Every Fear Read Online Free Page B

Lee William Colson—wait, I got something on a Dylan Colson but he’s, like, a baby.”
    “A baby? Call it up.”
    While Kelly clicked at her keyboard, he glanced inside the hardware store. His concentration switched tracks when he thought he could recognize a detective talking to an older man inside. What’s that about? He made a mental note to follow it up later.
    “Here we go,” Kelly said. “It’s not in the daily. It’s in our community weekly. Zone Four. Oh, there’s a citation for Maria Colson and Dylan Colson, together in one entry.”
    “What do you have?”
    “No story. It’s a cut line for a picture taken a few weeks ago at a Ballard community fund-raiser bake sale. A fluffy picture of Maria Colson and her son Dylan looking at baby toys at a rummage sale. What a little sweetheart.”
    “Can you send it to me?”
    “Okay, you’ll have it in a few minutes.”
    After hanging up, Jason looked at the Colsons’ address. It wasn’t far—three, maybe four blocks. Hehad a hunch and decided to gamble on it by leaving the scene. He called the Mirror’s photographer.
    “Hodge.”
    “Nate, it’s Jason. I’ve got to step away to check something out. Call me if the police make a statement.”
    “Sure, but listen.” Hodge dropped his voice. “A cop friend of mine says it looks like they took the kid.”
    “What?”
    “Whoever ran down the mom kidnapped her baby.”
    Kidnapped?
    His pulse quickened. Man, this was more than a possible fatal hit-and-run, he thought, letting a few seconds of silence pass. “This could be a huge story. All right, call me if something pops.”
    A minute later, he received the picture on his phone. Maria Colson and her son, Dylan, smiled at him from the palm of his hand. Mother and child. Looking at them, he tried to get a handle on what had happened. He hadn’t nailed anything yet. Was he even chasing the right angle? The right family?
    As he walked around the corner, he got his answer. An SPD patrol car was parked in front of the Colsons’ two-story house. Bingo. And no other press in sight. Sweet. He was a few doors away when he spotted a woman leaving the Colsons’ driveway and coming his way.
    “Excuse me.” He stopped her and reached into his jacket for his ID and a business card. “Jason Wade, with the Mirror. Could I talk to you?”
    She stared at his card but she was distracted with worry until he displayed the Colson picture on his phone and handed it to her.
    “Do you know who this is?”
    Tears came to her eyes and she nodded.
    “That’s Maria and her baby, Dylan.”
    “Colson?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Are you a relative or a friend?”
    Passing back his phone, she indicated her house across the street. “Friend.”
    “Your name?”
    She hesitated. Jason tried gentle persuasion.
    “A story might help find who did this.”
    “Annette.”
    “Last name?”
    “Tabor.”
    Jason pulled out his notebook, flipped to a clean page, and began making notes while she cupped her trembling hands to her face.
    “I was looking for Lee but he’s not there,” she said.
    “Lee?”
    “Maria’s husband. The officer thinks he’s gone to the hospital where they took Maria. I wanted to find him, maybe get some things for her, but the police wouldn’t let me in.”
    “Do you have any idea what really happened?”
    “Only what Shannon told me.”
    “And Shannon is…?”
    “My daughter. She works at the store. The detectives won’t let me talk to her. She called me after—after it happened. But she didn’t see—oh God—they took Dylan!”
    “Who? Who took Dylan?”
    “I don’t know but they’ve got to find him! Did the police tell you anything about Maria? Is she hurt bad?”
    “I don’t know any details about her just yet.”
    “Anything about Dylan?”
    “No, nothing. They’re not saying much at this point.”
    “I’ve got a bad feeling.” Annette Tabor looked back at the Colsons’ house. “Dear Lord! Why Lee and Maria? They’ve been