything looks suspicious,” Agent Moretti ordered one of his agents. “Anything at all. Be vigilant, but smart. We need to make it appear as if Mrs. Burnham will be alone, so you must blend in.” There was a pause. “What is it?”
Alexander looked up to see Moretti staring at him, his brow furrowed. “There’s something else.”
“What?”
Alexander held up the white envelope, his pulse quickening. Moretti reached for it, but he pulled it away. This was personal, not something he wanted Moretti to see and analyze, then bag into evidence. As much as he didn’t want to open it and confirm his suspicions, he knew he had to.
He slid his finger under the flap, Olivia’s gaze locked with his, and tore the envelope open, pulling out a folded piece of white paper. All eyes were on him, the room silent once more as everyone waited. Pinching his lips together, he unfolded it, every beat of his heart echoing in his ears. No parent should ever have to see what he was looking at.
“What is it?” Olivia’s voice cut through the space.
He closed his eyes, barely able to even say the words. “Proof of life.”
Alexander returned his eyes to the paper, struggling to keep it together as he stared at a photo of Melanie. She wore her pink Snoopy pajamas, her hair in two messy braids, missing her left sock. She held up a newspaper. Looking closer, he saw it was today’s edition of the New York Times. She sat with her back straight, her legs crossed in front of her. To the left of her was that damn penguin.
Alexander studied the background and her surroundings to see if anything stood out to indicate where she may be. A small, boarded up, barred window was directly behind her. It looked cold and dirty, the walls cement. She could have been in any basement anywhere.
“We’re going to get her back,” Agent Moretti said softly over Alexander’s shoulder as he continued to stare blankly at the photo. Was she okay? Was she cold? Was she hungry? Would she ever forgive him for letting this happen to her?
Alexander straightened his back, clearing his throat. “We’re running out of time. What’s the plan?” He faced Moretti, all business once more.
“Everyone has been briefed on what their roles are. Agent Long will get Olivia ready. We’re going to put a wire on her, just in case.”