When they were finished at the police station, Fenton and Agent Dalrymple picked Joe and Frank up from the Peterson home, and Dalrymple drove them all back to Bayport. Ordinarily, the boys would have been tired and sleepy by this time, but they had both crashed for naps while visiting 'Aunt Patricia,' and were wide awake and excited to be returning home after their adventures.
Late though it was, lights still glowed in the windows, and when Fenton opened the front door, Laura came running into the foyer. Frank ran to meet his mother, and threw his arms about her in a big hug, as she bent to scoop him up. She squeezed him tightly, burying her face in his neck until he squirmed to be released. Then she went to Fenton, and took Joe from him, and kissed his forehead. "I've missed you two so much!" she exclaimed, hugging Joe as she sat down on the couch with him.
"Is Ezra here?" Fenton asked, watching Laura's interaction with Joe. Frank, meanwhile, ran off to the bathroom.
"He's in the downstairs guest room." she replied, her face losing some of its happiness. "He finally fell asleep, about an hour ago."
"I'll talk to him in the morning, then." Fenton said. "Right now, I need to call Wood and tell him I have a lead on his car...and then I'm going to turn in!" he added, preparing to leave the room.
"Hold it right there!" Laura commanded. "You owe me some details, don't you think?"
"One of Drecker's men stole Wood's car, not knowing who it belonged to." Fenton began a hasty condensation. "After the boys were discovered, a call was made to Wood, demanding one million dollars for their return - but we got the boys back, and after getting some information from Drecker, we set up the trade to take place here in Bayport. We're going to use the old Feldman warehouse, and set it up as a fake chop shop. When Wood gets there, we're going to try to get a confession, but at the very least, we'll have him for kidnapping, and the FBI is going to go ahead with Sal Morrow's and Ginger's murder charges." He ended his spiel, breathless.
Laura had to chuckle at the hasty rendition, but sobered almost immediately. "But there aren't any witnesses." she pointed out.
"I saw him kill her." Joe said softly. "So did Frank."
Laura had been afraid of that. She hugged Joe closer, and kissed his hair. "The boys are too young to be witnesses." she protested to Fenton.
"No, they aren't." Fenton denied. "Although I'll admit, it would be much easier on them if we had a confession."
"What about the gun used to shoot Ginger?" Laura asked.
"It was in the trunk of Wood's car." Fenton told her. "But there weren't any prints on it. However, it looks like it may have been Sal Morrow's gun, and if we can tie Morrow's murder to Wood, then we may be able to push Wood or Billy Catherson into admitting Ginger's murder."
"But if you can prove they took Joe and me, then everyone will know they killed Ginger." Frank observed, coming back into the living room.
"Not necessarily, son." Fenton shook his head. "Wood's lawyer would argue that she could have been killed after they left with you two."
"But we saw him do it!" Frank insisted.
"I know." Fenton stooped down until he was on eye level with his son. "But your mother and I don't want to put you boys through testifying unless there's no other way. Understand?"
Frank nodded solemnly. "But promise me one thing." he asked. Fenton nodded, waiting for the request. "If he's going to get away with it if Joe and I don't testify, promise you'll let us?"
"All right," his father said. "I promise."
"Is anyone hungry?" Laura asked, looking from one sober masculine face to another.
"We stopped at the Golden Arches on the way home." Fenton explained, when both boys shook their heads.
"Okay then, bed for everyone!"
Fenton took Joe from Laura's arms and carried him up the stairs. Laura followed, with Frank's hand nestled securely in hers. When they reached the boys' room, Fenton set Joe on the bed, and told him he'd be right back. While Frank changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth, Laura began helping Joe undress. Fenton went downstairs and checked the windows and locked the doors before turning on the burglar alarm. Then he hurried back to the boys' room.
In just a few minutes, the boys were in bed and the lights turned off. Fenton left the door open, just in case they needed anything during the night, and then he and Laura went to their room.
"You think they'll be okay?" Laura asked nervously, glancing back down the hallway.
"Yes, I'm sure they will." Fenton pulled her close and hugged her reassuringly. "Wood thinks whoever stole his car has them. He won't be looking for them here. And after tomorrow, we won't ever need to worry about him again!" He kissed her, and then sat down on the bed to make his phone call.
"Yes?" Wood snapped, when Fenton was finally put through to his erstwhile employer.
"Sir, I believe I may have located your car." Fenton told him.
"Where?" Wood demanded.
"I located two chop shops, but neither had your vehicle," Fenton informed him carefully, knowing he was driving Wood crazy by not getting straight to the point. "However, I then heard of another, also located here in Bayport. My source said he saw one of the men who steals cars for it, driving a blue Lincoln Continental, last night."
"That's excellent, Jeff!" Wood congratulated him, although Fenton could hear barely concealed agitation in his voice. "Where is it located?"
"I'm not sure yet." Fenton told him. He heard Wood's frustrated indrawn breath over the wire, and winked at Laura, grinning into the receiver, but he managed to keep his voice serious. "But I've been following a man who answers to his description, for the past four hours. I should be able to give you a location by morning."
"Good." Wood snapped. "Stay with him, and call me as soon as you have the location." he ordered, and abruptly hung up the phone.
Fenton replaced the receiver, smiling with satisfaction. Laura crawled onto the bed behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders, snuggling her head against his back.
"I love you." she whispered.
Seconds later, their light went out.
"Fenton..." a soft murmur was heard in the darkness of the room, some time later.
"Mmm?"
"I'll be very glad when that mustache is gone...."
By the time Laura awoke the next morning, Fenton was up and gone. She went to check on Frank and Joe, who were still sleeping soundly, then she showered and dressed. Going downstairs, she peeped into the guest room, and found it empty, the bed neatly made. Things must be moving along, she thought as she began to prepare breakfast for herself and the boys.
Down at the police station, Chief Ezra Collig was all business once more. He had organized a meeting for the officers who were to be involved in the bust going down later that day. Lieutenant Andrews, Sergeant Thompson, and Officers O'Malley, Simpson, Heather, Pennington, and Carmichael were to go in undercover, as mechanics in the chop shop. They would be busily involved, taking cars apart, when Wood arrived. Agent Dalrymple and his FBI men would set up stations around the perimeter of the warehouse and wait.
Ezra had insisted that he be the man in charge of the chop shop, and the instigator of the ransom demand. He wanted to deal with Wood personally. This idea didn't sit well with Dalrymple, who was afraid that Collig might decide to take justice into his own hands, but Fenton knew Ezra better than that. He managed to convince Dalrymple that Ezra would be perfect for the position. Collig was currently being worked on by a makeup team, and dressed in his bulletproof vest; they knew the danger he was going to face.
The warehouse itself was undergoing a transformation at the hands of the Forensics team: microphones, cameras, the cars which had been taken from police impound for the scene. Fenton's job was to connect with Wood, and show him where to go. It was assumed that Wood wouldn't allow Fenton into the building with him, even in his guise as personal assistant 'Jeff King,' so Fenton intended to watch from a van which held the monitoring equipment.
The trap was set. Now all they needed was the mouse. Fenton placed his phone call.
"Sir, I have located your vehicle." Fenton reported, when Wood was on the line.
"Where?" Wood demanded.
"It's a supposedly deserted warehouse down near the docks. Sir, these men seem to be dealing in more than stolen cars." Fenton added, preparing to use some of the information they had gleaned from Jonathan Drecker.
"What do you mean?" Wood wanted to know.
"Well, sir...when I was - er - exploring the premises, I found a map of Charleston, and one of New York City. Each map had areas marked as either belonging to someone named Stovmyer or Clautz, in Charleston, and Sumaine or Fredericks, in New York. I also overheard two men talking about sending a briefcase filled with cash to Sumaine in New York, and an order to inform him that another million was on its way." Fenton concluded.
"Sumaine?" Wood asked, his voice tight. "Are you sure?"
"Fairly sure, yes sir." Fenton replied. "Do you know him, sir?"
"Indeed I do." Wood said in a deadly tone. "He has been attempting to take over some of my holdings. Did you happen to hear just where this Sumaine was?"
"No, sir, I'm sorry." Fenton apologized. "But I understand he is expected to be arriving here this afternoon."
"All right, Jeff. I want you to meet me," Wood instructed Fenton, "at a place called Mel's Diner, out on the Shore Road."
"I know where it is." Fenton confirmed. "What time?"
"Be there in an hour." Wood ordered him. "I'm leaving now."
"He bought it." Fenton informed Dalrymple and Ezra, as he hung up the phone.
"I don't understand why you brought this Sumaine fellow into it." Ezra commented. "How is that going to help get a confession about killing Ginger and Morrow?"
"According to Jonathan Drecker, Sumaine used to be Wood's partner." Fenton explained. "But Wood tried to kill him, by setting fire to his home, with him tied up inside. He survived, but had to have extensive plastic surgery. Sumaine died last month in a car wreck, but Wood doesn't know that. Drecker only knew because his cousin's best friend was dating Sumaine's brother."
"Which only means that Jim Wood has a reason to be afraid of Sumaine." Ezra stated. "I can see where my pretending to be him might be beneficial in getting him to try to kill me, but I still don't understand how that will help get a confession about killing Ginger."
"That's where letting him 'kill' you with what he thinks is Sergeant Morrow's gun comes in." Agent Dalrymple told him. "We all know the criminal mind. From what Fenton has told me, you should know what buttons to push, to get him to confess before he shoots you." The FBI man uttered a somewhat sardonic chuckle. "Hopefully, Ezra, he'll go for the body, and hit your vest."
Ezra blinked a bit at this cold-blooded description of his proposed demise, but he took a deep breath, and grimly said "Let's do this."
The officers left with Ezra, and Agent Dalrymple left to take care of his part of the operation. Fenton used the spare time to phone Greg Rathbone.
"We're closing in on Wood." he informed the Internal Affairs agent.
"Excellent!" Rathbone said. "I have some news for you, as well." he stated. "I arrested Chief Greer of the Burnsville police, last night. He confessed that he's looked the other way regarding Wood's various crooked dealings."
"How did you pull that off?" Fenton demanded in pleased surprise.
"I let Greer think that Wood had no further use for him, and had accused him of running a protection scam." Rathbone said.
"And he bought it?"
"Hook, line, and sinker." Rathbone chuckled.
"That's great news!" Fenton declared, his eyes shining.
"Well...yes. But there is some bad news, too." Rathbone admitted reluctantly.
"What do you mean?" demanded Fenton, his face going sober.
"Greer escaped from jail early this morning, and we have no idea where he may be headed."
Late though it was, lights still glowed in the windows, and when Fenton opened the front door, Laura came running into the foyer. Frank ran to meet his mother, and threw his arms about her in a big hug, as she bent to scoop him up. She squeezed him tightly, burying her face in his neck until he squirmed to be released. Then she went to Fenton, and took Joe from him, and kissed his forehead. "I've missed you two so much!" she exclaimed, hugging Joe as she sat down on the couch with him.
"Is Ezra here?" Fenton asked, watching Laura's interaction with Joe. Frank, meanwhile, ran off to the bathroom.
"He's in the downstairs guest room." she replied, her face losing some of its happiness. "He finally fell asleep, about an hour ago."
"I'll talk to him in the morning, then." Fenton said. "Right now, I need to call Wood and tell him I have a lead on his car...and then I'm going to turn in!" he added, preparing to leave the room.
"Hold it right there!" Laura commanded. "You owe me some details, don't you think?"
"One of Drecker's men stole Wood's car, not knowing who it belonged to." Fenton began a hasty condensation. "After the boys were discovered, a call was made to Wood, demanding one million dollars for their return - but we got the boys back, and after getting some information from Drecker, we set up the trade to take place here in Bayport. We're going to use the old Feldman warehouse, and set it up as a fake chop shop. When Wood gets there, we're going to try to get a confession, but at the very least, we'll have him for kidnapping, and the FBI is going to go ahead with Sal Morrow's and Ginger's murder charges." He ended his spiel, breathless.
Laura had to chuckle at the hasty rendition, but sobered almost immediately. "But there aren't any witnesses." she pointed out.
"I saw him kill her." Joe said softly. "So did Frank."
Laura had been afraid of that. She hugged Joe closer, and kissed his hair. "The boys are too young to be witnesses." she protested to Fenton.
"No, they aren't." Fenton denied. "Although I'll admit, it would be much easier on them if we had a confession."
"What about the gun used to shoot Ginger?" Laura asked.
"It was in the trunk of Wood's car." Fenton told her. "But there weren't any prints on it. However, it looks like it may have been Sal Morrow's gun, and if we can tie Morrow's murder to Wood, then we may be able to push Wood or Billy Catherson into admitting Ginger's murder."
"But if you can prove they took Joe and me, then everyone will know they killed Ginger." Frank observed, coming back into the living room.
"Not necessarily, son." Fenton shook his head. "Wood's lawyer would argue that she could have been killed after they left with you two."
"But we saw him do it!" Frank insisted.
"I know." Fenton stooped down until he was on eye level with his son. "But your mother and I don't want to put you boys through testifying unless there's no other way. Understand?"
Frank nodded solemnly. "But promise me one thing." he asked. Fenton nodded, waiting for the request. "If he's going to get away with it if Joe and I don't testify, promise you'll let us?"
"All right," his father said. "I promise."
"Is anyone hungry?" Laura asked, looking from one sober masculine face to another.
"We stopped at the Golden Arches on the way home." Fenton explained, when both boys shook their heads.
"Okay then, bed for everyone!"
Fenton took Joe from Laura's arms and carried him up the stairs. Laura followed, with Frank's hand nestled securely in hers. When they reached the boys' room, Fenton set Joe on the bed, and told him he'd be right back. While Frank changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth, Laura began helping Joe undress. Fenton went downstairs and checked the windows and locked the doors before turning on the burglar alarm. Then he hurried back to the boys' room.
In just a few minutes, the boys were in bed and the lights turned off. Fenton left the door open, just in case they needed anything during the night, and then he and Laura went to their room.
"You think they'll be okay?" Laura asked nervously, glancing back down the hallway.
"Yes, I'm sure they will." Fenton pulled her close and hugged her reassuringly. "Wood thinks whoever stole his car has them. He won't be looking for them here. And after tomorrow, we won't ever need to worry about him again!" He kissed her, and then sat down on the bed to make his phone call.
"Yes?" Wood snapped, when Fenton was finally put through to his erstwhile employer.
"Sir, I believe I may have located your car." Fenton told him.
"Where?" Wood demanded.
"I located two chop shops, but neither had your vehicle," Fenton informed him carefully, knowing he was driving Wood crazy by not getting straight to the point. "However, I then heard of another, also located here in Bayport. My source said he saw one of the men who steals cars for it, driving a blue Lincoln Continental, last night."
"That's excellent, Jeff!" Wood congratulated him, although Fenton could hear barely concealed agitation in his voice. "Where is it located?"
"I'm not sure yet." Fenton told him. He heard Wood's frustrated indrawn breath over the wire, and winked at Laura, grinning into the receiver, but he managed to keep his voice serious. "But I've been following a man who answers to his description, for the past four hours. I should be able to give you a location by morning."
"Good." Wood snapped. "Stay with him, and call me as soon as you have the location." he ordered, and abruptly hung up the phone.
Fenton replaced the receiver, smiling with satisfaction. Laura crawled onto the bed behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders, snuggling her head against his back.
"I love you." she whispered.
Seconds later, their light went out.
"Fenton..." a soft murmur was heard in the darkness of the room, some time later.
"Mmm?"
"I'll be very glad when that mustache is gone...."
By the time Laura awoke the next morning, Fenton was up and gone. She went to check on Frank and Joe, who were still sleeping soundly, then she showered and dressed. Going downstairs, she peeped into the guest room, and found it empty, the bed neatly made. Things must be moving along, she thought as she began to prepare breakfast for herself and the boys.
Down at the police station, Chief Ezra Collig was all business once more. He had organized a meeting for the officers who were to be involved in the bust going down later that day. Lieutenant Andrews, Sergeant Thompson, and Officers O'Malley, Simpson, Heather, Pennington, and Carmichael were to go in undercover, as mechanics in the chop shop. They would be busily involved, taking cars apart, when Wood arrived. Agent Dalrymple and his FBI men would set up stations around the perimeter of the warehouse and wait.
Ezra had insisted that he be the man in charge of the chop shop, and the instigator of the ransom demand. He wanted to deal with Wood personally. This idea didn't sit well with Dalrymple, who was afraid that Collig might decide to take justice into his own hands, but Fenton knew Ezra better than that. He managed to convince Dalrymple that Ezra would be perfect for the position. Collig was currently being worked on by a makeup team, and dressed in his bulletproof vest; they knew the danger he was going to face.
The warehouse itself was undergoing a transformation at the hands of the Forensics team: microphones, cameras, the cars which had been taken from police impound for the scene. Fenton's job was to connect with Wood, and show him where to go. It was assumed that Wood wouldn't allow Fenton into the building with him, even in his guise as personal assistant 'Jeff King,' so Fenton intended to watch from a van which held the monitoring equipment.
The trap was set. Now all they needed was the mouse. Fenton placed his phone call.
"Sir, I have located your vehicle." Fenton reported, when Wood was on the line.
"Where?" Wood demanded.
"It's a supposedly deserted warehouse down near the docks. Sir, these men seem to be dealing in more than stolen cars." Fenton added, preparing to use some of the information they had gleaned from Jonathan Drecker.
"What do you mean?" Wood wanted to know.
"Well, sir...when I was - er - exploring the premises, I found a map of Charleston, and one of New York City. Each map had areas marked as either belonging to someone named Stovmyer or Clautz, in Charleston, and Sumaine or Fredericks, in New York. I also overheard two men talking about sending a briefcase filled with cash to Sumaine in New York, and an order to inform him that another million was on its way." Fenton concluded.
"Sumaine?" Wood asked, his voice tight. "Are you sure?"
"Fairly sure, yes sir." Fenton replied. "Do you know him, sir?"
"Indeed I do." Wood said in a deadly tone. "He has been attempting to take over some of my holdings. Did you happen to hear just where this Sumaine was?"
"No, sir, I'm sorry." Fenton apologized. "But I understand he is expected to be arriving here this afternoon."
"All right, Jeff. I want you to meet me," Wood instructed Fenton, "at a place called Mel's Diner, out on the Shore Road."
"I know where it is." Fenton confirmed. "What time?"
"Be there in an hour." Wood ordered him. "I'm leaving now."
"He bought it." Fenton informed Dalrymple and Ezra, as he hung up the phone.
"I don't understand why you brought this Sumaine fellow into it." Ezra commented. "How is that going to help get a confession about killing Ginger and Morrow?"
"According to Jonathan Drecker, Sumaine used to be Wood's partner." Fenton explained. "But Wood tried to kill him, by setting fire to his home, with him tied up inside. He survived, but had to have extensive plastic surgery. Sumaine died last month in a car wreck, but Wood doesn't know that. Drecker only knew because his cousin's best friend was dating Sumaine's brother."
"Which only means that Jim Wood has a reason to be afraid of Sumaine." Ezra stated. "I can see where my pretending to be him might be beneficial in getting him to try to kill me, but I still don't understand how that will help get a confession about killing Ginger."
"That's where letting him 'kill' you with what he thinks is Sergeant Morrow's gun comes in." Agent Dalrymple told him. "We all know the criminal mind. From what Fenton has told me, you should know what buttons to push, to get him to confess before he shoots you." The FBI man uttered a somewhat sardonic chuckle. "Hopefully, Ezra, he'll go for the body, and hit your vest."
Ezra blinked a bit at this cold-blooded description of his proposed demise, but he took a deep breath, and grimly said "Let's do this."
The officers left with Ezra, and Agent Dalrymple left to take care of his part of the operation. Fenton used the spare time to phone Greg Rathbone.
"We're closing in on Wood." he informed the Internal Affairs agent.
"Excellent!" Rathbone said. "I have some news for you, as well." he stated. "I arrested Chief Greer of the Burnsville police, last night. He confessed that he's looked the other way regarding Wood's various crooked dealings."
"How did you pull that off?" Fenton demanded in pleased surprise.
"I let Greer think that Wood had no further use for him, and had accused him of running a protection scam." Rathbone said.
"And he bought it?"
"Hook, line, and sinker." Rathbone chuckled.
"That's great news!" Fenton declared, his eyes shining.
"Well...yes. But there is some bad news, too." Rathbone admitted reluctantly.
"What do you mean?" demanded Fenton, his face going sober.
"Greer escaped from jail early this morning, and we have no idea where he may be headed."
