Chapter 18

"Bryan, slow down, okay?" Sarah insisted as he turned into the estate. She'd been fumbling in her purse, and he knew she was searching for Sgt. Woods's card to call him.

He was seething, his mind running through all the possibilities, none of which ended well between him and his mother.

There was the least offensive scenario: that it was pure coincidence his mother had taken Eddie to her home during the time of his fiancé's disappearance. Maybe she'd had a sudden desire to be 'mom of the year' and had actually decided to be more involved with his brother.

Yeah...he wasn't counting on that one.

Unfortunately, every time he tried to think of a benign reason for why his mother would bring Eddie to her home—without telling him—Bryan couldn't think of one. She'd never been terribly nurturing to either of them, but for Eddie? She often preferred to pretend he didn't exist in her perfect little world. It had always been dad and Bryan who doted on Eddie.

Therefore, her having Eddie at her house meant she had a reason, a need for him—and he had a horrible feeling what that might be.

"I'm not slowing down," he growled at Sarah. "She stole my fiancé from me, Sarah! Why the fuck would she do that?!"

"Okay! Okay!" She tried to calm him down as she pulled out the sergeant's business card with his cell phone on it. "But you don't know that for sure..."

When Bryan snapped his gaze over at her, his eyes asking her Really? She caved. "Okay, well, yes, I know I thought that, but you can't just go running in there demanding answers. What if—?"

"'What if' what?" he snapped as the car bumped over the gravel of the private drive to the back of the house.

"What if she's, you know, dangerous?"

Bryan scoffed. "She's a fifty-eight year old woman, how dangerous could she be? She's my mother, for God's sake."

Sarah chewed her bottom lip, obviously worried about him confronting his mother.

"She should be more worried right now about what I'm going to do to her," he growled as he threw the car in park, throwing open the door.

"Just wait, okay? Let me get hold of Sgt. Woods," Sarah suggested, pulling out her phone.

"You do that," Bryan snapped, slamming the door shut.

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Sergeant Woods and his partner returned to the station, heading directly for Chief Brannell's office.

"Ahh, good, just the two I want to see." The older man rose from his desk.

"Did our warrants come in?" Lettman asked.

"Yes. You're clear to bring in Edward Foxgrove," their chief stated.

"Good." Nathan started to turn to head back out.

"Hutchens is calling over there for you now to get them to fax or email over the records at least."

"Perfect."

"So, what do you think we are looking at here?" their chief asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. What we suspect and what we can prove are two different things," Nathan admitted.

"Okay." The man crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me what you suspect."

"Well, it's a little out there..." Nathan admitted cautiously, "...but we're starting to think Carol Foxgrove might be involved."

"The mother? The brother's fingerprint is the one we have in evidence, why not him?" Brannell asked.

"Well, from what Bryan indicated about his brother's mental capacity, I'm not sure Edward would be capable of planning and implementing such an elaborate abduction. We'll have to check with Edward Foxgrove's records and doctors, but... that's what I'm feeling right now."

The chief turned his gaze to Lettman. "And you concur?"

Janet Lettman nodded. "Yes, sir. I've actually always felt like Carol Foxgrove was a bit overbearing. She seemed very interested in making us think Kinnon had just left his boyfriend. She's even the one who brought over the 'letter' with the band, which she could have planted."

"Her fingerprints are the only ones on the letter," Nathan added.

"Because she touched it at Bryan's house when it was opened," the chief added, having read their report on it.

"Yes, but she could have touched it before that," Nathan argued.

"Okay, then what about the brother, how is he involved?" Chief Brannell asked.

"I suspect she's using him for man power," Nathan stated his suspicions. "She's not strong enough to move Kinnon on her own."

"Do you think he's working with her then?"

"That I don't know," Nathan admitted. "Bryan seems to think his brother isn't capable of it, but he could be a little blinded by brotherly love. On the other hand, Carol Foxgrove could be controlling Edward somehow, using threats or his docility against him. He could just be eager to please his mother. Bryan said he just likes to make sure everyone is happy."

"Hmmm. Okay, let's get on the brother and find out what he knows as best as we can."

"Woods!" a voice called outside the office.

They all came out of the office. Officer Hutchens was waving at him. "Hey, just got through to Beacon Estates for you. They're sending over the information. But here's the thing...they said Edward Foxgrove was checked out of the facility this morning by his mother."

Woods shot a look at his chief who met his gaze with raised brows. "Well, looks like you won't have to go far to talk to him. I say we bring the mother in for questioning as well, put her on ice. If she is involved, we don't want her pulling a disappearing act as well."

"Got it." Nathan and his partner turned to head out, pausing when his phone rang in his pocket. He yanked it out. "Woods here."

"Oh, thank God," the female voice breathed. "This is Sarah Demchik, Bryan Foxgrove's friend."

Nathan nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Yes, Sarah, is there something—"

"You need to get over here. Bryan's going to go off on his mother," she said breathlessly.

"Wait. What?" Nathan faltered, his pulse increasing. Shit, what was Bryan getting himself into?

"Bryan found out his mother took Eddie home. That she'd also taken him home the day Wyatt disappeared. Oh, god, sergeant, we think maybe...maybe his mom had something to do with Wyatt going missing. Bryan's gone ballistic. He thinks she's used his brother to help her do something to Wyatt, and he's going in there to find out what."

"Shit," Nathan cursed under his breath. "Sarah, you need to stop him—"

"I can't, he's already gone in. He left the door open though."

"Damn it." He turned to his chief. "Bryan Foxgrove has gone to confront his mother. He's there now—"

"Fuck," his chief muttered, then he suddenly started issuing orders to dispatch several cars for back up as Woods and Lettman ran out to their car.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah? I'm here."

"Stay out of the house. If Mrs. Foxgrove is involved, she might be dangerous..."

"Then I need to help Bryan," she insisted. "I can—"

Woods heard the phone tumble on the other end before losing connection. "Damn it."

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"Mom!" Bryan stormed into his old home, rage coursing through his veins.

"Bryan!" her voice answered in mild surprise. "What are you doing here, sweetheart? I told you I had errands to run today..."

Bryan rounded the corner to where he could see his mom calmly slicing tomatoes. She looked up at him with the sweet smile he'd grown up with. It didn't look quite the same now.

"I was just making a sandwich to take with me and head out," she said calmly, seemingly unfazed by his sudden appearance.

Bryan had a moment of second guessing himself. She looked so normal and domestic, like she always had, sweetly polite and gentle. She couldn't possibly have had something to do with Wyatt's disappearance, could she?

"Bryan?" she cocked her head when he'd remained silent. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Bryan turned and glanced around, realizing something was missing. His brother, and for that matter, where was Simon? The man's car wasn't outside when he'd pulled in.

"Where's Eddie, mom? And Simon?" He knew she had his brother here. So where was he? And why wouldn't Simon be around on a weekend, one of their busier days?

Obviously, she wasn't expecting those questions. Her eyes widened briefly with shock before she recovered, staring at him a moment, assessing. "Simon needed the day off," she finally said, "so I closed for the day."

"And Eddie?" Bryan ground out, his hands clenching at his side.

She hesitated for another moment as she seemed to focus on slicing through the tomato. "He's... he's out... I took him down to Bubbles to have them cut his hair."

"A hair cut?"

"Yes, well, I told you I had errands today. Since Simon was gone, I decided today would be a good day to take care of it. I just came back to make us some sandwiches before we head out to get him some new clothes."

Well, at least she had the wherewithal to realize he already knew Eddie was here and didn't try to deny it. But at the salon to get his hair cut? Shopping to get him new clothes? Yeah, that didn't make sense either. Bryan usually handled those things for Eddie.

He couldn't believe she was standing there so calmly cutting tomatoes to make sandwiches. Lying to him like she was.

"What about Wyatt, mom?" Bryan narrowed his eyes at her.

"Wyatt? Why would I know anything about Wyatt?" Bryan had to give her credit, she looked very believable.

"Mom, I know—" He had turned, starting to pace when he stopped, his eyes catching sight of something on the table.

Oh, shit.

He heard his mother's sharp breath as soon as she realized what he was looking at.

Wyatt's shirt.

One of Bryan's favorites on him. Along with his pants and shoes. Bryan fought back tears as he fisted the soft blue polo shirt in his hand. Until now, he wasn't absolutely positive his mother been involved in his fiancé's disappearance. But now...

Teeth clenched, Bryan's cobalt eyes turned stormy as they shot back to his mother. "If you don't know where he is, then why do you have his fucking clothes on your dining room table?" he snarled, flinging the shirt at her.

For a moment, her facade crumbled, and Bryan thought she might actually have realized just what a horrible thing she had done. When her eyes turned pleading, his anger faltered for a second—until she spoke.

"Oh, baby... it—it was your brother..." she rushed out, her hands clenching the edge of the cutting board and the handle of the knife. "He was so jealous of you spending so much time with that man, he... he just... lost it. I tried—"

"Fuck, mom! Stop! You know Eddie would never do anything like that!" Bryan yelled.

Her eyes darkened. "He did," she hissed, pointing at him with the knife still in her hand. "I brought him here last week to meet your man and he—"

"Bullshit! Eddie knows I love Wyatt. He knows I need Wyatt."

His mother's nostrils flared as she continued to point with the knife. Bryan hardly noticed it as she'd done the same thing all his life when she talked while cooking. "That man is destroying everything!"

"What? How?" Bryan gaped. "He's my boyfriend. He makes me happy! How is that destroying anything?"

"He's corrupted you. Made you think you are in love with a man."

Bryan froze, suddenly realizing that she hadn't ever truly accepted that he was bisexual. She still thought he might be happy with a woman.

"I AM in love with a man. Wyatt! I love him and I need him!" he shouted. "Where is he, mom? Tell me now!"

"Gone," she sneered. And Bryan could see the mad glitter in her eyes that he'd never noticed before, and his heart jolted. Could she actually have killed Wyatt? His own mother?

"Oh, fuck, mom, what have you done?"

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Eddie curled the smaller man in his arms as he listened to the shouts from above. He absently rocked back and forth, comforting his bundle until mama let him take Wyatt up to Eddie.

But... mama didn't seem to want Bryan to see Wyatt, and that didn't make any sense to him. Bryan needed Wyatt and Wyatt needed Bryan to be happy. Why would mama hurt Bryan by keeping Wyatt away?

Eddie heard his mother tell Bryan it was Eddie's fault, and he was even more confused. Eddie didn't want to keep Wyatt from Bryan. Mama said Wyatt needed time out from Bryan, not Eddie...

He stared down at the pale face nestled against him. A slow anger simmering at his mama's neglect. She had promised she'd take care of him. She'd lied. She'd made him worse. And now she lied about him. To Bryan. He'd never lie to Bryan. He'd never hurt Bryan by hurting Wyatt. Why would she tell Bryan that?

His hands clenched as his fury grew. A small squeak erupted from the folds of the blankets, and he realized he'd squeezed Wyatt too tight. He brushed his large hand over Wyatt's head. "Shhh, I'm sorry."

Wyatt seemed to try to draw in a deeper breath, but only ended up choking and coughing. Eddie held tight, wincing at the rattling sounds from the man's chest. "Bryan loves you. He said so. Eddie thinks mama was wrong to keep you away."

The shouts above grew worse, and he knew he needed to get Wyatt up to Bryan. To make Bryan happy again. To stop the yelling.

He tested the chain around Wyatt's limp, raw ankle. Gently, he laid his bundled down. He grabbed the chain near the eyebolt, twisting and yanking on it. He remembered doing this when he was little and not much happened, but he was a lot bigger now... maybe...

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"Sarah?" Woods answered his phone as it rang again, putting it on speaker so he could talk while driving. They were close to the manor now, with three squad cars as back up, as well as an ambulance and emergency crew in tow.

"Yeah," her voice was a soft whisper. "It's me. I'm inside."

Nathan cursed under his breath. "I told you—"

"Yes, I know, but I had to be there if Bryan needed help," she insisted. "I'm around the corner, using Bryan's phone to see around it. I put it on video so I could see..."

"Damn," Lettman chuckled, "smart girl."

"What do you see happening?"

"He's yelling at his mom...oh," she gasped as she noticed Bryan's hand caress a soft blue fabric on the table next to him.

"What?" Lettman interjected anxiously.

"I think... I think Bryan found... Wyatt's clothes on the table."

"Shit," Woods cursed, a sinking feeling threading through him. What if they'd been too late? What if Carol Foxgrove had...

"Yeah, it is them. Bryan's yelling again," she narrated as she apparently watched the scene playing out from the screen on Bryan's camera phone. They heard her scoff. "Now she's blaming Eddie, the bitch...oh, crap... she has a knife in her hand..."

"Shit, is she threatening anyone with it?" Nathan demanded.

"No...I think maybe she was cutting something in the kitchen when Bryan came in. I didn't see it until she waved it around just now."

"Hold tight, Sarah, we're almost there."

Woods snapped up his patrol radio. "Woods here. Suspect should be approached with caution. She is to be considered armed and dangerous."

"Copy that."

"Keep her talking, Bryan. Just keep her talking," he chanted, praying Bryan didn't acerbate the situation even more by backing his mother into a corner.