The taller cop snorted in disbelief. “What have they been drinking?”
Max barked out a laugh. “That’s what I said.”
“You wanted to report an attempted abduction?”
“Yes,” Max said. “My fiancée and my brother were taking a walk on the beach. Someone grabbed Noel and tried to shove him in a car,” Max said. “It was only luck that Sasha rescued Noel.”
“Can we talk to them?” the dark-haired cop asked.
The other answered a ringing mobile and spoke in low tones.
“Come in,” Max said and stood aside to usher them indoors.
“Can I get you a cup of tea?” Sasha asked from the doorway of the family room.
The red-haired cop shoved his phone into his pocket. “I wish we could, but our station needs us for crowd control. We’ll take your report and head back to the station.”
The black-haired cop studied Sasha again, and this time Max kept his jealousy at bay. Max ushered them to the kitchen table and pulled out a seat. He gestured for the cops to take a chair. “This is my fiancée, Sasha.”
“Sasha, can you tell us what happened?” the dark-haired cop asked.
“It is as Max said. Noel and I go to the beach in the afternoons. Most days, we swim, but today was a bit cooler, so we collected shells instead. We’d almost walked along as far as the car park. It’s around halfway along the beach. A jogger came toward us, and I thought he was out for a run. We see runners every day. But this man veered straight for us and grabbed Noel. I raced after him shouting, but I didn’t catch him until the car park. He had a friend waiting in a vehicle. The engine was running for a quick getaway. I was desperate because I knew the moment they stuffed Noel inside, they’d be off. Somehow, I grabbed the man, and Noel fell out of the car. The guy jumped into the car with his friend, and they drove off.”
Noel had wandered into the kitchen and leaned against Sasha as she spoke.
“Can you give me a description of the men?” the tall cop asked.
“The one that grabbed Noel was taller than Max and skinny. He wore sunglasses and a cap. I couldn’t see his hair, so it must’ve been short. He was wearing a faded blue T-shirt with a shape or design on the front. I don’t know what it was, only that it was red lettering. He had on black shorts and running shoes.”
“What about the man in the car?”
“I couldn’t see much of him. He wore sunglasses too, and I got the impression he was overweight.”
“Excellent,” the cop said. “What about the car they were driving?”
“It was brown.” She pulled a face. “I’m not good with car models. I looked at the number plate, but the numbers and letters were unreadable. Someone had covered them with mud.”
“What time did this happen?”
“Around two hours ago,” Sasha said.
“Why didn’t you call us immediately?” the red-haired cop demanded, his eyes narrowing.
“They terrified Noel. I wasn’t much better,” Sasha said firmly. “It’s taken us a while to calm down.”
“You—” The cop broke off and took a visible breath. “Where were you when this happened?” he asked Max.
“Edinburgh.”
“Is that why you’ve come home?” the dark-haired cop asked.
“No, although I would’ve returned immediately once I’d heard about the abduction. My brother is my priority. My boss wanted me to investigate the rumors of a dragon sighting.”
“I see,” the red-haired cop said.
Max’s mouth tightened. Hell, they both knew the dragon sighting was a load of rubbish.
The taller cop glanced at Noel and back at Max. “Can I ask Noel a few questions?”
