The Couple Next Door

Marco looks at her in dismay.

“That’s what I thought,” Richard says, eyeing Marco. “Let’s review what we know,” Richard says. He turns to his daughter. “I’m sorry, Anne, but this is going to be painful for you to hear.” He sits down in his chair by the fireplace and takes a deep breath before beginning, as if to indicate that this has all been very difficult for him as well. “The kidnappers got in touch with us. They had our names because the newspapers figured out that we had paid the original ransom of five million. The kidnappers sent us a package. In the package were a cell phone and a note. The note said that the cell phone was the one that the original kidnapper had been using to stay secretly in touch with the baby’s father, who was in on the plan. I tried calling the only number programmed into the phone. There was no answer. But I kept it on me, and finally it rang. It was Marco.”

“I know all about that,” Anne says woodenly. “I know Marco took Cora and handed her over to Derek in our garage that night.”

“You do?” her father says in surprise. “How do you know? Did Marco tell you?”

Marco stiffens, afraid that she’s going to mention the video.

“Yes,” Anne says, glancing at Marco.

“Good for you, Marco, for being man enough to tell her,” Richard says. He continues. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but my guess is that someone must have murdered the man in the cabin and taken Cora. And then duped Marco at the exchange. I thought all was lost, until whoever did it reached out to your mother and me.” He shakes his head regretfully. “I don’t know if they’ll get in touch with us again. We can only hope.”

Pushed to the limit, Marco loses control. “This is bullshit!” he cries. “You know what happened. You set this whole thing up! You knew my business wasn’t going well. You sent Derek to me. You got him to suggest the kidnapping—it wasn’t my idea. It was never my idea! You’ve been manipulating everything and everyone. Especially me. Derek pushed me to ask you for more money, and then you turned me down. You knew how desperate I was. And then right after you turned me down, there he was, in my darkest moment, with his kidnapping plan. You are the mastermind behind all this! Tell me, did you bash in Derek’s head?”

Anne’s mother gasps.

“Because that’s what I think happened,” Marco presses. “You killed him. You took Cora from the cabin, or you hired someone to do it. You know where she is. You’ve known all along. And you’re not out one goddamned penny. Because you were behind the swindle at the exchange. You had someone show up without the baby to take the money back. But you want me to go to jail.” Marco stops to catch his breath. “Tell me, do you even care if Cora lives or dies?”

Richard looks from Marco to Anne and says, “I think your husband is out of his mind.”

THIRTY-FOUR

Show us the note,” Marco demands.

“What?” Richard is momentarily caught off guard.

“The kidnappers’ note, you son of a bitch,” Marco says. “Show it to us! Prove to us that you’re in communication with them.”

“I have the phone. I didn’t keep the note,” Richard says, unruffled.

“Really. What did you do with the note?” Marco asks.

“I destroyed it.”

“And why would you do that?” Marco asks. It’s obvious to everyone in the room that he doesn’t believe there is a note, that there ever was a note.

“Because it incriminated you,” Richard says. “That’s how I knew it would be you on the other end of the phone.”

Marco laughs, but there’s no humor in it. It is a hard, disbelieving laugh, bordering on rage. “You want us to believe that you destroyed the note because it incriminated me? Is it not your intention to have me arrested for kidnapping and keep me away from your daughter for good?” Marco asks.

“No, Marco, that has never been my intention,” Richard says. “I don’t know why you would think that. I have never done anything but help you, you know that.”

“You’re so full of shit, Richard. You threatened me on the phone—you know you did. You set up this whole thing to get rid of me. Why else would you do it? So—if there was a note, you would never have destroyed it.” Marco leans forward toward Richard and says in a menacing voice, “There is no note, is there, Richard? The kidnappers aren’t in touch with you, because you are the kidnapper. You have Derek’s phone—you took it when you killed him, or you had your people do it. You knew where he had Cora because you arranged the whole thing. You turned on Derek—which you’d probably planned to do from the start. Tell me: What did you say you’d pay him to help you send me to jail for kidnapping?”

Marco sits back on the sofa; he sees Alice staring at him, horrified.

Richard calmly watches Marco as the younger man accuses him. Then he turns to his daughter and says, “Anne, he’s making all of this up to deflect your attention from his own guilt. I had nothing to do with any of this, other than trying my best to get Cora back. And trying to protect him from the police.”

“You’re a liar!” Marco says in desperation. “You know where Cora is. Give her back! Look at your daughter! Look at her! Give her back her baby!”

Anne has lifted her head and is now looking from her husband to her father. Her face is anguished.

“Shall we call the police, then?” Richard challenges. “Let them sort it all out?”

Marco thinks rapidly. If Anne won’t admit she knows Derek was an associate of her father’s, or if she’s not sure, Marco doesn’t have a leg to stand on. The police already see him as their prime suspect. Richard, the respected, successful businessman, can hand him over on a silver platter. Anne and her father both know that Marco took Cora from her crib and gave her to Derek. Marco still believes Richard is behind all this. But he has nothing on Richard.

Marco is fucked.

And they still don’t have Cora.

Marco believes that Richard will keep Cora hidden forever if necessary, just so that he can win.

How can Marco make Richard think he’s won, so that he’ll give Cora back?

Should Marco confess to the police? Is that what Richard wants? Perhaps once he’s arrested, the “kidnappers” will miraculously get back in touch with Richard and return the baby unharmed. Because despite what Richard says in front of Anne, Marco knows Richard wants him hung out to dry for this. He wants Marco to go to jail but doesn’t want to look like he’s the one who turned him in.

“Fine, call the police,” Marco says.

Anne starts to cry. Her mother rubs her back.

Richard reaches for his cell phone. “It’s late, but I’m sure Detective Rasbach won’t mind coming out,” he says.

Marco knows he is about to be arrested. He needs a lawyer. A good one. There’s still some equity in the house, if Anne will agree to let him mortgage it further. But why would any woman agree to mortgage her house to defend her husband on charges of kidnapping their own child? Even if she were willing, her father would dissuade her.

As if reading Marco’s mind, Richard says, “I need hardly tell you that we won’t be paying for your defense.”

They wait in tense silence for the detective to arrive. Alice, who would normally busy herself making tea for everyone, doesn’t even budge from the sofa.

Marco is desolate. Richard has won, the manipulative bastard. Anne has fallen into the family fold one last time, and forever. As long as she stands by her parents, everything will work out for her. Richard will find a way to return her baby to her. He will be a hero. They’ll take care of her and the baby financially while Marco rots in prison. All she has to do is sacrifice him. She has made her choice. He doesn’t blame her.