One Last Fight Read online

  One Last Fight

  By Brenda Kennedy

  Round Three of The Fighting to Survive Trilogy

  Copyright 2015 by Brenda Kennedy

  Dedicated with much love to my Uncle Walter and Aunt Margie Prince

  I would also like to dedicate this series to:

  Matthew Caden Zambrano, 6-4-08 to 5-5-12,

  who inspired the sweetness and the memories of Jamie.

  This story is part of a trilogy. Books 1 and 2 have cliffhangers.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: Searching for Madison

  Chapter Two: Going After Madison

  Chapter Three: Courts and Custody

  Chapter Four: Two Months Later

  Chapter Five: Unexpected Fate

  Chapter Six: One Last Fight

  Epilogue

  Books by Brenda Kennedy

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Chapter One: Searching for Madison

  Robert

  The next morning when I walk downstairs, Tim and Sue are in the kitchen. I smell coffee and the television is on Bay News 9. Two good things: local news and hot coffee. I walk to the coffee pot and fill an extra-large mug almost to the brim with black coffee for me, and I also get a smaller cup for Leah. Leah is on the couch, holding the baby.

  I smile and hand her, her coffee. She takes it but doesn’t drink it. Bay News 9 announces there is breaking news of a six-year-old girl who was abducted from her home late last night. There are some sick bastards in this world. There is an Amber Alert telling Florida residents to be watchful for this little girl. Good, maybe they’ll find her. I sit on the couch beside Leah and watch the television as the picture of the little girl flashes on the screen. I spill my coffee and Leah gasps when we see that the abducted child is our daughter Madison.

  Leah reaches for my arm and holds on tightly. I turn the television up so we can hear everything that is being said. In my mind, I am still trying to determine if this is real or a dream. I feel like I am having an out-of-body experience. I feel detached.

  The news talks about Madison being abducted from her bedroom in the early morning hours. A cameraman tries to zoom in on her bedroom window. The live footage is blurry, but you can see that the window screen has been slashed.

  “Oh, God. Robert,” Leah says, but she doesn’t finish her sentence. I think she is unable to form the words.

  “I know.” We continue to sit and watch in horror as the abduction is broadcast. The reporter says that the police have no suspects at this time and that the police are questioning the family now. The live footage shows the Sinclair home is taped off with yellow crime-scene tape. We can also see the police cruisers’ red and blue flashing lights reflecting against the Sinclair home.

  Tim and Sue walk into the house, and I stand up from the couch, never taking my eyes off of the television. They slowly walk over and join Leah and me. Sue sits beside Leah as she holds Gracie, and Tim walks over and stands beside me. I think all of us except Gracie are in shock. The reporter says, “Stay tuned for further updates.” My phone rings from the bedroom, and I run up the stairs to answer it.

  “Grether,” I answer, not looking to see who it is. I walk to the closet and quickly begin to get dressed.

  “Bobby, it’s Bruce. I just saw the news.”

  “Me, too. I’m getting dressed now. Meet me at the Sinclairs.” I hang up before he has time to answer. I know he’ll say, ‘You can’t go over there.’ The hell I can’t. She’s my daughter, so I can show up anywhere I damn well please.

  I dress in a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and my boots in a matter of seconds. Leah, Tim, and Sue walk into the bedroom as I am tying my boot laces. “I’m coming with you,” Leah says, walking past me towards her walk-in closet.

  I look at Tim and he shrugs his shoulders. Sue is holding Gracie. Leah walks out of the closet with a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt in her hands. “Leah, you can’t go with me.”

  “Why?”

  Because it’s too dangerous. Because I’m going to beat the shit out of Drake for letting this happen. Because I have no idea what will happen when I get there. “Because you need to stay here with Gracie,” I finally say. “I’ll take your dad and as soon as I hear something, I’ll call you.”

  “Robert, you have to find her.” I look at Leah, and her lip quivers as her eyes fill with tears. “We can’t lose her, too.”

  I stand up and pull her into me, holding her tightly. I kiss the top of her head and whisper, “I will. I need to go so I can find out what’s going on.” She nods but doesn’t release her hold on me. Tim and Sue turn to leave the room.

  “Leah, stay here and take care of Gracie, and I’ll go and find our other daughter.”

  “Okay. Be careful and call me as soon as you hear something.”

  I back away from her and smile a sad smile. “I will, I promise.”

  On the drive to the Sinclairs, Tim asks, “Do you think Drake would do this, so he wouldn’t have to lose Madison in a custody battle?”

  “I have no doubt that Drake took her. She’s probably at some nanny’s house, eating cookies and milk, and in a few days he’ll rent a private plane and relocate his family and himself to some tropical island.” I think to myself and wonder if I wouldn’t have done the same thing. “I need to call Dad and tell him before he and Mom see it on the news.”

  I’m too late. Dad calls, and I tell Dad to meet us at the Sinclairs and to have Mom go to the house with Leah and Sue. The more people I have to search for Madison, the better my chances are at finding her and bringing her home.

  The cul-de-sac road is blocked off and police cruisers are everywhere. I see a blue and white tent set up near their driveway; people are standing beneath it. I have no idea why that is there, and I don’t care. Tim and I push our way through the crowds of reporters and bystanders before we duck beneath the crime-scene tape. A law enforcement officer tries to stop us before Bruce waves us in.

  Tim and I run across the manicured lawn to reach Bruce. He is standing and talking to what looks like a detective. As I look around the yard, my eyes land on Chelsea and Drake. They are standing outside with several people looking at a window. It’s Madison’s bedroom window. I can tell from the tear in the screen. I turn away without saying a word and start walking towards Drake. He doesn’t see me. Bruce yells for me, but I ignore him. I grab Drake by his shirt and yell, “IF YOU TOOK HER TO HIDE HER, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!”

  “Bobby, don’t!” Chelsea cries. I can feel her small hands tugging on my arms trying to pull me away from her husband. “Let him go!” she demands.

  “WHERE IS SHE, BOBBY? YOU TOOK HER BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE WAS NO WAY IN HELL THAT A JUDGE IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD GIVE A JUNKIE LIKE YOU CUSTODY.”

  Bruce and Tim run over and pull me away from Drake.

  “YOU TOOK HER AND I PLAN ON FINDING HER!” I yell.

  “You both need to keep your shit together until she’s found safe and sound,” Bruce says a little too calmly.

  “We need to do another sweep of her room,” someone wearing a suit and tie says.

  “I’ll take them,” Drake says to Chelsea while giving me a dirty look. I glare at him as he walks away, leading several people into his home. Drake is wearing a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt; he looks disheveled, but he still walks with authority and power.

  “Bobby,” Chelsea says with tears in her eyes. “We don’t have her. You can think what you want, but she’s missing, and we have no idea where she is.”

  I listen to her and I ponder her words. “Do the police have any leads?” I ask as I look directly into her eyes. I’m hoping to see the truth that Madison is safe and tucked away in some condo with her nanny, so
mewhere. But all I see is sadness; she looks weary.

  “No, nothing. They came in through her bedroom window,” Chelsea begins to say but stops as the uncontrollable sobs take over.

  “May I see her bedroom?” I ask. “Maybe we can help.” I have no idea how. Maybe we’ll see something that everyone else missed.

  Bruce says, “Bobby, you’ll need permission to enter the home. I can probably get that for you, but because they are searching and collecting evidence, they’ll want to limit the number of people in the house.”

  “I understand,” Tim says. “I’ll wait outside by the Hummer for your dad.”

  Bruce says, “I’ll talk to the captain and try to get it approved. Hopefully, it won’t take long.”

  Tim leaves and Bruce speaks with the lead captain. I stand there with Chelsea as she cries. “I don’t know who would have taken her. Why would someone take her?”

  It’s times like this I wish Leah were here. She would know what to do and say to Chelsea to make her feel better. Well, maybe not today, but maybe they could console each other. I send Leah a quick text to let her know we arrived and I still don’t have any answers.

  “I’d like to know.” It’s the only thing I say to Chelsea. I have no idea what to say to her. I still believe her husband took her.

  Bruce walks over and says, “We can go in, but don’t touch anything.” We follow Chelsea into the large house. Bruce whispers, “I trust you’ll be on your best behavior. If Drake is involved, maybe he’ll screw up and say something.”

  I nod. As we walk through the rooms and I look around, the first thing I notice is the numerous family portraits strategically placed throughout the house. It’s reassuring to know that Madison is very much loved and cared for. We walk down the hall and pass by a room whose oak doors are tightly closed. The home is one story so the kidnapper or kidnappers had easy access to Madison’s bedroom.

  Once inside Madison’s room, I look around. I have no idea what I’m looking for. I’m no investigator or detective, but I am a fighter, and I plan on kicking the kidnapper’s ass when I find him. The bed is a mess and unmade. Everything else is in perfect order. I notice a clear spot on the nightstand, beneath the lamp, and ask, “Was something supposed to be here?”

  Drake looks annoyed, but Chelsea walks over to the nightstand to see what I’m looking at. I watch her as she looks on the table then onto the floor. “There was a framed snapshot here,” Chelsea says.

  Drake stops what he is doing and walks over to join his wife. “It was a picture of us taken last year during Christmas. The police are already aware it’s missing.”

  “Why would they take a family photo?” Chelsea cries.

  “I don’t know, Chels,” Drake says, holding his wife.

  Because you took it, Dickhead, I think to myself.

  “Is there anything else missing?” Bruce asks.

  Chelsea and Drake both look around the room. I watch as Chelsea’s eyes scan the walls, the bookshelves, the bed, and then the floor. “No, nothing, I can tell.”

  I look out the window, and I can see Dad standing under the tent with Tim. The police are refusing them entrance onto the Sinclair property. Mr. Reed, Drake’s attorney, knocks on the door and says, “Drake, we need you in your office, please.”

  Drake turns to leave without saying a word to anyone. Chelsea sits on the foot of Madison’s bed and cries. I imagine that is what Leah would be doing. I nod towards the doorway and tell Bruce that Dad is outside, and we all leave to meet him. We fill him in on what little we know. “Do you think Drake took her?” Dad asks. It must be the first thought we all had.

  “I have no doubt,” I admit.

  “Do they have any evidence or anything linking the abduction to Drake or his wife?”

  “I have no idea what evidence they have,” I admit when I realize I haven’t spoken to any law enforcement officers about my daughter’s disappearance.

  Bruce says, “They have no idea. The detectives questioned Drake and Chelsea already. Chelsea has no enemies and Drake… well, let’s just say they are checking into the most recent ones.”

  “I imagine he’s a suspect,” I say.

  “If he is, you probably are, too,” Bruce confirms. “The custody battle will make you both look suspicious.”

  “I wish I was smart enough to think about taking her,” I admit, sadly. “I was still holding out hope of getting legal custody of her through the courts.”

  I get a call from Leah, saying a detective is there and he wants to speak to both of us. “I need to get home,” I say. “It’s our turn to be questioned by the police.”

  “I’ll meet you at your house. Tell Leah to wait until I get there to speak to them. I want to be present when they talk to you both.”

  “Okay, I will.” I watch Bruce walk away from us in the direction of his car. He steps just beyond his car and makes a call.

  “I’ll follow you guys,” Dad says.

  I start up my Hummer and stare back at Drake and Chelsea’s home before pulling off. I was hoping I would see something, anything, but I don’t.

  Leah

  Robert walks into the house with Dad and Walter behind him. I’m on the couch with the baby, and Mom and Margie are in the kitchen making tea. The detective sits on the chair across from me with a pen and small notebook in his hand. He stands when he sees Robert. I did as Bruce said, I haven’t spoken to him about anything other than small talk.

  Robert shakes his hand and takes a seat beside me and Gracie. “Our attorney is on his way, then we can begin.” He kisses me, and then he takes Gracie from me and kisses her. He looks at the television. I turned it off when the detective arrived. “Are you all right?” Robert asks me.

  “No,” I admit a little too quickly in a whisper.

  “This isn’t an interrogation. I just have a few questions to ask you,” Detective Farmer says. “You don’t need an attorney for this.”

  “Judge Myles thought otherwise.” It’s the only thing I can think to say. We sit and remain quiet. Dad and Tim walk into the kitchen. “Shouldn’t you be out looking for the person who took our daughter?” I ask.

  Just as the detective opens his mouth to speak, Bruce knocks and then enters through the kitchen door. Mom and Margie show up and set a tray with the teapot and teacups down on the table. “Sorry I’m late,” Bruce says.

  The detective asks about where we were last night and this morning. He asks about our family and friends and about any enemies we may have. I don’t have any enemies that I know of. And Robert…? Is Kennedy an enemy? Are the contenders he beat up in the ring enemies? He asks about how and when we heard about Madison’s kidnapping. The entire time Detective Farmer watches Robert. Does he think Robert took her? He doesn’t smile or frown. His face is expressionless, and I can’t tell what he is thinking.

  “I think your time would be better spent searching for our daughter. She’s missing and we need to find her,” I say as I begin to cry. “Someone has her and she’s scared, frightened, or…” I sob uncontrollably. I stand and run to the restroom. I can’t even let my mind go to that dark place. She’s safe, she has to be. I didn’t think there could be anything worse than losing our Jamie, but if Madison is…” Stop it! I order myself. Don’t think things like that.

  I stare at myself in the mirror and wonder how this can be happening to us. Am I being punished? Surely, my God wouldn’t do that to me. Why would someone take her and where is she? Once I control my crying, I walk back out to the living room. The detective has left, and Bruce is talking to Dad and Walter.

  They stop talking when they see me. Robert comes over and holds me. I cry. I don’t want to, but I can’t help it. “We aren’t going to get her back, are we?” He holds me tightly and I fist his shirt in my hand and rest my head on his chest.

  “We are — we just have to keep the faith, Leah,” Robert coos in my ear. I know he speaks softly to try to calm me.

  “How can we lose her before we get a chance to know her?”
I whisper into his chest.

  “We’ll find her.”

  I hear a cell phone and I look up. “Bruce Myles, speaking,” he says as he answers his cell phone. Bruce walks away towards the kitchen. He talks softly and I can’t hear him. Robert slowly releases his hold on me. I look around the room, and see that Gracie is sucking on her fist. I take her from Margie and we go into the nursery so I can feed her.

  Her nursery is calming and peaceful. I can’t stand to look at all of the somber faces any longer. I don’t want to be surrounded by sadness and darkness anymore. I wind up Jamie’s music box and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” plays. I position Gracie on my lap and she immediately latches on. I love this bonding time I have with her, and for a few moments, it feels like everything is right in the world. Robert teases me that I live in a unicorn-and-rainbow kind of world. It sure beats the sadness and darkness that sometimes consume me.

  Robert comes in and says, “Bruce had to leave.” My stomach does a flip, and a lump appears in my throat. I close my eyes. I want to ask him if the call was about Madison, but I can’t form the words. “He didn’t say what the call was about,” he says as he walks further into the room. It’s like he was reading my thoughts. I don’t look at him. I can’t. I don’t want to see the sadness on his face or in his eyes. I watch Gracie eat, instead. I play with her spiked punk-rock hair and smile.

  Robert says, “Chelsea called; she wants us to come over to their house.”

  I look up at him. Why would she want us to go over there? “Did they find something out?” I ask, cautiously. I’m not sure I want to know.

  “She didn’t say,” he says. “I think it might be because I accused Drake of kidnapping and hiding Madison from us.”

  I look Robert in the eyes; this is all new to me. I never once considered that a possibility. My heart doesn’t feel as heavy now that I am thinking that she may be safe in the care of someone Drake and Chelsea know. “Is he a suspect?”

  “I think at this stage we are all suspects,” he says, honestly.