But for William, it was relief beyond compare. He began walking toward her as she came toward him. One of hislady friendshad threatened to do bodily harm to his wife one day. That was what led him to get her security. And when he heard about the kidnapping, his fear was that she acted on that threat. But she didn’t. He told Matty about it, and Matty paid her a visit.
But when he and his wife met up, all of that past stuff was gone. He threw his arms around her and held her as tightly as his eyes were shut. “I thought I lost you,” he kept saying. “I thought I lost you.”
And when they stopped embracing, both of them had tears in their eyes. It was the very first time any of his children had seen their father so emotional that he was reduced to tears.
Janita wanted to cry, too, when she saw that Mrs. Webster was alive and well. She couldn’t wait to call Von! But when she looked over at Hawk, he seemed almost upset. And not in anI’m so glad to see my mamaway either. He looked pissed.
That was why she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t embrace her. Matty did, although he seemed reluctant as well. And it was then did Janita realized that Hawk and Matty were her two oldest children. They knew her the best. And they also apparently knew what antics she was capable of.
When Reecie walked over to Hawk, her oldest child, he wasn’t going to go along to get along. He never did. “Where have you been, Mother?” he asked her.
“It’s late. I look a mess. And that’s your question? What happened to welcome back, Mother? I’m glad you’re alive, Mother?”
Then she was about to sweep past him and go into her home, but Hawk grabbed her fur coat-clad arm and pulled her back in front of him. “Where have you been, Mother?” he asked her again.
William was about to object, but Matty held him back. “It’s a legitimate question, Pop,” he said.
Reecie stared at Hawk. “You think I set this all up, don’t you? You bastard.”
Waitwhat? That was news to William. Why on earth would Hawk think that?
“Where were you, Ma?” Hawk asked her for the third time.
“I don’t know where I was, okay, Hawthorne? They came through a door I didn’t even know was a door. I got off a scream, but then they covered my mouth, gave me a shot in the arm of what I do not know, and then carried me out of that door.”
Hawk exhaled. It was still sus to him. “Go on,” he said.
“There’s nothing to go on about,” Reecie said. “It all happened in a matter of seconds. By the time they put me in the backseat of some SUV, I passed out. The next thing I remember is that I’m waking up in that same SUV, two blocks away from home, and nobody’s around me. So I get out, and walk home. That’s all I know.”
“That SUV is still there, Mrs. Webster?” Donnally asked her.
“Yes it’s still there.”
“What color is it?”
“Black I think.”
Donnally snapped his fingers at some of the uniformed officers standing around and ordered them to go the two blocks to the SUV.
“Do you remember what any of the kidnappers looked like, Mrs. Webster?” Janita asked her.
“No darling, not in the least. There were several of them, and they were all white. That’s all I can remember.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” William said as he broke free from Matty, removed Hawk’s hand off of his wife’s arm, and then escorted her into their home. All of his siblings, including some that looked at him as if he was being disrespectful to their mother, went inside too.
Nobody was left outside except for Hawk and Janita. And she couldn’t hold back her suspicions either. “Something’s not right, Hawk. Why would they go through all of this just to leave her in an SUV two blocks away? And not even require a ransom? It doesn’t add up.”
“I agree,” Hawk said. “It stinks.”
Then Hawk’s phone began ringing. When he looked at the Caller ID, he answered. “Hey.”
He listened, but Janita could see it was some devastating news.
“I’m on my way,” Hawk said and ended the call.
“What is it now?” Janita asked him.
“I’ve got to get back to L.A.”
